Freyja
Freyja, which is Old Norse for "The Lady" is the goddess associated with love, beauty, fertility, sex, war, gold, and seidr. Alternative modern spellings are Freya, Freyia, and Freja. Freyja, who travels the world under many different guises searching for her absent husband Od, has acquired many different names. These names include:
Gefn, meaning the giver (attested in Gylfaginning, Nafnaþulur)
Hörn, meaning flaxen (attested in Gylfaginning, Nafnaþulur)
Mardöll, meaning sea brightener or sea swell (attested in Gylfaginning, Nafnaþulur)
Skjálf, meaning shaker (attested in Nafnaþulur)
Sýr, meaning sow or wild boar(attested in Gylfaginning, Skáldskaparmál, Nafnaþulur)
Valfreyja, meaning lady of the slain(attested in Skáldskaparmál)
Vanadis, meaning the dís* of vanir( attested in Skáldskaparmál) *spirit/deity associated with fate
I have worked with Freyja for a few years now and have study Norse mythology. These are some personal associations I have for Freyja and I have added textual connections to these associations in parentheses.
Locations:
Fields and meadows (she rules over the heavenly field Fólkvangr, which name means field of warriors)
Animals:
Falcons and other birds of prey (she owns a cloak of falcon feathers which turns the wearer into a falcon)
Boars (Hildisvíni is her pet boar, she also turns one of her followers Ottar into a boar to help him get information)
Cats, both wild and domesticated (her chariot is pulled by two cats)
Horses (she helps Loki give birth to Sleipnir, the eight legged horse)
Ladybugs (in Old Norse they are called Freyja's bird or Freyja's cow)
Plants:
Milkwort (called Freyja's hair)
Linseed or flax (one of her names is Hörn which means flaxen)
Lily of The Valley (also called Freyja's tears; highly poisonous to humans and animals)
Roses (A symbol of love)
Hemp, Cannabis sativa, (commonly used in seidr practices)
Daisy (was given for protection in battle)
Cowslip (said to lead to her hall, also called Lady's key)
Minerals:
Gold (Freyja is said to weep red gold tears and gold is often called Freyja's tears)
Copper (because of her tears)
Ruby (again because of her tears)
Amber (her necklace, Brísingamen, is said to be made of amber)
Precious gemstones(Freyja's daughters are named "precious treasure")
Rose quartz (associated with love)
Amethyst (good for meditation and trance work like seidr)
Food:
Mead (all Norse gods love mead)
Honey (it's red gold color is similar to Freyja's tears)
Meat (again Norse gods love it)
Seafood (Freyja is the daughter of Njord the sea god and does go by the name sea brightener)
Strawberry (associated with love)
Chocolate (associated with love)
Colors:
Red (lust; war)
Pink (love)
Purple (royalty; spirituality)
Green (abundance; fertility)
Gold (wealth; treasure)
Cosmic:
Orion constellation (used to be called Freyja's distaff)
Venus and Mars (planets of love and war)
Runes:
Fehu
Devotional acts/ways to honor her:
Constructing a hörgr, or an alter of stones, and giving offerings or blót
Working with cats, whether it's feeding strays or volunteering at an animal shelter or caring for your own cats
Any animal husbandry, specifically working with pigs or horses
Taking care of the natural world around you
Self care/self love, making yourself look and feel beautiful however you see fit and not by anyone else's standards
Wear jewelry or clothing that reminds you of her
Jewelry making and clothes designing
Love songs and love poems
Making art
Practicing seidr magic
Practicing other forms of magic as well
Don't be afraid to express emotions, have a good cry, scream if you need to
Sex, can be with a partner or by yourself
Be kind and helpful
Fighting for what you believe in
Standing up for yourself
Speaking up for yourself and what you believe in even if your voice shakes
Freyja is known for being the most approachable of the gods and for me she by far has been the easiest to work with. She is very warm, loving and always happy to help. If you want to know more I suggest start by reading the Poetic Edda and the Prose Edda. And you can always ask me questions. My inbox is always open.
