Since I've started a YouTube Channel I have progressively put aside my past blogs. But today I would like to share with you my first video concerning a Rune Divination Method; turning into video format past blog-posts concerning the runes and divination-methods associated to them. Hope you enjoy it!
Showing posts with label Runes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Runes. Show all posts
The Runes: Dagaz
It has recently come to my attention that in this old blog I've never actually spoke about Dagaz; for some reason this rune escaped my earlier writings concerning the runes, rune-readings and divination with the runes. Three years agora I've started to make new rune-series at Youtube and finally, on December 2020, I close those rune series too, with Dagaz. So I'll leave it right here since it is a missing piece. Thank you.
The Runes: Thurisaz ᚦ
I know it's been awhile since the last video on the runes, but better late than never :p I do hope you enjoy this video dear friends.
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| Keywords: divination, Elder futhark, futhark, My Youtube Videos, Norse Magic, Rune Reading, Runes, Runes interpretation, Thurisaz, Youtuber
The Runes: Uruz ᚢ
Alright dear friends, the next rune is here: Uruz. Its basic meaning, the mythology connected to it, its upright and inverted meaning for divination purposes and a bit of information on binding runes with Uruz/Úr. Enjoy :) (Forgot to mention in the video, but this rune is connected to the water element, even though it's primarely a rune connected to the male gender).
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| Keywords: My Youtube Videos, Rune Reading, Runes, Runes Videos, Runes Youtube, Ur rune, Uruz, Uruz Youtube
The Runestaves
You can watch the video about this subject here: [The Runestaves]
To establish a context, I’ll start with the history behind the rune staves, but let’s not go that far back in time. To better understand the rune staves, we must understand the historical background of Iceland during the Middle-Ages, for that is the historical line I draw here because it was a time of great changes in the Scandinavian pagan mind.
Iceland was first settled in the latter decades of the 9th century, mainly by Norwegians and their Celtic thralls (slaves). These Norwegians came to this unpopulated island to seek political and religious freedom, running away from a monarch who was “hunting down” pagans – King Haraldr hárfagra (fair-hair). This king was still a pagan, but under the political influence of Christian Europe he set about to conquer Norway and bring it under a Christian-style monarchy. The new Icelanders set up a social order deeply rooted in their native heritage, so the land was ruled by local priest-chieftains, goðar (sing. goði). The Icelanders practiced the religion brought with them – their polytheistic Germanic heathenism – which is a religion that allows as much individual freedom as possible. Of course there were a number of Christians among the Celtic thralls brought to Iceland, and even some of their masters converted to the faith. The Icelanders originally tolerated such religious differences, but eventually Christianity was accepted as the official religion of Iceland due to a variety of social, economic and religious pressures of the Iceland’s foreign contacts who had all become Christians. The acceptance of Christianity by Icelanders was highly formalistic, so the old practices were maintained, in private, even though certain aspects were forbidden, in public.
The individual freedom of their native faith allowed Icelanders to compose works about certain aspects of their spirituality. In terms of magic, manuals were scarce in the beginning but there was still a lot of oral tradition and practices which survived within the families, and of course the Sagas and the poems. The written records we have of such magical practices were written during Iceland’s Catholic period; the social and religious realities were very much different, great changes had occurred, and obviously the mixture between paganism and Christianity greatly influenced the people who composed these works. Hard to say how far the reliability of such accounts go, but in terms of magic, and cultural aspects in general, the Catholic period in Iceland wasn’t that radical. Luckily, one of the traditional areas of Germanic magic survived in some parts of Scandinavia as late as the 19th century, and this area is “rune-magic”.
In pagan times the runic sorcerers/magicians, were well known and honoured members of the society. Traditionally these people were members of a social order interested in intellectual and/or spiritual pursuits. Now, the general technique of rune magic during pagan times consisted of 3 steps: 1) Carving the symbols in an object; 2) Colouring them with blood or dye; 3) Speaking a vocal formula over the staves to imbue them, load them, with magical power. We have several examples of this technique in Old Icelandic literature, this kind of magical work can be read in “För Skírnis” or “Skírnismál”, a poem in the Poetic Edda; we have an example there of a curse, for instance. Or in the Egil’s Saga, in order to detect poison in his drinking horn, Egill drew out his knife and stabbed the palm of his hand, he rubbed the blood in the horn which was carved with runes and changed an incantation. So the runes are symbols of power, but in order to awaken that power, one must give part of him – blood – life itself and probably all the ancestral history printed in the blood, all the knowledge of the ancestors, and also an incantation, giving breath to it, the breath of life, a sort of spiritual part of yourself and the
uniqueness of your voice. Remember that Galdr is exactly that, the power of the voice, and in Norse mythology that was the gift Odin gave to mankind – the breath of life – and through sound powers are awaken, be that the power of suggestion, persuasion or invoking/summoning, hidden forces.
Of course during the Catholic period elements of the ancient native heritage and the new foreign religion were being syncretized. The pagan elements in magical tradition would naturally be diminished over time. Nevertheless, the old techniques must have continued in a way for many generations. Many features of the pagan tradition were kept alive for a long time, but then we start to see this magic changing when demonic entities and orthodox figures appear in spells. Of course there came a period in Iceland when magic was absolutely forbidden and written materials were destroyed, but a few books survived, remarkably, and it’s from those written sources we know about magical work in ancient Scandinavia.
