Taking Up the Runes: A Complete Guide to Using Runes in Spells, Rituals, Divination, and Magic (Weiser Classics Series)

Probably the best book on runes I have read for a long time. It has a good balance between the scholarly aspects of rune study and the spiritual side of working with them. Thankfully this is also a book written from a universalist perspective. Paxson credits other authors which is helpful, and also acknowledges where her interpretations are due to her personal insight or journey. Although this is abook intended to support a rune working or study group, if you are studying alone or already have some experience and knowledge of runes, this is still an excellent resource. In my view, this should be a key resource for anyone studying runes and eliminates the need to trawl through the mass of dubious books available.

this book is a definitive guide to all things runic - from the basic meanings of each rune to the use of the runes in rituals and magic. It is a rich and valuable source of Norse knowledge breathing life back into the old religion, hailya and thank you Diana

The book does just what the author says.

I only read the first half of this book, the second part is a guide to group ritual and ceremony which isn't relevant to me. Diana Paxson's knowledge of the runes is excellent and she encourages readers to form their own connection to them. I really appreciated her depth of research and study of primary sources, she writes about ancient and modern meanings of the symbols. I was surprised to read that some thought this was a good book for beginners because I thought it more advanced than that, although Ms Paxson writes in a warm and friendly style which inspires readers to embrace life long learning of this amazing alphabet.

Another epic book from Diana

This is a well written compilation of the ideas of modern popular esoteric rune authors (Aswynn, Thorsson, Pennick, etc). It should not be taken as a book about historical pre-Christian rune use, but seeks to adapt more recently invented techniques and ideas into a religious setting based on Germanic mythology.Seen in this light, the book is a useful reference of current popular rune usage. It will not appeal to the more re-creationist or academic rune students, but offers an abundance of examples of New-Age and ecclectic adaptations of the runes. Although it does go beyond the New-Age manuals by seeking to present these ideas in a "Northern Tradition" context, I would have liked to see more distinction made between modern and historical information.Although this book is firmly in the "speculative" category, it does present some historical background, and is a cut above the New-Age fluff that dominates the majority of esoteric rune manuals.Sweyn

Diana L. Paxon hat sich tiefgehend mit den Runen, ihrer Bedeutung und ihrer mystischen und mythischen Einbindung in die Kultur der Germanen beschäftigt. Zudem schafft sie es, die Bedeutungen der Symbole für das damalige Leben in unser heutiges Leben zu übertragen und damit eine Anbindung zu schaffen mit direktem Bezug auf alles, was die Menschen heutzutage bewegt. Sie beschreibt auch sehr gut, dass die Runen nicht einzelne Symbole mit einer singulären Bedeutung sind, sondern dass sie in vielen Fällen eher für Übergänge stehen und damit nicht statisch sondern sehr lebendig werden. Zu den alten und neuen Deutungen der Runen beschreibt sie noch wunderschöne Rituale, mit denen man eine tiefe Beziehung zu ihnen und auch zu den ihnen zugeordneten Göttern herstellen kann. Dazu schlägt sie verschiedenen Meditationen vor und auch alte Gedichte und Lieder. Neben den divinatorischen Techniken beschreibt sie auch sehr wirkungsvolle Runenzauber.Das mit Abstand tiefgehendste und best recherchierte Buch zu Runen, das ich je in die Finger bekommen habe. Wer also mehr möchte als eine schnelle Deutung für geworfene Runen haben möchte ist hiermit bestens beraten.Soweit ich weiß gibt es keine deutsche Übersetzung, aber das Englisch von Diana L. Paxon ist dank ihrer klaren Sprache sehr gut zu verstehen.

i have been Reading and studying runes for a not more than a couple of months but i have read a lot of books. this one is quite complete and i think it is useful not only for beginners, which is always nice. it has definitely become a reference book for me!

Good book for runes.

