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Hm....some of these options sounds nice...

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I feel like we need to talk more about how fucking boring depression can be. I pick up a book and can’t read more than a few sentences, a chapter if I’m lucky, before I can’t focus. I knit two rows of something and then can’t continue. I scroll through all the different options of shows I haven’t watched without clicking on any of them. I hop from app to app looking for content that will spark literally any single emotion. It’s not even 10am and I already feel like I’m just waiting until it’s time to go back to bed.

I hate it I hate it I hate it

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"Through gritted theeth" in picture format. Nice...

"stress" by yoan capote - made of bronze and concrete

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ever wanted to learn Old Norse but put off by how most resources expect you to have familiarity with Latin grammar?

The viking language series is designed for interested language learners without expecting them to have prior knowledge of other languages. These books use a word-frequency method that speeds up learning and is for students of all levels.

Beginners will be reading Old Norse texts from the first lesson, while advance students have ample vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation for improved fluency. It includes sections of viking history, literature, and myth with extensive maps throughout.

The second volume builds upon the first, and includes a reference grammar and a large vocabulary along with chapters on Eddic and skaldic poetry. Readings that immerse learners in the Old Norse world include complete sagas, runic inscriptions, myths, creation stories, and legends, Eddic poems tell about Scandinavian gods, monster-slayers, dwarves, giants, warrior kings, shieldmaidens, and Valkyries.

Order volume 1 and volume 2 online here, or ask your local bookstore about stocking our editions!

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Nordic Water Magic💧🌿

This is a very general starter post for making your own charged water or using it for spells! It is entirely an Norse based post but you don’t have to be a Norse pagan to use the info! All plants listed are native to Scandinavian countries and some herbs/crystals are tied to the mythology of the Norse. Please keep in mind these are my own personal, modern correspondences because there’s not a lot of surviving pre-Christian text on seiðr and galðr.

🌿Herbs🌿 You can use herbs(or their essential oils) to make your own cleansing water spray, altar offerings, or to charging water with a specific intent. The listed herbs are not meant for ingesting but rather for aromatherapy, varying spells, or making charged water for deity/spirit offerings.

Birch - Birch is sacred in Norse mythology, up to the point where it has it’s own rune Berkanan(ᛒ). It is tied to the hearth deity Frigg, who better to work with when wanting to do ritual cleansing of the home? Birch is associated with healing depression and anxiety, renewal, growth, cleansing, and invoking the divine.

Spruce - The Norway Spruce is one of the most commonly found trees in Norway and Sweden, and still seen as sacred today. Fun fact: Old Tjikko is the oldest (clonal)tree in the world which gives spruce it’s association with ancient wisdom. It is also associated with healing, connecting the mind and heart, protection, purification, and spiritual refreshment. 

Oak - Not only is Oak tied to the protection deity Þórr(Thor) but it was actually the wood used on the highest-ranking viking ships and has long been associated with victory and protection do to this. It’s also good for charging water or oils with prosperity, enhanced manifestation and divination, strength, and mental + emotional healing.

Hazel - .It was commonly used in making arrows(as well as the tree Holly). It’s associated with wisdom, magic, protection(another tree associated with Þórr) and communication.

Calendula - Not to be confused with it’s Mexican sister Marigold(which is not native to Europe). Both physically + metaphysically Calendula can be used to detoxify and cleanse. It can also be used in seiðr for happiness, beauty, good health, physically healing, and releasing depression. It’s also often associated with the Vanir deity Freyja.

Cranberry - A common plant found throughout the lands, is still used in modern times to celebrate Jól. It is often associated with welcoming positive energy into the home, emotional healing, protection(another Þórr one), and invoking courage.

Chamomile - This is another plant associated with the deity Frigg. It can be used to help bring peace and harmony into the home, healing, protection, and purification of negativity.

