Norse Mysticism: An Exploration of Viking Traditions and Magical Practices (Mystic Traditions)

Good book so far.

I’d like to start this review out with a special shoutout to Wellfleet Press and especially Lydia Anderson. I didn’t realize that the archive date for this had passed before I read it, and when I reached out to the publisher, they sent me a beautiful finished copy of this book. I’m so glad that they did, because firstly the book is just so pretty that I love having a copy to refer back to, and secondly because it’s so full of wonderful information that I had to bookmark so many pages and I can easily flip back to them whenever I want.While this is a basic exploration and introduction to Norse culture, history, mythology, religion, and practices, it also provides a surprisingly deep analysis into the world of the Norse. The material is broken down into chapters that are clearly divided topics, but they flow into each other perfectly: early Nordic society, mystic practitioners, the Elder Futhark runes, Norse poetry, Norse mythology and the pantheon of deities, and folk magic, with a great, comprehensive index in the back of the book.Starting with the origins of the Norse culture as an offshoot of Northern Germanic tribes, Forvitin explores how Norse society evolved and the fundamental differences between paganism and monotheism. One of these major differences is how Christian stories and myths contrast good and evil, moral and unethical situations or choices to teach a lesson, while the Norse myths functioned more similarly to riddles designed to get readers or listeners to think and come to their own conclusions. The high value on community and honor meant that the myths were important to demonstrate the different types of behaviors and dynamics between various personalities.As someone who has spent a bit of time learning about Norse culture, mythology, and mysticism, I still found plenty of helpful information that was new to me. I shared this with a much more well-versed friend, and she was impressed at how much great information was crammed into this slim volume. The information about the gods and goddesses is especially well-researched and clear to understand, which can be a challenge in a field saturated with conflicting information, Christian influences, and differing interpretations of the source material, some of which has been lost to time.Overall, this is a fantastic read. I’m thrilled to have a hard copy to keep on my shelves, since I’ll be returning back to this one plenty in the future. There are some spells included in the text that sound wonderful and that I’ll be giving a try, and some pages that I’ll be flipping to often, which I’ve flagged. There are such pretty chapter headers and pieces of art at the end of chapter sections, and I looked forward to seeing each of them, whether it was an owl, a cat, or a Norse longboat. It’s clear that Forvitin did her research for this book, and It’s presented in a logical, coherent, and easy to understand way whether you’re new to Norse mysticism or a well-versed practitioner, or even someone just looking to learn more about Norse culture at a basic level.

The Norse Mysticism book is so incredibly informative, and interesting! The Norse history and mythology I knew exited but I didn't realize how little I knew about it and how fascinating it is! I had tried to look at it through whatI understand of folklore, which is why when I tried to read folklore from Sweden that I just did not understand it! The history was also something I really knew nothing about, we tend to focus on the European history in school but this is so different and really so interesting from a women's perspective especially since women were treated, and lived so differently compared to European and other cultures.This book is very well written, organized and so interesting. I realize the history and the Runes and Gods has influence in parts of our lives, stories and movies and now I understand so much more. This book has peaked my interest to further examine the history of this culture and how it is part of history. Every culture is important and when looking at society now it is interesting to see how and where the influences are today.This book sheds light on what was important in the culture, how and what they worshiped and what they believed in. Why trees, for example, are so important and the meanings of the parts, maybe this explains their love and respect for nature. How they believed and worshiped and even made decisions. This book does a great job of introducing you to their views which guide their lives and their values. Some interesting information I learned were their important numbers, how the gods are related and how they guide the culture, important figures, animals and symbols along with some important people. This book discusses the earliest written works and how their mythology was more focused on how to live your life as opposed to the popular mythology I think about about which is morally based.I highly recommend this book! A fantastic read which has sparked my interest in the old writings and to look into their mythology and practices and now to have a better understanding of the works and what they mean. It is a great length (137 reading pages) and packs a lot of information to give you a great over-view of this very interesting culture. Highly recommended book!⭐️ 1 star - I don't recommend it at all.⭐️⭐️ 2 stars - I don't recommend it, poorly written or bad information.⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3 stars - Good Book. Not for me. Not the most well written.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 stars - Very good book quite, I would recommend and well written.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 stars - Book that I totally recommend and could not put down. Well written and a book I would read again

I think this book does exactly what it sets out to do—to provide an introduction to the Norse deities and the customs that have grown up around them, and to offer some ideas about how to positively engage with the traditions today, particularly in light of how Norse symbology has been misappropriated by ideological extremists.Overall, Norse Mysticism is a useful little book.

This book is so great and has many references to remember for a lifetime. It is well written and good quality. Easy to read and is hard cover. Love that!

This book is a treasure trove of information on Norse mythology and magic. It's well-researched and beautifully written, offering a fascinating glimpse into the beliefs and practices of the Vikings. I've learned so much about their rituals, deities, and spiritual worldview. This book has deepened my appreciation for Norse culture and its enduring legacy.

My son has been really interested in learning about Norse mythology and has loved reading this book. He has come down every day to tell me about something new he has learned while reading it and finds this to be an interesting read. Overall happy with the purchase.

Enjoyed reading the book and learning about Vikings. The book is easy to read and the explanations are clear and easy to understand. It is a enjoyable read with a lot of good information!