Every once in a while you come across a book that you simply can’t put down. Such was the case for me with Queering the Runes: Reclaiming Ancestral Wisdom in Rune Magic & Mythology by Siri Vincent Plouff. I’ve read lots of rune books that are in circulation and most of them are just okay. This one immediately jumped into my top three list! It’s clear that Plouff knows their subject matter very well. Each page I read contained an insight that felt fresh and invigorating. I’ve been studying and working with runes for about two years now and I’m grateful for the opportunity to deepen my understanding of them.

The introductory material alone is worth the price of the book as Plouff takes the reader through a bit of their personal story, explaining queer terminology, a few observations regarding gender-bending by Oðinn and Loki, and confronting the white supremacy that has tried to hijack and misappropriate this beautiful magical tool. The book also explores the meaning of each rune as well as how to use them.

I have extensive notes on the runes in my personal Book of Shadows and I have most definitely added some of Plouff’s insights to it. This book is such a wonderful gift to those of us who work with the runes. You don’t need to identify as queer to read it. Allies to our community will also find it insightful and meaningful. I look forward to reading whatever project the author has in mind next. I have no doubt it will be wonderful!

Blessings, David Taliesin

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