The Meaning of the Rune “Fehu”

Fehu is important in probing what is profit and gain. Fehu usually represents fulfillment – something strived for is within grasp, but there may be opposing forces, which can be overcome with diligence. When in misery or grief, the drawing of Fehu brings comfort (Blum speaks of nourishment as a function of Fehu.)

Fehu – “Fay-Who” – Literally: “Cattle” – Esoteric: Mobile Property, New Beginnings, Wealth

Key Concepts: Wealth, money, food, sustenance, Hamingja, luck, personal power, circulation of power, financial strength, prosperity

Psi: Beginner’s Mind, presence, freedom, first impressions, young love

Energy: mobility, luck, charisma, dynamic power, liquid and mobile transferable energies, abundance, circulation, ‘mana’, sexual attraction

Mundane: money, recent purchases, reputation, freshness, fashionability

Divinations: New beginnings, social success, foresight, energy, travel, money, control; or greed, failure, atrophy, poverty, endings.

Governs:

Delegating your energy to another, power transference or projection; the sending rune
Drawing gravity into the personal sphere
Promotion of personal and social evolution, changing circumstances of importance
Increase in personal monetary wealth
Beginner’s mind and presence as a tool for consciously creating a fresh start

Fehu is actually the rune of ‘luck’. The universe is not so much made up by chance, as by luck. Luck is a hidden but real energy field inherent in your ‘hamingja’. Fehu governs the capacity to hold this luck and use it like a magical ability. This basic energy, your accumulated luck, is the foundation of the wealth and power in your life. Courageous deeds are central to increasing one’s ‘luck’.

Circulation of power, wealth and the mobility of all things is a key aspect to Fehu. These are associated with new beginnings, but keep in mind that there are no true new beginnings or endings, only the conscious marks of transformation. This can be most effectively understood while studying the runes as a cycle in and of itself (visually, a circle). The use of this principle leads to beginner’s mind and to presence as a tool for consciously creating a fresh start.

Indeed, money will work for you best under the guidance of the energies implicit in Fehu. Yet money is only a mundane and simplistic representation of Fehu’s nature. It’s best to think of wealth as food, water, shelter, clothing, sustenance and mobile assets, rather than needless luxury.

In starting new endeavors, Fehu will activate the will, restore self-confidence and assist in goal-setting followed by immediate action. Use the symbol and its teachings against procrastination. It is a reminder to think for yourself, which is fundamental to working with the runes. I find that the vibration of this rune to be in alignment with the principles of sexual attraction, first impressions and young love. Fehu is a reminder for us to act out of the present moment.

The conscious use of money for right ends is the domain of Fehu. In society today it is important that we explore new definitions of wealth and come to a realization of what is truly valuable. Wealth is a creative process in every sense of the word, not a static and measurable mass. I encourage the exploration of this idea right away.

The Meaning of the Rune “Thurisaz “

Thurisaz is the third rune of the Futhark and of Freya’s Aett. It represents the TH sound for which there is no English letter equivalent. But in phonetics there is the (Thorn) symbol for it, which is a mediaeval variant of the rune.

Thorn was also the late Anglo-Saxon name for the rune. In Norse it was called Thurs. The original Norse meaning of the word is “Frost Giant”, and you will find Thurisaz translated as giant, monster, demon or devil reflecting this original meaning.

Thurisaz – “Thor-is-as” – Literally: “Thurses” or “Giants” – Esoteric: Strong one, Resistance

Key Concepts: Unconscious forces, sociological forces, Thor, Loki as giant, chaos, destruction by natural forces, complexities of aggression, conflicts, disputes, psychological problems, lightning, breakthrough, aggressive male sexuality, battering down barriers, thorn of awakening, trouble, enthusiasm

Psi: enthusiasm, struggle against unconsciousness, male sexual prowess

Energy: enthusiasm, self-empowerment, chaos, active defensive force, breaker of resistance, destructive storms

Mundane: storms, tools, weapons, conflict

Divinations: Reactive force, directed force, vital eroticism, regenerative catalyst, constructive conflict; or danger, defenselessness, compulsion, betrayal, dullness, disease, explosive violence, annoyance, strife

