Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Asatru Runes

Asatru Runes Cover The Runes are, at their most basic level, as described below. However, just as you are a unique individual, their relationships with you are also unique. If you wish to explore these relationships and how you interact with each Rune, then you must explore the Runes, one at a time, and have no regard for other people's explanations.

I have found that the best time for this exploration is just before bedtime. You might get a dream that helps, or you might wake up the next morning with a better understanding.

I suggest that you look at the pictogram of a Rune, and consider what it represents to you. For example, does Fehu look like cattle, or does it look like something quite different? What does Ansuz represent to you? Does Uruz look like a big bull; if not then what does it look like? Look at each Rune and decide what it represents to you. You may decide that several of the Runes look like nothing at all to you. That's ok, they're probably not for you to understand at this stage of your development. They may come to you later.

Look at the Runes one at a time and see the energy of each Rune. What is it doing? Is it doing nothing, as might be the case with Isa, or is it sucking energy into itself (like a black hole) as might be the case with Isa? What is Thurisaz doing with its energy? Is it shooting it out all the time, or is it storing it up, waiting to shoot it out when necessary. Is Uruz pulling energy out of the earth, and immediately returning this energy to the earth? (like a cow) or is energy coming through its archway from somewhere to you?

How do you feel about these energies, are they life giving warm or cold dangerous or just plain there? Now look at the individual energies of the Runes. What colour are these energies? Do they appear as a steady stream or do they pulse or vibrate, or are they waves of energy? No matter how foolish or strange you think your discoveries are they are relevant to you alone, so keep a written record of what you find. This is important.

Look for a Rune that you are comfortable with, like or maybe even love. Explore this Rune deeply. This Rune is very important to you, and you should carry it with you always. The energy of this Rune is very much in tune with your energy, or your need for that energy. This favourite Rune has a great deal to do with your Wyrd and how it unfolds.

Books in PDF format to read:

Anthony Arndt - Asatru The Northern Way
Bernard King - Meanings Of The Runes
Samael Aun Weor - Magic Runes
Karl Hans Welz - Armanen Runes
Reeves Hall - Asatru In Brief

Saturday, November 17, 2007

Investigating The Afterlife Concepts Of The Norse Heathen

Investigating The Afterlife Concepts Of The Norse Heathen Cover

Book: Investigating The Afterlife Concepts Of The Norse Heathen by Bil Linzie

This paper reviews the modern heathen movement's commonly accepted beliefs regarding the heathen concept of Afterlife and compares them to what is known about the ancient Germanic sense of Afterlife. The discussion is a continuation of this author's proposal that the standards of research among modern heathens be at least consistant with standards currently acceptable to researchers in other elds of study. As with previous papers by this author, this document has been subjected to peer review, and has been adjusted to reject their comments.

The intent is not to undermine the progress at reconstructionism reported by various groups of modern heathens but to enhance it since we have attempted to not only draw directly from heathen sources via the most current research, but have also suggested methods and techniques with which one should be able to shift one's frame of reference from that of the commonly accepted modern era to that which would have been completely acceptable to most of the various Germanic peoples living during the Viking Era

Download Bil Linzie's eBook: Investigating The Afterlife Concepts Of The Norse Heathen

Recommended reading (pdf e-books):

Benjamin Rowe - Enochian Temples Generating The Abyss Experience With The Temple
Bil Linzie - Investigating The Afterlife Concepts Of The Norse Heathen

Norse Mythology A To Z

Norse Mythology A To Z Cover

Book: Norse Mythology A To Z by Kathleen Daly

"Norse Mythology A to Z, Third Edition" examines the characters, objects, and places whose stories make up the folklore of the Norse people, who lived in the region known today as Scandinavia. Passed down through the generations by word of mouth and finally written down in the 13th century and later, these myths include tales of gods and goddesses; heroes, giants, and dwarfs; and serpents and dragons that inhabit enchanted realms. This colorful volume brings to life many of these Nordic myths. Entries of this title include: the most famous Gods and goddesses, such as Odin, Thor, and Freya; plants and animals important to Norse mythology, such as the oak tree and the eagle; stories and poems, such as "Treasures of the Dwarfs" and the "Poetic Edda"; and, much more.

The term mythology can refer to either the study of myths or a body of myths. For example, comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures, whereas Greek Mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece.

