RUNES
The following projects were posted on Spiritualitea’s AllWitchCrafts mailing list
From: PrairieMoon at webtv.net (Prairie Stock)
Hi, everybody! I’m kinda new to this. So
bear with me, OK? I’m still tryng to get the hang of the net thing, and
my typing isn’t the greatest, but anyway, here goes. I made a set of
runes from an antler I found in the woods. First, slice the antler into
25 pieces, about 1/4 ” thick. WEAR A FACE MASK FOR THIS—THE FUMES ARE
TOXIC!! It also smells really bad, so get this part over with as soon
as possible. I use a table saw. Then, sand the pieces until smooth. I
use a dremel for this because I like the polishing tips. After you get
the pieces sanded, stain them with wood stain. If you wear gloves
(plastic), you can just dip them in the stain can. After they dry, I
use the engraving tip on my dremel to engrave each rune, then paint the
rune symbol. Hit them one more time with the buffing tip of the dremel
or buff them by hand with a chamois, and you’ve got a natural and
impressive rune set!
From: “pmexican”
Hi, I was interested in your using
antler slices for the runes, I have been making earrings from deer
antler slices for many years, I use a band saw so there is little
sanding if any to do, and your right it smells awful…but as far as I
know its not toxic, I do where a face mask because of the dust but have
not had any problems with the antler dust, it helps to coat the antlers
with varnish or polyurethane, as the antlers will
keep on drying until they become brittle……Llyn-y-Van
From: “U.G.Coffey”
Merry Meet, folks!
I’m new to this list; it’s my first
posting! I happened to notice that Bast wants to make runes. I made
Goddess Runes, as in the book of the same name by P.M.H. Atwater, which
are not the same as the regular nordic runes, but they are wonderful,
and I’m sure the same methods could be employed for both. (The book has
little stickers in the back to actually stick onto rocks, but you
wouldn’t need to use them.) Anyway, what I did was get some
harden-in-the-oven clay at a craft store, which I rolled into balls
about the size of shooter marbles, then I flattened them slightly
against the table, so they looked kind of like little hamburger buns.
Then I used a popsicle stick to incise the actual runes on my “stones”
and baked them according to the package directions. When they came out,
I used acrylic craft paint to make the runes stand out by painting in
the incised marks I had made. Then I varnished them with an acrylic
sealer. A lot of this stuff you could probably find at a hardware
store. Then I bought a fancy cloth remnant at the fabric store and
sewed a little drawstring bag for the runes to live in.
Alternatively, You could acquire real
pebbles, about the size of almonds in the shell, and paint with acrylic
paint on the, a few coats, then varnish with an acrylic sealer. I’m
heavy into acrylic because it is water-soluble till it dries, then it’s
very difficult to remove accidentally. Also, it dries pretty quickly
from the outside in. The acrylic sealer is just to make sure the runes
don’t chip each other while in the bag, plus, if you get the clear
glossy kind, it makes them look shiny.I hope this helps. No expertise
or artistic talent required!
Merry Part,
Ursus
From: AriRashkae at aol.com
My husband and I bought those little
cabuchons (sp?) that are put into vases >to hold flowers, and we
want to make runes out of them. My only question is: >Does anyone
know of a good way to make the incising stand out and make the
>symbols noticable? > >And I’m familiar with the Futhark
(Norse) runes, but I was wondering what >others were out there. Any
ideas? > >Thanks! > >B*B >Suzanne
ANSWERS:
From: “morgana”
I have used a silver pen on mine. It doesn’t come off easily, and looks nice!! BB, Morgana morgana at desertlinc.com
From: darjeeling at spiritualitea.com
You can etch any type of glass using a
creme that is available in most art/craft stores. It’s called “Armour
Etch” and you can make precise designs by cutting a stencil out of
contact paper or looser designs by painting it on the glass. After
about 5 minutes you wash it off. It’s very simple, though I wouldn’t
let kids play with the stuff. If you have difficulty finding it nearby,
ask for a catalog from www.nascofa.com
From: “Angela Dickins” T
A good plan is to go to your favorite
beach..or forest, whichever you like, and choose the alotted number of
stones for your runes and paint them on with either coresponding
colours or black. Whytewolf
From: Bridgidhp at aol.com
My circle made there own ‘rune’ or
divination tools. We used self hardening clay, wood circles, found
branch slices and penny tiles. Each person used the item that felt
right. Think of the energy you want present during the divination. The
symbols can be burned into wood or painted on. Each person also
determined the appropiate type of rune set. Some went Nordic, soem
Goddess, some Ogham and some personal symbols. We spent a evening
together with this craft and then completed them at home. We blessed
them at Samhain but dark moon would be fine. It was a wonderful time.
Good luck creating yours. Bridgidhp
From: Bridgidhp at aol.com
Re: Glass etching on runes
Forst try to Dremel your runes into the
pieces. (eyewear and a safe area key when doing glass). Then paint the
incised area in a deep tone or a metallic. There is also a book called
“Goddess Runes” several in my circle [refered it to the traditional.
