#Loki the European Raven

[sardawcariad]

Conspectus Deum Theodiscorum

Overview of all my remembered theses to date, assured & unassured, about the Thedish gods.

This being only a summary, I certainly did not give my full train of logic or sources in most cases, so if there's any point where there's curiosity for a clearer & fuller explanation, please do ask.

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First Function.

Geven/Yeven - O.N. Gefjon

This gyden is assuredly the sister of Woden mentioned in Hávamál 164, as seen in the Lokasenna, the unnamed eighteenth spell being prescience. The myths regarding her- as a shapeshifting magical scheming-seducer mislaying kings- affirm this. Compare also Snorri's parallel stories of her mislaying Gylfi the first pagan king with her brother's failed seduction of Tryggvason the first Christian king.

The form of her name I use is borrowed from the Old Norse for its loveliness, not directly from a postulated Old English.

Latinly Diána, Hellenicly Artemis & Hecaté, Indially Kálí, Chámundá, & like Mahádevi-forms.

It would seem that the Theodiscans understood her being the gyden of maidens (meyjar) differently from the Mediterraneans, as only in the same sense that Apollo is unwed.

Woden - O.E. Wóden - O.N. Óðinn

Latinly Juppiter & specifically Védiovis, as well as Mercurius; Hellenicly Zeus as well as Hermés; Iliadicly perhaps Apollón-Hecatos; Indially Rudra, and perhaps Varuna; Bacchus might also be pertinent.

Herne the Hunter is likely a memory of him, Herne being an English form for Herjan.

Although he has clear heavenly attributes- being atop the highest mountain, bridegroom of the Earth, god of ernes & ravens - his nature as a god of heaven in particular is quiet in the extant West Norse verses- part of a trend that does not speak of the gods' essential elementalities, seen also with Thunder & Easter-Free. Contrarwise, the Christian skalds love to give IHVH titles like Sólar Salkonungr (Sun's Hall-King) and Ræsir Regnbýs (Ruler of the Rain-House).

The Sun & the Moon are his two eyen, and the Moon being the eye that lies in Mime's mead, which is akin to the famous link between Chandra & Soma among the Inds.

Frie-Scathe - O.E. Fríg-*Sceaða - O.N. Frigg-Skaði

I consider it likely, though not assured, that these two gydens & brides of Woden are mythologically the same, nikimitama & aramitama.

You will note that Scathe has an elaborate myth of how she came to the gods and wed Nearth and then Woden, but disappears from narrative right as she marries him and, as Snorri says, bears him many children. Contrariwise, Frie is regarded as Woden's wife most regularly, but there is no mythology of where she came from. (The title Fjörgyns mær (Fiergen's maid) given to her in the Lokasenna clearly in context means lover, not daughter, of Fjörgynn, who must be Óðinn; Loki taunts her by a name that recalls her husband's other wife Fjörgyn.)

You will also note the complementarity of the two names- Frie, love, Scathe, harm, as well as Scathe's complementarity with Woden (id est furor).

This also explains why Ing-Free is called Friggjar angan- Frie's sweetness- in the Völuspá; this refers to her role as her beloved son by Nearth, as seen in the För Skírnis.

Latinly Júnó, Hellenicly Héré, Indially Párvatí-Kálí.

Scathe is from the Old Norse, seeing as the very word was regularly borrowed into English. The fully English form would be Sheath.

Wider - O.E. *Wíder - O.N. Víðarr

I straightforwardly affirm Dumézil's theory that Wider is Indially Vishnu; their eschatological roles, their striding & riding are alike, and even the meanings of the names are similar.

His absence from attestations of other Indo-European religions may pertain to his grand eschatologicality. I do consider it possible that he may be hidden as one or another of the Greek heroes.

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Second Function.

Thunder - O.E. Þunor - O.N. Þórr

Thunder agrees with Jove only in his weapon, in all other aspects of cult & myth, in particular his wandering & warding, ambuling & apotropaic, he agrees with Hercules, which is indeed what Tacitus calls him. This in confirmed by his role in the cognate gigantomachy myth; Apollonius notes that the giants could not be defeated until Heracles came, likewise with Thunder.

And one might object that Hercules was said to be a man first and a god second, but so were the Dioscouri, whom we know from the Inds to be in truth eternal gods. And all three of them were in deed worshipped as key gods always, whatever had happened in the mythology.

Of course Indially Indras, Hellenicly Héraclés, Latinly Hercules, & perhaps Márs also.

Tue - O.E. Tíw - O.N. Týr

I must be silent. From toponyms, he appears to have been known, not in Norway whence our verses come, but in Denmark, and further south, among the Angels & Sexen. Perhaps he is the same as Ing-Free- note the vaguness of the names Týr- God- and Freyr- Lord- but perhaps he is not.

Dumézil's thesis that he is an oath-god seems doubtful; his Varuna-Mitra theory has no real examples in any I.E. branch.

Barring new revelation, I do not think Lord Tue will be understood in our eld.

I would worship him like Mars, since that is the best we can do.

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Third Function.

Nearth - O.E. *Neorþ - O.N. Njörðr

No apparent relation to gods in any other I.E. branches; likeness to e.g. Nereus is etymologically unsound. The Icelanders themselves said Saturnus, but this is late, as shown by the name of the day.

A fanciful myth I poet- that Easter-Free & Ing-Free were born from the hanged-gored Woden's blood drifted down into Nearth's sea, just as Venus was born from Uranus bled.

A mystery.

Ing-Free - O.E. Ing-Fréa - O.N. Yngvi-Freyr

There were were two sorts of masculine Third Function gods, the brothers of the dawn-gyden- among the Grecians & Inds one finds the two Discouri, but among the Italians & Theodiscans a solitary god is known as well- an Osirian founder king.

He was called Ing-Free among the Swedes, who held the holy land of the Thedishmen- the Norse name for Zion, Jórsalir, is modeled after the name of the heathen holy see of Uppsalir. His Sexen name is, of course, Sexneat.

Romanly he is Quirínus-Rómulus, but Iguvinely Vofionus.

It thus seems that this sort of cultic god was reconsecrated with a new name in every city or tribe. Hence, perhaps, the generic name of the poets Freyr.

On the other hand, founding twins were common in Thedish genealogies- Hengest & Horse for the Angelkin, Ybor & Agio for the Lombards, Ambri & Assi for the Wendels- and Tacitus claims the unknown Alcis were the Dioscouri. The meaning is not fully clear.

The "Fricco" name by which Adamus Bremensis knows him is perhaps some derivation of frakka, viz. spear, which is ithyphallic, and would match with Seaxnéat & the seax, and Quírinus & his quirís.

Balder, Foal, the other Theodiscan Osiris, may be a doublet of sorts.

Easter-Free - O.E. Éastre-Fréo - O.N. Freyja

Freyja is the Dawn-gyden. This is seen most assuredly by the cognate gigantomachies- in the Grecian the ettins seek Sun, Moon, & Dawn- the three childr of Hyperion as well- while in the Norse the giants seek Sun, Moon, & Freyja.

Thus, of course, she is the English Éastre, hence my lovely modern name for her of Easter-Free.

Furthermore she is the Sithgouth (O.E. *Sinþgúþ, O.H.G. Sinthgunt) of the Second Merseburg Charm, the witch who is the Sun's sister.

And again she is the Suebian Isis who so baffled Tacitus, the name he heard being *Idisiz, a synonym of *Frawjǭ.

Indially she is Ushas, Latinly Auróra & Venus (alma lux Ænéæ), and Hellenicly the triad of Éós in cosmology, Aphrodité in cult, & Helené in the heroic legend, who are all three the Walkyrie of Ilium.

She is the only main god who can be found by this more or less same name in so many branches, doubtless since it was the regular name of a natural element.

Her belovèd Wode (O.N. Óðr) is likely a solar or planetary god, her golden tears for him being like the Heliades' for her brother Phaethon- such a name was given to the belovèd of Eos-Aphrodite as well.

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Homedeal - O.E. *Hámdeal - O.N. Homedeal

He is the god of Awedrassel the holy Tree, which the Völuspá tells us outright is Ash the first man, he & his Emble being made by the gods from driftwood, which must have come from the Tree to begin with, and indeed the last wife & wer Life & her Lover will return to the Tree at the end of days; Tree, God, & Man are all the same again & again, and Woden, we must then note, was hanged upon Man.

The story of the Rígsþula, then, is just Homedeal's aforementioned nature as the god of the Tree that begets Man shown in a different myth.

I affirm Signe Cohen's theory that he is the Inds' & Medes' Apám Napát.

Lock - O.E. *Loca - O.N. Loki

He has been shown to be the god Lóðurr, and so the giver of craft & beauty to mankind.

Possibly he was understood as a malign ghost who always was present at offerings, and who needed to be bound or beaten or bribed or blessèd off. This would explain well his roles in the mythology- how he can claim to have lain with all the gydens, why he always accompanies Thunder, why Woden cannot drink without him.

Hellenicly he is of course Prometheus, likewise a maker of man with Zeus, a giver of arts & beauty, and a divisionary of sacrifice; bound for his sins, but friends with Hercules. And one will note that Prometheus was worshipped, at Athens.

[corvus-coraxs]

a very very special specimen arrived - this is a whole Raven!! 💛 it's no secret that this is my favourite bird, so getting a whole one is super exciting. despite handling two skulls I'm still shocked at his size!! this bird came from Scotland, and was culled under license. it is a male bird as far as I could tell, and I have taken his skin for a display/study skin and will be cleaning his whole skeleton 😊

[[i live in the UK. all birds i own are legal to own. all have been taken lawfully or were found after natural death.]]

[halscafe]

You might regret that- ANYWAY ‘m starting with Jax cause I have the most info on it- in other words I’ve procrastinated the others :3

TW: sh scars, parent death, implied child abuse and alcoholism

Basic info

Name: Ajax Dragomir Nechita

Age:16

Birthday: September 22nd

Pronouns: it/they

Gender: agender

Sexuality: pansexual and polyamorous

Birthplace: Half-moon bay, California

Languages spoken: Romanian and English

zodiac:Virgo

Physical appearance-

Hair color: black with green streaks in the front

Hair type: short and curly

Eye color: Dark green

Skin tone: pale

Skin type: Combination(both oily and dry)

Race: eastern european, Romanian specifically

Magical race: opossum shifter

Face shape: both Angular and round

Birthmarks or scars: two burn scars on its face, three large cut scars on their side, self-harm scars on its thighs and more burn scars on its upper arms and back

Predominant feature: eyes and smile

Height: 5’5”

Weight: 195 lbs.

