Working With The Nornir
by Lyn Skadidottir
I knew at the time my spiritual training
needed a change. I’d spent the past few years focusing on Dianic Wicca and
Taoism, but knew that something was off. I’d been looking for a crone-aspect
connection and a mountain goddess. One Samhain I’d decided to call on my
paternal grandmother for guidance, so I lit a single white candle and placed
out a glass of water (some Santeria website I found suggested this as a method
to find your ancestors), and cast my wish into the wind. Within a month I was
directed to work with Skadi, the Nornir, Hela and her kin. I was ecstatic and
young, and dove right into working with Skadi and the Norns. Almost immediately, I found myself working on
many projects for the Norns; Urda in particular.
My altar was small and nondescript. It still is. Through working with yoga and clear-mind-type meditations, I found myself often guided to the home of the Norns. Not “the home” at the base of Yggdrasil, but a small cottage out in the middle of a field, within walking distance of a forest. I journeyed there in my meditations, and sat by the fire each night, stitching away. Eventually, I was asked to put down my needlepoint and clean. For the next four years, I would go to the Norns’ home and clean it. I knew intuitively that this was a special gift; I did not run into another human there for a long time, and, when I did finally meet another human there, I was sad and disappointed, finding that I had been replaced. It took two years for me to realize I had not been replaced; on the contrary; I had been given a promotion.
During the time leading up to my promotion, I felt lost, like I didn’t belong to any god or goddess or giant or really anything but myself. I would do the work they asked in journeywork, and I would be rewarded in this world by the ability to give precision divination, advice, and lead others to the spiritual path they were on. Now, this was not a new thing for me - somehow, I’d always had the knack of guiding people to the options open to them. For some reason, however, I never had that opportunity myself. I never quite knew who my primary deity was. They would come, they would go, but never did I have that feeling that I belonged, and when I did feel like I could devote myself to a being, some voice would chime in “Go ahead, but your first oaths are to us. We gave you our fire, we let you touch our loom, you know where your path currently leads.”
Time went by, and eventually I was lent out to fosterage with Hela. That, really, is one of the most important things I can tell you - it isn’t like being given or sent to another god or wight. I was sent out for fosterage. And, as all things have been with the Norns, it takes a while to understand the what and why of the matter.
So what does it mean to work with and for the Norns? It can mean a lot of things. There are groups who do a lot of work with them, people who claim to channel them, and different ways to access their knowledge and to work with them. They are not like other gods and giants, and they are often seen as untouchable, aloof, and out of bounds. For most, they are. They stand as oracles to the cosmos. We view them as the three who keep track of what has been, what is, and what must be based on the other two. They have their own logic, and it can be infuriating to work with beings that do not have any agenda but to keep things recorded and moving. Motion of the cosmos is the first aspect of their mysteries - they are that which keeps things in motion. To stop that motion is to interfere with the entire cosmos - the worlds of men, gods, giants and even stars rely on motion. Without motion, we cannot continue. Even our cellular nature relies on motion, movement, progression, rebirth and death, and this is the first mystery of the Norns.
They also demand fierce independence in those who work with them. The knowledge that you are ultimately responsible to yourself, it is yourself that you must answer to, that you are making decisions that affect you, and that you must be able to work alone, of your own volition, without external aid is essential. You cannot truly call on the Nornir in time of need. You can call on them, beg them for assistance, but they will give none, only advice regarding the paths that exist and may or may not come to pass. This can be reassuring to some, but it is not the same as praying to a god and hoping to have your prayers answered. They are not like Valkyries, and do not involve themselves directly in the life and fate of humans. This can be difficult, and if you have a history with a god you can pray to, it is very discomfiting to know that no matter how hard you pray, it is not going to help you. You will have to find another outlet to effect change, or take it upon yourself to create change (which is what I would recommend in the first place).
In talking with Raven for this article, I learned that people are not forthcoming with information on the Nornir. I am not surprised; I can tell you that it can be extremely disheartening to talk of them, to write about them. You feel like you are giving up a piece of yourself, and that you are threatening the entire universe, and to a great extent, you are interfering with your own selfish desire to keep them for yourself. To work with them and be allowed to continue working with them is by far the most precious and sacred duty given to a spirit worker. For me, it is the selfish desire to keep them for myself that makes writing this so difficult. But it needs to be known that all who work with them and for them are blessed.
The way that people work with them who are not devoted to them exclusively is very different from those of us chosen to run their temples and maintain their lands. They are often worked with to either attempt to learn the lay of ones personal wyrd, to understand Wyrd and its function, or wyrd manipulation. We will start with the most common, the lay of one’s personal wyrd.
