Courses - Tests

Lesson 14 - Tests and Reading

Comprehension Test

1. Name three methods of divination
2. "A divinatory tool such as the runes is both a support and .. "(complete)
3. Why do we regard Stonehenge as heritage rather than garbage?
4. What is the effect of a pre-ordained future?
5. Will equals what?
6. What is different about "activated" runes?
7. What other word do some authors used to call divination techniques?
8. Name two ways we can access the upper realm of spirit?
9. Name a way by which we can influence this realm
10. What is the purpose of divination?

Reading

In Bernard King's The Elements of the Runes, read the first two pages (93-94) of chapter 6, "Using the Runes for Divination", down to ".. original practice of runic divination".

King takes it as read that the passage from Tacitus refers to the runes. This is an assumption shared by many authors and on balance it is probably correct though it is by no means assured. It is a good illustration of the importance though of not taking at face value what authors say but checking out sources for oneself.

In Freya Aswynn's Principles of Runes, read from the start of chapter 4, "Divination with Runes" on p 69 down to p 73 ending " .. will come true".

Aswynn dismisses the blank rune fairly brutally. Many modern rune readers do use the blank rune though we do not teach it on this course. If you decide to use it though there is nothing anyone can do to stop you and ultimately it is your choice. Rune reading is about taking responsibility for your decisions and living with the results.

She offers some interesting exercises for developing ability with the runes and it would certainly not hurt to try these if any appeal. Many of you will be entirely new to divination and using your intuitive/psychic skills and in the next passage she provides some exercises which you will find of assistance

Read from p 74, the section headed "Exercises for Beginners" down to the bottom of p 76 ending ".. specific issues to be discussed."

Further Exercises

1. Using your local library or the internet, investigate any method of divination other than the Tarot and Runes. Compare it to the runes, what similarities can you find and what differences? Do you think it would be easier or harder to learn than the runes?

2. Below are three Tarot cards taken from the Robin Wood deck. Unlike runes where the glyph is simply used to identify the rune the design on the card is absolutely crucial. Each deck is individually designed by an artist and the elements vary. It is the reader's interaction with the card which dictates the direction of the reading. So for example on one day the reader might draw a card and their attention is drawn to the small dog in the Fool card (in the Rider-Waite deck) whereas another day they draw the same card but the cliff which the man is walking towards is what their eyes focus upon. Hence the potential danger is a far more significant element in the second reading. Thus with Tarot the art work is all important. Look at each of these cards in turn and record the things which you notice in them. Study them closely and then from the elements in the pictures and the overall sense you get of the card decide which rune you feel each card most closely reminds you of.

   Copyright © Robin Wood 1991. Used with permission

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Lesson 14 - Test Answers

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