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Northern Tradition Shaman Raven Kaldera On Summoning Forth Spirits & Norse Gods
Could you give us some background on what it means to be a Northern Tradition Shaman and about your belief system?
RK: Well, first, shamans work with spirits. Lots of spirits. Some of them are really big and we call them Gods; some of them aren’t that much bigger than we are and we might call them elemental spirits, animal spirits, plant spirits, etc. And, of course, some are humans who have passed on. A shaman’s job is making alliances and being in right relationship with as many spirits as practical, and then getting their help to help other humans. Above all else, it’s a lifelong service job, not a fun pastime. In my tradition – the ancient shamanic tradition of northern Europe – I’ll mostly work with the Norse/Germanic Gods, spirits familiar to northern Europe, and the dead. However, sometimes I get hailed by deities and spirits not from there, because the world is a smaller place these days and I don’t live on my ancestors’ lands.
ho is the goddess Hela and what can you share with us about the Norse Gods you work with?
RK: It’s said that the Nordic religious tradition is pretty bloody and brutal, and there’s something to be said for that – it’s similar in that way to other circumpolar religious traditions, and the harsh climate may have a lot to do with that. But it’s also very beautiful, and very straightforward. Hela is the Goddess of Death, and she is often shown as half beautiful woman and half rotting corpse, to show that Death is both kindly and inevitable.
FOR THE REST OF THIS MOST INTERESTING INTERVIEW AND MORE ON THE NORSE TRADITION OF SHAMANISM PLEASE VISIT THIS LINK THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT
