Casting

Runic divination, or rune-casting, tends to help individuals make life-altering decisions. They are often made from different materials like glass, wood, or stones. Usually, rune sets contain 24 tokens if the Elder Futhark alphabet is used and have ancient letters carved onto them.

Each letter symbolize a different meaning. When you buy rune stones, they will come with a booklet that explains the meanings of the symbols on each stone. The Elder Futhark alphabet is the most common, but there are several other runic deviations stones that can also be used whhich utilize up to 33 symbols.

Rune stones were adopted from Germanic alphabet, which was used by the Germanic and Nordic tribes of northern Europe, and they are still a very popular tool. The word “rune” simply means “whisper” or “mystery”, which solidifies their usage in telling the untold.

What are Runes Used For?

The runes are used to help guide us through problems or issues and help show us what is likely to happen. They don’t offer exact answers or give us advice – rather they offer different variables and suggest how we could behave if a specific event occures. Runes hint at answers, leaving us to work out the details, where intuition is helpful.

Runic readers acknowledge that the future isn’t carved into a stone and that individuals have the power to make their own choices, choosing their own path. So you can change your direction if you don’t like the guidance that a rune reading provides. You can always change your future by changing your direction, or your path, and following a different route.

Runes can be used in different situations. For example, one of the situations where you can’t see an incomplete picture or you only have limited information.

The Way Runes Work?

The idea behind the way that runes work when you ask a question or think about an issue and cast the runes, is not totally random, it is all about the choices that have been made by your conscious and unconscious minds.

What Questions Can I Ask The Runes About?

When asking the runes, remember that’s a rune reading is not about seeing the future or getting definitive answers. It’s all about looking for possible causes and effects and seeing potential outcomes to choose the right path.

Is It Easy To Interpret Runes?

Like any other tool of divination or oracle reading, it can take some time to master the art of reading the runes. There are books and guides available to help you understand the runic meanings and symbolism, and how to use them to answer the questions and issues you’re exploring, and I gets easier with practice. When you purchase a set of runes, you should receive a guide to understand the meanings of the symbols. It will help you if you’re open and willing to use your intuition to assess what the stones are revealing. Don’t worry if you’re not sure in the beginning, as this is perfectly normal. Just write down details of any runes you’re unsure of and see if the meanings present themselves to you over time.

When a rune appears upside down, then there alternative reversed rune definition; and your guide will provide details of this.

Blank Runes

Some rune sets come blank. However, opinions over the validity of blank runes are different, it’s up to you if you want to proceed with blank runes. If you want to include them or not in your oracle readings, you can always remove any blank runes if you want to.

How to Cast Runes

Choose a quiet place to do your rune reading, where you can clear your mind and focus on the reading. Focus on the issue or question you have in mind and you can say a prayer or call upon higher spirits to guide you with your reading.

Your rune cloth should be spread in front of you, ready for the runes to lay upon it.

There are different rune castings you can do, but on your first attempt, you might just need to start by picking out one rune and analyzing its significance.

This is also a very useful method if you’re feeling uncertain. Picking out only one single rune can help you focus.

Once you feel satisfied with your progress, then try different rune layouts and casts.

The most common tools of the Shadowhunter, which also is the source of their ability to fight the demonic incursion are the Marks of Raziel.  That is how Runes came to be also known as Marks.  These are a complex runic language given by the Angel to grant powers beyond mundanes. Some Marks are applied to the bodies of Shadowhunters, and some are applied to physical objects like stones.  The runes grants them powers and are burned into Shadowhunters’ skin using steles, and are their most common tool in their fight against demons.  This has become a popular area of the runes as the pop culture on novels seem to have adopted from it.

These marks were given to the first generation of Shadowhunters by the Angel Raziel to assist them in fighting the demons they were tasked to eradicate. Every rune that is accessible to a Shadowhunter is recorded in the Book of the Covenant, and have also been copied into the Gray Book.  The Gray Book has been specially crafted with each rune placed in its pages. Copies of the book are rare because each book is specially made, due to the fact that steles, made of the holy metal adamas, burn normal paper.

