norse circle casting vs wiccan circle casting

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[unbendingwill]

I second Semperfemme's recommendation of the 'Our Troth' volumes edited by Gundarsson. I've nearly finished vol 1 and liked it enough that vol 2 should be arriving any day now... If you want to get a good idea of the Gods read the Poetic and Prose Eddas.

Most Heathens I've met are hard Polytheists and react badly to the idea of their gods being 'used' interchangeably with other gods as if they are the same gods with different names. Now I'm NOT a completely hard Polytheist (not soft either though  ) and it makes even me twitch.

that's not how I meant it to come off at all...I would NEVER consider Gods to be interchangable I'm sorry that it came off that way...it was simply a matter of poor wording...but I will take your book suggestions to heart thank you!

[Chalfont]

If you are working in a Wiccan format, then I would suggest using the circle casting method that you are most comfortable with. Since the Germanic/Norse peoples didn't cast circles as we Wiccans do (and we have no real records of their rituals) you are free to use whatever method you finds works best. After all, you are practicing Wicca not Asatru. Just be sure to be respectful. The gods are far more interested in being a part of your life then in wether you cast a 'perfect" circle!

I'm trying to follow the wiccan path but have been told that I should use gods and goddesses in my practice instead of just saying god or goddess...the guy said that anything could come the nuder call of just saying god or goddess and that it is more powerful and safer to use real gods names ...so I decided to pick the Norse pantheon...but I read a book on how they call the corners and cast their circle and it's WAY more basic than the way I do it.  Now I'm a sticklar for ritual, no starhawk fly by your seat shit for me.  Not that I don't like her books but they are to airy for me...so I was wondering could I cast the circle my way instead of their way or since I'm trying to follow that pantheon should I do it there way?

[fiamma]

The problem with working with *different* deities in a Wiccan format is that those deities may not have that lover (and otherwise intimate) relationship with each other. And forcing anyone - human, deity, or anything else - into that kind of interaction is generally considered a poor idea, to say the least.

*snerk* I'm never sure whether to laugh or cry whenever I hear someone say that they're Wiccan and they "use Artemis and Apollo for their god and goddess"....

[RandallS]

*snerk* I'm never sure whether to laugh or cry whenever I hear someone say that they're Wiccan and they "use Artemis and Apollo for their god and goddess"....

True. However, as bad as this is, it is probably better than groups which drawn gods out of a hat for each ritual. I attended a ceremony with one group who did that. They drew Zeus out of the "God Hat" and Kali out of the "Goddess Hat."

[Selegna]

The gods are far more interested in being a part of your life then in wether you cast a 'perfect" circle!

How do you know what are the gods interested in? And what gods are you talking about?

[Chalfont]

How do you know what are the gods interested in? And what gods are you talking about?

  I know what my gods are interesterd in my dear, because I bother to spend time with them and listen to them. Building a solid, sound relationship with you gods (or god-forms if you like) alows them to reveal themselves to you personaly, in an intimate fashion. You can learn far more about your gods from prayer and meditation then from folk tales and distant histories writen by people that weren't even worshipers of the religions they write about. But that's just my opinion.

[RandallS]

  I know what my gods are interesterd in my dear, because I bother to spend time with them and listen to them.

However, you said gods in general, not just the gods you follow. :/

[unbendingwill]

True. However, as bad as this is, it is probably better than groups which drawn gods out of a hat for each ritual. I attended a ceremony with one group who did that. They drew Zeus out of the "God Hat" and Kali out of the "Goddess Hat."

wow I wouldn't have wanted to have been at that ceremony...that's atrocious!

[RandallS]

wow I wouldn't have wanted to have been at that ceremony...that's atrocious!

At it went about as well as one might expect.

[Selegna]

  I know what my gods are interesterd in my dear, because I bother to spend time with them and listen to them.

What Randall said. That's why I also asked what gods you were talking about. I know what my gods are interested in too (or at least what they let me know/want me to know about it), but that's different than saying "the gods" in general.

