Siegfried Adolf Kummer

Rune=Magic

Dedicated in Armanic Spirit to all my loyal Runers

A Document of Historical Importance

Editor's Introduction
Author's Introduction
The 18 - Rune Row
The 18=Rune Futhork=Alphabet
The Magical Rune=Circle
Forming and Sensing the Man-Rune
The Formation of the Grail-Chalice
Runes-Yodels-Cheers

Runic Hand-Signs
Important Glands and Higher Centers of the Body
Magical Rune Formulas
Morning Concecrations
Evening Consecration
Rune Banishing
Bibliography
Key to the Runic Futhork Table
A Document of Historical Importance

In this volume Thorsson preserves the text unaltered from its first
appearance just a year before the National Socialists came to power in
Germany. Sections of Rune-Magic will be found to be controversial by
some, but Runa-Raven feels that for the sake of historical accuracy, and
as a sign of respect for the intelligence of the reader, the text should
stand as originally written in 1932.

We must seek to preserve the roots of the Runic tradition where ever we
find them. These roots are to be studied and understood/or the value
they have. For no one knows what wisdom might rise from these roots
in the is-to-be.

Edred Thorsson

Yrmin-Drighten The Rune-Gild

Editor's Introduction

Siegfried Adolf Kummer was born in 1899 and was one of the pioneers
of operative Runic studies in the early part of the 20th century. Little is
known of his life or of his fate in the wake of the historical events of the
Nazi era. He, along with Friedrich Bern-hard Marby, was criticized by
name in a report made to Heinrich Himmler by his chief esoteric
runologist Karl Maria Wiligut. But what his fate was is unknown. At least
one report has him fleeing Nazi Germany in exile to South America.

Kummer lived in and around Dresden in the years before the

assumption of power by the National Socialists in 1933. He founded his
Rune-School Runa in 1927. This presumably remained in operation until
the National Socialist regime closed down all such organized activity
soon after coming to power in 1933.

Runen-Magie was first published in 1933 as a part of the Germanische

Scfiriftenfolge [Teutonic Writings Series].

It is to some extent a practical condensation of his larger work, Heilige

Runenmacht published in 1932.
To understand Kummer's work completely, you will have to understand
the magical world of Guido von List (1848-1919), the grandfather of the
Germanic magical revival. The best introduction to List's ideas can be
found in The Secret of the Runes, translated and introduced by Stephen
E. Flowers in 1988. Also my Rune Might (Llewellyn, 1989) contains a
historical and practical introduction to that world of Armanic rune magic
generally pioneered by List.

Kummer's work largely belongs to that school of occult thinking

prevalent in Germany during the first few decades of the 20th century
which is sometimes called "Ariosophy" today. (This is a term coined by
Lanz von Liebenfels based on analogy with the other "-sophies" of the
day: Theosophy and Anthroposophy.) But more specifically Kummer
identified himself as an Armanist, the school founded by Guido von List.
Three of the most important general tenets of Armanism are:

1) All dualities, such as those between the body and the soul, or
between humanity and nature, are both real at one level and only
apparent at another. There is a singular essence, but it finds itself in
differing conditions, which cause it to appear in various forms. But the
conditions are in turn also real. This is the key to why techniques for the
modification of physical conditions (eugenics, gymnastics, etc.) are seen
in spiritual terms by Armanists.

2) All things in the cosmos are subject to a threefold cyclical process of

Arising-Being-Passing away to Arise again and so on.

3) Ancient Armanic cultural features were not wiped out by the coming
of Christianity—but found refuge in the symbolism used by the church
itself and in folk customs. Today these await decoding that they may
once again live in their rightful place.

These tenets are further explained in S. E. Flowers' introduction to Guido

von List's The Secret of the Runes.

Examples of all of them can be found in the pages of Kummer's Rune-

Magic.

The idea of "Ariosophy" as such also involves the Theosophical notion of

there being an evolutionary process at the leading edge of which the
"Aryan" stands. Ariosophy also includes the specific idea that there was
a time period in which "god-men" and "beast-men" existed as separate
species, but that at a certain time in the distant past they began to
interbreed—resulting in the present form of homo sapiens. Ariosophy
preaches the necessity of "breeding out" the "beast-man" characteristics
to return to the former divine state of the "god-man."

There are several statements made, or sentiments expressed, by S. A.

Kummer in the text of Rune-Magic which
might be found to be "offensive" by the politically correct, and some that
are factually erroneous. Rather than censoring Kummer, or arbitrarily
editing him, we have translated his work as it stood in 1933. This is in
keeping with the general editorial philosophy of the publisher not to
"sanitize" controversial works. It is felt that the documents will
have more historical, as well as intellectual, value if they are allowed to
speak for themselves. Notes have been added to the text where
warranted.

When translating any of the Ariosophical literature there are always

problems regarding word-plays the original writers use, which may be
impossible to represent in English terms. Where possible cognate
translations are used which preserve the sound correspondences or
word-play. But sometimes other solutions' must be found. Words
appearing in square brackets [ ] are information not belonging to the
translation proper but which has been included by the editor. This is
often an original German word, the form of which may be helpful to the
understanding of the magical or poetic logic of the text. Or bracketed
words may be etymological translations of certain "magical words" or
names in the original German text. These measures have been found to
be necessary in the translation simply because so much of the linguistic
magic of the Armanen is dependent on similar sounding words or folk-
etymological word- plays.

Edred Thorsson

Austin, Texas

February 1, 1993ev
Author's Introduction

Rune-magic is the great knowledge of cosmic energies, the recognition

of hidden energies of nature, of the subtle heavenly, as well as earthly
streams, waves, entities, and powers. All forms of higher wisdom, all
secret knowledge of the world, are but fragments, and through the
course of time have been for the most part distorted and corrupted; but
at one time it had its origin in the divine, Aryan magic of the Runes. All
languages of the world are derived from the Aryo- Germanic mother-
tongue, which is both magical and alive. The Germanic Runic script is
the script of all scripts.
Runes are not just letters or verbal symbols but primal symbols of a
living magical nature which whisper to us. These may be experienced
physically through Runic postures and dances and are useful for your
own well-being and even for the blessing of all mankind. Whoever
physically forms and experiences the Runes in a pure and conscious
manner, will have great secrets opened to him, if he practices, vibrates,
and dances in the radio waves, subtle currents and flowing energies of
the All. Accompanying ideal higher development, clairvoyance, astral
perceptions, heightened psychic ability and prophetic vision will arise in
the Runer, in the practitioner.

