How do you prepare to read the runes?

[Silver Venus]

I was thinking about this last night as I read ~

Invoking the Guardian
Before you cast the runes it is suggested that you mentally invoke the guardian of the runes Odin. A suggested invocation to use is given below.

Great Odin
Master of the secret Runes.
guide my hands and thoughts
so that my questions shall
be answered true and right.
In the names of Thor, Freya
and Baldur,
and by the magic power of
wind, fire and water.

(It also seems unfinished to me.. like the ending shoud be)

Cast out these runes with insights
and truth.

(or something..)

I usually prepare by grounding myself and clearing my head before I cast the runes but have never thought of praying to Odin.. Thats probally because Im not from a Norse/Asatru background...

I was wondering what everyone else does here before they cast the runes? And thought it might be a good discussion :)

[Emy]

I do pretty much the same as before I read my tarot... grounding, centering.... focusing... and say a couple of words, talk nicely to my runes/tarot cards... and that's pretty much it :)

[Dagda Moon~Lily]

In both cases, I just try to remember to breathe! lol ;) ....and direct my energy to my brow chakra. :D

[Emy]

Breathing, I guess, is really the most important thing of all :D

[Silver Venus]

lol! :D

[Adrenaline Junkie]

I usually ground myself, do a few breathing exercises and call my Guardian Angel by. I also request help or my question to the cards/runes nicely.

[Flar's Freyja]

*bump*

This is very interesting - I was recently involved in a rune study with some very serious people and in the very first class it was discussed that there is no need to cast any sort of protective circle. One of the members of the class is Scandinavian and she has told us many times that the Norse people believe that there is no need to invoke the deities because they are with us all the time and that they may also take this as an insult.....

For my own rune readings, I request assistance from the Norns, Urd (Norn of the past and guardian of the well), Verdandi (present) and Skuld (future). I also ask my patron goddess, Freyja, for enlightenment and understanding.

[Silver Venus]

;) Well i just thought I wasnt following tradition, but guess I was by not calling on any of the gods ;)

I still dont call on any gods or goddesses before i cast the runes, I just ground and meditate for a few mins before hand. Its strange that i never have,...
Freyja your calling sounds really beautiful and appropriate :sunny:
Thanks for bringing this up again :)

[Flar's Freyja]

As with everything we do, whatever feels right to you is, well, right......

I always had good results when I was new and wasn't doing everything right! It's the intent....

I'd like more input on the protective circle issue. Somehow I just don't feel any need for protection and rarely ask......my focus is on guidance.....

[Silver Venus]

I have always thought that protective cricle's are for those who are unsure of the energies around them, unsure if they are there guides, safe or spirits that could be dangerous.
Also so many books stress the need for a protection circle that I think people get a little sacred and think that if they dont, something is going to go wrong.
Im not saying that this is wrong just that it isnt neccessary every/all the time and for everyone..

I like you Freyja, ask for guidance not protection, but as we our calling on our patron gods and goddesses for guidance, they do protect us att he same time. So maybe for protection it fits for guidance to just the caller doesnt realise it so much...

make sense? :crazy:

[Flar's Freyja]

Yes, makes sense. I think that I just take it for granted that if they're with me, I'm protected, no need to make a specific request.....

This subject came up for me during the rune study I was involved in. They were criticizing Lisa Peschel's Practical Guide to the Runes because of her instruction to cast a protective circle.

[Flar's Freyja]

**bump**

[Silver Venus]

Originally posted by Freyja
[BThis subject came up for me during the rune study I was involved in. They were criticizing Lisa Peschel's Practical Guide to the Runes because of her instruction to cast a protective circle. [/B]

I havent heard of her, but I guess the question should be ~ are protective circle's linked with runes or wicca?
Ive never read anything about the runes that tells about protective circles too...

[Flar's Freyja]

It's an inexpensive paperback that I've seen locally sold with sets of runes. It seems to be becoming very popular. After reading Freya Aswynn, I decided to donate my own copy to my Women's Circle library. There were several other things I don't agree with after further study.

Good question! Mental note to research that......

[maya]

That strange. I don't ever feel the need to protect myself from anything while doing any sort of divination. As I see it, divination tools are like a thermometer; they're just used to take a measurment of your environment. The thermometer does not affect the temperature around it and neither do my divination tools have an affect on the energy that they are reading. If you're protecting yourself from the energy that is already there I can only think that you're blocking yourself off from the very thing you're trying to tap in to.

~ Maya

[Flar's Freyja]

I agree! Same reason I have a problem with folks just calling guardians and not inviting the elements and deities, if applicable, into circle.

Woof, woof....

[maya]

I think there's a big difference between knowing what to do and knowing why you are supposed to do certain things. I feel that before you can put in to practice anything you've learned you should understand why what you are going to do is necessary and the outcome of that action as well. It is important to question each step of a process to ensure that along with knowledge goes the understanding of the underyling purpose of that action. Why do you cast a circle three times? Why do you use red candles instead of green? Why are the guardians, elements and gods necessary to the process? Why do tarot cards need to be wrapped in silk? Why does a moon phase, time of day or day of the week have an affect on what you're doing? This questioning is SO important to beginning any process mundane or magickal and I think a lot of people gloss right over them and then wonder "Hey, why didn't it work?". Perhaps without questioning the process you may have some success at simplistic things but without understanding you have no foundation on which to build your next level of insight.

~ Maya

[Flar's Freyja]

I never had a chance to finish reading Silver RavenWolf's To Stir A Magick Cauldron and read more of it this weekend. Looks like she also encourages casting a circle and invoking the guardians to protect and the ancients to assist. It also appears that she recommends working divination at the full moon during the signs of Gemini, Sagittarius or Pisces, and on a Sunday or a Monday. Although I notice a difference in how I feel about my readings during the different moon cycles, I can't say that I've ever checked the moon signs or planetary hours prior to doing readings.

[Flar's Freyja]

bump

[Storm]

Amost excellent thread.

[Flar's Freyja]

bump