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Bookversary! Walking the Rainbow Bridge: A Collection of Heathen Poetry
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Originally released on April 27, 2020.
Walking the Rainbow Bridge is a collection of poems written over several years by a devotee of Odin, each one a glimpse into the many ways in which we are taken up by our Gods and spirits and returned, transformed, to the beauty and struggles of our own lives. These words call out to divinity while taking strength in the power of beloved ancestors, forming a bridge between the human and the holy. They challenge, guide, and invite the reader to open themselves to the lightning touch of the living Gods.
Buy on Amazon
This weekend is rich and full
Sunwait begins tomorrow (our household celebrates on Fridays) and I’ll post more about that after our ritual, and of course, Saturday is Remembrance/Armistice/Veteran’s Day. I’ll be attending my local ceremony (I’d go to all of them in the surrounding towns, but they’re all held at 11am, because the Armistice was signed at 11/11 at 11am.
This is a weekend to remember our WWI dead, and to thank our living Veterans for what they have endured, for all that they do, and for their sacrifices. I often donate to military charities this month and I will be doing so again. I recommend Paralyzed Veterans of America, Fisher House, the American Legion, and the British Royal Legion.
Many of us wear red poppies to symbolize our respect for and remembrance of the dead. This symbolizes the blood our soldiers shed in battle. It became such a potent symbol following the publication of a poem “In Flanders Fields” by John McCrae, a Canadian doctor who served and died in WWI.
How will you keep this day?
In Flanders Fields
Poetry for Woden on His Day
Drottin of the dead, Lord of the Noose
By G. Krasskova 10/11/23
I gave myself to You long ago,
I have lived more than the three lifetimes.
given to Starkad. I live yet and serve
trailing wod behind me like a twisted, ravenous shadow.
So many stories, so many words that punched through my teeth,
and scored sigils on my tongue, lay littered between us,
a good place for the runes to dance;
a good place to build anew and plant the seeds of my charms—
a vitki’s charms, mind you, as You taught me, and only half human at that.
I crawled up on hooks to praise You
and smelled the rough tang of the Tree’s blood-stained bark.
My own blood-stained mask glittered. I don’t remember screaming.
I crawled up on hooks to praise You,
and when I did so, the runes crawled into me too.
I marked them on my skin to remember.
though they forget nothing at all.
I felt my soul breathe them out and in again.
(They have never left me).
They fly as on razor tipped wings.
They laugh and their focus is Yours.
I crawled up to the Tree and took my place:
I sacrificed and gave myself to You.
There were consequences.
Ravens flew overhead as I was brought back to life
by Your roughhewn song.
A Loki’s woman saw it so,
and Hela watched impassible from Her hall
through the eyes of Her living victim.
Those otherwise present became hungry paper ghosts.
They do not matter.
They ate of the wrong fruit.
Vikar could have had honor had he gone willingly to noose and spear,
but by trickery was he won and thus his honor lost.
Unfortunate, but it was foretold.
Hail to the grateful Starkad and Odin in His ruthless cunning.
Hail to Thor Who made him chafe as well. Thus, are heroes made.
Hail to the Gods unbending in Their giving.
I could savor Your ruthlessness, Geirtýr, for another half aett of lifetimes.
It is delicious and my soul and senses feast ever well.
Shaker of Gungnir, Lord of the Noose,
I hang suspended within the span of Your breath.
Harvester of the dead, Frenzied and Mad, pissed off with fury--
Ravings that bring the void to heel, make this magus true.
Let me burn furiously with wealth and wod,
that everywhere I touch will burn with You.
Let me breathe YOU out, wherever I walk,
as the runes sing their own spells to the rhythm of my blood.
As for me, I have made so many offering to You,
my baleful and beautiful God,
that my heart is an altar turned to glass.
It is good and may it ever be so.
Day 12 – for Loki
This is a poem for Loki from an in progress collection of poetry that I’m working on.
Lokasǫngr
I am cardinal fire and I do not change
but I burn
and that burning can purify, consecrate,
sanctify and fill the world with truth and joy
or it can turn the deceiver to ash.
The choice is yours.