The first ever recorded Mark was the biblical Mark of Cain.  When mark was set upon Cain, it  protected him from harm, as any harm against him would result in the same harm rebounding on the assailant but sevenfold.

Upon emblazonment of the mark on the skin, it may cause some uneasiness and a slight stinging pain, but most runes do not actually cause harm against a Shadowhunter.  When a young Shadowhunter is set to begin his or her formal training, usually around the age of ten or twelve, they receive their first rune. The Voyance rune is normally the first rune given to young or newly-ascended Shadowhunters.  It may vary in special cases though, such as when it was decided that the sickly Adele Starkweather should receive the Strength rune first. The first rune is usually Marked upon them in a formal ceremony done by Silent Brothers.    Most runes are meant to be worn on a Shadowhunters’ skin although many runes can also be applied on physical objects, giving a variety of effects and abilities.  Many of these runes are also placed on their weapons to prevent demons from healing when injured by them; others are used to lock and unlock doors, create fires, and a wide array of other abilities.

Though most runes have immense power, there also are runes used by the Nephilim that are purely symbolic. The love rune, for example, is merely a symbol of two people’s love and cannot create the actual feeling.  The same can be said for the mourning rune as it cannot diminish the loss that its wearers feel and only honors the dead and symbolizes the pain of their loved ones’ deaths.

Runes can be drawn as a whole, but depending on its purpose, runes can also be drawn partially at first and then completely drawn when the wearer wishes to activate it.  The strength and efficiency of runes is based on and related to the inscribing Shadowhunter’s talent for runic magic, specifically the strength and accuracy of the drawn Mark. The placement of the runes adds to their effectiveness as well. The closer a rune is placed to the heart, the more effective it is. Some runes are placed on hands and arms and legs because they target that particular area. The force that the rune is drawn with is also a factor in how long it lasts, that is to say –  the harder someone presses when drawing the rune makes it last longer.  Runes are assumed to have already existed long before Shadowhunters, and are even possibly runes of Heaven, that date back to the time of angels. These Marks include the Fearless, Alliance, and resurrection runes, as well as the Mark of Cain as mentioned earlier, among others.

There were numerous groups of people and clans that arrived sooner than required in the most recent thousand years, and they conveyed with them distinctive sorts of divination psychic frameworks. One was the ogham or divination sticks that the druids of the Celtic convention utilized, and another was the runes. Both frameworks are still around today, however runes might be all the more generally known.

The Anglo-Saxons, German, and the Norse people all used rather sturdy pieces manageable by hand, inscribed with characters from the runic alphabet, called futharks, of their culture. The futharks changed and developed over time, and may be read left to right, or may be set up in reverse, which can cause confusion if people try to read messages of old today. Sometimes one or more dots are used to delineate the end of a statement, and sometimes they are not present. The runes are carved or imprinted today with the characters of one northern European runic alphabet or another, such as the Elder Futhark, Younger Futhark, or Friesian Futhark, most commonly, but are never intermingled.

In essence, the alphabets could contain various symbols that pointed toward significant plants, animals, colors, and stones for the groups from which the futharks originated. Each of the symbols has a name, and a meaning, whether it points toward prosperity, fertility, or other topics of eternal relevance. The descriptions can be rather involved, which might surprise you at first, given how simple the symbols are.

Like with tarot cards, some readers do take into account whether the rune is reversed or not, though some runes will read the same either way. For that reason, many readers who divine through runes will only be concerned with the rune if it is conversed; that is, the symbol is face down. Others ignore such runes. When converse is considered, it is almost always agreeably a more negative influence, rather than being the opposite of the upright and face up glyph appearing in a spread. It is important to know what meaning you will use, and send that intent to the universe, so that it knows how to communicate through the runes to you.

The early settlers of Britain were well aware that their actions had consequences. The reading, even today, can be looked at in terms of the questionnaires query with regard to the past influence, present influence, and likely future outcome. The future outcome may be seemingly logical, based on causation, and not necessarily entirely on divination, and that is ok.