Accessing the information of one’s personal wyrd can be done in many ways. Most often, we think of divination, such as rune readings, tarot readings, or astrology. These are probably the easiest to learn, least physically and emotionally damaging, and potentially viable. Lore tells us that it was at the base of Yggdrasil that Odin obtained the runes, and that he took them up screaming and near death. It was at the moment that Odin accessed the runes that he took upon himself what I call Urdaic consciousness - the ability to read the records that are stored in the well, on the tree, and in the threads and wood upon which the Nornir record all of existence. Odin’s actions allowed a channel for humans and other beings to access the runes, by altering the insular nature of the recording technology. Of course, he is not the only one who can teach them, and there are many, many paths to learning the runes, but it is important to understand this myth in order to know what it means to work so closely to the mysteries of Urda and her handmaidens. You can choose to work through an intermediary (one of the gods, giants, deep mind, guiding spirit), and in all honesty, I recommend this method, as it is much less difficult than trying to learn the runes by either the method Odin chose, or by one’s own Will (which is an eventual goal, but it isn’t the place to start). Once you have accessed these keys, you will be able to utilize them in a myriad of ways, including divination. Other tools are available, and are much easier to grasp, such as tarot, scrying, astrology, etc.
Another method, employed by various Seidhr groups (Hrafnar in particular), is oracular seidhr. Where most of the classic seidhkona’s work involves going to Helheim, they also utilize the Norns in group oracular seidhr settings. This method is expanded on a great deal in Jenny Blain’s Nine Worlds of Seid-Magic: Ecstasy and Neo-Shamanism in North European Paganism; however, there is a similar method that can be applied yourself. You can go to the edge of the Well of Wyrd and peer into it and see what you can. As with all forms of scrying, it is difficult but possible if you have the knack.
I
have also found that working with the Norns is extremely helpful when making
difficult decisions, and trying to cope with painful transitions and death.
They are not comforting in any way, but it is possible to access their
information to understand why certain events are taking place. This falls under
the mysteries of Skulda. I once heard her called Obligation, and this is a very
good term for her, as even death is an obligation at some point - we must do
it, and every thread must end somewhere.
Wyrd manipulation is all too often the path of the power-hungry - not in its entirety, but most often I find those who seek to manipulate Wyrd are pulling a power play. Look to Odin’s lore to understand this: When you seek out the Nornir to manipulate Wyrd, you will find that you are only creating wrinkles and knots. You are linking yourself into the Wyrd of others, and that is not always a good thing to do. It is hard on you, it is hard on them, and is extremely problematic for the Nornir in the long run. They will let you have your go at it, to be sure, but remember that Skulda is only preparing to shorten your thread. If you are interested in Wyrd manipulation, you must accept a certain amount of responsibility on yourself, whether you are doing it for the greater good or not, as there are problems inherent in this option.
In my years of working for the Norns, I have found myself slowly learning and working towards creating a temple for them here, and maintaining an astral temple for them. Their temples are not like others; they are not set up to be a central location for worship. They are much more like a Buddhist monastery, a place for internal transformation and understanding. They require the ability to keep a clear mind, be as non-judgmental as possible, and to teach acceptance and the inevitability of suffering and death. Their clergy is made up of many types, but they are more or less mirrors or prisms into the mysteries they are assigned to study. Much like the Norns themselves, they are the magnification process into the world(s) and mysteries. This is where ‘fosterage’ comes into play. The Norns will send their own off to other places and gods to learn. In turn, the clergy will then act as a concentrated focus on that mystery for the Nornir as well as those who follow that path. For me, that is the Rökkr path. As I grow closer to the Rökkr, I find myself growing towards the Nornir and working more and more for them.
If you are interested in working with them, after you have established the ability to keep a somewhat clear and open mind, I suggest taking up needlework of some kind. If you have the means, spinning and weaving is best, but needlepoint will also suffice. Open your mind in meditation and let the answer to what the pattern you work on come to you; that will be the most important thing, as the pattern you are given will teach you much.
As for research, I would consider looking into the research of the cult of the Matronae. H.R. Ellis Davidson makes many references to them in her work, and the information of them can be found quite easily. Looking into their practices, combined with a clear understanding of Huldrefolk, can lead you to the door of the Nornir. This is not the only path, but the one that I have undertaken. As mentioned before, you can easily find the Norns via the path to Valhalla, but be aware that they will appear very different to you if you take that road. Much like a prism, the light they cast out depends on the light going into them. I chose to let the Nornir represent themselves as they wanted me to see them, and they did so quite eagerly. (I suggest allowing all of the Jotnar and other beings you encounter this courtesy, as it will help you learn faster, gain respect, and clear away any historical baggage that has been attached by other dominant cultures over the past few thousand years.)
I find that offerings of green tea, milk and fresh bread are very effective. In my experience, I have found that rye bread and any bread with caraway seeds are less desirable. Goat’s milk seems to be preferred, but organic whole cow’s milk seems to be okay. They do not seem as receptive to alcoholic beverages and ale, though that may work for you. Meditate daily, at the same time (I prefer evenings) and keep your mind clear, allowing the objective of the energy of the Norns to enter your home and mind. It may take a few days, but it should allow an opening to get information on how best to access them for you. I am not leaving you a recipe, as I find that your pathway is dependent on you, not on a precedent set by another.
Good luck, wipe your feet, and keep your house/temple area clean!