The history of runes can be traced as far back as 200 BC. There are many different theories about its origins that scholars have discovered but no one really knows how and who made them first. The countless uses of the symbols probably evolved over time from severely practical pieces of communication to symbols that we’re used for divination. Each rune is not only a single letter that can be used to form words, but is also a complete word in itself, with many different meanings. The “rune-masters” of ancient times understood how to use runic grammar for contracts as well as the hidden or secret meanings. For this reason they we’re both respected and feared. Because the word rune means secret or whisper it was clear to the ancient consciousness that there are great mysteries contained within the runes.
The Elder Futhark is the most popular of the rune alphabets used today. In this set there are 25 runes all with symbols carved into them except one which is blank, the blank one relates to the unknown. The meanings of the runes are connected with fertility, weather, sunlight, darkness the cycles of the seasons and reflect the relationships of the ancient tribes with their environment.
Learning to read the runes takes much time and study. Studying the runes can be difficult because rune working died out in the seventeenth century. This has left only fragmentary literary sources to tell us what the runes mean. None of the literature tells us what the symbols on the runes represent. Modern rune lore is therefore based not only on study and tradition, but also on psychic intuition and opinions.
Reading the runes is a mystical art of discovering hidden things, psychic foreseeing future events or discovering the likely outcome of current situations. There are no records of how ancient rune masters used them for divination, so methods used in other systems such as the tarot have been adapted. Usually runes are pulled out of a pouch and placed into a set position and interpreted. The different formats for which runes are laid are known as runes casts or spreads. When asking a question using a rune cast it is best to keep it simple and direct.
The symbols of the runes are attractive and believed by some to be quite powerful. This is why you can purchase jewelry with carved rune symbols on them, pendants are very common. A specific symbol can also be chosen for the astrological correspondence.