Offerings To Freyja

{header by Seb McKinnon}

[offeringstofreyja]

Hello.

I'm Theo [they/them]. <- Interacts from @earthenremains

A thirty-one year-old non-binary pagan.

This blog is an extension of my witchy sideblog @ofcedarandbone and will focus on Freyja, the Norse Goddess of Magic (amongst many other things).

Hel's Devotional Blog -> @offeringstohel

Höðr's Devotional Blog -> @offeringstohodr

Baldr & Nanna's Devotional Blog -> @offeringstobaldrxnanna

Eir's Devotional Blog -> @offeringstoeir

THIS IS NOT A PLACE FOR NAZIS, TERFS, TRANSPHOBES, HOMOPHOBES, XENOPHOBES, ABLEISTS, BIGOTS, ETC.

Dividers

[boredomleadstoinsanity3]

Lucky Color of the Day

Lucky color of May 12, 2026

Amber encourages confidence and fearlessness. It is associated with positivity, higher energies, boldness, joy, protection, warmth, optimism, friendliness, inspiration, patience, wisdom, and healing. Amber is known to help remove negative energies, eliminate fears, and even soothe bodily aches.

[finngualart]

Freyja

[samwisethewitch]

15 Days of Freyja Devotion

Day 10: Devotional Practices

I've talked a lot about historic practices in the past couple of days, so for this one I'm going to focus on modern devotionals I do or have done for Freyja. Some of those are:

Offerings. Mutual gift-giving is kind of, like, the core of deity work in Norse practices, so I do make weekly offerings (usually food or drink) at my home altar.

Reading, contemplating, and telling her stories. I love reading about how other Heathens work with Freyja, and I love finding new historic inspiration to deepen my practice with her.

Seidr. One of the primary aspects of Freyja I work with is as the goddess of seidr, and I always feel her present in my seidr rituals. When I'm doing oracular work, I always invoke her.

Other magic. As a goddess of magic, I think Freyja very much enjoys being included in spells of all kinds.

Writing poems/drawing art/singing songs. Poems praising the gods are, like, the whole reason we have the Eddas, so it's definitely historically accurate. And while I'm not the biggest on visual art, I do sometimes do sketches of Freyja.

Meditation/Pathworking/Astral Travel. This was the primary way I connected with Freyja for a long time, and is still my favorite way to connect directly with her.

Divination. I know runes are more "on brand" for Norse practices, but I honestly prefer tarot.

Sex. She is the goddess of sex, and in my experience she is open to sexual rites as part of her worship.

Gardening. Freyja does have agrarian aspects, and I feel closer to this side of her when I'm growing my own food.

Enjoying luxury. Freyja is, in my experience, a goddess who likes to be pampered, and this can also be an aspect of her worship.

[offeringstofreyja]

Linking the remainder of OP's posts here as they are less informational and strictly personal to their own devotion:

Day 11: Piece of art in which you see this deity

Day 12: Aesthetics you associate with this deity

Day 13: Your own art about this deity

Day 14: Your Relationship to this Deity

Day 15: What do you wish to learn/Where do you want this relationship to go?

[samwisethewitch]

15 Days of Freyja Devotion

Day 9: Sacred Places

This is another area where there are frustratingly few concrete answers. As far as I know, there are no written records of any temples dedicated to Freyja and no archaeological finds believed to be her temples. This doesn't mean there were no temples dedicated to her -- it only means that we haven't found any temples we can say for sure are hers.

We do know what sacred sites dedicated to Freyja might have looked like. Sacred groves were commonly used as a site for worship in pre-Christian Scandinavia. Some groves were probably used as a sort of all-purpose sacred space, while others were dedicated to specific deities. Single trees could also serve as a place to connect with the gods. We know oak, birch, and evergreen trees were used for worship (although oak may have been exclusive to Thor). Other types of trees may also have been used.

We also know that the Old Norse did sometimes include statues of the gods in their temples. Old Norse people also carried small amulets depicting the gods, and archaeologists have found many amulets believed to show Freyja.

Norse (and more generally Germanic) agrarian goddesses were often worshiped in the form of life-size statues, which would be carried from place to place in carts. Written sources mention Freyja being worshiped this way. This may imply that Freyja was seen as being more mobile and less tied to a single place. Because this practice only seems to have been done for agricultural goddesses, I do wonder if the goddesses were seen as being present in the land itself, but that's a personal hunch and is not based on research.

In my personal practice, I honor Freyja on an altar with other Norse gods. I have a statue of her where I leave offerings. I'm renting right now, but I would love to someday have the space to dedicate a sacred grove to Freyja and the other gods.

