Making Runes out of different woods

[Lavender]

I was just wondering if anyone's thought about making a set of runes with the different woods each rune represents?

[Silver Venus]

Wow yeah thats a really good idea! and would look, smell and feel spectacular!
Are you thinking about making a set? :)

[Rick]

Originally posted by Wildchild
I was just wondering if anyone's thought about making a set of runes with the different woods each rune represents?

Well, if you wanted to make each Rune out of a different type wood, I reckon you could. This would be really good for magical workings. For divination, however, the set would have a stronger unity (that is, the set would work better as a whole unit) if it's made from the same type of wood, & preferably the same piece of wood.

What leads you to believe that each Rune represents a different type of wood? I ask this because I can't recall anything in Rune Lore or tradition about it. Has someone drawn correspondences between that Runic half-month thing & tree month thing? 'Course, there's nothing in Lore or tradition that says "Don't correspond each Rune with a type of wood"...

[Lavender]

It was a thought that occurred to me last night. I was flipping through the 'net & found a couple of lists (as well as the list in the back of that book you didn't think much of, Rick. :D ) I was interested to hear if anyone's tried it.

I think I should look into this a bit more. In treelore, each tree represents attributes & properties. I'm curious to see if this corresponds to the meaning of each rune. Just what I needed... a new project!
:rolleyes:

[Rick]

I agree with Silver that they would look & smell nice.

Random thought: what if one of them was, say... red cedar, & you could pick that one out by it's color if your Runes were face down?

Just something else to worry you with. :p :D

[Lavender]

ARGGGHHH!!!!

[Rick]

Originally posted by Wildchild
ARGGGHHH!!!!

I wouldn't pick on you if I didn't love you.

[Lavender]

I picked up the "Futhark" book by Edred Thorsson today. At this point, he goes into a lot of details that I don't understand yet. But I can see this will be a book I will be refering to a lot. I wasn't able to find the "Helrunar" book yet.

Interesting about the poses...they're very similiar to a lot of yoga poses.

[Silver Venus]

Originally posted by Wildchild
Interesting about the poses...they're very similiar to a lot of yoga poses.

Cool ~ Can you do Rune Stances then? Im really into Yoga and would to learn some Rune Stances ~ I can just imagine that they are very powerful and what a brilliant way to learn the runes...
Wildchild could you scan a stance up for me please?
:D

[Lavender]

...but the poses are simple ones that you can incorporate into your yoga poses & routines. Here's a description of the first 6 runes:

"Fehu - Both arms slanted upward, the left being somewhat higher; fingers pointed for directing power, palms pointed out for drawing force. Face toward the sun.

Uruz - Bend at the waist, with the back horizontal and parallel to the ground. Arms and fingertips point toward the ground; the head should be toward the east.

Thuriaz - Stand upright with the left arm bent at the elbow, hand o hip, with the palm grasping the hip bone. Face east or south.

Ansuz - Stand upright. Stretch out both arms parallel, pointing them down slightly, with the left arm lower than the right. Face north or east.

Raidho - Stand straight, with the left arm bent at the elbow, palm on hip bone. The left leg should be slanted out, lifted off the ground; the right arm should be tightly at your side. Face south.

Kenaz - Stand upright with the right arm raised at a 45 deg angle, while the left arm is lowered by the same amount. The palm of the right hand faces outward, drawing power, while the fingers of the left hand ar pointed, projecting into manifestation."

[Lavender]

I haven't tried them yet. I just skimmed quickly through the book. I was thinking of incorporating them into my yoga as well. There are more poses. I'll send them to you later.

[Silver Venus]

Wow! Thanks so much for typing that out for me hun :D
Im printing these off now and will have a go at them all tonight ~ should they be in sequence? I suppose Ill get into some kind of sequence ~ the Rune halitation! Have you tried them out yet yourself?

[Silver Venus]

I had a go at them all last night and found them all to be very energising! Thanks again these are great :)
I started moving into each slowly reading the instructions then as I learnt the sequence I started jumping into each pose.. and holding for 10-30 seconds.. they are very similar to Yoga stances. I then started chanting the neame of each Rune as I was in that pose and felt waves of energy and different emotions come over me. They are certainly very powerfull!
Does it say which direction you should face performing Kenaz? This is my favourite and I stayed facing south for this.
Are all 3 aettir covered? Id love to learn more when you have the time.
Maybe we could make up a sequence together to project and manifest different emotions and energies? That would be fun.
:D

[Lavender]

Hi Silver!

