Just a note: this is an article I wrote a while ago that is being re-posted from other platforms that I used to be active on. As I will mention below, we donât know an incredible amount about the historical place that seiĂ°r held nor a whole lot of its uses, so this article will be quite a bit of examples of modern uses and UPG (so in other words, not a whole lot of reconstructive use). The role of a völva then is not what a lot of folks who call themselves a âvölvaâ take on in todayâs world.
My practice is no longer centered around heathenry (and by extension seiĂ°r) as it had been for almost 15 years in the past, however Iâm posting this at the request of someone on here who wanted more information about seiĂ°r.
Seiðr (SAY-thur) is a complex magical practice. While there are mentions of its practice within the sagas, remnants of the magical yet sometimes extremely mundane tools used found within the graves of völvur (singular: völva), and other accounts of it mentioned within various texts, the bottom line is that there is no direct source that we can draw from that will explain exactly what the practices of seiðr fully entail.
With that being said, parts of this article will be discussing both seiĂ°r as it was mentioned within texts and the other parts will be how I personally practice it based on my arduous journey with the gods and my ancestors. I will not be giving walkthroughs on these various practices but will instead simply be touching on the surface of a handful of practices. As with anything you read, take the time to research it on your own in order to appreciate the full scope of the topic. I will only be talking about so much and there is always much more to learn.
Terms
Old Norse (ON)
Icelandic (IS)
ââ
SeiĂ°r (ON):
The origins of this word have been debated. The Proto-Germanic *saidaz, meaning magic or charm, coming from the Lithuanian saitas meaning sign or soothsaying, may be the origin of the word seiĂ°r. Other possible derivatives of the word point to it meaning to seethe, to speak, to sing, and to even sit with spirits (in this case, the root word would mean sitting or seat), as well as cord, string, and snare suggested from the derivatives in Old High German and Old English. In general, the word is commonly seen as meaning âwitchcraftâ.
Vǫlva (ON) or völva (IS):
The root of the word comes from the ON vǫlr (staff/wand). The word itself means wand or staff carrier (or variations of). A völva typically knows various types of magic such as spå and galdr, and is not limited to just practicing seiðr. The word völva is usually reserved for female practitioners of magic. She is typically a proficient seeress. It is not a title to be used lightly. The plural of the word is vǫlur (ON) and völvur (IS).
SeiĂ°kona (ON) and seiĂ°maĂ°r (ON):
SeiĂ°r + kona (woman) and SeiĂ°r + maĂ°r (man). Terms that refer to a woman or man who practice seiĂ°r. While anyone can practice seiĂ°r, one is often coupled with the word "ergi" when practicing seiĂ°r as a male.
SpĂĄ (ON/IS):
Without going into grammar and the declension of the word when used as a vowel, the word comes from the Old Norse spĂĄ meaning âto foretellâ. In Icelandic it can be a noun meaning âa prophecyâ (when sticking only to magical meanings). As a verb it can also mean âto predictâ or âto forecastâ.
While the practice of spĂĄ-craft is its own separate form of Norse magic, it often intermingles with seiĂ°r which is why it is being discussed here. While those talented in spĂĄ-craft can directly see their own fate or the fate of others, a practitioner of seiĂ°r who isnât a spĂĄkona or spĂĄmaĂ°r may call upon the help of deities, ancestors, or others in order to access this information so they can then use it in their practice.
Galdr (ON):
Lifted from my other post, galdr essentially means âincantationâ. It is a practice that uses the chants and songs of the runes. The use of galdr is commonly used in seiĂ°r. However, the ultimate mastery of the runes takes what seems a lifetime to learn. When incorporating galdr or runic magic into your practice, much forethought must be put into it.
Distaff:
A tool in which wool or flax (or any fiber, really) can be held for spinning. It holds the unspun fibers thus giving the spinner more freedom to spin.
Argr/Ergi (ON):
Typically used as terms of insult, they essentially point to effeminate behavior. To put it broadly: argr, an adjective, means âunmanlyâ and ergi, a noun, means âunmanlinessâ. There is much more meaning to both of these words, but since these other connotations have nothing to do with this article I will not be touching on them.
Fylgja (ON):
An extension of yourself, usually taking on the form of an animal. This animal is not what you wish to be, but what you are at your core. You can send your fylgja out to aid in magical work or you can even ârideâ your fylgja and take on its form while journeying. Do not assume your affinity for an animal means that it is your fylgja. Understanding and seeing your fylgja either requires journeying or an event in life where it reveals itself to you. The plural of the word is fylgjur.
Manipulation
The primary use of seiĂ°r is to manipulate another. SjĂłnhverfing, deceiving of the sight, is an incredible example of manipulation magic. In Eyrbyggja Saga, a woman named Katla used various means to hide her son in plain sight from a group of men who were looking to kill him. First she sat with her distaff spinning, her son beside her unmoving, and the men were not able to see him. Next she brushed his hair, yet the men only saw her brushing her goat's hair. Finally, he lay in a pile of ashes yet the men only saw her boar laying there.
Along with illusions of the mind, one can manipulate the thoughts and actions of another. This can either be through sympathetic magic (such as the use of effigies) or directly through journeying.
Spinning
Within my practice I use a distaff and spindle. My distaff is a cage distaff and my spindle is just a simple drop spindle. I believe in the use of incorporating my önd, or my breath, into all that I wish to manifest. The same way I chanted, gave breath to my runes, and colored them with my blood â the same applies to anything else I wish to give life to or to manifest. Our breath is a vessel that can hold everything we wish to manifest that can be imbued into an object, or in the case of spinning, a cord.
