Wodinic Wednesday Q&A

Feel free to ask your reader questions in the comments here today. Nearly every Wednesday, I open my blog to questions as a small way of honoring Odin as seeker of knowledge. So, ask away and I promise to answer. I”ll keep this open until 10pm EST tonight.

Hail Him.

Wodinic Wednesday Q&A

Hey folks, y’all know what to do. Ask your questions and I’ll do my best to answer them. Hail to Woden, Seeker of Knowledge, Seeker of Truth, Seeker of power. Hail to the Master of the Tree, Yggr, Eyluðr, Gangleri. Hail Odin!

Wodinic Wednesday Q&A

I am opening my comments section today for reader questions. I do this to honor Odin as Sangetall, as Gangleri, as a God Who ever seeks knowledge. If you have a question for me on things related to the northern tradition, Heathenry, polytheism, devotion, conjure, magical practice, ballet, my academic work — whatever is on your mind– feel free to ask in the comments and I’ll do my best to answer or point you toward the best places I can think of to find answers.

I’ll keep this open until 9pm EST April 10. Rock on folks.

“Odin” by W. McMillan (From the author’s personal collection)

Wodinic Wednesday Q&A

Happy Wednesday, folks. Once again it’s Woden’s Day and so, I’ll be doing my Wodinic Wednesday Q&A for my readers. Until 10pm EST tonight, I’ll keep this blog open to reader questions. Please don’t hesitate to ask questions on whatever topic you think I might be able to tender an answer (for example: Odin, Heathenry, Norse Gods, devotion, spiritwork, mysticism, occult practices, my academic field –early Christianity, specifically pain and the body, eunuchs, asceticism, etc. ballet, and anything else you might be interested in). I’ll do my best to answer or direct you to where you can find an answer.

Now for a few other interesting things.

Firstly, I went to see the movie Cabrini this past week. It was absolutely fantastic and I highly recommend it. It really gives both a glimpse into a powerhouse of a woman who became the first American saint, but also a heart-wrenching glimpse into what life was like for Italian immigrants and the poor in the late 19^th/early 20^th century in New York City. The acting was Oscar worthy in my opinion. My only complaint: this woman who emphasized prayer in everything she did was never shown praying (save perhaps once and then it’s really ambiguous). There were moments where prayer and her connection to her God should have been emphasized and weren’t— ostensibly to make the film more accessible to non-Catholics. It was a lost opportunity to highlight the piety that drove her and this omission got rather annoying by the last third of the movie. Even with that, I highly recommend the film. This saint has a shrine, and it’s one of the few in the US that has first class relics (her body – minus her heart which was sent to Italy). I have a fascinating with bone chapels which this is not, and by extension bodily relics, which this has. When I went to see the movie, my husband and I had the theatre to ourselves, and this was good, because watching the dramatization of what this woman had to go through in order to found what became Cabrini hospital had me cussing a blue streak! I keep an eye out for movies that present religions and devotion positively and while this is not a Heathen movie, it did that and it’s such a rarity in today’s media I wanted to recommend it.

Secondly, here is a short Instagram video about mindfulness. I’m not at this point by any measure, but I like the anecdote the woman tells. It makes me realize how far I have to go in moving mindfully in the world. Thank you to my friend, Mary Ann for this one.

Finally, I’ve been thinking about one of our healing Goddesses, Aurboda. She is the mother of Gerda and in my particular tradition considered particularly skilled in pharmacology. I think because I’ve been making salves lately, I’ve been praying to Her more than usual, so, here is one of my prayers. It’s written in a style that I first discovered in Mechthild of Magdeburg’s “Flowing Light of the Godhead” and it really works for me:

Prayer to Aurboda

We praise You, Aurboða, companion of Eir, companion of Mengloth, great in the ways of healing.

We praise You, Aurboða, wise and pious in making offerings to the land and the spirits therein. They are Your allies and a source of Your power. Yours is a bond of mutual respect.

We praise You, skilled in herbs and medicines, great apothecary of Lyfjaberg, Whom even other healing Powers consult.

We praise You, Canny Seeress, Who knows the ways of reverence, Who easily untangles the snarled skeins of wyrd and reads them rightly.

We Praise You, Mother of Gerda, Who raised Your daughter in the ways of Power, a jewel in the hall of the Mountain tribes, Carrier of Your peoples’ sovereignty.

Oh Wisdom beyond Measure!

Oh Mighty Healing Power!

Oh Tree of richness and plenty!

Oh Caretaker of the land!

Oh Protector of all the spirits of the earth!

Oh Jewel of Prophetic Wonder!

Mighty Apothecary of the Gods, ever and always do we praise You! Hail to You, Aurboða! Teach us ever and always we pray, to make good offerings, to walk in the ways of respect and reverence, and to honor the land that has shaped us, every day of our lives.

**********

That is all for now. I might not get to your questions until late tonight, but I promise to answer them before the day is done.

