Seiðr Magic
The Norse Tradition of Divination and Trance
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- £8.99
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- £8.99
Publisher Description
• Explains the techniques used to achieve trance in seiðr, how to journey in the Nine Realms, and the different gods and spirits you may encounter
• Discusses the tools of seiðr, such as the seiðr staff and hood, and how to create them, empower them, and care for them
• Details Norse divination methods, ways to alter fate, healing techniques, the use of protective songs, and the practice of Norse soul retrieval
While Norse rune work is well known, there is another major ancient Norse magical practice: seiðr (pronounced "sayther"), a form of trance spirit work and divination. Although seiðr is often considered an ancient form of witchcraft, recent archaeological evidence suggests it is more closely related to shamanism.
In this practical guide to seiðr, Dean Kirkland, Ph.D., reconstructs the magical and shamanic techniques of the seiðr priest or priestess using the sagas and other literature from the Viking Age, tools found in the archaeological record, and surviving indigenous shamanic traditions. He addresses the misconception that seiðr was reserved only for women and shows how anyone called to this work can practice it in the modern world. He discusses the tools of seiðr—how to create them, empower them, and care for them—and he explores the use of protective songs (varðlokur) that involve forming bonds with spirits, a practice he likens to the medicine songs of Amazonian shamans.
Looking at trance journeying in the Nine Realms of the Norse cosmos, the author discusses the different gods and spirits the seiðr practitioner may encounter in the Upper, Middle, and Lower realms. He shares methods of divination using the seiðr staff as well as ways to alter ørlög, or fate, through spiritual work. Discussing soul-healing techniques in seiðr, the author looks in depth at the Norse shamanic practices of soul retrieval and reintegration of the soul parts. He then explores the role of seiðr in death, dying, and dealing with the dead, including work with the valkyries and the ancestors.
Presenting a historically based handbook for contemporary heathens, this book offers a practical path for anyone seeking to explore Norse trance magic and mysticism.
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Kirkland debuts with a balanced, top-to-bottom overview of seiđr, a medieval Scandinavian form of shamanism in which practitioners use rhythmic drum beats to enter a state of ecstatic trance. Drawing on Norse legend as well as personal gnosis (here, a collective source of "experiential" shamanic knowledge), the author outlines tools necessary for the practice (including a wooden staff and "armor" imbued by the power of visiting spirits). Suggested exercises include singing varđlokur (ward songs) to attract spirits, contacting lesser norns ("supernatural figures" associated with birth and life) to probe the intricacies of one's fate, and requesting advice from powerful spirits through útiseta, or sitting outside "from dusk until dawn" in physical discomfort to incite their pity. Writing that Christianity's spread had already begun to extinguish seiđr by the late Middle Ages, Kirkland wisely eschews strict "reconstructionist" approaches and instead encourages readers to adapt seiđr to their lives as a "living, growing tradition." Accompanied by a useful glossary and pronunciation guide, this will be welcomed by those wishing to expand their knowledge of Heathenry and its traditions.