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Runes

The runes are a system of magick and divination that we have inherited from the Teutonic peoples of the ancient north. As early as 3,500 years ago, the many tribes of these ancient folk developed a unique and complex material and spiritual civilization across northern Europe. From the solar culture of the Nordic Bronze Age to the period of the folk migrations in the latter part of the Iron Age, the Teutonic world had considerable influence and prominence in Europe after the collapse of the Roman Empire. Teutonic paganism thrived in early medieval times in Viking Scandinavia, Iceland, and Germany. The British Isles were the focus of waves of raiding and settlement by both Saxon conquerors and Norse seafarers, who laid the foundation of our English language, law, and traditions.

We know that the earliest runic forms were rock-art symbols that represented the cosmic insights of Bronze Age shamans. These holy glyphs were designed from the visions and realizations gained in trance states, when the shaman’s soul communed with the spirit worlds and interacted with the beings who inhabited those worlds. It is thought that around 500 to 400 b.c.e., the tribe of the Eruli developed a sacred code of these magick signs, and connected them with the sound values of the North Italic (Nordic) letters, the runic system we know today. The runes became widely used for wizardry, communication, oracles, and inscriptions among practically all the Teutonic peoples. The Germans, Goths, Old English, and Vikings each evolved their own distinct forms of the runes, which is why in the magickal community today, you will find various rune sets with sometimes differing meanings.85 There are also Witches’ runes, which are relatively modern and not to be mistaken with the original Teutonic divinatory tool, of which I have seen several sets from various authors.

Today runes take two forms: runic cards (much like a deck of Tarot cards) and runic stones (small stones, each inscribed with a particular rune). Both sets are used as divinatory vehicles as well as tools for magick. Runes are not normally used as a magickal alphabet because most rune masters agree that forming words with runes (which can be done) creates a magickal vortex that you did not intend—meaning that the magick created does not match the English translation of the word (or Spanish, or French, or whatever).

Although there are many ways to read the runes, the most powerful spread is tossing the lot of them on a mat. Those in the center define the significant energies of the reading, where those farther away are considered supporting information. Those stones that fall faceup (where you can see the design) contain information that is evident, and those that fall facedown (where you cannot see the glyph) indicate information that is hidden.

Runes are popular in today’s magickal communities because they are a quick and easy way to read the energies of a situation, there are only twenty-four of them to memorize, you can make them yourself with clay or wood, and each glyph (alone or combined with others) creates powerful energies when invoked properly. Like other tools, intensive study is required; however, the runes are very user-friendly, and will work for the student in their capacity to understand them—meaning that as your knowledge grows, so does your expertise with the tool. Below is a list that you may find helpful in learning the runes; however, it is only a basic outline. If you wish to study the runes, please see the recommended reading list that follows.

feoh

Basic meaning: Money, wealth, sense of worth, ego, karma.

Magickal application: Advance projects, used to “send” the energy of other runes, temporary changes.

Deity associations: Freyja, Audhumla, Surt, Niord, Frey.

Basic meaning: Strength, healing, mental powers, internal transition, spiritual strength.

Magickal application: Enhances strength, “sends” courage.

Deity associations: Firogynn, Thor.

thorn

Basic meaning: Protection, unfortunate event, self-discipline, organization, purification, meditation.

Magickal application: Breakthroughs, defense, change.

Deity associations: Thor.

asa

Basic meaning: Promotion, leadership, information through the spoken or written word, planning carefully, divine wisdom.

Magickal application: Wisdom, eloquence, inspiration, sending information.

Deity associations: Odin, Huginn, Muninn.

rad

Basic meaning: Traveling, short errands, moving ahead, transportation, change in thought patterns, a new spiritual path.

Magickal application: Protection in astral or physical travel, getting something to move ahead.

Deity associations: Regin.

cen

Basic meaning: Documents, letters, books or other recorded information, insight, ideas, solutions, success, creativity, enlightenment, finding an opening.

Magickal application: Creating an opening, banishment, illumination, fire magicks of all kinds.

Deity associations: Freyja.

gyfu

Basic meaning: Partnership that you enjoy, material gift, generosity, one’s oath, divine gift or skill (such as artistic or musical).