Now, putting this historical introduction aside and let’s move on to the rune staves. We have all heard about magical symbols, objects, talismans at least once in the context of magic and ancient religious practices, such a subject is often heard, so now let's try to understand the runes as talismans, or placed in objects that might help in any kind of magical work.
In the Norse/Germanic traditional paganism, runic talismans for magical work are often constructed in the form of staves, which surprisingly, (or maybe not that surprising) this kind of work is also very similar with the magical practices using Ogham - the Celtic alphabet. The runes for spellcasting, or runestaves for magical work, usually are handled in series of three or more according with their influences. Most staves consist in either three of five runes, because it is easier to manage, anything longer than this can be very confusing, not just to the person who is using the runestaves, but also for the powers a person is working with. Things are normally kept as simple as possible. Before someone chooses the runes, they must know if the talisman they are about to create is a permanent charm or if it is intended to have a finite effect. This is something that people had to ponder deeply before creating such a talisman, because the purpose of these talismans are to create an event or to attract something to the person or to any one that owns the talisman, after the event occurs, the spell is done and the talisman has no further purpose, and as such, the talisman must be removed from this world, burnt or destroyed in any way, according to the Norse traditional magical practices. So this is why the majority of the runestaves were created in either parchment or wood, to easily destroy them.
It's interesting to see that those who had such practices had a very conscious view about the subject itself. In the sources and also what comes from oral tradition and folk accounts, people couldn't expect, sitting at home, for the effects of the magic they performed to happen simply because there was magic at work. There was an understanding that things don't magically happen, so there was this idea that the runestaves, and even bindrunes or any other kind of magical work, helped to create or attract an event in someone's life, and everything in this world to be attracted to something must be near it or have any kind of contact with it, like a magnet attracts iron, so if people created a talisman to find a job, for example, they needed to go out
there, search for a job, to take physical action, and the talisman will help its owner, it will help in attracting that event into that person's life.
One tricky aspect about runestaves is that when someone creates them, they have to make sense, the sense that expresses the intention regardless of the direction the runes are read - left to right or backwards.
So, as you can see, in the old northern European societies, it was common to use runic symbols and combinations of runes for different magical purposes. Most of the symbols and spells used in the incantations of the bidding of runes, appear to have been for the use of simple daily problems in the life of the common folk, at least that's what was left not only in written sources but also archaeological evidences. For instance, we have many examples of talismans and runestaves for catching a thief or to overthrow an enemy. Surprisingly, the ones to catch thieves were very common and abundant, which might indicate a connection to the economical background of ancient Scandinavia, when people's wealth was measured in the quantity of cattle, and stealing cattle was fairly easy so there was probably a lot of thievery in these aspects. Anyway, other runestaves helped heal livestock, whilst others look at cursing the animals of another (again, the importance of cattle and the measurement of wealth). It was also common to create charms to help preserve food and ale, staves to bless the bearer with strength or courage, or symbols to help with fishing or prevent death by drowning. The bidding of runes, charms, staves and so on, were also commonly created to protect a person while in battle, to enhance the durability of a shield, the deadly strike of a weapon or the flexibility of a bow.
However, the people in the 17th century in Iceland faced more difficulties in agriculture, herding and hunting and fishing, rather than the troubles of war. With long dark winters, little arable lands for crops, and icy seas, life was unforgiving. Luck seemed to have an important role in that society, and the inhabitants would do what they could to influence their fortunes themselves. In times of famine, neighbours would be tempted to steal from each other, and disputes would often end in violence of course. Reputation and the ability to intimidate seems to have been an important factor in survival, and many staves were created to allow the bearer to do this or cast back negativity upon their perceived attacker. So this was the time when a lot of runestaves, talismans, magical symbols, were created for these specific troubles of this era - the 17th century.
The 17th century in Iceland was marked by an event, when Denmark established a trade monopoly over Iceland so that the island could no longer trade freely with whomever it pleased. This resulted in a time of economic hardship (1602). This was also an age when Christianity had great influence in the European societies. Witchcraft was still used by some but in secrecy, as folk remedies for instance. This was not like in the beginning when Norwegians settled in Iceland and there was a certain religious freedom; now things were different in terms of witchcraft, it was much more restricted, illegal even. The staves appeared to have been drawn by using the Norse runes and later mediaeval and renaissance occult symbols. They were at least influenced by later charms used on mainland Europe, as we have seen already, the period when paganism
and Christianity were being syncretized. But during the 17th century in Iceland, it was a time when the Christian faith and the old Scandinavian faith was much more mixed together to create almost a new magical tradition, when compared to the early traditions. Icelandic society never forgot their past, their traditions, fortunately, so some charms that accompany certain staves mention the Old Norse gods such as Odin and Thor, whilst others mention Solomon, Jesus and Mary and other Judeo-Gnostic formulas. The system seems to be an interesting blend of old and new magical beliefs. During the periods of transition between religions, Odin was still appealed to or mentioned, but his role had shifted from being the All-father figure to that of a sorcerer. The Christian God had taken the place of the Father of men on earth, so the old gods started to be used for magical purposes, and Odin lost the connection with death, war and creation, and started to be the god associated with wisdom and witchcraft.
