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Óðinn the Allfather: ruler of Valhalla and God of wisdom, magic, runes, war, prophesy, victory, poetry, and death.

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a little a Ragnarök, as a treat ☀️🐺

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Katie Ponder's illustrations for a book on Norse mythology.

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finally at a place in my life where i have time to practice again, and i missed loki and the brood dearly.

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there's been a meme floating around Heathen circles lately, noting that if the first man and woman were carved from ash and elm, then there are as many genders as there are species of trees - that humanity is a forest

i've been working on some trans-positive designs but this concept really lodged in my heart, so i created a line of gender-affirming pieces that can be easily enjoyed by both cis and trans Heathens

these will be going off for the sticker treatment later tonight, but they might be getting added to the t-shirt docket for spring!

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Sif of the harvest and home and hearth.

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Been playing around in GIMP. Had been inspired by the Pride Heathen/Pagan/Lokean symbols. All the images were found online. Used the updated Disability Flag and tried to keep the muted colors for the obvious safety reasons. I wanted to post these during Disability Pride Month but oh, well. Better late than never I guess.

[tyrs-warrior]

[tyrs-warrior]

Trans pride colored Mjolnir 🏳️‍⚧️

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Altar for Skaði in honor of this region’s first snow storm. I’m offering her some freshly fallen snow ❄️

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Hail Thor

Hail to the Thunderer Hail to the Foe of Malevolent Forces Hail to the God whose laughter shakes the skies Bless and walk with us this day

[tyrs-warrior]

Personal ideas for simple devotional acts to Njörðr

Let us all praise the Lord of Ships, the Vanir King. He is the bestower of wealth and the guardian of seas, and his gifts are many! If you’re looking to start working with Njörðr, or worshipping him, these ideas make for quick and simple gestures that showcase your interest. They’re also perfect for a pagan who already maintains a close relationship with the sea, water spirits, or a sea deity. After all, spiritual practice gets hard to sustain when you’re working on a tight schedule! Which is why I hope these little personal ideas can inspire even those of you who already actively worship/work with Njörðr. 

First things first: pondering on what Njörðr stands for, what you think he can bring your life and what you think he would appreciate in return. 

Going for walks on windy days. Njörðr is said to raise winds that are favorable to sailboats! 

Cooking and eating sea products, especially if you can find them fresh! I usually keep an eye out for fishermen’s markets. It’s a good idea to buy locally if the opportunity presents itself. The most important thing is to make sure you’re buying from sustainable fish farming companies, especially if you’re at a restaurant or buying from a grocery store.

Putting the sound of waves as background music before sleep. You can visualize the sea, or the ocean, and use this image to connect with Njörðr either by simply meditating on him and his gifts, or even by praying to him.

If possible, spending time near bodies of water: water is a network which connects the land to the ocean. In the end, all rivers, no matter how small, are bound to the ocean. 

Watching documentaries on the sea, or on marine life! The simple gesture of learning about his domain, developing your understanding of it, can make you feel that much closer to the Father of Light-Bringers. 

Whenever you’re at a local beach, collecting seashells or rocks which catch your eye! They’re a way to bring a piece of the sea home with you! 

Since I cook a lot, there’s this little habit I’ve come to develop, of adding a pinch of sea salt (or fleur de sel) to every recipe. Of course, I won’t do this if I’m cooking a simple sandwich for myself: I’m talking about large pots of soup, meat pies, stews, etc. It’s a way of reminding myself that the Vanir bring about the fertility which allows us sustain ourselves. 

Learning sea shanties!!! Did you smile? That’s because sea shanties are fun, and what better way to honor a God than by having fun in their name! One of my favorite songs ever is a folk ballad about an old woman who begs her husband to leave the city and go back to the island where they used to live, where she could watch the seagulls and where he would fish their dinner. Songs such as these can make for beautiful and deeply personal offerings. Once you’ve learned a fisherman’s song, you’ll find yourself humming it in your day-to-day, and thinking of Njörðr as you’re doing so.

Making offerings of coin to him. I’ve heard that he was particularly fond of the coin-shaped chocolates that are wrapped in gold foil! Generally, anything that is made of gold or silver makes for a beautiful offering to him. You can, of course, keep such objects after offering them! The act of sharing them with Njörðr is symbolic, as are many offerings, and you are as entitled to keeping these valuables as you are to drinking offering alcohol after the ritual is done. Placing your silver/gold object on a windowsill or an altar for a day, a week or a month is enough to act as an offering.  

When it comes to the Vanir, you usually can’t go wrong with buying local products! What does your area specialize in, in terms of food? Now that summer’s at our door, we’ve reached the perfect time to look into local farmer’s markets. If, like me, you’re in the habit of offering alcohol to some or most of your deities, local draft beer is a great idea for Njörðr. In my area, grocery shops sometimes sell this one beer that’s made using salt water! It’s my go-to for Njörðr, understandably.

