shadowravenswing

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Master List of Stories of the Tuatha dé Danann Pt. Three

How the Dagda Got His Magic Staff

Bergin, Osborn. Medieval Studies in Memory of Gertrude Schoepperle Loomis. NY: Columbia University Press, 1927.

The Taking of the Sid

De Gabáil in t-Sída; Book of Leinster ; Translated by John Carey

The Wooing of Etain

Yellow Book of Lecan; Heroic Romances of Ireland, Volume II ed. and trans. A.H. Leahy. London: David Nutt, 1906.

The Dream of Oengus

Aislinge Oengusso; Translated by Ed. Müller

The Cattle-Raid of Regamna

The Yellow Book of Lecan; Heroic Romances of Ireland, Volume II ed. and trans. A.H. Leahy. London: David Nutt, 1906.

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Introductory Resources for Irish Polytheists

https://youtu.be/X_7OmYLjLlE

A very skilled bard shares some basic stories in a captivating way. A great place to start.

https://bardmythologies.com/

Really palatable introductory character cards and stories, though not always fully faithful to the texts.

http://www.ancienttexts.org/library/celtic/ctexts/index_irish.html

Translated texts, which can be intimidating. Good if you want to do some of your own digging.

https://www.teanglann.ie/ga/

(The best) Irish dictionary for pronunciation and translating needs. Google translate cannot save you; there’s also Focloir.ie if you need it

https://www.duchas.ie/en

This is a database of Irish folklore as recorded and reported by Irish folks. Definitely worth a deep dive, especially if you’re not Irish, in order to get a grasp on the way certain elements or stories are treated.

https://loraobrien.ie

Lora O’Brien (and Jon O’Sullivan) is a big deal. She has a lot of awesome books/does interviews/youtubes. If her name is attached, it’s pretty trustworthy information. Her site also links to the following:

https://irishpaganschool.com

Which offers some free introductory courses from time to time (lora o briens site links to a free intro course if you do some digging, and in the month of may they’re offering a free course on the Morrígan).

https://www.dagdabard.com/

This is Jon O’Sullivan’s blog; it’s abt An Dagda, and while it’s not as informative as Lora’s, it can connect you to some Dagda specific resources if you feel so called.

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I am so excited to announce that after 3 years of work, my deck the Oracle of the Morrigan is releasing today for the new moon!  It features a 40 card deck of standard tarot sized cards, featuring original artwork from the ecstatic practice of the artist, Morrigan Oran, in working with and trance exploration of the mythos and poetry of the Irish Goddess of death and sovereignty, the Morrigan.  ❤❤❤❤Available now in our Etsy shop❤

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𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖒𝖔𝖗𝖗𝖎𝖌𝖆𝖓 ; 𝖌𝖔𝖉𝖉𝖊𝖘𝖘 𝖔𝖋 𝖜𝖆𝖗, 𝖉𝖊𝖆𝖙𝖍, 𝖜𝖎𝖙𝖈𝖍𝖈𝖗𝖆𝖋𝖙⚰️

[please reblog or like if you saved]

cr. artists of photos

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You Got a Question?! You can choose from below.. (WARNING DO NOT SEND ME MESSAGES THROUGH INBOX. ALL READINGS ARE PUBLIC. STOP SPAMMING ME).

Hello, my name is Viper. I’ll be doing free readings for you all. Remember that you can choose 2 from down below but you have to follow me, repost, and like this post. You can send anonymously too but Imma ask your spirit guides if you followed what I said in exchange for a FREE reading :)

Send initials and sun sign bc I love seeing your sun signs LMFAO

Love

What is coming next in love?

How can I improve my love connections?

How can I love myself?

What is blocking me from love?

What’s my FS like?

Wealth

How can I improve my wealth?

What are gains that are coming in?

What is blocking me from wealth?

What enjoying career will lead me to wealth?

Should I leave my current job?

Inner Child

What does my inner child want to say?

What are things my inner child enjoyed?

How do I connect with my inner child?

What makes my inner child feel safe?

What is my inner child feeling with me right now?

Spirit guides

What are my spirit guides like?