That sounds wonderful! This morning, I tried working them into my sun salutations. It seem a bit awkward because some of the movements didn't seem to fit well. I'm going to try what you did. I think the energy flow would be better doing them that way. Thanks for the idea!

Hmmm...there wasn't a direction for Kenaz.

Here are the others (from "Futhar" by Edred Thorsson:

"Gebo - Stand with legs spread, feet straight, and knees locked. Arms are stretched out in an angle forming an X, with hands directly over feet. [there's no direction given also. My guess would be to continue facing south from raidho]

Wunjo - Stand upright with legs together. Place the fingertips of the left hand on the crown of the head. Keep the right arm close to the side.

Hagalaz -
I. Stand upright in a cross position with arms parallel to the ground and palms pointed outward.
II. This is a complete runic combination ritual of great power when properly performed.
1. Stand in crosss position. Face north, take nine full inhalations, then turn with the sun (from north to east), and sing "hu ha hi he ho." do this in all four directions, ending again in the north. This exercise may be performed from the east during daylight hours or at sunrise.
2. N-rune stadha - nu na ni ne no (on first turn) hu ha hi he ho (on second)
3. E-rune stadha - e e e e e e e e e e (on first turn) hu ha hi he ho (on second)
4. I-rune stadha - i i i i i i i i i i (on first turn) hu ha hi he ho (on second)
5. M-rune stadha - m m m m m m m m m m (on first turn) hu ha hi he ho (on second)
6. T-rune stadha - Tiwaz Tiwaz (on first turn) hu ha hi he ho (on second)
7. G-rune stadha - gu ga gi ge go (on first turn) hu ha hi he ho (on second turn)
During the course of this exercise a total of 13 turns are made. Mentally take n no impressions during this operation; try to maintain an emptiness of consciousness. The exercise facilitates the workings of all inner hvel.

Naudhiz - 1. Stand erect, with the right arm raised to the side and the left arm slanting down to form a line with the right.
2a) Cross-stadha - say "aepandi nam".
b) After speaking the formula, lower your hands to your hips.

Isa - 1) Stand erect with arms tight agains sides.
2) Stand erect with arms straight overhead, with the palms touching one another.

Jera - Stand upright with the right arm bent so that the thumb of the right hand touches the crown of the head. The left arm is bent at the same angle with the fingertips of the left hand touching the left hip bone.

Eihwaz - Stand upright and stretch both arms down at a 50 deg angle, while lifting the left (or right) leg back at an equal angle.

Perthro - sit on ground with back straight. Bring knees up with feet flat on the ground. Rest elbows on knees with forearms slanted forward. Face west.

Algiz - 1) Stand upright with the arms stretched out upwards and to the side.
2) Keep arm position the same as above, but kneel, sitting on the heels. Keep torso vertical with the head slightly tilted back.
3) Same arm position with the right nee on the ground and the left foot out in front with the thigh parallel to the ground.

Sowilo - 1) Squat so that the calves and thighs are pressed together along their entire length, with the buttocks resting on the heels. Keep the torso vertical, with the arms along sides of the thigh.
2) Standing with the body in the form of the S-rune, angle the arms along the sides of the body while the joints of the hips and knees for the *symbol* rune.

Tyr - Stand straight, arms slanted down and away from the body in the form of the stave. Palms face the ground, although you may also experiment with the palms up.

Berkano - Stand erect with the left arm bent at the elbow, the palm resting on the hip. The left leg is bent at the knee with the heels touching. The left foot is set at a 90 deg angle to the right foot. The elbow and knee form the angles of the B-rune.

Ehwaz - Stand straight with both arms slanted, the left pointed upward and the right downward to for the alternate form of the E-rune *symbol*.

Mannaz - Stand erect with elbows lifted straight up and forearms crossed in from of the face r behind head.
Use the elder Z-rune stadha, which is used as the younger M-stave madhr.
In both cases the stadha will increase the power of the head (hvel).

Laguz - Stand erect with both arms stretched straight out in front of the chest, slanted downward. The palms point to the ground. Practice also with palms pointed up.

Ingwaz - 1) Stand straight with fingertips touching well overhead and elbows angled in the form of the stave.
2) Stand erect with fingertips touching just above the genitals with elbows forming the angles of the NG-rune.

