The Galdrabok An Icelandic Grimoire

Book: The Galdrabok An Icelandic Grimoire by Stephen Flowers

The so-called Galdrabok,' or "Book of Magic," is the single most important document for understanding the practice of magic in late medieval Iceland. It is especially important in that it give, a unique insight into the various religio-magical elements that went into a synthetic national magical tradition in Iceland all the time of its compilation. No other document of comparable age gives so many details of the preservation of the archaic Germanic gods, cosmology, and magical practices as does this little manuscript. Here we are not dependent on folktales or indirect reports through confessions exacted by the tortures of the Inquistion or other churchly authorities to reconstruct the magicoreligious views of the galdramenn (magicians) of the day; instead, we have direct evidence of actual practices written by the magicians' own hands. In many ways the Galdrabok is to the Icelandic folktales of magic' what the runic inscriptions are to the accounts of magic recorded in the sagas. They provide factual corroboration of what otherwise might have been considered, form of fantasy.

In this volume the reader will find not only an annotated translation of the complete Galdrabok but also a similar treatment of selections from other written sources of Germanic magical practice from all of the Germanic peoples. However, in no region did the old ways and the old Gods and goddesses survive so well as in Iceland. And because we are focusing on these texts for what is uniquely Germanic about them, leaving as secondary what is common to every European tradition, we will concentrate mainly on Icelandic sources in this study. Our two principal areas of interest will be the preservation of the Old Gods and the preservation of the unique forms of Germanic magical practice inherited from the heathen age.

In preparing this work for modern publication, I've made every effort to remain true to the original text of the Gaklrabok. Irregularities in capitalization and spelling are left as in the original as they may have special meaning or significance.

Buy Stephen Flowers's book: The Galdrabok An Icelandic Grimoire

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The Suppression Of Wyrd

Why is it that references to the Wyrd are so few in number? Why is it that the concept of Wyrd has all but been forgotten for well over one thousand years? In fact, we are very lucky to have an, references left at all.

The answer to this searching question is that Wyrd was deliberately suppressed by the Christ-people. Why? Because the Wyrd, as the Supreme Cosmic Mind or Intelligence, would not fit in with the idea of a Judaic 'God' who professes domination over all 'his' creation. Nor would it fit the idea of his 'son', Jesus, as the Messiah or Saviour of mankind. So the Wyrd, as the actual intelligence behind creation, had to be suppressed.

In written works of the Old English period the thought of Wyrd as woven by three Goddesses was consciously played down by writers and copyists. In 'Beowulf', where the word 'Wyrd' occurs nine times, the poet has imagined 'God' as the Weaver, thus giving a veneer of Christianity to a purely pagan idea. Two centuries later the Christian writers no longer regarded 'God' as being subject to Wyrd, for Wyrd becomes subject to 'God', or regarded as one of his attributes.

"What we call Wyrd is really the work of God about which He is busy every day." - Alfred the Great.

Then followed the virtual suppression of Wyrd altogether, though not quite! For the Wyrd Sisters surfaced again in Chaucer's 'Legend of Good Women' - "The Wyrdys that we clepyn destine", and again around 1450 in 'The Court of Love' - "I eons the three of fatelle dentine that be our Werdes,"

Again the Wyrd Sisters raised their heads in 1605 as the Weird Sisters of Shakespeare's 'Macbeth'. Most interestingly they are portrayed as battle-maidens. (Though perhaps not surprisingly in view of the name 'Shakespeare' - spear-shaker!)

"First witch: When shall we three meet again?
In thunder, lightning and in rain?
Second witch: When the hurly-burly's done,
When the battle's lost and won."

Here we are reminded of 'Beowulf': "The Lord gave the people of the Waders webs to speed them in battle." It would appear that Shakespeare's source for the Weird Sisters was 'Holinshead's Chronicles', from which clearly the three sisters are associated with the time-continuum of Past, Present, Future: The first of them spoke and said: "All hails Makbeth, thane of Glamis!" (For he had lately entered into that dignities and office by the death of his father Sinell.) The second of them said: "Hails Makbeth, thane of Cawdor!" But the third said: "All hails Makbeth, that hereafter shall be King of Scotland!"

