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May 4 - May 14, 2020
The English word “rune” comes to us from the Norse word runa, which means “a secret,” or “to whisper.”
The Norse runa is also the root for the English word we use to identify a very magical tree: the rowan. Found throughout Northern Europe, the rowan tree has long been sacred to various magical traditions and is used widely for protection. It is known by many folk names, including “rune tree” and “whisper tree.”
People seeking answers from the invisible realms would carve symbols into strips of wood cut from the branch of a fruit-bearing tree. The carved strips were then scattered onto a white cloth. The reader of the signs would pick up three of the strips while looking upward “toward heaven,” so as to be sure to choose at random, with the gods’ guidance. If the divination was publicly held, the reader was the community priest. In private readings, the male head of the family would choose and interpret the symbols.
according to Norse mythology, the runes have existed since the beginning of time—even before the birth of the gods.
The runes contain the secrets of the Universe, which can be glimpsed and even utilized by those who understand their meanings.
the giant tree known as Yggdrasill. This tree, usually said to be an ash tree but believed by some scholars to be a yew, is at the center of the Universe and holds the nine worlds of the Norse cosmology together in its roots and branches. Through Yggdrasill, all things are connected, and it is often referred to as “the World Tree.”
At the bottom of Yggdrasill is the Well of Urd—also known as the Well of Fate—a bottomless pool where the gods are said to meet to hold their daily meetings. Also present at this well are the Norns—female beings from the realm of the giants (called jötnar). The Norns tend to Yggdrasill by protecting its roots and watering it with the sacred water from the Well of Urd.
This role in shaping the destiny of the Universe belongs to the three named Norns—Urd, Verdandi, and Skuld—who are said to be sisters.
Urd (the eldest sister) represents “What Once Was,” Verdandi (the middle sister) represents “What Is Coming into Being,” and Skuld (the youngest) represents “What Shall Be.”
the concepts of “fate” and “time” in the Norse cosmology are not quite the same as the way we typically define them in modern culture,
When it comes to time, the Norse conception is cyclical. It is always in a process of renewal, rather than being strictly linear. As the present fades into the past, it becomes the “new” past, which means that the past never stays the same. Similarly, what happens in the present affects the future—the future does not exist independently of either past or present.
“That Which Is” (Urd), “That Which Is Becoming” (Verdandi) and “That Which Should Be” (Skuld). “Should be” is not the same thing as “will be,” for the future is never concrete until it’s actually the present.
In a similar sense, what we would call “fate” is not entirely set in stone, no matter what the Norns (or norns) have woven int...
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Unlike the ancient Greek concept of fate, where no matter how much gods (and mortals) tried to avoid it, they always ultimately met their pre-determined destiny, the Norse concept allows for the present to affect the future. So while we do not have complete control over everything that happens in our lives, we are not completely helpless to change aspects of our fate, either.
This makes perfect sense when it comes to reading the runes—if there were no way to have any affect on future outcomes, then why bother with divination, or any other form of magic, in the first place?
Odin is not only a warrior god and the father of gods and humans, but he is also associated with death and the afterlife, divination, inspiration, wisdom, healing, poetry, philosophy, and of course, magic.
Those who pursued and successfully applied this knowledge were called “runemasters” and were greatly respected in Norse culture—particularly during the Viking era.
There are several different kinds of runes grouped according to purpose, such as “victory runes,” “speech runes,” and “cure runes.”
Each aett (or “family”) is named for the god who is associated with the first rune in the row. The first row, beginning with Fehu, is known as Freyr’s Aett (sometimes called “Frey’s Aett”). The second row, beginning with Hagalaz, is Hagal’s Aett, though since little is known about the god Hagal, some people attribute this aett to Heimdall. Tyr’s Aett, beginning with Teiwaz, makes up the third row.
Freyr’s Aett symbolizes the forces of creation, Hagal’s Aett is concerned with forces of disruption and change, and Tyr’s Aett represents divine forces as they relate to the human experience.
the runes represent various aspects—both tangible and intangible— of the Universe as it is experienced by human beings.
deeper: each runic symbol embodies a natural force, or type of energy, which the rune worker can attune to and then work with in various ways.
The energies of the runes are utilized to send magical “instructions” for manifestation, and to receive mes...
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One approach that works well is to study and meditate on one rune per day, for 24 days, which allows you to focus solely on that particular symbol’s energies without getting distracted by any of the other runes.
Symbols help us express complex ideas in relatively simple forms that work on the invisible planes of reality to manifest our desires.
once the runes were incorporated into a writing system, they became even more magically potent. This is because the Germanic peoples placed great value on the power of the spoken word. Speaking a thought out loud was to make the thought real in a way that could never be reversed.
malrunes were useful in matters relating to words and language, while hugrunes were concerned with mental ability. Brunrunes were for ensuring good weather at sea, which was obviously crucial during the Viking era, and limrunes were used in healing the sick.
Runic talismans, like the runes themselves, are considered to be “alive” with magical energy. They are either kept permanently, or, in the case of rune tines, they are ritually “released” from existence once their magical purpose has been fulfilled, often by burning or burying them in the Earth.
talismans for increase or attraction are best made during the waxing Moon, while those for banishing or decrease are most powerful when made during the waning Moon.
The messages of the runes are meant to be empowering navigational tools, as once you have a clear picture of your circumstances, you can make informed choices about how to proceed.
The runes of Freyr’s Aett speak to what is needed for basic existence on Earth, for experiencing and interacting with other humans as well as the divine, and for living a fulfilling life.
