This September marks 70 years since Gilbert White’s House has been open to the public, and a few years ago, for my birthday I received a gilded 1890 edition of Gilbert White’s “Natural History of Selborne”. Originally published in 1790, it is a series of letters and a “Kalander” detailing the phenology of Selborne- from birds and insect habits to plants and trees throughout the year. There are many illustrations of rare and unusual species which White documents in a scientific way. The book, which is considered to be the precursor of nature writing, is an exquisite time capsule of how the natural world was during the eighteenth century.

“Every natural fact is an emanation of divinity.”

From reading this book, I was inspired to spend as much time in nature as possible and focus more deeply on mindful walking. In turn, this encouraged me to venture further into wilder and untouched places, which lead to writing my book A Guide to Pilgrimage, (published in October this year.) In my book I explore mindful walking in nature to a greater extent, and hopefully encourage readers to venture into places unknown, which will lead to a shifting and profound connection to the spiritual or divine.

“The happiness and beauty of our fellow-creatures should never be sport to us.”

Another legacy from Gilbert White’s nature writing is my continued interest in ecology and studying his book emphasised the terrible loss of nature and wildlife in our modern world. It’s a sobering thought that three out of five wild species mentioned in White’s book are facing extinction and 15% of the rest are in serious decline. Today raw sewage is dumped into rivers, air pollutants in most parts of the UK exceed safe limits, and the planning laws around building in environmentally sensitive areas are being relaxed.

“Objects of natural history are of more consequence than they are generally considered.”

This, to me, makes every moment of time spent in nature more valuable and every observation of the natural world that much more precious. Whist supporting environmental charities is an excellent way to give nature a voice and make your choices heard, leaving only footprints when spending time in the natural world is another way to help protect nature. Joining in litter picking and clearing of invasive species, organised by local environmental groups. Or by simply doing as Gilbert White suggests: “There is nothing sweeter in this sad world than the sound of the wild thrush's whistle.” Becoming a witness to the fragility of our world, and reverencing what we see is something we all can easily do.

“There is no greater luxury than to read in the open air.”

For my last birthday I made a pilgrimage to visit Gilbert Whites House in Selborne which is preserved as a museum and offers a glimpse into his life. Surrounding the house is a large garden which is managed in traditional ways with original plants and large swaths of natural meadows encouraging wildlife. I spent a time relaxing on a bench next to the meadow reading his book. Upon returning to the house, I found a simple chalk board with encouraging ideas to #BeMoreGilbert which are excellent suggestions that I have reproduced here:

1. I will walk short journeys no matter the weather.

2. I Will spend time in nature every day.

3. Leave a bit of your garden wild.

4. In warm weather I will leave out a shallow dish of water for wildlife.

5. I will start a nature diary, write a poem, or do some art inspired by the natural world.

#BeMoreGilbert.

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My book on pilgrimage is available from all good booksellers both online and in person.

This article was originally published in Moonscape June 2024.

All words and most of the images are ©Thea Prothero. The other images are copyright free.

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I first met Amanda Edmiston in 2018 at the Taibhear Collective's ‘Dreaming Bread and Skyrie Stanes’ event in Edinburgh, and was instantly struck by her friendly welcome and tenacious personality. As a storyteller, she offers a unique blend of humour, passion and plant knowledge, which completely enchanted the entire auditorium. Since the event, we have remained in touch primarily through social media and the odd email, and I am thrilled to offer this review of not one but both of her herbal companions.

Both of Amanda’s books, The Time Traveller’s Herbal and Collected Curiosities, offer readers a completely new style of plant guide. These volumes weave together a nuanced and well-defined historical guide, traditional folklore, practical insights, and highly accessible botanical recipes. Written in Amanda’s uniquely captivating storyteller's voice, they offer the reader a totally immersive, multisensory journey through what can only be described as ‘herbal academia’.

The newly released edition, Collected Curiosities, re-opens the historical apothecary cabinet where the Time Travellers Herbal left off, taking readers through the 1800s to the 1920s. What I found most poignant in the book was the way Amanda explores massive historical shifts, from the Highland Clearances to the First World War and their direct effect on the people who survived. Of particular note is the book's emphasis on the resilience of women’s voices throughout history, including those of suffragettes and the travelling community. One fascinating example of this is the story of Lady of Lawers, a 17th-century seer who made several eerie predictions about the area around the banks of Loch Tay; her prophecies included foretelling the invention of steamships and the arrival of trains. Amanda’s tale recounts how she foresaw the village's end and the community's destruction.