Interestingly, a woodcut from the first edition of the 'Chronicles' shows the sisters by a tree - obviously Yggdrasil! Despite the deliberate and systematic suppression of the Wyrd the concept arose from the Folk-soul at certain times. Of course the Cosmic Mind could never be fully suppressed and only fools would think that they could do so. The truth surfaces in the end! The Wyrd was at the beginning and is eternal, and the Sisters of Wyrd still weave the Web of Wyrd for Gods and Men and all things in the Nine Worlds.

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Seidr Magic

Book: Seidr Magic by Ed Richardson

Of all the reconstructed systems of archaic magickal practice, Seidr seems to be one of the most misunderstood. This is partly because of its sinister reputation, and partly because of sexist notions that only women ever practised divination. All too often Seidr is mistaken for the craft of the Volva, where in reality (if such a notion is useful) the Volvas were only part of a far wider practice. In order to make sense of the collection of beliefs and practices which make up Seidr, some definitions shall be considered, followed by a look at some of the practices involved and their implications. This whole essay shall illustrate examples found in the myths of Northern Europe.

Seidr literally means 'seething' or 'boiling' and has much in common with shamanism and other forms of primitive magick. Indeed it is highly likely that Seidr is an adaptation of shamanic practices to suit the culture and times, when primitive society evolved discovering religion, agriculture and metallurgy. However, Seidr is not a religious practice; it is a magickal practice which is where some of its sinister reputation originates. Jan Fries explains that the Seidr magickians would sell their craft, which makes them something akin to occult mercenaries. Its use is always pragmatic and is reflected as such in the myths. The myths play a vital role in understanding Northern magick as they show how the Aesir, Vanir, Giants and Humanity used magick to deal with problems, hinting at techniques that may be useful today.

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The Eddas The Keys To The Mysteries Of The North

Book: The Eddas The Keys To The Mysteries Of The North by James Allen Chisholm

This is a practical manual of self-transformation. It takes the form of a working edition of the mythological poems of the ancient Norse Poetic Edda for modern “pagans” who practice the magic and religion of the North. The poems of the Poetic Edda form the most complete and authentic body of surviving pre-Christian Germanic religious and magical lore. The mythological poems of the Elder Edda hold the keys to the understanding and practice of the pre-Christian religion of the Germanic peoples. This book enables the reader to fathom the
mysteries of the Eddic poems so that the elder Troth of the Gods of Europe may again be rightly hailed in holy groves, and the hidden wisdom of the rune-masters rediscovered. This book is especially practical for those who wish follow the authentic pre-Christian religion and magic of the English and other Teutonic folk.

A new translation of the mythological poems of the Edda is the main component of this work. The religious content is revealed with accuracy and clarity. Earlier renditions have been artful paraphrases by scholars who valued the poems as literary monuments, but disregarded the religious and mythic content as the nonsensical but amusing folklore of a more primitive world. None of them ever imagined that their audiences would include practitioners of the Eddic religion. The inaccuracies of such translations have led many modern pagans astray. This is the truest translation for purposes of understanding the religious content of the Poetic Edda.

For the rune-magicians, poetry was a powerful form of magic. The Eddas hold the wisdom of the Erulian Rune-Magicians, and many of these poems may be fathomed to incredible depths and heights, by those who know how to ask. This book is about asking. These poems provide sufficient material for an accurate reconstruction and revivification of the Odian religious and magical philosophies. These poems hold spells, invocations, and lore from which rituals, sacred dramas, and initiatory rites can be reconstructed or authentically created, as well as the keys to understanding the soul and the nine worlds of Yggdrasil - the world tree of the ancient North. Many of the keys are provided also for unlocking the secrets of mysteries of the cults of Thor, Tyr and the Vanir, though much of this lore is filtered through an Odian lens.

The Eddic poems are spells, in which the mysteries of the old lore are encoded by word, rhythm, alliteration, idea, and rune. The words of a given stanza are not juxtaposed merely because the resulting rhythms and word plays are pleasing, but because of there are deep magical resonances among such words. The impact of these magical stanzas perhaps may not be registered consciously, but the magic of Eddic lines reaches far below the shallow waters of mundane conscious understanding into the depths of the collective unconscious, into the realms where our souls mingle with the realms of the Gods. The power of the Eddic verses can be used for invocations and magical operations. It is the task of the modern elders (priests) and vitkis (magicians) to gain a conscious knowledge of the meanings and powers of these combinations of word, meter and rune. The stanzas of the Eddic poems hold the secrets of our Gods. It is the task of this book to provide the modern seeker with the keys to understanding deeper levels of meaning and to encode these into modern English for fashioning invocations to the Gods and for shaping powerful poetic staves in magic.

