Your birth runes form a unique inter-weaving of energy supporting your healing and spiritual growth. They were gifted to you by the Nornir, the keepers of destiny. 

Birth Runes

Did you know that 90% of adults know their Zodiac sun sign? The Zodiac was created by the Babylonians some 2,500 years ago and it continues to fascinate us. That search for meaning and the truth of who we are remains as important to us today as it was for our ancestors. Despite the Zodiac is just one of many astrological systems and, maybe, must maybe it’s not the best fit for you? 

The northern European peoples had their own rich and highly developed concepts of destiny revolving around örlög (the law that is written), wyrd (the shaping and flow of fate) and luck hamingja (Old Norse) known as maegen by the Anglo-Saxons.

 I came to realise that, if I wanted to practice the ways of my ancestors I needed a system that embraced the technological breakthroughs of the modern world but was founded in the ancient practices of the northern lands, tongues, cultural and spiritual heritages. I began sharing my own research and practices working with the Northern astrological system in 2010. Today I work with my clients through their personal birth runes, helping them to connect to personal destiny in ways that feel authentic and empowering. 

Birth runes quote from The Poetic Edda - Helgi - fate thread span they to overspread the world - they gathered together the gold threads and in Moons Hall they held them fast

This passage is from the Poetic Edda written in  about 1270 using source texts which are known to be much older. In this excerpt we meet, Helgi, a great hero whose name means ‘success’ or ‘dedicated to the gods’. His life was filled with heroic deeds and his song starts here, with the Nornir stretching golden threads across the land and fixing them to the stars. His soul is literally woven into the world of Midgard (Earth).

Today we face different challenges. The monsters we are here to defeat are the legacy of an age that has severed us from the mysteries of the earth and the wonder fo the stars; lurking in a shallow-water, life-consuming, image-obsessed, hyper-rational culture where spirit is dismissed as childish fantasy and soul is tended on a Sunday if at all. 

Forgive me, I know you didn’t come here to be lectured on what you already know. The birth runes have, for me, offered soul medicine: a counter-force to guide me home when the world overwhelms. In the words of Kathy, one of my clients and students:  

“the birth runes feel to me like putting on old, comfortable clothes that truly fit me. They explain what I have been looking for, they explain me.”

In this moment, I claim my magic

In the hush, before first breath,
before the first cord is cut
Hear the song of the runes
Played upon the earth and within the stars
Chosen by the Nornir, woven by the Disir
To defend your heroic soul in this mad, mad world

 

 

Working with your birth runes is not the same as working with other astrological systems. They are energetic gateways offering healing energies, spirit guidance and magical force. To take up runic astrology is to reach for forgotten ancient power. It is also an act of participation in the spiritual evolution required for us to live as connected, co-creative beings reaching for a future our ancestors could not dream. This is our time. When the Nornir and Disir weave our birth runes into the tapestry of being they are calling us to be the heroes of today.  

Painting of disir by Lana Tikhonova
Painting by Lana Tikhonova

The energies of your birth runes were fixed in place by a Disir circle formed for you and your birth mother.  They will continue to protect and advise you throughout your life should you choose to work with them.  The Nornir are more focused on collective destiny – they see how your purpose will fit best into the bigger picture.  

Runemal means ‘rune speech’ and, if you listen, they will speak.    Amidst all the noise their song calls you home to yourself and their power strengthens you to make your biggest contribution in this lifetime.  

See below for more about how birth runes are calculated and the origins of the system I work with.

What is runic astrology?

Runic Astrology is the oracular art of reading the flow of wyrd through the movements of the Sun, Moon, planets and Earth through the runic wheel of the Elder Futhark. Like other astrological systems the wheel is formed along the ecliptic. 

Your birth runes are like your signature song – your anthem through life. But the song goes on, the dance never stops. Working with runic astrology is the art of connecting with that song in the here and now: riding the energetic tides of its melodies and harmonies. From the fast-paced energies of Sun, Moon, Odin’s Chariot and Frigg’s Chariot to the more subtle energies of Thor, Tyr and Loki and, finally, the deep resonators of Urd, Aegir and Hela who govern the tides that influence generations.