(by G. Krasskova. copyright 2023)
Loki by W. McMillan, from my private collection
A Thought on Divine Encounters
Not a thought so much as a few opening lines from one of Rilke’s poems “The First Elegy”. It speaks so much to what it is like, walking with the Powers, engaging with Them, being taken up by Them, giving Them one’s heart. I come back to this every now and again and I was thinking about it tonight. I want to share it here.
“Who, if I cried out, would hear me among the Angels’
Orders? and even if one of them pressed me
suddenly to his heart: I’d be consumed
in his more potent being. For beauty is nothing
but the beginning of terror, which we can still barely endure,
and while we stand in wonder it coolly disdains
to destroy us. Every Angel is terrifying.”
Bookversary! Walking the Rainbow Bridge: A Collection of Heathen Poetry
Affiliate Advertising Disclosure
Originally released on April 27, 2020.
Walking the Rainbow Bridge is a collection of poems written over several years by a devotee of Odin, each one a glimpse into the many ways in which we are taken up by our Gods and spirits and returned, transformed, to the beauty and struggles of our own lives. These words call out to divinity while taking strength in the power of beloved ancestors, forming a bridge between the human and the holy. They challenge, guide, and invite the reader to open themselves to the lightning touch of the living Gods.
Buy on Amazon
To Haides — The House of Vines
I’ve always wondered wby Gods of the Underworld are so often pictured as stingy and grim — we see it with the Norse Goddess Hella too. In truth, I think They nourish and protect the dead and regardless of what ancient poets have speculated, as an ancestor worker, I have never found the lands of the dead to be cheerless or grim at all, quite the opposite actually. Sannion has written a lovely prayer to Haides here that it is a pleasure to share. See more below:
Hail to you Haides,somber Lord of the silent lands,where the chthonic Nymphs danceon the shores of the Stygian river,and the souls of great men dwell in gloom,dreaming of their days upon the earthwhen the Sun shone warmly on their faces.You see all that transpires in your shadowy realm,as you sit on your basalt throneand stroke […]
To Haides — The House of Vines
Hymn to Isa — The House of Vines
Tonight Sannion wrote a prayer/poem for the rune Isa and it captures something of this rune’s potency so incredibly well that I had to share it with you here. I wish he’d do one for each rune in the futhark!
Read the whole thing at the link below.
For redeseker To Isa Hail to you Isa, indomitable Dameamong that family of Spirits which Óðinnbrought through with a terrible screamwhen he hung on the lonely, wind-swept treefor nine long days and nine even longer nights.You can withstand every blow and every scheming attackflung your way, nor can anything in all Miðgarðrcause you to budge […]
Hymn to Isa — The House of Vines
Guest Post: Prayers to Mani by Grant H.
Grant H. recently sent me some lovely prayers to our Moon God and I’m delighted to share them with you today (with Grant’s permission). Mani has been so incredibly lovely of late and such a gracious and protective presence in our lives. It is right and fit to honor Him always and I love hearing from people who do. 🙂
Mani, still shining The lesser lights of man have stolen the Stars from the sky; That is what it appears to be, at least. In truth, the Star spirits are still there, simply hidden away by modern light pollution. (Modern Life pollution?) And I weep for the Star spirits I can no longer see. But I still see Mani shining bright in the night sky. And that does put a smile upon my face. So I smile and wave to Mani, And - though I cannot see it with my two mortal eyes - I do see that he smiles back. To Mani Mighty Mani, shining bright; Only celestial body I see tonight. I give you this offering in honor of your sacred light. The tides flow because of you, and I am grateful for that. Life is possible on this planet because of you, and I thank you for that. I thank you Mani I thank you Mani, shining bright; Only celestial body I see tonight. I give you an offering, as is my duty and your right; Only celestial body I see tonight. I thank you for the tides, Mani shining bright; Only celestial body I see tonight. I thank you for the glowing tides, that grant the planet flowing life; Mani shining bright; Only celestial body I see tonight. White gold moon I see Mani in the sky, shining bright; Only celestial body I see tonight. He is the white gold moon Golden and bright, shining in his fullness with the moon’s blessed light. Hail the white-gold moon! (All prayers/poems copyright Grant Hodel 2021).
Gangleri's Grove 