Seax
Wica And Lyblac
Seax
Wica And Lyblac
Freya
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Freya
was the best known fertility goddess in Norse mythology. She was also
known as Syr, or "Sow", and not because of her looks since she was very
beautiful. In addition, Freya was queen of the Valkyries and influenced
the outcome of battles, even choosing the slain. While half the fallen
heroes went to Odin's Valhalla, Freya had the other half and first pick
at that. Aside from her reputation as a naughty girl, Freya was also
extremely fond of gold and could even cry golden tears. Due to this
appetite for gold Freya was sometimes referred to as Gullveig or "gold
thirsty". This thirst for gold led to the legend of the Brising Necklace
"Brisingamen". The four dwarves who crafted treasures for the Norse gods
agreed to make Freya a gold necklace, on the condition she spend one
night with each of them. The resulting Brisingamen was the source of
Freya's power, including love, fertility, new growth, and young warriors
itching for a new campaign season. In short, a fair definition of nature
spring-ing into summer after a long northern winter. Other interesting
terms: "howe" and "barrow", the mound where fallen heroes were buried
with their weapons and treasure.
Finer by far than four dark dwarve's treasure is Freya's gold necklace, gift of pleasure Their gold furnace fount, she lay astride it inside Gullveig's mound, her howe to hide it Deep in that cavern dwarf hammers kissed it forged in four nights, with gold tears she blessed it Goddess. Valkyrie, lover, seed grower Brisingamen, her vessel of power Soon she'll bring bloom and bee to the flower lovers will kiss and lie in her bower In green standing fields where warm winds blow mild will maids wax to mothers ripened with child And half the young warriors, death dew streaming shall lie in Syr's barrow snugly dreaming Seed for her furrow, fruit for her pleasure Freya's fine gift, Spring's fecund treasure Source: Freya's Gift - Nature Poems http://forums.familyfriendpoems.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=51286#ixzz2kvngVaa3#FFP #FamilyFriendPoems ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Working with Freya source http://www.gaiaonline.com/guilds/viewtopic.php?t=21959917 Lately (the past eight months or so) I've found myself VERY drawn to this particular Goddess, in a way I have never been drawn to any specific deity before. She has become m personal Goddess in that short time. I'm still in the process of learning about and working with Her, so I decided to make a post to share information about this wonderful Goddess. I'll also be sharing prayers, spells, and even some personal experiences with this Goddess. I don't claim to be a true expert, this is more of a place to keep my information. Like a Book of Shadows, except I'm not Wiccan, and it ius exclusively devoted to Freya. My resources for this come from various books, websites, and articles. I'll be making a later update with a complete resource list. I will also be periodically updating this post with more information. It is my belief that one does not have to be of Norse descent to worship Freya or any of the Aesir and Vanir; the two tribes of Norse Gods--who may have originally been completely different pantheons who were merged together!). As long as you feel an affinity for the deities and respect Norse history, culture, and ideals, I feel that the Norse Gods don't care about your ancestry. Besides, there was so much cultural exchange going on--yes, even back then-- that any one of us might have a Scandinavian ancestor somewhere down the line. Also, let me make a disclaimer right now: this post only expresses my personal interpretation of the Goddess. I'd love to hear other views on Her, knowledge I'm not aware of, or stories of experiences with her, so feel free to speak up if you have information, or questions. Freya Freya is arguably the most important Goddess in the Norse pantheon. Her name means only "Lady". Her consort and twin brother, Frey ("Lord") is associated with the god Ing of the Celts. Freya is her own deity, though. Her name, if she has one other than "Freya" doesn't matter. She is the Goddess, the Lady, and has quickly become my Lady, my personal deity. Aspects Fertility Goddess: The fertility of humans and animals is her purview. Her brother Frey is the one to talk to regarding agriculture. Death Goddess One of Freya's titles is "The Chooser of the Slain". This doesn't mean she foretells death or causes it. She isn't a Death Goddess in that sense, but half of the men killed in battle (and all warrior women, unless they are already dedicated to another God) go to Her hall Sessrumnir, as do women who die in childbirth, which was considered an honorable death. The Goddess of Love, Beauty, Sex, and Sexuality: Freya is the most beautiful of all Norse Goddesses. She is a highly sexual Goddess, and has had many lovers, both God and mortal. She values beauty in all forms, and is fond of jewelry, especially necklaces. The Goddess of Gold and Wealth: Gold is Freya's sacred metal. She weeps golden tears, and it is said that all gold