Magickal application: Creating balance, healing, bonding energies, air magicks of all kinds.

Deity associations: Idunna, Gefion.

wyn

Basic meaning: The group mind, whether it is family, clan, group, or coven. Celebrations, holiday activities, success, fulfillment, harmony.

Magickal application: Wish rune, success, “sends” projections of authority, binds group energies in a positive way.

Deity associations: Alfs.

haegl

Basic meaning: Disruptive physical event, disillusionment, spiritual struggle, protection against enemies.

Magickal application: Overcoming obstacles, banishing, blessing, defense activities.

Deity associations: Mother Holda, Gandreid.

nyd

Basic meaning: Material, emotional, or spiritual need.

Magickal application: Seeking freedom, finding liberation, turning a bad situation to a good one, turning away enemies.

Deity associations: Nott, Dark Elves.

isa

Basic meaning: Material, mental, or spiritual inactivity.

Magickal application: Blocking negative energy, freezing a situation, finding clarity, binding negative energies.

Deity associations: Frost Giants, Skadi.

jera

Basic meaning: Improvement of physical circumstances, new home, renovations, new job, new relationship, improvement on mental outlook, drawing closer to spiritual attainment.

Magickal application: Gentle change, harvesting what you have done, bringing rewards to you that you have earned, improving on a situation, building.

Deity associations: Frey, Scyld, Sif.

eoh

Basic meaning: Sudden but beneficial change in physical location, return of an old friend or enemy, death, confronting our shadows, the process of spiritual initiation.

Magickal application: Attuning energies, hunter rune, achieving true aims, finishing projects, laying fears to rest, closure.

Deity associations: Uller, Frigg, Dises.

peorth

Basic meaning: Magick, the results of one’s magickal applications, secrets revealed, interest in the occult, divine intervention.

Magickal application: Understanding the underlying energies of a situation, initiation, secrets, visionquesting, shamanistic work, fate.

Deity associations: Wyrd Sisters, Mothers, Norns.

algiz

Basic meaning: Help and assistance from the outside, ethics and values, protection, divinity, the path of enlightenment, intuition, information from a divine source.

Magickal application: Protection, luck, defense, opening one’s psychic abilities with divine guidance.

Deity associations: Valkyries, Heimdall.

sol

Basic meaning: Success, healing, achievement, combining one’s energy with divinity, finding the right path, knowing your true will.

Magickal application: Bringing about victory, success, or healing; making wise choices for advancement.

Deity associations: Sunna, Baldur.

tyr

Basic meaning: Justice, winning battles, finding mental and emotional order, building one’s faith.

Magickal application: Justice, honor, victory, faith, order, personal security, defensive movements, courage.

Deity associations: Tyr, Saxnot.

beorc

Basic meaning: Birth, conception of a child, a new job, a relationship, emotional well-being, feminine mysteries, protection for women.

Magickal application: Starting a new project, spells for birth, purification, motherhood, reincarnation and protection specifically for women and children.

Deity associations: Berchtholda, Berchta.

Basic meaning: Movement and the vehicles of movement, cooperation between two parties, negotiations, meeting of the minds, drawing in divine and psychic power.

Magickal application: Making something move, creating a partnership between yourself and another, overcoming obstacles through group work, psychic abilities in connection with other people.

Deity associations: Sleipnir, Divine Twin.

man

Basic meaning: Issues concerning career, groups of people, and organizations such as a club. Friendships. Connecting with divinity in group work.

Magickal application: Creating singular thoughts and sending them, intelligence, advancing career and school work, arbitration wherein you will be treated fairly.

Deity associations: Mannus, Ask, Embla.

lagus

Basic meaning: Heightened sensitivity, unconscious activity, dreams, universal love, collective unconscious, psychism.

Magickal application: Strengthening occult work, interpreting dreams and other psychic phenomena, fascinations, glamouries.

Deity associations: Mani, Bil, Hjuki.

ing

Basic meaning: Nature and the world around us, passion, balance, conclusion to something that has bothered you, finding harmony in all things, including the world of nature.

