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Tag: trancework

Freyja’s Falcon Flight: The Grain Harvest

I was late this month in my journey to see Freyja, and so I am late getting this to all of ya’ll, but hopefully it’s helpful or resonates with some of you. If you’re used to doing journeys from a script, great! Otherwise feel free to have some one read it to you, or record yourself reading it. Edit the intro and expand the outro if you need to, but please leave the middle intact, and don’t share the recording without telling them where to find my original post!

I recommend lighting a devotional candle and/or making a small offering to Freyja (perhaps a libation) before you begin. Prepare yourself however you normally would, to do work at an altar. For my part, that usually means wearing one of my devotional hair ribbons and perhaps donning magical jewelry, and acquiring something to go over my head while I journey.

Falcon Flight: Whose Wisdom Will You Seek?

Begin in stillness, and quiet, and darkness. Find your center, and align yourself with earth and sky. As you stare at the darkness behind your eyes, feel and see as mist swirls up from the ground, obscuring everything around you. After a moment, it begins to part, leaving you standing in a flowery meadow.

When you arrive in the meadow, take a moment to observe around you, turning until you see a path. At the entrance to the path are two shrubs, and as you move on that direction, you see trees as well. Shrubs give way to trees and undergrowth on either side of the path, getting taller and denser as you move onward, until they join overhead into an arch, forming a tunnel of trees that slopes downward, getting denser and darker.

Eventually, you notice that the path has become flat, and then it begins to rise. Now the trees are thinning again, branches giving way to brightness, and as the trees again give way to shrubs, you see a gate in front of a wide plain and beyond it, the great world tree. If you have any guides or guardians you wish to accompany you, ones who can join you in flight, call to them now, before you step through the gate and make your way towards the tree.

As you approach the World Tree, circle around it clockwise, until you see an opening beneath one of the great roots. Duck under this root and enter the tunnel beneath. There is hard dirt packed beneath your feet, and the entire tunnel seems to have been hewn from that same clay-rich dirt and sandstone. Not as many feet come this way — the floor is still rough in places, so watch your step as you continue forward. There are torches set into sconces in the rough hewn walls, and their light looks like fire but you feel no heat as we continue past, and you smell no smoke or pitch.

The tunnel curves gently and then begins to rise in a gradual incline, ending in a doorway, two huge stones on either side and capped with a third. Touch one gently as you step out into the fresh air — these are worn by the elements and smooth to the touch. If you look back to the entrance, you will notice that on this side, the tunnel leads into what looks like a large burial mound, standing alone in a large clearing, though the forest is slowly encroaching from all sides.

Smell the air — the pine sap scent is strong, and your nose can tell there is moving water somewhere nearby, even if your ears cannot yet hear it. Now you should continue, following a clear trail deeper into the forest. Your footfalls are muffled by pine needles, and the air seems still. The scent and after a while the sound of water is to your left as you walk, and after a short time, you arrive at a fork, with three paths to choose from.

You have been here before – normally we take the middle road. But today, coming walking towards you down that middle road is our Lady herself. She nods at you, and indicates for you to follow, leading you down the path to your left. A bit further on, she crosses a bridge over a small creek that is running high, and then the path turns again, and you can see that ahead of you it dead ends into a large field of some kind of golden grain, ripe and ready for the harvest.

As you come to the edge of a field, you see many people dressed in clothes of the early medieval period, singing and doing the hard work of harvest: those with strong shoulders swinging scythes, those with nimble fingers tying bundles, and others reaching down to collect the pieces that fall to the ground.

Two figures are larger than life and seem almost to shine with divine light, much like Freyja does. The man in stripped to the waist and wielding a scythe. With every swing of his scythe he cuts more than ten times any other person here. And when he turns to look at you and Freyja, you notice the family resemblance, how he is like a mirror of his sister: this is Freyr. The other figure is a woman with long golden hair that flows unbound around her. She is using her own hair in place of twine to tie the heaps of grain that Freyr cuts into bundles. As she looks up to smile at you, you realize this must be Sif*.

You may speak to either Sif or Freyr if you choose; or else join in the work and speak to the ancestors gathered here, to see what wisdom they might share about the work of the harvest.

[interlude]

When you are finished speaking with whomever you chose, say your farewells and return to Freyja’s side. You may speak to her as well, if you wish, on the walk back to the fork in the path. When you return to that crossroads, bid Freyja farewell, and then continue back the way you came: through the forest, to the mound, through the mound-tunnel and out from under the root, across the plain, and back to the gate, through the tunnel of trees, and back to the meadow. Then the mist will swirl up again, and take you back to your body.

* Okay, yeah, I know, Sif being a grain goddess is just supposition with no real evidence to back it up, but a lot of people do cast Sif in this role, and also when I tried to ask Freyja if I could equivocate without naming her as Sif, Freyja point blank insisted. Which still doesn’t prove anything, but my role here is to share what I’m told to share and I’m sure Freyja has her reasons.

Also, announcement: I’m currently migrating the website, so things might be a little wonky for a bit; bear with me, and as always, you can reach me via email and I’ll sort you out!

Open post

Freyja’s Falcon Flight: Whose Wisdom?

