When you mentioned mistletoe I was yelling Balder at my screen :D thought I was in a Norse trivia competition for some reason. Really interesting video, I'm Buddhist but I've always been interested in Paganism/Heathenry so this was neat!
I am also German and for me, during my 20 years of magical practice, the sun was always female, the moon male, as you say, it is already in our language, I have never been able to understand the other way round in our region. The reference to moon - female, sun - male comes from the greeks and romans simply because the world of the gods is different there due to different climatic conditions and was simply adopted (in my experience quite unreflectedly) in the witch community. As you say, in the north the sun as life-giver and therefore female simply makes much more sense to me. Yes, moon cycle and menstrual cycle, but honestly, I don't know a single woman who has a 29.53 day cycle, so it shifts over time anyway and stays in sync for very few, if any.
So much agreed! Sadly in the beginning when I started practicing as a Wiccan I just accepted everything I read as fact and didn’t question it it even made sense in my cultural context 😅 well, some people take longer to unlearn things 🤣
Your explanation of why you reversed the usual moon=female/sun=male system now has me wondering if ancient spiritual beliefs shaped the developing grammar, the grammar shaped the spiritual beliefs, or if there was a symbiotic development of the two roughly in step with each other. (Languages are so much fun...!)
With Baldr and the mistletoe I recently read a story that after Baldr's death, when everyone was weeping, the tears of his mother Frigg became the white berries on a mistle - and after Baldr was able to return from death (so everyone, even stones and metals, did as Hel wished), Frigg was so happy to see her son again, that she kissed everyone under the mistletoe. (but I think, the more common story goes like "everyone SHOULD weep, but Loki just took the shape of a giant lady and refused to ... so Baldr wasn't allowed to came back")
I have leaned on breath for awakening for the same reason actually. This was a lot of good ideas that I will look into further, there are so few Heathen witch creators that I feel like are... safe to watch, so many have bad takes or dogwhistle shit that its a jungle I swear.
I followed your advice of reading Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman and even used it as a devotional reading for Frøya. She enjoys enhancing knowledge types of devotionals and taking my mind off stressful matters and remaining in her energy for a time. She quite liked it as far as I knew despite its possible inaccuracies. It really was helpful reading it prior to getting into any other Norse books and the Sagas (which i haven't read yet but getting to it). All of this makes sense and may include some of these for my own practice! Lovely video Bente 🔮🧿🌿🩷
Im glad you touched on the sun and moon. I always had the sense the moon was feminine esp. bc the cycles and our own, but becoming Norse pagan ive just accepted it and your explanation is helpful to better understand. As an Alaskan.. Yes sun is life giver!
Similar how you breathe the intention on the herbs. I talk to mine like asking a favor, “please do this (insert herb name) for this purpose, I thank you and bless you). I didn’t correlate that with Odin and the breathe of life just that notion that oh talking to plants is really good. Til you mention how you charge and set the intention with the herbs, that totally makes sense to me! As for the Sun and Moon, I’m used to the belief of Sun equals masculine and the moon feminine, because I am also Hellenic Polytheist it has the opposite of Norse paganism. However Northern mythologies and religions aren’t the only one that have male is moon and the Sun female, Shintoism in Japanese mythology believes that the sun is ruled a goddess/kami named Amaterasu and her brother is the moon. So not that unheard but what’s quite different is that Amaterasu is the Queen of The Heavens and creation instead of a male being so.
I didn’t know the breath thing could be a Norse pagan thing, I had a reading to look into air magic and it gave that piece of advice, it makes so much sense to me and it also helps me take a breath too, I use it for crystals, tarot cards, and now I see I can use it for herbs too :3
Runes feel very potent for me. Like... they hold something important, which can indeed be harnessed but you should also be careful with them. Tldr: runes are awesome, 10/10 would have wanted more.
