Rune stones are ancient and mysterious objects that hold significant historical and cultural importance. These stones, typically made of stone or wood and inscribed with runic symbols, were used by the Vikings and other ancient Germanic tribes as a form of writing and communication. One of the main uses of rune stones was for divination and fortune-telling. The runic symbols on the stones were believed to hold magical powers and could be used to gain insight into the future or receive guidance from the gods. In this way, rune stones were seen as sacred objects and were often consulted by priests and shamans. Another use of rune stones was for protection and warding off evil spirits.
Fertility of the joining of human beings, usually for a new life - a pregnancy. Finish what you are doing, tie up lose ends and start something new. Cannot be reversed.
The fascination that runes seem to have exerted on the Nazis can be traced to the occult and volkisch author Guido von List, one of the important figures in Germanic mysticism and runic revivalism in the late 19th and early 20th century. In 1908, List published in Das Geheimnis der Runen The Secret of the Runes a set of 18 so-called Armanen Runes , based on the Younger Futhark, which were allegedly revealed to him in a state of temporary blindness after a cataract operation on both eyes in 1902.
Another use of rune stones was for protection and warding off evil spirits. Many rune stones were inscribed with symbols specifically designed to provide protection and ward off negative energies. These stones were often placed near entrances or buried in the ground to create a protective barrier.
Rune Meanings And How To Use Rune Stones For Divination
Runes are used as a method of connecting to one’s higher self, inner guidance and tapping into intuition as a method of foretelling what the future may hold and offering advice (similar to Tarot Cards). Read on for our guide to what are the rune meanings and how to use them for yourself!
RUNE SYMBOLS AND MEANINGS
Being such an ancient language, and a practice shrouded in mystery, in times before people were literate, there are sometimes a wide variety of potential meanings attributed to the runes. In general, all the symbols and their meanings are as follows:
FREYR’S AETT:
In Norse mythology, Freyr was the ruler of peace, fertility, rain, and sunshine and the son of the sea God Njörd.
-
Fehu ᚠ- “Cattle/Wealth”
The first of the Elder Futhark, Fehu indicates prosperity and material wealth, either won or earned income. It can represent good luck, abundance and financial success in the near future. It can also relate to social success. Not everyone chooses to read a rune as reversed (“merkstave”) if it comes up that way, but if doing so resonates with you- its reversed meaning may indicate the loss of personal possessions or income, a dip in self-esteem or some other kind of struggles. In Tarot, this could be seen as The Tower card.
HEIMDALL’S AETT:
In Norse mythology, Heimdall was the watchman of the Gods.
9. Hagalaz ᚺ - “Hail”
Hagalaz represents hail. This natural form of disaster which strikes out of the blue and has the power to destroy much needed crops, is similarly indicative of sudden and cataclismic change. Similar to The Tower card in the tarot, Hagalaz represents an unavoidable change that is out of our hands, but how destructive it ends up being is dependant on whether we are capable of weathering its storm with grace. As they say, some storms come to clear our path. The lesson of Hagalaz is to learn from our hardships and grow through our mistakes. It has no inverted meaning.
10. Nauthiz ᚾ - “Needs”
Nauthiz is indicative of our needs. What do you need to feel emotionally stable and fulfilled? Are you taking enough time for yourself to balance work, play and rest? Assessing what are our needs and where we may currently be lacking can help us take better care of our future selves, we can’t pour form an empty cup after all. It can also indicate delays, restriction, and endurance. This is a time to practice patience. Nauthiz reversed can point to depression, poverty, and distress. Similarly, in Tarot we can look to The Hermit for a necessary time to turn inwards.
11. Isa ᛁ - “Ice”
Isa represents ice. It’s symbolic of the Hangman card in the Tarot. It highlights the need to pause, wait, although there may be a feeling of being stuck in ice, sometimes a break is what’s needed to put things into perspective. Waiting until we have gathered all the information, all sides of the story, properly done our research, or simply allowed the Universe to unfold. It can also indicate frustration or psychological blocks. Isa has no inverted meaning.
12. Jera ᛃ - “Harvest”
Jera is representative of the harvest. It indicates that we can now reap what we’ve sown and enjoy our plentiful abundance. If you don’t feel like you have many blessings, it can show that either a breakthrough is on the way, or it’s time to take stock and express gratitude for what you do have (you’ll be surprised by how much you can always list in a graditude journal )! It also represents the life cycle and cyclic nature of Mother Earth. It cannot be reversed.
