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The Theban (or Witches) script/alphabet is widely used by traditional Wiccans and witches both ritually and in their books of shadows. Basically the Theban alphabet is used as a substitution cipher thus hiding the original text in symbols. The script is a straightforward substitution of the standard alphabet with the exceptions that "i" and "j" are identical, as are "u" and "v". The purpose or reasons for using the script is usually to encrypt a message, spell, or text so that its meaning is not obvious to a casual onlooker, or to give a mystical quality to the text to enable more effective magickal workings or spells.

The script is reputed to have been invented by Honorius of Thebes. Thebes was a city in ancient Greece hence the often used "Runes of Honorius." However, there is no credible supporting evidence to this fact. The use of the Theban script by traditional Wiccans is based on its usage by the founder of modern Wicca, Gerald Gardner.

The Futhark Runes are based on the Elder Futhark alphabetic script that was used by the Norse peoples (Vikings) of Northern Europe and are about 2000 years old. As well as being used as a written alphabet, the rune symbols were used for magic and divination. As the Roman alphabet became the preferred script of most of Europe, Runes as an alphabetic script fell into disuse, but their forms and meanings were preserved in inscriptions and manuscripts.

One major characteristic which distinguishes a runic alphabet from other alphabets is that each letter, or rune, has a meaning. For example "eh", "bee", and "cee" are meaningless sounds denoting the first three letters in our alphabet but the names of the first three runes, "fehu", "uruz", and "þurisaz" are actual words in the Germanic/Norse languages, meaning "cattle", "aurochs", and "giant", respectively.

Runes have long been held to have magical and pagan religious significance as well and they have been used throughout the centuries for divinatory readings and to create magical spells.

Today, runes have gained immense popularity as a means of divination having been rediscovered as a symbolic system. Some believe they are an alternative to Tarot cards for giving insight and foretelling the future. They have much to teach us about a way of life that was more intimately connected to the natural world than our own. Some practitioners use a 25th rune called Wyrd in additional to the original set.

The Elder Futhark Runes are split into three Aetts:

Fehu: Cattle

Keywords: Prosperity, money, physical and financial concerns, goals, promotion, self-esteem, karma.

Meanings: Fehu is the day-to-day reality of our lives and the catalyst that awakens us to what lies beyond. It represents what we think we are seeking, which often bears no resemblance to what we will eventually find.Fehu reminds us that any spiritual journey must have a sound footing in our physical situation. The first step in breaking away from this situation and starting a new journey is to be able to see what is possible.

Uruz: Aurochs (wild oxen)

Keywords: Energy, vitality, instinct, wildness, sexuality, fertility, rite of passage, irrationality, shamanism.

Meanings: Following the mundane, day to day survival represented by fehu, it is the first recognition by mankind of the divine in nature. Uruz is the rune of the God of the sacred hunt and his shaman. The energy of this rune is raw and powerful and is pure, elemental fire. This is a rune of passage, from boyhood to manhood through being given a glimpse of the mysteries of nature.

Þurisaz (Thurisaz): Giant

Keywords: Hardship, pain, discipline, knowledge, inner & outer focus.

Meanings: This is an obstacle rune. A rune that says you will suffer in order to grow, to be strengthened. Allow your destiny to unfold as it should. Experience all that life has to offer you. What at first may seem negative and destructive may well contain a necessary lesson. A change will be brought about and a new age entered.

Ansuz: Odin

Keywords: Leadership, justice, shaman, clairvoyant, balance of mind and body.

Meanings: Ansuz is a rune of balance. Many people choose to remain at this point in their journey. It is a point of power and can be quite tempting to remain where you are. Odin has learned the lessons of the first three runes, thus gaining the wisdom to rule wisely, but this is really only another beginning. Odin still needs that spiritual and emotional connection to become a truly great leader.

Raiðo (Raitho): Journey

Keywords: Journey, change, destiny, fate, quest, progress, life lessons.

Meanings: Raiðo represents all the intertwining paths of fate. Every time paths intersect another thread in the web of relationships is born. Pull on one thread and you affect them all. Become aware of the web that surrounds you. The journey must continue. Without change, without progress, there is only stagnation awaiting you.

