Runic Divination
By: Garfield Matson
I trow that I hung on that windy tree
Swinging there nights all
nine
Gashed with a blade
Bloodied for Odin
Myself an offering to
myself
Knotted to that tree
No man knows wither the roots of it
run
None gave me bread
None gave me drink
Down to the depths I
peered
To snatch up the Runes
With a roaring scream
And I fell in a
dizzied swoon
Well-being I won
And wisdom too
I grew and joied in
my growth
From a word to a word
I was led to a word
From a deed to
another deed
Poem attributed to the
Alfather
The Runes have a long history in the Nordic countries. As the poem
shows, the ancient Norse believed that they were discovered by the god Odin as
part of his continuing search for knowledge. It was believed that the Runes were
powerful magical tools for both divination and spell casting. It was later that
they also became used as a writing script.
It is interesting that
scholars believe that the twenty-four rune Futhark to be the oldest, and over
the centuries leading to the end of the Viking Age that the number of runes in
the Futhark was reduced down to sixteen. The reason that this is interesting is
that there is a very old poem that was used by Rune-witches and Rune-masters
that begins "I know a rune...".
Each stanza of the poem tells of the
power of a certain rune. Unfortunately, there is not enough detail to the poem
to associate the stanza with known runes since the poem only tells of the
magical properties of the runes, not their divinational meanings. Nor does the
poem give a "physical" description of the rune. But what is most interesting is
that there were only eighteen stanzas to the poem. Is it possible that the
conversion down to sixteen was brought about not by a need to be able to have
fewer runes to have to remember for a writing script, as has been suggested by
some scholars, but as an attempt by the witches and masters to bring the Futhark
back in line with the original runes discovered by the Alfather?
There is
a possibility that the Futhark was expanded after the Scandinavians had renewed
contact with the Mediterranean world in the late fifth century. By this time the
Romans had a script that they were using. The Scandinavians would have been
exposed to this in their trade dealings and noting the twenty odd characters of
the Roman Alphabet, could have expanded the Futhark so that if Romans chose to
learn the Norse tongue and read it, the written language would be closer in line
to the Romans. Scholars tend to believe that the Futhark was only used on hard
objects such as wood and stone. But, one must remember that things such as
papyrus, parchment, and velum do not preserve well unless great care is taken to
do so. The Romans used thin lead rods as writing utensils, could not the
Scandinavians done the same? Written records on any material in Scandinavia
other than wood and stone would perish long before anyone would have been truly
interested in preserving them.
Fortunately for us, inscriptions were made
on stone. It is also fortunate that scholars have been successfully able to
determine, for the most part, which letter each rune corresponds to in the
Alphabet that we use today. It is also fortunate that we know that the
Scandinavians had an oral tradition for the passing of knowledge.
Knowing
this, we realize that each rune's name must be mnemonic. Thus people who have
written books on runic divination have given each rune a name that best suits
the letter and it's derived meaning. Listed below are the twenty-four runes of
the Elder Futhark. I have not included the corresponding "English" letter, nor a
translation of the name. I have made a condensed list of their meanings using
the two books listed below
If you have a set of runes but do not yet have
their meanings memorized, cut the lower portion out and carry it with your runes
until such time as you do have them memorized. If you do not have a set, you can
make one using a knife or wood burning pen and some type of wood cut to the
right sized pieces. If you are good at bone carving you can even make them on
bone or antler. If you do not have the tools, time, or ability to make a set,
contact me, I have several sets for sale and will sell them to club members for
an extremely reasonable price ($1.00 for the cost of my materials- I got most of
my materials for free).
Remember, not all the "definitions" given with
each Rune will be the needed meaning for every reading. You will need to use
your intuition to decide the proper meaning for that particular
reading.
There are a multitude of ways to read runes. I will give the
three best divination types here. First is the single Rune cast. Like its name,
you simply reach into your bag of runes and draw out one Rune. This reading is
best for simple, "Yes/No" questions. Upright means yes, reversed, no. However,
you must remember to read what the Rune means to discover the reason for your
answer.
The second method is a three Rune cast. Draw three runes laying
them face down on the ground (you may wish to invest in some solid colored
cloth. Blue, red, or white are best). Starting with the Rune on your left, turn
the runes over one at a time, from right to left, ascertaining the meaning of
each before moving on to the next. The first rune, the one on your left, will
tell you how the situation you are asking about came to be. The second, how best
to handle the situation, and the third how the situation will be
resolved.
The third cast is what I call a multi-Rune cast. Like it
sounds, you reach into the bag and stir them around while thinking about your
question. Then reach in with both hands, draw out as may as feels right and toss
them in the air. Read only those that land face up starting with those closest
to runes both individually and as a group. This is a good cast for questions
like "What is the next month going to be like?".
