Bjort, whose name means “bright”, is very concerned with the temperature of the body and tissues. We tend to think about this sort of thing only when we’re running fevers, but according to Bjort, it’s much more important than that. Bjort studies inflammation (too much heat) and sluggishness (too much cold), and all the different stages in between. She knows how heat and cold affect tissues and how they complicate disease. It’s said that Surt’s wife Sinmora keeps Surt’s flaming sword/stick (it’s unclear which it is) at Lyfjaberg with Mengloth, and visions have shown it heating a whole room, where patients are taken for heat therapy. Bjort is in charge of this. She is also in charge of saunas (with Bleik, who uses them for purification) and cold therapy such as ice and water. She cauterizes (with either heat or cold), she studies the effect of the Sun on people, and she is in charge of exercise – a way of providing more heat and energy to the body. As such, she is a very physically active handmaiden.

(Nornoriel had an interaction with Bjort where she manifested as a spirit who inspires shamanic song, especially for healing, or well-written prayers and spells for healing. Her lesson to Nornoriel was to let whatever is coming out of you just flow, and not be intimidated by whether or not it sounds good or “proper” by the standards of others ... to use the voice as a conduit of healing and of release.)

Bjort’s color is yellow, and the world-energy she works with is that of fiery Muspellheim. Herbs put into a pouch for Bjort are either pungent heating herbs such as Ginger, Garlic, or Pepper; cooling herbs such as Strawberry leaves or Dock; or Mint which both heats and cools. Yellow stones such as yellow carnelian or yellow jasper can be included as well.

If you suffer from too much heat or cold, too much inflammation or too sluggish a system, light a candle to Bjort and then go to the Offerings page and make an offering.

Prayer to Bjort by Nornoriel

Brightness,

ethereal and radiant,

you restore the beauty within each soul,

and help each soul to see

the beauty within life and the beauty within the world.

You are the dance of the butterfly,

the song of the babbling brook,

the light of the stars in the vast galaxy.

Hail Bjort,

Brightness,

beautiful one.