A comprehensive grimoire of correspondences, substitutions, and symbolic equivalents in Viking Trolldom

Foretale: The Language of Layers

In the Old Ways of the North, magick was never literal — it was symbolic, poetic, and layered with meaning. The völva and the cunning folk understood that all things possess hamr (form) and hugr (spirit), and that one could stand in place of another if the essence remained true.

This is the art of kenning in magick — just as the skalds called the sea “whale-road” and gold “Freyja’s tears,” so too did the practitioners of trolldom speak in riddles and substitutions. What appears to be one thing conceals another truth beneath.

This guide reveals the hidden tongue of Nordic sorcery, where nothing is quite as it seems, and everything resonates with deeper significance.

I. Blóð og Lífi — Blood and Life Force

The Sacred Substance

In ancient practice, blood (blóð) was the ultimate carrier of life force, ancestry, and personal power. It sealed oaths, consecrated runes, and fed the spirits. Yet in modern practice, we honor the essence without the literal sacrifice.

Symbolic Substitutions for Blood:

Red Wine (Most Common)

• Why it works: The color, the richness, the fermentation process that transforms — wine carries the spirit of sacrifice without harm
• When to use: Consecrating tools, feeding talismans, sealing petitions, offerings to ancestors
• Traditional note: Mead is even more powerful, being sacred to Odin and the gods

Red Ochre or Iron Oxide Paint

• Why it works: The earth’s blood, the same pigment our ancestors used in cave paintings and burial rites
• When to use: Marking runes permanently, painting sigils on stone or wood
• Preparation: Mix powder with water or oil

Pomegranate Juice

• Why it works: Ancient symbol of life, death, and rebirth; deep crimson like heart’s blood
• When to use: Workings involving transformation, underworld journeys, women’s mysteries

Beetroot Juice

• Why it works: Earth-grown, blood-red, stains like true blood
• When to use: Folk magick, hedge witchery, practical substitution

Red Ink (Dragon’s Blood Ink)

• Why it works: The resin of dragon’s blood carries protective and empowering properties
• When to use: Writing petitions, drawing sigils, marking boundaries
• Recipe: Grind dragon’s blood resin, mix with alcohol (vodka or rubbing alcohol) and gum arabic

Your Own Spit (Mixed with Red Wine)

• Why it works: Saliva carries your DNA, your essence, your hamr
• When to use: Personal workings where your unique signature is required
• Note: This honors bodily sovereignty — nothing taken that the body doesn’t freely give

When Literal Blood IS Used (Rarely):

Only in the most serious of oaths, the most personal of bindings:

• A single drop from a finger prick (lancet, sterile)
• Menstrual blood (freely given, most powerful for women’s magick)
• Always with reverence, never wastefully
• Always with clear intent and understanding of the weight

The Old Law: Blood calls to blood. Use it wisely, for once spilled, it cannot be taken back.

II. Líkami og Hluti — Body and Personal Concerns

The Power of the Personal

In trolldom, anything connected to a person carries their hamingja (personal luck/spirit). These are called “personal concerns” or “links.”

Safe and Ethical Personal Concerns:

Hair (Hár)

• Your own: supremely powerful, freely given
• Another’s: only with explicit permission, never taken by stealth
• Use: Placed in mojo bags, wrapped in petitions, buried in earth workings
• Color significance: Red hair for passion, dark for grounding, light for clarity

Nail Clippings (Neglur)

• Your own: excellent for self-transformation work
• Cut during waxing moon for growth work, waning for banishing
• Burn or bury after magickal use; never leave vulnerable

Saliva (Munnvatn)

• Mix into inks, anoint candles, add to jars
• Most intimate form of marking something as “yours”

Handwriting (Skrif)

• Your signature carries your authority
• Write your name nine times on petition paper
• The motion of your hand imprints your will

Worn Clothing Scraps (Föt)

• A thread from a garment worn close to skin
• Carries your scent, your warmth, your daily energy
• Never use someone else’s without permission

Photographs (Modern Tool)

• Face-up for blessing, face-down for binding
• Placed under candles, in jars, buried in earth work
• Write name on back in your own hand

Breath (Andi)

• Breathe onto objects to charge them
• Three breaths or nine breaths (sacred numbers)
• Your breath carries your önd, your life-spirit

What We NEVER Use:

• Bodily waste (urine, feces) — degrading, contrary to Northern honor culture
• Anything taken without consent — violates reciprocity, the heart of Northern ethics
• Sexual fluids without mutual sacred context — these are too powerful for casual use

The Old Law: What is freely given holds true power. What is stolen carries poison for both parties.

III. Jarðefni og Málmur — Earth Substances and Metals

The Bones of the World

The North was built on stone, iron, and the bones of giants. Each substance carries specific virtues.

Grave Dirt (Grafarjörð)

What it truly is: Soil from graveyards, cemetery earth
Why it’s used: Connection to ancestors, the dead, underworld power, chthonic energy

How to gather ethically:

1. Never from a fresh grave (disrespectful, unstable energy)
2. Only from old, well-tended cemeteries
3. Leave an offering: coin, flowers, whiskey, tobacco
4. Take only a small amount (palmful)
5. Ask permission from the spirits of the place
6. Preferred: from your own ancestor’s graves (with permission from living family)

Uses in trolldom:

• Protection work (the dead guard the living)
• Justice work (calling on ancestral witness)
• Necromancy and ancestor veneration
• Grounding extremely powerful magick

Substitution if uncomfortable: Soil from beneath an ancient tree, earth from crossroads, ash from your own hearth

Crossroads Dirt (Vegamótajörð)

What it represents: Liminal space, choice, Odin the Wanderer, Mercury/Wotan energy

How to gather:

• From actual crossroads (preferably rural, where paths truly cross)
• At dawn or midnight (liminal times)
• Leave offering of three coins
• Take from the center where paths intersect

Uses:

• Road opening work
• Decision magick
• Communication with spirits who walk between worlds
• Removing obstacles

Substitution: Dirt from your own threshold (where inside meets outside)

Iron (Járn)

The Troll-Slayer, the Elf-Bane

Why it’s powerful: Iron cuts through illusion, breaks harmful magick, grounds chaotic energy
Historical note: Trolls and hidden folk cannot abide iron

Forms used in magick:

• Iron nails: Driven into ward posts, placed in bottles, buried at corners
• Horseshoe: Hung above doors (open end up to “hold” luck)
• Iron filings: Fed to lodestones, sprinkled in protection work
• Railroad spikes: Boundary markers, heavy grounding work
• Knife or blade: Ritual tool, cuts cords, severs unwanted connections

Uses:

• Protection against malevolent magick
• Grounding after spiritual work
• Cutting cords and attachments
• Strengthening will and boundaries

Salt (Salt)

The Purifier

Types and uses:

• Sea salt: Most powerful, contains ocean’s primordial memory
• Black salt (homemade): Mix sea salt with ash from protection incense, adds banishing power
• Himalayan pink salt: Gentle, nurturing protection

Applications:

• Lines at thresholds (keeps out negativity)
• In ward bottles
• Cleansing baths
• Floor washes
• Cast in circles for sacred space

The Old Law: Salt preserves, salt purifies, salt protects. But salt also sterilizes — use it wisely in fertility or growth work.

Ash (Aska)

The Residue of Transformation

Types:

• Hearth ash: Home protection, ancestral connection
• Incense ash: Carries the virtue of the herbs burned
• Paper ash: Petitions burned to send wishes to the gods
• Wood ash (specific trees):
  • Oak: Strength, doorways, Thor’s protection
  • Rowan: Protection against magick, anti-hex
  • Ash tree: World Tree connection, cosmic axis
  • Birch: New beginnings, purification

Uses:

• Mixed with salt for black salt
• Added to floor washes
• Drawn as protective marks
• Scattered at crossroads as offering

IV. Jurtir og Runnar — Herbs and Their Hidden Names

The Green Allies

In trolldom, every plant is both medicine and magick. The naming of herbs often conceals their true purpose.

