Rune Might: The Secret Practices of the German Rune Magicians - Edred Thorsson 2018
Rune Mantras
Secret Practices
The whole topic of rune mantras, or rune singing, has actually been introduced in a basic way in chapter 7. There is, however, much that can be learned from a technical standpoint that will vastly improve the effectiveness of any rune-work. The reader is also directed to the audio-and-book project Rune-Song (Rûna-Raven, 1993). This recording gives the basic sounds needed. Because the rune, as such, is an immaterial mystery, and the various material reflections of it are actually symbolic keys of its reality, all facets of these symbolic keys need to be taken into account when unlocking the doors to true rune might. A symbol is not just an arbitrary sign standing for something else; rather, it is an actual reflection, or even fragment, of a real quality or structure. The runes are actually multidimensional keys, and they must be evoked in more dimensions than just the three normally at our disposal. Through a conscious combination of the various runic qualities of form, sound, and number, together with other pieces of lore presented here and elsewhere, the mysteries can be unlocked and used.
Rune-songs (mantras) are most usually used in conjunction with the performance of rune postures (asanas), as demonstrated in chapter 7. This combination of form and sound is a powerful key to rune might. However, runic mantras can also be combined with other ways of evoking rune forms—for example, with rune signing (tracing the runes in the air), rune thinking (visualizing the runes in the mind), or rune carving (actually carving the rune forms into wood, the earth, stone, etc.). The mantric practices presented here can be combined with any other magical form-evoking technique, or they can be used alone, since sound itself has a form of its own as it vibrates in the atmospheric wave space.
THE KNOWLEDGE OF BREATH
It is very important to have conscious control over your breathing patterns or rhythms in the performance of runic mantras. The most important thing to remember when learning breath control is to maximize your intake (and outflow) of breath, and to do it in a regular and conscious way. Various schools of this science, whether traditional Indian pranayama or others, will insist on certain formulaic rhythms. These may have intrinsic powers for some, but what is primary in importance is that the rhythm be suited to your psycho-physical makeup.
General guidelines that would be good for all to follow are (1) that the breath be a full one, completely filling and emptying the lungs, and (2) that the rhythm be a regular one. To ensure a full breath, follow this procedure: first depress your diaphragm, filling the bottom of your lungs; then expand the rib cage, filling the main body of the lungs; and finally, lift the shoulders and collarbone, filling the very top part of the lungs. This is the full cycle of breath that will ensure a maximum intake of breath. On exhalation, reverse the process. This may take some practice to get used to at first, and so it should be the object of exercise in its own right for a time. This will improve concentration on breath and pave the way for more intense rune-work. The actual rhythm you use—that is, the ratio between the time spent inhaling, holding the breath in, exhaling, and holding the breath out—must be consciously controlled to be maximally effective. In his book Runenmagie, Karl Spiesberger suggests experimentation with the following rhythms.
1) 5 seconds inhale
1 second hold
5 seconds exhale
(Wait for the physical urge to inhale before beginning the next cycle.)
2) 4 seconds inhale
2 seconds hold
4 seconds exhale
2 seconds hold
3) 5 seconds inhale
3 seconds hold
7 seconds exhale
3 seconds hold
Of course, the longer period of exhalation is primarily due to the need for relatively more time in which to perform the mantras themselves. Therefore, it is often found that breathing exercises done for their own sake may have slightly different rhythms from those done in conjunction with mantras. The best way to time the seconds may be with the heartbeat, or perhaps a metronome could be used.
BUILDING OF RUNE MANTRAS
In the German school of rune magic, certain aspects of the mantric system are derived from the mystical analysis of language revealed in the studies of Guido von List, some are rooted in S. A. Kummer’s studies of the esoteric basis of the sound patterns in traditional yodeling while others are derived from the theories of F. B. Marby (e.g., dynamic speech). Here we will explore some of these theoretical and practical aspects.
