#utiseta

[findingthe-stillpoint-blog]

Meditation on the first Aett of the Anglo-Saxon Futhork

[dutchpagan]

A sketch I made some time ago, based on several 'outside meditations'.

This is looslely based on a personal interpretation of the old Germanic ritual of 'Utiseta' or 'sitting out'. We know from old Norse sources that practitioners of magic would sometimes go outside at night to cover themselfves and sit on the land, possibly on or near a grave, to receive knowledge from the spirits of the land and/or the ancestors (which may be one and the same in this practice).

It's interesting to see how modern witches and heathens who do magic, practice utiseat or a version of it. if someone has any knowledge or experience they'd like to share with me, don't hesitate to PM!

[lokavisi]

We're on a roll of not waiting until 10:00 pm to make this post, woo! This week's rune is Ingwaz. This rune is one that I associate with life cycles: it is a mound in the earth, whether it be a funeral mound or a a place with a new seed has been planted. (Sometimes both!) What is standing out to me today, though, is the relation to funeral mounds. The practice of sitting on grave mounds, or Utiseta, is an Old Norse tradition in which a seer would sit over a burial mound to gain wisdom from the ancestors buried there. Here in the Northern hemisphere, we're starting our inward spiral as fall rounds the corner and our days become shorter and shorter. The veil is growing ever thinner as we approach Samhain. Whether or not you are able to literally sit on someone's burial site, this rune is indicative of a need to connect with ancestors as we begin this inward spiral of introspection and contemplation as the dark seasons approach.

This does not have to be a biological ancestor. It could be an ancestor of order (one of your shared faith path) or of community (like if you are LGBT+ reaching out to the queer dead, for example). It could even been chosen family or close friends that have passed on to the next life. As you go through the week, take some time to contemplate the influence of an ancestor (or ancestors) on your life. How did they make your life better? Or worse? What did their life on this side of the veil teach you? The result of this meditation might be the key to your shadow work during the dark season this year. It may not be The Work, exactly, but rather a stepping stone to get you to find what that work really is. It's at the other end of this shadow work that the seeds of growth get planted for the next light season. It could also lead you to find an ancestor that is raring to help you in doing this season's shadow work. Keep yourself open to these various possibilities.

If you are in the Southern hemisphere, this rune indicates to me that now is a good time to reflect on the progress you've made from the shadow work done in the dark season that is now behind you, and to start shifting your focus to growing the seed that that work has planted. Remember how the ancestors helped guide you to this place, and remember the ancestors of the future that your seed will help foster. Like us here in the North, there might be an ancestor reaching out to help you as you fertilize this new seed and watch it grow.

Also worth noting: Ingwaz is associated with Frey (Ingvi-Freyr). In addition to everything above, if Frey has been calling to you (or is even already a part of your practice), now might be a particularly great time to connect with him, especially in relation to your seasonal work!

[volmarrsheathenism]

Modern Norse Pagan Graveyard Sitting Ritual

The mound sitting ritual, known as **”Utiseta”** in Norse Pagan tradition, involves sitting on burial mounds to commune with the spirits and ancestors. This modern adaptation, **Graveyard Sitting**, incorporates similar principles while respecting the environment of a contemporary graveyard. #### Preparation 1. **Gather Supplies**:    – A blanket or cushion to sit on    – A small offering…

[aurianehuld]

At 6 am, after a night of Utiseta on the summer solstice, this was the breathtaking view at Sognsvann Lake in Norway.

I’ll miss the hospitality of summer…

The first frost will be here this week <3

[lexicondisgr4ced]

I have an intense urge to move to Montana with my lover and live out of a campervan while we build a log cabin on a modest piece of land out in the woods, open a coffee/crystal shop and spend my free time painting, smoking ouid, hiking, and going on long drives in the forest, get really good at utiseta, maybe have a baby and raise them with all of the love and acceptance I have in my heart, read and collect books until I grow old and frail, maybe me and my lover could become skeletons that archeologists argue over the relationship between.

[scotiaeire]

U T I S E T A

On this video I shall explore the performance of Sitja Úti / Útiseta ("sitting out") in Scandinavian sorcery. From Old Norse sources to medieval and modern ones, and drawing parallels with other performances such as seidr, utesittning, väcka döda, trolldom etc. I do hope you enjoy this video!

