6.Beyond Runedom

As the Master Runester Edred Thorsson says: "Reyn til Runa " - meaning to explore, study and quest until you find the Mystery. Go into the heart of Mystery (Runa ), until you can go no further. Go even further than that. Then you will no longer need a runeset...

7.Meditation and exercises

1. Draw the rune you are studying on your forehead in an aromatic oil. Dragon's Blood perfume is good for this as are pine, mugwort, lemon and sage essential oils. If using essential oil, be sure to mix one drop of essential to five or six drops of carrier oil which can be any salad oil you have on hand. Feel the rune's essence soaking into your forehead and smell the scent of the oil. (If you use the same oil each time to enrune yourself, you will develop a Pavlovian attachment to it which will facilitate your entry into the 'other world' of the Runes very swiftly. I use a very light mixture of mugwort and pine in grapeseed oil.) Allow yourself to go into a very light trance, or meditative state. Note what emotional associations and images come to you. Write them down when you come out of your meditation. Compare notes over time and across the runes you study.

2. Draw the rune of your study onto the palm of your dominant hand and galdor (meaning "to chant with purpose") the rune with your lips very close to your palm. Your hand should feel the resonance of your voice. This is called "loading" the rune. (Which brings forth all sorts of associations and droll warnings against going off 'halfcocked' that we won't go into...{grin}) Transfer the "loaded" runic energy from your dominant to your non-dominant palm by beginning to slowly chant the rune. As you begin to chant, raise the loaded palm upwards into the air, gathering energy and force. When you feel you have gathered enough energy and are at the high point in your chanting (Wiccans: when the energetic "cone" has been formed) slam the loaded palm down onto the other hand and abruptly, explosively, extend the last breath of your rune chant into it. The "slam" of the palm needn't be physically forceful; you are 'slamming' the force of the rune, not your own main. Feel now the non-dominant palm. How does it feel, what emotion, color or scent can you attach to it? Try this exercise on other parts of your body, on a plant or tree (ask first!), familiar, etc. This is one of the ways of using runes in healing. Make copious notes of your impressions and compare over time.

3. This is a couples exercise. Get together with another classmate for this one. Both stand facing one another. The "Sender" holds his or her hands out at waist-height, palms facing downward. The "Receiver" holds his/her hands underneath the Sender's hands, palms facing upwards with about a three to four inch airspace between them. The Sender then 'loads' a particular rune into his/her hands by visualizing, feeling the rune internally, perhaps with chanting (which can be silent and mental) until the rune's energy has peaked and then without touching, 'slams' the runic energy down into the Receiver's hands. The Sender then backs off and grounds by touching the floor if s/he needs to. Receivers should remain stationary until the last impression, sight, sound, smell, color, vision etc. is received and noted. Then, switch places and the previous Sender now receives. Do this with all runes you study. Note the different energy signatures the runes give off when channeled through different people. Switch partners if you are able.

4. Draw one rune from your bag (or by placing your finger on a rune chart in random fashion) to begin each day. Read a small snippet from one of the recommended books and spend five minutes in meditation on your rune for the day. Often, your rune will be amazingly predictive of the day's situations. Do the same with the last few moments of your evening.

5. As many runesters have done, bake and eat your own rune bread, cookies or cakes. Any sort of small baked cake or cookie will do; enrune them by risting (writing) one rune per cake with clear, red icing or food coloring. Ingest one cake per day for twenty-four days in sacred space using loading of the cake and galdor before ingesting it, noting any and all effects. I like to do this exercise along with #4 above, before heading out the door.

6. Work on your practice of galdor, or singing the runes with intent. Work from Fehu to Othala and galdor a rune circle around yourself daily. This is an excellent form of protection and self-defense and will fool the wiliest of elf-shot archers among other things. I credit daily runagaldor with bettering my good health.

7. Choose an English language word that derives from your daily rune choice. An example is "Ride" from Raidho, "The" from Thurisaz, "Any" or "All" from Ansuz etc. Meditate on how you relate to that word in your own life. If using "Day" from Dagaz then how do you relate to your day-night cycle? Are you a 'day' person? How do you use your day? What do daylight, daybreak and day's end hold for you? Use your notes of all of these associations to make your own word/rune association charts to replace those found in the works of others.

8. Keep a journal of your efforts, without fail. Even if it's a few shakily penned lines upon awakening, note down every thought, dream, sound, scent or emotion that relates to your study. Immerse yourself in a sea of runes.
Wassail!