Yet, the casting of runes is based upon insight that the universe and one super conscious and higher self can bring to the table, which is unlimited resources, compared with limited human resources and intellect that everyone always possesses. When a reading of runes is started, the questioner needs to tune in and focus on their question, and set their intent for a good reading, full of truth and wisdom. They then reach into the rune bag, stir them up, and pull out the correct number of runes for their reading. To prevent from cheating runes need to be uniform in their size and shape.

Psychic readings should be possible utilizing different sorts of devices and mediums. One extremely mainstream device is the runes. Numerous individuals work on utilizing these runes for psychic readings themselves in their homes. There are numerous methods for reading runes running from truly straightforward ones to the most entangled routes also. However with the assistance of these runes you truly can enhance the subsequent psychic reading that you will get.

At the point when utilizing runes you have to get a fabric or sack for every one of your runes. On the off chance that you are utilizing a fabric, spread out every one of the runes you have on the material with their right sides up. There will be a clear rune in the parcel which you have to keep independently. After that you have to organize the remaining runes in sequential request.

To begin the process, start with a prayer that will help you gain guidance in the psychic reading you are about to do. After that you have to turn over all the runes so that their right sides are now facing down on the cloth. Then close your eyes and fully concentrate on the question that you need an answer to. Here it’s important that you think specifically regarding the question. For example don’t just ask whether you will get rich or not rather ask what you need to do in order to get rich. While thinking of the question you wish to get an answer to, start shuffling up all the runes. Continue mixing them up until you feel that they have all been fully mixed up.

While performing all this procedure you can further add some lit candles or burning incense, depending on your preference or whatever makes you more comfortable. The burning of candles or incense increases your ability to focus. The most basic type of reading is the ‘one rune draw’. In this case you simply ask the question in your mind and then pick out any rune randomly from the lot on your cloth or in the bag. This single rune will give you the answer to the question you have in mind. One the other hand you can try out the ‘three rune draw’.

In this case you focus on the question in mind and draw out three runes from the lot. Each rune you draw out will have a different meaning. The first rune drawn will give you an overview of the situation. The second rune you draw will tell you which course of action to adopt. Finally the third rune represents the outcome of that particular situation under question.

Finally there is the yes or no draw for questions that require an answer in, yes or no. in this scenario you again draw out three runes like you did before. However you will have to notice which runes come out with their right sides up and how many come out with their right sides down. The two come out with their right sides up then the answer is a yes. If not then the answer is no.

As you go on an excursion towards associating with your internal identity and a higher force, you’ll go over loads of various apparatuses that can help you to comprehend the messages your intuitive and different bodies are attempting to pass on to you. One of the most popular sets of tools are runes, which we use for divination, psychic awareness and guidance about our future behaviour.

The origins of runes

Runes are collections of 24 tiles or stones that can be made from wood, crystal, stone or metal and feature carvings of characters that represent letters.

They come from the characters that made up alphabets in early Germanic times, with the earliest examples archaeologists have found dating from around 150 AD. Artefacts such as spear mounts and shield heads have been discovered that feature runes.

Ancient people would have used them to write messages to each other before Latin arrived and took over as the preferred form of communication in an increasingly civilized world.

With runes, there are no horizontal strokes; all the carvings are either vertical or on a slant, as this went with the grain of the wood on which they were originally carved and prevented the material splitting.

There are 24 symbols on rune tiles and one blank tile known as the Wryd or Odin, with the latter referring to the Norse god who is believed to have gifted them to the world.

If you’re wondering where you might have seen runes before, then it could be in JRR Tolkein’s novel The Hobbit, where they are used on a map in reference to the dwarves.

It’s not clear exactly when the characters began to be used for divination purposes, but spiritualists believe runes have held magical powers since the earliest centuries AD thanks to their reference in folk poems and texts.

How to use runes for divination

Reading the runes became more well-known in the 1980s and today psychics, mediums and members of the public use them for additional insight into their lives.

They are typically stored in a drawstring bag and users can take them out one by one or cast them in patterns to be interpreted. Each symbol has a meaning and for this reason, people who like tarot cards often also favour runes.

