The borders we are familiar with today are only a recent part of human history. Invisible lines in the sand designating ‘them’ and ‘us’. So invisible we mistake them for truth.
Look at a ‘map’ of Yggdrasil, the world tree, and we find an unsatisfyingly permeable, fluid landscape: the Well of Wyrd is located at both the root and the canopy, the Aesir (sky gods) are simultaneously kin to the Jotun (giants) and their mortal enemies, Alfheim (elf-home), Ljossalfheim (light-elf home) and Swartalfheim (dark-elf home) jostle uncomfortably for space in a 9-world model with 8 other contenders for ‘world’ status.
Don’t worry, we’ll get to the Halls of the Gods but, for now I want to take you on a little excursion into the Othala rune whose name translates, in modern terms, as ‘inheritance’ or ‘estate’. More rightly we might think of Othala as relating to ‘standing’ – land and stuff play only a small part. Put to one side for a moment any notions of a parcel of land with a picket fence around it. Imagine, instead, that you are a commoner. A person of the common land expecting to be able to gather your wood from its forests, graze your cattle on its fields and receive a share of communally tended harvests. All these expectations come with the notion of reciprocity – you are bonded to your community by mutual need.
In the periphery of your life there may well be those of good ‘standing’ who you turn to for wisdom, protection and specific resources. The smith, herbalist, midwife and the aethling. Aethling itself means ‘nobility’ or ‘of good standing’. Some of their responsibilities: resolving disputes, ensuring the circulation of wealth, gathering forces for defence and attack, fostering children into adulthood. Stories are told about the aethling, their names are known by the people of the common. Their homes are seen as places of refuge, not castles ruling kingdoms but people taking responsibility for the fabric of community. There are no borders, only a slow fading of reach and influence. Standing: the strength of your reputation.
…the northern Gods are stepping onto the shores of our consciousness after a long absence
This is a diagram from the Sunna’s Starwheel journal which shows which Halls of the northern gods the rune mistress Freya Aswynn allocates as alternatives to the Zodiac.
These are the gods whose stories have survived a 1,000 year slumber. There are more than 12, of course, but we Westerners have a weakness for 12, probably born from the classical Greek heritage that permeates our ideology. Still, the northern Gods are stepping onto the shores of our consciousness after a long absence – and they are comfortable working within our terrain.
For a number of years I resisted the 12 Halls system, my Taurean mind stubbornly held onto the Zodiac so I preferred to work with the runes alone. Then one day I was doing a shamanic journey and I saw, clear as day, a giantess leaving her land, her home, her people and making her way across a shimmering, ethereal bridge that set her stomach churning. In spite of this, she strode on into the very heartland of the sky-gods. Asgard, the enclosure of the Aesir: a collection of Halls working together in concert under the watchful eye of the All Father. This giantess was Skadi, Aswynn’s chosen patroness for Taureans. I realised in that moment how much Skadi had to teach me about strength, courage, independence and stepping out of my comfort zone. The Halls do not tell you who you are, their aethling are mentors guiding you towards the fullest potential of who you could be.
A note before we continue on the Halls and the Runes. Each Hall has 3 runes attached to it so your relationship with your Hall patron will be coloured by that rune. My Sun rune is Laguz which I always found funny as Skadi married the God of sea-faring but really hates his coastline home. You like what you like, she tells me. I am water, but I can become ice, I can walk the bridge, I can demand justice, I can choose the unconventional path. These are her lessons for me.
Below is just a little taster of the qualities/ lessons offered by the Halls of the Gods. Look for your Zodiac Sun Sign and consider the question: what does the northern tradition alternative tell me about who I could become if I stretched myself? Why not take it a step further and seek out the myths associated with your patron?
NB – dates given are general, they shift each year
Thor's Hall Bilskirnir - ARIES
Strength, service, love, passion, protection, devotion
Thor is known as the defender of Middle Earth – our realm. His hammer, Mjolnir, is not simply a weapon – it is a sacred object used to bless the land, seal bonds and promote fertility. In Thor we find a fierceness born of love – the question becomes not how to control the passions of Aries but rather what cause is worthy of your power.
Skadi's Hall Thrymheim -TAURUS
Autonomy, self-determination, will-power
I have already shared a little of my story with Skadi. Suffice it to say she can be an antidote to the idea that Taureans choose comfort over everything else and can be stubborn just for the sake of it. Not comfort, but integrity, she says. Not stubbornness, but fealty to truth.
Skadi’s Hall is also known as Thrymheim which means thunder-home or noisy-home. Just to complicate things Thrudheim is sometimes said to be the location of Thor’s Hall Bilskirnir.
Freyja's Hall Sessrumnir - GEMINI
Collaboration, sensuality, luck, intelligence
Like Gemini Freyja has a multitude of facets but, where Gemini can seem fickle, this Goddess is intentional and purposeful in every action. She offers tutelage in choosing which aspect of your vast array of selves to bring to the fore and initiates those who are ready into the mysteries of connectedness, collaboration and vulnerability.
Technically Fokvang is the name of the fields attached to Freyja’s Hall Sessrúmnir. Perhaps she referred to it as Folkvang because the name is better known.