[samwisethewitch]

15 Days of Freyja Devotion

Day 8: Festivals and Sacred Days

There are very, very few remaining sources about Norse holy days, so there isn't a lot of information to work with here. Most modern Heathen holidays involve a lot of guesswork and filling in the blanks based on research and personal experience.

In my own practice, I'm not super concerned with recreating Norse holidays with perfect accuracy. For me, holidays are about connection and community first and religious obligation second.

I celebrate four Norse holy days: Yule (jól), the spring equinox, Midsummer, and the fall equinox. There's evidence that all of these were celebrated by at least some of the Old Norse. I celebrate Yule on the winter solstice and Midsummer on the summer solstice mainly for convenience, although these dates may not be historically accurate. Freyja tends to pop up at all of these festivals in some way.

Freyja has some connection to Yule, which has survived in Scandinavian folk traditions that say she visits on Christmas. I haven't been able to find a ton of information about this, but it may be connected to other Germanic Yuletide superstitions involving spinning goddesses, like Frau Holde and Frau Perchta. I need to reread Elves, Witches, & Gods by Cat Heath before December so I can figure out how to incorporate this into my celebrations.

Odin is associated with Yule, so I may honor him as the Jólfather and Freyja as his partner this year. This would focus on Freyja's magic, prophecy, and spinning/weaving aspects.

At the Spring Equinox, I honor Freyja as a goddess of fertility, love, and abundance. I usually invoke her alongside Freyr and Thor and ask them to bring abundance in the coming year.

I'm playing with the idea of honoring Freyja and Freyr as divine sibling-consorts at Midsummer this year. This is focusing on Freyja's fertility and wealth aspects, but also some of the love and sex aspects.

At the Fall Equinox, I honor the harvest. When I invoke Freyja at this festival, I'm again tapping into her agrarian and wealth aspects, but also calling on her as a goddess of death and the dead.

There's also Winternights, which historically was a time to honor the disir. Freyja is connected to the disir in the Eddas, so she could also be invoked at this festival as a goddess of the dead who helps us communicate with our ancestors.

[samwisethewitch]

15 Days of Freyja Devotion

Day 7: Offerings -- Historical & UPG

Freyja's historical offerings include:

Pork was a common offering for all of the Vanir, but especially Freyja and Freyr. (I personally do not offer meat to the gods unless I can find meat that was ethically slaughtered, but I know pork is still a common offering for other modern Heathens.)

Horses were also a common sacrificial animal in Old Norse society, and Freyja probably received them as offerings.

Ale, mead, and other drinks were commonly poured out for the gods, including Freyja. There is some evidence that Freyja was invoked in a toast over the couple's first drink together at Norse weddings.

Jewelry. Sacrificing jewelry by throwing it into a lake was a common Norse offering practice. As a goddess of wealth, Freyja would have welcomed offerings of fine jewelry, such as gold torcs. (I have an amber necklace dedicated to Freyja that I wear to feel connected to her.)

Weapons were sacrificed in the same way as jewelry, and Freyja may have received some of these sacrifices as a goddess of battle.

Spinning tools may have been offered to Freyja and/or Frigg. Tools were another common votive offering, and both Freyja and Frigg are associated with spinning. These tools may have been offered when asking the goddess(es) for help in domestic matters.

Human sacrifices? I would be cherry-picking if I didn't include this. The Norse did practice human sacrifice (though from what I understand it was uncommon), and some scholars believe Freyja may have received human sacrifices, especially sacrifices of kings or princes, but there isn't enough evidence to say for sure.

Some of the modern offerings I personally give Freyja are:

Apples or apple cider because of her association with apples in Swedish folklore.

Wine and sparkling wine, especially sweet wines with a lot of fruit notes. I find she is especially fond of sparkling rosé.

Coffee or tea. I like to make coffee for the gods the same way I would for a friend who is visiting. I find Freyja enjoys coffee with lots of cream and sugar and chamomile tea.

Flowers are one of my favorite springtime offerings. I like to use flowers from my own garden when I can, but I have also bought her bouquets.

Taking care of cats is another way I honor Freyja. Any time I encounter a stray cat, I check to make sure they aren't injured or sick, and if thy need medical attention, I try to capture them so I can either treat minor wounds myself or take them to the vet. (I am an experienced animal rescuer. Do not do this if you are inexperienced.) I also leave out food for stray cats in my neighborhood. If a cat repeatedly comes to my house and seems friendly and social, I adopt them. (This is how I got both of the cats I've had as an adult.)

