Rune Casting Secrets of the Elder Futhark

The word rune has a long and clandestine history. The Old Norse called it runir meaning secret or hidden lore. In Old English it became rün, a secret consultation. Finally the Gothic language titled it as runa, dark sayings, or whispers. These dark whispers are not malicious by any stretch of the imagination. Rather, the runes are like a friend, confiding his secrets to you, and rune casting is the best way to get your new friend talking.

Each rune symbol represents both a letter of the alphabet and an idea (see sidebar), but these are a far cry from their true meaning. This only comes from using the runes, over and over and over again. I don’t mean be a fanatic about it. For goodness sake have a life, but allow these messages and the stories they represent to enter into your life.

I don’t put in for the various meditations and soul searchings that many of the books I’ve read suggest when working with runes. I’m a pragmatist. How can I get these things to work for me? What I’ve found is that the runes, as a divination source, are far more practical and straightforward than say the Tarot, which for me resulted in an abysmal failure. I tried various divinatory techniques with the runes, kept what I liked, threw away the rest.

One that I use most often and with tremendous success is rune casting. What’s best about this method is that I don’t even need to have my bag of runes on me to practice it. Once I threw a casting in the parking lot of McDonalds with a bundle of coffee stirrers. I’ve found that there is a bond that develops between you, the caster, and the runes themselves. Often you must read into the casting to find its true meaning, sometimes going by gut reaction.

The manner for casting is pretty simple. If you’ve purchased or made a set of runes, make sure they’re all inside a pouch. Reach inside with the question posed clearly in mind. It helps to be brutally specific here. The more loopholes you allow the runes, the more they’ll take. This method works best with questions that can be answered with a qualified yes or no. Don’t ask how or why because the runes won’t tell you. As in everything in life, you’ll have to figure those out for yourself. Reach inside, grasp a handful of runes, and toss them onto the ground or table. Now a word of caution here, toss does not mean hurl with the force of a two-year-old with his ball. You don’t want to loose any of the runes, just scatter them randomly. Let them decide how to land. The basic interpretation is simple, if more runes are turned face up, the answer is positive (yes), if more are turned down, negative (no). The trick comes in qualifying the answer. What’s the ratio of upright to overturned runes? If you have, say four to one or five to two, the answer is a very sure yes. If they’re all turned face up, then you have little doubt in the matter. The same goes for face down. When the ratio is close or dead even, then you’re stuck with a qualified maybe. Don’t be disappointed. This only means that your fate isn’t decided yet.

Finally you can interpret the meanings of the upright runes themselves. The most important rune to see is Ehwaz, because it confirms without a doubt those runes around it. It can push a maybe over to yes or confirm a negative result for sure. For the rest of the runes, examine their meanings in relation to your question. Would they help push it farther toward yes, like Gebo, or Sowulo, or do they cast doubt, like Naudhiz or Isa. Some of this will come more easily with a better knowledge of the runes. The most important thing to remember is to accept the answer. Don’t rephrase the question and ask again. No one likes to be pestered, and neither do the runes. You can ask on a different and more specific aspect. But if the answer is no, then it’s written on the chalkboard. Accept it.

If you don’t have runes to cast, you can also use a set of nine sticks, or coffee stirrers or straws, anything about the same size. This method is little more unpredictable and sometimes yields nothing more than a vague notion. I’ve used it for a quick spot check when away from home. Cast the sticks out just like the runes and then examine them. Because the rune signs are all made up of straight lines, sometimes the sticks will form the shapes of a rune. Be careful though, not every crossed stick is Gebo or Naudhiz. When a rune is created, it’ll be rather obvious. If you get nothing, then you’re left with another maybe. In this method you typically see only a single rune, and must interpret the answer from that rune’s meaning. Usually this will not give you a yes or no answer, rather a quality regarding your question. Like I said, it’s not rocket science, but it can help guide you in a clutch.

