Runes and Galdr

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Comment by Cheston Heskett on December 13, 2011 at 8:22

neither is right actually. i have heard that some people have gotten results that way but, from my studies, I find both grossly un-traditional. Galdr is simply impromptu verse. the runes come into play through various allusions called "kennings" which may invoke the runes themselves through several means. the rune may be used in the spelling of the word, the word may refer to an object or something that is reminiscent of the shape of the rune, but, most often, it is some poetic connection to what the rune symbolizes. examples; "sun" (sowulo) may be invoked directly or indirectly through a kenning like "glory of the elves" (alf rodhull) which would invoke the runes berkena (birch goddess, mother of the disir, thus connected to the elves) and raidho (chariot, basis for the word rodhull). by using this kenning we change the power we invoke from the blinding and smiting light of the sun to a call for the spirits of nature to come to one's aid, a much more gentle invocation. the more simplistic way that i have used to some effect (though not nearly as great as the poetic way) is simply to intone the name of the rune itself. not chanting in various ways like those books say but rather using a sympathetic resonance. this method can only be taught in person though. i have actually written a book covering traditional rune magic available through my Zibbet store Woad Warrior Outpost. you can also connect through facebook.

Comment by norman marshall on December 10, 2011 at 7:24

I have read about Galdr. One book states that when you sing the rune you only use the vowels another has you reciting a rune in various ways. Which is right?

Comment by Cheston Heskett on September 5, 2011 at 5:25

first, you must understand about the different TYPES of divination. each one works differently.

interpretive- interpreting signs or symbols and discerning hidden meanings and how they apply to a situation. these methods work through "the law of syncronicity" which basically means that from each individual perspective, everything interacting with that individual is within only a few degrees of separation from other things in that individual's life at that particular time. like how you run into people with similar interests, problems, or who know someone you know at any given time. interpretive forms include tarot, cleromancy, and taseomancy

diagnostic- any divination method that uses fixed information to derive information about the subject. these forms work off of the notion that we create our destinies prior to incarnation and leave ourselves clues of a sort. examples include astrology, phrenology, and palmistry.

oracular- systems which invoke a direct link to the divine, or other non-physical being believed to possess higher knowledge or greater perspective than we have here. obviously these methods work off of the notion that such beings know more than we do and will tell us the truth, or else they are bound to, or can be bound to do so. examples are necromancy, ritual possession, historic oracles like the one at delphi etc.

now, the reason why runic divination works so well, provided we take the time to fully understand it, is that, despite how MOST people use the runes, they are, in fact, an oracular and NOT an interpretive form of divination. they CAN function as such, because they ARE symbols and, thus, may represent influences in a persons life so they still "work" even in the hands of the untrained. however, the real power of the runes lies in this knowledge; each rune is a direct link to a LIVING SPIRIT and these spirits exist specifically to help mankind. Odin brought back runes for each race of the nine worlds, the elves, the dwarves, the vanir, the aesir and humans. so the runes we have are OUR runes. I am always reminding people, that the runes tell us what we NEED to know, not what we WANT to know. asking a question and expecting an answer to that question is limiting their potential. they work best when we place our trust in them and open our minds to their message. if the message seems unrelated to what we thought was our primary concern we will soon find that by addressing the subject they bring to our attention everything else will fall into place. the trick is first fully understanding and accepting that the runes ARE living spirits, not just symbols and then learning how to understand their language. the first step is realizing that the tile on which the rune is carved is nothing. the symbol itself, basically nothing. the whole item, properly crafted and consecrated, is a link to a force of nature and an element of creation embodied by the characteristics that the rune represents. this cosmic force addresses us through the rune but it is up to us to know how to tell what it is saying at any given time as the message may well change from one case to the next. that is why i do not trust those silly books you get that work like a dictionary- X=Y etc. because, one, you cannot sum up a cosmic force so simply and, two, the meaning will not always be the same. using the rune poems is the best way to tap into the power of the runes. the verses may be short and simple but if we meditate on them for a moment, and consider all of the implications of the verse itself in relation to the esoteric wisdom every runemaster develops about the runes themselves, we will find the right meaning. for example, Fehu means cattle. cattle mean wealth. the norwegian rune poem says "wealth is a source of discord among men, the wolf lives in the forest" so, fehu MAY mean discord, money, betrayal, greed, an enemy (wolf) unseen danger (wolf in forest) or a warning to someone who has not made due sacrifice. it may also represent things like pride, vanity, sudden boons or blessings, fertility, prosperity, etc. etc. and, you see, all of that we get simply from "cow" and it can still just mean THAT too! only just the other day i did a reading for a woman and ehwaz showed up, a rune which usually denotes a romantic relationship or partner in an established commitment. the rune means "horse" and this woman was a horse breeder and had concerns about one of her stock! sometimes the runes are literal, other times we have to make some effort to piece it all together. the rune poems helps us to tap into that ancient wisdom and connect to runemasters of the past. study them diligently and you will find your answers, respect them for what they are and they will yield up their secrets to you. runes truly are one of the most potent magical forces we have left in this world.