Governs:
Destruction of enemies, curses binds and fetters
Awakening of the will to action
Breaking resistance of blockages in body, mind and spirit
Increased potency and prowess in romantic relationships
Understanding of the division and separation of all things
Aiming the use of psychic force
The combination of right/left brain processes for generating powerful realization

It’s not uncommon for the rune meaning of Thurisaz to be described as a thorn that is most sharp, a grim and evil thing to take grip on or touch. However, it is representative of Thor and his hammer, protecting Asgard from the thurses, giants who resist the expansion of consciousness throughout the multiverse. In every respect, the energies of Thurisaz are a forceful enemy of unconsciousness, ignorance and the rule of brute violence. Thurisaz represents the warrior that combines consciousness and wisdom with matters requiring force. Thor is the champion god of courageous and free human beings and the ultimate physical fighting force.

Thurisaz is also a fertility rune in the sense that it breaks down the barren and hard, rocky realms into workable soil as to bring fruitfulness to crops and wombs. The best mental state for working with the rune is enthusiasm, rather than anger or fear, as the former will much better sustain right awareness and diminish the potential danger of dealing with strong Thurisaz magic.

This early rune is representative of the use of tools and technology (so is KENAZ, to an extent), whether physical or psychological, especially as weapons of protection or active resistance against forces detrimental to the expansion of consciousness and awareness signified by DAGAZ. Human consciousness is a state of mind that evolved from pre-existing state of unconscious which continually strives to re-establish itself. Unless we promote consciousness actively in living out our lives we will succumb to entropy.

The power of Thurisaz is easily located because it is on the borderline, the frontier of consciousness. It is wise to never start a fight, but if one has started, be sure to finish it.

The Meaning of the Rune “Ansuz”

Ansuz is primarily Odin’s rune and represents communication, creativity, controlled and divine power. Spiritually, it is the rune of prophecy and revelation. It also encompasses the ideas of wisdom, knowledge, reason, and therefore of instruction and good advice. It might also refer to a test, examination, or perhaps an interview. It can mean a letter, book, paper, message or other information. Because Loki was a renowned trickster, Ansuz reversed may also portend a surprise, trick or subterfuge.

Ansuz – “Anne – suhz” – Literally: “Woden” – Esoteric: “Breath” or “Ancestral Sovereign God”

Key Concepts: order, gods, Odin, transmission of intelligence, communication, reason, inspiration, language, breath, sound, origins of language, the Voice of the Universe, spellsong, casting, chanting, ancestors, passing of the breath along the ancestral line, evolution of gods, speech, poetry, discussion of runes, memetics, semiotics, etymology, linguistics.

Psi: mental stability, communion, inspiration, listening

Energy: sovereign ancestral god, animating spirit, breath, communication, exploration, order, answers

Mundane: words, conversation, symbols, elders, music

Divinations: Divine inspiration, word-power, synthesis, transformation, intellect, open paths of communication; or misunderstanding, delusion, manipulation by others, boredom, bad advice

Governs:
All powers of naming and conceptualization
Convincing and magnetic speech and writing, and the power of suggestion and hypnosis
Acquisition of creative wisdom, inspiration, ecstasy and divine communication
Reason, analysis and good advice
Connecting and networking
Listening to oneself and one’s own particular inner-voice

Odin’s gifts to the first humans is said to be the breath of life and inspired mental activity, along with form, speech and the cognitive senses. The root energy of this rune triggers inspiration and ecstatic mental states. The ability of our minds to work with patterns (which computers for the most part completely lack) is inherent in the energies of Ansuz. Thorsson aptly states that Ansuz is the “rune of ancestral sovereign power of the mind consciousness, inspiration, enthusiasm and the power of the use of symbols for transformation of consciousness.”

The spirit takes up its residence in the human body when the babe breathes its first breath. It leaves the body with the last breath. Breath is the actual point of osmosis between the physical world of the human being, and the transpersonal energy that animates the universe. Emphasis on the breath is seen in meditation practices in all traditions. Inspiration means to breathe in the exalting or quickening influence of cosmic awareness. The breath is also connected to ancestry, as even the word spirit comes from the same root as breath. Our ancestral lines are unbroken with those of the gods still to this day, in blood and in breath.