Body type: thin and leath

Dominant hand: left handed

Tattoos: many stick n pokes on its thighs and legs, one professionally done on their wrist: its an opossum surrounded by a wreath of lavender in honor of their mom

Piercings: Septum, vertical labret, ears are covered and their lobes are stretched to a 1 mm

Family-

Mother: Deceased, was an opossum shifter

Father: An abusive alcoholic asshole that's hunting Jax, a freelancer

Step parents: None

Siblings:None

Adoptive parents: Bones and Scraps

Lives with: Bones and Scraps

In-laws: None

Nieces/nephews: None

Grandparent status: Deceased

Other relatives: None that they know of or know of it

Religion-

Family's religion: Athests

Characters religion: Pagen, works with Loki

Philosophy:

Other beliefs:

Likes and dislikes-

Hobbies: drawing, writing, photography, and jewelry making

Favorite food: chicken alfredo

Least favorite food: carrots and peas

Favorite color: Green and black

Least favorite color: pink

Favorite music: grunge and folk

Least favorite music: rap and hyper pop

Favorite animals: Wolves, snakes and ravens

Favorite book: doesn't really have one

Favorite movie: Nightmare before Christmas and Scream

Favorite class: Art and creative writing

Best friend: Carrie (yes one of it's best friend is a 5 year old, hush) and their mates

Enemy: It’s dad

Partners: Aisling and Sebastian

Favorite activity: besides it’s hobbies, cuddling with their mates, spending time with them in general

Miscellaneous-

Theme song: lemon boy by: cavetown

Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3mWGj9O2zO1RTF7sdM5mD1?si=GqtJDZuPTwiizqPCxyQBuw

Pinterest board: https://pin.it/6SvX7Mo

Aesthetic: grunge and gremlin-core smooshed together

Disposition: Calm and a chaos gremlin at once

Personality: stereotypical stoner vibes and chaotic dumbass all at once, also shy and anxious

Daredevil or cautious: both, depends on the situation

Same when alone? yes

Main confidant: its mates

Easily gives trust: not really

Plan for future: no clue

Want marriage: Mates, considered married by the empowered community but would like to get married to their mates

Want kids: maybe

omg the way you've thought this all through its so COOL DREW

another type of animal shifter is truly needed in the redactedverseee 👀

[ravenfirethief]

"Oh boy. You have a demon babysitting you and you don't know...."

He shoved his hand into his pocket and pulled out a chair, unfolded it, and sat, then gestured toward the room's furnishings. "This may take a bit of explaining."

"For starters, the face I'm wearing right now is the one I wear when I want to be anonymous, because, between my t-shirt and my lab coat, almost no one remembers my face, even if they've been talking to me for a while."

As he spoke, his appearance changed, from the easily forgettable caucasian look to something much less forgettable.

"See, my people come from a few hundred miles north of here, where they used to tell stories about how I found the first humans hiding in sea shells, and how I stole the sun, moon, and stars from the spirit who was keeping them for his own selfish pleasure, and stuck them up in the sky so everyone could have light. I could tell you the stories if you want, but that would take more time than I'm betting you want to spend hearing about me for now.

"Let's just summarize it by this. I'm Raven, the spirit of tricking people into learning things for themselves, whether they want to or not. I'm one of the totem spirits of several groups of the humans who lived on this continent before the Europeans invaded. That makes me a god. Not on the same level as Lightning Dick or Oathbreaker, and definitely not even close to the same level as Vishnu or Josh or Mephistopheles. I'm more on the level of Hermes or Loki or Djehuty. I know things, I can use my tricks to do things that stronger gods get in trouble trying, but I know better than to go face to face against a stronger god.

"Except I'm not from here. I'm from another world, and on the world I'm from, there's an evil empire that's trying to conquer my home. They're using priests dedicated to Josh to banish me to other worlds, and that's how I ended up here, not knowing any of the local gods, or what the mystical landscape is like. I definitely don't know who the hot demon chick is that got sent to babysit you.

As for what an Avatar is... You know how human forms can't take the full power of godhood? They tend to burn out, even if a minor god like myself fully manifests. So instead, we create human forms we can wear while our power is contained, and then shed that form when we need to use our full power. I'm lucky, since my natural spirit form is the raven, so when I need to use my full power, I can shift back into feathers, and have all my power available. In my human form, though... I have to be careful to not use too much power or I'll burn it out. And, yes, I've found ways to trick my way around that limit. The easiest for me is Science! I create things that look like science but are powered by my divine power. Easy peasy."

He cocked his head to the side and studied Jay. "So... why does Hell want to kidnap you? I mean, why do you say they think you have more power than you do?"

🌙+ (could be woods, or beach, or creepy industrial neighborhood - it doesn’t matter, all that matters is the whistling) Fred, in human form, in his lab coat, meandering along wherever you think is sufficiently creepy, whistling this particular theme song. Jay looked up seeing someone coming his way down the alley. He knew a lot of humans didn’t like him hanging around back here even though it was warm and he curled up trying to hide in the corner by the dumpster

[ruyanworkshop]

Der Ring "Odins Raben" Sterling Silber Der Ring "Kinder von Loki - Fenrir und Jormungand" Sterling Silber, Granat Manufaktur Ruyan Handgemachter Schmuck von nordeuropäischen Handwerkern www.etsy.com/shop/RuyaN Кольцо "Во́роны О́дина" Серебро Кольцо "Дети Локи - Фенрир и Йормунганд" Серебро, гранат The Ring "Odin Raven's" Sterling silver The Ring "Children of Loki - Fenrir and Jormungand" Sterling silver, garnet Ruyan workshop Handmade jewelry from Northern European craftsmen www.etsy.com/shop/RuyaN #руян #мастерскаяруян #один #ворон #волк #локи #фенрир #raven #ravens #viking #scandinavia #thor #handmadering #vikings #RuyaN #RuyaNworkshop #wolf #etsy #wikinger #raben #rabe #handwerk #wotan #nordic #wikingerschmuck #weddingring #geburtstag #birthday #verlobung #engagement (at Deutschland) https://www.instagram.com/p/CaADhW4r-MX/?utm_medium=tumblr

[goldenchocobo]

Dark Road Character’s Daemons

While these characters are still very new, and most don’t get their own scene or dialogue, I’ve tried my best to give them Daemons on the interpretation of their names and references to their ancient Nordic connections. However, due to their newness and having very little time to develop, I don’t think I’ll be including the ‘personality’ portion of the analysis. Most of these daemons are simply based on their name alone and what connections I could gather from other ancient Nordic references I could find, with the exception of Vor, who’s Daemon I based on the fan-interpretation instead. I’ve also included Master Odin- because well, his animal connections are strong, considering the real-life equivalent had two ravens, and turned himself into various birds.

I added Xehanort and Eraqus into the mix here, their analysis can be read HERE. I did change up their Daemon designs a bit from my other piece with their younger versions; making their Daemons look much younger and more ‘innocent’ than before. 

All analysis are under the Keep Read along with a short theory about Dark Road’s story.

Master Odin

Settled: Raven Daemon Name: Hugin Looks: A dark grey bird that has one blind eye. Symbolism:Ravens are the Norse God, Odin’s patron animal, and represent his all seeing, all knowing eyes. He is also sometimes called the ‘Raven god’ due to his associations with the birds. Hugin is the name of one of Odin’s personal ‘spirit’ ravens, who flies around the entire world in the morning and relays what they've seen to Odin by midday. Hugin’s name is often associated with just the word ‘raven’ but the name Hugin also comes from Hugr, meaning ‘thought’.

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Vör

Settled: Grasshopper Mouse Daemon Name: Viska Looks: A small mouse with dirty-blonde fur and white unders. His eyes are large and his teeth sharp. Symbolism: I chose a Grasshopper mouse for Vör for simple meme sake. In the community, Vör has the reputation for having an ‘innocent look but will actually kill you’ kind of image. Grasshopper mice look small and unassuming, but they actually eat scorpions and ‘howl’ like a wolf. Viska is Icelandic for Wisdom, as Vör is a Norse goddess of wisdom (possibly wisdom of or for women).

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Hermod

Settled: European Squirrel Daemon Name: Rata Looks: A grey-toned squirrel with an almost blue sheen to her. Symbology: Hermod was the one to ride Odin’s horse, Sleipnir into the underworld to ask for Baldr back from Hel. And as such was a minor messenger for the Aesir gods. The squirrel Ratatoskr delivers messages and insults between the eagle that roosts atop Yggdrasil, the world tree- and Nidhogg, the Serpent that gnaws the roots of Yggdrasil. Rata is the first half of the name of the squirrel that can be interpreted as ‘Traveler’.

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Bragi

Settled: Red Kite Daemon Name: Vedrfolnir Looks: A ruddy-orange hawkish bird with a silver head. Symbology: There isn’t honestly much I can link between Bragi and his Daemon. He’s one I struggled with the most if I’m honest. But Bragi is the word for a type poet or name of a poet, and Vedrfolnir is a hawk that is perched between the eyes of the Eagle that rests atop Yggdrasil described in the Prose Edda and Poetic Edda.

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Urd

Settled: European Garden Spider Daemon Name: Könguló Looks: Orange with silver markings Symbology: Urd is the fate of the future, and one of three fates that stand beside the well at the base of Yggdrasil. They are all known to spin thread to determine the lifespan of Mortals. Spiders are known for spinning exceptionally durable thread and weaving it into elaborate webs, symbolising the connection we have to one another. Könguló is Icelandic for ‘spider’.

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Baldr

Settled: Swedish Flower Hen Daemon Name: Hel Looks: A mostly white hen with a silvery cape, a muted red comb and wattle and a white tail. Symbology: Chickens are often said to be cowardly, fearful creatures- but those who say that have never met a broody hen protecting her young- who will fight to the death, screaming bloody murder all the way.

Badlr is a beloved god said to give off radiant light- Roosters are often symbols of the sun and fire due to their penchant to calling as the sun rises. However, Balr is also a minor war god, often associated with the willingness to fight. Fighting roosters are still unfortunately a thing, and as said above, hens can also be vicious. Hel is the goddess of the underworld, and the name of it too. When Baldr was killed by Loki, Hermod Traveled to Hel and asked her to give him back to the world of the living, but she only would do so if all things wept for Baldr. They all did- apart from Loki, so Hel kept Baldr.

--

Notes:

These analyses were pretty hard for me, but I enjoy reading and learning about Norse mythology. I used Icelandic words for names instead of current Norwegian or Swedish words because Icelandic is the closest we have in modern times to Ancient Norse.

Learning that there was a character called Baldr- I think I know where this story is going. Baldr is going to be killed/struck down- and I suspect it’s going to be Xehanort doing it. As it’s Baldr- A Norse god so beloved he’s said to give off radiant light, killed by Loki that brought upon the beginnings of Ragnarok. How Xehanort will do it, willingly or not, I don’t know, but the story of Dark Road is still new, and there’s lots of possibilities.

[the-fox-jawed-witch]

Spirit Guides and Spirit Animals

A look into Open and Closed Cultures.

Spirit guides have been used in many, many, many practices. In ancient practices spirit guides were used exactly the way their name sounds. They were spirits that guided their people through different time periods, or just generally helped in ones craft. 

The use of spirit guides is still used today in the modern practices as well, for the same general idea. 

As stated above many practices throughout the world use their own forms of spirit guides. Native American practices are no different. Much like other practices Native American Spirit Animals are a sacred practice. 

While some practices are open and will allow you to work with their spirit guides, Native American practices are apart of a closed culture and that means that unless you are Native American you cannot practice them.

Such as the use of sage, white sage specifically as it's endangered. Another practice that's off limits is "smudging". Smudging is a sacred Native American practice.

Someone who is not Native American can not participate in smudging. What one is doing is simply smoke cleansing.

Just as how one cannot smudge, one cannot consider Native American spirit animals to be theirs. There are plenty of open practices that use spirit animals/guides that can be used in ones craft.

This is just one of many closed cultures that have been appropriated by witchcraft and should be explained for those who are now looking into witchcraft.

Cultural Appropriation is something that may happen with miscommunication or just straight up theft from closed cultures.

I'm going to be frank, many witches have appropriated from closed cultures simply because they feel as if a culture should not be closed and should not have any sacred traditions. They are downright selfish. Do not be one of these witches.

Open practices that also use spirit animals, or as they call them spirit guides or totems.

The Netherlands have Animal totems. In Norse Mythology there are the "fyljur". Ancient Greeks and Romans had Eudaimons.