Folk magic went underground and its practices became hidden. Some records that still exist of the staves, and their uses and other magical practices by the Icelanders, were made by the courts during the trials of witches. Ironically, it is this act that has preserved some of the old customs to this day. Without being recorded, they would simply have been forgotten or would have died with their practitioners. But how well were they transcribed? It's very likely that the true knowledge of such magic has been completely forgotten. However, after so much time in secrecy, these magical practices returned. It was only in the last century that it became safer to explore the practices of folk magic throughout Europe. Whilst still frowned upon as superstition and nonsense, the Icelandic staves have seen a surge in popularity. Many of the staves are used in art and decorative wares, whilst some people have taken to having them tattooed onto their bodies. The Icelandic staves have evolved over the centuries, and while certainly incorporating Norse runes, they cannot be considered exclusively of "Viking" culture as they are influenced by other esoteric practices from mainland Europe and beyond.
The Runes: Fehu ᚠ
Hello my dear friends, here's the first video about the runes. In this video I will transmit (in short) the basic meaning of the rune Fehu, the mythology connected to it, its upright and inverted meaning for divination purposes, combining it with other runes and the gods associated with this rune. I hope you enjoy it! Tack för idag! :D
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Introduction to the Runes (Video)
A brief introduction to my new playlist entitled "The Runes". Soon enough (I hope) I shall start making videos about the runes - each rune and its meaning - so after we can proceed to the divination methods using the runes.
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Dalecarlian runes
We usually associate runes with the Vikings, although these symbols have been an early form of writing spread all over Europe since the late Bronze Age (possibly even before that). Our ancestors started to produce geometrical symbols; they perfected them, simplify them, until we start to see in archaeological context the early forms of what would be the runes. This form of writing soon came to an end when Romans started to conquer Europe and the latin alphabet replaced the old forms of written language. But far in the north the runes remained till late, due to the fact that romans had little influence, if any, in those regions. However, christianity eventually reached Scandinavia during the middle ages, and it was thought that the Vikings might have been the last people to use the runes in a daily basis, and that the runes continue to be used only for magical purposes. But in the hidden deapths of Scandinavia, people still used the runes as far as 100 years ago.
The runic alphabet was the dominant written language in Northern Europe until the advent of Christianity in the 9th and 10th centuries introduced the Latin alphabet. By the 15th century the Latin alphabet had almost wiped out the use of runes. But here, in Älvdalen, the runes remained very much in use.
In Älvdalen, near Dalarna, in western Sweden, the local population continued to use the runes for centuries after the ancient written language had been abandoned by the rest of Scandinavia. Until the early 20th century the runes were still used there. The inhabitants of this region retained their very special language - Elfdalian - which is an other completely different language apart modern swedish (an unique old Norse tongue).
Here is an example of the runes used till modern days:
 |
| Illustration from: [Arakun/Wikimedia Commons] |
As you can see, the runes of Älvdalen - dalrunerne - are reminiscent of those used on runes stones in countries such as Denmark, Norway, Sweden, etc., but there are a number of differences. Dalrunerne developed over time, influenced partially by the Latin alphabet. The use of runes in Scandinavia gradually ceased during the 15th century. Although there were some areas of Gotland, in Sweden, and in Iceland, where the rune tradition survived until the 17th century, but in Älvdalen their use was widespread until the early 20th century.
The runes in Älvdalen were most commonly found on houses and inscribed in furniture, and were also engraved into "message blades" which were sticks of wood that were circulated among the farms in the area. It's really interesting to see that the people who herded the cattle up in the mountains would write messages to each other in runes.
This wonderful linguistic and traditional treasure remained till late due to the isolation of this region. A place deep in the Swedish forests and mountain ranges, hard to get into. While the rest of Scandinavia, and Europe, the Latin alphabet and Germanic dialects spread and gave way to the modern languages of the European linguistic-branch, in Älvdalen a little bit of the past remained frozen in time.
| Keywords: Älvdalen, Dalarna, Dalecarlian, Dalecarlian runes, dalrunerne, Elfdalian, European History, Norse, Northern Pagan Traditions, Old Norse, Runes, scandinavia, Sweden, viking, vikings
Aegishjalmur
This powerful symbol contains two numerical patterns, 3 and 8, that were sacred to the Northern tradition. Multiplying such numbers, gives us the number 24, the number of runes in the runic alphabet (elder futhark). But its most prominent feature is the rune Algiz/Elhaz. This rune can be used by itself for protection of a person, place or an object. It can create a sacred space or can be employed more aggressively to scatter negative energy into a person or a group of people. In the Aegishjalmur, the rune is also contained 8 times not only at the ends of each spoke, but 8 times hidden in the spokes themselves. This shows that the main purpose of this symbol is really to defend the wearer of evil.
Supposedly, Algiz protects whatever and wherever we place this symbol onto, by connecting a circuit of positive energies to the spiritual resources of the living thing or place. The symbol has many visual interpretations,such as its shape being like someone with outstretched hands to the heavens. Adopting this posture one can touch and develop a feel for its streams of influence as if summoning its power as if it was a song.
A person can wear this symbol on an article of clothing. You can embody it with a temporary or permanent tattoo. You can wear jewelry with the design.You can also carry an image in your head, pocket, hand, whatever. Most of these rely on a part of the mind knowing this symbol is present and connected to you in some physical, symbolic or image awareness.
