Heathen's Journey Podcast: Recent Episodes
Siri Plouff
A podcast exploring Norse paganism, Traditional Witchcraft, folk magic, and so much more. Join me, won't you? As I explore the wyrd world of transformative Nordic magick. Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/heathens-journey/support
hey hey! Just popping into your podcast feed to remind you that registration for the last ever live session of Radical Runes closes at midnight on Saturday, February 3rd!
You can register here: https://www.sirivincentplouff.com/shop/p/radical-runes-winter-2024
Radical Runes is a six week course in Nordic divination practices using the Elder Futhark as a launchpad. Each week, I will cover a different topic in depth from a queer, modern perspective. All are welcome - you do not need to be of Nordic descent to practice this kind of magic or divination. You will be learning from a rune expert - I've been studying the runes for years, and made my first set of runes nearly 20 years ago. I think it is especially important to bring queer perspectives to Nordic magic because there is so much shape shifting, trickster, and transformational energy within the Nordic myth cycles.
So join us! I would love to have you!
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Perthro is a mysterious rune that means luck, mystery, and the mead. In this episode of the podcast Siri covers the beauty of this rune in a solo-episode. We talk about the different soul parts, and how Perthro is connected with the Hamingja. This rune disappears in the Younger Futhark, which only adds to its mystery. We also discuss the sacred quality of mead and seeking the mead as spiritual initiation.
Read the Transcript
Register for Radical Runes
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Buy my book (and Ryan Smith's "Spinning Wyrd") on my bookshop.org affiliate shop
Kari Tauring's Soul Parts and Healing Course
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Sources:
Kvilhaug, Maria. Seed of Yggdrasil. Three Little Sisters Press.
Smith, Ryan. Spinning Wyrd. Llewellyn Books, Woodbury, MN. 2023
Tauring, Kari. The Runes: A Deeper Journey. Minneapolis. 2015.
Tauring, Kari. “Soul Parts and Healing Course.”
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Happy Winter Solstice! Have a rerun episode! This episode was originally released on Dec 30 2020.
Did you know there's no future tense in Old Norse? It's a huge part of why I (Siri) don't use the runes for predictive reading - instead, I use them for assessing the situation and figuring out what the best path forward is for me or my client. But there are plenty of other divination methods in Nordic folk magic and heathenry! Listen to this episode to learn all about them.
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Read a Transcript here
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Welcome to the 2023 Halloween Werewolf Spectacular! There is a LOT of wolf lore in Nordic mythology and throughout folklore all around the world. I spoke with my friend Matt who has been obsessed with werewolves for most of his life. And at a certain point, doesn’t obsession beget expertise? So I decided to invite him on the podcast for a special werewolf bonanza. We’ll talk about the Werewolf Trials of medieval Europe, the Ulfheidnar in Germanic and Norse culture, Werewolf Saints, and so much more.
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Transcript for this episode can be found here: https://www.heathensjourneypod.com/episodes/s2-e12-halloween-special-werewolf-spectacular
You can support this podcast on Patreon:
http://patreon.com/heathensjourneypod
Want more writing from Siri? Subscribe to the Troll-Brev Newsletter!
Buy Siri's book and more at their Bookshop Affiliate Link:
https://bookshop.org/shop/sirivincent...
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References for this Episode:
Old Thiess, a Livonian Werewolf
https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/O/bo46813477.html
Werewolf Magick by Denny Sergent
https://www.amazon.com/Werewolf-Magick-Authentic-Practical-Lycanthropy/dp/0738764450
Wolfs-Head: Óðinn, the Ecstatic God of Tethers & Skin-Turning
[Volume II of the Óðinn Trilogy within the Northern Otherworld Series]
by Shani Oates
https://www.anathemapublishing.com/books-prints/p/wolfs-head
Werewolf: The Apocalypse free intro kit
https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/3370/werewolf-the-apocalypse-free-introductory-kit
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Today I'm sharing a conversation with my mentor Kari Tauring. She is the author of “The Volva Stav Manual,” “The Runes: A Deeper Journey,” and today we’re discussing her newest book: “The Day Begins at Sunset.” This is a collection of poems reflecting on the Primstav, an Old Norse calendar stick that helped people follow the seasons and the Saint Days in the Middle Ages. I spoke about this with Sara Axtell as well in episode 19. In that episode we focused on the concept of Unsettling Ourselves - on how we as settler colonizers can actively participate in decolonization while appreciating the land around us. This is pretty different from that episode - here, we talk about the Primstav as a relic of the transition between Paganism and Christianity, violent histories, ancestor work, and more. Kari reads some of her poetry and it is absolutely beautiful.
