The Book of Norse Magic E-Book

Cerridwen Greenleaf

• Herausgeber: CICO Books
• Kategorie: Ratgeber
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2022

Beschreibung

Discover the secrets of the Norse people and their magical practices to manifest an enchanted life. Embark on a sacred journey into the marvellous and mystical world of Norse magic, with Wiccan medieval scholar Cerridwen Greenleaf as your guide. Gain insight into the wonders of runes, including the art of divination, spells for protection and how to imbue treasured objects with your personal magic. Learn about Norse mythology, including the stories of the major gods and goddesses and how to call upon them for support and wisdom. Discover the basics of tree magic, such as the legend of Yggdrasil, the tree of life, and how to read omens in nature to avoid misfortune. With Cerridwen Greenleaf's vast knowledge of medieval studies, The Book of Norse Magic is an eminently useful and inspirational handbook on harnessing this ancient power for modern life to bring wellness, calm, love, money and luck.

Leseprobe

THE BOOK OF

Norse Magic

THE BOOK OF

Norse Magic

Charms, incantations, and spells harnessing the power of runes, ancient gods and goddesses, and more

Cerridwen Greenleaf

Published in 2022 by CICO Books

An imprint of Ryland Peters & Small Ltd

20–21 Jockey’s Fields

341 E 116th St

London WC1R 4BW

New York, NY 10029

www.rylandpeters.com

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Text © Brenda Knight 2022

Design, illustration, and photography © CICO Books 2022

(Images on page 60 © Shutterstock.com/Marco Klaue)

The author’s moral rights have been asserted. All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher.

A CIP catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress and the British Library.

ISBN: 978-1-80065-124-1

eISBN: 978-1-80065-173-9

Printed in China

Editor: Caroline West

Illustrator: Nina Hunter

Crystal photographer: Roy Palmer

Commissioning editor: Kristine Pidkameny

Senior commissioning editor: Carmel Edmonds

Senior designer: Emily Breen

Art director: Sally Powell

Creative director: Leslie Harrington

Head of production: Patricia Harrington

Publishing manager: Penny Craig

Publisher: Cindy Richards

Contents

Introduction:

Ancient Magic for the Modern World

Chapter 1:

Runes and Divine Divination

Chapter 2:

Goddesses, Gods, and Legends

Chapter 3:

Forest Folklore

Chapter 4:

Crystal Enchantments and Healing

Chapter 5:

Transformative Essences and Incense

Chapter 6:

Norse Astrology and Lunar Lore

Conclusion:

Leading a Charmed Life Each and Every Day

Index

Acknowledgments

INTRODUCTION:

Ancient Magic for the Modern World

What is Norse magic? Put simply, it is magic that’s deeply rooted in the old ways and helps you forge a personal path which honors the ancient while harnessing the power of the past to enhance today’s daily living. It is a singular craft that champions and encourages individualism, while retaining an all-important connection to a spiritual tribe.

My intention for this book is that it should be your all-inclusive guide to the art of magic for modern-day living. It contains information on the history of magic, as well as its various practices, and marks a next step beyond Wicca (the pagan religion that practices witchcraft) for beginners. If you are a spiritual adventurer who likes to look beyond the visible realm and explore the ancient, hidden, and mysterious—to discover a marvelous and unexpected world of enchantment—then this is the book is for you. It will help you gain a fuller understanding of what makes this kind of Nordic magic unique and provide you with a stepping-off point for self-exploration and the creation of personalized spells and tribal rituals. The chapters contain rituals, charms, and spells, which range from simple “quickie” spells to more complex enchantments designed to mark very special rites of passage and engender the deepest personal transformation. This is an instruction book for anyone hoping to lead an utterly enchanted and empowered life.

