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A Little Bit of Runes: An Introduction to Norse Divination
From one of the world’s most renowned authors on spirituality comes an accessible introduction to runes.
Nordic runes are the most popular and easiest symbols to work with, and can effectively release energy for a positive purpose in one’s life. Cassandra Eason, a well-known writer on crystals, Wicca, spells, and magic, explains to spiritual seekers exactly what runes are, how to make their own, which ones are right for them, and much more.
Nordic runes are the most popular and easiest symbols to work with, and can effectively release energy for a positive purpose in one’s life. Cassandra Eason, a well-known writer on crystals, Wicca, spells, and magic, explains to spiritual seekers exactly what runes are, how to make their own, which ones are right for them, and much more.
128 pages, Hardcover
Published March 6, 2018
48 people are currently reading
684 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
October 29, 2021
Alright book to get anyone started with (practical) info. Been a while since I read it and did my initial review but I remember there being bits of information in the book that were historically inaccurate, and theres some choices by the author that I didnt agree with.
https://asheattitude.wordpress.com/20...
https://asheattitude.wordpress.com/20...
March 2, 2019
It was alright but I think I like my other rune book more. But I do love the cover colors.
This one gives you ways to bless your runes, layouts and other assorted fare.
This one gives you ways to bless your runes, layouts and other assorted fare.
January 14, 2021
I’ve been drawn to use runes again and am re-learning how to use them and this book really helped me. It is a quick, little book yet packs a powerful punch! It has a lot of great information and I’ll refer to it many times in the future. Definitely recommend it!
August 3, 2022
This book does not offer great explanations for all the things it tells you to do. For example, why does the bag runes are stored in HAVE to be red? It does not say. Why do you have to repeat incentations nine times? No answers here. Also the book mentions that some runes may have different shapes but doesn't think to maybe show what those shapes could be. If you're new to runes I would probably skip this one.
May 11, 2019
I got this book in a monthly box subscription focused on goddesses I’m getting this year. I’d heard of runes somewhere along the way some time ago, and when this little book came along I thought I’d read it to further inform my understanding of women’s various ways of knowing. This book is really good at what it claims to be—an introduction to runes. My year of reading devoted to witches/goddess/dominatrix/mistress, etc. (examples of women’s rebellion) is one of the ways I’m channeling my exhaustion and frustration with the patriarchy – I’m mostly reading women authors, and I’m looking at (largely historical) expressions of women’s power, their unapologetic pursuit of pleasure, with a eye toward developing new programs around consent, safety, and empowerment. The trivialization of all of this, which I long subscribed to, is also a form of patriarchal bullshit. If you’re reading this far with amusement, you might ask yourself if your curiosity in my current reading list is due in part to some lingering internalized sexism you still carry. 🤷🏼♀️
July 7, 2025
This little book of Runes proved to be an exceptionally informative and incredibly valuable read. Its greatest strength lay in its remarkable clarity and accessibility; the language was crystal clear, the concepts presented logically, making what could be a dense subject surprisingly digestible for anyone.
Despite its 'little' size, it packed a substantive amount of knowledge, providing a robust foundation without ever feeling overwhelming. From the historical context and individual rune meanings to basic divinatory layouts, it covered all the essential ground a beginner needs to start their journey.
Crucially, it achieved this comprehensive overview without falling into the trap of over-complicating the material with excessive jargon or advanced techniques. For someone just venturing into the mystical realm of rune casting, this approach was a godsend. It built confidence and encouraged exploration, rather than intimidating with obscure terminology or overly complex methods, serving as the perfect, welcoming gateway into the ancient wisdom of the runes.
Despite its 'little' size, it packed a substantive amount of knowledge, providing a robust foundation without ever feeling overwhelming. From the historical context and individual rune meanings to basic divinatory layouts, it covered all the essential ground a beginner needs to start their journey.
Crucially, it achieved this comprehensive overview without falling into the trap of over-complicating the material with excessive jargon or advanced techniques. For someone just venturing into the mystical realm of rune casting, this approach was a godsend. It built confidence and encouraged exploration, rather than intimidating with obscure terminology or overly complex methods, serving as the perfect, welcoming gateway into the ancient wisdom of the runes.
October 7, 2020
I picked this book up at a second-hand store, admittedly draw to the color and size of it before the actual context, and was pleasantly surprised that it was something I was actually looking for. This book is all that it promises to be; a little bit of runes, and how to use them. The material is presented in an open-ended manner, with mythological sources for each rune and practice described herein. It is incredibly easy to pick up (figuratively and literally!) and a great starter for anyone looking into Norse divination.
