I find the runes are a very powerful, energetic and, for want of a better word, insistent, tool for knowledge, wisdom and understanding.
It is like they have a life force of their own, or are connected to a very deep and abiding force. I usually just shuffle them around and wait for one (or more on occasion!) to "jump" into my hand or wedge into my fingers.
I find I learn a bit more with each day of using the runes. They can be taken very literally, and there are books and online sites that give you a more literal, straightforward interpretation, or can be used for meditating upon and delving deeper.
The runes will take you as deep as you dare go. They can be VERY powerful.
I'm currently using a book on the Elder Futhark which is interesting but currently a little involved for me. (
http://books.google.ca/books/about/F...IC&redir_esc=y)
I feel like the more I use it the more I absorb and I'm starting to feel like I KNOW these runes already, maybe from a previous life as CrystalSong suggested. Or else I know them through ancestral DNA as I have Norse blood in me.
I have had my runes for over 30 years and they feel like a part of me now. This past year I heard of the practice of "blooding" the runes. This involved me sacrificing some of my blood for them, and since then they have felt much more insistent and powerful.
Like all things Norse, the runes can be merciless, so expect no sympathy lol. But they are a wonderful tool of self awareness, growth and knowledge. Just keep growing with them and open your awareness to their own particular energies. :)