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    Runes

    Ahm, I didn't know where to put this, so sorry if it's in the wrong place.
    I've been working a bit with rune stones lately, and I'm getting very fond of it. It's just that the stones I work with aren't my own. I borrowed them from one of my dads friends, and though she doesn't ask for them back (i'm not sure she ever will) I don't want to keep them for too long. I know she doesn't work with them herself, she prefers cards, so on a whim I made her a set of rune cards...
    Anyway, I'm growing very fond of working with runes, and I'd like to have my own set of rune stones... I tried the cards, but it just doesn't work as well for me. I'm not very good at painting and such, and I don't really know where to start in making my own, so I'd like some advice I considdered buying a set, but it somehow feels wrong to me to order something like that online... I'd like to know how others came by their runes too
    You remind me of the babe
    What babe?
    The babe with the power
    What power?
    The Power of voodoo
    Who do?
    You do!
    Do what?
    Remind me of the babe!

    Army of Darkness: Guardians of the Chat

    #2
    Re: Runes

    The set I've used for many years were bought for me by my family, and are just a commercial set carved into rose quartz disks and painted gold. I am currently in the process of making my own set, using individually selected stones personalised to each rune. I'm carving the runes onto the stones using a Dremel. Dremels are not cheap, but ridiculously easy to use.

    You can use a woodburner or a soldering iron to burn the images onto disks of wood. You can purchase disks of wood from the craft store, cut up a branch or use stones or those decorative glass 'stones' (though be very careful if using a Dremel to use appropriate ventilation etc, and wear a mask and goggles if carving onto glass stones). You can also make them out of air dry clay or oven bake clay or Sculpey - draw the runes on them before baking using a clay tool, then bake as appropriate (though I wouldn't use these to 'cast' rather than lay out as they will break easily). I've also seen sets carved or painted on disks of deer antler. Technically, you can paint them onto bottle caps and end up with a decent set that may work perfectly fine.

    The material itself doesn't matter, especially if you are making your own. What's important is that they are uniform sized and roughly disk shaped so that there is no chance of their weight and shape affecting how they fall or how you draw them out of the bag. After that what's important is the runes themselves and your relationship with them. A bought set is perfectly fine... what makes them work as a divination tool is your relationship with them and how you bring them to life, so to speak. Conversely, the best handcrafted set in the world amounts to very little if it ends up in the hands of a dabbler.

    Usually, it's a good idea to 'blood' your runes once you've bought them or made them. This is where you 'bring them to life', but not everyone does it. You don't have to actually use blood... the point is that you are imbuing them with your energy, forging a connecting and making them into a living, breathing tool. If you have been doing any non-divination work with the runes (which I recommend that you do, if not already) then you can galdr each rune as you work with the stone/disk.

    It's pretty hard to stuff this up. As long as you are genuine in your respect and relationship with the runes, you'll make it work. Ignore anyone who tries to tell you that they MUST be made from the wood of a fruit bearing tree and they MUST be carved a certain way and MUST be painted with blood blah blah blah. Enough of us successfully work with all sorts of rune sets that all the MUSTs are patently not true.

    Comment


      #3
      Re: Runes

      In Things I work with, I prefer to choose them myself. I wouldn't mind buying them, but I would like to know what I'm buying. and I don't remember ever coming across anyone selling runes except online. so I think making them myself would be the way to go. I hadn't thought of using clay, I might try that, as it is I don't throw runes I draw them.
      Dremels don't seem to bee too expensive here, but my boyfriend might actually have acces to one at work so I'll look in to that.

      I'd say I might fall under the category "dabbler". I do respect the runes, and it's not something I'm doing for a laugh, but it's still just something I'm trying out right now. Trying to get a feeling of whether it's right for me. I don't identify myself with any particular Pantheon or religion. I'm still trying to figure out what suits me.
      thanks
      You remind me of the babe
      What babe?
      The babe with the power
      What power?
      The Power of voodoo
      Who do?
      You do!
      Do what?
      Remind me of the babe!

