The Norse Shaman

Ancient Spiritual Practices of the Northern Tradition

By: Evelyn C. Rysdyk

Narrated by: Evelyn C. Rysdyk

Length: 5 hrs and 59 mins

Publisher's Summary

An experiential guide to the wisdom preserved in Europe’s Far North.

• Includes shamanic journeys to connect with deities and your ancestral shamans
• Provides step-by-step instructions to prepare for and conduct a seiðr ceremony
• Draws on archaeological evidence and surviving written records from Iceland
• Reveals the long tradition of female shamans in Northern European shamanism

Shamanism is humanity’s oldest spiritual tradition. In much of the Western world, the indigenous pre-Christian spiritual practices have been lost. Yet at the northern fringes of Europe, Christianity did not displace the original shamanic practices until the end of the Viking age. Remnants of Norse shamanic spirituality have survived in myths, folk traditions, and written records from Iceland, providing many clues about the ancient European shaman’s world, especially when examined in conjunction with other shamanic cultures in Northern Eurasia, such as the Sami and the tribes of Siberia.

Reconstructing the shamanic practices of the hunter-gatherers of Scandinavia, Evelyn Rysdyk explores the evolution of Norse shamanism from its earliest female roots to the pre-Christian Viking Age. She explains how to enter Yggdrasil, the World Tree, to travel to other realms and provides shamanic journeys to connect with the ancestral shamans of your family tree, including the Norse goddess Freyja, the very first shaman. She offers exercises to connect with the ancient goddesses of fate, the Norns, and introduces the overnight wilderness quest of útiseta for reconnecting with the powers of nature. She explains the key concepts of Ørlög and Wyrd - the two most powerful forces that shape human lives - and provides exercises for letting go of harmful behavior patterns and transforming simple knowledge into profound wisdom by connecting with Óðinn.

Thoroughly examining the shamanic rituals of seiðr, the oracular magic of the Nordic cultures, the author provides step-by-step instructions to prepare for and conduct a seiðr ceremony, including creating your own seiðr staff and hood, and explores the ancestral use of shamanic songs or varðlokur to accompany the ceremony. Woven throughout these exercises, Rysdyk provides archaeological evidence from Neolithic sites supporting the long tradition of venerating wise women, grandmothers, and mothers in ancient cultures and the important role of female shamans at the heart of Northern European shamanism. Providing an accessible guide for anyone trying to fulfill their shamanic callings, these powerful rituals can provide personal healing and a clear path for finding our way into a harmonious relationship with the natural world.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2016 Evelyn C. Rysdyk. All Rights Reserved. (P)2020 Inner Traditions Audio. All Rights Reserved.

Critic Reviews

“[B]rilliantly written, very well researched, and filled with fascinating historical stories and a wealth of exercises to help readers fully experience the powerful ancient shamanic practices of the Norse shamans. This book is superb!” (Sandra Ingerman, MA, coauthor of Speaking with Nature and author of Walking in Light: The Everyday) 

“An exceptional, authentic, and wonderfully informative exploration of the ancient ancestry, landscape, and mythology of Northern Europe and Norse shamanism - interspersed with accessible practical exercises reconstructing traditional practices of seiðr for contemporary personal use. One of the best books on this subject I have read. If you are looking for a book on Norse shamanism, this is it.” (June Kent, editor and founder of Indie Shaman magazine) 

“According to Norse mythology, whoever drinks from the Mead of Poetry will gain the abilities of a scholar-poet and be able to solve any riddle or problem presented to them. With this beautifully written and powerfully instructive book, Evelyn Rysdyk has popped the cork on this precious elixir and is offering us a taste of the wisdom to be found in the teachings of northern European shamanism.” (Hillary S. Webb, author of Exploring Shamanism and Traveling Between the Worlds: Conversations with Contemporary Shamans) 

Connected me to my heritage.

As a novice student of Shamanism, it was such a treat to listen to this audio and learn about Norse shamanic tradition. So enjoyed. Thank you for writing!

Brlliant

Evelyn concisely put together this beautiful guide to those who are answering the calling of spirit. Thank you Evelyn Rysdyk!

Nice intro

Deep, rich history that has been broken down for a simple person to understand. Loved the book! Haven’t tried all the journeys, but am eager to explore this take on Norse shamanism.

Good for Beginners

This book would be a good start for beginners. I'm well versed in the subject, but enjoy listening to different perspectives on concepts. I liked the inclusion of how quantum physics proves this is possible. I did not like the repetition of the same steps to prepare for each journey. I also didn't care for what comes across as a leftist agenda in both the introduction and conclusion of the book.

Woke

To woke for me . Europeans are bad to much of there personal views not my cup of tea

Magic

Great book and very informative! I ordered the physical book as well to follow along with and have copies of the journeys!

Power and Important work

This book is a refreshing and grounded guide to anyone on the path to connect and get real with Indigenous European practices and how to bring them to life in real ways through ceremony and sacred journeying . This has been the guide I’ve been seeking to help me connect to the core of my shamanic self and to continue developing my practice in the shamanic arts. Thank you Evelyn your work means so much to me !

woke crap

couldn't get past the first few minutes talking about how ashamed they were of their ancestors... trash

Good information

I think this book is a good starter book if you want to get into Norris shaman