Reversed rune

A reversed rune is a rune that turns up upside down in a reading. In many modern methods, it signals energy that is blocked, thwarted or in need of work, much like a reversed tarot card. The term merkstave, Old Norse in appearance but coined in modern times and used by some authors, refers to a “dark” rune. Nine runes of the Elder Futhark are symmetrical and cannot be reversed. Some practitioners do not use reversals at all, and the practice has no attested historical basis.