Runes for Beginners

Rune doesn't mean letter. It means secret.

My first rune set was carved from rose quartz. My newest is clear quartz, made by a local couple I found at a magickal farmers market. In between, the runes have become one of the divination tools I reach for most. They carry real history and real weight, but they're learnable, one symbol at a time.

What a Rune Is

Most people think of runes as an old alphabet, and they were used for writing. But that's not where the word comes from. Across the ancient Germanic languages, rune means "secret," "mystery," or sacred hidden knowledge. The Old Norse rún meant secret lore, wisdom, and magickal signs. Even the modern German word raunen means "to whisper." In that sense, a rune is closer to the arcana of the tarot than to a letter of the alphabet.

The shapes came first. Before they ever stood for sounds, they were holy signs carved into stone, and you can still see them in some of the oldest rock carvings in Scandinavia. Only later were some of them given sounds and organized into a writing system. Even then, the sound never replaced the meaning underneath.

Every rune has three layers working together:

• Form: The shape you carve or draw, and the sound it makes.
• Idea: The concept or force the rune represents.
• Number: Its place in the rune row and how it relates to the runes around it.

When you inscribe Algiz for protection, for example, you're calling on everything it carries: defense, the image of elk antlers, and reaching toward higher realms. Algiz is my favorite rune. I suspect it's a lot of people's favorite, and it's easy to see why.

A Brief History

The runic system may have been fully developed as early as 200 BCE. It grew through three overlapping stages. First came single sacred symbols, each one standing on its own. Then came magickal formulas that combined runes into sequences meant to cause specific effects. Writing came last, layered on top of a system that was magickal from the start.

By the first century CE, the Roman historian Tacitus was already describing Germanic peoples using carved lots for divination as a fully developed rite. In Norse myth, the runes come to us through Odin, who hung for nine nights on the World Tree, wounded and without food or drink, until he reached down and took up the runes. His ordeal is why the runes are so closely tied to initiation and hard-won wisdom.

There are three main rune rows, called futharks after their first six letters:

Elder Futhark: Twenty-four runes, in use from roughly 200 BCE to 800 CE. This is the oldest system and the one most widely used in magick today. The Kylver Stone in Sweden, carved around the fifth century, shows the complete Elder row.

Anglo-Saxon Futhorc: An expanded version with up to thirty-three runes, which stayed in use in England until about the tenth century.

Younger Futhark: A condensed version with just sixteen runes, completed around 800 CE at the start of the Viking Age.

If you're just starting out, begin with the Elder Futhark. It's the foundation the other two were built from, and it's where most rune books and resources focus. Whether you can mix runes from different rows is debated: traditionalists say no, others say yes as long as you know what you're doing. Either way, it's worth knowing which row each rune comes from.

Working with Runes Respectfully

The runes themselves aren't the problem, but some groups have tried to use them as symbols of hate and domination. In the twentieth century, the Nazis took certain runes and twisted their meanings for propaganda. The S-shaped rune they used, for example, is a rune of the sun, not of "victory." Some racist and nationalist groups still try to claim runes today.

That kind of use goes against everything ethical magick stands for. Runes have always brought people together across tribes and borders in search of the mysteries, and that's the spirit to carry into your own practice. Approach them with an awareness that all beings are sacred. Learn the history, including the ugly parts, so you can recognize when a symbol is being misused.

A few personal boundaries are worth keeping too. Runes are personal, so don't lend out your set, since they absorb the energy of whoever handles them. And don't harass the oracle. Asking the same question over and over, redrawing because you didn't like the answer, or leaning on the runes for every small decision all weaken your practice. The Temple of Delphi had it right: nothing in excess.

Getting Your First Set

Runes have been carved into almost everything. Wood was the most common material for magickal rune work historically. In fact, the Old Norse word stafr meant both a piece of wood and the rune carved on it. Stone, metal, and bone were used too.

Today you'll find sets in wood, stone, crystal, ceramic, glass, and more. Each has its own feel:

• Wood: Traditional and lightweight, and great for casting.
• Stone and crystal: Durable, and crystals add their own energetic properties to your readings. Heavy stones are better for pulling than throwing.
• Ceramic: Works for pulling or tossing.
• Glass: Beautiful, but never throw them, or they'll chip.