First, the basic simple sound value of the rune can usually be used as a mantra in itself. This is true for all the vowel sounds (a, e, i, o, u) and for all the consonantal sounds that can be made with a continuous stream of breath ( f, th, r, h, n, s, l, m). Linguists refer to these sounds as “continuants.” The basic magical utility of each of these can be found in the Armanic runic table in chapter 6. Certain other consonantal runic sounds cannot be made in a continuous stream of breath, such as the sounds k, t, b, g. Linguists call these sounds “stops.” These must be combined with a vowel in order to make them pronounceable. (Kummer also suggests that the runer can hum—that is, vibrate the vocal cords and imagine the sound of these runes repeated continuously.) As each vowel sound gives the consonantal sound an added quality, all five vowel sounds must be repeated with the consonant to give it a qualitative balance in favor of the consonant. If the sound KA, a combination of K and A, is repeated, then you will have created a balance in which K is no more powerful in your mantra than A. On the other hand, KA—KE—KI—KO—KU has K five times and only one each of the vowels, thus placing primary emphasis on the general power of the K-sound.
The symbolic combinations are also practiced with the other consonants as well. These simple kernel words, such as FA, FE, FI, FO, FU, represent combinations (sonic bind-runes) of the qualities inherent in the individual runic sounds.
KEY TO THE MYSTERY LANGUAGE
According to Guido von List
In the last work published in his lifetime, Die Ursprache der Ario-Germanen und ihre Mysteriensprache (The Primal Language of the Aryo-Germanic People and Their Mystery Language), List laid out his esoteric theories on the hidden meanings of sound. His system is in many ways similar to Kabbalism, but instead of depending on numerical values to unlock the secret meanings of language, phonetic values are used. It is a sort of sonic Kabbalah. The key to the system is contained in table 8.1 below. This table is a somewhat simplified version of one presented in List’s book. Since there is inherent runic power in the sounds themselves, the system can be used for any Germanic language, ancient or modern, and only slight modifications need be made to convert the system from German to English.
In the Listian system, the consonant-vowel combinations such as FA, FE, FI, FO, FU are called bud words, or kernel words. There are ten kernel consonants as shown, and five kernel vowels. Note that TH and D are esoterically equivalent, as are B and P. It is unimportant whether the ordering of the sounds comes as vowel-consonant or consonant-vowel; the power and meaning is in the combination of sound qualities, not in their ordering. These kernel words can then be combined to form ur-words, or primeval words. A third kind of word is the root word. A root word may be the same as an ur-word or even a kernel word. The rune names themselves are all considered root words. From the standpoint of the operative rune magician, it is most important to be able to construct magical sound formulas from this system by synthesizing the esoteric qualities indicated in the table. List himself only published information on what we might call the passive use of the system, as a method of esoterically analyzing the hidden meanings of language—the kala.
As an example, we could take the word Odin (= od-in) and analyze it according to the data in table 8.1. There we see that od indicates an ordered material manifestation of the primal aether, and in is the spiritual order of primal water. By understanding the synthesis of these qualities, we learn an esoteric meaning of the name: the one that manifests etheric power ruled over by the spiritual order of formation. The table can be used to unlock any word or name according to the Listian system, but it can also be used to create powerful runic mantras or to make existing mantras more deeply conscious and magically effective.
The esoteric meanings of the consonants are most evident from the Armanic runic table presented in chapter 6 as well as from the Listian analysis of their elemental qualities as presented in table 8.1. It is with the vowels that the most complexity of understanding arises, and therefore we will delve a bit deeper into their meanings here. When spoken, chanted, or sung, these esoteric qualities should be evoked as strongly as possible in the mind of the runer.
THE ESOTERIC MEANING OF THE RUNIC VOWELS
According to Guido von List
A is the divine power in threefoldedness, and its expression is pure force or energy in the cosmos. It is articulated in the following complex way.
E is the LAW according to which power or force has its orderly effect on its aim. It is the effect of the three stages of development on the world of the four elements. E expresses the cosmic function of the law of seven (3 + 4), which is the law of the natural order of the cosmos.
I expresses the value or quality of the divine threefold power as a UNITY. It is the unifying force making things whole, holding them together, forming a foundation for positive, energetic development. I provides the spiritual order as a foundation for further evolution.