in the world came from her weeping and wandering the earth in searc of her lost husband Od (probably an older form of Odin). Because of Her association with material wealth, Freya works well as an urban Goddess. While it has been easy for me to find Her in nature, she easily fits into an urban or suburban setting. The Goddess of Seidh (Norse magic): Freya was Odin's teacher in this art. She is rather protective of women who use magic. She has been associated with Gullveig ("Gold-Greedy") an old woman (Freya in disguise) sent by the Vanir to the Aesir inValhalla. The Aesir feared Her and tried to burn Her three times, each time She emerged from the fire unscathed. If Freya and Gullveig are (as I believe) one and the same, this would serve as a form of divine sacrifice, much as Odin's hanging of Himself. The Goddess of War: Freya is a very protective deity, and while she is understanding and generous, she is also not to be crossed. She is often depicted wielding a spear, and is the leader of the Valkyries. Not Really a Mother Goddess: Interestingly enough, though She does have two daughters, She is rarely seen as a Mother-figure. The one exception to this is that She protects women in childbirth in particular, as well as women in general. (Then again, so did Artemis, a Virgin Goddess) She has also been associated by some with homosexuality, both male and female. Animal Associations Animals associated with Her include the falcon (She posesses a cloak of falcon feathers that She uses to transform into the animal), the cat (Her chariot is drawn by two giant cats), the boar (She rides a boar into battle sometimes, as does Her twin brother Frey), and the stag (Frey, a Horned God, is Her divine consort as well as Her twin brother). Freya's Symbols and Associations There are a number of symbols associated with this Goddess. This list is by no means comprehensive, and will be periodically updated with more information. Amber: "Tregul" or "Tree-Gold" in Old Norse. Freya's sacred stone. Bees: Freya is associated wit bees through her fondness for honey and mead, sacred foods to her. Cats: Cats are one of the animals sacred to this Goddess. She sometimes rides a chariot pulled by two cats. Colors: Colors associated with Freya include red, gold, amber, dark green, earth tones, and black. Falcon: Freya has a Falcon-feather cloak that she can use to transform into the animal. She even lent it to Loki once, so he could retrieve Idunn's golden apples from a frost giant. But that's a myth for another day. ^_^ Gold: Gold is Freya's sacred metal, though she is fond of all precious metals. Her necklace Brisingr is gold, and she weeps tears of gold when she cries. Honey: Honey was called "Begul" in Old Norse, or "Bee-Gold". It is sacred to Freya, as is meas, the alcoholic drink it is made from. Heart: A more modern but very appropriate symbol. Not only does it symbolize love, but the shape mimics female genitalia, and Freya is also the Goddess of sexuality. Mead: An alcoholic beverage made from honey, which is sacred to Freya. Necklaces: Freya's gold and amber necklace is called "Brisingr". ("Fire") in old Norse. It was forged by four Dwarves (who might represent the four elements). Freya is supposedly irresistible when she wears it. It is symbolic of both love and fertility. Roses: Not a traditional symbol of Freya. Still, they are associated with love and passion. I feel they are more than appropriate for this Goddess. I always use red roses when working wiuth Freya, since red is one of Her colors, but I doubt she'd mind. Freya's Hall Valhalla is not the only Hall in Asgard. Most of the Gods have Their own Halls. Folkvangr , Freya's area of Asgard, is the largest, even larger than Valhalla. Within the boundaries of Folkvangr is Sessrunir, her main Hall. In fact, Freya has first pick of those who die in battle to come to her hall, even before Odin. As much as half of the dead slain in battle, as well as any women who died in childbirth and any female warriors not dedicated to another God or Goddess go to Folkvangr, and it is considered just as great an honor. Sessrumnir is a place of feasting, lovemaking, art, and poetry rather than eternal battle like Valhalla. It is said tat Freya will be the only God still living after Ragnarok, so it is unsure whether the warriors in her Hall will fight in the last battle or not. The Nine Noble Virtues These are the standards by which those who worship the Norse Gods try to live there lives. They are less ambiguous than the Wiccan Rede (which I have nothing against, but it is open to a wide interpretation) but they are hardly the Ten Commandments either. They are more like guidelines, open to personal interpretation and individual morality. When I first began to worship Freya, I set aside a nine-week period. Each week I tried to focus on following one of the virtues--not that I ignored the others, just picked one to be foremost in my mind. They helped me organize my life, and because of them I think I have become a better person. There are different interpretations of the Virtues, but these are the ones I follow. I will expand on their meanings in a later