Pierced by the Light, Rig Svenson, Flying Witch Publications, 2003
ISBN 1-900433-13-3

As I frequently comment, after one has read 20 or more books on the
runes you start to hit the rule of diminishing returns. Each book
seems to repeat the same things and it takes ever greater effort to
find anything fresh within it. Many of the most original books on the
runes come from minor publishers and are often perfect bound with
fairly flimsy card covers. Examples are the Rune-Net Primer and
Pollington's Rudiments of Runelore. Svenson's Pierced by the
Light falls into this honorable tradition. It should be said at the
outset though that this is not a book limited to just runes. Rather
it describes a mindset, a way of life and a spiritual path which
encompasses the runes but much more besides. Svenson's runic
practice is firmly rooted in understanding the Norse literary texts
and respecting the deities they depict. Having always argued that you
cannot truly understand the runes without a knowledge of the cultures
which utilized them, I fully agree this is the correct approach. As
the book's subtitle makes clear though, the past is just a
starting point, this book describes the application of the Northern
Tradition and the runes today.

In many ways this is quite an amazing book but I must sound a few
notes of caution. Firstly this is not a text for the casual reader.
It is often demanding and extracting all the truths it has to offer
will take some time and effort. This is also true though of the runes
themselves and is one reason all the New Age instant-solution-seekers
will only ever make limited progress with them. Certainly this book
will richly repay the time devoted to studying it but to do this
someone must already be committed to the runes. Hence this would not
be a recommended starting text. Though Svenson explains about the
runes and Norse mythology in some details he often gets quickly into
depth and I would recommend the acquisition of a little background
knowledge before embarking on this book. This is not to say that a
beginner will get nothing from this book but I wouldn't
necessarily choose it as a starting point.

Secondly and I proclaim this warning loudly, this is an adult book
and not for the easily offended. In an age where the momentary
exposure of a partially shielded nipple can generate mass public
outrage be aware that with Svenson you get more than you do at the
Superbowl, but equally be aware that unlike the aforementioned
occasion the use is non-gratuitous. There is a softly erotic quality
to some of the illustrations such as the topless woman accompanying
the Seidr chapter and there is at least one use of a possibly
offensive four letter word, though in the context of explaining a
particular sequence of runes. If these things actually cause the
reader concern then probably the Northern path is not the right one
for them, for they should keep in mind that the book promotes a
historically accurate attitude towards sex and the body which may
clash with some people's modern morality.

Assuming that these two issues present no barrier, the reader will
find this book offers a satisfying and sometimes illuminating
experience. Reading a good book is never a passive process.. there
is a direct interaction between the reader and the words. Whilst
reading this I passed through a wide range of emotional states even
undergoing a moment of personal revelation which I will return to
later. Of course this book is not without flaws but no book is and
fortunately in this case they are fairly minor and have a limited
effect.

Indeed one of its flaws is also one of its charms, a certain
unevenness. Sometime one yearns for a slightly firmer editorial
control. Though it is divided into 10 chapters I felt some of these
seemed closer to self-contained essays and the reasons for the
ordering of the chapters was not always clear. Most of the text is
quite academic but there are occasional shifts into colloqialism many
of which are endearing and on one occasion made me laugh aloud but
are not without dangers of confusion. How aware will an international
audience be of what "slappers" are?

There is an inconsistency about the presentation of names which
sometimes jars. In Old Icelandic the nominative case usually has an R
ending which often presents translators with a problem as remaining
true to the original risks the inexperienced reader not realizing
that Bald and Baldr are the same person. I did find the alternation
between the two forms potentially confusing and somewhat irritating.

Chapter 5 is clearly very important to the author but sits uneasily
within the book as a whole. Though I have a training in English
Literature/Language, and an interest in language generally, I found
the chapter on Runic Phonetics extremely hard going and I would not
be surprised if a substantial percentage of the readership don't
complete reading this one. That said, this is not an easy topic to
present and one could do much worse than Svenson's coverage of
it. I do feel however that a publishing opportunity has been lost
since what is really called for is an audio CD to accompany this
chapter enabling the different sound variations to be heard. This
would I think make it much more accessible.