Where do my spirit guides originate from? (if they want to reveal this lol)

What does your spirit guides like about you?

How can you connect with your guides?

How do your guides deliver messages to you?

What does your higher self wants to say to you?

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Dear Dad,

You are gone and I am here

Oh pain whom I sought through tears that tears through in the night

Tearing through in soul and body like a sharpen knife

In my thoughts, I am lost in my own fear, gasping for breath trying to understand

Imagination, I may have and yet a mystery to life I shall have

Grief weighs heavily on one’s shoulders, expecting to bear the burden that I am given

Tell me what is a daughter to do in light of your absence

How am I to keep the family together if you are gone

Such a burden to bear now that you are gone.

I am not even sure what can be done

Now that you are no longer here.

What am I to do, Dad?

You are simply a picture, a jar of ash and tokens of remembrance

You haunt mom, did you know that?

She misses you and wanders endlessly into the dark, searching for you hands and into your arms

I sometimes tug back, onto that rope I so dutifully craft yet it’s not enough

She goes to far and I’m dragged in

I’m tried, so so tired of sadness and grief

Of death and funeral processions

Tell me Dad, what am I to do now that you are dead 💀

#deathcore #writersofinstagram #poetsandwriters #edgar allen poe #death #coping with grief #dealing with death #dead dad stuff #dead dad club #funeral poems

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Writing a novel is fucking hard- rewriting something for years- impossible- Said every writer ever

I am working on a novel, one that has been rewritten in one form or another for the last couple years. It’s been a pet project of mine to help with a trauma that I had encounter during my years in college. But man, is it fucking hard to nail a plot with something that was meant to be a sense of a release.

Now the plot centers around a woman who has been the center of the town of Moon River gossip. When her friend dies, she starts to slip into drinking to the point where she starts to hallucinate a creature of darkness. Or is it a hallucination? A string of murders start to hit the town and a detective assigned the case, notices a pattern. The murder victims have tied to the woman and were the center of making her life miserable. The race is on for her to clear her name, for the detective to find the murderer and for secrets to be unveiled.

It’s meant to be a horror thriller and has seen many incarnations. Sometimes though, I want it to rest and disappear along with the memories that go along with it. Other times, I want to see it in print to show that my pain became something more.

What are ya’ll thoughts about creativity stemming from a place of darkness and hurt? Especially in the horror/thriller genre

#writersofinstagram #novel #writing #horror #thriller #noveloutline #novel writing #mystery novel #writingcommunity #writinglife #thoughts #creativity #creative problems #writer problems

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Do We "Work With" the Gods?

Lately I've been seeing #witchblr posts in my feed more often. Honestly, it’s incredibly exhausting to see witchcraft treated as synonymous with pagan/polytheist/non-Christian practices when it isn’t. Worship is not witchcraft and witchcraft is not worship. Wicca is it’s own belief system, and it deserves to be respected as such.

Worship of the Theoi isn’t witchcraft—it’s prayer, devotion, faith. Sure, a spell can be an act of prayer and worship, but that doesn’t mean prayer and worship of the gods is witchcraft too.

It’s just frustrating to see how prevalent neopagan/Wiccan concepts and ideas are in the pagan/polytheist community. It breaks my heart to see young polytheists afraid to pray or give offerings because they’ve been convinced that “deity work” or “working with” a god is dangerous, difficult, or required to even approach the gods.

The Theoi are present and real. We can and should ask them for help, and build kharis with them. Building a devotional relationship with the gods does require work, but that doesn't mean we are "working with" the gods in the same manner as witchcraft practitioners, nor do we have to.

Religion is not a dirty word. Faith and prayer are not exclusive to Christianity or Abrahamic faiths. We do not have to practice witchcraft to be valid pagans or approach the gods. Worship of the gods is open to all. The Theoi are with us; pray, and have faith they will listen.

