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Go Back   Spiritual Forums > Religions & Faiths > Paganism

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  #1  
Old 10-09-2014, 10:16 PM
Caitlyn Laufey Caitlyn Laufey is offline
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Cat Seior

OK, along the lines of the other subjects I have brought up for general thoughts. Seior keeps coming up. The general jist that I have gathered over the years is as follows.

Seior, which seems to have several variations of spelling by the way, is a pre-Asgardian form of sorcery (for lack of a better word). It is seen as innately feminine and seems to be deeply related to divination, nature and knowledge. In many ways it seems similar witchcraft.
It was looked down upon and perhaps even forbidden. Odin sacrificed himself for nine days of torment and possibly even death upon a tree (maybe Yggdrasil) to gain knowledge of it. It seems most if not all of the Norse goddesses possessed skill in it. Freya was particularly adept at it, often referred to as absolute in it.
Now I am looking for information on it and possibly even modern day or close to contemporary connections.


Help.
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Old 15-09-2014, 12:24 PM
Caitlyn Laufey Caitlyn Laufey is offline
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Question No current knowledge or sites exist

From what I have seen, there are no current practitioners or even clear knowledge of what Seior involved. My search yielded only a handful of sites and all of those were littered with a few poetic references and no clear description. The best I could glean was a clear pronouncement that were no current practitioners
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Old 15-09-2014, 01:32 PM
WhiteWarrior WhiteWarrior is offline
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Speaking as the token Norwegian... but I have read at least a few books on the subject.

What you are calling Seior is known to me primarily as Seid. The practitioners were known as seidwomen and seidmen. You are right in that there were certain taboos of femininity involved, but all I have been able to find indicated more of these taboos being broken during certain rituals rather than a general transgenderness of the practitioners.

Seid should be considered a bag term, like "magic" or "sorcery" rather than a specific set of ritual and practices, and as practices that lived along with but did not fully cooperate with the norse gods culture. The scandinavian cultures were trading with people as far away as persia and north africa thousands of years before the vikings set out to plunder europe in the 9th century AC. As they picked up other bits of culture like clothes fashions, spiritual items were also picked up. We know that Seid included seeing into the future; this alone has been practiced as far back as any ancient culture we know.

We know of how powerful the seidmen were considered, from a specific mention from the viking king tales. One of these kings who used christening as a handy tool for conquering the country under his bloodyfisted rule, found that one area was particularly unwilling to succumb. It was felt that this was to some degree because of the many seidmen in the area supporting his adversaries. So a solution was found. The king-to-be invited all the seidmen in the area to a great festivity, and filled a long table in a barn with all sorts of good food and drink. And they all came, and the king-to-be ate and drank with them until the alcohol had them all quite heavyheaded. Then the king-to-be went outside, his men barricaded the doors, and then they burned the whole barn down. This was the end of seid in that area.

If I was a seidman by the end of that era, I wouldnt leave much evidence behind if I wanted to live. And what WAS left of seidbooks and tools afterwards, was eagerly seized by the church's witchhunters and inquisitors for the next few centuries. There ARE remains still, in stories collected over the last couple of centuries by scholars, of little rituals and odd practices here and there, alluded to more than worded directly. Mean little things, and good little things too. But that's for another time.
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Old 15-09-2014, 03:20 PM
Caitlyn Laufey Caitlyn Laufey is offline
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Cat A Norwegian, even a token one is still a blessing

Thank you, as I look at the Norwegian flag from my classroom now hanging in my study I smile at your token comment. Although I knew the bulk of the data, your commentary was affirming. I think I am hitting a dead end. I am trying approach paganry, witchcraft really I guess from a specifically Norse and feminine perspective. Seid (I have also heard it referred to as Seidr and associated with some others as well) seemed the most fundamental aspect to go to first. I have researched the Norse and spirituality in general for years but have come upon a new found drive that seems authentic to connect spiritually for the first time.

Thanks for the feedback
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Old 15-09-2014, 06:21 PM
WhiteWarrior WhiteWarrior is offline
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Seid doesn't have to be a dead end, but it isn't the easiest path since it offers so few specifics to grasp onto. And also much of the things actually done or attempted through those practices is kinda outdated, like stealing butter or milk from the neighbor's farmhouse. It would seem to belong in a different time. But our 'modern' practices and beliefs stand to a great part on the shoulders of giants, even if they are shrouded in the mist of time. If you should decide to hang on to the Norse faiths and the Seid practices you might find more familiar things than you expect. And a lot of inspiration too. Some old words and acts still hold strength.
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Old 16-09-2014, 07:30 AM
Xiomara Xiomara is offline
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Hi Caitlyn,
i remember that long time ago i have read about the germanic prophetess Veleda in a Tacitus writing.From what i recall the practices of Seidr and Spae were very close and Tacitus writes that there is a kind of special,mystical holiness in women which give them direct knowledge of Orlog(like in Lokasena it is said that Frigga and Gefijon know all orlogs of men-their faith-as well as Odin,but they don't speak of that).It's described as personal and feminine power,a bond with the Norns themselves,and this art works through a specific use of the intuition.Since much of the knowledge about Seidr is lost,i dare draw information from other cultures having similar feminine practices,but the same case-very little about Sacred Feminine Mysteries.Yet in a culture far away from Scandinavia,since it's a great part from ,my personal interests,i have found a clue.I'm talking about ancient Aztec culture,where women used to practice something similar,using the hidden powers of their uterine energies,but of course,i'm still searching for details.
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Old 16-09-2014, 09:57 AM
Caitlyn Laufey Caitlyn Laufey is offline
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To my rescue again Yolxochitl, thnx, a good start idea and start.
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