Dagaz - Stand straight and cross arms in front of the chest in a D-rune form, with the fingertips touching the shoulder.

Othala - 1) Stand with legs spread wide, as in the G-rune stadha, and ars in the second NG rune stadha, with fingertips touching just above the genitals. This is effective in operations to bring the will of the vitki into manifestation.
2) Again stand with legs spread, but with the arms int he first NG-rune stadha, with fingertips touching well overhead. This stadha is most effective in works of inspirational intent."

[Silver Venus]

Originally posted by Wildchild
That sounds wonderful! This morning, I tried working them into my sun salutations. It seem a bit awkward because some of the movements didn't seem to fit well. I'm going to try what you did. I think the energy flow would be better doing them that way. Thanks for the idea!



Thank ya soooo much for typing all those up!! :D I really do appreciate it loads ~ you r a star! Ill have a go at all these over the weekend and get back to you about them and maybe try and make up a sequence we could both have a go at :) The Hagalaz looks very interesting!

Glad you liked my idea about the chanting ~ I forgot to say that I chant of the breath out.. then breath in..then chant breathing out again .. I took about 5 breathes chants per stance. I also always take a breath in before any stances in Yoga (like you do too) so I figure it works best for Rune stances too? Breath flows throughtout the body ~ breath out and in, flowing the movement with breath ~ so ...raise arm up with out and down with in breath... you can really feel the energy that way cant you!!

I know what you mean about the movements being very different to Yoga ~ I wonder where these origninated from? Did he make them up or source them from somewhere?

Have a great weekend and New Moon :sunny:

[Silver Venus]

;) forgot to ask ~ Hows the research/progress on your wood Runes coming along?

[Silver Venus]

Ive been pretty busy every night the last week so both my Yoga and my progress with the Rune Stances have been non existant..
I will try and fit some time in this week and have another go at all the stances and try to make up some routine. Have you had any luck?
:D

[Lavender]

Not really. I tried a few but didn't feel right. I find that when I do yoga, I'm really open to the energy flows but the rune postures didn't really do much for me. I think I was more concentrating on if I was doing them right. I'm not going to worry about them now.


Boy! Did this ever got off topic!! :p

[Silver Venus]

lol, yeah it did go off topic just a bit! But Im not going to start telling myself off ;) & its still educational!
Ill give the poses another try soon and try to pick out the best for energy and sequence and get back to you :D

[Ellegon]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Rick
[B]

Well, if you wanted to make each Rune out of a different type wood, I reckon you could. This would be really good for magical workings. For divination, however, the set would have a stronger unity (that is, the set would work better as a whole unit) if it's made from the same type of wood, & preferably the same piece of wood.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I have to agree on this principle from Rick...for divination. As for magical workings...sounds awesome!!

Elle )0(

[Lavender]

I've been working on comparing the magical properties of trees to runes. When I'm done, I'll post the list. I would love to get feedback from you guys.

[Silver Venus]

That sounds like a great project Wildchild :)

[Ellegon]

Originally posted by Wildchild
I've been working on comparing the magical properties of trees to runes. When I'm done, I'll post the list. I would love to get feedback from you guys.


Waiting with baited anticipation my own self...:cool:

Elle )0(

[mothwench]

*kicks the dead smelly horse*


i wanna do this. :steppy:

so far i have corresponded:

eiwaz.................yew
berkana..............birch
:graduate: ain't i smart? :lol:

okay, i've thought about some others, but i need to do some meditating on this, before i really now if the correspondences make sense.

perthro.............crabapple
nauthiz.............ivy
thuriaz.............alder
wunjo..............wild cherry, or vine
raidho..............any foreign wood
kenaz...............beech
gebo................pear or any other native cultivated fruit tree
jera.................hazel
algiz.................rowan
tyr....................oak
laguz................willow

that's all for now, i'll have to ponder some more... :huh:

[mucgwyrt]

Isn't there one for the World Tree? (I haven't got my nifty rune book with me to whip out and check). Are you going to do that Ash or Yew?

[mothwench]

to my knowledge, there is no rune for the world tree, though i do consider yew to be the world tree, so for me eiwaz would be a good representation.
....:huh:
hang on... there is a bindrune made up of eiwaz and gebo, to represent the world tree, the bindrune itself is made up of nine runes, each representing the nine worlds of yggdrasil.

[mucgwyrt]

Hmm, I'll have to fish my book out later and find out which rune I was looking at...

