Aurboda is the wife of Gymir, the giant in Jotunheim who has a great hall surrounded by fire. Their daughter is Gerda, the giantess-goddess who married the sacrificial Vanir god Frey. Gerda is known colloquially as the “Lady of the Walled Garden”, and she has a strong connection to herbs and roots (as opposed to her husband whose affinity is with the agricultural crops of the field). Aurboda, not surprisingly as the mother of the herb-grower, is Mengloth’s apothecary. Her specialty is the compounding of medicines and knowledge of their effect on the body. She is a shrewd, motherly giantess with a strong instinct for how substances – any substances – affect bodies, and she can be called on in questions of modern medication as well. Will this pill that the doctor gave help me? Will the side effects be harsh, and will it be worth enduring them? Is there something I can do to counteract them? Will this medication and this herb clash? Aurboda can help with guiding wisdom in all these cases; medicine need not be herbal for her to put her spirit-intuition to it. She can also help to soothe the side effects of herbs and meds in some cases.

Aurboda is also Mengloth’s delivery woman – it was said that she carried herbs across the sea to sufferers in the form of a crow. She can ensure the quick delivery of medication through the mail, and see that it does not get lost or stolen. Her color is brown and the world-energy that she works with is that of Jotunheim, the mountainous land of tall trees, thick forests, and numerous strange plants in the undergrowth. A magic charm pouch to invoke her powers can hold any combination of herbs, so long as it is an actual medicinal combination. Ask a herbalist or look it up yourself. You can also put in brown stones such as agates and jaspers, and if relevant, an actual bit of pharmaceutical medication wrapped in a bit of brown cloth.

If you need help with the side effects of medication, or in deciding whether a given medication of any kind is right for your body, light a candle for Aurboda and then go to the Offerings page and make an offering. Clear your mind and sit quietly, and she will give you a message about the situation. 

Prayer for Aurboda by Nornoriel

Gold-giver,

mother of Gerda,

mother-in-law of Ingvi,

please lend an ear.

I ask that you aid the one whom I pray for

in using the gifts of the Earth itself

to speed recovery,

with all of the bounty that comes from the Earth:

the power of the primal forces of the Earth,

the elements themselves,

terrible and beautiful --

may all of these things help

and may the one whom I pray for

find meaning and purpose

in all of this.

Hail Aurboda,

keeper of hidden riches.