The nordic runes They are a set of symbols, usually engraved on stone, metal or wood, that form the runic alphabet formerly used by the Scandinavian peoples. For these they were a communication tool that they considered sacredsince they attributed a divine origin to the runes. Mythology said that runes had been given to men by Odin, one of the Norse gods who created the world.

Today, Nordic runes, apart from being very popular as tattoos, are used as tool for personal and spiritual growthsince they collect ancestral symbolism associated with the Nordic peoples that can be useful for meditate, divine or accompany rituals. They are closely associated with nature and are considered to help connect with intuition, in a similar way to the gemstones used for meditation.

Those who know and use runes regularly, as an amulet, oracle or support in meditation, maintain that can serve as a guide. To learn about its use and interpretation, we approach the runic world with the help of an expert and researcher on the subject, Mónica Fernándes.

What Norse runes mean and where they come from

The interpretation and use of runes is not only within the reach of experts of these ideograms, which are usually carved in stone and wood. Like all oracles, They need practice to read their messages correctly..

“The runes are the oldest known symbolic characters of the different nomadic Indo-European tribes, such as the Scandinavians. Their messages were interpreted individually (rune by rune) for divination, healing, rites, spells and, later, as a written language,” explains Mónica Fernándes, founder and director of the Ecos del Norte School of Witchcraft (Basque Country) and researcher of the runic world.

The runes They still hide many mysteries and its origin could not be determined. «Its origin is unknown and Various hypotheses have been considered, such as that they derive from the commercial activity of the Sumerians.. Although other historians believe that they are related to the Etruscans and the Greeks,” adds Fernándes, who mentions the great antiquity of these pictograms, which date back more than 2,200 years.

Runes, a reflection of nature

Each rune represents the primal values ​​of nature, for example, the connection with elements such as air, water, earth or fire.

“They include meanings that symbolize objects (tree, water…), actions (commercial exchange or agriculture) and, most especially, the values ​​of the people of Northern Europe who used them in connection with natural cycles,” Fernándes clarifies.

The rune expert highlights that these symbols can also be used for healingthe meditation or for ask questions related to personal lifel. «This way of consulting is very common, and its basis is studied by the doctor and psychiatrist Carl Jung, who called it synchronicity. However, the original traditionalist users of the runes know it by the name of red wyrd (the connection with everything that exists)”, clarifies Fernándes.

Myths and truths about runes

Each rune has a essential meaning. It is a drawing or ideogram that encompasses different concepts with associated messages and symbolism: numbers, phonetic pronunciation, animals, colors, gods or trees.

For the native peoples who used them, The runes had no negative or positive messages.. But their interpretation and the way of consulting with them has been seen influenced by other “mancies”, such as the Tarot.

Therefore, The inverted rune is usually associated with bad luck, which is a mistake.r. Another common confusion is to believe that these ancestral symbols, closely associated with the energy of the earth, are Celtic. “They were inherited or incorporated throughout history by the celtic peoplesbut they They already had their own runes, the Ogham or alphabet of the trees,” clarifies Fernándes.

Besides, runes are often associated with the Viking worldview; However, these pictograms were not only used by this culture, but by all the Nordic peoples of almost all of Europe and part of Asia.

First approach to reading runes

A simple start to approaching the interpretation of this ancestral symbology is to know its basic meaning through a manual.

• Can take out a rune every day and meditate with it through exercises like associate them with words through their names or body sensations that transmits its representation.
• Another recommendation is to carry out a log or diary of readingswhere general impressions are collected. In this way, it will be easier to connect with the runic symbols through intuition.

There is no agreed manual on the interpretation of these pictograms, so any method can be considered valid if it works for the person using it. The runes can be thrown without order on a surface when interpreting them, but you can also opt for a more structured way, in the style of Tarot. In any case, the important thing is to personalize the run with your own patterns.

How to use runes in your rituals

There are several ways to handle runes, such as those proposed by Mónica Fernándes:

• Keep them in your hands for a few minutes.
• Think and feel the question or consultation to be made.
• spread them on a surface.
• The runes that remain in the center They are the ones that offer more specific information on the topic and those that are around provide less relevant data.
• The pieces that fall close together or touch They complement each other, unlike those on opposite sides.
• The last runes that have to be interpreted are the runes that are face down. They are turned over without moving them from the place where they fall. These represent external influences.
• When you finish the consultation and put the runes in your bag, you can take out one more, which is known as godmother runeto help focus the conclusions.
• Take into account that there is no right or wrong interpretation of a reading, because there are many possibilities of runic reading methods.

Three examples of throws

When familiarizing yourself with the runes, you can carry out several basic tests:

• For a concise answer to a very specific questionthe question is raised and a rune is taken from the bag; If no relationship is found between the message and what was consulted, the test is repeated after a period of time.
• Qto obtain a global message regarding a situationa representative rune is first drawn; another is placed, which will offer information about the current situation; and, to finish, a third is taken, face down, which in this type of roll is the most difficult to interpret. It refers to the fate of the situation, which can indicate one or more results, so in this case, it is important to trust intuition.
• An advanced and detailed method consists of Go outside and choose a tree. Once chosen, you are asked for permission to take its branches and carve the runes (you have to do it sporadically and know the energy of the chosen tree). Afterwards, they are placed on a white cloth on the ground and three runes are chosen, without looking, thinking about what they want to consult.