Tarot Fellow
Beginner's Guide to Runes by Josh Simonds — Elder Futhark Divination Book
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Beginner’s Guide to Runes by Josh Simonds offers a clear, modern introduction to the Elder Futhark — covering each of the 24 runes, their meanings, mythology, and practical divination applications without overwhelming newcomers. An ideal entry point for anyone drawn to Norse rune practice, whether from a historical, Pagan, or modern spiritual angle.
Description:Quick Specs
- Author: Josh Simonds
- Publisher: Callisto Media
- Format: Paperback
- Focus: Elder Futhark runes, runic divination, runescripts, bind runes, and everyday practical application
- Best for: Complete beginners seeking a structured introduction to runes and runic magic
What Runes Are and Why the Elder Futhark Matters
Runes are characters of the oldest written alphabet of the Germanic peoples of Northern Europe, and their history as a divination system runs alongside their function as a script. The Elder Futhark, named for its first six characters (F, U, Th, A, R, K), is the oldest surviving runic alphabet and consists of 24 symbols used from roughly the 2nd to 8th centuries CE across Scandinavia, the British Isles, and Germanic-speaking regions. Norse mythology attributes the discovery of the runes to Odin, who hung from Yggdrasil, the World Tree, for nine days as an act of self-sacrifice before the symbols revealed themselves to him.
Josh Simonds approaches this material as both a historian and a practicing psychic medium. His book structures the Elder Futhark into three groups of eight, called the Aettir, which mirrors how the alphabet was traditionally organized in Norse usage. Each rune is given its name, phonetic value, and associations drawn from the runic poems that survive from medieval Scandinavia, along with Simonds' own interpretive experience. Readers who find purely academic treatments too dry and purely intuitive treatments too thin will find Simonds' balance of mythology, historical grounding, and practical application well suited to their needs.
From Divination to Runic Magic: Practical Application for Beginners
Where many rune guides stop at memorizing individual meanings, Simonds extends into active practice. The book covers runic divination in detail, explaining how to cast runes and interpret their positions, including how to read runes in a spread rather than as isolated symbols. It also introduces runescripts, which are linear arrangements of runes designed to carry a combined intention, and bind runes, which fuse two or more runic characters into a single composite symbol used as a talisman or sigil. Both techniques are rooted in historical use: carved bind runes have been found on Viking-age artifacts, and runescripts appear in carved inscriptions intended for protective or votive purposes.
The emphasis on bringing runes into everyday life is a consistent thread throughout the book. Simonds frames rune work not as an occasional ceremonial act but as an integrative practice, something that can be as simple as drawing a rune in the morning and holding its meaning as a lens for the day. Readers report that this pragmatic framing is particularly useful for beginners who feel intimidated by systems requiring elaborate ritual setups. To work with physical runes alongside this text, browse my rune sets collection.
How to Use The Beginner's Guide to Runes
A structured path through the book for new rune students.
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Start with History and the Aettir Structure
Read Part 1 on rune origins and Norse mythology before studying individual symbols. Understanding how the three Aettir organize the 24 Elder Futhark characters gives every subsequent chapter a framework that holds the individual meanings clearly.
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Learn Each Rune Through Its Three Dimensions
Work through Part 3 one rune at a time, noting name, pronunciation, and meaning. Simonds pairs historical kennings from runic poems with practical interpretations. Writing each rune by hand reinforces memorization and connects to carving tradition.
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Practice Casting and Create Your First Bind Rune
Practice daily single-rune draws before moving to multi-rune layouts. Then work through the runescript and bind rune exercises in Part 2. Creating a bind rune from two symbols relevant to your focus is an effective first practice for beginners.
The Tarot Fellow Standard
I stock this book because it solves a problem common to rune beginners: most guides either go so deep into Norse mythology that practical casting gets buried, or they skip the historical roots and leave readers with a list of keywords disconnected from context. Simonds keeps both threads running simultaneously, and the inclusion of runescripts and bind runes sets this guide apart from books that cover only divination. It's a compact, well-structured starting point that holds up as a reference even as your practice matures. For a broader view of my divination library, browse my full books and journals collection.
Frequently Asked Questions
Simonds teaches the Elder Futhark, the oldest runic alphabet with 24 characters organized into three Aettir. It is the most widely used system in modern rune practice and standard starting point before exploring later alphabets like Younger Futhark.
Yes. Simonds covers runescripts, linear rune arrangements carrying a combined intention, and bind runes, which merge two or more runes into a talisman symbol. Both practices are rooted in historical Norse use and clearly explained for beginners.
Simonds balances historical grounding with practical application more evenly than most introductory rune books. The three-Aettir structure follows Norse tradition, and runescripts and bind runes give it a practical scope many divination guides lack.
Physical runes enhance the experience, especially for casting practice and tactile familiarity with each character, but are not required to read the book. You can write runes on paper as you study. Pairing the book with a set deepens the practice.
