Thursday, October 30, 2008

Magic Zzzz

Magic Zzzz Image
We've always been enchanted by vowelless words (and have even dedicated an entire dictionary to them). For the new edition of our collection of magic words, we unearthed some interesting facts about the expression ZZZZ, electrical zap of pure, focused energy.

In Tantric practice, "The ZZZZ sound brings the energy up to the pituitary/pineal area."* A "simple humming of the voiced zzzzzzzzz formula" is also practiced by the German rune magicians.+ Such a whirring, whistling sound is associated with the rune Elhaz, "the power of human life and 'spirit.'"+

Seven Z's appear in the text of a late 6th or early 7th century healing amulet, to help reduce episodes of fever typical of Malaria. The amulet was excavated "on the Golan Heights of the Horvat Kanaf synagogue, which was erected in the Byzantine Era."

As we noted in the first edition of our Magic Words dictionary, the evil magician in Doug Henning's musical The Magic Show (1981) uses the magic trigger word zzzz over and over again during his act.

* Jonathan Goldman, Tantra of Sound (2005)

+ Edred Thorsson, Futhark: A Handbook of Rune Magic (1984)

Peter Sch"afer, Jewish Studies Between the Disciplines (2003)

(Image courtesy Rigmarole.)



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Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Tiwaz Rune

Tiwaz Rune Cover This Rune belongs to the God Tyr, giver of victory to honourable warriors. Tiwaz was engraved in Weapons from the beginning; it was the tendency not only to obtain Tyr's benevolence, but also his courage, fearlessness and sense of fairness and justice. Elderly warriors would engrave Tiwaz on their own bodies to avoid death of old age and in that way open to themselves the entry to Valhalla. Tiwaz signifies the spear but also the arrow, which is evident from the Rune's very shape. This symbol was often engraved on urns, sometimes combined with the archetypical Germanic symbol – the swastika. Tiwaz is the Rune of the warrior and it can be used to awaken the belligerence in us. It's also used to better one's concentration and enable a more intensive focus on a project. Beside that, Tiwaz helps to defeat the competition, or any other situation that has a competitive element. Unlike the Berkana which is preceded by this typically male Rune, a Rune that carries within itself an exceptionally male energy. Like the second Aett, the third cycle of Futhark begins with a kind of destruction. In Tiwaz we have to overcome ourselves and, if needed, to sacrifice ourselves for the higher goals.

Divination:

Positive meaning: victory, justice, responsibility, heroism.

Negative meaning: injustice, pointless sacrifice, failure.

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Sunday, October 26, 2008

Hermod Errand

Hermod Errand Cover As the road was rough and painful in the extreme, none of the Gods at first volunteered to go; but when Frigga added that she and Odin would reward the messenger by loving him most of all the ?sir, Hermod signified his readiness to execute the commission. To help him on his way, Odin lent him Sleipnir, and bade him good speed, while he motioned to the other Gods to carry the corpse to Breidablik, and directed them to go to the forest and cut down huge pines to make a worthy pyre for his son.

“But when the Gods were to the forest gone,
Hermod led Sleipnir from Valhalla forth
And saddled him; before that, Sleipnir brook’d
No meaner hand than Odin’s on his mane,
On his broad back no lesser rider bore;
Yet docile now he stood at Hermod’s side,
Arching his neck, and glad to be bestrode,
Knowing the God they went to seek, how dear.
But Hermod mounted him, and sadly fared
In silence up the dark untravel’d road
Which branches from the north of Heaven, and went
All day; and daylight waned, and night came on.
And all that night he rode, and journey’d so,
Nine days, nine nights, toward the northern ice,
Through valleys deep-engulph’d by roaring streams.
And on the tenth morn he beheld the bridge
Which spans With Golden arches Giall’s stream,
And on the bridge a damsel watching, arm’d,
In the straight passage, at the further end,
Where the road issues between walling rocks.”
-BALDER DEAD (Matthew Arnold)

While Hermod was traveling along the cheerless road to Niflheim, the Gods hewed and carried down to the shore a vast amount of fuel, which they placed upon the deck of Balder’s favorite vessel, Ringhorn, Constructing an elaborate funeral pyre, which, According to custom, was decorated with tapestry hangings, garlands of flowers, vessels and weapons of all kinds, golden rings, and countless objects of value, ere the immaculate corpse was brought and laid upon it in full attire.

