Understanding contemporary Scandinavian shamanism (seidr)

This course is about Seiðr and spa-work as they exist within heathenry, both historically, but more importantly, as it practiced today. The Norse practitioners of the various arts of magic were highly respected professionals whose services were valued by their communities. In the Norse literature, men as well as women appear wielding the arts of magic.

Since Norse magic was mostly a woman's art, throughout this course I will deal with magic as practiced by women, using the feminine pronoun, but it should be remembered that men as well as women practiced the art as recorded in the sagas. Magic as described in the Norse sagas was not a single art: there was seiðr, spá (spae), galdr, and runic magic. Of these terms, seiðr is the most common, as well as the most difficult to define.

The term seiðr is what I will refer to most, as it is the term closest to what practices I use. Seiðr is most commonly translated as "Northern Shamanism, as developed by Indo European peoples" and is used to describe actions ranging from shamanic magic (such as spirit journeys, magical healing by removing harmful influences,) to magical psychiatric treatment in the form of recovering lost portions of the soul-complex, etc. I will also speak of Spá, or spae work; (which means divination) as well as the word Völva.

A Völva is the name of practitioners of spá, usually translated as "prophetess. " Völva comes from a root meaning "magical staff," and in these lectures I show how and why. One purpose of this course is to show how I view both practices to be interchangeable and much more powerful when combined, so you will see these forms of Norse Mysticism become blended, as well as the term "Northern Shaman," throughout the course.