February 5, 2021
I'm more of a visual learner and this was just info dumpy and not set out in an engaging way, i found myself bored and not understanding majority of things explained.
Only thing this book achieved was explaining what each rune means.
I struggled to find books about runes and there's seems to be none other then ones that look quite outdated or just heavy with information, considering there's a boom for books about "crystals, Chakras, tarot ECT
(Ill take any suggestions for a more engaging read)
Only thing this book achieved was explaining what each rune means.
I struggled to find books about runes and there's seems to be none other then ones that look quite outdated or just heavy with information, considering there's a boom for books about "crystals, Chakras, tarot ECT
(Ill take any suggestions for a more engaging read)
February 25, 2020
Plenty of great information put out there in a very concise and easy to digest format. I enjoy being introduced to the first aett and being able to 'work my way into' the subject as I grow more proficient and confident. This was a neat little read, I really enjoyed how it was laid out and how all the information was given.
November 26, 2022
Very educational Buckeye enjoyed it very much as it was entertaining too. I did not know that pagans and Wiccans and shamans were also linked to Christianity something I did not know I would suggest reading this book if you want to know that humans are no different from one another that we had a similar alphabet that united us.
November 16, 2021
As a Rune lover since childhood, great job to pack so much info into a small book. Quick and easy to read book giving you the right information you need about the subject. Perfect for first-timers and more.
April 18, 2018
A good and easy to read guide on how to understand and cast the Norse Runes. If you are interested in the Runes, this book is a good place to begin that journey.
March 25, 2020
Clear, concise introduction into tunes and their meanings.
July 18, 2020
Clear forward and a great introduction to someone that doesn't know anything about runes
February 23, 2022
I love this series!!!
June 23, 2022
For a very small book it was very detailed and informative. I really enjoyed it.
September 9, 2022
Not a bad introduction but not a Norse pagan book. It's very much a Wiccan book.
July 23, 2023
Very informative book with lots of ideas for using runes.
October 10, 2018
Admittedly, the practice of divination is one that I have endeavored to stay far away from [1]. The author, though, shows no such compunctions, and as neo-pagan thought and practice is very common in our contemporary world, I thought it worthwhile to critique this book and get to the root of what the author was endorsing in her tips for using Norse runes to better understand/manipulate the future. Again, I wish to make it clear that my worldview and that of the author are quite different, and that I am far from endorsing the approach of the author. I do, however, wish to understand the appeal of these practices and convey that understanding to the reader, even if I expect few people to be interested in the book as a result of a discussion of its contents. Even so, given the popularity of the practices in this book--whether one looks at runes or magic 8-balls or ouija boards or something else of that nature--it is still worth understanding the appeal of the practices discussed in this book even where one seriously disagrees with them.
What does this book contain? It is a small book of around 100 pages, and is divided into 8 chapters. After a brief introduction to this introductory book, the author discusses how the reader can choose, make and dedicate (!) their runes to various heathen imaginary deities (1). After that the author discusses the runes of the first aett and how to cast them (2). This leads naturally to some methods for casting and interpreting runes (3), involving a look at what side the runes fall on and where they fall relative to the circle one has made. After this there are further discussions of the second aett, the runes of Heimdall (4), and the third aett, the runes of Tiwaz (5) before the author discusses more complex casts and basic casting spreads (6). The book then closes with a look at more complex rune spreads (7) and the use of supposed rune magic to create runic objects like staves, amulets, charms, and binds (8). The book ends with an index, having been full of symbols and pictures throughout. One gets the feeling that this author actually feels that she is a wise woman despite the self-evident folly of her ways, and that there may be an audience that wishes to acquire the sort of supposed spiritual power that the author claims to possess.
Even so, this book is deeply troubling in its worldview. Nevertheless, reading the book does make clear and plain the appeal of the author's incoherent worldview. For one, the author's adoption of a polytheistic worldview (despite knowing the doom of the Norse gods) appears to have been made so that she can seek spiritual power that would be denied to her as a follower of the biblical God. Moreover, the author views duty and obligation and loyalty to partners as not something worth praising, viewing these ties as manipulative and harmful. Instead, the author demonstrates a firm commitment both to selfish behavior, following the dictates of one's fallen heart, and achieving personal success and glory. Polytheism is less something to command one's obedience than a way to gain one's own will through the tension and disagreement between deities and various other forces. Some of the casting techniques discussed in this book involve ignoring the possibly negative interpretations of the runes cast and only looking at the positive side, while a great many of the possible runic interpretations support leaving partners or distancing oneself from family members who do not support what one is doing or who seek to bind one with marital or familial obligations. Following the advice of this book does not make one a wise woman (or man) but rather a selfish and deeply destructive person of the harmony of relationships and the loyalty and outgoing concern that God wishes us to have for others.
