Do you want to practise witchcraft but don't know where to start? Do you find it all too confusing? Maybe you've been practising for a while and want to go back to basics. Or perhaps you're a seasoned witch and want to explore more ways of practisin...
Runes are a set of Norse symbols comprised of an ancient alphabet. The most commonly used set is the Elder Futhark. Runes are not typically used to predict the future, but rather to determine issues and correct courses of actions to resolve issues. The word "rune" translates as secret, or mystery. Each rune is said to be the key to unlocking, understanding, and influencing a guiding force in the cosmos.
Runes were the written language of all pre-Christian Germanic speaking people, ranging from the Balkans (eastern Europe), through to parts of North America. The Elder Futhark came first, and can be found on bronze and stone artefacts dating between 2BCE and 13CE. It can be assumed that the use of runes for these peoples goes back much further, when they carved on wood (things that would not be preserved).
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A modern set of Elder Furthark runes used for divination today consists of 24 small pieces of wood, pebbles, crystals, or clay. Occasionally a 25th blank rune is included in the set, known as 'Odin', this rune usually denotes fate or destiny. Although most readers see little reason to include it; it was likely later introduced in the 1980s.
Understanding the Runes
Each rune is said to contain its own spirit, distinct and individual from the rest. It is only by learning to work with these spirits that one can truly know the full power of the runes.
Mythological origin: To understand the origins of the runes, it is necessary to understand a little about Norse cosmology and their creation myth. Before the Gods were created, even before the 9 worlds were created, there was nothing except for the void known as the Ginningagap. At the top of this void was Niflheim, a land of ice, colder than the coldest place imaginable and inhabited by ice-giants. At the bottom of this void was Muspelheim, inhabited by fire-giants, hotter than the hottest place imaginable. In the middle, from the effulgence of their meeting, emerged the runes. Therefore the runes can be said to be as old as time itself, even older than the Gods. The runes were made by the cosmos, and their power is of the cosmos.
Wyrd: In order to work with runes, the rune-worker must have a clear and thorough understanding of Wyrd. The essence of Wyrd underlies every reading, every rune-working, and every magickal working. In fact, Wyrd flows through every single thing a person does, big or small, esoteric or mundane, throughout the course of their life.
Wyrd has been described as the Norse concept of karma. Although this is technically true, it is a very simplistic comparison. Wyrd is the essence out of which the fabric of being is woven. It is constantly shifting, constantly inter-connecting, constantly being made and remade by our choices, and constantly impacting us as a direct result of the decisions.
Wyrd connects us to all that is, that ever was, and that ever will be. It is the ancestral fabric of creation. Wyrd simply is. It can be "lived" well or poorly, depending on how one chooses to live one's life. But, whether we like it or not, Wyrd happens.
