Runes are an ancient form of oracle used by those seeking advice. Runes have a long history, dating back to ancient use by Germanic and Nordic tribes, and are still widely used in today’s society. The word ‘rune’ simply means mystery, whisper or secret and it’s a form of divination or oracle reading system that’s used to help gain insight into situations or questions. Runes can be made of various materials, but are most commonly made of stone, and feature a symbol from the runic alphabet on them.
There are various different types of runic alphabets used on runes, with one of the oldest ones being the old Germanic runic alphabet known as ‘Elder Futhark’. The elder futhark contains 24 runes, the first six of which spell out the word ‘futhark’. Over time this was adapted and in order to use it to write in Anglo-Saxon or Old English, a number of other runes were added to the alphabet, bringing it up to 33. This is known as the Anglo-Saxon Futhorc. As well as each rune symbol being a letter of the alphabet, they also have symbolic meanings too. Although many of these date back to traditional meanings, which would have meant a lot to the people using the runic alphabet, the intention behind the symbols still has relevance today.
The runes can be used to help guide you through problems or issues and help show you what is likely to happen. They’re not a form of fortune-telling and don’t offer exact answers or give you advice – rather they offer different variables and suggest how you could behave if the event does occur. Runes are known for hinting towards answers, but leaving you to work out the details, which is where intuition is helpful. Runic readers acknowledge that the future isn’t fixed and that individuals have the power to follow their own path and make their own decisions. If you don’t like the guidance that a rune reading provides, you’ve got the power to change your direction and path, and follow a different route.
Find a quiet place to do your readings – somewhere you can clear your mind and focus on the reading. Think about an issue or question you have in mind and, if you so desire, you can say a prayer or call upon higher spirits to guide you through your reading. There are various rune castings you can do, but on your very first attempt, you might just like to start by picking one rune out of the bad and analysing its significance. Once you feel happy to progress, you can move onto the different rune layouts.
The Three Rune Layout The three rune layout is a simple cast thats ideal for beginners. With this cast, you should randomly select three runes from the bag and place them in the table in front of you. Rune one should be on the right, rune two in the middle and rune three on the left hand side (so they should be in the order 3, 2, 1). Rune 1 represents the overview, or you situation or query. Rune 2 represents a challenge. Rune 3 represents a possible course of action that could be taken.
The Five Rune Layout With the five rune layout, the aim is to select five runes, one at a time, and lay them down in specific places. The first rune should go in the middle, with the subsequent runes forming a cross shape around it. Rune 2 should go on the left of the centre (west), rune three on top (north), rune four at the bottom (south) and rune five to the right (east). You can either lay them face down and turn them over as you read them, or put them face up straightaway. The idea of this layout is that three runes in a horizontal position (rune 2, 1 and 5) represent your past, present and future. The rune below the central rune (4) shows what elements of the problem or issue need to be accepted, whilst the rune to the right of the centre (3) shows what help you could receive in relation to your problem or issue.
The Nine Rune Layout In Norse mythology, nine is a magical number, so it’s appropriate to have a nine tune cast. This cast is best used if you’re trying to determine where you are in your spiritual path and what the next stages could be. Use your intuition to randomly select 9 runes out of your bag, then scatter them on your table. It’s generally regarded that the runes nearer the centre relate most to the current situation, whereas those lying on the edges are less important. If runes are close together, then they may be complement influences, whereas runes on the opposite sides represent opposing influences. This casting is very much down to your own interpretation.
Take a look at our runes below!