Now a Spirit Totem is more of a sacred object where the Spirit guide is supposed to inhabit. Typically in the shape of an animal that is sacred to the person, family/clan.

In Norse mythology the term "fyljur" is used in place of spirit animal. Essentially it is similar and also different. "Fyljur" is actually said to be tbe correspondences of the gods. Or animal embodiments of tbe gods themselves. When recieving deity signs they may appear as the animals that represent them. Wolves, ravens and horses are associated with Odin. Goats with Thor, Foxes to Loki and Wild boars with Freyr and Freya. These deities take these animal forms to guide their followers.

Now the ancient Greeks and Romans didn't use a spirit in a form of an animal, they used what they call an Eudaimon or Eudaemon. This was a type of daemon or genius, which was just kind of a spirit. This never took a physical form, and by physical I mean a form that one can see rather than feel.

One open practice that I didn't mention above is the Ancient Egyptian practice of Zoomorphism. The Ancient Egyptians would give animal like qualities to anything that wasn't an actual animal. Such as depicting Bastet with the head if a cat. Other deities having animal body parts.

With the exception of Ancient Greeks and Romans, the other cultures that have incorporated animals, and see the animals as being wise creatures that can be used as guides there's no shortage of open practices.

Familiars.

These are another form of spirit guides from European belief. These however are not animal spirits, these are supernatural entities that would appear as an animal, not all of the time but from the records of people who claim to have made contact with a familiar that is the form those supernatural entities became. Familiars serve a witch, they help a witch with the witches magic.

Some were categorized as being demons, until later they were actually described to be more fairylike.

Neo- Paganism beliefs is where the concept that an actual animal, a living, breathing animal could be a familiar.

While I don't want to bash anyones beliefs and say that they are wrong I do want to point out that animals have extra senses that most humans do not. An animal can sense things that we have no idea could happen. Perhaps this is why Neo- Pagans believe their pets are familiars.

As a witch however it is your duty to know the history of the culture you wish to be apart of. It is your responsibility to understand the differences between the open cultures as well as the closed cultures, and to respect that which you are not apart of.

[real-evil-genius]

“The Indians of the American Southwest called him Coyote, those of the Pacific Coast called him Raven. Europeans called him Reynard the Fox. African-Americans called him Br'er Rabbit. In twentieth-century literature he appears first as Bugs Bunny and then as the Hacker."

"When I was a lad, that word had a double meaning. It could mean a trickster who broke into things—but it could also mean an especially skilled coder."

"The ambiguity is common in post-Neolithic cultures," Hackworth said. "As technology became more important, the Trickster underwent a shift in character and became the god of crafts — of technology, if you will — while retaining the underlying roguish qualities. So we have the Sumerian Enki, the Greek Prometheus and Hermes, Norse Loki, and so on.”

“Hackworth presents the Primer to Lord Finkle-McGraw”

[jeromecolby]

Jerome Backstory

Circe ranks as one of the greatest witches of mythology. A beautiful enchantress . Circe, in Greek legend, a sorceress, the daughter of Helios, the sun god, and of the ocean nymph Perse. She was able by means of drugs and incantations to change humans into wolves, lions, and swine. The Greek hero Odysseus visited her island, Aeaea, with his companions, whom she changed into swine.

The daughter of Helios and Perse, Circe was a powerful enchantress versatile in the arts of herbs and potions and capable of turning human beings into animals. She did just that to Odysseus’ sailors when they reached her dwelling place, the secluded island of Aeaea. Odysseus, however, managed to trick her with the help of Hermes and, instead of becoming an animal, he became her lover for a year. The couple had three children, one of whom, Telegonus, eventually killed Odysseus.

Family

Circe was the daughter of Perse, one of the Oceanids, and Helios, the Titan sun god. As such, she was part of a family of formidable sorceresses. Pasiphae, who supposedly charmed both Minos and Procris, was her sister, and the even more notorious enchantress Medea was her niece, since she was the daughter of Circe’s brother Aeetes, the guardian of the Golden Fleece. Circe had another brother, Perses, who was slain by Medea after he had deposed her father Aeetes from the throne of Colchis.

Reaching Circe’s Island

Disheartened and dispirited from their horrendous encounter with the man-eating Laestrygonians – after which they had been left with only one out of their twelve ships – Odysseus and his remaining men land on Aeaea, Circe’s island.

At first glance, it seems to them like a desolate island, since the only visible sign of life is a column of smoke rising from somewhere deep in the woods. Naturally, Odysseus sends his men to investigate, putting his brother-in-law Eurylochus in charge of the scouting party.

The Transformation of Odysseus’ Men

After some time, the men reach Circe’s house and are surprised to find many fearsome beasts – mostly lions and wolves – slouching around and acting as domesticated as the tamest pets imaginable. From the inside, they hear a woman’s voice: it’s Circe singing melodiously.

Eurylochus suspects danger, so he chooses to stay outside as Circe comes out of her house and welcomes the rest of the scouting party indoors. Odysseus’ men are treated with some fine-flavored wine they gulp down in a second with the utmost pleasure. However, once they do that, Circe makes a quick move with her wand and, suddenly, all of Odysseus’ men are transformed into pigs. They still have their human brains, so they start grunting and weeping as Circe puts them into her pigsty.

Odysseus Tricks Circe

Eurylochus runs back to Odysseus and tells him the whole story and Odysseus decides to confront Circe. Fortunately, on his way to Circe’s house, he is met by Hermes, who gives him a magical black-rooted white-flowered plant called moly which, the divine messenger says, will make Odysseus immune to Circe’s spells.

As indicated by Hermes, Circe’s wine has no effect on the cunning Greek hero and so, after the enchantress pulls out her wand, Odysseus responds by pulling out his sword. He makes Circe swear that she won’t hurt him and forces her to restore the original form of all his sailors. Circe does precisely that and, furthermore, taken aback by his bravery, offers Odysseus her sincere love and unconditional devotion.

Odysseus accepts them, and, as a result, his men stay in Aeaea for almost a year, after which Odysseus becomes restless to go back to Ithaca and once again see his mortal wife, Penelope.

Odysseus’ and Circe’s Offspring

If we are to believe Hesiod’s genealogies, however, we must deduce that Odysseus returned to Aeaea once or twice more after this, or at least that he stayed there for a little longer than a year. Since Circe – says Hesiod – bore him no less than three children: Agrius, Latinus, and Telegonus. The last and youngest one of the three ended up killing Odysseus by mistake using a poisoned spear given to him by his mother.

Circe in Other Myths

Circe plays a smaller part in few other myths: she purifies Jason and Medea from a murder, and she transforms PIcus and Scylla into a woodpecker and monster respectively.

Jason and Medea

Circe shows up in the second most famous Ancient Greek story of sea adventures, the voyage of the Argonauts. According to Apollonius, after Jason and Medea treacherously and brutally kill the Colchian prince Absyrtus, it is Circe who purifies them from the sin, though she also chases them away from her island once she learns the full gravity of their transgression.

Circe, a Vengeful Lover

Before falling for Odysseus, Circe felt an attraction to at least three other men, the first one a mortal, and the second two a god.

The mortal was Picus, who was too faithful to his wife Canens for his own sake: after fiercely rejecting Circe’s advances, Picus was turned into a woodpecker. Unable to fight through the unbearable sorrow, six days later, Canens threw herself into the river Tiber.

Another time, the sea-god Glaucus asked Circe for a potion which would make the beautiful nymph Scylla fall in love with him. Circe, however, loved Glaucus for herself, so, when he scorned her, she gave him a potion which turned Scylla into the hideous sailor-preying monster Odysseus and his crew had to evade soon after leaving Circe’s island. The third was the God Odin. Odin was known for taking more than one female. Though he loved his mate, Odin had an affair with Circe keeping her happy so nothing bad fell on him.

Who was Circe?

The daughter of Helios and Perse, Circe was a powerful enchantress versatile in the arts of herbs and potions and capable of turning human beings into animals. She did just that to Odysseus’ sailors when they reached her dwelling place, the secluded island of Aeaea.

Where did Circe live?

Circe's home was Aeaea.

Who were the parents of Circe?

The parent of Circe was Helios.

Who were brothers and sisters of Circe?

Circe had 3 siblings: Pasiphae, Aeetes and Perses.

How many children did Circe have?

Circe had 4 children: Agrius, Latinus, Telegonus and Jerome.

Father: Odin

Odin (/ˈoʊdɪn/;[1] from Old Norse: Óðinn, IPA: [ˈoːðinː]) is a widely revered god in Germanic mythology. Norse mythology, the source of most surviving information about him, associates Odin with wisdom, healing, death, royalty, the gallows, knowledge, war, battle, victory, sorcery, poetry, frenzy, and the runic alphabet, and projects him as the husband of the goddess Frigg. In wider Germanic mythology and paganism, the god was known in Old English and Old Saxon as Wōden, in Old Dutch as Wuodan, and in Old High German as Wuotan, all ultimately stemming from the Proto-Germanic theonym *Wōđanaz, meaning 'lord of frenzy', or 'leader of the possessed'.

Odin appears as a prominent god throughout the recorded history of Northern Europe, from the Roman occupation of regions of Germania (from c.  2 BCE) through movement of peoples during the Migration Period (4th to 6th centuries CE) and the Viking Age (8th to 11th centuries CE). In the modern period the rural folklore of Germanic Europe continued to acknowledge Odin. References to him appear in place names throughout regions historically inhabited by the ancient Germanic peoples, and the day of the week Wednesday bears his name in many Germanic languages, including in English.

In Old English texts, Odin holds a particular place as a euhemerized ancestral figure among royalty, and he is frequently referred to as a founding figure among various other Germanic peoples, such as the Langobards. Forms of his name appear frequently throughout the Germanic record, though narratives regarding Odin are mainly found in Old Norse works recorded in Iceland, primarily around the 13th century. These texts make up the bulk of modern understanding of Norse mythology.

Old Norse texts portray Odin as one-eyed and long-bearded, frequently wielding a spear named Gungnir and wearing a cloak and a broad hat. He is often accompanied by his animal companions and familiars—the wolves Geri and Freki and the ravens Huginn and Muninn, who bring him information from all over Midgard—and rides the flying, eight-legged steed Sleipnir across the sky and into the underworld. Odin is the son of Bestla and Borr and has two brothers, Vili and Vé. Odin is attested as having many sons, most famously the gods Thor (with Jörð) and Baldr (with Frigg), and is known by hundreds of names. In these texts he frequently seeks greater knowledge, at times in disguise (most famously by obtaining the Mead of Poetry), makes wagers with his wife Frigg over the outcome of exploits, and takes part both in the creation of the world by way of slaying the primordial being Ymir and in giving the gift of life to the first two humans Ask and Embla. Odin has a particular association with Yule, and he provides mankind with knowledge of both the runes and poetry, giving Odin aspects of the culture hero.

Odin is a frequent subject of interest in Germanic studies, and scholars have advanced numerous theories regarding his development. Some of these focus on Odin's particular relation to other figures; for example, the fact that Freyja's husband Óðr appears to be something of an etymological doublet of the god, whereas Odin's wife Frigg is in many ways similar to Freyja, and that Odin has a particular relation to the figure of Loki. Other approaches focus on Odin's place in the historical record, a frequent question being whether the figure of Odin derives from Proto-Indo-European mythology, or whether he developed later in Germanic society. In the modern period the figure of Odin has inspired numerous works of poetry, music, and other cultural expressions. He is venerated in most forms of the new religious movement Heathenry, together with other gods venerated by the ancient Germani Odin, also called Wodan, Woden, or Wotan, one of the principal gods in Norse mythology. His exact nature and role, however, are difficult to determine because of the complex picture of him given by the wealth of archaeological and literary sources. The Roman historian Tacitus stated that the Teutons worshiped Mercury; and because dies Mercurii (“Mercury’s day”) was identified with Wednesday (“Woden’s day”), there is little doubt that the god Woden (the earlier form of Odin) was meant. Though Woden was worshiped preeminently, there is not sufficient evidence of his cult to show whether it was practiced by all the Teutonic tribes or to enable conclusions to be drawn about the nature of the god. Later literary sources, however, indicate that at the end of the pre-Christian period Odin was the principal god in Scandinavia.