You can also make your own by painting or carving the runes onto wood slices, stones, or even index cards. Making your set by hand is a great way to learn each rune as you go.

How to Learn Them

Rune power is often slow to develop, so patience is part of the practice. Here's a simple way to start.

• One rune a week: Focus on a single rune each week. Learn its name, its sound, and its meaning, and draw it in your grimoire or on an index card.
• Study the shape: The lines themselves carry meaning. A cross can suggest a choice, decision, or obstacle. A curve suggests transformation or the unexpected. A straight line can mean a clear path forward or a standstill. Teiwaz, for example, looks like an arrow, so ask yourself which direction it's moving and what that reveals.
• Trace and write: Trace each rune with your fingertips and practice writing in runes. Getting to know them by hand helps you rely less on someone else's interpretation.
• Say them out loud: Runes are a language, and speaking their names creates vibration. Start by saying each rune's name, then work up to its sound.

If you want a simple daily exercise, paint one rune in bright red on a small white card. Sit comfortably with the card at eye level, breathe evenly, and focus on the shape while silently chanting its name three times, pausing, and chanting three more times. Then close your eyes and see the shape in your mind's eye. Work up to ten minutes.

Your First Reading

A casual setup gets casual results, so take a few minutes to prepare.

• Set the space: Find a comfortable spot and remove distractions. Face away from clocks and silence your phone. Lay out a dedicated cloth, light a candle, and if you like, clear the space with smoke. Keep your grimoire nearby so you can record the reading.
• Center yourself: Hold your runes in their pouch or box at heart level and close your eyes. Feel your heartbeat, breathe into it, and let everything else fall away. When your mind is clear, touch the runes.
• Ask one clear question: Stick to a single question, since several at once make it hard to tell which one the runes are answering. Use open-ended words like "what" or "which," such as "What is the likely result if I choose this path?"
• Say it out loud: Runes are a language, so your question should be spoken. A silent question can come across as testing the oracle, and skepticism tends to lead to less accurate readings.

Then choose how to cast. There are three main ways, and none is better than the others. Match the method to the energy of the moment.

Pull or draw: Choose runes one at a time from the pouch. This is deliberate and good for clarity and choices.

Toss: Throw the runes onto your cloth and read what lands face up. This is more chaotic, and it's helpful when you're stuck and need direction.

Swirl: Lay the runes facedown, cover them with both hands, and move your left hand clockwise and your right hand counterclockwise. Stop when the runes feel ready, or when one turns over on its own. This one invokes change.

Simple Spreads to Start With

Single rune: Center yourself, speak your question over the runes, and draw one without looking. It's perfect for a daily focus, checking the energy of a situation, or spotting what's in your way.

Three runes: Draw three and lay them out from right to left. The rune on the right is you and what you need to hear right now. The center rune is your inner emotional landscape. The rune on the left shows outside influences and how others see the situation, which helps guide your next step.

The Tacitus method: For something more traditional, try the lot-casting rite Tacitus described almost two thousand years ago. Cast your runes onto a white cloth, close your eyes, and pick up three at random. The first shows the past or root of the matter, the second shows the present, and the third shows what's likely to come given the other two.

Whatever spread you use, keep a journal. Runes are mysterious, and their meanings often become clearer with time.

A Few Things to Know

Reversals: Some readers interpret runes that land upside down, but reversals are a completely modern addition. Historical carvings don't show them, and several runes are symmetrical, so you couldn't tell if they were reversed anyway. A simple approach is to turn an upside-down rune right side up and read it as is.

Challenging runes: Some runes, like Hagalaz, Thurisaz, and Nauthiz, carry destructive or difficult energies. Learn their meanings and warnings before you inscribe or invoke them, and approach them with respect.

Hard readings: Sometimes the runes tell you something you'd rather not hear. A bad omen isn't a bad outcome. A warning can be exactly what you need to steer around a bigger problem, and you always keep your own free will. If a reading seems wrong, give it time before you ask again, since things may already be in motion that haven't shown themselves yet.

One Rune a Week

Pick up a set, or make your own, and start with one rune a week. Trace it, say it, draw it once a day, and write down what it brings up for you. By the end of half a year, you'll know the whole Elder Futhark by heart, not just by memory.