Wane Wyrds

I've been reading a thesis paper called Freyja's Cats: Perspectives on Recent Viking Age Finds in !egjandadalur North Iceland by Brenda Prehal . This 60 plus page exploration of the cat in Norse culture has so far been one of the best studies I've read in regards to the goddess Freyja and I must encourage everyone to read this if interested in the material and literary record of the goddess. I have decided to do a few posts which basically summarize the main points of interest within this paper. The information derives directly from Prehal's work and all rights of course remain with the author.  Reproduction of cat from the procession cart found in the Oseberg Viking ship (834 AD) The thesis is an exploration of the connection of the cat in Norse art and culture to the practice and belief in female magic and sorcery. This question has risen with the author in regards to recent grave finds in North Iceland in which the remains of a domestic cat were found buried wi...

Galaxy Tarot Home Page I'm always looking for handy apps on my androids which are pagan oriented. One that has eluded me for some time has been a usable and functional tarot reading app. I came across Galaxy Tarot last week and decided to give it a try on the free version. You can find app on Google Play  HERE  OR on the Amazon App Market  HERE . I've tried several tarot apps before and this one is my favorite so far, though its not perfect by any stretch of the imagination. The graphics could be cleaner. There are only three or four spreads available on the free version. It did however function remarkably well on my Android 2.3 mini tab, which is saying something. To make it easy, I will list some pros and cons for the app. PROS: Very simple uncluttered interface ads are included but very small, just a little footer at the bottom Traditional Rider-Waite deck design option to draw single card as well as use spreads option to shuffle and pick cards fro...

Hey everyone, just stopping by to let you know I am still here! It has been almost a month since I posted, simply because I have been on a vacation of sorts. The house was having some renovations done, our dog had pups, and my love was here visiting from Ireland for a few weeks. It has been a whirlwind and I haven't had time to come online much, let alone sit down and blog. I will be putting up a new post in the next day or so to get things rolling again. I am sure I have much to talk about after the last couple of weeks, but at the mo I am still too exhausted to think of anything at the mo, besides the fact that there is much more to come! I would like to do a new giveaway in the near future, and am still working on the Vanir glyphs book as well as another work in progress about the Vanir and Vanatru in general. I am happy to say that my spell bottle worked swimmingly. Though there were some changes of plans made, everything went smoothly and oh so well! I felt very calm and c...

Just because I like this image!  He looks like he's got something brewing as well! I made my first spell bottle the other day, as I have been wanting to create one for awhile and finally have an issue large enough I feel a little magic might be helpful. My old man is flying in from Ireland next Tuesday and I couldn't be happier, or more nervous! As someone prone to panic attacks, this is NO BUENO! So I decided to do a little bottle spell during the Full Moon last week, simply to enable me to stay as calm as possible as well as have a safe trip to the airport, which is a considerable drive from where I live here in the boonies. I didn't want anything too involved, so I relied mostly on finding items for the bottle that served this purpose, and writing an appropriate charm to go along with it. I decided to make the base out of olive oil, so I could easily shake up the bottle whenever I felt I need a dose of calm and serenity. I chose the full moon as it was a Supermo...

It's been a bit of an interesting morning. I woke at about seven thirty from the whimperings of my super pregnant dog who seemed to be in labor. After assessing for a moment in my stupor and comforting her, I decided I better get up and get her birthing crate together. In doing this I went into another room and happened to catch a glimpse of my half asleep, half naked self in a full length mirror. And like most any woman, such a sight at such a time was not heartening to me upon first waking. I have a HUGE date coming up in the next few weeks...I have been struggling with my nervousness and anxiety about this as the day looms closer on the horizon. Upon seeing myself in this state, those hypercritical feelings came rushing back as usual. Not helping matter was the fact that I already felt sick, not a good sign when my mother had called in to work just the day before because of a stomach bug. I got the crate together and proceeded to go about my morning routine, having a smoke ...

Hi everyone. While going through some of my old folders I found this list I saved of some symbols of the Vanir. I wanted to share as I know many Vanatru and witches who work with the Vanir, and such a list is handy to have around for both spellwork and meditation, not to mention crafting! I have absolutely no idea where this list originated, in the folder it was simply the list itself, and I honestly don't remember how or when I saved it. If you know the source, let me know so I can update the post and give credit to the originating source. Symbols and Meanings for the Vanir boar - the primary sacred animal of Frey, Freya, and Nerthus. wain - Frey, Freya, Nerthus, and Holda were all said to have wagons or chariots. ship - Frey and Njord have ships, and Nehelennia is associated with ships also. stag/antler - Frey carries an antler, Ullr is associated with hunting, and Herne is antlered. sunwheel - for the changing of the seasons, and the four primary Vanir (Frey, Freya,...

I have always been fascinated by animal symbolism within myth and culture, so at one point early in my path I decided to do some research about the falcon, an animal perhaps more closely associated with Freyja than any other. This is largely in part to her famous falcon cloak, which she uses as a magical tool to travel the worlds.  The connection made me wonder what one might glean about our Goddess Freyja by examining the common myth and history of a bird present within many cultures, both ancient and modern. All birds, and the falcon especially, are connected with the idea of transcendence. They represent the link between the earth and the sky, which often becomes a metaphor for the mundane world and the spirit realm.  In some cultures this also translates to viewing them as a sort of protective guardian from malevolent spirits. Probably the earliest recorded and well known association with the falcon comes to us from Egypt, in the deity of Horus, the falcon headed god...