Today's Runes for Yoshitaka Amano

The Cross spread is used to plot the arc of your life and the forces acting on it. It is the most popular spread, giving a very complete view of the situation. Jade Runes are most commonly used for questions about love, friendship, and relationships.

The left rune represents an important element of the past. Nyd represents many things, most of them unpleasant - heed it well. Constraint, delay, loss, need, and sorrow are all frequently seen in this rune. Nyd speaks most strongly of pause, the hallmark of the both the timid and the patient, and is often interpreted as foretelling a delay in the effect of other runes that it accompanies. Fortunately, even where there is misery and danger there are valuable lessons to be learned - the trick is to learn them before you are overtaken by despair.

The middle rune represents a deciding element of the present. Hagalaz is the rune of hail. Hail is a destructive and elemental force, so one can expect this rune to represent the disruption of one's life. In the harsh northern winter there is a halt to activity, and so delay or hindrance is frequently associated with this rune. The opposite of chaos is yet more chaos, as illustrated by the fact that this rune cannot be reversed.

The top rune represents a force that works for you. Ehwaz is representative of the eight-legged horse ridden by the god Odin. As such, this is the rune of controlled movement and travel, including the pursuit of an objective or station in life. Since some older sources show Odin not as a man riding a horse but as a centaur-like being, this rune can also represent the union of man and nature, or the fusion of two entities in perfect harmony. As this rune is reversed, this could bode poorly for travel or for the vehicle involved. In the more spiritual sense, this rune could represent difficulties in self-improvement or other attempts at advancement. Finally, it may represent a splitting of two or the inability of two to act as one.

The bottom Rune represents a force that works against you. Ken is the rune of light and knowledge, driving away darkness and ignorance and revealing hidden truth. This rune also brings forth images of friendship and comfort. Ken is the light of inspiration, the light of imagination, and a beacon in the darkest hours.

The right rune represents the critical element of the future, at the core of the final outcome. Thurisaz the thorn represents barriers and senseless violence. Here we see the thorn overturned. This could mean that erected barriers will not hold, or that senseless violence can be avoided. Also, remember where thorns are found - perhaps this rune portends that a goal can be obtained easily and without interference. Grasp for the rose...