Seidhr / Spae:

Norse Trance Work

[Main Index] [About Jordsvin] [Asatru Information] [Young Heathens Page] [Fun Stuff] [Asatru Events] [Norse Links]

Pages and Links about Seidhr and Spae, or

A Smorgasbord of Seidhr Sites

(Say that three times real fast!)

Otherwise known as: Jordsvin's Seidhr 101 Syllabus

Please note: some of what I call "Seidhr" is called "Spae" by some other Heathens. To be more specific, for many, Hrafnar's Oracular Seidhr and other uses of trancework for divinatory/information-gathering purposes is properly labelled "Spae." I use the label "Seidhr" primarily because Hrafnar does, based on its use to describe the Seidh-woman and Seidh-session in Erik's Saga. In any case, read on!...

Seidhr is trancework in the Norse Tradition. I have also seen it spelled seidh, seid, sejd (modern Danish?), seidr, seith (Anglicized form?),and even more ways, as well as, of course the original Old Norse form, Seidr, with a slash though the "d." I practice the Hrafnar Tradition of Oracular Seidhr, and suggest that you visit the Return of the Volva site first (it provides an introduction to the Hrafnar work and Seidhr in general), then the Hrafnar Seidhr Group site. These, and other links, appear just below this introduction. Oracular Seidhr is the use of trancework to gain information from the Dead, from the Norns and other Deities, and at times from other Beings of Norse Heathenism, such as Landwights, Elves, and Disir.

Hrafnar's technique of Oracular Seidhr is recontructed partly from the description given in Ch. 3 of Eiriks Saga (The Saga of Erik the Red), which is one of the Vinland Sagas; see the links at the end of this Seidhr introduction. If you'd like to purchase your own copy, Amazon.com does carry the book; btw, you can order it via a link on Joe Mandato's Page, which has a link at the end of this article. There are two poems from the Elder Edda, "Baldur's Dream" and "Voluspa," which were also used. Their links are also at the end of this introduction.

Please note that there are Oracular Seidhr Sessions sponsored by us local Heathens in the Lexington, Kentucky area four times a year. Please email me, Jordsvin if interested in attending.

I am the owner/moderator of Seidhr Study list on yahoogroups.com. It is a good way to get your questions on Seidhr answered from different perspectives by a variety of Seidhfolk. It's not a horribly busy list and won't fill up your e-mail box. I encourage interested folks to click on the above link and join the list. If the link gives you problems, email me and I'll sub you. I think that you have to have an ID with Yahoo to be on the list.

Here is a fine Seidhr book: Nine Worlds of Seid-Magic: Ecstasy and Neo-Shamanism in North European Paganism by Jenny Blain. I'm mentioned several times. I read the book in February 2002 and loved it.! Available from amazon.com.

I don't do much "Ghostbuster" type work. If that is what you need, you'll need to check online or in your local community.

As a Seidhmadhr (Seidh-man), I have found that Seidhr has contributed greatly to my spiritual growth as a Heathen, and mentoring and training new Seidhfolk is one of my greatest delights! In addition, the information others and I have been able to obtain through Seidhr for our fellow Heathens has proven to be of great help to many.

Journeys on the World-Tree; Seidhr and Spae

Reading List for Seidhr Study E-List

Seidhr Bibliography

Irish Seidhr-Type Working

[by Jordsvin]

Irish Seidhr-Type Working

[Scholarly]

Seidhr for Spirit Rescue

[by Jordsvin]

Comments on the Seriousness of Seidhr

[thanks Rod and El]

Why you should avoid Ouija Boards

[thanks Patricia Lafayllve]

Disadvantages of Seidhr/Shamanism/Spae

[comments by Jenny Blain]

Erik's Saga, describes the Seidhkona in part 3

Frodhleikr Seidhr Description

Healing Journey

[by Courtney]

How to Survive a Spae/Seidhr Session

[by Rod Landreth]

[Contains much of the Hrafnar Seidhr rite in slightly modified form.]

Hrafnar Seidhr Group

Intro to Sitting Out/Uti Seta, Spirit Contact

[by Raudhildr]

Irminsul Aettir Seidhr Page

Jenny Blain's Seidhr, Gender and Transformation article

On The Troth's webpage.

Jenny Blain's Seidhr Links, under "Journeys"

Jenny Blain's Seidr: Journey of the Wyrd of the Nine Worlds

Jenny Blain's Seidr, Magic and Community article

On The Troth's webpage.

Jenny Blain's Webpage on Mound-Sitting

Joe Mandato's Seidhr Page

Levels of Seidhr Trance

[by Rod Landreth]

Metaethics of Oracular Seidhr

Northern European Shamanism: an interesting cross-cultural view

Poem - "Seidhr"

[by Jordsvin]

Poem - "The Voelva"

[by Liadan]

Advice for folks having problems doing Seidhr

[by Raudhildr]

Return of the Volva, an Article on Hrafnar (and other) Seidhr

Le Rite de Seidhr du Groupe Hrafnar, trad. D. CLOS

El Rito de Seidhr del Grupo Hrafnar, trad. Diego Javier Garcia Zeliz

O Rito de Seidhr do Grupo Hrafnar, trad. Lydia Mencinger

The Seidhman Rants

Seidhman's Article on Use of Hallucinogenic A. muscaria in Seidhr

Please note that this article is controversial. I personally do not make use of hallucinogens in my Seidhr work, but some folks do. It is very possible that the Amanita muscaria mushroom (the red one with white flecks) was so used by ancient Seidhfolk, and it was and is used by other peoples in their Seidhr-like workings. I do not encourage my students a co-workers in Seidhr to experiment with psychoactive drugs. I urge those who feel a call to this to think long and hard about it first, do their research and self-evaluation very carefully beforehand, and be aware of possible health and legal consequences. With mushrooms/toadstools in particular, a misidentification could have fatal consequences. More info on ritually used psychoactive plants.