In the small manuscript before you I can give only a few gems from the
great treasure trove of Aryan wisdom and Rune-magic, but these will be
of great use to the reader and will lead him into the Way of the Grail. To
anyone who has greater interest in Runic history, magic and mysteries I
recommend my work, Heilige Runenmachl.[1]

The following exercises and instructions may be undertaken only with

noble and pure thoughts—the blessings of the Runes will not fail.

Hail him who learns it!

Hail him who teaches it!

Therefore take advantage of
The blessing, ye who hear it![2]
The 18 - Rune Row

Other than the oldest Runic Futhork (alphabet), which has 18 runes and
corresponds to the "Rune Poem" of the "Havamal," [4] there are various
other Rune-rows.

Primarily the oldest, the 18-Rune, Futhork comes into consideration, for
penetrating into higher Rune-wisdom, into the Runic mysteries, with the
initiations they provide. The cosmic and magical legitimacy of this
Futhork cannot be supplanted by any other Rune-row.

The 18=Rune Futhork=Alphabet

The /-Rune,Fa, Fa-tor = Father; generation in Spirit and in Matter,

kindling a fire, fire- engendered magical force which shapes everything;
the eternal return[5] of the Fa-tor—pure Love which constantly works in
a creative manner.Numerical value 1.

Theu-Rune, theUr [primal, original], Rune of primal fire, original

creation, primal birth, primal Spirit, originalknowledge, primal light,
original position, primal cause, original eternity, primal time, origin,
original writing, judgment [or-deal], primal basis, original mother, the
NornUrda, Uranus, primal arising, primal being, primal passing- away.
[6] The origin of all manifestations is theUr- theUr of the All, theUr of
the Earth. Urn. Numerical value 2.

Theth-Rune, Thor; thurs, thorn. Thorn is Will and Deed. Donar = Don-
Aar, the singing sun, the thunder, Thor's hammer. The Thorn of Fate,
the Thorn of Life, but also the Thorn of Death which leads to rebirth; no
Life without Death, no Death without Life. Sleeping Beauty, who is
awakened by the Thorn of Life. The Gate (The Golden Gate and the Gate
of Misfortune in folk tales.)[7] Numerical value 3.

Theo-Rune,Os; East, Easter, Ostara, the goddess of Spring.Os is the

rune of spiritual speech, of power, of language; through spiritual
regeneration, every negative force can be overcome. Os = womb,Osrun
which conceives—that which is conceived by Spirit and Love becomes a
reality. Numerical value 4.
Ther-Rune,Rit; counsel [rede], wheel [flarf], red, rita, rota— holy,
invulnerable, innate Righteousness. Cosmic rhythm, whispering, raging,
rolling, rubbing, rustling, etc. The Savior[Rei-ier], the Righteous, the
Rider [Knight], the Hero[Recke], Ararita, the Law, the symbol of the All-
Rite. The Rune of Righteousness and Integrity.Numerical value 5.

Thek-Rune,Ka, is the Rune of Cause and Effect, of poetic justice. Its

sound,k, indicates to spiritual and physical ability, to cures, art [Kunst],
those who can, king, queen, Kun, Kano, the canoe as a feminine
symbol; Arkona, the Knowing One, the Norn. Kala,[8] the secret of
traditional Knowledge. Ka, the Rune of pure, conscious, racial
generation and multiplication. Numerical value 6.

Theh-Rune,Hagal, Hag-All. All-Hag, God-All, Walhalla, World-All, Man-

All; hedge, enclose, hem in, to hide within one's self, to include
everything, the key to all rowning-Runes, to the great and holy All. The
Hagal-Rune is the World Rune, the World-Tree, around the midpoint of
which the whole spiritual and physical world revolves. The Rune of the
holy seven, of sense, of sounds, of colors, of harmony, of the eternal
wisdom in the divine, all- encompassing Self. Numerical value 7.

Then-Rune,Not [Need], naut, nit, is the Rune of Need and Death,

necessity, the necessity of Fate; the Rune of the Norns who spin the
threads of Fate. The compulsion of Fate, a necessity which a self-
imposed trial by Need helps to unburden. Necessity guides the
transformation to higher spiritual and astral levels, as well as to rebirth.
Become a true helper and healer and thou wilt outgrow Need and Death.
Numerical value 8.

Thei-Rune,Is, I [Self],[9] is the Rune of the conscious Self, of self-

mastery, of wise magic. It corresponds to the One, to Unity, to the great
Union. The One is the most complete of all numbers; it also represents
the divine, conscious human being.[10] The Is-Rune is the ninth Rune in
the Runic alphabet, and indicates the magical Nine of completion. It is
the Rune of the upright, enterprising, conscious leader and magician. Its
symbol is the World Axis, the Irmin-column = Irminsul. Numerical value
9.

Thea-Rune,Ar, Aar [eagle], the Eagle of the Sun, nobleman, Aryan,

Arman, the Son of the Sun. Aar- fire = primal fire, the Son of God.
Harmony == Ar-mony. Ar = acre [field], Ar- Arahari, the spiritual Sun;
Arimann, the Sun- Man, the Aryan. The Ar-Rune is also the rune of the
healer, the physician [Arzt] Numerical value 10.

Thes-Rune, Sig, Sal, Sol, the Rune of the Sun's power, of victory[Sieg];
Sal and Sig = Well-being and victory; of the Light, of the Hale, of the
soul, of the kindling, lightning;Sig = the sunlight; the Sieve, the
Seventh (head of the ruling council), the clan of blood-kin. The 5;jf-
Rune is the rune of the fighter and the victor; it provides victory and
makes the enemy cowardly, weak and powerless. Numerical value is 11.

Thet-Rune,Tyr, is the Rune of good fortune, of spiritual victory, of

rebirth, of creation, but also of destruction and eternal change; Thor,
Tyr, Tiu, Zir, Teut. It is the Rune of the Teut = Teut-ons =Deut-sch
[Germans]. It indicates a concealment, disguise; also within it operate
the Three: Arising-Being-Passing away to new Arising- therefore
turning,twisting, striving ever upward.Tyr, the Third, the threefold
power. The spiral current, the cosmic rhythm; the arrow-and lance-head
in the shape of the Tyr-Rune. Numerical value 12.

Theb-Rune,Bar, bier, birth, bearing Life. Bar = song, Bard = singer;

revelation = birth of the Spirit. Bourn=-spring, spring of health; but also
stretcher, bier, being imprisoned, leaking away.Bas, the breast, the
womb of the Mothers. The Rune of birth and procreation, concealment,
being hidden, burrowing.Bar-bar-baren, that is, the thrice reborn. The
.Bar-Rune lays bare to us the idea of Birth originating in primal Birth.
Numerical value 13.