Primrose - Primrose can be used to help one acknowledge their own feelings and flaws, healing grief and heartache, inspire hope, and transmute negative energies(this last meaning is mostly based on my personal work with Sif).

Thistle - Thistle can be used for increased endurance, prosperity, protection, good health, and improved energy

Orchid - Resilience is the first property that comes to mind with Orchids, I would’ve never thought Orchids could survive so far North but there’s dozens of smaller breeds decorating the hills. Orchids are also a good aid for fertility magic, harmonizing the home, invoking love, and beauty.

Yarrow - It’s believed it was used for protection magic do the the Anglo-Saxon translation to “to be ready” or “to prepare” and being used in talismans at the time. It can also be used for healing, the release of negative emotions, divination, and banishment of negative energy and spirits.

🔮Crystals🔮 Crystals can placed in or around water to help charge it with a specific intent. Make sure you do your research on each crystal, a lot of crystals are water-soluble. Especially ones under a hardness of 6! All listed crystals are local to Scandinavian countries.

Rhodonite - altruism, discovering oneself, compassion, love, genorisity

Diopside - connection to nature, opening the heart, healing, balance

Iolite - inner vision, healing of trauma, intuition, and soul retrieval

Pyrite - manifestation, action, vitality, willpower, creativity, confidence

Labradorite - magic, protection

Quartz - quartz can be mined more or less anywhere in the world, as well as it’s variations(rose, smokey, etc.). clear quartz is often thought of as an energy amplifier and overall good cleansing stone

Zoisite - (this stone always makes me think of sailor moon)increased personal growth, awakening of the true self, healing, growth and fertility in all aspects

Peridot - warmth and well-begin, prosperity, blesses and energizes one work

Amber - often associated with the Brísingamen, it can be used for light, warmth, positive and solar energies, clarification, and healing

Fluorite - clarity and mental enhancement, divination, insight, clearing the energy fields

✨Cleansing Water Recipe✨ This is a cleansing spray I use around my home after cleaning! I usually dedicate the act of making it Sif + Þórr and the act of using it to Frigg or Sigyn. It’s main intention is to cleanse your house of any negative residue or energy left behind and stabilize the energies, welcoming harmony into the hearth. I use home made oils for everything but the spruce(I use a low concentrate essential oil) because I get worried keeping the branches.

You’ll need:

spruce oil

yarrow oil

birch oil

orchid oil

filtered (new moon)water

fluorite

spray bottle

Make sure while mixing your ingredients you focus on intention of cleansing the home and addressing whatever god(if you’re working with one). Gather all of your ingredients and pour your moon water in the bowl first. It’s important to note that between adding each oil you need to stir thoroughly(thirty seconds give or take) before adding in the next one. Start mixing your water with one hand and add two drops of spruce oil, mix, add two drops of yarrow, mix, three drops of birch oil, mix, and then three drops of orchid oil, mix. Pour your mix into your spray bottle and tie a piece of fluorite to the outside. I usually try to spray all the windows and doorways in the house as well as our most used rooms. Make sure you shake or stir it for thirty seconds before use each time!

Extra Tips

I would advice not risking putting crystals in with essential oils, they can corrode the crystal(s) and it’s hard knowing exactly what concentration your oil blend is in terms of alcohol + extract.

You can use moon water for your cleansing or charged water if moon cycles are your thing(you could also then say it’s blessed Mani too).

You can leave offerings of water spells or charged water on your altar for Vanir, Sigyn, some jötunn, or whatever deities you want really.

You can use a marker to draw corresponding runes or staves on the outside of your bottle.

You can recharge the cleansing water spell by keeping it out under the new moon or placing it next to a burning white candle and quartz.

Charging water can be done a lot of different ways! You can leave water out under the full or new moon, or even out in the sun for energy. Placing certain crystals(like quartz or fluorite) in or next to water can charge it as well. The same can be said with certain herbs ~

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All of us are free or none of us are free. We need to stitch that on our Flags (no matter what flag).

