Favourite Rune Sets?

[Gem]

My favourite decks are.....


wait for it......


in no particular order....


We have the set of.......



ooooops I've lost them lol......


Hang on......


Found them    .......................


You will hate this  I know .......



Yes its the ........


self-made crystal runes with a different crystal for each rune...


Closely followed by..........



heehee wait for it.............


no peeping................



am I brave enough to own up to this set I wonder?................



Deep breathes............



here goes..................



The...........................



Clear glass set of Healing runes by Ralph Blum!!!! Complete with the clear rune of The Divine......


<<<<runs and hides lol

whats your fave set?

[mysticcrystal]

That is so cool! How did you decide which crystal for each rune sign?

[MoonGoddess]

Personally I find that crystal runes disrupt the energy of the rune reading so are not as accurate for reading. &nbsp;Although they do look pretty, they are a tool by themselves and should be given the respect due them as crystals not Runes. &nbsp;You could possibly get by with a set of runes made from the same crystal, but as to using different types of crystal for each different Rune is would disrupt the Runic energy and take on the crystal itself.

In all the only two materials I would most likely use are wooden or river pebble. &nbsp;I like wooden better as I can feel the energy of the reading much better. &nbsp;I do have an old deck of Rune cards which I have no idea what the name of them are as they were given to me by an old teacher and they have seen some wear and tear in them. &nbsp;If you want to read runes and can't really get focused on the runes by them selves rune cards are good as they will have the pictures which gives you and idea of what the rune actually means, for beginners that is what I would recommend if they have problems memorising and feeling the meaning, energies of each rune.

MG

[Gem]

That is so cool! How did you decide which crystal for each rune sign?

The energy of the crystal links with the energy of the rune, its really very simple, the feeling is amazing far more energetic than wood, &nbsp;Many very old rune sets were carved on crystals especially the softer stones like Turquoise and Jade,

[mysticcrystal]

I used to use antler runes, but I never could read them the way I read my rose quartz set. I found someone who handmakes crystal runes using different gems and I am very tempted to get a set. I really like the idea of connecting the stomes qualities with the rune sign.

[Wælwulf]

Many very old rune sets were carved on crystals especially the softer stones like Turquoise and Jade

Which ones, & what do you mean by "very old"?

[MoonGoddess]

Yes I would like to hear about that too Gem, as I have only heard of Runes been carved into cliff faces, Wooden Staves and metal whether it be ornimental or for war, Whale bone. &nbsp;But I have never heard of them been carved into crystals. &nbsp;When my computer is not chucking a tantrum I have a book that goes into the appropriate crystals for each rune, although I do not agree with there use inregards to Runes I am open to sharing what knowledge I have on it.

[Gem]

I have a book that goes into the appropriate crystals for each rune, although I do not agree with there use inregards to Runes .

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, I have no doubt that I wouldn't agree with that book's choice either

My full answer would have to delve deeper into crystal history and so leave the topic of runes so I will stop now

[Azamarak]

My favorite set of Runes is the one I made last year from believe it or not an old carrabas tree in the back yard.

I was raised to believe that you make your runes from the apple branches pruned from the orchards in the spring. The apple is a very sacred tree to the ancient European. That you save two or three straight branches about an inch wide. You hang the branches to dry until around memorial weekend. You then cut the runes about a half inch thick, sand the face and back leaving the bark on them. Once sanded you coat them lightly with a good pure extra virgin oil, very lightly, even extra virgin oil can go rancid if applied to thick let them sit for at least a week, the oil will keep the bark on them for years. Then you carve the runes. I know that many people like the Elder Furthark Alphabet. But the Mountains of North Carolina was settled mainly by Scotts, so traditional sets made here in the mountains by old timers who hold to the old ways and &nbsp;traditions tend to be in the Anglo Saxon Alphabet.

Last year I broke from tradition and used carrabas wood from some yard prunings. I also burned the Elder Futhark alphabet into them as opposed to the old Anglo Saxon.

I suspect that most ancient rune sets will indeed be wood since both of these alphabets pre-date the common folks ability to easily carve crystal. That is not to say I am opposed to crystal runes. I prefer wood because I am use to wood. Many stores now are selling runes made of &nbsp;stone, I prefer wood and hand made.

What alot of people fail to realise when it comes to runes, that they were not just for devination. They were the alphabet of the day. When the Church decided to outlaw the old earth based faiths they attacked runes as the work of the Devil, and made Latin the only acceptable form of educated written correspondance. Of course Greek and Hebrew they had to keep for biblical reasons. The result was after about 200 years of interlectual oppression an illiterate population. Education became an underground venture, and languages became primarily oral. But that is off subject.