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Asatru Faq Part 3

We Keep Talking About the Vikings. Does This Mean That Asatru is Only for People of Scadinavian Ancestry?

No. Asatru, as practiced by the Norse peoples, had so much in common with the religion of the other Germanic tribes, and with their cousins the Celts, that it may be thought of as one version of a general European religion. Asatru is for all European peoples, whether or not their heritage is specifically Scandinavian.

What are the Basic Beliefs of Asatru?

We believe in an underlying, all-pervading divine energy or essence which is generally hidden from us, and which is beyond our immediate understanding. We further believe that this spiritual reality is interdependent with us - that we affect it, and it affects us.

We believe that this underlying divinity expresses itself to us in the forms of the Gods and Goddesses. Stories about these deities are like a sort of code, the mysterious "language" through which the divine reality speaks to us.

We believe in standards of behavior which are consistent with these spiritual truths and harmonious with our deepest being.

How Does Asatru Differ From Other Religions?

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 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".

The Middle Eastern religions teach either a hatred of other religions or a duty to convert others, often by force. They have often practiced these beliefs with cruel brutality.

We do not claim to be a universal religion or 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, which of course they do.

Do You Consider the Norse Myths to be True?

The myths are stories about the Gods and Goddesses of Asatru. They are ways of stating religious truths. That is, we would say they contain truths about the nature of divinity, our own nature, and the relationship between the two. We do not contend that the myths are literally true, as history.

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Asatru Poem The Temple Of Thor

Three months ago,
The invaders came,
And destroyed The Temple of Thor.

I had spent most of my adult life,
Honoring the Mighty Thunderer,
And helping the Folk,
When they came to pray and make sacrifice.

Now all that stands upon that sacred Hill,
Is a small wooden building that they call a church.

All around the land,
Folk are being forced ,
To kneel before their strange God,
They tell us that,
His name is Christ.

I do not understand these strangers,
They worship a Dead man,
It is said that he is God over the whole earth.

The Folk are confused and fearful,
They do not know what to do.

Those that have refused to worship in there church,
Have been tortured and killed,
I have seen whole families cut down for defending the Old Ways.

They say Our Gods are false,
That they are Demons,
That their God is the only True God.

They have destroyed many of Our Sacred Places,
And built church's on the sites,
So many of Our ways,
They take and add to their's,
So that it will make the Folk more comfortable in worshipping their God Christ.

But what they seem not to know is that,
If you intend to remove a tree,
You must also gather the seeds that fall to the ground,
Otherwise they may sprout again.

Now with hope in my heart,
I look to future generations of the Folk,
That the seeds of the Old Ways will sprout again.

Slowly the Old Gods will awaken,
And grow in strength,
As the Folk find,
And gather the seeds of Old.

And then maybe one day,
The Temple of Thor,
Will be once again,
Be rebuilt upon this Sacred Hill.

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As The Asatru Kindred Grows

Sooner or later, there will be the need for the kindred leader to share the responsibility and workload of managing the Kindred with others. Early on one finds that the many tasks necessary to produce a successful Kindred gathering are just too much for one person to handle. You should not be shy about asking for help from the members of the Kindred. In fact, many are looking for ways that they can help all you need do is ask. I know some kindreds who are very fortunate to have members quite willing to act as chairmen of the various committees necessary for successful Kindred management and functions.

Another important step for the Kindred as it grows, is to decide to incorporate in their state as a non-profit church, and eventually apply to the IRS for 501 (c) non-profit status. This will require for the membership of the Kindred to elect three officers to serve on the Board of Directors of the corporation. The requirements for incorporation vary from one state to the next, but basically the steps are: elect a president, vice-president, and secretary/treasurer and draw up a Constitution for the church/Kindred, and a set of By Laws. Other states may require credentials from the "National Church" granting so-and-so Kindred official recognition. This of course can be handled by the office of the Secretary/Treasurer of the Asatru Alliance. A simple request to the Secretary is all that is necessary to grant credentials.