One by one, the Gods now drew near to take a last farewell of their beloved companion, and as Nanna bent over him, her loving heart broke, and she fell lifeless by his side. Seeing this, the Gods reverently laid her beside her husband, that she might accompany him even in death; and after they had slain his horse and hounds and twined the pyre with thorns, the emblems of sleep, Odin, the last of the Gods, drew near.

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Monday, October 20, 2008

Goddess Gerd

Goddess Gerd Image
IN NORSE MYTHOLOGY, "GERD" IS A GODDESS OF THE EARTH AND THE FERTILE SOIL. THE MOST BEAUTIFUL OF ALL CREATURES SHE WAS THE PERSONIFICATION OF FERTILITY AND SEX. A HALO OF LUXURIANT, RADIATING TRESSES SURROUNDS THE HEAD OF THIS NORTHERN GODDESS AND APPROPRIATELY SYMBOLISES HER PART IN NATURE. SHE IS A GIANTESS, THE DAUGHTER OF "AURBODA" AND THE GIANT "GYMIR." SHE WAS SO BEAUTIFUL THAT THE BRIGHTNESS OF HER NAKED ARMS ILLUMINATED BOTH AIR AND SEA.

THE FOLLOWING TALE DEPICTS THE ONGOING YEARLY CYCLE OF THE COLD FROZEN FIELDS THAWING AND BEING REBORN WITH THE COMING OF EACH SPRING:

AS THE STORY GOES ONE DAY "FREY", THE NORDIC GOD OF "LIGHT AND FERTILITY " SAT UPON "ODIN"'S MAGICAL CHAIR ONE DAY, AND AS HE WAS VIEWING THE NINE WORLDS, HE SAW "GERD" AS SHE WAS ENTERING A HOUSE; WHEN SHE RAISED HER ARMS TO OPEN THE DOOR, SO GREAT WAS HER BEAUTY THAT SHE LIT UP THE ENTIRE SKY, AND "FREY" FELL INSTANTLY IN LOVE WITH THIS BEAUTIFUL GIANTRESS. "FREY" IMMEDIATELY SENT A MESSENGER TO WOO HER BUT, DESPITE BEING OFFERED MANY WONDERFUL GIFTS--INCLUDING GOLDEN APPLES AND A MAGICAL RING-- SHE REFUSED "FREY'S "PROPOSAL BECAUSE SHE HAD NO DESIRE TO LEAVE HER HOME TO MARRY THE GOD. HE THREATENED TO CUT OFF HER HEAD, BUT SHE WAS NOT AFRAID.

IT WAS ONLY UNDER THE THREAT OF A TERRIBLE RUNIC SPELL THAT WOULD COVER THE EARTH IN ICE AND LEAVE HER ALONE AND DESOLATE ON A DARK MOUNTAIN TOP THAT SHE RELENTED AND AGREED TO MEET FREY IN NINE NIGHTS AND BECOME HIS BRIDE.

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Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Ingeborg Unofficial Asatru Faq

Ingeborg Unofficial Asatru Faq Cover

Book: Ingeborg Unofficial Asatru Faq by Ingeborg Norden

Feel free to pass this on to other pagan friends, as long as you acknowledge me as the original author.

Long before Christianity came to northern Europe, the people there - our ancestors - had their own religions. One of these was Asatru. It was practiced in the lands that are today Scandinavia, England, Germany, France, the Netherlands, and other countries as well. Asatru is the original, or native, religion for the peoples who lived in these regions. Simply put, you might think of it as ''the religion of the Vikings'' since they were its main followers in the years just before our ancestors were forced to adopt Christianity. Asatru is unlike the better-known Religions in many ways. Some of these are:

- We are polytheistic. That is, we believe in a number of deities, including Goddesses as well as Gods. (We have a tongue-in-cheek saying that a religion without a Goddess is halfway to atheism!)
- We do not accept the idea of ''original sin,'' the notion that we are tainted from birth and intrinsically bad, as does Christianity. Thus, we do not need ''saving.''
- We do not claim to be a Universal religion, a faith for all of humankind. In fact, we don't think such a thing is possible or desirable. The different branches of humanity have different ways of looking at the world, each of which is valid for them. It is only right that they have different religions.