From Paxson’s introduction I was able to gather three things: (1) she is open to receiving insights from all valuable sources; (2) it does not matter who you are, the Runes can be a blessing to everyone; (3) while tradition is essential to gaining a solid foundation, in the end it is most important to embody the Runes and discover one’s own Path through them. All that works for me.I’ve come across a few lists that state, Taking up the Runes is the best beginner’s book on Runes. I do not agree with that. While Paxson’s book covers most everything a person needs to know to begin working with the Runes, the information is spread out throughout her book which makes it difficult to see the bigger picture when starting off. I suggest Nordic Runes: Understanding, Casting, and Interpreting the Ancient Viking Oracle by Mountfort to be the best beginner’s book, not only because he gives the bigger picture but also because he helps the reader understand the differences between the traditional and modern perspectives.As for beginner/intermediate books on Rune magic, I would definitely say this is one of the best. Every Rune has one or more rituals/meditations that the reader can work with in order to help them tap into the Runic energies and experience their power. The second half of her book is filled with rituals, which, while a little bit too ritualistic for my taste, were still beautiful and amazing.What both Mountfort and Paxson have in common is their integration of myths and stories of the gods as they relate to each Rune. In this regard I would say Paxson’s stories had more impact on me and were more relevant than Mountfort’s. Although, they did share different myths which makes both of them valuable in that regards.To give an example, Mountfort mentions Audumla as a relevant myth to relate with Fehu while Paxson give us the story of Sigfried and verses 78-79 from the Havamal. Because Fehu deals with cattle, and one could say, cows in general, Audumla fits, but Paxton gives us the story of Sigfried and how that is a lesson on money’s corrupting power and then backs it up with a quote from the Havamal. Paxson’s two quotes helped expound upon the three Runic poems in a way that brought the message home.While there are many things that stand out in Paxson’s book, it was her amazing suggestions on how the Runes work together and for what purpose they could be applied to that was really inspiring and practical to me. Practical in the sense that it not only helps us understand different facets of each Rune, but also gives us a means to invite the Runic energies into our lives. That alone makes the book worth reading.One thing to consider with Paxson’s book is that it is set up as a yearlong group study course. Paxson has many suggestions on how to go about each study group, what to include, rituals to undertake, discussions to have, and a host of other great ideas. All of which were beautiful and powerful. I will definitely utilize some of her suggestions when I host a study group of my own.All and all this is a book I suggest every Rune student should have. It’s definitely worth the price in my opinion.This is the sixth book on my suggested Rune Reading List. While not on my suggested read list, I also encouraged you to get Rune Correspondences by Frodi Ingsson so that you can add things that are meaningful to you as you learn more about the Runes.1. The Complete Illustrated Guide to Runes by Nigel Pennick2. Way of the Runes by Bernard King3. Runes: Reading the Past by R.I Page4. Runelore: A Handbook of Esoteric Runology by Edred Thorsson5. Nordic Runes by Paul Rhys Mountfort6. Taking up the Runes Diana L Paxson7. Runecaster’s Handbook Edred Thorsson8. Poetic Edda by either Hollander, Crawford, or Larrington9. Prose Edda by Jesse L. Byock10. Hávamál Meditations: Embodying Oðinn’s Teachings by Frodi Ingsson (forthcoming)11. Runes of Transformation by Kaedrich Olsen12. Helrunar by Jan Fries13. Runes and Magic by Stephen E. Flowers14. Rune Yoga: Staða & Galdr15. Rune Workings: Meditations and Rituals by Frodi Ingsson (forthcoming)

An entrancing and well-written guide to rune study. Diana's writing is engaging, like you're discussing the topic with a friend and mentor rather than reading a book. If you've liked any of her other work, you'll probably like this. It's worth noting that this isn't really a standalone book; it can be used as such, but it wasn't intended to be and I wouldn't advise you to do so. This is more a guide to teaching yourself or running a group. At the very least Thorsson's Runelore is recommended.Also, a minor note- I'm not usually fond of paperbacks, but this one is very well made.