Ansuz governs our mental capacities to name all things. Whereas THURISAZ deals with chaotic forces, Ansuz is a rune of ordering. Naming a thing properly can give power over that thing, and in ancient traditions, naming has often been used to dispel mischievous spirits, bind demons or break psychological fetters. The relationship also is indicative chaotic events can be used to shape ordered circumstances and one’s own thoughts, or the thoughts of others. Ansuz is suggestive of the relentless patterns that modern chaos theory declares are universal in every system. The newest theories of language are also found in the mysterious order and ‘strange attractors’ of chaos linguistics.

It is here that all speech can be deciphered and understood as well, so Ansuz is a rune connected with listening and speech: communication and meaning in general. Use such skills wisely for manipulation can, through temptation, become an end in and of itself, and corrupt the power of the rune. The problems with propaganda and misdirection are that the mind will follow its own words into confusion and create hypocrisy, which will damage the hamingja. Thought and action are most powerful when aligned and honesty is the best policy.

The rune of secrets, silence and true listening is BERKANO, but there is a type of listening that will allow one to hear the Voice of the universe, and this power lay within the power of Ansuz. The rune of higher reasoning and mental abilities particular to human is MANNAZ. These three runes, used in conjunction are extremely powerful.

The Truth About Runes

A form of divination. The term rune is derived from the Indo-European root ru, which means mystery or secret. Runes were at first ancient Norse and Teutonic alphabets, and symbols that were ascribed with various magical, mystical, and divinatory properties. These various alphabetical signs have been passed down through the centuries and were thought to possess religious and magical meanings. Personal runes can represent letters, deities, qualities, events, and natural forces.

In modern occultism rune divination has become most closely associated with something called runestones, which are not stones at all but small squares of ceramic impressed with runes. There is nothing wrong with putting runes on ceramic, which has an earthy, natural feel, but there is no ancient precedent for it, either. Many people are under the mistaken notion that this is the original medium of runes. In pagan times runes were carved into wood for divination, specifically segments of a fresh bough lopped off a fruit-bearing tree such as the apple.

For less formal occasions, should an individual wish to divine for family or friends, or a professional wish to use the runes in paid readings, one can create or purchase rune cards and rune dice.

Rune cards are similar in some ways to the Tarot. Each card shows a rune and two illustrations that convey its active meaning and its symbolic emblem, as well as its number, name, meaning, and its place in its rune family, or aett. Avoid using a rune card deck that minimizes the runes in favor of the images chosen to represent them. This is a major error. Divinations are done through the runes themselves, which have many possible interpretations, not just the one image selected by the artist who illustrated the cards. In this respect rune cards are unlike the Tarot, which consists only of its images. It is a vital distinction that is apt to be overlooked by those who rely on a colorful representation of the runes.

There is no ancient precedent for putting runes onto cards, because cards did not exist in Europe at the time the runes were being used for magic. However, early playing cards from China are very long and slender, shaped more like wands than modern cards. Also, there is a type of Korean card which consists of thin flat sticks with Korean characters painted on them (see A History of Playing Cards, C. P. Hargrave, pp. 6-12). The early Chinese cards were invented in the period of active rune magic. It is probable that all playing cards have their origin in divination sticks similar to rune wands.

Rune dice are four cubes, each bearing three pairs of runes. The pairs are oriented to the three dimensions of space, and they create interlocking rings of occult energy about the dice through their revolutions when the dice are cast. Each cube stands for one of the four occult elements – Fire, Water, Air and Earth. By casting the dice and reading the four runes that fall uppermost, as well as the pattern of the dice and the relationships between the elements, very detailed, lucid readings into general and specific questions are possible.

It may seem at first that putting the runes on dice trivializes them, but this is not so. Dice have been used from time immemorial for divination. They were employed for this purpose by the Greeks and Romans, and significantly, by the ancient Germans, who were avid gamblers as well as diviners. Roman historians report that the Germans divined by means of “lots.” such lots for the Romans meant small blocks of inscribed wood, as were used for divination in their own temple of the goddess Fortuna. It cannot be proven, but it is at least possible that something very similar to the rune dice existed in ancient times.

