Hi Crystal, welcome, no it is absolutely not too late, I haven't even started the official thread yet
and this is the 'kitchen sink' rune thread so there will be thoughts about runic astrology if you add it to the mix. this is a very open minded group, mostly we are only beginning to formulate our personal runic philosophy.
Stormdancer, keep it simple, do it your way, whichever way and whatever style of runes you choose.
I don't know which post it was but one of mine has my unfinished spread cloth, look back through the thread for my golden door avatar
Up until I started this thread and really began to look into using runes 'for real' I have pulled my pewter runes from their beautiful bag, Usually three, just because I usually do three card tarot readings, and laid them up right and thunk upon them.
After I read the Eason book I liked the idea of the spread cloth because it gives me more things to go by.
She suggested simply taking a plain napkin (you could even use a paper towel if you fall in the Lima bean group), and draw 3 circles on it. I think the runes in the center circle were immediate, 2nd circle near future, outer circle...humm...something missed? Whatever, it would be what YOU meant it to stand for, which you've decided ahead of time.
The element pie and the 12 month pie were two additional ways to 'get more' from the runes.
If I weren't dead on my feet and actually getting ready to go to bed at the ungodly hour of 10:30 AM I'd practice today...throwing, dropping, thinking about reversals...not all runes are reversible, so rather than read the face up ones as potential reversals, I intend to read any that fall upside down as reversed. I don't use reversals in tarot, but it seems right for runes.
Nite nite..