Rune casting is like inviting a new person over for diner. The first time you meet will be awkward. You may struggle for things to say. But the more often you two meet, the closer you’ll become, until soon you’ll find yourself rather comfortable with those crazy looking symbols. Then you might feel a gentle rush of air by your ear as you catch just a snippet of those dark whispers. The secrets of the runes.

The Elder Futhark
Just like our alphabet is named after the first and second letters (apha + beta), the runic system is named for the first six letters. The Futhark is divided into three sections of eight letters each called Aett.

The first Aett.
Fehu (F)
Financial strength and prosperity in the present and near future. Possessions won and earned. Cattle, originally a form of movable wealth.

Uruz (U, OO)
Physical strength and speed, like the great European wild ox. This can relate to either the enquirer or others.

Thurisaz (Th)
Conflicts and complexities of an aggressive nature. Unreliability. A tendency toward sudden change. The thorn that both protects and harms.

Ansuz (A)
Blessings and stability. The divine stability of faith. The ash tree Yggdrasil that links all the worlds of creation.

Raido (R)
Travel, both physical and those of lifestyle. A wheel to guide you forward, and the road you travel. The right move for you at the right time.

Kenaz (K, C, Q)
The torch, a fire under human control. The ability to generate and create, teach and learn. A transforming and regenerating force.

Gebo (G)
Gifts, both of sacrifice and generosity. The act of exchange. Giving, receiving, and the gift itself. Includes contracts, relationships, and sex.

Wunjo (W, V)
Joy and pleasure with the possibility of going over the top. Intoxication. If restrained, the meaning is general success and recognition of worth.

The second Aett.
Hagalaz (H)
Uncontrolled forces, either within (the unconscious) or without (the physical world). The hailstone, which falls violently, destroying crops and property, only to melt away. Transformation.

Naudhiz (N)
Restriction caused by need. If heeded early enough, it can lead to change. Two sticks of wood used to kindle a fire.

Isa (I)
Static existence representing right now. Delays, a halt of progress, the termination of a relationship. Ice.

Jera (J)
The promise of success. A completion at the proper time. The results of earlier efforts realized. The cycles of the year.

Eihwaz (Y, -ew)
General increase in personal power. Protection from detrimental forces. Both death and regeneration. The yew tree, whose bark is poisonous.

Pertho (P)
The ability to distinguish the valuable from the worthless. The dice cup. Memory, recollection, and problem solving.

Algiz (Z)
Powerful protection from evil. Keeping hold of success and maintaining a position earned. The elk, whose antlers strike fear into enemies.

Sowulo (S)
Power directed in a devastatingly straightforward way. A victory of light over darkness. The rays of the sun.

The third Aett.
Teiwaz (T)
Success tempered with sacrifice. They god Tyr, who had to sacrifice his hand to capture the Fenris wolf. Victory only if you are in the right.

Berkana (B)
A new beginning. Birth and general fertility. The birch tree, whose white bark represents purity.

Ehwaz (E)
A partnership based on trust and loyalty. Two horses facing each other. The ability to carry a project forward into completion. When cast with other runes, it conforms their meaning without a doubt.

Mannaz (M)
Mutual support. Man and his ability to speak and think rationally. Everything concerned with language.

Laguz (L)
Clears blockages and accelerates things already taking place. The ebb and flow of the tide.

Inguz (Ng, -ing)
The culmination of previous efforts. Stored energy released violently. Male fertility.
Dagaz (D)

Security and certainty. Health, prosperity and new beginnings. Dawn and twilight as the balance between light and dark.

Othala (O)
Inheritance and personal wealth. Maintaining the existing state of things. It originally referred to "own earth" or the land that was passed down through family.

Works Cited List
King, Bernard. The Elements of the Runes. Shaftesbury: Element Books Limited, 1993.

Pennick, Nigel. The Complete Illustrated Guide to Runes. Shaftesbury: Element Books Limited, 1999.

Thorsson, Edred. FUTHARK: A Handbook of Rune Magic. York Beach: Samuel Weiser, Inc, 1999.