Rune Magic 101: What are and How to Make Bind Runes
Those who are starting their path in Rune Magic usually feel a bit lost when it comes to Bind Runes and how to make them. Keep reading and learn how to make your own personal amulets and sigils with these simple yet powerful tools!
Ancient Symbols…
Modern Fit
What are Bind Runes?
Bind Runes are one of the two types of combined runes (the other is the Lønnruner or Cypher Runes, click here to learn more about them!) and they are two or more runes bound together, often used with magical purposes these days.
These symbols are pretty rare in Viking Age inscriptions and in most cases, they simply displayed the name of the carver or served as an ornamental piece.
Their use as magical amulets continued later in Iceland. We can find some examples of bind runes in Medieval manuscripts around the 1600s (for example, the famous Icelandic staves or Galdrastafir, such as the Vegvisir and Helm of Awe, are a combination of runes with magical purposes)
Nowadays, bind runes are gaining some popularity again and many people use them as sigils or amulets and to cast spells. By combining different runes, you are asking the gods for a result – good or bad – for you or another person.
Types of Bind Runes
There are many ways to classify these magical symbols. Here are the two bind runes types based on their shape:
1. Linear
Which at the same time can be divided into two other types:
A. Stacked
The most common bind rune and it’s made with two – rarely three – runes that share the same axis.
In spells, they are used to manifest a reality.
B. Same-Stave Rune
We can find this type in Scandinavian runic inscriptions. A series of runic letters are written in a specific order along a common axis.
In magic, you can use them to attack a problem.
2. Radial or Stave
We can find some examples of this type of bind runes in the Icelandic staves or Galdrastafir. Each rune or combination of runes stems from a common centre point.
Defense spells or amulets are the perfect candidates for this kind of design.
How to Make Bind Runes
The most crucial step in this process – and most often, what deters beginners the most – is to study the runes and understand their individual meanings first. We have to be careful with what runes we mix together and pay attention to the “hidden” characters that might appear in the final design, as they can affect the general purpose of the spell.
At the same time, don’t be so afraid that you feel completely paralyzed. The best way to learn is by taking the first step and practise as much as possible! Start with a simple two-rune sigil for a short-term goal and try to analyse the bind runes made by others until you understand them.
There are many runic alphabets to choose from, but if you are a beginner, the most common to start is the Elder Futhark. If you don’t know where to look for more information, check out this list of book recommendations for beginners or download a copy of the Elder Futhark cheat-sheet.
Step 1: What do you want to achieve?
Before you start picking any runes, do some visualization work. Think about the goal of your spell and what steps you would need to take to achieve it. Once this is clear, the next step will be easier!
Step 2: Select your Runes
Think or read about each rune and its meaning and select those that fit your purpose the best. Whether this is your first bind rune or you are a seasoned rune caster, it is better to not over-complicate things: limit your choices to two or three, five at most.
This can be the most difficult step, as some runes have ambiguous meanings, so study different resources and take your time!
Step 3: Time to create your design!
Pick some pen and paper and start drawing as many combinations as you can. Don’t worry too much about it being right or wrong at this point, let your imagination fly and draw everything that comes to your mind!
Once you have your sketches, I recommend giving them some time. Do something unrelated, like going for a walk: sometimes the perfect bind rune will come to your mind out of the blue or in your dreams.
If this isn’t the case for you, have a look at your paper again and pick the ones that speak to you the most. Study them to see if there are any hidden or reversed runes that can alter your spell.
Step 4: Select your material
Any material will do but take some time to think about the purpose of your bind rune. If it’s serving a long-term goal, you would want to select a hardy material that can stand the test of time (like wood or stone) and if it’s something for the near future, regular cardboard or paper is more than enough.
Take into consideration that you will have to carry your bind rune with you or have it somewhere in sight, so pick something that is practical for you and your situation. For example, you can create a pendant and wear it as a necklace or an art piece to hang it on your walls.
Step 5: The Creation Ritual
You have your intentions clear, your bind rune design and your materials ready… Now it’s time to give your amulet its power!
There isn’t a fixed set of rules for this, really. The most important aspect of this step is to focus on your intent while you carve or draw your bind rune.
My personal choice is to prepare a space with a candle and some incense for a calm atmosphere and meditate for 10 or 15 minutes to clear my mind.
Once you are focused on the task ahead, start carving each rune of the bind rune individually, until you create the final design. Think about each rune’s meaning and how it’s going to help you.
