Casting the Runes

"None should write Runes
who can't read what he carves."
From an Icelandic Saga

Casting the Runes is a method of divination that has been passed down to us from the indigenous people of Europe. The Runes were used hundreds of years ago, for guidance, prediction and healing.

Runes are thought to have originated with the Norsemen many years ago. The symbols are letters from an ancient Nordic alphabet, and Runes are mentioned in old Nordic literature:

"Down to the deepest depth I peered,
Until I spied the Runes."
From an old Norse poetic Edda circa AD 1200

The passage of the Vikings is often marked by rocks carved with Runic symbols. The Heavener Runestone in Oklahoma is an excellent example. Other such rocks have been found at L'Anse aux Meadows in Newfoundland, believed to be the fabled Vinland of Leif Ericsson. Kenneth M. Jungerson wrote an excellent article on Vinland with numerous references to Rune carvings.

What are Runes? They are a set of twenty-five small flat stones carved with Nordic symbols. Each symbol has a traditional meaning, from Number One, the Self, to Number Twenty-Five, a blank stone, appropriately representing the Unknown.

When used for divination, Runes can either be cast, as in the I Ching, or laid out in spreads like Tarot cards. Runes are always read from right to left.

As with many forms of divination, this ancient art has been adapted to the computer age. Why not try an online reading?