Runes Illustrated

by Rachel Newcombe

160 pages, Hardcover

Published September 14, 2023

Reviews

[Jenn Marshall · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. There were detailed instructions and the photographs were a really nice touch. I didn't expect to see the history and real world examples included in the book. I will be adding this to my divination library.

4 stars

[J Earl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Runes Illustrated by Rachel Newcombe is both a practical introduction for someone learning to cast runes for divination purposes and an interesting look at the alphabet(s) and well known runestones for those more into the history.

I tend to fall into the latter group, though I found the first section about types, casting, and reading for divination very interesting. I was mostly interested in knowing a little more about the alphabet and the historically famous stones scattered throughout Scandinavia and the British Isles. These sections were just what I wanted, a nice overview with enough detail to satisfy most of my curiosity and also enough to give me keywords for the couple of things I wanted to learn more about.

While I can't really speak to how this serves as a beginner's guide to divination, it looks to me like it would be a great starting point. For someone like me, this is also a great starting point for learning the historical importance and uses of stones and the alphabets. So I would recommend this to anyone with an interest in runes, or anyone who wants a coffee table book that might start some fun conversations.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a complete beginner to the runes I was very interested in reading this book, and thank the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an e-copy for review.

The book is laid out very clearly with lots of photos and illustrations. Some of the photos seem to be fillers with little direct connection to the text, but this may be a feature of the e-book reader and they may not be as prominent in the printed book. The text itself gives a good introduction to the runes: what they are, the different types, how they are used in divination and how to make your own runes. Each rune is illustrated and explained well, both in the description and the potential meaning in a reading. I particularly enjoyed this part of the book as my primary interest is in divination,

The last part of the book consists of photos and explanations of historic runestones around northern Europe, Personally I found this section a bit 'dry' to read in one go. If I had a copy of the book I would probably revisit it periodically, especially to find stones I could visit nearby.

Overall I think this is a good introduction to the subject.

[Shirley Andrade · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well Written and Easy to Understand

Rachel defines what Runes are, stating that they are ancient angular symbols that are typically carved into stone, wood and metal. She provides some background as to their origin and symbolic meaning when combined and used as a form
of alphabet. Additionally, she states that various different alphabets are used on runes and, like other forms of communication, they have been adapted over the years with one of the oldest and most well-known forms is the Germanic runic alphabet called the Elder Futhark, which consists of 24 runes. The author discusses some of the ways in which Runes can be used.

The author outlines and discusses several Rune casting layouts, to include:
• The Single Rune Cast
• The Three Rune Layout
• The Five Rune Layout
• The Seven Rune Layout
• The Nine Rune Layout

In addition to the above mentioned casting layouts, Rachel discusses others.

This is a great book for anyone desiring to learn about Runes and hoe to make your very own set. I found this book to be very interesting and informative, one of the best explained books on Runes that I have read. I highly recommend it.

[M Samuell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Packs a punch.

Runes Illustrated may be short and overloaded with stock photos, but it is stunning. As someone who has been overwhelmed trying to learn about runes for years, Newcombe's book was the one that finally got my foot in the door.

Runes 101 (as it could also be titled) gives clear, concise, and cordially-written details about the study and practice of reading the runes. You are given enough information to reach an understanding, as well as enough fascination to pursue further avenues of study. Truly an excellent starter guide.

And did I mention (I know I did) how absolutely beautiful this book is for your displaying pleasure?
To the point that there is an annotated page about the method of printing and binding used to achieve the unique effect of the publication.
If you can, I would absolutely recommend picking up a physical copy of this one. You will not be disappointed.

[Thank you to NetGalley and amber Books for a free copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.]

[Antonia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A huge thank you to Netgalley and Amber Books Ltd for giving me the chance to read Runes Illustrated by Rachel Newcombe in exchange for my honest review.

A most helpful guide to someone starting to interact with runes, this book was a most analytical companion to any reader who not only wants to understand and learn about runes and their meaning, but also their origin and some of the most important runes ever found in human history. So it's not only a detailed guide to learn the meaning of each rune and use them in readings but also a history lesson about the importance and origin of runes as a languange.
I would definetely recommend this to anyone who would want to start dwelling with runes for their reading and their inner meditation and healing.

[Krystina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read a few different books on Runes and I've enjoyed the format of this one. It's not just focused on how you read the runes. As a history nerd, I loved the section on the history of the Runes and the portion on Runestones, they were full of brilliant information and I learned quite a bit, especially about the Runestones.
The writing format is straightforward to read and toes that line between you knowing a little about runes and nothing at all about them. The various layouts for Rune readings were interesting but if I'm honest my favourite part was learning how to make my own Runes, and I'd have loved that section to have been a bit longer maybe.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Runes Illustrated was so much fun to browse. It is clearly organized, easy to understand, and well-supported with photographs and illustrations. I appreciated that, although the overall focus was on divination or reading runes, it also provided some solid historical context. Like the tarot books at my public library, I would expect this title to disappear from the shelves in no time—maybe not officially checked out, but gone nonetheless.

[I received an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.]

[Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for a copy of this eARC in exchange for a honest review.

This book is a great beginners guide to understanding and reading runes. It has clear illustrations and meanings that helped guide my way through starting my journey with using them. The history was also very informative and often something that is missing for divination books so this was appreciated and something that I will be looking into further.
Overall a really great resource to have for anyone interested in using runes.

[Shanice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and Amber Books for the advance reader copy.

This book seems perfect for those only Runic divination and learning the history of runes.
There’s great sections on the common symbols and what they mean, different layouts for using runes and also historical locations where you can see runes and their influence.

Quite a quick read and I imagine a great resource if you were learning or just to have on hand as a reminder.

[Jessy · Rating 2 out of 5]

My understanding was that it was a book that would explain and help learn how to use the art of runic divination. The beginning section did hit on throwing and reading runes, but only gave a few examples of reading styles. The second half of the book focused on a history of archeological finds throughout Europe that had runes inscriptions. I was hoping to learn more on how to read my rune set and detailed meanings of runes when using them in divination. This turned out to not be that book.

[Randi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Relax, Christian friends, I haven't gone pagan. I'm of Nordic descent and really interested in runes for cultural and linguistic reasons, so my boyfriend bought me this gorgeous book on them.

Unfortunately, it's more New Age-y than I'd like, which didn't seem like much of a problem until I compared it with the rune book I bought in Iceland. The interpretations in the second aett are particularly different, and since the Icelandic book's purpose is to remove nationalist and occult interpretations in favor of original meanings, I'll stick with what I found there.

Still...I like this book because 1) it's beautiful, and 2) the many associations and pictures are helpful in memorizing the runes.

[Anna Wooliver Phillips · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating! I can see this disappearing quickly- it includes a good deal of information on casting runes, which patrons will love but possibly never return! I loved learning about runes and the history of their use.

[Vanessa Waltman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful intro book to runes, but needed an editor.

[Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The word ‘rune’ aptly means mystery, secret or whisper.”

Rachel Newbombe's Runes Illustrated: How to Read Them is an exceptionally detailed collection that extends beyond interpreting runestones. As you work your way through the book, you'll learn a wide breadth of information including how to cast and read runes, the various runic alphabets, and you will also explore real-world examples of ancient runestones..

Runes Illustrated is filled with beautiful photographs and illustrations. The book follows a well-planned progression and the topics covered would appeal to a wide variety of audiences including those with an interest in Norse, Germanic, or British history as well as divination.

Kind thanks to Amber Books and NetGalley for an advanced reading copy of Runes Illustrated.