An alphabet developed by Germanic and Nordic peoples during ancient times, runes were used to represent both simple things and more complex concepts, providing a written form of communication before the latin alphabet was adopted. Today, reading runes are a popular tool for understanding the present and divining the future. Divided into two broad chapters, showing how to use runes, and outlining the full runic alphabet as well as a section on standing runestones, Runes provides a compact, accessible guide to this ancient reading system. Discover the basic three rune layout, and how it can help bring clarity when seeking guidance; learn how to arrange the runes in a five rune cast, which offers a more complex reading; discover Uruz, U, which means a wild ox in Elder Futhark, the oldest runic alphabet; and see how runic inscriptions were combined on standing stones to mark burial sites and the deeds of great warriors. A compact guide with 130 illustrations and photographs of runes, rune readings and runestones, this book will fascinate anyone interested in this ancient writing form and its uses today.

Rachel Newcombe is a writer, editor and researcher who contributes to a range of print and online publications. She is co-author of The Complete Crystal Sourcebook and general editor of The Self-Care Bible. She is fascinated by the history and meaning of runes and ancient standing stones.