Casting Runes

Welcome back to The Hedgewitch's Guide to Rune Magic mini blog series. Now that you know what the runes are and how to make your own, we are briefly going to talk about the different ways you can cast runes.

There are several methods used to cast runes, and which you use depends on your personal preference. Remember to check that all your runes are present before casting.

Method 1: Close your eyes, focus on what you want an answer for (past, present, or future situation) and pick a rune. Do this for as many runes are you need for your casting layout. This is the method I prefer.

Method 2: Toss the runes onto a soft surface and think of what you want an answer for. The rune(s) that stand(s) out the most to you is your answer. You can also close your eyes and choose your rune(s). Pick as many needed for your casting layout.

Method 3: Lay the runes in a grid and let your hand pass over them while thinking of what you want answered. Use your left hand if you right handed and vise versa. You will sense the rune that holds your answer. You can also choose as many as you need for your layout.

Method 4: With your eyes closed and in a neutral state of mind, draw as many runes as you need for your layout. Usually this method is only used for a three rune layout, with the first rune answering a past question, the middle a present question, and the last a future question.

Method 5:  While concentrating on your question, toss your runes onto a soft surface. Using only the runes that land face up*, pick as many as you need for your layout. If there are not enough runes to fill your layout you can recast the face down runes, recast all your runes, or leave blanks in your layout.

*Many believe that runes that are faced down have a different meaning. This was noted in my post on the Elder Futhark Runes. If you believe you should use face down runes, refer to method 2. I personally don't believe face down runes are any different than face up runes, so I turn mine over (right to left not bottom to top).

Every site I went to gave a different method of casting. These are just the 5 that stood out to me the most. When you draw a rune, place it in the grid as it appears in your hand (inverted, face down, etc). Of course, this only matters if you believe the position of the runes holds different meanings.

Before you cast, you want to make sure you will not be disturbed and that your mind is clear of everything but your question (or neutral for method 4). When and how you cast is entirely up to you. Some suggest doing it by candle light. Others believe you should only cast outside when the sun is shining bright. And there are still others that believe casting at Midnight is best as the veil is thinnest at this time and the spirits can assist you. Do what feels right to you. The key to performing great magic is going with your instincts.

In the next post I will discuss the different layouts you can use when casting runes. Until then, what method do you use when casting runes?