Working with Bindrunes

A Bindrune is a combination of runes drawn to create a symbol of increased power for a particular purpose–to attract money, love, luck, and other objects (obscure and otherwise) of desire, or to banish negative energies, avoid misfortune, and avert generally unpleasant things.

Wikipedia has a brief and useful article on the history of bindrunes for those interested. Authors with interesting ideas on working with bindrunes include Raven Kaldera, Galina Krasskova, and Nigel Pennick.

Bindrunes can be used for magical purposes–to attract something desired, to inspire qualities such as courage or creativity, or to overcome an obstacle or solve a problem. As with any magic, you must still do the necessary work on the material plane to accomplish your goal. Creating a bindrune helps to focus your energy so you can do the work–creating a bind rune does not replace actually doing the work. You must still study for the test, apply for the job, speak to the person who can make the right connection, or whatever action is needed. The bindrune is a tool to help with the work, not a substitute for the work.

Each week, I will post a bindrune for a specific purpose, as I explore working with them in my own magic. You can, of course, alter the bindrune to include or remove runes as they fit your situation. Once you have read a post, I suggest you draw the rune for yourself. You can make it fancy by using special inks and paper if you wish; a simple pen or colored pencil on plain paper works just as well. You don’t have to be an artist or calligrapher to charge the bindrune; your focused intention is the key.

You can also charge the bindrune with scent, either an essential oil, or a magical oil prepared for a specific purpose. Scent reaches parts of our brains on a physical level that no amount of focused thinking can reach, and can be a powerful way to boost the energies of the bindrune with your personal energy.

You can set aside quiet time and ritual space to create your bindrune in a magic circle or other protected space to more deeply imbue it with energy. Even if you are not able to do a full ritual to create your bindrune, do make it with thought and care. Light a candle, focus on what you want the bindrune to help you with, and draw it with attention. The ritual doesn’t have to be elaborate; ten minutes of good focus on your energies and intent is workable. The more time and energy you put into creating the bindrune, the more effective it can be–just as with any form of magic.

If you find a particular bindrune resonates for you, you can paint it onto fabric, carve it into leather or wood, or cast it in metal. Make it out of Sculpey or Das clay, or make your own clay. Decorate cookies or some other food, or twist bread dough into a bind rune, and make an edible charm. This can be a powerful way to quite literally take in the energy of the bindrune and let it feed your body as well as your spirit.

There are countless ways to work with bindrunes. Try different methods and materials, and means of setting the space for creation. The important thing is to find what what works for you with each bindrune you create.

Try one, and see how it works for you. All the posts will be in the “Bindrune” category and also carry the “Bindrune” tag, so they will be easy to find.

Do let me know what happens!