Casting of the Runes

Not long ago I purchased a set of "Fairy Runes" from the Sacred Mists online shoppe. They are a beautiful set of colored quartz stones enscribed with Elder Futhark Runes in gold.

For those of you not familiar with the Futhark Runes, you might be surprised to know you have actually seen them before. They are also known as Germanic Runes.

If you have ever read Lord of the Rings, or played almost any Fantasy based RPG game, you have probably seen these rune symbols. They are the Dwarven writing in most fantasy (especially Lord of the Rings).

You may also recognize some of the symbols. There are quite a few that look like our own letters. In fact, if you were to see a page written in runes, it probably wouldn't be too difficult to get the jist of what is being said. Most people who write with runes, write in English, but use the runes to represent the letters. Many Witches write their Book of Shadows in a runic alphabet, either Futhark or what is known as Witch's Runes. My own is in Futhark.

What is the purpose of runes?
They can be a divination tool, like Tarot Cards. Basically anything that is based on chance can be a divination tool. You could assign meaning to a simple 6-sided die you find in any board game, ask a question, and give it a roll. You certainly don't need fancy tarot cards or runestones.

However, some people, myself included, simply enjoy the excentricity of runes or tarot cards. And the stones are so very pretty. :) And some people believe that the runes hold power that can aid in the divination. I am a firm believer in the mind... I believe that if you strongly believe something is powerful, like a stack of cards, or a set of runes, you yourself give them power.

It is the same way with the Self. If you believe you are powerful, if you have strong belief in yourself, strong self-esteem, and courage - then your spells and workings will be all the stronger for it.

How do you read rune stones?
There are many ways to read the stones, and many ways still to interpret them. I myself am a big fan of the book by Ralf Blum. He is Christian (or some derivitive there of) and talks of God, and of the Spiritual Warrior in his book, but it is the best and most thorough description of the rune meanings I have come across. (Though feel free to correct me if you know a better!).

A book of some sort, or even an internet website if one can be found, will have the meanings of the stones. I would take the time to write out my own personal meanings, but each person is different. The meanings I have for the runes have grown with me and my skill of reading them. Over time, you will begin to put meaning to the runes yourself, something slightly different then the book you learned from might say.

To read the runes, simply place them into some kind of bag or box. You can read for yourself, or for another person. If you are reading for another person, I often like to have that person pick out the runes themselves. It is a matter of your own personal feelings. Some people feel very strongly that they do not want other people touching their runes, because they may transmit negative energy to them. I don't disagree - it happens. But that is what cleansing rituals are for. :) I believe that if the person being read for picks the runes themselves, it more firmly ensures that the reading is for them.

Reading runes is very similar to reading tarot cards. The most basic "spread" in tarot cards is the three card spread - past, present, and future. Runes also have a three rune spread. Runes, however, or more meant to be question answerers, then fortune tellers.

The first rune in the spread is The Obstacle. This is a rune meant to be the problems you will face. For example, the first casting I did on myself I asked a question about my relationship with my boyfriend, Joe. The rune reading I did told me that I would face hardships centered around Myself, and the need to re-evaluate myself. Actually, it was far more harsh then that... my rune reading told me I basically had to tear myself apart and rebuild myself anew. Like a pheonix rising from the ashes.

The second Rune is the Outcome - what may or may not happen should you succeed in overcoming the obstacles before you. In my rune reading, the outcome was a pleasant one, it spoke of inner peace, harmony, and tranquility of the spirit.

You can actually cut the reading there, and not pick a third rune. You have your answer. But some people pull a third rune, an Overview rune. this can either summorize the entire endevour, or be something to keep in mind. For me, it was a rune reminding me that the journey I had to take was a journey of the soul, the mind, and the spiritual self. A mental journey, not a physical one.

That is the three rune spread. Rune reading is a living artform, it can change from person to person as each brings their own flavor. For me, I almost always do the three-rune spread, as it is simple, and easy to understand for those I give readings to. However, I often draw "explanitory runes" as I go along. For instance, if I, or the person I am reading for, does not understand the meaning of the rune I pulled for the Obstacles, I may draw another rune in relation to the Obstacle rune, to perhaps help bring it into perspective.