Light and Shadow: Creating Your Nordic Altar

There are many ways in which to nurture your truest nature and soul; perhaps the most obvious is to create a Nordic altar. To do this, you can choose the classic symbols of the north and winter—white, icicles, clear crystals, and so on—but do not limit yourself to these. Such symbols only skim the surface of the possibilities. What about a fossil that is frozen in the amber of time? Perhaps a birch branch with delicate lichen barely clinging to the surface. Think of how a frozen lake glistens with many colors and the mystery that lies beneath the surface, both of which can be represented by an iridescent and glittery chunk of labradorite crystal for your altar. Or, as you take a walk in the darkening days leading up to the Winter Solstice (December 21), collect a fallen leaf, which is a perfect dried emblem of the changing season. In your own backyard, you may see a tiny acorn, tucked into the roots of an old oak tree. Place this on your altar as a symbol of potentiality. As you pass by a yard sale, you spy a piece of beautiful carved ivory, an antique whale-tooth scrimshaw depicting an Inuit ritual, and you instantly know it is perfect for your sacred space. In the back of your closet, you find a snow globe you prized as a child; it has swirling, snowy flakes inside a perfect sphere. Suddenly, you remember your favorite Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale, The Snow Queen. You place the book on your altar and open to a gorgeously pre-Raphaelite depiction of this royal embodiment of the Winter Soul.

Encouraged and feeling more open and adventurous, you try your hand at art. You paint a triptych for your altar—a hoary sky, the palest of suns struggling to shine, a low-hung harvest moon, all beautiful blues with a sapphire night sky and silver stars. As you think about the heavens above and the firmament in which hang the stars, moon, sun, and all the planets, you are struck by a sense of the sacred. You feel how very special it is to be alive on this planet, perhaps an accident and most definitely a miracle. As you think about it, you can almost feel the swing of the Earth on its axis as it spins around the sun. Now more than ever, you feel so very alive.

DUSK IS DIVINE ALTAR CONSECRATION RITUAL

Once you have collected items for your altar and arranged everything to your liking, now is the time to consecrate the space. You can use a ritual of your own or follow the simple instructions provided here. The best time to perform this ritual is at dusk.

Gather Together

Balsam fir incense 1 purple candle

1 white candle Matches

Single white feather

The incense should come from a resinous tree, ideally one that grows in northern lands such as the balsam fir (Abies balsamea) or Norway spruce (Picea abies). Light the candles and place them on your altar. Now, light the incense and fan it with the feather, as birds are the harbingers of change. As you breathe in the scented smoke, pray aloud:

I welcome positive inside of me,

I know my deepest wish is real and right.

I will my spirit to be free

Under this silver moon in this dark night.

Spirits of the heavens—bless this space with all due grace.

So mote it be!

RUNES AND DIVINE DIVINATION

Runes were hugely important to the Norse people. Discover how these mystical symbols can offer insight into the future as well as enhance other witchy rituals.

An Introduction to Runes as a Magical Tool

During the Dark Ages, northern Europeans practiced a sort of “primal paganism.” The Germanic tribes of northern Europe included the Goths (the Visigoths and Ostrogoths from southern Scandinavia); the Vandals from what is now southern Poland; the Lombards from northwest Germany; the Burgundians, a Scandinavian people from the southern shores of the Baltic Sea; and the Franks who hailed from near the Rhine River in Germany. These tribes (or Goths as they popularly became known) made quite a name for themselves as they moved across Europe, spreading destruction in their wake and even ransacking the mighty Rome. Their violent antics earned them the name “barbarian,” which was later replaced by the much more colorful term goth, meaning “uncivilized.” Gothic spirituality was informed by a mythology that is best described by the Roman historian Tacitus in Germany and Its Tribes: “In their ancient songs, their only way of remembering or recording the past, they celebrate an earth-born god Tuisco, and his son Mannus, as the origin of race, as their founders.” Powerful female elders, or “seeresses,” passed down this pagan mythology through an oral tradition. Runes, a symbolic system used for signs and omens, were the only form of writing used by these tribes.

I count myself as coming from this Germanic lineage to a great extent, a belief that stems from family lore backed up scientifically by a DNA test I took a couple of years ago. The discovery of my heritage has inspired this aspect of my work. Furthermore, one of the great delights of my life in recent years was discovering from my DNA test that I have a West African great-great-grandparent and a Native American great-great-grandparent. I count myself fortunate indeed to have these many connections in my makeup, but I wish to emphasize that Norse magic is for absolutely everyone! I feel it is also important to point out that Norse magic is, of course, white magic in that it is positive and not negative, or black, magic.