The /-Rune,Laf, lagu, laug, means Life, law of Life, liver, restoration,
lye, leaves, Lagu = sea, laughter, lake. Also, love, loftiness, light,
ardor[Lohe], light of Life, insight into Life, the lantern, enlightenment,
refreshment, loudness, spring-time [2-cn^], linden-tree, sorrow[Leid},
lore; lead = learning.Laf, the Rune of initiation, but also the Rune of
experiences and examinations. The Luev, Leb, Lew, lion. The heraldic
beast of all Life is the kalafied*Laf-Rune. Numerical value 14.

Them-Rune,Man, exhorts us and whispers to us that we should become

conscious of our inner God-spark, our higher Selves.Man, the German
leader who stems from Manus, from the Spirit of God Himself (Dio =
Teut =Deutsch = German), Son of God. Man, the Rune of the breath, of
truth, of power and the positive force of mankind. The Rune of the Spirit
and the Soul, of the Body—of awakening, working, governing, passing
away, of arising anew spiritually—which the three limbs striving upward
also indicate. Manus is the mystical tribal father of the Germanen [the
Germanic folk]. The mysterious Amen, Omen, Om are derived from the
old Nordic, Germanic root Man, which means the God-man, the Spirit-
Man. Numerical value 15.

* kala = Secret, concealment,[Verdrehung}.[11]

The y-Rune,Yr, wrong, error, iris, yew tree. This Rune means
misunderstanding, confusion, insanity, reversal, denial, destruction,
overthrow, temptation, erroneous lust in love. The erring human,
standing on his head. The Rune of erring love, of sorrow and of lust; joy
and pain, laughing and weeping. Numerical value 16.

Thee-Rune, Eh, Ehe [marriage] = eternal, the true, procreation, the Law
of Nature, which is fulfilled between man and wife. The two Selves, two
lives which by pure Love bind together themselves in marriage, merge,
and through mutual spiritual and physical re-polarization attain a higher
life. The £7te-Runc is the great Rune of Love, which will in future times
bring us to the zenith of our Germanic race.[12] Numerical value 17.

Theg-Rune,Gibor, Ge, Gea, Geo = Earth, God, gift, giver,Gibor—the

Rune representing the Fyrfos, the swastika, the fire of Love, constant
re-creation and eternal rebirth.Giborallar,[13] the altar of the All-Father,
the Giver; the Giver-Rune, in which is contained the Mal- cross [the
"times-sign"], the crossing, the marriage of two Selves, of two
powers. Gibur is the Eternal in human hearts. Gibur Arahari! = Man, be
one with God!—or—Give us primal power, Soul of the Sun, Arahari!
Numerical value 18.

Editors Notes

[1] Heilige Runenmacht remains untranslated. Originally published by

the Uranus Verlag in Hamburg, 1932.

[2] Based on the "Havamal" stanza 165.

[3] This is a magical formula in the heraldic language of Guido von List.
Its meaning is: "All victory for those conscious of the Divine Secret."
[4] See the "Havamal" stanzas 138-165 in the Poetic Edda.
[5] Here the Nietzschean formula ewige Wiederkehr is used.
[6] The significance of the formula of Arising-Being-Passing away to new
arising[Entstehen-Sein-Vergehen-zum neuen Entstehen] is an important
one developed by G. v. List.

[7] From the tale of Frau Holle in the collection by the Brothers Grimm.

[8]Kala is a Sanskrit word borrowed by Guido von List to indicate the

secret of the systematic permutations of esoteric meanings of words.

[9] Here the first person pronoun,ich, "I," is used as a noun— which is
how Sigmund Freud referred to the Ego in German terminology: das Ich,
"the 'I.'" The concept of the "ego" for the Armanen is a more
comprehensive one involving the entire Self.

[10] Here and in the following section Kummer betrays the Neoplatonic
basis for many of his underlying ideas.

[11] The practice of kala involves certain permutations of the meanings

of words which conceal their meanings from the uninitiated. See note 8
above.

[12] Tills is an obvious reference to the quasi-mystical eugenic dreams

common among contemporary Ariosophists.

[13]Giboraltar identified by Guido von List as the rock of Gibraltar.

Forming and Sensing the Man-Rune

Form the M- grasp the Aethers,

As did thine Aryo-Germanic fathers,

Thou sensest in thee a whispering and singing,
Which to thee a holy message is bringing.
The Runer should take up the well-known basic military position (at
attention)—the Is-Rune—facing North or East. The posture is erect, the
chin is slightly drawn in, the back arched. The hands are held at the
sides, the heels close together, toes pointed outward. Any rigid
exaggeration of the posture must be avoided. The Runer should inhale
and exhale deeply three times. With tills exercise the Runer has to
purify himself and ready himself for the reception of divine Rune-
currents. He should raise both arms diagonally upward, so that he forms
the human M-Rune, as shown in the drawing above. The palms are
turned upward and slightly cupped.

The Runer should now begin to hum: m-m-m, to slow, deep breathing.
You should begin soft and deep, let the tone swell and rise to the
highest pitch, then sink slowly again to a deep tone. Them is to be
hummed at all tone levels and in different volumes; it can also be sung
in a siren-like fashion. You should imitate the humming of bees.

The whole formula is to be repeated for half an hour, with good, deep
breathing. If your arms become tired, they can be held for short pauses
in the Is-Rune position, during which time, however, you should
continue to meditate spiritually on the reception of subtle cosmic
energies.

The subtle currents of the All-power, like radio waves, flood into the
back of the Runer's head, flow through the back and sympathetic nerves
and gather in the solar plexus and around the navel. At the same time
subtle waves of power flow into the palms of the hands (hand centers),
flood through your arms, stimulate the thymus gland (in the
center of the chest), join with the streams of the All-power in the
sympathetic nerves, activate the spleen, and strengthen the gathered
currents of power in the solar plexus, from where they fade away
through the navel into the aura. To some extent, they also (low through
the legs and then through the foot centers (in the middle of the feet)
into the earth, into the place you are standing. This process is repeated
throughout the entire practice session and brings about a strange,
blissful, beautiful feeling - a fine ringing and vibration in the practitioner.
The glands and higher centers of the body begin to sparkle; the inner
Self is freed from the constricting bonds of the body; flashes of thought,
ancestral memories and astral perception dawn from within the Runer.
You can feel and sense the cosmos, the world, in yourself whenever you
hum the tones of the Man-Rune. Every Rune has a different type of
current, a different strength, vibration, and rhythm. Those who
understand it and learn to connect themselves consciously to the All-
current of the Man-Rune become conscious magicians and masters of
their Fates.

