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Most welcome guest contributor to the site, Mahryan, addresses some frequent issues that newcomers to the runes have, in particular the idea of reversed runes, positive and negative interpretations, which are often called murkstaves.
Is there a ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ way up?
Some thoughts on “murk-staves” and other possibilities
by Mahryan
Some of us cast our runes, tipping out the whole set and letting them fall as they may. Others pull runes from our bag, usually one at a time. Either way, the runes do not always come out upright and face up. Some rune commentators see any reversal of a rune as negative, often describing it as ‘murk-stave’ (dark or at least gloomy) as opposed to ‘bright’ when in the upright position.
Others pay little or no attention to upright or reversed positions, reasoning that each rune always contains positive and negative energy anyway – the situation and our actions will determine how runic energy plays out. I agree with this.
Nevertheless, I do find the position of a rune helpful in developing my overall understanding. The importance of runic order and relationship within the Futhark is not disputed – the more we understand of the runes the more we recognize the intricacies of this. Given this, it seems to me that rune position – any aspect of position – in a reading must also have value. The following are some of my thoughts on this.
Some rune signs do not reverse or invert, but every rune when cast or drawn may come out face up or face down. There are very few in-depth discussions of face-up reversals and far less even consider what meaning, if any, may be attached to face-down positions.
I do not see any kind of positioning as simply a matter of ‘positive’ (upright) versus ‘negative’ (reversed/inverted) positions. Rather, the energies of each rune have many manifestations from the simple and mundane to the very depths of spiritual and cosmic understandings.
I pull (draw) rather than cast runes, and have thus always placed them face up, but preserving any reversed positions. It does occur to me, though, that when casting runes the fact some land face down might be of importance in understanding the manifestation of runic energy in that reading. I have only one source that deals with this. It is an out of print treasure I found second-hand called Using the Runes by D. Jason Cooper. For each rune he provides interpretation suggestions for face up, face down, both upright and reversed (as applicable). Regardless of the position runes are in my readings, I have found Cooper’s shades of meaning tremendously helpful in focussing and developing my understanding of how runic energies and relations may manifest in a situation.
I am going to use a recent experience with Tiwaz as an example. I was facing the work-related task of attempting to turn negative and adversarial criticism into an opportunity for an appreciative and respectful exchange of ideas. Instead of everyone feeling disappointed, wronged and under attack, the goal was to identify a course of action for mutual benefit.
An Example
When I am to undertake important tasks (especially sensitive ones), it is my practice to ask what runic energy I need to call upon/ bring with me. I was nonplussed on this occasion when I drew Tiwaz in the reversed position! What did this mean? As a simple reversal - not to be the spiritual warrior? To not go in fighting for what was fair and just?
Sources that do discuss reversals generally focus on the meaning in divinations. Tiwaz reversed is commonly assigned attributes of deception, waning energy, lack of courage, giving up. I have never found these satisfactory and it seemed clear to me that it would be unhelpful for me to bring along this kind of negative energy. I turned to Cooper’s little book. For Tiwaz face up but reversed he suggests:
Duel, struggle. You are going to have to fight for your honour and good name. Others will demand that you prove yourself, you cannot demand their respect without it.
Now this was a much better fit to the situation! Cooper’s other comments on different aspects of Tiwaz were helpful too, reminding me that Tyr sacrificed his hand to achieve a necessary outcome – a form of deception was involved in order to get to the greater good – it was a matter of tactics. As I considered the situation and my prospective role I began to understand that who had the ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ of it was not the point to be made. The worth of our project had to be proven. The need was for tactics that moved our opponents into allies.
My scheduled meeting was successful. I have gained a much better understanding of Tiwaz in the reversed position and, that I think I will be able to apply to reversals in general. The key point I wished to illustrate is that a reversed rune is not necessarily what is often referred to as a ‘murk-stave’ - something negative to be feared. Sometimes it is a helpful guide to nuanced action.
I do think that a reversed rune is a signal for careful contemplation. The indication is that the runic energy involved will not apply in the most straightforward way. Or, perhaps, that the energy of this rune is one we need to control or sacrifice if we are to achieve the desired outcome.