Kenaz: Torch

Keywords: Insight, solution, creativity, inspiration, enlightenment, wisdom.

Meanings: Kenaz is a rune of enlightenment. Parts of the answers needed will be given. This knowledge will usually take the form of sudden inspiration. You may not be shown the complete answer. Kenaz is the torch that brings light into the darkness that surrounds us. It lights the path ahead of us.

Gebo: Gift

Keywords: Gift, relationship, love, marriage, partnership, generosity, unexpected good fortune.

Meanings: Gebo is very much a rune of connection. Our journey of enlightenment has so far been a solitary one. Gebo indicates those paths that cross, and the destinies that intersect at which friendships and partnerships are formed. Giving a gift has long been held to strengthen relationships, whether lovers, friends or business partners.

Wunjo: Glory

Keywords: Reward, success, recognition, joy, achievement, contentment.

Meanings: Wunjo is the last rune of the first aett and represents the end of one cycle and the beginning of another. It is a very positive rune but yet another place where people can get stalled on their journey. There are still more lessons to be learned and the journey must go on. Staying here is tempting, it seems like paradise after all the hard work. But it is just an illusion and only temporary.

Hagalaz: Hail

Keywords: Sudden loss, ordeal, destruction, disaster, clearance, testing, karmic lesson, drastic change.

Meanings: This rune is like the Tower in the Tarot and provides a wake-up call. Hagalaz is only a negative rune if you choose to view it that way, and refuse to learn its lessons. It marks both a beginning and an end, and destroys the complacency of wunjo. If things are going well and you're beginning to take life for granted, Hagalaz is the slap that wakes you up!

Nauþiz (Nauthiz): Need

Keywords: Poverty, hardship, responsibility, discontent, obstacle, frustration.

Meanings: Whereas Hagalaz is a hard slap, this is a gentle nudge. If life seems out of balance and nothing seems to be going the way you planned then it may be time to make changes. Nauþiz often indicates a feeling of discontent for the way things are. It represents an imbalance between what you have and what you want. How you solve this dilemma will influence the rest of your journey.

Isa: Ice

Keywords: Inactivity, blockage, stagnation, potential, patience, reflection, isolation.

Meanings: Isa primarily represents a period of rest before activity. This is a time to reflect inwardly and decide what changes need to be made. When you have gathered your strength and made your plans, then is the time for action. Although there may be obstacles everywhere at present, they can be overcome if approached in the right way.

Jera: Year

Keywords: Change, cycles, reward, motion, productivity, development.

Meanings: As spring follows winter, Jera follows isa. The period of frozen inactivity is over and new life is beginning. This is a time of change, of growth, of development. Leave the negativity of the winter behind and enjoy the sun while it's there. Life may not be all roses but it is still pretty good! Now is the time to put your plans into action.

Eihwaz: Yew

Keywords: Change, initiation, death, transformation.

Meanings: Eihwaz is the thirteenth rune in the fuþark (It is interesting the Death card in the Tarot is also the thirteenth card). Eihwaz marks the turning point in the runic journey and is the transformation phase of the initial process. Death is the symbolism for the passage into adulthood. Although a frightening time, it is something we must all go through if we are to gain the wisdom of maturity.

Perþ (Perth):

Keywords: Rebirth, mystery, divination, fertility, sexuality, new beginning.

Meanings: Perþ is somewhat of a mystery as to its original interpretation and has aroused much controversy. This rune is closely tied to the idea of rebirth after death. The Norse peoples believed that once born we were set on a path that was pre-destined. Using the runes they believed that we could better understand this journey.

Algiz: Protection

Keywords: Protection, assistance, defence, warning, support.

Meanings: We have passed through death and rebirth on our runic journey, and must now face the Guardian. We are now cahrged to use our new-found power wisely. No longer can we simply be concerned with our own personal development but we need to contemplate how our actions affect others. This is a crucial turning point and we're now faced with taking an ethical path. Or not...

Sowulo: Sun

Keywords: Success, positive energy, power, health, activity, fertility.

