~ A Rune Ritual ~
It may be difficult for someone not used to magical practice
to translate the general instructions given in a the preceding
pages into specific techniques. Here is a complete ritual of rune magic as
a guide, not to be followed rigidly, but to be used as a
starting point for more personal rituals.
Before beginning, undergo a period of purification and
focusing.
Memorize the ritual and prepare all the necessary
materials.
Make ready the ritual place. This ritual is designed to
open
communication between the Higher Self and the ego.
For
maximum benefit it should be worked regularly, perhaps
once
a week for several months.
An hour or so before the ritual, bathe, drain the water from
the
tub and rifill it with fresh water. Kneel before the tub and
speak a
prayer of cleansing over the water. As you pray, drop
several
grains of salt that have been previously consecrated into the
water
and bathe again. Dry yourself and don the ritual robe-a plain
white
garment that allows comfort and ease of movement. Go to the
ritual
place.
In the center of the place is the altar which is about two
feet square
and waist high, its top cover3ed with white linen cloth.
Place upon
the altar the materials and instruments that have previously
been
prepared and consecrated. A candle in a short holder is set
in the
center of the altar top. Around it are arrayed a square of
thin paper,
a dip pen with a medium width nib, a bottle of red ink, a
small chalice,
a pitcher of clean water, an earthenware plate, and a sharp
knife.
The rune amulet of protection is not needed in this ritual
but may
be worn about the neck if desired. Because the ritual
invokes
only the higher forces and is conducted within a magic
circle,
its dangers are minimal.
Enter the place from the North, or if this is impossible,
enter
and proceed around the outer edge sunwise until you reach
the
North, then approach ther altar and kneel. Light the
candle.
Close your eyes and try to empty your mind of thoughts
and
your heart of emotions. Strive for tranquility. Passively
contemplate
ther task you are about to perform.
Clap your hands shaply together three times and lift them
heavenward.
Look past the flame into infinity. Speak the declaration of
intent,
which should go something like:
This ritual for the opening of the path of Light is well
and truly
commenced.
Stand up and cross your body, touching with your right index
finger
your forehead, your groin, your left shoulder and your right
shoulder.
Touch your heart, then point directly at the flame on the
altar. As
you perform these gestures speak this prayer:
Thine is the Crown (forehead)
And the Kingdom (groin)
The Power (left shoulder)
And the Glory, (right shoulder)
The Law everlasting; (heart)
Amen. (flame)
Pivot sunwise to face North. As you walk once sunwise
around
the altar, draw a circle with your extended index finger in
the
air at the level of your heart. The circle should be nine
feet in
diameter. Visualize it strongly as a blazing ring of white
fire. It
may previously be drawn on the floor with chalk or charcoal
to
aid in visualization. Take care to join the beginning with
the end
in your mind when you return to the North.
Inscribe int he air to the North with large gestures the
Invoking
Pentagram of Air. This is drawn from the point of Air
clockwise
with a continuous line. Visualize the pentagram in yellow
flame.
Point to its center and draw the Ger rune, which stands for
Air,
with downward strokes:
Invoking Pentagram of Air
Again pointing at the center of the pentagram, speak
an
invocation to the spirits of Air:
Spirits and powers of the wind, Attend and witness this
ritual,
Bear my wishes to the Nameless One, Open to me the path of
Light.
Go in a sunwise arc to the South and stand with your back
ot
the altar. In the air to the South inscribe a large Invoking
Pentagram
of Fire. Visualize it in red flame. Point to its center and
draw the
Sigel rune, which stands for Fire, with downward
strokes:
Invoking Pentagram of Fire
Pointing to the center of the Pentagam, speak an
invocation
to the Spirits of Fire:
Spirits and powers of the flame, Attend and witness this
ritual,
Bear my wishes to the Nameless One, Open to me the path of
Light.