Learn more about Kari and buy her books here: karitauring.com
If you are in the Twin Cities area and you're available, you should come to Kari's book release party! It's on Sunday, October 29th 2023 at the Bryant Lake Bowl. Details here
Listen to a previous episode about the primstav with Sara Axtell here: Episode 19
You can support this podcast on Patreon:
http://patreon.com/heathensjourneypod
Want more writing from Siri? Subscribe to the Troll-Brev Newsletter!
Buy Siri's book and more at their Bookshop Affiliate Link:
https://bookshop.org/shop/sirivincent...
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It's been one year since Cassandra Snow and I published "Lessons from the Empress: A tarot workbook for self-care and creative growth!" In celebration of the book's birthday, I invited a special guest host to interview Cassandra and I. Maria Minnis is a tarot reader and author of the forthcoming "Tarot for the Hard Work: An Archetypal Journey to Confront Racism and Inspire Collective Healing." She is absolutely fantastic and we get to talk some juicy details about creativity, where we are now, and how it feels to be one year out from publishing the book.
If you don't have your copy yet, you can buy "Lessons from the Empress" here affiliate link
You can preorder "Tarot for the Hard Work" here affiliate link
Support the podcast on Patreon
Subscribe to the newsletter
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Ren Zatopek is a heretical, hedgeriding witch of the Ced Tradition with more than fifteen years of experience working full-time as a spiritual guide, healer, and ritualist. She has a special interest in helping folks with exceptional intensity, sensitivity, and creativity explore the deeper, more troubling waters of witchery without losing their shit. She believes that a healthy, intentional relationship with trance is a great place to start, so she created the online Hedge+Riders Trance Training Ground as a place for folks to work on the kinds of wide-awake, walking, talking trance states that are most conducive to conscious spiritwork, spellcrafting, and ritual.
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Ren offers accessible online training through renspiritwork.com
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Folks local to Raleigh, North Carolina can email hello@renspiritwork.com for info on in-person gatherings.
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Ren’s elders in the Ced Tradition teach out of The Green Man Store in Los Angeles, CA
You can support this podcast on Patreon:
http://patreon.com/heathensjourneypod
Want more writing from Siri? Subscribe to the Troll-Brev Newsletter!
Buy Siri's book and more at their Bookshop Affiliate Link:
https://bookshop.org/shop/sirivincent...
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Eiwaz is the first tree rune in the Elder Futhark. It is a highly toxic tree that is used to both poison and heal, and is thought by many to be the tree that Odin hangs himself on to take up the runes. Learn more about this fascinating rune in today's episode!
You can read a transcript of this podcast here: https://www.heathensjourneypod.com/episodes/s2-e8-eiwaz-a-portal-to-the-underworld
You can support this podcast on Patreon: http://patreon.com/heathensjourneypod
Want more writing from Siri? Subscribe to the Troll-Brev Newsletter!
Buy Siri's book and more at their Bookshop Affiliate Link: https://bookshop.org/shop/sirivincent...
Sources:
Boyer, Corinne. Under the Witching Tree. Troy Books, London. 2016.
Smith, Ryan. Spinning Wyrd. Llewellyn Books, Woodbury, MN. 2023
Tauring, Kari. The Runes: A Deeper Journey. Minneapolis. 2015.
Vesta, Lara Veleda. Wild Soul Runes: Reawakening the ancestral feminine. Newburyport, MA. 2021
Yew - Paradox. Tree Spirit Wisdom. https://treespiritwisdom.com/tree-spirit-wisdom/yew-tree-symbolism/#:~:text=In%20Norse%20mythology%2C%20the%20yew,nine%20nights%20and%20nine%20days. Accessed on 4/27/23Carboplatin-Taxol page. National Cancer Institute. https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/drugs/carboplatin-taxol. Accessed 4/27/23
Success Story: Taxol. National Cancer Institute. https://dtp.cancer.gov/timeline/flash/success_stories/s2_taxol.htm#:~:text=Taxol%C2%AE%20(NSC%20125973),as%20well%20as%20Kaposi's%20sarcoma. Accessed 4/27/23
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Today on the podcast, Siri is in conversation with Ryan Smith, author of The Way of Fire & Ice: The Living Tradition of Norse Paganism, and Spinning Wyrd: Exploring the Nordic Mysteries. Expanding on the progressive ideas and practices in The Way of Fire and Ice, this next-step book teaches you how to tap into the forces of the Nordic cosmos. The greatest of these forces is wyrd, the symphony of life cocreated by all beings, from the humblest plants to the mightiest gods.
