Runes + herbs + crystals + astrology = magic

Many, many years ago my eyes were opened to the runes. I began to study the runes, and being the nerd that I am, I felt I had to go about it thoroughly!

I got hold of a rune overview and studied it closely. Then I needed a rune set of my own, and I felt that the rune set was something I had to make myself. The rowan tree was the tree that appealed to me most. The rowan was, after all, the sacred tree of the Forest Finns and the Finns – so, yes, it had to be a rowan I would make my runes from.

Now, the thing is, you cannot just go out and strip a rowan. It had to be the right rowan, and it had to be "friendly." It had to be generous.

It took me 13 weeks to find the right rowan! Imagine that, thirteen weeks! But there it stood, between a spruce and a birch, radiating friendliness. A branch lay on the ground and looked as if it were made for runes. It would turn out that it was.

I will not wear you out telling about the toil of getting the bark off, the struggle of cutting the branch into slices, the fuss of etching the runes – before the process of "working them in."

Moon water was collected. Full moon water, new moon water and quarter moon water … this was frozen in ice cube trays. I find it most practical to store the moon water in cube portions.

Then it was a matter of waiting for the new moon to consecrate my 24 treasures.

I used the waiting time to gather the herbs I felt belonged with the various runes. For runes and herbs somehow belong together.

Odin sacrificed one of his eyes to drink from Mimir's well, and in that way he acquired great knowledge and wisdom. Then he hung himself in Yggdrasil to gain the knowledge of the runes and the runes. People speak of Jesus hanging on the cross for three days, but here we have Odin – he hung for nine days. That is, three times as long. Imagine that!

Well, Odin got the runes, but he was not so generous that he wanted to share them with humankind … But Heimdal, the guardian of the rainbow bridge, Bifrost, he was more generous. He told one of his sons about these wonderful runes, and that is how the runes found their way to us. Thank you, Heimdal; bleh, Odin!

Well, I had the moon water ready, I had the runes – but what about the herbs? And crystals? Herbs and crystals are the treasures of the earth. How was I to find the right herbs?

I went to the crossroads and sat down, every evening for three weeks – then it came to me that I should look at the herbs, think about them, taste them … if possible. I knew many herbs, plants and trees – but was it enough to know them?

A full moon passed without my having gotten much further. And what about astrology? It was, after all, "sky knowledge" and belonged to the air. I could not overlook the twelve signs or our planets.

Another round of sitting at the crossroads. I felt astrology had to be included, and I knew it so well that it ought not be much of a problem to weave it into the runes, would it?

The new moon came and I sat outside. I sighed and asked into the air: "Am I on the right path?"

Then I heard a woman's voice say: "kyllä!" That is, "yes" in Finnish. I looked around to see whether anyone besides me was at the crossroads, but I was utterly alone. I looked around a little bewildered. Was I really on the right path?

But then I pulled myself together. I had asked, I had received an answer, and who was I to doubt the spirits, or was it the ancestors?

I went home and studied the runes. I thawed the water in four bowls. I assumed the runes had probably come flying out of one of Yggdrasil's wells, so I felt it was right to place them in water first.

I placed the runes in the bowl I felt was right. Then I offered a few drops of my own blood into the bowls. Odin had hung in the tree – I too had to sacrifice something …

The next day I took the runes up out of the water and placed them in a bowl with salt, herbs and a few crystals. Then I lit an oil lamp behind the bowl.

There I let them lie for nine days and nights, and I watched the oil lamp carefully during those days.

While I waited for the runes to settle in, I embroidered a piece of cloth and made a pouch. What did I embroider? My favorite symbol, the sun cross …

The pouch has been replaced a couple of times, but the runes I have kept.

Of course it is fine to use store-bought runes, but there is something special about making your own.

And it is fine to listen to others' knowledge, but the runes are a little peculiar – they are quite personal, and they can have somewhat different meanings depending on who owns them.

I have many rune books, but no matter who is writing, my runes have their own personality.

And I am not saying I hold any absolute truth or definitive answer about the runes; I only have my truth and my understanding. The reason I choose to share it with you is that you may be able to use some of my knowledge, or that some of my knowledge may inspire you.

In the next post I will write about Fehu – the first rune in Frøy's ætt.