You can use single runes to help you answer particular questions. To do this, just close your eyes and visualise your query or issue, then take a rune from the bag. The character you take out should help to bring clarity to the situation.

Alternatively, you can set up a spread made up of a number of runes, just as you might with tarot cards. The Cross is a common pattern that can provide guidance along a life path, while The Circle is believed to help with decoding romantic energies between two people.

Taking three runes at a time from the bag is another technique that practitioners also like to use. You simply choose three without looking and line them up in front of you. The first is an overview of your situation – it might be interpreted as the past, or what you have already done about it. The second is the challenge, or the present. The third represents a possible course of action that you could take, guiding you towards the future.

It is important to point out that runes will provide helpful hints, but they cannot tell your fortune or instruct you on what to do. The details must be worked out by you using your own intuition, which is why they are so useful.

In addition, remember that the insight provided by the third rune isn’t a given. You always have the power to change your direction, plus they’re guided by your subconscious so they’re actually more like a reflection of your thoughts and aims at any particular time than a prophecy.

A professional could help you with divination

Reading the runes can take a lot of practice and it’s a good idea to read the booklet that comes with your set carefully and refer back to it often to prevent misunderstandings that could lead to confusion.

You can also purchase more detailed guide books from spiritualist stores or the internet that will help you infer what particular rune layouts mean.

However, a better way to gain understandings from rune readings may be to book an appointment with a professional. Many of our psychics and mediums here use runes during their sessions to get a better picture of the issues being faced by each client.

Rune stones have been utilized for a considerable length of time as a divining device. Rune stones fall into the same family as the tarot and pendulum. Every rune stone is recorded with an image that has a significance. A few people utilize their own particular understandings for the images, while others take the more conventional approach. Whichever way you wish to seek after, make sure to be in any event acquainted with the images and implications.

Single Stone Reading

• Clear and focus your mind. Hold the bag of stones in your receptive hand.
• With the fingers of your receptive hand, “shuffle” the stones in the bag to mix them up.
• Either mentally or aloud, ask your first question and take a stone from the bag. Read the symbol inscribed on the stone. If you need further clarification, take another stone from the bag and interpret its symbol. If you find that you need yet another stone for clarification, you may want to return all the stones to the bag and rephrase your question.
• If you are taking notes on the reading, be sure to write down the date, time and place of the reading and what kind of reading was used (ie: single stone reading).

Four Stone Reading

• Clear and focus your mind. Hold the bag of stones in your receptive hand and concentrate on your intent.
• With the fingers of your receptive hand, “shuffle” the stones in the bag to mix them up.
• Either mentally or aloud, ask your question. Remove four stones, one at a time, from the bag. Read each stone’s inscription before you place it on the flat surface where you are working.
• From left to right, lay out the stones that you have chosen. The first stone represents past influences, second stone represents current influences, third stone represents future influences and the fourth represents the overall energies/lessons if all behaviors remain unchanged.
• Once again, if you are taking notes on the reading, be sure to write down the date, time, place and type of reading (ie: four stone reading).

Thorn is the name of the rune that provides and raise awareness and consciousness. This rune actually looks like a thorn. It has begun to reverberate intensely with the idea of “essential defense system”, meaning that the rose has thorns as part of its essence, to protect its purity, frailty and beauty from reckless individuals, but which leave room for the rose to shine at its full glow and share her aroma with those who appreciate it. So I wondered, is it possible that we, as human beings, also have a built-in, essential defense system that allows us to shine and thrive at the same time?

I’ve discovered we do. I’ve been able to spot two so far that are shared by the whole human species, they are: conscious awareness and self-love –go figure! And they both interact together. I’ll use an example to simplify. Let’s say that on a particular day I feel overly sensitive, wanting to keep to myself, enjoy the silence, a good book and a bath, but it turns out I’ve committed to spend the afternoon with a group of friends who I know to be very chatty and who do not really “get me”. If I am not fully aware of the internal call of my soul and if I consider that it’s more important to keep my word and go anyway because I don’t want them to judge me if I don’t, I am up for a full ‘attack’ of words and emotions that will necessarily come up to reflect my inner state of disrespect for myself. However, with my system of defense of self-love and awareness combined, the situation would be as follows: I tune in with my heart and become aware of what I truly desire, then I choose to honor and give myself priority over everyone else, knowing that going against my calling would not contribute to me nor the group. My friends may judge me anyway, it’s their choice; however, since I don’t judge myself -I love and honor myself instead- their judgment has no place to land within me and it cannot hurt me.