Magickal application: Learning to focus, grounding and centering work, finding opportunities, overcoming mental illness, calming domestic issues.

Deity associations: Light Elves, Elf Lights.

odal

Basic meaning: Structure such as a building or house, one’s emotional structure, lineage, protection of one’s property.

Magickal application: Bringing prosperity into the home, finding fortunate influences to affect home or property, one’s
inheritance.

Deity associations: Hlodyn, Odin.

dag

Basic meaning: Satisfaction with any situation, having a positive outlook (or one is required), finding balance and harmony in one’s spiritual views, transformation to a new way of living.

Magickal application: Finding and promoting spiritual enlightenment, making choices that affect your spirituality, changing your outlook from negative to positive, increasing happiness and wealth, finding good luck.

Deity associations: Baldur the Beautiful.

blank

Basic meaning: Information is not available at this time—or, the future is what you make it.

Magickal application: None.

Deity associations: None.

The Aegishjalm, or Helm of Awe, bind rune.

Bind Runes

Unique to the runic system is the use of bind runes, where two or more runes are drawn together to enhance their power. Then, in ritual, this combined force is directed within the magickal working. The Aegishjalm (meaning the Helm of Awe), is a bind rune used for protection, purification, and runic power. How many runes can you find in the Aegishjalm?

Here are examples of other bind runes that you can use in your magickal work.

To assist those who are unhappy, depressed, or in sorrow, use Fehu, Ing, and Lagus.

For healing, combine Ur, Jera, and Sol.

For binding foes, use Thorn, Isa, and Nyd.

To release yourself from a constraining situation, use Asa, Fehu, and Ing.

To return negativity to its sender, use Hagel, Jera, and Rad.

To slow a situation down, use Isa, Lagus, and Nyd.

To bring about a reconciliation, use Gyfu, Man, and Wyn.

To control adverse weather, use Gyfu, Asa, and Rad.

To stop an astral attack, combine Dag, Eh, and Lagus.

For general protection, combine Sol, Algiz, and Asa.

For communicating with the dead, combine Hagel, Nyd, and Tyr.

For mystical knowledge, combine Eh, Man, and Asa.

To set things in motion, use Sol, Rad, and Cen.

For attracting a boy- or girlfriend, use Cen, Jera, and Ing.

To work with the elements, use Eh, Lagus, and Rad.

To win an argument, combine Asa, Tyr, Wyn, and Rad.

For victory, use Tyr, Wyn, and Odal.

To protect your privacy, use Asa, Lagus, and Ur.

For monetary growth and success, use Feoh, Birca, and Sol.

How to Empower Bind Runes

Draw the chosen bind runes on clean white paper (or parchment, if you can obtain it). Write the individual’s name whom the rune is for on the back of the paper. Ground and center. Cast a magick circle and call the quarters. Draw the Helm of Awe on your forehead with holy water. In this spell, when invoking Spirit, use only Germanic deities, the Lord and the Lady, or the word “Spirit” in general. Runes do not react well to pantheons other than their own.

Pass the paper through your favorite incense. Place a clean dish on the altar. Put an ice cube on the dish. Place a tea candle on top of the ice cube. Hold your hands over the dish, and say: “I invoke the powers of frost and fire, work my will as I desire!” Light the tea candle.

Hold your hands over the paper, and say:

Ye hallowed powers of fire and frost

of ancient worlds and memories lost

from Asgard to Hel attend to me

from roots to crown of the blessed tree

invoke the powers of this sacred rune

and bring to me your special boon!

Weave your web, sweet sisters three

as I will, so mote it be!

Pass the paper over the candle flame three times. Breathe on the paper three times, then seal with a kiss. The bind rune is now empowered to add to other spell or ritual work, or you can let it work on its own. Thank deity, close the quarters, and release the circle. Allow the tea candle to burn completely. Pour the water from the ice cube outside, saying: “To the gods!”

Note: You can also carve bind runes onto candles and paint them on backpacks, skateboards, and purses. Just as the ancient Egyptians inscribed hieroglyphics directly on the skin to promote healing and well-being, the runes can be used in the same manner. Remember to use skin-safe body art materials.