runes and herbs

7/28/2019 Runes and Herbs

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Runes and Herbs

A Combination of Power

by Michael G. Smith

Coven of the Rowan Star

Published in the Winter 1995-96 issue of Green Egg

Introduction

Magick can be defined as using known correspondences to create

a beneficial effect. The earliest rituals involved reenacting

the Hunt. In the ritual, a prey animal was symbolically killed

in the belief that this ritual act would make the actual kill

possible. Great attention was given to time, place, costumes,

movement, chants, and other aspects of the ritual; the

correspondences had to be right. For ancient tribes it was a

matter of life and death. When planning a ritual today, thought

is given to the same and other symbols that best resonate with

the intent of the participants. All of this is done to bring

into harmony, to the best of our abilities, the circumstances

surrounding the magick we are performing.

In this paper, we will explore the set of correspondences that

exists between the power of Runes and the power of Herbs. In

particular, we will be exploring the use of herbs in incense,

oils, and brews, to enhance and amplify rune magick, especially

when using bind runes. We will also examine the creation of

personal bind runes and sigils from magickal names, and how

incense and oils created from such sigil can enhance our

personal magickal power.

The Power of Runes and Herbs

The runes are the major magickal alphabet of central andnorthern Europe. Remarkably simple in form, they nevertheless

represent powerful universal forces that flow through all life.

When used for divination, they resonate to those forces in such

a way that a particular runes appearance in a rune casting

indicates the strong presence of that force in a persons life.

This resonance also has the effect of being able to attract the

universal forces represented by the rune into a persons life

when it is used in ritual and magick.

Herbs, too, have a powerful place in magickal practices. Herbal

potions, incenses, oils, and other preparations have been used

since the dawn of time. Their aromas, appearance, and properties

speak to something primal, ancestral in all humans. Herbs are

living beings just as man is, but they resonate to forces beyond

mankind. They are creatures of beauty and mystery which can aid

in the quest for understanding of the universe. The burning of

herbs in incense, the anointing with herbs in oils, or the drinking

of brews has the power to attract the beneficial attention of

universal forces.

Herbs and Bind Runes


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Bind runes, or the combining of selected runes into a single

symbol or shape, is an integral part of rune magick. It takes

time, imagination and skill to choose runes that best exemplify

the intent of the working, and to combine them in such a way that

is both magickally valid and esthetically pleasing.

The creation of ritual incense, oils, and brews also requires

imagination, skill and practice. Again, the herbs and resins must

be chosen that best resonate to the intent of the ritual, and then

combined in a way that speaks to the inner self which helps to

confirms the rightness of the effect. Combining herbs in an

effective manner is a task that requires real work.

When matching herbal preparations and bind runes, extra care must

be taken that the melding of the individual herbs and runes

resonate with each other. For example, there are many herbs that

fall under the definition of protective. And there are several

runes that also have a protective or defense aspect. But while

thurisaz has the power of active defense, disrupting the activities

of those who would do harm, algiz is more the power of passive

defense, preventing harmful forces from approaching. So whenconsidering what type of defensive power required for the bind

rune, the intent of the ritual must be clear in mind This ensures

that the rune with the greatest resonance to that intent will be

selected. Likewise, blessd thistle has the power to disrupt

unwanted influences and malevolent intent, banishing it. Pine,

however, is of a more passive nature, repelling negative energy

and returning it to its source. So if using thurisaz in a working,

blessd thistle is a better choice. If using algiz, pine would

be preferable.

Do not, however, think that if there is no blessd thistle in the

herb cabinet that some other herb of protection cannot be used with

thurisaz. In such a case, if there are several herbs to choose from,

select the one that best approaches the ritual intent. The higher

self and intuition can aid in making the choice. If none of the

alternate herbs are a good fit, then choose one that is more general

than specific. In the above example, sage is a herb with more

general protective qualities than comfrey, which is more for

protection while traveling. In this way, the herb with a specific

but incompatible nature will not clash with the rune. And, of course,

if there is only one herb of protection in the cabinet, use it. Intent

is the thing, and the Universe knows that when the best available

option is being offered. If time and availability allow, obtaining

specific herbs to match the runes will enhance the working.

