Book excerpt: The Book of Runes is something very special: a part of the ancient past and, perhaps, a part of your future... Based on a tradition over one thousand years old, the Runes are seen by many as a contemporary Oracle and collectively, have established themselves as a remarkable aid in practical decision making. A huge success with over 900,000 copies sold, since its original publication in 1983, The Book of Runes has proved to be a modern classic. For this, the 25th anniversary of the work, Ralph H. Blum has expanded and refined the runic system, making the Runes one of the most profoundly useful self-help tools of the new century.