Some states require that the Constitution, By Laws, and Articles of Incorporation be published in the legal ad section of a newspaper. Of course this takes money. When the Arizona Kindred incorporated ten years ago in Arizona, it cost us about $650.00 for all the fees, which included publishing our incorporation papers in the local newspaper three times. Then there are the incorporation fees themselves, which can run anywhere from $75.00 to $150.00 for non-profits, and some may have to seek legal help as well. So, it is obvious that this will take a major commitment from the Kindred, but those Kindred leaders out there who recognize the great importance of legitimizing Asatru know that it is worth the effort.

Once this is accomplished, and when your Kindred is serious about obtaining money and property, then it is time to file with the IRS for your non-profit status. You will find when you first go down to your local bank and want to open a checking account for the Kindred, that the bank will require you to supply them with what they call an EIN number. This is an Employer's Identification Number. It is the equivalent of a Social Security number, except for an organization. This of course allows the IRS to keep complete tabs on all people and organizations that use banking services. It is very important for the IRS to keep their super computers busy compiling data bases on everyone and everything.

Now, there is a gray area in the way that the IRS looks at non-profit churches. If your Kindred is only taking in and paying out a couple of thousand dollars a year, they do not pay much attention to you and leave you completely alone. It is when you reach the level where you are taking in over $5,000 per year that you must look for the 501 (C) status. Of course your Kindred may cruise along forever and not take in very much money, but what if you decided to acquire property, build a Hof or activity center? What if someone passes over the Bifrost Bridge and leaves the Kindred a nice sum in their Will? Or maybe a rich philanthropist comes along and likes what you are doing and donates $100,000 to the Kindred, then what are you going to do? Well, if you are not incorporated and have not received your EIN number, you can not accept the donation without having to pay taxes on it. And the person making the donation can't use it as a tax deduction. So, chances are, that they may go elsewhere to relieve themselves of their money or property. If your Kindred has completed the first two steps of incorporation and obtaining an EIN number, you could probably accept a large donation, but would be required by the IRS to immediately request for 501 (c) recognition.

So what is required of the Kindred to obtain 501 (c) status? First of all, the IRS requires for you to pay them $500 for the filing fee. You then have to meet their criteria of just what a church is. You also have to provide them with some type of Financial Report of just what kind of money the Kindred holds, where it came from, and where it went, so they can again see if it fits their criteria as a church. It's really not as hard to do all of this as it may sound. Other Kindreds have already completed all three steps, and they would be glad to advise anyone who is seeking information on how to proceed.

I must stress at this time, that the structure of the Asatru Alliance is nothing more than a confederation of independent Kindreds. The Alliance is not an organization. We do not have a Board of Directors, a membership list, or do we charge dues. So the Alliance itself is not incorporated. The true strength of the Alliance lies in the number of Kindreds that it has who have accomplished the three steps of legitimacy outlined above. Of course we stress this point in our By Laws where we urge Kindreds to incorporate.(Editorial note since the writing of this article the Asatru Alliance has become a 501(c) 3 corporation).

Asatru is poised on the threshold of tremendous growth. The infrastructure for the future must be in place first. I urge all Kindreds to proceed with the three steps as soon as they are able.

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The Younger Edda Also Called Snorre Edda Or The Prose Edda

Book: The Younger Edda Also Called Snorre Edda Or The Prose Edda by Rasmus Anderson

SNORRE'S EDDA, OR THE PROSE EDDA. AN ENGLISH VERSION OF THE FOREWARD; THE FOOLING OF GYLFE, THE AFTERWORD; BRAGE'S TALK, THE AFTERWORD TO BRAGE'S TALK, AND THE IMPORTANT PASSAGES IN THE POETICAL DICTION (SKALDSKAPARMAL) WITH AN INTRODUCTION, NOTES, VOCABULARY, AND INDEX.