Runes are not boring! I don’t think it’s necessarily cliche for someone who works with Odin to be enamored with runes. Instead, a love and respect for the power of words, especially written words, naturally is a shared connection with Odin who sacrificed so much to understand them. I’m only recently in my practice realizing that my lifelong love affair with language and etymology and the written word is something I share with Odin, and am beginning to reach out to him. Your content has inspired me to reflect on this. ❤
Mistletoe in hexes makes complete sense to me! Frigg is my primary deity and I always find mistletoe listed as a correspondence or association for her, and I REALLY wish context was given for that one. I'm not about to go and put that on her altar.....feels like it'd be INCREDIBLY offensive. 😣
@@TheNorseWitch Yes!!! I've started doing witchcraft in 2021 and it's so nice to actually see witches from my own country on the UA-cam and social media in general!! I feel like the majority of witches who are on UA-cam are from the States or Britain, so having someone in Germany is amazing!!! I've only ever known of The witches cookery when it comes to German witches here on YT so I adore the fact I can now have another source of inspiration for my own craft from a German person!!! :D
In Portuguese language moon is female and sun is male! So to me it did make more sense… and I’m also getting into runes lately. Very drawn to them. I have a Lenormand set of cards and was doing a reading to find out what Thor had to say to me. They basically flew off my hands. I got the runes and did a reading and got very good answers… I wonder what that was about! 😅
Do you have any recommendations regarding resources on connecting to and working with your fylgia? Any form of media will do, videos, books, blogs, podcasts, etc.
7 things... Not 9?!?!? (Haha, just joking with you 😜) As for the sun and moon... I also started in Wicca, over 20 years ago. One thing that helped me get over that hurdle was to become conscious of the juxtaposition of Nótt and Dagr's presences. So, while Máni is masculine, he still shines within the reign of the goddess of night; while Sunna shines during the ride of the god of day 🤷
The premise that the sun is male and the moon is female far far pre-dates Wicca. This division has to do with the nature of masculine and feminine energy and principles within the universe at large. Even if you only look at the female menstrual cycle it makes sense and feels very logical to me. But I would like to know more about why in certain cultures they have the reverse.
I personally don’t think that „counts“.. it’s usually about communing with the spirits of the place, may it be local spirits, ancestors, other spirits of the deceased, etc. And I don’t believe I’m bringing them with me in a hand of soil 🤭
I used to struggle with SH so I don't want to use blood in my practise, but I do like the idea of what it does. Do you think it would be similarly effective to use a mixture of breath (for life) and spit (for dna)? I also thought I could maybe use a small amount of some type of oil rubbed into it (to feed it, the same way you would treat or "feed" wood or leather)
All parts of American mistletoe contain a toxic protein called phoratoxin; is it safe to use in an oil? It also makes sense to use in a hex being that it is toxic.
As far as I know the toxins are only harmful if you ingest them. So using it in an oil, tincture, etc is totally fine. Mistletoe oils, tinctures and stuff is also widely sold, so I doubt they’d be poisonous 🤣
Mistletoe oil is safe as long as you don't eat it or rub it on you. Do not put mistletoe oil on your skin or get it in your eyes or your mouth. Do not leave anointed objects where pets can get to them.
Hi Norse witch I have a question I bought a waterproof Vegvisir tattoo and I read that it's not from the viking age I also read it has no Christian links BUT it had roots in Christian mysticism back in the 15th century so if you can help me understand it I would love it thx
Bente! I'm starting Wicca with other practices.. I wonder, after your Gods videos, if Frejya and Oðin are ok to pray for (together) for the wiccan altar....¿?
Okay I know this is gross I as well use my blood but the way I catch my blood gather my blood may be kind of gross to say I really love how you use your blood I like using mine as well and protection I have used it in my sigils , ty for sharing these ideas
What did you do with the genders association of the 4 elements? Like fire/air is masculine, and earth/water is feminine. I have a hard time to put theses archetype in boxes and associate them with a gender. ex: A Woman can be more ''fire'' traits and still be feminine. I think its a traditionnal association, thats kind of growing bad with our time. Whats your point of view on that subject ?