The term "myth" is often used colloquially to refer to a false story; however, the academic use of the term generally does not pass judgment on its truth or falsity. In the study of folklore, a myth is a symbolic narrative explaining how the world and humankind came to be in their present form. Many scholars in other fields use the term "myth" in somewhat different ways. In a very broad sense, the word can refer to any traditional story

Download Kathleen Daly's eBook: Norse Mythology A To Z

Books in PDF format to read:

Reformed Druids - Anthology 08 A General History
Reformed Druids - Anthology 00 Introduction
Reformed Druids - Anthology 10 Oral Histories
Peter Andreas Munch - Norse Mythology Legends Of Gods And Heroes
Kathleen Daly - Norse Mythology A To Z

Thursday, November 15, 2007

The Song Of The Sybil Voluspa

The Song Of The Sybil Voluspa Cover

Book: The Song Of The Sybil Voluspa by Wh Auden

Voluspa (Prophecy of the Volva) is the first and best known poem of the Poetic Edda. It tells the story of the creation of the world and its coming end related by a volva addressing Odin. It is one of the most important primary sources for the study of Norse mythology.

The poem is preserved whole in the Codex Regius and Hauksbok manuscripts while parts of it are quoted in the Prose Edda. It consists of approximately 60 fornyrdislag stanzas.

Voluspa is found in the Codex Regius Manuscript (ca. 1270) and in Haukr Erlendsson's Hauksbok Codex (ca. 1334), and many of its stanzas are quoted or paraphrased in Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda (composed ca. 1220, oldest extant manuscript dates from ca. 1300). The order and number of the stanzas varies in these sources. Some editors and translators have further rearranged the material. The Codex Regius version is usually taken as a base for editions.

The poem starts with the volva requesting silence from "the sons of Heimdallr" (human beings) and asking Odin whether he wants her to recite ancient lore. She says she remembers giants born in antiquity who reared her.

She then goes on to relate a creation myth; the world was empty until the sons of Burr lifted the earth out of the sea. The AEsir then established order in the cosmos by finding places for the sun, the moon and the stars, thereby starting the cycle of day and night. A golden age ensued where the AEsir had plenty of gold and happily constructed temples and made tools. But then three mighty giant maidens came from Jotunheimar and the golden age came to an end. The AEsir then created the dwarves, of whom Motsognir and Durinn are the mightiest.

At this point ten of the poem's stanzas are over and six stanzas ensue which contain names of dwarves. This section, sometimes called Dvergatal (catalogue of dwarves), is usually considered an interpolation and sometimes omitted by editors and translators.

After the Dvergatal, the creation of the first man and woman are recounted and Yggdrasill, the world-tree, is described. The seer recalls the events that led to the first ever war, and what occurred in the struggle between the AEsir and Vanir.

The seeress then reveals to Odin that she knows some of his own secrets, of what he sacrificed of himself in pursuit of knowledge. She tells him she knows where his eye is hidden and how he gave it up in exchange for knowledge. She asks him in several refrains if he understands, or if he would like to hear more.

The seeress goes on to describe the slaying of Baldr, best and fairest of the gods and the enmity of Loki, and of others. Then she prophesies the destruction of the gods where fire and flood overwhelm heaven and earth as the gods fight their final battles with their enemies. This is the "fate of the gods" - Ragnarok. She describes the summons to battle, the deaths of many of the gods and how Odin, himself, is slain.

Finally a Beautiful reborn world will rise from the ashes of death and destruction where Baldr will live again in a new world where the earth sprouts abundance without sowing seed. A final stanza describes the sudden appearance of Nidhogg the dragon, bearing corpses in his wings, before the seeress emerges from her trance.

Download Wh Auden's eBook: The Song Of The Sybil Voluspa

Books in PDF format to read:

Max Heindel - The Message Of The Stars
Aleister Crowley - The Book Of The Law
Horace Wallis - The Cosmology Of The Rigveda
Benjamin Rowe - The Book Of The Seniors
Wh Auden - The Song Of The Sybil Voluspa

Wednesday, November 7, 2007

Magic And Wyrd

Magic And Wyrd Cover

Book: Magic And Wyrd by Anonymous

Wyrd is the underlying fabric in the Northern/Germanic cosmology. The laws of Wyrd supercede the will of the Gods, of men and all creatures. Wyrd provides the basic structure for the Nine Worlds, and manifests itself in Yggdrasil and the Well of Urdr.

One can compare Wyrd to a song, there are many differnt ways to sing it but the basic tune remains the same. Wyrd is also Frequently seen as weaving, different threads coming Together on a framework to make a pattern.

