If you've ever wondered how rune casters can glean so much meaning from a few scratches on pebbles, this is the set for you. While the "Witches Runes" are great for beginners at divination, they are ideally suited for the tarotist wanting to explore other divination methods by bridging the gap between the two systems. Authors RavenWolf and Jackson describe their system best in the Introdution of their companion "Rune Mysteries" book: "The rune cards are a contemporary evolution of the Northern lore, specifically developed to be of practical use today in divination, magick, and self-development."
Originally released as "The Rune Oracle" set, the most striking change in this edition of the "Witches Runes" is the color scheme. These cards have the same look of hand-colored woodcuts as the original release, but are set off more clearly with a black border instead of the bright yellow used previously. Thse 25 rune cards (including an optional blank rune) make for an awkward-sized deck, just shy of 3 1/2" x 6", but just over 1/4" thick. The feel is very similar to a Majors-only tarot deck. Detailed illustrations add depth to the otherwise abstract runes, and keywords on the cards make them even easier to use and understand. These cards also allow the caster to use reversals for all the runes, even the symmetrical ones that otherwise look the same upside down.
The "Rune Mysteries" includes several pages of discussion for each card, including extensive correspondences with colors, totems, and even magical applications. The Lore of each card brings alive the related legends and tradtitions of the North. (A glossary of related terms is also included in the book.) Both Oracular and Reversed meanings are discussed, along with a set of physical, mental, and spiritual keywords for each card. Each one ends with a discussion of the rune's magickal powers and applications, Suggestions for Weal Workings (beneficial magicks) aren't surprising, but the authors include Woe Workings as well, saying, "A woe working is considered by some to be negative magick; however, most skilled magickal people understand that woe workings are sometimes required to balance a situation."
The spreads included in this book could easily be used for Tarot cards or most any other divination system as well as for the rune cards. They start with a one-card reading, and include their own variations of the three-card Past / Present / Future and Body / Mind / Spirit spreads. A five-card arch called the Irminsul spread expands on the "tripartite ideology" of the North. The seven-card Hexefus ("Witch's Foot") spread has central card for the Root of the Matter, surrounded by five Mysteries and an Outcome card. This section concludes with a Horoscope spread, the usual 12 Houses surrounding the Outcome card, but presents the Houses as keywords rather than zodiac signs. Most of these spreads include detailed examples relating the cards to each other and to real-world situations.
The last third of "Rune Mysteries" covers the Gealdor (operative magick) of the Rune-Witans (ones wise in mysteries) in depth. This book's discussion of the "World-Hedge" is one of the best visualizations for circle casting I've ever seen. There are tables to find the ideal day of the week, magickal hour, and lunar conjunction for just about any type of spell casting. Sample spells cover wealth, love, and healing with the runes, and there are suggested three-card combinations for most magickal themes. The "Psychic Anatomy" of Witan-Witches, a similar idea to chakras, is presented as a meditation guide. There are also directions for making a self-hypnosis tape to explore your own inner Runic Temple.
Whether your interests lie in using runes for divination, spellcasting, or self-exploration, the "Witches Runes" set is a great place to start!