It’s a little past the waxing half moon, so I’ve once again gone to see Freyja and have been shown something to share with you all. And as before, this is based on my experience, and I’m offering it to the community in case it’s helpful or resonates with some of you. If you’re used to doing journeys from a script, great! Otherwise feel free to have some one read it to you, or record yourself reading it. Edit the intro and expand the outro if you need to, but please leave the middle intact, and don’t share the recording without telling them where to find my original post!

I recommend lighting a devotional candle and/or making a small offering to Freyja (perhaps a libation) before you begin. Prepare yourself however you normally would, to do work at an altar. For my part, that usually means wearing one of my devotional hair ribbons and perhaps donning magical jewelry, and acquiring something to go over my head while I journey.

Falcon Flight: Whose Wisdom Will You Seek?

Begin in stillness, and quiet, and darkness. Find your center, and align yourself with earth and sky. As you stare at the darkness behind your eyes, feel and see as mist swirls up from the ground, obscuring everything around you. After a moment, it begins to part, leaving you standing in a flowery meadow.

When you arrive in the meadow, take a moment to observe around you, turning until you see a path. At the entrance to the path are two shrubs, and as you move on that direction, you see trees as well. Shrubs give way to trees and undergrowth on either side of the path, getting taller and denser as you move onward, until they join overhead into an arch, forming a tunnel of trees that slopes downward, getting denser and darker.

Eventually, you notice that the path has become flat, and then it begins to rise. Now the trees are thinning again, branches giving way to brightness, and as the trees again give way to shrubs, you see a gate in front of a wide plain and beyond it, the great world tree. If you have any guides or guardians you wish to accompany you, ones who can join you in flight, call to them now, before you step through the gate and make your way towards the tree.

As you approach the World Tree, circle around it clockwise, until you see an opening beneath one of the great roots. Duck under this root and enter the tunnel beneath. There is hard dirt packed beneath your feet, and the entire tunnel seems to have been hewn from that same clay-rich dirt and sandstone. Not as many feet come this way — the floor is still rough in places, so watch your step as you continue forward. There are torches set into sconces in the rough hewn walls, and their light looks like fire but you feel no heat as we continue past, and you smell no smoke or pitch.

The tunnel curves gently and then begins to rise in a gradual incline, ending in a doorway, two huge stones on either side and capped with a third. Touch one gently as you step out into the fresh air — these are worn by the elements and smooth to the touch. If you look back to the entrance, you will notice that on this side, the tunnel leads into what looks like a large burial mound, standing alone in a large clearing, though the forest is slowly encroaching from all sides.

Smell the air — the pine sap scent is strong, and your nose can tell there is moving water somewhere nearby, even if your ears cannot yet hear it. Now you should continue, following a clear trail deeper into the forest. Your footfalls are muffled by pine needles, and the air seems still. The scent and after a while the sound of water is to your left as you walk, and after a short time, you arrive at a fork, with three paths to choose from.

One path curves to the left, and you can just make out a bridge over a creek in the distance. The one to the right seems to vanish into the trees. Continue down the middle path, which leads straight ahead. After a while, the trees seem to thin a bit, and the underbrush grows less tangled.

As the path reaches the edge of the forest, and the pine needles give way to a large open field, your eyes are drawn to the great hall. It is large, and you know at once to whom it belongs. This is Freyja’s Hall, Sessrumnir, and you are in Folkvangr. Approach the door, and when the guard calls out his challenge, announce yourself and your purpose. He will stand aside and let you in.

When you enter the hall, stop for a moment to let your eyes adjust, and then turn to your left towards the dais, where Freyja is waiting.

Give her your gift, when you approach, and listen to see if she has a personal message for you. When she is finished, she will gesture to the doors on either side of her, and explain this moon’s choice.

There is wisdom to be found in disaster and adversity – would you hear the words of Odin, or Njordr?

To the left, Odin awaits, sitting on his great high seat, in the judgement hall of the Aesir. He is ready to share the wisdom he’s gleaned from his many wanderings and his quest to avoid Ragnarok… for a price.

To the right, the door leads to a fisherman’s hut beside a dock, and docked there you will find a great sailing ship. Help Njordr ready the ship for his journey, and he will impart advice on how to weather storms without losing your bearings.

Choose a door, and walk through.

[interlude]

When you are finished speaking with the one you chose, look for the door you entered by, and go back through, back into Freyja’s hall.

Then say farewell and leave the hall, and go back the way you came: across the field, to the forest path, through the forest, to the mound, through the mound-tunnel and out from under the root, across the plain, and back to the gate, through the tunnel of trees, and back to the meadow. Then the mist will swirl up again, and take you back to your body.

Open post

Freyja’s Falcon Flight: Let it Burn Away

It’s the waxing half moon, so I’ve once again gone to see Freyja and have been shown something to share with you all. And as before, this is based on my experience, and I’m offering it to the community in case it’s helpful or resonates with some of you. If you’re used to doing journeys from a script, great! Otherwise feel free to have some one read it to you, or record yourself reading it. Edit the intro and expand the outro if you need to, but please leave the middle intact, and don’t share the recording without telling them where to find my original post!