Protective Herbs (Hlífðarjurtir):

Juniper (Einir)

• Hidden name: “Troll-bane,” “Spirit-cleanser”
• Uses: Smoke cleansing, protection, purification
• Why: Grows in harsh Northern climates, hardy, sharp-needled
• Preparation: Burn dried berries and needles as incense

Rowan (Reynir)

• Hidden name: “Witch-wood,” “Protection-tree”
• Uses: Anti-hex, protection against harmful magick
• Why: Sacred to Thor, red berries like drops of blood
• Preparation: Carry berries, carve wands from branches, hang above doors

Mugwort (Mungát)

• Hidden name: “Dream-weaver,” “Traveler’s friend”
• Uses: Psychic protection, prophetic dreams, astral travel
• Why: Associated with Artemis and moon goddesses, protective mother energy
• Preparation: Smoke before sleep, stuff in dream pillows, bathe before ritual

Angelica (Hvönn)

• Hidden name: “Angel-root,” “Holy Ghost plant”
• Uses: Powerful protection, strength, removing curses
• Why: Tall, strong-stalked, grows in harsh conditions
• Preparation: Carry root, burn as incense, add to protection sachets

Attraction Herbs (Togatjurtir):

Rose (Rós)

• Hidden name: “Heart-opener,” “Love’s signature”
• Uses: Love, friendship, beauty, emotional healing
• Colors: Red for passion, pink for gentle love, white for purity
• Preparation: Petals in honey jars, rosewater for anointing

Yarrow (Vallhumall)

• Hidden name: “Warrior’s woundwort,” “Love divination”
• Uses: Love, courage, psychic powers, protection
• Why: Used to staunch warriors’ bleeding, hence “draws” things to it
• Preparation: Carry for courage, use in love sachets, tea for psychic opening

Meadowsweet (Móðir)

• Hidden name: “Bride’s herb,” “Queen of the meadow”
• Uses: Love, happiness, peace, harmony
• Why: Sweet scent, historically used at weddings
• Preparation: In love workings, peace water, harmony jars

Cinnamon (Kanill)

• Hidden name: “Fast luck,” “Money draw”
• Uses: Wealth, success, speed, passion
• Why: Expensive spice, symbolizes luxury
• Preparation: Powder in money work, whole sticks in prosperity bowls

Cleansing Herbs (Hreinsunarjurtir):

Pine (Fura)

• Hidden name: “Forest cleaner,” “Renewal”
• Uses: Purification, healing, renewal
• Preparation: Needles in baths, resin as incense, branches for sweeping

Birch (Björk)

• Hidden name: “New beginning,” “Purifier”
• Uses: Fresh starts, cleansing, fertility
• Why: First tree to leaf in spring, symbolizes rebirth
• Preparation: Bark in baths, twigs in besoms, leaves in renewal work

Lavender (Ljúffur)

• Hidden name: “Peace-bringer,” “Sleep’s friend”
• Uses: Calming, cleansing, peace, protection
• Preparation: Smoke cleansing, sachets, baths, peace water

Power Herbs (Mátturjurtir):

Nettle (Þistill/Brenninetla)

• Hidden name: “Warrior’s courage,” “Hex-breaker”
• Uses: Courage, protection, breaking curses, male vitality
• Why: Stings to defend itself, grows aggressively
• Preparation: Dried in strength sachets, burned for courage, tea for empowerment (carefully)

Dragon’s Blood (Drekablóð)

• Hidden name: “Power resin,” “Protection-blood”
• Uses: Power, protection, potency, sealing
• Why: Red resin, named for dragons, ancient and primal
• Preparation: Ground into ink, burned as incense, added to oils

High John the Conqueror Root (Sigurvísir rót)

• Hidden name: “Master root,” “Victory root”
• Uses: Success, power, confidence, luck
• Note: Not Nordic in origin but adopted into Northern practice
• Nordic equivalent: Angelica root serves similar purpose
• Preparation: Carried whole, fed with oils, added to power bags

V. Tölur og Tímar — Numbers and Sacred Times

The Mathematics of magick

The Norse mind understood that number carried power, that time was not linear but cyclical, and that certain moments thinned the veil between worlds.

Sacred Numbers in Trolldom:

Three (Þrír)

• Significance: The Norns (Urð, Verðandi, Skuld), past-present-future, beginning-middle-end
• Uses:
  • Speak incantations three times
  • Knock three times
  • Fold papers three times
  • Three knots in cord magick
  • Three days for certain workings
• Why it works: Completion of a cycle, the divine trinity present in most cultures

Nine (Níu)

• Significance: The most sacred number — nine worlds, nine nights Odin hung, nine in Norse cosmology
• Uses:
  • Carve runes nine times
  • Tie nine knots
  • Repeat charms nine times
  • Work for nine days or nine nights
  • Nine herbs charm
  • Nine pieces in a charm bag
• Why it works: 3 x 3, completion of completions, the number of mysteries

Seven (Sjö)

• Significance: Seven days of the week (named for gods), seven classical planets
• Uses:
  • Seven-day candle work
  • Seven knots
  • Seven herbs
• Note: More common in Christian-influenced folk magick but adopted into Nordic practice

Thirteen (Þrettán)

• Significance: The full moons in a year, the number of lunar months
• Uses:
  • Lunar magick
  • Women’s mysteries
  • Witchcraft workings
• Why it works: Unlucky in Christian culture but powerful in the Old Ways — the number beyond completion, the wildcard

Sacred Times (Helgi Tímar):

Dawn (Dögun)

• Power: New beginnings, clarity, purification, road opening
• Planetary hour: Sun’s first light
• Best for: Cleansing, new ventures, clarity work, petitions to sky gods

Noon (Hádegi)

• Power: Full strength, maximum solar power, banishing
• Planetary hour: Sun at zenith
• Best for: Success work, empowerment, charging talismans

Dusk (Rökkur)

• Power: Threshold time, between day and night, liminal
• Planetary hour: Neither day nor night
• Best for: Communication with spirits, transformation, boundary work

Midnight (Miðnætti)

• Power: Deep magick, underworld connection, shadow work
• Planetary hour: Darkest point
• Best for: Binding, banishing, necromancy, working with Hel’s realm

The Witching Hour (3:00 AM)

• Power: Veil at thinnest, spirit communication
• Note: Inverted trinity (3:00 opposite of 3:00 PM)
• Best for: Deep trance, dangerous magick, spirit work
• Warning: Not for beginners, requires strong protection

Moon Phases (Tunglskipti):

New Moon (Nýi)

• Power: Void, potential, planting seeds, new beginnings
• Best for: Setting intentions, planning, starting new ventures
• Avoid: Major workings (too little energy)

Waxing Moon (Vaxandi)

• Power: Growth, increase, drawing toward
• Best for: Attraction work, building, prosperity, love drawing
• Peak: First quarter to full

Full Moon (Fullr)

• Power: Maximum power, completion, fulfillment, illumination
• Best for: Any working requiring power, charging tools, consecration
• Goddesses: Freyja’s time, women’s mysteries
• Note: The seiðr practitioners preferred full moons

Waning Moon (Minnkandi)

• Power: Decrease, banishing, releasing, removing
• Best for: Cleansing, hex-breaking, binding, sending away
• Peak: Last quarter to dark moon

Dark Moon (Myrkur)

• Power: Death before rebirth, deep shadow work, underworld
• Best for: Banishing, binding, cursing (if justified), divination, crone wisdom
• Warning: Powerful but dangerous; not for the inexperienced

Days of the Week (Vikudagar):

Monday (Mánudagur — Moon’s Day)

• Planetary ruler: Moon
• Best for: Psychic work, dreams, women’s magick, emotions, tides

Tuesday (Þriðjudagur — Tyr’s Day)

• Planetary ruler: Mars/Tyr
• Best for: Courage, justice, victory, warrior magick, legal matters

Wednesday (Miðvikudagur — Odin’s Day/Mercury’s Day)

• Planetary ruler: Mercury/Odin
• Best for: Communication, magick itself, wisdom, divination, trickery

Thursday (Fimmtudagur — Thor’s Day/Jupiter’s Day)

• Planetary ruler: Jupiter/Thor
• Best for: Protection, prosperity, abundance, strength, expansion

Friday (Föstudagur — Freyja’s Day/Venus’s Day)

• Planetary ruler: Venus/Freyja
• Best for: Love, beauty, pleasure, fertility, seiðr magick

Saturday (Laugardagur — Bath Day/Saturn’s Day)

• Planetary ruler: Saturn
• Best for: Binding, banishing, endings, discipline, time magick, ancestor work

Sunday (Sunnudagur — Sun’s Day)

• Planetary ruler: Sun
• Best for: Success, vitality, health, leadership, solar magick

Seasonal Powers (Árstíðir):

Yule (Jól) — Winter Solstice

• Power: Rebirth of sun, longest night, ancestor time
• Dates: December 20-23
• Best for: Divination, ancestor work, protection for the coming year

Imbolc/Dísablót — Early February

• Power: First stirrings of spring, honoring female spirits (dísir)
• Best for: Women’s magick, purification, preparing for growth

Spring Equinox (Ostara/Várþing)

• Power: Balance, renewal, planting
• Best for: New ventures, balance work, fertility

Beltane (Valborgsmässoafton) — May Eve

• Power: Peak fertility, fire, passion, thinning veil
• Best for: Love magick, protection (bonfires), fertility

Summer Solstice (Miðsumar)

• Power: Peak sun, maximum light, fae activity
• Best for: Gathering herbs at peak potency, any solar work

Lammas/Freyfaxi — Early August

• Power: First harvest, honoring Frey, gratitude
• Best for: Prosperity, giving thanks, preparing for darker half

Autumn Equinox (Haustjafndægur)

• Power: Second harvest, balance, preparing for darkness
• Best for: Balance, completion, gratitude

Samhain/Veturnætur (Winter Nights) — October 31 – November 1

• Power: Veil at thinnest, ancestor communication, new year
• Best for: Divination, necromancy, honoring dead, protection

VI. Litir og Merkingar — Colors and Their Hidden Speech

The Language of Hue

Each color carries galdr (magick song) in visual form, speaking directly to the parts of consciousness that existed before words.

