Diana Paxson has distilled her years of experience working with the runes and teaching others into this one definitive sourcework. In a series of chapters dealing with rune pairs, listeners will learn the historical meaning of each individual rune and its use and meaning now, in contemporary culture. But as Paxson shares, the real power of the runes comes from internalizing them and using their symbols as sources of wisdom and strength.

Ásatrú is a religion that revives, rebuilds, and reimagines the ancient polytheism of Northern Europe. This religious movement officially began in Iceland in 1972, but new iterations of the Old Way quickly spread worldwide, and Asatru is one of the fastest-growing spiritual movements in the United States today.

This comprehensive guide delves deep into the history and meanings of each of the 24 runes of the Elder Futhark, the oldest known runic alphabet. It explores the mythology and lore surrounding these ancient symbols and provides practical guidance for how you can use them in your own spiritual practices and personal development.

The Viking Spirit is an introduction to Norse mythology like no other. As you’d expect from Daniel McCoy, the creator of the endearingly popular website "Norse Mythology for Smart People", it’s written to scholarly standards, but in a simple, clear, and entertaining style that’s easy to understand and a pleasure to listen to. It includes gripping retellings of no less than 34 epic Norse myths - more than any other book in the field - while also providing an equally comprehensive overview of the fascinating viking religion of which Norse mythology was a part.

In Essential Asatru, renowned author and priestess Diana Paxson demystifies an ancient, rich, and often misunderstood religion, and offers a practical guide for its modern followers. Filled with clear, concise instructions on living Asatru every day, this truly accessible guide takes you on a journey from Asatru's origins in Scandinavian and German paganism to its recognition as an official religion in the 1970s and its widespread acceptance today.

This book is an exploration of the wisdom in the Viking Age poem "Havamal", specifically as it relates to the average person who isn't a scholar of Old Norse, or even an enthusiast of Viking culture. This book is for the layman, the average person who simply wants to improve their life using proven advice. The poem "Havamal" is earthy, cynical, stoic, and grim in its depiction of human life. Havamal means “The Words of the High One”. The poem's speaker is none other than Odin, King of the Gods, who has traveled the many worlds seeking power and suffered greatly in his quest.

Suspend your disbelief and embark on a journey through time and space, stepping into a world of Norse magic, paganism, runes, mythology, and mystery.

Shamanism is humanity’s oldest spiritual tradition. In much of the Western world, the indigenous pre-Christian spiritual practices have been lost. Yet at the northern fringes of Europe, Christianity did not displace the original shamanic practices until the end of the Viking age. Reconstructing the shamanic practices of the hunter-gatherers of Scandinavia, Evelyn Rysdyk explores the evolution of Norse shamanism from its earliest female roots to the pre-Christian Viking Age.

What are runes, exactly? In Runes for Beginners, best-selling author Lisa Chamberlain shines the light on these ancient symbols, showing you how to discover and utilize their unique magical energies. With both an eye toward tradition and a multicultural spirit, Lisa combines an appreciation for the Germanic roots of the runes with a more eclectic Neopagan approach. Runes for Beginners is completely accessible to those with no experience in Northern European magical traditions, yet it doesn't ignore those traditions altogether.

The Viking Age - from 750 to 1050 saw an unprecedented expansion of the Scandinavian peoples into the wider world. As traders and raiders, explorers and colonists, they ranged from eastern North America to the Asian steppe. But for centuries, the Vikings have been seen through the eyes of others, distorted to suit the tastes of medieval clerics and Elizabethan playwrights, Victorian imperialists, Nazis, and more. None of these appropriations capture the real Vikings, or the richness and sophistication of their culture.

Committed to a life of learning and teaching, author Erik Hansen shares his knowledge and passion in this book. As a recognized expert in Norse history and mythology, his interest in this fascinating culture was sparked by his Norwegian ancestry. If you share that passion for ancient history and religion, this book is for you.

Hear the original tales of Thor, Odin, and Loki, as the Vikings heard them long ago. Enjoy these ancient tales of tragedy, death, glory, and love, with all the gory and mystic details left out of the Hollywood versions. This collection, The Prose Edda, was the first time the Viking myths were assembled and written down in plain prose (before then, they existed only as oral poems). This abridged edition has only removed sections dealing with technical rules for writing poetry in the Viking style, but has included all the myths and legends.

Suspend your disbelief and embark on a journey through time and space, stepping into a world of Norse magic, paganism, runes, mythology, and mystery. Have you always been fascinated by Norse mythology and its myriad of powerful gods—including Odin, Thor, Loki, Freya, and Baldur? Have the Norse runes always mystified you, and would you love to know more about their history, symbolism, and usage? Would you like to harness the power of Norse magic, rites, and rituals, so you can connect with the extraordinary Norse gods and goddesses?

