Devotional Art: Frigga by Jenn McCarty

A devotional piece for Frigga by my friend Jennifer McCarty that I commissioned. Wanted to share as I love devotional art and wish I was more artistic. I crochet and am working on a devotional shawl for Frigga but love having this to hang and look at during prayers and meditations as well as traditional paintings of Frigga herself.

30 Days of Frigga Day 3 Symbols

drop spindle made by Damon
Photo by me

Symbols related to Frigga

Lore Related Symbols

Spindle
Spinning Wheel
Distaff
Queen's Crown
Birch Tree
the rune Berkana is said to be Her rune

UPG Symbols

Any fiber arts tools such as crochet hooks or knitting needles
Blue flax flowers

30 Days of Frigga Day 2 Becoming a Handmaiden

How did you become first aware of this deity?

2014 I began the journey to get healthier in both my physical body but also my energy body. I also connected with the spiritually minded women in my community. I also began to see and dream of a divine female entity who emitted the vibrations of loving mother, dutiful wife, and diplomatic queen as well as connecting to land spirits at the end of that year when we moved to the marshlands of Meadow Lakes.

Visitations from the female deity continued but it wasn't until the beginning of this year (2016) that I learned that it was Frigga, Norse Goddess, Queen of the Aesir, and Wife of Odin/Mother of Balder. I have never had much connection with the northern traditions or pantheons so it wasn't until I was researching an author I liked that I clicked on link and link and link until seeing the image and name Frigga. That was her!
The recognition and acknowledgement opened a door - more like busted it wide open.

I share this story as well as my entering into motherhood Here

Uruz-Auroch-Wild-Determination

While I was riding into town the other day, I closed my eyes and tilted my head up to the window to feel the sun full on my face. I was then given a vision of a pile of plain gray river stones all gathered in a pile and on top of that pile was a stone painted with a green rune:

I wasn't sure what to give in offering to Uruz. From what I've read blood is powerful but binding and sometimes too strong especially when just starting out. Finally, I gave milk. I coated the rune in breastmilk, taking care to rub some into the carved rune. That done, I held it loosely. It might have been my own pulse thrumming hard in my hands that I felt, strong and rhythmic as a shaman's drum. I closed my eyes.

I saw a herd of wild cattle with majestic horns. Dark brown fur and large liquid black eyes all around. My eyesight was strange. I had a hard time focusing in front of me. I turned my head and felt weight that was more than my own. I was one of them grazing on a grassy field bordered by mountains not much different than those that rest on the horizon of my home in Alaska.
My hackles rise and something, a scent in the breeze. I turn to see a young one fall to two hungry, lean wolves. The herd moves. We turn as one like a river of fur and deadly horn and hooves. The wolves are trampled. We lost one of ours but the enemy has been dealt with, for now.

I breathe.
The vision changes.

I stand on two feet now, looking at the pile of river stones I saw before when Uruz first came to me. I hear water flowing and see a stream ahead formed from a spring in a wall of rock. I begin to climb that wall. My hands, large and calloused - a man's hands - reach fro a hold in the craggy face of the rock. The sun is hot and I can feel sweat running down my face and back. Round my neck is a necklace made from hemp? horse hair? and beads made from bits of stone and glass. My tunic, the yellow dye faded from wear, clings to my back and is wet with sweat.
I'm breathing hard as I rest my head on the rock. I know not to look down but dread looking up. I'm half-way there.
The sun is covered by clouds and the breeze is suddenly cold. The sweat on my back and neck chills and I keep climbing.
Finally, as the sun, now low on the horizon, peeks back out, I reach the top. My legs and arms are shaky as I collapse on grass. Breathing in deep I smell my own sweat, grass, earth.
I grin, feeling accomplished as I look up into faded blue sky. I run a hand over my face, feeling the beginnings of a beard. Turning my head I see the wild cattle, one looking over me with gentle curiosity and a glimmer of "Do you see now?"
I see.

