The Norse Shaman

An experiential guide to the wisdom preserved in Europe's far north

• Includes shamanic journeys to connect with deities and your ancestral shamans

• Provides step-by-step instructions to prepare for and conduct a seiðr ceremony

• Draws on archaeological evidence and surviving written records from Iceland

• Reveals the long tradition of female shamans in northern European shamanism

Shamanism is humanity's oldest spiritual tradition. In much of the Western world, the indigenous pre-Christian spiritual practices have been lost. Yet at the northern fringes of Europe, Christianity did not displace the original shamanic practices until the end of the Viking age. Remnants of Norse shamanic spirituality have survived in myths, folk traditions, and written records from Iceland, providing many clues about the ancient European shaman's world, especially when examined in conjunction with other shamanic cultures in northern Eurasia, such as the Sami and the tribes of Siberia.

Reconstructing the shamanic practices of the hunter-gatherers of Scandinavia, Evelyn Rysdyk explores the evolution of Norse shamanism from its earliest female roots to the pre-Christian Viking Age. She explains how to enter Yggdrasil, the World Tree, to travel to other realms and provides shamanic journeys to connect with the ancestral shamans of your family tree, including the Norse goddess Freyja, the very first shaman. She offers exercises to connect with the ancient goddesses of fate, the Norns, and introduces the overnight wilderness quest of útiseta for reconnecting with the powers of nature. She explains the key concepts of Ørlög and Wyrd--the two most powerful forces that shape human lives--and provides exercises for letting go of harmful behavior patterns and transforming simple knowledge into profound wisdom by connecting with Óðinn.

Thoroughly examining the shamanic rituals of seiðr, the oracular magic of the Nordic cultures, the author provides step-by-step instructions to prepare for and conduct a seiðr ceremony, including creating your own seiðr staff and hood, and explores the ancestral use of shamanic songs or varðlokur to accompany the ceremony. Woven throughout these exercises, Rysdyk provides archaeological evidence from Neolithic sites supporting the long tradition of venerating wise women, grandmothers, and mothers in ancient cultures and the important role of female shamans at the heart of northern European shamanism. Providing an accessible guide for anyone trying to fulfill their shamanic callings, these powerful rituals can provide personal healing and a clear path for finding our way into a harmonious relationship with the natural world.

Autorentext

Evelyn C. Rysdyk is an internationally recognized shamanic healer, teacher, speaker, and author of Spirit Walking: A Course in Shamanic Power, Modern Shamanic Living, and A Spirit Walker's Guide to Shamanic Tools. She is a founding member of the Society for Shamanic Practitioners and a presenter for international events such as the Shamanism Global Summit and the Year of Ceremony. She enjoys living and working on the coast of Maine.

Inhalt

Acknowledgments

Simplified Pronunciation Guide to the Norse Words in This Book

INTRODUCTION

The Power of Norse Shamanism

1 Visionaries in Our Family Tree

Engaging with Fire

2 Long Ago and Far Away: Discovering Our Ancestors' Gifts

Using Fire to Meet a Shamanic Ancestor

3 Power in the Female Body

Journeying to Meet the First Shaman

4 Worlds of the Shaman

Journeying to Explore the Nine Realms of Spirit

5 The First Shaman Becomes a Goddess

Journeying to Meet the Nature Goddess/First Shaman

6 The Norns: Mistresses of Cosmic Patterns

Journeying to Urð--The Moment of Manifestation

7 Ørlög and Wyrd: Creation Has No Beginning or End

Journeying to Better Understand Ørlög and Wyrd 86

8 Seiðr as Shamanic Ritual

9 Seiðr and the Sami Connection

10 Preparing to Perform Seiðr

Creating Your Seiðstafr

Getting Your Seiðr Ritual Songs

Empowering Your Seiðr Hood and Cloak

Receiving Varðlokur for a Community Seiðr Ceremony

11 Other Accoutrements of the Völva

Journey to Shape-Shift into Your Power Animal, or Fylgja

12 Útiseta: Connecting with Nature's Power

Útiseta Journeys

13 Performing a Group Seiðr Ritual

The Seiðr Ritual

14 The Many Faces of Seiðr

Discovering How You Will Use Seiðr

15 Learning to See: Meeting Óðinn

Meeting Óðinn to Learn to Surrender Unbeneficial Ways of Being

Meeting Óðinn to Safely Drink from Urð's Well, Urðarbrunnr

16 The Nurturing Tree

Entering the Regenerative Womb of the World Tree

Dedicating a Sacred Tree on or near Your Land

CONCLUSION

Ragnarök or Renewal?

Appendix A
An Introduction to Shamanic Journeying
Journey to Meet a Power Animal, or Fylgja

Appendix B

Making a Seiðr Hood
Sewing Instructions

Appendix C

Resources

Notes

Glossary of Terms

Bibliography

Index

About the Author