Seidr at its core is the practice of Spirit Walking. It encompasses communication, gaining knowledge, and partnership with spirits in order to accomplish specific tasks. It is a combination of divination, mediumship, and magical practice. Although the tools used and aspects of Seidr are specific to that form of Spirit Walking, the concept of the work can be found in almost every culture.
No matter what the purpose of performing Seidr is – whether it be to divine what is coming, to gain knowledge, to heal, to curse, or to alter events, just to name a few, Spirits are how the work is done. This includes Spirits of the Land / Elements, Spirits of the Creatures of the land, Spirits of the Dead, and the spirit of the Seidkona herself. In order to work with and get the results the Seidkona or the people coming to her want, it requires an understanding of each type of spirit and building bonds (a working relationship) with them.
Each Type of Spirit
Land Spirits and Elementals
These spirits include those that are of plants, trees, stones/ crystals, water, fire, earth, air, and every other element that is found within the earth.
Each individual spirit you encounter within the collective will have its own personality but also abides by the rules or core energy of its origin. For example, each of the three White Oaks that I interact with on our property have their own personalities and quirks, yet they all have a core/ underlining energy that comes from the Spirit of the White Oak itself as a collective. You can think of it terms of humans. There are certain things that we all share as a collective – rules of nature if you will, yet we each have our own personality and ways of doing things. I think this important to note because even though you may find one who you do not vibe with on a personality level does not mean you can not find others that you may.
Science is a great starting point in understanding their core energies. The environments they are found in – How they interact within that environment, both good and bad – How they affect the environment – How they affect the human body (herbalism) and the systems of the body they work upon. All of these are good ways to get a physical understanding of those core energies of the plant/element.
Next is examining your own personal experiences and perspectives of the plant/ element. Some we will have a natural draw to and others we may have an aversion to (physically or mentally). Before you even approach working with them, you need to sort through your own perspectives of them and what they represent to you. These will always come across when building a bond, and something to be keenly aware of. If you have an aversion for whatever reason, but you still want to work with them or build connection – be upfront about it with them. Tell them why, and why you are wanting to connect, then see if they are open. Respect and honesty are essential, as well as a fluid mind (the ability to shift perspectives with new information).
Communication with these types of Spirits are going to be different in the way they express language. Unlike the spirits of our dead, these spirits do not generally talk in human language. In my experience, it is much more centered in imagery and feeling/ emotion. It will take a little time to get the hang of it. If you do not understand what they are communicating or if there is doubt – ask them. It is better to say “I didn’t understand” than to make assumptions.
We will get into the bonding process for all of the Spirits at the end.
Spirits of Creatures
The same process outlined above will stand for all the Spirits discussed with a few variations. I would always start with the Science – then your own observations, experiences, and feelings. Through this process you are building some assumptions that the spirit may change but it gives you a good foundation to start with.
When approaching an animals spirit, realize that the personality extremes here tends to be more so than those of plants and elements. I think their personal experiences, especially with humans, has a lot to do with this. As a human approaching them, understanding the historical relationship between the animal and people is important. Memory is passed through DNA as well and contributes to instincts the animals pass to their young for survival.
I have also experienced some discrepancies between what science says, and what I have personally observed in the animal itself. Science and what other people have told us has conditioned certain assumptions about them that are not necessarily true. Again – approach with a fluid mind and let them tell you their truth.
Communication with animals tends to be easier in my opinion. Although they can communicate similar to the other via imagery and emotions, but they can also talk in plain language. I have wondered about this at times, and have considered the thought that perhaps it is due to the long amount of time humans have interacted with them, both mundanely and magically. Either way though, it tends to hold true for myself and others who I have talked with on the subject. Be careful of making assumptions though when they tell you something, as language and meanings of words change over time. Always try to clarify what they are telling you, to ensure the best clarity. The long you work with them, the easier this gets.