Color Correspondences in Northern magick:

Red (Rauður)

• Element: Fire
• Planetary: Mars/Tyr
• Meanings: Passion, courage, vitality, blood, life force, war, sexuality
• Used for: Love (passionate), strength, courage, victory, protection (aggressive)
• Candle work: Fast action, intense emotion, warrior spirit
• Thread/cloth: Binding lovers, courage sachets, victory banners
• Warning: Can be too aggressive; use with clear intent

White (Hvítur)

• Element: Air/Spirit
• Planetary: Moon
• Meanings: Purity, clarity, cleansing, truth, spirit contact, peace
• Used for: Cleansing, blessing, communication with pure spirits, healing, peace
• Candle work: All-purpose, can substitute for any color in need
• Thread/cloth: Purification, healing, spiritual protection
• Note: The color of snow, of fresh beginnings

Black (Svartur)

• Element: Earth/Void
• Planetary: Saturn
• Meanings: Banishing, binding, protection (absorptive), mystery, the void, endings
• Used for: Banishing negativity, binding harmful people, protection, shadow work, crone magick
• Candle work: Absorbs negativity, creates barriers, binding
• Thread/cloth: Binding, banishing, heavy protection
• Note: Not “evil” — it’s the fertile void from which all things come

Green (Grænn)

• Element: Earth
• Planetary: Venus/Freyja
• Meanings: Growth, prosperity, fertility, nature, healing, luck
• Used for: Money, business success, garden magick, healing, fertility
• Candle work: Steady growth, material success, nature connection
• Thread/cloth: Money bags, fertility charms, healing sachets
• Shades: Dark green for money, light green for healing

Blue (Blár)

• Element: Water
• Planetary: Moon/Mercury
• Meanings: Peace, calm, healing, communication, wisdom, protection (gentle)
• Used for: Calming emotions, peace between people, healing, truth, safe travel (especially by sea)
• Candle work: Soothing conflicts, emotional healing, peaceful sleep
• Thread/cloth: Peace water bottles, healing charms, protection for children
• Shades: Pale blue for peace, deep blue for wisdom

Gold (Gullinn)

• Element: Fire/Sun
• Planetary: Sun
• Meanings: Success, wealth, solar power, masculine divine, achievement
• Used for: Major success, enlightenment, honoring gods, prestige
• Candle work: Peak achievement, solar magick, vitality
• Thread/cloth: Success sachets, prosperity work, honoring deities
• Note: Actual gold (metal) even more powerful

Silver (Silfur)

• Element: Water/Moon
• Planetary: Moon
• Meanings: Moon magick, psychic power, feminine divine, intuition, dreams
• Used for: Lunar work, psychic development, goddess magick, mirror magick
• Candle work: Moon phases, psychic opening, goddess invocation
• Thread/cloth: Dream pillows, psychic protection, moon water bottles
• Note: Actual silver (metal) even more powerful

Purple (Fjólublár)

• Element: Spirit
• Planetary: Jupiter
• Meanings: Spiritual power, royalty, wisdom, psychic ability, ambition
• Used for: Increasing magickal power, wisdom seeking, spiritual authority
• Candle work: Deep spiritual work, power raising, wisdom
• Thread/cloth: Power bags, spiritual authority, third eye work
• Note: Historically expensive dye — carries energy of luxury

Brown (Brúnn)

• Element: Earth
• Planetary: Saturn/Earth
• Meanings: Grounding, stability, animals, practical matters, home
• Used for: Grounding after magick, stability, animal magick, home protection
• Candle work: Practical matters, grounding, earth connection
• Thread/cloth: Grounding stones, animal familiars, stability work

Orange (Appelsínugulur)

• Element: Fire
• Planetary: Sun/Mercury
• Meanings: Success, creativity, attraction, joy, change
• Used for: Quick success, creativity, adaptability, attraction
• Candle work: Fast luck, creative projects, joy
• Thread/cloth: Success charms, creative inspiration, attraction

Pink (Bleikur)

• Element: Water
• Planetary: Venus
• Meanings: Gentle love, friendship, emotional healing, self-love, harmony
• Used for: Romantic love (gentle), friendship, healing heart wounds, self-care
• Candle work: Sweet love, friendship, emotional healing
• Thread/cloth: Love sachets (gentle), friendship charms, self-love work
• Note: Softer than red; for romance without aggression

Yellow (Gulur)

• Element: Air
• Planetary: Mercury/Sun
• Meanings: Communication, intellect, joy, confidence, mental clarity
• Used for: Study, communication, confidence, mental work, joy
• Candle work: Clarity, communication, happiness, success in learning
• Thread/cloth: Study charms, communication work, confidence

VII. Dýr og Tákn — Animals and Their Virtues

The Spirit Allies

In the North, every creature carried significance. To use animal parts in magick was to invoke the virtue of that animal’s spirit.

Animal Correspondences:

Raven (Hrafn)

• Symbolism: Odin’s messengers (Huginn and Muninn — Thought and Memory), prophecy, war, death
• Parts used: Feathers (if found, never killed for)
• magick: Divination, communication with dead, wisdom, thought, memory
• How to use: Place feather on altar, carry for mental clarity, use in divination

Wolf (Úlfur)

• Symbolism: Loyalty, family, hunting, Odin’s companions (Geri and Freki), wildness
• Parts used: Fur (if ethically sourced), teeth (same), images
• magick: Loyalty, protection of family, hunting success, wildness, strength
• How to use: Carry wolf imagery for courage, protection for pack/family

Bear (Björn)

• Symbolism: Strength, warrior spirit (berserkers), healing, mother protection
• Parts used: Claws (if legal and ethical), fur, images
• magick: Immense strength, warrior courage, maternal protection, healing
• How to use: Carry for physical strength, protection, courage in battle
• Note: Sacred to Thor in some traditions

Stag/Deer (Hjörtur)

• Symbolism: Fertility, gentleness, forest magick, swiftness, masculine vitality
• Parts used: Antlers (naturally shed), images
• magick: Male fertility, virility, gentle strength, forest connection
• How to use: Antler pieces for masculine magick, fertility, connection to forest spirits

Horse (Hestur)

• Symbolism: Travel, journey, Sleipnir (Odin’s eight-legged horse), status, power
• Parts used: Horseshoe (shed), horsehair (given freely), images
• magick: Safe travel, luck, power, journeying between worlds
• How to use: Horseshoe above door for luck, horsehair in travel charms

Snake/Serpent (Ormur)

• Symbolism: Transformation, healing, rebirth (shedding skin), wisdom, Jörmungandr
• Parts used: Shed skin (if found), images
• magick: Transformation, healing, rebirth, wisdom, underworld connection
• How to use: Shed skin in transformation magick, healing, renewal work

Boar (Villisvin)

• Symbolism: Fertility, abundance, Freyr’s golden boar Gullinbursti, courage
• Parts used: Tusks (if ethically sourced), images
• magick: Fertility, abundance, courage, ferocity, protection
• How to use: Invoke for fertility, prosperity, fierce protection

Cat (Köttur)

• Symbolism: Freyja’s companions (draw her chariot), independence, magick, psychic ability
• Parts used: Shed whiskers (naturally fallen), fur (brushed off)
• magick: Independence, psychic ability, feminine magick, attraction, mystery
• How to use: Cat whisker in charm bags for psychic ability, independence

Owl (Ugla)

• Symbolism: Wisdom, night vision, death omens, silent hunting
• Parts used: Feathers (if found), images
• magick: Wisdom, seeing through darkness, silent action, prophecy
• How to use: Feathers for wisdom, seeing hidden things, night magick

Goat (Geit)

• Symbolism: Thor’s goats (Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjóstr), vitality, stubbornness, climbing
• Parts used: Horn (shed or ethically sourced), images
• magick: Vitality, determination, overcoming obstacles, Thor connection
• How to use: Goat horn for drinking vessels (ritual), determination magick

Ethical Considerations:

The Northern Way honors life. Animal parts used in magick must be:

1. Naturally shed (feathers, antlers, snake skin, cat whiskers)
2. Ethically sourced (from animals that died naturally or humanely for food)
3. Never killed specifically for magick (this corrupts the working)
4. Legal to possess (check local laws regarding feathers, bones, etc.)
5. Treated with respect (thanked, honored, never wasted)

Modern substitution: In most cases, images, symbols, or carvings of animals work just as well as physical parts. The spirit recognizes the intent.

VIII. Steinar og Gimsteinar — Stones and Crystals

The Bones Beneath

Long before crystal healing became popularized, the Norse knew that stones held power — they were the bones of the earth, the remnants of Ymir’s body, silent witnesses to ages beyond memory.

