Runic witchcraft practice is a form of witchcraft that is rooted in the use of runes, which are ancient Norse symbols with magical properties. These symbols are believed to hold immense power and can be used for divination, protection, healing, and spellcasting. The main idea behind runic witchcraft is the belief that the runes are not only representations of letters but also hold deep spiritual meaning and can tap into the hidden forces of the universe. By harnessing the power of the runes, practitioners of runic witchcraft seek to connect with the divine and manifest their desires in the physical world. In runic witchcraft, the runes are often used in ritual and spellwork. They can be inscribed on objects, such as candles or stones, and used as a focal point for meditation and visualization.
Good condition. Some tarnish. Silver/metal mix (80%+ silver).
A very very special amulet for so many reasons!! See this site for reference - similar amulets in a collection of Moroccan Jewish items:
https://www.judaisme-marocain.org/collection Would make an excellent focal pendant or gift, just as it is.
The daughters marched on the wall in the name of Ariel, in the name of the Creator so not have cause to tremble or fear, not during day and not during night not in the morning and not when arising. Assembled from asymmetrical pieces of plain and gaudy fabric with hand sewn decorations in the form of shiny objects, buttons, beads and nazars and embroidered dots, webs and wavy lines they are made from all recycled materials.
They can be inscribed on objects, such as candles or stones, and used as a focal point for meditation and visualization. Additionally, certain runes are associated with specific intentions and energies, so they can be combined in various combinations to create powerful spells. Divination is also a key aspect of runic witchcraft.
Powerful Bundles: The Materiality of Protection Amulets in Early Modern Switzerland
If you shop around for a protection amulet today, you will most likely stumble upon ornamental jewellery. More often than not these pieces are round in shape, and pieces featuring Kabbalistic or runic symbols are especially popular. The term ‘amulet’ is described as a “piece of jewellery some people wear because they think it protects them from bad luck, illness, etc” in the OED. However, when it comes to premodern protection practices, the efficacy of amulets depended on both the production process and the materials and ingredients used. There are two additional significant differences between contemporary and early modern understandings and applications of amulets: First, in early modern Europe, amulets were not only carried around as mobile objects but also attached to houses or buried into the thresholds. Second, amulets were often used to protect valuable livestock against diseases thought to be caused by supernatural agents.
In my research, I understand amulets as powerful bundles, often of diverse materials, which take effect through physical contact between the amulet and the object (person, animal, house) to be protected. As I discuss below, the materials commonly used include herbs, plants, food stuff, words (both spoken and written) and time. For example, it was believed that gathering plants at a certain time of the day or on a holiday enhanced the amulet’s power.
While many recipe books containing instructions on how to make amulets are now lost, it is a stroke of luck that some 17 th and 18 th -century handbooks are still preserved in the State Archive of the Canton of Berne, Switzerland thanks to early 20 th century folklorists and collectors. Unfortunately, these books are difficult to date and connect with specific authors, owners and users. However, comparisons with court documents show that people commonly produced and applied amulets throughout the early modern period. For example, in a court case in Basel 1719, a folk healer called Friedrich Fritschi defended himself for putting hazel rods underneath a window as a way to protect the house owner from a spectre.[i] Although we do not know much about these books, the recipes and the arrangements of the instructions offer valuable insights into the contemporary relevance and ideas about the efficacy of such practices and artefacts. For instance, instructions about the production of amulets are written alongside suggestions on how to get rid of cheese-eating mice, indicating that the production of amulets against evil forces belonged to everyday house care (Hauspflege) .
Basic materials and ingredients of an amulet: linen, a cord, rods, plants, salt and bread. Source. E. Szarka
Let us now turn to an example that illustrates the concepts underpinning the efficacy of the protection amulet:
To insert into houses and barns in case of foul ghosts
Take some good vines, rods, melissa, brown periwinkles, communion bread and salt, [and bind] everything together in the three holy names with a string. Make as many as you need and drill [a hole] in both the barn and above the doors and thresholds. Put a small bundle in every hole and speak: “I put you in here in the name of God”.[ii]
This instruction exemplifies the three main production steps required to ensure the efficacy of the early modern amulet. First, people needed to gather the listed materials and ingredients. Some plants were commonly believed to be inherently powerful against evil forces, such as hazel rods. Salt and communion bread – liturgically and ritually blessed objects (so-called “sacramentals”) – were reoccurring ingredients in these kinds of recipes. Sometimes, makers also used or added slips of paper furnished with bible verses to the amulet to intensify its efficacy. Second, one had to mix the materials and ingredients, form a bundle and tie it with a string. Finally, the amulet had to be applied accordingly. It could be attached to an animal’s neck, to a door, buried into the thresholds or hidden in a drill hole above the house so that it kept malevolent entities from entering. People considered uttering sacred words both during the production and application process to be highly potent.