You can purchase Ryan's books (as well as many others) at Siri's Bookshop.org Affiliate Shopfront: https://bookshop.org/shop/sirivincentplouff
Support the podcast on Patreon: https://patreon.com/heathensjourneypod
Sign up for Troll-Brev
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I am honored to have Tomás Prower as a guest on the podcast this week. When I started planning this season, I knew that I wanted to bring Tomás on. Tomás Prower is a graduate of the University of California: Santa Barbara with degrees in Global Socioeconomics and Latin American Studies. With fluency in English, French, and Spanish, he has worked for the French Government as a cultural liaison throughout South America with extended assignments in Buenos Aires, Santiago de Chile, and the Amazon jungle. Since then, he has been the External Relations Director for the American Red Cross of Nevada, LGBT+ Programs Director for entertainment productions in Los Angeles, and a licensed mortuary professional in California and Nevada. Currently, Tomás resides in Palm Springs, California, as the Director of Communications for the LGBTQ+ Center of the Coachella Valley.
Link to the LGBTQ+ Center of the Coachella Valley
Antiracist Heathenry Resources
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In an episode that I didn't plan I swear, Siri discusses harvest festivals and the rune Jera. To Siri, Jera is not just about the year, but it is related to earth itself. This is a rune of appreciation of the gifts of nature, as well as of cultivation. The shape of the rune - two v’s turned on their side and intertwining - speaks to me of cycles. This episode happens to come out on Mabon, and so of course Siri discusses harvest festivals and the deity Freyr.
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Buy "Lessons from the Empress: A tarot workbook for self-care and creative expression"
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Isa represents Ice: That which is frozen. It is a barrier. It is water that has become so still, it has been made solid. Ice is one of the elements that signaled the birth of our world.
"Ice is hard and without motion. It constrains the movement of waters, but those who try to walk on it may find themselves moving out of control." - Diana Paxson, "Taking Up The Runes."
Resources:
National Geographic video on singing ice
Jonna Jinton's Atmospheric video of singing ice sounds
Information About Lessons From The Empress
Support me on Patreon
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/heathens-journey/support
After the storm, we must rebuild. After Hagalaz comes Nauthiz. In this episode, Siri explores the ways that the Nauthiz rune reveals what is truly necessary in our lives. Nauthiz, need-fire, rune of potential and action and making choices to get ourselves out of the direst of circumstances.
Here is a YouTube video I found that provides a really nice view on making needfire for yourself. Just be careful!
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Welcome back to the Heathen’s Journey Podcast! Siri took some time off to recalibrate and think through the direction of the podcast. We’re back now, in seasons! Each season we will be focusing on a major theme within heathenry and the runes. This season, we’re covering the second aett of the Elder Futhark through the lens of an Underworld Journey. In this opening episode, Siri covers Hel, Hagalaz, and the Underworld.
Browse the new Heathen's Journey Website: heathensjourneypod.com
Support the Podcast: patreon.com/heathensjourneypod
Preorder "Lessons from the Empress" and buy suggested reading here: https://bookshop.org/shop/sirivincentplouff
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Aidan Wachter has been actively involved in magical practice since the 1980’s. His work reflects a wide ranging, eclectic, and non-dogmatic approach with influences from many paths including witchcraft, folk magic, and chaos magic. His books focus on the practice of the craft as a learnable set of skills that can be developed rather than innate talents that must be inherited or granted to the seeker. They are field guides rather than philosophy. In this episode, Aidan and Siri talk about using Black Books for working magic and changing your fate.
If you loved this episode, you should consider attending Siri's talk at the Salem Witchcraft and Folklore Festival, which runs August 5-7 2022. You can register here.
Take the Heathen's Journey Podcast listener survey to help Siri shape the future of this podcast!
Purchase Aidan's books here
Preorder Lessons from the Empress here!
Support the podcast on Patreon!