I recommend lighting a devotional candle and/or making small offering to Freyja (perhaps a libation) before you begin. Prepare yourself however you normally would, to do work at an altar. For my part, that usually means wearing one of my devotional hair ribbons and perhaps donning magical jewelry, and acquiring something to go over my head while I journey.

Falcon Flight: Let It Burn Away

Begin in stillness, and quiet, and darkness. Find your center, and align yourself with earth and sky. As you stare at the darkness behind your eyes, feel and see as mist swirls up from the ground, obscuring everything around you. After a moment, it begins to part, leaving you standing in a flowery meadow.

When you arrive in the meadow, take a moment to observe around you, turning until you see a path. At the entrance to the path are two shrubs, and as you move on that direction, you see trees as well. Shrubs give way to trees and undergrowth on either side of the path, getting taller and denser as you move onward, until they join overhead into an arch, forming a tunnel of trees that slopes downward, getting denser and darker.

Eventually, you notice that the path has become flat, and then it begins to rise. Now the trees are thinning again, branches giving way to brightness, and as the trees again give way to shrubs, you see a gate in front of a wide plain and beyond it, the great world tree. If you have any guides or guardians you wish to accompany you, ones who can join you in flight, call to them now, before you step through the gate and make your way towards the tree.

As you approach the World Tree, circle around it clockwise, until you see an opening beneath one of the great roots. Duck under this root and enter the tunnel beneath. There is hard dirt packed beneath your feet, and the entire tunnel seems to have been hewn from that same clay-rich dirt and sandstone. Not as many feet come this way — the floor is still rough in places, so watch your step as you continue forward. There are torches set into sconces in the rough hewn walls, and their light looks like fire but you feel no heat as we continue past, and you smell no smoke or pitch.

The tunnel curves gently and then begins to rise in a gradual incline, ending in a doorway, two huge stones on either side and capped with a third. Touch one gently as you step out into the fresh air — these are worn by the elements and smooth to the touch. If you look back to the entrance, you will notice that on this side, the tunnel leads into what looks like a large burial mound, standing alone in a large clearing, though the forest is slowly encroaching from all sides.

Smell the air — the pine sap scent is strong, and your nose can tell there is moving water somewhere nearby, even if your ears cannot yet hear it. Now you should continue, following a clear trail deeper into the forest. Your footfalls are muffled by pine needles, and the air seems still. The scent and after a while the sound of water is to your left as you walk, and after a short time, you arrive at a fork, with three paths to choose from.

One path curves to the left, and you can just make out a bridge over a creek in the distance. The one to the right seems to vanish into the trees. Continue down the middle path, which leads straight ahead. After a while, the trees seem to thin a bit, and the underbrush grows less tangled.

As the path reaches the edge of the forest, and the pine needles give way to a large open field, your eyes are drawn to the great hall. It is large, and you know at once to whom it belongs. This is Freyja’s Hall, Sessrumnir, and you are in Folkvangr. Approach the door, and when the guard calls out his challenge, announce yourself and your purpose. He will stand aside and let you in.

When you enter, you see many other magical practitioners, both Humans and Others, dressed in dark clothing and gathered around a central fire that is long and narrow, taking up the middle of the hall and stretched out between the dais on your left and the rear wall on your right.

As you continue to look, you notice that the fire is strange — unnaturally white, and though it burns its fuel fiercely, there is little heat and no smoke, only the faint scent of birch and flax. It is witch-fire, elf-fire, no normal hearth fire is this. And as you step forward to take your place around it, shoulder to shoulder with your fellow practitioners, you notice many of them are reaching towards the flames, to drop things in, which flare and then seem to disappear, with only a small amount of ash remaining.

You know then, what this fire is for: it cleanses the unhael, it takes those things you long to be rid of and purifies them, leaving only inert material remnants, ready to be returned to the earth. Reach into your cloak – is there something in an inner pocket that you are ready and willing to be rid of? Is there anything you have bound or trapped that you do not have the power to transmute, that you would like to offer to Freyja’s witch-fire? If you would choose to, reach out your hand now, and place it into the flames. They will not harm you, or burn any hael thing.

As you finish, you notice others have begun to leap across the flames, and as they do sometimes the edge of their cloak or a wisp of their hair catches and just as quickly burns out. Not everything that is unhael within us can be put as an object into the flames.

As you contemplate this, one person steps up to the edge of the fire at the end nearest the rear wall. All eyes are now on them, as their eyes are fixed firmly on Freyja, who stands from her seat on the dais, as they take the first step into the flames. Nine steps through the coals they take, before they emerge from the other side, and kneel before her. She bends down to bless them with her hands on their shoulders, and then tips their chin to have them stand. As she embraces this brave person, it seems to you that she whispers something in their ear, though you cannot make out either the sounds or the shapes her lips make.

Others go back to leaping across the narrow part of the flames, until another steps up to make the journey of nine steps. And another. And another. What will you do, in this place and in this time? Will you leap across, will you walk through the coals, will you approach Freyja to speak with her? Do what you feel called to do.