Going a little bit further, since we all show up differently in this world, I wondered whether there might also be some essential defense systems for different individuals. I was happy to find quite a few, which *require* the first two systems common to all to be well established. Let’s go with another example. I’ve found that a sense of humor could be an essential defense system for some. Let’s say that Joe, a person with a very spontaneous sense of humor, inadvertently collides with Peter on the street. If Joe comes up with a funny comment or jokes at the situation, Peter has two options: one, he can step up and have a laugh, too; or two, he can choose to get upset anyway but finds Joe so irreverent and ‘crazy’ that he just walks away. So, Joe’s gift and innate defense system has avoided him a potential ‘attack’. It is important to note here, though, that in order for Joe to use his gift in this way, he has to ‘love it’, in other words, be free of judgment for it, and to be aware of how and when to use it intentionally. If Joe had been judged since childhood for his sense of humor as being out of place, irreverent, silly, and so on, he’ll need to be free of that judgment in order to use his gift in this way.

I found this so fascinating that I discovered that beauty, a way with words, vulnerability, cuteness (remember Puss in Boots’ disarming eyes in Shrek?) can also be essential defense systems, and what’s more, once we pay attention, we all surely have more than one at our disposal.

So this rune invites us to navigate these concepts, find what our unique combination of essential defense system is, and to put it into practice. Are you ready to discover this empowering piece of your puzzle?

Runes are an old Germanic letters in order, utilized for composing, divination and magic. They were utilized all through northern Europe, Scandinavia, the British Isles, and Iceland from around 100 B.C.E. to 1600 C.E. Runic engravings of awesome age have even been found in North America, supporting stories that the Vikings touched base in the Americas much sooner than Columbus.

Tacitus, in Chapter X of his Germania, describes a form of divination used by Germanic tribes: “To divination and casting of lots, they pay attention beyond any other people. Their method of casting lots is a simple one: they cut a branch from a fruit-bearing tree and divide it into small pieces which they mark with certain distinctive signs and scatter at random onto a white cloth. Then, the priest of the community if the lots are consulted publicly, or the father of the family if it is done privately, after invoking the gods and with eyes raised to heaven, picks up three pieces, one at a time, and interprets them according to the signs previously marked upon them.”

I’ve been working with Runes since 1994, when I was introduced to their use at a family reunion. I’m of Norse heritage. I believe that this is why I found a natural affinity to runes, although one certainly does not need to be Scandinavian to use them. Runes are an oracle from which one seeks advice. They work best if you detail your current circumstances and then ask a specific question. Rune readings are sometimes obscure. They hint toward answers, but you have to figure out the details. This is when the rune casters intuition becomes paramount. Sometimes the Runes “sing” to me, and their meaning becomes instantly clear.

Runic divination or “rune casting” is not “fortunetelling” in the sense that one actually sees the future. Instead, runes give one a means of analyzing the path that one is on and a likely outcome. The future is not fixed. It changes with everything one does. If one does not like the prediction, one can always change paths. Since ancient times, runes have been used for divination and magic, in addition to writing.

The word “rune” actually means mystery, secret or whisper. Each rune has esoteric meanings and properties associated with it, beyond its mundane meaning and phonetic value. Each translates into a word or a phrase signifying concepts important to the early peoples who used them, representing the forces of nature and mind. Each rune has a story attached to it, a relationship to a Norse God.

Odin, the Norse High God of the Aesir, hung from the world tree, Yggdrasil, impaled on his own spear, for nine days and nights in order to gain the knowledge of runes. When the runes appeared below him, he reached down and took them up, and the runic knowledge gave him power . He later passed on this knowledge to the Vanir goddess Freya. She, in turn, taught him the magic of seidr. Heimdall, the god who guarded the Rainbow Bridge, taught the runes to mankind.

