LEARNING TO READ

The first step in learning to read the runes must be to get to know the runes themselves. This doesn't necessarily mean memorising interpretations out of a book, although the literal meanings of the rune names should be memorised as a starting point. Instead, take one rune each day, starting with Fehu and ending with oþila, and meditate on it. There are several exercises you can do daily to aid in this: word association with the rune names, visualisation, physical connection with the rune, etc.

Always keep a record of your rune readings in a journal. Although it's not quite as easy to draw a nine-rune cast as it is to record a tarot spread, do try and make the effort. Record which runes landed face up and face down, what you think each one meant in the context of the reading, and what your general impressions were. Even if a reading makes no sense to you when you do it, its meaning might become clearer later on, and this will encourage you to pay closer attention to your instincts (even if you are sure you're wrong!).

SOME METHODS OF RUNIC DIVINATION

Since there are no reliable historical descriptions of runic divination, virtually any method one chooses can be considered valid. However, certain characteristics of the runes make them better suited to some methods than others. For example, most runes are carved onto small bits of wood, clay or stone. These are better designed to be picked up and scattered, rather than being laid out in a specific pattern like the Tarot. This is verified by descriptions of runic divination in Norse literature, all of which refer to them being 'thrown', 'cast' or 'scattered'.

Some books give upright and reversed meanings for the runes (like Tarot cards). This is obviously impractical if one is casting the runes, since many will land sideways or at odd angles. Also, one would think that if this had been the intention of the original creators of the fuþark, they wouldn't have designed so many runes to look the same upright as inverted. In addition to these practical considerations, there is also the fact that the Norse don't appear to have seen their world in such black and white. Polarising the meanings of the runes in this way, even if those opposites aren't phrased in terms of 'positive' and 'negative', tends limit the range of possible interpretations and ignores the complex and subtle relationships between the different runes in a cast.

The most important thing, however, is that you feel comfortable with the method you choose. If you feel the need for a more structured reading than a simple cast provides, devise a pattern for your casting cloth that has some meaning for you to give the reading a more tangible context. If you find nine or twelve runes to be a bit overwhelming, use three or four. If you want to just grab a handful and cast them, go right ahead. The runes themselves should tell you how they want to be read. Different sizes, shapes and materials lend themselves to different methods, and through meditation and experimentation you should be able to choose a technique that best suits both the runes' 'personality' and your own. Just make sure your method is consistent.
Most people eventually end up devising their own method of reading, but here are a few to get you started in the meantime:

1. THE ONE RUNE METHOD

As you might imagine, this method is designed to provide a quick, concise answer to a specific question. It can also be used daily as a subject for meditation, or as a general overview of the day before you go to bed. Think of a specific question, pull a rune from the pouch and look at it. The answer may be an obvious yes or no, or the rune might provide a more conditional response. If the rune you picked seems to make no sense at all as a response to your question, ask another question or try again later.

2. THE NORNS (or the Three Rune Method)

This method is helpful in getting an overall fix on a given situation, and providing some idea about a future outcome. How much information you get out of it will depend on how much time you spend analysing the reading and how well you understand the runes. Pull one rune and lay it down face up. This rune represents the first Norn - those events in the past which affect the current situation. Pull another rune and lay it next to the first. This is the second Norn - the present situation, which frequently to a choice that needs to be made. Pull a third and lay it down. This is the third Norn, and the most difficult rune to interpret. In some cases it might represent the person's inevitable fate. In others, it might simply be the end result if the current situation remains unchanged, or even just one of several results. You must rely on your instincts to decide which is the case.


3. THE ROMAN METHOD

This is the method described by Tacitus in 'Germania'. The method itself is really another variation of the Three-Rune Quickie, with a few ritual details to lend it authenticity. If you really want to do it right, go out and find a fruit-bearing tree and use the wood to carve your runes fresh each time. Lay out a white cloth on the floor. Take all of the runes in your hands and scatter them. Invoking the aid of Odin, and without looking at the runes, pick three at random. You may look at them as a group, without considering them in any particular order, or you can pick them one at a time, using the 'Norns' method described above to interpret them.

4. THE NINE-RUNE CAST

This method will give a detailed overview of a person's situation, providing insight into where they are in terms of their spiritual path, clarifying the options and possible outcomes available to them. Nine is a somewhat arbitrary number - you may use any number that feels comfortable to you. Nine is commonly used as its multiples were magically significant numbers to the also it is a large enough number to provide a detailed reading, but not so large that it over-complicates things. It is also easy for most people to hold nine runes in their hands.

