:drinking_horn: Weekly Witchy CHALLENGE - Nordic Traditions and Magick

[BryWisteria]

Merry meet!

Thank you once again to all those who joined in for last week’s Weekly Witchy Challenge - Greek & Roman Magick

Our exploration through several popular pagan paths and traditions continues this week as we leave the Mediterranean area of influence behind and sail north. This week, we’re venturing to the home of a popular tradition that originally came from Scandinavia.

The theme for this week’s challenge is…

Exploring Traditions: Nordic Practices

This is the third stop on our spiritual tour of Pagan Paths & Traditions - a series of challenges that hopes to shine a spotlight on some of the widely-practiced magickal traditions we often hear about in the witchy world.

For the sake of this challenge, “Nordic" is being used as wide-reaching term to reference the traditions, practices, and folklore stemming from the geographic region that is now known as the Nordic countries (Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, and Iceland, among others). This includes Norse paganism/Ásatrú/heathenry.

While spiritual and magickal traditions originally from this geographic location continue to live on in their homelands, they were carried alongside migrating people over the course of history and have since expanded to other parts of the world, too.

Please note that you do not have to identify as a practitioner or follower of this tradition/area of magick to partake in this educational challenge. Additionally, you do not need to have cultural or ancestral ties in order to study this area of the practice. However, it is important to note that Nordic magickal traditions are tied to modern-day cultures that still exist, and whom deserve respect and mindfulness (for more on the topic of magick and culture, visit the Can we talk about “Cultural Appropriation”? and Spiritual Practices and Cultural Appropriation discussions)

The power of Nordic folklore, history, and traditions echoes around the modern world and holds great value for everyone to learn from and find inspiration in - so let’s jump in!

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This week’s challenge is all about Nordic magick and traditions - but as always, how you do so is up to you!

So are you ready? Because it’s…

CHALLENGE TIME!

Rune ritual pictures by @tracyS, shared in Feeling the Life of the Runes/Odin’s Wisdom

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STEP 1 : Exploring Nordic Traditions, Pantheon & Magick

This challenge is all about the magick and traditions stemming from the Nordic region - but how you choose to take on this theme is up to you!

Still not sure where to begin? To help you get started, here are a few ways in which a witch might approach this challenge…

Please make sure you are logged into your Spells8 Account so you can view all of the resources shared!

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Learn More

Are you new to the magick and traditions from this geographic area? Whether it’s Nordic deities, folklore, old sayings, traditional spells, history, or more - consider learning more about spiritual/religious practices from this area of study! You are welcome to share what you learned as your entry this week.

Related resources:

• Norse Deities Masterpost
• Norse Proverbs Havamal
• Yule Celebrations in Nordic Traditions
• Nordic Paganism and Elves
• Fulltrui or not to Fulltrui
• How to Read and Use Runes in Divination
• What are the Elder Futhark Runes?

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The Norse Pantheon

Odin: Norse God of Wisdom, Poetry, and Magick

Freyja: Goddess Symbols, Correspondences, and Myths

Sól: The Shining Norse Goddess

Additional discussions and resources:

• Loki - Norse God of Mischief 😈
• Loki’s Tales
• Thor ⚡ Norse God of Thunder
• Hel(a)'s Rules
• Freya- who works with her? What is she like?

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Norse and Nordic Inspired Spellwork

Prayer to Odin: The Neopagan’s Guide to the All-Father

Odin and Frigga Incense

Runes for Strength: Powerful Norse Runes to Invoke Vigor

Draw a Rune: Online Rune Divination

Related discussions and resources:

• Feeling The Life of the Runes/Odin's Wisdom
• How to Practice Chaos Magic
• Loki’s Battle Spell to Crush Anxiety
• Divination with The Runes
• Bind Rune - Protection for Interacting with People
• Bind Rune - Strength to Stop Holding Yourself Back

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Explore Your Ties

For your entry this week, consider exploring any ties you have to Nordic traditions or culture. This may be your blood ancestry, adoptive ancestry, past travel experiences, memories from past lives, your work with a deity, etc.