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Late Night Thoughts of Someone Who Over thinks

No one really reads my blogs here in Tumblr. Sometime I think Tumblr is all but a forgotten social media platform with cringy takes and a lot of upheaval. The more I go through life, the more I want to share my thoughts with people in a retrospective manner rather than ‘here’s my hot take now debate’. Not that it doesn’t matter when it comes to correcting just not something I am looking at here in my writing this blog post. Many of my thoughts are just that- thoughts coming from someone who doesn’t fully understand the world. Doesn’t understand the cruelties that I have grown into. I have found myself in my early twenties afraid of the actions other people may have on my life and individual freedoms that a younger, naive self would have balked at the thought of someone restricting what I did in life.

A younger me had stories to tell that the old me want to tell freely. In away, reconnect with someone who was swallowed up long ago from long ago.

With the news headlines causing more dread, I often wish I could come back to that time when the world’s thoughts had no affect on my mind. When my worries boiled down to what stories I would come up with on the playground or what book I would read that week. Such sweet innocent times they were.

Now I’m worrying about paying rent, trying to make sure I don’t get pregnant without risk of not being able to chose to keep it, working myself to the ground, and so on that is adult life. Even my ambition to be a writer has been galvanized as this business to make money, turning into how can I make more sales rather than can I make a good story. I’m sure it’s been this way before but I have noticed it recently on tik tok and other places. Amazon becoming a giant in selling books because that’s how indie and self publish authors can do business. Don’t get me started on the publishing companies and the recent Harper-Collins strike. Capitalism exploits people and it sucks that we are stuck in a cycle that we, as consumers, cannot stop.

Those who are in charge of us seemed to be constantly on fire. I am a firm advocate for women’s choice, worker’s rights or anything that has to do with furthering a human right to live and to be seen as a person and not an object. Scrolling through media, mostly tik tok, has me exhausted most times due to people spitting their hot takes or stating inaccuracies that are not true or not backed up with proper evidence. Partial stories are presented as fact or someone reads one line of a headline article and instantly think they have the entire story. I watched this take place on the house floor with bill after bill about huge misinformations being presented. Those elected not caring about the people whom elected them. I’m taking about average people, the you and me people and not the people the fill their pockets with doner money or bail them out. There’s a lot of frustration and outcry that fall onto deaf ears that turn the cheek. Some use religion to justify how right or wrong an action is l, no matter the hypocrisy of their words. While others use the words of what others have said of those powerful enough to stake their claim on other’s lives. Sometimes hiding their true colors out of sight.

The point I think I’m getting at is when did imagination and hope turn into cruel reality? When did stories of adventure, love and reinvention turn into a competition of how we can get on top of a list that is unfair. When did we live in a society that was ripped out of a dystopian novel? How do we go in life knowing many of the systems in our lives are unfair even thought we grew up with promise that fairness existed. When did we start seeing these divisions among ourselves? Was it when we reached adulthood? Was it when the world around us, the world that was promised, disintegrated in front of our eyes? When did we start to see the flames?

This may be the ranting of a mad woman but these are the questions that I’ve stayed awake asking myself. When did our innocents of the world disappeared? Was it ever really there?

As a writer, a pagan, a woman, and an over thinker, I ponder these and many more. My head is full these days that the dark corners of this platform maybe a safe heaven for such mindless thoughts.

#writersofinstagram #witchesofinstagram #livinglife #writing #philosophy #politics #thoughts #late night #imagine #wishing #whyyyy #life is strange #Spotify

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Fun and easy habits to develop as a pagan!

Or, a few ideas of routine pagan stuff I personally engage in, or wish to start engaging in.

Opening the curtains and taking a quick moment to appreciate the daylight (or the darkness) of the outside. Draw from it the energy you will need for the day!

After waking up, saying a short prayer to a deity of your choice (you could very well change it up based on your intent, or always pray to the same if you are devoted to one in particular). A simple “Good morning. I will try to honor you today” shows that you’re thinking of them!

Taking a little time every once in a while to learn about local plants, trees or fauna! Little by little, you’ll learn to recognize them when out in nature. Nothing more rewarding!

Playing a song, or simply instrumental music that reminds you of your spirituality when doing chores, preparing for the day or the night, etc.  Useful if the day-to-day makes you feel disconnected from your spirituality! 

Every once in a while, cleansing a spiritual space by simply cleaning it out before lighting a fragant candle or incense. Always makes me feel refreshed!