[rose]

True. However, as bad as this is, it is probably better than groups which drawn gods out of a hat for each ritual. I attended a ceremony with one group who did that. They drew Zeus out of the "God Hat" and Kali out of the "Goddess Hat."

hee..... I can only imagine how that worked out...

[RandallS]

hee..... I can only imagine how that worked out...

They sad thing was, most of the core group there thought it went well. As for the visitors, we just tried not to be noticed.

[redraven]

I'm trying to follow the wiccan path but have been told that I should use gods and goddesses in my practice instead of just saying god or goddess...the guy said that anything could come the nuder call of just saying god or goddess and that it is more powerful and safer to use real gods names ...so I decided to pick the Norse pantheon...but I read a book on how they call the corners and cast their circle and it's WAY more basic than the way I do it.  Now I'm a sticklar for ritual, no starhawk fly by your seat shit for me.  Not that I don't like her books but they are to airy for me...so I was wondering could I cast the circle my way instead of their way or since I'm trying to follow that pantheon should I do it there way?

unbendingwill:

Can I call you will for short?

OK, many people have said that Wicca has a separate God and Goddess that is very different from the Nordic pantheon.

I say this is only partially correct, and I'll explain why.

Given that the very words 'wicca' and 'wicce' (from which our modern English word 'witch' comes) come to us from Germanic-speaking people who brought their language and practices to what became known as England, I say one should look to the Germanic deities to see if there is a God and Goddess there that deals in magic, witchcraft, all things green and verdant, etc - and surprise, yes, it's there.

In old Norse, the names are "Freyr" and "Freyja".

In old English, the closest deity names to these two are Ingui and Freo, respectively.

Here's a beautiful site to have a look at:

http://englishheathenism.homestead.com/godsandgoddesses.html

There is a book called "Witchdom of the True" written by Edred and available from Runa-Raven Press, that addresses this in more detail; I strongly recommend it to everyone.

I regard this as being FAR more culturally consistent - witchcraft being an Anglo-Saxon magical/religious practice, with Ingui and Freo standing in as Lord and Lady. That's the best description I can think of right now.

RR

[Selegna]

Given that the very words 'wicca' and 'wicce' (from which our modern English word 'witch' comes) come to us from Germanic-speaking people who brought their language and practices to what became known as England, I say one should look to the Germanic deities to see if there is a God and Goddess there that deals in magic, witchcraft, all things green and verdant, etc - and surprise, yes, it's there.

In old Norse, the names are "Freyr" and "Freyja".

In old English, the closest deity names to these two are Ingui and Freo, respectively.

(snip)

I regard this as being FAR more culturally consistent - witchcraft being an Anglo-Saxon magical/religious practice, with Ingui and Freo standing in as Lord and Lady. That's the best description I can think of right now.

The problem I see with this, is that Freyr and Freyja are siblings, while the Wiccan God and Goddess are lovers. I know nothing about old English or about where the Wiccan God and Goddess come from, but IMO even if they are based on Freyr and Freyja, it doesn't mean that they are Freyr and Freyja.

[HeartShadow - Cutethulhu]

In old Norse, the names are "Freyr" and "Freyja".

In old English, the closest deity names to these two are Ingui and Freo, respectively.

Here's a beautiful site to have a look at:

http://englishheathenism.homestead.com/godsandgoddesses.html

There is a book called "Witchdom of the True" written by Edred and available from Runa-Raven Press, that addresses this in more detail; I strongly recommend it to everyone.

I regard this as being FAR more culturally consistent - witchcraft being an Anglo-Saxon magical/religious practice, with Ingui and Freo standing in as Lord and Lady. That's the best description I can think of right now.

RR

But the God and Goddess of Wicca are SPECIFIC gods.  Not just any god, not just any goddess.  And from my conversations with Wiccans, while the specific names are oathbound - I'm pretty sure those aren't it.

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