Sometimes, I also simple ask a direct question, and draw a single rune to answer it.

Are the Runes always right?
This is a hard question to answer. As time goes on you will better understand the meaning of the runes, and you will notice a higher accuracy rate to your readings as you begin to better understand what the stones are telling you. When you start out, you will just be using the meaning the books give to you, and as the meanings are slightly different for each person, your rune readings in the beginning may not make sense, or may be way off the mark.

Over time, you will begin to see patters, and get gut feelings and instincts as to the meanings of the runes. Don't ignore these gut feelings! Embrace them, and you will find your readings becoming more accurate.

But, as with any divination tool - they don't always work. Why? Well, some believe that runes or tarot cards Always give the right answer, but that sometimes we in our limited knowledge of the spirits and the gods cannot understand the messages being sent to us. Some believe that whether the runes are right or wrong depends on the energy of those using them. So if a skeptic goes for a rune reading, their negativity and disbelief may cause the runes to rebel against the reader, and give wrong answers.

For me - I think that if the runes are wrong, it is either because their meaning is not yet fully understood, or that it is not the right time for answers from runes. Perhaps the gods believe your problem is one you must face on your own.

So... reading runes isn't a game?
Yes and no. Reading runes can be fun. I often offer to do rune readings from friends at parties, just for some laughs. And I have no problem pulling out my runes for a friend who has a question. So rune readings can be light, and happy, and fun.

They can also be very serious and important. I seek council from the runes before doing spellwork. It is always a good idea to use tarot cards, or runes, or a pendulum before doing a spell, to ask advice from the heavens if it is the right time to cast a spell, or if you should hold off.

For example, those of you who read my blog regularly may know of some troubles in the relationship department with me and Joe. I am generally against love spells, but had contemplated doing one to help Joe and I come closer together. (Note: I NEVER cast spells that go against free will. I was not going to cast a spell to force Joe to love me, or stay with me, or anything of the like. I was going to cast a spell that would open our hearts, and help us communicate).

I did a rune reading that basically told me I should tackle the problems between us on my own, and not with any magick, and so I did not cast the spell. Joe and I are still having problems, but I do not regret following the advice of the runes, because I have learned a great deal on my own, lessons I may not have learned if magick had smoothed the bumps out of the road.

Can anyone use runes, or do you have to be a Witch?
Remember Ralph Blum? He is Christian, but he literally wrote the book on runes. There is such a thing as a Christian Witch, and Blum is probably pretty close to that destinction - but to answer the question - no, you do not need to be a witch. Tarot Cards and Runestones are tools of divination. Though most Witches use them, they are not Wiccan tools, and certainly not strictly Wiccan. Anyone can use them.

Some people who are not Wiccan believe that divination is communing with demons. And often lump all of the divination, magick, witchcraft, occult, all together in one big pot. This is not the case. The point is - it doesn't matter what religious or spiritual beliefs you hold - anyone can use rune stones.

A sad day

It is a sad thing indeed to see a pet go. Whether they leave due to death, or because you are moving to a home that does not accept dogs, or because you can no longer care for the dog. Whatever the reason, it is a sad day indeed.

Two weeks ago, our boxer, Daisy, attacked our other dog Brisco. The two have been living fine side-by-side for years, and often played together. But this was no game. Nor was it some attempt by Daisy to seek dominance over Brisco. Daisy tried to kill Brisco. If we had not interviened he would not have lived. What had caused this? Well, we had assumed that Daisy retaliated when Brisco stole her treat (she was playing with it instead of eating it). We seperated them for the rest of the day, but later that evening they played together as if nothing had gone wrong.

A week or so later, Daisy attacked Brisco again, this time it happened when Dad had come home, and both dogs went for the same window to watch - and somehow that spawned a fight. It happened twice in that one day, and we feared we would have to give Daisy up.