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Cory Thomas Hutcheson is the cohost of the popular podcasts New World Witchery, Chasing Foxfire, and Myth-Taken: A Buffy the Vampire Slayer Podcast, and author of the book New World Witchery: A Trove of American Folk Magic. He has a doctorate in American Studies with specializations in folklore, religion, and ethnicity from Penn State. He is a contributor to the Oxford Handbook of American Folklore and Folklife Studies and American Myths, Legends, and Tall Tales. Visit him online at www.newworldwitchery.com
Support this podcast on Patreon
Preorder your copy of Lessons from the Empress
Check out my website
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/heathens-journey/support
Katy Swallow is a spirit worker, reader, mage and reiki practitioner, who tends to specialize in uncomfortable things. Death, grief, and intergenerational and ancestral trauma are her frequent companions. Her work can be accurately described as “navigating the lines between everything.” In this episode, Katy and Siri talk about their experiences working with spirits, speaking with ancestors, and ancestral healing. We also laugh a lot and have an overall amazing conversation.
Katy has some classes coming up! Please check out her website for more information: katyswallow.com
You can also follow her on Twitter here: @kswallowtarot
Register for Intro to Spirit Contact on February 7th here
Read my blog here
Support this podcast on Patreon
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In this minisode, Siri explores what heathenry is - how heathens define it, and what it looks like in belief and practice.
Books mentioned:
"A Practical Heathen's Guide to Asatru" by Patricia Lafayllve
"The Way of Fire and Ice" by Ryan Smith
Support the podcast on Patreon!
Read a transcript of this episode here
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/heathens-journey/support
While being incarcerated for her struggles with drug addiction, Awyn Dawn began to actively look for her spiritual side - and she found it in Paganism.By developing a profound relationship with the gods, Awyn gained greater clarity and a deep sense of peace. You can too with help from this empowering guide to starting and strengthening your spiritual practice. Her book comes out in December and is available for pre-order now.
Support the podcast on Patreon
Register for Creative Grimoiring on December 5: https://www.northernlightswitch.com/creative-grimoiring-december-5
Book your Year Ahead Reading: https://northernlightswitch.as.me/
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/heathens-journey/support
Lex Ritchie is a tarot reader and folk magician weaving spells for liberation, living in the Great Black Swamp. They believe individual liberation and enchantment create collective liberation and enchantment. Lex helps witches connect to their power, agency and magic so they can make magic that makes change. In this conversation, Siri and Lex talk about ancestor work - including some ways for those who are new to ancestor work to get started.
Lex's Website: thelexritchie.com
Instagram + Twitter: @TheLexRitchie
More on the Viking calendar: https://www.vikingsofbjornstad.com/Viking_Calendar.shtm
How to Host a Dumb Supper
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Wouldst thou like to live deliciously? Explore what joy and happiness mean in this episode. This is a solo episode in which Siri dives deep into the meaning of the Wunjo rune.
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I am so thrilled to finally be able to release this episode into the world! Eric Purdue has been working tirelessly on a new translation of the Three Books of Occult Philosophy - the first new translation in over 300 years. This edition corrects many, many mistakes and mistranslations, and will hopefully make this behemoth of a classic more approachable for the modern occultist. Purdue has studied metaphysics and the occult and has practiced magic and astrology for more than thirty years, with a particular focus on practical folk and astrological magic. Through his lectures and writings on traditional astrology and talismanic magic, he has been a notable voice on the subjects of medieval astrology, traditional magical systems, and the legacy of Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa.
Preorder your copy at the Northern Lights Apothecary
Support the podcast! Become a patron on Patreon: patreon.com/northernlightswitch
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After an unintended hiatus, we are back with season 2 of the Heathen's Journey Podcast. This week, we're talking about Gyfu, Mutual Aid, and Creating Reciprocal communities and what that means in 2021.
Gyfu is one of my favorite runes, and I hope you enjoy it.
Support me on Patreon
Visit the Apothecary
Sources:
"The Runes: A Deeper Journey" by Kari Tauring
Interview with Sara Axtell (episode 19)
"Wild Soul Runes" by Laura Veleda Vesta
"Taking Up the Runes" by Diana Paxson
Norwegian Language Primstav Facebook page
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/heathens-journey/support
Hot Queer Summer continues with Fire Lyte!
