Category: How-To

Invocations are a common practice in modern Heathen spirituality. Whether one is engaging in a personal act of daily practice or are participating in a large group ritual, invocations of some kind or another will almost certainly happen. This often leaves newer practitioners wondering how to make their own invocations. In this article, I will unpack some of the big fears that you may be facing before then giving an example of from surviving source material that can help you structure your own invocations. Regardless of how you do it, what matters most is for invocations to be a genuinely authentic expression of you or your community’s understanding of their relationship with the Power being invoked.

Easily the biggest dilemma facing newer practitioners is the looming question: am I doing this right? Having such doubts is perfectly understandable, thanks to the nature of this movement’s emergence. Modern Nordic Paganism is, at its core, a new religious movement that draws its inspiration from ancient spirituality which was subjected to an extended process of violent suppression beginning over a thousand years ago. Very little, if any, material describing the how & the why of pre-Christian Norse spiritual practices survives to the present day. Surviving descriptions of rituals produced during this period were largely written by outside observers, such as the missionary Lebuin, Adam of Bremen, and Ibn Fadlan. None of these men possessed the kind of lived understanding of the spiritualities of Early Medieval Scandinavia that would have likely been taken for granted by the people participating in the rituals they describe.

These conditions aren’t helped by how modern society offers a very clear, specific, and often highly Christian-dominated understanding of how religion and spirituality are supposed to behave. One consequence of this is the idea that for any religious act to work, it must be done according to a specific format laid down over generations of practice. Information on these different practices is clearly defined, documented, and disseminated by institutions with considerable wealth at their backs. This emphasis on correctness, rightness, and adherence to existing forms permeates into how many people in Christian-dominated parts of the world understand the way that religion and spirituality are supposed to work. Anything that doesn’t “fit” within this framework tends to be dismissed as illegitimate, fringe, or fraud.

Unlearning these assumptions is, therefore, a critical part of both thinking about how to write invocations and for addressing broader questions in your spiritual practice. The expectations held by the overculture for how religion and spirituality are supposed to work are ones that have been shaped in an environment of unquestioning Christian spiritual hegemony. They are, therefore, a reflection of assumptions regarding the correctness of ritual and praxis which only accurately apply to Christian-derived spiritual practices.

What is especially significant for modern Heathens and Nordic Pagans is how heavily our practices emphasize the importance of right action over right thought and the general acceptance of imperfection. Doing right, rather than being right, is what matters most and the Powers are just as likely to bless a humble, simple offering of thanks as they are to smile on an elaborate ritual feast. Sometimes all you have to give is a moment of breath and that is as appreciated as the lavishness possible in times of plenty. To quote the Havamal:

No great thing needs | a man to give,
Oft little will purchase praise;
With half a loaf | and a half-filled cup
A friend full fast I made.

Havamal 52, Bellows Translation

We also have some idea of what the invocations and prayers of the pre-conversion Nordic peoples may have been like. One of the best surviving potential example can be found in the Poetic Edda:

“Hail, day! | Hail, sons of day!
And night and her daughter now!
Look on us here | with loving eyes,
That waiting we victory win.

“Hail to the gods! | Ye goddesses, hail,
And all the generous earth!
Give to us wisdom | and goodly speech,
And healing hands, life-long.”

Sigrdrifumal 2-3, Bellows Translation

This pair of verses gives a pretty clear idea of how the Nordic peoples may have organized an invocation. Each verse begins by naming the Power being recognized before then proceeding to request some sort of favor or assistance from them. More broadly, the first verse begins with an appeal to what seem to be animistic powers, the children of day and night, while the second is addressed generally to the Aesir and Asynjur, translated by Bellows as Gods & Goddesses. The general nature of the requests in the Sigrdrifumal also give the impression that these verses may have been a more general benediction though this possibility is speculation.

What this suggests for modern practitioners is that you can structure your invocations in a similar fashion. It is totally acceptable to limit your invocations to simple recognition and praise but you can, if you feel it is necessary, request assistance from the Powers you are working with. Whether you choose to do so is, of course, up to you but that this option exists is one to remember. Therefore, invocation is not necessarily an act of supplication. It is a request for interaction, relationship, and building trust between you and the Power you are addressing.

