Feb 21, 2012

Experiences With Heimdall

Today's post is about a few of my personal experiences with Heimdall. I am coming into the subject as someone who belongs to another God and not as an immediate dedicant of His. However, I have noticed that Heimdall and my own God, Forseti, have a number of things in common: it comes very naturally to draw some comparisons between the two. Both can show some reserve and both are best approached with a certain level of formality, respect, and decorum--especially at first. It has been my experience that Heimdall, like Forseti, understands that it can be hard to control our thoughts. He can be astoundingly patient as long as it is one's intent is to be respectful. Both Gods are associated with guarding boundaries and both are likewise protectors of what is holy. Heimdall, however, seems to have a far more "military" feel to Him--speaking to my own experience, at least.

Heimdall is most famously known as Asgard's guardian. He also is associated with Rig, who taught the runes to mankind. In any case, teaching, runic knowledge, and intellectual pursuits are all within Heimdall's purview. He is very much a God of illumination in many different senses. While meditating, I have often found Him one of the very easiest Gods to "see," though I do not always have the easiest time with visual interactions.

Many of my personal encounters with Heimdall have been as a student approaching a teacher. This is not an uncommon way to relate to Him from what I understand. Like Forseti, He will ask questions and expect that real thought be put into the answers. He seems to enjoy honest emotion and honest discussions. He has a fierce passion for the Gods and Their realm that comes right from the heart. In this way He rather reminds me of Odin. Duty is hardly the only reason Heimdall stands guard: while one's role and one's deeds are important, He also reveals the ferocious drive, transcending value, and core of love underlying that which must be done.

Heimdall is an extremely intellectual God. With his connections to listening and understanding, as well as to teaching and illumination, I believe that He would be an excellent God to call on for any academic pursuit. Heimdall seems to have a very genuine warmth and regard for humanity--rather like Thor, but with a twist more towards various forms of development such as education or acquiring technological knowledge. This may seem to be a bit of a digression, but I was really hit with a sense of Heimdall's nature when I was--of all things--discussing the history of transistors with a friend. Transistors were the reason we were able to move away from vacuum tubes and ever-expanding, gargantuan computers to create the technology we have today. The manufacturing process itself is of interest, as it involves changing and layering crystals, often with a laser (or so I am given to understand, with only a lay-person's background in any of the sciences). This gets all the more amusing when some of the processes explicitly reference diffraction, the principle that also allows for the existence of rainbows. Then there is the way transistors work as switches, determining what gets through and what is blocked, and as amplifiers (remembering Heimdall's acute powers of hearing and sight).

Not surprisingly, Heimdall sometimes shows a keen interest in assisting with spiritual pursuits, including building up relationships with other Gods and Goddesses. I have found that He has excellent insights about spiritual practice, developing increased perception in meditations, and forging deeper connections with other Deities in our pantheon. One of the things I have learned from Him is that the bridge between worlds and our relationships with our Gods are not static: Bifrost itself is made of light, which is in constant motion. So too with our exchanges with the Divine. I admittedly have a great deal of trouble internalizing this concept, but connection really is more of a dance or a flow than a set-down path. Communication happens far more naturally if we can approach the Gods in this way.

Our Deities are much grander than our human preconceptions. We can sometimes perceive conflicts of interest where there may not be any, and avoid approaching certain Gods or Goddesses on that basis. Heimdall is a true friend of humankind and is an especially good God for any of us to hail or honor. Respect, as always, is key.

For more UPG about Heimdall, I recommend The Temple Of The Flea's Heimdall Pages. The site was created by a devotee of His and includes information on offerings.

Feb 18, 2012

Adorations To Forseti

Seventy-two Adorations to Forseti. More Adorations are available at The House of Vines.



I adore You, Stiller of Strife.
I adore You, God who truly listens.
I adore You, One who is fair.
I adore You, Balder's son.
I adore You, Wielder of the Golden Axe.
I adore You, Giver of Law.
I adore You, gentle teacher.
I adore You, God of the Holy Spring.
I adore You who loves wisdom.
I adore You who speaks softly.
I adore You, so often set apart.
I adore You, God who sees the hidden meanings.
I adore You, God whose words are strength.
I adore You, Lord of shining Glitnir.
I adore You, Master of the Tenth Hall.
I adore You, rich in gold and silver.
I adore You whose expectations are exacting.
I adore You whose regard is intense.
I adore You whose love encompasses.
I adore You, God as warm as steady flame.
I adore You who welcomes.
I adore You, patient one. 
I adore You who guides.
I adore You who sets the path through the storm.
I adore You whose speech is unclouded.
I adore You, Settler of Charges.
I adore You, seeker of precision.
I adore You who opens hearts.
I adore You whose gaze pierces as the hawk's.
I adore You whose smile is the sun rising.
I adore You, God of the Sacred Isle.
I adore You, Judge of the Gods.
I adore You who guards what is holy.
I adore You, Builder of Bridges.
I adore You, God of Balance.
I adore You who loves justice.
I adore You who seeks the right solution.
I adore You whom all the Gods hear. 
I adore You, God of pure and flowing streams.
I adore You, God who appears at sea.
I adore You who builds the lawful land.
I adore You who Presides.
I adore You, constant star.
I adore You whose voice lifts up.
I adore You, God who pries out truth.
I adore You, God who shares Your thoughts and presence.
I adore You, Honorable One.
I adore You, Honest One.
I adore You who demands integrity.
I adore You who speaks forthrightly.
I adore You, God who gives generously.
I adore You who steers Home.
I adore You, God of the Frisians.
I adore You who perceives the hidden heart.
I adore You, God who binds.
I adore You, God of sworn oaths.
I adore, God of fierce freedom.
I adore You who rejoices.
I adore You who sorrows.
I adore You, God who breaks down walls.
I adore You whose blade cuts.
I adore You whose verdicts endure.
I adore You who mends wrongs.
I adore You who seals judgments.
I adore You whose rulings are sure.
I adore You who hopes for peace.
I adore You, God of tranquil waters.
I adore You, God of open sky.
I adore You, whose voice is poetry.
I adore You, whose eyes are light. 
I adore You, Fully Trusted.
I adore You, Forseti.

Feb 9, 2012

Balder And Nanna Artwork

Balder and Nanna
A new devotional piece in pastels, with some color-balancing via my preferred art software. The contrasting black and white background symbolizes Their passing through Hela's realm.

I've been in a "Slavic" sort of mood lately. Balder's shirt design reflects this.

Creative Commons Copyright: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (CC BY-NC-SA).