I feel very connected to this ancestry and to my forebears, sensing in particular the power of the women who came before me. I have also noticed that as I grow older, my psychic ability becomes stronger. I can often “feel” what people are thinking. I suddenly just know things and believe that my work with tools of divination has enhanced this latent ability in me and can also do the same for you. I have worked with runes since high school and was greatly inspired to build upon that foundation once I saw the scientific evidence of my Nordic roots.

Runes and the Wisdom of the Divine

Runes are the letters that make up the runic alphabet—an ancient writing system that was used by various Germanic peoples, from Sweden to Germany to the British Isles, to transcribe their languages. The earliest known inscriptions come from around 150 CE and the same runes are still being used today for many forms of divination and magic. The straight, angular strokes that make up the characters made them ideal for cutting into slabs of wood along the grain. There were also no horizontal strokes, which meant that carving the runes would not cause the wood to split.

Runes are most often associated with the Vikings, and the word itself is derived from the Common Germanic word runo, meaning “letter, mystery, or secret.” Each rune represented a speech sound, but was also thought to have its own distinct, alternate meanings, which were linked to the cultural and religious beliefs of the Germanic peoples.

DISCOVER THE RUNES THAT ARE RIGHT FOR YOU

Long ago, I chose the lovely and very sturdy Anglo-Saxon Futhark as the runes I work with. It was based on how they looked to me and I could see the ancient lineage in how the runes were shaped. I have never looked back and my affection for them grows over time. There are other choices so do study the runes and spend time with them, drawing and contemplating them. It won’t be long before you make your choice of the runes that resonates the most for you to employ in your magical workings. The various rune sets include:

• Elder Futhark (2nd to 8th centuries)

• Anglo-Saxon runes (5th to 11th centuries)

• “Marcomannic runes” (8th to 9th centuries)

• Younger Futhark (9th to 11th centuries)

• Medieval runes (12th to 15th centuries)

• 3.6 Dalecarlian runes (16th to 19th centuries)

Rune Meanings

Ansuz (A): Sign/Message

This rune is primarily associated with communication. It can be a sign of inspiration or divine wisdom, truth-seeking, advice, and visions. If this rune is reversed, that can mean you are not being open-minded, or point to difficulties in communication.

Berkana (B): Birch Goddess

Berkana represents fertility and the growth of new relationships and projects, as well as spiritual and emotional growth, regeneration, family, nurturing, and the flexibility of the birch tree. Its reversed meaning can be a sign of anxiety or familial issues.

Dagaz (D): Day

Dagaz symbolizes innovation. It suggests clarity and a new awakening. It is a hopeful symbol that connotes change, beginnings, and contentment, and cannot be reversed.

Ehwaz (E): Horse

This rune is symbolic of movement. As the rune of the horse, Ehwaz is related to transportation, moving on from past hurts, positive changes, teamwork, consistent progress, and devotion. When reversed, it may be indicative of a longing for change, restlessness, or a lack of trust.

Eihwaz (EI): Yew

The rune of the yew is related to spiritual transformation, the passing of the old to make way for the new, endurance, trustworthiness, and intention. It has no reverse.

Fehu (F): Wealth/Cattle

Fehu represents possessions, either earned or won wealth, great prosperity, luck, and happiness. The reversed rune can be a sign of loss related to money, personal belongings, or even self-esteem or emotional burnout. It may also indicate greed.

Gebo (G): Gift

This rune represents exchanges, gift-giving, blessings, relationships, talents, balance, and generosity. This is a very positive rune, and it has no reverse. It may, however, be in opposition, in which case it can mean excessive self-sacrifice, loneliness, greed, or obligation.

Hagalaz (H): Hail

Just like natural disaster, Hagalaz symbolizes sudden and often irreversible change that is out of one’s control. It has the potential for disruption and destruction, but it is also a sign of lessons learned through hardship. Hagalaz does not have a reverse.

