One of the most popular oracle sets now in a 25^th Anniversary edition, The Book of Runes consists of a green velour bag containing 25 inscribed stones, along with a 154 page hardcover book providing context, history, uses, philosophy, interpretations, glossary, and further reading list. Ralph Blum, who midwifed the return of this ancient Oracle (it’s at least two thousand years old), writes:

It is my firm conviction that the Runes, as adapted here for the contemporary rune caster, are not meant to be used for divination or fortune telling. The disposition of the future is in God’s hands, not ours. Rather, the Runes are a tool for assisting us to guide our lives in the present. For it is only in the present that our power can be exercised. Think about it—when did you last make a mistake in the future?

The Runes are an instrument for learning the will of the Divine in our lives, a means of listening to that part of ourselves that knows everything we need to know for our lives now. As a method of guidance and self-counseling, the Runes assist us to navigate unfamiliar waters when the old charts no longer serve and we are required to be our own cartographers. A friend put it succinctly when he described the Runes as “a compass for conduct.”