While the act of spinning doesnât qualify as a practice of seiĂ°r, what becomes of it does. You can spin a cord with the intent of attracting something to you (even something as mundane as a job), to heal someone, or to even curse someone. The ritual and the intent is what makes the magic work, not the simple act of spinning. If you are spinning a cord that interferes with someoneâs fate, be very careful. Tangling up in someone elseâs fate (and thus tangling your own) is tricky to get out of.
There are many archaeological finds that show that there were many women buried with a distaff or hollow staves which were seen as being a magical wand. The distaffs that these women were buried with were often times too heavy to be used as a traditional distaff. Thus, one might draw the conclusion that the replication of a distaff used as a magical staff was to symbolize her connection to the spirit world through feminine magic: seiðr. These women were also buried with items that may have pointed to them being völvur. For example, in one grave excavated near Hobro, Denmark a small purse with henbane seeds, a hallucinogenic aid, were found.
Trance Work
When one speaks of seiĂ°r, one might usually think of the âshamanicâ aspect of the practice first such as trance work, journeying, channeling, and so on.
Journeying is the act of âfaring forthâ into the nine worlds. This practice can be tremendously useful for receiving visions, manipulating the outcome of an event, and even communing with the gods or your ancestors. One can even lay a potent curse on another during a trance.
The act of channeling a deity can be done during a trance as well, and is a practice that is incredibly draining. While deities donât make themselves available to humans as often as some people make it seem, when they do, receiving their direct messages can be a life changing experience.
One may also intertwine spĂĄ-craft with trance work. If you are not a spĂĄkona or spĂĄmaĂ°r, you can take this time during your trance state to call upon the help of spirits to aid you in oracular work and receive information regarding any fate based inquiry.
I will not be going into journeying or trance work as much, simply due to the fact that the information is both incredibly broad (typical journeying â itâs just a google search away) as well as being particularly complex (for example, the use of galdr, spirit work, and so on to aid in journeying). It is a very personal practice and everyoneâs abilities will differ. While I am able to aid people with learning how to get into journey and trance work, I will not undertake that either in this article or with people I donât know.
Healing
Spiritual healing may initially sound like a New Age concept (Iâm looking at you Reiki, even though you were developed in the early 1900âs), but a seiĂ°kona or seiĂ°maĂ°r can be an adept healer both for physical wounds and spiritual ones.
The use of herbs, threads, and even stones were used to heal physical ailments and aid in other complications such as childbirth. Along with physical healing, one can heal with energy with their hands and even "feel" where one would be injured in battle before it even happened.
Of course, the use of journeying can aid in healing. One can "fare forth" to the person they are looking to heal and heal spiritual wounds that are being carried around.
Shapeshifting
Out of all the practices within seiĂ°r, shapeshifting is the most versatile and interesting part when it comes to my personal work. When one thinks of shapeshifting, it is most likely in the sense of a physical shift. Although you cannot physically change parts of your body, you can take on aspects of an animal (usually your fylgja, but this is not always the case) when brought on by strong emotions if you have the natural ability to do so. In other words, like most other abilities, it isnât something you can just train yourself to do. You either have it inside of you or you donât.
The most common emotion to initiate a switch is rage. While most of us get angry in everyday life, this simply will not do. A true rage where you can see nothing but red will split the inside of you in half and allow yourself to âshiftâ. Depending on your fylgja, or even an animal youâve become close to when regarding this feeling, you may experience an unnatural increase in strength as well as an animalistic mindset. When experiencing this, more often than not you will not be able to speak and will lack the typical forethought of consequences caused by your actions. The Berserkers, ĂlfhĂ©Ă°nar, and even the Svinfylking boar warriors are all primary examples of this pseudo-shifting. While this is not technically seiĂ°r, it is still worthy to bring up.
Another example of shapeshifting, one that is more aligned with seiĂ°r, is projecting your energy or spirit into an animal. One example of this is told in KormĂĄks Saga:
"The two brothers had but left the roadstead, when close beside their ship, up rose a walrus. KormĂĄk hurled at it a pole-staff, which struck the beast, so that it sank again: but the men aboard thought that they knew its eyes for the eyes of ĂĂłrveig the witch. That walrus came up no more, but of ĂĂłrveig it was heard that she lay sick to death; and indeed folk say that this was the end of her."
One can also send themselves out in the form of an animal in the physical world, into the dreams of others (either as something pleasant or a nightmare), to seek out a location, and to even protect or visit a person. While shapeshifting isnât limited to your fylgja, it is a form you will almost always most naturally take.
While these are only a few examples of the uses of seiĂ°r, the practice can get extremely complicated. As Iâve mentioned above, any fate based magic can become a mess if done improperly. The same goes for runic magic, which is incorporated within seiĂ°r. Even as someone who has practiced seiĂ°r for a long time, I still get hesitant about doing certain things. This hesitation can muddy up my sight, my intent, and my outcome. Know your limits, but continue to grow in your practice. Above all, make sure you research, research, research before doing any Norse magic (or any magic for that matter).
Further Reading:
Völva Stav Manual by Kari C. Tauring
SeiĂ°r Magic by Ed Richardson
SeiĂ°r as a Shamanistic Practice by Jenny Blain
Seidr: The Gate Is Open by Katie Gerrard
Seidways: Shaking, Swaying and Serpent Mysteries by Jan Fries
Thank you for reading.