After you are finished, take some time to meditate and think about your intent again with your new amulet between your hands. To finish your ritual, thank the Gods and Goddesses for their help and leave a small offering for them.
Step 6: Use your Bind Rune
This is the last step, I promise!
After you create your bind rune, put it somewhere where you can see it. For example, in your altar, your work desk, at your front door, carry it in your handbag… This will serve as a reminder of your goal. Keep the bind rune until you achieve it.
Once you reach what you asked for, it’s time to get rid of your bind rune, as it has done its job. This depends on the material, of course! If you used paper, you can simply burn it. In the case of using a harder material, you can bury it in the ground in a special place for you (for example, under a tree or in a lake – but make sure the materials aren’t polluting these spaces!)
Lastly, do a little ritual to thank the Gods and Goddesses again and leave them a little offering.
Bind Rune List: Examples and Meanings
Here is a little list with some examples of Bind Runes and their meanings:
Remember that these are just some examples, so open your mind, experiment and start creating your own!
Learn More About Rune Magic and Bind Runes
The world of runic alphabets and rune magic is very vast! To learn more about the history of runes and their magical uses, make sure to get your hands on these books:
(Transparency Disclaimer: this post contains affiliate links from the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. As an affiliate and Amazon Associate I will earn a small commission from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost for you)
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Hello, I’ve joined but I cannot download the rune sheet. Please help!
Sorry about that! Sometimes, the email ends up in the spam folder, so please make sure you check there too. I have sent you an email too 🙂
Hi. This is my first introduction to Runes. My birthday is 8/29 and I was told my Runes are: Anuz and Raido. Is this accurate? and if so, what does this mean? Thank you!
Hi JG! Do you know how did the person come up with those runes? Are they the initials of your real name and surname? Or are they based on your birth date? I know there is a kind of “horoscope” using runes, but I’m not very familiar with it, to be honest!
Someone my husband is acquainted with drew a tattoo for him of a Celtic bear paw with a number of Runes.. he now has the Celtic paw tattooed on his chest, but the tattoo was done by him and I helped some.. we haven’t put the Runes into it, but I’m nervous about it as I DO NOT trust the artist.. am I being paranoid? Or could this turn out bad
Hi Charity! What are the runes in the tattoo for? Are they just spelling a name or is it because of their magical meaning? If they are used to spell a name, just remember that runes represent sounds, they are not used as individual letters as we do with the Latin alphabet today, so you would write phonetically.
If you want to use them for their magical meanings, I have a little cheat sheet that might be useful for you, click here to download it
This article is very well written, made it very easy to understand.
Thank you so much, Jeri! I’m not a native English speaker, so I’m always doubting if everything is correctly written or clear enough… this means a lot! 😀
Hello! Thank you for this post. It is very insightful. I am still new to this. I am learning because I want to have binding runes as tattoo.. Is this something that is acceptable?
Thanks for your comment, Mai! I’m glad that the post is helpful for you 🙂
You are free to tattoo a bind rune if you want, BUT make sure that you understand the meaning clearly before permanently tattooing it on your body!
Can you draw the bind rune on your skin then wash it off once you no longer need it rather than burn or bury the bind rune?
This article was very helpful, thank you.
I would also like the answer to this! And what rune would be helpful to block negative bad things and help promote happiness
I am.
I hope it is a part of picking the item out.
I came to visit my daughter and there are some tunes around her house she says lately she seems to be more angry and she suffers from depression and anxiety. The ruins look like a Y and the other one looks like a stick with a diamond head. Is there a way to get rid of them? We don’t know anything about runes and from my understanding it’s either protection separation protection or protection possession protection unless I’m reading them wrong. Would like to know how to get ride of them they are in a marker by door entrance and bathroom window and the. Y seems to be in her bedroom window.
Look at external factors before blaming it on the runes.
When you posted this we were all still dealing with media bombardment of fear and uncertainty over a virus.
Many many people were and are feeling the same way.
Sometimes just being away from social media, switching off the news and some gentle meditation will do the trick 😊
I was recently gifted a necklace with a bind rune on it, and after searching internet for its meaning, I still need some help! It looks very similar to a single arm of the Helm of Awe/Helm of Terror for protection in battle, like the one in a picture on this post. It is without the center circle. Do you know what the meaning of this rune is? Thank you so much!
Now, I am trying to do Runic magic for myself. The meaning of the Runes like is Fehu, for example, Fehu involves Weath. Is that the meaning of the Rune?
Can I combine my two birth runes, Othala and Wunju, to give them more energy and if so what would be the best way to do so?