Siri and Fire got a little ... enthusiastic in this episode. It is a huge topic in Fire's book, "The Dabbler's Guide to Witchcraft." Fire refers to this book jokingly as "the anti-beginner's book" specifically because he takes a scientific, experimental approach. In this episode, Fire and Siri discuss atheistic witchcraft, threading the needle between a beginner and advanced witchcraft book, discernment, how to tell you're not in joining a cult, and so much more. Fire Lyte is the host of the Inciting A Riot podcast, and has been creating pagan content for over a decade.
You can listen to Inciting A Riot wherever you get your podcasts.
Sponsors:
Support the Podcast by becoming a Patron on Patreon
Shop the Northern Lights Apothecary
Shop Needfire Wellness + Apothecary
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/heathens-journey/support
We continue our journey through the elder futhark with Kenaz. This is a rune of fire, truth, and in some ways - balance. Listen to the podcast episode to learn more about this rune, and to hear how it plays with other runes.
Transcription: https://www.northernlightswitch.com/blog/heathens-journey-podcast-ep-21
Northern Lights Apothecary
Needfire Apothecary
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Welcome to the extra special bonus episode of the Heathen's Journey Podcast! I had friend of the pod Minta Karlsson back to discuss Midsommar traditions in Sweden, Norway, and Finland. Hopefully this will serve as an inspiration as you are preparing your own Midsommar celebrations. We ramble into a lot of different topics, including folk magic practices, and even get into astrology for a while.
I hope you enjoy, and have a great Midsommar!
Radical Runes Course - Starts Mon July 5th Needfire Wellness - Midsommar Vatten kits (affiliate link) Needfire Wellness and Apothecary (affiliate link)
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/heathens-journey/support
Lara Veleda Vesta, MFA, is an artist, author, storyteller and educator transforming chronic illness into a path of healing and reclaiming. She is the illustrator of The Moon Divas Oracle Cards, author of The Moon Divas Guidebook, and the newly released Wild Soul Runes: Reawakening the Ancestral Feminine. Her research interests include ancestral connection, mythtelling and disability as initiation, and she is currently creating an illustrated guide to death transitions. Her path of myth, folk magic, ancestor lore and ritual practice is shared through classes at the Wild Soul School.
Check out the giveaway of Wild Soul Runes over on Instagram!
Newsletter for Apothecary Updates
Patreon.com/northernlightswitch
Sign up for Radical Runes
Affiliate Link for Needfire Wellness (use code heathenjourneypodden for 10% off)
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/heathens-journey/support
In this episode of the podcast, Siri is joined by Sara Axtell, a local leader in the heathen community in Minnesota. The conversation is wide-reaching and deep, and all centered around the idea of getting to know our natural, ancestral rhythms. This allows American heathens to unsettle themselves, and start to make reparations for the wrongs of our ancestors. This work is in part guided by learning the Primstav, a Norwegian calendar stick that kept time for our ancestors and holds a lot of local folklore for us to discover.
To learn more about the Primstav, here are some resources:
Primstav Study Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2354134371472956
Healing Roots: https://healingrootscommunity.com/
Gullveig's Hearth: https://www.facebook.com/Gullveigs-Hearth-106320354684263
Primstav learning resources:
Norwegian language primstav page: https://www.facebook.com/Primstav-1386373814920152
Marking Time: The primstav murals of Sigmund Aarseth by Kathleen Stokker
The Nordic Animist Year by Rune Hjarnø Rasmussen
Primstav Explanations by Alfred Miller
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Creating in Wyrd Times: Pay it forward ($250); Standard Price ($197)
Radical Runes ONLINE via Catland Books
Podcast Affiliate: Needfire Wellness and Apothecary
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/heathens-journey/support
We continue our exploration of the runes with Raidho. Siri talks about the role of travel and chariots in Old Norse thinking, as well as the different soul parts that make up a pre-Christian Nordic concept of self. The Fylgja, or guide, is deeply connected with the Raidho rune. They are a part of the Nordic soul, and are often thought of as an ancestor, and can often take the shape of an animal. Raidho invites us to move forward in both our mundane and spiritual lives. Let's explore our personal gnosis together, and get to know our motivations better with Raidho.
