Seidr The Hidden Way

The time for me to share a lesser known spiritual life path, has made itself available for me to properly explain the combination and distance away from other similar life paths around the earth. But before we begin, you need to get an insight into the 9 noble virtues or guidelines the Vikings lived by.

The 9 Noble Virtues:
• Courage - the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc., without fear; bravery.
 • Truth - the state or character of being true.
 • Honour - honesty, fairness, or integrity in one's beliefs and actions: a man of honor. a source of credit or distinction: to be an honor to one's family. high respect, as for worth, merit, or rank: to be held in honor. such respect manifested: a memorial in honor of the dead.
 • Fidelity - strict observance of promises, duties, etc.: a servant's fidelity. Loyalty: fidelity to one's country.
• Discipline - the rigor or training effect of experience, adversity. behaviour in accord with rules of conduct; behavior and order maintained by training and control
 • Hospitality - the friendly reception and treatment of guests or strangers. The quality or disposition of receiving and treating guests and strangers in a warm, friendly, generous way.
 • Industriousness - working energetically and devotedly; hard-working; diligent • Self – Reliance - reliance on oneself or one's own powers, resources.
 • Perseverance - steady persistence in a course of action, a purpose, a state, etc., especially in spite of difficulties, obstacles, or discouragement.

 These are meant as simple guidelines on how you can live your life in the most honourable way. By following the wisdom of these words, but think a bit what does these words really mean to you? Before you embark on this new journey, into new grounds of mysteries.

What is a Seid/Seidr?

By now you might be curious and have repeated the title a few times already. Now then I’ll stop the chattering and get on with the actual explanation; In Norse times was Seid, a type of magic. Majority being women and men, who took up the role of Seid, was frowned upon by society. And were accused of “ergi = unmanly” which would mean in modern translation one who is homosexual. Seidr does have many similarities with shamanism.

The Seidwoman was called “volve = the one who carries the staff” Her main tool would be a staff. Seid had the form of a séance were the volve would put herself in the state of a trance. With the help from a certain song performed by her helpers, in this state of mind the seidwomans and seidmans soul. Was freed from their physical bodies, in this state they were capable of causing other people harm other times it could divination or seeing into the future. One example would be to see if the harvest would go well or turn poor.

This would be the classical description of Seid, now for those of you familiar or acquainted with modern views. And attempts of renewing old religions that have been gathered under the umbrella term “Pagan/Paganism” although popularly known as “Neo Paganism” which had its early re-emergence at the turn of the century.
Some books about Seidr/Seid have been published and are available on http://www.amazon.com/ if you wish for a more traditional approach the Edda’s or The Elder Edda (Pre Christian sagas of old kings and their lineage. Including some religious rites and examples of seid) The Younger Edda (Gathered norse/teutonic lore and mythology. http://omacl.org/Heimskringla/

Can everyone become a Seid/Seidr?

  I’ll be honest with you here No not everyone have the patience and stability needed to become a Seidr. You need to be able to read the history, understand the practical approach, knowing the land you live on. Being able to know the changing of tides, phases of the moon, when and where to gather the proper herbs. Studying out of curiosity will be very fulfilling, but living and practicing it is a whole other level of experience.

Connections with other known pathways:

  Now I will simply list the pathways that I have come across with similar boxes of knowledge and practice.
 • Green Witchcraft
• Hearth Witchery
• Hedge Witch
 • Cottage Witch
• Kitchen Witchcraft
• Native American Shamanism
• Celtic Shamanism
• Druidic Magic
• Grey Witchcraft
• Sea Witch
• Folk Magic
• Faerie/Fairy Magic- Witchcraft
• Storm Witch

Gods & Goddesses of Seid/Seidr:

This little paragraph is for those who would like a more spiritual experience than just reading a dry books how to’s and why’s.
 • Freya – Freyja; Norse Goddess of Love, Poetry and Seidr

o Odin – Wodin – Wotan; Known in Norse lore as the Allfather and a seeker of knowledge. Taught by Freya in Seidr, often teased in the sagas by the other gods for learning an “unmanly art”. But he is also known to have mastered the ways of Seidr.
•Hel – Norse Goddess of the Underworld, also the realm most Seidr will visit as a volve.
Which one is most suited for you?

 

Male Seidr:

Now I did mention above that Seidr was usually females but also that males if they showed early in life the “destined gifts” for becoming a proper Seidr. In Modern day speech this would come within the terms of, Medium – Psychic – Clairvoyance and Seer however within the Teutonic/Germanic tribes, along with some Saxon shamanistic ways. “Galdr = to sing loudly“ Was used as songs of sorcery, songs with magical properties.

Later known as sorcery in general, there are many accounts of Galdr in the Edda’s one “kvad = a form of norse poetry” Where Odin mentions that he knows a whole of 18 Galdr Kvad. They have found so many rune inscriptions of Galdr, that it can be considered as a whole branch within the ways of Seidr. A role which it seemed males were accepted to partake in.