O is order made manifest in the particulars of physical reality. The power of O is the formative element in the physical manifestation of individual characteristics or traits.
U expresses the completion or perfection of the impetus of the divine power made whole with its manifestation in the cosmos—this is the law of assimilation in the All.
To gain a more complete understanding of List’s cosmology, the student can consult List’s book The Secret of the Runes (Destiny, 1988) and the introductory remarks to that work as well as The Religion of the Aryo-Germanic Folk (Lodestar, 2017). Another aspect of Listian kala that is too complex to discuss here but which should nevertheless be mentioned is the idea that each of these kernel words undergoes a three-leveled interpretation according to the cyclical law of Arising, Becoming, and Passing Away to New Arising—or Birth, Life, Death/ Rebirth. Each kernel word can be interpreted as expressing a generative aspect of the quality in question, or an evolutionary/manifested one, or one indicative of a destructive or waning aspect. The key to which meaning is involved is most probably contained in the exoteric meaning of the word.
For our purposes only, the Listian system should only be used to construct powerful magical mantras in a systematic way. An example of one of these used by the Armanen themselves is constructed from the five root words of the vowels:
AR—EH—IS—OS—UR
As the vowel sounds express the spectrum of manifestation, this holy mantric word is the magical key to the realization of this manifestation in the practicing rune magician. The consonantal sounds also give specific nuances of meaning to this sonic manifestation of cosmic wholeness. The formula Arehisosur is found in Armanen literature, often without this explanation.
Let us say the runer would like to develop skills in art or magic and have these skills guided by spiritual principles. To this end a complex mantra might be created:
KA—SI—IT—BO—LU—AK
This, of course, works on the same principle as sigil magic, in which bind-runes are created to form a visual talismanic image that acts as a focus for magical intention. Here we are creating a coherent audible or sonic magical formula for the same purpose. In fact, a visual bind-rune such as the one below could be created to act as a visual focus for a sonic working of this kind.
A visual bind-rune
Another method of constructing runic mantras is to take a mantric affirmation in natural language (for example, modern English) and transform it into an esoteric magical language. This can be done in two ways. The simple mantric affirmation “I am rich” is first turned into the esoteric mantra I—AM—RIK. Now, the magician can either chant the magical mantric version (pronounced “ee—ahm—ree-eek”) or simply repeat the exoteric, natural “I am rich” while concentrating on the underlying esoteric key to the sounds. It can be seen that this exercise has many things in common with, for example, the technique of “sigilization” used by Austin Osman Spare, which is really more or less identical with the ancient runic practice of creating bind-runes from names, words, or whole phrases. For magical efficiency it is important that the words and names involved be removed at least one step, but preferably more, from the natural expression. If the runer were to make the mantric affirmation “I am rich” into a bind-rune to supplement the sonic power of the mantra, he or she would simply take the phrase, turn it into runic equivalents for this and combine these runes in a single glyph:
Runes combined in a single glyph
This glyph has now become a visual esoteric reflection of the sonic version.
RUNE YODELING
Yodeling is a unique form of vocalic practice now best known as a feature of Alpine folklore. It is thought to have been an ancient mode of long-distance communication through the peaks and valleys of the vast region of the central European Alps. The magicians of the Armanen school hold that these are actually ancient sacred mantric formulas that have been preserved in the isolated, culturally conservative regions of the high Alps. These vocal formulas continued to be practiced by traditional people, like so much else in folklore, long after the sacred importance had been forgotten.
Yodels are vocal formulas in what appears to be a nonsensical language—simply melodic combinations of consonant and vowel sounds. In other words, they are constructed in ways very similar to the ways runic mantras are created, and in fact traditional yodels are believed to be vocal or sonic versions of old invocations to runic forces. The essence of what is meant by yodeling is, however, in the way the sounds are sung. Essentially yodeling is a modulation of the voice between the normal chest singing and a falsetto centered in the throat and head region. This is, after all, the essential practice of raising and lowering the vibratory centers of rune singing along the axis of the body. Any runic mantra can be performed in this manner to increase its power to move the runic forces along the central axis of the bodily centers.