How we relate to and perceive the narrator plays a key role in how we
feel about a text. British newspaper reporters who..shock horror..
had discovered that such things as brothels existed traditionally
ended their article with the phrase "I made my excuses and
left". The readership were hence supposed to perceive the
reporters as highly moral beings emotionally detached from the
situation they described and immune from temptations. Such narrative
techniques have the potential to isolate and alienate the reader.
Most of us do not respond well to perfection, it is too far from how
we perceive ourselves and those around us. An author who succumbs to
the temptation to appear god-like may well find he loses the sympathy
of his reader. Inspite of Ralph Blum's many flaws he does manage
to engage his readers whereas many others are content to preach at
them from the touchline. Svenson is a likeable guide who scores well
here because he shares with us his personal experiences, including
some very meaningful ones such as an encounter with Odin via Freya
Aswynn. One strongly feels his energy, enthusiasm and the close
connection he has to the goddess Freyja. Indeed he excels in
presenting the mythological in terms which anyone can relate to.
Having just spoken to a friend who was searching for missing
spectacles, I could feel an immediacy in his description of the
protective actions of the Desir.

Svenson is an unapologetic purist but having said that it may
surprise some when I relate that he can be quite open minded and non-
prescriptive, admitting for example that his book does not contain
definitive answers but signposts for a personal and unique journey
each of us make, and that what works for one may well not work for
another. Occasionally he becomes more rigid but then which of us
hasn't principles on which we won't budge? Admittedly I did
sometimes feel like challenging him. His condemnation of distant rune
reading was an example. Since we are all connected by the web of Wyrd
I didn't see the logic in this. To me the runes are just a way of
becoming aware of the tapestry into which our lives are woven and the
distance between reader and client is not an issue. However there is
always a problem with making generalizations about the runes since
practically anything one says someone can be guaranteed to jump
forward to contradict.

Even in areas where I might have disagreed with him, I felt no sense
of irritation which is more than I can say about some other authors.
He clearly cares for his reader and the book is full of practical
advice such as his warnings about being careful to evaluate modern
Norse groups before joining them. In this way he does much to prepare
the reader for potential pitfalls on the way ahead. His approach is a
straightforward commonsense one.

Typical of this is a remark near the end of the book explaining that
just because you can mix curry and sugar together doesn't
necessarily mean that you should. This is in relation to the
"pick and mix" approach of modern paganism. Certainly there
is a danger that when you believe in everything, in reality you
believe in nothing. However, I do also appreciate that things are not
always so simple. I have spoken to many who have heard the call of
the runes, and it is a difficult call to resist, but have not wanted
to deviate from their chosen way, which in one case was Christianity.
For myself, my runic practice is I believe entirely consistent with
the Northern Tradition but, as long time readers of this group will
know, I am a on a different wider path resulting from an
archaeological discovery I was involved with. Until I complete this
journey I cannot start another. When the divine/spiritual calls upon
us, I believe we must respond nor can we desire it to take on
different forms which might be more convenient for us. Whilst reading
this book though, one throw-away remark made me sit upright in a
moment of epiphany considering for the first time that a perceived
incompatibility with the path might be overcome. Thus, while I can
agree with the general sentiments Svenson expresses I also have a
perception that sometimes people may not have such as straightforward
choice as he may believe.

Those parts of his book dealing with the runes prove some of the most
interesting and non-typical. Svenson is more of a supporter of the
Armanen runes than myself, nonetheless I heeded his call to approach
them with an open mind, though by the end I stayed unconvinced. It
depends on an interpretation of a passage in the Havamal that I found
plausible but still did not subscribe to. Nonetheless it is clear
this is a book which will provoke many debates, something which can
only be healthy for runic scholarship.

Though he is not the first author to suggest runic divination was
traditionally done with sticks, Tyson is another who comes
immediately to mind, Svenson has detailed his method well and it
seems as though it should be comparatively easy to learn and perform,
though I sadly did not have opportunity before writing this. However
in common with all too many other rune books he fails to provide any
examples of his method in use. One of the things I have learned from
my Rune School experiences is how much working through a practical
interpretation of a reading can inspire and inform a student,
compared to simply explaining the theory behind a method. It is then
one of my few major complaints that, having introduced, what to many
will be an entirely new concept, he does not provide practical
examples.

Generally this is a very attractively presented book. There are well-
reproduced illustrations scattered throughout it which help to break
up the sections and make the reading experience easier in what is
otherwise quite closely-packed text. Scholarly requirements are met
with a list of further reading and a glossary. However in keeping
with many occult books from small publishers there is no index and
its presence is sorely missed.

With so much low quality, mass market material on the runes, there is
a desperate need for well-researched intellectually challenging texts
and so my congratulations go to Rig Svenson for this. There is a
great deal of instructive detail within the 120 or so pages of this
book and those seeking a deeper understanding of the runes through a
grasp of historical practice and lore should find it highly
illuminating

Os
Moderator,runes-divination@yahoogroups.com