234 Grimoire for the Apprentice Wizard
- Significator: the querant (“you”).
- Covering: what the reading is about.
- Crossing: what crosses (or opposes) you.
- Above: what crowns you (conscious).
- Below: what is beneath you (unconscious).
- Behind: what lies behind you (past).
- Before: what lies before you (future).
- Self: yourself in this context.
- Home: your family and friends.
- Hopes & Fears: what you either hope or fear.
- Final Outcome: what will be.
Lesson 6: Runestones
and Oracle StonesOracle Stones
Oracle Stones are one of the simplest forms of
divination, and require the least effort. When you are
out and about—especially at the seashore or along
riverbanks—keep your eyes open for small, pretty
stones. To collect a set of oracle stones, you will need
one white, one black, and one red stone—all gathered
in the same area on the same day. All three should fit
comfortably together in one hand. They should be
smooth and polished, not rough or sharp. I have found
such stones on beaches of America’s East and West
coasts, in Australia, Europe, and along riverbanks from
the Colorado to the Mississippi, so I know they’re out
there. But if you happen to live someplace where there
are no natural stones (such as Florida or the Great
Plains), you can always buy them in a rock shop.
Here’s how they work: Hold them in your non-
writing hand and shake them up together while asking
a question. The question must be one that can be an-
swered by either “yes” or “no.” Then toss the stonesdown together. The white one stands for “yes” and
the black one for “no.” The red one is the indicator—
whichever one it lands closest to gives you the an-
swer. The closer the red stone is to the other, the stron-
ger the answer. You can also use these stones for the
kind of choices you might otherwise toss a coin for—
just choose “black or white” instead of “heads or tails.”Runestones
Cleromancy is divination by tossing markers upon
which symbolic letters have been inscribed. The most
popular system uses the runes (“mysteries”), an an-
cient alphabet of the Germanic peoples of Northern
Europe—Norse, Teutons, and Anglo-Saxons. Before
they were used to represent spoken sounds, the runes
were a magickal system of pictographs representing
forces and things of Nature. Legend says that they were
originally revealed to the Norse god Odin as he hung
on the great World-Tree Yggdrasil.
There are several different sets of runes—all very
similar—but the most common is the Elder FUThARK,
which takes its name from its first six letters: FUTARK.
This system was most widely used between 200 BCE
and 900 CE. It contains 24 letters, divided into three
groups of eight, called Freya’s Eight, Hagall’s Eight,
and Tir’s Eight. Here is the popular Anglo-Saxon ver-
sion of the FUThARK Runes, with their associated
names and meanings.FREYA’S EIGHT
F F Fehu (cattle) —Love fulfilled, nourishment.
U U Uruz (wild ox) —Opportunity for advancement.
Th TThurisaz (thorn) —Make no decision at this time.
A A Ansuz (mouth) —A gift or visit from an older
person.
R R Raidho (wagon) —A journey undertaken for
pleasure.
K K Kenaz (fire) —A present from a man to a woman.
G g Gifu (gift) —Union in a beneficial partnership.
W W Wunjo (joy) —Joy, happiness.HAGALL’S EIGHT
H H Hagall (hail) —Natural events may disrupt
plans for coming year.
N n Nied (patience) —Need for caution; go
carefully in your plans.
I i Isa (freeze) —Cooling off or impediment of
some sort.
J J Jera (harvest) —A harvest of dues in the
coming year.
EO I Eihwaz (yew) —An inconvenience that will
work out for the best.
P P Perdhro (secrets, chance) —Unexpected gains
in material possessions.
R R Eolh (good fortune) —A new and stimulating
interest engaging your mind.
S S Sigel (victory) —Need for rest and recuperation.Celtic Cross
layout for
readingSignificatorCovering1.2.
Crossing3.
Above4.
Below5.
Behind6.
Before7.
Self8.
Home
(family,
friends)9.
Hopes
&
Fears10.
Final
Outcome- Spectrum 1.p65 234 1/15/2004, 9:15 AM