"The seidr current is fresh and vibrant, with the strength and solidity of the Norse deities behind it." - Katie Gerrard
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. Foremost amongst these techniques is the prophetic rite of the High Seat, where the Volva (seer) sends her consciousness to the underworld realm of Hel to gain answers to the questions posed to her.
Combining more than a decade of research and experimentation, this book is characterised by both its scholarship and its accessibility. Katie Gerrard shares her own experiences on the path of the seer, and also draws inspiration from original sources in the old texts of the Sagas and the Eddas, as well as contemporary researchers and groups working with seidr in Scandinavia, Europe and America. Techniques for achieving trance, levels of trance possession, coming out of trance, the vardlokkurs (chants), necessary equipment, and the requirements for the roles of the different participants are all discussed clearly and concisely, as is the relevance of contacting the ancestors, the dead, and appropriate gods, including the goddesses Freyja and Hel and the Allfather god Odin.
As befits such an inspirational book, the author provides both the relevant background information for the eleven rites contained within, together with explanations of their inclusion and purposes. The rites emanate practical effectiveness, a result of their regular use over many years for successful exploration of the mysteries of trance prophecy, the High Seat rite and Norse witchcraft. "This is a spiritual journey laid bare for an audience who are either already treading a similar path or are looking for guidance in order to follow a well trodden path to a similar end point."
Author: Katie Gerrard
Publish Date: February 18, 2011
Binding: Paperback
Physical Info: 0.44" H x 9.21" L x 6.14" W / 208 pages
Reviews:
"Quite apart from the Seidr content, the author has included so much sensible and insightful information on how to run safe and powerful trance rituals for various groups of people that I think practitioners of many paths will benefit from reading it. She draws on years of experience and goes into detail on the practicalities of managing people who are in heavy trance, in a way that is not seen often enough in print. There are only a handful of good, accessible works on modern Seidr and I think that 'The Gate Is Open' is likely to become a must-have: as well as being a superb introduction, it gives example seidr rituals and advice on leading group work which deserves a wide audience." Mr. S. Blake, Amazon Reviewer
"Katie Gerrard is one of those wonderful rare people who not only walks the talk, but really knows what she's talking about and hence it follows, where she is walking. Seidr: The Gate is Open is instantly accessible and easy to read, generously presenting years of research and experience to the reader without the feeling that you are being spoon-fed. Indeed the strongly practical aspect of the book does not dictate at all, but lays out the bones of truth that Katie and her groups have diligently uncovered over the years and encourages the reader to add their own meat, as it were." Emily Carding, Artist and Author
"I am deeply impressed with Ms. Gerrard's knowledge and experience! The book is clear and well researched in addition to being a flowing and easy read(a hard balance when scholarly tomes are so often dry and hard to fathom). She makes it clear from the onset which items are being presented as fact - and cites numerous references, and which are opinion or experiential. Even when describing her own experiences, her logic and reasoning are quite easy to follow and to understand. Many of the frustrations and fears that a Seer/ess faces are also addressed, making this a must have for any who are walking this path!" Michele White, Amazon Reviewer
Author Bio:
Katie Gerrard is a writer, researcher and workshop facilitator with a passion for the magic of the Runes and Seidr. She has been studying the different forms of Norse magic and working with the Norse Gods since discovering them in the 1990s, when she was at university in West Wales. Katie lectures and facilitates workshops at national and international events on the Runes, Seidr and related subjects, and also leads a practical Seidr group on the outskirts of London. Her work on the runes spans understanding, divination, voice work, and runic magic, which she teaches in and around London (UK). Her work on Seidr focuses on the High Seat rite and her essay 'The Seer' on this subject appeared in the anthology Priestesses Pythonesses Sibyls. She is the author of Odin's Gateways, which is a practical guide to the wisdom of the Runes through Galdr, Sigils and Casting. When she is not doing things of a magickal persuasion she enjoys creative pursuits such as fashion design, sewing, and various handicrafts. She lives in London with her husband, daughter, and fat idiot cat.
Table of Contents:
INTRODUCTION
THE VOLVA
THE SEER
THE SORCERESS
THE HIGH SEAT
THE DEAD
THE OTHER
THE GODS
SEIDR IN ANTIQUITY
CONTEMPORARY SEIDR
CONCLUSION
FURTHER READING
BIBLIOGRAPHY
INDEX
