Quick Specs
- Author: Alexandra Chauran
- Publisher: Llewellyn Worldwide, 2016
- Pages: 216
- Best for: Complete beginners to rune divination and the Elder Futhark
Elder Futhark Runes: Origins and Divinatory Tradition
The Elder Futhark is the oldest surviving runic alphabet, a set of 24 symbols carved into objects across the Germanic and Scandinavian world from approximately the 2nd through the 8th century CE. The name Futhark derives from its first six letters: Fehu, Uruz, Thurisaz, Ansuz, Raido, and Kaunan. Unlike the later Younger Futhark used in the Viking Age, the Elder Futhark retains the full 24-symbol system that modern divination practice is built on. The runes appear on bracteates, weapons, memorial stones, and everyday objects across Scandinavia, Anglo-Saxon England, and the continental Germanic territories.
Rune divination differs meaningfully from tarot. Tarot depends on a fixed symbolic image read in positional context within a spread; rune casting works with archetypal symbols that carry their own traditional lore, drawn or cast from a pouch and interpreted through the practitioner’s developing intuition and study. Where tarot pulls from medieval European allegory and Kabbalistic correspondence, runes pull directly from Norse and Germanic mythology: Odin, Freya, the World Tree Yggdrasil, and the three Norns who weave fate. Learning runes means engaging that specific cultural and symbolic vocabulary.
Alexandra Chauran’s Accessible Beginner Approach
Chauran, a professional fortune-teller, Wiccan high priestess, and Llewellyn author of dozens of divination guides, structures this book for the absolute beginner. She opens with a short history of the runes, explains the three aetts (the groupings of eight runes each), and then teaches a practical alliterative technique for memorization: Thurisaz links to thorn, Thor’s hammer, and thistle, giving three memory anchors for one rune’s energy. This kind of mnemonic scaffolding is what sets her approach apart from encyclopedic rune references that present meanings without retention tools.
The book covers casting methods, spread layouts, and how to apply rune readings to love, career, health, and decision-making questions. It also includes a chapter on making your own runes from natural materials, a practice many seasoned rune workers recommend for deepening the personal bond with the set. Browse my rune sets and accessories if you want to pair a physical set with this guide.
How to Use Runes for Beginners by Alexandra Chauran
A three-step path from first encounter with the Elder Futhark to confident casting practice, following Chauran’s structured approach.
- Learn the Rune Meanings
Start with the rune meanings chapter. Chauran’s alliterative technique links each rune’s name to a key word, so Fehu connects to fee, wealth; Uruz to auroch, strength. Spend a few minutes daily with one rune before moving to the next.
- Practice Single-Rune Draws
Practice single-rune draws first. Hold your rune set, focus on a question, and draw one stone. Record the rune, your response, and how it played out. This daily journal practice builds interpretive skill faster than memorization alone.
- Advance to Spread Layouts
Progress to three-rune spreads once single draws feel grounded. The past-present-future layout Chauran teaches is the standard entry point for multi-rune readings. The book also covers love, career, and health spreads for real-life questions.
The Tarot Fellow Standard
This is the first dedicated rune reference book I’ve stocked, and Chauran’s guide earns that position because it balances genuine historical grounding with practical, repeatable technique. The alliterative memorization method alone is worth the cover price for anyone who has struggled to keep 24 symbols straight. It reads as a real teaching text rather than a list-of-meanings glossary. For a fuller foundation in divination tools beyond runes, browse my tarot and divination collection.
Frequently Asked Questions
Elder Futhark is the oldest runic alphabet, comprising 24 symbols used by Germanic and Norse peoples from roughly the 2nd to 8th century CE. It is the standard system taught in most modern rune divination books, including Chauran’s guide.
You need a physical rune set to practice casting. The book teaches making your own from stones or wood, which many prefer for the personal connection. Pre-made sets of 24 stones are widely available and work equally well.
No Norse background is required. Chauran writes as an accessible beginner guide and explains the cultural and historical context within the book itself. You do not need to follow a Norse spiritual path to learn rune divination as an oracle system.
Most practitioners grow comfortable with single-rune draws within a few weeks of daily work. Full fluency with 24 runes and multi-rune spreads typically takes several months, though the book is designed to work at any pace.
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