[interlude]

When you are finished here and have spoken with Freyja if you wish it, go back the way you came: out the door of the hall, to the forest path, through the forest, to the mound, through the mound-tunnel and out from under the root, across the plain, and back to the gate, through the tunnel of trees, and back to the meadow. Then the mist will swirl up again, and take you back to your body.

Open post

Freyja’s Falcon Flights: To Idunna’s Apple Grove

It’s the waxing half moon again, and so I’ve gone to Freyja and been shown another journey path to share with you all. And as before, this is based on my experience, and I’m offering it to the community in case it’s helpful or resonates with some of you. If you’re used to doing journeys from a script, great! Otherwise feel free to have some one read it to you, or record yourself reading it. Edit the intro and expand the outro if you need to, but please leave the middle intact, and don’t share the recording without telling them where to find my original post!

I recommend lighting devotional candles and/or making small offerings (perhaps a libation) before you begin, for both Freyja and Idunna. Prepare yourself however you normally would, yo do work at an altar. For my part, that usually means wearing one of my devotional hair ribbons and perhaps donning magical jewelry, and acquiring something to go over my head while I journey.

Falcon Flight: To Idunna’s Apple Grove

Begin in stillness, and quiet, and darkness. Find your center, and align yourself with earth and sky. As you stare at the darkness behind your eyes, feel and see as mist swirls up from the ground, obscuring everything around you. After a moment, it begins to part, leaving you standing in a flowery meadow.

When you arrive in the meadow, take a moment to observe around you, turning until you see a path. At the entrance to the path are two shrubs, and as you move on that direction, you see trees as well. Shrubs give way to trees and undergrowth on either side of the path, getting taller and denser as you move onward, until they join overhead into an arch, forming a tunnel of trees that slopes downward, getting denser and darker.

Eventually, you notice that the path has become flat, and then it begins to rise. Now the trees are thinning again, branches giving way to brightness, and as the trees again give way to shrubs, you see a gate in front of a wide plain and beyond it, the great world tree. If you have any guides or guardians you wish to accompany you, ones who can join you in flight, call to them now, before you step through the gate and make your way towards the tree.

As you approach the World Tree, circle around it clockwise, until you see an opening beneath one of the great roots. Duck under this root and enter the tunnel beneath. There is hard dirt packed beneath your feet, and the entire tunnel seems to have been hewn from that same clay-rich dirt and sandstone. Not as many feet come this way — the floor is still rough in places, so watch your step as you continue forward. There are torches set into sconces in the rough hewn walls, and their light looks like fire but you feel no heat as we continue past, and you smell no smoke or pitch.

The tunnel curves gently and then begins to rise in a gradual incline, ending in a doorway, two huge stones on either side and capped with a third. Touch one gently as you step out into the fresh air — these are worn by the elements and smooth to the touch. If you look back to the entrance, you will notice that on this side, the tunnel leads into what looks like a large burial mound, standing alone in a large clearing, though the forest is slowly encroaching from all sides.

Smell the air — the pine sap scent is strong, and your nose can tell there is moving water somewhere nearby, even if your ears cannot yet hear it. Now you should continue, following a clear trail deeper into the forest. Your footfalls are muffled by pine needles, and the air seems still. The scent and after a while the sound of water is to your left as you walk, and after a short time, you arrive at a fork, with three paths to choose from.

One path curves to the left, and you can just make out a bridge over a creek in the distance. The one to the right seems to vanish into the trees. Continue down the middle path, which leads straight ahead. After a while, the trees seem to thin a bit, and the underbrush grows less tangled. There is a little smoke in the sky, above the rise of the hill, as though it comes from a hearth-fire, and you follow the path towards it.

As the path reaches the edge of the forest, and the pine needles give way to a large open field, your eyes are drawn to the great hall. It is large, and you know at once to whom it belongs. This is Freyja’s Hall, Sessrumnir, and you are in Folkvangr. Approach the door, and when the guard calls out his challenge, announce yourself and your purpose. He will stand aside and let you in.

Inside, you see no one but Freyja. Approach her, and give her the offering you brought for her. She will give you a golden cloak in return, a smaller version of her great cloak, and she will lead you outside. Experience the thrill of being transformed into a bird!

As a falcon, follow your Lady, circling ever higher until your sharp eyes spot a cottage and a circle of trees. As Freyja in her falcon form banks sharply to begin her descent, follow closely and land in a low branch in a tree across from the front door of the cottage. Leap down when Freyja instructs you to, and marvel as you land on your normal feet again. Follow her into Idunna’s cottage, and when you are inside, give Idunna the offering you have brought for her. In return, she will hand you an apple and may instruct you to peel or slice it. Do as she says, and then offer it for her inspection. Listen as she explains your omen.

When she gets up, follow her and Freyja outside. Notice how the air feels and smells – you’ve been led to a small ring of apple trees, which bear flowers, leaves, and fruit at all stages of growth. Listen as Idunna sings to the trees: “Apples, apples, grow on my trees… Apple blossoms, feed my bees…”

Only she can tell the types of apples apart – some for the gods that they never wither, some for the elves to use to heal, others for humans to change their luck. If you have a question for Idunna, ask it now, and listen carefully for the answer.

