FAQ - Rebloggable Version
A Lokean is someone who honors Loki as their primary deity (or at least one of their primary deities if they have multiple) and chooses to identify as Lokean. Beyond that, there are no special requirements.
What’s the purpose of this blog? Why does it exist?
I would give you kids a dramatic backstory, but in full honesty I just thought it would be useful if new Lokeans had resources I (Mod R) didn’t have when I was new to the community. Plus, there’s a little bit of stigma around Lokeans, and it’s good to have a space of our own, yeah?
We’re here to welcome you guys and help you with your beginner work!
We’re like the Lokean Professor Oak.
How cool is the Lokean Welcoming Committee?
Moderate-to-severely cool.
You worship Loki? Isn’t Loki evil?
Nope. He’s not evil. He’s also not the God of evil. The Norse didn’t really have the same concept of absolute good and evil as we do now. Loki is far more complex than you might have realized. Most modern devotees view him as a vital agent of change.
Important note: Lokeans do not believe that everyone needs to worship Loki. Most Lokeans are polytheists, which means that respect for a wide variety of worldviews and a wide variety of gods is built into our belief system. Not a fan of Loki? That’s fine! The vast majority of us just want to do our own thing in peace.
How do I start this Lokean business?
Weeell, first of all, you need to read up on Norse myths so you know all about what you’re getting into. If watching/reading Marvel comics and movies inspired you to look into this and you haven’t done your reading yet, just know that Norse mythology is vastly different from its depiction in the Marvel comics.
Lucky for you kids, we have a reading list! We recommend that you start with all that stuff. You don’t have to be an expert on Norse mythology, you just have to have the basics down. You can learn more as you go!
Once you’re done with the reading, I recommend doing some of this stuff to start off:
Find ways to incorporate Loki into your everyday life
Pray. Tell him why you think he’s awesome and why you want to worship him. Or tell him what brought you to him. Or just tell him whatever’s on your mind. Make sure to take time to listen as well. You may or may not “hear back” from him, but spending time in contemplation is important and can lead to valuable insights. If prayer and connecting with the divine are new or difficult for you, these links on communication and discernment might help.
Make offerings. Mead and ale were traditional, if you’re of age and can get them, but even water or coffee will do. And there are a bunch of other options. They don’t even have to be food. If you’re most comfortable doing a scripted formal ritual, you can find posts on how to hold a blót here, here, and here. You can also check out our offerings tag for ideas.
Set up a shrine or altar. The Norse didn’t really have altars in the sense that modern pagans do, but nonetheless, a lot of devotees find it helpful to have a designated space for worship in their home. Here’s our introductory post on altars. We also have an altar tag with lots of tips and pictures of altars to draw inspiration from.
Talk to other devotees. Connecting with other people who share your beliefs is helpful and fulfilling in a lot of ways! But be careful, since Heathen spaces also tend to have neonazis lurking around. the @valkyriesquad has a list of non-folkish bloggers. @anothersusurrus maintains a list of Norse god devotees which includes a Loki category.
Keep exploring. You’ll grow as a person over time. Your life will go through a lot of changes. Inevitably, so will your practice. Don’t be afraid to try new things, or to abandon something that just isn’t working for you anymore. This post offers some suggestions along those lines.
What does “work with” mean?
People often say “work with” instead of worship/honor/etc.! Don’t know why, but I say it because it sounds more casual!
An altar? Offerings? Why? What does that do?
Everyone enjoys gifts, but gifts were reaalllyyy important to the Norse. The gods already provide us gifts by helping to keep the world running, so we, as devotees, give offerings in return to acknowledge the gods’ hard work and affirm our continuing relationship with them. And altars serve as a place to leave those offerings as well as being a visible reminder of the gods. They also give people who don’t have access to a public temple or natural area a place to worship.
See this post for a more thorough explanation about why we participate in these practices, or the rest of this FAQ for how to go about it.
How do I leave offerings?
Put them somewhere. Leave them out for as long as you want (make sure you pick it up before it spoils or something). You can leave it out for minutes, hours, or days. Whatever you feel comfortable with. It isn’t required to be super formal and ritualistic. However, if you’re more comfortable with being formal and would like to perform a blót rite, then you can find a few different heathens explaining the basics of how they do theirs here, here, and here.