[kelleysoularts]

Half-month Hagalaz, the convention of the "thinning veil," and what our Ancestors knew about it. #podcast #WhatintheWyrd #runes #hagalaz #elderfuthark #secondaett #vetrnætr #samhain #winternacht #utiseta #thedeadtime #thedarktime #halloween #crossquarter https://www.instagram.com/p/CG2_uRinUW7/?igshid=c0xf3lrdboee

[cavorta]

Book review

»The Way of Fire and Ice – The Living Tradition of Norse Paganism« by Ryan Smith

In this book, the author presents the modern tradition of Radical Norse Paganism, also known as »The Way of Fire and Ice«, which is very inclusive and open to everyone regardless of gender, race, mental or physical abilities, where they are from and so on. Ryan Smith also not only distances himself from Neo Volkisch, fascist and white supremacy ideologies and groups, but also elaborates about how to fight back as a Norse pagan against people who have such destructive attitudes and beliefs.

There are chapters about the Norse Gods, Developing Spiritual Practice, Core Values of Norse Paganism and in the chapter about Runelore, the author presents the three different historic rune systems: The Elder Futhark, The Younger Futhark and the The Anglo-Saxon Futhorc, describing the meanings of each runes and explains how you can use them in divination, magic and more, for instance as bindrunes or single runes.

The author also explains the Norse concepts of Hamr (the body, the physical form), Hugr (the mind), the Fylgja (a sort of spiritual shadow which can be a spirit guide and can also take the form of an animal) and Hamingja (luck, connected to fate). In the chapter »The Art of Seiðr«, Ryan Smith describes the main three forms of this Norse form of magic: Utiseta (which is similar to meditation, trance, and shamanic journeying or hedgeriding) direct Sorcery and Spae (which is similar to mediumship, a form of possessory trance) and points out that many Norse pagans do not do Spae. And if you feel called to this kind of work you should by all means learn it with an experienced teacher, because Spae can be dangerous if you have not been trained well.

The last two chapters focus on Finding and Building Community, with lots of good suggestions about what to do and what to avoid.

Appendix I has Further Reading suggestions and I can very much recommend to read the

Appendix II which is about The Origins of the Pagan Revival since the 19th century until the situation today. In this, the author elaborates again on the neo Volkisch movement, different groups of it and how these finally got more and more banned from Norse Pagan spaces.

At the end of the book, there is an extensive bibliography and each chapter has a list of fotenotes.

Last but not least, here is a tiny detail I liked a lot: The author mentions that the genders in this book have been set to »they/them« where possible, for instance for the description of Loki (a deity which can be seen as genderqueer or genderfluid due to some myths).

Conclusion: From all the books I read about Norse Paganism and Heathenry so far, this has been the one which elaborates the most about the dangerous Neo Volkisch movement and related fascists, its history and what inclusive Norse Pagans do to fight back against it. Thus, this book is very political and the way I see it, knowlegde about these topics is very recommendable for any Norse pagan or heathen.

Link to the book: https://llewellyn.com/product.php?ean=9780738760049

[santonali]

rules: put your music on shuffle and list the first 10 songs, then tag 10 people. tagged by my amazing friend @vecchiasignoras, thank you sweetheart! a perfect 1:34am activity if you ask me.

1. mai figlio unico - mahmood

2. engin miskunn - hatari

3. utiseta - osi and the jupiter

4. seven nation army - unwoman (cover)

5. dance of the druids - karliene

6. an uncertain world - trevor morris

7. black flies - ben howard

8. fridr - danheim, sigurbodi

9. bb’s theme - ludvig forsell, jenny plant

10. chasing cars - sleeping at last

i’m gonna tag the usuals @cherrylaunch, @montosmadman and @pepgabbyiola, as well as everyone who wishes to do this - consider yourself tagged!

