Bound Runes: Vector Sums

“Runes, all of them

they scraped off,

mixed with sacred honey,

and scattered, —

some for the Aesir,

others for the Alfar,

for the wise Vanir,

for the sons of men.”

(Sayings of Sigrdrifa)

By breaking the vector field of the cosmos into components, the developing mind creates a picture of the world, and thus the world where it develops.

As noted, the differential vectors singled out in the World Wheel by the process of awareness are symbolized by marks astonishing in their simplicity and power, traditionally called Runes.

We also noted that the Runes’ operative power has a number of peculiarities connected precisely with the vector nature of their action.

It is the Runes’ narrow focus that determines both their high effectiveness and certain limitations.

The Magical use of Runes takes two fundamentally different forms: 1) with an operational aim — to channel power in a specific direction; and 2) to expand awareness — for ordering and “vectorizing” the Psychocosmos. Specifically, the influence of Runes can occur both outside and within the practitioner.

Consider examples:

Rune                 External effect            Internal effect

Fehu                 Increase of wealth            Activation of energy flow

Uruz                 Healing                      Activating deep energy

Thurisaz            Repelling attacks            Clarity of mind

and so on.

At the same time, many situations require the application of several forces, and therefore several Runes.

Such application can be carried out in three ways: 1) by applying different forces simultaneously; 2) by applying different forces sequentially; and 3) by using the resultant force of several forces.

The first case is inscribing several Runes on an amulet, talisman, or other object. The second corresponds to a Runic incantation, and the third — to creating the so‑called “bound” Runes and their modifications (Galdrastafs). Each of these methods has its strengths and weaknesses: for example, when forces are applied at once the Runes operate more selectively, but the result is less stable, while sequential application is sometimes impractical; therefore, for any given case one or another variant may be most effective.

Another important point for understanding the peculiarities of Runic Magic is its pronounced individuality. Specifically, any Runic object bears the imprint of its maker (since it is born through the maker’s power), and also has a specific purpose. That is, if a Runic talisman is made, for example, by one person for another person, it will most likely be useless (or even harmful) to a third. Therefore it makes little sense to copy Runic talismans from books or from rune stones and apply them to yourself blindly — even if they were effective in their original context, they may well produce a different effect in another situation.

Now let’s turn to certain particulars of using bound Runes.

Several Runes joined together combine vectorially, so both the power invested in them and their meaning matter. In other words, even two visually identical Galdrastafs or bound Runes, created by different erils, can have a different effect depending, in particular, on 1) which Runes the eril imbued more strongly and which he imbued less; and 2) the order of inscription.

Moreover, when Runes combine they can give rise to new Runes that, in turn, alter the composite sign’s overall effect:

“word from word
word was born,
deed from deed
deed was born.”

This new Rune can either diminish the power of the sign or, conversely, complement it. Even if the eril does not “animate” this additional Rune, it still influences the sign’s overall character, and this must always be taken into account.

Understanding the character of a Bound Rune is especially important when directing its action inward toward the Psychocosmos. Any unaccounted-for or misjudged factor can lead to a loss of power and, instead of serving as an impetus to movement, create additional dead-ends and obstacles.

However, when properly made, the Rune sign — especially a composite one — can become an invaluable aid on the Way, helping to organize and ‘cosmize’ the psychocosmos, to order it and steer internal forces within it along specific vectors.