update. Courage Truth Honor Fidelity Hospitality Discipline Industriousness Self-Reliance Perseverance. Working With Freya NOTE/DISCLAIMER: most of this section comes from personal exprience, and may not apply to everyone. Invocation Freya is a very easy Goddess to work with. She will respond to almost any invocation, as long as it is respectful. Simply meditating in front of an altar dedicated to her works quite well. In alling upon Her in ritual, I often get the feeling that she is a very easygoing Goddess (if you're familiar with invoking the Gods, you probably know not all deities are so relaxed). She is happy to help with any problems dealing with love, money, and everyday liffe--but she wants you to help yourself and will not do all the work for you. Case in point: I recently had a cash flow problem. I said prayes to Freya aski ng for her help, and made several offerings of fresh mint from my garden and butterscotch Schnapps Music and dance are sacred to Freya. If you are in a place where you are unable to dance, simply move as much as you can. Freya is the Goddess of sexuality--it is important that you be as comfortable with your body as you can. Doing Yoga or other forms of exercise while you meditate and focus on the Goddess are great ways to call on Freya. As for music, love songs are always good, or any music that gets you in a meditative mood or makes you want to get up and dance. Burn incense--Freya likes sweet smells. I usually use rose incense, but any appealing smell is fine. She is closely associated with fire, so you might try meditating while focusing on a bonfire or even a candle flame. Offerings Alcohol: DISCLAIMER: Many religions (including Christianity) use alcohol as a sacrament. It has a long and rich tradition. Having said that, please, PLEASE do NOT read this and then go try and by alcohol if you're under-age. I'm covering my a** here, because I'm old enough to drink and don't want to be accused of encouraging underage drinking. You can make other offerings that are perfectly legal and work just as well. (Besides, "But I'm dedicating it to my Goddess!" is probably not an excuse the police will accept if you get caught.) Having said that, it is traditional and commonplace to use alcoholic beverages as an offering to Norse Gods, as well as ingested during ceremonies as a sacrament. Norse deities (from what I have read and experienced) respong well to alcohol. I remember reading an article about Loki worship wherein the author claimed that a shot of Scotch--straight up--as an offering worked wonders when asking for that God's help. This doesn't mean you should get flat-out drunk everytime you worship, but a small amout of alcohol drunk during a ceremony is by no means inappropriate. I have given alcoholic offerings to Freya before, and in my experience, this is what works. (feel free to experiment on your own, I don't claim to know everything here, this is just my personal experience talking) Wine: I have had good results with wine, both white and red. Decent wine, if you can manage it. You don't have to break the bank buying super-expensive liquor--as the Goddess of Wealth, Freya certainly wouldn't want that-- but don't grab the cheapest white zin you can find, either. Chocolate Liqueur: I have only used this once, but I often dedicate actual chocolate to Freya. She seems to appreciate it, and since it is the food of love, it makes sense that She would do so. For an art project in my Freshman year of college I made an entire set of runes out of chocolate, did readings for my class, and then we all ate them. A bit beside the point, but it was tremendous fun and I'm currently trying to find a way to work it into a ritual ^^ Butterscotch Schnapps: Due to it's golden color, I think it makes a great offering. I've used it on multiple occasions. Mead: I haven't managed to get my hands on any yet, but since it is made from honey which is sacred to Freya, it would probably be one of the best offerings you can give Her. How to offer Alcohol to the Goddess: Indoors at my altar I place the offering in a small glass (a shot glass, sherry glass, sake glass, or even a small wine glass works just fine) on my altar and respectfully dedicate it to her. If I lived alone I would simply let it evaporate. Unfortunately I have pets, and my altar isn't that tall, so leaving cups of liquid out in the open is not advisable. If you worship outside, you can pour the offering on the ground and let the earth absorb it, if not, do a separate ritual for taking the alcohol outside and pouring it out. Incense: As well as helping set the mood for an invocation, incense is alspo a good offering to the goddess. Plants: (NOTE: Norse herb lore is not my specialty, but I will post more information as I do more research.) Roses are a good flower to dedicate to Freya. See the "Symbols and Associations" section for more detail. I always keep dried roses around my altar to Her. Wheat/grains: She is a fertility Goddess after all, and her twin brother is a Harvest God. Wheat, rye, even corn make excellent offerings, especially if you are woishiping Frey and Freya together (more on that to come). |