Runes are not tied to the phases of the Moon. Besides, everyone has their own “clock” and biorhythms. So there is no point in waiting for a waning Moon to perform a cleansing, or for a waxing Moon to attract blessings. This is especially pointless when time is pressing and you need to carry out a working here and now. If you have the opportunity and desire to take every possible factor into account for a ritual, and you feel this is necessary, then it makes sense to give it some thought — wait for the right phase, prepare ink of the desired colour, specific candles for activation, and so on. Still, none of this is obligatory.
Magic is creativity: the ability to construct your own ritual in the circumstances you find yourself in and to show ingenuity.
Activation is needed to give runic energies an initial push and set them to work. You can use the elements — either the full circle of elements or one chosen element (most often fire) — blood, or breath. What matters is that the chosen means of activation must make contact with the runes. If you choose the circle of elements, each element must make contact — pass the runes over fire, drip water onto them, pass them through smoke, and sprinkle them with earth. To activate with breath, breathe onto the runic arrangement much as you would breathe onto glass to make it fog up.
Authors usually specify whether to draw the arrangement rune by rune or as a complete bindrune. If there are no instructions, drawing it rune by rune is more convenient, so you know exactly which runes you are setting to work. However, this is not a strict rule either. If you intend to state a separate intention for each rune, it is more logical to draw them individually as well. For an overall statement of intent, you can first draw the entire arrangement and then assign its task.
A statement of intent for runes directs their action and defines the task for which their energies are invoked. People very often ask for a ready-made statement of intent. However, this is rarely useful. Even if an arrangement has one specific purpose, each person’s circumstances and situation may differ, so the task needs to be adjusted accordingly. These days, I rarely make explicit statements of intent at all. There is intention, a goal, runes, and an act of creation.
A statement of intent can be given rune by rune — each rune carries a specific task. Authors often list the runes in the order in which they are to be drawn. You can therefore compose the statement according to the intended action of each rune. Draw the rune and state its task.
An overall statement of intent is used when drawing the arrangement as a whole and assigns a shared task to all the runes. “By the power of the runes in this runic arrangement… state the result that needs to be achieved…”
A vísa is, in my opinion, the most complicated option, because it follows specific rules of composition and uses kennings. The poems that authors often compose for their workings are not the same as a vísa, but they can also be a viable way to activate the task. The main thing is for the words to express the action of the runes and the desired result. You can also use incantations that convey the intended meaning.
The energy of the runes in the arrangement + intention directed towards a goal = a statement of intent. How you construct it is less important. It is much more important to make the statement clear and concise, without unnecessary padding. There is no point in adding tasks “just in case” if the runes in the arrangement are not intended for them. There is no point in saying “without harm to…” and listing every living thing around you. It is much more important to approach the working and its goal consciously, to understand what you are doing and what result you want to achieve. Strange as it may seem, brevity and clarity in a statement of intent are often the key to success. The fewer unnecessary words and irrelevant tasks, and the clearer the task, the better the result. Long texts distract and confuse. You can read from a sheet of paper, but what is the point if the words are merely spoken rather than coming from you with power?
The statement of intent also usually specifies the moment of activation and deactivation. “The runes begin their action upon activation… state the means of activation… and will cease their action when… state the moment of deactivation.”
Personally, I have no fixed rules for working with runes. I always act according to the circumstances, rarely use statements of intent, and do not like activation through the circle of elements. This is a case where everyone needs to find a method that suits them and works for them.
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🌠 © Helga_V
Master of runic practice, researcher of the Northern tradition
