A runemal is another word for a layout. The first task is to pick the runemal that you want to use.
Single clicking on any of these buttons will bring up a new blank runemal on the right screen half. The writing across the top of the box is a reminder which, if any, runemal is currently picked. The "(1)" is the indicator that this is step one in the Quick Start procedure.
Double clicking the button will make a help box come up that will explain when that runemal should be used. The help boxes let you jump directly from one help box to the next so that you can cycle through them until you find the runemal that you want to use.
A runecast is a layout with picked runes filled in or is the action of creating this state. Here the basic information as to why this runecast is being done is entered. The "(2)" in the line at the top of he box indicates that this is step two in the Quick Start procedure.
"This runecast is being done for:" is the self evident place to put the inquiring person's name.
"The pertinent question to consider is:" can be an actual question that the inquirer has posed, a general statement like the one of the Sword runemal: the most significant event or happening "for the fortnight to three full moons past" (the next two weeks to three months), or any other question or statement that identifies the purpose of this runecast. It can also be a request for the "feel, taste, sound, look" or some other way to identify the overall nature or flavor of an upcoming period.
"On the occasion of: (optional)" can be entered as a reminder that this runecast was done at some special event such as a party, reunion or get together of any sort. It could also record that this was because of an anniversary, a commencement of something, a new year's activity, a regular runecast of things to come, or whatever you feel might at some future time help jog your memory about this runecast.
There are little box buttons in front of each line of information that initially read "C" (as shown
in the picture above). This can be changed to a "R" by clicking on the button. These
represent a feature that makes life a little easier for the RuneMeister if they are doing a lot
of runecasts at once. A "C" on the button means the information in the box to the right is
Cleared every time a new runemal is brought up. Changing it to an "R" naturally
follows that the entered information is carried over ( it is Repeated.) You
can change the buttons back and forth as often as you like but remember once
entered information is lost because the button was set to "C" on bringing up a new
runemal there is no way to recover it and the information must be re-entered anew.
As with any button on this Control Panel Interface double clicking on the buttons brings up
a help panel about that button.
"POST" means that the information you entered in the boxes gets "posted" to the runemal readout out the right. You can change and repost information as often as you like and at any time. The information that is posted on the right screen half runemal readout is what gets printed when you do a printout.
This is the control area for the actual picking of the runes to fill in the runemal and turn it into a runecast. The writing across the top of the box is a guide to what is happening and what is next. The "(3)" is the indicator that this is step three in the Quick Start procedure.
The two little letters just to the left of the START button (shown as being T and N in the picture above) are memos of current settings as explained below.
Clicking on "START" starts RuneCaster cycling through the runes and also highlights "ACCEPT" while graying out START as below.
You will notice that the four short lines to the right of the START button now start a little
dance to show that RuneCaster is cycling. The little box labeled "Accepted"
just to the right of this keeps
changing as you accept choices to keep you informed of your progress. The first number
is how many runes you have already picked and the second number (the one after the
slash) gives the number of runes in this runemal.
Note that information on the right screen readout is also updated as you
make your choices.
All this is normal and so now keep clicking on ACCEPT and START until the runemal is
complete. When either the START or ACCEPT button is not only highlighted but also
"active" as indicated by the little dotted frame that appears just inside the edges (as in
ACCEPT above), that
button can be "clicked" by pushing on the Space Bar on your keyboard instead of
using your mouse.
Once all the required runes are picked the two buttons will now change to PRINT and RESET.
"PRINT" is exactly that and will print out the runecast on the right half of the screen. All runecasts fit on a standard 8 1/2 X 11 sheet except for the Circle runemal that requires two pages. (For the Circle the interpretation is on a separate sheet) A printout is a convenience that lets you give the inquirer something to take away or keep a record of the runecast. A printout on paper can also be a more intimate way to do an interpretation with an inquirer than having the two of you trying to work with the same computer screen.
"RESET" will reset the right screen half to the current runemal all ready for the next inquirer. (Naturally it will also reset the buttons to START and ACCEPT.) As an added convenience it will also make the first box in Step 2 active so you can enter the new information first and then keep tabbing through the other boxes until you again reach the START button. (Of course you can always start up a new runecast by clicking on any of the runemal buttons in Step 1 at any time.)
These two buttons decide whether RuneCaster duplicates a traditional way of picking the runes or speeds up the operation by using a seeded pick.
"Traditional Choosing" means that every rune picked has to be an individual effort in using the START and ACCEPT buttons. The traditional method can be looked as a more dramatic way with each rune being individually revealed and the runecast possibly being interpreted one position at a time.
"Seeded Choosing" means that you only have to start the process by clicking on ACCEPT once and then the computer will use that as a seeded start to finish picking all the required runes. This can be a great time and effort saver if a number of runecasts have to be made.
"Do not repeat any runes" Some of the oldest recorded literature had the RuneMeister drawing one rune at a time to then give an interpretation. This means that each rune could appear only once in each runecast. That state is duplicated with this button.
"Runes may repeat" Some people prefer to replace a rune so that its message can meaningfully show up in another position. Clicking this button will allow this to happen.