Focusing on a picture of a deity/deities (or spirit/spirits, or ancestor/ancestors) of your choice in adoration. What can they teach you today? How can you honor them?

Diffuse a smell (either by candle, incense, essential oil diffuser or else) while getting prepared for the day! If such a topic interests you, you could learn about how different smells affect us, and how you can use that in this specific ritual. With what intent do you wish to start your day?

If you have a book/books on mythology that pertains to your deity/deities or their related culture, why not read a few pages every once in a while, just for fun! Like the song/music I mentioned before, this an easy way to start your day thinking of your spirituality.

Looking up art: depictions of deities, or if you worship nature spirits, pictures of the animal or plant the form of which it takes.

Adopting a deity’s symbol for the day! You can do that by wearing a piece of devotional jewelry, or even drawing a rune/sigil/symbol on your skin so as to keep the deity in mind.

If you’re reading this, it means you use tumblr! Why not use such social networks to talk to other pagans who share your practices? There’s lots to learn from each other! Plus, you may make good friends this way. 

Look outside, observe the weather. What color’s the sky? How strong is the wind blowing? In what direction are the clouds being blown? Stay in tune with nature! You may even become able to tell which signs foretell which weather events! 

Make stuff you find in nature into amulets. For example, if a leaf, rock, acorn, fallen branch or else catches your attention, why not bring it home as a lucky charm? If you possess such a skill, you could even make it into jewelry!

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A DEVOTIONAL TO FREYJA (full version).

Amber and gold, how will Your tears fall?

Sweetness and strength, how will Your voice call?

Mistress of Magick, Goddess of Love, I wish for You to be near.

Your blessings I treasure deep in my heart, with dreams of Sessrúmnir.

I devote myself to You, in every art piece I do, and every candle I light.

I pray that I would be more like You, each day and every night.

Hail Freyja, Hail the Vanadis, Hail the Lady, Hail the War Goddess.

Valfreyja, Syr, Gefn, and Heidr,

You make my days so much brighter!

Mistress of seidr, goddess of war,

Stronger than a thousand men,

Your blessings I treasure close to my heart, like the necklace brisingamen.

I devote myself to You, with every great thing I do,

And every word that I rhyme,

I want to honor You, I want to stay true,

To You who make the seas shine.

Hail Freyja, Hail the Vanadis, Hail the Lady, Hail the War Goddess.

(I am the original author of this devotional to Freyja, so feel free to share it but of course with credit!)

-Velvet Rose

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i feel this screenshot describes many aspects of witchcraft.

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Common Food 🍋 Magical Properties

Lemon

Purification, love, and friendship are just a few of the most popular uses for lemon in magical practices. As well as longevity. It’s most associated with summertime, and with its bright yellow color and summertime associations you’d think it’d also correspond with the sun, but it’s actual planetary correspondence is the moon.

🍋 You can add a slice of lemon to your moon water, to use for cleansing second hand items, charms and other objects.

🍋 Add a slice of lemon to tea being shared among friends to strengthen the bonds of friendship, or in a purification or cleansing tea.

🍋 Hang dried lemon slices to bring blessings and good luck into your home.

🍋 You can use lemon peels (and the flowers from lemon trees) in love spells; most notably in spells involving platonic love.

🍋 Add dried crushed lemon peels to any poppet for magic related to friendship, blessings, luck, happiness, and self love.

🍋 Add lemon to your bath during a full moon to help boost manifestation spells or rituals. You can also do this when making moon water too.

🍋 Use lemon seeds in spells intended to “grow” or manifest something related to love or friendship. Or in spells that you foresee will take a bit of time to manifest.

Lemon is also known for being high in vitamin C, which helps boost your immune system. It’s used in teas and elixirs to help fight against common colds and flu. It’s high in dietary fiber so it’s also known to help aid in healthy digestion. It’s high vitamin C content also helps promote a healthy heart and liver.

Whether you’re making tea, having a bath, or using poppet magic lemons can be used in a wide variety of ways from the mundane to the magical.

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How to worship Skaði

(following my Freyr worship post!)

A bit of history: who is Skaði?

