on the quest to understand runes

Many years ago, about 12 I think, I was given a set of runes as a christmas gift.  They are a pretty standard set, made out of some kind of clay material I think, and housed in a red velvet bag.  Over the years they have intrigued me and yet I've never managed to dedicate enough time to really 'get' them.  I would go through periods of drawing out one each day and then referring to the book.  I got a sense that runes reflected the big picture stuff of life and I was amazed at how often the same rune would come up, over and over again, until I understood what it was trying to say.

I'd really like to spend some more time this year working through them one by one.  I was also given a lovely book called 'The Runes of Elfland' written by Ari Burk and illustrated by Brian Froud.  I'm not sure how 'authentic' it is in regard to traditional rune wisdom, but the stories and illustrations are lovely and I find it helpful in building up layers of meaning for each rune.

This won't be the first time I've promised myself to spend more time with runes, but I do hope this time I can make some more headway.  The rune I chose when I decided this was the year to unlock the secrets of the runes was, ironically, Jera.  This rune means year or harvest and is linked to following the cycles and rhythms of the year.  It also speaks of patience, all good things come to those who wait, and reminds us of the idea that if we do the hard work now we shall reap the rewards in the future.  As well as this fitting very well with some of my other goals this year, it does seem to be some kind of reassurance that this is indeed a good year for me to finally 'get' the runes.