When it comes to composing a Nordic invocation, one tool you may wish to employ are kennings. All of the Powers possess different bynames, titles, and nicknames which reflect different aspects of what they represent. They also make clear to the Power in question that you are familiar with them and are very directly trying to reach them through a specific set of associations. Such kennings can be ones that are found in historical sources, personal kennings, or ones that have developed in your community. You could choose, if you wish, to use one of the skaldic poetic forms for structuring any words you use as part of the invocation as is done in the verses from the Sigrdrifumal. You are also free to use whatever other forms of creative expression you think are best for the Power and moment, such as dancing, specific movements, chanting, and singing.

One example would be if you were writing an invocation to Thor for strength in a coming confrontation. You could choose to invoke Thor as God of Laughter or Friend of Man for inspiring moral courage, the Thunderer if you are seeking more overt ability, or Warder of Midgard if you are expecting to be facing a trial which demands great endurance. How Thor is invoked will matter as much as that he is invoked and including such additional kennings helps guide this mighty Power more carefully. You are also free to change an invocation as your relationship with the Power in question grows and develops.

Ultimately, what matters most with your invocations is that they feel effective, meaningful, and authentic to your understanding of your spiritual practice. They will always vary, with every practitioner adapting or changing invocations to best meet the needs of the moment. You can be as traditional or modern, simple or stylized, as you like with your invocations. How you do invocations will also change as your practice grows and develops. As long as you feel that your invocations are effective for initiating and maintaining relationship with the Powers in question then that is what is most important.

Daily practice is a common routine for many modern Pagans and Heathens of all levels of experience. For many newer practitioners, starting a daily practice is a critical first step in developing their personal spirituality. Experienced practitioners who have never used one or may have lapsed in their daily workings can also benefit greatly from reviving long-dormant exercises. This article will discuss some of the biggest dilemmas related to personal practice, including the constant question of, “am I doing it right”, some tools that are commonly used for daily practice in modern Heathen and Nordic Pagan spirituality, and a few initial answers to the challenges of how to make daily practice fit into your life. Above all else, what matters most in developing daily practice is that it is right and meaningful for you.

One of the most common questions around daily practice is the ever-present, “am I doing this right?” The answer to that isn’t something you can find in a book or online. It comes from whatever it is that you feel is most effective for developing your daily practice. How this looks and works will, by definition, vary from person to person. You may also find that you change different aspects of it, such as which Powers you work with, based on your experiences in life and spiritual practice. Daily practice, like all other aspects of Heathen spirituality, is something that will grow, develop, and change over time. That said, there are certain elements which are commonly used by Norse and Heathen practitioners in their daily practices which may work well for you. These are blót, trance, and divination.

Blót is one of the more common, popular elements to incorporate into daily practice and the reasons for this are straightforward. A personal blót is easy to do on a regular basis and tailor to your preferences. You can do as many or as few rounds as you like, provide what offerings you feel are most significant, and engage with the Powers in a very personal, less filtered way than group or public blóts. Such personal moments of communion are an excellent space to try new approaches and hone existing methods. Blót in daily practice is a space where you can affirm your personal, one on one relationship with the Powers that you honor and work with most frequently.

Trance in daily practice, in contrast to blót, gives a space for more freeform spiritual exploration. Where blót is useful for developing personal relationships with the Powers, trance helps deepen your understanding of working in altered states and opens you to a broader range of experiences. Trance during daily practice is an opportunity to experiment, seek guidance on highly personal questions, and develop greater confidence in your skill with trance work. Incorporating trance into daily practice is also an excellent way to practice your skills in working through altered states of consciousness. Whether you engage in deep uti seta sessions or calming exercises for processing the stresses of daily life, what matters is any trance you use adds to your spiritual experience.

Divination is a popular element in daily practice in many Pagan traditions, including Heathen ones. The reasons why are understandable. Whether divination is used for mystical insights, guidance from the Powers, or personal reflection, divination is a very user-friendly, approachable tool that is easy to incorporate into daily practice. What makes divination in personal practice especially useful is that it is free from the usual constraints of divinatory work. Daily practice divination, unlike many conventional readings, can be an unconstrained space to lay open to whatever the Powers or the Wyrd will show you. For newer Heathens and Nordic Pagans looking for ways to learn the runes, incorporating runic divination into your daily practice divination is an effective way to deepen your experience with them. Daily castings, readings, and contemplation of runes unbounded by specific questions or desires can be a highly useful mechanism for understanding their meanings, potential relationships, and significance.