Transcript: https://www.northernlightswitch.com/2021/04/28/episode-18-meeting-our-soul-guides-and-moving-forward-with-raidho/
Creating in Wyrd Times: http://cassandra-snow.com/tarot-class-registration
Needfire Wellness (promo code heathenjourneypodden): https://www.needfirewellness.com/
Swamp Witch Stephanie (promo code heathen): https://swampwitchstephanie.com/
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/heathens-journey/support
Matthew Venus is a Folk Magician, Artist, Writer, and Witch based in Salem, Massachusetts. He is the owner and lead apothecary of SpiritusArcanum.com. In this conversation, we talk a lot about spirits, working with spirit familiars, and the spirits of plants. Venus has thirty years of experience with witchcraft and folk magic, and is a veritable wealth of historic knowledge. I hope you enjoy this episode! Like, subscribe, and review <3
Sponsors:
Swamp Witch Stephanie
Needfire Wellness
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/heathens-journey/support
In this interview, I'm speaking with Lindy-Fay Hella of Wardruna and Johanna Elf of Cult Botanic. These two fantastic artists are collaborating on a new intention oil. Join us as we explore scent, memory, and Nordic herbcraft. I had such a lovely time speaking with these two about their deep relationships with the sensual and the magical, and I know you'll love it too.
Check out Cult Botanic
Check out Lindy-Fay's website here. Listen to her on the new Wardruna album here.
Book a tarot or rune reading with me: northernlightswitch.com/shop
Sponsors:
anchor.fm
Swamp Witch Stephanie
Needfire Wellness + Apothecary
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/heathens-journey/support
We're back to studying the runes in depth! In this episode, Siri talks about Ansuz and communication. They also discuss Odin at length - as it's nearly impossible to study the runes without also studying Odin.
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/heathens-journey/support
You may know Marcus McCoy's work already - he runs the Trollcunning Forge, a blacksmithing studio dedicated to crafting beautiful occult wares. There are a lot of misconceptions about alchemy, including the idea that it was all metaphorical. It's not! In this episode, we go deep on magical practice, the blurry lines between folk and ceremonial magic, and the art of the forge.
Books and teachers for further research:
Robert Bartlett
The Forge and the Crucible: the Origins and Structures of Alchemy by Mircea Eliade
Ars Filtron by Daniel Schulke
Rituals and Remedies by Kathleen Stokker
Link to join my mailing list: https://bit.ly/2KDHZsK
Support the podcast: patreon.com/northernlightswitch
Find me on social:
Instagram: @northern.lights.witch
Twitter: @northlightwitch
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Did you know there's no future tense in Old Norse? It's a huge part of why I (Siri) don't use the runes for predictive reading or fortune telling. My approach has shifted a lot since going deep in my relationships with the runes, and now I'm primarily using tarot for year-ahead readings. I like to take a very practical approach, using divination to help me understand what the best actions to take are.
I hope you are staying safe and healthy.
Book a year-ahead reading with me: https://northernlightswitch.as.me/
Join my Patreon: patreon.com/northernlightswitch
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/heathens-journey/support
Did you know that there are technically two full months of Jul in Norse tradition? There is so much to celebrate! In this episode, Kari and Siri talk about the different winter traditions, keeping time in an old Norse way, and the tension between joy and grief that accompanies this time of year.
If you're interested in learning more about these traditions, join us for Jul Fest at Needfire Wellness! This is a series of zoom classes all about Jul. Learn more here: http://www.needfirewellness.com/jul-fest
You can book a year ahead reading at my Acuity Scheduling page here.
Click here to learn more about Folk Songs of Another America
And here is the Frugal Gourmet, to learn some ancestral recipes
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Siri sits down with Cassandra Snow for a chat about what it means to queer your witchcraft. Cassandra is a queer tarot reader, writer, and witch who recently released "Queering Your Craft: Witchcraft from the Margins." In this episode, Siri and Cassandra talk a lot about how their personal witchcraft styles developed, how queer people can harness magic for themselves, and so much more.
To follow Cassandra on social media:
Instagram: @tarotcassandra
Twitter: @tarot_cassandra
Patreon: patreon.com/cassandrasnow
To support this podcast:
patreon.com/northernlightswitch
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/heathens-journey/support
This episode covers the necessity for secrecy in witchcraft, some examples of why you might want to keep your magic a secret. This episode also covers some psychic protection basics, as well as instructions on warding your home from negative entities or energies.