The northern Gods have been underground for 1,000 years; but they did not abandon us. They simply out-grew what they were. Under the earth they have waited for us to complete an arc of self-actualisation where we came to see ourselves as  Kings on an un-witnessed stage. 

They always knew better – and they knew this time would come. When seekers of ancient wisdom reached across the thresholds of the familiar into the gateways of dream to find something not known, but felt. Dreamers like you who are not looking for the power to control everything but the wisdom to heal together.

Unlike other astrological systems the runes are not just symbols but sounds. This means that the vibrations of each celestial body combine with the vibrations of the rune through which they are travelling to form a unique song. A song that offers power, healing and wisdom.  

The Bronze age Trundholm Sun Chariot was discovered in a peat bog on the Danish ise of Zealand

The great vault of the sky over Midgard (earth) is forged from the skull of Ymir.  When a child is born the Nornir and Disir stretch threads out across the land which fix in place aspects of that child’s ‘doom’ (both good and bad).  Runic astrology works on the assumption that this is an analogy for the position of the stars and planets.

Of particular importance in Norse mythology are the chariots of Sunna (the sun) and Manni (the moon) which travel across the sky pursued by wolves – they will be devoured at Ragnarok, the end of the world. We do not know whether Odin found or created the runes, but the moment he brought them into the worlds their energies permeated all things.  The sky vault was overlaid by the great wheel of the runes.  The runic energies now sound and resonate as the celestial chase continues its near eternal dance across the sky.

Once the sky wheel was in place what could be more logical than that Odin would work with Sunna, Manni and the Nornir to ensure its energies influenced the fates of men? Odin is continually seeking for heroes who will one day join him in the final battle and avert the terrible doom of Ragnarok. 

Wyrd, ørlög, and hamingja

The Northern European peoples had their own rich understanding of fate and destiny, built from three related but distinct concepts.

Ørlög is the oldest layer — literally, “primal law.” It’s what’s already laid down: the given shape of a life, set before it’s lived. Not a life sentence, but a starting condition.

Wyrd is the flow that moves through and around ørlög — fate not as something fixed, but as something continuously woven, moment by moment, out of everything that’s happened so far. Wyrd is often described as a web: every action you take becomes a new thread, shaping what becomes possible next.

Hamingja (or mægen, as the Anglo-Saxons knew it) is personal luck, but not luck in the modern, random sense — it’s closer to an accumulated store of fortune and vitality, built up through right action, kept or spent, and even, in some accounts, able to be passed between people or generations.

Your birth runes sit inside this framework. They don’t override ørlög or replace hamingja — they help you read the currents your ancestors worked with instinctively, so you can meet your own wyrd as it’s actively being woven, rather than only understanding it in hindsight.

Where did the system you work with come from?

My work is founded in the teachings of Nigel Pennick and Freya Aswynn. Pennick’s approach — drawn from his book Starcraft and Time-Keeping in the Northern Tradition — assigns the northern deities to the planets of our solar system and places the 24 runes of the Elder Futhark around the ecliptic. I’ve been working with this system for over fifteen years.

The northern peoples passed down their wisdom and knowledge orally and, as such, there is no way to recover the exact star-reading practices of our ancestors. The system I use is based on historical evidence, mythic story and intuited information (largely from the goddess Frigga, Queen of the Heavens and an exceptional seeress). 

The concepts of time, the cycles of nature, and the stars themselves are embedded deep within the runes.  Every aspect of northern tradition culture, language, craftsmanship and husbandry speaks of a highly sophisticated understanding of the interplay between the seen and unseen worlds.  The Eddas, Old Icelandic tales and other sources of our knowledge about the ancient mystery traditions of the north give tantalising hints at the existence of an astrological system unique to the northern peoples.