Download Ingeborg Norden's eBook: Ingeborg Unofficial Asatru Faq

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Friday, October 10, 2008

Pagan Police Win The Right To Take Time Off For Festivals

Pagan Police Win The Right To Take Time Off For Festivals Cover Pagan police officers have been given the right to take days off to celebrate festivals where they leave food out for the dead and take part in 'unabashed sexual promiscuity'. The Pagan Police Association has been officially recognised as a 'diversity staff support organisation' by the Home Office. It means chief constables cannot refuse pagan officers' requests to take official religious holidays, which will be given the same respect as Christmas for Christians, Ramadan for Muslims and Passover for Jews.

There are thought to be about 500 pagan officers - including druids, witches and shamens. The eight main holidays include Samhain, on Halloween, where pagans celebrate the 'dark winter half of the year' by leaving food outside for the 'wandering dead' and dress up as ghosts and casting spells. Imbolc - the festival of the lactating sheep - is held on February 2. Pagans pile stones on top of each other and make 'priapic wands' to celebrate fertility. Beltane, on April 30 and May 1, sees pagan and wicca worshippers celebrate the sun god with 'unabashed sexuality and promiscuity'. Married couples are encouraged to 'remove their wedding rings' for the night. And Litha - which takes on the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year on June 21 - involves pagans drinking honey mead and dancing naked in the sun to celebrate the upcoming harvest.

PC Andy Pardy, from Hemel Hempstead in Hertfordshire, is cofounder of the Pagan Police Association. PC Pardy - who worships Norse gods including hammerwielding Thor and one-eyed Odin - said: 'As of May 2010 the Police Pagan Association officially received the support and endorsement of the Home Office and the National Policing Improvement Agency and is now a recognised Diversity Staff Support Association for serving and retired pagan police officers and staff in the United Kingdom.
'The recognition of paganism is a slow process, but the progress is evident.

'Officers can, for the first time, apply for leave on the festival dates relevant to their path, and allow them to work on other dates such as Christmas which bore no relevance to them.' He said an increase in pagan chaplains in police forces meant officers had a 'support base' close to hand.

The rules also mean pagans, for whom Stonehenge is a place of pilgrimage, will be allowed to swear upon their religion in court, pledging to tell the truth before what 'they hold sacred'. But one police officer, who did not want to be named, said: 'When they talk about political correctness gone mad, this is exactly what they are talking about. 'What has it come to when a cop gets time off so he can sit about making spells or dance around the place drinking honey beer with a wand in his hand?' A Home Office spokesman said: 'The Government wants a police service that reflects the diverse communities it serves.'

Other festivals that pagan officers can take off work include Yule - celebrated on December 21 - when pagans go door-to- door singing and burn a yule log to honour Kriss Kringle, the Germanic pagan god of Yule. Another festival is Lammas, on July 31, when pagans celebrate harvest time and are encouraged to go on 'country walks'.