Donating money to appropriate charities or nonprofits. I see Freyja very much as a goddess of bodily autonomy, so I have donated in her name to Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice America as an offering before. I also try to support local organizations that do free STI testing and prevention. I work at a nonprofit that serves survivors of sexual assault, and I see this as Freyja's work as well.

A serving at my holiday feasts. I like to make a plate for any appropriate deities when I celebrate holy days. I make a plate of whatever I've cooked for me and my family and leave it on their altar.

[samwisethewitch]

15 Days of Freyja Devotion

Day 6: Relations to Other Gods

This is where it gets... controversial.

So. Keeping in mind that true, pre-Christian Heathenry is not well documented, and keeping in mind that "Heathenry" is an umbrella term for a collection of regional traditions that could and did contradict each other, it's hard to make generalizations about the gods and their relationships to each other. Two seemingly contradictory interpretations can both be supported by textual and archaeological sources, and may in fact have coexisted historically. This becomes especially clear when talking about Freyja's relationships to the other gods. What is presented in this post is my own interpretation based on research and personal experience. Other Heathens may disagree, and that's okay.

As I mentioned on Day 2, Freyja is the daughter of Njord and an unnamed mother and is the sister of Freyr. This, at least, is pretty consistent across all Norse Heathen traditions.

Freyja's husband is called Odr. Some scholars, such as Jackson Crawford, believe that Odr is Odin, and I tend to agree. Odr and Odin seem to be different forms of the same name, and Odr is described as a mad wanderer, which sounds a lot like Odin. There are also places in the Poetic Edda where Freyja seems to be referred to as Odin's wife or lover.

On a more personal note, I experience Freyja and Odin as deities that are very closely connected. There is a lot of overlap in their powers and associations, and they seem to frequently work together. Based on this and the textual evidence, I tend to see Odin and Freyja as partners and spouses.

Freyja is also sometimes said to be the consort of her brother, Freyr. Remember, the Eddas say sibling marriages are a common practice among the Vanir, so this wouldn't have been seen as a taboo, incestuous pairing. I think it's also important to note that while the gods are like humans in some ways, they are also abstract ideas and, in some cases, forces of nature. As siblings and lovers, I see Freyr and Freyja as embodying the male/masculine and female/feminine aspects of fertility. (This makes it even more interesting that they both subvert Norse gender roles in some ways -- for example, Freyr gives up his ability to fight while Freyja revels in warfare.)

I am comfortable saying that both Freyr and Odin are Freyja's partners and lovers. The Old Norse practiced what we would recognize as polyamory or open relationships, so it makes sense that Freyja, like many of the Aesir, would have multiple lovers.

In Old Norse society, marriages were literal legal contracts and were often used to seal alliances and treaties. (In Anglo-Saxon England, which is not Norse but is a related culture, brides were called "Peace Weavers" because of how common these political marriages were.) It makes sense that Freyja, who is important or possibly royal among the Vanir, would be married to Odin, the chief of the Aesir. We know Freyja and her family went to live with the Aesir as peace hostages after a war between the Aesir and the Vanir. A marriage contract between Odin and Freyja would have helped keep war from breaking out again.

I see Freyja's partners as reflecting different sides of her as a goddess. Freyr reflects and complements her associations with sex, fertility, love, beauty, and agriculture. Odin reflects and complements her associations with magic, battle, death, and prophecy. Interestingly, both Odin and Freyr are associated with kingship and were said to have fathered lines of mortal kings, which may hint at some sovereignty aspects for Freyja.

And because I know someone is going to bring it up if I don't: yes, Frigg is also called Odin's wife and is arguably given this title more often than Freyja in the Eddas. Again, because having more than one lover was socially acceptable to the Old Norse, I don't necessarily see this as a contradiction. Maybe Frigg is Odin's wife and Freyja is his concubine. Maybe he was married to both of them at different times, but divorced one and then married the other. Maybe they're a functioning polycule. I don't necessarily need to know the answers to love and respect the gods.

There is a popular academic theory that Frigg and Freyja were originally one goddess, and I do see some truth in it. Talking about this theory would easily double the length of this post, so I'll just link to Jackson Crawford's excellent video on this instead.

I mostly agree with Crawford's conclusion that Frigg and Freyja were originally a single sex-and-queenship-and-motherhood-and-magic goddess who was Odin's wife, and that they had recently split and were in the process of becoming differentiated when the Conversion began. In terms of modern worship, I see them as separate but closely connected goddesses with some shared functions, similar to how I see the three Morrigan sisters in Irish polytheism.

