An air of mystery will always surround the origins and sacred use of the Runes. Older than the New Testament, the Runes belong to an ancient tradition, a tradition whose roots embrace scripture itself. In fact, the Gothic word runa, meaning a "mystery," was employed by the Bishop Wulfila in his fourth century translation of the Bible, when he rendered "the mystery of the kingdom of God" (Mark 4:11) using runa for that "mystery."

There is no firm agreement among scholars as to where and when runic writing first made its appearance in western Europe. Before the Germanic peoples possessed any form of script, they used pictorial symbols that they scratched onto rocks. Especially common in Sweden, these prehistoric rock carvings or hallristningar are dated from the second Bronze Age (1300 B.C.):

By the fourth century AD, the Runes had spread across northern Europe, carried from place to place by warriors, traders, and even by Anglo-Saxon missionaries. For this to happen, a common alphabet was required. Out of their Latin and Etruscan origins, and influenced by the dialects of the North Italian hill peoples, came the Runes, a twenty-four letter alphabetic script known as the "Elder Futhark," after its first six letters.

Although later Anglo-Saxon alphabets expanded to include as many as thirty-three letters in Britain, the traditional Germanic futhark is comprised of twenty-four Runes. These were divided into three families of eight Runes each, known as aettir, and named for the Norse gods Freyr, Hagel and Tyr.

From the ninth through the twelfth centuries, the Runes were carried by the Norsemen to Anglo-Saxon England, to Iceland and wherever their long voyages took them. Rune carvings, testifying to the extent of the Norse expeditions, have been found as far afield as Russia, Constantinople, the Orkney Islands, Greenland and, some believe, the North American continent. Shaped by the tribal wisdom of northern Europe, the Viking Runes emerged.

The craft of runemal touched every aspect of life from the most sacred to the most practical. There were Runes to influence the weather, the tides, crops, love, healing, and death. Runes were carved on amulets, drinking cups, battle spears, over the lintels of dwellings and onto the prows of Viking ships. Used in commerce and trade, for writing poetry, and for recording the Norse sagas, the Runes were also carved into huge stone memorials erected to Vikings fallen in battle, stones that can still be seen today at a thousand crossroads in rural Sweden.

Although never the basis for a spoken language, during the fifteen hundred years that Runes were employed in western Europe, they were also linked to religious beliefs and practices. In this sacred function, the runic alphabet served the Germanic and Norse peoples as a means to know the will of the Divine in their lives. In ancient times each runic symbol possessed a name, a sound, and most important, a rich cluster of associated meanings.A shaman using the Rune Raido in ceremony knew that it signified riding or traveling, a journey, or the method of traveling itself. At the highest level of meaning, Raido evoked the journey made by the soul after death.

The Rune casters of the Teutons and Vikings often wore startling garb that made them easily recognizable. Honored, welcomed, and sometimes feared, these shamans were familiar figures in tribal circles. There is evidence that a fair number of runic practitioners were women. The anonymous author of the thirteenth-century Saga of Erik the Red provides a vivid description of a contemporary mistress of runecraft:

She wore a cloak set with stones along the hem. Around her neck and covering her head she wore a hood lined with white catskins. In one hand, she carried a staff with a knob on the end and at her belt, holding together her long dress, hung a charm pouch.

The most explicit surviving description of how the Runes were used comes from the Roman historian, Tacitus. Writing in 98 A.D. about practices prevalent among the Germanic tribes, he reports:

To divination and casting of lots they pay attention beyond any other people. Their method of casting lots is a simple one: they cut a branch from a fruitbearing tree and divide it into small pieces which they mark with certain distinctive signs (notae) and scatter at random onto a white cloth. Then, the priest of the community, if the lots are consulted publicly, or the father of the family, if it is done privately, after invoking the gods and with eyes raised to the heaven, picks up three pieces, one at a time, and interprets them according to the signs previously marked upon them.(Germania, Ch. X)

As worship of the pagan gods was displaced over time by Christianity, the runic alphabet was supplanted by the Latin script. However, the Runes continued to survive. Calendars known as primstave, or runstaf, used to mark church holy days as well as times for planting and harvest, persisted beyond the medieval period in Scandinavia.

