An essential introductory guide for anyone who wishes to use the runes for divination, personal guidance, and magic.  Runes have an undeniable mystery and allure. To many people they are beautiful objects, a set of symbols of enigmatic meaning. In fact, the word rune comes from the Norse wordruna, meaning “secret.” On the surface, they make up an ancient alphabet known as the Futhark that has come down to us through the ages from the ancient Northern Traditions of Europe. But they are so much more.  Runes contain magical energy that can be activated for positive and powerful change in our lives.Reading the Runes takes you back to the runes as they existed in the neo-pagan cosmogony and their birth in the World Tree, Yggdrasil. Author Kim Farnell discusses the history and mythology of the runes, as well as the link between the runes and the gods. She includes the four ancient rune poems from which humankind received the meaning behind each rune.  Reading the Runes includes the official rune course material for the British Astrological and Psychic Society. The author offers practical advice for making and energizing your runes, she suggests numerous traditional rune spreads to suit a variety of purposes, and she explains rune combinations within readings.