Sometimes Skathi, Skade, or Skadi, she is depicted in very few myths. However, these mentions give us a pretty good glimpse at her firm and unyielding character. She is sometimes called a “Goddess”, though the myths address her as a jötunn. The jötnar are supernatural beings, also refered to as “giants”, and they are omnipresent in germanic lore. They are often shapeshifters and are said to inhabit Útgarðr, or Jötunheimr. They often bump heads with the Æsir gods, as is the case in Skaði’s story. It is said that after her father Thiazi was killed during such a conflict, she grabbed weapons of war and armour, and made her way to Ásgard to seek justice. The Gods managed to negociate peace by accepting three of her requests: the first, to turn her father’s eyes into stars (which Óðinn did). The second, to be granted a divine husband (the sea king Njörðr, whom she chose blindly, by looking at his feet alone. Because of their beauty, she mistook him for Baldr). The third, for the Gods to make her laugh (which Loki managed by tying his own testicles to a goat’s beard). These requests help us to understand quite a bit of her personality: they make her out to be a devoted daughter, bent on obtaining justice as well as honor for her father, and she was most probably a very stern and sober person, since she considered it a challenge for one to make her laugh. Still, this last observation could also simply be explained by the grim mood following her father’s passing. The myth did not get into specifics concerning the exact reason behind the last of her requests.

Skaði is primarily associated with winter in general, that’s to say: ice, mountains, snow, wolves, and snowstorms, but also skiing, hunting, and archery. In fact, her name is most likely related to the name “Scandinavia”, which scholar’s think could mean Skaði’s Land, or Skaði’s Island (on another hand, her name might have also derived from that of the geographical location). Evidence of her cult in Scandinavia points to a specific type of worship, one that was taken up in order to appease her and be rewarded with easier winters.  

Symbols

Snowshoes

The bow and arrow, as she is said to be an avid huntress. 

Skis 

Wolves, whether grey or arctic.

The Isa rune, which is more of a personal association. The rune’s name translates to “ice”, and among its many meanings can we find the cold, as well as the stillness and harsh reality of winter. 

Evergreens, especially spruce. They are the only trees that are able to survive winter without losing any of their attributes!

The cold, in all its forms. Indeed, the freezing temperatures of winter could be regarded as a reflection of her own steely and fierce character.

Snowy regions! As the myth goes, she moved to Njörðr’s warm seaside hall of Nóatún, following their marriage. However, she couldn’t stand the weather and yearned for her home in the mountains. Since Njörðr could not bring himself to live away from the ocean, they decided to live apart. This interesting little story might have originated from an early tale that explained the seasons! In any case, Skaði is undoubtedly keen on protecting snowy regions, such as mountains and tundras.

Kennings: Ski-Goddess or Ski Lady, Dweller of the Rocks (as believed by Lee Hollander to be in relation with her love of mountains), Wise God-Bride (since she was also mentioned in certain myths a lover or even bride of Óðinn), and Goddess of the Bowstring or Goddess of the Bow. You may also call her Daughter of Thiazi, wife of Njörðr, or kinswoman of Gerðr. Any other name based on personal ideas is also welcome, as long as it is respectful! For example, I sometimes address her using the names Eagle-Eyed and Wolf-rider, in relation to a passage I liked from the Haralds saga Sigurðarsonar!

How to worship her?

• Truly enjoy winter. That might sound difficult depending on the area you live in, but like every season, it has its pros cons! Put some gloves and a hat on and take a walk outside, just to hear the snow under your feet and by blinded its purity. If you don’t get any snow in your parts, then the time is still perfect for a nice cup of tea, mulled wine or hot chocolate! Bonefires and hikes are also ways to feel a connection with Skaði during the winter time. 

• Any winter activity, such as skiing, ice skating, or just playing around in snow will show her that you appreciate her gifts, and the opportunity she gives you to enjoy them safely. After all, she is also one to create storms and bring about harsh winters on-command!

• Take the time to properly welcome her when you feel autumn ending (on Samhain or Vetrnætr, for example). This can be done through prayer, offering, ritual, or even just through spoken word! The same thing can be done once spring starts, for example on Ostara or Beltane, to thank her for her benevolence during the waning season.  