The scientific runological literature is full of references to supposed nonsense formulas, such as LUWATUWA on the Vadstena bracteate. These are certainly mantras that could have been performed in a yodeling fashion. Non-Germanic observers of the ancient Germanic style of vocal performance always compared much of what they heard to the barking of dogs, or to the cackling of hens. All of this most probably referred to magical incantations and war chants, and so forth, sung vigorously in the rising and falling tones characteristic of the yodel—something quite shocking to the ear unaccustomed to it. It might also be pointed out that the Germanic term for “magical incantation,” Old Norse galdr, Old English gealdor, is derived from a word describing the croaking sound that a crow or raven makes. On the following pages are reproductions with musical notation of traditional yodels, which were suggested by S. A. Kummer as models for further runic work. Kummer also points out that the magical effect will be increased if the yodeling is performed in the corresponding rune postures (or the MAN posture), and ideally they are to be performed in an echoing valley (or rock cave) where their power can be magnified. In a profane sense the yodels reverberate over valleys and peaks and can effect communication over many miles; but in a magical sense they reverberate over the depths and heights of existence and can effect communication throughout the worlds.
Traditional Yodels
Note that in following transcriptions, the j is pronounced as English y; the letter å is sounded like the combination “aw”; and a sounds like the long English a.
1. From St. Radegrund an Schockl near Graz, Steiermark.
2. From Alt-Aussee, Steiermark. Received from the Forester Gruber on the Mondsee.
3. From Fuchsl, Salzburg (1888).
4. Yells. Calls from the Offensee, collected 1886.
MARBY’S DYNAMIC SPEECH
F. B. Marby developed his own theories concerning the use of sound in the practice of runic exercises. Writing in volume 5/6 of his Marby-Runen-Bücherei (p. 113), he said:
All phenomena and expressions are based in their origins on electrical valences and their interplay. The dynamism of this interplay brings into being all processes, all living phenomena. Also the speaking of certain sounds must always accordingly represent a dynamic process, a transformation of electrical valences in sound, or a transformation of sounds in electrical valences, and following from this a transformation of so-called material substance as well. Speech is an unfolding of forces that can propel, transform, build up, or break things down.
Marby posited that the interior of the mouth could be used as a magical vibratory instrument—a sort of microcosmic magical chamber in which the modulations made in the sounds could, and would, have their effects on the interior and exterior worlds, if energized by the will and imagination of the runer. In this he was only following ideas laid down centuries before by early Indian yogis and rishis. For example, at least one traditional school of Indian mysticism teaches that the correct performance of the sacred mantric syllable om, or aum, is keyed to the idea that it expresses in vocal terms the emergence of substance from the depths of being (visualized as the back of the throat where the sound originates) to the outermost reaches of manifestations (visualized as the closed lips where the sound ends). Thus, vibrating from the back of the throat to the limits of the lips is the microcosmic, magical correspondent to vibrating throughout the whole macrocosm—it is a reenactment of the creative process of the vāc (creative magical voice, or word, of Brahman).
In Marby’s system, which can be integrated with that of List, the vowels are the basic sounds of creation and manifestation, while the consonants are seen as qualifying limitations, or borders, of the pure vocalic vibrations. Marby identified the vocalic sounds within vibratory bands in the human aura. The figure below represents a simplified diagram of these bands (the original German version includes the non-English sounds ö and ü, which are not used as basic sounds by other runers anyway).
The vocalic bands of force according to F. B. Marby
The i sound has the most dense vibratory rate as it is closest to the body and interacts most directly with the body; the a sound has the highest vibratory rate and actually reaches out into the farthest realms. This or some other form of “onionskin” visualization of the energy fields around the human physical vehicle can be used to intensify the practice of mantras by seeing and feeling the corresponding sounds vibrating and energizing the various fields of force. Also, this model can be used to intensify the experience of runic asanas as the runer feels the connection of various centers (chakras) in the limbs as they make contact with the different levels of energy fields. Once these or similar bands of force are strongly visualized around the body, the hands can be placed within them to effect a withdrawal of force from that particular band, channeling it to other parts of the internal or external sphere.