Not who you were asking, but I feel like I'd like to input my thoughts if that's ok. A lot of what is seen as "feminine" or "masculine" tends to just boil down to "passive" vs "active" energies. It's a social construct that's bled over into a lot of witchcraft practices. Energies that push more, are fast acting, are stronger, are up front and in your face, those are deemed "masculine," while energies that are calmer, more subdued, longer lasting, and consistent are deemed, "feminine." If you just replace masculine with active and feminine with passive, then it makes sense all the same. Because of that, I also feel like gendering them is an outdated tradition that I can easily replace so it's not used in my practice, but also, if others want to use it and feel it works for their practice, who am I to judge, you know? Anyway, sorry to butt in, 😅I just feel it's interesting to talk about!
I just don’t look at them as masculine or feminine. I see them as active or passive… that’s about it. I think you can easily just get rid of the terms, mostly what is meant is a more passive or a more active energy either way ☺️
@@TheNorseWitch you know what, active is more the word I was looking for lol thank you. I typed aggressive initially, but the negative connotation didn’t sit right with me. I couldn’t think of a different word though.
I use cat whiskers that fall off my cats for spells and their claw trimmings for protection spells! I find it works well with Freyja :)
I do that too, the whiskers I like to use in spells for travel and to find things.
Wonderful idea ❤
When you mentioned mistletoe I was yelling Balder at my screen :D thought I was in a Norse trivia competition for some reason. Really interesting video, I'm Buddhist but I've always been interested in Paganism/Heathenry so this was neat!
Hahaha YOU WIN 🤣
Here’s your prize 🏆
I am also German and for me, during my 20 years of magical practice, the sun was always female, the moon male, as you say, it is already in our language, I have never been able to understand the other way round in our region.
The reference to moon - female, sun - male comes from the greeks and romans simply because the world of the gods is different there due to different climatic conditions and was simply adopted (in my experience quite unreflectedly) in the witch community. As you say, in the north the sun as life-giver and therefore female simply makes much more sense to me. Yes, moon cycle and menstrual cycle, but honestly, I don't know a single woman who has a 29.53 day cycle, so it shifts over time anyway and stays in sync for very few, if any.
So much agreed! Sadly in the beginning when I started practicing as a Wiccan I just accepted everything I read as fact and didn’t question it it even made sense in my cultural context 😅 well, some people take longer to unlearn things 🤣
@@TheNorseWitch I think a lot of people feel that way, hence this general association of the sun and the moon.
Your explanation of why you reversed the usual moon=female/sun=male system now has me wondering if ancient spiritual beliefs shaped the developing grammar, the grammar shaped the spiritual beliefs, or if there was a symbiotic development of the two roughly in step with each other. (Languages are so much fun...!)
I also thought about that a lot… but I guess we’ll never know unfortunately. It would be so interesting to know though!
With Baldr and the mistletoe I recently read a story that after Baldr's death, when everyone was weeping, the tears of his mother Frigg became the white berries on a mistle - and after Baldr was able to return from death (so everyone, even stones and metals, did as Hel wished), Frigg was so happy to see her son again, that she kissed everyone under the mistletoe.
(but I think, the more common story goes like "everyone SHOULD weep, but Loki just took the shape of a giant lady and refused to ... so Baldr wasn't allowed to came back")
I am super duper late but if you have the source for that version of Baldr’s death it would be greatly appreciated!!!
I have leaned on breath for awakening for the same reason actually. This was a lot of good ideas that I will look into further, there are so few Heathen witch creators that I feel like are... safe to watch, so many have bad takes or dogwhistle shit that its a jungle I swear.
As a Norse pagan I have not heard of mistletoe being used in hex work but it honestly feels right intuition wise.
I followed your advice of reading Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman and even used it as a devotional reading for Frøya. She enjoys enhancing knowledge types of devotionals and taking my mind off stressful matters and remaining in her energy for a time. She quite liked it as far as I knew despite its possible inaccuracies. It really was helpful reading it prior to getting into any other Norse books and the Sagas (which i haven't read yet but getting to it). All of this makes sense and may include some of these for my own practice! Lovely video Bente 🔮🧿🌿🩷
I related to her, since I also started Wicca and got into Norse years later.😊
Im wanting to learn more norse magic..mostly i use runes and bindrunes. Im glad i found you
Im glad you touched on the sun and moon. I always had the sense the moon was feminine esp. bc the cycles and our own, but becoming Norse pagan ive just accepted it and your explanation is helpful to better understand. As an Alaskan.. Yes sun is life giver!
Similar how you breathe the intention on the herbs. I talk to mine like asking a favor, “please do this (insert herb name) for this purpose, I thank you and bless you). I didn’t correlate that with Odin and the breathe of life just that notion that oh talking to plants is really good. Til you mention how you charge and set the intention with the herbs, that totally makes sense to me!
As for the Sun and Moon, I’m used to the belief of Sun equals masculine and the moon feminine, because I am also Hellenic Polytheist it has the opposite of Norse paganism. However Northern mythologies and religions aren’t the only one that have male is moon and the Sun female, Shintoism in Japanese mythology believes that the sun is ruled a goddess/kami named Amaterasu and her brother is the moon. So not that unheard but what’s quite different is that Amaterasu is the Queen of The Heavens and creation instead of a male being so.
I didn’t know the breath thing could be a Norse pagan thing, I had a reading to look into air magic and it gave that piece of advice, it makes so much sense to me and it also helps me take a breath too, I use it for crystals, tarot cards, and now I see I can use it for herbs too :3
Runes feel very potent for me. Like... they hold something important, which can indeed be harnessed but you should also be careful with them.
Tldr: runes are awesome, 10/10 would have wanted more.
Yeah definitely! From Egils saga we have an example of what could happen if you use runes without sufficient knowledge…
Runes are not boring! I don’t think it’s necessarily cliche for someone who works with Odin to be enamored with runes. Instead, a love and respect for the power of words, especially written words, naturally is a shared connection with Odin who sacrificed so much to understand them. I’m only recently in my practice realizing that my lifelong love affair with language and etymology and the written word is something I share with Odin, and am beginning to reach out to him. Your content has inspired me to reflect on this. ❤
Mistletoe in hexes makes complete sense to me! Frigg is my primary deity and I always find mistletoe listed as a correspondence or association for her, and I REALLY wish context was given for that one. I'm not about to go and put that on her altar.....feels like it'd be INCREDIBLY offensive. 😣
oh my gods I didn't know you were german. somehow it makes so much more sense to me now why I connect to a lot of what you talk about so much.
Oh you’re German too?
@@TheNorseWitch Yes!!! I've started doing witchcraft in 2021 and it's so nice to actually see witches from my own country on the UA-cam and social media in general!! I feel like the majority of witches who are on UA-cam are from the States or Britain, so having someone in Germany is amazing!!! I've only ever known of The witches cookery when it comes to German witches here on YT so I adore the fact I can now have another source of inspiration for my own craft from a German person!!! :D
@arthurzackaryabrin Oh yeah I know what you mean. It’s very US and UK dominant xD
In Portuguese language moon is female and sun is male! So to me it did make more sense… and I’m also getting into runes lately. Very drawn to them. I have a Lenormand set of cards and was doing a reading to find out what Thor had to say to me. They basically flew off my hands. I got the runes and did a reading and got very good answers… I wonder what that was about! 😅
Excellent video, New Moon Blessings🌛🍯🌬 Old villages tend to have large graveyards nearby that aren't always on google maps
Thank you! 🥰
Love this! Idk either if using mistletoe is common in hexes, but I’m interested in try it🤔
Eating gummy bears atm and loving the video already 😊
Yummy! 🤤 master of gummy bears ❤️
Do you have any recommendations regarding resources on connecting to and working with your fylgia? Any form of media will do, videos, books, blogs, podcasts, etc.
I’d love to work with animal spirits. I go to my first rune class in sept 😊
7 things... Not 9?!?!? (Haha, just joking with you 😜)
As for the sun and moon... I also started in Wicca, over 20 years ago. One thing that helped me get over that hurdle was to become conscious of the juxtaposition of Nótt and Dagr's presences. So, while Máni is masculine, he still shines within the reign of the goddess of night; while Sunna shines during the ride of the god of day 🤷
That’s a good way to look at it!
The premise that the sun is male and the moon is female far far pre-dates Wicca. This division has to do with the nature of masculine and feminine energy and principles within the universe at large. Even if you only look at the female menstrual cycle it makes sense and feels very logical to me. But I would like to know more about why in certain cultures they have the reverse.
Would gathering soil from the cemetery work? Possibly sitting on it on your patio or other place that is not closed at night?
I personally don’t think that „counts“.. it’s usually about communing with the spirits of the place, may it be local spirits, ancestors, other spirits of the deceased, etc. And I don’t believe I’m bringing them with me in a hand of soil 🤭
i want to try usita but have the same problem
I used to struggle with SH so I don't want to use blood in my practise, but I do like the idea of what it does. Do you think it would be similarly effective to use a mixture of breath (for life) and spit (for dna)?
I also thought I could maybe use a small amount of some type of oil rubbed into it (to feed it, the same way you would treat or "feed" wood or leather)
All parts of American mistletoe contain a toxic protein called phoratoxin; is it safe to use in an oil? It also makes sense to use in a hex being that it is toxic.
As far as I know the toxins are only harmful if you ingest them. So using it in an oil, tincture, etc is totally fine. Mistletoe oils, tinctures and stuff is also widely sold, so I doubt they’d be poisonous 🤣
Mistletoe oil is safe as long as you don't eat it or rub it on you. Do not put mistletoe oil on your skin or get it in your eyes or your mouth. Do not leave anointed objects where pets can get to them.
Hi Norse witch I have a question I bought a waterproof Vegvisir tattoo and I read that it's not from the viking age I also read it has no Christian links BUT it had roots in Christian mysticism back in the 15th century so if you can help me understand it I would love it thx
I don't use mistletoe because I can never find it anywhere
your tattoos are absolutely stunning! what's that art style/who's the artist
Thank you ☺️ it’s Neotraditional and most of my tattoos were done by Anastasiarice on IG ☺️
Bente! I'm starting Wicca with other practices.. I wonder, after your Gods videos, if Frejya and Oðin are ok to pray for (together) for the wiccan altar....¿?
Frejya was married to Odin. It makes sense that Wiccans would put them on the Altar as the god and the goddess.
@CricketsBay Odin is married to Frigg. Freyja is married to Óðr and it’s debatable whether Óðr and Óðinn are one and the same god
Okay I know this is gross I as well use my blood but the way I catch my blood gather my blood may be kind of gross to say I really love how you use your blood I like using mine as well and protection I have used it in my sigils , ty for sharing these ideas
Ive never thought to use mistletoe in much. I dont have any, anyway lol 😂
What did you do with the genders association of the 4 elements? Like fire/air is masculine, and earth/water is feminine. I have a hard time to put theses archetype in boxes and associate them with a gender. ex: A Woman can be more ''fire'' traits and still be feminine. I think its a traditionnal association, thats kind of growing bad with our time. Whats your point of view on that subject ?
Not who you were asking, but I feel like I'd like to input my thoughts if that's ok.
A lot of what is seen as "feminine" or "masculine" tends to just boil down to "passive" vs "active" energies. It's a social construct that's bled over into a lot of witchcraft practices. Energies that push more, are fast acting, are stronger, are up front and in your face, those are deemed "masculine," while energies that are calmer, more subdued, longer lasting, and consistent are deemed, "feminine." If you just replace masculine with active and feminine with passive, then it makes sense all the same. Because of that, I also feel like gendering them is an outdated tradition that I can easily replace so it's not used in my practice, but also, if others want to use it and feel it works for their practice, who am I to judge, you know?
Anyway, sorry to butt in, 😅I just feel it's interesting to talk about!
I just don’t look at them as masculine or feminine. I see them as active or passive… that’s about it. I think you can easily just get rid of the terms, mostly what is meant is a more passive or a more active energy either way ☺️
@@TheNorseWitch you know what, active is more the word I was looking for lol thank you. I typed aggressive initially, but the negative connotation didn’t sit right with me. I couldn’t think of a different word though.
✨️✨️✨️