What drew you to runes?

I am interested in runes lately, and I am not sure why. I am also thinking of making them myself, since I have some polished amethyst stones lying around.

So I was wondering what drew other people to runes, and what you got out of them that was different than tarot.

Tarotphelia

I can't remember a time when I was without them (although there must have been a time, I just can't remember - I'm getting old! Wah!)... so I can't answer your first question, sorry.

What I get out of them? Magick, mostly I don't use them for divination at all, they just don't speak to me. But when I do magick (which isn't very often, btw), I use them. They just add power.

Well, not being Asian, I Ching never ‘spoke’ to me.

My ancestors are from Northern Europe, Western Europe, and the pre-white man Americas.

Runes hail from Europe, and are older than Tarot. When I picked them up it was an instant bond, and a bi-lateral communicative channel.

Not much of a story. I just think it’s part of my blood.

If you are thinking of making your own rune set, by all means do so. Hunt down information earlier in this study group.

I honestly don't know why. I don't even think thst is is in my blood, although, I do come from Dutch ancestry....that is fairly nothern European.

I think that it was more of the Magick aspect of them.

I've spent more than half my life learning from and using the runes. I use them for magic, divination, and anything I can think to use them for. They are a major part of my life.

It wasn't that I was drawn to them, they came to me. With my first contact I was pretty much one with them. I'd like to say it's all in the blood (because I'm of Norse stock), but my own mother wasn't as drawn to them as I am. They speak to me. Much more than anything else. I've tried many things, but they didn't have the effect that runes do for me.

Alleira

Becuase my first love was gemstones, and you can get many lovely rune sets in gemss. I love the solid, earthy feel of gems. I also have a lot of German in me on my fathers side.

Also when younger I collected pretty much everything divination, and I ended up once with a set of those ralph blum cereamic runes at one of our local festivals

I don't know why I was drawn to runes in the first place, I think something about rune symbols just 'spoke' to me; but I ended up purchasing a stone set. However, I got them and never used them yet because I now don't feel drawn to them anymore. I do plan on researching more about them though and actually 'spending more time with them' so to speak so that they could become charged with my energy.
I'm not sure if you've heard of "The Philosopher's Stones" book and stone set (you can get it at Chapters and Indigo) but I bought them and felt way more drawn to them! They're based around alchemy and are used in a similar fashion to runes. Even though I had success with the stones, though, I would still like to continue learning more about runes so that I might feel more comfortable with them eventually.

I really grok runes. It took me a long time to get some, but I think it was because I wasn't ready for them when I first started. As I learned more about myself, and magickal ways, the better I understood runes. It may be my heritage, or maybe it's just something about me that works with them well. I don't use them as much for divination as in magickal workings. It seems that when I really need to get something done, calling in runic energies accomplishes the purpose. I need to learn more, though. This is a great thread!

To me, Runes are very masculine. I only use them for the strongest of spells. Also, for amulets. I never read with them. I have dreamed Runes in the past, always Raidho.

why runes?

I've been interested in runes for years, though never got around to actually getting or making a set. I think one of the reasons for interest has always been my northern European ancestry, but the real fascination I have for all things occult or metaphysical comes from my own scientific education and the recognition that science does NOT have all the answers.

Runes in particular, with their documented history for both communication and divination, their deep and long connection with the magickal and mystical, just seem to demand study.

Though I love the tarot, there are times when they just don’t seem to be enough (and the unrest within myself that this causes is growing of late), and I think it’s because I’ve spent so long dealing with the pictorial symbolism and now need to move on to something that will foster a more “intuitive” mindset for me and I feel that runes may be the answer. And though interested for years, only now has both interest and opportunity come together within a community where I know I will find support and assistance for study.

So, here I am, a fledgling runite.