When you feel like it’s the right time to get rid of the item, dispose of it in one of the following ways:
burn it (stay safe, y’all)
throw it outside (in a place where it won’t kill anything or harm creatures)
whatever else you can think of that you feel comfortable with
What sort of offerings does Loki like?
From what I’ve gathered, he likes:
coffee (I think I’ve heard of him liking mocha as well)
just food in general, man
alcohol (“When in doubt, Mead it out.”)
plants associated with him
crystals associated with him
Seriously though, pretty much anything is fine
For a list of offering ideas other than food/drink, check out this post.
For some offering recipe ideas, check out our recipes tag!
You might also be able to glean inspiration from our offerings and craft tags.
What if I can’t leave offerings due to (reasons)?
You don’t have to give offerings. It’s your own practice, make it as you like/can. Just don’t be rude about it. (i.e. “I’m not leaving offerings because I think the Gods are beneath me” <- don’t say anything like that)
How do I set up an altar?
Take random items that you think the God/spirit the altar is for will enjoy. Arrange them in a decorative way somewhere. Bam, you’re done.
You don’t have to have specific items. You don’t have to arrange things in a specific way. It’s not that particular. It’s your practice, you do what you are comfortable with.
Item suggestions for beginners:
ANYTHING YOU WANT AHHH SURPRISE IT’S YOUR BIRTHDAY
If you want a more detailed post, check this one out. You could also browse our altar tag for examples of real Lokean altars.
Also, quick note: It’s spelled ‘altar’, not ‘alter.’ If you make this mistake, don’t worry! It’s a common error!
Anywhere! On a table or window sill! In a drawer! In a basket! In a box! On the floor! On a dresser! Wherever you want/Wherever you can!
Looking to be discreet? We have resources and ideas about discreet altars, pocket altars, and eshrines for ya!
What if I can’t have an altar due to (reasons)?
You don’t have to have an altar, just like you don’t have to give offerings.
There’s no single correct way to pray to Loki. Some individuals and kindreds might choose to follow a particular format every time. However, there’s no kind of universal mandate on how it should work anywhere in the surviving texts, and it’s not like we have an unbroken tradition to work from the way some other religions do. Basically, as long as you’re respectful, you’re good!
If you’re still stuck, we have a prayers and poems tag with some examples.
But a lot of people who ask us this question are actually wondering how you might hear Loki communicating with you. In which case, you have a few options.
Talking directly to gods/spirits is generally referred to as “having a godphone.” But you don’t need a “godphone” to communicate. Some use divination, like tarot or runes. Some people hear back in dreams or through omens. Everyone’s different!
And really, you don’t need to hear anything back at all in order to worship Loki or call yourself a Lokean. Loki can still hear you just fine. Not hearing anything back doesn’t mean that you’re a lesser person or that you’re doing it wrong.
Some more posts on communication and discernment that might be of interest:
Please Talk About Godphones
What Do They Want? – Hints for the Headblind
Questions to Ask Yourself
When Godphones Ring – Discernment for Pagans
Discernment – Is it a sign?
Evaluating Mystical Experiences and Messages From Beyond
A Note on Discernment: Hearing Your Own Voice
Divine Communication, Ethics, and Manipulation Techniques
Your God is on the phone. He has a message for you.
Spiritual Abuse Red Flags
Polytheism While Dealing With Mental Illness
All this seems overwhelming! Do I have to start doing all this stuff right away?
Internalizing a new worldview and forming new habits takes time! And the gods understand that. It’s okay if you start small and adopt new practices at your own pace.
What are some common symbols for Loki?
This post has got you covered. As you might have guessed from our blog theme, snakes and the colors red and gold are pretty popular.
I also work with gods from another pantheon, can I still honor Loki?
Please refer to this ask!
I heard some Lokeans practice magic! Will worshiping Loki grant me special powers?
