The tools I use for divination—tarot, astrology, and runes—are all steeped in mysticism. They’re rich with symbolism, story, and spiritual insight. And they all speak the language of the gods.

But not the same gods.

Tarot and astrology are closely linked to the Greek and Roman pantheon. Their imagery and archetypes come from Mount Olympus, home of Apollo, Venus, Mars, and the rest of the divine inner circle. Those gods were poetic, philosophical, and obsessed with endless parties and soirees. When they grew bored with the same old, same old sophisticated interactions with each other, they would occasionally descend to earth to mess around with humanity, but they were always one level above us.

The runes, on the other hand, were gifts from the Norse gods—and the Norse gods didn’t sit around in ivory towers. They went out into the world. They plundered. They pillaged. Their ultimate goal was to be killed in battle, ascend to Valhalla, and keep drinking and fighting for eternity.

The Norse gods were active, adventurous, and assertive—and so are the runes.

Where tarot paints a picture, and astrology diagrams the energies at play, the runes aren’t here to entertain. They’re here to deliver a message, and then get back to business—usually while muttering, “Let’s go. We’re burning daylight.”

All three systems are powerful. All three are magical.

If you want beautiful art and lyrical stories, we’ll stick with tarot and astrology. But if you want a divination tool that feels like it just stepped out of the longhouse after chopping firewood and arguing with a thunder god, the runes are ready for you.