Seidr is the intriguing and powerful early Norse system of shamanistic trance practices. In Seidr: The Gate Is Open, Katie Gerrard has contributed a major work on the practices of Seidr and trance prophecy, providing a practical manual full of dynamic group rituals and techniques based on known Seidr practices.

Heathenry is one of the fastest growing polytheistic religious movements in the United States today. In A Modern Guide to Heathenry, listeners will have the opportunity to explore the sacred stories of the various heathen gods like Odin, Frigga, Freya, and Thor, and will be granted a look into the devotional practices of modern votaries.

In Essential Asatru, renowned author and priestess Diana Paxson demystifies an ancient, rich, and often misunderstood religion, and offers a practical guide for its modern followers. Filled with clear, concise instructions on living Asatru every day, this truly accessible guide takes you on a journey from Asatru's origins in Scandinavian and German paganism to its recognition as an official religion in the 1970s and its widespread acceptance today.

Get to know the Greek gods and goddesses, from the mighty Zeus, to the temperamental Poseidon, the beautiful Aphrodite, and every character from A to Z. Who wouldn’t want to hear about Zeus and his command of lightning, Hades and how he found his bride, the wisdom of Athena, and so many other stories that capture the imagination. These stories can do more than just entertain; they can also inspire and teach us lessons that were penned by the Greeks themselves.

At the beginning of his career, Joseph Campbell developed a lasting fascination with the cultures of the Far East, and explorations of Buddhist and Hindu philosophy later became recurring motifs in his vast body of work. However, Campbell had to wait until middle age to visit the lands that inspired him so deeply. In 1954, he took a sabbatical from his teaching position and embarked on a year-long voyage through India, Thailand, Cambodia, Burma, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and finally Japan.

Best selling history writer Thomas Cahill continues his series on the roots of Western civilization with this volume about the contributions of ancient Greece to the development of contemporary culture. Tracing the origin of Greek culture in the migrations of armed Indo-European horsemen into Attica and the Peloponnesian peninsula, he follows their progress into the creation of the Greek city-states, the refinement of their machinery of war, and the flowering of intellectual and artistic culture.

Committed to a life of learning and teaching, author Erik Hansen shares his knowledge and passion in this book. As a recognized expert in Norse history and mythology, his interest in this fascinating culture was sparked by his Norwegian ancestry. If you share that passion for ancient history and religion, this book is for you.

Though the world came to know of the Norse and their legends through Roman interaction at about the time of Christ, most of what we came to know were handed-down from folk tales gathered by native writers like Snorri Sturluson (c. 1179 - 1241). This was from a time when the Norse had already been converted to Christianity.

Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey are unquestionably two of the greatest epic masterpieces in Western literature. Though more than 2,700 years old, their stories of brave heroics, capricious gods, and towering human emotions are vividly timeless. The Iliad can justly be called the world’s greatest war epic. The terrible and long-drawn-out siege of Troy remains one of the classic campaigns. The Odyssey chronicles the many trials and adventures Odysseus must pass through on his long journey home from the Trojan wars to his beloved wife.

The Celts were a people who lived throughout central Europe from about the 500s BC to the AD 700s. In this audiobook, you will discover the various aspects of Celtic beliefs, gods, and sagas, gaining a general overall picture of their culture. Their stories will be brought to life so all the details are more than merely a bunch of dry facts. We will enter their world and recreate it in as much detail as possible, from the little bit we know for certain, combined with ancillary facts from the various sciences.

When is a story more than just a story? When does it become a myth? When it holds a piece of truth about our history, our morality, and the cosmos. Throughout history, humankind has used stories to explain the unknown. From the cycle of the moon to the changing of the seasons, tales about supernatural beings and events have served to account for the purpose of the cosmos. But mythology isn’t entirely fiction. These stories have been passed down for generations for a reason.

The oldest long poem in Old English, written about AD 1,000, Beowulf tells the story of a great warrior of southern Scandinavia, in both youth and maturity. The monster Grendel terrorizes the Scyldings of Hrothgar's Danish Kingdom until Beowulf defeats him. As a result, he has to face her enraged mother. Beowulf dies after a battle against a fierce dragon.

"One of the few places left to look for meaning in our contemporary culture is in story and myth," suggests Michael Meade. Weaving rhythm and words, this master storyteller, drummer, and scholar of mythology takes us on a compelling journey of self-discovery down the "roads of fire and water". Through two timeless stories - "The Spirit in the Bottle" and "The Water of Life" - we will learn how to relocate the spirit in our lives and awaken "the elder", an inner wisdom source.

