A year-long initiation into the Norse mysteries

REweaving ancient mysticism for modern spirit workers

GROUP CLASS & ONE ON ONE MENTORSHIP WAITLIST OPEN NOW!

Apply for the waitlist here and receive 20% off & access early registration!

official registrations opens June 1, 2024

Welcome to Rune School

“Seek not the paths of the ancients; seek that which the ancients sought.” -Matsuo Basho

The twenty-four runes of the Elder Futhark are an ancient alphabet, a magical transmission, and a mystic pathway of exploring the divine. For centuries, these symbols have been worked with for divination and ritual, and I believe, as a tool of expansion into the deeper mysteries of reality.

We seek the paths of the ancient ones who brought forward the runes in order to understand that which they were seeking beyond them. The runes themselves are not the destination but rather the path toward something ineffable, mystical, and expansive. It is through the journey of the runes that we come into contact with stories about creation, destruction, and Source. It is through this journey that you are challenged to build strong foundations rooted in body, land, and heart…and then practice the art of surrender in order to deepen into your spiritual gifts. Through this work, you ask questions and find connection to your gifts, your responsibilities, and the techniques of ritual arts as the Norse people understood them.

SPEAKING WITH THE SPIRITS

By engaging these energies as living transmissions, we respect the wisdom of what is ancient as well as understanding that these forces are also emergent. They are alive, present, and changing. We are not seeking to reconstruct the past, but rather gather the threads that we can from those old ways, and reweave them into a living tapestry that is present & relevant to our times. Magic must be responsive to time, our craft and our healing must answer the call of both the distant past as well as the needs of the present.

QUEER MYSTICISM ROOTED IN LOVE & LIBERATION

The Northern Mysteries Rune School grounds this exploration of the runes in an explicitly anti-oppressive, anti-white supremacist, and radiantly queer cosmology. We honor the queer & transcestors who are stewards of this work. We hold space for the need to create conversation, recognition, and accountability around the ways the runes and this tradition have been used for violence & hate. We hold the totality of the Truth as best we can so we can remember well and choose differently than those who came before.

This work is for all people. This path is open to all who seek it.

WHAT IS RUNE SCHOOL?

Rune School began as a small group experience in person in Seattle, WA in 2019. It evolved (as the world did) to the virtual realm and took the shape of 1:1 mentorship through the runes. I feel extremely passionate about this kind of deep-dive mentorship and initiation. Working with dozens of individuals over the last few years, I have been honored to watch their rooting & expansion through the journey of the runes. This is the heart of this work; as a deep personal pathway. As Rune School has expanded, I now offer this work in a group class setting as well! There, we get to share in a virtual classroom and experience the walk together. This has the benefit of being more accessible for some folks, as well as getting to share in the journey with others in real time. Whichever path you choose, you will learn about all 24 runes, and come through with a stronger connection to your cosmology & magic.

Rune School today is a series of 28 classes: 4 exploring the cosmology & spirits of the tradition—getting to know Yggdrasil, Odin, Freyja, and The Norns as well as meeting all 24 of the Elder Futhark Runes. We will explore historical context of the runes, spiritual significance, and apply a mythical analysis to the poems that accompany the runes in order to delve deeper into their meaning. Each class is an opportunity to directly experience the energy of the rune and find your way into connection with it. We bring the runes into the modern age by examining how they speak directly to our lives and process as humans in the Anthropocene, amidst climate chaos, amidst deep unrest and spiritual discontent. We hold the pain, the beauty, and the process of holding onto hope together through the guidance of these wise forces.

1:1 MENTORSHIP

1:1 students will receive an individually tailored path that includes personal healing work, a deeper apprenticeship into spirit work practices, and the option to come to an in-person initiation retreat in the PNW at the end of Year One. 1:1 students also have access to the Voxer app, where we can chat and check in between sessions.

You will have access to a private scheduling link, and all classes will be scheduled by you to fit your scheduling needs. They will be live 1.5 hour classes, meeting twice per month for one year.

Classes begin with an introduction to the cosmology of the runes & meeting the spirits of the Norse tradition. The following classes will consist of delving into the runes of the Elder Futhark; how the previous rune’s energy has been moving through your life, ways to integrate that energy, themes of personal healing & magical study, and engaging the history, cosmology, and energetic frequency of each rune in the alphabet as well as exploring the transmissions of each of the rune families (Aetts).