      Army of Darkness: Guardians of the Chat

      Comment


        #4
        Re: Runes

        When working with glass, etching is way easier than power tools. If you're going to get a Dremel, get a variable-speed as opposed to two speed. In the US, a Dremel kit starts around $30 USD. Also, some of those "glass" pebbles are plastic, you don't wanna breathe the dust from that. You can always paint the runes on the pebbles, just be sure to put some kind of sealer over that (clear nail polish works well). If you want to make a temporary set to see if it's something you wanna seriously pursue, you can cut squares from pasteboard, draw a rune on each, and there ya go, one temporary rune set.

        Think practical.
        I often wish that I had done drugs in the '70s. At least there'd be a reason for the flashbacks. - Rick the Runesinger

        Blood and CountryTribe of my Tribe
        Clan of my Clan
        Kin of my Kin
        Blood of my Blood



        For the Yule was upon them, the Yule; and they quaffed from the skulls of the slain,
        And shouted loud oaths in hoarse wit, and long quaffing swore laughing again.

        Comment


          #5
          Re: Runes

          Sulpey (oven drying polymer "clay") and craft porcelain (an air drying clay, available commercially or DIY) or even salt dough (if you object to polymers) are options too--my favorite runes (I made about a dozen sets as gifts) were from craft porcelain, made to look like little beach pebbles.
          Wonderful Life: The Burgess Shale and the Nature of HistoryPagan Devotionals, because the wind and the rain is our Bible
          sigpic

          Comment


            #6
            Re: Runes

            I'll probably go for painting on pebbles... I somehow don't think it's a temporary thing. I've been doing it for a while now I'm just cautious when comitting to something too quickly.
            Thalassa, if you don't mind asking, do you have pictures of some? I'd like to see them
            You remind me of the babe
            What babe?
            The babe with the power
            What power?
            The Power of voodoo
            Who do?
            You do!
            Do what?
            Remind me of the babe!

            Army of Darkness: Guardians of the Chat

            Comment


              #7
              Re: Runes

              Originally posted by Rae'ya View Post
              You can use a woodburner or a soldering iron to burn the images onto disks of wood. You can purchase disks of wood from the craft store ...

              Usually, it's a good idea to 'blood' your runes once you've bought them or made them. This is where you 'bring them to life', but not everyone does it. ...
              That's exactly what I'm thinking of doing. I have 1" wood disks (a lot of them since I know I'll flub some) I got at the craft store. I think a soldering iron is a lot cheaper than a wood burner. I may try that. I thought about blooding them too. I have glucose meter lancets I can get blood from my fingers with. But I may not blood them, just handling them and thinking of them as "mine" should pick up my energies. I have a set of small quartz stones with gold lettering. I also made a set of small cards. I found a nice chart on the internet, printed it out on glossy photo paper, then cut them apart. When I use them I shuffle them, then draw.

              Originally posted by thalassa View Post
              Sulpey (oven drying polymer "clay") and craft porcelain (an air drying clay, available commercially or DIY) or even salt dough (if you object to polymers) are options too--my favorite runes (I made about a dozen sets as gifts) were from craft porcelain, made to look like little beach pebbles.
              I've read a bit about salt dough... is it pretty sturdy? I think using something like an orangewood stick might work for a stylus.
              śivāya vishnu rūpaya śivaḥ rūpaya vishnave
              śivasya hridayam viṣṇur viṣṇoscha hridayam śivaḥ

              Comment


                #8
                Re: Runes

                The runes I use are British one pound coins that I sanded down all the imagery on, then etched the runes into them. Pretty soon, though, I'm going to make a new set out of pewter. I have a mold I made from refractory cement, and a propane grill will get more than hot enough to melt the metal.

                For me, there's something solid and comforting about the weight and smoothness of metal runes. Cool to the touch, but created from fire.