Runes are unsurpassed for divination because they represent a set of manifest qualities that are archetypal in significance. They define the essential building blocks of the human conception of the world. They convey meaning on all levels, and can be interpreted literally as trees, cattle, water, and so on; personally as human virtues and experiences such as dreams, desires, courage, eloquence, and service; or spiritually as good, evil, truth, justice, honor, and wisdom. On all levels the message of the runes is explicit, because the rune symbols arise out of the world of Nature. They possess the clarity and definition of the stones in a field and the trees on a hilltop. This makes them easier to interpret than the I Ching, the Tarot, or the symbols of geomancy. I have used all major types of divination, and find that runes speak in a more straightforward manner than any of them.

The History of Runes

images (9) The first systems of writing developed and used by the Germanic peoples were runic alphabets. The runes functioned as letters, but they were much more than just letters in the sense in which we today understand the term. Each rune was an ideographic or pictographic symbol of some cosmological principle or power, and to write a rune was to invoke and direct the force for which it stood. Indeed, in every Germanic language, the word “rune” (from Proto-Germanic *runo) means both “letter” and “secret” or “mystery,” and its original meaning, which likely predated the adoption of the runic alphabet, may have been simply “(hushed) message.”

Present day Rune casting involves asking a specific question, then interpreting the meanings of the symbols inscribed on a set of stones (sometimes sticks or cards). The techniques for selecting Rune stones are varied. A single stone can be chosen from a bag in answer to a question, or a number of stones (usually three or nine) can be laid out in a variety of patterns, similar to a Tarot spread, for interpretation. Or, a handful of stones can be drawn, then cast onto a special cloth, where unique meanings can be assigned to Runes in the face-up and face-down positions.

Choosing a method of Rune casting is largely a matter of personal taste. None of these methods, or others omitted here, should be considered more authentic than the rest, since there is no reliable record of precisely how Runes were cast for divination in ancient times. When using the Runes, listen to your own wisdom in selecting the appropriate technique.

There is historical research regarding the formation of the Runic alphabet, and the people who used it. The word ‘Runes’ refers to the unique symbolic mystery or idea behind each rune-stave—the inscribed shape or carving in wood, clay, or stone. Though considered by modern historians to have been savage in their excursions, the Vikings were in touch with the Earth and the cycles of nature. According to Nordic mythology, Odin, father of Thor, discovered and invented the Runes. Seeking divine knowledge, Odin hung upside down from a tree limb and was enlightened with the knowledge of the Runes.

Archeological evidence suggests that symbols found on early rock carvings throughout Northern Europe and Scandinavia during the second Bronze Age and early Iron Age led to the development of the rune-staves. The derivation of the Runes’ meanings, like the origins of the rune-staves themselves, remains mysterious. In Germania 10, Tacitus—the Roman politician, orator, historian, and author from the first century A.D.—describes a number of forms of divination, including ways of interpreting the flights and calls of birds. It was later surmised that the shapes of the rune-staves were derived from the patterns of bird flight. Also, Tacitus writes of omens being read in the snorts, whinnies, and neighs of pure white sacred horses kept by the public in sacred forests. The obvious link to these sacred horses is the nineteenth Rune, ehwaz, “the horse.”

There are a variety of theories about which alphabets the rune-staves were related to—including Greek, Latin, and North Italic alphabets. O.V. Friesen proposed the idea that near the Black Sea in the third century A.D., Goths invented rune-staves based on the cursive and capital letters of the Greek alphabet. Danish scholar L. F. Wimmer identified similarities between some rune-staves and Latin, and also concluded the creation of the rune-staves would have been in the third century A.D. However, these theories are questioned because the earliest inscriptions—from Norway and Denmark—can be dated to the second or third century A.D., which means their invention, distribution, and rise in popularity was already underway for quite some time by then.

The most widely held view of the rune-staves’ origin is that they derived from the North Italic scripts of Italy, which, like Latin, came from the early Etruscan alphabet. Both rune-staves and North Italic alphabets were written from left to right as well as right to left, but many of the rune-staves do not resemble North Italic in form. Some claim that the Germanic tribes of the alpine regions could have learned the North Italic alphabet as early as the fourth century B.C. The Futhark alphabet, as we call it today, evolved from this encounter and by the second century B.C. it was spreading northward. It appears likely that the Common Germanic Rune was created between the fourth century B.C. and the first century A.D.

