This is the original set of rune cards, by the first person to commercially market a set of runes for divination.  Before Blum came on the scene, runes were something only a few were aware of, and fewer yet knew how to use them.  Blum brought this knowledge into the public eye and made it acceptable to a wide audience.

These cards were designed in 1988 originally.  This is available only as a set, the clothbound hardcover book is a wonderful one with illustrations and a large portion of the book is dedicated to history of the runes and Norse history in general.  This sets a real sense of atmosphere for the set.

The cards have a highly intuitive design to them.  Incorporating scenes from nature, they actually show the shape of the runic character as it appears hidden within regular scenes.  Most of the scenes actually convey a sense of the meaning of the card, which is written on each card as a one-word title.  The cards, which number 25 altogether, are also numbered.  Blum is the original source of the 25th card concept, the blank rune, Wyrd, which represents the Unknowable.  Most runic divination systems developed since then also include a blank rune.

Since this is not a tarot, there are no Major or Minor Arcana, no suits or courts.  The cards themselves are standard sized but since the deck is only 25 cards, shuffling is child's play.  The cards have a nice feeling and look to them and I have to admit that while I have seen more intricate artwork, these remain the best set of rune cards I have yet seen.

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Review Copyright 1998 by Gina M. Pace