The Man-Rune may be felt in other related types of current by means of

the following sound-formulas:

ma-me-mi-rno-mu

am-em-im-om um

After ending the exercise the Runer should drain off any energies which
have been too strongly accumulated, or unfavorable waves accumulated
through false thoughts, in the following manner:

In the Man-Rune posture, hum them in a high tone, then sink to the
lowest tone, while thinking, consciously willing, that all waves harmful to
the Spirit, Soul and Body are bound to the tone vibrating in the body,
and flow through the body and fade away under the soles of his feet into
the earth with the deepest tone.

Runes-Yodels-Cheers

In old yodels and cheers we recognize Hie ancient Aryan name of god:
Ja-Je-Jo-Ju.[17] This is the god of jubilation, of joy and yea-saying—but
also the name for the Ju-Gu, Goths, or Nation of God. In yodels we
recognize the Germanic Rune-cult, the sacred songs and battle yells of
our forefathers, which have survived in our mountain regions to the
present day. Yodels are linked to song-like melodies and are sung in
specific arrangements of tone and word.
There are no arbitrary aspects to these ancient traditional yodels, for
they are connected to quite precise formulas- magical powers of the
Runes and of words.

In olden times yodels were sung only together with specified bodily
exercises—Rune postures and dances-which notably increased their
magical effects. Yodels are a form of worship— Nature-bound prayer to
the All-father—the one great God of the Worlds. Thus, our ancestors, in
the highest affirmation of life, celebrated the Yod-ler, the God-ler,
and the Yell-er, as a song of thanks and a prayer of joy to their God of
jubilation, the god Baal (Hal, Dur). Now, as millennia ago, yodels are
sung by our Alpine dwellers and mountain-folk. Even if the deeper sense
is lost to them, the powers of the Runes still work and produce in the
yodler a great joy of life and an extremely close bond with nature,
which helps our mountain folk through every hardship in life.

R. J. Gorsleben calls the Ju-ra Mountains, which extend throughout

southern Germany, the center of the former cultic prominence of the
god Ju. A very large number of old Ju-cult centers are still preserved.

I am convinced that in olden times yodels were practiced in the far north
and in northern and central Germany. The yodels which have survived
can only be regarded as remnants of old Germanic songs of
sanctification, battle yells and songs of healing from a time long before
the coming of Christianity. As a battle song they must have produced a
colossal magical effect upon the enemy. In the magazine Der Germane
(vol. 3), J. Nase writes the following:

"To support the view of the great age and the holy meaning of the
yodel, I should like to refer here to the oldest historical evidence (next
to the Tacitus passage)[18] available to me for their appearance; which
to be sure, apparently speaks of yodels with word texts. It is to be found
in the appendix of the work Misopogon by the later Roman Emperor
Julian the Apostate, and reads in translation: 'So I saw the barbarians
(in Germania) on the other side of the Rhine singing passionate tunes
with words which resembled the cry of cackling hens, and (I saw) their
joy in these songs.'
Forgive me, if tills translation is incorrect! On the basis of this passage,
stories have always been told about how the singing of Germanic folk
resembled the croaking of birds of prey."

Julian, who himself fought against the Germanic peoples, probably does
not have in mind here the battle song of the Germanic tribes. In this
case he would probably have said: "So I heard," instead of "So I saw."
Because of this latter expression, as well as the emphasis on the joy of
the Germanic people in these melodies described as being passionate,
one begins to suspect that the passage deals with the observation of a
legislativeThing-assembly of a Germanic tribe supporting the field
commander, then allied with the Romans. His comparison of the
reported manner of song with the cackling of hens, in spite of the
apparently disparaging manner of expression of a foreign observer, is
nonetheless quite vivid, and one can recognize in this an authentic
description of yodeling, when one thinks about the first part of the
stanza, arranged for several voices, with the long drawn out ending.

Since Julian's Germanic campaign obviously did not concern mountain

people whose customs he was observing, his testimony may therefore
further serve to establish the fact that yodeling as Runic and sacralized
song was the expression of a widespread, common Germanic custom.
Its present occurrence only among the residents of the Alps
demonstrates to us the tenacity of the life-span of ancient Germanic
ethnic treasures, which must be described as spiritual treasures. So,
again, it is not difficult to recognize the manner of the barditus, or battle
song, described by Tacitus in his Germania in part as yodeling. He
writes: "Further, they know such songs called barditus; through their
utterance they quicken the spirit of battle, and from the song itself they
prophesy the outcome of the coming engagement. As the song rises out
of the ranks, they arouse fear or foster fear, and the song expresses, as
it were, almost the beat of brave hearts as the joined sound of single
voices. Primarily, it is in a raw tone and almost a muffled din. While
singing, they hold their shields in front of their mouths to allow the
sound to swell fuller and stronger through the echo." [20] This idea still
has echoes in the fact that a! is the outburst of amazement, of
wonderment, but also of contempt. Likewise, e! is the cry of a sense of
justice, of regret and of inhibition; i! is the cry of inwardness, of stress
of the ego or of the individual personality, as well as of fear; while o!
serves as the expression of pain, of aversion and of fear of death; as u!
serves as a shout of joy and surprise, of spurring on to energetic
endeavor, and as a cry of terror. The Germanic people were
thoroughly shaped by mystical values.

This ancient sense of the vowels is again related to their mystical primal
meaning as symbolic sounds, namely,a as the fundamental sound of the
meaning of shaping[Schaffen] and mastering [Walten]; e as the
fundamental sound of decreeing[Gesetz], ethics[Recht} and being
[Leben}; i is the fundamental sound of inwardness, of spiritual light; o is
the fundamental sound for the corporeal, for order;u is the fundamental
sound for that which was perfected in the pre- temporal All-Perfected —
the Ur- the Height, ruling from the Beyond.

These developments in the study of language strengthen the view that

the age of yodeling readies back deep into the earliest times of the
Aryo-Germanic tribes.

Yodeling is also related to the time of the solstices, hence hulen and
julen, Hail and Yule, as opposites, like struggle and victory. R. J.
Gorsleben writes in his work Die Hoch-Zeit der Menschheit [Zenith of
Mankind]:

"Hu is a high celestial god of the Aryo-Atlanteans, whom we find

widespread in the divine syllables Ju, Jo, Ja, Je; who also is hidden in
the names Ju-ra (the Ural mountains),Ju-ropa = Europa; also in the Ju-
hymns to the Ju-baal = the Jubilee-God of the Alpine folk, in the cheers
and yodels (Godly songs), in the Hul and Jul [Yule], the two solstices,
with their annual feasts. In the old village of Freesen in Thuringia, at the
time of the Summer Solstice, the young girls call to the young men:
'Hihu!' and the latter reply in a deep voice: 'Hexe!' [witch!] In other
places they call: 'Yuhu!'"

In the word yodel the name of God—Yott is present, still unadulterated.

Our German word Ja [yea], the affirmation, the affirmative movement,
went out with the waves of Aryan conquerors and became the divine
name Ya-weh, Yeho-va, Yo, Ya, Ye, Yuh. The word "Yu-hu," in which
both divine names are connected, contains the expression of the
absolute highest affirmation of Life which is in the Divine. The syllables
Yo-Go also express Life and Movement and became the priestly name of
Jona, "going," English "to go"; those traveling the Sun's path in the
holy circles of stone of the island of Jo-na, an Atlantean nucleus in
Scotland. In the Celtic regions of Ireland and Scotland, Hu-man was
principally honored.

Man = God, therefore Hu-Man is the Hu-God, and Ins servants are the
hu-mans. The German clan names of Huch and the English "Hugh,"
"Hughes," etc., refer to the "Hug-est," the Highest.[21]

Jugend [youth] is easily explained from a combination of Juand gend,

kent, from the Kun-Rune—therefore that which "kunnt" = comes directly
from God.
This is closely related to Ith--Jud—Juda, which also means "stemming
from God," Ju-da; likewise, the Goda, the Goth, who is "godly." The
Jews stole this Germanic name, to which they have no right, for it is
purely a German word, the Jude, the Good, the Goth.[22]

"Ach, Herr Je!" is part of the invocation to Ja, not a suppressed outburst,
"Ach, Herr Jesus!" [Oil, Lord Jesus!].

In the "Holdrio" of the yodel is still contained the invocation of the Hol-
trio, the Holy Three, to whom was also consecrated the Hol-under, the
elder-tree, the holy tree.

Some old yodels which have been handed down are given below. To
anyone who might be interested in further examples I recommend the
worthwhile collection by Prof. Dr. J. Pommer: Jodler und Juchzer mil
Notendruck [Yodels and Cheers with Musical Notation].[19]

Through the previous exercises, new light falls on this famous passage.

Guido von List gives an enlightening explanation in his Ur-sprache fur

die Jodlerart der Selbstlaule [Primeval- Language for Yodeling the
Vowels], as to how yodeling is involved with ancient Germanic customs.
He directs our attention to the threefold mystical sense added in ancient
times to the vowels A, E, I, 0, U.

Thef,Fa-Rune. The Runer should take up the Is-Rune position (military

attention); then follow this with three cycles of deep breathing exercise,
during which your thoughts are directed toward physical and spiritual
cleansing. This practice should also be observed before performing all
the other Rune signs. Now raise your left arm straight up,
and put your left hand in the position shown in Fig. 1 in the sketches
given in the tables above—forming theFa-Rune.
With good deep breathing, singf-f-a-a, rising from the deepest to the
highest tone, lets the voice sink to the middle
tone and rise again to the highest; and repeat the singing in this
position for three minutes. Immediately following take
a short pause in theIs-posture, then the whole exercise is repeated
twice more. Mean while your thoughts should be
focused upon the unfolding primal fire, on the generation of fire, on fire-
generated magical power, on pure Love for
the Fa-tor of all Worlds. By the third repetition the Runer will detect a
strong prickling sensation in the middle of the
left hand—this is the emerging primal fire. With daily repetition tlie
entire glandular system and bodily centers are
stimulated to such an extent that the collection of energies continuously
increases in the left hand and produces a real
burning sensation. Your hand will begin to appear to turn red, and often
it will vibrate with glowing red rays, during
which time it may happen that astral perceptions will appear, images
will be seen, and voices will be heard, etc. These
appearances will be different for individual Runers depending entirely
upon the composition of their blood[24]and
their spiritual development.

By a conscious act of will the Runer should now, while singing from the
highest to the deepest tones, circulate
those energies gathered in his hand throughout his entire body. I shall
give no instructions concerning the magical
employment of this sign against other persons, but advise every Runer
to use these signs only for his own development.

For this Rune hand-sign I give the following sound formulas:

fa-fe-fi-fo-fu.

Fig. 2 shows the [/r-Rune hand-sign. Your left arm is bent below the
shoulder height, so that the hand position, Fig. 2,
comes to rest about 8 inches in front of your eyes. The Runer singsu-u-u
in different pitches and volumes for three
minutes, following which you take a short pause. Each Rune sign must
be repeated three times for three minutes each,
since otherwise no satisfactory collection of energies can be reached in
the hand centers.

Inner meditation is focused on the intake of primal power, primal

knowledge, increasing magical, magnetic

powers.
Here the Runer will detect, above all in the finger-tips and the center of
the hand, a certain cool, lukewarm, or even warm feeling. The
perception is different for every Runer; as in every case of magnetism,
one feels a coolness, another warmth, because every human being is
polarized differently. The one is more electric, the other more magnetic,
and as a result the perception varies as well.* At the end of the
exercise, the Runer should circulate the collected energies by a
conscious act of will throughout the entire body, during which time
advanced students can observe a pale gold-orange or gold-green
oscillation of their auras. A strong charge of electro-magnetic powers
can be achieved through this Rune hand-sign especially.

* Here I should like to mention the worthwhile investigations of J. P.

Reimann Mar-Galittu on polarity and

emanation research.

I recommend the following sound formula:

U-u-r-r.

Fig. 3. The Runer proceeds as with the .Fa-Rune, stretches the left arm
upward and takes the hand position of Fig. 3.
Singd-a-a three times, for three minutes each, during which higher
tones are to be held longer. Here, too, cosmic
energies begin to collect in the hand, which is experienced as prickling in
the extended finger-tips, as well as in the ring
finger and the tip of the thumb. Thoughts are focused on the reception
of Solar powers. After ending the exercise the
collected energies are to be circulated throughout the entire body by an
act of conscious will. At the deepest tone they
are focused in the feet. The astral color vibration is bright yellow. Also
higher astral laws can be evoked by means of
this hand-sign. This depends entirely on how much cosmic energy the
Runer is able to absorb and take into the body.
The deeper the inner concentration is, the stronger the collection of
powers will be. Due to a lack of space I cannot do
into further details here.

This Rune-sign also has the following sound formulas:

finger—the entire hand becomes warm. During the circulation through
the body, you sense a warm stirring through the
whole Self. After ending the exercise you can ascertain on the index
finger a sulfuric smell (like burned gunpowder). I
noticed that this smell is often different, but always sulfurous in nature.
The astral color is blue to red-violet. This sign
can also be formed with the right hand; it produces then a different
body current which is to be recommended equally.
Fig. 10 shows theAr-Rune hand-sign which is performed right-handed
and with the thumb bent downward as far
as possible. Here through singing thea-a-a sound particularly electric
energies are accumulated in the hand, so that the

Runer feels a fine tingling and a gentle prickling in the thumb, the base
of the thumb, and the hand center; the
outstretched fingers begin to vibrate lightly. Thoughts or inner
meditations are focused on receivingAr-Fire and Solar
powers. Tills sign particularly affects the forces of life, in a rejuvenating
and strengthening manner. Drawing the power
into the body produces a strong effect on the solar plexus. The astral
color is silver-grey to bright grey-green.