• Common offerings: animal furs, pelts, meat, or even bones (all of which you should be 100% certain are ethically-sourced), strong alcohols such as spirits, red wine, vodka, winter ale, mulled wine and others, hot drinks in general, milk, snow water (especially if used in a spell or ritual, and especially if gathered from the year’s very first snow), fallen branches from evergreen trees, wreaths, holly and ivy, depictions of wolves or the rune Isa, snowshoes or boots, wild berries, clear or white crystals such as selenite, moonstone or clear quartz to represent winter, etc…

Artworks: Raen, Lisa Marie Sørensen

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shadow work prompts that have left me crying (i felt good after though)

- letter to a parent (hurts so good when you have mommy/daddy issues)

- letter to your younger self (bonus points for pre transition self if that applies to you)

- letter to your childhood pet/pets

- letter to your childhood best friend

- listing out your insecurities and then complimenting said insecurities

- listing everything you’re grateful for,, even if it’s just a few things

- letter to your ancestors or just all ancestors in general (i like doing it for all ancestors that way no one feels left out)

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A Complete Guide to Runestones

Casting and reading the runes is a popular form of divination in modern new-age practice. It is based on an old Germanic and Norse practice linked with the practice of Heathenry and the worship of Odin and other northern European pagan gods.

Like many other forms of divination, the practice is designed to help you access your intuition or your spiritual senses to bring to the surface truths that you already know in your heart. Your subconscious mind is much more powerful than your conscious mind and has information you simply cannot take in consciously. Practices such as rune casting let you quiet the conscious mind so that your subconscious mind has space to speak and reveal.

You can read more about the underlying philosophy of divination in our post about using the Tarot.

In this article, we will take you through several methods for casting rune stones for divination and how to interpret the runes. At the end of the article, we will also take a closer look at the history of the runes from ancient times to modern practice.

How to Read the Runes

Since rune casting is all about tapping your intuition and divine spark, there is no single right way to use them. Many experienced rune readers have developed their own approaches and shared them, so look around for ideas and inspiration.

But any approach will involve holding a question in your mind and then casting, placing, or selecting stones that will guide you toward a response.

Before you start, there are a few steps that you should take.

Find a set of runestones that speaks to you spiritually – you can shop our runestone collection here.

Connect with your rune stones by spending time with them. This should be physical, holding them in your hands and examining them, and intellectual, reading your guidebook and taking in the meanings associated with the different runes.

Prepare yourself through meditation that helps you to quiet your active mind and let your subconscious mind flow to the surface.

Learn how to ask questions, which should be open-ended, since all things are possible, rather than yes or no questions.

Read our more detailed guide to preparing for a divination session here.

Before every individual casting, you should also cleanse your rune stones of energy other than your own. You can protect your rune stones by storing them with energy-cleansing crystals such as black obsidian, citrine, or amethyst. You can also cleanse your cards by leaving them under the light of the moon for a night or smudging them with incense. You should then hold the runestones in your hands for several minutes before a reading to make a connection between yourself and the runes.

Casting Patterns and Methods

There are many different ways to then use the runes to find answers, but we will go through some of the simplest and our favorites below.

The Three Norns

Hold your runestones while considering your question, and then retrieve the rune stones that seem right either from your hands or from a sack. Place three runestones in a row in a horizontal line. The first runestone will reveal the major causes of your current challenges. The middle stone will represent the reality of your current situation, which we are often blind to. The final runestone will indicate the best course of action going forward.

The Four Dwarves

This casting works in the same way, except that you will place four runestones in a circle, working clockwise from the top. The top rune indicates the main causal factors of your situation. The runestone on the right suggests that you are doing that is influencing the current situation, while the left indicates what others might be doing or feeling. The bottom runestone indicates the reality of what is happening that is currently hidden from you.

Vé Branches

This is a more complex casting that uses seven runestones laid out in a V shape. Start with the bottom rune and work upwards, placing runes on the right and then the left. The rune at the bottom represents the truth of your current situation, and each line represents one of the most likely outcomes. The first rune represents your most likely action, the second your motivation for that action, and the third what the result is likely to be.