The Meaning of the Rune “Uruz”

“Mind over matter – matter over mind”

Uruz means aurochs, the European wild ox that became extinct in 1627. Uruz encompasses physical strength, endurance, courage, and the raw, wild power of freedom. It includes emotional and spiritual strength, male sexual potency, and good health. It can also imply a challenge leading to a major life change.

Uruz – “Oo – Ruse” – Literally: “Aurochs” – Esoteric: Endurance, Formation, Manifestation

Key Concepts: life force, physical health, courage, organic structure, manifestation, formation, healing, vigor, endurance

Psi: determination, persistence, freedom, courage, will, territoriality, independence

Energy: Vital formative force, archetypal patterning, raw primal power, survival, healing, endurance, manifestation, organic structuring

Mundane: physical health, stamina

Divinations: Strength, constancy, vitality, tenacity, pattern, luck, health, pragmatic knowledge, understanding; or weakness, obsession, misdirected force, inconstancy, sickness, ignorance, uncontrolled rage, insensitivity, brutality

Governs:
Shaping and forcing fortunate circumstances creatively through will and inspiration
Self-healing and maintenance of good mental and physical health
Assertion of home ground, personal space, independence and freedom
Strength and tenacity, courage, persistence against all odds
Ability to control aggression and take responsibility
Rites of passage, especially into adulthood

While FEHU is the symbol of a domesticated cattle, and Uruz is a symbol of the wild bovine, a reminder that cattle were once wild creatures. If Fehu represents young lovers, Uruz represents young warriors.

Though Uruz energy is also heavily invested in the hamingja, it is not suited for easy, conscious control as Fehu is. It is the rune of powerful unconscious shaping energies that need to be guided wisely as they manifest. It is an early reminder within the series that the untamed powers of creativity are not without danger – a reality quite clear in our modern technological civilization. It is the user’s skill and practiced techniques that will control the energy unleashed by this rune. It is the rune of independence, asserting oneself and one’s territory.

Life’s persistence and its endless resourcefulness in the task of survival are all implicit within the rune meaning of Uruz, thus it is a rune of manifestation, regeneration and endurance. The organic patterning energy of Uruz laces up the skin, sustains the ego and can be used to protect the psyche from trauma. Self-healing is the energy which pulls a diseased or ill form back toward its ‘primal blueprint’: the original, invisible shape intended by nature’s design.

Uruz is the rune of the inner-King and inner-Queen. We can assert our right to exist and be free in the very same primal authority that the aurochs did theirs. It is the will to live passionate and free.

Uruz is linked to the god Thor and so continues on toward THURISAZ.

Your Guide to Rune Divination

Runic divination, or rune-casting, tends to employ a ‘set of runes’. Each letter making up one of the Germanic runic alphabets is carved, painted, or printed onto small tokens made of clay, wood, stone, etc. Generally the alphabet used is the Elder Futhark which is made up of 24 runic letters; thus most rune sets contain 24 tokens (commercial sets sometimes add a ‘blank rune’ as well). These tokens can be randomised for divination purposes in several ways. For example, they can be drawn a from a bag, tossed onto a cloth, or arranged in various ‘spreads’. The meanings of the runic characters are then interpreted by the rune- reader.

Here’s a guide to all you need to get started with using runes.

What Are Runes?

The word ‘rune’ simply means mystery, whisper or secret and it’s a form of divination or oracle reading system that’s used to help gain insight into situations or questions. Runes can be made of various materials, but are most commonly made of stone, and feature a symbol from the runic alphabet on them.

There are various different types of runic alphabets used on runes, with one of the oldest ones being the old Germanic runic alphabet known as ‘Elder Futhark’. The Elder Futhark contains 24 runes, the first six of which spell out the word ‘futhark’.

Over time this was adapted and in order to use it to write in Anglo-Saxon or Old English, a number of other runes were added to the alphabet, bringing it up to 33. This is known as the Anglo-Saxon Futhorc.

Another adaptation is the Younger, or Scandinavian, Futhark, which is believed to have been used in Scandinavia until the 17th century. All of these variations highlight changes that were made as people moved and emigrated to different countries.

As well as each rune symbol being a letter of the alphabet, they also have symbolic meanings too. Although many of these date back to traditional meanings, which would have meant a lot to the people using the runic alphabet, the intention behind the symbols still has relevance today.