Further Reading:
“The Witch’s Shield” by Christopher Penczak
“Psychic Self-Defense” by Dion Fortune
Sponsors:
anchor.fm
Needfire Wellness + Apothecary
Swamp Witch Stephanie
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/heathens-journey/support
The Heathen's Journey Podcast is back from unintended hiatus! In this episode, Siri talks about pagan timekeeping practices and holidays. You might have noticed that this is the spookiest time of year, and many witches celebrate accordingly. Siri talks about Samhain, the Norwegian Primstav as a living relic of folklore, and Alfablot. So grab a cup of your favorite tea, coffee, or ale, and have a seat by the fire.
Sponsors and links:
Witchcraft Immersion: https://www.northernlightswitch.com/witchcraft-immersion/
Witchcraft Immersion Scholarship Fund: https://www.gofundme.com/f/witchcraft-immersion-fundraiser
Witchcraft Immersion Scholarship Application: https://forms.gle/AmqHdAH9zdADaCZV7
Take 10% off your purchases at Needfire Wellness with offer code HeathenJourneyPodden: needfirewellness.com
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Trolldom, the folk magic of Sweden, Norway, and Denmark, has been practiced for more than 500 years. Johannes Gårdbäck is a respected healer, teacher, and spiritual worker of Swedish folk-magic. He is the author of "Trolldom: Spells and Methods of the Norse Folk Magic Tradition." In this episode, he and Siri discuss different kinds of troll formulas, taking Tydor/reading the signs, and empowering yourself from within to create magic.
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Join the Troll Club here: needfirewellness.com
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The Radical Runes Course admissions close on Monday, September 14th at 5pm CST! This is the course I wish I'd had when I first started learning the runes. Radical Runes is a 12-week transformative journey through the Runes. This course is unlike any other runes course in that it is grounded in queer, leftist theory and practice. Register today! https://www.northernlightswitch.com/product/radical-runes-course/
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Hello I go by Siri now! Please use they/them pronouns to refer to me.
In this episode, I come out of the gender closet, and relate that back to Uruz. I also talk about the rune Thurisaz, an intense one that many people struggle to work with. This is the introduction of aggression into the futhark, but it is also one of the most powerful runes we can use for self protection.
Resources:
Blog post on Radical Runes: https://www.northernlightswitch.com/2020/08/26/radical-runes-the-class-i-wish-id-had/
Sign up for Radical Runes: https://www.northernlightswitch.com/product/radical-runes-course/
Join the Troll Club: https://www.needfirewellness.com/troll-club
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/heathens-journey/support
I interview Minta Karlsson about Trolldom and Needfire Wellness. In this interview, we talk about methods of folk magic, how to get started, as well as dealing with our complex understandings of our own ancestors as settler colonialists. We talk about how the privilege of traveling to our ancestral homelands has opened our eyes to what we’re missing in America, and how to try to make that more accessible to people who still live in America.
I am also happy to announce that the Radical Runes course is live! This is a 12-week rune intensive starting on September 15, 2020. You can learn more and register here: https://www.northernlightswitch.com/product/radical-runes-course/
If you want to treat yourself to some magical goodies, head on over to needfirewellness.com and use offer code HeathenJourneyPodden for 10% off your purchase.
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/heathens-journey/support
Let's dive deep into the rune Uruz, its different meanings, and how we can gain strength from and persistence. In this episode, I talk about Audhumla, the Norse creation myths, and the meeting of fire and ice.
Bonus: If you want to learn runes with me, I've got a class coming up on August 18th, 2020! Intro To Runes will give you a quick overview of the full futhark, the history of the runes, and other important info. You can sign up here: https://thefuturempls.com/collections/events/products/august-18-intro-to-runes-online
References:
The Poetic Edda (translated by Carolyne Larrington). Oxford University Press. 1996.
The Prose Edda. (edited by Anthony Faulkes).
Aswynn, Freyja. Northern Mysteries and Magick: Runes and Feminine Powers. Llewellyn Worldwide, 1998.
Murphey, Bradley. Othil: Norse Ancestral Traditions. Thrymheim Publishing. 2006.
Paxson, Diana. Taking Up The Runes: A Complete Guide to Using Runes in Spells, Rituals, Divination, and Magic. Weiser Books, 2005.
Plouff, Abbie. Heathen’s Journey Column on Little Red Tarot. First published in 2017.
Rhys-Mountfort, Paul. Nordic Runes. Versa Press, 2003.
