Northern Feminine and Rune Mysteries
This page is devoted to Freya, the runes and the modern day valkyries, women warriors! It is written for women, like myself, who are practitioners and followers of Freya and norse shamanism, of which the runes are an integral part. You may be a vetran valkyrie rune master and shaman of many years or you might just be a beginner, whatever your status grab a shield, sword, helm and horse and come along for an exciting ride!
Years ago, after reading Freya Aswynn's book "Leaves of Yggdrasill," I remember thinking I felt that the book had been written for me exclusively. It spoke to my German Ancestry, in a way that no other book on Shamanism of other cultures had. It inspired me to learn more about Freya, the runes and theNorthern Feminine Mysteries and to study the deeper meanings of the runes. Before this I had only thought of the runes as an ancient alphabet and divination tool. I never imagined that the runes could be used as a code or key for magic, healing, manifesting a better reality or even accessing other worlds!
Through my studies wiht Freya I learned that the runes were very closely tied to Norse Mythology. This pantheon of gods/goddesses was forced underground by Christianity, and it stayed covered for many centuries. The abandonment of the Norse Gods caused them to be driven into mankinds unconcious. The result of doing this is similar to driving your domestic cats and dogs back into the woods. When you return to look for them several generations later, you will find the offspring of these original animals have gone back to their ferocious, feral state. But the animal's essence is still the same - the cat is still a cat with all it's possibilities.
In the 1930's, when efforts were made to re-awaken the Norse Gods, by using the runes they had very harsh results. Carl Jung, in his essay on Odin first published in 1936 describes how "The God of Storm and frenzy, the long quiescent Woten, is awakening like an extinct volcano, to a new activity, in a civilized country that had long supposed to have outgrown the middle ages." This was something like going into the woods ,finding the fierce decendent of those original cats and saying "Oh look there's a cute kittie! Lets take her home with us."
Seventy years later the Runes and the Norse Gods still bring to mind something awsome and untamed. For many people that is enough reason to leave them alone. But for those of us who feel the call there is something compelling about the runes and the wild Gods return from the underworld. To be attracted to their ancient power is natural because it is the essence of the underworld itself. There may be danger in the runes, but this is a time when dangerous ideas are needed - we need to turn inward to find the challange. We need the runes.
So let us continue on our journey, if you will, and I will share in subsequent pages my knowledge of the runes, Freya and the other Norse Gods, and shamanism with you. I am glad to have you along!
Lory
Daughter of Freya
Below is a picture of Freya and her cats