For example, in the Elder Futhark:

Fehu, F, means domestic cattle or wealth.
Uruz, U, means a wild ox.
Thurisaz, T, means a thorn or a giant.
Hagalaz, H, means hail.
Ansuz, A, means an ancestral god.
Raidho, R, means wagon or chariot.
Kenaz, K, means a beacon or torch.

The Origin of Runes

The runes stem from an ancient form of Germanic alphabet, which was used by the Germanic and Nordic tribes of northern Europe, Scandinavia and Britain for writing, divination and magical purposes. Runic inscriptions have been found on stones, jewellery, weapons and objects dating back to the 3rd century AD, but it’s likely that they existed long before that.

What Can Runes Be Used For?

The runes can be used to help guide you through problems or issues and help show you what is likely to happen. They’re not a form of fortune-telling and don’t offer exact answers or give you advice – rather they offer different variables and suggest how you could behave if the event does occur. Runes are known for hinting towards answers, but leaving you to work out the details, which is where intuition is helpful.

Runic readers acknowledge that the future isn’t fixed and that individuals have the power to follow their own path and make their own decisions. So if you don’t like the guidance that a rune reading provides, you’ve got the power to change your direction, or your path, and follow a different route.

Runes can be used in many different situations. For example, one of the occasions when it can be useful to consult the runes is if you’re in a situation where you have limited information, or can only see an incomplete picture.

How Do Runes Work?

When you cast the runes, it’s not fortune-telling. The idea behind the way that runes work is that, as you ask a question or think about an issue, your conscious and unconscious minds are focused. When the runes are cast in front of you, they’re not totally random, but are choices that have been made by your subconscious.

What Can I Ask The Runes About?

Some people using runes believe you should only ask about issues, whereas others regard it as fine to ask questions. Whichever method you use, keep your question or issue clearly in your mind as you cast your runes.

Remember that’s doing a rune reading is not about seeing the future or definitive answers. It’s about looking for possible causes and effects and seeing potential outcomes.

What Sort of Runes Do I Need?

Runes can be made of different materials, including wood, stone, pebbles, crystals, bone or even metal. When you’re first starting out and discovering if you like rune casting, then a simple set will be sufficient.

However, once you’ve practiced for a while and developed a passion for runes, then it’s lovely to be able to choose and buy a special set. If you’re drawn to a certain crystal, such as rose quartz or amethyst, then perhaps investing in a crystal set of runes would be appropriate. Or you can buy a set carved into simplistic pebbles or small pieces of stone.

Either way, the material the runes are made of is a very personal choice and it’s what you do with them that really matters.

When you buy a set of runes, they will often come with an instruction booklet that explains what each rune is, what its symbol represents and how it can be interpreted.

Storing Your Runes

Runes are often stored in a little drawstring pouch, to keep them clean and together – you don’t want to accidentally lose a rune or two. Rune pouches to store your runes in are widely available, or you could find a small box to keep them in.

Using a Rune Cloth

A rune cloth is a piece of fabric that is used to put the runes on when reading them. Ideally, it should be a small white cloth and specially designed rune cloths of the right size are available.

When you’re trying out runes for the first time, you needn’t worry too much about investing in a special cloth, but it may be something you can explore once you’ve determined your love for the runes. The cloth prevents the runes from getting dirty or damaged and acts as a form of boundary for the rune casting.

How Easy Is It To Interpret Runes?

Like any form of divination or oracle reading, it can take time to master the art of reading the runes. There are books and guides available to help you understand the runic meanings and their significance in your life, and to the questions and issues you’re exploring, and with practice it does get easier. Ideally, you should receive an easy-to-understand guide to the meanings of the symbols when you purchase a set of runes.

It does help 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 at first, as this is perfectly normal. Just try and preserve, 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 on your rune cloth, or on a table, then there alternative reverse definitions; your rune guide will provide details of this.

Even experienced rune readers, for example, say that meanings or significances they’re unsure about or stuck on can suddenly come to them at a later date.

Blank Runes

Some rune sets come with a blank rune. However, opinions over the validity of blank runes are mixed, with the traditionalists saying that there’s no historical evidence that blank runes were ever used.

It’s up to you how you want to proceed with blank runes. If you want to include them in your oracle reading, then that’s fine. But if not, you can always remove any blank runes that are included in your set.

