you are quite right about the texture - its funny how you can quickly you can 'read' them even in the bag.

I love the nail varnish and blood idea.  Would be good to get a bit of iron into the rune markings themselves.

Knowing my luck with the drill tip there will be a fresh supply!  I hope not too much though..!

I have priced the dremel, so I am going to nosy about the inlaws garage first to see if they have one I could borrow, otherwise my birthday list just got bigger!

many thanks MW!

I thought I would have a crack at my interpretation of the poem (which I hadn’t read prior to joining):  so here goes - and be nice to me you lovely people! 

I interpret Gebo in two ways - the first that came to mind is it talks about if 'you' were broken. The second way I read it is the poem advising about how you should react when faced with ‘others’ who are broken.  I will try to explain!

You:  Even in the face of adversity, when everything has been taken, if you can still be selfless and generous to others then you will be rewarded and the respect and honour which this generates will provide the stepping stones to allow you to make your way out of adversity.  Hold your head up high and have respect for yourself, so that others will respect and believe in you.

‘others’: Does it tell of a tale that you should not judge the broken man?  – Don’t stamp on someone when they are down, help them without the need for praise and reward.

Even tough Gebo is labelled ‘the gift’ I don’t think it is as simple as something great coming your way – its about finding that greatness in you and others.  Through this you will be rewarded.

Even the ‘X’ has taken on a new meaning for me – prior to this it could be considered the ‘bow’ on that gift you are going to get, but I think in relation to what I have written, its more like a warning sign, an ‘X’ never fails to get attention.  And when illiterate people could not sign documents with their own written name, they retained their dignity with the act of signing the  ‘X’.  All they had but a piece of them all the same.

Now, would love to have anyone’s take on this and I am quite happy if you want to point out how un-poetic my interpretation it – I just wanted to do this without consulting books to see what comes out!

sorry, don't know yet how to quote people!

"This is also why there is no such thing as a "blank" rune.  How can a symbol be blank?"

your right G! which is why I probably never used one unless drawn and then I always thought it was a cop out.

The whole purpose of the runes for me is to give guidance or act as - (I cant remember the name of it at the moment  ) the sword which basically all things fall on and they cannot stay on the edge of the blade, but must drop on once side or the other.
(I wish I could remember - help me Google!)

If I am facing a really tough decisions they can sometimes face me with an argument that goes so much against my own intuition that it makes me realise what I actually want to do (like reverse psycology?!). 

I still feel that the rune reading has  be productive and not a failure, as sometimes you almost need to have someone come at you from the other side to make you find the correct path to take.  And the rune you picked that day knew this.  

dont want to add to your workload!  once I post if there isnt a separate place to put it I will title it 'Anglo Saxon - ' ,  that may help. thanks

sometimes I find that the rune alone is enough, and its great that they are so portable so you can keep one in your pocket if you need its help that day - though b e careful not to loose it!

Other than that I have inscribed a candle, and also if on the beach its easy to grab a stick and put the markings into the sand and let the tide take the rune symbol away and do its work.

The great thing I find about the runes is that the symbols, though small enough to fit on a small tablet, give you alot to work with.

no specific rune at the moment, I just wouldn't want to start messing up your threads.

I just want to make sure if I post comments about the way a rune symbol 'looks' others won't get confused if they use Icelandic runes for example. 

I suppose though an easy way is I can begin by others know its from this set, but keeping it within the main runes section - is that the way to do it?

Likewise I will need to be aware of this if others are posting about the symbols of the Icelandic or Old Norse ones!

I want to learn about the others too so keeping everything together for now would be useful.
many thanks!

I have been looking at the Anglo Sazon runes ALOT!  Just wondered where any comments about these should be posted?  I am sure there is a place somewhere - just cant find it!

many thanks!

I think that the Dremel method sounds alot safer than me just 'scoring' them!

(The kit would come in handy too, as I have moved house and the garden is a mess - I plan to grow alot of my own herbs and veg so this would be a great way to engrave the pots)

I love the way rocks change colour in water too, and sort of feel I am missing out on this if they always look wet.  Just one of my odd wee ways!    So apart from painting in the symbols I will probably leave them natural,

many thanks all - hope to continue this with an update in the future, hopefully typed with ALL my fingers!

I have only ever drawn a single rune at times when I have needed guidance/advice.

Just to throw a spanner in (hopefully not!  ) - in learning, can the rune a day (spread or single) also be productive if you leave the spread till last thing at night - can you use it to interpret something about whats gone on that day instead? 

Just wondering as sometimes I use the runes to make sense of a situation that has occured.

(I am going to have to learn a whole load of new stuff anyway if I make a set for myself aqs I am keen to get going with the anglosaxon runes now!)

Hi Patrima,

great to see you here too! 

winter night

sounds like your runes are going to be lovely - will be great to see how they turn out too.

Hi Gretchen,

welcome here from me too! - thats a really good way to learn them.
 

winter night

Hi Danny,

I need to really improve my knowledge too, so right there with you! 
great to see you here!

winter night

yeah - and the nice wee bag will come in handy for my new rocks! 

Hi Elizabeth,
Great to see you here too - this is all nice and cosy isnt it!  hee hee

Winter Night

thanks for the advice Grymdycche!

I am really keen on the stones, the wooden ones don't seem to appeal to me, I don't know why! 

I have a real draw to the sea.  I love the stones, the weight of them, and the process of the sea taking them and smoothing them over and throwing them back.  (a bit like having a huge bag of runes being tumbled and fired back at you  ; ). 

I can see what you mean about possibly having to wear eye protection.  I don't want to get too industrial,  I might try with lightly scoring first, and then painting with nail varnish or something similar.

well let you know how they turn out!