Regaining full knowledge of the runes is a work in progress for all of us. We must think deeply about every rune in a reading or meditation, considering how its energies may apply in the situation at hand. A sincere ‘beginner’ can be given just as valuable an insight as someone who has studied the runes for years. Sincerity and openness to understanding are what the keys.
Some of you may find reversed/inverted rune positions an unnecessary prop and be able to intuitively see how each runic energy manifests in any situation. For me, these individual rune aspects are valuable contributors to my understanding, but I do not regard them as negative or ‘murky’ in any way.
I do hope that Rune Secrets visitors will find these few thoughts helpful. Please share thinking and experiences with reversed/inverted rune positions – we can all benefit through collective reflection.
You can leave your comments on what you just read using the box below. I always try to reply within 24 hours. Your insights become a permanent part of this article!
October 1st, 2009 at 8:25 am
Mahryan, With only “good” intentions may one pull Runes to better understand a relationship with a Loved One,who has separated from the relationship? Sincerely,Munsey P.S. I am an Advanced Practitioner of Healing Touch & R.N. of 40 years-so i know about the Law of Intentionality.Please shed light on our use of Runes for the Healing(Haelan) of others.
October 1st, 2009 at 8:35 am
Thank you for this article; it brings up a point which has bothered me for some time. The Runes can represent both personal and universal concepts, many of which are complex and multi-layered, and interpretations of upright-good and merkstave-bad have always been a source of annoyance for me. In my opinion, this right-or-wrong, black-or-white thinking merely punctuates the meaning I am trying to receive. Because of this, I simply omitted the upright or reversed position of the Runes in my castings, and instead took meanings from the placement - whether two Runes are laying side-by-side, whether one Rune landed on top of another one, etc. But if I don’t omit the reversals and instead view them as something other than the traditional or straightforward meaning, then that will enable me to add another layer of depth to my readings.
October 1st, 2009 at 9:14 am
Breaking down the duality of good vs evil, positive vs negative, etc. in the study of the runes we pull is so important!
One of the greatest sources of my own insight, when it comes to each symbol’s meaning, is that the upright runes may represent necessary if unpleasant truths, just as the reversed may in fact be advice that is needed.
One example of this latter that frequently arises for me is when Algiz is reversed. I often take that (in its context) to be saying to me: Back off, disconnect for a while, don’t get overwhelmed. Or, Algiz reversed can signal to me that I should not ‘teach’ a thing that I don’t know enough about yet. Both of those can be very positive insights, and yet here is the rune as what many would call a murk-stave.
Contemplating both sides of the rune, no matter which way it comes up, is a great piece of advice.
Thank you Mahryan for this fascinating article.
October 1st, 2009 at 7:30 pm
Thank you to all of you for your kind comments.
Tyriel, I think that Algiz reversed is a very interesting rune. I like Freyer Aswynn’s thoughts on it in “Leaves of Yggdrasil. I wil try to post some of mine in a comment attached to your Algiz entry.
Phoenix Daughter, I do hope you will post further coments and let us know how you found it to be when you looked at some of the reversed positions in your own readings.
Munsey - personally, I think that it is always all right to pull a rune or do a reading to better understand a relationship, so long as we do so with a sincere intent to learn. In fact, I would even suggest that it might be particulalry helpful to correct our attitude if we are feeling as though we might be harbouring less than good intentions! Having siad that, I do find that where ‘love’ relationships are concerned, my own confused emotions can lead to confused runic responses - well I remain confused anyway! Still, this doesn’t make me any worse off and asking for clarification can sometimes help. I find that if I’m really sincere in my seeking the runes will respond patiently to my floundering. If they sense I merely don’t want to see the point, they have ways of making that clear. Pertho reversed is a favourite (meaning in that context that it isn’t to be revealed, or I can’t know at this time).
Unfortunately, healing with the runes is not a strength for me. I do have a friend, who sometimes checks out this site . Perhaps if she see’s this she will comment for you. better yet, I will TRY to get her to write an article for us!