From earliest times Odin was a war god, and he appeared in heroic literature as the protector of heroes; fallen warriors joined him in Valhalla. The wolf and the raven were dedicated to him. His magical horse, Sleipnir, had eight legs, teeth inscribed with runes, and the ability to gallop through the air and over the sea. Odin was the great magician among the gods and was associated with runes. He was also the god of poets. In outward appearance he was a tall, old man, with flowing beard and only one eye (the other he gave in exchange for wisdom). He was usually depicted wearing a cloak and a wide-brimmed hat and carrying a spear.

JEROME

As everyone knows, what Circe wanted, Circe got. When she set her sights on The father of Gods, Odin nothing would stop her. Odin, the God seen a beautiful God who could help him win his battles with her potions. Little did he know she would trick him, and keep him at her island for months while the plan all along was to impregnate her with a son. One she would cherish above all. He would be a brother to Thor. Only his powers would be that of not onky strength, he was a sorcerer as well. Jerome is out going, the life of the party. He has many abilities and ones he is still finding he has. He isn't like Father, or his Mother and is actually a nice guy with a huge heart. Yiu fuck with what's his, or family and he will make you pay.

 

[freudensteins-monster]

Harry Potter logyn

I’m so sorry Anon, I have zero idea how many years ago this prompt was sent, because it has almost definitely been years, but I just skimmed past this ask today and honestly can’t remember seeing it before… But let’s not dwell on that - I wrote 1400 words in one (5hr) sitting. Go me.

And yes, I know we may not be loving a certain author right now, but I may have also made Sigyn trans, for certain reasons.

I also made Loki genderqueer using they/them pronouns. I usually write Loki as he/him and kept reverting back to that as I wrote, so if I missed any in editing I apologise.

Transfiguration 

Loki had hated almost every minute of their last five yearsat Hogwart’s, and considering they’d gotten detention their first week back, theirsixth year wasn’t shaping up to be any better.

It started when they’d been sorted into Ravenclaw, which wasboth a blessing and a curse. It rankled them that they hadn’t been sorted intoGryffindor like their adopted brother, Odin’s golden child, Thor.And they were somewhat ashamed to know they weren’t worthy enough (pure bloodedenough) to have been sorted into Slytherin like their half-brothers Helblindiand Býleistr, who had thankfully graduated by the time Loki had entered their thirdyear.

All them of them were assholes who ignored Loki at best or knockedthem off their broom during a quidditch match, breaking their arm in threeplaces, at worst (Odin had sent a raven congratulating Thor on his victory).

But being sorted into Ravenclaw, as much as it made Lokifeel lesser than their brothers, at least allowed them some time away from them.Things might have been better if Loki had managed to make some close friends,rather than just the occasional study buddy/academic rival. And it might haveall been tolerable if only Frigga was still alive to remind them of theirworth.

The arrival of the perpetually grim Professor Snape pulled Lokifrom their depressing musings. It also brought the presence of another student to Loki’s attention as she filed in behind Snape andquickly took a seat.

“You were almost late, Ms Anderson.”

“Sorry Professor. I got lost,” the Hufflepuff girl admitted bashfully with light eastern European accent. “The stairs at Durmstrang don’t move.”

“You’re not in Durmstrang anymore, so I suggest you get usedto it. Quickly.”

Loki bristled at Snape’s tone but kept their mouth shut. Onedetention their first week back was more than enough.

“Now, for the rest of the evening, for however long ittakes, the two of you will be returning these old textbooks and reference booksto the library and reshelving them for Madam Pince – without the aid of magic,”he intoned, gesturing at a small bookshelf crammed full of books.

Loki didn’t give him the satisfaction of groaning.

“What is it Ms Anderson?”

“I’m sorry, professor, but… where’s the library?”

Snape sighed. “I’m sure Mr Borson can show you. I want thisbookshelf empty before my first class in the morning.”

Loki glared at Snape’s retreating back before turning it onthe pile of books. When the sound of Snape’s footsteps finally faded, only thendid Loki get out of their seat. They put together a stack of books, as tall as theydared carry, and almost lost them all when they turned right into Ms Anderson.

“Watch it,” they hissed, stabilising their books.

“Sorry,” the girl muttered as she ducked behind Loki to graba stack of books almost as tall as theirs.

“Come on,” they groused, leading the girl away from the dank Potions classroom.

Halfway to the library Loki broke and attempted to makeconversation with the new girl.

“What was your name?” they asked, loathed as they were tocontinue using the same name Snape called her.

“Sigyn,” she puffed as she tried to keep pace with Loki. “Yours?”

“Loki. I don’t think I’ve heard of a student transferring infrom another school before. It’s quite unusual.”

“There were unusual circumstances,” she replied vaguely.Loki was intrigued didn’t think she’d be more forthcoming if they pushed.

Silence fell between until they reached the library. Loki, ignoringMadam Pince’s stern gaze, led them over to the Potions section. They stared atthe two stacks of books now sitting in front of them and thought about thebooks still waiting to be collected.

“What do you think about us splitting up? I’ll got getanother batch of books while you shelve, then we can trade on and off until weshelve the last of the books together? Might be faster.”

“Okay,” she agreed.

“Can you figure it out?” they asked, gesturing towards theshelves.

Sigyn rolled her eyes. “Yes. They have libraries atDurmstrang, you know.”

“Did they now,” Loki teased before racing off back to the Potionsclassroom.

Within forty minutes they had ferried all of the books overand only had a dozen or so left to shelve. It was then, as they stood in closequarters, that Sigyn made her own attempts at conversation.

“So… what are you in detention for?”

“The usual; talking back to Snape. I kept telling him to usemy preferred pronouns – or “your majesty” if “they” was too hard for him - andhe kept insisting on being an ass.”

“Pronouns?” Sigyn asked with no hint of revulsion, onlycuriosity.

“Mm… They/Them. I consider myself genderqueer. And thisstupid school won’t let me wear makeup, or a skirt under my robes, you’d thinkthe least they could do is respect my pronouns. Most professors and students doit without making a fuss, but some people,” they growled, shoving a book ratherforcibly onto the shelf, “just like to be assholes.”

Sigyn was quiet for a moment, her eyes flicking between Lokiand the book in her hand.

“I’m trans,” she admitted. “Durmstrang and my mother wouldonly accept me as a boy, so my father moved us to Ireland and arranged for meto transfer to Hogwarts. So now I get to be Sigyn,” she added with a softsmile.

“Is that why you’re in detention? Did Snape give you shitfor being trans?”

“What? Oh, no,” she said with a shake of her head. “I don’tthink he knows – only Professor Dumbledore and Madam Pomfrey had to beinformed, as far as my father told me.”

“Huh… one point for Hogwarts,” Loki muttered. “Then what didyou do to get detention?”

“I punched someone,” Sigyn blushed. “There was this 7thyear boy and his friends casting some sort of wind spell to blow girls’ skirtsup as they walked passed. All the girls were mortified and the boys thought itwas great fun. When he tried to do it to me, I walked right over to him andpunched him in the nose.”

Loki had a feeling they knew who would do something sorepugnant and looked downright gleeful at the thought of him getting some comeuppance.

“Who did you punch?”

“Um… I think his name was… Thot?”

Loki laughed so loud it drew the ire of Madam Pince.

“Sorry,” they called back, not remorseful in the least. “Thor,”they corrected.

“You know him?”

“Regrettably. He is my brother. Adopted.”

“You needn’t get defensive,” Sigyn smiled as she slotted thelast book into place. “So far I think you have little in common with such abrute.”

Loki smiled back. “So… all finished. Do you think you canfind your way back to your dormitory from here?”

Sigyn winced. Loki chuckled.

“Come on, I’ll show you.”

“Don’t make fun of me,” she pouted as she followed him outof the library. “Durmstrang was not as large as this place, and the layout mademuch more sense.”

“You’ll figure it out eventually,” he smirked. “What yearare you in?”

“Sixth.”

“Really? Me too. I don’t think I’ve seen you around though.”

It turned out that they were both taking Charms, Herbology,and Defence Against the Dark Arts, but Sigyn’s Herbology class and Loki’sPotion’s class caused a scheduling conflict so they would rarely be in the sameclasses on the same days. But they would be both be taking the sameTransfiguration class, they happily discovered, first up the very next morning.

“I’ll see you then,” Loki said as they brought her to thestairwell that would lead down to the Hufflepuff dormitories. “Presuming youdon’t get lost.”

“I’ll try not to,” she smiled bashfully before wishing Lokigoodnight with a kiss on the cheek.

Loki waited until Sigyn was out of sight before making theirway back to Ravenclaw Tower. They couldn’t stop smiling. In less than an hourthey’d found a new study buddy, quite possibly made a new friend, and maybe, ifthe way Sigyn blushed when she kissed them meant anything, they might just finishthe term with a girlfriend who liked them just as they are.

[samwisethewitch]

✨🏳️‍🌈 Deities, Saints, Crystals, and Herbs For All Your Gay Magick Needs 🏳️‍🌈✨

Note: This was originally posted on my blog, themysticbitch.wordpress.com.

Happy Pride Month, my loves! June is upon us, which means it’s all gay, all the time for the next few weeks. Being queer is a big part of my life and my identity, so I wanted to do something special for Pride. The end result was my most recent video, which you can watch here.

In that video, I try to get through a ton of information in as little time as possible, so I decided to post a written version here for anyone who wants a more solid starting point for incorporating these deities, saints, herbs, and crystals into their own practice. I’ve tried to be as inclusive as possible here — if I’ve missed something that seems obvious to you, please let me know in a comment so I can update the list!

Spiritual Patrons For LGBTQ+ Folks

Patrons For WLW:

Artemis (Greek goddess): Artemis is considered a “virgin” goddess, but it’s important to note that the word “virgin” had a different meaning in Ancient Greek culture. The one thing we know about Artemis for sure is that she was not romantically interested in men, for whatever reason. Artemis swore never to marry or have sex with a man, and she lead the Hunters of Artemis, a group of all-women warriors who spent their days hunting and roaming the forest. She is associated with the moon, archery, the forest, and the hunt. Some of her common symbols are bows and arrows, stags, hunting dogs, and the moon. She was worshiped by the Romans as Diana.

Freyja (Norse goddess): Freyja is a Scandinavian goddess of sex and sexuality, as well as sorcery, wealth, war, and death. I decided to include Freyja in this list because she is associated with sex and sexuality, especially of women, but is not associated with pregnancy or motherhood like many other sex goddesses are — her children are rarely mentioned in the surviving myths. All we know about her husband is that he was lost, leaving Freyja single for all intents and purposes. She is noted for being bold in her sexual pursuits, sleeping with whoever she pleased. She is a goddess for any woman who wants to get in touch with her femininity and sexual power, regardless of sexuality. Some of Freyja’s common symbols are gold, amber, cats, and falcons.