Spirits of the Dead
So these are the complicated ones. Communication is much easier and straight forward – their intention though can be cloudy. Just as we have living people who are good and bad in our opinions, we will also encounter them in the place of the dead. Feeling them out and trusting your gut (intuition) is going to be vital. Also, just because a person was perceived one way in life, does not mean their spirit is that way in death.
Perspectives to keep in mind
I don’t believe people are born evil. I think most that we perceive as evil have experiences that drove them there. I am not saying this makes their deeds right, but it is something that I feel must be considered. We also have our own opinions of what “good” and “bad” are, they are subjective terms not universal truths. Be keenly aware of your own biases and perspectives, knowing not all hold them.
We do not always know the real motive behind their actions. This is especially true for those we knew in life. We have our assumptions and perspectives but that does not mean we really understood their motivations, feelings, or true thoughts. We do the best we can, with the resources and knowledge we have at the time. We make mistakes, we have regrets – so do they.
Seeing through the eyes of then – Not the eyes of now.
I think this part is hard for some. They look at the past – events, people, choices they made, and pass judgment based on their world view now. The World and Society are always evolving and changing. Hindsight gives us a unique perspective because we see how it all played out, good and bad – they were living in it though, without that advantage. So you are going to have to shift your perspective, to see and feel how they may have seen and felt at that time. It requires compassion and the ability to try to understand their side.
Connecting
Once you have a good understanding of all the things above, you are ready to start connecting and communicating. I suggest starting with one energy at a time. You could even do, one plant, one element, one animal, and one person – but this isn’t a race, it’s a journey. You want to take your time in the beginning because you are learning “how” to do this. Once you have build bonds with a couple, it gets easier and quicker with others.
First comes connection – feeling the energy of your chosen subject. Sit quietly with it or with something connected to it (tree/ plant/ element) and just focus on your feelings, both emotional and physical. Start talking out loud to it. Let it know why you are there and that you are wanting to connect to it. Ask it questions you are curious about (directed at it). Go slow and leave ample time in-between speaking to allow yourself to feel or hear anything.
Create sacred space for it. This can be some type of shrine, altar, or visual, but it doesn’t have to be. The best sacred spaces are the ones we make within ourselves and carry with us all the time. By creating sacred space, we are not only building respect but also space for them in our lives/ practice.
Find ways to incorporate them into your daily life. Is it an herb? Perhaps cook with it – ingest it (use common sense here). Is it an animal? Perhaps take on an attribute of it that you find admirable – such as the cunning mind of the fox.
Trance Journey – Spirit Walk with it. Hear the stories and the things it wants to tell or show you. Keep a journal and write everything you can remember so you can reflect on it later, as well as, record keeping – something may not make sense now, but it probably will down the road.
Time and patience – No one likes to hear this one, but it will take consistent work, time and patience. Building a relationship to spirit is much like building one with a person. Communication, trust, and bonds are built through time, sharing, and being present. Hold respect and speak with honesty.
Keep in mind that these articles are overviews but not all the tiny details. This is also your journey and experience. Go with your strengths, the ways that work for you. These are ideas and suggestions to help you along your own path – what you take from them is up to you.
The Fylgja in Norse Seidr
The Fylgja in Norse beliefs is a spirit that is also part of your soul (I will go over the aspects of the soul per Norse perspective in another article). It is a Guide as well as a “tool” in magic. They can be either an animal spirit, or is some stories a person figure.
This spirit is of the Seidkona, but also holds its own sovereignty/ agency. It is with us from the time our soul arrives on earth, until it leaves. Some also believe it passed down through blood/ family. It will have many of the same personality traits of the person it is connected to, along with some of it’s own. The fate of the Fylgja is bound to the fate of the person it is attached to.
The Fylgja is a guardian, guide, and also something that can be sent out to do magical tasks for the practitioner. This is a good video going deeper into this and other perspectives on it. There are also many other resources for you to explore if you are interested in learning more.
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