Almost Strega Not Quite Nona

ICE is evil. They're an extension of this administration's authoritarianism, and that's reason enough to hate them.

Also. Pagan religions are dependent on concepts of hospitality, generosity, and interdependence. ICE spits in the face of this completely. So my fellow pagans should also hate them for these reasons.

Like, yes, they can and usually do protect and stand up for the humans they care about

But that's their choice

You can't just go to your altar and say "Sick em' boy!"

⚠️ hellenic polytheists and espically zeus devotees, please beware of this organization and site. they used to go by "joy of satan", and they are a neo-nazi, racist, fascist, antisemitic group who now "worship zeus", which they believe to be another name of satan.

Please, please! Never forget that this is not *just a piece of media* like a book or a movie

This is cultural heritage of the Greeks, this stories are one of the few ways we have to look back at how things were for humans thousands of years ago. This stories matter in a religious, cultural, academic and anthropological context.

You can call any of the greek gods your blorbo, but remember that your blorbo is still a god that is currently still part of an active religion.

So what i'm trying to say is: Be respectful. Understand why people can and have the right to get mad if some writer goes "My re-telling is 100% accurate and it's the best version of the story" and then it isn't.

Is okey to admitt you're not going the full lenght with accuracy, that will always be better than claiming you have "corrected" this stories as if they were broken to begin with. They are not, they are what they are meant to be: Cautionary tales, folk stories, and a peek into the culture of a civilization that lived hundreds of years ago.

There was no universal Scandinavian religion, or Slavic, or Celtic.

They were multiple mini cultures with changing and differing views.

That’s why we have different beliefs on who was the ‘High God’ in the Norse myths and physical evidence that we have left. Tyr, Freyr, Odin; have all been the High God in different cultures. Because people didn’t collect under orthodox and shared religion in a pre Christian world the way they do now.

Go to Wikipedia and scroll down to "references" or "sources" and look them up.

Go read online books from various of websites.

Go read the physical books about the practice.

Go watch YouTube videos and vlogs about the said practices.

Go talk to witches and demonolators, many of them can give you great advices.

Heck, you can even learn something from Reddit and Quora, and they will be much better and detailed than ChatGPT.

The band OMNIA just released a statement on their website trying to address rumors that they are "anti-Gay" and instead outed themselves as massive transphobes.

cw for language and rhetoric.

It literally does not matter that someone worships differently than you. If the government comes knocking with Anti-Pagan legislation, do you think they’re going to differentiate between an altar or a shrine? Parse out the differences between pagans and polytheists? No - we’re all the same in the eyes of a Christian nationalist government.

Maybe it’s because I was in queer online spaces circa 2016-2018 and saw the ridiculous amount of infighting, and saw that all it lead to was a deep division of the community and only served to harm us. The Helpol community is reminding me *a lot* of that era right now.

Celebrate the differences in how we worship and let them bring you closer to others. By all means, debate the nature of the gods and let those conversations deepen your understanding of the world, but let the petty shit go.

All about Lady Freyja

Attributes

Love

War

Death

Magic

Spinning

Cats

Fertility

Beauty

Sacred Symbols

Cats (fertility, protection, and blessings) her chariot is pulled by two cats. In modern witchcraft cats are often associated with witchcraft and magic.

Boars, she rides her golden bristled boar Hildisvsini “battle swine” into battle.

Falcon, Freyja has a cloak of falcon feather which she can shapeshift into a falcon.

Brisingamen necklace, a beautiful necklace which she attain from the dwarves after “spending time with them” (keep it PG y’all).

The Chariot

Distaff or staff for seidr work

The Fehu rune or the Gebo rune

Linden Tree or Sycamore tree

Amber because when she cried tears of gold the drops turned into amber.

Gold

Hares (Fertility)

Cowslip (Her most sacred flower)

Offerings

Fabric arts (not just spinning but sewing, weaving, embroidery, beading, etc.)

Flowers (Marigolds, Cowslip, Roses, etc) Cowslip is her most sacred plant considering to be the “Keys to her hall” of Fólkvanger

Pink or red items (I find that I offer her more pink for some reason lol)

Jewelry

Birch bark or leaves

Cat’s shedded fur, whiskers, or claws

Tea, coffee, or alcohol especially the fruity ones

Fruits

Magic or spell craft

Sycamore tree bark or leaves

Rose Quartz (modern adaptation but she loves it)

General Information

Goddess Freyja is a goddess of Norse Mythology but she has roots in Germanic culture and mythology. Her name means “Lady” in old Norse but she is also called Freó, Frouwa, or Faujon. Her ephitets are

Mardöll : Sea Brightener

Hörn (Flaxen)

Gefn (the giver)

Sýr (Sow)

Valfreyja (Lady of the slain or Lady of Battlefield Corpses)

It is said that she was Gullveig Thrice Burned during the war of the Vanir and Aesir, Gullveig was pierced and burn three times but was reborn three times by the time of her third rebirth she practiced Seidr and named herself Heiðr. Some say that Gullveig is Freyja but I don’t see any connection to both of these deities. But I’m putting it here cause I do know some people do believe that they are interchangeable.