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Saturday, October 4, 2008

Temples And Images Of Ancient Scandinavians

Temples And Images Of Ancient Scandinavians Cover In common with other peoples, the ancient Scandinavians erected special buildings in which to worship their gods, and in which their images were placed. These temples (called hof, goda-hof, goda-hus, and blot-hus) must not be thought of as in any way comparable to those erected by the more cultured Aryan races, such as the Greeks and Romans. It is true that Adam of Bremen describes that at Upsala in Sweden, which he calls nobilissimum templum, as being 'all of gold,' while a note to the passage says that it was surrounded by 'a Golden Chain hanging on the pinnacles of the building, and seen glittering afar by those who approach the place'; but it is very doubtful how far this description is trustworthy. In any case the Upsala temple would naturally be much superior to those in less central localities; from other indications it appears to have been specially well endowed with landed and other property. Unfortunately there is no evidence from which any general idea of the heathen temples in Sweden and Denmark can be obtained. In Norway they were, like the ordinary houses, constructed of timber, and in many cases were probably of small size and insignificant appearance. Mention has already been made of the temple of Thor in the island of Mostr, which Thorolf took down and carried off to Iceland when he went to settle there. The same thing is told of Thorhadd, who was priest of Maerin in Thrandheim; he also took down the temple, and carried with him the temple-mould and the chief pillars. Some of the building, no doubt, may have been more imposing, and even to some extent furnished with costly ornaments. When Olaf Tryggvason gave orders to burn down Earl Hakon's temple at Hladir, 'he made them take all the treasure and ornaments out of the temple and off the images of the gods.' A large gold ring was also removed from the temple door, but it afterwards proved to be only brass internally. It may also be noted that various accounts of temples speak of them as being lighted by glass windows 'so that there was no shadow anywhere in them.' Beside the great temple at Upsala there was a sacred grove, and the evidence of place-names shows that similar groves existed elsewhere in Sweden and Denmark: as regards Norway and Iceland there is no positive Information on this head.

The temple being a holy place, there were naturally certain restrictions attached to it, of which a prominent one was that no weapons were to be taken inside it. This is clearly Illustrated by an incident in Vatnsd?la Saga, where Ingimund enters the temple first, and Hrafn the Norwegian follows him, wearing his sword. Then Ingimund turned to him, and said, 'It is not the custom to carry weapons in the temple, and you will come under the wrath of the gods unless you make amends for it.' Then Olaf Tryggvason entered the temple of Maerin in Thrandheim, he carried a gold-mounted staff, but his own men and those belonging to the district were weaponless.

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Thursday, October 2, 2008

The Walking Dead Draugr And Aptrgangr In Old Norse Literature

The Walking Dead Draugr And Aptrgangr In Old Norse Literature Cover

Book: The Walking Dead Draugr And Aptrgangr In Old Norse Literature by Anonymous

For the Vikings, the concept of the afterlife was often much more immediate than glorious skaldic tales of Valholl or the Christian's Heaven: once the dead body was placed within the grave, it was believed to become "animated with a strange life and power" (Hilda Ellis-Davidson. The Road to Hel. Westport CT, Greenwood P., 1943. p. 96). The dead person continued a sort of pseudo-life within the grave, not as a spirit or ghost, but as an actual undead corpse similar in many respects to the "nosferatu" or central European vampire (Ellis-Davidspn, Road to Hel, p. 92).

Much like the ancient Greeks, the Vikings had neither a positive or negative view of the afterlife. They believed for the most part, the dead, if they had lived an unexceptional life, would travel to a place called "Hel" (which is where the modern word "hell" comes from) which lies far to the north and under ground. It was a thought of as being a cold and damp place where the spirits of the dead continued in a dreamlike form of existence. It was not particularly happy, but it was not torturous and was viewed as a long sleep. There were other ideas of an afterlife that were believed as well. There was another realm beneath Hel, where people who had lived bad lives were gnawed upon by a serpent called "Nidhoggr". They slept in a hall that was made of snakes and dripped poison. This place, called "Nastrond", was located on the shore of an ice cold subterranean sea. Those who lived exceptional lives in a positive way could expect to travel to "Asgard", the home of the Gods. They would spend the afterlife in happiness. The exact dwelling that was given to these people depended upon their lives. For example: hero's who died in battle would go to "Vahalla" the "Hall of the slain", and live with Odin the king of the Gods. Here they spent all day fighting each other, only to rise from the battlefield in the evening healed of their wounds and then spent the rest of the night feasting. The main theme of the afterlife seems to have been repetition. It was not however, believed to be eternal. They believed that the world of both the living and dead, gods and monsters would one day be destroyed and the universe would begin anew.

Download Anonymous's eBook: The Walking Dead Draugr And Aptrgangr In Old Norse Literature

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