Fig. 11 portrays theSig-Rune hand-sign, which is performed with the left

arm extended (like theKa-Rune sign,
Fig. 6) and the right arm slightly bent, with the fingers closed and
extended. The left thumb touches the tip of the index
finger of the right hand. Its sound formulas are:

S-s-i-g

sa-se-si-so-su.

Inner thoughts are focused on victory over one's own mistakes and
weaknesses, on receiving sunny, victorious healing
powers and the inherited memory[26] of magical might and power. By
tills hand-sign, too, a great accumulation of
cosmic energies is acquired in the hands. The left hand becomes warm,
and the Runer will feel how the current also
passes into the right hand. During the discharge process, the current
can be observed throughout the entire body. Here,
too, one may detect an ozone odor coming from the hands. This sign
produces a strong awareness of power and victory
in the practitioner. With sufficient development of the Runer, higher
magical laws will come into force.

The astral color is golden yellow by day, silver grey by night.

Fig. 12. TheTyr-Rune hand-sign is performed right-handed about 8

inches in front of the body, with a bent arm, so

that the tip of the index finger is located at the height of the navel. The
sound formulas are:

T-y-r

ta-te-ti-to-tu.

Spiritual meditation: "From rebirth to rebirth I have gone; I strive to

Thee, All-Father; over Life and Death, through

Sorrow, Stress and Need, Joy and Contentment I strive in longing back
to Thee."

After several repetitions of this sign, the Runer will be able to perceive a
pleasant turning or boring feeling in the right hand. A subtle bond
develops with the navel, though which the energies affect the solar
plexus, in such a way that a whispering begins in the Inner Self of the
Runer, inherited memories and often astral perceptions appear.

The astral color is reddish grey by day, grey-blue by night.

Fig. 13. TheBar-Rune sign is produced with the arms raised above the
head, as Fig. 13 shows. Its sound formulas

are:

B-a-r

ba-be-bi-bo-bu.

Inner thoughts are focused on the birth of the Spirit and higher magical
powers. Here the Runer, if inwardly well
centered, will observe in the hands, as well as with the intake of power
into the body, a light fluttering feeling, as if the
higher Spirit and higher magical abilities were being born—engendered
by the energies from this Rune-sign. Often,
after weeks of daily practice, the feeling appears more strongly
perceptible. Persistence leads to the goal.

The astral color is bright blue by day, bright violet by night.

Fig. 14 shows theLaf-Rune hand-sign. The Runer should raise the left
arm upward and assume the hand position

shown in Fig. 14. Utilize the following sound formulas with this sign:

L-a-f

la-le-li-lo-lu.

Thoughts are focused on Love for the Fa-tor, on enlightenment of the

Self. Here the Runer will observe a mild
warming of the left hand. After ending this exercise I was able, on a
number of occasions, to detect an odor similar to
rubber. With this sign one is able to effect a strengthening of Ills aura. It
is also the sign for initiation into higher Life.

The astral color is bright fire-red by day, ruby-red by night.

Fig. 15. TheMan-Rune hand-sign is performed with the right arm

stretched upward, with the hand position as

shown in Fig. 15. Its sound formulas are:

m-m-m

M-m-a-n-n

ma-me-mi-mo-mu.

Thoughts are meanwhile focused on Universal Love, cosmic spiritual

creativity and the awakening of divine magic.
Tills sign is one of the most effective Rune-signs—the right hand begins
to flame and glow. The Runer will have a
sensation as if fine rays are emanating from three fingers, and the
entire hand is strongly charged electrically. With this
sign the Runer is prepared to banish every danger. It is the sign of the
reborn, conscious magician and of the three-
fingered Hand of Light of our exalted ancestors, which blesses and
protects. This sign enables Hie Runer to penetrate
into the highest secrets of Rune-magic. After performing this hand-sign,
the aroma of burned electrical wires is often
perceptible. Again it should be mentioned, as with all the hand-signs,
the exercise should be concluded with the
circulation of power through your entire body.

The astral color is purple-red by day, phosphorescent greenish-red by

night.

Fig. 16 shows theEh-Rune hand-sign[27] which is performed with the

left hand, similar to theKa-Rune sign,

except that the thumb is spread somewhat further outward. Its sound
formulas are:

e-e-e

E-h-e.

Inner thought is focused on pure Love, spiritual, psychic fusion, on

freedom from low-minded drives and passions. This sign produces a
pure and noble life in both thoughts and desires. With this sign a subtle
wreath of light may be observed about the entire hand.

The astral color is yellow by day, yellow-green by night.

Fig. 17. In this sign the hands are folded above the head, except that
the fingers remain stiff, straight and pointed.

The sound formulas are:

ga-ge-gi-go-gu.

Thought is focused on the universal bond among all things, on the

connection to the harmonious vibration throughout the All. This sign is
also well suited to meditations and prayers. Spiritual clarity and a
contented feeling of being safe and of inner peace is attained through
this sign especially; inherited memories and high Aryan knowledge
become apparent to the knowledgeable Runer.

Tlie astral color is golden yellow by day, red-golden by night.

Gibur-Arahari!

To all practitioners Victory- and All-Rune Hail!