[samwisethewitch]

15 Days of Freyja Devotion

Day 5: Names & Epithets Kennings

Freyja isn't actually a name. It means "Lady," and was used as a title just like lady is used today. It has the same root as the modern German Frau (roughly the equivalent to "Mrs."). We don't actually know Freyja's true name, which is just another layer to her mystery.

Some of the other names used for Freyja are:

Gef ("The Giver"). This is one of the titles I use most often when praying to Freyja, as I personally experience her as a very generous goddess who loves to shower her followers with abundance.

Mardöll (meaning unclear, possibly "Sea Brightener," definitely related to the sea). This name is so fascinating to me, because it seems to refer to some sort of oceanic aspect of Freyja that has not survived in mythology and folklore. As Njordr's daughter, it makes sense that she is associated with the sea.

Skjálf ("Shaker"). This one is intriguing, and I personally relate it to Freyja's role as an agitator and someone who "shakes things up." In several myths she incites armies to battle, and I'm reminded of those stories when I hear this name.

Sýr ("Sow") highlights Freyja's connection to pigs.

Thröng/Thrungva ("throng" -- referring to a throng of soldiers, maybe?)

Valfreyja (literally "Lady of the Slain"). Another of my favorite of her names. I use this title especially when working with Freyja in her aspect as Queen of the Valkyries.

Vanadís ("Dís [woman or female ancestor] of the Vanir"). I use this one pretty frequently. I see this title as highlighting Freyja's importance among the Vanir.

In the Poetic Edda, Freyja is also sometimes referred to by her relationship to other gods, such as "sister of Freyr" or "wife of Odr."

She is also referred to as the "Mother of Hnoss," but Hnoss is an obscure figure who is only mentioned in one or two places and may be a metaphor for wealth rather than an actual goddess. ("Hnoss" literally means "treasure.") I perfer to read "Mother of Hnoss" as "Mother of Riches" or "Mother of Treasures."

I also personally sometimes refer to Freyja as the "Golden One" or "Golden Lady," although this is not historical. As I've mentioned, gold is a kenning used for all the gods but especially for Freyja, and gold is called "Freyja's tears." To me, Freyja the Golden One is the source of material wealth and abundance, and I may use this title when asking her to help me with my finances.

[samwisethewitch]

15 Days of Freyja Devotion

Day 4: Favorite Myth(s)

One of my favorite myths involving Freyja is from the fragmented poem Hyndluljóð. This is a later poem and probably represents post-Conversion folk beliefs rather than pre-Conversion religious beliefs, but I just really enjoy it.

In this poem, Freyja is trying to help her human lover, Ottar, prove his ancestry so he can claim his inheritance. She asks for help from a volva (a Seer) named Hyndla. The poem is mostly just Hyndla reciting Ottar's ancestors, but the part I love is at the end: Hyndla tries to curse Ottar, and Freyja retaliates by raising flames to burn her.

I think this captures a side of Freyja that isn't well represented in the Eddas, which is her quick temper and her willingness to defend herself and her loved ones. In the Eddas, Freyja is often a side character -- even when she is part of the main conflict, like when a jotun is trying to kidnap her, Thor or one of the other gods is the one to defend her. I like that in Hyndluljóð she defends herself and her lover. I think this shows a fierceness to her that isn't well represented in other sources.

I also love the idea that Freyja is the one who taught Odin seidr. This isn't a myth, but it is something that is referenced in several places in the Poetic Edda. Odin learned the art of prophecy and fateweaving from Freyja. While she may not be the inventor of seidr, she's certainly the one who introduced it to the Aesir.

[samwisethewitch]

15 Days of Freyja Devotion

Day 3: Symbols and Attributes

Some of Freyja's Symbols are:

Cats. She is said to ride in a chariot pulled by cats, but these wouldn't have been domesticated housecats. To Freyja's earliest worshipers, cats were wild animals and fierce predators that could pose a serious threat. However, many modern worshipers associate Freyja with housecats as well -- myself included.

Boar. Both Freyja and her brother Freyr are associated with boar. Freyja rides a boar named Hildisvini ("battle swine"). Freyja may be associated with pigs more generally, since one of her names is Syr, "sow."

Falcons. Freyja has a cloak made of falcon feathers that gives the one wearing it the ability to change shape and fly. I personally associate Freyja with falcons and hawks.

Gold. "Gold" is used to describe the Aesir and the things associated with them in the Poetic Edda, but Freyja especially is associated with gold. Gold is sometimes called "Freyja's tears" as a kenning.

Amber is also associated with Freyja, possibly because of a shared connection to the ocean (amber sometimes washes up on the shore in Scandinavia).

