How do runes work?
 

I picked a book up today in a charity shop that's got runes, tarot, crystals, numerology etc, had a quick glance though it but I don't really get how the runes work. Could anyone explain it to me please? They just look like funny squiggles (sorry:redface: )

The Runes.... I have a deep connection with the Runes. I was given a bag of runes for my 29th birthday along with the book by Ralph Blum... that was 23 years ago. There is a great deal of controversy regarding the authenticity of Blum's interpretation and there are many wonderful books on the subject that delve into the ancient roots of this divination tool.

My suggestion would be to do a google search on the runes and explore the various teachings on their history and use. Check out the various rune sets to buy. See what you connect with on a deeper level. What books are you drawn to, what rune sets, etc.

The only way to really "get to know" the runes is by using them. Each runic symbol has a specific meaning related to it - kind of like a tarot card. You will get to know the runes and their meaning over time. Pick up a set that you like and engage in some "rune play." I like using the runes party because I like the feel of them in my hands. There is a strong connection through touch that I haven't found with other divination tools.

I look forward to what other's have to say on the subject and what you yourself find in your search.

Blessed be.

ya, I feel thrifty. I found out about runes in a book I got for a dime at a charity book sale, and didn't know you could buy them. So I spent a long while collecting shiny stones I found that were flat enough to use and that I thought felt right together, and then painted the runes on them myself. Probably means I've got a deeper connection with mine than if I'd bought 'em, huh?

(kinda off topic, but always suprised that people can buy them, kinda wanna buy a carved set, always having to repaint mine)

making runes
 

I've make a couple sets of Runes over the years. It think it does create a deeper connection with them.

The first set I make from collected stone like you. But the stones were thin and evetually broke. I then made a set out of a type of clay that could be dried in the oven. I pressed the sympols into the clay before baking. Then stained them.

I found making Runes very enjoyable. Blum recommends taking a bit of clay from each Rune as they are made to make the last Rune - the Blank Rune...

I bought my set from a New Age bookstore about 20 yrs ago. I used to use them frequently and found them to be an excellent tool. My favorite was the one by Blum on the five questions as it was easy to master. Most of it is interpetation but if you ask the right questions (Blum guides you on what to ask) the stones are like magic. Some of the stones I took out of the bag were exactly spot on and guided me to positive results. I will have to do this again now that this thread helped to motivate me!

So many people say that Blum is ****, but I say if it works for you then it's all good. I couldn't get the hang of runes until my daughter bought a book of new-agey runes and the meanings in the book clicked for me. From there I was able to incorporate the older meanings in a blend that works for me.

The first set I made I used metallic gold paint on small hematite stones, about the size of my smallest fingernail. It's still my favorite set, but I was so shocked to learn that some people can't handle hematite so I had to make another set for when I set up a table to do readings. I've used polished river rocks from the dollar store, and small pieces of finished wood from the crafts store and I used a wood burner to burn in the runes.

I have Blum's book and runes ... SOMEWHERE, my daughter got a hold of them when she was little. I've made two sets, one from flat river stones that I got from an amazing woman who was a lapidarist and had the MOST amazing assortment of crystals in her home. I also made a set from sculpy. All three sets worked well for me. Haven't used them in decades though.

The runes work a lot like tarot cards, in that there is an upright and reverse (upside down) meaning. I went by Blum's book for definition and it was quite accurate for me anyway. I even had a vanity plate once with one of the rune's name Eihwaz which symbolizes growth. Always got asked about it too.

I also have one of Blum's blank books for entering results. I think I bought it because the cover matched the regular book! Go figure!

Love your signature! Long live Earth and Chocolate!! :hug3:

The Elder Futhark (runes) were the alphabet of the Scandinavians. They were used for marking property and weapons, and even just graffiti. There is some evidence of magical use, i.e, the same rune repeating in a seemingly meaningful pattern. But there is no historical evidence of them being used for divination, and it seems to be a mostly modern invention used by New Age authors who thought they looked nice and mystical.

But, thankfully, some people with an actual knowledge of the runes have made attempts to reclaim the runes from New Age devouring. One author that is considered decent is Diana Paxson. Her book Taking Up The Runes, is widely recommended by people. But I have not read it, so I cannot comment.

I know that two authors that should be steered clear of are Edred Thorsson (he is far too romantic and woo-woo in many respects from what I've heard) and Ralph Blum, whose books are nearly worthless for really learning about the runes (any book that mentions a "blank rune" should be thrown away).

One thing you have to keep in mind is that the runes themselves have no "power" whatsoever. They are merely letters. They have no textbook "meaning". Which is why you cannot really go by the books that list what they represent, because they may not be wrong in some of their interpretations, but it's a tiny piece of the picture (similar to saying A stands for apple, aardvark, and aerosol, and nothing else).

If you're curious about getting a GENERAL idea about the runes, you can check out this site, which seems decent: http://www.tarahill.com/runes/runehist.html

Another book that is supposed to be VERY good is Rudiments Of Runelore by Stephen Pollington (it's on my wishlist :D ). It has a short, but good introduction of the use of runes, magical and mundane, from what I've heard.

Hope that helps.