Go sunwise around the altar to the East and draw in the air a
image
invoking Pentagram of Earth. Visualize the pentagram in dark
green
flame. Point to its center and draw the Ethel rune, which is
a symbol
of Earth, with downward strokes:
Invoking Pentagram of Earth
Pointing to the center of the Pentagram, speak an
invocation
to the spirits of Earth:
Spirits and powers of the furrow, Attend and witness this
ritual,
Bear my wishes to the Nameless One, Open to me the path of
Light.
Go in a sunwise are to the West and draw outwardly in the air
Invoking
Pentagram of Water. Visualize it of blue flame. Point to its
center and
draw the Lagu rune, symbol of Water, with downward
strokes:
Invoking Pentagram of Water
Pointing to the center of the pentagram, speak an invocation
to
the spirits of Water:
Spirits and powers of the wave, Attend and witness this
ritual,
Bear my wishes to the Nameless One, Open to me the path of
Light.
Go sunwise in an arc to the North and face the altar. Draw in
the air
over the altar the Invoking Pentagram of Light, and within it
the Ken
rune, symbol of Light. The pentagram should be visualized as
standing
upright over the altar top and blazing with white
flame:
Invoking Pentagram of Light
Pointing to the center of the pentagram, speak an
invocation
to the spirits of Light:
Spirits and powers of the light, Attend and witness this
ritual,
Bear my wishes to the Nameless One, Open to me the path of
Light.
If these invocations to the elements are properly performed,
the air
around the circle will seem to pulsate and flicker, not so
much visually
as inwardly. You will feel a sense of watchfulness and
waiting.
Still facing the altar, bring you legs together and spread
wide your
arms so that your body forms a great cross. Speak a prayer
for centering
yourself in the universe:
Weave a circle round me thrice, Lift me from this earthly
place,
Show me Thy holy face.
The dizziness created by the spiral dance must penetrate the
depths
of your being. Visualize yourself upon a high place in the
wilderness,
a stone altar rising from the crown of the hill, trees
stretching all
around in a dark, unbroken carpet below, the stars of the
night sky
sparkling above.
Pivot and face the North with the altar behind you. Open your
arms
in a gesture of invitation. Visualize the god Tiw approaching
the
circle through the night air, his armor of silver and gold
glinting with
starlight, his blond hair streaming behind him, a sword in
his single
left hand, Speak his invocation:
Great and noble Tiw, the One-Handed, Lord of Justice, Lord
of
Oaths, God of airy reason and true speech; By thy sword I
summon
thee, By Fenrir's steel jaw I summon thee, By the Nameless
One I
summon thee, By the Nameless One I summon thee, Descend
into
this circle and serve me.
Go in a sunwise arc to the South and stand with the altar at
your
back. Open your arms in a gesture of invitation. Visualize
the god
Thor approaching through the night sky, his eyes showering
sparks
and his black hair writhing about his bluff, bearded face. He
wears
a bearskin, his magic girdle and magic gloves, and carries
his great
stone hammer in his right hand. Speak his
invocation:
Strong and fierce Thor, the Thunderer, Lord of Battle,
Lord of
Works, God of mighty oaths and valiant deeds; By Thy
hammer
I summon thee, By Skrymir's glove I summon thee,
Descend
into this circle and serve me.
Go sunwise to the East and face outward, the altar at your
back.
Make the gesture of invitation. Visualize the god Frey
approaching
through the night sky, his body stong and well-proportioned,
his
long auburn hair tied in back of his head, his eyes a deep
umber.
He bears a wooden shield on his left arm. Speak his
invocation:
Virle and potent Frey, the Renewer, Lord of Crops, Lord of
Cattle,
God of the green earth and the golden grain; By thy golden
boar I
summon thee, By Surt's stolen blade I summon thee, By the
nameless
One I summon thee, Descend into this circle and serve
me.
Go to the West in a sunwise arc and face outward. Make
the
gesture of invitation. Visualize the approach of Balder
through
the night sky, his light brown hair flowing in the breeze,
his green
eyes gentle and mild, his features delicate and his body
slender.
He wears embroidered robes and carries a golden horn.
