Norse Magic for Beginners

The Essential Guide to Elder Futhark Runes Reading, Norse Divination, Rituals, Spells, and Symbols: Spiritual Paganism Starter Kit, Book 1

By: Frank Bawdoe

Narrated by: David Seager

Length: 3 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's summary

So, you're interested in Norse magic but don't know where to start? There's a big enthralling world, ready for you to explore — keep reading!

In Norse Magic for Beginners, curious listeners like you will be taken on a thrilling and educational ride through Elder Futhark runes reading, Norse divination, rituals, spells, symbols, and more!

In this exciting guide, beginners like you can immerse yourself in stories that shaped both ancient and modern Norse religious practices, including the World Tree, the Nine Realms, and the main gods who continue to be venerated in the practice of Norse magic.

Ready to get started? Here's what you'll get:

• Inject some magic into your life: Deep dive into heathenry, Ásatrú, and other paths of Norse spirituality, as well as establish some of the key philosophical ideas of Norse ideology, including fate, hospitality, and self-reliance
• Indulge in Norse rituals and spells: Learn Norse magical rituals or “blots”, and other practices, such as deity veneration, ancestor veneration, Norse pagan holidays, and spells
• Learn more about Norse symbols, rune magic, and divination: Examine some of the more crucial ancient Norse culture symbols (including Mjölnir - Thor’s hammer, Yggdrasil - the tree of life, as well as the Vegvisir and the Svefnthorn) and take a closer look at Norse runes and the ways they can be used for magical purposes
• Get into the fascinating history of Norse runes and their magical elements: Learn how to incorporate them into your own rituals and spells, how to use them for binding spells, and how to make your own set of runes
• Learn the different methods of divining the future: Channel Norse history and modern magical practices, including the ancient Seidr priestesses that were known for their prophecies, as well as how to practice divination by casting lots and rune casting
• And more!

©2022 Frank Bawdoe (P)2022 Frank Bawdoe

Great Norse Paganism Introduction

Norse magic for beginners

By Frank Bawdow

Disclaimer :

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

The narrator speaks strangely with emphasis on vowels where it is unnecessary.

History and overview
What is known and not known due to Christianity stamping it out.

Sypnopsis of Norse religious comeback

Next 3 chapters discuss Norse magical tradition asatru, 9 noble virtues , fryf , wyrd,
Magical rituals called blots, ancestor veneration,

The author went into great detail to describe that the authored versions of this oral tradition were written by outsiders namely christian monks and traders from Islamic nations. The author went on to point out that the Christian’s recording the worship of the Norse gods were not without prejudice even if they did share the same common ancestor but went even further to state that their written recordings were probably accurate which I thought was a strange comment to make.

The author spoke about an interesting ritual in Chico the earth is cut out and held up and used as a transformative experience, walking under the earth.
This ritual piqued my interest as it has similar aspects and influence as many Native American, African and other indigenous rituals regarding transformation.

The author goes into some detail about how “heathenry” is practiced and it differences of practice of revivalism and reconstructionism. This seems to be more of an theoretical armchair view to this occult practice versus giving a practical lived in view of experience which is another perspective I found strange.

The author describes Volkanism which is a direct creation of nazi white suppremacist beliefs.

The author finally leaves the theoretical in the magic chapter and discusses the freedom of this path in choosing your own patron deity rather than having a deity be forced upon you in order to gain their wisdom blessings and companionship. The author utilizes Christianity as an example of not being able to choose your god but in Norse “heathenism” you get to choose.

They go into galdur and trolldom after describing the moral plane of norsedom.
Galdur: is using words for spellwork
Staves: galdrastufur: is relatable to using sigils or a stave magic. This practice was influenced by judeo Christian magic
Seidir: a magic more commonly practiced by women and used for divination typically.
Weather healing abilities astral projection and trance work.
Trolldom: a magic that utilizes local spirits of the land. A folk magic that utilizes chanting to create changes in one’s life such as guilting someone, causing luck, or delay in one’s life Ect. It also involves ancestor work and necromancy.
Gandur: drawing in the void energy before all creation to work your will. The power of junungugat. Using it to call forth supernatural beings such as deities and otherwise.
Spiework: is allowing a spirit to Mount and speak through you which is an exact replica to many African channeling work with their deities. Speaking fate.
Wichieta: spending the night or many nights in nature, to become imbued in the greater power of nature and darkness . This idea is matched in many African and Native American Traditions as well.