In fact, the Runes remained in favor among the common people, especially in Sweden. An indication of their enduring popularity is evident from a seventeenth-century inscription on the choir wall of a church in Oland: "The pastor of the parish should know how to read runes and write them." Among the country people of Dalarna, a remote region of western Sweden, survival of knowledge of the Runes has continued into the twentieth century. In Norway, among the Lap ps of Finnmark in the country's far North, shamans' drums onto which Runes have been painted are still in use today.

The Germanic runic alphabet of twenty-four letters, plus one later innovation -- The Blank Rune, the Rune that stands for the Unknowable, for the presence of the Divine in all transactions -- forms the basis for our contemporary adaptations of the Runes. The interpretations for the five Serenity Runes were taken from The Healing Runes (St. Martin's Press, 1995). Written to support the emotional and physical healing of those who are in recovery from addiction or abuse, facing a critical illness or preparing for death, The Healing Runes evolved from The Book of Runes (St. Martin's Press, 1982). In each of these variations, the purpose of the Runes is to serve as a compass for conduct, a guide to right action in the world.

It is with this sacred aspect of the Runes that we are concerned. To quote the Benedictine theologian, Father Bede Griffiths,

"You could say the Runes are just another means of calling home."

Fehu (F: Domestic cattle, wealth.) Possessions won or earned, earned income, luck. Abundance, financial strength in the resent or near future. Sign of hope and plenty, success and happiness. Social success. Energy, foresight, fertility, creation/destruction (becoming). Fehu Reversed: Loss of personal property, esteem, or something that you put in effort to keep. It indicates some sort of failure. Greed, burnout, atrophy, discord. Cowardice, stupidity, dullness, poverty, slavery, bondage.

Uruz: (U: Auroch, a wild ox.) Physical strength and speed, untamed potential. A time of great energy and health. Freedom, energy, action, courage, strength, tenacity, understanding, wisdom. Sudden or unexpected changes (usually for the better). Sexual desire, masculine potency. The shaping of power and pattern, formulation of the self. Uruz Reversed: Weakness, obsession, misdirected force, domination by others. Sickness, inconsistency, ignorance. Lust, brutality, rashness, callousness, violence.

Thurisaz: (TH: Thorn or a Giant.) Reactive force, directed force of destruction and defense, conflict. Instinctual will, vital eroticism, regenerative catalyst. Atendency toward change. Catharsis, purging, cleansing fire. Male sexuality, fertilization. (Thorr, the Thunder god, was of Giant stock.) Thurisaz Reversed: Danger, defenselessness, compulsion, betrayal, dullness. Evil, malice, hatred, torment, spite, lies. A bad man or woman. Rape?

Ansuz: (A: The As, ancestral god, i.e. Odhinn.) A revealing message or insight, communication. Signals, inspiration, enthusiasm, speech, true vision, power of words and naming. Blessings, the taking of advice. Good health, harmony, truth, wisdom. Ansuz Reversed: Misunderstanding, delusion, manipulationby others, boredom. Vanity and grandiloquence. (Odhinn is a mighty, but duplicious god. He always has his own agenda.)

Raidho: (R: Wagon or chariot.) Travel, both in physical terms and those of life-style direction. A journey, vacation, relocation, evolution, change of place or setting. Seeing a larger perspective. Seeing the right move for you to make and deciding upon it. Personal rhythm, world rhythm, dance of life. Raidho Reversed: Crisis, rigidity, stasis, injustice, irrationality. Disruption, dislocation, demotion, delusion, possibly a death.

Kenaz: (K: Beacon or torch.) Vision, revelation, knowledge, creativity, inspiration, technical ability. Vital fire of life, harnessed power, fire of transformation and regeneration. Power to create your own reality, the power of light. Open to new strength, energy, and power now. Passion, sexual love. Kenaz Reversed: Disease, break-up, instability, lack of creativity. Nakedness, exposure, loss of illusion and false hope.