Dad had a thought however. He had noticed that Daisy had a bit of an ear infection - and she he proposed taking her to the vet. Perhaps she was in pain from the infection, and that was causing the trouble and making her snappy. The vet confirmed she had an ear infection and gave her medication. We needed to apply it for two weeks.

In the past week Daisy has attacked Brisco two more times, both with the intent to kill, and has even drawn blood on a couple of the occasions. Brisco is now terrified of Daisy and sleeps in my room while Daisy is locked in mom and dads bedroom at night. We keep them seperated, and mom has started taking Brisco in to work.

But yesterday, when Dad and I came back from the grocery store, Daisy attacked Brisco once more. She got her teeth stuck in his collar, and bloodied her own mouth a bit before we were able to pull them apart. Last night, while I was with Joe at the movies, mom and dad decided that Daisy has to go.

The reasoning is simple.

1. Brisco is terrified of Daisy, and growls and snaps at her if she gets too close. Even if this is a medical problem and will go away when she is no longer in pain of the ear infection, he is terrified of her, and that may never be fixed.

2. This is how she reacts to pain. If she should get another infection, or anything else - this is how we would know about it. We would come home to find Brisco - or one of the cats - dead.

3. There is also the chance that if she somehow gets sick or in pain, she could just as easily turn on any of us.

So, the deicion was made to take Daisy to the Animal Refuge League. They will take her, continue to fix up her ear infection, and give her some behavioral tests. It could be that they will discover she is just fine to be adopted to a home without other animals, and probably not small children. Boxers are a popular breed, and they should have no trouble finding a single person or a couple, or a family with older children in which to place her, that has no other animals.

I do not think that they will need to euthenize her. I do not think she will try to attack adults. At least I hope she wouldn't. She is showing no aggression at all towards us, or towards the cats that we have noticed (Though Anubis is keeping his distance from her lately for some reason. The two used to play together a lot).

I am sad to see Daisy go... but I know both Mom and Dad are taking it harder then me. Mom doesn't like giving up any animal. And Dad always favored pure-bred boxer Daisy over mutt Brisco. I think he is having the harder time. I think he would much rather give up Brisco and keep Daisy. But because of the cats, and the fact that Granny isn't comfortable around Daisy - thats not an option. Besides, he also realizes that Daisy as a pure bred boxer will have a much easier time being adopted then Brisco, who is getting old, and isn't very playful.

Mom and Dad have both decided that this is it for dogs. They will keep Brisco, but once he is gone, they won't be getting anymore dogs. I think that is probably a good idea. Mom loves dogs, but Granny is constantly complaining about the barking and so forth. And mom and dad have become increasingly busy with yard work and projects fixing up the house, and they just don't really have the time and money for more dogs.

They did say, however, that if I am still here after Brisco is gone - which I doubt I will be - I am more then welcome to get a small dog.

I someday want a dog of my own of course - but that probably won't come until I have my own place. Which hopefully with be sometime between now and 2012. When I do have my own place, I already know which kind of dog I want. Though our German Shepard, Tye, was the best dog we every had, and the entire family's favorite by far, the dog I remember enjoying most was Oliver - one of our two cocker spanies. He was a chocolate colored spaniel, an American cocker spaniel (as apposed to an English cocker spaniel) and he was my dog. My name was on his paperwork and everything. He followed me around, slept in my bed, and sat and howled at the door when I left for school in the morning, and was sitting right by the door when I got home.

I remember keenly the time one of my mom's old professors, who I grew up calling "Uncle John" came over. Oliver had never met him before. But I invited Uncle John in, made him some coffee, and we sat in the livingroom talking until Mom got home from work. Oliver spent the entire time in my lap, glaring over at John as if to say "Make one move buddy, and I am going for the ankles..." lol.

At any rate, I would want to get a little cocker spaniel puppy, and I would take it with me everywhere. Hiking, and for walks, and maybe even get it to climb into a canoe or kayak with me :) That would be fun.

But, future plans and dreams aside... we will be taking Daisy to the ARL in 15-20 minutes... I am going with Dad because I don't think he would like to go alone. I think he is taking this harder then anyone else.

