The Norse people liked simple things. So here's a simple spread straight from the ancients themselves - the Three Norns! 

The Norns were mythical giant maidens who ruled the fates of both gods and men - that's a lot of gal power! Their names were Urd, Verdandi, and Skuld. This spread of the Three Norns holds a lot of power. It basically declares your destiny based on your past and present.

Stone 1: The Past (Urd)
As well as being the name of one of the Norns, Urd was the name of a well at the base of a large mountain, and is said to be where the Norns reside. Urd herself spins the events of the past. The Rune here represents events of the past that have a direct correlation to the present and the future.

Stone 2: The Present (Verdandi)
If Urd spins the events, Verdandi weaves them together. The Rune here is what is being woven based on the events of the past. It could be what is happening right now, or what will come into being very soon. 

Stone 3: The Future (Skuld)
Urd spins events, Verdandi weaves them, and Skuld is said to "cut them short." So while this Rune does represent the future, it also serves as a reminder that it's not too late to change the future if you don't like how it ends. Skuld hasn't cut anything yet! 


So I did this reading for myself just now, and my topic is this dog I adopted on a whim. At the time I thought 'hey, all three of my kids were super easy, my cats were super easy, everything I've parented in life was super easy, so this dog will be super easy too, it's fate! Right?'

Wrong. This is kinda the worst idea I've ever had. I am trying very hard with this dog, I've spent a fortune on training and books and toys and solutions, but it's still quite a mess. He's extremely anxious, abnormally energetic for his breed, and a fluffy giant ball of love and teeth and crying. So much teeth. So much crying - both him and myself. It is hard work. The vet has prescribed anxiety medication for him. I may take it myself.

So, on to the Three Norns - the past, present, and future of my dog.

Rune 1: Fehu
Fehu is wealth that moves - it comes into your life and it goes out again. I think as a Rune representing the past, it's telling me this was a gift that came into my life, and I did the right thing by accepting it. So that's nice. 

Rune 2: Jera
Jera represents those moments between seasons, and how they blend to create natural cycles of abundance and loss, marriage and divorce, and planting and harvesting. Jera is a cycle that is never quite complete. I suppose in the present position, I'm in that middle part of a cycle, where dog parenting is both bad and good, fluffy and difficult, adorable yet crying. The only thing to do is push through.

Rune 3: Raido (Reversed)
Upright, Raido is about travel and taking a journey. In reverse it is about immobility, restlessness, or one who is a control freak. I suppose Skuld is warning me to be a little more flexible with my dog and our lives, and understand that immobility is a natural part of having a new puppy. I will just have to work around it, and maybe put travel on hold for a bit. The dog won't let me go anywhere anyway. So much crying.

That's my story and my dog and I'm stuck with it for now, I guess. Oh well! He's cute, so he's got that going for him. 

If you don't have Runes, I found this neat online Three Norns reading that also includes reversals, which I feel are important when summoning the divinatory powers of the cold North. 

For more on the Runes, read Applied Runes! 
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​Like Isa reminds us that nature slows when it needs to, Jera reminds us that a bountiful harvest is inevitable, too.
Jera represents those moments between seasons, and how they blend to create natural cycles of abundance and loss, marriage and divorce, planting and harvesting, or what have you.
Imagine Jera as two sides of a square that never closes. Just as we naturally oppose ourselves and each other when things change, Jera is a cycle that is never complete.
Jera has no reverse, as the cycles of time continue regardless of circumstances.

Jera as:
..an action?

• Garden
• Have a baby

• Take your chances

 
...a place in your city?

• A florist
• The supermarket
• A psychotherapist’s office

 
...a movie theme? Gardening, cycles of life

• The Lion King
• The Secret Garden

• Wall-E
• The Martian

...a new career?

• Get in at the very beginning, such as venture capitalism or a startup
• Farmer
• Climatologist
• Pop-up shops and food trucks

Questions answered by Jera:
Who? The gardener
What? A seed
Where? Near the plants 
When? The end of December or end of the year; when the seasons change; the harvest
Why? “Always do your best. What you plant now, you will harvest later.” ~Og Mandino
Yes or No? Maybe. As this Rune cannot be reversed, only that which has been sown shall be reaped.
 
Bindrune bonus: the preceding Rune Isa and the next Rune Ihwaz, combine to form a variant of Jera. It is often called the Lantern Rune due to it’s lantern-like appearance. It also means cycles. 

Jera brings us to the end of our study of the Runes. Thanks for following along, everyone! My next divination book (Applied Tarot Reversed) is still a few months away, so I don't know what my blog will talk about daily for the next few months, but maybe I'll draw a tarot card or a rune to help me decide. We'll see what happens! 
Coming in March, look for my next release, Psychic Word Puzzles! Solve a puzzle, get a message from the universe! It's cheaper than visiting your local psychic. Follow my page on Amazon to keep an eye out for that: