White (Hvítur)
- Element: Air/Spirit
- Planetary: Moon
- Meanings: Purity, clarity, cleansing, truth, spirit contact, peace
- Used for: Cleansing, blessing, communication with pure spirits, healing, peace
- Candle work: All-purpose, can substitute for any color in need
- Thread/cloth: Purification, healing, spiritual protection
- Note: The color of snow, of fresh beginnings
Black (Svartur)
- Element: Earth/Void
- Planetary: Saturn
- Meanings: Banishing, binding, protection (absorptive), mystery, the void, endings
- Used for: Banishing negativity, binding harmful people, protection, shadow work, crone magic
- Candle work: Absorbs negativity, creates barriers, binding
- Thread/cloth: Binding, banishing, heavy protection
- Note: Not "evil" — it's the fertile void from which all things come
Green (Grænn)
- Element: Earth
- Planetary: Venus/Freyja
- Meanings: Growth, prosperity, fertility, nature, healing, luck
- Used for: Money, business success, garden magic, healing, fertility
- Candle work: Steady growth, material success, nature connection
- Thread/cloth: Money bags, fertility charms, healing sachets
- Shades: Dark green for money, light green for healing
Blue (Blár)
- Element: Water
- Planetary: Moon/Mercury
- Meanings: Peace, calm, healing, communication, wisdom, protection (gentle)
- Used for: Calming emotions, peace between people, healing, truth, safe travel (especially by sea)
- Candle work: Soothing conflicts, emotional healing, peaceful sleep
- Thread/cloth: Peace water bottles, healing charms, protection for children
- Shades: Pale blue for peace, deep blue for wisdom
Gold (Gullinn)
- Element: Fire/Sun
- Planetary: Sun
- Meanings: Success, wealth, solar power, masculine divine, achievement
- Used for: Major success, enlightenment, honoring gods, prestige
- Candle work: Peak achievement, solar magic, vitality
- Thread/cloth: Success sachets, prosperity work, honoring deities
- Note: Actual gold (metal) even more powerful
Silver (Silfur)
- Element: Water/Moon
- Planetary: Moon
- Meanings: Moon magic, psychic power, feminine divine, intuition, dreams
- Used for: Lunar work, psychic development, goddess magic, mirror magic
- Candle work: Moon phases, psychic opening, goddess invocation
- Thread/cloth: Dream pillows, psychic protection, moon water bottles
- Note: Actual silver (metal) even more powerful
Purple (Fjólublár)
- Element: Spirit
- Planetary: Jupiter
- Meanings: Spiritual power, royalty, wisdom, psychic ability, ambition
- Used for: Increasing magical power, wisdom seeking, spiritual authority
- Candle work: Deep spiritual work, power raising, wisdom
- Thread/cloth: Power bags, spiritual authority, third eye work
- Note: Historically expensive dye — carries energy of luxury
Brown (Brúnn)
- Element: Earth
- Planetary: Saturn/Earth
- Meanings: Grounding, stability, animals, practical matters, home
- Used for: Grounding after magic, stability, animal magic, home protection
- Candle work: Practical matters, grounding, earth connection
- Thread/cloth: Grounding stones, animal familiars, stability work
Orange (Appelsínugulur)
- Element: Fire
- Planetary: Sun/Mercury
- Meanings: Success, creativity, attraction, joy, change
- Used for: Quick success, creativity, adaptability, attraction
- Candle work: Fast luck, creative projects, joy
- Thread/cloth: Success charms, creative inspiration, attraction
Pink (Bleikur)
- Element: Water
- Planetary: Venus
- Meanings: Gentle love, friendship, emotional healing, self-love, harmony
- Used for: Romantic love (gentle), friendship, healing heart wounds, self-care
- Candle work: Sweet love, friendship, emotional healing
- Thread/cloth: Love sachets (gentle), friendship charms, self-love work
- Note: Softer than red; for romance without aggression
Yellow (Gulur)
- Element: Air
- Planetary: Mercury/Sun
- Meanings: Communication, intellect, joy, confidence, mental clarity
- Used for: Study, communication, confidence, mental work, joy
- Candle work: Clarity, communication, happiness, success in learning
- Thread/cloth: Study charms, communication work, confidence
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VII. Dýr og Tákn — Animals and Their Virtues
The Spirit Allies
In the North, every creature carried significance. To use animal parts in magic was to invoke the virtue of that animal's spirit.
Animal Correspondences:
Raven (Hrafn)
- Symbolism: Odin's messengers (Huginn and Muninn — Thought and Memory), prophecy, war, death
- Parts used: Feathers (if found, never killed for)
- Magic: Divination, communication with dead, wisdom, thought, memory
- How to use: Place feather on altar, carry for mental clarity, use in divination
Wolf (Úlfur)
- Symbolism: Loyalty, family, hunting, Odin's companions (Geri and Freki), wildness
- Parts used: Fur (if ethically sourced), teeth (same), images
- Magic: Loyalty, protection of family, hunting success, wildness, strength
- How to use: Carry wolf imagery for courage, protection for pack/family
Bear (Björn)
- Symbolism: Strength, warrior spirit (berserkers), healing, mother protection
- Parts used: Claws (if legal and ethical), fur, images
- Magic: Immense strength, warrior courage, maternal protection, healing
- How to use: Carry for physical strength, protection, courage in battle
- Note: Sacred to Thor in some traditions
Stag/Deer (Hjörtur)
- Symbolism: Fertility, gentleness, forest magic, swiftness, masculine vitality
- Parts used: Antlers (naturally shed), images
- Magic: Male fertility, virility, gentle strength, forest connection
- How to use: Antler pieces for masculine magic, fertility, connection to forest spirits
Horse (Hestur)
- Symbolism: Travel, journey, Sleipnir (Odin's eight-legged horse), status, power
- Parts used: Horseshoe (shed), horsehair (given freely), images
- Magic: Safe travel, luck, power, journeying between worlds
- How to use: Horseshoe above door for luck, horsehair in travel charms
Snake/Serpent (Ormur)
- Symbolism: Transformation, healing, rebirth (shedding skin), wisdom, Jörmungandr
- Parts used: Shed skin (if found), images
- Magic: Transformation, healing, rebirth, wisdom, underworld connection
- How to use: Shed skin in transformation magic, healing, renewal work
Boar (Villisvin)
- Symbolism: Fertility, abundance, Freyr's golden boar Gullinbursti, courage
- Parts used: Tusks (if ethically sourced), images
- Magic: Fertility, abundance, courage, ferocity, protection
- How to use: Invoke for fertility, prosperity, fierce protection
Cat (Köttur)
- Symbolism: Freyja's companions (draw her chariot), independence, magic, psychic ability
- Parts used: Shed whiskers (naturally fallen), fur (brushed off)
- Magic: Independence, psychic ability, feminine magic, attraction, mystery
- How to use: Cat whisker in charm bags for psychic ability, independence
Owl (Ugla)
- Symbolism: Wisdom, night vision, death omens, silent hunting
- Parts used: Feathers (if found), images
- Magic: Wisdom, seeing through darkness, silent action, prophecy
- How to use: Feathers for wisdom, seeing hidden things, night magic
Goat (Geit)
- Symbolism: Thor's goats (Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjóstr), vitality, stubbornness, climbing
- Parts used: Horn (shed or ethically sourced), images
- Magic: Vitality, determination, overcoming obstacles, Thor connection
- How to use: Goat horn for drinking vessels (ritual), determination magic
Ethical Considerations:
The Northern Way honors life. Animal parts used in magic must be:
1. Naturally shed (feathers, antlers, snake skin, cat whiskers)
2. Ethically sourced (from animals that died naturally or humanely for food)
3. Never killed specifically for magic (this corrupts the working)
4. Legal to possess (check local laws regarding feathers, bones, etc.)
5. Treated with respect (thanked, honored, never wasted)
Modern substitution: In most cases, images, symbols, or carvings of animals work just as well as physical parts. The spirit recognizes the intent.
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VIII. Steinar og Gimsteinar — Stones and Crystals
The Bones Beneath
Long before crystal healing became popularized, the Norse knew that stones held power — they were the bones of the earth, the remnants of Ymir's body, silent witnesses to ages beyond memory.
Stone Correspondences in Trolldom:
Hematite (Blóðsteinn — Blood Stone)
- Appearance: Metallic gray-black, leaves red streak
- Element: Earth
- Powers: Grounding, protection, strength, warrior energy, blood magic
- Uses: Carry after deep trance work, protection against psychic attack, grounding scattered energy
- Why it works: Iron content, heavy, literally pulls you down to earth
- Placement: Root chakra area, in pockets during ritual, under pillows for grounded sleep
Clear Quartz (Bjartsteinn — Bright Stone)
- Appearance: Clear, translucent, six-sided crystals
- Element: Spirit/All elements
- Powers: Amplification, clarity, programmability, all-purpose
- Uses: Amplify other stones, program for any intention, scrying, clarity
- Why it works: Piezoelectric properties, most common crystal, pure structure
- Placement: Center of crystal grids, on altar, in charm bags, worn as jewelry
- Note: The "all-purpose" stone — can substitute for nearly any other
Smoky Quartz (Reyksteinn — Smoke Stone)
- Appearance: Brown to black translucent quartz
- Element: Earth/Spirit
- Powers: Grounding spiritual energy, protection, transmuting negativity, shadow work
- Uses: After heavy spiritual work, processing shadow, dissolving negative energy
- Why it works: Naturally irradiated quartz, bridges earth and spirit
- Placement: Base of spine, in one hand during meditation, under bed
Black Tourmaline (Svartsteinn — Black Stone)
- Appearance: Black, striated, often in rough chunks
- Element: Earth
- Powers: Protection (strongest), grounding, purification, shielding
- Uses: Psychic protection, EMF protection, creating boundaries, repelling negativity
- Why it works: Pyroelectric (generates charge when heated), strong structure
- Placement: Four corners of home, on electronics, carried for protection, by front door