Saints Perpetua and Felicity (Catholic saints): Perpetua and Felicity were African Christians who were persecuted by the occupying Roman government for their faith. Perpetua was a noblewoman — Felicity was one of her slaves. The two women were arrested together and sentenced to prison — eventually they were publicly executed. Some of Perpetua’s letters to family and friends survived, so we actually have a firsthand account of her imprisonments. From these letters it is clear that Perpetua and Felicity were very close, and historians have long speculated that they may have been romantically involved. Today they are considered unofficial patron saints of same-sex couples, especially women. You can buy medals and prayer cards for both of these saints from online Catholic stores. Like all Catholic saints, they can be honored with a white candle and/or Three Kings incense (this is the incense blend used by churches).

Patrons For MLM:

Apollo (Greek god): Apollo was the twin brother of Artemis, and has a similar history with the LGBTQ+ community. The Ancient Greeks had a very fluid attitude towards sexuality, but today we would probably classify Apollo as either bisexual or pansexual. There are myths that explicitly mention him having male lovers. Apollo was very close with his sister, Artemis — perhaps an early example of MLM/WLW solidarity? Apollo is associated with the sun, prophecy, healing, and the arts, especially music and poetry. Some of his symbols include the lyre, a laurel wreath, a bow and arrow, and a python. He was also worshiped by the Romans.

Freyr (Norse god): Funnily enough, we have another brother/sister pair. Freyr was the brother of Freyja, and he shared her association with sex and abundance. Freyr was a primarily agricultural god, and was believed to bring spring rains to nourish the growing crops. One of his strongest associations was with male sexuality — in fact, he was often depicted in art with a giant, erect penis! Like his sister, Freyr was more associated with the act of sex itself than when what comes after. Freyr is an excellent god for any man looking to get in touch with his own masculine power, regardless of sexuality. Some of his symbols are a boar, a ship, and a phallus.

Saint Sebastian (Catholic saint): Saint Sebastian has long been considered an unofficial patron of gay men, and the story behind this association is a wild ride. Unlike Saints Perpetua and Felicity, there is no historical evidence that Sebastian was queer. He was a martyr, and according to legend he was executed by being bound to a tree and shot with arrows. When the Plague hit Europe, Sebastian was often called upon for protection — this was the beginning of his popularity as a saint. Baroque artists created a lot (like, A LOT) of paintings of Sebastian that depicted him as a beautiful, muscular young man, clad in a loin cloth, gazing passionately up at Heaven as he was pierced with arrows. As you might imagine, he became something of a sex symbol. In fact, Sebastian became so popular with the gay men of Italy that he had his own cult! You can buy medals, prayer cards, and candles dedicated to Saint Sebastian, and again, he can be honored with a white candle and/or Three Kings incense.

Nonbinary and Genderfluid Patrons

Loki (Norse god): Technically, Loki is a jötunn (a frost giant), not a god, although he was formerly allied with the Aesir and lived in Asgard. Loki was a shapeshifter, and was known to take female forms as well as male. In fact, he once took the form of a female horse and gave birth to a foal! Loki is probably one of the most explicit examples of a genderfluid deity in European mythology. However, some pagans choose not to work with Loki. He is sometimes considered a “negative” god because of his association with mischief and chaos, and because he ultimately betrayed the Aesir. It is up to you whether to work with him or not, although I would definitely advise you not to bring Loki into a circle with any of the Aesir.

Odin (Norse god): The common image of Odin in pop culture is of a fierce warrior-king, but this is not historically accurate. Odin was often depicted as an old man in traveler’s clothes, and he was associated with several cultural taboos. Though he is definitely identified as masculine, Odin ruled magick, which was considered feminine in Scandinavian culture — it was dishonorable for a man to practice such “woman’s work.” Odin knew that some things transcend gender, and he is a wonderful patron for anyone looking to break away from traditional gender roles. Besides magick, he rules war, strategy, death, astral travel, and knowledge. Some of Odin’s symbols are ravens, wolves, his spear, and his armband. I personally burn mugwort incense when working with Odin. He was also worshiped by Germanic and Anglo-Saxon peoples as Wodan.

Archangel Gabriel (an angel honored in Christianity, Judaism, and Islam): Gabriel is usually identified with masculine pronouns, and “Gabriel” has became a common man’s name in many countries — but in art, Archangel Gabriel is often depicted with feminine features, and sometimes even with a clearly feminine body. This is because Gabriel is strongly associated with the Divine Feminine and with feminine energy in general. Gabriel rules pregnancy and female reproductive disorders, and is responsible for the care of children. He is also associated with the moon, a common symbol of goddess energy. Angels have no true gender, so they are all androgynous in nature, but Gabriel is especially so. Because of this, he is an excellent patron for nonbinary people. Some of Gabriel’s common symbols are a trumpet, a white lily, the moon, and water. Incenses associated with him are frankincense and camphor.

Honorable Mention: Santa Muerte (Mexican deity/folk saint): Santa Muerte may not be trans, nonbinary, or genderfluid herself, but she’s a fascinating figure and deserves a place on this list. Nuestra Señora de la Santa Muerte (“Our Lady of the Holy Death”) is a personification of death, and is called on for healing and protection by her followers. What is especially interesting is that Santa Muerte is considered a protector of all outcasts from society, including all LGBTQ+ people and especially transgender people. She is even invoked in same-sex marriage ceremonies in some parts of Mexico! Her worship has recently spread to the United States, with churches dedicated to her in California and New Orleans. You can buy statues and altar candles in her image. Common incenses for honoring Santa Muerte include copal, myrrh, and rose.

UPDATE: I’ve been told that worship of Santa Muerte is part of a closed cultural tradition, and is therefore not open to people outside of Mexican and Mexican American culture. I’m leaving her in this post because I still find her story uplifting, but I do ask all of my followers to please be respectful of this beautiful goddess and her cultural roots. I think we can find hope in her role as a pro-LGBTQ+ deity, while respecting that she is not ours to worship or work with. 

Correspondences For LGBTQ+ Issues in Meditation and Spellwork

As I mentioned in one of my previous YouTube videos, magick is the act of manipulating the spiritual energy that permeates the universe. Every part of the natural world, including plants and minerals, has a different type of energy associated with it. If you want to connect with a certain energy (like the energy of romance, for example), you can surround yourself with things that correspond to that energy to make the connection easier.

A lot of the love spells that I’ve been able to find online use correspondences that have a strong association with straight romance. Obviously, some symbols are universal, but I wanted to find some correspondences that can specifically be used for manifesting same-sex romantic relationships. Here’s what my research turned up:

Correspondences For Love Between Two Women:

Rose Quartz: Rose quartz is considered the stone of unconditional love, and it can be used universally to attract love of all kinds, not just romantic. I think this crystal could be especially useful for women seeking a feminine partner, because it has a very strong feminine energy. Rose quartz is also strongly associated with self-love, and teaches us the important lesson that the best way to attract love is to start by loving ourselves. You could incorporate it into a love spell, wear it as jewelry, or meditate with it to align yourself with its loving energy.

Moonstone: Sometime’s called “the woman’s stone,” moonstone is very strongly associated with womanhood and with feminine sexuality. It is said to attract love and to increase passion in existing relationships. Unlike many other crystals associated with sex, moonstone has a very peaceful energy and can be used to calm anxiety or to soothe tense situations. Moonstone is a great stone for any woman looking to reconnect with her feminine power, or for increasing passion in an existing relationship between two women.

Violets: Violets have been associated with romantic love between women since the Ancient Greek poet Sappho of Lesbos (from whom we get the words “lesbian” and ‘sapphic”) used them as a symbol in poems dedicated to her female lover. In the Victorian era, queer women would give their lovers bouquets of violets instead of roses. (In the Victorian “language of flowers,” violets represent faithfulness.) In magick, violets are used to attract love and to increase luck in romantic endeavors. They are also edible — why not brew a violet tea and drink it as a love potion?

Correspondences For Love Between Men

Malachite: In many ways, malachite is the masculine counterpart to rose quartz. Despite its strongly masculine energy, malachite is deeply healing and works to open and unblock our heart chakra, as well as to heal any heartbreaks we may not quite have gotten over. Malachite is also considered the “salesman’s stone,” and can be used for situations where you are trying to “sell yourself” to a potential lover by giving a good first impression. Some people are afraid to use malachite because it is “toxic” — although it does contain copper, which can cause health problems if consumed in high amounts, wearing malachite or holding it against the skin is definitely not enough exposure to cause an issue. As long as you don’t eat your malachite or dissolve it in water, you will be fine.

Red Jasper: This is a wonderful stone for men looking to recharge their sexual energy, or to spice up an existing relationship. Jasper in general is associated with courage and charm, and for this reason it is often recommended to people involved in the performing arts, like actors and singers. Red jasper has a strong masculine energy, and is associated with the root chakra and our connection to the earth. Red jasper is an excellent stone to work with if you are dealing with sexual anxiety, or anxiety over being open about your sexuality. Meditate with it to feel more grounded, courageous, and stable.

Green Carnation: Although the connection between green carnation and queer men is not as ancient as the connection between violets and queer women, it is still well established. Oscar Wilde, who was openly gay, is said to have begun the trend of wearing a green carnation as a signal that he was seeking a man as a lover. Other men in Victorian England began to follow the trend, and the association still stands. In magick, carnation is said to enhance creativity and magickal power. Since it acts as an amplifier for other magickal energies, a green carnation can make any love spell more effective, especially for men seeking men.

Crystals and Herbs For Trans and Nonbinary Folks

Note: I said this in my video, but I feel like it bears repeating here — magick is not a replacement for mental healthcare. If you are struggling with gender dysphoria, I strongly encourage you to seek professional counseling if at all possible. None of the herbs, crystals, or spells mentioned below (or anywhere in this post) are intended as a replacement for medical or psychiatric treatment. If you are already taking medication of any kind, be sure to research potential interactions before ingesting any herb for magic or holistic purposes.

Chrysocolla (for trans and nb women): I first learned about chrysocolla from an episode of the Fat Feminist Witch podcast called “Not Every Goddess Has a Sacred Womb.” That episode discussed issues with equating womanhood to motherhood (or even just to having a uterus), and chrysocolla was brought up as a crystal with strong feminine energy that wasn’t tied to uterine health. This is a great stone to meditate with to get in touch with your own goddess energy, without any biological associations. Chrysocolla is also strongly associated with new beginnings, which may make it a useful spiritual tool for anyone who is just coming out of the closet.

Green Tourmaline (for trans and nb men): Much like malachite, green tourmaline is strongly associated both with masculine energy and with the heart chakra. It is a stone of masculine authority, and can be used either to get in touch with your own power or to help in overcoming emotional issues related to a father figure in your past. Tourmaline in general is said to convert negative energy into positive, which makes it ideal for overcoming any difficult situation.

Damiana (for trans and nb men AND women): Known by the scientific name Turnera diffusa, damiana is currently being clinically studied for its ability to balance hormones in all sexes. In holistic healing, damiana is commonly used to treat sexual problems — this is another one that may be useful for increasing sexual confidence. It is also said to help relieve anxiety and to decrease stress. Damiana is available both as herbal supplements and as a tea.

Angelica or Dong Quai (for trans and nb women): These are two different names for Angelica sinensis, which has been used in folk medicine for hundreds of years. It is often used to relieve symptoms of menopause because it increases estrogen levels when taken regularly. Angelica is also a powerful magickal herb, and is popular in American folk magick. It is sometimes associated with Archangel Gabriel, who I mentioned earlier, and is used for protection and healing. Angelica is available in teas and supplements, though it is usually marketed as “dong quai” in these forms.

