Direct Contact
From time to time people write and ask me how to make contact with Loki. Or they write and say that He’s made contact with them, and what should they do? Ideally, they leave Him an offering (coffee, lots of sugar is fab, and so is alcohol, though I wouldn't give Him something that I wouldn't drink myself), and they talk to Him.
I would actually say this is true for most of the gods, but also Odin in particular. I do not accept messages from anyone claiming to speak for Him unless they present some very specific criteria AND can continue previous conversations I’ve had w/ Him (most of which are never on public display). As a seidhrkona who gets LOTS of the “what does Odin want from me?” types of questions, even if I manage to get a message for them I always encourage the person to go directly to Him, first and foremost. If the action wanted is a big one (such as marriage or even patronage) there is always LOTS of corroborating evidence (dreams, signs, omens, messages from other people, etc)--so much so that there really should not be much room for doubt.
In our long-ago Heathen past, seidhr was generally reserved for emergency situations (maybe because people were too frightened of seidhr folk to approach them otherwise) in which people had tried other means of obtaining answers on their situation, or were just so overwrought that their usual methods of getting answers were not working and they needed some outside help. What see a lot of now though is people becoming dependent on seidhr answers, the way people in other traditions become dependent on Tarot readers or astrologers. I do not ever want to be that person who comes between you and your god, so I cannot stress this enough: ask for an oracle if you feel you must, but not as a substitute for going directly to them, in some manner. Almost everyone has SOME tools they can use for doing this, but for those who feel they need a few pointers I am going to be posting a suggested reading list in January.
Reblogged this on The Ravens Breath and commented:
I cannot agree more with both the original blog post and the reblog that Beth posted.
I would only add that I do not discount (nor do i think the previous bloggers) that each of us has the capacity to ‘be a voice’ for any given deity in any given moment. Its my personal feeling that when the gods wish to get a message to someone they will not hesitate to use whatever means a person is most ready to accept as the means for the message.
This is true. I am a big believer, though, that for important decisions the gods will contact us in a number of different ways, and that They are very capable of making Their wills known even to the most headblind. For example, unintentional oracles (songs that just happen to have been playing on the radio when a question was being pondered, or chance remarks by strangers who had no idea of my situation) have been very significant for me at times. The appearance of birds or animals, messages on street signs, what happens to be playing when you randomly turn on the TV, a book you happen to see while randomly browsing in a bookstore (in my case, long ago, it was American Gods that played this role)…any of these things can hold messages from the gods, because They are very resourceful that way.
I am very cautious of the whole “Loki/Odin Whoever wanted me to pass this message along to you” trend, though. Cautious and downright suspicious, actually. It’s one thing if a message is sought, such as in a divination or seidhr oracle, but unsolicited messages feel like a kind of emotional/spiritual abuse to me. I haven’t gotten any in recent memory, myself, but it makes me squeamish (and often angry) when I hear of this happening with other people, especially when said messages (however well-intentioned) end up causing spiritual damage.
oh exactly. I am in total agreement with you there. For me its more like I am in a conversation with someone and there is suddenly a shift in the way i type or speak. It’s not somethign i usually recognize until or unless my attention is brought to the fact that its not ‘just’ me speaking.
I can honestly say that i have never done the “Loki told me to tell you” thing for Him or ANY other deity. its just a message that comes thru in a needed moment really, that is reassuring in all of my experience with it.
Honestly I think that is important for any developing relationship with a god. I am the same way regarding Apollon, and while I might offering insights and thoughts to others who have similar relationships with Apollon, I *never* try to just push my way in as I don’t appreciate it when others do that to me. I am very very selective of whom I have exchanges with regarding my god, but my general rule of thumb is that I don’t ask anyone to be intermediary…it may take a bit more work at times but typically I can decipher things loud and clear, and my humble opinion is that more folks should place their trust in themselves and their relationship with the god in question instead of running to a so called “authority”. But just my two cents heh.
Yes, I completely agree! And as you said, offering more general insights and thoughts based on research or on your own experiences is different. But the very idea of putting myself between another person and their god is not only distasteful to me but actually frightening because if you want to piss the gods off that’s a very good way to do it. This doesn’t seem to matter to some people, who like the feeling of power this kind of intermediary status offers, but I believe it will only come back to bite them in the ass eventually. This is why seeking oracles or readings should, in my opinion, be emergency measures only. It’s harder to work at establishing direct contact with the gods but it’s so worth it; your relationship with Them will be deeper and more solid and you avoid the danger of having it colored by someone else’s agenda.
I agree entirely…of course my bias may be showing a bit because I am generally rather suspicious of self-proclaimed oracles. Not so much seers who just say hey I am here, but people who claim to be an authority, person extraordinaire…..yeah I am extremely suspicious of agenda and potential interest in building their own following. Much better idea to go through the effort and make a connection to the gods, and then if you really really feel you need a second interpretation then you can take it to someone that you feel is reliable and trustworthy…but in one should this be considered the final word instead of just another a perspective.
Honestly though this one of the reasons why I don’t have any interest in being any kind of seer. I do divination for myself as per need, but I don’t like the idea of getting between anyone and their god and making a mess rather than being helpful.
Yes, exactly, it should be received as just another perspective to consider. And I do know exactly from whence your suspicion stems.
I once knew someone that did not make any decisions without consulting a mutual friend that had the gift of oracle. Nothing, not even mundane things. Every instinct in me screamed the wrongness of this.
Now as I am older, I see seeking an external oracle as light in the cloudiness of confusion that can come from a life out of balance. Or for me, a slap in the butt to get me back on the path I need to be on.
Before They drop a ton of bricks on my head in a more painful way. But it is not something to be relied upon.
No one can tell me what the Gods want from me but Them. No one can tell anyone what They want but Them. However I think some folks believe that it is easier to have someone else tell them what is wanted of them. I have a pet peeve about the idea of entitlement. Wisdom is not given. It is something that has to be earned.
The Gods speak, but we have to be willing to put the time, blood, and tears to hear Them.
These posts struck a cord with me. Especially the place I am in my life at the moment. Thank you.
I have a pet peeve about the idea of entitlement. Wisdom is not given. It is something that has to be earned.
The Gods speak, but we have to be willing to put the time, blood, and tears to hear Them.
Yes, this is exactly it. An oracle is there to light a match for you, or perhaps give you a nudge in the right direction–as much as he or she is able to perceive that at the time of the session–but not to tell you what the gods want from you. I am developing an increasing pet peeve along these same lines myself, which I will be posting more about shortly.
If I came to you it was because I really couldn’t speak with Odin myself. There was a block that was too huge, and maybe timing was not good. Hence the seidhr, so that you could pass on some words of his.
Valiel, the problem wasn’t just you alone (or any one particular person, for that matter); it was that there was suddenly a big deluge of very similar queries. Yes, the timing was inconsiderate, but the fact that I could see these kinds of questions becoming an increasing trend was the more serious issue. In your case, I know that the block was likely only a temporary one (as you yourself had already been told as much by Them), and since it had only recently been set in place it was not really an emergency. Something else to consider is that when the gods put such blocks in place it is usually for a reason–something we need to work through, a test of faith or patience, or even just an opportunity to catch our breath. Sometimes They just want to see how we’re going to resolve the issue. As Sonya remarked in her comment to this post, your first reaction might be to panic but if you can give yourself the space to get past that, often you will find the answer yourself or They will help you, without the need for a spirit worker.
Yes, I get it.
I replied to you privately (as shortly as possible).
I saw it and I very much appreciate the sentiments–thank you.
I would have replied already but was sick today.