What does a bind rune look like? I have trouble visualising them all stuck together :huh:

[skilly-nilly]

*kicks the dead smelly horse*


eiwaz.................yew
berkana..............birch
perthro.............crabapple
nauthiz.............ivy
thuriaz.............alder
wunjo..............wild cherry, or vine
raidho..............any foreign wood
kenaz...............beech
gebo................pear or any other native cultivated fruit tree
jera.................hazel
algiz.................rowan
tyr....................oak
laguz................willow

that's all for now, i'll have to ponder some more... :huh:

I link Ogham Trees with Runes (this is personal gnossis only)

Pethro-Crabapple/Quert
Nyd-Ivy/Gort
Thorn-Bramble/Muin
Wyn-Honeysuckle/Uilleand
Rad-Elder/Ruis
Kennaz-Hazel/Coll
I find no correspondance with Gebo, my personal feeling is that sharing is implicit in the Irish culture.
Jera-Grove/Koad
Elhaz-Rowan/Luis
Tyr-Holly/Tinne
Lagu-Willow/Saille

More?
:fpoke: , skilly-nilly

[mucgwyrt]

More More! :D

I dont know... Nyd doesn't scream ivy to me, though I guess the way it clings to things might be taken as 'need'?

And I'm not sure we'll find any honeysuckle big enough to make runes from, either :wah:

[mothwench]

cool, skilly nilly. yes please, more! :yourock:
oh, what's grove?


macha, i've got a pic of that bindrune here: this is actually an album cover, but i've seen the bindrune a couple of times in different places. i do think it's neo-pagan though, not an ancient bindrune.


:huh: my attachment won't show up?
ummm... it's a bmp, maybe that's why. i'll go and change it to a gif. :)

edited to add: fixed it. :D

[skilly-nilly]

More More! :D

I dont know... Nyd doesn't scream ivy to me, though I guess the way it clings to things might be taken as 'need'?

And I'm not sure we'll find any honeysuckle big enough to make runes from, either :wah:


The modern word derived from Gort is gorta, hunger. This links with Nyd/something lacking. The traditional message of Ivy is 'know yourself by looking inward' (forms a pair with Bramble/Muin 'know yourself by looking outward') and connects to 'something lacking' since this is the way to discover what is lacking, as well as the message that no external possession will be enough if something is lacking inside.
Gort, to me, is also connected to the Sow Who Eats Her Own Young, another examplar of lacking.

Here's the rest of my list before I go to work, please ask about any associations you question:
Feoh-Gorse/Ohn
Ur-Heather/Ur
As-Ash/Nuin (I see the World Tree as Ash)
Hagal-Blackthorn/Straif
Isa-Hawthorne/Huathe
Sigel-Spindle/Oir
Eh-Poplar/Edha
Mannaz-Alder/Fearn
Ing-Reed/NgEtal
Odal-Beech/Phagos
Wyrd-The Sea/Mór

That's my list....


Glad to share :huddle: , skilly-nilly

[mothwench]

i fully agree with everything skilly nilly said about nyd (or in my case nauthiz) and i just want to add another correspondence/metaphor that might be useful to understand why i think nauthiz is ivy:
nauthiz is also known as the need fire. the need to do things that normally would be against our principles to achieve our goals. white lies. sacrifice... just as ivy grows in any possible direction, over things and under things, winding it's way to it's purpose, sometimes suffocating others in the process.

edited to add: i'm curious about the correspondence of beech to odal, or othala. i used kenaz, because beeches to me represent all things kenaz, light, vision, acquired knowledge, revelations, creativity.
however, they also give a sense of home and hearth, which othala could represent. why did you correspond beech to odal?
i also think your raidho/elder comparison is good.

and i think it's rather cool that many of our correspondences seem to match :woot:

[skilly-nilly]

i'm curious about the correspondence of beech to odal, or othala. i used kenaz, because beeches to me represent all things kenaz, light, vision, acquired knowledge, revelations, creativity.
however, they also give a sense of home and hearth, which othala could represent. why did you correspond beech to odal?
i also think your raidho/elder comparison is good.

and i think it's rather cool that many of our correspondences seem to match :woot:

And :fpartyman back to you---I am always glad and reinforced (not quite the right word) when the World Well sends the same thing to many people.