Rune Board

Other casters use a rune board. This can be designed in various ways but will have different areas that relate to different elements. It could be past-present-future, cause-affect-outcome, or different aspects of your personality. In this case, when you are ready to ask your question, you throw the runes over the board and make your reading based on where they land.

Individual Rune Meanings

There are many different rune designs, and each will come with its own guide with different meanings and interpretations. Also, as you become accustomed to the runes and grow close to them, you will start to develop your own meanings and associations.

Nevertheless, below are the most commonly accepted meaning for the Armanen runes, the runes most commonly used in rune casting.

Fa – Primal Fire – power of spirit, change, and creativity

Ur – Resurrection – physician’s rune for resurrection, eternity, and continuity

Dorn – Lightning and Thunder – targeting goals, activity, masculinity

Os – Mouth – spiritual power, voice, gaining power and respect

Rit – Ritual – orderliness, primal law, cynical events, rescue from an enemy

Ka – World Tree – power, generation, ability, and artfulness

Hagal – Hail – mother rune represents enclosure and contains potential for growth

Not – Necessity of Fate – karma, future existence

Is – Ego – self-control, personal power, obedience, compelling will

Ar – Leadership – beauty, fame, intelligence, virtue

Sig – Sun Power – success and victory

Tyr – Rebirth of the Sun God – turn a situation around, wisdom, spiritual understanding

Bar – Birth – creative power, becoming, song

Laf – A-rlog – defeat, laws or nature, water

Man – Manking – birth, health, increase, maleness

Yr – Bow – femaleness, nigh, death, instinct, anger, falsehood

Eh – Duality – love, trust, and marriage

Gibor – Gift of Life – cosmic consciousness and divine principle

Where do the Runes come from?

Various northern European peoples used runes as a system of writing. Probably the most widespread runic language was Futhark, used by the Norse people. They used a 24-character alphabet known as Elder Futhark between the 2nd and 8th centuries, which developed into a smaller 16-character alphabet known as Younger Futhark from the 8th century. At around the same time, the Anglo-Saxons and Frisians developed a related Runic alphabet known as Anglo-Saxon Futhorc.

Across all these groups, the runes became less popular with the rise of Christianity, and they were replaced by the Latin alphabet.

The Norse people believed that their runes were more than just a system of writing but rather a tool used to shape reality. The Norns, the fates in Norse mythology, write destiny into the bark of Yggdrasil using the runes. Odin, the most important Norse deity, saw the Norns at their work and was jealous of their knowledge. He hung himself from the World Tree, Yggdrasil, for nine days and nine nights while pierced by his own sword to learn the secrets of the runes, which he then shared with mankind.

In the Norse sagas, many heroes are described as runemasters who can use the runes to heal the sick and destroy their enemies. There are also many surviving archaeological examples of objects inscribed with runes seemingly meant to provide protection or ensure the quality of something stored. But, since the pagan Norsemen left no written records and our knowledge principally comes form later Christain texts, we do not know very much about how the Vikings used the runes.

We do know that centuries later, the Norse people of Iceland combined the runes to create runic staves believed to have magical properties. These are recorded in several magical grimoires surviving from the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. Some of the most famous runic staves in these magical texts include Aegishjalmur, also known as the Helm of Awe, a symbol of protection, and Vegvisir, also known as the Norse Compass, a powerful wayfinding symbol.

Ancient to Modern Runic Divination

We know that the Norsemen also engaged in divination. Volva were witch women highly respected in society that were often called upon to act as seeresses. That their practices may have included rune casting is indicated by a much older text.

The first-century Roman author Tacitus observed similar witches among the Germanic tribes of his day. He said that the runes were carved into small objects, such as sticks and bones, which would then be cast onto the ground. The seeress would make a reading based on how the runes fell.

But while runic divination seems to have existed in some form for at least 2,000 years, the modern practice dates to the 17th century. Johannes Bureus, a Swedish mystic, was inspired by the practices of his ancestors and made the modern system based on combining the Younger Futhark runes with the Kaballah, a Jewish mystical tradition.

His work was further developed in the 1900s by the Austral occultist Guido von List. This is the most common system used today and is known as the Armanen runes.

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