Wodinic Wednesday Q&A plus a few extra things

Today is Wodinic Wednesday and in honor of Odin as seeker of knowledge, I will take questions on my blog until 10pm EST tonight. So, if you have a question on any topic that you think might be in my wheelhouse, feel free to ask and I”ll do my best to answer before the day is out. 

 

A few extra things I want to add/share. 

 

Firstly, Stephen Pollington’s new book on Woden is out and it’s pretty good (and includes quite a bit of Proto-Germanic etymology not only on Odin’s name Wodenaz, but also the names of Vili and Ve). I’ve only read through the first couple of chapters but so far, I’m quite enjoying it. Note: this book does NOT include (at least as far as I’ve read)  anything experiential or by modern practitioners (though Paxson is listed in the biblio). This is an academic text bringing together a number of cross cultural writings dealing with some aspect of Odin and His bynames. 

 

 

Secondly, while sitting through this experience, I had an insight into how evil eye charms, Nazar charms, can be used for Odin. I also have a prayer that I say when I put on a hand charm, that was made for me in Loki’s name. Before I put on this necklace (I usually wear it under my shirt on the same chain as the eye charm I wear for Odin.), I say the following: 

 

“Hail to You, Loður and Hoenir. Hail to Your hands and Your will, which in tandem with Odin’s crafted us to be beautiful, clever, pious, and wise. May I be worthy of Your protection today and may Your mighty hands preserve and protect me from evil. ALU.”

 

As a complete aside, I was watching a YouTube video on affirmative care and magical thinking and I really want to clarify, if only for myself, that: I do not believe in magical thinking. I’m a magician. I perform magic and I believe in reality. I simply shape it according to my will.

 

Finally,  here is a cool Latin word of the day: tintinnabula– wind chimes. I love the onomatopoeia of it. 

 

Finally, finally, I am still offering candle lighting services along with prayer, on which you, you may read more here. 

 

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Wodinic Wednesday Q&A

Y’all know the drill, folks. Ask your questions and I’ll do my best to answer them. I have an early meeting so it might not be till later tonight that I get to answer, but I will do so before the day is done. I”ll keep this forum open until 10pm est for questions.

I do this to honor Odin as knowledge seeker. Perhaps pour out an offering to Him today if you are so minded. Happy Woden’s DaY.

Wodinic Wednesday Q&A

Hi folks, it’s your resident night-owl. 🙂 I’m writing this just after midnight so it’s technically Wednesday, Woden’s Day again. As I’ve been doing for the past year, I am opening up my blog to reader questions today. I’ll answer anything you throw at me (and if I don’t know the answer, I’ll do my best to point you in the right direction). Feel free to ask any questions you may have in the comments. I’ll keep this open until 10pm EST.

Hail to Woden, frenzied God ever hungry for knowledge.

Hail to Woden, Who sacrificed again and again for wisdom and power.

Hail to Woden, scarified, roaring, ravenous God

Who grants His people a desire to know, to learn, to grow, to share His mysteries.

For all that You are, oh my God, I am grateful.

For all You have given me, I am also grateful.

Hail Woden, Hail Gangleri, Hail the Seeker of knowledge.

Statue from my shrine made by S. Ravenswing.

Wodinic Wednesday Q&A

Hail to Sanngetall, Seeker of Truth; Hail to Gangleri, Seeker of Knowledge; Hail to Odin, Seeker of Power and Wisdom. May He bless our endeavors today and ever inspire us in our work.

Today is Wednesday and I have crawled out of the turgid abyss of sleep; the caffeine is slowly kicking in (today required a lot of caffeine lol) and so I am ready once more for Wodinic Wednesday. ^_^. Ask me your questions on any topics of relevance to my work (my religious and/or my academic). This includes Odin, Loki, Sigyn, Mani, Heathenry, Norse Gods in general, spirit work, divination, occult issues, devotion, prayer, liturgy, etc. etc. If y’all ask something I can’t answer, I’ll tell you and if I can, try to point you in a more fruitful direction.

I’ll keep this Q&A open until 10pm EST tonight. Rock on.

Wodinic Wednesday Q&A

Happy Wednesday, folks! Hail to Odin, God of knowledge, Who ever seeks greater and greater wisdom. In His honor, as I”ve been doing for the past year, I’m opening up my blog to reader questions. Feel free to post in the comments any questions you may have on any topic of relevance. I’ll do my best to answer (Odin, Heathenry, devotion, polytheism, my academic areas, conjure, occultism, etc.) or to point y’all in the right direction.

I will keep this open till 10pm EST tonight. I may not answer until late as I have several appointments today, but I will answer. Ask away, folks.

Wodinic Wednesday Q&A

Today is Wodinic Wednesday and as I’ve been doing for most of last y ear, I’m opening up my biog to reader questions. As an offering to He Who always seeks knowledge, to Odin, the One Who hung on the Tree, I will answer any questions from you, my readers until roughly 9pm EST tonight. I will note that I have a dentist appointment mid day so I may not answer some of the questions until late tonight, but I’ll get to them all before tomorrow. So, Ask away, folks and happy Wednesday. 🙂