How to Get Started With Using Runes

Find a quiet place to do your reading and start by having a period of quiet, where you clear your mind and focus on the reading you’re about to do. Think about the issue or question you have in mind and, if you so desire, you can say a prayer or call upon higher spirits to guide you with your reading.

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

There are various different types of rune castings you can do – which are similar in idea to tarot layouts – but on your very first attempt, you might just like to start by picking out between one rune and analysing its significance.

This is also quite a useful method to use if you’re feeling unsure or uncertain – picking out one single rune can give you something to focus on.

Once you feel happy to progress, then have a go at some of the rune layouts and casts.

The Three Rune Layout

The three rune layout is a simple cast that’s ideal for beginners. With this cast, you should randomly select three runes from your rune bag and place them on the table in front of you.

Rune one should be on the right, rune two in the middle and rune three on the left hand side (so they should be in the order 3, 2, 1).

Rune 1 represents the overview, or your situation or query.

Rune 2, in the middle, represents a challenge.

Rune 3 represents a possible course of action that could be taken.

The Five Rune Layout

With the five rune cast, or five rune layout, the aim is to select five runes, one at a time, and lay them down on the cloth in specific places.

The first rune should go in the middle, with the subsequent runes forming a cross shape around it. Rune two should go on the left of the centre (west), rune three on the top (north), rune four at the bottom (south) and rune five to the right (east). You can either lay them face down and turn them over as you read them, or put them face up straightway.

The idea of this layout is that three runes in a horizontal position (rune 2, 1 and 5) represent your past, present and future. The rune below the central rune (4) shows what elements of the problem or issue need to be accepted, whilst the rune to the right of the centre (3) shows what help you could receive in relation to your problem or issue.

The Nine Rune Cast

In Norse mythology, nine is a magical number, so it’s appropriate to have a nine rune cast. This cast is best used if you’re trying to determine where you are in your spiritual path and what the next stages or opportunities could be and it’s a cast where you can really put your intuition to good use.

When you’re trying this casting method, you need to think about your spiritual yearnings, randomly pick nine runes out of your rune bag and hold them for a moment or two. Then scatter them onto your rune cloth.

It’s generally regarded that the runes nearer the centre relate most to the current situation, whereas those lying on the edges are less important. If runes are close together or touching each other, then they may be complementing influences, whereas runes that are on opposite sides of the cloth represent opposing influences.

Your attention should first go to the runes that have landed face up – it may help to note these down, so you can refer to them and study them in detail later. Then turn around the ones that landed upside down and read them, keeping them in their same position. These latter runes are believed to represent outside or future influences and could highlight potential new possibilities.

When you’re interpreting the runes and what they might mean, make good use of your intuition. This is one ruin casting where there aren’t hard and fast rules and it’s very much down to your own interpretation.

The Mystery of Nordic Rune Stones

According to legend a Norse warrior called Odin, seeking wisdom and understanding of life and death, fasted with neither food nor water hanging from Yggdrasil, the tree of knowledge, for nine days and nights. From this experience came the knowledge of the Runes. From that time on, aided by Viking travels, knowledge and understanding of the runes has spread throughout the world. Runes are an alphabet of symbols that represent energies and meanings and that also lend themselves to the use of intuition – reaching for further insight beyond the description of each stone’s meaning. Runes stones can be used to help us understand ourselves and the surrounding world better by allowing us to ask questions and then casting the runes stones for answers.At their simplest level, the Nordic rune stones we most commonly think of as tools of divination, similar to the I Ching or the Tarot, are actually an alphabet that dates back to the second century CE. Early examples of runic writings have been found on artifacts such as jewelry, hair combs, tools, weapons, and perhaps most notably, giant runestones, the memorials often raised and inscribed by the Vikings in honor of their dead.

The oldest of the runic alphabets is the Elder Futhark, a system of writing that can be traced to the Germanic tribes that migrated throughout Europe as a result of their ongoing conflict with the Roman Empire. The name “Futhark” is derived from its first six symbols: Fehu, Uruz, Thurisaz, Ansuz, Raido, Kenaz–just as our own word “alphabet,” is taken from the first two letters in the Hebrew alphabet, “aleph” and “bet.”