30 Days of Devotion Day 1 Frigga

FRIXX by deWitte

Today is Day 1 of the 30 Days of Devotion I am doing for My Lady, Frigga. While today is supposed to be a basic introduction, most of what I could say about Frigga that is "basic" I will be thoroughly covering in later days.
She is the Queen of Asgard, wife of the All-Father and therefore the All-Mother.
She is the lady of the hearth, mother goddess to some, regal lady and keeper of the keys to the hall to others. Silent seer, mourning mother, spinner of wyrd.
I see Frigga as a regal lady at her spinning or talking among her handmaidens to keep order among the high worlds and Midgard. When she wants to be she can be soft and tender to those that come to her, especially towards children. I have seen her caress my son's hair and felt her wrap me in the quilt of her comforting love.
I have also seen her be calculating, demanding, and strict. I would not want to raise her anger.
It is my hope that in the next 30 days I can give a glimpse of the Goddess I adore to those that look to find her face or to see her hands at work.

Resources

Northern Pagan Tradition Shrine to Frigga

Pagan Veiling Mention and Resources

Wanted to share a recent blog post from Danie at Primordial Willow on Pagan Veiling.

Danie has been a Veiling Pagan for several years and has graciously created a great resource list for us in light of the topic being stirred up recently. I was surprised to see my own Pinterest board on Pagan Veiling mentioned and linked here.

I also wrote a blog post over on my professional site about my thoughts on the recent Burkini controversy and its connections to public breastfeeding in the whole world of body autonomy and women's rights. The majority of the post is very pointed images and a discussion I had with some well-meaning but misguided liberal feminists desiring to save brainwashed women from oppression by belittling them.

Heathen Community, Race, and Gender Constructs

The notorious AFA is at it again...

When I initially read this post on a friend Lee's feed (note, my friend shared an article that spoke out against racism in the Heathen community and this was the picture that showed up in the share that I reacted to) I wasn't sure what to say only that I was reeling from the bs I read.
Someone who is also friends with Lee replied to my response asking if I was "Triggered?" then "Why? Do you equate pride in one's heritage to be racist? Or only when white people do it?"
Before I comment on the topic of racism I want to share the last part of our conversation on Lee's feed:

Me Also, I'd like to add that MY statements had nothing initially to do with race, Dennis, yours did. What triggered me, in fact, was the statement about gender more than race. I find it interesting how triggered you seem. Not to try a stir things up but I did want to make it clear that i found this particular part of the commentary interesting.
Dennis There was a statement of gender in this particular discussion? I missed that. I thought this whole thread was about race. What did I miss?
Me "The AFA believe that gender is not a social construct" is a statement in the picture I commented on and the statement goes on. This was what I was initially responding to.
Lee Perfect example of such confusion. Thank you December for reflecting publicly on that piece - folks have been really embedded here in the discussion on race and racism, while you highlight that the AFA has *so* much more wrong going on.
Hugs.
Dennis I think this is totally a "Can't see the forest for the trees" moment. We got caught up so much with the racial aspect we totally missed the rest of the bullshit.

Now, I want to say that I do not think that Dennis was trolling me at all. I believe he was pushing me to respond intelligently and thoughtfully to my emotional response to the image above (or, as I'm sure now, to the article that was attached to the image which I had not read). This all happened last night and I have had some time to consider the entirety over some coffee and lack of sleep (my son still has a fever as I wrote about in my post about Ullr and we're still coping).

A Brief Note on Race and Heathen Community

I want to preface this commentary with I am NOT Folk Tradition Heathen. When I must label my belief system I say Northern Tradition Polytheist as this releases me from the ideas of Lore-based and those assumptions people have of the "Heathen" term. I am also a white American female and cannot pretend that this upbringing has not effected my thoughts when it comes to this topic. I speak from this standpoint and do not claim to understand every point of view in this discussion including the point of view of people of color that are Heathen.
I also want to note that I do not know my cultural background. I am working on my genealogy as part of my ancestor work but there is a lot missing and I cannot say if there is any connection to Northern Europe at all in my bloodline.