Acting generously, taking opportunities to share with others! It’s a way of honoring and embodying the Vanir King’s own benevolence.

As a follow-up, working on your ability to be compassionate: putting yourself in somebody else’s shoes, forgiving a wrong that has been done to you, finding compromise during a conflict with loved ones… If you are put in a position of leadership, lead others with care and attentiveness. Njörðr’s mythological son Freyr is heavily associated with peace. By protecting peace, you are honoring them both. 

Keeping a symbol of his on you as an amulet: representations of fish, anchors, lighthouses, ships, or anything else that symbolizes the sea all make for beautiful reminders of Njörðr’s presence. Especially if they are silver or gold-colored! In fact, a simple silver or gold coin, or even just a coin with special meaning in your heart, is the perfect amulet to keep in your wallet/purse in his honor. 

Learning to tie knots, or any other simple skill that is useful on a boat is fun and a great way to feel connected with the sea. This goes without saying but if you’ve got the chance to go for a boat ride, take it in his honor!

Asking him to grant you a safe journey before traveling long distances.

Art, Njörðr statue

[tyrs-warrior]

Ad-Hoc Altar to Loki

I’ve dabbled in Atheistic forms of Paganism and Witchcraft this past year but kind of fell off of it. That’s changed recently. After reading a rather infuriating post about witchcraft on a religious website (ex-orthodox jewish here) I made this impromptu altar to Loki.

I read that snakes and knots are associated with him, and the coiled rope is meant to evoke both. The Hershey’s kisses are because he enjoys sweet things. The fool card was suggested by a friend for my intentions with this altar. I wanted him to come (so to speak) and to spend a bit of time with me. Ditto with the red candle.

I found this fulfilling. I may present more offerings to him in the future

[tyrs-warrior]

New divination dice approach! The 24 sided elder futhark dice will be available Feb 6th at 6pm ET. The quantities are limited, so if you want to get your hands on one, be sure to set a reminder.

[tyrs-warrior]

Hel Deity Guide

Who is Hel?

Often referred to as a “goddess of death”, Hel is actually the ruler who presides over the dead. Her domain is the underworld, also called Hel (or Helheim). She is often described in text as cruel or cold, not uncommon for a deity that deals with death. This may not represent the experience that those who work with Hel have had, please keep in mind that deities are not solely their mythology.

Parents and Siblings

Loki (father)

Angrboda (mother)

Fenrir (brother)

Jörmungand (brother)

Sleipnir (brother)

Lovers or Partners

N/A

Children

N/A

Epithets

While modern pagans may have epithets for her, there is no historical Epithet for Hel that I have found.

Notes

The Aesir were told that Loki’s three children would cause destruction one day. To combat this, Odin threw Hel into Helheim where she crowned herself queen and made it into her realm.

Her appearance is said to be that of a woman who looks half human and half blue like a corpse.

Some think that Helheim, the underworld, came first and Hel as a goddess became a later development or personification of said place.

It’s important to note that Helheim is not a place of punishment or torture—but that doesn’t mean it’s particularly pleasant.

Hel’s most popular story is The Death of Baldr, in which she refuses to allow Baldr to leave Hel unless every last creature on earth weeps for him. Every being except one giantess (who people believe to be Loki in disguise) cried, but since the terms were not fully met, Baldr remained in Hel.

Her name means “hidden”, referencing those who are dead and invisible to the living.

Many scholars believe that the deity Hel is a creation of the Christian mythographer, Snorri Sturluson.

Since she is the daughter of Loki (a half-giant) and Angrboda (a giantess), Hel is also probably a giantess or jötunn.

Modern Deity Work

Since there is no evidence of a pre-Christian Goddess Hel of the dead, there are no true historical offerings or correspondences that I can write here. Everything in the section will be based either on Hel’s myths or resourced from posts about her from her followers and devotees.

Correspondences

Since there is no historical evidence of a cult or worship for Hel, these correspondences come from her myths and from posts from her followers. These are only some possible correspondences, if you feel that there are others then feel free to add them in a comment or reblog!

Rocks/Stone/Crystals

Onyx

Fossils

Jet

Obsidian

Herbs/Plants

Ivy

Juniper

Baby’s Breath or other small white flowers

Blackthorn

Elder

Fungus (though fungi are not plants I'm placing it here)

Animals

Vultures or other scavengers that feed on the dead

Raven

Hellhound

Symbols

Staff

Scepter

Offerings

Bones

Meat charred to ash

Bread

Alcohol

Black tea

Apples

Graveyard dirt (be smart about obtaining it please)

Acts of Devotion

Visit a cemetery

Honor your ancestors

Research her

Go to an apple orchard

Confront any fear of death that you may have (only if you’re in a place to do so) come to terms with it as being a part of life

References and Further Reading

Hel - Norse Mythology

Hel - Skjalden

Hel - World History

Honoring Hel - @theheathenwitch

Hel - @jasper-pagan-witch