At the end of this paper is a table of runes, their basic magickal

meaning, and some herbs that correspond with each. This is by nomeans all-inclusive. While there are only 24 runes in the Elder

Futhark, the variety of herbs and resins is truly enormous. And

just as different authors have slightly different definitions and

attributions for the runes, different herbalist have different

correspondences, uses, and attributions for various herbs. Keep a

journal of recipes and bind runes, and note the effectiveness of

each combination. Research runes and herbs in several different

reputable sources and make intuitive judgments based on that

knowledge.


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Personal Bind Runes and Sigils

Personal bind runes created from magickal names is a concept so

simple and elegant in its execution that it belies how it can be

such a powerful a tool of personal magick and energy. The idea is

simple: any word can be spelt phonetically with the runes. Taking

the phonetic spelling and combining it into a bind rune creates a

symbol of personal power. For example, one such magickal name is

Starwind. In runes, it looks like this:

When combined into a bind rune, it can look like this:

Such a symbol can be used in many ways: as part of a personal sigil

when combined with other symbolism that has meaning to a persons

life, as a means of identification, and as a bind rune when using

magick to enhance ones personal or magickal power, psychic

abilities, financial situation, etc. It can be at the heart of any

ritual that affects the individual for whom it is created.

In such a ritual herbs also have a part to play. There are many books

on herbs that have recipes for incenses, oils, and brews to increase

the personal power of an individual born under a certain sign, or

with a particular planet in a particular house, etc. By creating an

herbal preparation based on the personal bind rune, an individual

incense is created, one especially formulated for the individual

magick worker. A bind rune created specifically for one person alone

has greater power than one created generically for a class of people.

It has a greater resonance and therefore a greater impact on that

person. Just as intent is more powerful when more focused, an incense

or oil focused on a single individual is more powerful for that

person.

A comment must be made here concerning the negative runes. Several

of the runes in the Elder Futhark can have a negative connotation.

And some people who work extensively with runes in magick do not use

them in positive workings. Such a person, who may already have a

magick name, may find that these runes cannot be avoided when

spelling that name phonetically. This does not mean that there is

negativity associated with that person or that name. Each person,

as a human being in this incarnation, has a shadow side. And while

most magickal persons are working to tame or bring their shadow

under control, it can never be eliminated while in the flesh.

This is not a bad thing. Remember the example of the Star Trek

episode The Enemy Within. When Kirk was divided into his lightand shadow parts, it was shown that the shadow was what gave him

his command ability, decision making power, and survival instinct.

The light Kirk, while intelligent, compassionate, and gentle,

lost his abilities to make tough decision, to speak his mind, and

to carry out the task at hand. The shadow Kirk was savage, brutal,

and self-serving, and therefore incapable of acting for other

peoples benefit. Kirk needed both half of his personality in

balance to function.


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While it is not likely that anyone today is going to be divided

in a transporter accident, the effects of the shadow can still

be perceived. The biggest problem is that the shadow self grow

stronger if denied, repressed, or ignored. It then has a greater

opportunity of blind-siding a person when they least expect it.

Acknowledging the shadow is the only way of bringing it under our

conscious control. One way of recognizing the shadow self is by

using negative runes that appear in magickal names, and making

them part of personal bind runes. Their presence serves as a

reminder of those things that must be brought into balance if

control it to be achieved.

Practical Application

The combination of runes and herbs have many uses in ritual. For

example, when a group is creating a bind rune in ritual, the

corresponding incense or oil can be created piece by piece at the

same time. Each herb is energized and added as each piece of the

bind rune is visualized. The incense is then burned to enhance the

energy used to both charge and utilize the bind rune. Sometime,

however, the creation of incense in circle is too cumbersome. Inthis case, the incense is created before ritual, and burned during

the creation, charging, and use of the bind rune.