Incorporating blót, trance, or divination into your daily practice are all useful tools for developing your personal spirituality. Unfortunately, many Heathens and Nordic Pagans often find it challenging to make space for daily practice. Everyone faces some combination of challenges to survival, ranging from family and health to work, school, and keeping a stable home. All of these are, likely, made worse by the, “are you doing this right?” voice whispering criticisms of anything that seems like less than what you “should” be doing for the Powers.

This omnipresent fear presents a significant barrier to personal and spiritual development. Its bones are made from the expectations and demands of daily life, which leave little space for anything not conforming to the ruthless, externally dictated cycles of production which drive society. Throughout this endless slog, the ceaseless drumbeats of productivity, hustle, and grind conspire to silence all other possibilities including those which divert precious labor time away from maximizing someone’s bottom line. Worst of all is the deeply embedded assumption that anything less than perfect is simply not good enough, on and off the job. In this world, claiming any amount of time with any kind of devotional action for your personal practice is an assertion of autonomy against the countless unceasing processes constantly pounding your Selfhood.

When viewed in this light, making space to engage with your spirituality, on your terms and in any form, gives you the time and space to truly appreciate who you are and what matters to you. Just as some of the most renowned of the Nordic Gods, like Odin and Tyr, are defined by their scars and how they got them, the same is true of the unique quirks, personal touches, and on the spot adaptations that come from the burdens of daily life. What the scolding voice of modern anxiety dismisses as imperfection is, in truth, another form of your life finding ways to flourish despite whatever is arrayed against it. Whether your daily practice on any given day is a short five minutes consisting of a whispered prayer and small libation or an extended process incorporating blót, trance, and divination, your level of practice is worthy as long as it brings you meaning, guidance, and solace.

Being in right relationship with the Powers and the world around you is one of the core, guiding principles of Fire & Ice Heathenry. While the concept itself is fairly intuitive, many new practitioners often wonder how you initiate these relationships and what is most important in sustaining them. What is most essential for understanding how this works, in Radical practice, is discussing the blot rite and what it implies for right relationship, how you can incorporate names and kennings into your workings with the Powers, being receptive to their responses, and ensuring equity in any such relationships. I will cover both how these concepts can help you initiate right relationship with Powers of all kinds and some ways to practically utilize them in your personal practice.

In Fire & Ice Heathenry, the core logic of how you build right relationships with the Nordic Powers is informed by the practice of the blot, a rite of sacrifice dedicated to a specific Power. In historic blots, as described in Hakon the Good’s saga, early medieval Nordic peoples ritualistically slaughtered livestock and collected the blood in great bowls that were set aside as offerings for the Gods and sometimes sprinkled on participants as a form of blessing. The general patterns observed in Snorri’s account also appear in Ibn Fadlan’s Risalia and missionary Adam of Bremen’s descriptions of the great Uppsala festival, both of which added human sacrifice, often by strangulation, into the mix. Less bloody examples of similar practices include hoards of broken swords found throughout Central Europe and Scandinavia, which researchers speculate was an offering by the victors to the Gods of war as thanks for their triumph. You could, arguably, even include folk customs of leaving out gifts of milk and honey for local spirits of home and land follows a similar pattern as these other cases. Regardless of the particulars, what is shared is something perceived as having great value was subjected to ritualistic destruction which dedicated the item as an offering to a specific Power.

This pattern of exchange by providing offerings is what forms the basis of both the Fire & Ice version of the blot rite. Blot, viewed from this perspective, always include act act of providing gifts as sacrifice to specific Powers. This gifting is part of what builds a relationship between the individual practitioner and the Power in question, whether that Power is a departed relative or one of the Aesir. The word gifting is especially important here, as gift-giving in pre-conversion Scandinavia was part of a broader system of exchange between people and Powers which is often described in some parts as a gifting economy. In this framework, offerings given to the Powers are not simply one-way acts of supplication but are part of a broader relationship of gifting between practitioner and Power making such acts during blot and dedication part of what builds lasting bonds. Value becomes much more subjective, being based on necessity or significance to the practitioner and Power instead of any monetary or commercially-dictated conceptions of value.