Stone Correspondences in Trolldom:

Hematite (Blóðsteinn — Blood Stone)

• Appearance: Metallic gray-black, leaves red streak
• Element: Earth
• Powers: Grounding, protection, strength, warrior energy, blood magick
• Uses: Carry after deep trance work, protection against psychic attack, grounding scattered energy
• Why it works: Iron content, heavy, literally pulls you down to earth
• Placement: Root chakra area, in pockets during ritual, under pillows for grounded sleep

Clear Quartz (Bjartsteinn — Bright Stone)

• Appearance: Clear, translucent, six-sided crystals
• Element: Spirit/All elements
• Powers: Amplification, clarity, programmability, all-purpose
• Uses: Amplify other stones, program for any intention, scrying, clarity
• Why it works: Piezoelectric properties, most common crystal, pure structure
• Placement: Center of crystal grids, on altar, in charm bags, worn as jewelry
• Note: The “all-purpose” stone — can substitute for nearly any other

Smoky Quartz (Reyksteinn — Smoke Stone)

• Appearance: Brown to black translucent quartz
• Element: Earth/Spirit
• Powers: Grounding spiritual energy, protection, transmuting negativity, shadow work
• Uses: After heavy spiritual work, processing shadow, dissolving negative energy
• Why it works: Naturally irradiated quartz, bridges earth and spirit
• Placement: Base of spine, in one hand during meditation, under bed

Black Tourmaline (Svartsteinn — Black Stone)

• Appearance: Black, striated, often in rough chunks
• Element: Earth
• Powers: Protection (strongest), grounding, purification, shielding
• Uses: Psychic protection, EMF protection, creating boundaries, repelling negativity
• Why it works: Pyroelectric (generates charge when heated), strong structure
• Placement: Four corners of home, on electronics, carried for protection, by front door

Rose Quartz (Áststeinn — Love Stone)

• Appearance: Pale to deep pink, translucent
• Element: Water
• Powers: Love (all forms), emotional healing, self-love, peace, compassion
• Uses: Attracting love, healing heartbreak, self-love work, soothing emotions
• Why it works: Gentle pink color, soft energy, abundant
• Placement: Bedroom (relationship corner), over heart, in bath water, love altar

Amethyst (Fjóluskýsteinn — Purple Sky Stone)

• Appearance: Purple, translucent, crystalline points
• Element: Spirit/Air
• Powers: Psychic ability, spiritual connection, sobriety, peace, wisdom, dream work
• Uses: Meditation, dream pillows, psychic opening, addiction work, spiritual development
• Why it works: High vibrational, purple color (crown chakra), historically sacred
• Placement: Under pillow, third eye during meditation, altar space, worn as jewelry

Carnelian (Eldsteinn — Fire Stone)

• Appearance: Orange to red, translucent
• Element: Fire
• Powers: Courage, vitality, creativity, sexuality, motivation, confidence
• Uses: Boosting confidence, sexual magick, creative projects, overcoming fear
• Why it works: Vibrant color, stimulating energy, associated with life force
• Placement: Sacral chakra area, carried in pocket, workspace for creativity

Citrine (Sólsteinn — Sun Stone)

• Appearance: Yellow to golden, translucent (natural is pale, heat-treated is deeper)
• Element: Fire
• Powers: Prosperity, success, joy, abundance, manifestation, solar energy
• Uses: Money magick, success work, joy, business prosperity, manifestation
• Why it works: Golden color (wealth), sunny energy, doesn’t hold negativity
• Placement: Cash register, wallet, prosperity altar, solar plexus
• Note: Most “citrine” is heat-treated amethyst; natural is paler but equally powerful

Labradorite (Norðurljóssteinn — Northern Lights Stone)

• Appearance: Gray with iridescent blue/green flash
• Element: Air/Spirit
• Powers: magick itself, psychic protection, transformation, seeing through illusion
• Uses: Any magickal work, psychic shielding, shamanic journeying, transformation
• Why it works: Found in Labrador (North), flash resembles aurora borealis, mysterious
• Placement: Worn during magick work, third eye, carried by practitioners
• Special note: “The sorcerer’s stone” — enhances all magick

Obsidian (Heljarsteinn — Hel’s Stone)

• Appearance: Black, glassy, volcanic glass
• Element: Fire/Earth
• Powers: Shadow work, scrying, protection, cutting cords, truth, underworld journey
• Uses: Deep shadow work, protection, divination (black mirror), cutting attachments
• Why it works: Volcanic origin (primordial fire), sharp edges (cuts through illusion)
• Placement: Shadow work altar, scrying, carried for protection, ritual blade
• Warning: Intense; not for beginners; can bring up difficult truths

Moonstone (Tunglsteinn — Moon Stone)

• Appearance: Pearly white/cream with blue or rainbow flash
• Element: Water
• Powers: Moon magick, feminine cycles, psychic ability, emotional balance, new beginnings
• Uses: Moon phase work, women’s mysteries, emotional healing, psychic development
• Why it works: Lunar appearance, flash like moon on water, cycles of clarity
• Placement: Under pillow during full moon, worn as jewelry, moon water, divination

Tiger’s Eye (Tigrisdýrseygasteinn — Tiger Eye Stone)

• Appearance: Golden brown with chatoyant (cat’s eye) effect
• Element: Fire/Earth
• Powers: Courage, confidence, grounding action, protection, prosperity, clear seeing
• Uses: Courage work, grounded confidence, protection while taking action, discernment
• Why it works: Cat’s eye effect (seeing), golden color (solar), grounding weight
• Placement: Solar plexus, carried for courage, business ventures

Jet (Kolsteinn — Coal Stone)

• Appearance: Deep black, lightweight, organic (fossilized wood)
• Element: Earth/Spirit
• Powers: Protection, mourning, grounding, ancestral connection, banishing
• Uses: Grief work, ancestor connection, protection, banishing, traditional mourning jewelry
• Why it works: Ancient organic matter, absorbs negativity, historically worn in mourning
• Placement: Worn as jewelry, ancestor altar, protection, carried during grief
• Traditional note: Victorian mourning jewelry, ancient protective amulets

Amber (Raf — Amber)

• Appearance: Golden orange to brown, lightweight, organic (fossilized resin)
• Element: Fire/Earth
• Powers: Life force, vitality, healing, protection (especially for children), sun magick
• Uses: Healing, vitality, protection, solar work, connection to ancient earth
• Why it works: Fossilized tree resin, millions of years old, warm to touch, electrostatic
• Placement: Worn as jewelry (especially by children), healing work, sun magick
• Traditional note: Baltic amber especially prized, used in teething necklaces

Pyrite (Gullsteinn — Gold Stone / Fool’s Gold)

• Appearance: Metallic gold, cubic crystals
• Element: Fire/Earth
• Powers: Prosperity, confidence, manifestation, protection, grounding abundance
• Uses: Wealth magick, confidence, manifestation of material goals, shielding
• Why it works: Resembles gold, creates sparks when struck (fire), metallic
• Placement: Wealth altar, prosperity grids, workplace, carried for confidence
• Note: “Fool’s gold” is misnomer — pyrite has its own power

Malachite (Grænsteinn — Green Stone)

• Appearance: Deep green with banding patterns
• Element: Earth/Water
• Powers: Transformation, protection, heart healing, breaking patterns, absorption
• Uses: Major life transformation, releasing old patterns, heart healing, protection
• Why it works: Copper content, intense green (heart), swirling patterns (change)
• Warning: Powerful transformer; can bring intense change; toxic if ingested (keep dry)
• Placement: Heart area, transformation altar, protection (absorbs negativity)

Lapis Lazuli (Himinsteinn — Sky Stone)

• Appearance: Deep blue with gold pyrite flecks
• Element: Air/Spirit
• Powers: Wisdom, truth, spiritual connection, psychic ability, communication with divine
• Uses: Spiritual development, truth-speaking, connection to higher wisdom, royal magick
• Why it works: Color of night sky with stars, historically sacred, expensive
• Placement: Third eye, throat, communication with gods, wisdom work
• Traditional note: Used in ancient Egyptian magick, ground for ultramarine pigment

IX. Kenningar og Falsorð — Kennings and Hidden Speech

The Poet’s Secret Code

The Norse skalds spoke in kenningar — metaphorical compounds that concealed meaning beneath beauty. This same art extended into magickal practice, where to name a thing directly was to give it power over you, but to speak in riddles was to command it.

magickal Kennings in Practice:

For Blood:

• “Life-river” (lífá)
• “Heart’s wine” (hjartavín)
• “Battle-dew” (bardögg)
• “Wound-drink” (sárdrykkur)

For Death:

• “The long sleep” (langi svefninn)
• “Hel’s embrace” (Heljar faðmlag)
• “Journey to the mound” (ferð til haugsins)
• “The last ship” (síðasta skipið)

For magick Itself:

• “The hidden way” (dulda veginn)
• “Thread-weaving” (þráðavefur)
• “The crooked path” (bogna stiginn)
• “Rune-song” (rúnasöngur)

For the Practitioner:

• “Thread-weaver” (þráðavefari) — one who weaves fate
• “Rune-master” (rúnameistari) — one who knows the runes
• “Völva” — seeress, one who carries the staff
• “Seiðmaður/Seiðkona” — male/female seiðr practitioner
• “Trollkjerring” (Norwegian) — troll-woman, cunning woman