Magic of the Gods

Rather than letters of a modern alphabet that represent the distinct sounds from which words are constructed, the Nordic alphabet from which runes are derived is comprised of phonemes, which are micro-units of language that not only encompass sound, but meaning. (1) Ancient societies for whom runic languages were the common method of communication had a very different outlook on the impact of both the written and spoken word. Runes and the phrases they formed were thought to contain their own unique animism. To say something aloud or to write it was considered a summoning of sorts: to speak a thing was to give it power and call it into being; to write a thing was to invite its creation in the real world.

Early Germanic people and their descendants believed each rune was possessed of a certain power or quality, and by combining the runes in a variety of configurations, specific goals and desires (for good or ill) could be achieved. The word “rune” is the amalgamation of two concepts: one, which stood for the letter itself, and also the connotation of “secret” or “mystery.” It’s small wonder that the symbolism of runes found its way into contexts of spiritual and magical divination.

Another magical connection that runes enjoy is a long association with the Norse gods, especially Odin, who is credited by many with discovering the runes as the result of a mythic ordeal he underwent, similar in scope (if not detail) to a Native American vision quest (such as the one described by the famed Nez Perce warrior, Yellow Wolf).(2) Legend has it that Odin was hung for nine days on a tree at the center of the universe whose roots and branches hold the nine worlds. At the end of his tribulations, the runes were revealed to him. (3)

Casting & Interpreting Runes

There are a variety of modern rune stones available for use by those who wish to interpret the future or seek answers to specific questions. Most current sets of runes are comprised of a pouch containing 24 symbols carved or embossed on small tiles or stones, and a guidebook with definitions for each character, reversals, and interpretations of various configurations.

The 24 signs are categorized in three families of eight runes called an Aett (singular) or Aettir (plural), and each Aett is the provenance of specific Norse gods:

• Freya & Frey–the Goddess and God of fertility

• Heimdall–keeper of the Rainbow Bridge to the Heavens

• Tyr–warrior, leader, and champion of justice

As with the I Ching, rune stones are cast while the querent concentrates on the issue they desire to learn more about–however, like the tarot, there are both traditional and nontraditional methodologies with regard to the casting and interpretation of runes.

The traditional method involves casting the runes onto a white cloth while facing either an East-West axis or the sun. Stones that fall right side up have one significance, while reversed stones carry another meaning.

There are also less traditional, more intuitive means of casting runes that call for concentrating on the question at hand, and pulling a single rune from the pouch to reveal the answer to that question, or passing one’s hand over a field of runes, eyes closed, and allowing the emanations of the corresponding rune to draw the querent to select it. As with the tarot, the method you ultimately choose for runes will be the one you feel most comfortable and best suits your personal style.

4 Simple Methods to Read Runes

Runes were first used over 1500 years ago by the East Goths, and later appeared throughout England and Scandinavia. As Christianity took hold, the use of runic alphabets in divination became reviled as a pagan practice. The word “rune” itself comes from an early Anglo-Saxon word meaning “secret” or “mystery”, and they remain an enigma to the world at large. Runes were initially most popular among Wiccans and modern pagans, but have enjoyed unprecedented mainstream adoption in the past 30 years.

There are different kinds of Rune stones depending on which alphabet you choose to follow; Anglo-Saxon Futhorc, Cirth, Elder Futhark, Gothic Runes, Hungarian Runes, Turkic, Younger Futhork. Elder Futhark is the emerging Rune alphabet in popularity; it is also known as the alphabet with the “blank”.

What is the best way to use your runes? That is up to you. Here are some common methods of using runes:

Method #1: With your runes in their pouch close your eyes, concentrate on what you want an answer for (past situation, present situation or future situation) and chose a rune from the bag as your answer.

Method #2:Gently toss the runes from the bag onto a soft surface and the runes while thinking of what you want an answer for (past situation, present situation or future situation) and the rune(s) that stand out the most to you is your answer.

Method #3: With your eyes closed and while in a neutral state of mind draw three runes from the bag and line them up. The first rune is an answer to a past situation, the second one is an answer to a present situation and the last is an answer to a future situation.

Method #4: Lay the runes out in grid and let your hand pass over the runes slowly while concentrating on what you want an answer for (past situation, present situation or future situation). Use your left hand if you are right-handed and your right hand if you are left-handed. You will sense the rune that holds the answer to your question.

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