Growing Big Dreams is a passionate yet practical call to step through the gates of dreams and imagination to weather tough times, embark on travel adventures without leaving home, and grow a vision of a life so rich and strong it wants to take root in the world. Vitally relevant today more than ever, dreams are a tool available to all.

The greatest contribution of the ancient shamans to modern healing is the understanding that in the course of any life we are liable to suffer soul loss - the loss of parts of our vital energy and identity - and that to be whole and well, we must find the means of soul recovery. Moss teaches that our dreams give us maps we can use to find and bring home our lost or stolen soul parts. He shows how to recover animal spirits and ride the windhorse of spirit to places of healing and adventure in the larger reality.

Paying attention to every detail, Amy Hughes collected many stories, myths, legends, and tales of the pagan Scandinavian rituals, gods, and heroes. Narrated in such a descriptive way, the stories will transfer you to a time long gone, and you’ll feel as if you’re been a witness to the Viking’s incredible history! But this book does not only present the mythological, abstract world of Scandinavian beliefs and religion.

There are few things more in common across cultures than the belief in ghosts. Ghosts inhabit something of the very essence of what it is to be human. Whether we personally 'believe' or not, we are all aware of ghosts and the rich mythologies and rituals surrounding them. They have inspired, fascinated and frightened us for centuries - yet most of us are only familiar with the vengeful apparitions of Shakespeare, or the ghastly spectres haunting the pages of 19th-century Gothic literature. But their origins are much, much older.

In Essential Asatru, renowned author and priestess Diana Paxson demystifies an ancient, rich, and often misunderstood religion, and offers a practical guide for its modern followers. Filled with clear, concise instructions on living Asatru every day, this truly accessible guide takes you on a journey from Asatru's origins in Scandinavian and German paganism to its recognition as an official religion in the 1970s and its widespread acceptance today.

Diana Paxson has distilled her years of experience working with the runes and teaching others into this one definitive sourcework. In a series of chapters dealing with rune pairs, listeners will learn the historical meaning of each individual rune and its use and meaning now, in contemporary culture. But as Paxson shares, the real power of the runes comes from internalizing them and using their symbols as sources of wisdom and strength.

Ásatrú is a religion that revives, rebuilds, and reimagines the ancient polytheism of Northern Europe. This religious movement officially began in Iceland in 1972, but new iterations of the Old Way quickly spread worldwide, and Asatru is one of the fastest-growing spiritual movements in the United States today.

The Way of Fire and Ice reimagines Norse Paganism with mystical practices and rituals for today's world as well as tips for building community and resisting fascism. This approach to working with Norse deities and beliefs is a living, adaptable tradition, representing a strong alternative to the reconstructionist perspectives of Asatru and Heathenry.

Suspend your disbelief and embark on a journey through time and space, stepping into a world of Norse magic, paganism, runes, mythology, and mystery.

Shake off the energy of our frenetic modern-day life and reconnect to the wild magic of your heart. This book is an immersive guide to creating deep relationships with faerie folk, green kin, the ancestors, and the spirits of the land. Explore dozens of meditations and exercises based on Celtic lore that serve as energetic keys for accessing levels of reality and spiritual destinations that will forever transform your relationship to the here and now. Learn how to work with animal spirits, the powers of place, and the tides.

Hávamál is presented as a single poem in the Icelandic Codex Regius, a collection of Old Norse poems from the Viking age. The poem, itself a combination of numerous shorter poems, is largely gnomic, presenting advice for living, proper conduct, and wisdom. It is considered an important source of Old Norse philosophy.

Let us take you back in time, when the Norse people lived in an enchanted and sacred world—a time famously shrouded in mystery, magic, and witchcraft. Norse Paganism has survived the centuries, the rise and fall of empires, and the introduction of new religions. More than just a religion, it is also a way of life to help one lead a fulfilling existence…and every person, no matter their race, religion, or culture is welcome. History Brought Alive provides you with a single credible source detailing Norse Paganism.

This simplistic and ingenious allegory from one of the fathers of Western philosophy casts light on society’s naiveté and ignorance.

This book is an exploration of the wisdom in the Viking Age poem "Havamal", specifically as it relates to the average person who isn't a scholar of Old Norse, or even an enthusiast of Viking culture. This book is for the layman, the average person who simply wants to improve their life using proven advice. The poem "Havamal" is earthy, cynical, stoic, and grim in its depiction of human life. Havamal means “The Words of the High One”. The poem's speaker is none other than Odin, King of the Gods, who has traveled the many worlds seeking power and suffered greatly in his quest.