Thank her when she is finished speaking, and then turn to Freyja. If you have any questions for Freyja, ask them now, and listen carefully for the answer.

When she is finished talking, she will change both of you back to falcons for the flight back to Folkvangr. Delight in the sensations of it! Earlier you flew to arrive swiftly – now, fly for the joy of it! When you are ready to change back to your human shape, land on the roof of Sesrumnir, and wait for your Lady to make the change. Then you can slide down, and land on the soft grass.

When you are finished with your time in that other place, go back the way you came: through the forest, to the mound, through the mound-tunnel and out from under the root, across the plain, and back to the gate, through the tunnel of trees, and back to the meadow. Then the mist will swirl up again, and take you back to your body.

Open post

Freyja’s Falcon Flights: To Make A Choice

I think I only did one of these last year, in September near the Autumnal Equinox, after getting the nudge from Freyja. I had thought that I would do them at the waxing quarter before the solstice and the waning moon after, from the Vernal Equinox through the Autumnal, but Bé Chuille stepped forward and asked for larger monthly workings, so I’m now doing those every waning quarter and I’ll be doing all the Falcon Flights on the waxing quarter. That’s honestly a little easier to keep track of, anyways!

So, just as a reminder, these Falcon Flights are journey paths Freyja guides me through that I am then supposed to share with those in my community. If you’re here reading this and it resonates, great! You’re part of that community. You don’t have to be a devotee or Freyja already (though you do need to be open to at least a small working relationship) and you don’t have to identify as Heathen and you don’t have to live nearby.

On the other hand, if these don’t work for you or aren’t your jam or just don’t resonate even if you are Heathen or a Freyja devotee, that’s fine too – I’m not the pagan pope! You don’t have to be part of this particular community. We’re all part of many overlapping communities and I don’t expect this blog series to resonate for everyone who likes my blog for other reasons. This series is based on my own experiences and UPG and I don’t expect everyone to agree with me or have the same viewpoints. Just scroll on, or skip reading the week of the waxing quarter. No worries.

Just: no Nazis, bigotry will not be tolerated, and bad faith arguments will get you blocked. We support Declaration 127 and Queer Liberation and Decolonization around here, and with the current state of American Heathenry, I find it best to state all of that shit up front.

And now, with no further ado, here is the script for this month’s Falcon Flight. Before you begin, prepare an offering for Freyja.

Falcon Flight: To Make a Choice

Begin in stillness, and quiet, and darkness. Find your center, and align yourself with earth and sky. As you stare at the darkness behind your eyes, feel and see as mist swirls up from the ground, obscuring everything around you. After a moment, it begins to part, leaving you standing in a flowery meadow.

When you arrive in the meadow, take a moment to observe around you, turning until you see a path. At the entrance to the path are two shrubs, and as you move on that direction, you see trees as well. Shrubs give way to trees and undergrowth on either side of the path, getting taller and denser as you move onward, until they join overhead into an arch, forming a tunnel of trees that slopes downward, getting denser and darker.

Eventually, you notice that the path has become flat, and then it begins to rise. Now the trees are thinning again, branches giving way to brightness, and as the trees again give way to shrubs, you see a gate in front of a wide plain and beyond it, the great world tree. If you have any guides or guardians you wish to accompany you, ones who can join you in flight, call to them now, before you step through the gate and make your way towards the tree.

As you approach the World Tree, circle around it clockwise, until you see an opening beneath one of the great roots. Duck under this root and enter the tunnel beneath. There is hard dirt packed beneath your feet, and the entire tunnel seems to have been hewn from that same clay-rich dirt and sandstone. Not as many feet come this way — the floor is still rough in places, so watch your step as you continue forward. There are torches set into sconces in the rough hewn walls, and their light looks like fire but you feel no heat as we continue past, and you smell no smoke or pitch.

The tunnel curves gently and then begins to rise in a gradual incline, ending in a doorway, two huge stones on either side and capped with a third. Touch one gently as you step out into the fresh air — these are worn by the elements and smooth to the touch. If you look back to the entrance, you will notice that on this side, the tunnel leads into what looks like a large burial mound, standing alone in a large clearing, though the forest is slowly encroaching from all sides.

Smell the air — the pine sap scent is strong, and your nose can tell there is moving water somewhere nearby, even if your ears cannot yet hear it. Now you should continue, following a clear trail deeper into the forest. Your footfalls are muffled by pine needles, and the air seems still. The scent and after a while the sound of water is to your left as you walk, and after a short time, you arrive at a fork, with three paths to choose from.

One path curves to the left, and you can just make out a bridge over a creek in the distance. The one to the right seems to vanish into the trees. Continue down the middle path, which leads straight ahead. After a while, the trees seem to thin a bit, and the underbrush grows less tangled. There is a little smoke in the sky, above the rise of the hill, as though it comes from a hearth-fire, and you follow the path towards it.

As the path reaches the edge of the forest, and the pine needles give way to a large open field, your eyes are drawn to the great hall. It is large, and you know at once to whom it belongs. This is Freyja’s Hall, Sessrumnir, and you are in Folkvangr. Approach the door, and when the guard calls out his challenge, announce yourself and your purpose, and hand him the offering you brought for his Lady. He will give you a cloak in return. Put it on, and step inside.