There is also the Oghams which others in my circle used. Merry Met
Bridgidhp
From: “Carla Christopher”
in regards to creating runes, rather
than inscribing the symbols into the stones i used the artists india
ink i use to darken water for scying and it worked great. it’s easy to
control, extremely dark and it’s chip resistant plus it’s only anout $2
a bottle at any office supply store or art store. good luck and
blessings, cassie
From: “Robin Hopkins”
MM Suzanne- I bought the same stones
from Wall-mart in the craft section, and I also bought a gold paint pen
and painted the runes on them. Hope that helps, Robin
From: “Moonchaser”
As a Person that has work with stain
glass for many years JUT to let you Know thoughts piece of glass will
not etch very good and they will chip and break very easel in your
pouch. But if you still want to use them the glass etching kit is the
only way of doing this Moonchaser
From: NSBL at aol.com
It may take some time to find river or creek rocks the same size, but they can be painted and even laquered. BB Sha nsbl at aol.com
From: lynifyni at dc.jones.com
I used fimo…flattened them into disc
shapes, carved the symbol into each one, sprinkled it with glitter,
baked them and voila! my own runes. Lynn
From: “Heather”
I just finished making my own set of
runes. I used a low fire clay from a local clay factory that my
favorite ceramic store recomended. I pulled off small pieces of clay
and formed them into the shape I wanted. You must be very careful to
roll the clay hard to be sure to get all the air out, or they will
explode when you fire them. After waiting a week for them to air dry, I
took them to the ceramic shop to be fired into bisque. I then pained
the rune symbols on with a beautiful blue, then painted a clear glaze
over the entire stone. Again they went to the ceramic shop to be fired.
I have to say they are beautiful. I am
so proud of them. I think what is most important is that they were made
with my hands and was able to charge them with my energy and make them
truly mine.
The clay cost $12.00 for a 25 pound
block (they wouldn’t sell smaller amounts), but I turned the rest in to
the ceramic shop for further credit. Paints were left overs I had, but
generally cost around $2 or less. Each firing cost $3. Still far less
then some of the sets I have seen….and I still think mine are better
🙂
It took alot of time. But it was worth it. I can’t wait until the next full moon to cleanse them.
I hope this helps 🙂
Brightest Blessings, Heather
From: MmeUnicorn at aol.com
>Does anyone know of a good way to make the incising stand out and make >the symbols noticable?
Metallic paint, rubbed on with a cloth,
and rubbed off immediately should do the trick. The paint will stay in
the cut-away areas when you rub off the rest. Failing that, paint
markers with a fine tip are also really handy. Bright Blessings! Wendy,
TGLW
From: Nekosong at aol.com
Wipe them with black or red paint, being sure to remove all except for the incising. Charlene
From: Melia Newman
Actually I made my first set of Runes
with some stones that I picked up from the local kids playground. They
were nice and smooth and it didn’t take long before I had 22 of all
about the same size. I went home and washed them in water then wrote
the runes on with permanent marker and coated with clear fingernail
polish. River stone would be even better for this. Melia
From: PrairieMoon at webtv.net
Etch the rune into the glass using a
diamond tip stylus or electric etching tool, then use “Rub-N-Etch”.
It’s available in most craft stores. It sticks to the etched part &
wipes off everything else. It’s available in lots of colors, but the
metalic colors seem to work best. ….. There are a lot of runes out
there, but if it’s going to be a private set, why not make up your own
symbols? For example, a moon sign could mean Use your intuition. The
sun could be Happiness. Etc.
From: Lady Kriss
There are more then those three, that is
just the Nordic. You also have Celtic runes… man to many to list. I
have a huge file somewhere here on all the different runes and their
different divination qualities. I will hunt it down and search it out.
Also whoever is sending the MIME go and fix it in your browser, it is
not recieving correctly here. Raven
From: bi530 at scn.org
Date: Thu Nov 23, 2000 9:19pm
Subject: INFO: making rune cards
Rune Cards.
Hi, this is LJ and I just wanted to let you know of a little project that
has worked out very well for me. After years of trying to get clear results
with the tarot, I finally gave up and have recently started working with
the runes. I’ve had a lot of success with them right away which has been
very gratifying.
A few days ago, I was at the local Office Max. I saw several different
types of business cards for computers. I got a pack of them right away and
made a small set of rune cards. It was very inexpensive and very rewarding.
I simply got the granite gray and made the runes with a red pen. They are
small, very easy to take in a purse or pack, and you can sew or crochet a
bag for them. they can even be carried in a pouch around you neck. I just
love them.
I saw the cards in a few designs- leaves, sky,impressionist designs and
several colors such as parchment, lavender, granite grey, granite brown,
granite white, plain white and lite blue. I know some other places have an
even larger selection.
You can probably adapt this to other divination systems, and even use them
to make your own.
Enjoy
LJ
From: ptj
Date: Mon May 22, 2000 5:29am
Subject: INFO: Making Runes
I can’t recall if I’ve ever posted anything to this list before, so I
can’t recall if I’m doing this right….