All the poems quoted in the Younger Edda have in this edition been traced back to their sources in the Elder Edda and elsewhere. Where the notes seem to the reader insufficient, we must refer him to our Norse Mythology, where he will, we trust, find much of the additional information he may desire. Well aware that our work has many imperfections, and begging our readers to deal generously with our shortcomings, we send the book out into the world with the hope that it may aid some young son or daughter of Odin to find his way to the fountains of Urd and Mimir and to Idun's rejuvenating apples. The son must not squander, but husband wisely, what his father has accumulated. The race must cherish and hold fast and add to the thought that the past has bequeathed to it. Thus does it grow greater and richer with each new generation. The past is the mirror that reflects the future. (R. B. ANDERSON)

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Rasmus Anderson - The Younger Edda Also Called Snorre Edda Or The Prose Edda

Heathen Gods A Collection Of Essays

Book: Heathen Gods A Collection Of Essays by Mark Ludwig Stinson

The essays in this collection were written in the years 2007, 2008, and 2009. In their original form, they were written as blog notes, message board posts, and as answers to e-mail questions I received. They were never meant to serve as a unified message about Heathenry, and there has been no attempt here to tie them together into a well-ordered or all-encompassing vision for the future of Heathenry. The essays collected here have a conversational tone, like discussion you might have around a campfire...or over a cold pint of Guinness.

In collecting them, I have attempted to put them in an order that makes sense. To further this effort, I have also grouped them into categories. And to some degree, I have reworked all of these essays. Some required quite a bit of refining, while others required very little.

What you'll find within this collection is my approach to various topics and issues within our Folkway. The Folkway that is the ancestral way-of-life of the Northern European people. The scope of these essays is wide and far-reaching, but this collection does not provide a comprehensive examination of Heathenry. If that is what you are seeking, you should buy Our Troth, Volumes 1 and 2. And This collection does not serve as a complete introduction to heathery. Essential Asatru, by Diana Paxton, would better serve you as an introduction to our Folkway.

This book would not exist if not for Jotun's Bane Kindred. We are a strong and growing tribe. We work to support and advance each other, and I would not be the man I am today, without the incredible individuals of worth that fill my Innangarth. Their thoughts and ideas run throughout these essays, culled from our discussions and efforts together, and the lessons we have learned working together as a tribe.

The goal of this collection of essays is not to make money. The goal is to share information. So feel free to share or distribute this material however you wish, as long as you follow the restrictions described in the Open License on the inditia page. - Mark Ludwig Stinson

Buy Mark Ludwig Stinson's book: Heathen Gods A Collection Of Essays

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Baldur Dream

Book: Baldur Dream by Wh Auden

Baldrs draumar (Baldr's dreams) or Vegtamskvida is an Eddic poem, contained in the manuscript AM 748 I 4to. It relates information on the myth of Baldr's death in a way consistent with Gylfaginning.

Baldr has been having nightmares. Odin rides to Hel to investigate. He finds the grave of a volva and resurrects her. Their conversation follows, where the volva tells Odin about Baldr's fate. In the end Odin asks her a question which reveals his identity and the volva tells him to ride home.

The poem is one of the shortest Eddic poems, consisting of 14 fornyrdislag stanzas. Some late paper manuscripts contain about five more stanzas, those are thought to be of young origin. Sophus Bugge believed them to have been composed by the author of Forspjallsljod.

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Norse Mythology Legends Of Gods And Heroes

Book: Norse Mythology Legends Of Gods And Heroes by Peter Andreas Munch

The Norwegian original on which the present translation is based was written by Peter Andreas Munch, the founder of the Norwegian school of history. Munch’s scholarly interests embraced also many related subjects, such as general history, archaeology, geography, ethnography, linguistics, and jurisprudence. His varied labors have in large part stood the test of time. His most important work, the “History of the Norwegian People” (Det norske folks historie, 8 vols. 1851–63) covering the period of Norway’s ancient independence ending with the Kalmar Union of 1397, still remains a source book and a point of departure for historians. The great significance of Munch’s scholarship lies in its influence upon the modern renascence of Norwegian culture. In the middle of the nineteenth century he was the most conspicuous intellectual force in the country, as Wergeland had been before him and as Bjornson came to be after him. The national spirit in Norway, which has steadily gained strength, owes a heavy debt to the gifted leaders of an earlier generation, not least among whom was Munch. As an historian, as an editor of Old Norse poetry and saga, as a recorder of the venerable myths and legends of the race, he did yeoman service in establishing a sense of historical continuity between the Norway of the past and the Norway of the present. Since his day, Norwegians have labored in the fields of history, folklore, and related subjects, deepening and strengthening that fruitful sense of national consciousness which he did so much to awaken.