Ginger (for trans and nb men): Lab studies found that ginger significantly increased testosterone levels in male rats. Human studies are still underway, but the research that has been done indicates similar benefits for humans. In magick, ginger is considered a magickal “power up” of sorts, and is often added to spells to add power or to speed up results. You can use ginger to increase your own masculine power, and to infuse yourself with a little bit of its sweet and spicy energy. Ginger is available both as a supplement and in teas, and of course it can be used in cooking.

This ended up being a way bigger project than I originally planned, but my research turned up so much good information that I wanted to share. I hope that some of this is helpful to all of my fellow gay witches out there, and I hope that you all have a magickal and blessed Pride Month.

P.S. I’ve actually written three different love spells based on this research. One is for men seeking men, one is for women seeking women, and one is for people who either don’t associate strongly with any one gender or don’t care about the gender of their partner. I was going to include those spells in this post but after seeing just how much info I had to cram in, I decided to give them their own post. You can find those spells here.

[trolldomblog]

Seidr & Norse Shamanism

In Old Norse, seiðr (sometimes anglicized as seidhr, seidh, seidr, seithr, seith, or seid) was a type of sorcery practiced in Norse society during the Late Scandinavian Iron Age. The practice of seiðr is believed to be a form of magic relating to both the telling and shaping of the future. Connected with Norse religion, its origins are largely unknown, although it became gradually eroded following the Christianization of Scandinavia. Accounts of seiðr later made it into sagas and other literary sources, while further evidence has been unearthed by archaeologists. Various scholars have debated the nature of seiðr, some arguing that it was shamanic in context, involving visionary journeys by its practitioners.

Seiðr practitioners were of both sexes, although females are more widely attested, with such sorceresses being variously known as vǫlur, seiðkonur and vísendakona. There were also accounts of male practitioners, known as seiðmenn, but in practicing magic they brought a social taboo, known as ergi, on to themselves, and were sometimes persecuted as a result. In many cases these magical practitioners would have had assistants to aid them in their rituals.

In pre-Christian Norse mythology, seiðr was associated with both the god Oðinn, a deity who was simultaneously responsible for war, poetry and sorcery, and the goddess Freyja, a member of the Vanir who was believed to have taught the practice to the Æsir.

In the 20th century, adherents of various modern pagan new religious movements adopted forms of magico-religious practice that include seiðr. The practices of these contemporary seiðr-workers have since been investigated by various academic researchers operating in the field of pagan studies. Darkness covers the tents scattered across the drying grass of the festival grounds with a kindly shadow; at the far end of the sloping valley, the cliffs are edged by the first silver shimmer of the rising moon. As its light grows, it outlines a canvas pavilion and glimmers on the upturned faces of the folk gathered before it. They are gazing at a tall chair like a throne, but higher and draped with a bearskin, where a veiled figure waits, her body motionless, her face in shadow.

“The gate is passed, the seidhkona waits,” says the woman sitting on the fur-covered stool below the high seat. “Is there one here who would ask a question?”

After a moment’s hesitation, someone rises. He must decide whether to move from his present home or continue where he is. What should he do? What fate does the Völva see?

“Speak now, seeress, ’till said thou hast. Answer the asker ’till all he knows. . .” says the leader. And after a moment the seidhkona, her voice harsh as if it comes from a great distance, begins to answer him.

This could be a scene from the world of our ancestors, but in fact the ritual described above took place at a pagan festival in Northern California. For the past three years, a group called Hrafnar (“the Ravens”) has been performing a reconstruction of the Old Norse seidh ritual as a service to the community. The group has worked outdoors in rain or moonlight, in an underground bunker, and in living rooms; for groups of forty or more people, or for only two or three. In addition to assisting in personal growth, our purpose has been to demonstrate the validity of the shamanic tradition of Northern Europe, and to serve the larger pagan community to which we belong as the Völvas of Scandinavia served their people. The procedure has undergone many changes during that time, and continues to evolve, but we have now learned enough so that it seems appropriate to share our findings.

Norse Shamanism

The form of divination described above is one of a group of practices referred to as Seidh, which bear a strong resemblance to activities which in other cultures are called Shamanism. In order to understand what Hrafnar is trying to do, one needs to know something about Shamanism in general and how it was practiced in the northern lands.

Shamanism may well claim to be the oldest type of spiritual practice still in use among humankind. Evidence for activities similar to those of later shamans can be seen in the Paleolithic cave paintings. Shamanic practices have survived at all the edges of the inhabited world, with remarkable similarities in both technique and symbolism appearing in places as disparate as Siberia and Tierra del Fuego. Such a broad dispersal suggests that shamanism was practiced by homo sapiens at a very early stage of development, before its dispersion into different cultures. With such a venerable and extensive history, one would expect to find evidence of shamanic practice in the pre-Christian cultures of Northern Europe as well.

A careful analysis of Norse and Celtic sources suggests that this is indeed true. To the reader familiar with the literature of shamanism, many of the visionary and magical feats attributed to both Druids and Old Norse vitkis or völvas seem strongly reminiscent of shamanic practices. The Icelandic sagas are rich in accounts of magic of all kinds, including spirit journeys, weather working, healing, prophecy, and shape changing. Some of the Scandinavian practices may well have been learned from the Saami (Lapps) or Finns, but accounts from Celtic and even Greek legend support a belief in native Indo-European shamanism as well.

 Seidr

The practice for which we have the most information is called seidh (nominative case in Old Norse, seidhr), which may come from a word meaning “to speak” or “to sing”, or possibly be cognate to the verb “to seethe”, derived from the rituals of salt-boiling (Grimm, III:1047). According to Stephen Glosecki,

The etymology of seidhr, however, suggests indigenous development, perhaps retention of Indo-European practice. The mysterious term is cognate with French séance, Latin sedere; Old English sittan, and thus with a large group of terms based on the Indo-European root *sed-. A seidhr, then, was literally a séance — a “sitting” to commune with the spirits.

— (Shamanism and Old English Poetry, p. 97)

In the literature, seidh refers to various kinds of magical practice, including an act of divination or prophecy performed while in trance. Other terms for the practitioner of seidh would be seidhkona, spákona, or for a man, seidhmadhr. A more general term for a male spiritual practitioner was vitki (in Anglo-Saxon, wicca or [fem.] wicce). At an earlier period, both men and women appear to have practiced this craft. Male practitioners of seidh included Ragnvald Rettilbeini (the son of King Harald Fair hair, who was burned by Erik Bloodaxe at their father’s command along with the men who worked seidh with him), and Eyvindr Kelda, who was drowned by King Olaf. However, the majority of those who practice seidh in the sagas are female. The strong feminine tradition makes this form of shamanism especially interesting to women.

Skill in seidh was a specialty of the god Odin. It is said to have been taught to the Aesir by the goddess Freyja (Ynglingasaga: 4) and parts of the practice probably originated with the Vanir cult. On the other hand, Odin was himself originally a shamanic deity, who seems to have acquired this magical technique in addition to his mastery of the runes and other lore. In part VII of the Ynglingasaga, we learn that —

Odin had the skill which gives great power and which he practiced himself. It is called seith, and by means of it he could know the fate of men and predict events that had not yet come to pass; and by it he could also inflict bane on men, or soul loss or waning health, or also take wit or power from some men, and give them to others. But this sorcery is attended by such ergi [a term meaning sexual, or spiritual, receptivity used as an insult] that manly men considered it shameful to practice it, and so it was taught to priestesses.

Odin could change himself. His body then lay as if sleeping or dead, but he became a bird or a wild beast, a fish or a dragon, and journeyed in the twinkling of an eye to far-off lands, on his own errands or those of other men. Also, with mere words he was able to extinguish fires, to calm the seas, and to turn the winds any way he pleased.

A passage from the Lokasenna is of especial interest, since if the verb in the second line is examined carefully, it may provide evidence for Norse use of the shamanic drum. Taunting Odin, Loki says–

But thou in Samsey wast performing seidh

And beating out (spells) like a Völva,

Vitki-like didst pass through the world of men,

In woman’s wise, I believe.

— (Lokasenna: 24)

Other practices identified as seidh include raising storms, journeying or battling in animal form, sending a nightmare to kill someone by suffocation in his sleep, and love spells, all things with which shamans in other cultures are credited (or accused of) as well. Journeying, both in the body and in trance, is a standard practice in Norse literature. Destinations vary, there are references to travel in Midgard (viewing other parts of the real world) and seeking Odin’s Seat of Seeing in Asgard. However, by far the most common use of the term seidh is in reference to a ritual in which the seeress (völva or seiðkona) sits on a platform or high seat (seidhjallr), goes into trance and prophesies for the community. It is this practice which Hrafnar has to date spent the most time in recovering.

The most comprehensive account of a seidh session (or indeed, of any Norse ritual) which survives is the story in section four of the Saga of Erik the Red, in which a Völva comes to one of the settlements in Greenland to prophesy for the community. The idea that physically elevating the seer will assist in vision also seems to be behind the tripod upon which the Delphic Pythia sat to prophesy, and perhaps the tree trunk which the Machi shamaness of the Araucanian tribe of South America climbs in order to declare her visions as well.

In former times the machi mounted a platform supported by shrubs (the rewe) and there, in prolonged contemplation of the sky, she had her visions… When the machi has returned to her senses, she describes her journey to the sky, and announces that the Sky Father has granted all the wishes of the community.

— (Eliade: Shamanism, p.325)

The important features of the seidh rite in Erik’s Saga are as follows: The Völva was an itinerant priestess, requested to come to the steading to divine for them when the current famine would end. Other texts suggest that formerly such priestesses travelled with a group of younger people, perhaps in training, but at this period the Spákona Thorbjorg alone remained. When she arrived, she was given an opportunity to get to know the place, and then fed a meal of the hearts of all the different kinds of beasts available (possibly a reference to a sacrifice, in which the rest of the meat would have been eaten by the others). In Irish tradition, an offering to the gods was also sometimes a prerequisite to prophecy.

To prophesy, the Greenland Völva sat upon a raised seat with a cushion stuffed with hen feathers. To enable her to go into trance, a special song, the vardhlokur, was sung by a woman, which summoned the spirits. As a result, the seeress prophesied the end of the famine, and also answered many questions for members of the community. She wore a special costume, consisting of a blue cloak ornamented with stones, a necklace of glass beads, a cap of black lambskin lined with white cat skin, cat skin gloves, and calfskin shoes. A belt supported her skin pouch of magical paraphernalia and a walrus ivory handled knife, and she carried a carven staff with a brass knob, also set with stones. The most significant aspects of this attire are probably the inclusion of different kinds of animal fur, especially the skins of the cat, sacred to Freyja, and the staff, which appears in a 6th century plaque which may depict a priestess, and is among the items forbidden to Christians. In Laxdælasaga, a seidh staff is found in a grave believed to be that of a völva.

The Hrafnar Seidh Ritual

In the references to prophetic seidh which have survived, attention focuses on the questions, and beyond the information that a special song was sung, little is said about the techniques used to achieve vision. However, in studying the Eddas, we note that the Voluspá; BaldersdraumR, and the Shorter Seeress’ Prophecy all recount episodes in which Odhinn journeys to the Underworld to consult the Völva. These stories suggest two possibilities — the first is that the place in which prophetic vision is found is Hel, home of the ancestral spirits, and second is that the process of questioning was structured according to a traditional formula to which the seer was conditioned to respond. In seidh as performed by Hrafnar, singing is used to change consciousness and raise energy, the journey to the Underworld serves to bring everyone to the source of knowledge, and the formulaic questioning keeps the visionary state under control.