How you do this will, of course, vary. For modern practitioners, blot offerings tend much more towards the milk and honey end of the spectrum with prepared food, alcohol, and fresh fruit and flowers being popular offerings in the present day. Regardless of the specifics, what you use in your dedications should be guided by both what you consider as having value both for you and the Power you are sacrificing it to and by what you can practically do in your living situation. I’ve personally provided offerings through pouring material onto the earth or water, tossing onto open flame, ritualistic breaking, and leaving out to evaporate or decay over time. What matters is that the method you are using effectively destroys or consumes the offering in a way that makes it unusable by you.

Though providing offerings is an important element to right relationship, they are not the only things to consider. It can, if you prefer or are pressed for time and space, be as simple as providing the offering while saying a few words but this does not mean building relationship only consist of sacrifices. This is, in part, because the sheer multitude of Powers that exist in Nordic-inspired practice which means simply giving offerings with only minimal or even no clear direction will do little for affirming a clear relationship. It is here that names and kennings become a very useful element to incorporate into your rituals, offerings, and acts of right relationships.

In Nordic lore every being has both the names they are known by and a whole host of titles, bynames, and kennings they have acquired through their actions or that have been bestowed by modern practitioners. These additional names represent different facets of their personalities, actions in the world, and how modern practitioners understand these Powers. Some of these Powers, such as the more well-known Gods, have many names which each have their own significance and associations while others names, such as local vaettir, may be unknown and require significant work to learn. In some cases these names carry the implication that they themselves are not the true name of the Power in question but are a kenning themselves, as shown by how the names Freyr, Freya, and Tyr all translate as, “Lord”, “Lady”, and “God”.

These names help establish a connection with a particular known Power by clearly signalling to them that you are reaching out very specifically to them. Using multiple names reinforces this by calling out to that Power on multiple different levels at the same time. Incorporating multiple names into a greeting, invocation, or ritual can also provide you with material for chants, poems, and songs all depending on what it is you are seeking to do. Song and poetry, particularly in the traditional saga forms like ljodhattar and fornyrdislag, can be especially empowering for you both because of the mystical significance attached to these art forms in the lore, are a helpful tool for reaching altered states, and give you space to personalize how you interact with the Powers while also providing some handy tools for developing the specifics. Even if you don’t have the specific names, such as for those of a local vaettir, you can still use kennings such as descriptions of natural features or specific places they are associated with to achieve the same effect.

Once you have reached out to the Power through their names and provided your offerings it is time to wait and listen to what they have to say. How you do this can vary greatly depending both on what Power you are interacting with but generally speaking there are two methods I’ve found to be fairly reliable which are using the ecstatic state and sitting in silence. Entering an ecstatic trance state to directly commune with the Power and open your perceptions to different forms of information. You could, if you so choose, even incorporate some seidr techniques like Uti Seta to better reach them. The second, sitting in silence, instead urges you to remain in an alert, observant state so you can better take in the world around you. This method can be especially helpful when working with the vaettir thanks to their close associations with specific places.

Whatever you learn from listening to the Powers will help guide you in creating such right relationship though you are not required or obligated to act on anything you feel puts yourself or others in danger. Your autonomy is always paramount in any interactions with the Powers and if a Power is asking or demanding something that you do not feel comfortable or safe doing then it is always ok to assert your boundaries by refusing to do so. Ensuring such equity and safety during practice is just as essential to right relationship as all other aspects of this process. To put it simply, you cannot be in right relationship with a Power if that Power is making you feel unsafe. This also applies in reverse, particularly in places with histories of violence against indigenous inhabitants, local communities, or the environment which can inflict lasting harm on the Powers associated with such places. If a local Power expresses a desire to not work with you or demands weregild as a necessary precondition for initiating any relationship, you should honor that request and work with them as best as possible to fulfill such requests.

In summary, starting right relationship is a process that is rooted heavily in the deeper logic of Heathen lore which is consistently and deeply founded on reciprocity, equity, and consent. In a world where trauma, particularly of the spiritual sort, is all too common and institutional abuse of power runs rampant building your relationships on these principles puts you in a much better position to fully develop your spirituality in terms that are healthy and sustainable. It is also a process that you can initiate on your own, based on your best understanding of the Powers and your environment. Whatever works best for you is what matters most in all aspects of Fire & Ice practice and initiating right relationship is no different. Building your relationships with the Powers on these terms is healthy both for you, the Power you are working with, and your interactions with the broader world around you.