Everyday Magical Things ~ Runes

Runes, or Old Norse, are letters of a runic alphabet that were used to write Germanic languages before using Latin. The earliest runic inscriptions date back to 150 AD. The first inscriptions found on actual artifacts remain a mystery primarily. The old runes were not only a writing system but magical symbols for spells and charms. The name rune itself means “secret or something hidden.”

Each alphabet has its own set of symbols and meanings.

You can do a reading yourself! Get some runes; they can come carved into crystal or stone, or on ceramic tiles. Make a sacred space, lay down a cloth, and concentrate on asking a question. You can either toss a few of the runes in the air or pull some out of a bag while focusing on your question. Make sure your mind is fully focused and not drawing in different random thoughts. This makes reading much more clear and concise.

Ultimately, you can create your own system for how to read runes, but traditionally you would lay three out. The first one is an answer to a past situation in your life, the middle is in relation to a current situation, and the last rune is about future situations. There are also many variations of the reading, where the first rune represents the present and what influences you right now, the second focuses on any upcoming challenges, and the final rune is the most likely result of your challenges.

There is also a mind, body, and spirit way of reading runes, where each one simply represents one of those three aspects. Look up different layouts and their meanings if you want to broaden your knowledge on how to read them. There are ancient ways of practicing this, as well as new, modern, or intuitive ways that just feel right to you. Practice the different ways and do what feels the most right to you!

Sources:

http://www.crystalinks.com/runes.html

http://norse-mythology.org/runes/

http://www.ancient-runes.co.uk