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And we - the spiritual Folk - believe the comming year will be bad if the Goat don't burn.

Great Catastrophies will come our way, if the Gods reject our Sacrafice! Burn the Goat! =)

Am I allowed to ask why we want the goat to burn. I know nothing about this topic and would like to get information from both sides before making my decision

Its kinda tradition, theyve put it up every year since 1966, got burned down the first year and ever since then its mostly gotten destroyed. Most often by fire but also in other ways. Gävlebocken rn has a 33% survival rate. And no destroying it is not the intention of putting it up its always been illegal.

But yeah, thats just the history, people have lots of different motivations for it.

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As someone who were two times in his Life on this point I second that. Please...

I hope none of you disappear in the coming days. Seriously don't do anything that can't be undone.

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may we all wake up tomorrow with less heavy hearts

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#Vibes

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"Sif and Loki"

Loki cuts Sif's hair. Illustration by Elizaveta Antonova for "ARTMIF Scandinavian Mythology

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"Amazing how many different Ways God can make People!" - is really a lookout more Christians should have!

In a truck stop bathroom washing my hands today and 2 boys, looked about 5 and 9, came in with their little sister who looked maybe 2. The following whispered conversation made my entire day

"We have to wait, there's a lady in here!"

"That's not a lady, he has a mustache! We can be in here!"

"Some ladies have mustaches! And she has boobs!"

"Well some guys have boobs! Like Uncle Jake!"

"Uncle Jake is fat!"

At this point I could not contain a chuckle and both whirled around with identical looks of panic on their faces. I smiled and said "it's alright for you guys to be in here so your sister has help, don't worry. And I'm both! That's why I have boobs and a mustache. Some folks are just built that way"

(In unison) "Ooooooh!"

(older boy) "So do you use Sir or Ma'am or both?"

"Both, but I prefer Sir"

"Cool! Well thanks Sir! We have to help our sister now!"

This was in a small town country truck stop and both boys had "Murica" type stuff on and neither of them had any issue at all with these concepts. Their mom approached me while I was in line about 10 minutes later and apologized for them bothering me in the bathroom (they had told her about the interaction) and she and I had a lovely little chat too. I got to introduce her to the term "intersex" and her reply was "I think I've heard of that before! I didn't know that was the word for it. Amazing how many different ways God can make people!"

Sometimes the world is good. More often than you might think, if you give it a chance. It's not all bad loves <3

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Basical this!

I think the Fear of getting "called out" is incredible high among Pagans, as Our Communities so often only excist online (mine does) (and people on the Internet can be mean as...)

That being said: If your Njord is a Hot california Surfer - good for you!

You own it no one to device the Gods like they were back then. You're free to go your own way - yes, that's scary and confusing as nearly all of us grew up around organised Religions who had very clear cut forms of "what is" and "what isn't".

But honoring the Origins, shouldn't stop you to bring your Gods into the modern World. It didn't stopped the "old Time Believers" - so it shouldn't stop you too!

Been thinking about modern depictions of the gods and how with a lot of pantheons in general we tend to default to ancient clothes, putting Hellenisticgods in togas and our ones in what we assume viking era fashion looked like

Like it feels wrong to depict frey wearing a Hawaii shirt and jean shorts so ripped they’re barely clothes anymore (as is his right and his vibe)

I wonder why that is

Maybe it’s the same reason that we don’t further the oral tradition anymore, that we’re scared to actually bring the stories into our current climate and have it be called fiction or fanfic, like it needs to be distant in order to be real

Much to think about

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Season of the Witch!

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reblog to make ur blog smell like crispy autumn air, graveyards, carved pumpkin guts, moon water, and a damp cave full of bats 

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*laughs the Way ancient Egypt Witches laughed*

If Wicca is from the 50s did it show up as a new practice already claiming to be ancient? Or was that myth popularized later?

Every occult thing claims to be ancient. It's traditional at this point.