The distaff and other spinning tools are associated with Freyja and with the goddess Frigg. Spinning was a very important part of Norse womanhood, and on one level, the distaff probably just shows that Freyja is a goddess of women. On the other hand, there seems to be some sort of connection between spinning and magic in Norse culture, so this may also represent Freyja as a goddess of magic.

The seidr staff is also associated with Freyja. Seidr staves weren't literally distaves, but they did look similar and some scholars argue that seidr staves were intentionally made to resemble spinning staves. Whatever the case, both types of staff are associated with Freyja.

Apples are associated with Freyja, and in Swedish folk practices people left some ripe apples in the trees as an offering to her.

Maidenhair, Adiantum capillus-veneris, was called "Freyja's Hair" in Iceland.

Common milkwort, Polygala vulgaris, was originally also called "Freyja's Hair" in Scandinavia but was renamed after the Virgin Mary during the Conversion period.

Orchids were also associated with Freyja before the conversion. While this was specifically a Northern European species of orchid, I personally associate all orchid flowers with her.

Rye is connected to Freyja in Sweden, where Freyja is said to oversee the ripening of rye.

Sheet lightning is said to be a symbol of Freyja's rage in Sweden.

The constellation we call Orion's Belt was called "Freyja's Distaff" or "Frigg's Distaff" in Sweden.

[samwisethewitch]

15 Days of Freyja Devotion

Day 2: Genealogy

Freyja was originally one of the Vanir, a tribe or clan of gods that was probably associated with nature, fertility, and agriculture. After a war between the Aesir and the Vanir, Freyja and her father and brother were given to the Aesir as hostages to prevent future aggression. (The Aesir also sent hostages to the Vanir.) However, Freyja and her family were not prisoners -- in fact, some sources call her the wife of Odin, which would have made her the chieftess of the Aesir.

Freyja's father is Njordr, a god associated with the sea, sailing, and fishing. Her brother is Freyr, who like Freyja is associated with sex, fertility, and agriculture -- but Freyr is also associated with kingship and rightful rulership, with peace, and with good weather.

Freyja's mother is not named in any of our sources, but she is said to be Njord's sister. (We are told in the Eddas that sibling marriages are common among the Vanir.) In her book, A Practical Heathen's Guide to Asatru, Patricia M. Lafayllve says some modern Heathens see Freyja as being the daughter of Njordr and Nerthus, an obscure Suebian deity. This isn't totally unfounded, because "Njordr" and "Nerthus" are essentially the same name and come from the same Germanic root, but there is no evidence these deities were ever worshiped alongside each other, so this connection is definitely a modern invention.

[samwisethewitch]

15 Days of Freyja Devotion

Day 1: Basic Introduction

(This challenge was originally created by @noctivague. See the prompt post here. This is a combination of me compiling/organizing my own research and sharing my personal experiences working with Freyja on and off for 7+ years.)

Freyja is a Norse goddess, and of the goddesses in the Norse pantheon, she's one of the most, if not the most, well-documented. It's usually an oversimplification to refer to a Norse god as "the god/dess of X," but some of Freyja's strongest associations include sex, fertility, magic, battle, death, and wealth. She was originally worshiped in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Iceland, and she continued to be honored in folk practices well after conversion and into the modern era.

Freyja is often compared to the Greek Aphrodite, and there's some truth to that. Both Aphrodite and Freyja originally had very strong ties to battle and magic, but these aspects are often erased or downplayed in favor of focusing on their sex and love aspects. However, I think these goddesses have very different personalities, even if there is some significant overlap in their associations.

I personally experience Freyja as an incredibly personable deity. While not all deities I've encountered have been interested in friendship, Freyja and I are very much friends and companions. I feel she is a goddess who is very affectionate towards her followers, and that may be part of why she is so beloved by those who work with her.

[phantomwiser]

it isn't much but hey, it's my altar to freyja !!! ฅ^•⩊•^ฅ

gotta keep all my feathers, runes and crystals locked away in my little carved boxes otherwise my cats will claim them as their toys. the embroidered cloth belonged to my great grandma. it was given to me when she passed a little over a decade ago. i've included it in my altar due to how strong she was, and how much she endured through life!

[the-spirit-of-yore]

Freyja and the Necklace, James Doyle Penrose (Irish), 1890, Private collection

[petaltexturedskies]

Anaïs Nin, Mirages: The Unexpurgated Diary of Anaïs Nin, 1939–1947

[thewinedarksea]

myth moodboard: freyja

“she was of a passionate, cruel, and sensual type."