There are no “right” or “wrong” answers here - this is simply an invitation for you to learn more about yourself and any influences that may or may not influence your spiritual practice

Ancestor Work: How to Honor Your Ancestors

Past Life Tarot Spread: “Who Was I in My Past Life?”

Related discussions and resources:

• Ancestry and Modern Collide: My Magickal Roots
• Does your ancestry affect your Craft?
• Your Magickal Roots - Weekly Witchy Challenge
• 🔍 Weekly Witchy CHALLENGE - Peering into Past Lives
• 🧑‍🏫 Weekly Witchy CHALLENGE - Teachers of Magick

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… And More!

The suggestions above are just a few ideas to help kickstart your creativity- if you feel called to explore Nordic magick and traditions in another way, you are welcome to do so!

As always, all witches are encouraged to embrace their own unique practice with how they explore the challenge theme

Norse Raven picture by @Susurrus, shared in Worship with Odin and Loki

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STEP 2 : Share Your Experience

Click here for a note about challenge inclusivity

Everyone is welcome to join the challenge by practicing magick in line with the current theme. For lurkers and those who don’t feel comfortable sharing, it is absolutely okay to follow along with the challenge but keep your entry personal. Feel free to join in spirit and do what feels most comfortable for you!

That being said, please know that if you would like to receive a prize and a public shout-out, it is required that you share your experience.

Getting Your Credit

In order for your entry to be counted, all you have to do is write/share about your experience and label it as your challenge entry. There is a lot of chatting here (which is awesome- chatting and discussion are very welcome!) so please clearly write that it is your entry so I know to count it!

Where Should I Share My Entry?

Click here to learn where to share your challenge entry

You are welcome to post it right here- just click “reply” to this post and write your experience in the text box that pops up!

Alternatively, you could create a new post in the forum (this is good for when you have a lot to share and/or would like to discuss aspects of your entry not related to the current theme)

Note : If you do choose to create a new thread, please add the “challenge-entry” tag and/or add a hyperlink back to this post so that it can be easily found- thank you!

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Deadline

This challenge will close in 6 DAYS

To join in, please share your experience by:

Tuesday, June 11 at 7:00 AM EDT (Eastern US Time)
2024-06-11T11:00:00Z

(Note that the time zone is ET- if you don’t see your time displayed above, you can use this time zone calculator to check for your time zone!)

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Prizes

For their efforts, all participants will receive a special shout-out and a small prize!

Acknowledgments will be given in a Props and Presents Post that will appear in the forums on Tuesday.

After the challenge closes, you are still very welcome to post but please be aware that no additional prizes will be given. This discussion will remain open for about a week after the challenge finishes.

Runes by @Artemisia, shared in My Handmade Bronze Runes

A warm reminder that the challenges are designed to be very open- everyone is encouraged to participate in a way that honors and reflects their unique practice

If you have any doubts about if something is acceptable to post or say, please double-check with the Forum FAQ and/or reach out to your friendly Moderator Team.

And for those new to challenges- welcome! Know that the goal of these activities is to help you further diversify and strengthen your abilities and to bring together the Spells8 forum family to inspire and support one another in creative ways

Hardanger, Norway picture from Canva

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From the branches of Yggdrasil to Valhalla’s great halls,
Shapeshifters, ravens, and the gods’ rowdy brawls,
Of conquest and glory, and so much more-
In Nordic traditions, there’s lots to explore!

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Blessed Be!

[MeganB]

Hmm… another area of practice I’m not too knowledgeable on. Time to learn something new!

[Amethyst]

Hmm, I’ll have to think on this one. Despite being from both Norwegian and Swedish decent, I’ve never gotten into the Norse Pantheon that much other than a Hagar the Horrible book I had as a kid. I want to put some thought into it!

[tracyS]

I’m so excited.

[celineelise]

Ooh, this is exciting… now can I find time to make runes this week? I maybe just researching and doing something less involved. I am performing tap with class this week… We’ll see what the gods have in store

[Amaris_Bane]

Oh, this is perfect! I’ve been hesitate to commit to working with Tyr because, well, he’s the guardian of oaths and takes them very, very seriously. I’ve been giving offerings and prayers to him, asking with Freya and Lugh, but haven’t done much beyond that.

This is going to be interesting.