For more information on
the runes and how to use them, I would recommend A Practical Guide to the
Runes: Their Use in Divination and Magik by Lisa Peschel (Llewellen
Publications, Saint Paul, Minnesota; 1989), and The Runic Workbook:
Understanding and Using the Power of the Runes by Tony Willis (The Aquarian
Press, Wellingborough, GB; 1986).
Good luck, and may the Alfather guide
your hands.
 Fe-cattle
Upright- Wealth; earned income; expected monetary gain;
fulfillment.
Reversed- Loss; failure; problems maintaining financial or
emotional status.
 Ur- Auroch
Upright- Strength and vitality; will-power; good fortune; sudden,
unexpected, natural changes which cannot and should not be
avoided.
Revered - Weak will-power; low vitality; a change not to one's
liking; failure to take advantage of a situation.
 Thorn
Upright-Protection; luck; take stock and evaluate your situation; being
stubborn.
Reversed-Luck runs out; not heeding good advise; self
deception; feeling threatened; hasty decisions will cause regrets.
 Ansur-mouth
Upright-Good advise; oral tests; interviews; gaining knowledge; entering a
new phase in one's life.
Reversed-Lies; deceit; bad advise; interference
from those in a superior position; misuse of knowledge; failure or refusal to
learn life's lessons.
 Rad
Upright-Travel; pleasant journey, possibly of the soul; a good time for
negotiations; good time for business; an ambiguous
situation.
Reversed-Journeys for unpleasant reasons or at bad times;
problem in travel; bad time for business.
 Ken
Upright-Energy; good health; strong powers of recuperation; creativity of
either body or spirit; time of protection from life's
unpleasantness'.
Reversed-Losses; confusion; ending of
relationships.
 Gifu
Partnerships; gifts; time of peace and contentment
 Wunjo
Upright-Joy; happiness; success; good news from a
distance.
Reversed- Misery; unhappiness; need for caution.
 Hagall
Limitations; delays; interference from sources out side one's control;
disruption by natural events; do not fight against fate.
 Nied
Upright-Patience; a difficult time period; ill health; needs as opposed to
wants.
Reversed-Misguided or inappropriate actions; think twice; be sure
to write some wrong that has been done.
 Is
Hold tight; wait; a cooling of emotions; delays; breach of
loyalty.
 Jara
Rewards; justice; repayment.
 Yr
Protection; sights set on a reasonable target; delays could prove to be of
benefit; caution and right thinking can help to avoid problems.
 Peorth
Upright-A fortunate omen; disclosure of a secret; unexpected gains; sexual
compatibility; illness that is unresponsive to normal treatments; strong
intuitive or occult ability.
Reversed-Disappointments; financial losses;
disappointment in love; unwise experimentation with the occult.
 Eolh
Upright- Friendship; relationship based on trust; protection; a willing
sacrifice.
Reversed-Vulnerability; deception; an offer to be refused;
becoming a scapegoat.
 Sigel
Victory; success; need for rest; strong powers of
recuperation.
 Tir
Upright-Victory in any form of competition; motivation; increase in money
or power; stamina and strength; fertility.
Reversed-Warning enthusiasm;
failure in competition; infidelity; impatience; lack of creative ideas;
difficulties in communications.
 Beore
Upright-Fertility;birth, both ideas and children; new growth; children in
general; fortunate outcomes; mothers or motherhood.
Reversed-Family
and/or domestic problems; anxiety over loved ones; infertility; miscarriage;
failure in business.
 Eoh
Upright- Changes for the better; journeys by land; continued in the same
manner
Reversed-Far journeys; unexpected changes; hold fast. Unless all
other runes in the cast are negative, the Rune means essentially the same as
upright.
 Mann
Upright-Aid or cooperation; good, honest and unbiased advise; you are too
caught up in your problem to see the solution; magical potential; problem with
women.
Reversed-No aid from anyone; selfishness; lack of self
control.
 Lagu
Upright-Intuitive knowledge; psychic ability; good memory; success in
learning; tide turns in your favor; women.
Reversed-Misled by your
intuition; betrayal by a woman; failure in learning; temptation to take the easy
way out.
 Ing
Completion; successful conclusions; sense of relief; end of one stage and
beginning of a new one in your life; good fortune.
 Daeg
Increase and growth; slow but steady growth; attitude.
 Othel
Upright-Things money can buy; inheritances; trust funds, or pensions;
inherited traits; single mindedness.
Reversed-Delay and frustration;
patients; no help forthcoming; difficulties in travel.
One might
notice the absence of the so-called "Blank Rune". This is because I believe that
this was an addition to the runes placed in during the Victorian periods "Viking
Renaissance". It is my belief that if the gods do not wish you to have knowledge
of something, there are already runes to indicate that the time is not right for
the gaining of such knowledge. If after studying sources you disagree, feel free
to make your own blank Rune. The set is made from pine. Just measure the
dimensions and cut one to size.
* * * * *
This article appeared in Valhalla's Svar Vol. 7 No. 4, April
1996
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