The "Wyrd" Rune

Alright, I'm aware that this blank rune is a modern addition. I'm not sure if I want to use it or not.

On one hand, because it's modern, it almost seems phony.

But on the other hand, isn't most of what we think about the runes for purposes of divination and magic also modern conjecture? It's not like the original users kept logs of this kind of stuff (what were they going to do, write with runes about runes? That seems a little meta for simple Viking folk), so what do we really know?

And modern doesn't necessarily mean bad, although it doesn't mean good, either.

I'm inclined to think of the Wyrd rune in terms of the Fool from the Tarot - essentially a wild card. But again, I don't know if I want to include this in my practice, so I'm asking for some opinions here.

Thanks,
- Herodotus

You will find some are for it and some are against. You will have to decide what works for you. I happen to like it. A blank rune, it's a mystery, it can mean anything at any time or nothing at all. I sort of feel it's like the extra card in a Tarot Deck- "To all believers" in Hansen Roberts, and the"Happy squirrel" in others.

I don't use it myself, because I think that the "wild card" energy runs through everything we do - in divination, it keeps one humble. To have a separate rune representing chance, mystery, or the unknown, seems to localize that energy and confine it to wherever the blank rune falls in a throw - whereas the unforeseen is (to me) the background that conditions our best-laid plans.

Herodotus said:

But on the other hand, isn't most of what we think about the runes for purposes of divination and magic also modern? It's not like the original users kept logs of this kind of stuff (what were they going to do, write with runes about runes? That seems a little meta for simple Viking folk), so what do we really know?

And modern doesn't necessarily mean bad, although it doesn't mean good, either.

Thanks,
- Herodotus

Click to expand...

I don't know that the Vikings were simple - the concept of Odin being both singular and plural and giving of himself to himself etc is kinda complex to wrap around. And they have a pantheon of Gods and a concept of 9 different worlds...And they would inscribe runes on weapons etc for a good battle. But there isn't a lot of surviving evidence to expound and define what runes were to them completely.

I ordered a set of runes and the maker of those runes stated exclusively that they would not include a blank one, even if requested. So, I'm not going to use it because I don't have it and I think that the runes basically cover everything. And Perthro covers mystery well

violetdaisy said:

I don't know that the Vikings were simple - the concept of Odin being both singular and plural and giving of himself to himself etc is kinda complex to wrap around. And they have a pantheon of Gods and a concept of 9 different worlds...And they would inscribe runes on weapons etc for a good battle. But there isn't a lot of surviving evidence to expound and define what runes were to them completely.

I ordered a set of runes and the maker of those runes stated exclusively that they would not include a blank one, even if requested. So, I'm not going to use it because I don't have it and I think that the runes basically cover everything. And Perthro covers mystery well

Click to expand...

They weren't simple. I know that. But they did not have a very advanced system of writing, and that's all I was really referring to.

Thanks for the thoughts on the wyrd, everyone.

Astraea said:

I don't use it myself, because I think that the "wild card" energy runs through everything we do - in divination, it keeps one humble. To have a separate rune representing chance, mystery, or the unknown, seems to localize that energy and confine it to wherever the blank rune falls in a throw - whereas the unforeseen is (to me) the background that conditions our best-laid plans.

Click to expand...

This is a good point.

Disa said:

You will find some are for it and some are against. You will have to decide what works for you. I happen to like it. A blank rune, it's a mystery, it can mean anything at any time or nothing at all. I sort of feel it's like the extra card in a Tarot Deck- "To all believers" in Hansen Roberts, and the"Happy squirrel" in others.

Click to expand...

The CBD TdM has a literal blank card, which as a concept I think is cool, but in practice I hesitate to actually shuffle it in with the rest of them. You're right, it is indeed something I need to decide for myself, but while I take my time to decide, I wanted to hear what others' thoughts on the matter were.

Personally, I like to use it as my 'the Oracle refuses to answer at this time' rune. Sometimes it's best not to ask.

I used to use the blank rune over twenty years ago, but I don't now. There's no need for it imho. We already have the dice cup, so what do we need "wyrd" for? Although to be fair, I only ever got the blank rune once, and that was after I'd repeated the question (I was young and naive!)

dancing_moon said:

Personally, I like to use it as my 'the Oracle refuses to answer at this time' rune. Sometimes it's best not to ask.

Click to expand...

...That's an interesting thought...