"RuneMeister (person) doing this runecast:" If you are doing the work of creating the runecast do not be shy about entering your name here even if you are just a starting beginner. If you do the work you deserve the credit! This information appears right at the top of the page so that it is a good place to add things like a phone number so the inquirer can contact you again. Information need be added only once per session and then will be repeated automatically.
"Date:" Your computer's clock date automatically come up each session and gets posted. You are free to change it in any way you wish including showing nothing at all.
"POST" like the other post buttons this will post whatever you enter into the boxes to the right side screen.
The Valla Oracle is different than the other runemals in that a number of options are chosen from. Please read RnR-Runes And Runemals to find out more about it. Entering information is the same though in that the options are entered into the boxes and then posted to the right screen half by using the "POST the Options" button.
|
This just lists information that was entered in the left screen Control Panel. The center bar separating the two screen halves can be moved to reveal all that is printed. Position the cursor over the center bar and it changes shape. Hold down the left mouse key and you can move the divider horizontally anywhere on the screen.
|
This part gives a simulation of what the runemal would look like if had been physically constructed using runestones. The illustration here is of a Sword runemal. Before a rune is picked its spot is marked with a small RuneCaster logo. Reversed runes are drawn in red so that you do not have to guess which are upright and which are reversed. The HOUSE (name of the position) that a rune is in is also written right underneath to make it easier to relate to the description further down.
|
The meaning of each rune in every runemal is grouped and listed according to their HOUSE. The HOUSES are listed in the order in which the runes are drawn. In the above example HOUSES containing both a single and double rune configuration are shown. (The example is taken from a SWORD runecast.)
The HOUSE is always first identified by its name, then with a shortened version
of its meaning. (Please see RnR-Runes and Runemals. if you would like
to see a broader definition.)
The runes that belong to that HOUSE are then listed. A picture of the rune is first repeated
from the runemal above (small RuneCaster logos are used
as place markers within the HOUSE
groupings until the actual runes are picked.) This repetition of the rune picture
makes it easier to
relate it to back to the pictorial representation of the runemal above. The first line
to right of the rune (or if there is only one
line) first gives the ancient name for the rune and then its modern equivalent name
followed by a shortened definition.
The second line first names either the Objective or Subjective attribute associated with
this rune and then gives a shortened definition. If there are two runes in the HOUSE
then this pattern is repeated for the second rune.
All elements of a HOUSE are combined
together as a unit in giving an interpretation.
Sometimes added help in interpretation is included as at the bottom of our example.
Single rune HOUSE. The first example of a HOUSE listing is for a single rune HOUSE. The Primary (FUNDAMENTAL) meaning of the rune is then given, sometimes in shortened version. Since there is only one rune there can be no positionally oriented Objective or Subjective meaning. This hopefully is enough to convey the meaning of the rune, especially if you have first read RnR-Runes and Runemals. Please read the book for expanded meanings.
A WORD OF WARNING: Reversed runes are shown in red; and a small "r" appears just before the Primary definition to make it identifiable when printed out on a non color printer. HOWEVER there is no Primary (Fundamental) reversed definition so the regular theme is given. To quote from RnR-Runes and Runemals: "The reverse of Fundamental meanings is not listed but means there will be problems with the theme, or going through problems in connection with the theme. In general a reversed rune is fundamentally an indication of strong change of direction and since it is human nature to find change upsetting the connotation of a reversed rune is most often negative, but it need not be. Whether a rune has a positive or negative connotation and where it might be along a continuum is mediated as being part of a total runemal."
MNEMONIC AID: If there is a small "r" in front of a line in the interpretation section then the meaning of that line has to be considered in its reversed form; otherwise the line is read as it is.
Double rune HOUSE. The second example of a HOUSE listing is for a double rune HOUSE. Pictures of the runes are again repeated. As in a single rune HOUSE the Primary meaning is given for each rune. Then however, a second meaning, called either an Objective or Subjective meaning is given for each rune. Whether this second meaning is the Objective or Subjective version depends on the position of the individual rune within the HOUSE. In a basic difference of approach, NOTE CAREFULLY that these second definitions ARE CORRECT for whether the rune is reversed or not.
|
A complete HOUSE is a unit that is built up from many elements. From this example we see from being in the House Urd that we are here dealing with where the inquirer is coming from. From reversed Perth we know there was an unpleasant unexpected experience and the reversed Perth Objective meaning of APPREHENSION tells us this bad experience could have been perpetrated by someone rather than being an accident. Raido tells us that the inquirer came though positively and the upright Raido Subjective meaning of QUEST says it ended as a life enriching experience. The challenge to the RuneMeister is to put all this information together and produce an interpretation.
N.B.: This is a very short example because this is a manual about using RuneCaster rather than runecasting so please read RnR Runes and Remedies for more help.
SPECIAL TIP FOR THE CIRCLE RUNEMAL: First do an interpretation of the Sword and then tell as a story following the HOUSES around the Moat ending again with the tip of the Sword.
Never said that interpretation would be easy, just that I would eliminate the drudgery
of the memory work. The best RuneMeisters use a runecast as a jumping off point for
psychic impressions that come to them rather than a pedantic evaluation of the
runes. (Comes with practice.)
Think positive. First, interpreting a runecast is no more difficult than other forms of
divination, even easier than most. Then, if it were too simple no-one would need your
services as a RuneMeister.
Back to RuneCaster home page.