Meanings: Sowulo marks the end of the second aett, and marks a successful completeion of this part of the journey. This is not a time of rest though as the sun is very much an active symbol. Nature, life, is very transient and although times are good we cannot rest on our laurels. Rest for a moment and enjoy the sun, then use its energy to move on. This is movement from choice and is not forced.

Teiwaz: Tyr

Keywords: duty, discipline, responsibility, self-sacrifice, conflict, strength.

Meanings: The third aett begins with a loss. Tyr's sacrifice of his hand was a noble one, and notable as most deities were not known for their sense of duty and ethical responsibility. Tyr's rune represents all those qualities associated with the god: strength, heroism, duty and responsibility. This rune is all about duty and responsibility. The path of the warrior.

Berkana: Birch

Keywords: fertility, health, new beginnings, growth, abundance.

Meanings: Berkana represents the path of the mother, the healer and the midwife, bringing new life after death. As the birch puts out the first leaves after winter. There is a time of plenty coming, a time of abundance. Old wounds and pains will be healed. The birch was seen as a provider and many old traditions in Europe utilize the birch. It is a time of fertility and conception.

Ehwaz: Horse

Keywords: transportation, motion, assistance, energy, communication, rashness.

Meanings: Ehwaz is a rune of balance and control. The horse has long been a powerful tool in man's history and this rune reminds us the horse needs to be controlled and not allowed to merely gallop recklessly. Without control the horse may harm others and you may lose your means of transportation and power. Balance and control will let you travel the path swiftly and safely.

Mannaz: Man - Mankind

Keywords: self, family, community, relationships.

Meanings: This is a rune of family and friends. Of young and old. Of relationships old and new and reminds us that mankind is a very social animal. Again we must consider what we do and how it affects others. Mannaz in a way represents our home, and refers to all those whose lives we touch when we use the gifts we have been given along our journey.

Laguz: Water

Keywords: emotions, fears, secrets, revelation, intuition, counselling.

Meanings: Laguz is a rune that makes us confront our own fears and emotions. We need to look at and understand what it is that is stopping our spiritual development. Laguz also prepares us to take on the task of helping others. This process of self-exaamination will allow us to empathize more strongly and share our own experiences. Laguz is considered the rune of the spiritual counsellor.

Inguz:

Keywords: work, productivity, grounding, plenty, balance, nature.

Meanings: Western society (certainly the vast majority of it) long ago lost all contact and connection with the land and the process of growing things. This rune is shaped like a field and reflects this communication with the land. It is more a rune of balance though, and if we are not to be left in the spiritual wilderness we need that connection. We need to be grounded.

Ðagaz (Thagaz): Day

Keywords: happiness, success, activity, satisfaction.

Meanings: We are almost at the end of the third aett and of our journey. Whereas the first aett finished with the glory of the earth and the second aett that of the sky, this rune brings the two together. This is a rune of balance and connection. The four points of the compass plus spirit and the earth are all connected and balanced. there is harmony brought to our everyday lives.

Oþila (Othila): Property

Keywords: property, land, home, permenance, legacy, belonging.

Meanings: Whereas fehu referred to physical property and belongings, oþila is a more a case of spiritual wealth. Our journey is now over (until the runic cycle starts over!) and we have now defined who we are and what we are. Physical property is merely transient. The spiritual legacy we leave can last forever. All the lessons learned along the way must now be integrated into our lives, or become meaningless.

Bindrunes, very simply, are two or more rune symbols joined together to form a powerful magickal sigil. These runes are ideally suited for use as talismans or for spellwork. The possible combinations are almost limitless.

Probably the most popular bindrune design in Viking times was the simple cross shape, which had a rune at each of the four points of the cross. This particular design is ideal as the points of the cross can equate to compass points meaning that bindrunes can be designed to take into account the elements and directionc that feature so strongly in magick.

Another very popular design was the eight spoked wheel. Runes were written not only at the end of each spoke, but also along the spoke. Again the elements and directions can be used if desired.

A selection of bindrunes featuring both cross and wheel configurations is shown below: