The above are the runes...ok...so now what are they...well for
me they began a journey into a deeper meaning of my inner self.
I bought a set and began my first journey and somehow got into 
other things and they were placed aside for the time being. Then
a friend started her runic journey and I gave her my set along 
with the book. A few months passed and I found myself once again
seeking answers, knowing the runes could assist me with the answer
I decided to make myself a set. I gathered stones from our local 
beach and made myself a new more personal set...after making the 
set I needed the meanings and so I looked on the internet for 
information. Collected everything I could find and collaborated 
the information on my website. Almost a year has come and gone 
and my runes have set on a shelf offering advice when I reached 
for them, patiently setting in their beautiful bag I made to store 
them in. Then my dear, loving husband, Paul, bought me a wonderful 
book by Sirona Knight called "The Little Giant Encyclopedia Of 
Runes." I was immediately thrilled to find so much information
in one book. I realized immediately that some of the information 
on my webpages was inaccurate so I revamped them and the information 
you will find if you continue onward will be from this book. I encourage 
you to purchase this book for it is definitely worth every penny.

 For those of you who are looking just for the information on each rune 
without having to load each of my graphic intense pages I have zipped up 
all the information on each rune into *.doc format (click here) for those 
who have Word and *.txt format (click here) for those who don't. And for 
those of you that want both there is a zip file that contains both (click here).

  The runes are magical symbols that convey the story of creation, 
life, destruction, and rebirth, and these forces constantly occur 
on many levels of being. Because the mind processes all stimuli 
as symbols, the runes are extremely useful for personal transformation. 
They are symbols you can use right now to help create a better and 
more enriching life.

 Initially, runes were a series of sounds, incantations, and bodily 
postures for communicating with divine powers and connecting with 
the elements of nature. Gradually people identified these sounds, 
incantations, and postures with specific signals or symbols, which 
became concepts that could be inscribed or written down.

 A rune bears the primary definition of "secret." In Old Norse, run 
means "mystery." In Old Irish and Scotch Gaelic, run means "secret" 
or "mysterium," as does rhin in Middle Welsh. The Proto-Indo-European 
root of the word rune is reu, "to roar," while the modern German 
cognate raunen means "to whisper".

 The idea of letters' having magical meaning beyond their literal meaning 
is not special to runes. Many of the early writing systems had magical 
meanings-including Egyptian hieroglyphs, which were originally magical 
pictures-in addition to their literal meanings. It was only later, with 
the advent of many foreign words, that an early system of writing with 
twenty-four consonants was standardized for non-Egyptian words, and this 
became the writing of the early traders.

 Technically, the runes are not really an alphabet at all, because 
in a strict sense the word "alphabet" or the lesser-used "abecedary" 
refers to a row of characters beginning as do the Greek, Hebrew, Roman, 
and Gaelic, with characters alpha and beta or their equivalents-A, B, 
and so on. Letter rows that use a different order are not alphabets in 
the sense, and so are called by other names. Runic letter rows begin 
with the six letters F, U, TH, A, R, K, and because of this are named 
Futharks. The most ancient of the Futharks is the Elder Futhark with 
its twenty-four runes. That is the rune row I use here.

 The magical implications of pictures most likely originated in European 
cave drawings, dating back to 15000 B.C.E. In these drawings, a picture 
of an elk was, on one level, a picture showing what the animal looked like. 
This was the literal meaning. But beyond this, the drawing also embodied the 
essence and spirit of the animal-in the case of the elk, a fast creature with 
protective horns that are very dangerous if you get in too close.

 As with Egyptian hieroglyphs, many of the early writing systems lost their 
magical element as they became a form of notation. Traders were continually 
coming across new cultures that had new foods and goods. It became important 
that the writing system be adaptable enough to handle this influx of new words.

 The primary traders of early history were the Phoenicians, who had a 
reputation for roaming the world aboard their ships, providing a link 
between many different cultures throughout the world. The Phoenician 
alphabet came into use around 1200 B.C.E., and had twenty-two characters 
that were read from right to left. Because they traveled so extensively, 
the Phoenicians spread their system of writing throughout the known world. 
It became the source for later writing systems such as Greek, which came 
into being in the eighth century B.C.E. and had twenty-four characters, 
just like the runes.

 As people used writing more to convey literal rather than magical 
meanings, specific letters were used to make up recognized words. 
The magical element of writing waned, and in most cases was lost. 
The runes are one of those early writing systems that never lost 
the magical aspect, and those magical meanings go along with their 
literal letter meanings. Gebo, for example, the seventh rune of the 
Elder Futhark, looks like an "X," but its letter equivalent and 
phonetic value are that of "G," and its magical meaning is "a gift"-in 
particular, the divine gift of life. The "X" depicts the relationship 
between the giver and the receiver and how their paths cross, joining 
at the point where the two lines come together.

 As magical symbols, runes connect with your body, mind, spirit, and 
the environment, and their inherent nature makes them relevant and useful 
today. Runes express the process and flow of universal energies. Runic 
symbols and systems are eternal expressions of deity and nature, making 
them ideal for use in psychological integration, spiritual growth, and 
magic. They serve as a direct symbol-language between your conscious and 
unconscious, so you can interpret their meanings as spiritual, mental, 
and/or physical.

 An inclusive rather than exclusive divination system, runes are universal 
and nondenominational. Everyone who is comfortable with rune symbols and 
their meanings can use them. As you work with runes, your conscious and 
unconscious connect, so that you access the runic energies in a unique way. 
You personalize the symbols. You connect with each individual rune and with 
groups of runes differently, until eventually you create a personal meaning 
for each one.

 You can use runes today to explore your Northern European heritage, for 
meditation, divination, healing, and magic. Runes can also be used as dream 
tools. For example, by staring at and holding one rune just before you go 
to sleep and as you awaken, and giving yourself the suggestion to go deep 
within the rune, you can better understand its full meaning and discover 
its immediate and long-term value in your life.

 The runes are as applicable today as they were thousands of years ago. 
When you use them as divination tools, runes can still help you to find 
answers to personal questions, to better understand the influencing factors, 
and to foretell future events. runes reconnect you with your inner resources 
and wisdom. When you use runes, you increase your self-awareness, relieve 
stress, gain a sense of personal empowerment, heal, and clear out blockages 
in your life.

 Runes make ideal meditation tools. For example, to move from one rune to 
another in meditation, practice pulling a different rune each day for 
twenty-four days. Focus as much as possible on that rune's energy 
throughout the day by carrying the symbol in your pocket or purse. You can 
also write the symbol on paper, and tack it on the refrigerator, bulletin 
board, or anywhere you can see it easily.

 Runes also provide a medium for creativity. Using rune readings and casting 
methods helps you access and tap into archetypal images, ancestral memories, 
and the creative source, as well as your innermost feelings and intuitions. 
Rune readings are also a great way to meet people and get to know them better. 
When you work with another person, you express your thoughts and impressions 
as you pull each rune. You communicate your ideas and share your experiences.

 In whatever way you employ the runes, now is the time to remember how to 
understand and speak their sacred language. According to runic lore, rune 
magicians never actually die, but are reborn generation after generation, 
keeping and carrying the mysteries of the runes with them. You, too, can learn 
the secrets of the runes as they are reborn in each of us, through the divine 
within.

Rune Mythology

The History of the Runes

Elder Futhark's Three Aettir

The First Aett

The Second Aett

The Third Aett

Rune Interpretations

Traditional Runic Practices

Spiritual Runes

Divination With Runes

Preparations For Rune Readings

How To Make A Rune Cloth

Rune Reading Checklist

Rune Readings

Rune Layouts

Ceremonial Runecasting

Basic Rune Meditations

Rune Dreaming Techniques

Rune Magic

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