[279ital]

Saw a play today. It was wonderful. As a part of it at one point some of the audience was chosen to be bergtatt. I was one of them. First I was led to one of the stripper poles on stage while more people was chosen, and then told to crawl through the root of a tree that was also an asshole. Once the four people that had been chosen was through, we were offered pepperkaker, and and encouraged to lie down on some big pillows away from of the audience. The actors started making obscene sounds implying we were getting more than pepperkaker and giving it back really well. I accepted a blanket of white kittens that was previously part of a costume and the person beside me from the audience was revealed to be a girl I knew.  We did a production of a good play badly as kids and the last time we met was by chance five years ago.  

I was already deeply in love with this play, but meeting an old friend I have no contact with while actors was heavily implying we was having the best orgy ever really made it unforgettable. 

https://www.detnorsketeatret.no/framsyningar/utiseta  It is still possible to see the play, although  random meetings of old friends are not guaranteed. 

[kjarnisvartrstjarna]

Utiseta

Utiseta pode ser traduzido de forma literal como “Sentar-se Fora”, fora de si mesmo, e existe para você sair de você e buscar o que está fora do comum, do mundano.

A prática possui uma interpretação de que apenas era praticada em sua forma literal ou seja sentar fora da sua casa, buscar um lugar fora onde muitas vezes era o túmulo de ancestrais ou encruzilhadas, entretanto como grande parte da tradição escrita que temos hoje foi trazida através da tradição oral por pessoas que não eram da antiga fé, com isso vinham seus julgamentos e experiências que não eram os reais dentro da nossa crença.

Você pode praticar o Utiseta em sua casa, como você ficar mais confortável, mas sempre tenha em mente que o melhor seria sentado de frente ao seu altar ou de forma tradicional na natureza.

Por Svartr Stjarna

[dakshinakali]

Watch "Guided Utiseta Meditation Journey With Thor and Loki to Utgard" on YouTube

Amazing, amazing!

Speechless.

Loki is amazing :)

The last laugh shows his character.

Beautiful.

[thelaughinglamb]

The Freyja Masterpost 

(Disclaimer; these listings will begin with the verifiable, slowly descend into the realm of shared personal gnosis and end on a personal note. Please take the ‘associations’ section in particular with a grain of salt, save for those things which we know to be directly linked to her, like milkwort and amber.)

→  Primary Source Material

Poetic Edda

Völuspá, Grímnismál, Lokasenna, Þrymskviða, Oddrúnargrátr, and Hyndluljóð

Prose Edda

Gylfaginning and Skáldskaparmál

Sagas

 Egils saga, Njáls saga, Hálfs saga ok Hálfsrekka, and Sörla þáttr

Further breakdown of her references and source materials here.

→  Kennings & Titles

Names & Titles

Vanadís (Lady of the Vanir)

Valfreyja (Lady of the Slain)

Hörn (Flaxen, Flaxen-Haired)

Mardöll (Sea-Bright)

Gefn (Giver)

Sýr (Sow)

Thröng (Throng)

Kennings (Verified)

Post can be found here.

Kennings (Personal)

Freyja the Golden

Lady of Divine Inspiration

Freyja the Heart Seeker

Freyja the Ironclad

Freyja Sightbringer

Chooser of Victory

Freyja the Bloodied

Freyja Hedgerider

She of the Flowered Meadow

Lady of Folkvangr

Lady of the Weeping Heart

→  References & Secondary Source Materials

The Goddess Freyja and Other Female Figures in Germanic Mythology and Folklore (abstract)

The Concept of the Goddess

The Great Goddess of the North

Freyja’s Cats: Perspectives on Recent Viking Age Finds in North Iceland 

The Valkyrie’s Gender: Old Norse Shield-Maidens and Valkyries as a Third Gender

Hosting Freya, Goddess of Tears: The Transformative Power of Conscious Crying 

Freyja: Goddess of Magic

The Old Norse God Óðr 

→  Associations & Offerings

Animals

Cats, Boars, Pigs, Raptors, Geese, Horses, Songbirds, Fireflies, Cows

Plants & Herbs

Common Milkwort, Chamomile, Vervain, Hemp, Catnip, Rosemary, Rose, Dandelion, Nutmeg, Vanilla, Mint, Mugwort, Juniper, Wormwood, Belladonna, Wildflower, Thyme, Lavender, Birch, Yew

