Today I would like to talk about rune reading, or rune counselling as we prefer to call it in Stav.

All of Stav is essentially knowing how to create and read runes in many different forms but rune counselling is a specific application of this skill.

Lets define what mean by rune counselling. It is basically the process by which two people have a discussion over runes which have been picked out by one of the two people and it helps if the other person has knowledge of the runes. In some ways it is a bit of a party trick in that people get rather exited at the idea of “having their runes read” and I have to admit here that I only usually do rune readings at events such as the Druid camp where there is usually a divination tent and I find myself included with the Tarot readers, Astrologers and other refugees from Hogwarts. My paternal grandmother apparently had a reputation for reading tea leaves (before the days of tea bags of course) so maybe its in the blood for me too. There are lots of ways of doing divination and when done correctly (although please don't ask me to define 'correctly') it seems to get people talking and thinking about what is important to them and that is a reasonable definition of counselling.

My problem with rune readings is that I prefer not to encourage dependency. If you study and practice Stav then you will learn how to know yourself better through working with the runes. If you pay someone else to read the runes for you you are dependent upon them. I am very much in the teach people to fish, don't give them fish camp. But some people are scared of water but still like kippers for breakfast. So if you are going to read runes for other people here are some guidelines.

You need some runes. I am all in favour of people making sets from the wood of an appropriate tree and carefully carving and finishing them. And of course making or buying a nice leather bag to keep them in and draw them from. This is a good exercise for learning the runes and working with wood. If you have such a set available for readings then it all adds to the effect. However, cardboard, scissors and a ball point pen will enable you to make a perfectly functional set in a few minutes. When teaching practical rune courses there are moments when it looks like a kindergarten with scissors, card and felt tip pens in use. But they will work just fine. Remember, Stav does not depend upon availability of artefacts and equipment, rather the knowledge to make them when you need them.

You need someone with a real desire to learn from the runes. Sorry, sounds obvious but two important things here. If you read for someone who doesn't really want to be read for then you will still get a reading but it will be very difficult to interpret the outcome. If you are simply asked for straight advice then just give the best advice you can but don't offer to read runes unless specifically asked. Also never do third party readings, by that I mean if someone says “my daughter is getting married I want to know how it is going to turn out?” then refuse to engage with that. Whatever insights may be uncovered what could be done about it anyway? The mother can hardly go to the daughter and say' “the runes say 'don't marry him'” can she?

Don't engage with questions at all at the start of the reading if you can possibly avoid it. As I suggested when talking about the stances, the runes seem to be a means of communicating between the intuitive and cognitive aspects of the mind. Therefore the value in the reading is in discovering what the questioner knows intuitively about their lives at that particular moment. If you are both focussing on a question formulated by the cognitive mind you are less likely to get to grips with what the intuitive mind actually wants to say.

The way I actually conduct a reading is as follows. Having greeted the questioner and made him or her comfortable I prepare myself by taking nine breaths and silently asking for guidance and clarity. This also gives the questioner time to relax as well. Then I ask them to take three runes, one at a time and lay them out for past, present and future. Then I explain what the runes signify before asking how this might relate to their situation. This is the scary bit when you might just get that stony faced look which says “that means nothing to me at all” which would be very awkward. Usually people start talking and you can unpack where they are in their lives and what they want to sort out. As you engage with the process you relate back to the runes by referencing meanings and associations, rune poems and mythology. You really do need to know your rune lore to do it right and holding runes in one hand and a list of meanings and associations in the other won't inspire much confidence in the questioner.

Have a time limit to keep the reading focussed. That is another advantage of doing readings at events, there is usually someone else waiting their turn or there is a finishing time to work to. So at the end I will endeavour to sum up the discussion and how it related to the runes they pulled out. The I will tell them to sleep on it and see how they feel in the morning before they make any decisions. This way the reading becomes a three way process, the symbols which their intuitive mind selected, a detailed discussion of their situation as it is in the real world and an opportunity to reflect upon their feelings and make decisions in due course based on all three elements.

Obviously a pretty vast subject but hopefully that gives you an idea how I see it.

Happy new year

Graham