It is believed that energies can reach back into a communal reality of consciousness, deeper than the mind of the individual. In this sense, the symbol primes the pump and taps an energy much deeper, older and more powerful than the currents typically at play in our day to day awareness. Its is as if vibrations were pulled through us.
"Ægishjalm eg ber milli bruna mjer"
| Keywords: aegishjalmur, Ægishjálmur, Binding Runes, Bindrunes, Norse, Norse Pagan Symbols, Northern Pagan Traditions, Runes
Secret Staves
In the old northern european societies, it was common to use runic symbols and combinations of runes for different magical purposes. Most of the symbols and spells used in the incantations of the bidding of runes, appear to have been for the use of simple daily problems in the life of the common folk. For instance, for catching a thief or to overthrowing an enemy. Others helped heal livestock, whilst others look at cursing the animals of another. It was also common to create charms to help preserve food and ale, staves to bless the bearer with strength or courage, or symbols to help with fishing or prevent death by drowning. The bidding of runes, charms, staves an so on, were also commonly created to protect a person while in battle, to enhance the durability of a shield, the deadly strike of a weapon or the flexibility of a bow.
However, the people in the 17th century in Iceland faced more difficulties in agriculture, herding and hunting and finishing, rather than the troubles of war. With long dark winters, little arable lands for crops, and icy seas, life was unforgiving. Luck seemed to have an important role in that society, and the inhabitants would do what they could to influence their fortunes themselves. In times of famine, neighbours would be tempted to steal from each other, and disputes would often end in violence of course. Reputation and the ability to intimidate seems to have been an important factor in survival, and many staves were created to allow the bearer to do this or cast back negativity upon their perceived attacker. It was a very superstitious time.
As this was an age where Christianity had great influence in the European societies, witchcraft was still used by some but in secrecy, as folk remedies for example. Some practiced these arts more openly, sometimes charging for their services. By using the magical staves, a person felt that they were able to control and influence their predicament without direct confrontation.
The staves appeared to be drawn by using the Norse runes and later mediaeval and renaissance occult symbols. They were at least influenced by later charms used on mainland Europe. Some even appear to be influenced by kabbalistic symbols. During the 17th century in Iceland, it was a time where the christian faith and the old Scandinavian faith was mixed. Icelandic society never forgot their past, their roots and traditions, so some charms that accompany certain staves mention the old Norse gods such as Odin and Thor, whilst others mention Solomon and Christ. The system seems to be an interesting blend of old and new magical beliefs. During the periods of transition between religions, Odin was still appealed to or mentioned, but his role had shifted from being the All-father figure to that of a sorcerer. The Christian God had taken the place of the Father of men on earth, with the Old Gods being pushed into the positions where they were only called upon by the superstitious or "evil magicians".
Between the 14th and 17th Centuries, it was common to hunted down and tried and punish witches for their sorcerous arts. In most cases these practitioners of the old ways were female. Interestingly enough, unlike mainland Europe, the majority of Icelandic witches that were executed were male; punished by being burned at the stake; women were usually drowned. Like so many other examples of hysteria and bitterness that peaked during such times of persecution, accusations of witchcraft seemed to be a powerful tool to be rid of enemies and improve one's own situation. One such tale suggests manic superstition, or possibly a personal vendetta against a family.
There is an interesting account that I would like to state:
In 1656 in the town of Kirkjuból (nowadays known as Ísafjörður), a pastor called Jón Magnússon was suffering from ill health and other misfortunes. He accused two members of his congregation of sorcery against him. The accused were father and son, both named Jón Jónsson, who sang in the church choir. After being interrogated, the father confessed to using magic against the pastor and having a book of magic in his possession. Jón Jónsson junior confessed to making the pastor ill, and of using Fretrúner against a girl. The latter was a stave that caused the subject to fart constantly. Far from being a joke, it was intended to humiliate and cause terrible abdominal discomfort. The pair were found guilty and were burned at the stake. Pastor Jón Magnússon was awarded all of the Jónsson's holdings, but later accused the daughter of Jón Jónsson senior (sister of Jón Jónsson junior) of witchcraft as his ills still continued. Thuridur Jónsdóttir stood trial and was found not guilty. She counter-sued the Pastor and won. As compensation, she was awarded the Pastor's belongings.
This account may have been an attempt for the pastor to get rid of that family and gain their wealth, but his intentions at the end left him with nothing. Unfortunately it led to the death of two innocent; were they really innocent at all? Some truths may never be known.
Well, back to the subject, folk magic went underground and its practices became hidden. Some records that exist of the staves, their uses and other magical practices of the Icelanders, were made by the courts during the trials of supposedly witches. Ironically, it is this act that has preserved some of the old customs to this day. Without being recorded, they would simply have been forgotten or would have died with their practitioners. But how well were they transcribed? It's very likely that the true knowledge of such magics has been completely forgotten.
After so much time in secrecy, these magical practices returned. It was only in the last century that it became safer to explore the practices of folk magic throughout Europe. Whilst still frowned upon as superstition and nonsense, the Icelandic staves have seen a surge in popularity. Many of the staves are used in art and decorative wares, whilst some people have taken to having them tattooed onto their bodies. The Icelandic staves have evolved over the centuries, and while certainly incorporating Norse runes, they cannot be considered exclusively of "Viking" culture as they are influenced by other esoteric practices from mainland Europe and beyond.