Scents & Incense

Sandalwood, Amber, Dragon’s Blood, Chamomile, Vervain, Rose, Frankincense, Citrus, Heady Perfumes

Stones & Gems

Amber, Citrine, Rose Quartz, Snow Quartz, Gold, Obsidian, Peridot, Jade, Pyrite

Foods

Mead, Honey, Pork, Nectarine, Strawberry, Cappuccino, Chocolate, Liquor, Hazelnut, Wine, Blackberry, Lemon, Bread, Corn, Tea, Fine Cheeses, Fish, Steak, Red Velvet Cupcakes, Apple Cider and Artisinal Products

Colors

Gold, White, Soft Pink, Ebony, Mint, Crimson, Violet, Leaf Green, Bronze, Orange, Rose Gold, Rose

Sounds

Birdsong early in the morning

The sound of a river or stream rushing along the rocks

The rustle of tree branches

Laughter, intense or easy

Flesh clinging to flesh

The sound of a lovers’ moans

The crunch of bone

The singing of steel when withdrawn from a sheath

The keening of raised voices

The clink of glasses

The lilting of windchimes

The gentle rush of the waves as they kiss the sand

Kulning and throat-singing

Playlists & Music

Fljóð by Herborium (8tracks)

Vanadis by Mcgaldi (8tracks)

Warrior Queen by bphoenix (8tracks)

Tears of Gold by kristability (8tracks)

O’ Freyja by defnekartal (8tracks)

Folkvangr by kristability (8tracks)

Lady of the Slain (spotify)

Forged by Fate (spotify)

Freyja // General (spotify) 

Devotional Playlist (various)

Other

Sex, blood, battle, hedgeriding, spiritworking, warding/protection magic, baneful magic, psychoanalysis, acts of courage, kulning, galdr, utiseta, acts of self care, psychopompery, gardening, meditation and diplomacy, rhetoric, righteous anger, acts of defense and protection, crying and acts of catharsis, acts of love, enjoying the "finer things,” large parties and banquets, dancing, fine art and visual aesthetic

→  Relevant Blog Posts

(to avoid deadlinking, all those listed below circle back to this blog)

It bothers me to see Freyja declawed.

Freyja - How to honour and invoke her.

Gullveig’s Gold Fixation

Kennings for the Vanir: Skáldskaparmál.

Various UPG Kennings

Freyja Primary Sources 

Folkvangr & Sessrumnir UPG

Regarding Devotional Jewelry

Freyja and the Golden Hour

Freyja Starter Kit

Gullveig and the Völuspá

Invoking Freyja

Freyja Pronunciation in Old Norse

On Cats in Norse Pre-Christian Society

Devotional Poetry, 22/6

Small Devotional Acts to Freyja

Bottled Offering for Freyja

Freya Cheat Sheet

Freyja vs. Frigg (short reply)

How to Reach Out to Freyja (UPG)

General Freyja UPG

→  Personal Thoughts & UPG

For those who are too keen, too intense, who fight for an ideal... She is their patron. She strips away illusion and leaves only truth. Freyja is the twilight, the place where light and shadow intersect, the glittering gold of inspiration and the bone-deep satisfaction that comes from exercising ones’ autonomy. She is the Heartseeker and with this talent finds the most valuable aspects of all things. Freyja acts as a mirror for the soul. 

To those she cares for, she is gentle and wiser still. She can exercise great patience and knows how to play the long game. She promotes stability and community and through this, knows how to call upon allies in times of need. She is not simply a goddess of love but a goddess of relations; of friends, enemies and rivalries.

When it is time for war, this darkest aspect of humanity, she revels in the fight and the kill. Never are her hands dirtied, yet Valfreyja loves the taste of blood on the tongue. Righteous fury, shrieks in the darkness, burning the sheds and salting the earth. Her anger is as deep and boundless as her love, for above all things she is a Goddess of Feeling and emotional intensity. 

She is of the human experience. To live is to know Freyja. Those who honor her well will receive the ends they seek. Those who place themself in her contempt will never know peace.

Hail the Vanadis, Chooser of the Slain! Hail Freyja!

[scotiaeire]

The High Seat Rite of Sejd is performed by a Völva and her Sejdhelpers