13. Eihwaz ᛇ - “Yew”
In Norse mythology, the Yew tree, Yggradisil, is representative of The Tree Of Life. As such, it relates to the cycle of life, similar to the Death Tarot card (signifying the dying of an old way of being or period of life, not actual death). It can also represent reliability, dependability, trustworthiness, enlightenment, and a sense of purpose. Reversed, it can mean destruction and confusion.
14. Perthro ᛈ - “Destiny”
This is the gambler’s rune and as such represents the cup of dice, or fortune. It indicates that influences in life may be down to chance, and so can go either well or not. The lesson here is to learn to take the hand you’ve been dealt and make lemonade out of lemons. In Tarot, this is would be similar to the Wheel of Fortune card. It can also represent hidden meanings, secrets, and change. Reversed it can indicate stagnation and loss of faith.
15. Algiz ᛉ - “Elk”
Algiz is the elk, and so represents defence and protection. If you get this one, it means that you have the internal power to manifest your dreams and that your spirit guides are protecting you along your path. It is said to act as a shield to guard you against evil. It can also represent an awakening and strong intuition. Reversed it means there could be a hidden danger.
16. Sowilo ᛋ - “Sun”
Sowilo is the happy symbol of the sun. It represents a time of joy, abundance, luck, and good fortune. It’s a cause for celebration and can indicate a success of your goals, optimal health and an elemental power. It has no inverted meaning. In Tarot, its card is The Sun.
Tyr, the Norse Sky God, was representative of war and justice.
17. Tiwaz ᛏ - “Victory”
Tiwaz is representative of the warrior’s arrowhead of the God Tyr. It shows that you are capable of spearheading your way through all your troubles and possess great leadership skills, authority and rationality. It can indicate victory and knowing of your true strengths with a willingness to self-sacrifice. Reversed it can indicate blocked creative energies, over-analysis, imbalance, and lack of passion. In Tarot, it can be seen as Justice.
18. Berkana ᛒ - “Birch'“
Berkana is the rune of birth. It represents the Birch Goddess and so indicates fertility and creation, not just of an actual birth (its traditional meaning), but also of projects, partnerships and rebirth. It indicates mental and physical growth, and a regenerative power and liberation of spirit. Reversed it can point to family troubles, anxiety, carelessness and loss of control.
19. Ehwaz ᛖ - “Horse'“
Ehwaz is the horse. This represents man’s trusty aid, our only form of transport in times past. It indicates a moving forward and change for the better with gradual but steady progress. It can also show teamwork, trust and loyalty. Reversed it can show restlessness, craving o change, mistrust or disharmony. It can be seen as The Lovers Tarot card.
20. Mannaz ᛗ - “Man”
Mannaz is representative of humankind and humanity. It encompasses yourself and identity, and relationship towards others. It is social order and cooperation can be expected with this rune. Reversed it can indicate self-delusion, manipulation and isolation.
21. Laguz ᛚ - “Lake”
Laguz represents the element of water and so is tied to our emotions, dreams and intuition. It indicates a healing power of renewal, heightened imagination and psychic abilities. It can also relate to mysteries, secrets, the unknown and the underworld. Reversed it can point to fear, misjudgement, lack of creativity and avoidance. This can be seen as The Star card.
22. Ingwaz ᛝ - “Fertility”
Ingwaz is the rune of fertility, representing the Earth God Ing. It points to male fertility, common virtues, common sense, wellbeing, strength, family, rest, and loose ends being tied up. It has no reversed meaning. This can be seen as the Judgement card.
23. Othala ᛟ - “Heritage”
Othala is the rune of inheritance. It tells of our lasting legacy, spiritual heritage, values becoming aligned to what is truly important, communal prosperity and fundamental values. Reversed it can indicate bad Karma and prejudice.
24. Dagaz ᛞ - “Dawn”
Dagaz represents dawn. It shows the coming of age and the ending of our a cycle. New beginnings are approaching and new breakthroughs, awareness and awakenings are possible. It represents the transformative power of change and that it is a good time to embark upon a fresh enterprise. A final, positive symbol of hope, certainty and security, it has no reversed meaning. This would be the completion of the cycle with the Temperance card in the Tarot.
25. Odin’s Rune (optional)
As mentioned, some sets come with an optional blank rune indicating the Norse God of Creation’s secrets to be withheld. It reflects that we are not supposed to have all the answers and that’s OK.
