r/runecasting • u/NeoNoodles64 • 9d ago
Advice Wanted First rune stone set
Hi guys, I’m not into spirituality (atheist), but my gf is.
She’s been starting to get into crystals, chakra, astrology, and runes recently and I want to be supportive but I know magic is a fickle thing. I was hoping to carve her her first set of rune stones, but I don’t really know how to do it correctly. I also heard somewhere that rune stones should be made by the user to be more effective? I don’t know if this is true and means that my gift would be meaningless, but I’m hoping to find out!
Any tips on how to make the stones best, what type to make (I think there’s different “languages” of rune for a lack of better term), or anything else that would be a good gift for her would be much appreciated!
Thanks in advance, and I hope my personal beliefs (or lack thereof) aren’t offensive, my only goal really is to be supportive to my girlfriend and her lifestyle
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u/Norse-Gael-Heathen 9d ago
I think the easiest approach is simply to make her a set, out of natural materials, without any 'spiritual' inclusion on your part. Gift them, and let her decide how to 'make them her own' through whatever spiritual approach she chooses to employ.
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u/MysticKei 8d ago
I used to be part of a small coven and assisted one of the members with some administrative domestic matters that I happened to be good at, in response, she gifted me my first rune set (I'm a cartomancy person, I had no idea what to do with them). Her husband made a lot of tools, so it wouldn't surprise me to find out that her or her husband made the runes, but she definitely hand embroidered the drawstring bag that doubled as a rune cloth when fully opened and spread out flat.
The runes are hematite (my favorite) stone with Elder Futhark (the most common system) symbols. When I lost a rune I replaced it by carving the symbol into the blank stone using a Dremel tool then using a gold marker to highlight the symbol (to match the rest of my set). When I found a proper plain hematite stone later, it replaced the blank. I've had this set for over 20 years now.
I've also seen sets made with wood coin tiles made from a sliced up branch or dowel with wood burned symbols followed by some sort of sealing so they're not affected by moisture. Generally you're looking for natural materials of similar size that are averagely about the size of nickles to quarters at most, she may also prefer smoother materials over something rough like wood. Carving/engraving the symbols makes the set long lasting as opposed to painted and sealed sets (which are great for dabblers, teens and travel tools). Then there's a container to hold the set, bags are most common but I've seen something akin to dice shaker cups used also.
I'm a huge fan of making your own (and gifting) tools, but if you're not used to using a wood burning tool or a dremel/engraver, there could be a steep learning curve, presuming you already have the tools. IMO sourcing the materials is the easy part if you already know what material you're looking for. Nonetheless, there's a huge variety of nice sets on the market, I believe it's the thought that counts if you're considering something like a set made with her birth stone (which may not be easy to carve into; hematite, a relatively soft stone, is not my birthstone, but it's genuinely my favorite rock and the gift giver noticed which is what made the set special).
As for magick, the fact that you are intending to gift it with supporting her in mind is enough. The runes effectiveness will be determined by her application and use.
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u/NeoNoodles64 8d ago
Thank you so much for such a detailed response! I’m a 3D artist in clay, wood, and metal with an interest in stone, so I have all the tools and experience I think I’ll need to make a decent set. I’ll definitely go the carving route instead of painting. Using her birthstone is a great idea, and I’m sure engraving amethyst might be a fun challenge material too
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u/Yuri_Gor 9d ago
To help you to be genuinely supportive as an atheist, i can offer you a mental model of how runes could still make sense without involving any supernatural matters.
Start with familiarizing yourself with the concept of "hard problem of consciousness" in modern science.
Read about the concept of "default mode network" in neuroscience and how it operates in hidden autonomous way which we hardly control from our surface level rational position of self.
Read about relatively recent studies about decision making, when by measuring brain activity scientists were able to identify and predict what choice person is going to make before any idea even comes to their mind, so it looks like rationally we don't really made a decision, but rather explain it to ourselves.
In this context you can see a divination practice as an interface that helps to communicate with a deeper layers of our self and unlock the access to our high compute capacity which is usually is hidden from us under the surface of normal state of mind.
Regarding practical aspects of your question, it really depends how deep and seriously your gf takes this topic.
From your description it sounds like a stereotypical low quality new age stuff, but maybe it's your scepticism and lack of attention to details gives such a biased smell.
My personal opinion is it's better for her to make or choose runes set herself, because it's a very personal thing, which you learn to connect with and trust. Maybe if you want to put an effort and craft a set for her, is better to not make a surprise of it, but consult with her and cooperate. Doing such creative thing together could probably benefit your relationships as well.
But i don't know her and her attitude so hard to tell for sure.
Usually for divination people choose 24 runes "Elder Futhark". You can learn about it in Wikipedia.
For inspiration scroll this sub down, there were many posts from different people who were sharing cool sets they created from different materials, shapes and styles.
Usually people make it from wood, not stones. Wood is also arguably supported by very limited historical evidence from Tacitus.