Munch’s handbook of Norse Mythology, which first appeared in 1840, was originally written as a supplementary volume to a school text on the history of Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. As a book for students and as a work of general reference it has maintained its popularity. The third edition (1922) from which the translation is made, was prepared by Professor Magnus Olsen of the University of Oslo, in response to the demand for an up-to-date treatment of the entire subject. He found it advisable, however, to revise Munch’s work rather than to attempt a wholly original book, since he was thus able to incorporate the results of later research in a volume which had long enjoyed both popular and scholarly approval. The value of Munch’s work has been greatly increased through Professor Olsen’s revision.

The English translation is intended as a companion volume to two other books published in the SCANDINAVIAN CLASSICS series, The Prose Edda, translated by Arthur Gilchrist Brodeur, and The Poetic Edda, translated by Henry Adams Bellows. Norse mythology will serve alike the student of Old Norse literature, and the general reader who seeks an authoritative guide through the world of Northern myth and legend. My thanks are due to Professor Magnus Olsen for permission to translate the work, and to Professor William Witherle Lawrence, of Columbia University, Chairman of the Publications Committee of the American-Scandinavian Foundation, for many valuable suggestions. - S. B. H.

Download Peter Andreas Munch's eBook: Norse Mythology Legends Of Gods And Heroes

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Ehwaz Rune

Ehwaz means horse. In the Nordic tradition, the horse was a sacred animal, the same as in the old Slavic tradition. This animal was connected to Frey, which we find out in the saga of Hrafnkel, Frey's priest. A modern person can hardly realize what kind of a relationship his Ancestors had with the horse, or the specific connexion there was between a man and his faithful companion. This relationship was based on mutual trust and absolute devotion. Therefore, unlike the tamed force we have in Thurisaz, in Ehwaz the relationship between the ruling and the ruled is somewhat different, because the horse is not only a man's servant but also his faithful friend and helper. Because of that the sense of this Rune isn't in the control and subduing but in the mutual exchange of energy, an exchange that goes on between two beings that mutually respect and complement each other. It's the Rune's symmetrical shape that points out to harmony and energetic balance. Communication, as a sort of energetic exchange is also connected to this Rune. Beside that, Ehwaz is connected to journeys as well, seeing that then the horse was also the main means of transportation.

Divination:

Positive meaning: improvement, harmony, team work, loyalty, faithfulness.

Negative meaning: mistrust, isolation, betrayal.

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Runes For Transformation Using Ancient Symbols To Change Your Life

Book: Runes For Transformation Using Ancient Symbols To Change Your Life by Kaedrich Olsen

Runes have long been used as vital tools for transformation. The Norse employed them as tools for communication, and the Vikings would use them as wisdom before embarking on a journey or entering battle. Runic scholar Kaedrich Olsen reclaims the transformative power of the runes for readers today as a key to unlocking our potential for personal growth and our life's vision. Runes for Transformation is unlike any other rune book on the market, with Olsen's unique techniques and applications for this ancient alphabet including affirmations, NLP, visualizations, and meditation, as well as the historical background essential to embarking on this path. A highly respected teacher and transpersonal path worker, Kaedrich Olsen posits that the time for this "deeper working" of the runes has come and this will aid readers in both personal and collective evolution. Runes for Transformation is a rich resource and excellent guide for readers to take the steps to change their lives with a boldly modern approach to the ancient runes and for "change that really matters."

While runes are commonly used for divination, this book delves more deeply into their mysteries. It is an excellent resource for someone who wishes to use them in magic and provides helpful exercises for developing a personal connection with them. I found the section on bindrunes and runic power words to be particularly useful. If you are solely focused on using runes in divination, this may not be ideal for you at this point in your studies, although it does give excellent perspectives on the the runes from different angles, which will improve your understanding of their meanings. The primary focus of this book is on using the runes for personal growth and the discussion of their divinatory use is limited to only a couple of pages. If you are new to the runes, this may not be the best place to start, as it seems a bit more advanced to me. If you are someone who is looking for something beyond the new age fluff books on runes that are floating around out there, this may be perfect for you.

Kaedrich Olson has provided a new perspective on runeology for the students of runelore. While many have looked for magik within the Runes, Kaedrich brings us a method for finding the magik within ourselves, and using these combined powers to transform our lives, and the lives of others. This is a "must read" for students and scholars alike.