Chapter 5
They discuss practicing Norse magic in everyday life .
This chapter discusses cleansing, grounding, shielding and warding.
There is an interesting correlation between what is reported in this practice and hoodoo and voodoo in that graveyards or burial mounds are sacred sites of power and used for ritual.

Celebrations seem to be a big part of what is known about this tradition and the author goes into great lengths to normalize a lot of ritual and connect it to many normal western world celebrations such as graduation, getting a job Ect. And uses thes times of get togethers as times when rituals cen be performed. The author then proceeds to go into discussion about the celebrations on the wheel of the year.

The author proceeds to go into the definitions of some traditional versus non traditional symbols that are beyond the runes in the tradition what they are what they can do and the myth is behind them.

Once the preceding chapter finished discussions about the runes, why and how the letters of the language can be used in magic and what they mean individually and combined is discussed. The author states that they are excited to teach their favorite type of symbol at this point in the book.

The author describes the intricacies of why and how runes are used magically and goes into scholarly sources of this information, discussing the elder, the anglo Saxon and the younger futharks.
The author indicates that the elder futhark is the one that is utilized for Norse magic normally. The author then recommends a website discussing runes further Daniel McCoy Norse mythology for smart people.

The author again references the McCoy website again as a great resource for further research.
The author gives a VERY good memorization example for understanding and remembering the runes utilizing the Gods and splitting it in 3 one third for Freya Attir, which focuses on things of great value to the early Norse people.
Another third for Heimdal Attir which focuses on strength protection elemental forces such as ice the sun Ect,
And the last third for Tyr Attir contains tiewaz and inguaz and focuses on tunes like man horse and societal order.
These thirds are split by one atte ( eight) , and an eight is a group of runes associated with
These are found in the rune poems demystified by McCoy.

The author continues in their definition of runes and discusses that current Norse paganism is HEAVILY influenced by contemporary Christian thought and influenced by many people who were not originally Norse due to the way that the practice was maintained, recorded popularized, and gained via nazi usage and Christian thought .

The author then discusses the activation of runes and this borrows methods from Modern occultism, hoodoo, Wicca and many native practices. They also discuss utilizing seasons and astrological events to empower rune craft for magical means however this is unnecessary in this crafting.

Linear bindeunes agains obstacles vertically or horizontally. Linear stacked bindrunes placed vertically or horizontally . Used to conjure.
And radial runes are placed multiple runes around a central point. And radial bindrunes or staves as they are called protect.

Then the author discusses that bone runes and rune magic is about how the energy meets with your own. This expresses the personal nature of this art.

The author is very adamant about deepening your own relationship with the runes and then discusses the odins rune or the wyrd rune and then discusses how to bless and consecrate your personal runes.
The author discusses rune casting to divination and sets the past chapter of the novel upon that.

Chapter 9
They discuss casting the runes and again this is incredibly similar to many other traditions, they sat to have a white square cloth placed down as a sacred casting space, there is some type of common ancestry regarding this practice because it is utilized by cultures world wide.
They also suggest utilizing 9 runes for casting and the ones closer to the center of the casting area are most important runes to look at for the answer and reverse runes don’t mean reverse meanings but express weaknesses in or on the subject you are asking about. A cautionary, or to be aware how a quality is lacking in energy .

They go into utilizing casting sticks for divination to see what runes show up as a quick omen on a subject.

Overall this first book in the series feels more like an academic paper more than a example of the authors personal practice, it feels like the author is still gathering the information to have a stable occult practice it’s good information but it’s lacking a vitality that can be found on Internet forums.

But even with that said it is a great starter for beginners in the craft as it sets the same stage with factually presented information a newer pagan can refer back to in order to grow their practice.