Inside, the hall is dark, and folks wearing cloaks talk in hushed tones and whispers, gathered in small groups. If you would talk to Freyja today, approach the dais and speak.

When you are finished, move towards the closed door, opposite the one you came in. A cleric is there, to let you know when it is your turn. When they motion to you, move forward, and pull your cloak over your face so that it falls to your chin, obscuring your vision of everything except yourself and the floor. Open the door, and enter the room. Someone else is in here, but you can only see their dark robe and their two hands, outstretched. In each palm is an object. Choose one, and take it. If you speak to the person, they will answer, but you must make the choice before you can leave this room.

When you have chosen an object, you will be allowed to continue on. A door will open or a portal will appear – you may remove your hood and call to your guides to join you before you step through. What you find on the other side will be important, and personal, based on the object you chose.

…

When you are finished with your time in that other place, a trail of amber stones will begin to glow, illuminating a path back to Folkvangr and the path that will lead you back to the World Tree. You may stop at the hall along your way, if you wish. When you are ready to depart, go back the way you came: through the forest, to the mound, through the mound-tunnel and out from under the root, across the plain, and back to the gate, through the tunnel of trees, and back to the meadow. Then the mist will swirl up again, and take you back to your body.

Open post

Crow Folks: Reflect and Plan

This month everything happened nearly all at once: the equinox, and then the acronychal rising of the Pleiades, the Dark Moon, Rosh Hashana, and I got knocked flat by my own moon cycle. So this one is a few days late — apologies. When I went to see Na Morrigna this time, we talked about the tarot card from before, and I was also told that it’s time for more complicated poems again.

This month’s tarot card is the second-to-last one in the series They gave me: the 10 of Wands. This card can sometimes be a warning, but when I went to speak to Na Morrigna about it, I got the impression of completion of work, instead, something like a harvest. And, well. That card in this deck depicts a bunch of skulls on pikes — Macha’s acorn harvest. We’ve fought well, Crows, we’ve done the hard work, the training, the introspection. We’ve taken stock of our own shadows. We’ve learned to balance work and needful rest. We’re not perfect at all of this (there’s always room for improvement), but now we should reflect on how far we’ve come, and take a moment to be proud of that. Then it’s time to plan. We need to set goals for the coming season, to think about what tasks and responsibilities we can commit to, in preparation for rededication to Their Work. I am planning to begin my own rededication preparations on the next Dark Moon, October 25th, and then continue for nine days, ending on November 2nd.

As for the poem — this isn’t really a rosc but They appear to be happy with it, and hopefully it resonates with some of ya’ll.

Summer ending
A good harvest gathered in
Merriment and gratitude as seasons turn

Many turn to their craft this season
Flexing fingers, stretching will-wings
Proficiency gained through tasks and trials

A long road of trials already overcome
Powerful black wings will rise over new obstacles
Guided by Gods and Ancestors

Also, I’m repeating my (free) Healing the Morrigan’s Crows Ritual on Sunday, October 9th, at 2pm, so if you’re interested please reserve a space by going to the eventbrite page! Link here.

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Crow Folks: Protect Yourselves

Last month, I was given a series of tarot cards for the upcoming months, and for this moon cycle that is beginning, I was given the Nine of Wands. I pulled that card out of my deck, and then went to go see Na Morrigna, taking my usual path, and finding them gathered as usual around their cauldron. I threw the tarot card into the cauldron, then, and it bubbled and then stilled, and the imagery came apart and was reflected across the surface, showing me another triad they wished me to write. I crafted it slowly, seeking their input and approval on my word choice, and when we were both satisfied, I had what appears below.

Three Means of Protection:

A Strengthened Body,
A Disciplined Mind,
A Defensible Home.

Left to Right: My Morrigna candle, the Nine of Wands from the Archeon Tarot Deck, and an offering of Hardywood Raspberry Stout

I have a couple personal thoughts about these types of protection, which I hope ya’ll don’t mind me sharing. For the first one, a strengthened body, my understanding is that this is very much an “as much as you are able” instruction. Not everyone will be able to be “strong” as we sometimes conceive of it, but I think most of us could stand to be stronger. The second one sort of surprised me – why a mental aspect, to protection? But as I think about it more, it does make a lot of sense: a disciplined and organized mind is going to help you notice sooner when things are “off”, and it will help you strategize more quickly if and when a problem comes up. The interesting thing about the third one was Their emphasis on defensIBLE, not “defended”. We need to plan ahead, and lay in protections, not just rely on our ability to fight off an attack. A village with a wall around it is more defensible than one with no wall; it will take fewer people to defend. Kind of a “smarter, not harder” vibe, and I think that’s in keeping with a lot of the other advice I’ve gotten from Na Morrigna over the years. I have some thoughts on home wards that I’ve been percolating for a while, and I think instead of expanding on those here, I’ll leave them for the next blog, which I’ll aim to get out on Wednesday evening, so look for it then or on Thursday!

