The Witch’s Familiar Runic Oracle

The Witch's Familiar Runic Oracle - runes and animal guides in card format

Runes are usually stones or discs with a symbol on them. This oracle takes a different form. Each of the 24 signs from the Elder Futhark alphabet gets a full card, with an animal that embodies the energy of that rune.

The raven for Ansuz. The snake for Tiwaz. The owl for Uruz. Athene Noctua has chosen and drawn an animal companion for each symbol. The illustrations are clean and clear, with natural colours and plenty of detail in fur, feathers and scales.

What you see on the cards

Each card shows one animal in a natural setting. The rune symbol appears on the front, as does the name of the rune. The style is realistic without being photographic. The animal is central, not the background.

The guidebook explains for each card why this specific animal belongs to this rune. The pairing is not always obvious, but it is consistently applied. The text stays brief: a description of the rune, an explanation of the animal, and how both reinforce each other.

How you work with it

This deck is compact enough to carry with you. The format is close to playing cards, slightly smaller than standard tarot. You can shuffle it the way you shuffle cards, or spread the cards out and draw one the way you would with rune stones.

The guidebook contains no spreads, only short descriptions per rune. If you are already familiar with runes, those descriptions will feel familiar. If you do not yet know the symbols, you get a first introduction through the animals.

Draw one card in the morning and look at the animal. Let the image sit for a moment before you look up the meaning. Often the picture already tells you something before you read the text.

About Athene Noctua

Athene Noctua lives on a restored canal boat in the English countryside. Her work centres on symbolism, divination and the bond between humans and nature. She writes and illustrates, and chooses clear images without unnecessary layers.

Specifications

• Number of cards: 24
• Language: English
• ISBN: 9781401973155
• Publisher: Hay House LLC
• Dimensions: 76.2 x 23.6 x 98.6 mm
• Format: Compact, comparable to playing cards
• Includes: Guidebook with descriptions for each rune and animal
• Artist: Athene Noctua

Questions we often get

How is this different from a set of rune stones?
Rune stones are abstract symbols you have to interpret. Here each symbol gets a visual translation through an animal. That makes the energy more directly visible, especially if you have little experience with runes.

Do I need to have knowledge of the Elder Futhark to use this?
No. The guidebook explains each symbol. The deck is also useful if you already know the runes and are looking for a new angle.