Runes are back!! This ancient form of earth oracle is enjoying a huge revival among practitioners of the old religions in Europe and other Western countries.

Those curious enough to try the sacred play of a truly layered runic alphabet are learning about the history as well as much about their inner lives.

The incredible popularity of the ‘new mythology’ works of J.R.R. Tolkien is also responsible for awareness of runes and has been echoed in other popular fantasies.

Nigel Pennick has been studying and practising runes since 1960, and is an authority on European folk traditions, customs and beliefs. He has written numerous books and papers, and this book is a colourful and wide-ranging guide to the runic tradition.

The book is graced with profuse colour and black and white illustrations to accompany the text.

Divided into six sections, it illustrates the history of signs, symbols and alphabets in the introduction.

Parts one to five look at Runes in History; What the Runes Mean; The Mysterious World of Runes; Weaving the Web of Wyrd; Revealing the Unseen. This is a comprehensive survey of the history, meaning and use of runes.

Rooted deeply in ancient shamanism, runes mythologically are thought to have been revealed to the Norse god Odin during his nine-day, nine-night sojourn on Yggdrasil, or the World Tree, as a gift to humankind.

Pennick looks at the mythology, but also considers the many and various speculative theories on the origins of runes. We are led from stone age pictographs, through the Egyptian hieroglyphics, Etruscan and Phoenician alphabets, to Northern European occult origins.

Implicit here is that symbols of all kinds and the recording of knowledge is a particularly human endeavour. The systemic organisation of alphabets of all kinds meant that communication was possible over time.

Our forefathers leave messages for us and we can leave messages for our children’s children. Those who could decipher and encipher symbols became holders of magical power. It is magical still, even in literate societies.

Author Pennick shows how runic systems in the Northern tradition bestowed upon their shamans and runemasters the power of ritual and magic.

The ever changing rune-rows and uses of runes are surveyed from the original Elder Furthark, to the sinister Armanen runes developed and exploited by the German National Socialist hierarchy in their alleged perverse occult rituals.

The changes over time show the pragmatic nature of runic systems, which reflect the preoccupations of the societies in which they were used. Many of the original rune symbols are shown to reflect the natural world of agriculture, warfare and hunting/gathering.

It is worth noting, as Pennick does, that there were no women’s runes in the earliest rows, but gradually the symbols have taken on more feminine aspects. This surely serves to make them appear far more respectable in our modern, politically correct times.

The most commonly used rune-rows are described and illustrated with their meaning in detail. These include the Elder Futhark; Anglo-Saxon and Northumbrian; the Younger Futhark; Gothic and Medieval, and Armanen.

In the ‘practical’ section, all the various uses of runes past and present are examined, from owner’s marks, codes, warnings, protection, calendars, insigils, even game-runes to give advantage in games.

Instructions are given later on how to craft your own runes, and I made a brave foray into making my own protective talisman as per the illustrated instructions. I now have a clunky clay pendant of my favourite very protective Berkana rune. I cannot tell you whether it works, but thus far nothing dreadful has happened.

Very modern ways of using the runes are outlined in the Weaving the Web of Wyrd chapter. Here is explained the traditional runic initiation. Meditations and exercises are suggested.

Ways of combining Yoga, Numerology, Colours, and Astrology are shown. Divination is not ignored, having a chapter of its own. Techniques ancient and modern are shown and discussed.

One thing is made clear – the only way to get going with runes is to jump in and do it! Pennick asserts it is only with constant use and practice that you will become a sensitive and able practitioner.

For those with a Celtic background the runes seem very mysterious, but familiar – I found this to be so.

In this very sumptuous book, the author is convincing by his own deep knowledge. He provides both historical background and very modern ways to connect with the runic tradition.

His approach is scholarly, and encouraging. The writing style is plain and easy to understand.

I had fun reading this book and learned a lot. I would recommend it to anyone who has an interest in matters Celtic. For Pagans and Wiccans in the Northern tradition, it is a ‘must-have’.

– Reviewed by Jennifer Hoskins in New Dawn No. 86