                Comment


                  #9
                  Re: Runes

                  Originally posted by iris View Post
                  I'll probably go for painting on pebbles... I somehow don't think it's a temporary thing. I've been doing it for a while now I'm just cautious when comitting to something too quickly.
                  Thalassa, if you don't mind asking, do you have pictures of some? I'd like to see them
                  I'll have to dig through my external hard drive, but I think I might.





                  Originally posted by Thorbjorn View Post

                  I've read a bit about salt dough... is it pretty sturdy? I think using something like an orangewood stick might work for a stylus.
                  If you dry it properly and bake it, its fairly sturdy...you don't want any corners on it, or to make anything too thin or too large of a surface area if you are throwing it. You also will want to put a finish on it.
                  Wonderful Life: The Burgess Shale and the Nature of HistoryPagan Devotionals, because the wind and the rain is our Bible
                  sigpic

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Re: Runes

                    Originally posted by thalassa View Post
                    If you dry it properly and bake it, its fairly sturdy...you don't want any corners on it, or to make anything too thin or too large of a surface area if you are throwing it. You also will want to put a finish on it.
                    Thanks for the tips, I may try it.
                    śivāya vishnu rūpaya śivaḥ rūpaya vishnave
                    śivasya hridayam viṣṇur viṣṇoscha hridayam śivaḥ

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Originally posted by Munin-Hugin View Post
                      The runes I use are British one pound coins that I sanded down all the imagery on, then etched the runes into them. Pretty soon, though, I'm going to make a new set out of pewter. I have a mold I made from refractory cement, and a propane grill will get more than hot enough to melt the metal.

                      For me, there's something solid and comforting about the weight and smoothness of metal runes. Cool to the touch, but created from fire.
                      Metal runes sound really nice actually... for some reason I've never thought of it...

                      My runes are hematite. I dreamed of owning hematite runes fot a long time and was so excited when I found them in a store. Other than that I have no experience making/buying runes, good luck!
                      ThorSon's milkshake brings all the PF girls to the yard - Volcaniclastic

                      RIP

                      I have never been across the way
                      Seen the desert and the birds
                      You cut your hair short
                      Like a shush to an insult
                      The world had been yelling
                      Since the day you were born
                      Revolting with anger
                      While it smiled like it was cute
                      That everything was shit.

                      - J. Wylder

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Re: Runes

                        Originally posted by Heka View Post
                        My runes are hematite. I dreamed of owning hematite runes fot a long time and was so excited when I found them in a store.
                        Oh lucky you! Hematite is one of my favourite stones
                        You remind me of the babe
                        What babe?
                        The babe with the power
                        What power?
                        The Power of voodoo
                        Who do?
                        You do!
                        Do what?
                        Remind me of the babe!

                        Army of Darkness: Guardians of the Chat

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Re: Runes

                          Originally posted by Heka View Post
                          Metal runes sound really nice actually... for some reason I've never thought of it...

                          My runes are hematite. I dreamed of owning hematite runes fot a long time and was so excited when I found them in a store. Other than that I have no experience making/buying runes, good luck!

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Originally posted by Munin-Hugin View Post
                            Ooo did you punch the holes in them so you could wear them too? Looove...
                            ThorSon's milkshake brings all the PF girls to the yard - Volcaniclastic

                            RIP

                            I have never been across the way
                            Seen the desert and the birds
                            You cut your hair short
                            Like a shush to an insult
                            The world had been yelling
                            Since the day you were born
                            Revolting with anger
                            While it smiled like it was cute
                            That everything was shit.

                            - J. Wylder

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Re: Runes

                              Originally posted by Heka View Post
                              Ooo did you punch the holes in them so you could wear them too? Looove...
                              Thanks!

                              And yes, that is the reason for the small hole in them. Or string a few together to take on a long drive, or attach to my keyring, etc ...

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