Tauring, Kari. The Runes: A Deeper Journey. Self published, © 2007
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/heathens-journey/support
And now for something a little different! In this episode, I interview author and friend Kelden about his new book "The Crooked Path: An Introduction to Traditional Witchcraft." We talk a lot about familiar spirits, traveling to the Pagan Otherworlds, and the distinction between Traditional Witchcraft and other paths. I know that this podcast is focused primarily on Heathenry, but Traditional Witchcraft is another practice that is dear to my heart and can teach us a lot about our folk paths.
Recommended reading:
The Crooked Path: An Introduction to Traditional Witchcraft
Sponsors:
Needfire Wellness + Apothecary (use code HeathenJourneyPodden for 10% off!)
Anchor.fm
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/heathens-journey/support
In this episode, I begin our journey through the Elder Futhark with Fehu. This is the first rune we encounter, and traditionally means wealth, property, or cattle. But what does wealth mean to the radical heathen? How can we know where to start with wealth when we have complicated feelings about it? Abbie dives into the many layered meanings behind the Fehu rune, and looks at it from an anticapitalist perspective. We talk about generosity, reciprocal communities, and making sure our needs are met before we go off on our own journeys.
Links:
northernlightswitch.com
patreon.com/northernlightswitch
Follow me:
Instagram: @northern.lights.witch
Twitter: @northlightwitch
Sources:
The Poetic Edda (translated by Carolyne Larrington). Oxford University Press. 1996.
Aswynn, Freyja. Northern Mysteries and Magick: Runes and Feminine Powers. Llewellyn Worldwide, 1998.
Murphey, Bradley. Othil: Norse Ancestral Traditions. Thrymheim Publishing. 2006.
Paxson, Diana. Taking Up The Runes: A Complete Guide to Using Runes in Spells, Rituals, Divination, and Magic. Weiser Books, 2005.
Plouff, Abbie. Heathen’s Journey Column on Little Red Tarot. First published in 2017.
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/heathens-journey/support
In this episode, Abbie interviews teacher Kari Tauring (she/her). Kari is a Nordic folk musician, cultural educator, and spiritual leader, a staff carrier and horn prayer living in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. In this episode, we talk about the concepts of frith, grith, healing oorlog, and what it looks like to be a professional Volva. For more info about Kari, visit her website (karitauring.com). To take one of her online classes, please visit the Needfire Academy (https://needfire-wellness.teachable.com/) for more information. Skol!
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/heathens-journey/support
**This week, I’m going to be talking about the history of white supremacist and Nazi appropriation of Germanic and Nordic symbols. This is at the heart of my work, and is a big part of the reason I write about the Norse path. I think it is a deep responsibility that we have as white people to understand our cultural lineage, and how we got to this place.
Resources:**
Shannon Weber, “White Supremacy’s Old Gods: The Far Right and Neopaganism,” at Political Research Associates. February 1 2018 (https://www.politicalresearch.org/2018/02/01/white-supremacys-old-gods-the-far-right-and-neopaganism)
Sarah Emily Bond, “Hold My Mead: A Bibliography for Historians Hitting Back At White Supremacy.” History From Below. September 10, 2017. (https://sarahemilybond.com/2017/09/10/hold-my-mead-a-bibliography-for-historians-hitting-back-at-white-supremacy/)
Shane Burley, “Rainbow Heathenry: Is a Left-Wing, Multicultural Asatru Possible?” at Gods and Radicals. April 6 2016. (https://godsandradicals.org/2016/04/06/rainbow-heathenry-is-a-left-wing-multicultural-asatru-possible/)
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/heathens-journey/support
In this first episode of the Heathen's Journey podcast, I talk about my own experiences as a modern heathen. I also talk a little bit about why I refer to myself as a traditional witch (hint: it's because I'm obsessed with folklore!). In our first journey, I take us through the nine realms of Yggdrasil, beginning to get us acquainted with the Norse cosmology.
Support this Podcast on Patreon:
patreon.com/northernlightswitch
Sources for this Episode:“The Prose Edda” by Snorri Sturluson
“A Practical Heathen’s Guide to Asatru” by Patricia M. Lafaylllve
“Taking Up the Runes” by Diana Paxson
“Beings of Yggdrasil” by Jordain Cheng-Kinnander
Sponsor:anchor.fm
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/heathens-journey/support
Welcome to the Heathen’s Journey Podcast! Listen and learn more about the pod, then subscribe.
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/heathens-journey/support