The English Runes Card Deck

The English Runes. A card set of 33 Anglo-Saxon runes. (White backgrounds)

Size:  4.75" x 2.75"  (12cm x 7cm) 34 cards in all (32 runes of the full Anglo-Saxon rune row, plus the rune GAR, plus a title card) in a cloth bag.

Reproduced here for the first time as a standard tarot-size deck of cards, this is a rich and visually stimulating way to read runes, whether for divination or assessment purposes.

The deck includes the 32 characters of the full Anglo-Saxon (Northumbrian, or English) rune row. Each image explores the pattern and traditional ascribed meaning of the rune energy. This deck includes a further rune: GAR, that can be used as a card to represent the questioner, or the self, among other meanings.

Around the border are elegant mnemonic phrases and clues to different layers of interpretation, largely deriving from the euphonics found within present-day English language. (The way sounds are made by the mouth often suggests a similar type of energy experience and so words with related meanings cluster together, sometimes around ancient root words, sometimes from very different places of origin.)  

It is a deliberate part of the design that these phrases are in a font that makes it a little difficult to read. They are there to catch the eye, not to be the first and only thing one pays attention to when looking at the card. The phrases are there to add other layers of meaning, not to overwhelm the mind with what they suggest. They are ignore-able, adding whispers of meaning, should that be required.

Although this is not a scientific, linguistically accurate exploration, it has a certain poetic validation and is a great way to extend the interpretations given to each rune in a lively and appropriate way, whilst adhering to the traditional sources, such as the three Rune Poems.

These cards are now professionally printed. They are sturdy and long-lasting. All the cards derive from my original artworks and the text, too, is original and unique.