Secrets of Asgard : an instruction in esoteric rune wisdom
Vincent Ongkowidjojo
Mandrake of Oxford, 2011. 293 p. ISBN 978-1-906958-31-2 (with an index!)
The author of ‘Runen in de Noordse traditie’ (Ankh-Hermes, 2007) studied rune magic under the tutelage of Freya Aswynn. (She wrote the foreword.) He also studied very different subjects and the bibliography is very diverse. But the runes and the Northern mythology are the main focus of this book. The first part centres on the meaning of the (24) individual runes and each chapter, each rune, gives food for thought. The second part centres on the application of the system, namely magic and divination and includes rituals and exercises. The Havamal poem is a guide to make your own set of runes and talismanic magic. The threefold division of the futhark is discussed in a chapter on the Aettir. And there’s a chapter on the Nine Worlds. “It is exactly in these mythic worlds that the different powers of the Gods find expression. And the powers they express are represented by the Runes. The system is therefore built around three components: the worlds, the Gods and the Runes. Metaphorically speaking, all of these refer to aspects of the mind. The worlds symbolize different levels of the mind, whereas the Gods represent archetypes playing within these areas of action. The Runes are energies present. In daily life, the worlds refer to different contexts a situation takes place in. The Gods represent our response patterns, and the Runes symbolize conscious decisions throughout life.” (To be honest, this is the only place I came across the mentioning of the Gods as representations of things, and not as themselves.)
Certainly a fountain of knowledge and ideas to people who are already familiar with the runes, but I think it is also a good book for the interested beginner.