Note: You can read it in here, with much more detail on this subject --> [Link]
| Keywords: European History, iceland, icelandic, Magic, Northern Pagan Traditions, Runes, Secret Staves, Witch, witchcraft, Witches
Norse Rune code cracked
Interesting news, a scholar from the University of Oslo has cracked one of the rune codes used by the Vikings that has been found along these last years. This reveals that they have been sending messages to each other, messages as simple as a "Kiss me".
It was K. Jonas Nordby, a runologist, that was able to discover the secret behind the jötunvillur code while doing his PhD research. This specific code can be found in over 80 Norse inscriptions. On a stick from the 13th century he found that two men, by the names of Sigurd and Lavrans, carved their own names both in the code and also standard runes. The jötunvillur code consists in replacing the original runic character with the last sound of the rune name. Lets make an example out of it, the rune for "F", pronounced "fe", would be turned into an "E", while the rune for "K", pronounced Kaun, became an "N".
Nordby says that it is like solving a puzzle, he started to see gradually a pattern in what was apparently a meaningless combination of runes.
For those who thought that these coded runes would reveal any kind of a deep secret from the Norse people, will be largely disappointed. The messages that were found so far seem to be either used in learning or having some kind of a playful tone. In one of the cases the message was "Kiss me". Nordby explains that there is little reason to believe that the rune codes should hide sensitive messages, people often wrote short everyday messages apparently.
In many of the cases for instance, those who wrote the coded runes also left comments urging the readers to try to figure it out. Sometimes they would also boast of their abilities at writing the codes.
There are several kinds of Norse rune codes, some of which have been solved, while others remain a mystery. In article published last year in Futhark: International Journal of Runic Studies, Nordby writes that in some cases there is not enough information to piece together what the code could be.
But equally often an inscription may be complete and as clear as day, and yet make no sense. In many examples of the latter type the trained eye will spot the hand of a total illiterate scribbling rune-like symbols, or an unsteady and untrained writer trying to copy a runic text without any understanding of what it says. The most difficult cases to give up on are those that yield no sense even though the runes are well executed and the carving apparently secure. In an attempt to find a solution the dedicated runologist will try everything, viewing the inscription from all conceivable angles.
Nordby hopes that his new discovery will help other runologists. He says that very little is known about the use of runic codes, so obviously each new piece of information is important. We may have to look at reading and writing runes in a totally new way and by doing so, it will also help us in understanding how the runic knowledge was conveyed.
Norse Symbols are not Symbols of Hatred
Nowadays watching Norse/Germanic pagan symbols on a necklace, tattooed on someone's skin or anyother place such as a wall, a book and so on, still leaves people somewhat uncomfortable, probably in fear at some point, but why does this happen?
Well, Norse/Germanic symbols weren't symbols of hatred, the Germanic peoples used the runes (The Elder Futhark) as much as the Norse (Younger Futhark) as their own alphabet, for divination, spiritual rituals, magic and so on, certainly they weren't white supremacists or racist skinheads, but somehow people still fear those symbols. Well in truth it is easy to know why, during the Third Reich the Nazis used a lot of Norse/Germanic symbols, for example the Hagall rune was very much present on the SS Totenkopfring or even the two Sowelu runes for the very SS symbol, and of course the Swastika, a major symbol used by many cultures including the many European cultures such as the Slavic ones, Germanic, Norse and Lusitanian, but again, these weren't racist people, but during the Third Reich, these symbols left a negative mark in the hearts of the European and watching those symbols again, brings the memory of horrible times, but the symbols themselves aren't hate symbols, it was the Nazis that brought terror along with those.
Obviously it's not just the Nazis fault, for centuries we live on a society that has been for too long obsessed by Classical Antiquity, and we treasure it as the most important source of ancient European history, which left all the other European cultures in the shadow and forgetfulness. In general, all that people knew about Norse/Germanic symbols came from the Nazis and nothing more and the problem also is that the Neo-Nazis still use these symbols and they don't know the true meaning of those symbols, they only focus on the hatred brought by the Nazis. Another major problem is that many people with Christian backgrounds still feel that heathen convictions, faith and religious symbols may be dangerous, especially if associated with Norse/Germanic culturs. Whatever your religion may be, as a child we have all been educated in schools long dominated by Christians that such symbols are linked to the Nazis only, and the only Ancient European civilisations that are taught are the Classical ones, such as the Greek and the Roman.
In my point of view, we should start teaching our children the other side of history especially when it comes to powerful symbols that they might find all over the place their entire life, they will probably be ignorant about it and think that a lie, or omiting the truth, is the only truth available.
For example, the Bluetooth technology on every mobile phone, take a close look at the symbol there, It is actually a bindrune, that is two blended runes, the Hagall and Bjarkan. These two represent the initials of the 10th century viking king Harald Blåtand (Bluetooth), who ordered the Jelling stones to be erected. I really doubt that the Bluetooth team are a hate group, they certainly aren't racists, and their rune logo doesn't scare people away I'm sure.
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Helms - Runic combinations
As I have written about Rune Staves and Bindrunes, I would like to tell you about the so called Helms, which most don't use or don't know about it, even I came to the knowledge of these after at least 2 years already working with the runes.