 The high holy Grove of Light; Runa—the Divine Secret. Through the Gate
which leads into this whispering grove,
one sees the shadowless God-Man, Son of the Sun, highly developed through
overcoming Self, vibrating in a cosmic
sea of light and radiation. Before the Gate are two Germanic marking stones which
open only to the Germanic adept
who masters the higher mysteries, and who knows the secret of gravity. In the
foreground stands the struggling
Germanic man in the Not-Rune posture; he has recognized the High Way and is
fighting through to the true Light by
 overcoming his own Need. He is, however, still a shadow-man; the most difficult
test still lies before him.
Editors Notes
[28] Here we have another example of the particular occult ideology common
among German rune magicians of
the early 20th century. TheBlutsverfassung, composition of the blood, is an obvious
reference to the "purity of the
blood" as measured by contemporary racial standards.
[29] See Sebottendorf's Sufi exercises in Ilis book Die geheimen Ubungen der turkischen
Freimauer for reports of
similar phenomena.
[30] This "inherited memory"[Erberinnerung] is something which one inherits from one's
ancestors along meta-
genetic lines.
[31] Notable for its absence is theYr-Rune sign. Which apparently Kummer thought of as
being too negative to be
practiced.
[32] Here we have another example of the particular occult ideology common
among German rune magicians of
the early 20th century. TheBlutsverfassung, composition of the blood, is an obvious
reference to the "purity of the
blood" as measured by contemporary racial standards.
[33] See Sebottendorf's Sufi exercises in Ilis book Die geheimen Ubungen der turkischen
Freimauer for reports of
similar phenomena.
[34] This "inherited memory"[Erberinnerung] is something which one inherits from one's
ancestors along meta-
genetic lines.
[35] Notable for its absence is theYr-Rune sign. Which apparently Kummer thought of as
being too negative to be
practiced.
[36] Notable for its absence is theYr-Rune sign. Which apparently Kummer thought of as
being too negative to be
practiced.
Bibliography
Gorsleben, Rudolf John. Die Hoch-Zeit der Menschheit. Leipzig: Kohler & Amelang,
1930.
Hollander, Lee M., trans. The Poetic Edda. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1962,
2nd ed.
Kummer, Siegfried Adolf. Heilige Runenmacht: Wiedergeburt des Armanentums durch
Runenubungen und Tanze.
Hamburg: Uranus, 1932.
List, Guido von. The Secret of the Runes, trans. S.E. Flowers. Rochester, VT:
Destiny, 1988.
Pommer, Josef. Jodler und Juchzer mil Notendruck. Vienna: Adolf Robitschek Verlag,
1906.
Reimann Mar-Galittu, Johanna Paula. Magnetische Aura des kosmischen Menschen.
Trier: Reis, 1922.
Sebottendorf, Rudolf von. Die gcheimen Ubungen der turkischen Freimauer. Freiburg i.
Breisgau: Bauer, 1977,
4th ed.
Thorsson, Edred. Rune Might. St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn, 1989.
Key to the Runic Futhork Table
The Rune-rows are to be read from top to bottom. On the right side the sound value of each
Rune is provided. Row:
1 Runic Futhork, 18 Rune row according to G, v. List.
2 Runic Futhork of the Edda according to R. J. Gorsleben.
3 Runic Futhork, the Kylver stone, Sweden.
4 Runic Futhork, the gold bracteate of Vadstena.
5 Runic Futhork Stone from Gotland in Sweden.
6 Runic Futhork, the silver brooch of Charnay.
7 Runic Futhork, the Themes scramsax.
8 Runic Futhork: The holy Row according to Prof. H. Wirth.
9 Runic Futhork of Breza (incomplete).
The other Runic Rows which follow are arranged according to the alphabetic order. Row:
10 Common Germanic Futhark according to Wilser.
11 Nordic Rune Poem.
1
Divination Practices—Runes
By Dr. John Ankerberg and Dr. John Weldon
(from Encyclopedia of New Age Beliefs, Harvest House Publishers, 1996)
Introduction
Runes are ancient Teutonic and Norse alphabet sigils (signs or images) placed
upon tiles that are given magical and divinatory properties. The word “rune” derives
from the Indo-European root “rw,” meaning “secret” or “mystery.” 1 Promoters of
rune magic often lament that Americans and Europeans are neglecting this
powerful form of divination, which has ancient ties with old Western roots. Why use
the Chinese I Ching or the Middle Eastern tarot cards when Americans can tap
their own unique spiritual heritage? As one rune worker states:
Runes are an alternative to I Ching, Tarot and even tea-leaves and, in many
respects, offer significant advantages over their oriental, middle eastern and
homebrewed counterparts.
Runes are basically a practical method of fortune-telling and reflect, to some
degree, their northern European origins. They are easier to interpret than I Ching
and compared with Tarot cards require less intuitive application by the reader. 2
Rune magic, healing, and divination are enjoying a resurgence of popularity. In
The Runic Workbook: Understanding and Using the Power of Runes, Tony
Willis observes:
Runic wisdom is more easily available in the world today in the form of books,
articles, lectures and study groups than it has been for the previous nine centuries.
Read, study, practise [sic] runic divination and magic, and the next... piece of
information, the next step along the Path will be revealed to you at the right time
and
in the right way. The most important lesson you will ever learn is that the Universal
Forces are to be trusted. 3
A few of the titles now available include: R. W. Elliott, Runes; R. L. Page, An
Introduction to English Runes; Ralph Blum, The Book of Runes; Michael
Howard, The Wisdom of the Runes; Edred Thorson, Futhark: A Handbook of
Rune Magic; and David and Julia Line, Fortune Telling by Runes.
Like the I Ching, tarot, Ouija board, and other forms of divination, the runes give
access to power, but not a power explainable by natural law or conventional
science. 4 It is a power That reflects our modern return to paganism.
Recent History
The remnants of ancient paganism can be seen in widely diverse ways in our
culture. For example, the names of our days of the week are astrologically
influenced (Sunday = sun day, Monday = moon day, Wednesday = Woden’s day,
Thursday = Thor’s day, etc.), and some of our holidays, such as Christmas and
Easter, were once pagan. Something as common as a deck of playing cards is
apparently a derivation of an earlier form of the tarot pack.* Thus, it is not
surprising to discover that pagan runes have also influenced our
*The major manufacturer of playing cards in the U.S., the United States Playing Card
Company of Cincinnati, Ohio, also sells the tarot; its standard order form offers three
different varieties.

