Seiðr Craft - Chapter 15: The Difference Between Power and Presence
Power can move the unseen, but presence determines whether it stays. This chapter explores why force exhausts, why presence endures, and how the old ways taught that true authority is held in stillness, not display.
The Völva: Seeress, Seiðr and Power in the Norse World
The völva was one of the most powerful and complex figures in the Norse world. Far from a simple “witch,” she was a respected seeress, ritual specialist, and keeper of ancestral knowledge. Appearing in the Eddas, sagas, and archaeological record, the völva practised seiðr, delivered prophecy, and offered counsel that could shape the fate of individuals, families, and even kings. This article explores who the völva truly was, what the historical sources tell us about her role, and how modern interpretations often misunderstand her place in Norse society.
Leif Eriksson: The Voyager Who Carried Dawn Across the Sea
Leif Eriksson did not chase crowns - he chased horizons. Born of exile and ice, he listened to the sea’s whispers and followed the west wind into legend, carrying dawn across storm-torn waters toward Vinland’s green promise. A saga of wonder, leadership, and quiet courage at the world’s edge.
Meili: The Gentle One
Meili is the quiet between lightning and thunder - the gentle, unwounded god who walks unseen through storm and shadow. Brother to Thor and son of Odin, he embodies restraint, balance, and the steady power of calm that preserves worlds when chaos threatens to break them.
Seiðr Craft - Chapter 14: Preparing for Deeper Work
Deeper seiðr does not open to hunger or haste. It waits for stability, restraint, and the quiet strength to stand without reaching. This chapter explores the threshold where readiness is tested and the ground must truly hold.
The Sónargöltr: The Historical Jól (Yule) Boar of the North
The sónargöltr, the sacred boar of the Norse Yule feast, is one of the clearest historical traditions we have from pre-Christian Scandinavia. Described in the sagas as the animal upon which midwinter oaths were sworn, the boar stood at the heart of a ritual honouring Freyr and the renewal of luck for the coming year. Though the old practices have changed, the symbolism of the Yule boar (courage, truth and prosperity) continues to inspire modern Heathens and lovers of northern lore.
Lagertha: The Shieldmaiden Who Danced With Fate
Lagertha was more than a shieldmaiden - she was storm and steel, queen and warrior. This mythic saga explores her courage, leadership, and the fierce dance between fate, honor, and choice.
Gullinbursti: Brilliance in Motion
Forged of gold and fire, Gullinbursti is light in motion - the courage that runs before understanding and the brilliance that dares the dark. This mythic meditation explores hope, momentum, and the radiant force that carries dawn through winter.
Landvættir: The Nature Spirits of Norse Belief
Landvættir are the ancient spirits of the land in Norse belief - guardians of hills, rivers, forests and the spaces we call home. In this article, we explore their history, lore, and symbolism, along with how to honour and connect with them today.
Seiðr Craft - Chapter 13: The Three Voices: Instinct, Emotion, and Vision
In seiðr, three voices speak within the practitioner: instinct from the bones, emotion from the heart, and vision from the deep eye of the craft. This chapter teaches how to hear them clearly, hold them in balance, and choose the thread that truly holds.
Norse Jól (Yule) for Kids: Simple, Family-Friendly Ways to Teach the Old Traditions
Norse Jól doesn’t need to be complex or historically heavy for children. In this guide, I share simple, authentic, and age-appropriate ways to introduce the old northern traditions (alongside modern Yule) so kids feel included, supported, and connected. From storytelling and straw goats to nature walks and gentle winter symbolism, these activities help families create meaningful Jól memories without pressure or dogma.
Nøkken: The Song Beneath the Surface
Not all music frees. Some melodies bind.
This mythic meditation on the Nøkken explores water as memory, longing as lure, and the perilous beauty of listening too deeply to what waits beneath the surface.
Freyr: Lord of the Golden Season
Freyr is not a god of conquest, but of flourishing. This blog is a poetic, lore-rooted meditation on Freyr as Lord of the Golden Season: god of fertility, peace, sacred kingship and courageous generosity. From his shining boar Gullinbursti to the love that cost him his sword, we explore how Freyr’s myths teach us about abundance, sacrifice and what it truly means to let life grow through us.
