Wearable Blessings

Haircomb - Amulet

One of the reasons I love making jewelry is because, if it is a practical accessory as well as beautiful, it can be worn almost all the time. Enchanting jewelry, or making amulets and charms in the form of jewelry, is almost my favorite form of magick. Today I've started on a new amulet. It uses visual symbology of spring, colors of growth, and two sigils crafted from Futhark Runes. I call this kind of amulet a "Harvest of Spring's Joy".

My practice of runic magick is based off of the a combination of vibrational theory, sympathetic magick, and the idea of cognitive circuitry. For this discussion I will focus on the vibrational theory aspect of my practice. I will probably talk about the other two aspects of runic magick in other entries.

To me the use of runes is the composition of spiritual music utilizing 25 notes. You can play a single note, strike a chord, or construct a song. The first, a single note, is to put an individual rune onto a purposeful item. When carved in, sanctified and empowered, this allows the item to function with a single/simple purpose. Like a spiritual tuning fork, when set to vibrating any nearby essence with a similar frequency will begin to vibrate, producing the desired effect. I consider these items charms or minor amulets. They are quick, simple and effective.

My second way of working with runes is construction prose or poetry into linked lines of runes. Think of these spells as spell songs or bardic ballads. These are longer, more powerful, and are usually tied to sentimental or emotional items, places or events. I have used this method of spell casting primarily for complex ritual spells in which I want to empower or imbue something with the runic power with a very specific and possibly complex purpose. I do this usually by writing on something to be burned or consumed, or at times temporarily tattoo the runic spell onto myself (usually henna). I use this method for long, LONG term magickal enchantments, such as my wife's and my wedding bands.

My third and most common use for runes is constructing Sigils. Runic sigils are like chords, more complex and powerful than charms or single runes, but not as all encompassing or specific as spell songs. I generally craft my runic sigils from 3, 5 or 7 runes. These constructions, unlike my spell songs which are usually horizontal, are usually vertical in design and are something similar to oriental kanji. The most powerful of my sigils are when I combine runic spellcraft with celtic knotworkings... those take an inordinate amount of time and I have done very few in my life... all of them have been full fledged talismans.

As for the Amulet Haircomb, the two runic sigils repeat five times (for the 4 physical elements plus spirit), one sigil repeated on each tine. The first sigil is composed of the runes Algiz, Wunjo, & Mannaz. Its purpose is to protect one's sense of self, strengthen self esteem, and shelter the inner child. I call this trirune, Alwunjaz. The second sigil is composed of the runes Jera, Gebo, & Wunjo. Its purpose is to make visible the beauty of others, create a sense of community, and empower compassion. I call this trirune, Jerowyn. The trirunes are distributed three on one side and two on the other side of each tine. This means that from either side of the haircomb five trirunes are visible.

Once crafted, the amulet is grounded and energized by being placed in a bowl of salt (tines planted downward), with at least one quartz crystal (preferably 3+) also set in the salt, and set out in the light of the waxing moon for 3 nights. After the three nights, call upon your divinity(ies) and bless/sanctify/empower/seal the amulet. It is now ready for use.