Isa (I): Ice

This rune is related to a trial or challenge and exasperation, and is often symbolic of a stalemate or delay. It indicates a time to wait and find perspective in the stillness. Isa cannot be reversed.

Jera (J): Harvest

Jera is indicative of reaping the fruits of one’s labors, a period of immense joy, and cycles of life, gratitude, and abundance. It is another rune that has no reverse.

Kenaz (K): Illumination

The rune Kenaz is literally translated as a “torch made of pine wood” and symbolizes fire and light. It is connected to enlightenment, knowledge, creativity, and new energies. It is also a rune of transformation. Reversed, its meaning is often related to creative blocks, blindness to truth, false hope, and the destructive power of unattended fire.

Laguz (L): Water/Lake

Laguz represents the element of water, and as such it is strongly associated with emotions and dreamwork. It is a sign of healing, respite, imagination, and psychic abilities. It can be taken as a hint to let go of old behaviors and ideas that are harmful or no longer serving you. Reversed, this rune is associated with confusion and fear, poor decisions, or a feeling of being overwhelmed.

Mannaz (M): Man

This rune symbolizes humankind and the self. It is related to your identity and the opinions you have of others, and vice versa. It represents relationships, morality, and collaboration. Reversed, it can be a sign of delusion, loneliness, seclusion, and manipulation.

Nauthiz (N): Need

Nauthiz is a rune that indicates we need something or that something is missing in our lives. It is also related to restraint, patience, survival, persistence, affliction, and hardship that overwhelms. It can be a harsh rune and has no reverse. Positive and negative meanings in this rune are inextricably connected.

Ingwaz (NG): God of Fertility

This rune symbolizes fertility, sexuality, family and the home, fulfillment, practicality, restfulness, and peace of mind. This rune has no reverse.

Othala (O): Inheritance

Othala is indicative of one’s homeland, tradition, heritage, heirlooms, destiny, and ancestral power. It can be related to your family ties and the strength of your relationships. When reversed, it can mean poverty, neglectfulness, obsession with the material, and bad luck.

Perthro (P): Unknown Meaning

The precise meaning of this rune is unknown. However, it is associated with destiny, fortune, matters of the future, change, and secrets. The reversed meaning can be hopelessness, inaction, and unsuccessful risk-taking.

Raidho (R): Journey

Raidho is a rune connected to travel, change, cycles, and open-mindedness. Reversed, it is a sign of inflexibility, close-mindedness, stagnation, and a lack of perspective.

SowilŌ (S): Sun

This rune is symbolic of the power of the sun, happiness, positive growth, good luck, passion, and health. There is no reverse of Sowilō.

Tiwaz (T): Justice

This rune is representative of Tyr, the Norse god of treaty, law, and justice (see page 42). It symbolizes victory, authority, confidence, honor, and good judgment, and it also indicates the leadership, honor, self-assurance, and tenacity of a warrior. Reversed, it can mean you are struggling with blocks, a loss of vigor, failure, or some form of disparity.

Thurisaz (TH): Giant

Thurisaz indicates power, struggle, force, and sudden change. It has cathartic associations and can have a cleansing, purgative meaning for you. Reversed, this rune can be a sign of danger, frustration, treachery, or an inability to defend yourself.

Uruz (U): Wild Ox

The ox rune is a symbol of strength, confidence, hard work and dedication, health, and power. Reversed, it symbolizes weakness, aggression, illness, or loss of motivation.

Wunjo (W): Joy

This is the rune of reward, victory, prosperity, pleasure, security, happiness, and harmony. Its reverse is related to sadness and dismay or loss.

Algiz (Z): Elk

Algiz is a symbol of shielding. It indicates protection from evil, defense, and guardianship. Its reversed meaning warns of a potential danger hidden in your path.

Odin (Unknown): Blank

Odin’s rune is left blank, symbolizing one’s unknowable fate—the mysteries and secrets that the future holds. In a reading, it could be a sign that there are aspects of your question which cannot be answered. It can also replace one of your pieces if it is lost. (For more on the Norse god Odin, see page 38.)