Inside, you will find highly accessible eco-conscious recipes using commonly found plants, often considered weeds, such as cleavers and plantain, alongside stories of mermaids and ghosts, as well as the sombre reminder that blue and green bottles in pharmacies used to contain poisons and should only be handled by those who understood how easily a cure could kill.

Of course, this review would not be complete without a brief examination of the foundational text, The Time Traveller’s Herbal, which, for those who have not read it, is the prequel to Collected Curiosities. This volume sets the stage by anchoring readers in the preceding centuries, beginning in ancient Rome, before entering the dark, savage times surrounding the Scottish Witch Trials and the Jacobite Rebellion. Throughout, Amanda explores the ancient, lost art of plant medicine, which in the past was the bedrock of healing and protection in communities. The book also contains over 25 practical instructions for making salves, tinctures, teas, balms and baking using only traditional methods, including garden staples like rosemary and chamomile.

At the heart of the book is the core message that all plants, even common weeds are vessels for cultural memory. Reading these books is a slow, meditative ritual, enabling a deeper connection to both the plants themselves and, thereby, the world around them.

Amanda writes from the heart, with a lifetime of knowledge that encourages us not only to slow down but also to forage safely and be present in the world around us.

The Time Travellers’ Herbal and Collected Curiosities are the perfect companions for any would-be herbalist or simply those interested in historical herbalism.

Please check out Amanda’s website here: https://www.botanicafabula.co.uk/about-botanica-fabula

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And as always, please check out my books, A Guide to Pilgrimage and Heathenry for the Solitary Practitioner, available from all good booksellers online and in-person.

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We were fortunate to spend some time walking the beautiful, rugged coastline of North Wales and the Llyn Peninsula. This area, along with the Eryri (Snowdonia)National Park is a place of extremes – of weather, light and geology. Our walk, which was around 20km along the path featured torrential rain, crashing waves over 10m high, and winds that could have swept the us out to sea; together with bursts of sunshine that warmed our wet faces and the singular delicate song of a solitary blackbird from somewhere in the golden gorse that marked the boundary between rock and vegetation.

There followed a sunset that had  a serious wow factor. The shoreline at that point,  was completely flat and the raging waves far out,  which created the  surreal quality of horses forever racing towards the beach but never arriving. Light and shadow were perfectly aligned. A true chiaroscuro moment.

The huge endless Turner-like horizonthen darkened and a tunnel of rain pelted us as we hurried back the way we’d come, our minds filled with roaring fires, hot tea and slices of buttered bara brith. 

As we drove through the discarded slate mountains to Blaenau Ffestiniog, the air crackled with ozone as flashes of lightening lit the road, reminiscent of the path to the underworld, and startling a greying fox sniffing around a dustbin. There was an eery otherworldly feel. 

Annwn, the otherworld in Welsh mythology, was reputed to be located at Harlech in North Wales according to the second branch of the Mabinogion,although it could be an island location as well as suggested in the Arthurian poem Preiddeu Annwn, (The Spoils of Annwn in English,) from the Book of Taliesin. Could this mysterious island location be Bardsey Island?

Bardsey was  a renowned pilgrim destination after a monastery was set up in the 6th century by St. Cadfan. The name Bardsey, possibly means ‘The Island of the Bards’, or it maybe connected to a Viking Yarl named Barda….nobody is sure. (In Old Norse the ‘sey’ at the end of place names, means island.) In myths, the site is reputed to be the burial place of the mythical figure of Merlin. On our walk, earlier, we could not quite see the Isle of Bardsey, there was a rain mist adding to the overall sense of the enigmatic.

Is there one course of wind?

    Is there one course of water?

   Is there one spark of fire

   Of fierce tumult?

From ‘Preiddeu Annwfn’ 

English translation by Sarah Higley

From:

Preiddeu Annwn: The Spoils of Annwn | Robbins Library Digital Projects

All words and images are ©Thea Prothero. Please dont use without permission.

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Fancy going on a walk, or even considering a pilgrimage? Then my book, A Guide to Pilgrimage is available now from all good booksellers online or in person.

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For those of you who haven’t been following my recent Instagram posts, here is a general recap: for the past week or so, I have been posting about books which demonstrate my enduring fascination with Iceland. These have varied from my old battered copy of the Rough Guide to Reykjavik to The Sagas of the Icelanders. (Please check out my Instagram profile heathen_pilgrim for more.) There is a unique magic in both Icelandic literature and books about the country, that have captivated me since I first picked up that guide book many years before I visited.

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This week’s blog post concerns the changing seasons, as we have officially stepped across the threshold into Heyannir - the Old Icelandic month of “hey making”

In a land with a brutally short summer, July was never a time of relaxation, but rather a frantic race against time to cut, turn and store enough grass to keep livestock alive during the perilous winter.

