The Norse Shaman: Ancient Spiritual Practices of the Northern Tradition

Description

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 seidr 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 utiseta for reconnecting with the powers of nature. She explains the key concepts of Orloeg 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 Odinn. Thoroughly examining the shamanic rituals of seidr, the oracular magic of the Nordic cultures, the author provides step-by-step instructions to prepare for and conduct a seidr ceremony, including creating your own seidr staff and hood, and explores the ancestral use of shamanic songs or vardlokur 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.

Evelyn C. Rysdyk is an internationally recognized shamanic healer, teacher, speaker, and author of Spirit Walking: A Course in Shamanic Power, Modern Shamanic Living, and A Spirit Walker's Guide to Shamanic Tools. She is a founding member of the Society for Shamanic Practitioners and a presenter for international events such as the Shamanism Global Summit and the Year of Ceremony. She enjoys living and working on the coast of Maine.

" . . . brilliantly 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, M.A., 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 seidr 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 * "Wise woman Rysdyk opens the mysterious portals to the ancient ancestral female shamanic traditions of Scandinavia and invites us to connect with the spiritual power found therein. She is a knowledgeable, trustworthy, and generous guide." * Mama Donna Henes, urban shaman and author of Celestially Auspicious Occasions: Seasons, Cycles, and * "The Norse Shaman skillfully weaves scholarly insight with an abundance of guided, hands-on experience. In an exceptionally clear and thorough voice, Evelyn Rysdyk inspires us to make the earth-honoring wisdom of the far north--and the magic of the distant past--come alive in our hearts, and in our world, today." * Llyn Roberts, coauthor of Speaking with Nature, recipient of the Nautilus Book Awards Gold Medal * "Evelyn Rysdyk uses her shaman's discerning heart and wide-ranging intelligence to unearth precious, hard-won wisdom from our northernmost European ancestors, integrating it with the latest findings in anthropology, genetics, and the unsettling lessons of quantum physics to offer us exciting new ways to understand our humanity and place in the Universe. This is a book to change your life. Do the exercises and you'll never feel alone and helpless again." * Ellen Winner, author of World Shaman and Thoughts in the Mind of God * "This book is a gem! Part historical review, part instruction manual, the author stokes the fires of her Norse heritage to warm the hearts and kindle the minds of her readers. Evelyn Rysdyk is a triple threat--a brilliant illustrator, a renowned shamanic healer and teacher, and a gifted writer at the height of her craft. A very satisfying read. Highly recommended." * Paul Bowersox coauthor of Seeing in the Dark * "I love how this work blends the wisdom we find in mythology with the insights that modern technology, science, and new physics has given us. Evelyn is a shaman who embodies the knowledge and practice of Norse shamanism through ancestry, calling, profession, and daily life." * Colleen Deatsman, shamanic practitioner, author of The Hollow Bone, and coauthor of Seeing in the Da * "Evelyn Rysdyk has written a very important book. For anyone longing to deepen their personal transformation, enhance their shamanic practice, help our modern society restore balance and harmony with nature and its inhabitants, and bring back the sacred feminine in all aspects of their lives, I recommend this book as an integral part of their toolbox." * Claude Poncelet, Ph.D., author of The Shaman Within * "This fascinating book weaves together the history and evolution of shamanism in northern Europe with the impact of climate change and human migration at least 12,000 years ago. Rysdyk has generously illustrated aspects of shamanic life with her original pen and ink drawings. Materials and instructions for journeying are offered throughout the book. It is an essential read for anyone interested in shamanic traditions." * Jennifer Barker, author of The Goddess Within and Persephone Woman *