As I don’t remember the original rune question I’m not sure if my
suggestion is applicable, but here goes. Fimo and other clays of that
sort (I can’t remember the brand names I’ve seen) make lovely runes and
I’ve seen several truly enviable sets. But I did it the easy way. I
went to Michaels/Hobby Lobby/Ben Franklin (any craft store that carries
wooden items for decorating will have these) and bought a bunch of
little (about 2″ diameter) circular disks. I painted them front and
back with a color I really liked (it was pale lavender, but my next set
will probably be a metallic blue) and, when that dried, I used a fine
point black paint pen to write in the rune. When it was all dry again I
put on a coat of clear sealant (varnish?) This takes a little time
because you can’t do both sides at once, but the time is mostly spent
waiting for it to dry…
Also, my next set will have small decoupage flowers or something
similar on the back. A little more work, but I like the Victorian look.
*BB*
gypsy
Subject: runes and bags……
Date: Wed, 10 May 2000 11:08:43 -0700
From: “Moonshadow & Trout Boy”
MM!
The finest way to make runes that will truelly be a work of art is to
use “Fimo” or a like kind of oven baked clay. Get a bake’in try and
sprinkle a tiny amount of talcum powder on it…..get an off white
color of clay ( or any other pale color you like )…..warm it in
your hands till pliable and then make a set of round balls for the
number of runes your make’in….small balls!!!! about the size of a
small grape…….then when you have the correct number of clay
balls…flatten them into roundish coin shapes or whatever you
desire….moon shapes …triangles ect….just leave enough room for
a small runes symbol to be inscribed……
Then we do the back design before the rune inscribing…..its a
little easier that way….you can take a leaf or a sun or moon
harm,a spiral or a tiny shell even a tiny stamp……..and gently
press it into the clay rune to leave an impression…..do this
gently..you dont want to mash out your shape OR squash the runes to
your tray your working on cuz then you cant flip it over to inscribe
your rune with out mashing up the shape of the rune!!!!
From: Oedalis
Subject: RE: [allwitchcrafts] Questions and Announcements for May10,
2000
Date: Wed, 10 May 2000 12:51:42 -0400 (EDT)
Making tarot bags and runes are the easiest things I know how to do.
Any further question? Please email me at Oedalis at india.com
Runes
Materials:
-clay
-food-coloring or dye
-a stylus
-small paintbrush (optional)
There are many different ways to make your “clay”. Here are a couple
recipes from our friends at About.com:
—————-
Recipe 1: Oven Flour Clay Recipe
Materials:
2 Cups Flour
1 Cup Salt
2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
3/4 – 1 Cup Water
Instructions:
Mix together flour and salt. Slowly add the water and stir until you
get a nice clay consistancy. Once completely mixed, pat into little
square or oval shapes and carve in your runes with the stylus. Bake
in a 250 degree oven for approximately 1 hour. This will vary
depending on how thick you creations are. One hint, do not make
shapes too thick or they will crack with baking. After they’ve baked
you may stain your runes with a small paintbrush or just dip your
finger in the dye and trace the rune.
—————————
Recipe 2: Salt Dough (like Play-Doh)
Materials:
You need one: large bowl, rolling pin, cookie sheet, mixing spoon,
plastic bag, refrigerator.
– 1 cup salt
– 1 1/4 cups warm water
– 3 cups flour
– painting supplies
Day One:
Take the your bowl and pour the salt. Slowly add the water and mix
well. Slowly add flour and mix well some more. Knead into a ball and,
sealing it in plastic bag, stow it in the refrigerator.
Day Two:
Take out, mold into desired shape, carve in your runes with the
stylus and set aside.
Day Three:
(if not hard yet, put in the oven for awhile)
Put it on cardboard and paint it or stain the runes, if you wish. Set
aside. By tomorrow it’ll be done.
From: “KL”
To: “Kimberly Adams”
Date: Wed, 10 May 2000 13:44:19 -0500
Hi Kimberly !
Just a quick reply, and I gotta get to class.
Runes. Make your own , using polymer fimo clay. Use 2 colors, and
marble them together. Cut the symbols with a metal nailfile. Follow
the instructions on the package about baking. Or, go to a lumber
yard, get a strip of wood trim, 1 inch wide, cut it to the lengths
you want. burn the symbols with a woodburning tool, or use paint.
Spray with clear polyurethane, or leave plain, to accumulate a patina.
From: “Kimberly Adams”
Date: Fri Mar 10, 2000 7:19pm
Subject: INFO An Easy Way To Make Your Own Runes
An Easy Way To Make Your Own Runes
Materials:
Self Hardening Clay (Can also use Fimo or Sculpy clay which can be
dried in the
oven quicker.)
Inscribing Instrument
Form a small amount of clay into a ball.
Flatten into a thin disk approximately 1/8 inch in thickness (Can
also be square, or any shape you feel comfortable with.)
Inscribe your rune designs into clay.
Allow to air dry (Or cool, if baked in oven.)
Store in a pouch or box until ready to be used.