I’ll add another human observation. Families have traditions. Thanksgiving, Christmas—every household has its own way within a shared frame. It’s nonsense to imagine álfablót was so alien to human habit that every farm did it identically. The sources themselves imply the opposite: secrecy, household control, variation.
“Better no offering than an oversized one. A gift always calls for a return. Better no sending than over sacrificing. So þundr endured.”
Spirits need some. Please note it’s not saying you have to give blood, which is good because blood is not my way. It Doesn’t need to be fancy. It doesn’t need to be overpowering. A little offering is better than an oversized one. So a little bit goes a long way.
The little yellow-kilted fairy was hiding. I could smell him as a fish in the water, so I dived into a lake. So: I met the Salmon of Knowledge, tried not to steal his scroll-sweets, and learned that some guardians are strict but fair—and that kisses, not hooks, weave the better wyrd.
The most dangerous spirits don’t announce themselves with horns and sulfur. They come wearing the faces of the gods you trust. I had another one get through my wards last night. I, by the way, did all the things you’re supposed to do: It was clever, presenting itself as Wōðnaz, with a friend masquerading as […]
From reclaimed church bricks to spirited soul-retrievals with Loki and Thor—how I raised a humble, living vé in my own backyard.
You can watch the video at Youtube or catch it below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9cOtddwyeQ I’ve tried and failed to make this video several times. I’m very close to the material and tend to go on wandering paths, so I’ll be reading from my notes to stay on topic. This is a subject that genuinely needs to be […]
Or should I say… the Nine Herb Galdr. For shits and giggles, I looked into the Nine Herb Charm after hearing about it on Youtube. I found some English translations, but something – maybe my friend spirit or something – said the translations lacked. And what the hell. I’ve been reading Middle English sort of […]
I may never be able to tell the full tale, but here’s part that we can learn from. Transcript: Hi everybody, I’m sitting here with Loki’s family.You can see Byleister or… I’m not really good at pronouncing the word so Byleistr, Byleistr.You can see Helblindi leaving the nest to go find his way.In the house […]
The podcast has went a new direction.
So this morning as I was waking up – you know that liminal space where you’re not quite asleep but not fully awake yet – I was talking with someone whose face was surrounded by autumn leaves. They were beautiful leaves; reds and oranges, perfect looking with no holes or rips. Her face was almost […]
I am up way before dawn because I couldn’t sleep, and then I found out it was Lion’s Gate. So with cigarette in one hand and ashtray in another I did my ritual, calling a full manifestation down, hearing a subtle “and stand among the stars” with each direction to the point I finally obeyed […]
I walked into the hall of the grotto to see feathers flip upward. I heard them as they went, and looked at a man weighed down with sorrow. He asked me to “turn back time”, bent so I could see his weathered face, and I… patted his cheek because he was so sad and tried […]
I had a spiritual journey months ago. I’d found how to dance, how to fly, how to world walk. And then as a newbie awakening shaman with no guide the way you should have, I became a prey animal. I was attacked early on and never knew it. I was pushed and used. I could […]
With all that I’ve been doing of late, I took the pop up 10×10 I used for fairs and set it up in the backyard with the help of Many Cats. That’s my little temple now, my vé. I’m still figuring things out, but I have used it for one ritual. I like to […]
I walk the dead. I always have. There was this one time my husband’s roommate had been caught in an explosion, and he was on a bed in the hospital waiting. He knew they would save him. He was waiting to be seen, and his faith made the people walking around him not matter. Invisible […]
Song singer starts alone, Five steadfast fly to her side. Mind-gold passed by sacred bond, Steps run where gods dare not stride. Balance measured, fates entwined, Six weave paths to bind the lands. Lies undone, Trickster’s truth is sung, Red sun blesses life’s fate strand. Spear asleep in wisdom’s hall, Peace held firm, a cradle’s […]
I heard my father protest like this once, “I’m a dreamer. I’m not the other kind.” I’m paraphrasing that last sentence – I can’t remember the word he used for ‘the other kind’. He might have said ‘shaman’ for all I know. According to Frank Speck’s paper – the one that reassured me that I […]
The Midē´wiwin. This is the “official” society for the mide, or the shaman. It’s Ojibwe in origin, but the religion has been spreading so that it even touches the coasts where my own people were originally from. They’re supposedly secretive. I’ve seen public lodge pages and drum circles you can pay to go to. The […]