Customer Reviews

Runes in Ten Minutes

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
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2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

R.T. Kaser has written numerous books, on a number of subjects; the Tatot, the I Ching, and the Runes. Purists will find Kaser's work disappointing. It lacks hisory and scholarship. True enough. But, Kaser does introduce a newcomer to the Ancient Oracle with wit, humor, and skill. Enough of each that the thoughtful student will seek more. Nowhere does Kaser claim or admit to being "The Authority." Instead, his interpretations are fun, accurate, and easily accesible to the novice. "Runes in Ten Minutes" is a fun book, easily used, and contains answers that are surprisingly accurate. It is a starting point, but a fine one, and one that any novice should consider before getting into the more esoteric aspects of the Runes. A great book for the Beginner, and we all had to "begin" somewhere.

For the serious diviner, this is not the book for you. This is an introduction to the Power of the Runes. However, for the beginner, the novice, or the merely curious, R.T. Kaser's delightful volume will give immediate, and thought-provoking results that the reader can use "HERE AND NOW!" It may even inspire further study. It might even change a life or two, for the open-minded reader. There is a danger of course. The reader might want to learn more about the Runes, their history, their mythos, and their meanings. In those regards, Kaser's book admittedly falls short. But for an introduction, and an immediate hands-on availability of the Runes, Kaser's "Runes in 10 Minutes" is an indispensible work! Buy without hesitation.

This book is not for the exprerienced seer, nor for the educated rune caster. But R.T. Kaser's delightful introduction to the Runes, and their power, is easy to use, puts the Runes to immediate use, and even grants the reader the opportunity to make his/her own set of Runes. Odin, giver of the Runes, would have been pleased. It's easy to read, fun to use, and a useful companion for the beginner, and a resource for the advanced caster for quick reference and sure answers. It is an introduction, and nothing more. But it will inspire the serious student into deeper readings, and certainly into a greater awareness of self and of the mystical power of the Runes.

After reading this book I was disappointed to find the author spends most of his time making wise cracks with each interpretation. This art should be taken with reverence and respect and should be presented with such.

Don't waste your money on this mediocre attempt to explain the runes. There are many better sources available. Scrabble pieces? Sheesh! That's even worse than Blum's "rune cookies".

Summary:
This book explains a variant, occult/pseudoscientific method of having questions answered, similar to Tarot, Palm Reading, or Fortune Tellers.

The book does teach you how to read runes in 10 minutes, but that is because reading runes is really just a game of chance combined with self-deceit.

Here's my version of 'Runes in 10 Seconds': (1) Put a bunch of Scrabble tiles in a bowl. (2) Ask a question. (3) Pick out a tile and make up whatever answer you want to your question based upon the tile you picked out.

The difference between my version and R.T. Kaser's is that mine uses Scrabble pieces and Kaser's uses archaic runes, though he does say you can substitute Scrabble pieces and get the same results (it's on p. ix if you don't believe me). And, in a nutshell, that's the book!

My Comments:
If you believe that using runes to answer questions is a good way to get answers, then this is probably a good book for you. Since I don't believe there is any power or magic or whatever you want to call it (mana) behind the runes, I don't plan on using the book for anything more than a party favor when I run out of other games to play (or maybe a coaster). I bought the book during a phase when I was interested in occult religions. I'm finally getting around to reading it and, niftily, it only took me ten minutes. I've already spent more time on this review than on reading the book :)

I should point out two additional things. First, Kaser does offer some additional information and guides for interpretation, but it all seemed kind of arbitrary to me, so you're probably just as well making up whatever answer you want as you are using his guides. Second, there is a little bit of history on runes, but since Kaser doesn't actually reference anyone, I'm not sure I believe him.

Runes tend to have a limited appeal. This book is entertaining but ultimately suffers from the relative inaccuracy and inflexibility of the runes. The author's Tarot book is great!