According to Edred Thorsson,* ”A rune is not merely a letter in an old Germanic alphabet but it bears the primary definition of “secret” or “mysterium.” There is something wonderful about reaching into a bag of rune stones with a question, asking for guidance, and receiving an ancient, magical symbol to assist you. I am certainly no expert, so I asked Richard for help on using runes in readings and found his guidance apt. Perhaps you will too.
“In ancient times, every man was his own priest.”
Ann: Hi Richard, how are you this evening?
Richard: Splendid, lovey, and you?
A: Making tracks slowly. Would you be kind enough to give me your thoughts on using runes as an aid in readings? How much do I need to learn? Do I need to become a Rune scholar?
R: I strongly support your use of this tool, and. yes, I think you need to learn not only the history and support of this divination tool but the intricacies and the subtleties of the letters themselves without necessarily becoming an expert. Rune stones do indeed both hold and reveal secrets, and you will be more at ease if you are fluent in their meanings or at least in some range of same.
A: How do I do this? I don’t wat to throw them every day on every little thing because they will start to mean nothing.
R: Very true, love. No, the way of wisdom is to pick a rune at random, read about its meaning and then ask for elucidation on what it may mean in different circumstances, and then, if you are so inclined, what it might mean for the day ahead in your own life. Just an open ended question. Then write down what you hear. Keep your own notebook and pretty soon you will begin to feel somewhat grounded in the mysteries that they offer but never reveal, for every intuitive access is, at its base, a mystery. That is why we can never say directly what is really meant, we can only describe what the life meaning is in words, sounds, pictures.
You are well suited to this, and I would be delighted to help you as you move through. Though not Norse in my most recent incarnation, my Druid ancestors had similar means of elucidation and guidance, and my own access now has been heightened so I am delighted to put that at your service.
A: Should I get several books on Runes?
R: Not yet. Learn what one has to teach you then branch out. Depth first. Master the music in one key first.
A: OK, thank you, Richard, you never fail.
B: I live to serve.
*Edred Thorsson, “Futhark: A Handbook of Rune Magic”
October 8, 2019