Freyja is part of the Vanir tribe another set of Gods that is more associated with nature and magic. She has a twin brother named Freyr whom means “Lord” of fertility and sunlight. They both have sacred animals of boars whom the ride, plus it’s alluded that they had more than a brotherly and sister relationship which is normal in regards of deities across cultures. Her father is Njord god of fishermen and the sea and her mother is said to be Nerthus who was worshipped in northern Germany, she is connected to Njord and her sacred animal is the boar and she is associated with the earth and agriculture but it is unclear if she is the mother of Freyja and Freyr or she was a female version of Njord.

It is said in some myths Freyja was the one that taught the Aesir magic and Seidr. She is often called “Queen of Witches” and taught Allfather Seidr in some stories he was the one that created Seidr and gifted to mankind. But I like to think that Freyja was the one that created Seidr because how Seidr was portrayed in Norse culture as a female dominated practice personally it fits more better in my opinion.

Freyja and Odin have an agreement where one half of the fallen soldiers will go to Valhalla and the other half will go to Folkvangr. Freyja is also said to be the leader of Valkyries and leads them to battle. Hence the name Valfreyja.

Freyja and Odin may had a relationship even married at one point but there is not much proof except for a name that is similar to Odin and at times called Odr who went missing which Freyja cried tears of gold turning to amber as it hit the sea. She traveled throughout the world in search for him. She has two daughters by this marriage, Hnoss and Gersemi.

Freyja is known to be a very promiscuous goddess she is known to have slept with multiple lovers. Dwarves to get her beautiful necklace the Brisingamen necklace, also her famous lover Ottar who is a pious human lover of hers appears in the poetic Edda as Ottar the Simple in Hyndluljóð. However it doesn’t mean she doesn’t have sense of dignity and smart about who she sleeps with or falls in love with. When Thor’s hammer was stolen by the Jotun Thymr who hid it and won’t give it back til Freyja agrees to marry him, Freyja refuses and was furious to never be wed to a Jotun saying it will degrade herself. This is the famous story where Thor dressed up as a bride (Freyja). She knows her self worth, knows the risks, and her value. She is very independent and willing to fight for herself than to accept surrender even when things seem to be in peril.

Tarot

The Lovers

Empress

Judgement

Honor passed ancestors/loved ones; learn about your family history

Keep a self-care/self-love journal

Show yourself the same kindness you give to others

Have a candle that reminds you of her (no altar needed)

Keep a picture of her in your wallet

Wear jewelry that reminds you of her

Wear perfumes/colognes that remind you of her

Have a stuffed animal boar, cat, or falcon/bird of prey

Practice standing up for yourself and others; stand up for what you believe in

Have imagery of love, wings, or cats around

If you have a cat (or any pet), play with them

Assert your personal boundaries; learn what your boundaries are

Volunteer at an animal shelter, especially a cat shelter

Drink herbal tea, and add honey to it; drink something comforting

Feed neighborhood cats or birds (or dogs)

Support women's rights or SA survivor organizations

Practice discreet witchcraft or learn non-obvious divination methods (cartomancy, pyromancy, carromancy, etc.)

Express yourself in little ways, if you can't be open; a bracelet to represent your gender, pride flag colored shoelaces, etc.

Take a self-care/self-love bath, especially with flower petals (ensure they're safe first!!!)

Buy a bouquet of flowers, for yourself or a loved one

If you have a partner, do something nice or romantic for them; a date somewhere they like, surprise gifts, spending time with them, etc.

Give compliments to strangers; give compliments to yourself

Practice self-acceptance

Make a list of positive traits you have as well as points of pride

Take a hike/walk out in nature

Try to see the beauty in the world around you; notice the beauty in the little things

Spend time with your loved ones

Cook a good meal for yourself or loved ones

Take care of yourself physically and emotionally

Start a skin/body care routine

Start a flower garden; tend to plants

Eat your favorite candy

Be gentle with yourself when you're having a difficult time

Meditate to the sounds of nature or flowing water; be comfortable with your own presence

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May add more later on! This is my list of discreet ways to worship Freyja. Take care, everyone, and I hope this helps! 🩷