{LIVE REMOTE ONLINE OFFERING} RUNE MAGIC: HISTORY & PRACTICE- THE REVIVAL OF RUNES IN THE EARLY MODERN PERIOD

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PLEASE NOTE: This class is not an in-person class. This class is being offered as a LIVE ONLINE-ONLY OFFERING. The zoom link will be attached to your receipt. Please check your junk folder in your email if you do not receive a receipt. If you have not received one please email learn@ritualcravt.com. Please register ahead of time to ensure that you make it to the online session on time! (Class times are in MDT time zone)

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Lecture 4: The revival of runes in the early modern period
This lecture focuses on the Burning Age, the period in European history where witches were persecuted, and older practices were ostracized in favor of Christian uniformity. The Burning Age is often associated with the medieval period, but it was actually during the early modern period that European authorities turned on their populations and punished them for their native traditions. In Scandinavia, the witch processes took place primarily in the 17th century where women and men of knowledge were executed for what the authorities perceived as religious offenses. In most cases, those who were executed came to this fate due to false rumors or unwanted behavior, not because they were at odds with official religious beliefs. However, there are examples of individuals giving themselves to Odin or writing secret runes, remnants of ancient beliefs. It was also in the 17th and 18th centuries that scholars in Sweden and Denmark began to take an academic interest in runes and much of the foundation for our modern understanding of runes was laid. You will gain insight into the facts of the Burning Age in Scandinavia, the role of magic and ancient wisdom in the witch trials, and how the persecution of witches was more about social control than spirituality. You will also learn about how Scandinavian scholars interpreted runes in an academic environment steeped in religious zealousness.
Practical instruction: runes and magical sigils.

This lecture series by Dr. Mathias Nordvig (Nordic studies, CU Boulder) surveys the history of rune magic and how historical practices from Scandinavia and Northern Europe can be applied by modern practitioners today. The runes are a popular divination tool and medium for meditation and shadow work for many today. There are many books available on the subject, but few of them take the historical tradition of rune magic seriously. Mostly, the modern presentations of rune magic apply a layer of contemporary interpretation that ignores the role that runes as script and magical symbols had traditionally. In many cases, much of this modern interpretation is either directly or indirectly derived from late 19th century white supremacist ideology, and early 20th century National Socialist theories on rune magic. This means that a serious modern practitioner of rune magic runs the risk of manifesting problematic elements rather than working genuinely with runes. With this lecture series, rune practitioners will be better furnished to approaching the runes as a genuine tool in a contemporary spiritual tradition that enables us to undo past injustices and brings Nordic-Germanic spirituality into the 21st century with the right intentions. In every lecture you will learn aspects of both the historical, theoretical, and practical side of rune magic based in the instructor’s personal experience and professional training.

Dr. Mathias Nordvig is a teaching professor at the University of Colorado-Boulder, where he teaches Old Norse mythology, Viking history, Arctic cultures, and Scandinavian witchcraft and magic. He has published extensively on Old Norse literature and early Icelandic culture in articles and books. He has done research on land-connectedness in early Iceland and how Old Norse mythology reflects this in narratives about volcanic activity in his book Volcanoes in Old Norse mythology. He has also written the introductory book on Nordic spirituality Ásatrú for Beginners and a children’s book on Old Norse mythology, Norse Mythology for Kids. Aside from his publishing and teaching, Dr. Nordvig cohosts the podcast Nordic Mythology Podcast with the owner of Horns of Odin, Daniel Farrand (UK). Dr. Nordvig was raised in the tradition of Nordic spirituality known in Scandinavia as Ásatrú and is an initiate (ástvinr) of the god Óðinn.

PHOTO CREDIT: myrkyr photography.