Kaedrich Olsen has studied the runes and Northern mysteries for over 20 years. He also studied spiritually based hypnotherapy and Shamanism in order to become a transpersonal hypnotherapist. Within this practice, he applies runic wisdom to develop powerful techniques his clients use to transform their lives. Kaedrich lives in Boulder, Colorado with his wife and two daughters, where he is an accomplished leader in the Nordic spiritual community.

Buy Kaedrich Olsen's book: Runes For Transformation Using Ancient Symbols To Change Your Life

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Asatru As A Cosmology

Asatru has a unique and advanced view of the universe, which has developed over the millennia. This cosmology details a universe of Nine Worlds tied together by Yggdrasil and it details how all things interact within and between these realms and through time. This universe is rarely harmonious and these cosmological tensions define the interactions of Gods and human alike. In this universe, numerous independent agents interact, sometimes in conflict, sometimes in harmony, to create all the manifestations and events we see. Understanding and working with this cosmology will help you understand the various rituals and practices of our way. Understanding this cosmology will also help you understand the evolution of the universe, its cycles and its ultimate destiny.

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Did Vikings Live In The Christian Age

Toward the end of the Viking Age, from about 1000 to 1066, the Christian Church became more of an influence on the Vikings and they became less warlike. Even Leif Ericson, the first European to set foot on the North American Continent, was an emissary of the church, converting his mother (his father staunchly remained a pagan) and others around him in Greenland.

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What Are Some Viking Myths Or Legends

The Vikings had many myths, about their idea of creation, about the deeds of their gods such as Odin, Thor, Freya and others, and about the deeds of ancient Vikings. These stories were meant to be told around the fire to teach the young about the realm of the Vikings, and were handed down from generation to generation over many centuries. In about 1200-1300, some of these legends began to be written down. The written ones were called Sagas, and were mostly written down by Vikings in Iceland. These have been incorporated into later books and stories about Vikings. Other sources are the Eddas, or ancient folk tales. One important myth is the Viking story of creation, or how the world was made. In brief, the earth, named Midgard was formed from nothing. From nothing sprang the mists of Niflheim in the North. In the south there formed a realm of fire called Muspellsheim. When these realms met, water drops from the melting frost formed the first being, or frost giant named Ymir. Other giants then formed under his left arm, a man and a woman. From the offspring of these other giants were born three gods, Odin, Vili, and Ve. These three killed the giant Ymir and from his body they made the earth, or Midgard, between Niflheim and Muspellsheim. In Midgard, the gods set to work to build their palace, or Asgard, where they were joined by other gods. Later, dwarfs appeared, and the first two human beings, Ask and Embla, man and woman, were made by Odin from two trees. The three worlds of creation were held together at their axis by the great ash tree, Yggdrasil, with roots in Niflheim and branches spreading above Asgard. The myth goes on from there to describe the acts of the gods, their battles with giants and dwarfs, and the gigantic hall, Valhalla, where slain warriors were carried by the Valkyries to spend their days in bloody battles and be restored to health each night with laughing, drinking, and feasting. The chief god was Odin, who ruled over all others. He gave up one eye to receive all wisdom, and is always depicted with only one eye. Many myths describe the exploits of Odin and the other gods. There may be books in your local library about the Vikings and their gods and others are for sale in bookstores and on Amazon.com. Search on the Internet for "Viking Myths and Legends" and find much additional information. The Viking Age gods slowly gave way to the spread of Christianity in Scandinavia beginning about 950 A.D. By the 13th century, nearly all of the people of Scandinavia had become Christian. This greatly altered the world view of the people and was a factor in bringing about the end of the Viking Age. Vestiges of the Viking age remain in our modern culture, however, such as some days of the week, (Tyr's Day, Odin's Day, Thor's Day, and Freya's Day, or Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday), in midsummer and winter solstice festivals, and other cultural events.

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Gods And Goddesses Real But Different

To say that the Gods and Goddesses are real is not to tell us much. The next question is...what are they like?
Aside from the odd personal encounter and rare representations as statues or on old tapestries, the only descriptions we have of the Holy Powers are in the myths. When we look at the stories, we find Thor pictured as a muscular fellow with a red beard and flashing blue eyes. Odin is a tall, older man with a gray beard and one eye, and he sometimes travels in the company of his two wolves and ravens. Freyr - well, he's a fertility God, with the appropriate physical attributes.

