Magick Mondays - Learning the runes
Magick Mondays - Learning the runes Learning and understanding the Runes is a lifetime dedication and a long process requiring a lot of patience and discipline. Although there are many different types of rune sets this article deals with the elder futhark only, however you can do all these rituals and processes with any rune sets that you prefer. It comes as a series of rituals requiring basic abilities in both meditation and visualisation, you will be working with each of the runes, one per week and then with them in groups and Aetts for a further nine weeks, totalling 33 weeks, before having a month allow mind to rest then starting the process again, each time learning a little bit more and discovering more secrets about each of the runes. As with any magickal practice you can adapt these rituals to however elaborate or basic you want these are just the ways I practice and have learnt and adapted for myself, feel free to do the same. One thing to mention is the rune you are working on will influence your life for the week you are working with it as will each of the Aetts so be prepared for this. Ok so first before starting you will need A quiet place to perform the ritual, if outside somewhere private or off any main tracks or land where you can be disturbed, a garden is preferable and is where I like the most. If inside use your magick space or somewhere personal to you, free from distractions. Once there set up a Ve or Altar dedicated to your chosen Deity, I prefer Odin but Bragi is a good choice as are a general one to the whole Aesir. Face it North or East. You will need an offering of water taken from either a stream or river or even rainwater, any natural source of water is preferable but if you can’t get it then ordinary tap water is acceptable. You will also need an offering of Bread and mead or if you cant get mead beer or wine is also acceptable. Upon the Ve place an offering bowl (if Inside), a bundle of Mugwort incense or a fruit based incense like citronella, a notebook and pen and an elder futhark rune set with each rune on its own or each rune drawn on a square of paper and all of your offerings. Finally building a small cairn near the Ve in honour of the land wights but only if outside. The Ritual Sit facing your Ve and perform a 5 - 10 minute meditation to get you in a relaxed state. The next thing to do is if your outside offer thanks to the land wights for using the area, this is best done at a small cairn. Sit or kneel at your cairn and offer a prayer to the Landvaettr. “I CALL UPON THE SPIRITS OF THIS LAND, HAIL WIGHTS AND GUARDIANS ALL, PROTECTORS OF THIS BOUNTIFUL LAND I OFFER THANKS FOR ALLOWING ME TO USE THIS SACRED SPACE AND IN RETURN I OFFER THIS BREAD AND WATER (place some bread and pour some water on the cairn) HAIL SPIRITS OF THIS LAND, HAIL THE LANDVAETTR.” Light the Mugwort incense and sit in front of your Ve, Recite Sigrdrifa’s Prayer “HAIL DAY, HAIL SONS OF DAY; HAIL NIGHT AND HER DAUGHTERS; LOOK UPON US WITH FAVOR, AND GRANT US VICTORY. HAIL TO THE GODS! HAIL TO THE GODDESSES! HAIL THE ALL-GIVING EARTH! BLESS US WITH WISDOM, WITH AN HONORABLE TONGUE, AND HEALING HANDS, FOR THE REST OF OUR DAYS.” (If you can do the prayers in Old Norse) Now perform a Hammer Rite or any hallowing and protection ritual depending on your magick path to defend and hallow the area. Before continuing it is also good to thank and make offering to Jord for using the earth and area for your needs. Face your Ve and make a prayer and offering “HAIL JORD MOTHER EARTH GODDESS OF THIS LAND DAUGHTER OF ANNAR AND NOTT YOU WHO RESIDES IN THE 9 REALMS ODIN’S FIRST WILD AND FREE PROTECTOR OF NATURE I THANK YOU FOR THE USE OF THIS HALLOWED AREA AND IN RETURN OFFER THANKS WITH THIS WATER (pour water on the ground next to the Ve) HAIL JORD.” Next you will also need to invite and invoke your chosen deity to the ritual area be it Odin, Bragi or any of the Aesir. Stand or sit in front of the Ve and offer prayer and offering to the deity “HAIL (DEITY) GOD/GODDESS OF (?) SON/DAUGHTER OF (?) I CALL UPON YOU TO COME TO THIS HALLOWED PLACE, AND WATCH OVER THIS RITUAL IN YOUR NAME IN RETURN I OFFER THIS BREAD AND MEAD (place bread and pour mead on the ground, not where Jord offering is, or if inside into offering bowl) HAIL (DEITY).” Now everything is set, sit in front of the Ve making sure the notebook and pen is in arms reach, as is the rune or rune image you are working on that week. Begin to relax and start to meditate, after a short while start to visualise the shape and look of the rune in front of you, use the rune to help with visualising the right shape but focus and concentrate on nothing else. Begin chanting the name of the rune slowly and over and over again. Take note of the Pictures, Words and Sounds, which will come through but keep the concentration going. After thirty minutes, begin to close your meditation and write down any details in your notebook, slowly come round and stand up, the notes in your notebook are your first step on the road to finding secrets of the runes.It is now time to offer thanks and close down the ritual, begin with the invoked deity, face the Ve and offer thanks “HAIL (DEITY) GOD/GODDESS OF (?) SON/DAUGHTER OF (?) I OFFER THANKS FOR YOUR PRESCENCE AT THIS HALLOWED GROUND AND FOR WATCHING OVER THIS RITUAL IN YOUR NAME HAIL (DEITY).” Keep facing the Ve and thank Jord “HAIL JORD MOTHER EARTH GODDESS OF THIS LAND DAUGHTER OF ANNAR AND NOTT YOU WHO RESIDES IN THE 9 REALMS ODIN’S FIRST WILD AND FREE PROTECTOR OF NATURE I THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING USE OF THE SACRED EARTH HAIL JORD.” Remove your Hammer rite and/or any other protection or hallowing ritual that has been cast and clear down the area, before totally finishing head over to your cairn, kneel or stand in front of it and offer thanks to the Landvaettr “I CALL UPON THE SPIRITS OF THIS LAND, HAIL WIGHTS AND GUARDIANS ALL, PROTECTORS OF THIS BOUNTIFUL LAND I OFFER THANKS FOR ALLOWING ME TO USE THIS SACRED LAND AND HONOUR YOU IN RETURN HAIL SPIRITS OF THIS LAND, HAIL THE LANDVAETTR.” You have now completed the Ritual. You will continue to do this everyday, focusing on the same rune for seven days before switching to the next. At the end of the 24th week you should have completed the whole cycle of the elder futhark and now for the next 6 weeks you will continue the rituals but focus on the Aetts. Groups of 8 runes at time of which there are three each dedicated to a ruling deity these being FREYJA’S AETT, HEIMDALLR’S AETT and TYR’S AETT of which you will do 3 cycles of, 3x3 equalling 9 the norse sacred number, and all together totalling 33 weeks. After a few cycles you will just be able to meditate on a certain rune to reveal its secrets but for now, stick with a ritual. After all this take a month to allow your body time to attune and reset as well as gather the energy needed for the next round, take this time to read and review your now very full notebook and if you like start a rune diary to keep track of everything a little easier. All this work leads to some amazing outcomes from being able to craft your own sets to being able to cast and divine runes, further advancing your path into Norse Magick.