The saddest thing about Runes is that many of the uses of Runes have been all but lost. There were many games that were played around the table by families years ago. Only a couple of those games remain. I recall watching the old folks play Maeldrew and Amergin when I was a child with Runes. Try to find someone today who even knows the basics of the game.

Runes seem to be exclusively for devination today. I find that just a little sad.

[MoonGoddess]

You are correct about the apple tree would, from what I have read about making runes they always suggest to use apple tree wood. &nbsp;These days we have to use material of opportunity dependent where we live. &nbsp;Eg the most common wood in Australia is Eucalptus trees which we have over 300 species. &nbsp;Making runic talisman would be different to if you wanted it to be powerful, there are a number of magical trees to use such as the Ash and the Yew (This one I would be very careful as it is extremely poisonus).

The actual word Rune means 'To whisper' or 'secret', and at one stage in the Runic history they were meant for coded messages between villages. &nbsp;It is understandable that the church would want to crush something they had no understanding for.

[EarlofLeicester]

Many very old rune sets were carved on crystals especially the softer stones like Turquoise and Jade

Which ones, & what do you mean by "very old"?

Agreeing with Waelwulf here that I don't recall any historical precent for crystal carving in Norse runes. &nbsp;Wood, bone, metal and stone seem to be the mediums of choice of ancient Germania. &nbsp;If you are referring to people outside of Germania, well, then, that is another topic of course, but at that point they may not be runes anymore.

[EarlofLeicester]

But the Mountains of North Carolina was settled mainly by Scotts, so traditional sets made here in the mountains by old timers who hold to the old ways and &nbsp;traditions tend to be in the Anglo Saxon Alphabet.

I have no problem with Anglo-Saxon. &nbsp;While I prefer the Elder Futhark, there is certainly plenty of compatibility with the Anglo-Saxon rune set and the people who practiced the runes in that part of the world. &nbsp;Of course, my mom was born in that part of the world which corresponds with coastal Wessex of the A-S days, so maybe I am a wee bit biased in favor.

What alot of people fail to realise when it comes to runes, that they were not just for devination. They were the alphabet of the day. When the Church decided to outlaw the old earth based faiths they attacked runes as the work of the Devil, and made Latin the only acceptable form of educated written correspondance. Of course Greek and Hebrew they had to keep for biblical reasons. The result was after about 200 years of interlectual oppression an illiterate population. Education became an underground venture, and languages became primarily oral. But that is off subject.

True enough. &nbsp;Futhark comes from the first 6 letters of the runic alphabet (there is a single letter or rune for the phonetic TH sound). &nbsp;The Christian scholarship of the dark ages was sadly devoted to destroying all pagan knowledge and tradition. &nbsp;Odin be praised for that lil' island of iceland which gives us so much of what we know of the "runic" era.

The saddest thing about Runes is that many of the uses of Runes have been all but lost. There were many games that were played around the table by families years ago. Only a couple of those games remain. I recall watching the old folks play Maeldrew and Amergin when I was a child with Runes. Try to find someone today who even knows the basics of the game.

Have never heard of Mealdrew and Amergin. &nbsp;Brief search engine hits convey to me that these terms are more Celtic than Norse, but that just means I didn't find anything on runes as games. &nbsp;The only Norse era game I am aware of is Tafl (or hnefatafl, if you prefer) which is a wonderful game but has no connection to the runes. &nbsp;I am reminded of the serious nature of which Viking era runemaster Egil Skallagrimson holds the runes. &nbsp;I cannot see an Egil playing with the runes. &nbsp;The Norse people were hardly a frivolous lot. &nbsp;Tafl was their chess (I LOVE tafl) which was an intellectual pursuit and runes which represented the wisdom of Odin is something IMHO I can't believe the ancients played with. &nbsp;It seems too disrespectful, given what we know of people like Egil. &nbsp;Admitedly I don't know everything (truer words were never spoken) but a game based on runes seems to me to come from after the runic era (c.1000 AD give or take a few years for conversion to Christianity to set in).

[Wælwulf]

Yes, Mealdrew & Amergin were Celtic, & from two different branches as well. Mealdrew was from the Brythonic branch, while Amergin was from the Goidelic branch. Different system altogether from the Germanic, a semi-modern invention/reinterpretation, I would venture a guess. Kind of strays from the subject of runes though, so I'll leave it at that... unless someone rails me for being too brief & not going into detail & citing sources (which, admittedly, I would do), at which point, I suppose I could expound a bit.

[EarlofLeicester]

I think your track record speaks for itself and I won't require any sources. &nbsp;Suffice it to say, it is, as you point out, straying from the runes, but MB is the kind of place where going off on tangents can be a way of life...

[EarlofLeicester]

These last two posts are needlessly inflammatory. &nbsp;I will ask a mod to step in. &nbsp;Lucky for Azamarak and Eliosduck I am not a mod anymore or those last 2 posts would be deleted.