The first step is purification with the smoke of sacred herbs. Today smudging is most familiar from Native American tradition, but the practice of smoking with herbs (called recels) is found in Anglo-Saxon sources and elsewhere in European folklore. The purpose of the practice is to help people get rid of tensions and preoccupations that would prevent them from focusing on the work at hand. The leader or householder then defines the space to be used for the ceremony. One or more of the participants may orient and balance the group by honoring the directions and the local nature spirits. Finally, the gods in general and those deities particularly associated with seidh are invoked. With each step, the group moves deeper into the world of Norse myth. By the time the journeying begins, everyone should be caught up by the momentum of the ceremony.

None of this is strictly necessary for the practice of seidh. However Christian denunciations of pagan prophetic practice indicate that the gods were invoked before performing divination. More important is the psychological function of these activities. Taking time to establish Sacred Space provides a transitional period in which the participants can release the preoccupations of the day and their identities in the modern world and move into the world of Nordic myth. It is also useful to define the area of the ritual, especially when a ceremony is being performed in someone’s living room.

Wearing authentic clothing helps all of the participants make that psychological transition, just as wearing a cap or cape with skins or pictures of one’s power animal and other symbols helps the shaman to function. A great deal of this could be classed as theater, but any analysis of the shamanic literature will make the dramatic element in most traditional practices quite clear.

‘Tis time to sing at the Seat of Thul,

At the well of Urdh to welcome wisdom. . .”

With these words from the Havamál we move into the heart of the ritual, preparation for the prophetic trance begins. The seidh journey is powered by the energy raised by dance and drumming, chant and song. As in traditional societies, an exchange takes place between shaman and people in which the energy of the community enables the shaman to journey farther and faster to bring back the knowledge they need. The forms this takes may vary. Sometimes Hrafnar ceremonies include fiddlers who play Swedish folk music to get people into the mood. More often, we use the drum. The drummer should begin a strong beat to which all may sway, clap, etc. and if there is room, dance in a line or spiral which becomes a circle again, or only the seer/esses may dance. This is followed by the power songs of the seer/esses. A whistle may signal the end of the preparatory phase.

The Guide or drummer then begins a slow beat, and Guide begins the induction, or the Seer/ess may narrate the journey. It begins with instructions to relax the limbs, to deepen and regularize the breathing. Then people are directed to visualize a familiar outdoor spot from which a path leads downward and into a forest. The trees arch overhead to form a tunnel, through which one passes to the Sacred Grove. This is the barrier between the real world and Midgard, which is the Mid-world, the non-ordinary version of our normal plane of existence. In the center of the Sacred Grove rises Yggdrasil, the world tree. From this point, the journey incorporates imagery from traditional Underworld journeys, ending before the Gate, where all except the Seer/ess remain during the questioning.

The journey always follows the same general outline. Since this is being done aloud, the rest of the group hears and is carried along on the journey. In practice, each participant interprets the narration through his or her own symbol system, so that each person’s journey is different, although everyone arrives at the same goal. Each seer/ess or Guide visualizes the journey and narrates it in his or her own way, however the route is always essentially the same. As the group has continued to work together, members have influenced each other’s visions of the road.

This shared vision is the equivalent of the culture-specific interpretation of the Otherworld inherited by members of a traditional society. It also places the entire group in a rapport which facilitates the divination. Some symbols are universal, but the visions of individuals in a traditional culture tend to consist of images which other members of that culture can recognize and understand. By intentionally furnishing the first part of the journey with images from Norse culture, we increase the probability that the original material that follows will come from the same stratum of the collective unconscious, providing an integrated and comprehensible experience.

It is important to note that the Hel of Germanic mythology is by no means the same as the Hell of Christianity, to which, in English, it gave its name. Although Loki’s daughter Hella, who rules it, is in part a goddess of death and decay, the other side of her face is young and beautiful. Hel appears to include both the horrors of the grave and the beauty of the Undying Lands. Green plants flourish there even when in the world it is winter. Hel is the world beneath the mound — the world of the ancestors.

The topography of the Underworld appears to have been thoroughly mapped by the ancients; there is a remarkable degree of agreement in the accounts of journeys– the obstacles to be surmounted, the rivers crossed, the beings encountered on the way. Such a definitive tradition suggests generations of journeying. This pathway through the collective unconscious has been well surveyed.

Although the entire group makes the journey to the Underworld together, only the seer takes the further step of going through the gates, and only after formally indicating his or her willingness to do so. If the first Seer/ess has guided the journey, at this point a second person takes over as Guide. The chant is sung by everyone, to a medieval Norwegian melody. The music and the drumming carry the Seer/ess as s/he visualizes going through the Gateway into the Underworld. Individual experiences of this second stage of trance vary, however all agree that a definite shift in consciousness occurs. The experience is generally pleasant. For some, the stimulus of a question is required for images to form, others begin to see spirits etc. as soon as they arrive.

In the Eddas, Odin generally begins by chanting a spell to summon the Völva from her mound and stating his magical name and powers. He signals his question by saying– “Cease not, Völva, till said thou hast; answer the asker till all he knows….” (Baldrsdraumr 8, etc.). The Völva signals that she has finished with one answer and is ready for a new question by saying, “I tell thee much, yet more lore have I; thou needs must know this — wilt know still more?” (line 4, etc.). or in Voluspá, “Wit you more, or how?”

This pattern is the model for the interaction between the Guide and the seer/ess during Seidh trance. The role of the Guide at this point is to act as intermediary between the group as a whole, still in first stage trance, and the Seer/ess. In the orientation, people should be warned to make their questions as simple and specific as possible. The Guide signals questioners to begin and signals the end of a sequence. S/he also maintains sufficient rapport with the Seer/ess to tell when the Seer/ess is tiring and end the session. If there are more questions than the first Seer/ess can handle, a second and if required a third speaker is put up into the high seat and the sequence from the singing onward repeated.

Some querents may have questions involving the dead, or there may be times when a seer/ess senses spirits who are eager to communicate. Given that we are invading the realm of the spirits for this work, it seems only just that from time to time they should be allowed to have their say. The seer/ess may hear and transmit the message, or in some cases, allow the spirit to speak through him/her. This kind of communication, however, should be handled carefully, and special care should be taken in bringing the seer/ess back to ordinary consciousness.

When all questions have been answered, the Guide brings the last Seer/ess back through the Gate, but s/he may stay in High Seat for journey home. To the beat of the drum, the Guide narrates return journey in reverse order from entry. At the end of the narration, the Guide or a singer may sing another song to help people make the transition back to ordinary reality.

The final part of the ritual recapitulates the actions of the opening in reverse order, assisting all participants to make an orderly transition back to normal reality. Tasting rock salt is helpful in grounding, and distributing it provides an opportunity to make sure that everyone has in fact shifted back to ordinary consciousness. We always try to have food and drink available afterward to continue this process and replace expended energy. The social atmosphere of sharing food also provides a supportive environment in which people can debrief and discuss the interpretation of their answers.

The larger the group being served, the more useful a division of labor in the ceremony becomes. Roles include that of the Seer/ess, the Guide, one or more Wardens to assist in getting seers in and out of the chair and recovering as well as watching out for problems in the group as a whole, and of course, the people who are asking the questions. Each of these functions is important, and each requires preparation and training.

The element that makes seidh different from individual shamanic journeying is the presence of the people with the questions. The Harner technique in which a shaman journeys to obtain a vision for a client, helps him or her to interpret it, and teaches him to continue working in this way on his own occupies a middle position between solo work and seidh. Seidh allows a shaman, or seer, to use a single journey to see for many people in a way which recreates the culturally supportive environment of a traditional setting. In fact, only if there are several people seeking information of this kind does it make sense to put on such an elaborate ceremony. It might be said, therefore, that next to the seer/ess, the people are the most important participants.

Despite the fact that others lead the journey, the role of the querent should not be a passive one. Adding to the number of people sharing the vision seem to increase its intensity. Even an experienced journeyer may find the trip more vivid when others are along. The presence of a group provides an automatic support network which helps to validate the experience, and the energy and excitement created by group chanting provides extra power to carry the seer/ess into the second level of trance.

It is the responsibility of the querent to frame the question in a way that will provide a useful answer, so s/he should spend some thought on choosing the subject and be specific about how it is described. Questions should be narrowed down so that a single short vision will provide useful information. They should be serious, and they should be important to the asker. In asking their questions and interpreting the seidhkona’s replies, Querents would be well advised to heed the advice Socrates gave to Xenopohon regarding oracles. According to the master, it is stupid to ask questions which can be answered by research, reason or ethical principles.

In short, what the gods have granted us to do by dint of learning, we must learn. What is hidden from mortals we should try to find out from the gods by divination; for to him that is in their grace the gods grant signs.

— Xenophon, Memorabilia, LCL, trans. O.J. Todd, vol. 4, pp. 5-7

Ancient writers such as Epictetus also point out the necessity of approaching the oracle with a completely detached and open mind, determined to put the answer to good use, whatever it may be.

Interestingly enough, we have found that a vision will sometimes answer more than one question — the one that triggered it, and a question which someone else in the group is waiting to ask. The visions may stimulate insights in those who have not yet asked their questions or did not know they had one. Others simply “hang out” in a comfortable state or do their own spiritual work until it is time to return.

The greater the need of the querent, the more powerful the vision will be. The process is essentially interactive. Seer and querents have already been placed in rapport by journeying together; the seer uses his or her skills to reach a level of consciousness in which information and images can be accessed with great efficiency, but the questions, especially those coming from complete strangers, evoke the images, and validate the seer’s belief in his or her skills.

The querent therefore needs to stay as focused as possible, to sing enthusiastically when required, and to formulate his or her question as simply and clearly as possible. The more open the querent is to the experience, the more powerful the answer. In some cases, the answer may be something the querent has been told before, or a thing that could be communicated just as well in a less elaborate setting. The fact that the information is communicated when both parties are in an altered state seems to give it more impact. The images which are the most common type of response can have great power, and even ordinary information conveyed in trance may acquire profound significance. In any case, the querent is more likely to remember and understand advice received in this way.

The only equipment really needed for seidh is the mind. However, like shamans in traditional societies, in Hrafnar we have found that when one is working with a group, a certain amount of dramatic technique increases the effectiveness of the process. Physical symbols, which speak to the unconscious, help us to convince ourselves and those who work with us that we are indeed recreating the spirituality of our ancestors. Thus, in addition to researching the process itself, we have studied the culture from which it came, and tried, as much as possible, to recreate its clothing and artifacts. The effectiveness of this may be judged by one attendee’s comment that the experience felt like participating in something out of National Geographic.

Results

Seidh is not intended to replace other spiritual or therapeutic practices. Its benefits, as with any experience, depend on the use that is made of them. The ritual appears to have two major effects. The first is to provide spiritual counselling for a maximum number of people in a single session. The second is to give people a powerful sense of participation in a spiritual experience in the Northern European tradition. Many querents have reported that the answers they received were extremely accurate, and that they received new insights into their situations.

The Hrafnar seidh procedure is now reasonably well tested. Both women and men have been trained and seem to function equally well. Several of the seers are able to handle a roomful of questions with minimal assistance. Others are able to take several questions at a time with some support. Clearly, this is a skill which becomes easier with practice. The group has become known as a resource available to the local community and is beginning to work with other Norse groups such as the Ring of Troth. Hrafnar performs seidh at several annual festivals as well as on special occasions. In the future, we will continue to train more seer/esses, and give them the experience they need to function more and more independently.

