Rune Divination: A primer

[Ratatosk]

There are differences between the runes and tarot when it comes to divination. This is primarily (IMO) due to the differences in culture and mindset that went into the creation of these two systems.

While tarot is Mercurial (the principles of mentality, thought patterns, rationality, reasoning and communication) runes are Martial (energy, drive, and action). This leads to a totally different approach when it comes to methods of divination.

Asking the tarot a question such as "What is the outlook for the next three months" is not only appropriate, it is useful as well. The kind of questions that one asks the tarot are not at all suited to the runes. (Of course, the inverse is also true.) The runes are all about action and doing. This means that questions should be phrased in terms of your own actions.

Some sample questions:
"What action do I need to take to achieve <goal x> in <time y>?"
"Is <verb x> the right action to take at this time, given <situation y>?"
"What precautions should I take while <verb x> in pursuing <goal y>?"

Keep in mind that these are only a few suggestions, and I am sure you can come up with more pertinent questions to your own situation. The trick is that the question must be about your action.

If you find that there is no way to formulate your question so that it is about action, you may find that another tool, such as tarot or scrying, may be in order in that particular instance.

[silentjohn]

http://www.valkyrietower.com/Tyr.jpg


Tyr

[Talkingfox]

Where's the image from SJ?

[silentjohn]

Where's the image from SJ?

:laugh:

http://www.valkyrietower.com/

[Talkingfox]

hmmm I kind of have issue with the fact that the image still has both hands....

[Nuhad418]

There are differences between the runes and tarot when it comes to divination. This is primarily (IMO) due to the differences in culture and mindset that went into the creation of these two systems.

While tarot is Mercurial (the principles of mentality, thought patterns, rationality, reasoning and communication) runes are Martial (energy, drive, and action). This leads to a totally different approach when it comes to methods of divination.

Asking the tarot a question such as "What is the outlook for the next three months" is not only appropriate, it is useful as well. The kind of questions that one asks the tarot are not at all suited to the runes. (Of course, the inverse is also true.) The runes are all about action and doing. This means that questions should be phrased in terms of your own actions.

Some sample questions:
"What action do I need to take to achieve <goal x> in <time y>?"
"Is <verb x> the right action to take at this time, given <situation y>?"
"What precautions should I take while <verb x> in pursuing <goal y>?"

Keep in mind that these are only a few suggestions, and I am sure you can come up with more pertinent questions to your own situation. The trick is that the question must be about your action.

If you find that there is no way to formulate your question so that it is about action, you may find that another tool, such as tarot or scrying, may be in order in that particular instance.

This emaphasis on action in the question makes sense to me...it also indicates why I never had much luck with using the runes over the years I have used tarot-I was asking tarot style questions. In this case the runes seem to function more like the I Ching without the complex mathematics at it roots. Makes me almost want to try using them for diviniation again.

[Ci Celli Ddu]

Personally Ive always found that the Runes are more direct and less ambiguous than the Tarot when it comes to answering questions. The Tarot for me have more to do with scrying.

[Nuhad418]

Personally Ive always found that the Runes are more direct and less ambiguous than the Tarot when it comes to answering questions. The Tarot for me have more to do with scrying.

Interesting. Tarot for me is very specific. There are the general meanings of the cards then the relationship of the cards to one another focus and refine the meaning of the spread...at least in my take of it. Mind you, pathworking is always one blink of an eye away with tarot.

Oh, a question to you all. When consulting the runes do you tend to pick one (or several) at a time or do you shoot the whole...er...throw the whole wad?

[Talkingfox]

Oh, a question to you all. When consulting the runes do you tend to pick one (or several) at a time or do you shoot the whole...er...throw the whole wad?

For me it depends on how in depth I want to go. For a quick reading I'll pull 3 to correspond to the Aettir. For something more in depth, 9.

I also tend NOT to do layouts, rather the throw. That way hidden energies read hidden and how direct the influences are are obvious. Timelines get pretty obvious too.

Have you tried sticks or bones? 24 is usually the number. Becomes more of a scrying modality.

[Nuhad418]

Have you tried sticks or bones? 24 is usually the number. Becomes more of a scrying modality.

No I haven't. I do have rune "staves" but that's about it. Any suggestions (resources)?

[Talkingfox]

Not much to it actually...24 sticks of the same length and thickness...do the toss and figure out the runeshapes from there.

[Nuhad418]

Not much to it actually...24 sticks of the same length and thickness...do the toss and figure out the runeshapes from there.

Hmm...seems simple enough. Should cause me no end to grief! Thanks
:yes: :no:

[Talkingfox]

ok I'll refrain from mentioning the implied runeshapes from a standard rune throw then...

[Nuhad418]

ok I'll refrain from mentioning the implied runeshapes from a standard rune throw then...

WHAT!? NO! I like grief...explain. Pretty please with mead on top.

[Ratatosk]

Mmmmmmmm! Mead on top ....

I'll chime in here - when throwing the runes the first thing you look at is the overall pattern - this is one of those times where you deliberately filter what you are seeing (the runes scattered about the floor) through that part of the brain that makes dippers and archers out of stars. So you look at the overall shape and see that, "hey, that looks like a Kennaz below a Tiwaz" and those are the first things you read into the overall reading. Then you start into the individual runes, how far out they are an the timeline, whether they are face up or down, etc, etc.

BTW - I prefer to throw sitting spread-legged on the floor, casting from crown (actually just a little wrist and some chi, not full-on pitching them) and those that fall closest are nearest in the timeline, which moves away from you toward the future. Anything that bounces/falls outside my legs I take as being of much less influence.

Since the shape you are casting into is an open "V" you also (often) end up with more than one endpoint, with a pivotal rune somewhere in the layout. These are incredibly important (as are all choice points in life, eh?)

But I have gone on too long already and need to get back to work.

Cheers!

[Talkingfox]

Mmmmmmmm! Mead on top ....

"hey, that looks like a Kennaz below a Tiwaz" and those are the first things you read into the overall reading. Then you start into the individual runes, how far out they are an the timeline, whether they are face up or down, etc, etc.

Cheers!

Within that there is also the kenning of the relationship of the runes showing vs. those hidden and what shapes they make in relation to each other...

Shadows within shadows as it were.