Published: September 1, 2017
by Weiser Books
ISBN 1633410439 (ISBN13: 9781633410435)
diana-paxson.com

Odin: Ecstasy, Runes, & Norse Magic by Diana L. Paxson (Paxson 2017) is a powerhouse of information. It combines meticulous research with stories of personal connection to the enigmatic “All-father” of Norse mythology. Other facets included in this gem are an introduction to the runes, Norse language and cosmology, magic, ritual, music, practices to further the reader’s understanding and a deep well of follow-up resources. As a novitiate to Norse mythology, I initially found the cosmological passages in the book rather heady, but appreciated that the author was able to take me on an experiential journey as well as an intellectual one.

Diana L. Paxson’s analytical prowess, 30-year study and knowledge of the subject of Germanic mythology as well as story-telling skills make this an admirable resource to the scholar and general reader alike. However, readers take caution.  This book is not written for the dabbler or curiosity seeker. It is a tome of powerful myth, magic, spirit, divination, devotion, and practice.

Paxson relates—through her own and other’s experiences—how one who is chosen can accept her fate and develop a personal relationship with this seemingly unfathomable god. However, the reader soon discovers that this is not an easy path. Paxson’s description of Odin throughout the book makes it clear that this god in no way resembles the high-gods of monotheism. He is, rather, a shape shifter, that is known by many names and disguises, and a Wanderer that roams the world seeking to destroy, reconstruct and evolve paradigms that are outworn, depending on the needs of a changing world.

A god who is willing to sacrifice one of his eyes to attain wisdom and hang himself from a branch on the Worldtree, Yggdrasil, for nine days in order to recover the runes from a well of life-giving waters does not adhere to any set of immutable laws that have been etched in stone for millennia. Nor does he reveal himself upfront when he comes calling; like the Baba Yaga of Russian lore, he will test one first to discern worthiness, as he did with the author when she first encountered his raven and then him in trance.

The magic of “incantation and enchantment” (Paxson 2017) is one path that led the author to Odin. She describes other practices of Odinic magic such as shapeshifting and sorcery in the book, but only supplies actual details of a few simple spells that have practical applications in healing. What she does focus on most extensively is one of the main sources of Odin’s magic, the runes, and how to use them as a spiritual practice of divination.

I learned here that runes are “staves,” or runic letters, and that the origin comes from two sources: “the story of how Odin hanged himself on the world tree to win them and another story based on archeology’ (Paxson 2017). The rune staves date back to the second century CE and are most likely of a Germanic origin: “Most of the early runic texts come from what is now northern Germany and Denmark, suggesting that wherever the Elder Futhark (Germanic alphabet, used from 2nd to 8th centuries) was actually developed, it is from that area that it came into use” (Paxson 2017).

Because they are “keys to aspects of reality” (Paxson 2017), runes are fuller in meaning than the letters of our alphabet. The author, who has worked extensively with the runes as well as energetically with Odin, maintains that they were discovered and gifted to humanity by the god himself. She believes that when the runes are studied and used in serious and spiritual ways, they can help one to work toward self-realization. Besides the information given in the book, the author has listed several other useful resources for beginning work with the runes, including her own earlier work, Taking up the Runes: A Complete Guide to Using Runes in Spells, Ritual, Divination, and Magic  (Paxson 2005).

The largest portion of the book is concerned with Norse cosmology and the varied aspects of Odin. Here the reader will discover creative rituals and practices to energetically connect with the god’s characteristics on a personal level. As stated above, I found the research slightly overwhelming, this being my first in-depth study of the many satellite characters revolving around the Odin. I suggest that the reader give herself plenty of time and space when engaging the players; thus allowing their stories to speak to her personally as well as in the broader collective sense.

One of the big differences between monotheistic mythology and Norse mythology is the creation theory of the universe. In the Norse version, it is the result of the “collision of the elements of ice and fire, equivalent to the ‘Big Bang’ theory” (Paxson 2017). Odin as a creator worked with his brothers to classify and bring the full universe into being while cooperating “with the Ginn-heilog Godh, the highest, most holy gods, to organize the workings of the heavens and the wheel of the year” (Paxson 2017). In the beginning, Odin joined other divine leaders as a warrior and upholder of peace. Here he is described as a divine leader of high status, but not supreme. By the time Wagner was writing his Ring operas, featuring Wotan (Odin) as the central figure, Odin had become the supreme leader of the gods in the minds of scholars of the day. Odin’s evolution into the 20th century is continued as Paxson remarks about his resemblance to Gandalf the Wanderer in Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings and then as “the ruler of Asgard and father of Thor in Marvel Comics’ Journey into Mystery #86, 1962” (Paxson 2017).