Helms or sometimes called Shields, are more powerful than rune staves and easier to create than bindrunes. This consists in a circular symbol with four, six or even eight lines/spokes radiating from a central point, and at the other end of each line a rune or runes is/are placed. For example, one Helm/Shield much known is the aegishjalmur symbol, now you may have a clue what a Helm is when talking about binding runes into a unic symbol.
It isn't just the aegishjalmur symbol that has survived from the periods before the Christianization of Europe, many other symbols such as that one have survived, especially in Iceland which helped us a lot in reviving ancient customs.
Helms/Shields are very useful for protection and are often used for such purposes, you might have guess now that the word Helm or Shield, suggests a sort of an armor, that is what these symbols are in a manner of speaking.
Now.. as I have written on the other posts about bindrunes and rune staves, when creating these unic symbols you are also adding runes that you were not supposed to add, but it is inevitable, it will create whether you like it or not and the power of that rune will be added to the symbol as well. So in the case of Helms this also happens of course, for example, when you creat an Helm with only four lines/spokes it will automaticaly create a fifth rune, Gyfu, so when creating these, people usually use them for the effects linked to partnership, for such is the power of Gyfu, this means it can be any kind of partnership, in business, love or just a deep friendship you have with someone, so keep that in mind, if you want to creat an Helm with four lines, keep in mind that it will help you on partnerships, and as such, you will be adding to the end of each line, runes that enhance that effect.
Helms with six lines will form anothor rune, this time Ior is that rune, the rune of adaptability. Usually Helms with eight lines are the most favored, because they do not create a rune as the four or six Helms do, and perhaps that is what makes them so special, because they had the power of another rune.
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Bindrunes 2nd part
As I have written about Bindrunes/Bandrùnar the other day and about Rune Staves, I would just like to remind you the difference between those and what Bindrunes are, because some people tend to be a litle confused.
The Bindrune consists in a number of runes, usually 3 to 5, of if you already have a great skill in it and need a powerful symbol for diferente actions and events all at the same time, some people do them with 9 to 12, but a Bindrune is the junction of runes superimposed over each other. The result in the end is a completly unique symbol of your own creation, it is possible that someone somewhere might do it similar, but in truth when you are doing one Bindrune, it is your own creation and at that moment, the symbol is yours and yours alone, and from all the runic symbols Bindrunes are the most personal symbols one can get but its creation is similar in many ways to the creation of Rune Staves.
The difference between Bindrunes and Rune Staves is taht you are making the runes directly on top of each other rather than in a linear type, the final outcome of the junction of the ruens of your choice will be just one symbol. Just like the Rune Staves, you have to know if you want a charm with permanente effect of a finite effect, as such, you will choose carefully the appropriate médium to work with. Take into account that by creating a Bindrune, some runes can disappear in the symbol, but as you created them, you have placed them there and for each one you have called upon them and their powers to aid you. If you are uncertain that this symbol will work because one of the runes disappears and you are afraid that the effect of that specific rune will not work with the others, you may have to think carefully if that rune is apropriate for the matter and choose another or try to make the symbol in a way that all the runes are visible. Bindrunes are very tricky, but they are a good exercise for the mind. It might also happen that in that symbol, you might see or it might appear runes taht your didn't intente to place there and their powers will work, either you like it or not, and adding a very interesting fact to this, this is why the rune Is is never places on a Bindrune, at least not intentionally because it is a straight line and can be found anywhere, a very special rune, hidden, but it is everywhere, a mystery rune that warns us that things are not as they seem to be.
The first symbol in your Bindrune will be clearly marked, and then the second one superimposed over the first one and so on. With the power of galdor ( which i will be writting on another post ) you will empower this symbol at the end of its creation.
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Rune Staves
We have all heard about magical symbols, objects, talismans at least once, or in the context of magic and ancient religious practices, such subject is often heard, so at this post I will be writing about the Runes as talismans, or as in an object that might help in any kind of magical work when dealing with the Norse Gods, so lets start with the Rune Staves.
When those who work with the Norse/Germanic traditional paganism and have the need to possess Runic talismans for their magical work, these talismans are often constructed in the form of staves, also a work very commun when dealing with Ogham, the Celtic alphabet. As you choose runes for spellcasting, you also choose likewise to place them on a stave, usually in series of three or more according with their influences. Most staves consist in either three of five runes, because like so it is easier to manage, anything longer than this, can be very confusing, not just to you, but also with the powers you are working with, keep it simple. Before you choose your runes, you must know if the talisman you are about to create, is a permanente charm or if it is intended to have a finite effect. This is something that you need to take a deep thought, because the purpose of these talismans, are to create an event or to attract something to you or to any one you give the talisman, after the event occurs, the spell is done and the talisman has no further purpose, and as such, the talisman must be removed from this world, burnt, destroyed, have it your way. You must take into account that this kind of magical work might be simple, but you can't sit at home waiting for it to work, things don't magically happen, like I have said, the rune staves or any other talisman made of runes or even BindingRunes, help to create or attract an event in your life, and everything in this world to be attracted to something, must be near it or have any kind of contact with, like a magnet attracts iron, so if you create a talisman to find a job for example, you need to go out there, search for a job, you need to take physical action, and the talisman will help you out, it will help in attracting that event into your life, it will attract a job of your satisfaction.