history. The British currency called pounds, shillings, and pence was derived in
part from the Roman solidus (coin) which bore a runic inscription. 5 Some texts on
runes mention that Hitler’s troops used the runic form of “S” as symbols on their
collar badges. 6
Like occult practices in general, runes were once suppressed by the church as a
work of the devil, but rune revivals have occurred periodically. For example, in the
late 1800s:
By going underground, the runic system survived as an unpublished and
unpublicized magico-mystical tradition in all the Anglo-Saxon, Germanic and
Scandinavian countries—and this includes the United States which took in
immigrants in large numbers from all those areas. At the end of the nineteenth
century, the teaching first began to be written down in a formulated and coherent
fashion. The bulk of this work was done by German and Austrian occultists,
sometimes using material that had been transmitted orally, but more usually
working via the method of analeptic recall. 7
The Germans in particular seem to have been fascinated by the runes, and
Naziism not only made use of them but of much other occultism as well. 8
Practitioners David and Julia Line observe:
Although the Church actively tried to stamp out runic divination, it continued
to be practised in secret and became inevitably linked with witches, warlocks and
their arts.
Runes, both esoteric and practical, continued to be studied throughout history
until this century and nowhere else were they held in such high esteem as Germany.
Runes became a vital component of the Third Reich’s belief in Aryan superiority. 9
In fact, the Nazis employed two runes extensively: the swastika (originally a Norse
magical symbol known as Thor’s hammer) and the sigil [a stylized “s” or lightening
bolt] used by the SS troops, originally a symbol of the Earth Mother and the sun. 10
The runic connection to German politics and pagan beliefs seems clear:
It was not until the late nineteenth century that runes once more appeared in
public consciousness and this was the result of research by German occultists who
were trying to revive Teutonic and Norse paganism.
Many of these occultists identified themselves with various extreme forms of
German nationalism. One of these was Dr. Bernard Koerner,... a disciple of the
famous German occultist Guido Von List whose book The Secrets of Runes was a
best-seller in European occult circles. Another associate of Koerner was Baron von
Sebbottendorf who edited a magazine called Runen or The Rune devoted to Aryan
paganism, rune lore and anti-Jewish propaganda.... It is certain that Hitler and his
cronies were fascinated by the runes and their secret occult powers. He even
adopted the rune as the symbol of the feared SS elite troops who effectively ruled
occupied Europe.
Today, the worship of the old Norse gods still continues. There are Odinist
movements in Germany, Britain, Canada, the United States and Australia. Some
advocate extreme right wing politics which suggest a link with the German
nationalists and many still practise the ancient art of rune magic. 11
Not surprisingly, the association with Hitlerism drove rune magic underground:
The appropriation of the Runes by the higher echelons of the Nazi party did the
advancement of runic lore no good at all in the years following the Second World
War.... [A]fter the collapse of the Nazi war machine the Allies very naturally wanted
nothing at all to do with Runes: neither did the German nation itself, busily
repudiating the Nazis and all their works and anxious to avoid guilt by association
in any form. The Runes were consequently consigned to the occult wilderness. Only
one article on Runes was published in the United Kingdom between the middle
forties and the early seventies. 12
In recent decades, runes have experienced another revival, perhaps, at least in
part, from the great popularity of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, which deals
with Teutonic and Norse mythology. In The Runic Workbook, Willis writes of the
postwar era:
During this period, the Runes and runic philosophy were being impressed upon
the consciousness of the post-war world, particularly among the English-speaking
peoples, through the surprising agency of J.R.R. Tolkien. In The Lord of the
Rings, the Dwarves are said to use the Runes for communications, and this runic
alphabet is explained in that part of the Appendix to The Lord of the Rings which
deals with writing in Middle Earth. Tolkien was a professor of Anglo-Saxon, and the
whole work [The Hobbit and the three books of The Lord of the Rings] is shot
through with glimpses of Teutonic Mythology. 13
Willis argues that “the guardians of the runic traditions” (i.e., the spirit world,
particularly the ancient pagan gods associated with runes) have now instituted a
PR program on behalf of rune magic:
In occult circles, however, it was not until the early eighties, when interest in the
Runes had reached a high pitch, that the guardians of the runic tradition gave the
order for a further release of information—this time of a deeper and more esoteric
nature. This is where we stand today, on the brink of a new dawn of runic
instruction.... For those who prefer group workings, there are Odinic Lodges, as
the runic Mystery Schools are called, operating all over Northern Europe, North
America, and even Australia. 14
In theory or practice, runes, like other divination, may be combined with additional
forms of the occult—astrology, geomancy, numerology, alchemy, cabalism, the I
Ching, tarot, etc.15 Rune tiles can be drawn at random and meditated on, cast in
lots like the I Ching, or laid out in wheels or crosses like the tarot. One author
refers to the runes as “a later and more sophisticated version of the I Ching….” 16
Shamanism
A survey of the literature will also reveal the connection between runes and ancient
shamanism. Indeed, the modern rune caster is, in part, engaging in a practice that
will enable him to develop shamanic skills. For example, Michael Howard’s text,
The Magic of the Runes: Their Origins and Occult Power, is a preliminary
introduction to shamanism. He discusses the relationship between the rune
masters (priests) and shamans, their common employment of spiritism, and some
of the similarities in philosophy and practice. ForHoward, the rune master was a
kind of shaman: 17
The wizards who used the runes for magical purposes regarded themselves as
blood kin to Odin, the Nordic god who was popularly accredited with inventing the
runic alphabet. As we have seen, they were basically followers of the shamanistic
tradition which is one of the oldest, if not the oldest, religious belief systems known
to humanity.... Shamanistic spirit drums had occult symbols or demon faces painted
on their surfaces and runic characters etched around the rim.… 18
Not surprisingly, Howard concludes by noting that through rune work and the
related practice of dream work, “We can indeed become our own shamans.” 19
Willis, whose text is a standard work on runes in occult circles, also observes the
shamanistic orientation of rune magic:
With the purchase of this book, you are on your way to becoming a runic shaman.
Resolve to be worthy of this ancient and noble calling. ... Runes are the sacred
symbols of the Teutonic races, and in the far past, a complete system of philosophy
and magic was erected upon them. This system was handed down from shaman to
pupil with word of mouth using the Runes themselves as mnemonies.... The
Germanic/Norse tradition is essentially shamanistic.... The clearest description we
have of a runic practitioner is of a female shaman. It comes from the Saga of Erik
the Red, and was written in the thirteenth century. 20
Notes:
1. Rosemary Ellen Guiley, Harper’s Encyclopedia of Mystical and Paranormal
Experience,
San Francisco, CA: Harper Collins, 1991, p. 522.
2. David and Julia Line, Fortune Telling by Runes, Wellingborough,
Northamptonshire,
England: Aquarian Press, 1985, p. 9.
3. Tony Willis, The Runic Workbook: Understanding and Using the Power of
Runes,
Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, England: Aquarian Press, 1986, p. 180.
4. David and Julia Line, Fortune Telling, p. 8.
5. Ibid., p. 21.
6. Michael Howard, The Magic of the Runes: Their Origins and Occult Power ,
Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, England: The Aquarian Press, 1986, p. 6 ff.
7. Willis, The Runic Workbook, p. 19.
8. J. M. Angebert, The Occult and the Third Reich , NY: McGraw Hill, 1975;
Dusty Skylar,
Gods and Beasts, NY: Thomas Crowell, 1977.
9. David and Julia Line, Fortune Telling, pp. 18-19.
10. Guiley, p. 523.
11. Howard, Magic, pp. 86-67.
12. Willis, The Runic Workbook, p. 20.
13. Ibid.
14. Ibid.
15. David and Julia Line, Fortune Telling, pp. 17-18, 24, 29; Willis, The Runic
Workbook,
pp. 32, 125, 165, 188-92; Howard, Magic, p. 74.
16. Howard, Magic, p. 74.
17. Ibid., pp. 9-13, 29-35, 54-59.
18. Ibid., pp. 29-31.
19. Ibid.
20. Willis, The Runic Workbook, pp. 13, 17-18.
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