October 2nd, 2009 at 1:56 pm
Thank you,Mahrayn, this does help. Universally, healing would probably be another gift of the Runes. It should go without saying that intentionality is Everything. The Runes are so cosmic in origin ,that i can’t conceive of anyone being enabled to do Harm! Thank you on your enlightenment on Love & Relationship-just wouldn’t want to interfere with another’s will or vibrational journey-but do appreciate the clarification action of the Runes,as “The OtherHalf” of a relationship. Munsey
October 2nd, 2009 at 2:12 pm
I just want to mention that the runes I will use most when contemplating issues of healing, or performing a various types of healing on myself are: Uruz, Jera, Sowelo, Berkano and Laguz. I believe, to a certain degree, each rune can assist in healing, but the ones I listed are especially important to the Healer.
October 2nd, 2009 at 8:37 pm
Wow, this was really informative and helpful; thank you Mahryan.
I had some questions relating to divination as well that I was hoping you could provide some insight for. I see that you draw rather than cast but personally I feel more comfortable with casting, I draw nine runes, form a question in my mind and then cast them onto a white sheet of paper and that seems to be working. Is this an acceptable method for rune divination?
I was also wondering if there were any specific rituals/incantations of any kind you do before and/or after divining with runes?, I’m trying to rely on my own intuition/gut and experiences in terms of coming up with my own but I was curious as to what kinds you may use as a point of contrast/comparison.
Also, when it comes to divination with runes are there any generally agreed upon pros and cons when it comes to casting vs. drawing, also, are there situations in which specific drawing spreads would be more appropriate than simply casting them?
Thanks in advance for taking the time to read this and I hope to hear back from you.
October 9th, 2009 at 3:22 pm
Also wanted to add…I’ve been discovering that I may possess some talent as a healer myself; I’ve been able to cure headaches with applied touch for some time now ‘mind you I have no idea how I know how to do that; I just do’ and my friend insists that I empathed her allergies away in my sleep…I was skeptical myself, in fact I still am, but she continues to swear up and down that I did.
I would also appreciate it if your friend was to write an article about healing with runes, I feel I ‘and many others’ would benefit greatly from such an article. Also, Tyriel, can you explain what you mean when you say you use runes to heal yourself?, what do you do to do that? which runes do you use and for what purposes?; I’m extremely curious.
October 11th, 2009 at 5:03 pm
Sorry to have taken so long to answer all these questions! I’ll do it now in a couple of separate posts. First, on healing:
I have asked my friend to consider posting something and I hope that she will. Healing certainly is a potential gift of the runes, but as I said before, applying them in that way is not one of my strengths. I would think, however, that each rune has the potential to be applied in healing if we gain the understanding of how do so. Which ones to use would depend on what needs to be healed. Uruz is associated with strength and wellness in general, so seems a natural choice to involve in healings. Sowilo is to do with bringing about wholeness and Gebo with balance – so these two seem to me to also be important. I can tell the story of one success I did have. It was one of those periods of time that we all experience when just too many things are happening at once. I had been back from the UK less than 24 hours and received a call, in the middle of trying to cook supper, wanting me to travel again for a job interview. Instead of putting the pan down on the hotplate, I placed my hand flat on it instead! Ouch. I knew I would need medical attention so I grabbed ice and wrapped it against my hand as I headed for the clinic. I called upon the runes. I called Uruz and Sowilo for complete healing and I called Isa for cooling. I visualized those runes healing my hand as I travelled (on a bus) to the clinic. The doctor said that my “prompt action” had saved me from a massive blister. It was a large and nasty burn, but it looked like it would heal well and quickly!” And so it did. I went to sleep that night still visualizing those runes healing my hand. When I went to have it re-dressed it was declared, “remarkable.” I didn’t get the job, but that’s another story.
So, I think that if we call upon the runes in need we will be given help. If you wish to learn about healing than meditate on each rune with that in mind. Ask for guidance and when in need – follow your instincts.
A word of caution about healing ourselves and others. Remember there is a universal law of reciprocity. What might be the consequences of our healing one thing? What is a headache telling us? If we constantly call on the runes t heal minor ailments, do we deplete our overall energy? Can we use that immediate burst of Uruz to allow ourselves to run on empty? I don’t know the answers, but it is something to think about carefully.