Choosing a Magickal Name

Choosing your magickal name is not always easy. Some people will tell you that theirs just came to them, and they didn't have to do much work at all for it. Others will tell you that they searched for ages before finding the one that fit them best.



How did I come by my name?
Well, I always loved horses. From the time I was a little girl, I remember my mother would take me to see the policemen on horses in the parade. And later, when I grew older and we moved more to the edges of the city then in the thick of it, I was fortunate enough to have a neighbor who loved children, and owned horses. Every weekend she would take me, and my new best friend, Nicole, to the stables. We would spend all morning mucking stalls, and brushing the horses, feeding and watering them, and cleaning the tack. For our hard work we were rewarded with riding lessons in the afternoon.



As I began to get into fantasy, and magic, my love of horses evolved and grew into a love of unicorns. I would read any fantasy book I could get my hands on about unicorns. When I grew up, and got into Wicca, I knew my magickal name should have something to do with horses or unicorns. I even considered taking the name "Unicorn." but it didn't feal right.



That is one important factor - whether the name feels right to you. Some people may tell you that your name needs to match your number - and involes adding up the letters in the name to see if the number of the name equals your number. In my opinion - that isn't really important. I found a lot of names that matched my number (which is 4) and none of them really resonated with me. But Epona does not equal 4, but still fit. (However, Epona Waterlily does equal 4. But according to the people who use numbers in choosing their magickal name, your first name should equal your number, and your first + last name should equal your number.)



It took me quite a while to find my magickal name. It finally came to me shortly after I joined the Sacred Mists. One of the assignments in my very first lesson was to research some gods and goddesses. In my search for ones to write about, I stumbled upon Epona. She was a goddess of horses, mules and donkeys in the Gallo-Roman religion in Gaul. Symbolized in stone carvings as a woman riding a horse, sometimes with a foal, or a woman standing between two foals. She was also a goddess of fertility, and was often symbolized as a white mare. Something lit up in my mind like someone turning on the light!

At first I had reservations. If you went out and asked random people who Epona was, many would say "The horse from Zelda." I knew that if I chose Epona as my name, most people would think I had gotten it from the nintendo video game Zelda. But in the end, the name just fit me so well, I shrugged off the unease of people equating me with some video game, and chose Epona as my name.

My last name was easy. Water is my element, and lilies, especially waterlilies are my favorite flower. That one came to me the same day I settled on Epona. So in one day I had my magickal name.


Will it work out the same for you?
Not nessissarily. It may come to you in a dream, it may be a name you have always liked, it may be given to you by an elder, or it may tumble into your lap one day. Or, just as possible, it may take your months of searching to find one that fits you.


What is the purpose of a magickal name?
It comes from an old belief that your real name can be a powerful tool, and can be used against you. If someone knows your real name, they may be able to use it against you. As such, many occultists choose names to use in rituals, so negative entities won't know your birth name and use it to gain power over you. And so your magickal name is a form of protection. You use it in ritual, or with fellow pagans.

Some witches, wiccans, and pagans choose to have two magickal names. One that you go by in the magickal community, and one that only you know and use in ritual. I myself just have the one magickal name. Though my friends and family know it - they don't use it. They use my real name, Carrie. However, among fellow witches at Sacred Mists, I go by Epona - and in other places as well. Though I have no problems sharing my real name with those that ask.

Most Wiccans will take on and shed many magickal names over their careers. For example, I may choose a new one when I graduate from the Sacred Mists, to symbolize a new rebirth in this life, just as my current magickal name symbolizes my rebirth into Wicca. Though I am fond of Epona Waterlily... and may choose to keep it, I have yet to decide.

And of course, you do not have to choose a magickal name. Many witches and wiccans just use their own names. Some aren't comfortable having multiple names. Perhaps because they believe that only your birth name has power, or perhaps they just like their real names. Either way, choosing a magickal name is a personal choice.

Good luck to you in your search.
Blessed Be
Epona Waterlily.