[celineelise]

I found this meme… i couldn’t stop giggling

[Artemisia]

Another post I’m wondering why am I being tagged in this? I know nothing about this / this isn’t my thing.

@BryWisteria

Runes by @Artemisia, shared in My Handmade Bronze Runes

Not sure what I’ll come up with for this challenge but coming fresh out of a

counseling session

where I discussed my resistance to /fear of change and how I’d like to try to reframe how I normally approach it which is:

• initial reaction pouting - I don’t want to, this isn’t what I had planned!
• then sadness - but I want to do what I had planned
• and finally acceptance - ok let me change some things and let’s do this!)
  This all takes place over a span of seconds to minutes. But the initial reaction is always the same - No, I won’t wanna! I’d like to learn to reframe my reaction and feelings somewhat even if I can’t change how change makes me feel initially.

but I’m game to look into something to help me overcome my initial reaction of resisting change due to fear or upset.

Up for any suggestions while I brainstorm here this afternoon. (hint hint @tracyS )

[tracyS]

For help with change you could ask Loki (he’s good with change but not with preparing you for the change ). I can send a little ritual to you if you want. If this is what you’re asking and I’ve not misread what you wrote mind

[amanda6]

@tracyS

For help with change you could ask Loki (he’s good with change but not with preparing you for the change ). I can send a little ritual to you if you want.

I’d love this. Please and thank you!

[tracyS]

CHALLENGE ENTRY

Nordic Mythos

I wanted to come at this from a different place, so here goes.

First: Mythos v Logos. Norse Mythos is full of metaphors known as kennings, and through these metaphors you gain deep understanding of your life and the world around you by using mythic imagination as a teaching method.

Today we live in a world ruled by logos (objective understanding). This can cause problems when logos trespasses onto mythos.

For example: “Eve was made from the rib of Adam.” Now the mythos asks us to look at the unity of humankind, the origins of ancestors, the ending of division, but the logos will have you digging up the desert trying to find the ancient bone. It’s not meant to be literal. When you take the mythos and put a logos meaning into it, you create fundamentalism and loose the real beauty behind what the Norse gods are trying to tell you. You stop hearing them. The Norse myths contain big ideas, using big imagery and you cannot understand that using logic. So when you read the myths, read what’s behind the story not what’s in the story.

So how can we train our mind to do this in today’s logos dominated world. Poetry. Read poetry. Poetry can help train our mind to hear in pictures, to see abstract ideas in real life. We must also try to understand a few key ideas about myths.

First, myths have no author, they are deeply mysterious and come from the ancient unconsciousness, the spirit world and the collective community of humankind throughout time. But even though it’s old, it’s also totally up to date and relevant for us today.

So now to the Norse Myths. The Eddas. Also known as The Prophecy of the Witch and The Grandmother

How did we get it? First there is no identity of the author. It was found around 1240 written on animal skins. It talks of a long time ago, possibly as far back as stoneage. These animal skins were hidden by one family in Iceland for 500 years! If it had been found by Christians it would’ve been destroyed. The medieval time was a very difficult time for Heathens everywhere. So this family took The Eddas and hid them, from one generation to another, it was passed down the line and the weighty responsibility to hide these ancient texts was fulfilled. Finally in the 17th century a bishop found them. He gave them to the King of Denmark who then held the skins from 1640-1973. Finally the King decided to return the texts to Iceland. He didn’t dare put them on a plane incase it crashed, so they waited for a weather forecast that gave them a 2 week window, where they could be transported by warship, slowly from Copenhagen to Reykjavik Iceland. These Eddas are the only written record of pre-christian Europe. If they had been destroyed, our entire ancestry would’ve been lost. We owe our entire heathen ancestry to this beautiful unknown family.

So the next time you pickup an Icelandic saga, before you read it, maybe honour an ancestor, or give thanks to this family. So for this challenge, I didn’t write about Odin, Loki or Thor or the other gods, or the wonderful stories they left us, instead I’ve chosen to honour the ancestors for giving us this legacy in the first place. I’ll leave this challenge with an old Norse ancestor ritual that you can do before you read from the Eddas.

The Ritual

First, find an old poem. Read it aloud to yourself. Hear it, see it, feel it. Now write down what message that poem gave for your life today.

