The word “rune” means a mystery or secret, and certainly the twenty-four characters of the runes have exercised fasination over people’s minds for unfold time. it is not immediately apparent what meaning lies behind their enigmatic angular shapes. They are popularly associated with the Vikings who came to settle in Britain between 800 AD and 1200 AD yet they were used centuries before by people all over Europe.
Tradition asserts that, unlike our alphabet, it was not just a method of day-to-day communication, the illustrating of the sounds of speech. As the word says, they were secret symbols of knowledge. The runes held the key to universal understanding of the mysteries of life and death.
When a sacred alphabet is written down and used for mundane purposes, the secret knowledge begins to dissipate and may be lost entirely. This, it would appear, is what happened to runes in the last centuries.
The word “rune” means a mystery or secret, and certainly the twenty-four characters of the runes have exercised fascination over people’s minds for unfold time. it is not immediately apparent what meaning lies behind their enigmatic angular shapes. They are popularly associated with the Vikings who came to settle in Britain between 800 AD and 1200 AD yet they were used centuries before by people all over Europe.
Understanding Runes
Roman letters have a sound; together these sounds can be made into words. They do not, however, have meanings in themselves. This is not so with rune-letters, nor with the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Each rune has a particular meaning, a particular set of associations and symbolises a particular mode of energy.
This is easier to understand if a further example is suggested: In Chinese, an ideogram is both a letter and a sound, but it is also a picture, a tree, for instance. This is obvious because of its pictorial nature. Or take the example of a Tarot card, where the picture is the message. These are both recognisable examples of a visual communication of an idea or a concept via a commonly accepted symbol.
The symbol suggests many meanings which resonate with or speak to the soul, or the higher intelligence, whichever you prefer. It is not obvious to the uninitiated or to those who only think in terms of logic and one half of the brain. To understand a symbol, or a rune, it must be allowed to permeate the intuitive mind and to allow its meaning to subly unfold, and a connection be made. It cannot be grasped or understood in any other way.
We all have a store of universal experience and knowledge nestling in our subconscious minds. Runes and this store must be allowed to meet. This is a kind of magical meeting, which is why any useful understanding of them or any other symbols must result in a change of consciousness.
Psychologists define learning as a permanent change in behaviour as a result of experience.Ordinary language allows human beings to communicate with each other: the language of symbols allows us to communicate with gods and with other levels of existence in the universe. This is the way of wisdom, and that is why the runes are such potent symbols.
Psychologists define learning as a permanent change in behaviour as a result of experience. Ordinary language allows human beings to communicate with each other: the language of symbols allows us to communicate with gods and with other levels of existence in the universe. This is the way of wisdom, and that is why the runes are such potent symbols.
To read the text message on each Rune Symbol, place your mouse over the chosen symbol.
The Meanings of Runes
What are the meanings of these runes what has this to do with divination? Everything in the universe is made up of different energy-forms. These form a pattern of relationships which is ever changing; we do however fit into this pattern in varying ways as we live our lives and time unfolds. Each run e symbolises a kind of archetypal energy or energy-pattern.
In some unknown way, which the psychologist C. G. Jung labelled synchronicity, everything in the universe at a particular moment exhibits the quality of that moment. That is why apparently unrelated events seem to have a connection or link which has a meaning, if only we can observe it. In order for the quality of the moment to be perceived, we need a tool or key which enables the subconscious mind (remember this has a store of universal knowledge) to understand that pattern. The runes, since they themselves are symbols of energy and energy patterns, are that key.
The twenty-four runes which comprise the list are known as FUTHARK, from the sound of the first six runes. There are other runic alphabets with sixteen or thirty-three figures, but that need not concern us here. This is the FUTHARK which is in common use.
The twenty-four runes which comprise the list are known as FUTHARK, from the sound of the first six runes. There are other runic alphabets with sixteen or thirty-three figures, but that need not concern us here. This is the FUTHARK which is in common use.
These are divided into three sets of eight each. The first set is known as Freyr’s set and represents the principle of growth and unfolding. Once a seed has germinated , or a process has been set into motion, then it naturally follows that sequence of events will unfold. We do not have to plan or change things at this stage. Of course, we have to do whatever is necessary if we are an integral part of that process. Thus this can be called the creative, or creating set of runes.
The next eight are known as Haegl’s set and these represent the elements and the dance that goes on between them. There is little that we can rely on in this stage. There is always the element of chance at work here, as all is susceptible to change. Matter is not in our control here, so caution and patience, as well as adapatibility and flexibility, must be learned in order to understand the nature of Haegl’s set of runes.
The final eight are known as Tyr’s eight. Tyr is a Norse warrior who represents courage in the face of adversity. At this stage matters may be influenced or even controlled, but it takes a lot of hard work and perhaps sacrifice. However, divine help is also possible because the nature, of these runes allows that those who try to do their very best will be given a measure of assistance from the gods.
Reference: Predicting Your Future: Selene
