When you think of Norse Shamanism and Sorcery many think of the Aesir and Vanir Gods. Some perhaps even consider the Rökkr (Primordial forces such as the sun, moon, day, and night) but there is one aspect of our path I think has not only been forgotten but condemned as forbidden, dark, and useless. I disagree with all of this. As Shamans and Magicians our goal is to surface our God within but we are not Aesir or Vanir. As such we must understand that while we honor the Aesir and Vanir, work with them and learn from them they are not the only things out there that we can learn from. The Jötnar are in my opinion some of the most powerful entities in the Norse Pantheon, and personally I think that it is wise to consider working with them.
At first glance it does seem like a conflict of interest, the Gods and the Jötnar by most cases are enemies of each other and I think many feel that working with the Giants would be an insult to the Gods. I disagree, if we are gods ourselves then we are free to choose who we work with, working with the Aesir doesn’t mean we cannot work with the Jötnar, so long as we do not take any steps at directly opposing the Gods. As such you are free to work with the Jötnar although I would leave the Gods out of it completely, which means any ritual work you do with the Jötnar you must do so without including any of the Gods.
A Magician uses all things that can provide progress and further their ascension. As such we are free to work with anything we like so long as we do not take action against another entity. This means we can work with anything but not part take in any ritual that would attempt to influence, manipulate, or harm any other. This seems more of a respect thing than anything else. If anything, I think the Gods would smile on us that we are looking to progress in our pursuit of knowledge no matter what it takes, and as we know even Odin himself goes to great lengths for knowledge.
So how do we start working with the giants? I would say that with working with these entities you must approach them on their level. They are strong, they are bold, they are powerful and they are not afraid. That is your first necessity, you must be bold, strong and stand tall as you approach them. Show them you are equal and not inferior or superior. The next thing I would say is to start at the head of the beast itself. Ymir.
Ymir is the ancestor of all Jötnar. Ymir is depicted as a primeval being who was born from venom that dripped from the icy rivers Élivágar and lived in the grassless void of Gunningagap. Ymir birthed a male and female from the pits of his arms, and his legs together begat a six-headed being. The gods Odin, Vili and Vé fashioned the Earth (elsewhere personified as a goddess; Jörð) from his flesh, from his blood the ocean, from his bones the hills, from his hair the trees, from his brains the clouds, from his skull the heavens, and from his eyebrows the middle realm in which mankind lives.
What a better way to start working with the Jötnar than to call upon the ancestor of them all, Ymir. To some degree’s this calling would be somewhat of an initiation and would set up a lot of opportunities for working with other Giants. Recently Ymir has been on my mind constantly and in light of that I have created this ritual called the Calling of Ymir, which is not only a self-initiation rite but the first step for Vitkar alike to work with the giants in their path.
Calling of Ymir
For this ritual, you will need:
- Symbol/Sigil/Depiction of Ymir
- Lancet
- Strong ale
- Runic Circle
While this ritual can be made more complex I wanted to keep it nice and simple for everyone to grasp. I highly recommend that you add your own flavor to this ritual and go with what you find works best. This is a very small guideline of what you can do to call upon Ymir.
I) Go out into nature. Preferably a mountain or somewhere very rocky (mountains and rocks being very symbolically associated with strength) and find a suitable spot to do this ritual. I would say Dusk would be the best time to do this ritual but it is entirely up to you.
II) Lay out your Runic Circle (a circle depicting all the runes from whichever alphabet you choose in a circle that you will stand in the center of). This circle is to not only help you sub-consciously tap into the power of the runes but additionally synchronize you with Gunningagap.
III) Take the lancet and prick your left index finger. Let the blood drip onto the symbol/sigil/depiction of Ymir and either tear it up or burn the depiction. With a strong, firm voice (and state of mind and position) Call upon Ymir.
“Ymir, Ancestor of the Jötnar,
I call upon you here and now.
Stand with me, face to face and let us drink.
Ymir, I call upon you.”
IV) Repeat this calling as many times as you need to and open up your awareness. The aim is to have the ambiance intensify so pay close attention to any changes around you both externally and internally. Take the ale and take a big drink for yourself and pour the rest onto the earth in front of you (outside the runic circle).
V) The next steps are entirely up to you. My suggestion would be to vocally talk to Ymir and state your intentions and desires to work with the Jötnar. You could show a sign of your own personally strength whatever that may be and ask for his blessing (although that seems a little contradictory). You could even just sit and have a drink with Ymir, it is up to you.
VI) End the ritual by closing the circle. I would suggest doing some form of protection magick. The most important thing to remember is that manifestation and result doesn’t always happen strait away. As much as you may call upon Ymir it might not be until later on in your day, week or month you get an answer. Look out for synchronicities and pay close attention to things. Dreams, thoughts, experiences, events etc.
I have never had any of the Gods be insulted that I was working with the Jötnar. (I have one ásynja who moped because I asked a jotynja a question. I don’t think it was because she was a giant, but rather she would have moped no matter who else I had asked besides her—but that is besides the point).