The traditional meaning for Beech/Phagos is 'look to the past' sometimes meaning old teachings, one's roots, or one's own history--I connect this to Odal 'find where you belong'
Also the connections of who you 'are' with what it is appropriate to do.
-----Just a side note, beech leaves are large, turn a lovely light brown colour, and stick to the tree in Fall. One of the side meanings 'turn over a new leaf' refers to Beech leaves looking like paper. They are very good for spell-work writing on as well.-----

I see Rad and Elder/Ruis as both being about transformation.

Grove/Koad is completion.

:huddle: , skilly-nilly

[mucgwyrt]

cool, skilly nilly. yes please, more! :yourock:
oh, what's grove?


macha, i've got a pic of that bindrune here: this is actually an album cover, but i've seen the bindrune a couple of times in different places. i do think it's neo-pagan though, not an ancient bindrune.


:huh: my attachment won't show up?
ummm... it's a bmp, maybe that's why. i'll go and change it to a gif. :)

edited to add: fixed it. :D

So can you combine any runes and have a bindrune, or are there only certain pre-decided bindrunes?

[skilly-nilly]

So can you combine any runes and have a bindrune, or are there only certain pre-decided bindrunes?

I believe that any runes can be combined for Magic-Working. You can spell things (like names or wishes) using the alpha values, or you can use the meanings to combine for a Working. One universal, though, that I have read in several places and found to work well myself is that Isa (standstill, hold in place) is present in all bind-rines and should be spoken/sung/invoked to make the bind-rune 'work' and 'last'.

:colorful: good combining, skilly-nilly

[mothwench]

:D good point. something i learned from rick, who i'd thought would have seen this thread: when you make bindrunes, you suddenly find within your bindrune new, hidden runes. i think the trick of a successful bindrune is to be able to combine the right runes without having runes in it that are contraproductive to its purpose.

skilly nilly, what's your view on merkstave runes in bindrunes? and when is a rune merkstave? take tiwaz, for example. if we look at tiwaz as an arrow pointing up, would tiwaz pointing to the left, right and downwards all be merkstave? seems a bit unbalanced to me.

:spaceman: merkstave runes... still haven't got my head round them. :twitch:

[mucgwyrt]

Wow Bindrunes sound complicated...!

Whats a Merkastave rune?

[mothwench]

it's when a rune is facing the "wrong" way... it inverts its meaning. have a quick look over the rune meanings on this page: http://www.sunnyway.com/runes/meanings.html
it first gives the meaning of the upright rune, then the meaning of the merkstave rune.
but i'd really like to know more about the concept of merkstave. is it in line with ancient runelore? or is it a new age technique to help in divination?

[mucgwyrt]

Rrright, so merkastave just means a backwards rune :)

[mothwench]

yup. here, i found the thread where i learned that bindrunes sprout hidden, unintended runes... :hehehehe: http://www.mysticwicks.com/showthread.php?t=40214&highlight=bindrune+merkstave+hidden

[mucgwyrt]

I like this theory, I think. It seems more "whole":

Personally, I place no significance on whether runes are reversed, inverted, merked, wended, etc, when divining with them... a rune means what it means; it contains everything that it means, pro or con... all of it's aspects may not apply in the reading, but all of them must be considered... does that make sense? Nor, I think, does it matter when binding them. In fact, to get the bindrune you want, without it containing something you may not want, it's often desirable to reverse, invert, etc...

[mothwench]

yeah, i agree. it does. especially since the meanings and aspects of the runes are positive as well as negative (depending on whose point of view) and there is no need for the meanings to be reversed.

but still, i'd like to know where the concept of merkstave comes from.

[Faeawyn]

Have any of you ever heard of consecrating your runes in your own blood...by inserting them vaginally while menstruating???? Ewwwwwww...can't do that :lol:

Could someone give me some ideas on how to bond with your runes? Is it like tarot...where you just sleep with them under your pillow and fondle them often? :)

[mucgwyrt]

Sounds good to me; thats generally how I bond with crystals.
Try carrying them round in your pocket or something :D

[mothwench]

hmmm, i don't think so, not for me. i'd worry about doing something like that with yew... it's poisonous. and non-poisonous woods might lead to infections... i don't know. i have this rule about not inserting anything organic into myself. well, except if it belongs to my OH, if you know what i mean. :lol:

[mucgwyrt]

Yeah, I hadn't considered that. Plus you might get splinters :sick: :sick:

[mothwench]

:eek: :shaker: :hairraise :shaker: :eek: :shaker: :hairraise :shaker: :eek: