Soul Matrix/Heathenry

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Soul Matrix/Heathenry
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Post # 1

Within Heathenry, the soul is not just a single entity but is made up of mutiple parts each having its own independent section, power,influences, as well as impacting one's own life. To be whole and healthy the matrix of the entire soul must be kept balanced and strong and this can be done by the way one chooses to live his/her life, one's wyrd, one's actions ( or lack of actions), and how one attends to the ancestors, devotional life, etc.

The soul can be split into 9 or 12 parts ( some people choose to combined certain parts into each other).

The Lik/Lich: The Physical Body

The physical body is very important to us humans because its the vehical for which we get around in and allows are wyrd to play out as it needs too. It is the way we are able to expereinces the world and a way to enact our life purpose,resolve our wyrd debts, and act out our will as well as the will of the Gods. The body is part of our personal power and is a vital part in helping us maintain a clean healthy soul. By taking good care of our body though proper diet,exercise,yoga,dancing,zumba etc, this all helps in keeping the Lik strong. As well with keeping your body in good shape its also important to pay attention to our attitudes towards our bodies and how we truly feel about them. Heathens value their phyiscal lives and view the phyiscal body and non physical flowing into each other as one with no seperation. They see the sacred in not only magickal rites but in daily life and all that it entitles as well. Since the physical body is apart of our soul, if ones own mind set towards the physical body is unhealthy,then the soul itself can't be healthy because all of it is interconnected.

Ond/Aedem : The Divine Breath

The ond or Aedem is our connection to the Gods and that which gives the soul life. It is said to be the breath of Odin breathed into use at the moment of our soul's creation. It is that which gives us the ability to grow and live everyday. The Ond is not present in a child until the moment of birth. Odin's gift of Ond comes at that moment when the child draws its first breath in. The Ond that is given is very important because it vitalizes all the parts of the soul-body. The Ond is in constant connection with the Gods and the unfolding of our own spiritual evolution.

Hamingja: Luck

The Hamingja would be one's personal luck, which can be enhanced or diminished by our choices and actions that we take in life. It is living,vital, ever-changing thing that we are constantly creating for ourselves. Our Hamingja plays apart in our lives as it helps determine the quality of our lives, our chances of success we have in all of life and the degree of difficulties we may have in reaching our goals. A degree of our luck is inherited from our ancestors and is the result of their own choices,struggles,actions, etc that they took. The Hamingja flows from a mother to child and also helps connect us to those who have passed before us and those who will come after our own passing. There are many ways in which one can help to strengthen their own Hamingja, some of the ways are keeping one's word, giving back to one's community, living honorably, honoring one's ancestors,and working on better yourself.

Maegen: Vital Force

Maegen is a vital force that flows through evey living thing and just like one's Hamingja it can directly be impacted by the way one wishes to live their life. Doing harm to our kin or community, dishonorable choices in life,living in a way that brings harm to ourselves, or breaking of our word all help to weaken our Maegen. The Maegen would be comparable to "Chi" or "Ki" in the Eastern religions. Our Maegen helps us be apart and live in the world and it is this that gives us the power needed to help strengthen or weaken our power and luck as well as alter ones Wyrd.

The Willa: The Will

The Willa is related to the the words meaning "To Wish" or "Desire". It is the direct expression of our personal power and it helps us in reaching our dreams/goals and impacts the world around us. The will deals primarily with what one may want not necessarily what one may need. Just like other parts of our soul the Will must be balanced.

Hugr/Hyge: The Intellect

This is the part of the soul which governs over rational thought. This part of the soul helps us process our intereaction with others as well as the world we live in. It helps us to learn and grow and make sense of our experiences. It enable us to choose how we wish to impact our community.

Mynd/Minni: Memory

Mynd is the memory and includes all the memories of one's own life, ancestral memory,and all that has been learned. This part of the soul was very important to the Germanic tribes because they were primarily a oral culture. Memory is who we are,our self-definition, or foundation which nourishs our growth, our uniqueness, our way to learn from past expereinces whether good or not so good.

Ord/Wod: Passion, Ecstasy, and Inspiration

The Wod is passion and is not necessarily sexual passion but a determination or drive to excel in whatever one chooses too. It is the abilitiy to give ourselves fully over to something without uncertainty or compromise. The word Wod is responsible for a higher state of being and can bring about the creative inspiration of a poet or the raging destructive power of the Berserkr.

Fylgja/Faecce:Guardian Spirit

The Fylgja is one's own guardian spirit that usually appears in animal form as a power animal or as a member of the opposite sex. It is generally believe that the Fylgja helps us in fulfilling our wyrd, gives us guidances and aid us in tapping into our personal power. It is also believe that the Fylgja helps to distrubuted the Maegen and flow of the Hamingja. One can communicate with their fylgja by directly connecting to it or the fylgja can communicate to you through your dreams.

Orlog/Orlaeg: Personal Wyrd

Wyrd itself is the web of all being, constantly being woven and rewoven again and again. The orlog is one's own individual thread in the greater of things.The orlog contains all the events of one's life as well as the consequences. It is the field in which our choices shape and affect our Maegen,Hamingja, and lives.

Hamr/Hama: Etheric Soul Skin

The Hama is the energy that surrounds and protects the soul outside of the body. The hama usually looks like the body from which is came from but some people can shapeshift it into something different looking. The Hama gives us the ability to pathwalk in other world/realms and it is what keeps the soul's energies from being scattered when that person is faring forth.

Mod: Self-Consciousness

The Mod is known to be the self, in many ways it is the totally being and is the part of the soul that is incarnated in the here and now, contains all that we are. The Mod is " a reflection of the intergrated self" and the intergrated soul matrix. The Germanic theology does not split the physical world and the spiritual world in half. The two were very much connected and seen as a whole. One can not truly achieve in the spiritual by ignoring the physical and vice versa.

Sources: Exploring the Northern Tradition by Galina Krasskova

http://www.englatheod.org/soul.htm

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Re: Soul Matrix/Heathenry
By: / Novice
Post # 2
Very well written, Fairywolf!
It is good to see this type ov material being posted, since there is a boom in people that desire good information on Heathenism.
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Re: Soul Matrix/Heathenry
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Post # 3
thank you for this post I enjoyed it and learned a lot of new stuff. blessings on your path.
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Re: Soul Matrix/Heathenry
By: / Knowledgeable
Post # 4

This is really great, and well written, Fairy. Providing you get the time, I'd love to see you write an article dedicated to each different aspect and go through them one by one! I'd definitely love to collaborate with you on that!

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Re: Soul Matrix/Heathenry
By: Moderator / Adept
Post # 5
This thread has been moved to Heathenism from Misc Topics.
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Re: Soul Matrix/Heathenry
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Post # 6

Just curious, how would one sort these into nine parts?

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Re: Soul Matrix/Heathenry
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Post # 7
I could be wrong but I would put the physical body and divine breath together as one and the will, intellect, and memory together.
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Re: Soul Matrix/Heathenry
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Post # 8
I enjoyed your read.
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Re: Soul Matrix/Heathenry
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Post # 9
More great information, for a beginner like me.

Thank you !
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