With those caveats, I do not believe that race or skin color (note the distinction) should have anything at all to do with religious beliefs. If someone who is white or black, Asian or German or Icelandic in descent is called by the Norse Gods, who am I to say they are the wrong choice? Who are we to question the Gods?
I was asked if I had a problem with people honoring their white ancestors. No.
Honoring the ancestors should not be stigmatized by skin color.
Here again, I want to differentiate between Race and Skin Color. Race, to me, has to do with the cultures and tribes we come from and this did not have to do with skin color for our ancestors. This focus on Race and Not Skin Color can be seen in America during the NINA (No Irish Need Apply) laws and the discrimination against any Immigrants including European ones the disdain for Jews in America even after WWII. These people were not discriminated against regarding the mellanin in their skin but their Race.

Honoring the ancestors does not equate to a specific religion or group of Deities or community.
Many people of many race, skin color, and religion honor their ancestors so I don't see how it can be a matter of debate and how it can be considered discriminatory to honor your ancestors within your religious community.

Now, for a religion community to focus on and revere a group for their skin color above people of other skin colors - this is where things get discriminatory and hinky. I do see how people can be upset about the above picture focusing on the "white children" within Heathenry and be upset, especially given our political atmosphere right now.
Yes, White children are Beautiful as are Black children and Asian children and Latinx children. The focus on white families and children or any specific skin color within a religious group is, in my opinion, inappropriate and counter-productive.

Heathens, Pagans, and Gender Constructs

So here is where I was initially focused when it comes to the image above.

"The AFA would like to make it clear that we believe gender is not a social construct, it is a beautiful gift from the holy powers and from our ancestors. The AFA celebrates our feminine ladies, our masculine gentlemen..."

This is what I took issue with.
Do these people even read the stories regarding the Gods they supposedly serve?

Loki (note not the most popular among many Heathens who regard this mischievous God as a sort of Norse Satan and I know some will be like "well of course thats just Loki) crosses the gender boundary by becoming a mare and giving birth to Sleipnir.
Odin himself also crosses the gender barrier when he practices the craft of seidr which is the realm of women and is called out for it in Lokasenna and does not deny it. Here is the King of the Gods, the All-Father, who has no issues with femininity or becoming a woman for a time in order to gain knowledge.

If not the gods then perhaps they hold to Heathenry for its past culture and history, in which I feel they are still ignorant.
What of the women in the battle fields who were described using some of the same adjectives men were described with such as dregilingr.
Many look at the lore and point out that for a man to be called womanly or feminine was an insult while others point out that these conversations were written by Christians after the fact and thus colored by Christians Patriarchal temperament. I cannot say who is right here only that I question a community who holds this, rather than the religious aspects of their community as the mark of how to behave. Do Heathen women that hold to the AFA's attitude view being feminine and a woman to be lowly? If not, then why condone that mentality and encourage this mind-set.
One can also bring on the conversation of why do so many within the Heathen culture promote this concept of a masculine, warrior woman but down play the effeminate wives and mothers of the home? That's a conversation for another day...

Why Does It Matter?

Some ask why bother responding to drivel like that spewed by the AFA? Why not just ignore it so it will go away much like the statement of "don't feed the rolls"?

1) I personally think its important as a Pagan, Polytheist, and follower of Norse traditions to state that the AFA, Heathen Women, and similar groups who promote prejudice and ignorance do not have beliefs embraced by all of us. I think its important to say this so that people drawn in by our gods don't fear these traditions because of hate speech in the minority.
2) We should always be questioning and challenging ourselves to be better and worthy of our Gods and Ancestors. How else can we do that if we are unwilling to respond to potential catalysts for growth?
We are "Future Ancestors" and our actions and words should strengthen our religions and traditions for our children.