Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Book Review: Practical Guide to the Runes, by: Lisa Peschel

This is actually one of the first books I suggest people read when they are getting into the runes. Not only is the price great, but the way Lisa writes if very accessible and easy to read. She is not trying to hide everything in esoteric mumbojumbo, it's just about getting people interested in the Runes.

Starting with a quick and simple history of the runes and fallowed by a great discussion on how to make your own set of Runes, Lisa Peschel shows how easy and personal runes can be. Even though the infamous “blank rune” is included in her descriptions of the runes, she does point out that it is a modern invention by Ralph Blum. Fallowing Lisa's concise, no nonsense rune dictionary is a wonderful introduction to using the runes in divination. But, the best thing about this book is the magic section. Clear, easy to read, and one of the bindrunes that is printed in the book, specifically the prosperity bindrune, I had build on my own BEFORE reading the book. So it was very nice to see my bindrune proven by another runester.

Finally, Lisa's suggested reading shows that she did her research well and has all of the best books on runes listed up to the time of publishing in 1989. Overall, I give this book 5 stars, and consider it a must read for any beginner.