Using runes in modern divination

Runes, the letters of ancient Germanic alphabets, have long carried both linguistic and mystical significance. Modern diviners use rune stones as tools for guidance, much like Tarot cards. Each rune carries symbolic meaning: Fehu represents wealth, Uruz vitality, and Ansuz communication.

Casting runes involves drawing stones from a pouch or scattering them onto a cloth. Their positions and relationships shape interpretation, similar to Tarot spreads. Unlike Tarot, however, runes often come with the possibility of reversals or “merkstave” meanings, where the symbol upside-down carries an altered or opposite interpretation.

Modern practitioners combine runes with Tarot readings to deepen messages. For instance, a reading about career may show the Three of Pentacles (teamwork, skill) alongside the rune Fehu (wealth), reinforcing themes of prosperity through collaboration. Others use runes in meditation, engraving them into candles, or carrying them as talismans.

The revival of runes reflects a broader interest in reconnecting with ancestral traditions. Just as Tarot links to Renaissance Europe, runes carry the voice of the Norse world. Respect for their cultural roots matters: practitioners should approach them with study and reverence, not merely as “magical tools.”

For seekers, runes add texture to divination practice. They remind us that wisdom is not bound to a single system, but arises in many forms across cultures and histories.