For Spirits:

• “The hidden folk” (huldufolk)
• “The good neighbors” (góðir grannar)
• “Those who dwell beneath” (þeir sem búa fyrir neðan)
• “The landvættir” — land spirits

For Sacred Herbs:

• “Dream-herb” — mugwort
• “Thunder-plant” — houseleek (protected from lightning by Thor)
• “Elf-leaf” — various herbs believed touched by elves
• “Snake-grass” — herbs used against poison

For magickal Tools:

• “The bone of Yggdrasil” — wooden staff or wand (from the World Tree)
• “Iron-biter” — knife or athame
• “Stone-song” — rune stones or crystals
• “The web-caster” — any tool used for binding or weaving spells

For the Gods (Respectful Distance):

• “The All-Father” — Odin
• “The Thunderer” — Thor
• “The Shining One” — Balder
• “Lady of the Vanir” — Freyja
• “Lord of the Harvest” — Frey
• “The Guardian” — Heimdall

For Moon Phases:

• “Silver horn” — crescent moon
• “Sky-shield” — full moon
• “Odin’s eye” — moon (as he has one eye)
• “Night’s lamp” — moon

For magickal Timing:

• “Between dog and wolf” — twilight, liminal time
• “When the veil is thin” — Samhain, solstices
• “The still point” — midnight or noon
• “The threshold hour” — dawn or dusk

Why This Matters:

In Northern magick, speaking directly can alert unwanted attention from spirits or break the spell’s potency. Speaking in kenning creates a protective layer of metaphor while still communicating truth to those who have the wit to understand.

When recording spells in a grimoire or speaking workings aloud, consider using kennings to:

1. Protect your practice from prying eyes
2. Elevate the poetry and beauty of your workings
3. Honor the Old Ways of the skalds
4. Create personal power words that only you fully understand

X. Galdrastafir og Bindrúnir — magickal Staves and Bind-Runes

The Written Will

Beyond the Elder Futhark runes themselves, the Northern practitioners developed complex magickal symbols called galdrastafir (magickal staves) and bindrúnir (bind-runes) — visual spells drawn, carved, or painted to manifest specific outcomes.

Galdrastafir (magickal Staves):

These are primarily Icelandic in origin but have spread throughout Northern practice.

Ægishjálmur (Helm of Awe)

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• Appearance: Eight-armed radiant pattern (simplified above)
• Purpose: Protection in battle, instilling fear in enemies, invincibility
• How to use: Draw on forehead, carve on weapons, paint on shields
• Modern use: Draw before confrontations, job interviews, legal matters
• Material: Lead was traditional, but ink, charcoal, or visualization works

Vegvísir (Runic Compass)

• Purpose: Never lose your way, guidance, safe travel, finding your path
• How to use: Carry while traveling, draw before important decisions
• Modern use: GPS of the spirit, finding life direction
• Note: Not ancient Viking (appears in 1860s grimoire) but powerful nonetheless

Gapaldur and Ginfaxi (Wrestling Staves)

• Purpose: Victory in wrestling/competition
• Gapaldur: Worn under right heel (to cripple opponent)
• Ginfaxi: Worn between brows (to instill fear)
• Modern use: Competition, sports, debates, any contest

Lukkustafir (Lucky Stave)

• Purpose: General good fortune, luck
• How to use: Carve on wood or paper, carry as talisman
• Materials: Oak or ash wood preferred

Draumstafir (Dream Stave)

• Purpose: Good dreams, prophetic dreams, dream protection
• How to use: Draw on paper and place under pillow
• Herbs to combine: Mugwort, lavender

Þjófastafir (Thief Stave)

• Purpose: Catch thieves, protect property, make stolen items return
• How to use: Draw above doorway, in wallet, on valuable items
• Ethics: For protection, not theft

Bindrúnir (Bind-Runes):

Bind-runes combine multiple runes into a single symbol, creating a custom sigil for specific intentions.

How to Create Bind-Runes:

1. Determine your intention (be specific)
2. Choose runes that align with your goal:
   • Fehu (ᚠ) — wealth, prosperity
   • Uruz (ᚢ) — strength, vitality
   • Thurisaz (ᚦ) — protection, defense
   • Ansuz (ᚨ) — communication, wisdom
   • Raido (ᚱ) — journey, travel
   • Kenaz (ᚲ) — knowledge, inspiration
   • Gebo (ᚷ) — gift, partnership
   • Wunjo (ᚹ) — joy, harmony
   • Hagalaz (ᚺ) — disruption, transformation
   • Nauthiz (ᚾ) — need, constraint, necessary action
   • Isa (ᛁ) — ice, stillness, binding
   • Jera (ᛃ) — harvest, cycles, reward
   • Eihwaz (ᛇ) — protection, connection to spirit
   • Pertho (ᛈ) — mystery, divination, hidden things
   • Algiz (ᛉ) — protection, higher self
   • Sowilo (ᛋ) — sun, success, victory
   • Tiwaz (ᛏ) — justice, honor, victory
   • Berkana (ᛒ) — birth, new beginnings, growth
   • Ehwaz (ᛖ) — movement, partnership, trust
   • Mannaz (ᛗ) — humanity, self, community
   • Laguz (ᛚ) — water, intuition, flow
   • Ingwaz (ᛜ) — fertility, internal growth
   • Dagaz (ᛞ) — dawn, breakthrough, transformation
   • Othala (ᛟ) — inheritance, home, ancestry
3. Overlay the runes sharing common lines where possible
4. Simplify if too complex (aesthetic matters)
5. Charge the bind-rune:
   • Speak each rune’s name three times
   • State the overall intention
   • Breathe life into it (three breaths)
   • Anoint with oil or blood-substitute
   • Carry, wear, or place where needed

Example Bind-Runes:

For Protection:

• Algiz + Thurisaz + Tiwaz
• Combines defensive protection, boundary, and righteous justice

For Prosperity:

• Fehu + Jera + Dagaz
• Wealth + harvest reward + breakthrough/dawn of new prosperity

For Love:

• Gebo + Wunjo + Kenaz
• Partnership + joy + passion/fire

For Healing:

• Uruz + Berkana + Sowilo
• Strength + growth/renewal + solar vitality

For Safe Travel:

• Raido + Algiz + Ehwaz
• Journey + protection + horse/vehicle

Charging and Activating Staves:

1. Draw or carve with intention
2. Color with appropriate substance:
   • Red: Blood-substitute (wine, ochre) for power
   • Black: Ink, charcoal for binding/protection
   • Gold/Yellow: For solar/success work
   • Blue: For peace/healing
3. Speak the galdr (incantation):
   • State what the stave is for
   • Repeat three or nine times
   • Use rhythmic, chant-like delivery
4. Breathe life (önd) into it — three or nine breaths
5. Offerings — give something in exchange (mead, herbs, coin)
6. Placement or carrying as appropriate

Where to Place Staves:

• Above doorways — protection, blessing
• Under threshold — ward, barrier
• In wallet — prosperity
• Under pillow — dreams
• On body (temporary) — personal power
• On tools — empowering objects
• In vehicles — safe travel
• In grimoire — recording your work

XI. Öndvegissúlur og Helgidómur — Sacred Space and Altar

Creating the Temple

Even the most practical of Norse folk understood the importance of sacred space — the vé (holy place), the household altar, the high seat pillars that anchored a homestead to the gods and land spirits.

The Household Altar (Altari):

Location:

• Ideal: Facing north (direction of mystery, Niflheim, the unknown)
• Alternative: East (dawn, new beginnings, Ásgarðr)
• Practical: Any quiet corner where you won’t be disturbed
• Modern: A shelf, table, or dedicated space; size matters less than intention

Base Setup:

Cloth (Dúkur):

• Color based on intention:
  • White — all-purpose, purity
  • Red — strength, passion, gods of action
  • Green — land spirits, growth, prosperity
  • Black — shadow work, Hel, ancestors
  • Blue — peace, water, seiðr work

Candles (Kerti):

• At minimum: One white or beeswax candle
• Traditional: Two candles (representing sun and moon, masculine and feminine)
• Advanced: Colors for different gods/intentions
• Always: Fire-safe setup, never leave burning unattended

Offering Bowl (Blótskál):

• Wood, ceramic, or horn (avoid plastic)
• For pouring offerings: mead, water, wine, milk
• Empty and refresh regularly (never let offerings rot)
• Pour offerings outside to earth or into living plant

Offering Plate (Diskur):

• For solid offerings: bread, cakes, fruit, salt
• Remove within 24 hours (let birds/animals eat, or bury)

Images or Symbols (Goðamyndir):

• Statues, pictures, or symbols of deities you work with
• Can be simple: a stone for each god, drawn symbols, printed images
• Not required if you prefer an aniconic (symbol-based) practice

Representation of Elements:

• Fire: Candle or oil lamp
• Water: Bowl of fresh water (change daily)
• Earth: Bowl of salt, soil, or stone
• Air: Incense, feather, or opening window during ritual

Specialized Altar Tools:

Völva’s Staff (Seiðstafr):

• Tall staff, traditionally with metal finial
• Represents authority, connection between worlds
• Used in seiðr trance work
• Modern: Any tall branch or wooden staff that feels powerful
• Decoration: Carve runes, wrap with wool, add bells or feathers

Hammer (Hamar — Thor’s Hammer):

• Replica Mjölnir or actual small hammer
• Used for blessing (hallowing)
• Trace hammer sign over things to bless or protect
• Represents Thor’s protection

Horn or Chalice (Horn/Bikar):

• For ritual drinking (mead, ale, juice)
• Drinking horns are traditional
• Pass clockwise (sunwise) if sharing in group
• Pour remainder as offering

Wand or Staff (Töfrasproti):

• Smaller than völva’s staff
• For directing energy, tracing runes
• Wood from sacred trees: rowan, ash, oak, birch
• Length: forearm or full cubit (elbow to fingertip)

Blade (Knífur/Seax):

• For cutting cords, harvesting herbs, carving
• Not for kitchen use (dedicated to magick)
• Keep sharp and ritually clean
• Traditional: Seax (single-edged knife)

Rune Set (Rúnasett):

• For divination
• Can be carved, painted, or store-bought
• Keep in special bag (often red or white)
• Don’t let others handle without permission

Distaff (Rokkstokkur):

• Traditional women’s tool (spinning)
• Represents fate-weaving
• Völvas carried distaffs
• Modern: Symbolic even if you don’t spin

Sacred Space Creation (Vé-Gerð):

Simple Method (Daily Practice):

1. Light candle — “I kindle this flame in honor of the gods and spirits”
2. Offer incense — juniper, pine, or mugwort
3. Speak your intention — why you’re here
4. Do your work — prayer, meditation, magick
5. Give thanks — to gods, spirits, ancestors who aided
6. Pour offering — even just water to the earth
7. Extinguish candle — or let burn safely

Formal Method (Hammer Rite):

1. Face north, raise right hand or hold hammer symbol
2. Call to Thor — “Thor, hallow this space”
3. Trace hammer in the air over head (or use actual hammer/Mjölnir)
4. Turn to each direction, trace hammer at each quarter:
   • North — Niflheim, mystery, ice
   • East — Ásgarðr, gods, light
   • South — Muspelheim, fire, passion
   • West — Vanaheimr, sea, Vanir gods
5. Above — sky, Ásgarðr
6. Below — earth, roots, ancestors
7. Center — Miðgarðr, your heart, here and now
8. Declare — “This space is hallowed. No ill may enter here.”

Advanced Method (Full Blót Setup):

Reserved for major rituals, season celebrations, oaths.
(This would require its own extensive section)

Maintaining the Sacred:

Daily (if possible):

• Light a candle, even briefly
• Refresh water
• Speak to your spirits

Weekly:

• Clean altar thoroughly
• Burn cleansing incense
• Give offering

Monthly:

• Deep clean
• Rearrange if called to
• Honor full moon with special offering

Seasonally:

• Major cleaning and renewal
• Update altar for season
• Replace altar cloth if needed

Disposal of Altar Items:

• Never trash sacred objects
• Bury, burn (if safe), or return to nature
• Thank the object before disposing
• Or place in river/sea if appropriate

XII. Seiðr og Galdr — Two Paths of Power

The Twin Arts

Northern magick bifurcates into two primary streams, each with its own flavor, methods, and social implications.

Seiðr (SAY-thur) — Trance magick, Shamanic Practice:

• Nature: Ecstatic, trance-based, shapeshifting, soul-journeying
• Associated with: Freyja (taught to Odin), völvas, women’s mysteries
• Methods: Drumming, chanting, útiseta (sitting out), spirit journeys
• Social view: Powerful but ergi (considered unmanly for men in Viking Age)
• Modern: Trance work, shamanic journeying, spirit communication
• Energy: Fluid, transformative, receptive, internal

Galdr (GALL-der) — Incantation, Rune magick:

• Nature: Spoken, chanted, carved, direct will
• Associated with: Odin (master of runes), skalds, male practitioners
• Methods: Chanting runes, carving staves, speaking spells, breath work
• Social view: Acceptable, masculine, poetic, powerful
• Modern: Rune work, chanting, verbal spells, written magick
• Energy: Directed, active, projective, external

Modern Practice Honors Both:

Today’s practitioners need not choose one path exclusively. Many combine:

• Galdr for directed spellwork (candles, carved runes, spoken intention)
• Seiðr for divination, spirit communication, and deeper trance states
• Both as complementary — the active and receptive, projective and transformative

XIII. Fórnir og Gjafir — Offerings and Exchange

The Law of Reciprocity

“A gift demands a gift.” — Hávamál

In Northern cosmology, nothing is free. All magick, all divine aid, all spirit help operates on gebo (gift-exchange). To receive, you must give.

Types of Offerings (Blót):

To the Gods (Goðablót):

Odin (Óðinn — All-Father, god of magick, wisdom, war):

• Mead (especially poetry mead)
• Wine (red, symbolizing blood)
• Poetry, well-crafted words
• Whiskey or strong spirits
• Ravens imagery
• Knowledge gained and shared
• Hanging a written offering on a tree (mimicking his sacrifice)

Thor (Þórr — Thunderer, protector, friend of humankind):

• Ale or beer (he’s a drinking god)
• Bread and hearty food
• Oak leaves or acorns
• Hammer symbols
• Goat imagery
• Acts of protection for others
• Standing up for the weak

Freyja (Freyja — Lady of the Vanir, love, fertility, magick, war):

• Mead or honey
• Flowers (especially roses)
• Amber
• Gold or beautiful jewelry
• Chocolate or sweets
• Poetry of love or beauty
• Cat imagery
• Acts of self-love or defending boundaries

Frey (Freyr — Lord of the harvest, fertility, prosperity):

• Grain, bread, ale
• Coins (prosperity)
• Apples or harvest fruits
• Boar imagery
• Acts of generosity
• Seeds planted
• Blessing fields or gardens

Frigg (Frigg — All-Mother, household, marriage, motherhood):

• Flax or wool
• Household goods
• White or blue cloth
• Keys
• Milk or cream
• Acts of household blessing
• Tending family bonds

Hel (Hel — Goddess of death, underworld):

• Dark offerings (black coffee, dark chocolate)
• Coins for the dead
• White flowers
• Silence and respect
• Remembering the dead
• Speaking names of ancestors
• Tending graves

Loki (Loki — Trickster, change-bringer, complex figure):

• Spicy food, strong liquor
• Candy (he likes sweet things)
• Wine (red)
• Candles (he’s a fire giant)
• Laughter, jokes, chaos
• Acknowledging life’s absurdity
• Note: Controversial in modern practice; some honor, others don’t

To the Land Spirits (Landvættir):

• Milk or cream poured on earth
• Bread crumbs scattered
• Shiny objects (coins, crystals)
• Birdseed
• Garden tending
• Cleaning litter from land
• Respectful treatment of nature

To the Ancestors (Ættir/Forfeður):

• Food they loved in life
• Coffee, tea, alcohol they preferred
• Family recipes prepared with love
• Photographs displayed
• Speaking their names
• Telling their stories
• Continuing family traditions
• Tending graves

To House Spirits (Tomte/Nisse):

• Porridge (traditional: rice porridge with butter)
• Milk
• Honey
• Small cakes
• Keeping home clean
• Leaving small gifts
• Respecting their space
• Not bragging about them (they dislike this)

How to Give Offerings:

Physical Offerings:

1. Present on altar first (if indoors)
2. Speak your intention — “I give this to [name] in thanks/in request for…”
3. Leave for a time — overnight or 24 hours
4. Dispose properly:
   • Liquids: Pour on earth, into living plant, or at base of tree
   • Food: Leave for animals, bury, or compost (never trash)
   • Objects: Keep on altar, bury in special place, or give to flowing water

Non-Physical Offerings:

• Deeds done in their name
• Poetry composed
• Art created
• Acts of kindness
• Standing for values they represent
• Passing knowledge forward
• Living honorably

The Exchange Principle:

When Asking for Aid:

1. Give first (establishes relationship)
2. State your need clearly
3. Offer exchange: “If you aid me, I will…”
4. Follow through (ALWAYS — breaking oath is grave)

When Giving Thanks:

• After successful magick
• At festivals and holy days
• When receiving unexpected blessings
• Regularly, even without specific reason

What NOT to Offer:

• Anything illegal
• Anything that would harm another being without cause
• Offerings you cannot afford (the gods don’t want you to starve)
• Empty promises (better to offer nothing than to lie)
• Anything you’re not willing to give freely
• Rotten or spoiled food (disrespectful)

The Oath-Bond (Eiðr):

When you speak an oath to the gods, ancestors, or spirits, you bind yourself by wyrd itself. This is not metaphor — the Northern worldview understood oaths as tangible threads in the web of fate.

