Member Reviews
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me this eARC to review. Sadly the content within this book is not good for my mental health which I did not realise at the time so I am very sorry for that! I will give this 3 Stars as I couldn't review it properly. Apologies again!
This one was more than I expected. I expected Gods and Goddesses but I didn’t expect how to read runes in conjunction with them. I was presently surprised and would recommend to anyone looking to dive into the Norse pantheon.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the advanced reader copy. This is my honest review.
I feel like Norse mythology is not as widely talked about like Greek mythology. I feel like I learned a lot about Norse divination and making my own stones. When I feel more experienced, I will definitely make my own.
Not what I originally expected it to be. This book gives a great insight of norse divination and is written in a way that is logical and easy to follow.. Definitely a useful read for anyone who uses norse systems of divination.
Wow -- there's a wealth of knowledge here! Sometimes it was a little overwhelming with just how much information there was. However, I enjoyed reading this and I think it's a great resource for anyone looking to improve their divination practices, or incorporate a new approach to their craft.
Good infornation and easy to read. Another title that many will keep on their bookcase for sometime.
I really enjoyed reading this book. Anything Norse related fascinates me. The book is a great read. Thank you to the Author.
Super interesting and a good overview on the basics. I enjoyed the focus on detail, and while it did feel a little overwhelming at times I can see myself coming back to this book while I grow in my practice. Well-written and opinionated.
This book was a wonderful surprise. I'd expected it to be more traditional rune reading, or about how the Norse did divination and how that related to the Norse Gods, instead it was so much more. Incredibly educational and accessible, the author's voice and writing really opening this book up to someone knew to the topic, and what I particularly enjoyed was that it wasn't just information about the divination system or the Norse Gods and stories and their relation, but also a guide to making your own divination set. An excellent book that I will be revisiting in the future.
I love Norse mythology and was hoping that this would discuss rune readings...I was pleasantly surprised! Rather, this resource teaches us abut Gods and Goddesses in conjunction to reading runes.
I recently discovered that I have Norse ancestry. Pair that with a burgeoning passion for all things divination and witchcraft, and you have a very satisfied reader.
Despite containing somewhat niche subject matter, this book is approachable, helpful, instructive, and sure to be a staple text on my witchy shelf.
I've long been interested in Norse history and lore, so when I saw this book I knew I wanted to read it. Somehow I didn't realize that this was going to be a guide for actually doing my own divination based on Norse lore; I was expecting it to be a history book about how the Norse did divination or something, haha! In any case, what a delightful surprise! The beginning of this book provides a GREAT foundation for what to expect and explains some things about Norse history and various Norse alphabets over time. I was impressed to discover that the author created their own divination system here, and provides a very thorough guide for using it. The best part? I can make my own set of rune tiles and use them along with this guidebook! Each chapter discusses the rune in detail, including the deity it represents, their story/history, and how to interpret the rune in your reading based on its position and orientation. Personally, I haven't even tried them out yet because I want to be sure I am drawing the runes correctly on my tiles (the advance copy doesn't seem to show me this bit very well, so I'll wait for my physical copy). Norse Divination is a wonderful combination of lore, history, and divination methods you can bring into your own practice! Highly recommended.
I guess I should start by saying that this is not necessarily what I expected. I thought that this was a book about how to Divine with runes and how to use the stories of the gods in conjunction with them. So as I started reading it I was very confused but then when I figured it out it rather blew my mind. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that it's a whole new system of divination. With its symbols and meaning. So to say that I was very excited is an understatement.
If you've read any of my reviews you'll know that the first couple paragraphs are what I consider to be the cons of the book and to be honest, this book is really hard to find any. I can only really think of two, firstly the first chapter talks about the alphabet and how to sound the words in Old Norse. Which is great but I'm dyslexic and yeah that was difficult. Secondly, I got this on my Kindle Fire and there are no photos so I don't know what the significator for each Gods, places, and objects are.
This is a bit of a bummer because I want to make these divination tools. So what I'm probably going to do is go to the local bookstore and get a copy and take pictures of the significators. This is not the fault of the author, This is just how Amazon does their Kindle books.
Now for the positives, this is a very well thought out divination system incorporating Norse mythology and gods. Within the book, you will find extensive chapters on each of the god's places and things, to better understand how to read the pieces. It is much more intricate in explaining each one than most books with other divination tools. It gives you options to change different gods and significators for each piece. You also get the standard Norse creation story which a lot of Norse books have. But it is very important and learning, it's the beginning of everything.
You also get the standard Norse creation story which a lot of Norse books have. But it is very important and learning, it's the beginning of everything. Also, the author's voice is easily readable. You don't feel as if you have to take out a dictionary to figure out what some words are and in what context he is referring to the book. So you don't feel like you have to be an English scholar to get the gist.
I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars. Gypsy Elaine Teague created an alternative for people that don't resonate with runes but still want a connection to their Norse Magic when it comes to using divination tools. Even if you never use these pieces as a divination tool you can still learn a lot from reading this book. Because it opens your mind to a more personal understanding of the Norse gods and their world.
I don't personally know that much around runes and their readings, but I found this book to be very intriguing. I've always had an interest in Norse traditions and I found using the gods rather than the Futhark to be rather amazing. The book provides information on how to create the 36 pieces and how to use them to discuss the past and guide the present and future.
Thank you to Netgalley, Llewellyn Publishing, and the author for providing me with an eARC of this book. However, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Love Norse mythology and futhark runes? Its time to party. This new book Norse Divination explores the gods and goddesses in Norse mythology, as well as a detailed exploration of how to read the 36-rune futhark. This book is well thought out, extensive and fascinating even from a comparative religion perspective.
I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
I have always been interested in Mythology and this book on Norse Divination did not disappoint. I have always been interesting in Runes as well. But Rune divination is not the easiest. That said, this book was definitely a great read as to how and what each rune stands for and how to amplify your reading. Amazing addition to runeology.
I read this book early through NetGalley.
This book is intriguing: a new divination system based on the pantheon of the Norse deities is presented. The instructions to make your own set are clear, as are the explanations for each symbol. I enjoyed reading through the explanations.
If there is a downside, it's in the bibliography, which could have been much more extensive. I wish there had been more information on why certain figures from Norse mythology represent something, or even better, when there is conflicting information. That would have earned a fifth star for me.
Such a lovely book on runes, their history, alphabet and use as divination pieces. Gypsey talks about the entire tale of the norse runes right from the beginning while referring to several sources on etymology, culture, history and the Poetic Edda. There are chapter for each of the runes that go over their meaning as well as their vert-inverted and over positions. Whether you are interested in norse mythology or reading the runes, this book is for you. I'll probably be getting a physical copy of this when it comes out!
Thank you to NetGalley, Llewellyn and the Author for providing this ARC!
I've long wanted to dig deeper into Runeology and, while there are many books on the subject, I have never felt connected to my runes. Norse Divination filled that gap for me. The mixture of history, spirituality, and instruction made this the first book on runes that felt like more than theory. Additionally, the instruction on making your own runes was so appreciated. I finally feel like I am connected to my runes and understand the spiritual basis for the practice!
When I discovered some Norse roots in my family I became intrigued with all things Norse and this book was my latest find. I absorbed so much from this book with customs and history, but most of all, I love that Gypsey not only guides you through divining, but also creating your own divination set. How awesome that is! Maybe it’s my creative side speaking, but I’m excited to create my own set and put them into use.