Speak
his invocation:
Fair and beautiful Balder, the Beloved, Lord of Laughter,
Lord
of Cheer, God of clear light and loving heart, By thy
prancing steed
I summon thee, By Hod's cruel dart I summon thee, By the
Nameless
One I summon thee, Descend into this circle and serve
me.
Return to the North sunwise and face the altar. Make the
gesture of
invitation in the air over it. Look upward and visualize Odin
descending
from the sky, his great travel cloak billowing, his grey
beard and long
grey hair flying wildly behind him, his single grey eye
glittering like ice.
In his hand he carries his spear. Speak his
invocation:
Wise and knowing Odin, the One-Eyed, Lord of Victory, Lord
of Rule,
God of magic and secret signs; By thy spear I summon thee,
By Mirmir's
awful pledge I summon thee, By the Nameless One I summon
thee,
Descend into this circle and serve me.
Kneel befor the altar. Under the watchful eyes of the five
great northern
gods, write upon the paper with the pen and red ink these
runes:
In brief, they signify: man, horse, hardship, sacrifice,
change,
realization, sun, day, sun, glory, glory, glory.
Man and
horse are the motive and the medium of
seeking.
Need
is the suffering encountered on the quest.
Gift is the
voluntary letting
go of care and the surrender to the higher will.
Cycle
is th change of
fortune that then occurs.
Torch is the light of
awareness that dispels
shadows.
Sun is the light swollen to a powerful active
energy for
transormation.
Day indicatis the steadiness and
completeness of
the light.-the two Sigel runes bless or chastise.
Glory
is the blessing
that follows the attainment of Light. It is threefold and
thus perfectly
balanced, divine, incorruptible.
After you have written the runes, vibrate them on your breath
and cause
the altar flame to flutter. You must hold the awareness of
the total meaning
of the combined runes clearly in your mind or the ritual will
lack potency.
Take the knife in your left hand and pass its blade through
the flame,
then prick yourself on the ball of your right index finger
until a drop of
blood wessl forth. Your feelings must be calm and joyful. You
must welcome
the twinge of pain and transmit it psychically to the
gathered gods. Draw
your finger across the runes from left to right. Allow a
second drop of
blood to fall into the chalice. If necessary, bandage the
finger, but the
cut should be so small it will soon stop of its own
accord.
Lift the paper hight over the altar and speak an invocation
to the rune
powers something like this:
Darkness into Light, Vice into Virtue, Lies into Truth,
Pain into
Joy, Weakness into Strength, By these runes transform me,
Open
my eyes and let me see.
Lower the paper to the candle flame and light t\it on the
corner, then
place it on the earthenware plate. As the paper burns, put
your hands
close to it and lean over the altar so that its smoke rises
to your face/
Your hands should feel the heat of the flames. Inhale the
rising smoke
deeply without coughing.
After the paper has burnt to a fine ash, use the knife to
reduce it to
powder. Scrape the flakes of ash into the chalice, being
careful not
to miss any. Pour water from the pitcher over the ashes and
the
drop of your blood and stir all three together with the blade
of
the knife. Drink the mixture in the chalice to the last drop
and turn
the cup downward over the plate.
As you drink you should be able to feel the power of the
runes
coursing through your veins and causing your muscles to
tremble.
You may feel dizzy or lightheaded, and hear a loud rushing
sound.
Do not be fearful. Maintain an inner calm. This is the climax
of the
ritual to which all previous steps tended.
Do not expect to be immediatellly illuminated by this Elixir
of Light.
Its effect will be gradual and subtle, and may not behin to
show itself
for days or even weeks. Its action varies from person to
person.
Magic, like water, seeks the easiest route to the sea. Be
assured,
change will come. It is not always an easy tranformation; you
cannot
realize how tightly you cling to your conceits until you feel
yourself
in danger of losing them.
The ritual is closed by reversing the order of the steps that
opened
it. Stand and make a warding off gesture with the splayed
hands toward
the air over the altar, as though pushing something away.