At the end of the year, you will have the opportunity to come to an in-person initiation retreat in the PNW. These retreats are usually 3-4 days long and take place in a space where we can connect with the land and participate in ritual with the others who have walked the 1:1 mentorship pathway.

1:1 Mentorship costs $250 (USD) per month for one year. Those who sign up from the waitlist will receive a 20% off discount making it $200 per month for one year. If you would like to pay in full for the year, you receive a 10% discount, making the total for nonwaitlist registration $2400 or for waitlist folks; $2160.

To apply for the waitlist click here! Receive early registration access and a discount. Official registration opens June 1, 2024

Group Class

Group class students will be a part of a group Discord server and can chat & share between classes. Live attendance is encouraged, but all classes are recorded and will be posted in the chat so you can watch them later if you aren’t able to attend live.

Classes will take place on a series of set dates, usually meeting twice per month biweekly for one year. Class is held from 6-8pm PST on Tuesday evenings and held virtually over zoom.

We will explore the cosmology and spirits of the runes and Norse tradition as an introduction, then dive into each rune—exploring one rune per class…covering history, cosmology, and experiencing the energetic transmissions of each rune in the alphabet with analysis of each rune family (Aett).

Group Class costs $100 (USD) per month for one year. Those who sign up from the waitlist will receive a 20% off discount making it $80 per month for one year. If you would like to pay in full for the year, you receive a 10% discount, making the total for nonwaitlist registration $1080 or for waitlist folks; $864.

To sign up for the waitlist click here! Receive early registration access and a discount. Official registration opens June 1, 2024.

Second Year

Whether you are working 1:1 or in the group class, you will have the option to continue onto Second Year. In Second Year, we will dive headfirst into the work of Seidr; the ritual art of the Norse. This year is focused on building techniques in spirit work and actively practicing these traditions. Over the course of the year we will explore: Galdr (spoken spells & incantations, sound healing), Spadom (divination and ritual diagnosing of energetic ailments), Berserking & The Fylgia (shapeshifting, animal spirit work, warrior magic/magical activism), The High Seat (channeling and mediumship in the style of the Old Norse) and more. Seidr is a powerful and enigmatic tradition, and we will use the foundations built in Year One to craft a meaningful exploration of this ancient practice.

What’s Included:

2 live virtual classes per month for 12 months

4 additional workshop-style classes (one per quarter) to dive deeper into Norse gods, cosmology, and adjacent topics

1:1 students will receive Voxer access between classes for additional support

Group Class students will have access to a private Discord chat to ask questions and share your experiences with other Rune School students

Guided recorded journeys through the Runes that you can explore at your own pace

1:1 students will receive the invitation to come to an in-person initiatory retreat at the end of the year

A physical copy of my signature Rune Ritual workbook filled with journal prompts and ritual ideas (if you live outside the U.S you’ll receive a virtual copy)

A 50% discount on readings or folk healing services from me for the entire time you’re in Rune School

25% off additional classes I teach outside of Rune School (while you’re in the program)

Meet your teacher:

I’m Espen Artio. They/them. Queer priestess, witch, Runic practitioner, folk herbalist, always seeking to come into deeper relationship with myself and the world around me. I am a CSA survivor, CPTSD babe, and overall sensitive & tender creature. This informs all the work I do, rooting into a heart-centered space where we can work with magic in a way that is kind & gentle, yet fierce & honest.

It is my hope that I can support you as you connect to your inner magic, offering a container that is grounded yet expansive. I seek to create liberatory spiritual practices by centering the queer mystic origins of ancient traditions, and reclaim ancestral earth honoring work from highly binaried and often appropriative spiritual cultures, in order to root these powerfully transcendent ideas into the living heart of the Earth. 

IThe Runes originate in Scandinavia where my family of origin is from. I grew up learning about the myths, and have spent many years studying Norse mysticism and folk magic. I have been initiated into the tradition of High Seat Seidr, am an initiated Priestexx of Odinn, have sat the High Seat for community, and have been reading the Runes for myself and others for over a decade. I created Rune School as a modern initiation into an ancient tradition that honors the integrity of the craft while shedding light on its history in an expansive and honest way.

Rune School is the culmination of many years spent in devoted study, ritual, and contemplation. It’s my heart’s mission to support more brave and sensitive humans to rise to the challenges of our times in ways that express and honor their sacred magic.

APPLY FOR THE WAITLIST HERE AND RECEIVE ACCESS TO EARLY REGISTRATION & DISCOUNT!

OFFICIAL REGISTRATION OPENS JUNE 1, 2024