Oath Structure:

1. Witness — name who hears your oath (god, ancestor, spirits)
2. State clearly — “I swear by [witness] that I will…”
3. Consequence — “If I fail, may [consequence]…” (optional but powerful)
4. Seal — pour offering, touch hammer/holy object, mark with blood-substitute

Breaking Oaths:

The most serious transgression in Northern or ancient Germanic culture. An oath-breaker (eiðsvikr) loses honor, luck (hamingja), power, status, and the trust of the unseen world. Oath-breaking should generally never be done by anyone practicing any form of the Norse or Germanic system. Always make sure any oath is one you can and are fully willing to fulfill before making any oaths.

If you must break an oath:

1. Acknowledge the breaking to the witness
2. Explain why (only do this for grave reason)
3. Offer substantial compensation (greater than original)
4. Accept consequences with dignity
5. Rebuild trust slowly through consistent action

Better practice: Do not oath lightly. Only swear what you can fulfill.

XIV. Vǫlva og Útiseta — Seeress Work and Sitting Out

The Practice of Deep Seeing

The völva (seeress) held honored position in Northern society — she who could see the threads of wyrd, speak with the dead, and journey between worlds. Her practices form the core of Northern trance magick.

Útiseta (Sitting Out):

An ancient practice of sitting outdoors, often at liminal places, to receive visions and commune with spirits.

Traditional Method:

Location:

• Crossroads (where worlds meet)
• Gravemounds (to speak with ancestors)
• Boundaries (edge of property, shore, tree line)
• Sacred natural sites (springs, groves, unusual rock formations)
• High places (to see far)

Timing:

• Night (especially midnight or between midnight and dawn)
• Dawn or dusk (threshold times)
• Full moon or dark moon
• Holy days (Samhain/Winter Nights especially)

Preparation:

1. Ritual bath — cleanse physically and spiritually
2. Dress warmly — you’ll be still for long periods
3. Bring offerings — mead, bread, silver
4. Protective items — iron, salt, protective runes
5. Staff or wand — völva’s staff if you have one
6. Covering — cloak or blanket

Practice:

1. Arrive at location — ideally at sunset if sitting through night
2. Create boundary — trace protective circle or hammer-sign
3. Pour offering — to land spirits, asking permission
4. Sit facing north (or toward what you seek to know)
5. Cover head (traditional — helps induce trance)
6. Chant or be silent — galdr, rune-songs, or receptive silence
7. Open to visions — remain still, observe what comes
8. Record upon return — visions fade quickly

What May Come:

• Visions (images, symbols, scenes)
• Voices (spirits, gods, ancestors speaking)
• Knowledge (sudden understanding)
• Prophetic dreams (if you fall asleep)
• Animal messengers (pay attention to what appears)
• Nothing (sometimes the message is patience)

Safety Concerns:

• Physical: Weather, wildlife, human danger
  • Tell someone where you’ll be
  • Bring warm clothes, water
  • Know the area beforehand
• Spiritual: Unwanted entities, tricksters
  • Set protections firmly
  • Know your banishing techniques
  • Trust your intuition — if it feels wrong, leave
  • Ground thoroughly after

Modern Adaptation:

• Backyard or balcony (privacy matters more than wilderness)
• Shorter durations (even 20 minutes can be powerful)
• Daytime practice for beginners
• Indoor “sitting out” in dark room facing north
• Regular practice more important than perfect location

Seiðr Trance Work:

Deeper than útiseta, full trance seiðr involves shapeshifting, soul-flight, and deep communion with the unseen.

Warning: Advanced practice. Not for beginners. Requires training and understanding of trance states.

Basic Framework (Educational Only):

Setting:

• Sacred space well-protected
• Trusted companions or complete solitude
• High-seat (traditional) or comfortable seat
• Low lighting, candles
• Incense (mugwort, wormwood — caution: some are toxic)

Induction:

• Drumming (steady rhythm)
• Chanting (varðlokkur — ward-songs)
• Rocking or swaying
• Focused breathing
• Visualization of descent or journey

Journey:

• Soul-flight to other realms
• Shapeshifting into animal forms (hamramr)
• Speaking with spirits, gods, dead
• Seeing past/future threads (spá — prophecy)
• Retrieving lost soul-parts (healing work)

Return:

• Gradual, never sudden
• Grounding (food, touch earth)
• Recording journey immediately
• Rest and integration

Modern Safety:

• Never practice impaired (alcohol/drugs)
• Always have grounding plan
• Start with guided meditations
• Learn from experienced practitioners
• Respect that this can be psychologically intense

XV. Fordæða og Vörður — Curses and Their Counters

The Shadow Side

To speak only of healing and light would dishonor the fullness of Northern tradition. The sagas tell of curses (fordæða), of níð (insult curses), of magick used to harm. We do not recommend such work lightly, but knowledge of it serves protection.

Understanding Harmful magick:

Types:

Níð (Insult Curse):

• Public shaming through magick
• Níðstöng — curse-pole carved with runes and insults
• Accused person of ergi (unmanliness) or other shames
• So serious it justified killing the curse-maker in law

Sending (Sendinagar):

• Creating a spirit to harm another
• Often in animal form (gandreid — riding the fetch)
• Sent to cause illness, madness, or death
• Extremely dark work, heavy wyrd consequences

Binding (Bindingar):

• Restricting another’s actions
• Can be defensive (binding from harm) or offensive (binding will)
• Knotwork, cord magick, freeze spells

Hexing (Illgærð):

• General harm-working
• Using personal concerns to cause misfortune
• Doll-magick, image-magick

The Ethics of the Shadow:

Northern ethics are not Christian “turn the other cheek.” They are reciprocal: honor for honor, insult for insult, harm for harm. BUT:

Just Cause:

• Self-defense or defense of others
• Justice when legal systems fail
• Proportional response
• Last resort after other methods

Unjust Curse:

• Jealousy, pettiness, spite
• Disproportionate response
• First strike without provocation
• Harming innocents

The Law of Return:

Not “threefold” (that’s Wiccan), but wyrd ensures that what you send out affects your own threads of fate. Curse-workers become known to hostile spirits. Your hamingja (luck) can be corrupted.

Protection and Counter-magick:

Prevention (Better Than Cure):

Personal Protections:

• Iron carried (small nail in pocket)
• Salt in shoes or pockets
• Protective runes carved on jewelry
• Regular cleansing
• Strong personal boundaries
• Not giving out personal concerns (hair, name variants, photos)

Home Protections:

• Iron nails in doorframe
• Salt lines at thresholds
• Protective staves above doors
• Regular smoke cleansing
• Ward bottles buried at corners
• Rowan branches above entry

Detection (Is Someone Working Against You?):

Signs:

• Sudden string of bad luck
• Unexplained illness
• Nightmares featuring specific person
• Finding strange objects (dolls, packages, powders)
• Animals acting strangely around you
• Feeling “watched” or oppressed
• Electronics malfunctioning around you

Divination:

• Rune reading asking directly
• Dream interpretation
• Pendulum work
• Scrying

Breaking Curses/Hexes:

Level 1: Basic Cleansing

(For most situations — often what seems like a curse is just negative energy)

1. Smoke cleanse thoroughly — juniper, pine, mugwort
2. Salt bath — sea salt, spoken intent to remove all ill
3. Cut cords visualization — see all negative attachments severed
4. Egg cleansing — roll over body, crack into toilet, flush
5. Dispose of all suspicious objects — bury at crossroads or burn

Level 2: Reversal

(Sending it back to sender — use cautiously)

1. Black candle — carve “All harm returns to sender” in runes
2. Mirror — place behind candle to reflect back
3. Petition — write “I return all harm sent to me” fold away from you
4. Burn petition in candle flame
5. Bury ashes at crossroads — “As I will it, harm returns”
6. State clearly — “I send back only what was sent, no more”

Level 3: Breaking and Binding

(For serious, ongoing attack)

1. Ice spell — write sender’s name, freeze in water with black pepper, keep frozen
2. Cord cutting ritual — physically cut cords in ritual space
3. Protection bottle — nails, thorns, salt, urine (yes, traditional), mirror shards — bury or hide
4. Seek help — sometimes a practiced worker is needed
5. Legal/mundane — if physical person, restraining order, distance, blocking

Level 4: Professional Help

(When it’s beyond your skill)

Some workings require experienced practitioners:

• Deep possession or entity attachment
• Multi-generational curses
• Complex magickal attacks
• When you’re too afraid to work
• When previous attempts failed

Seek reputable magickal practitioners, not scammers promising instant fixes for huge fees.

After Breaking:

1. Protect heavily — don’t leave yourself open again
2. Strengthen personal power — curse found weakness
3. Regular maintenance — cleanse weekly for a time
4. Build allies — cultivate relationships with protective spirits
5. Learn the lesson — why were you vulnerable?

XVI. Draumar og Spá — Dreams and Prophecy

The Sight Beyond Sight

In Northern tradition, dreams were not mere psychological phenomenon but true visions — the soul traveling, the Norns speaking, the dead visiting.

Types of Prophetic Dreams:

Warning Dreams (Varúðardraumar):

• Show coming danger
• Often symbolic rather than literal
• Recurring dreams especially significant
• Common symbols: drowning (overwhelming), falling (loss of control), being chased (avoidance)

Ancestral Visitations (Föðurdaumsókn):

• Dead relatives appearing with messages
• Usually clear, direct communication
• Often at liminal times (dawn dreams)
• Leave feeling of presence upon waking

Divine Messages (Goðasendingar):

• Gods or spirits appearing
• Symbolic and poetic
• May require interpretation
• Often life-changing

Soul Journeys (Hamfarir):

• Dreaming you’re an animal or in another form
• Traveling to places you’ve never been
• Extremely vivid, “more real than real”
• Remember every detail

Dream Incubation (Seeking Specific Dreams):

Preparation:

1. Cleanse — bathe, sage, prepare sacred space
2. Set intention — write question clearly
3. Under pillow:
   • Mugwort (prophetic dreams)
   • Lavender (peaceful dreams)
   • Amethyst (spiritual dreams)
   • Written petition (specific question)
4. Before sleep — meditate on question, speak it aloud
5. Dream journal ready — write immediately upon waking

Best Timing:

• Full moon (maximum power)
• Dark moon (underworld/shadow questions)
• Winter Nights (Samhain — veil is thin)
• Personal power days (birthday, initiation anniversary)

Dream Interpretation:

Northern Symbolic Framework:

Animals:

• Wolf — family, loyalty, or threat to same
• Bear — strength needed or present, mother energy
• Raven — message from Odin, death omen, transformation
• Horse — journey, status, power
• Snake — transformation, hidden enemy, healing
• Boar — courage, fertility, aggression
• Eagle — higher perspective, spiritual message
• Stag — masculine power, hunt, forest spirits

Elements:

• Fire — passion, destruction, purification, transformation
• Water — emotions, subconscious, flow or drowning
• Earth — grounding, stability, or being trapped
• Air — thoughts, communication, freedom or disconnection

Locations:

• Forest — unknown, subconscious, land spirits
• Mountains — obstacles, achievement, gods (high places)
• Sea — emotions, journey, danger, vastness
• Cave — womb, underworld, hidden knowledge
• Crossroads — decision, liminal space, Odin’s realm
• Bridge — transition, danger, between-worlds

Actions:

• Flying — soul-flight, freedom, seiðr work, escape
• Falling — loss of control, fear, spiritual descent
• Drowning — overwhelming emotion, loss of self
• Fighting — internal or external conflict, need for courage
• Running — avoidance, or necessary escape

Northern Specific:

• Seeing Yggdrasil — connection to cosmos, major life point
• Meeting specific god — take literally; they’re calling
• Dead speaking — honor them, they have message
• Runes appearing — note which ones, divine meaning
• Ships — journey, often death (ship burial tradition)
• Mead hall — community, celebration, or need for same

Recording Dreams:

Immediate Upon Waking:

1. Don’t move — stay in position
2. Recall before opening eyes fully
3. Reach for journal (keep bedside)
4. Write everything:
   • Date and moon phase
   • Emotions felt
   • Colors (significant in interpretation)
   • Symbols and beings
   • Words spoken (often most important)
   • Feeling upon waking

Later Analysis:

• Read after some time has passed
• Note patterns across dreams
• Cross-reference with life events
• Some dreams reveal meaning only after time

Working With Dream Messages:

If Prophetic:

• Take action if warning
• Don’t panic — knowledge gives power to change
• Prophetic doesn’t mean inevitable
• Make offerings to receive clearer guidance

If From Dead:

• Honor the message
• Pour offering to ancestor
• Do what they ask (if reasonable)
• Speak their name aloud

If From Gods:

• Take seriously
• Research the deity if unfamiliar
• Begin relationship through offerings
• Don’t demand immediate clarity

XVII. Lok-Orð — Closing Words and Living Practice

The Path Forward

This grimoire has revealed the hidden language of Northern sorcery — the substitutions, symbols, and sacred correspondences that allow modern practitioners to walk the Old Ways with honor and effectiveness.

Core Principles to Remember:

1. Intent Over Ingredient

The wine is not blood because it is red — it is blood because you declare it so with conviction. The power lies not in perfect historical accuracy but in the authentic connection between your will and the symbol you employ.

2. Reciprocity Above All

Every working is an exchange. Give offerings freely. Keep your oaths absolutely. Honor the spirits, gods, and ancestors who walk with you. The Northern way is a relationship, not a transaction.

3. Personal Sovereignty

Your body is your own. Your magick is your own. Use substitutions that honor your boundaries. No true Northern magick requires violation of self or others. Those who demand otherwise misunderstand the tradition.

4. The Web of Wyrd

All actions ripple outward through fate’s web. Work with clear conscience, justified cause, and awareness that what you send out shapes what returns. Even shadow work should be done with wisdom, not spite.

5. Honor and Reputation

In Northern culture, your drengskapur (honor/integrity) matters more than anything. Be known as one whose word holds, whose magick is true, whose dealings are fair. Reputation once lost is nearly impossible to regain.

Building Your Practice:

Start Simply:

• One altar, however small
• One deity or ancestor relationship
• One daily practice (even just lighting a candle)
• One divination method (runes or another)
• One protective working for your home

Grow Steadily:

• Add practices as you master current ones
• Deepen relationships before seeking new ones
• Record everything in a grimoire (physical or digital)
• Learn from mistakes without shame
• Celebrate successes with offerings

Study Continuously:

• Read the Eddas and sagas (primary sources)
• Study folklore and folk magick
• Learn about archaeology and history
• Connect with reputable practitioners
• Discern wisely (not all teaching is true)

Live the Values:

• Courage (drengskap)
• Truth (sannindi)
• Honor (heiður)
• Hospitality (gestrisni)
• Self-reliance (sjálfsbjörg)
• Loyalty to kin and companions (tryggð)

The Practical Grimoire:

Keep your own book of workings. Record:

• What you used (ingredients, timing, moon phase)
• What you said (exact words when possible)
• What you felt (energy, emotions, sensations)
• What resulted (both immediate and long-term)
• What you’d change (always improve)

This personal record becomes more valuable than any published book, for it charts your relationship with the powers, your language with the spirits, your unique thread in wyrd’s weaving.

When to Substitute and When to Be Exact:

Substitutions Welcome:

• Colors (if you understand the energy)
• Herbs (if correspondences align)
• Timing (with adjustment of expectation)
• Tools (the will matters more)
• Language (speak in tongue you think in)

Maintain Precisely:

• Ritual structure (opening and closing)
• Protections (never skip)
• Offerings (never stingy or false)
• Oaths (sacred beyond all)
• Ethics (the line between justice and cruelty)

A Warning on Appropriation:

If you approach this path:

• Learn the culture, not just the magickk
• Respect that this is a living tradition
• Acknowledge sources and teachers
• Don’t claim expertise you lack
• Honor the lands and peoples of origin
• Understand historical context
• Don’t mix carelessly with incompatible systems
• Let the practice transform you, not just serve you

The Final Kenning:

magick itself is a kenning — one thing standing for another, symbol opening to deeper truth, word becoming reality. As you walk this crooked path, remember:

The wine is blood when you will it so.
The stone is bone when you see it thus.
The thread is wyrd when you weave with intent.
The self is sacred when you honor your sovereignty.

May your workings be true, your word be trusted, your magick be powerful, and your wyrd be woven with wisdom. May the gods and ancestors walk with you, the land spirits bless your footsteps, and may you become a worthy bearer of the Old Ways into new times.

Heil ok sæl — whole and blessed may you be.

This grimoire is offered in the spirit of knowledge-sharing, that the Old Ways might live in new forms, adapted yet authentic, practical yet powerful. Take what resonates, leave what doesn’t, and always — always — trust your own wyrd-thread above any written word.

The path is walked alone, but we walk it together.

Sköl!

Appendix: Quick Reference

Substitution Chart:

Sacred Numbers:

• 3 — Beginning, middle, end
• 9 — Most sacred (Odin’s number)
• 7 — Planetary, weekly
• 13 — Lunar, transformative

Best Days:

• Monday — Moon, emotions, psychic
• Tuesday — Mars, courage, justice
• Wednesday — Odin, magick, wisdom
• Thursday — Thor, protection, prosperity
• Friday — Freyja, love, seiðr
• Saturday — Binding, banishing
• Sunday — Success, vitality

Emergency Protection:

• Iron (pocket knife, nail)
• Salt (sprinkle threshold)
• Hammer-sign (trace in air)
• “I claim Thor’s protection” (speak aloud)
• Ground immediately (touch earth)

Record in Your Own Hand:

Every worker should keep their personal grimoire. This guide is merely the beginning. Your practice, your relationships with the powers, your lived experience — this becomes your true book of magick.

Go forth and weave well.

🜃 Rúnir rísta skal — Runes you should carve