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Crow Folks: Pursue Elation

On my way to visit Na Morrigna this month, I stopped by Bé Chuille’s place (as I often do), and before she let me walk down the forest path that leads from there to where I usually meet Na Morrigna, she tossed a bucket of cold water over my head, drenching me. But also, effectively removing some of the cloud of malaise and anxiety I’ve been fighting through lately, between the heat and the state of the world, as well as some more personal situations. And then she pointed to my ankles, and I saw ticks and mosquitos feasting on my blood. “You’ve forgotten to cover your feet again.” she said, in a tone of resignation. “You can keep those off if your shields don’t cover your feet. You can’t balance your energies with the earth if your shields don’t go down to your feet.” She’s right, of course. My shields don’t just keep things out, they keep me balanced, they keep things flowing properly — some of the layers are like membranes, taking in what I have a deficiency of, and keeping out what I already have enough of. But they can’t function properly if the bottoms are ragged. In my recent struggles, I had once again let the bottoms get ragged. It’s been a perennial problem in my life ⁠— some people have difficulties with shielding their back or their head, and I have trouble with my feet. So, that’s my personal piece of advice to ya’ll this Dark Moon: if there’s a part of your shields or wards where they seem to wear out faster, go check in on that, and repair or rebuild as necessary. For myself, I removed the bugs and repaired my shields, and once I had Bé Chuille’s approval, she sent me out the door, down the forest path to her foster-daughters, the three Morrigans, the Daughters of Ernmas.

I knew as I approached that it was going to be time for poetry again, this month, but I didn’t feel ready. I had drawn a few tarot cards, requesting touch points for this conversation, because I knew I was close to the physical limits of my body. My schedule allows for a few days to pass between the dark moon and the posting of the message, but I knew I was looking at days with less energy as we went into the weekend, not more. Using tarot cards as conversational touch points helps keep me focused when my body desperately wants more sleep instead, and it gives me an idea of what questions to ask. Sometimes when I go see Na Morrigna they have a clear message, and the conversation becomes one of turning the imagery and phrases into sentences that make sense as a paragraph. Other times, it’s a more meandering conversation, and then they tell me to summarize it. In either case, as I leave deep trance to sit at my computer in a lighter trance (which allows me to type), I can feel them reading over my shoulder, and I sense their approval or disapproval as I choose a word or a phrase, trying to find ones that taste the same as the images I was given. Lately, that process has been involving Irish language dictionaries more and more, as I try to get a sense of what the Irish word might be for a concept, if I’m struggling to find the English one, and then I choose one of the common translations for the Irish word, seeking context the way I often did when I was in college, writing essays in French analyzing historical novels. I expect I’ll eventually be asked to learn the Irish language, but at the moment I think They and I both know there is too much else on my plate to learn more than a few phrases.

All that to say — the cards I pulled as touchstones this month were the Five of Cups (reversed), the Seven of Wands, and the Herald (page) of Wands, reversed, all from the Archeon Tarot Deck, which is the one I normally use for Na Morrigna. Three cards for three parts of a message from three goddesses. I wrote down a few keywords in my notes before going to the journey, but that process is more for my conscious brain to remember which cards they were, than to decipher the message. Instead, when I saw Na Morrigna around the Cauldron, I asked something to the effect of: “For the first part of your message, the Five of Cups reversed, what message do you wish me to convey?” I was shown and reminded of the Supreme Court rulings and other recent happenings, and how myself and basically everyone I know has had feelings of anxiety, grief, and overwhelm about those, and how that’s been spilling into other aspects of our lives. Those feelings, I know, are part of the meaning of that card when upright, but they clarified that as a reversal, what they are asking us is this: Put your grief aside. That phrase was very very clear. Put your grief aside, for now. There is work to be done. And that is the Seven of Wands: courage, determination, strength. Most of the Crows, they said, have gotten back to their feet. Our warriors are not so easily defeated. But that, too, seemed to be in the past, so I asked for clarification — why is the Herald reversed, then? Is that not the present? No, no, I was told, and they were amused. The reversal is a delay — the farther future. You only drew three cards — which cards are between the Seven and the Herald? I was not expecting that, and hesitated, and they showed me the Eight, Nine, and Ten. Tapping the Eight, they said: this is the now, the month that is beginning. And this is the focus of your message for this month, and the topic for your poetry. I looked at it, and though I recognized the card I did not feel like I could see it clearly, so I asked if I might pop out and find the physical card and then ask more, and they agreed.

The Eight of Wands is the card in the above photo, between the candle I use for them (to the left) and an offering of red wine (to the right). I believe that it is clear from the imagery that this is a card of Bliss. So, I went back to speak with Na Morrigna again. Bliss? I asked. Joy? Are we echoing the recent message from Loki? They smiled — yes, but also no. It is an important message, but they wanted me to use different words: Lúcháir, and Elation. They wanted a triad from me, and so last night I spent a long time looking at triads and receiving imagery, and searching and choosing and changing my mind about words until I was satisfied — and so were they. (At least, with this one. For now. I am still early in my training and I am very aware of how much further I have to go.)

Three Pursuits of Elation:

Leaping into a new passion project;
Soaring into a new opportunity;
Falling into a new love.