Sadly, historical data does not provide a complete runic astrological system for us to pick up and use.  There is no doubt, however that the northern peoples took a keen interest in fate and the movement of the stars.  Five out of the 24 runes relate to time, space and starcraft.  Archaeological finds including rune calendars and, of course, the Trundholm Sun Chariot, offer a tantalising glimpse of rituals, practices and time-mapping generated through careful observation of the skies.

My work is founded in the teachings of  Nigel Pennick and Freya Aswynn. Pennick’s approach is thoughtful, well-considered and substantive. It treats the source material with respect and creativity.  He drew on a huge variety of Germanic sources to arrive at his system which assigns the northern deities to the planets in our solar system and places the 24 runes of the Elder Futhark around the ecliptic.  

The fabulous rune mistress Freya Aswynn intuitively and sensitively assigned the zodiac signs to the Halls of the northern Gods. I include the Halls of the Gods in all my birth runes reports but this work really deepens when you join the Birth Runes: Soul Journey programme. The programme includes a meditation for each Hall connecting you more powerfully to your birth rune.  

My work has evolved under the patronage of the goddess Frigg. Under her guidance I have added the Hearths of the Asyniur (the Handmaidens of Frigg) to my birth runes reports; each rune is associated with a Hearth (the equivalent of houses or mansions in Western astrology).  These correspondences were gifted to me during a series of rituals with Frigg; I have found the Asyniur make wonderful teachers and guides in times of difficulty.  I have also expanded on Pennick’s original work with each of the planets, added the north and south nodes and, on occasion, departed from his original teachings where my own work (over a 14 year period) directed me. 

Runic astrology works on the basis that, when Odin sang the runes into manifestation, they were set in a great circle around Midgard (Middle Earth, the realm of man).  Each rune has its own resonance and, as the Earth, Sun, Moon and planets orbit they bring their own resonant frequencies to the harmony of the runes.  At any given point   a unique song flows around us creating a powerful current of wyrd.

Birth runes and runic astrology - illustration of the planets

I call the planets the ‘chariots’ as archeological and textual evidence indicates this is how our ancestors saw them. Unlike the stars, the planets move across the sky, sometimes even seeming to go backwards in what we call ‘retrograde motion’. I like to say that the Charioteer is ‘on retreat’ when this happens.

Imagine that the universe is extending its hand to you. It’s saying “Dance with me.” You start to move in time. You sit with the energy of the runes that are present right now. You raise their energies, sing their song, trace them on your body, create their shapes with your hands, channel them within and without.  You experiment with how your birth runes, and the runes of the moment interact together.  

To my mind runic astrology is unique in that we are not just passive ‘listeners’.  Runes are magical energies so we can work with them actively to maximise the impact of times when there is harmony and minimise impact when there is discord. 

Calculating your birth runes - the technical bit

If you want to calculate your birth runes yourself my Awaken to the Runes membership includes access to The Grove – with resources including your birth runes self-calculation kit. culations. 

If the very thought of attempting the calculations chills you to the bone never fear; I offer a full calculation service when you purchase your birth runes report. This is includes as part of your Oracle package and includes details about each of your birth runes. Each report is 23-24 pages taking you step by step through your 14 births runes and the associated Halls and Hearths.

The runic half-months (your solar rune)

For those brave souls who want to brave the waters un-aided; here is the basic information I started with to help me calculate my birth runes.

There are 24 runic half months which divide our calendar year into 24 equal parts.  The dates below are from Nigel Pennick’s Runic Astrology; they are indicative only as the degrees fall on slightly different dates each year.  There are no computer generated birth rune calculators out there but you can use a zodiac calculator to more accurately identify your birth runes.  I like Astrolabe.  I have included the zodiac sign and degrees on a zodiac birth chart that correspond to each rune so you can look it up for yourself.