Mother’s Night (Mōdraniht): The Anglo-Saxon Midwinter Rite and Its Germanic Roots
Mother’s Night, or Mōdraniht, is one of the most mysterious midwinter observances of the early Germanic world. Recorded only once by the Anglo-Saxon monk Bede, it honoured the “Mothers” at the turning of the year. This article explores what Mother’s Night truly was, what evidence we have, how it connects to wider Germanic beliefs, and why it should not be mistaken for a Norse festival. Written with historical care and clear separation between evidence and modern practice.
Seiðr Craft - Chapter 12: The Weight of Words in Seiðr
Speech in seiðr is not expression but consequence - every word a thread cast into the unseen. Silence sharpens the voice, and the voice shapes fate. In this chapter, we walk the edge where breath becomes power and utterance becomes destiny.
Jólablót: The Norse Midwinter Feast of Sacrifice, Spirits and Renewal
Jólablót was the beating heart of the Norse midwinter season - a sacred blend of feasting, sacrifice, ancestral honour and communal strength during the darkest time of the year. Far from the wild stereotypes of Viking revelry, it was a carefully structured ritual meant to nourish luck, uphold cosmic balance and draw kin together when winter was at its hardest. This blog explores what Jólablót truly was, when it was held, how offerings and blessings worked, the gods connected to the festival, and how the celebration transformed under Christianity. Through lore, history and surviving folklore, we uncover the spirit of Jól that still lingers today in modern Scandinavian winter traditions.
Helgi Hundingsbane: The Wolf-Born King Who Walked With Destiny
Before Helgi Hundingsbane ever raised a sword or won a crown, the North had already whispered his name. Born beneath a wolf-shaped star and greeted by omens that trembled through burial mounds and stormlit skies, he entered the world not as a blank soul - but as one returning. His story is carved into the bones of Norse legend: a king shaped by destiny, guarded by wolves, loved by a valkyrie, and followed by shadows older than memory. To walk Helgi’s path is to witness fate unfolding with quiet inevitability, one heartbeat at a time.
Kraken: The Tentacled Silence
Before storms had names and before the first Norse keel carved a path through mist, there was only a whisper beneath the waves. The Kraken was not born - it was noticed. A vast patience stirring in the deep, a consciousness older than fjords and colder than moonlit tides. It is not rage that defines it, but silence: a long pause in the ocean’s song. To encounter the Kraken is to meet the abyss as presence, to feel time slow beneath unseen arms and understand how small a single heartbeat is against the weight of the sea.
Seiðr Craft - Chapter 11: When the Spirits Step Back
There comes a point in every practitioner’s journey when the spirits grow quiet - not in the way of deep, living silence, but in the way of distance. Their presence softens, their signs fade, and the pathways that once opened easily feel closed or unreachable. It is not abandonment, nor punishment. It is a recalibration, a necessary withdrawal that reveals the state of your craft far more honestly than praise or visions ever could.
In seiðr, the spirits step back for many reasons: because your grounding has slipped, your boundaries have blurred, your life has become misaligned, or simply because you are being asked to grow without the comfort of constant contact. Withdrawal is part of the relationship. It tests your steadiness, your patience, your discipline, and your sincerity.
This chapter explores those moments of distance - why they arise, how to recognize them, and how to walk through them without panic or projection. Silence does not mean you are lost. It means you are being reshaped.
Jól (yule): Historical vs Modern Practice
The Twelve Nights of Jól are among the most meaningful traditions of the northern winter. Though widely celebrated today, the modern Twelve Nights differ from historical Norse practice. The old Jól was a lunar-timed, three night sacrificial feast centered on offering, oaths, and sacred peace.
This guide explores what the sources actually tell us (drawn from sagas, law codes, folklore, and later Scandinavian tradition) and how modern Heathens have rebuilt Jól into a living twelve-night devotional cycle. Whether you follow a Norse path or simply seek deeper seasonal meaning, this article offers a clear, grounded look at both the historical and modern Yule.