Runic alphabets first appeared among German tribes in central and eastern Europe. Some runes symbols are likely to have been acquired from other alphabets, such as the Greek, Etruscan, and the Early Roman. The runes were made of straight lines to make the characters suitable for cutting into wood or stone. The earliest runic inscriptions on stone are dated to the late 3rd century AD, although it is probable that runic alphabets had been in use for some centuries before.

The Old Germanic Runic alphabet or “Elder Futhark” contains 24 runes. The first six runes of the alphabet spell out the word “FUTHARK”. As the runes spread northwards into Scandinavia, some rune symbols were dropped and the alphabet was reduced to only 16 runes.

Between 400 and 600 AD, three Germanic tribes, the Angles, the Saxons and the Jutes, invaded Britain. They brought the runes with them. The forms of several of the runes changed, notably the runes for A/O, C/K, H, J, S, and Ng. Also, changes in the language led to nine runes being added to the alphabet to compensate for the extra sounds, and several runes were given different corresponding letters.

This alphabet, expanded to 33 symbols, has become known as the Anglo-Saxon Futhorc. The rune names themselves have been passed down relatively intact. Although no manuscript exists listing the names of the older, Germanic runes, the Anglo-Saxon and Scandinavian rune poems agree to such an extent that their common origin can be deduced. Here you can see number of Runic Scripts. The Runes are divided into three Aettir or groups of eight. D. J. Cooper discusses the significance of the Aettir in understanding the runes and using them in magic.

One who aspires to become adept with runes must have some knowledge of the mythology, history, and culture of ancient Europe and Scandinavia. The kenning of runelore is inextricably dependent upon these. Much of what you find here will merely point you in the right direction. The rest is up to you. Delve as lightly or as deeply as you wish. I hope you fall in love with runes as I have.

The most effective tools for self-divination is by using runes. Interpretations need to be just simple when you read for yourself, and I would like to share my self-divination interpretations, as well as ways I assimilate their energies in my everyday life.

I have a set of stone runes that I use, but it’s just as effective to use index cards with the symbol and meaning on one side, and blank on the other. You can add additional meanings and comments as you continue, but remember these are your personal interpretations, and simple is best.

My interpretations are based on the Elder Futhark runes, which are believed to be the oldest type. I’ve found that the most accurate answers come when just one question is asked at a time, with one card as the response.

Before you begin, decide how you will flip the cards. Which way will be considered upright, and reversed? This is very important, and once it’s determined, shouldn’t ever be switched. Once this is established, just mix up the cards/stones as you ask your question, and then choose one.

Fehu represents success and abundance, both financially and personally, even if it’s only because of a whole lot of luck! It’s a perfect rune to doodle while you’re hoping for that seemingly impossible result. If it comes up reversed, now’s the time to change your approach, because if you don’t, chances are it’s going to fail.

Ansuz tells you to simply trust the signs, and your intuition on this one! If it’s reversed, there’s been a major misunderstanding because of manipulation, and you need to take a break, and get to the truth immediately.

Uruz represents strength, energy, and virility. There will be success, but you must stand strong. It can also help rev up sexual energies if you trace it onto a candle… or lightly on your lovers skin! If it comes up reversed, it’s time to step back and be honest. Ask yourself, is this real, or are you obsessing?

Raidho confirms movement and transition through a current situation, but you need to trust your instincts and not rush the process. If it’s reversed, it’s being purposely delayed, and all you can do is patiently wait, because any movement you make will likely delay it even more.

Kenaz foretells the breaking of blockages in your life, and can be used to counteract blocks of all kinds—creative, relationship, etc. If it’s reversed, it’s once again time for a reality check. Are these blocks there because you truly need to work through them, or because this desire is not healthy for you? I often envision this symbol when I meditate, whenever I’m looking for clear, honest insight.

That was Part 1 of the Runes, but you don’t need to wait for Parts 2 and 3 before you start divining. Try with just the first part to get used to the energy, and see how your results change when more runes are added.