  • Fehu: 29th June – 14th July  7.5-22.5 degrees Cancer
  • Uruz: 14th July – 29th July 22.5 degrees Cancer to 7.5 degrees Leo
  • Thurisaz: 29th July – 13th August. 7.5-22.5 degrees Leo.
  • Ansuz: 13th August – 29th August. 22.5 degrees Leo – 7.5 degrees Virgo
  • Raidho: 29th August – 13th September. 7.5-22.5 degrees Virgo.
  • Kenaz: 13th September – 28th September  22.5 degrees Virgo – 7.5 degrees Libra
  • Gebo: 28th September – 13th October  7.5-22.5 degrees Libra
  • Wunjo: 13th October – 28th October  22.5 degrees Libra – 7.5 degrees Scorpio
  • Hagalaz: 28th October – 13th November  7.5-22.5 degrees Scorpio
  • Nauthiz: 13th November – 28th November  22.5 degrees Scorpio – 7.5 degrees Sagittarius
  • Isa: 28th November – 13th December  7.5-22.5 degrees Sagittarius
  • Jera: 13th December – 28th December  22.5 degrees Sagittarius – 7.5 degrees Capricorn
  • Eihwaz: 28th December – 13th January  7.5-22.5 degrees Capricorn
  •  Perthro: 13th January – 28th January  22.5 degrees Capricorn – 7.5 degrees Aquarius
  • Algiz: 28th January – 13th February  7.5-22.5 degrees Aquarius
  • Sowilo: 13th February – 27th February  22.5 degrees Aquarius – 7.5 degrees Pisces
  • Teiwaz: 27th February – 14th March  7.5-22.5 degrees Pisces
  • Berkano: 14th March – 30th March  22.5 degrees Pisces – 7.5 degrees Aries
  • Ehwaz: 30th March – 14th April  7.5-22.5 degrees Aries
  • Mannaz: 14th April – 29th April  22.5 degrees Aries – 7.5 degrees Taurus
  • Laguz: 29th April – 14th May  7.5-22.5 degrees Taurus
  • Ingwaz – 14th May – 29th May   22.5 degrees Taurus – 7.5 degrees Gemini
  • Othala – 29th May – 14th June  7.5-22.5 degrees Gemini
  • Dagaz – 14th June – 29th June  22.5 degrees Gemini – 7.5 degrees Cancer
 

How is the rune calendar calculated?

There are 24 runes and their transitions through the year are calculated based on the same motions of the stars as are the signs of the Zodiac. 12 of the runes reach their peak at the point that the Zodiac signs are transitioning and 12 reach their peak at the same time as the Zodiac sign. So, for example, in 2015 the Sun moves into Aries at 10.46 am on 21 March and the half-month of Berkano peaks at the same time; when Aries reaches its peak  Berkano transitions to Ehwaz.

The table above provides the general dates for each rune-half month but reference to an astrological calendar for any given year is needed to ascertain exactly when the transition takes place.  Each Zodiac sign has 30 degrees whilst each rune has 15 degrees. I have provided the exact number of degrees for each rune so you can look this up yourself.  

 

The runic hours and your birth hour (Nornir’s gift)

The runic hours given below are based on a neat division of the day into 24 hours of 60 minutes duration each.  This is actually only the case at the Spring and Autumn Equinoxes.  At all other times the hours of dark and light are out of balance so, for example, at the Winter Solstice the 12 hours of darkness are significantly longer than the 12 hours of daylight.  Your solar rune hour and your standard ‘GMT clock’ rune hour can therefore be different.  People born close to the Spring and Autumn Equinox will get the most accurate readings from the birth hours method below – the greater the imbalance between the days of hour and night and the more likely it is that your birth hour rune will be different. After working with hundreds of people I have found that the solar hour (although complex to calculate) is more accurate. Please do feel free to use the clock hours given below, you will find the exact methodology for discovering your solar hour in the Magin Rose birth runes self-calculation kit in Sunna’s Starwheel. All my birth runes report give your birth hour based on the actual motion of the Sun.