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Book Annotation: After twenty-five years, the audience for Blum's self-help classic continues to grow. Used by some as a revealing game, by others as a tool for practical decision making, The Book of Runes and the companion Rune Stones provide a self-counseling system for the 1990s and beyond. Boxed with drawstring bag and 25 ceramic stones. Illus.

Publisher Marketing: You are holding something very special: a part of the ancient past and, perhaps a part of your future.

You are holding something very special: a part of the ancient past and, a part of your future.

Contributor Bio: Ralph H Blum:
Blum is a writer and anthropologist.

Filled with clear, concise instructions on living Asatru every day, this truly accessible guide takes you on a journey from Asatru's origins in Scandinavian and German paganism to its acceptance as an official religion in the 1970s.

Essential Asatru also includes:

• A complete history of Asatru gods and goddesses, including Odin, Thor, and Ostara
• The life values, such as honor, truth, fidelity, and hospitality, that shape Asatru’s tenets
• Indispensable information on rituals, rune casting, ethics, and divination

Author Info:  Diana L. Paxson has been a consecrated Asatru priestess since 1982. She is the founder of the Fellowship of the Spiritual Path and an Elder in the Covenant of the Goddess and the Troth. She is also the editor of the popular journal Idunna. She is a bestselling author of fiction and nonfiction books on the Pagan religion, and lives in Berkeley, California.

Publisher Marketing: Complete book of rune instruction including definitions of the 24 runes of the Elder Futhark. Includes discussion of phonetic values, derivation and magical qualities of each rune, as well as exercises, chants, rituals, all geared for self-development.

In giving us "Futhark, " the author re-initiates us into our heritage, explaining the mysteries of a profound system of thought and practice which underlies our developing Western culture. Both the spiritual heritage of ancient runic lore and the practical steps we can take to draw on rune power are present in "A Handbook of Rune Magic." This complete book of rune instruction includes rune history and lore, its basis in metaphysical thought and mysticism, complete definitions of the 24 runes of the Elder Futhark, and the etymology, phonetic value and interpretation of each rune. The reader is shown how to perform chants and rituals using runic energy, how to sign and send runes, and given suggestions for runic meditation. The author's presentation of this powerful system is lucid and profound, and provides a valuable tool for spiritual transformation and self-development.

Contributor Bio: Edred Thorsson:
Thorsson received his doctorate in Germanic Languages and Medieval Studies from the University of Texas.

Publisher Marketing: A look at the female aspects of the Norse pantheon and divine females, which are often overshadowed in the male-dominated Nordic tradition. A must for Norse scholars and Goddess study.

Contributor Bio: Lynda C Welch:
Welch is a Norse Polytheist working on a B.A. in Germanic Languages and Literature with an emphasis in Norse Mythology.