What are runes, anyway?

Runes are an ancient casting tool, where a diviner or seer "casts" the small tiles to seek advice. Unlike some other aspects of neo-paganism, runes have a long and storied history, going back to ancient use by Germanic and Nordic tribes. They are still used in today’s society, and seem to be experiencing a new wave of popularity. While anyone can learn how to use runes, there is nothing like experiencing a reading with a knowledgeable and attuned seer.

What Are Runes?

The word ‘rune’ actually means mystery, whisper, or secret. The are a form of divination that’s used to help gain insight into situations or questions, much like the more common tarot. Runes can be made of various materials, but are most commonly made of stone or wood, and feature symbols from the runic alphabet on them.

While there are several kinds of runic alphabets, the most traditional is the old Germanic runic alphabet known as ‘Elder Futhark’. The Elder Futhark contains 24 runes in all.

Over time, the symbols became letters, creating an early writing system for the people who used them. In addition to a letter sound, they also have symbolic meanings. These meanings serve to help us to interpret the messages discovered while casting runes.

Rune Meanings:

Freya's Aett

• Fehu (F) means cattle, wealth, or abundance. Merkstave (reversed), it means loss of property, greed, or poverty.

• Uruz (U) means wild ox, strength, male energy, or sudden changes. Murkstave, it means weakness, being dominated by others, or violence.

• Thurisaz, T, means a thorn or a giant. Destruction, defense, cleansing fire, or change. Merkstave, it means danger, harmful destructution, negative male energy, hatred, or violence.

• Ansuz, A, means Odin or ancestral god. Insight, communication, or messages. Merkstave, it means miscommunication, lies, vanity, or delusion.

• Raidho, R, means wagon or chariot. Travel and movement (physical or spiritual), journeys, relocation, or growth. Merkstave, it means rigidity, crisis, dislocaton, possible death.

• Kenaz, K, means a beacon or torch. Vision, knowledge, energy, harnessed power, passion. Merkstave, it means ignorance, instability, lack of creativity, false hope.

• Gebo, G, means gift. Gifts in sacrifice or generosity, balance, contracts, partnerships, relationships. There is no reverse of Gebo.

• Wunjo, W, means joy. Fellowship, comfort, happiness, harmony. Merkstave, it means strife or sorrow.

Heimdall's Aett

• Hagalaz, H, means hail. Destructive natural forces, trial, or crisis. Merkstave, it means disaster, pain, loss of power.

• Nauthiz, N, means need. Delays, restriction, confusion, endurance, determinaton. Merstave, it means constraint, desperation, or deprivation

• Isa, I, means challenge or frustration. Mental blocks or standstills. There is no merkstave of Isa.

• Jera, J, means year or harvest. Success, peace, fulfillment, hope, promise. Merkstave, it means sudden setback, reversals, amajor change, repetition, bad timing, poverty.

• Eihwaz, El, means yew tree. Strength, reliability, dependability, trustworthiness. Defense, protection, completing goals. Merkstave, it means, confusion, destruction, dissatisfaction, weakness.

• Perthro, P, means cup or female. Mystery, uncertainty, hidden things and occult abilities. Knowledge of future matters or pertaining to things feminine. Merkstave, it means addiction, stagnation, loneliness, malaise.

• Algiz, Z, means elk or protection. Defense, warding off of evil, shield, guardian. Awakening, higher life. Merkstave, it means hidden danger, consumption by divine forces, loss of divine link.

• Sowilo, S, means the sun. Success, goals achieved, honor. The life-force, health. Sowilo cannot be merkstave.

Tyr's Aett

• Tiwaz, T, means Tyr, the sky god. Honor, justice, leadership and authority. Willingness to self-sacrifice. Victory and success in any competition or in legal matters. Merkstave, it means blocked mental energy, over-analysis, over-sacrifice, injustice, imbalance.

• Berkana, B, means Berchta, the birch-goddess.) Birth, fertility, both mental and physical and personal growth, new growth. Merkstave, it means infertility, family problems and or domestic troubles.

• Ehwaz, H, means horse, two horses. Transportation. Movement and change for the better, partnership, progress. Merkstave, it is not a wholly negative rune. Feelings of restlessness or stagnation, mistrust or betrayal.

• Mannaz, M, mankind. The self, the individual or mankind. Attitude toward others and their attitudes towards you. Friends and enemies, social order. Merkstave, it means depression, mortality, blindness, self-delusion. Cunning, slyness, manipulation, craftiness, calculation.

• Laguz, L, means water. Flow of water, sea, a fertility source, the healing power of renewal. Dreams, fantasies, mysteries, the unknown, the hidden, the deep, the underworld. Merkstave, it means confusion in your life. You may be making wrong decisions and poor judgments.

• Ingwaz, NG, means Ing, the earth god. Male fertility, gestation, internal growth. Common virtues, common sense, simple strengths, family love, caring, human warmth, the home. There is no merkstave version of Ingwaz.

• Dagaz, D, means day or dawn. New days, breakthroughs, awakening, awareness. Daylight clarity as opposed to nighttime uncertainty. There is no merkstave version of Dagaz.

• Othila, O, means home or ancestral property. Inherited property or possessions, a house, a home. Nobility or tradition. Safety and abundance. There is no merkstave version of othila.

Blank Rune: Nonsense. This rune was invented in the 1980's, and has no place in rune casting.

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