Are we to take these vivid, dramatic images literally? That depends on how you want to think of the Gods and the myths in which they appear. Here are two possibilities:

We can think of myth as metaphor. In this scheme, the myths are symbolic ways of transmitting spiritual truths. They have multiple layers of meaning. On the most obvious and superficial level, they are entertaining tales that often make a moral point or illustrate virtues like the love of wisdom, sacrifice, and bravery.

Below this level, things get trickier. Some mythologists (not themselves followers of our ancestral religion) will say they are allegories describing natural phenomena such as lightning, or the warming of the land with the departure of winter, or the cycle by which vegetation grows, dies in the winter, and comes to life again in the spring.

Psychologists, particularly those who are students of Dr. Carl Jung, interpret the myths as depictions of psychic realities rather than external ones. In this model, the ancient stories tell us important things about the personal and collective unconscious. The heroic quest and the growth and maturation of the individual are typical themes. The Gods and goddesses are thought of as psychic forces in the person and in society, but are not considered objectively real.

We can admit the value of these viewpoints in a technical or analytical sense, while not conceding they represent the whole truth. Many Asatruar consider the myths to be true - not in the literal sense but in the sense of tales which tell spiritual truths, "those things which never happened, but always are." The tales of Gods become allegories, some of which can be deciphered by reason. Others cannot be interpreted in terms of logic, because they speak a deeper, non-linear "meta-language," the secret code of the unconscious. In this case, the myths communicate with us subtly, without words, influencing our mind and spirit.

For Asatruar who think of the myths as metaphor, the Gods and Goddesses are real, but the anthropomorphic images of them presented in the old lore are strictly symbolic. Thor is not really a gigantic, muscular, man-like figure with a red beard, any more than Jehovah is a human-shaped entity in a white gown sitting on a golden throne, surrounded by clouds. The description of Thor we find in the stories gives us a way to relate to the very real force in the cosmos that we call Thor, but it is not him.

The Gods and Goddesses are not limited by the constraints of flesh and blood. So while it is convenient for us to picture Freya as a beautiful woman wearing a shining necklace, or Heimdal as having golden teeth, these are allegorical. The Gods and Goddesses themselves are mighty spiritual powers, existing within us and without us, capable of manifesting to humans in any form they wish.

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Potentialities Of Loki

Book: Potentialities Of Loki by Anonymous

The figure of Loki is as fascinating as he is problematic. Jan de Vries (1933), Hilding Celander (1914) and Folke Strom (1956) characterise Loki as a 'problem', while to Anne Holtsmark (1962) he remains a 'riddle'. To this day scholars are divided on how to categorise Loki. Some call him a god, others a giant, an elf (Karl Weinhold 1849:13) or a demon, and often they do not define what they mean by these appellations .i Is Loki a demon? Or, as according to Jakob Grimm (1835) (1953:199f.), a fire elf? Does Loki's alleged 'fire nature' (Karl Simrock 1887:99) imply that he is a 'destroyer' (Karl Simrock 1887:99)? Is he 'evil' (Hermann Schneider 1938:241), the Lucifer of the North (Sophus Bugge 1881:10)? The cunning trickster (Jan de Vries 1933)? Or death (Anatoly Liberman 1992:142)? Of course, a conference presentation cannot provide answers to all of these questions, but let us concentrate briefly on one of them, Loki as 'evil'.

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Goddess Huldra Or Holle

Huldra or Holle: Another birch goddess. She is patron of household chores and duties, such as spinning. Her realm is sometimes found by going down a well. She is helpful to young women who perform well their cleaning and chores, and punishes those who don't. She also is said to lead the Wild Hunt and during the winter, is said by some to be the consort of Ullr. She is leader of the huldrafolk, a sort of land-wight.

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Asatru And The Paranormal

Book: Asatru And The Paranormal by Anonymous

We live in an age which, for various reasons, ignores and even ridicules the very idea of the paranormal: of that which cannot be explained by the norms of everyday experience. religious belief itself has been replaced by the foggy political slogan of "shared values," a mask for spiritual emptiness. Telepathy, clairvoyance, psychokinesis and similar categories are regularly dismissed as ridiculous, impossible, delusional and so forth. In cases where it is very difficult if not impossible to dismiss such things, the evidence is most often suppressed or deliberately misconstrued. Peer pressure is too great.

In spite of this hostile atmosphere, we of Asatru need to look seriously at the ocean of human experience which testifies to the reality of another dimension.

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