Similarly, runes and herbs can be used in concert during the creation

of runic talismans or amulets. Such objects have a bind rune drawn or

engraved on them. A good example of this is a pendant with a persons

magickal name on it. First, determine the shape of the bind rune, then

gather the materials needed to create the incense and the pendant. In

ritual space, make the incense, purify the materials, and then create

the pendant. The incense can then be used to enhance the consecration

and charging of the pendant.

For example, in the case of STARWIND used above, an incense can be

created to enhance personal power by using sandalwood (sowulo),

frankincense (teiwaz), cinnamon (ansuz), benzoin (raido), borage

(wunjo), Solomon Seal (isa), anise (nauchiz), and Dittany of Crete

(dagaz). If personal protection is the intent, then using dragons

blood, frankincense, cedar, asafoetida, borage, elder, anise, and

dittany of Crete is more appropriate. Intent is very important when

selecting herbs, because the energy of the ritual is affected.

In both cases above, the bind rune or sigil is charged with energy.

That energy is available from the Earth, the Sky, the Divine, etc.

But that energy is often generic in form, a combination of all the

forces in the universe. The individual or group performing the ritual

transform that energy into a form that is specific to the intent of

the magick. The transformation of energy from generic to specific ishard work, and takes concentration, skill and energy. Some energy is

used by the individual in the process of transformation, so less is

available for charging the bind rune. Incense is used to attract

energies of the desired specific form into sacred space. This

increases the amount of energy available that needs no transformation

and more is available for charging the bind rune.

Magickal correspondences are a useful tool that have enhanced the

workings of magick since the dawn of time. And work in researching


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and experimenting with magickal correspondences continues today,

and will continue into the distant future. This article only

scratches the surface of the ways in which the properties of runes

and herbs can be combined to amplify the potency and effect of both,

either in group or personal magick. It is food for thought that

will, hopefully, lead to greater interest in the study of runes and

herbs, and to a greater willingness to combine apparently unrelated

fields of study into a workable and useful synthesis.

Rune Meaning Herbs

Fehu

Possessions, Contentment, Conservation, Wealth Hollyhock, Lavendar,

Caraway, Nettle

Uruz

Strength, Persistance, Adaptability, aurochs Fennel, Sage, Juniper,

Iceland Moss

Thurisaz

Gateway, Threshold, thorns Rue, Angelica, Star Anis, Wormwood,Blessd Thistle

Ansuz

Signals, Receiving, gods Cinnamon, Cedar, Peppermint

Raido

Journey, Reaching Outward, riding Benzoin, Asafostida, Ash,

Horehound

Kenaz

Opening, Dawning, Torch, light Cowslip, Horehound

Gebo

Union, Partnership, gift Clove, Cinquefoil, Patchouli

Wunjo

Joy, Emergence, perfection Borage, Motherwort, Flax

Hagalaz

Disruption, Evolution, hail Dittany of Crete, Eldar, Bryony

Nauchiz Rebalancing, Contraint, need Anise, Hollyhock, Hemp,

Snakeroot

Isa

Frozen, Standstill, ice Solomon Seal, Eldar

Jera

Cultivation, Year, harvest Benzoin, Rosemary

Eihwaz

Tests, Defense, yew Mugwort, Sage, Eyebright, Vervain, Apple

Pertho

Higher Forces, Initiation, ? Pennyroyal, Basil, Heather, Cornflower


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Algiz

Self Mastery, Protection, elk Orris Root, Mullein, Pine, Rowan

Sowulo

Selfness, Wholeness, sun Ladys Mantle, Sandlewood, Dragons Blood,

Celadine

Teiwaz

Introspection, Warrior, truth Storax, Frankincense, Chamomile

Berkana

Fertility, Growth, birch goddess Birch, Marigold, Dragons Blood,

Dogwood

Ehwaz

Movement, Transit, horse Rue, Wormwood, Camphor

Mannaz

The Self, Humanness, man Lavendar, Wisteria

LaguzCurrents, Flow, lake Myrrh, Leek

Inguz

Completion, Fertility, yoni Fennel, Damiana, Selfheal

Othila

Severence, Seperation, ancestral property Thyme, Clover

Dagaz

Arising, Breakthrough, day Dittany of Crete, Sage

runes and herbs

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