Happy Lughnasadh to all, and I’ll see you here next dark moon, on or around August 27th!

Hedgewitch: How I Describe My Magical Craft

I mentioned in a previous post that I tend to refer to my magical practice as hedgewitchery, and myself as a hedgewitch, but I thought it would be useful to go into that in more depth in this new blog post.

So, what do I mean when I call myself a hedgewitch? What is it I do ?

This: I practice folk magic to balm and bane, I divine for omens, I truck with spirits, I cross the hedge to walk the worlds, and I dabble in herbs.

FOLK MAGIC

A lot of my magical practice draws on folklore and folk magic traditions, and incorporates the materials I have around me in a way that some might call traditional witchcraft. I use pieces I’ve learned from family and friends, or invented myself, with what bits and bobs I had on hand or could easily acquire: paper or yarn, candle or salt, herb or stone. I read about other witches’ practices, I talk to my peers, and we inspire each other to use materials or magical technologies in ways that solve the problems in front of us. Most of it is highly personal and highly intuitive, often with guidance from spirits. I have a couple of pretty tools (a brass bell, a copper mug, a pillar of quartz, an engraved wooden spoon) but most everything also has a very practical purpose. I love the look of a fancy wand as much as the next magpie, but I’ve never really used ceremonial tools with any regularity, and I rarely do magic in a manner that requires an altar set just-so. In fact, many of my most “complicated” workings are done almost entirely in trance.

BALM AND BANE

Healing and hexing are two sides of the same coin, in my view. I can heal with darkness, I can curse with light, and in fact I have an upcoming workshop for the NoVA Pagan Moot on exactly that. I am trained in several modalities of energetic or spiritual healing, and I combine them intuitively for those who seek my services. But just as poison in the right dosage can be medicine, a medicine in the wrong dosage is often a poison. Non-consensual or inexpertly targeted healing can cause harm, and sometimes a binding or a banishing can twist someone’s fate so that they’re heading in a more positive direction. Magic is complicated, consent matters, and every effective spell has consequences, intended or not. I try to do more good than harm, but if I’m between a rock and a hard place I will use every tool in my arsenal. I see a lot of people who have a very all-or-nothing mindset around banework, and I don’t think that’s nearly as helpful as having actual discussions about ethics and harm reduction, and us each figuring out our own personal boundaries.

DIVINATION

I am an eternal student of divination: I keep learning new forms, and I keep going deeper with the forms I am already proficient with. I practice several types of cartomancy, I read ogham staves and rune stones, I take omens taken in the wild from the flight of birds, and I sometimes even turn to modern technological omens like shufflemancy and the rolling of d20s. Not everything works well for me: I’ve never quite gotten the hang of pendulums or spirit boards, for instance. But I am proficient enough in many forms that I have enough confidence in my skill to offer these services for money, and the reviews I get back are extremely positive. I use my tools to divine the future, the past, the present—to illuminate anything that is shrouded, to look around corners, to answer what-ifs as best I can, knowing as I do that things are always in flux. I use these tools to speak with and to get messages from spirits of many kinds, both for myself, and on the behalf of others.

SPIRITWORK

I have deep relationships with two pantheons of Deities: the Tuatha Dé and the Vanir. I am also deeply entwined with the Álfar and with the Daoine Uaisle, through the Fairy Queen I serve. I maintain relationships with my local Good Neighbors, Nature Spirits, and Land Wights where I live, where I visit and practice, and where I travel. I honor my Beloved Dead, and those Ancestors (of blood or of path) who appear to guide and to help me. There are spirits in my household; they are my allies and my companions, my guides and my guardians. I also maintain cordial relationships and open lines of communication with many of the Deities and other tutelary spirits of my human-incarnate friends and associates. Most of my magical work involves these many types of spirits; I do workings with them, for them, because of them, on their behalf, or at their request.

HEDGECROSSING

Hedge-crossing, hedge-riding, journeying, pathworking, world-walking: whatever you may call it, I use these to refer to the act of travelling in spirit to the Otherworlds. This is a type of trancework, and the one I use most often. I slip between this world and an Other to see spirits more clearly, to converse with them, or to take a look at the landscape and flows of energy. I travel to visit spirits I know; I travel to seek those I have not yet encountered. I go seeking answers for myself and for others, and I bring answers back in words or images, scents or feelings. Sometimes I wander the worlds for the sheer joy of it, the ecstasy of spirit-flight. From time to time I go walking in my dreams, but most of my wanderings are waking visions.

HERBALISM

This is the one area that I most wish to have additional education in. I am familiar with some herbal remedies for common things like colds, scrapes, and bruises; I know remedies for menstrual cramps. I have deeper education in a couple of chronic conditions I am personally dealing with, including migraines, but I would like to take an actual certification programme at some point. For magical uses, I work with herbs and resins a bit more intuitively, mixing flavors and intentions into food, blending oils for scent and resonance. I speak with the plants themselves, and learn what they would teach me. When I need to ground deeply and my usual way is not enough, I go walk the land or else I spend time in my own garden. The cycles of plant growth, of harvest, of weather, of the moon, bring me back into the present, back into balance with the cycles of my own life.