You may use the same runes to attract an event in your life, but know that each rune doesn't also help in things like having a job, but also help in physical or psychological diseases, feelings, and so on, so when you use the same three runes as a talisman to attract a job, in this case a talisman with a finite effect, you will destroy it after, but you can also create a talisman with the same runes, to keep with you, to be permanent, to attract joy, prosperity, contentment etc.
Now the importante thing and harder, when you place your three runes, they have to make sense, the sense that expresses your intention regardless of the direction you read them, of left to right or backwards.
Like I have said before, if the talisman is made for a finite purpose, you will have to destroy it, so you better choose paper or wood to create your rune staves, it will be easier to destroy, unless you are sure that your talisman will have a permanent effect and you already have mastered this, you may create into a piece of metal or even bone.
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| Keywords: charms, Magic Work, Northern Pagan Traditions, Rune Staves, Runes, spellcasting, talismans
Bindrunes (Bandrùnar)
I have been talking about the runes and the power and purpose of each one of them as you may read all about the runes in the Lable called "Runes", where you actually have to go after you read this post to know each one of them so you will be able to make Bindrunes if you don't already know them and how to work with the runes.What are Bindrunes? Well, as the name indicates it is the union of the runes in one specific symbol in order to bind the power of those runes together so they may work and help in specific tasks instead of having separate runes. Normaly, and what is most seen, it is the binding of 2 runes only, but it is possible of course to bind more than just two, in some cases you can even bind 9 to 13 different runes.
Bindrunes are very easy to make, if you have a specific wish, if you need to protect someone you care for, if you need inner strength, or whatever you might need, be that strengthen the mind and help in memory, logic, emotion, enlightenment, strength of will, courage, clarity of thought and so on, you can make your own bindrune with the specific runes for those purposes, of course you need to take into account, that you may only ask for the power of those things that will help you to become a better person, keeping your freewill, because no rune will help you in any task that you might have ahead of you, no rune will make things for you, asking for protection for a loved one or yourself is one thing, asking for wealth, great power and an easy life or easy work is another, you only get those wishes if you work hard, if you have the strength to carry on, the will, the spirit, the intelligence, you may only ask for the simple things to help you achieve what you really want, having those, it is up to you to know how, when or with whom will you use the gifts given to you. Also another thing that you have to keep in mind is that Bindrunes can only be used to help people, not to harm them, trying to harm someone with bindrunes it just doesn't work.
You can make a drawing, a painting or carving the rune in any item you want, a piece of paper, or wood, even at the walls of you home, you can carry the bindrune with you and hope that is will help you in this things you wanted, after you have carefully chosen the runes you want for the purposes you need, so before you do any bindrune, you need to know each one of them and what are the powers, the gifts of those runes. Bindrunes might work after you creat them, but of course there is always the need to "awake" those powers, like in ancient times, when shamans used chanting to cal upon the powers of the runes or the bindrunes.
Bindrunes are very special because they are of our own creation, of course there is the possibility that another person might have a similar or equal symbol, that is common when binding 2 runes, but the more runes you bind and creat a new symbol, the less it is likely that someone else has the same symbol.
For a bindrune to work properly some people still use chanting, they cal upon the name of the 2 or 3 or more runes, each of the name chanted for a few seconds, a long sound, or chanting the initials of each rune creating a name for the symbol, for example, you are trying to bind the rune Algiz with Berkana, so you will chant the name of the first rune and after that you will tell the purpose of it, what is that you want from it and tell it that you will bind it with the other rune and you say the name, after that you chant the name of the next rune and you do the same process, after you have finished in telling what you want from those runes you chant in the end the initials of each rune so it might sound like Alg.... Ber... or Algi...Bera... and thus you creat a name for it and in your mind you visualize the binding of those runes in just one, you visualize the symbol you have created while calling upon the runes. Of course there are other ways, but this one is the easiest, the safest and more personal, and i'm not here to make things hard, my purpose with this post is to reach everyone and try to explain things in a way that everyone will understand.
There are also very personal bindrunes, where you bind the runes equivalente to the initials of your name, to reinforce your personality and emphasize the positive qualities and skills that you have.
If you are not sure how to bind runes and for what purposes, i will give you an example, someone that you love or care about and that person will travel and you want the person to be safe, you might use the rune Raido which is the rune for travelling and you can combine it with Berkana which is a rune of protection, of course there are other runes of protection, but some are for female, othets for male, others give protection in specific cases, so you have to be careful when choosing the runes to bind.
Note: The image to illustrate this post is a photography work taken by Ana Teresa, you can see more of her works here --> https://www.facebook.com/AnaTeresaPhotography
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Runes - The Universal Secret Language
When we talk about runes, the first thing that comes to mind. is associating these with the Germanic/Norse writing, which nowadays for neo-pagans it hadbecame something banal or even funny to write with runes any word in any language. But in reality the runes were used as a system of an ancient language with magical purposes, and not just to tell a story, or to make sence in random sentences.
Naturaly we associate the runes with the Scandinavian and Germanic peoples, for during the time of the Saxons and the Vikings, while they spread terror all over Europe, their culture and ways of writing was also spread into the regions they conquered, and the runes became an exclusive mark of the northern peoples. However, this was so, because Europeans already lived in a time where christianity was spreading and before that, the Romans had invade most of Europe and forced people to their own culture and tradition, and most Europeans forgot and lost their ancient traditions, their ancient religions and magical symbols, because in truth the runes were European symbols not only of writing but also to for different types of religious works, magic and divination, actually, it was seldom used for writing.