It’s true that some Lokeans practice magic in a variety of different traditions. However, real witchcraft works nothing like it does in most popular movies or fictional stories. If casting the right spell or praying to the right god could grant you Hollywood-style superpowers, then society as a whole would be taking advantage of that, and our world would run very differently.
This isn’t to say you can’t practice magic if that’s something you’re interested in. Regardless of whether it actually works or not, it is a real thing that people do, and have done throughout human history. Just be aware that you’re not going to be able to recreate the stuff in Harry Potter.
Do Lokeans have to practice magic?
Nope. A lot of Lokeans don’t practice magic. Some don’t even believe magic works. Your practice is equally valid regardless.
Is (book) a good book to read?
Many books on Norse mythology generally make Loki out to be the god of evil and stuff like that.
If it says “Loki, the God of Evil and Chaos” when introducing Loki, it’s prooobably not gonna be a fantastic read. However, there are exceptions to the rule, and one of the mods will be glad to point you in the right direction should you ask!
(Here’s a list of books you should definitely avoid, though.)
I keep hearing something about “godspouses”? What’s that about?
A godspouse is a person who has ritually married a deity. They can be any gender or orientation, as can the deity in question. Some godspouses function more or less like Christian nuns and treat the commitment as symbolic of their lifelong devotion. Others believe they have a romantic or sexual relationship with the deity in question.
Becoming a godspouse isn’t required or expected in order to be a Lokean, nor does it make you better or more devoted than other devotees. It’s simply one of many ways to define a personal relationship with Loki.
For more information on godspouses, see these resources.
What does (weird term) mean?
Just like any other community, Pagan Tumblr has developed some of its own vocabulary. Plus, Heathenry has a bunch of weird words that come from Old Norse. Here are some common things we’ve seen newbies get tripped up on:
Blót - A Heathen ritual sacrifice. Don’t worry. It’s not, like, humans or anything these days. Most people use booze or blood from a butcher shop.
Blood Brothers - Loki and Odin as a pair, referring to the pact mentioned in Lokasenna. Also affectionately known as the “two man con” or, by particularly exasperated devotees, sometimes just “Them.”
Folkish - An adjective used to describe the belief that only people of Nordic descent should be allowed to worship the Norse gods. However, historical and archaeological evidence reveals that this wasn’t true back in the Viking Age. Many folkish Heathens are white supremacists, so you should approach anyone who identifies as such with extreme caution.
Fulltrúi - The Heathen equivalent of a neo-Wiccan “patron deity”, although they don’t function in quite the same way. Basically, it’s the primary god you worship, if you choose to focus on one god. (Many don’t.) The word translates roughly to “fully trusted one.”
GLE - Grumpy Lokean Elder. His blog has some awesome, scholarly resources.
Godphone - The ability to communicate with deities without divination or physical signs. Despite the name, it doesn’t usually work like an actual phone. See this post for more info.
Godspouse - A person who has “married” a deity. Some of them function more or less like Christian nuns. Others believe they have a romantic or sexual relationship with the deity in question.
Lore - The mythology, sagas, and other various historical and pseudo-historical writings about Norse religion.
Nokean - A silly person who is against the worship of Loki. They generally don’t know what they’re talking about and are just looking for reasons to exclude people (especially minorities.) Pay them no heed.
UPG - Unverified Personal Gnosis. Knowledge you’ve gained about a deity that isn’t (and perhaps can’t be) verified by the lore. If more than one person has the same UPG, it becomes SPG, Shared Personal Gnosis. Since UPG isn’t verified, it’s important not to treat it as hard facts.
This weird thing happened to me! Is it a sign from Loki?
Only you can determine whether to treat something as a sign or not. You know the context of the situation and your own personal symbolism way better than any stranger on the internet. Odds are, you also have slightly different criteria for what counts as sufficient proof than our mods. And that’s okay.
Regardless, remember that you don’t actually need a sign or a “calling” in order to worship Loki. If it’s something you want to try, that’s justification enough. By the same token, you’re allowed to say no even if a god is calling you. It’s your existence, and you get to decide who or what you’re devoted to.
What if my question isn’t answered here?
Our ask box is always open! Anonymous questions are welcome. We’re here to help, so don’t be shy.
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