[1] See, for example:
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2011...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2018...
What does this book contain? It is a small book of around 100 pages, and is divided into 8 chapters. After a brief introduction to this introductory book, the author discusses how the reader can choose, make and dedicate (!) their runes to various heathen imaginary deities (1). After that the author discusses the runes of the first aett and how to cast them (2). This leads naturally to some methods for casting and interpreting runes (3), involving a look at what side the runes fall on and where they fall relative to the circle one has made. After this there are further discussions of the second aett, the runes of Heimdall (4), and the third aett, the runes of Tiwaz (5) before the author discusses more complex casts and basic casting spreads (6). The book then closes with a look at more complex rune spreads (7) and the use of supposed rune magic to create runic objects like staves, amulets, charms, and binds (8). The book ends with an index, having been full of symbols and pictures throughout. One gets the feeling that this author actually feels that she is a wise woman despite the self-evident folly of her ways, and that there may be an audience that wishes to acquire the sort of supposed spiritual power that the author claims to possess.
Even so, this book is deeply troubling in its worldview. Nevertheless, reading the book does make clear and plain the appeal of the author's incoherent worldview. For one, the author's adoption of a polytheistic worldview (despite knowing the doom of the Norse gods) appears to have been made so that she can seek spiritual power that would be denied to her as a follower of the biblical God. Moreover, the author views duty and obligation and loyalty to partners as not something worth praising, viewing these ties as manipulative and harmful. Instead, the author demonstrates a firm commitment both to selfish behavior, following the dictates of one's fallen heart, and achieving personal success and glory. Polytheism is less something to command one's obedience than a way to gain one's own will through the tension and disagreement between deities and various other forces. Some of the casting techniques discussed in this book involve ignoring the possibly negative interpretations of the runes cast and only looking at the positive side, while a great many of the possible runic interpretations support leaving partners or distancing oneself from family members who do not support what one is doing or who seek to bind one with marital or familial obligations. Following the advice of this book does not make one a wise woman (or man) but rather a selfish and deeply destructive person of the harmony of relationships and the loyalty and outgoing concern that God wishes us to have for others.
[1] See, for example:
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2011...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2018...
February 27, 2023
When it comes to being a book as thin as it is, I think the author makes a wonderful use of space. This book is a great introduction to such a complex topic like Runic magick, and the person stories and examples that the author injects are immensely helpful.
This book is, as I said, a great *introduction*. While I think it is a great start, and a book I absolutely suggest getting if you are curious about this divination method, it should not be the only resource you use. If you want to get more into detail about this practice this book can be frustratingly vague at times. Its title is very apt, and that lack of depth can be a putoff for some people.
Overall, I found this book delightful. The way it eases you in works wonders, and the activities it puts in genuinely help me memorize what they intend to.
I will note that you shouldn't take all of the historical things she says at face value. Some things she says are wrong, or missing details. The one thing that I immediately noticed is she seemed to avoid mentioning the less motherly domains of Frigga, which are just as equally important *(like her domain over war)*.
This book is, as I said, a great *introduction*. While I think it is a great start, and a book I absolutely suggest getting if you are curious about this divination method, it should not be the only resource you use. If you want to get more into detail about this practice this book can be frustratingly vague at times. Its title is very apt, and that lack of depth can be a putoff for some people.
Overall, I found this book delightful. The way it eases you in works wonders, and the activities it puts in genuinely help me memorize what they intend to.
I will note that you shouldn't take all of the historical things she says at face value. Some things she says are wrong, or missing details. The one thing that I immediately noticed is she seemed to avoid mentioning the less motherly domains of Frigga, which are just as equally important *(like her domain over war)*.
January 7, 2023
Appreciated how the author gave a 4 step process when explaining each different casting method. They explained the method, showed the layout, gave an example, and then went through the casting/reading step by step.
Also, did a very well done job of going in depth explaining each set of aetts without overloading the reader with too much information too quickly. Will be referring back to this book when learning to cast in the future
Also, did a very well done job of going in depth explaining each set of aetts without overloading the reader with too much information too quickly. Will be referring back to this book when learning to cast in the future
February 1, 2023
*4 stars*
Is it the most informative book about runes? No. Nor was it my favorite. But I still immensely enjoyed learning more about the topic.
Is it the most informative book about runes? No. Nor was it my favorite. But I still immensely enjoyed learning more about the topic.
December 28, 2024
I adored this so much! Very excited to get my rune set for my birthday and start practicing
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews