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Hel

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Less searchable M0rd4nt

11:08 / 18.01.07

Yes. In this context, "Heathen" is being used to mean "Pagan, specifically concerned with Northern European pre-Christian traditions." The term can be applied to pre-Christian beliefs and the people who held them, but is also used to designate modern reconstructionist pagans who are into the Northern trad(s), as opposed to the various Celtic recons, druids, Wiccans, etc.

11:54 / 18.01.07

Aha, that makes more sense then, read as modern reconstructionist paganism of the Northern trad (especially the stuff about Wod and Main) rather than historical commentary on auld skool beliefs about the soul.

18:29 / 18.01.07

Oh! Yes, Winifred Hodge is a reconstructionist.

--Ember--

Less searchable M0rd4nt

09:59 / 03.02.07

This PDF text might be interesting to some in veiw of the topic: The Road to Hel: A Study of the Conception of the Dead in Old Norse Literature.

20:47 / 27.02.07

I'm not sure if this is the best place to pose this question, or if it should have its own thread... which I'm willing to start if theres a desire for it...

How would one go about dealing with ghosties?

There are various wonderings to this question; first, how do you know its even a ghost?

How would you ascertain what to do if it insisted you help it?

Once you're sure its a ghost, how do you know its not something not-so-good? (I'm thinking words like hungry)

Is the best plan just to direct it to whichever death deity you feel is appropriate?

Or does it all depend on what the ghostie tells you?

I'm after a couple of types of responses really, practical how-tos and personal encounters... I like stories.

I'm partly curious, partly under the impression that I might be in a situation to need to know this stuff... but I'm not sure. And that bothers me. And before anyone mentions it, divination is coming up with-its a mystery... so either I can't get my head round what I'm being told, or I have to work it out, either way, I figured posting this would be interesting and potentially helpful.

23:58 / 28.02.07

Unless you want a Heathen-specific response to this question, I would think it's worth it's own thread?

--Ember--

11:50 / 02.03.07

Good idea, I'll get on that shortly. I was kinda leaning towards Heathen Specific, but it would probably be more interesting to have a varied response.

00:37 / 27.07.07

So, I've come back to this recently...

I know I explained earlier in this thread that going into Helheim as a Seeress/Seidhkona during Oracular Seidh causes me to get sick. Specifically, two weeks later, like clockwork, I get a spike in my hypersensitivity. The effect is at least enough to make everyday life significantly more difficult, and once or twice (especially in the winter) it's been enough to keep me house-bound for up to two weeks.

I have long since discussed it with Hel, and determined that it's not Her doing, nor does She dislike me at all, but that it's a problem it's my responsibility to overcome.

I have also determined that there is something about the Anglo-Saxon rune Ear that has a significant connection to my work as a Heathen. I recently attended a rune class discussion on this rune which was helpful, though I'm always interested in more input there.

I have recently surmised (but have not yet confirmed) that the circumstances surrounding the death of my life-long companion pet cat, and thus her subsequent appearance in my dreams and journey work, may have been a gift from Hella. I have confirmed with Hella that my cat is now in a position to help me with my work with the Dead and Death, (at least in a Heathen context).

But I still haven't figured out exactly why I get sick, or how to prevent it.

I've been discussing it on one of the mailing lists I'm on, and getting some interesting suggestions, but I'd like more perspectives on the subject, so I thought to bring it up here as well.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to why Oracular Seidh in Helheim consistantly causes a hypersensitivity spike two weeks later for me? Does anyone have any suggestions as to how I may better care for myself and potentially prevent this, other than to totally avoid doing Oracular Seidh in Helheim (which is my current method, but I've been told that's not a viable long-term plan).

--Ember--

17:29 / 27.07.07

14 days is half a menstrual cycle....

20:35 / 27.07.07

Well... 14 days is half a perfect 28-day menstrual cycle, which I haven't had in years (My cycle is sometimes as short as 21 days). Still, a longer or shorter cycle doesn't preclude that being the answer - It does, however, presume I always perform Oracular Seidh during the same part of my cycle.

Actually, one of the reasons I was so startled by the 2 weeks like clockwork part is that it's so unnatural. I would expect at least some variation if the issue is fundamentally physical.

--Ember--

Less searchable M0rd4nt

12:25 / 28.07.07

That sucks, Ember. I sometimes get a similar bout of hypersensitivity after certain kinds of big heavy magical workings, although without the two-week delay and of much reduced duration and intensity compared to yours. I deal with it by taking excercise if possible, lots and lots of cool (not icy-cold) showers with salt and other goodies to remove foo icks, and some comfort reading. I don't know if this is any help...

17:55 / 28.07.07

I get very drained and tired after most magical work. It can last for weeks and it manifests as increased depressive tendencies, existentialism and lower thresholds on almost all types of pain.

(Obviously, weeks is a rarity. Usually it lasts a little under an hour)

I tend to find some alone space, find something warm, put on some nice music and let myself do whatever I need to do. If I need to cry, I do that. If I need to read a nice book and compost then I do that.

01:14 / 31.07.07

I don't know if this is any help...

It helps to know I'm not the only one, but I admit to still being baffled why this particular symptom only goes with this particular type of work.

Ben:
I'm familiar with the kind of exhaustion you're describing. I do quite a bit of ritual work, to be honest, and the usual exhaustion and overwhelm immediately following a ritual is par for the course. I can deal with that, and it only lasts beyond my next 8 hours of sleep if it's a major posession ritual, or else I was extremely nervous going in. Typical stress related issues. Nothing bizzare.

This thing with Helheim giving me major hypersensitivity spikes registers as bizzare relative to my usual post-ritual issues.

--Ember--

15:46 / 31.07.07

I was also thinking of the moon. I think there's something lunar about Hel - the half-face and all.

Less searchable M0rd4nt

17:37 / 31.07.07

Hnnnghh. I'm a bit twitchy about any attempt to identify NT Goddesses with the moon, since we have a jolly d. moon God ie Mani (put it down to colder climes and insufficient nutrition, if you will). Being a death Goddess, Hela is certainly associated with cyclical patterns, but not so much with the womyn's-moon-time thing. Also, the vertical asymmetry is disputed--some people read Her as a young beautiful woman above the waist and decomposing below, or rotting here and fresh over there.

Although reading what Ember wrote, I did get a powerful image of a sine wave, the cycle dipping down below the zero mark and rising again... geek that I am.

06:47 / 01.08.07

I've percieved Hela as putting the living half to one side or the other, to the front with a dead (compared with hollow) back, or living above, dead below, at various times. *shrugs*

Um... whether or not She has a cycle to deal with, I certainly do. But my Life/Death cycle is more annual than ... lunarial? That goes right along with my Seasonal depression. I have certainly noticed that the effect was worst when it occurred in January/February, 2nd worst when it occurred in November, and not quite as bad when it occurred during lighter times. However, since the effect is basically a serious dip in my thresholds, and my thresholds are already low in the winter, I'm not sure that holds any significance beyond the obvious. When your thresholds are already low, they have further to fall to hit bottom.

--Ember--

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