"Effective use of the runes requires both the old wisdom and the new. A sound grasp of traditional culture and mythology will enable the rune reader to draw on the power invested in runic symbols over the years. But all magic flows through the mind of the maker and must have meaning in terms of his or her personal symbol system as well. We live in a global culture, and where an archetype from another land seems to illuminate some aspect of a rune’s meaning, it deserves consideration. The student must not only consciously study the meanings ascribed to the runes by earlier scholars, but must internalize them."​​​​​​​​ —Diana L. Paxson, 'Taking Up the Runes'