Now, call in an ancestor.
Light a candle.
Close your eyes and remember an ancestor, a grandmother or grandfather, a lost loved one from long ago.
Remember their stories.
Now see them adrift at sea, just like you’re adrift in life.
See their face shining at you, see their smile, as they are getting closer to you.
Remember them, start saying their story quietly under your breath. It’s important, these memories, for they feed the tree of life.
Now sit together, and choose a saga from The Eddas, and read it, aloud.
Hear it, see it, feel it.
Now write down what it meant to you. What are the gods telling you today, for your life.
When you’re finished, say goodbye to your ancestor. You can say this little poem.
" I see the stars rise"
" I hear the waves crash"
" I feel the flames heat"
Close your eyes, and see your ancestor fade away. Say goodbye.

Bless

[tracyS]

@amanda6

A simple prayer to Loki.

You’ll need:

Some prayer beads (a small set is fine, I use Buddhist ones)
An offering (he’s cool with anything, if you like it, he likes it )

Cleanse your space with incense.
Light a candle.

Now close your eyes, (until you know this by heart, he’ll be fine with you reading it )
Hold your beads, and as you touch each bead say:

Heill ver þú nú Loki

(pronounced as “Heill ver thoo noo Loki” and means “Hail to you now Loki”.)

Repeat this on each bead. When you finished, make your request.
To end the ritual, thank him and blow out your candle.

[amanda6]

@tracyS Thank you

[Artemisia]

@tracyS

If this is what you’re asking and I’ve not misread what you wrote mind

That would be lovely! Oh just saw it posted, thank you!

[kirsty4]

Challenge entry

Oh I love this challenge.

One of my deities is Freya. I love running a hot bath, grabbing some tea and doing a meditation. Often when I feel stressed and my mind won’t settle I like to go for a walk in the woods and listen to nature and ask Freya to join me and give me some of her strength to fight another day. I will burn lavender incense. I think I will make up an offering bag for Freya as right now this seems a perfect time. I use these links from YouTube

Freyja ( Ritual & Meditation Music ) *without waterfall*

Freyja Meditation (Divine Feminine Energy)

Not sure if many know this but Witches in the Viking world were called “Volva .” This name means “wand-wed,”

Was doing some reading about her and I came across this site.

Freya

I love this and often light a candle and repeat this. This invocation is from the above website. I feel one day I may write my own.

INVOCATION TO FREYA

"Freya, Of the many names, Join us.

Freya, Of the golden tears, Join us.

Freya, Daughter of Njord, Join us.

Freyja, Wife of Od, Join us.

Freyja, Sister of Freyr, Join us.

Freya, Mother of Hnoss, Join us.

Freya, Claimed by Thrym, Join us.

Freya Driver of cats, Join us.

Freya, Goddess of Fertility, Join us.

Freya Who shares the slain with Odin, Join us.

Freya, Who taught the Aesir Magick, Join us.

Freya, Lender of Falcons’ Flight, Join us.

Freya, Mistress of Brisingamen, Join us.

Freyja, Mistress of Folkvang, Join us.

Freya, Mistress of nature, Join us.

Freya Your servant _______ calls you! Come to us NOW!"

 By Russ Anderson

I also had a read of this site and found this very interesting giving alot of information about this beautiful goddess of war and healer. She’s a strong woman and I have often l called to her when I need help and guidance.

Freya: The Goddess Archetype & How To Work With Her

[john1]

This is my entry

I’m born with à protection rune im gonnamake a protection spell candle tonight

[stavroula]

Ok, this one I need to think. All I know for the nordic places is that now there are no heatwaves and I fancy them boys

[tracyS]

@stavroula

@stavroula

I fancy them boys

Aww you make them blush

[stavroula]

@tracyS

Aww you make them blush

Hah, I thinK I did once Some years ago, I was at a supermarket in Helsinki and this gorgeous person was handing out some cheese (?) and anyway we chatted a bit and he was like “oh are you leaving tomorrow? ” and I told him “Well, I can stay for you ”
He blushed evrywhere xD He was not ready for Greek Kamaki XD

[tracyS]

That’s so funny