October 11th, 2009 at 5:28 pm
On drawing or casting runes. To my knowledge, there are no agreed upon pros or cons to drawing runes versus casting them. I think the most important thing is to follow what our instincts suggest is comfortable for us and that may not always be the same. Chris, it sounds like you are combining drawing and casting in your process. Nine is a very important runic number, so if this approach works with you use it!
Most of the books on runes do include sections on divination spreads (I especially like Freyer Aswynn’s “Leaves of Yggdrasil”). Three common lays are described at: http://www.tarahill.com/runes/runediv.html . This is a pretty basic overview, but for those of you without some books at hand it might be helpful for now. Most of the time I use either one or three runes for my own readings. On the rare occasions I do a reading for someone else I tend to favour a Celtic cross (common in tarot readings). What I think is more important than how you do the lay, is the questions that you ask. Whatever method you use and how ever many runes you involve, you need to be clear before hand what it is they represent in your reading.
Most books on the runes also outline rituals. Most are way to dogmatic about them in my humble opinion. Develop rituals that are meaningful to you and that you can accomplish easily in the circumstances of your everyday life. There is some very basic level agreement about storing and handling the runes, which is:
Make your own if you can – the act of doing so imparts your energy to the staves and helps your understanding of the rune meanings.
Keep the staves in a bag – preferably one of natural fibres and that is special in some way. Mine live in bags hand woven by another Runester.
Have a special cloth to lay your runes on.
Cleanse your staves from time-to-time, especially if you have let others handle them. Mine came from the ocean. When I can, I take them back to their home and wash them there. I try to bring sea water home as well. If I run out I use sea salt. If your runes are made of wood or clay, you will need to devise a cleansing ritual that is appropriate.
Ritual, in handling the runes and our pagan lives is important. But, personally, I don’t think it has to be elaborate or difficult to accomplish. It can be as simple as honouring the Four Directions and/or four basic elements; having a personal oath that you renew each day or at the festivals as seems right to you – what ever is meaningful and helpful to you.
October 11th, 2009 at 7:23 pm
In the spirit of thanksgiving, I have to say: Thank you, Mahryan. It’s nice to have you around to help answer questions. :)
<3
October 12th, 2009 at 11:16 am
For all our American visitors to Rune Secrets - Tyriel is not out to lunch (but will later be full of turkey) - it is Canadian Thanksgiving this weekend - and certainly cold enough!
Thanks Tyriel ;-).
October 13th, 2009 at 1:01 pm
My experience with “Healing”( comes from the word-Haelan, meaning to help make balanced or to help increase harmony) is a certification from the Colorado Center for Healing Touch(now International) NYU/Graduate School of Nursing taught Therapeutic Touch, and Barbara Brennan who was an Astrophysicist with NASA started her school in Healing through the Human Energy Field. All teach the prime importance of “The Law of Intentionality” there is only healing with good intentions for self or others-Drawing Runes to help the Healer to understand the Need is most assuredly a Gift of the Runes- I believe.Intentionality for good is Universal in all Schools of Healing. Hope this helps. Munsey
October 13th, 2009 at 4:30 pm
Yes, Munsey, the etymology of certain words can be very illuminating.
heal
O.E. hælan “make whole, sound and well,” from P.Gmc. *khailaz (cf. O.S. helian, O.N. heila, O.Fris. hela, Du. heelen, Ger. heilen), lit. “to make whole,” which is also the source of O.E. hal (see health). Heal-all as a native word for “panacea” is attested from 1577; applied to various plants since 1853.
health
O.E. hælþ “wholeness, a being whole, sound or well,” from PIE *kailo- “whole, uninjured, of good omen” (cf. O.E. hal “hale, whole;” O.N. heill “healthy;” O.E. halig, O.N. helge “holy, sacred;” O.E. hælan “to heal”). Healthy is first attested 1552.
October 14th, 2009 at 2:23 pm
Thanks Tyriel-for the insight and illumination. Peace and Haelan to you. Munsey