I once watched a friend struggle with a Tarot spread, frowning at the cards. She shuffled, drew, and stared at the images as if they were in a foreign language. Then she switched to runes. She pulled three stones from a velvet bag, laid them on the table, and her face lit up. "This makes sense," she said.
Her experience echoes a question many newcomers face: how do you know if you're a Tarot person or a runes person? According to a 2015 article in the Russian esoteric magazine Stupeni Orakula (issue №5), the answer might be simpler than you think.
The Test of Clarity
The article describes a practical test. If you pull a few cards from a Tarot deck and the interpretations feel vague, confusing, or contradictory, the authors suggest that Tarot may not be your system. But if, out of those hazy symbols and obscure hints, a clear answer suddenly emerges, then congratulations, you have a natural affinity for Tarot.
For those who don't get that click, the magazine recommends trying Scandinavian runes. Runic divination is one of the oldest known forms of fortune-telling. The classic set contains 24 runes, sometimes with a 25th blank one. That blank rune has no meaning of its own. When it appears in a reading, it supposedly signals that the time for an answer has not yet come.
I find this test oddly practical. It doesn't demand years of study or memorizing complex symbolism. It simply asks: does the system speak to you? I've seen people who can glance at a single rune and spin a story, while the same person stares blankly at a Tarot card. It's a matter of personal resonance, not skill.
Gender and Tradition: A Surprising Claim
One claim in the article caught my attention. It states that traditionally, Tarot was considered a male form of divination, while runes were seen as female. I had never heard this before. Most modern Western practitioners see Tarot as fairly gender-neutral, though some decks lean into feminine imagery. The idea of gendered divination systems seems to come from specific folk traditions, perhaps in Eastern Europe or Scandinavia.
Historical records on this are mixed. The earliest Tarot decks from 15th-century Italy were used for card games, not fortune-telling. Divination with Tarot became popular only in the 18th century, thanks to occultists like Etteilla and the French school. Runes, on the other hand, have a longer documented history of use in magic and divination, especially in Norse and Germanic cultures. The 10th-century Icelandic sagas mention rune-casting as a practice. But whether it was exclusively female is debatable.
I suspect the gender association in the article reflects a local folk belief rather than a universal truth. The article itself admits: "In reality, everything depends on your personal preferences." So perhaps the gendered idea is more of a curiosity than a rule.
Practical Steps to Find Your System
If you're curious about which system might suit you, here's a simple approach based on the magazine's advice and my own observations.
First, try a mini reading with Tarot. Pull three cards. Look at the images. Read the meanings in a guidebook or app. Do the symbols spark a story? If you find yourself forcing connections, set Tarot aside for now.
Second, try runes. You can buy a set or even make your own by writing rune names on stones or paper. Draw three runes. Read their meanings. Notice if the interpretations feel immediate and intuitive.
Third, compare the experiences. Which one felt more natural? Which one gave you that "aha" moment? The magazine suggests that if fragmented interpretations suddenly form a complete, clear answer, that's your system.
I've seen this work in practice. A friend of mine, a historian, couldn't connect with Tarot's imagery. But when she tried runes, she found herself drawn to the shapes and the ancient history behind them. She now uses runes regularly. Another friend, an artist, fell in love with the visual storytelling of Tarot. There's no right or wrong choice.
Both Tarot and runes are tools for self-reflection and intuition. They don't predict the future, but they can help you see your own thoughts more clearly. If you'd like a free personal reading to explore which system resonates with you, reach out to me on Telegram at @AgataG1_bot. I'll guide you through a simple spread or rune cast.
For entertainment purposes only.