HOW TO CAST RUNES AND DO A RUNE READING
Using runes is a great way to tap into our intuition, access our inner voice and perform divination. There are many different types of rune layout, starting with a simple 1-rune pull for a yes/no type answer or feel for the day, and three runes casting similar to Tarot spreads (such as past, present future; or situation, action, outcome). Traditionally, runes were cast in multiples of 3, or at the very least odd numbers. There are a few 5-rune layouts that are most commonly used, a couple of 7 and 9-rune layouts that are also often used, and a 24-rune layout that is usually done at the beginning of a year (whether that be your new birth year, winter solstice or actual New Year’s Day), to forecast what the year ahead holds. However, similar to Tarot spreads, there exists a vast multitude of layout options that you can try out!
There are two main ways to cast runes. Traditionally it is said that the runes were thrown (“cast”) onto a special piece of fabric, and while looking up to the heavens you selected your runes to read. A similar version is to throw the runes onto a piece of fabric and to only read the ones that have fallen upright.
The second way to read runes is to hold the pouch in your non-dominant hand and think about the question you want answered (if any) as you pull out runes with your dominant hand, placing them in the shape of whichever layout you’ve chosen to do. This is the way I like to do it.
Where to get rune stones from? A popular way is to make your own either by inscribing them into wood or drawing them on stones, or you can also buy pre-made sets for ease. These can, again, be in wood, stone, or crystals (which is what I use). Choosing crystal rune stones infuses them with an extra layer of magical
- Tags: mystiques enchantments, mystiques Enchantments blog, runes
PERTHRO - P: Initiation, Things Unexplained, Something Hidden
Rune stones were also used as a form of communication and writing. Before the introduction of the Latin alphabet, the Germanic tribes used runes as a written script. The symbols on the stones could be combined to form words and sentences, allowing for the recording of important information and messages. Today, rune stones are often used as a form of personal empowerment and self-reflection. Many people use them as a tool for meditation and introspection, drawing a single rune from a bag or set of stones and reflecting on its meaning and significance in their lives. This practice can help individuals gain clarity and insight, as well as connect with their ancestral roots and the ancient traditions of the Germanic tribes. In conclusion, rune stones have a rich and varied history of use. From divination and protection to communication and personal empowerment, these ancient objects continue to hold significance in the modern world. Whether used for spiritual practices or as a connection to ancient cultures, rune stones have a enduring appeal and continue to captivate people's imaginations..
Reviews for "Rune Stones in Shamanism: Using Ancient Symbols for Spiritual Journeying and Healing"
1. John - 2 stars - I was really disappointed with this book. It promised to provide a comprehensive guide on the various uses of rune stones, but I found the content to be lacking and vague. The author focused too much on the history and origins of rune stones, and didn't provide enough practical information on how to actually use them in daily life. I was hoping for more detailed explanations and examples, but instead, I was left feeling confused and unsatisfied.
2. Emily - 2 stars - I found "What are the various uses of rune stones" to be quite underwhelming. The book lacked clear instructions on how to interpret the meanings of different rune stones and how to incorporate them into my spiritual practice. The author seemed to assume that the readers already had a deep understanding of the subject matter, which left me feeling lost as a beginner. The few examples provided were not enough to help me grasp the concept fully. I would not recommend this book to someone seeking practical guidance on using rune stones.
3. Mark - 1 star - This book was a waste of my time and money. The author's writing style was confusing, and their explanations of the uses of rune stones were convoluted and hard to follow. I was hoping for a straightforward guide that would help me harness the power of rune stones, but all I got was a jumble of information that left me frustrated. The lack of clear organization and structure made it difficult to navigate through the book. I regret purchasing it and would not recommend it to others.
4. Sarah - 2 stars - I was really excited to learn about the various uses of rune stones, but this book didn't deliver. The information provided was scattered and disjointed, making it hard to understand how to effectively use rune stones in my own life. The book touched on many different topics related to runes without going into enough depth on any of them. I was left with more questions than answers after reading it. The lack of clear examples and practical advice was disappointing. I wouldn't recommend this book to someone looking for a comprehensive guide on using rune stones.
5. Michael - 1 star - I found "What are the various uses of rune stones" to be incredibly dry and boring. The author's writing style was monotonous and lacked enthusiasm, which made it difficult for me to stay engaged. The book focused too much on the history and background of rune stones, rather than providing practical and usable information. I was hoping to uncover some unique and interesting ways to incorporate rune stones into my life, but all I got was a dull and uninspiring read. I would not recommend this book to anyone looking for an engaging and informative guide on rune stones.