Magic is one of the ways we interact with Wyrd. "Knowing" magic (in Manny Olds' words) or "predictive" magic (Groa's) is about becoming aware of the patterns in Wyrd and the disposal of individual strands in the tapestry. Spae-work and Rune-work are two of the Techniques which can be used for this.

Download Anonymous's eBook: Magic And Wyrd

Books in PDF format to read:

Naomi Janowitz - Magic In The Roman World
Carroll Runyon - Magick And Hypnosis
George Moir - Magic And Witchcraft
Anonymous - Magic And Wyrd

Gods And Goddesses Of Odinism

Gods And Goddesses Of Odinism Cover The Gods and Goddesses of Odinism belong to two 'groups` or 'families` of beings called the Aesir and the Vanir. On a very basic level the Aesir can be said to govern and mould the 'intellectual` aspects and the Vanir are more Earth based.
However this is very much an over simplification but this is not the place for detailed analysis. It is these divine beings (together with other entities) which have moulded us, our link with them is spiritual and biological. Again, the understanding and experience of the Gods is multi layered, suffice to say that whatever the stage of an individuals personal evolution, they can access the Gods of our folk in a meaningful way.

Like all complete religions, Odinism has its mythology. Myths are not to be understood as expressing literal truths or events, but as a way primal realities may be expressed. They explain deep realities and wisdom of creation in ways that we may understand. Far from being the fanciful tales of an ignorant people, the mythology of Odinism Together With Other Odinic teachings shows a very sophisticated, complex and profound knowledge of reality and existence. Odinism can be seen as an outward expression of the forces of creation and as a Spiritual Path ideally suited to our folk as a unique folk family. Odinsm and the Odinic impulse, the Odin consciousness in reality has never left us, but the conscious awareness was suppressed. Now we have seen a re-awakening, an overt awareness of our unique spiritual way. The Odinic Rite has been and is at the very forefront of the Odinic renewal. It must be realised that no written article, no information garnered from books or web sites can fully explain Odinsm, it is not just a thing to understand intellectually, but an experienced path with depths beyond mere words.

Odinism is a living religion, a combination of cultural, material, ethical and spiritual realities as they relate to our folk family and our place in creation. It evolves, as we evolve, we evolve, as it evolves.

For those who are interested in consciously re-establishing their link with their natural religion and spirituality, for those interested in following a path to the illumination of the Odin Consciousness. For those anxious to reclaim their unique heritage and play their role in heralding a golden future, we invite you to join the Odinic Rite.

Hail the New Awakening, May Odins Light Illuminate You.

Books in PDF format to read:

Joseph John William - Voodoos And Obeahs Phases Of West India Witchcraft
Miac - Asatru And Odinism
Michael Jordan - Dictionary Of Gods And Goddesses

Saturday, November 3, 2007

The Birth Of God Vali

The Birth Of God Vali Cover The Prophecy made by Rossthiof was duly fulfilled, for Rinda bore a son named Vali (Ali, Bous, or Beav), a personification of the lengthening days, who grew with such marvelous rapidity, that in the course of a single day he attained his full stature. Without even taking time to wash his face or comb his hair, this young God hastened off to Asgard with bow and arrow to avenge the death of Balder, God of light, by slaying his murderer, Hodur, the blind God of darkness.

“But, see! th’ avenger, Vali, come,
Sprung from the west, in Rindas’ womb,
True son of Odin! one day’s birth!
He shall not stop nor stay on earth
His locks to comb, his hands to lave,
His frame to rest, should rest it crave,
Until his mission be complete,
And Baldur’s death find vengeance meet.”
-VALHALLA (J. C. Jones)

In this tale, Rinda, a personification of the hard-frozen rind of the earth, resists the warm wooing of the sun, Odin, who vainly points out that spring is the time for warlike exploits, and offers the adornments of golden summer. She only yields when, after a shower (the footbath), a thaw set in. Conquered then by the sun’s irresistible might, the earth yields to his embrace, is freed from the spell (ice) which made her hard and cold, and brings forth Vali the nourisher, or Bous the peasant, who emerges from his dark hut when the pleasant days have come. The slaying of Hodur by Vali is therefore emblematical of “the breaking forth of new light after wintry darkness.”

Vali, who ranked as one of the twelve deities occupying seats in the great hall of Gladsheim, shared with his father the dwelling called Valaskialf, and was destined, even before birth, to survive the last battle and Twilight of the Gods, and to reign with Vidar over the regenerated earth.

:

Marion Crawford - The Witch Of Prague
Ea Wallis Budge - The Book Of Gates Vol Ii
Israel Regardie - The Art Of True Healing
John Musick - The Witch Of Salem