Comment by lightshield on September 2, 2011 at 20:40

Hi Chaz,

Can you please clarify why divination works, particularly Runic divination? Thanks.

Comment by Cheston Heskett on August 28, 2011 at 9:31

glad you agree, I have had issues in the past, both on here and in the real world community,  because of my strong convictions about there being a "right and wrong way" when it comes to paganism and her traditions. It's one thing when there is just nothing to go on and we are forced to "make it up as we go" and quite another when all of the steps are outlined right there in black and white in the words of Odin himself! I have been accused of "proselytizing" for speaking this way so I am really happy to see that someone realizes that having strong religious convictions does not mean I am trying to convert people or that I expect to be treated as some kind of god. everyone expects me to accept them self applying terms which reflect on me yet differ greatly in the way we use them yet, in the same breath, will refuse me the same courtesy. I just feel that if you are going to call yourself a druid you should at least worship something vaguely Celtic and uphold the values and traditions we KNOW are attributed to them. likewise, if you are going to call yourself a rune master, you need to have a firm grasp, at the VERY LEAST, of the words of the Havamal. ideally, one should only use runes properly consecrated and made from the wood of a tree bearing an edible nut or fruit. rune sets of semi-precious stone are pretty, and may even "work" for you but that does not make them the best possible medium for rune casting. also, if you just "read runes" you are not a rune master because, once again, the Havamal states plainly that we must know how to read them, write them, consecrate them AND use them in magic. if you do not practice any form of rune magic you are a sooth-sayer, MAYBE a skald but certainly not runenmeister

 

I also wish people would get off this kick with the "elder" futhark. Just because it has "elder" in the name does not make it superior. I used the elder futhark for many, many years but I may now use the younger and anglo-saxon exclusively. the readings just come through so much clearer without having to consider so many different meanings at once. its not just me, every rune reading I have witnessed using the elder futhark has been vague, taking advantage of those various meanings to create a sort of open interpretation for the querent, that same old trick that all the fakers out there use. drawing directly from the rune poems and my knowledge of the history and cultural significance of the symbols therein I have gotten consistent and straight forward readings every time. it is just so much easier when the runes we are reading correspond directly with historically founded information rather than relying on years and years of hypothetical information derived from modern interpretation of someone else's modern interpretation!

Comment by Cheston Heskett on August 27, 2011 at 19:11

lol yeah it is sometimes surprising how little the runes are studied considering their phenomenal potential and accessibility. I can personally attest that rune magic WORKS and they are always right there like an old friend. the thing is, they must be taken seriously, they must be treated with respect and the rules must be followed. yes, there are rules to rune magic, the havamal covers the basics, it is like a bible for Asatruar. many people take issue with my insistence on rules and such but that is just my experience. i dont like when people act like they can just MAKE things "do" whatever they want in whatever way they want it. you can bend meanings all day long and sometimes you can make them seem to fit in a divination for instance but your readings will be more accurate if you just take the time to truly understand them and trust them to tell you what you need to know. same goes with rune magic, take time to know what they can do and how to properly observe the rituals and you can harness real life changing power.

 

I am rambling a bit now, sorry, that happens sometimes lol. anyway, welcome! looking forward to talking more in the future!

Comment by Cheston Heskett on August 25, 2011 at 9:34

oh, one other thing. wondering if any members have thoughts about Guido (Von) List and his work, particularly regarding his "Armanen futharkh" I am working an event soon where I will be doing readings and selling rune sets. I made a couple of Armanen sets just to have the full spread but i have not used them because I am not a student of List, I only know that he was a major influence on the runic revival and Germanic paganism and that he was also a pretty hard core nationalist which, admittedly, looks bad after WWII. I know some have tried to "reclaim" lists works and make them more all-inclusive. just wondering if anyone else is familiar with any of this or has any feelings one way or the other about it. this will be a public function and i worry that some people will get the wrong idea about me if i put Armanen runes on my vendor table.

Comment by Cheston Heskett on August 25, 2011 at 9:23

why thank you Nicole :) wish it were more active. I have been busy with some personal maters lately and have not had time to shoot the videos i wanted. I did recently "prove" my Anglo-Saxon and Younger futhark rune sets however. it was actually pretty amazing how clear and accurate they were! i used both the same day for the same person and the message from both was the same. i drew my meanings directly from the rune poems and nothing else. the exercise confirmed a number of my theories so it was pretty exciting, only wish i had been able to video it!

 

anyway, welcome Nicole, hope to see more of you soon :)

Comment by Cheston Heskett on August 9, 2011 at 9:06

Just wanted to drop in to see if anyone was doing anything and to tell the group that I will be selling rune sets in elder, younger and saxon on my zibbet store "woad warrior outpost" and at Pagan Pride Day in Memphis soon.

Comment by JaemyGem on July 21, 2011 at 9:27

Aww... yay to people being friends!  Adults capable of expressing their feelings in healthy ways with words!  (hugs everybody)

<3

Chaz, looking forward to my Younger Futhark rune reading.  Lets do it soon!  :)

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