RUNES

I've been studying runes since late 1999. I spent a year WITH runes, that means every day, almost all day. I sang them, meditated on them, carved them, wrote their poems (my version) and studied them esoterically rather than intellectually. I carved them on food and cast them into drink and "took them in". Rune magic saved us from pain and sorrow more than a few times. I credit Heimdall, Great Teacher, with many insights I gained concerning runes. I met Heimdall, in meditation, at five o'clock every morning for one year. I know the runes better than I know the back of my hands.

There are other ways to approach the runes. You can begin with their history. Unlike tarot, you really need to know where they come from. They are a language. The culture of their discovery or invention (I'll leave the notion of which up to you) is important if you are to understand each rune and how you may interact with them.

You can get far with the runes by carving them, one by one, and mediating on each for nine days before moving to the next rune. You can also do as Thorsson suggested and draw a rune in red on a bland index card and set this on your altar and send out a breath to lasso the rune and bring it in, while inwardly intoning the name of the rune.

Try this: light a candle in a dark room. Sit in front of it and see the candle. Close your eyes and see the candle with your eyes closed. Keep this up until you can see the image for quite a while, and in fact, until you can bring back the image once it fades.

Now  set up your first rune card and do the same. You should have enough light to see the card clearly, but not overhead lights. Use candle or lamp that illuminates the card. Empty your lungs and then breathe in, 1,2,3,4. Hold the breath to the count of three. Breathe out, 1,2,3,4, and see your breath as if it were a lasson going out surrounding the card and bringing the card in again on the next inhalation. Give it plenty of time. This is best done at night right before you go to sleep. 

When you are finished with this first lesson in runes, you will be ready for more. I'll set up a page for this and link it to this post.

Blessings,

Keldarune