Drill hole in a wooden beam for a protection amulet found in an 18th century house in rural Basel, State Archive of the Canton of Basel-Land, SL 5250.5024. Source: E. Szarka
As we have seen, the gathering of materials and ingredients, the production as well as the application of the amulet were considered necessary consecutive steps to accumulate divine power. The ingredients were either inherently powerful or charged with sanctity in a liturgical context. Language, both uttered orally during these three steps or added in the form of paper slips, formed essential material ingredients that enhanced the amulet’s efficacy as it drew upon divine power. Similarly, the timing of the production could play a crucial role. For example, one had to collect the plants or apply the amulet at a particular holiday or a sacred time of the day. Time, just like language, acted as a “material” component charged with sacred power that could be transferred to the amulet through the specific production circumstances. Once applied to houses or animals, these effective little packages containing both visible and invisible materialities provided a metaphysical shield to unseen forces.
As I argue in my dissertation on ghosts and spirits in Post-Reformation Switzerland[iii], early modern people believed the world to be permeated by multiple invisible forces. Handling constant supernatural attacks from spirits and witches called for specific measures. Women and men tried to tackle and manipulate the supernatural sphere with elaborate rituals written down in recipe books. Practices concerned with amulet making disclose different concepts of causal relations in the physical and metaphysical world. Above all, they mirror a specific understanding of materiality, according to which certain plants and aliments, but also language and time, contain power that people can accumulate, enhance, and transfer to other materials, places and living beings to preserve their living environments.
[i] State Archive of the Canton of Basel, Criminalia 4, 22.
[ii] State Archive of the Canton of Berne, DQ 888, translated from the original German text by E. Szarka.
[iii] Eveline Szarka, Sinn für Gespenster. Spukphänomene in der reformierten Schweiz (1570-1730), doctoral thesis at the University of Zurich, 2020, upcoming Spring 2021.
Eveline Szarka completed her PhD at the University of Zurich, Switzerland. Her dissertation focuses on the impact of the Protestant Reformation on the belief in ghosts and specters in Switzerland from 1570-1730. This year, she was granted a scholarship from the Swiss National Science Foundation to visit Harvard University and University College London from 2020-2022 as a postdoctoral fellow. However, due to the pandemic, she will likely postpone the start of the fellowship until 2021. Eveline’s upcoming project focuses on handbooks about magic tricks and life hacks as related to the history of knowledge and science (1650-1850). Her research interests lie in early modern world views, historical conceptions of (im)materiality, causality, and magic as well as the potentials of human manipulation of the physical world.
Leave a Reply
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
[ii] State Archive of the Canton of Berne, DQ 888, translated from the original German text by E. Szarka.
Practitioners use the runes to gain insight into the past, present, and future. This can be done by drawing runes from a bag and interpreting their meanings, or by casting them onto a surface and analyzing their positions and relationships. Runic witchcraft is a deeply spiritual practice that requires a strong connection to the ancient Norse gods and mythology. Many practitioners work with Norse deities, such as Odin or Freya, and incorporate their energies into their rituals and spellwork. Overall, runic witchcraft is a unique form of witchcraft that combines ancient symbols, divination, and spirituality. It offers practitioners a powerful tool for manifesting their desires and connecting with the divine..
Reviews for "Runic Spells and Rituals for Love and Relationships"
1. Sarah - ★★☆☆☆
I was really excited to delve into the world of runic witchcraft practice, but I was quite disappointed with this book. It lacked clear and concise explanations of the practices and rituals associated with runic witchcraft. The author assumed that the reader already had a deep understanding of runic symbols and their meanings, leaving beginners like myself feeling lost and confused. Additionally, the book was filled with grammatical errors and typos, which further hindered my ability to comprehend the material. Overall, I found this book to be poorly written and not suitable for beginners in the practice of runic witchcraft.
2. James - ★☆☆☆☆
I found "Runic witchcraft practice" to be nothing more than a shallow attempt at cashing in on the current trend of witchcraft and pagan practices. The information provided in the book was vague and lacked depth, leaving me feeling unsatisfied. The author seemed more focused on promoting their own beliefs and ideas rather than providing practical guidance for those interested in runic witchcraft. The book also failed to provide any historical context or cultural significance of the runes, which I believe is essential in understanding and practicing this craft. I would not recommend this book to anyone serious about learning runic witchcraft.
3. Emily - ★★☆☆☆
As someone with a deep interest in witchcraft, I was really looking forward to learning more about runic practices through this book. However, I found the content to be repetitive and lacking in substance. The author seemed to rehash the same information over and over without providing any new insights or perspectives. The book also lacked practical exercises or rituals for readers to engage in, making it feel more like a theoretical exploration than an actual guidebook. I was left feeling unsatisfied and disappointed, wishing I had invested my time and money in a more comprehensive resource on runic witchcraft.