Gebo: (G: Gift.) Gifts, both in the sense of sacrifice and of generosity, indicating balance. All matters in relation to exchanges, including contracts, personal relationships and partnerships. Gebo Merkstave (Gebo cannot be reversed, but may lie in opposition): Greed, loneliness, dependence, over-sacrifice. Obligation, toll, privation, bribery.

Wunjo: (W or V: Joy.) Joy, comfort, pleasure. Fellowship, harmony, prosperity. Ecstasy, glory, spiritual reward, but also the possibility of going "over the top". If restrained, the meaning is general success and recognition of worth. Wunjo Reversed: Stultification, sorrow, strife, alienation. Delirium, intoxication, possession by higher forces, impractical enthusiasm. Raging frenzy, berzerker.

.Hagalaz: (H: Hail.) Wrath of nature, destructive, uncontrolled forces, especially the weather, or within the unconscious Tempering, testing, trial. Controlled crisis, leading to completion, inner harmony. Hagalaz Merkstave (Hagalaz cannot be reversed, but may lie in opposition): Natural disaster, catastrophe. Stagnation, loss of power. Pain, loss, suffering, hardship, sickness, crisis.

Nauthiz: (N: Need.) Delays, restriction. Resistance leading to strength, innovation, need-fire (self-reliance). Distress, confusion, conflict, and the power of will to overcome them. Endurance, survival, determination. A time to exercise patience. Recognition of one's fate. Major self-initiated change. Face your fears. Nauthiz Reversed: Constraint of freedom, distress, toil, drudgery, laxity. Necessity, extremity, want, deprivation, starvation, need, poverty, emotional hunger.

Isa: (I: Ice.) A challenge or frustration. Psychological blocks to thought or activity, including grievances. Standstill, or a time to turn inwardand wait for what is to come, or to seek clarity. This rune reinforces runes around it. Isa Merkstave (Isa cannot be reversed, but may lie in opposition): Ego-mania, dullness, blindness, dissipation. Treachery, illusion, deceit, betrayal, guile,stealth, ambush, plots.

Jera: (J or Y: A year, a good harvest.) The results of earlier efforts are realized.A time of peace and happiness, fruitful season. It can break through stagnancy. Hopes andexpectations of peace and prosperity. The promise of success earned. Life cycle, cyclical pattern of the universe. Everything changes, in its own time. Jera Merkstave (Jera cannot be reversed, but may lie in opposition): Sudden setback, reversals. A major change, repetition, bad timing, poverty, conflict.

Eihwaz: (EI: Yew tree.) Strength, reliability, dependability, trustworthiness. Enlightenment, endurance. Defense, protection. The driving force to acquire, providing motivation and a sense of purpose. Indicates that you have set your sights on a reasonable target and can achieve your goals. An honest man who can be relied upon. Eihwaz Reversed: Confusion, destruction, dissatisfaction, weakness.

Perthro: (P: Lot cup, vagina.) Uncertain meaning, a secret matter, a mystery, hidden things and occult abilities. Initiation, knowledge of one's destiny, knowledge of future matters, determining the future or your path. Pertaining to things feminine,feminine mysteries including female fertility, and vagina. Good lot, fellowship and joy. Evolutionary change. Perthro Reversed:Addiction, stagnation, loneliness, malaise.

Algiz: (Z or -R: Elk, protection.) Protection, a shield. The protective urge to shelter oneself or others. Defense, warding off of evil, shield, guardian. Connection with the gods, awakening, higher life.It can be used to channel energiesappropriately. Follow your instincts. Keep hold of success or maintain a position won or earned. Algiz Reversed: Hidden danger, consumption by divine forces, loss of divine link. Taboo, warning, turning away, that which repels.

Sowilo: (S: The sun.) Success, goals achieved, honor. The life-force, health. A time when power will be available to you for positive changes in your life, victory, health, and success. Contact between the higher self and the unconscious. Wholeness, power, elemental force, sword of flame, cleansing fire. Sowilo Merkstave (Sowilo cannot be reversed, but may lie in opposition): False goals, bad counsel, false success, gullibility, loss of goals. Destruction, retribution, justice, casting down of vanity. Wrath of god.