Pick nine runes from the pouch. Hold them between your hands for a moment, and focus on your question (if you have one). Then scatter the runes on the table, floor, or cloth if you have one. Read the runes which land face up first. These will relate to the current situation and the circumstances, which led to it. How the runes are read is largely subjective, but in general, runes lying in the centre are the most immediately relevant, while those lying around the edges are less important, or represent more general influences. Runes that are close together or even touching often compliment each other, or may even represent a single thing, while runes which fall on opposite sides of the pattern frequently represent opposing influences. Occasionally, a rune will land completely off the cloth or fall off the table. Some people consider such runes to be particularly significant, while others ignore them completely.

Once you have looked at the runes which landed face up (and remembered which ones they are), turn over the rest without moving them from their positions. These represent outside or future influences, and will point to possible outcomes. It is up to you to decide what the various positions and patterns in a reading mean, but once you have come up with a few general rules, try to stick with them. However, rune readings by their nature are fluid, subjective things so try not to impose too much order on your readings by inventing set meanings for every triangle, square and tetrahedron. Runes are like people - you never know how they will get along together until you introduce them. Just look at the patterns and relationships that appear in each reading and see what interpretations make sense to you.

There is an old website that gives you Rune readings, Tarot and I Ching too.
All for free!

It is fun to learn the meanings of Runes while finding out answers to your questions.

http://www.facade.com

Enjoy in JOY!

I just adore Runes... I have been reading and collecting Runes for over 22 years now. (We've become quite close! lol)... I'd be happy to talk more about Runes with anyone who is interested. They are quite wonderous lil things and have really turned my life around and given me guidance throughout. Even after 22 years... they still teach me new things every day.

hi there,
i dont know much about runes, but have heard that they r very accurate?
y dont u enlighten us?

Hi Swetha!

Yes, Runes are VERY accurate. I haven't had a Rune let me down yet! Now I can say there were times I did not want to ADMIT the Runes were right, but once I got out of my own way I could clearly see they were simply doing their job and guiding me over a rough patch I didn't want to deal with.

Runes are very unique in that they can be used in many ways and I will go into the ways shortly. First its important for those seeking a Rune reading or those interested in learning how to best use them... that you understand the uniqueness of Runes. The Runes were used to portend the journey of a Warrior through battle so they had to be extremely accurate. In todays world we are all Warriors and our journeys and battles that the Runes speak to us about are personal ones. You see unlike the tarot... the Runes do not speak to you of people or places or things around you. The Runes get real up close and personal with you and they delve right into the heart and soul of who you are and where you need help along the way.

Personally, I feel you have to be in a pretty strong place to be able to take some of what the Runes will convey and use it constructively. I have found over the years that proper Rune readings can be very deep and may require two or three readings of the same reading given to get its full meaning.

In addition, Runes have a very special quality that many folks miss out on... they are (again, assuming the reader is well versed) non-denominational... and what I mean by that is that the Runes are very spiritual and speak to the depths of our inner self in a very personal and spiritual way. BUT, each person feels that in a very different way depending on their faith or religion (if any). Being a very diverse person myself, I feel this is an excellent quality for a divination media to have. It makes the Runes accessible to all, unlike some other forms of divination.

As for the ways you can use Runes.... there are many. I seek their wise counsel each day by asking the Runes "what is is I need to know today" and then picking one Rune to guide me through my day. They can also be used to ask yes or no questions. Many folks will make two Runes and place them in a special pouch... one will represent "yes" the other "no" and of course depending on which you pick ... you will have your answer. Then of course there is one of my favorites... the three Rune spread where you have a Rune for the Past, one for the Present and one for the Future... there are several other spreads (some mentioned in this folder) that you can do including a "lifetime" spread which is only done once in a lifetime and maps out your life and your journey. I recommend folks do that one somewhere in the 30's... it seems to be the most useful time to pull that reading (in my experiences with readings).

Certainly there are traditional and more non-traditional ways or reading the Runes and as a reader you would need to decide which path you would want to take. I began learning about Runes through Ralph Blum's books and then let the Runes speak for themselves moving forward. They are quite clever little things and if you let them they can guide you through life and make your experiences in life very rich and rewarding.

A bit long winded here... but I just LOVE talking about Runes... I have around 35 sets of them at this point and I affectionately call them "My babies".