Heimdall's Hall Himminbjorg - CANCER
Sensitivity, perception, vigilance, versatility
Heimdall is an ancient god, sometimes said to be a son of Odin but most often cited as being birthed by 9 mothers. He is a fabulous patron for anyone who is highly sensitive and offers to Cancerians a deeper understanding of their relationships to their environments as stewards, shapers and defenders.
As I write this he offers me a secret smile, reminding me that as visitors cross the Bifrost bridge to Asgard they see him as constancy and security incarnate. He is always there. Beneath that seemingly sensible exterior he remains a primal force, capable of melting into the all. His sense of freedom is so vast it is no constraint to remain at his post.
Baldur's Hall - Breiðablik - LEO
Idealism, bravery, confidence, hope
One of the big difference for me between Leo and the teachings of Baldur is that Baldur is a god of light who descends into darkness. We can typecast Leos as extroverted and craving the limelight. Baldur certainly enjoys a bit of attention but his story is also that of the light that waxes and wanes through the wheel of the year. He needs the restorative, replenishing darkness to re-kindle his flame.
Saga's Hall Sokkvabekk - VIRGO
Curiosity, knowledge, preservation, expression
Saga is a seeress so, although her name can make us think of lengthy, detailed histories she governs a much richer tapestry of intuitive, intellectual and embodied wisdom. Her teachings draw out the art of the poet, the curiosity of the explorer, the emotion of the singer, the grace of the dancer. In her we learn how to transform inspiration into expression.
Forsetti's Hall Glitnir - LIBRA
Judgement, mediation, fairness, kindness, balance
Often I have journeyed to the Hall of Forsetti simply to be in the presence of one who knows balance. In his hands he weaves a harmony of idealism and pragmatism. His ears listen, always, for truth but before he pronounces judgement; every word he speaks is filtered through his heart
Odin's Hall Gladsheim - SCORPIO
Will-power, adaptability, vision, sovereignty
In his Mercurial energy I refer to Odin as the creator/ destroyer – the force of evolution. His Hall, Gladsheim, speaks more to his connection to the flow of fate. He does not seek to master destiny, he seeks to woo it and be wooed by it
What does it mean to surrender fully to yourself? To commit to the truth of the heart regardless of what others think, feel or say about it? Odin is the power of the sovereign who sits, not apart from the consequences of his decisions, but slap bang in the centre of them.
Ullr's Hall Ydalir - SAGITTARIUS
Independence, freedom, unconventionality, authenticity
I cannot deny I have a soft spot for Ullr. Skadi’s lover, god of the hunt. Speeding across jagged, snow-bedecked mountains, leaning in to the edge of the wind. It is said that during the time of Yule Ullr takes the throne of Odin for a short period – I cannot help but feel there is a bond between them.
Ullr is said to be the son of Sif, goddess of the harvest – so perhaps his period of rule speaks to the finishing of the best of the harvest stores during mid-winter celebrations. This god born of no man is so comfortable in his skin, so sure of his path that the taste of power holds no temptation.
Vidar's Hall Landvidi - CAPRICORN
Patience, gravitas, silence, fortitude
Vidar, like many of Odin’s sons will survive Ragnarok, the final battle and go on to found a new age. He kills the Fenris wolf, avenging his father’s death and ending a cycle aeons in the making. He is known as the god of silence and some believe ritual silences were carried out in his honour.
Vidar knows what must be done and willingly, quietly takes on the role. His is the act of completion. The silence in which we grieve for and accept the passing of the old and make way for the new. In Vidar we find one who perceives the world exactly as it is and seeks not to change it but to commit to it.
Vali's Hall Valaskjalf - AQUARIUS
Valour, self-reliance, responsibility, idealism
After Vidar comes another of Odin’s sons, Vali, charged with a task that turns the wheel of time. In this case the slaying of his own half-brother, Hod, to avenge the (unintentional) fratricide of Baldur.
In Vali I find healing and renewal. It is said that he fulfilled his destined task before washing his body or uttering his first word. He is born carrying the burden of his parent, his hands stained with blood before he even knows what that means. We all carry such burdens. Vali gifts the capacity to face the parts of ourselves and our histories we did not choose. Once this task is complete he is free to forge his own path – like Vidar he will survive Ragnarok and, in fact, greet both Baldur and Hod as they rise from the realm of the dead and take their place with the living. His is the possibility of what is to come.
Note that Valaskjalf is technically another of Odin’s Halls. I like to think he gifts it to Vali and that perhaps this lesser-known son will take on some of Odin’s responsibilities post Raganrok.
Njord's Hall Noatun - PISCES
Generosity, liminal knowledge, reward, connection
Njord is distinct from Aegir, the God of the deep seas, in that he governs the harbours and blesses those who rely on the sea for their livelihood. His is the song of adventure and the story of home.
His is the gift of abundance to those who know how to give and receive freely. In him we are reminded that nothing is the product of our own efforts alone. This can be a challenging message in the age of individualism. If we can gaze at the sea in wonder and gratitude – even when it is fierce, fickle and implacable – then why can we not do the same for each other?
References
Sunna's Starwheel
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Birth Runes Oracle
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Magic in Mind videos
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