[dreamsandimagination]

Random of Amber: Character study

Roger Zelazny derived a lot from Norse, Arthurian and Celtic mythology. For example, Tir Na Nogh is the Celtic eternal realm of the fae. Lance(lot) from “Guns of Avalon” clearly stems from Lancelot de Lac from the Arthurian legends. And so forth. Now though, I am focusing on one particular character, namely Random.

The paralells to the Norse Trickster god Loki is quite obvious. Corwin, who is accompanied by a Raven called Hugi(nn) and who loses his eye(s) in return for wisdom, mentions in the first book that Random is his full brother. Pretty much how Odin saw Loki as his bloodbrother, when they clearly were not related at all by blood.

Loki is quite the help for the norse gods, preventing a war with the frost giant Skadi for example, or supplying Odin and Thor with the spear Gungnir and the hammer Mjolnir. Likewise, Random provides Corwin his own power - guiding him towards the Pattern in Rebma and therefore allowing Corwin to regain his memory.

The similarities don’t stop there. Loki has a very special connection to fire and heat in general, like some norse version of Prometheus you could almost say. Random’s colors are the very colors of heat: red, yellow and orange. Loki derives from the indo-european word “Leuk”, meaning “Flashing light”.

Another Trickster god too, is connected to this word: “Lugh” or “Lugus”, the celtic god of arts, harvest, trade, oaths, trickery and kingship. Random loves to trade very much with cards. He loves to drum, which is an art on itself and takes his promises seriously (His marriage to Vialle, his promise to find/avenge Martin).

To take it one step further, Lugh is very reminiscent of Hermes, the greek god of yes, you guessed it, also of trickery, trade, contracts... and who acts as a shining light, a guide to the underworld for the dead. It seems, we are going full circle now.

More connections between these three trickster gods, are that they are all represented with snakes. Both Lugh and Hermes are carrying a spear. Random doesn’t have a snake as a pet nor does he use a spear as weapon, but consider this.

The spear, for all three trickster gods, is used to heal. Hermes’ staff Caduceus is winged and encircled with snakes, the very symbol for the doctors. In norse and celtic myth, both Lugh and Loki use a spear to strike down a fellow sun god to tame their power.

For Loki, it was Baldr (the god of light), for Lugh it was Balor. Both trickster gods cause a massive change through these actions. Loki, by killing Baldr, causes Ragnarok to happen, the end of all things. For Lugh, on the other hand, one has to look at the word “Lúghnasadh”, which is “a blistering summer day on which thunderstorms with plentiful rain are expected and welcomed”. The rain provide a respite from the fierce summer heat that endangers the crops and encourages insect pests. 

One of Lugh’s many names is “Fierce striker”. The spear he uses to kill Balor, is the lightening. Balor’s Evil Eye is the unforgiving scorching sun, and Lugh himself is the blessing rain and storm. Anointed literally by Storm, both Random and Lugh become king of their respective realms after defeating their enemy.

It is clear that, while they are all tricksters, what they do is bring a fresh air of well-needed change, kindly given guidance and firey enlightenment. Everything that Random embodies perfectly, in my opinion. 

[hardymysteryring]

First Post

Read all the way till the end please. Hello luvs, thank you for taking the time to look at this post and maybe my profile. I wanted to take the time and have my first post of some stuff about me and what will be on my page, so here u go. And feel free to ask me stuff if your curious.

𝕊𝕥𝕦𝕗𝕗 𝕒𝕓𝕠𝕦𝕥 𝕞𝕖:

My name is Zak, I am 16 years old, I have 3 siblings (two older brothers & a sister), I am a Junior in high school and I have 5 pets (4 cats & a dog). My birthday is May 10th, I share my birthday with my uncle (my moms younger brother), I am a Taurus, and my Chinese sign is a goat.

I am European; German, Dutch, Scottish, Irish, English and French, but I was born and raised in California, USA. I was raised in a Celtic family, I have no religion, me and my siblings were allowed to have the opportunity to see if we wanted to be or not.

My favorite colours are black, purple, gold and neon green. My favorite seasons are Spring and Fall. My favorite bands are Green Day and Paramour. My favorite movies are: The Water Horse, Legend, Venom, The Dark Knight, Phantom of the Opera, Olympus Has Fallen, Spiderman (Tobey), Ordinary World, and Avatar (I cant think of anymore rn).

Fandoms/Communities I’m in are: Harry Potter, Supernatural, Punk Rock, Green Day, Tom Hardy, Marvel, DC, LGBTQ+, Tom Hiddleston, Witchcraft, and Ford Mustang. (That’s all I can think of rn)

Favorite Marvel Characters: Hawkeye, Black Widow, Captain American, Venom, Spiderman, Riot, Bucky Barnes, Loki, Gamora, Rocket Racoon, Mystique, Iron Man, Eddie Brock, Scarlett Witch, Human Torch, & Storm

Favorite DC Charcaters: Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn, Joker, Aquaman, Raven, Beast Boy, Cat Woman, Bane, Wonder Women, Green Lanter, Black Canary, Two-Face, Enchantress, Pandora, and The Riddler.

ℙ𝕒𝕘𝕖 𝕀𝕟𝕗𝕠𝕣𝕞𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟:

In my bio it states that I do Tom Hardy imagines, preferences and headcanons. That also includes some of his characters that he has played in movies.

𝙽𝚘𝚝𝚎: If you have a request for a character that you don’t see on this list just dm me and I will gladly do it for you <3 I’m new to this whole tumblr thing tbh so go easy on me. I’ve done imagines before and stories but I’m new to tumblr.

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All of my media that I want to share with you guys so here you go:

Wattpad: black_raven_ring

FanFiction.Net: BlackRavenRing

Achieve Our Own: black_raven_ring

Snapchat: kylliet36

[capricorn-0mnikorn]

Might as well review “Moana”

So, like I said -- I finally watched Moana. Here’s the spectrum of my reactions from most squee to loudest groan:

What I liked:

The plot. I’d meant to take the time of watching the movie to charge my motorized wheelchair, but after the movie started, I forgot to look away from the screen long enough to plug anything in. Oops (don’t worry, my battery lasted long enough make it til my next charge).

Moana’s relationship with her grandmother.

That Maui remained morally ambiguous throughout, and wasn’t “demonized” to fit that particularly American Christian dichotomy of Good and Evil -- in other words, a trickster (see also: Loki, Hermes, Coyote, Raccoon, Raven, Anansi ...); for contrast, see Hades in Disney’s “Hercules”.

There was no hint of romance. Not only was there no romantic hero subplot, Moana’s parents showed no expectation that she would get married, someday. Contrast that with “Brave” and “Frozen,” (other movies that purport to be about how romance and marriage is overrated).

Most of the visuals -- the color palette and the animation.

What I did not like:

The color palette during Tomatoa’s fight with Maui -- how it suddenly went to black and neon... that might have worked in a theater (was this a 3-D movie, or something?), but to me it took me out of the story -- from: “I am watching these events unfold” to “I am looking at a gimmick from a movie studio.”

How the story had to make up an imaginary (non-European) culture from a mishmash of elements of several cultures for their “aesthetic” -- in order to create something resembling a Western coming-of-age story.  In other words, I never bought the idea that a Pacific Island people would be afraid of the ocean (I mean, WTF??), all to create the “Teenage daughter rebels against her conservative father” conflict. It felt like someone had taken a patchwork skin of one set of cultures, and stretched it over the armature of Joseph Campbell’s “Hero’s Journey” thesis from another set of features.

The little self-referential nods to other Disney “princess” movies (If you’re wearing a dress, and have an animal sidekick, you’re a princess), played for laughs.

OMG -- Those animal sidekicks! Why were they even there? The pig wasn’t in enough scenes to justify the supposed “loving bond” with the heroine. And that rooster had nothing to do with the plot except to be an annoying, screeching, distraction. Although the writers invented a moment during the climax where the rooster could be relevant for 5 seconds, both the pig and the rooster could have been edited out of the movie altogether, and the story would have lost nothing.

To summarize: I'm glad I spent the three bucks to watch this movie once. It was a pleasant way to swallow roughly two hours of my evening.

But I am also glad that I did not spend the fifteen bucks to "own" it. Now that I've seen it once, I don't need to see it again.

[ao3feed-lokiangst]

I'm just a kid!

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/2vBbHWP

by vvendetta

(Y/N) is a European immigrant kid in New York, trying to fit in. Some would say that she's normal. And in some ways, she is.

"A mirror" she thought to herself "I am a mirror. My very existence is a reflection of other people's features and lives."

Hard time of adolescence has come upon her. Not only she didn't expect that so much would happen to her; the discovery of mutant powers has putted her in a terrible position. The world is at brink of war between Mutants and humans, Wakanda has just came out into the light.

Will she make it out alive?

Sorry for my crappy English and a shitty summary, I swear, my writing will get better. I kinda changed some things here: Thanos isn't invading the Earth (yet), Guardians have already met the Avengers and so have the Defenders, and X-Men are in the MCU. I hope you'll like it, I'll probably establish some relationship, but later. BTW the Reader is 15-16 y/o. Also, it's my first fic :)

Words: 882, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies), Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Doctor Strange (2016), Black Panther (2018), The Defenders (Marvel TV), Daredevil (TV), Jessica Jones (TV), Luke Cage (TV), Iron Fist (TV), Deadpool - All Media Types, The Incredible Hulk (2008), The Punisher (TV 2017), X-Men - All Media Types, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies)

Rating: Mature

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: Multi

Characters: Steve Rogers, Tony Stark, Bruce Banner, Thor (Marvel), Loki (Marvel), Natasha Romanov (Marvel), Clint Barton, Vision (Marvel), Wanda Maximoff, Peter Parker, Peter Quill, Gamora (Marvel), Rocket Raccoon, Groot (Marvel), Drax the Destroyer, Mantis (Marvel), James "Rhodey" Rhodes, Pepper Potts, Phil Coulson, Melinda May, Maria Hill, James "Bucky" Barnes, Sam Wilson (Marvel), Stephen Strange, Wong (Marvel), Thanos (Marvel), Skye | Daisy Johnson, Jemma Simmons, Leo Fitz, Nakia (Black Panther), Okoye (Marvel), Ayo (Marvel), Ned Leeds, Wade Wilson, Matt Murdock, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Danny Rand, Colleen Wing, Claire Temple, Misty Knight, Franklin "Foggy" Nelson, Karen Page, Malcolm Ducasse, Patricia Walker (Marvel), Frank Castle, Dinah Madani, T'Challa (Marvel), Charles Xavier, Erik Selvig, Erik Lehnsherr, Jane Foster (Marvel), Darcy Lewis, Raven | Mystique, Jean Grey, Scott Lang, Hope Van Dyne, Scott Summers, Ororo Munroe, Logan (X-Men), Moira MacTaggert, Brunnhilde | Valkyrie (Marvel)

Relationships: Avengers Team/Reader, Guardians of the Galaxy Team/Reader, The Defenders/Reader

Additional Tags: I don't know what I'm doing, teenage reader, Protective Natasha Romanov, Clint's family, Avengers Family, Pain, Depression, Mutant Powers, Dark Character, Loss, Loss of Control, Serial Killers, Self-Harm, High School, Bullying, Friendship, Immigration & Emigration, Queer Character, Bisexual Female Character, bisexual reader, Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie) Spoilers, Black Panther (2018) Spoilers, The Defenders (Marvel TV) Spoilers, Spoilers in general, Very Powerful Reader, Secrets, Teen Angst, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Big Expectations, Homophobia, Bi-Curiosity, Reader-Insert, Mutants, Mutant Reader, Black Character(s), Supportive Avengers

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/2vBbHWP