Seiðr Magic: The Norse Tradition of Divination and Trance

Kirkland debuts with a balanced, top-to-bottom overview of seiđr, a medieval Scandinavian form of shamanism in which practitioners use rhythmic drum beats to enter a state of ecstatic trance. Drawing on Norse legend as well as personal gnosis (here, a collective source of “experiential” shamanic knowledge), the author outlines tools necessary for the practice (including a wooden staff and “armor” imbued by the power of visiting spirits). Suggested exercises include singing varđlokur (ward songs) to attract spirits, contacting lesser norns (“supernatural figures” associated with birth and life) to probe the intricacies of one’s fate, and requesting advice from powerful spirits through útiseta, or sitting outside “from dusk until dawn” in physical discomfort to incite their pity. Writing that Christianity’s spread had already begun to extinguish seiđr by the late Middle Ages, Kirkland wisely eschews strict “reconstructionist” approaches and instead encourages readers to adapt seiđr to their lives as a “living, growing tradition.” Accompanied by a useful glossary and pronunciation guide, this will be welcomed by those wishing to expand their knowledge of Heathenry and its traditions. (Apr.)