The runes are an ancient system of ideograms of sixteen, eighteen or even twenty-four characters, each rune is a combination of straight lines vertical, horizontal and inclined. Tradition tells us about ancient runes as a secret language known only to the initiated in their mysteries. The word "Raunen" associated with the word rune means "murmuring" or "Whispering", making a clear allusion to the transmission of a secret oral knowledge.
Runes are often found in Scandinavia, Great Britain, Germany, and all the other countries where the Norse people settled, but the runes are also found in Central and Northern Portugal, Northern Spain, France, Italy and so on, it is something to be expected because in truth, germanic tribes were in these places, especially in Portugal and northern Spain, because the Portuguese, in ancient times the Celtic Lusitanian people, shared a germanic culture and languege, and in fact they were Celts and Germanic for almost 2000 years, and after the romans came and went, northern Portugal was still germanic for at least 300 more years, so it is perfeclty natural to find runes in these mediterranean regions, but it isn't that natural that these runic symbols are from an era way before the Saxons and the Vikings, like i said, almost 2000 years of Celtic and Germanic culture, the runes in Portugal, northern Spain, Italy and so on, are from a period between 1500-700 B.C. and some runes are even older than that, which we are led to believe, that these symbols might have been used by so many Europeans in times more ancient than what we think, for we also know about the Ur-Runes, runic symbols similar to the runes of the Elder Futhark that we know today, the symbols that preceded those runes.
It isn't hard to know why the runes remained an exclusive mark of the Germanic and Norse culture, because the cold north was the last one to be christianised, and by the time it was, the famous Saxons and Vikings already had spread their culture to a great level, all the other European countries were conquered by the Romans and later by the christian faith and were under the influence of such culture and religion for so many centuries that there was plenty of time unfortunately to forget their ancient traditions and symbols.
The Tiwaz Method
This is the only rune arrangment that mimics the shape of an individual rune. The Tiwaz method is more complext than most of the other because it involves several stages before one ends up with a pattern that looks like the rune Tiwaz. Nevertheless, it is claimed that this arrangment is well worth the effort because, like tiwaz itself, it never fails to be accurate.
Step One
Randomly choose four runes and arrange them in form of a cross, similar to the five-directions method, but without the central stone. The ruens should be laid in an anticlockwise direction, starting on the left. You may now read these runes according to the rules of the five-directions method ( minus the final-outcome rune ).
Step Two
Now choose a further three runes. These may be read in accordance with the rules of the three Norns method. Once you have done this, place them in order around the original four runes in a clockwise manner, starting on the right. The placement of the first rune is diagonally down and slightly to the right of the cross shape that you already have. The secound rune is below the cross shape and the final rune is diagonally to the left of the original pattern. You should end up with a pattern that looks like an upright arrowhead.
Step Three
You can now begin to read the third stage of this divinations, beginning with the rune on the far left and continuing as you may see on the image that i have made.
Position 4 - Ill-advised actions that may thwart your desires.
Position 5 - Lessons learned in the past from which you may benefit.
Position 6 - Your present position and attitudes.
Position 7 - The outcome, for good or ill.
Position 1 - The reasons for the question and deep feelings concerning it.
Position 3 - Potential problems confronting you.
Position 2 - The best possible outcome that can be attained from present circumstances.
Reading runes - The World Tree Method
The world-tree arrangement is another complex rune divination that comprises eleven randomly chosen runes. It is an elaboration on the square-of-nine method, with the addition of two extra runes to provide links between the three levels ( although the order of runes is different ).
This pathern makes up three levels: the lowest, called Utgard, refers to the past; the middle, called Midgard, refers to the day-to-day life; and the upper, called Asgard, relates to spiritual life and the future. This is a particularly useful type of reading for questions of a spiritual nature.
The arrangement looks like a central axis comprising five runes, with three runes on either side of it. The first position is at the base of the vertical axis.
For those of you who can't properly read the design in the image, these are the themes of each position:
Position 1 - Past events or the basis of a spiritual journey.
Position 2 - That which is unknown concerning the past.
Position 3 - That which is known concerning the past.
Postion 4 - The link to the present.
Position 5 - Present circumstances.
Position 6 - Unconscious decisions.
Position 7 - Conscious decisions.
Position 8 - The link to the future.
Position 9 - The future and spiritual evolution.
Position 10 - The unknown.
Position 11 - Expectations.
Rune reading: The Runic V Method
As its name suggests, this pattern is made up of seven randomly chosen runes in the shape of the letter "v". The runes should be placed starting at the top of the left-hand arm of the v. Place three runes in a downward-tending diagonal, one at the bottom (this is called the keystone) and then three more rising diagonally from it, tending towards the right. This shape is considered significant because it represents the sacred enclosures used by the priests of the ancient Norse in Scandinavia. This arrangement can be used for general readings or in answer to a specific question.
Position 1: The general influences of the past.
Position 2: Present circumstances.
Position 3: General prospects and hopes for the future.
Position 4: The keystone. This is the most important rune in the reading. Take special note of it because it denotes the best possible course of action that you could take.
Position 5: The attitudes and emotional states of those around you.
Position 6: Potential problems that may delay or frustrate your plans.
Position 7: The outcome.
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