Deck of the week: The Rune Cards by Ralph Blum

 

The Rune Cards

By Ralph Blum

Illustration Jane Walmsley

25 cards and hard back guidebook in box set 

First Published 1988 by Rune Card Meditations

Edition shown and reviewed 1995 by Edison Sadd Editions and Headline Publications.

ISBN 13: 9780312034238

The Rune Cards by Ralph Blum are one of the most influential rune-based oracle decks of the late twentieth century was also  reissued as The Rune Cards: Ancient Wisdom for the New Millennium in 1997, the deck was created as a visual companion to Blum’s bestselling rune system presented in The Book of Runes.  

What Makes the Deck Unique?

Traditional rune divination normally uses carved stones, wood pieces, or tiles marked with runic symbols. Blum took a different approach by transforming the runes into an illustrated oracle deck. Working with artist Jane Walmsley, he created symbolic scenes that embody the essence of each rune’s meaning. Hidden within each illustration is the shape of the rune itself.  

The deck contains 25 cards:

• The 24 runes of the Elder Futhark
• One additional card called The Unknowable (often associated with Blum’s famous “Blank Rune”)  

Each card bears a keyword such as:

• Self
• Partnership
• Strength
• Protection
• Joy
• Harvest
• Warrior
• Journey
• Breakthrough
• Wholeness
• The Unknowable

These keywords make the deck accessible even for complete beginners.  

How the Cards Are Used

The Rune Cards can be read much like tarot or oracle cards. Common methods include:

• Drawing a single card for daily guidance
• Three-card past–present–future readings
• Question-and-answer readings
• Meditation on a specific rune image
• Dream work and spiritual reflection

Blum viewed the runes primarily as tools for self-counselling and personal insight rather than fortune-telling. His interpretations emphasise psychological growth, intuition, and spiritual development.  

The Artwork and Symbolism

Unlike many modern rune decks that focus on Norse mythology, Walmsley’s artwork is highly symbolic and archetypal. The images often resemble dreamscapes or spiritual allegories rather than historical Viking scenes. Hidden runic forms encourage the reader to contemplate both the picture and the rune simultaneously.  

For many readers, the visual imagery makes the meanings easier to access than traditional rune stones, which can appear abstract and cryptic.

Influence and Controversy

Blum’s work had an enormous impact on modern rune divination. For many English-speaking practitioners in the 1980s and 1990s, his books and cards were their first introduction to runes.  

However, scholars and many modern rune practitioners have criticised his system because It draws heavily on concepts from the Chinese I Ching and modern divination methods. The “Blank Rune” also has no historical basis in ancient runic traditions. His interpretations are largely modern spiritual teachings rather than reconstructions of historical Norse beliefs.  

Even many critics acknowledge that Blum’s work helped popularise interest in runes and inspired countless people to explore runic symbolism and divination.  

A Pagan and Magical Perspective

Within contemporary Pagan, Wiccan, and New Age circles, the Rune Cards are often valued less as historical artifacts and more as a spiritual oracle. Their strengths lie in:

• Intuitive readings
• Shadow work
• Meditation
• Personal transformation
• Dream interpretation
• Guidance during life transitions

Readers who enjoy oracle decks such as the I Ching or tarot often find Blum’s Rune Cards approachable and reflective.

In many ways, the Rune Cards sit at the crossroads of Norse symbolism, Jungian psychology, and New Age spirituality. Whether one views them as an authentic runic system or a modern oracle inspired by runes, they remain one of the most influential rune decks ever published.  

Copies are still available  used

https://www.abebooks.co.uk/book-search/title/the-book-of-rune-cards-sacred-play-for-self-discovery/author/blum-ralph/

About Ralph Blum

 Ralph H. Blum (1932–2016) was an American writer, cultural anthropologist, journalist, and one of the most influential figures in the modern revival of rune divination. He is best known for the book The Book of Runes, which introduced millions of readers to runic oracle practices and helped popularise rune reading throughout the English-speaking world. 

His Work with the Runes

Blum encountered runes in the 1970s and began using them as a tool for personal reflection and self-counselling. His breakthrough came with the publication of The Book of Runes in 1982. Unlike scholarly works on runic history, Blum presented the runes as a practical oracle for modern spiritual seekers.  

He went on to publish several related works, including:

• The Book of Runes
• Rune Play
• The Rune Cards
• The Healing Runes
• Ralph H. Blum’s Little Book of Runic Wisdom  

The Blank Rune

Perhaps Blum’s most famous—and controversial—innovation was the introduction of the Blank Rune, which he called “Odin’s Rune” or the rune of the unknowable. Historically, there is no evidence that ancient rune sets included a blank rune, but the concept became enormously popular and is still found in many commercial rune sets today.  For Blum, the Blank Rune represented fate, mystery, and the action of powers beyond human control.

Influence and Criticism

Blum’s influence on modern Paganism, New Age spirituality, and rune divination is difficult to overstate. Many people who began studying runes in the 1980s and 1990s did so through his books.  

However, rune scholars and many reconstructionist Heathens have criticised his work because:

• His rune meanings were heavily influenced by the Chinese I Ching.
• He adapted modern oracle techniques rather than reconstructing historical Norse practices.
• The Blank Rune has no known historical basis.
• His rune interpretations often differ from those derived from the surviving rune poems.  

Among modern practitioners, opinions remain divided. Some view his system as a valuable and effective oracle for personal growth, while others regard it as a modern spiritual creation rather than an authentic historical runic tradition.  

Legacy

Ralph Blum died in 2016. His books remain in print, and his interpretation of the runes continues to influence oracle decks, rune sets, and divination practices around the world. Whether one approaches his work as modern spirituality or as a reinterpretation of ancient symbols, he played a major role in bringing rune divination into contemporary Western esoteric practice.  

For many witches, Pagans, and spiritual seekers, Ralph Blum occupies a role similar to that of Rachel Pollack in tarot: not necessarily a historian, but a populariser whose work introduced a generation of readers to a symbolic and divinatory tradition.

Information about Jane Walmsley, the illustrator of Ralph Blum’s Rune Cards, is surprisingly scarce. Unlike many tarot and oracle artists who maintain a public profile, Walmsley appears to have left very little biographical information in the public record. Most references to her are found only in connection with Blum’s Rune Cards and a handful of other illustration projects.  

Her Work on the Rune Cards

Jane Walmsley is best known as the artist who collaborated with Blum on the original editions of The Rune Cards. Blum wanted to expand beyond the simple runic glyphs used in traditional rune divination, and Walmsley created richly symbolic images that embodied the meaning of each rune. Hidden within each illustration is the shape of the corresponding rune, encouraging both intuitive and symbolic interpretation.  

Artistic Style

The Rune Cards reveal several characteristics of Walmsley’s style

• Symbolic rather than literal imagery.
• Soft, painterly compositions.
• Use of visual metaphors to express psychological and spiritual themes.
• Integration of the rune shape directly into the artwork.
• A focus on personal transformation and inner growth rather than prediction.  

Many readers feel the images bridge the gap between rune divination and oracle-card reading, making the runes more accessible to people who find traditional rune stones abstract.

Other Known Work

A few sources identify Jane Walmsley as an illustrator whose artwork also appeared in the British fantasy-gaming magazine Warlock during the 1980s, although detailed information about her broader career remains limited.