What are Runes exactly? And do they work?

Runes are magical psychic tools. They have a powerful history that creates a good working atmosphere. Most sets contain 24 runes whilst others may carry an extra rune which is blank and known as “Wyrd”. This is only used when casting the runes and is said to represent a turning point in the life of the person who has cast it. Runes are said to have originated from Odin, the Norse god who suspended himself upside down from Yggdrasil, The Tree of the World for nine days and nine nights without any water or food so that he could learn about life and death.

By the end of the period he achieved enlightenment and then saw the runes lying on the ground beneath him. It is because of this that runes have become so mystical, accurate and magical. They have been around for hundreds of years and because of this it can be hard to grasp the true meaning of them because they are not presented in words or pictures, but symbols. You will soon begin to learn how powerful they are however by studying their individual meanings where the symbols will naturally begin to sink into the subconscious mind and stick. You can either buy runes yourself with a booklet or you can actually make them and engrain the symbol yourself or perhaps paint the symbols on.

Many people like to practice their rune casting for the first time outside with Mother Earth on a piece of silk to remember where runes first originated from, you may want to do this underneath a beautiful tree.

Casting the runes is very simple, if you wish you can keep your runes in a silk bag and pick one out every day, or if you wish to do a full reading, you can simply pick a handful of runes, shake them gently and then cast them onto the silk when you feel the time is right. If you do not want to do this however you can just simply pick out the runes that you feel apply to you.

It may take you a while to get used to your runes but they will soon become your friends, you may even want to buy a special box for them. Just like people the runes have different tones and moods. You may find that one day a particular rune feels quite happy in your hands and friendly and then the next a little moody, perhaps this is because it is placed next to a rune that warns caution? But it all depends on how the runes fall together and how you feel about the runes when you pick it up. Your intuition will always help you and guide you with your runes so there is no need to worry.

Some important things to remember about runes:

-When runes are inverted they have the opposite meaning to that of their upright position. Non –invertible runes look the same when reversed .

-The three best-known runic alphabets are the Elder Futhark (around 150–800), the Anglo-Saxon Futhorc (400–1100), and the Younger Futhark (800–1100). The Younger Futhark is further divided into the long-branch runes (also called Danish, although they were also used in Norway and Sweden), short-branch or Rök runes (also called Swedish-Norwegian, although they were also used in Denmark), and the stavesyle or Hälsinge runes (staveless runes). The Younger Futhark developed further into the Marcomannic runes, the Medieval runes (1100–15.

-During the period when runes were used for writing, they were associated with mystery and magic as well as communication. Runic inscriptions were often added to garments, homes, and weapons to confer protection.

-Drawing a single rune a day will give you valuable insight into what is coming up for you and what to expect, it can also help you to build a clear picture of your daily events.

Names of runes and brief meanings :

Fehu – Money and possessions
Thurisaz – Constructive change
Raido – Rising above problems
Gebo – Love and talents
Uruz – Strength and courage
Ansuz – Communication in all forms
Kaunaz – Enthusiasm and energy
Wunjo – Happiness and companionship
Hagalaz – Difficult situations
Isa – Feeling in limbo
Nauthiz – Feeling needy
Jera – The end of a cycle
Eihwaz – The mysteries of life and death
Algiz – Spiritual protection
Perth – Look beyond the surface
Sowela – Encouragement and achievement
Teiwz – Competiveness
Ehwaz – Travel
Berkana – New beginnings
Mannaz – Objectivity
Laguz – Psychic powers
Othila – Possessions
Inguz – New projects
Daguz – Hope


References and further reading:

Psychic Bible - Jane Struthers

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-runes.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Runic_script