I push open the door to my bedroom and whisper ‘Futhark’.
The corridor outside is dark and the Gebo rune is easy to see, shimmering on the wall to my left. Past the bathroom door Wunjo rotates, in glowing gold at the top of the stairs. Step down: Hagalaz, the storm – but I’m just passing through and its blast is cleansing. Hot breath of Nauthiz as I descend and, at the bottom the cold, still silence of Isa.
I pick up my bag and softly open the front door – Dad has already left for work, everyone else is asleep. Passing through the Jera rune feels stablising – the promise of a fruitful day. On the other side of the road Eihwaz waits – eternal life, the staff of the wanderer. The rest of the Elder Futhark will greet me, as I walk to work. I am 17, the path is just opening.
Whether the runes have been whispering your name for a while – or they reached out to you only yesterday, it is an exciting time. They are amazing magical partners offering powerful guidance and support for your seership, magic, healing and mysticism. I’m so excited for you.
Getting to know them, however, can feel more tricky. Unlike tarot cards which offer handy pictures to reassure the beginner, their mysteries are contained within story and sound. Luckily, you know those sounds and you will find you are familiar with a lot of the stories.
This page offers you three ways in to working with the runes. You can also join my Hearthspace community for lots more support both with the runes and with your own magical skillset.
Get your daily rune oracle
Head over to my daily rune oracle, click the oracle button and start working witn your first rune straight away. You’ll find there is a link to extra resources which include explanations, magical correspondences and You Tube meditations. It’s as simple as that.
You may know more runes than you think...
Meeting the Elder Futhark
Learning the runes, one by one, in order, can feel like a daunting task. The technique I’ve shared with you above comes from an idea called ‘The Palace of Memory’. The first 6 runes are easy: Fehu, Uruz, Thurisaz, Ansuz, Raidho, Kenaz – FUTHARK, the name for the runic alphabet. Over time I placed each subsequent rune in position on my walk to work – meaning that eventually I learnt them all. You can see the runes of the Elder Futhark (the oldest of the rune rows) on my Explore the Runes page. Choose your favourite walk and add one each day – you will soon get to know them.