I appreciate the author’s ability to coax forth the many aspects of Odin through a combination of research, myth, experience and personal intuition. From what I can discern, this gift comes from many years of study, ritual, meditation, prayer, rune work, music and trance. Because of Paxson’s richness of expression, I now know Odin as more than a patriarchal god of war and “patron of heroes” (Paxson 2017). He is also as lover of women—both human and divine. Love that is fueled by his desire for wisdom, magic and a “lust for knowledge” (Paxson 2017) as well as carnal gratification. He is a lover of poetry, song, and conscious evolution.

Paxson does not shy away from the Shadow. We see that Odin can be a killer, who believes that “the end justifies the means.” He is accused of “ill-treating men as well as women” and turning against those that do not do his will and renege on a deal or an oath that has been given. “His identity as Ygg, the Terrible One” (Paxson 2017), cannot be denied. The author relates that aspect of Odin (Wotan), who went underground when Christianity forbade the worship of the old gods. She relates what Jung saw in the Germanic psyche in 1936: “Apparently, he really was asleep in the Kyffhauser mountain until the ravens called him and announced the break of day. He is a fundamental attribute of the of the German psyche, an irrational psychic factor which acts on the high pressure of Civilization like a cyclone and blows it away” (Jung, 1947). Wisely, Paxson reminds us “Odin’s other aspects must be summoned to balance this [dark] power” (Paxson 2017).

An important aspect of Odin that our culture most often shies away from is his role as “God of the Dead” (Paxson 2017). He is dealer of death as well as creator of life. Paxson expresses the belief that we in the modern world would do well to face the darkest aspects of death that include losing those we loved as well as our own demise and grieve our human condition openly; thus “accepting, embracing, and transcending sorrow” (Paxson 2017). By not choosing to look away from the fate that will inevitably befall us, we can individually and collectively make the best use of the precious time we have while we are alive.

One of the delights of the book for me as an experiential learner was getting into the practice sessions the author has created for the reader at the ends of most chapters. These practices feel grounding and what I needed to go further into the material, making it personally my own. For instance, at the end of the chapter about Odin as God of the Dead, there are several exercises to desensitize the reader’s fear of facing death, including making a will and working with ancestors in a Day of the Dead sort of way: Creating a grave mound with favorite photos, setting an extra place at the table for a dead loved one and praising their deeds while eating some of their favorite foods.

Experiencing Diana L. Paxson’s Odin in his many guises and aspects—creator, destroyer, lover, and ecstatic communicator etc.—is a heady experience that I highly recommend. As you read, I believe you will became captivated with this god’s mind, emotion, madness, strength, brilliance and creative fire.  In the author’s own words: “He communicates with us through music and poetry, in stories and in dreams, and sometimes he tells us his name…”

About Diana Paxson: “Diana L. Paxson is a writer, priestess, and teacher who has been studying and teaching Germanic mythology and religion for nearly 30 years. She is the author of Taking up the Runes, Essential Asatru, Trance-Portation, and The Essential Guide to Possession, Depossession, and Divine Relationships. Paxson also pioneered the recovery of traditional Norse oracular practice, described in The Way of the Oracle” (Paxson 2017).

References

Jung, C.G. (1947). “Wotan.” In Essays in Contemporary Events, translated by Barbara      Hannah: 1-16. www.philosopher.eu.

Paxson, D. L. (2017). Odin: Ecstasy, Runes & Norse Magic. Newburyport, MA: Red Wheel/Weiser Books, LLC. www.diana-paxson.com

Jenna Farr Ludwig is a speaker and freelance writer with an MA in Transpersonal Studies from Atlantic University, Virginia Beach. She is the author of the forthcoming, “Synchronicity Journaling: Working with Dreams, Visions, and Meaningful Coincidence.” Her former career of 35 years was as a successful marketing and business development professional, speaking to large groups in both corporate and nonprofit sectors. Her present focus is writing, teaching, and facilitating workshops about dreams and synchronicity. She is currently on the Advisory Board of The Dream Institute of Northern California, Berkeley.