Let’s talk about the difference between runes and bindrunes…

Runes are a singular entity; they were once used to write ancient Germanic languages and they were the ancient equivalent of an alphabet.

Bindrunes on the other hand… are created by combining two or more runes together, into a ligature of runes.

How do we use runes today?

The most popular way you mind find runes being used in modern day is with a divination set.

Divination is the art of glimpsing into the past, present or future to gain insight or answer specific question.

Divination with runes has become incredibly popular in most circles of magic, witchcraft and Paganism – the most common rune language used for divination is the oldest one – Elder Futhark (in fact, I’ve never seen another rune language used for divination).

Runes can also be used for communication with the Gods, for carving on amulets and sometimes, I even like to carve runes (and bindrunes!) onto offerings that I leave for the Gods.

How do we use bindrunes?

People use bindrunes for a whole variety of reasons. Throughout history, they were a way to save space when carving on a limited surface area, but there’s no proof that bindrunes were used for magical purposes.

How we use bindrunes now varies from how our ancestors used them.

Generally, bindrunes are used in one of two ways…

• To represent something (such as a personal life story)
• To accomplish something (in magical practice such as ‘to ease anxiety‘)

In the modern day bindrunes are most often seen in artwork and tattoos becuase they’re completely unique to the person they’re crafted for.

They’re becoming increasingly popular amongst Pagans and witches for magical practice.

Personally, I use bindrunes every day and they are the most important part of my craft. I use them alongside offerings to the Gods, carving personal totems and even as altar pieces for the season.

The possibilities with how you can use runes and bindrunes are endless!

If you want to dive into how to start using bindrunes – check out THIS blog post.

Do you use bindrunes or runes in your practice?

Please share with us in the comments, I’d love hearing new and innovative ways to use runes and bindrunes. 😁

Artwork featured in this article: Autumn Stroll by kristyglas on DeviantArt