Visualize
the god Odin receding upward into the starry sky. Speak the
banishment:
Wise Odin, depart in peace; By the Nameless One I license
and compel
thee.
The banishment must be spoken in a firm and unequivocal voice
with no
trace of doubt in the mindor fear in the heart. Follow the
departing god
until he has completely vanished from your inner
eye.
Go widdershins (against the course of the sun) to the West
and banish
Balder in a similar manner, using the appellation "loving" to
describe
him: "Loving Balder, depart in peace," ect. Go widdershins to
the
East and banish "Virile Frey." Go to South and banish "Fiery
Thor."
Go to the North and banish "Noble Tiw."
Dance in a circle three times around the altar widdrshins to
seal the
doorway open in your psyche, rotating widdershins on your
body axis three
times for each revolution of the altar. Speak one line of
this verse for
each great circle:
Weave a circle round me thrice, Turn from me Thy fearful
face, Return
me to my earthly place.
You have now erased the vortex that allowed you to invoke the
powers
of the five gods. The next step is to neutralize the
elemental powers
you used in the ritual as conveyors of the virtues of the
runes. Draw
over the altar the Banishing Pentagram of Light, which is
identical
with the Invoking Pentagram but made in a counterclockwise
direction.
Note that even the Ken rune in the center of the pentagram is
drawn
in reverse order with upward strokes. Since the rune was made
last, it
should be retraced first. As you trace each line, visualize
it fading and
vanishing from the air. Speak a simple banishment such
as:
Spirits and powers of Light, depart in peace; By the
Nameless One
I license and compel thee.
Do the same for the other pentagrams of the elements,
moving
always in a widdrshins direction. Go to the West and facing
outward,
banish the spirits of Water; then go East and banish the
spirits of
Earth; then South to banish the spirits of Fire; and finally
return
North and banish the spirits of Air.
Facing the altar from the North, raise you hands and spread
your
fingers into two pentagrams. Extend your arms to the sides
East and
West at eye level. Speak a general banishing formula to all
spirits
that may be lingering outside the protective
circle:
All spirits or entities attracted by this ritual, Depart!
For you have
no lawful business here, By the light of the Nameless One,
go! Yet
go in peace and fare thee well.
You must be certain that the space around the circle is empty
of psychic
influences before dissolving the barrier. If necessary,
repeat the
banishment more strongly using the gods as names of power.
The
circle is erased by reabsorbing it into the center of your
being. Walk
once widdrshins aroound the altar with your left index finger
extended to
touch the flaming circle. Visualize the white fire flowing
into your left hand
and vanishing from you perception.
Stand in the North facing the altar. Raise your arms to
heaven. Speak
this short prayer:
Holy art Thou, Father of All, Holy art Thou, by Nature not
formed, Holy
art Thou, Vast and Mighty One, Lord of the Light and of
the Darkness.
Cross your body as in the beginning of the ritual without
reversing the
direction of the gestures:
Who art the Crown (touch your brow)
And the Kingdom, (groin)
The Power, (left shoulder)
And the Glory, (right shoulder)
The Law everlasting; (heart)
Blessed Be. (point to the flame)
Speak the words of closing:
This rutual for opening the path of Light is hereby well
and truly ended.
Clap your hands shaply together four times. Blow out the
candle and
carefully clean and put away the instruments. Any residues of
materials
should be treated reverently and sealed with the sign of the
circle-cross
before they are discarded. Put away the instruments in a
reverse order to
that in which they were taken out.
Do not sleep directly after a ritual. Occupy the mind with
some unrelated
amusement. Avoid fretting or analyzing the effects of the
ritual. If your
mind is troubled, the ripples on its surface may prevent the
ritual from
taking proper effect. Very likely there will be
aftershocks-troubling
dreams, hypnagogic images, auditory and tactile
hallucinations- but
these should not persist longer than the first night after
the ritual. If
they linger, a simple banishing ritual will disperse
them.
Thanks so much to the enlightened words
of Donald Tyson.Reprinted partially or entirely from Rune
Magic.