To understand the divine force behind this agriculturally intense period, its necessary to travel east from the quiet hey making of Heyannir in Iceland, to the grand heart of Pre-Viking Age Sweden. When I walked beside the monumental burial mounds at Gamla Uppsala in 2023, the scale of which I have never seen before, which in turn, forces a shift in perspective. Here you are faced with the remains of a site that served as the spiritual axis for the entire region; the place where human need and godly intervention met.

German chronicler Adam of Bremen write extensively about the ritual site of Uppsala in his 11th century Gesta Hammaburgensis Ecclesiae Pontificum, in which he describes the magnificence of the temple where the three figures of Thor, Woden and Fricco - the Latinised name of Freyr, were housed. Adam explicitly notes that Fricco is the god who “bestows peace and pleasure on mortals.” In a society plagued by the real threat of crop failure and disaster, “peace and pleasure” symbolised a freedom from famine, good weather and the success of the harvest. Fricco could, therefore, be considered the lord or god of the harvest.

Freyr was also identified by his Swedish ancestral name: Yngvi (or Ingvi). According to Snorri Sturluson’s Ynglinga Saga, Freyr established his capital at Uppsala and founded the most prestigious royal house in Scandinavia, the Ynglinger. As a divine ancestor, Yngvi-Freyr tied the authority of the Swedish kings directly to the yield of crops and agriculture. Under his reign the sagas record many seasons of plenty, so much so, that the king himself became synonymous with the harvest.

In Sturluson’s Hákonar saga góða, it is recorded that toasts were raised to Freyr and Njord “Til árs ok friðar” - a ritual formula that translates roughly to “A good year and peace.” This indicates that the grand temple, home to the gods on earth was the centre of negotiation between the communities and their deities: the community offered their most precious assets, including humans in order to assure a seasonal peace and good harvest.

The Old Norse mindset viewed the divine not as separate , but as a practical, lived system of reciprocity, as Neil Price in his seminal work, The Children of Ash & Elm, says that this belief was a framework through which communities understood the success of the harvest, the turning of the seasons and the survival of the household.(Price. 2020 Chapters 3 & 4.)

Even today as we tend our modern patches of soil, although we no longer (on the whole) pour blood on an altar to secure a good year ahead, instead we water our crops, pull weeds and work until our fingernails are cake in dirt - much as our ancestors did.

If you read my Wednesday re-visit, this week, “Growing Things”, you will understand how the growth we see in July is a manifestation of Freyr’s presence in the soil. A true relationship with the god of the harvest is not always forged at the festival bonfire, or with elaborate offerings, instead it is forged by tending the land, by giving your physical labour to the earth. In doing this you are engaging in the same ancient exchange and paying your dues to Freyr.

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Images:

Images of Uppsala and the Harvest are © Thea Prothero

Images of Iceland in the summer are copyright free from Wikimedia Commons.

1. Yngvi-Freyr constructs the Temple at Uppsala in this early 19th century artwork by Hugo Hamilton

2. In Freyr's Temple near Uppsala" (1882) by Friedrich Wilhelm Heine.

Text Sources

Adam of Bremen. Gesta Hammaburgensis Ecclesiae Pontificum ( History of the Archbishops of Hamburg-Bremen) Book IV Chapter 26. (1073-76 describing the temple at Uppsala)

Snorri Sturluson Hákonar saga góða (The saga of Hakon the Good) Chapter 14, in Heimskringla

Snorri Sturluson Ynglinga Saga, Chapters 10-12 in Heimskringla.

Neil Price. The Children of Ash and Elm - A History of the Vikings. Chapters 3 & 4. Penguin Books 2020.

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if you want to read more about the Norse gods, cosmology and other aspects of Heathenry, please check out my book:

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To me, summer is a busy time at home mainly because my family have an allotment. Although I love to walk the land – it’s intrinsic to me as part of my spiritual connection, (which no doubt you may have read in previous blogs,) another way I relate to the spirit of the place is through tending and caring for the areas in which I live. This includes volunteering at my local nature reserve once a month, clearing rubbish, rebuilding paths, and keeping track and recording sightings of various protected wildlife inhabitants which in turn protect the reserve from re-development.

 However, nothing compares to the smell of rich soil after being turned ready for planting, and the sense of connectivity when crumbing the loam in my hand - all my senses are at one with the earth, communing with an ancient visceral language that is pure and immense. I bless each seedling or plant as I carefully entrust its care to the bed of soil, I feed it with organic nettle or comfrey tea and water every day, hoping in turn to be blessed with edibles or visual beauty. 

Our allotment isn’t neat and tidy, or have regular sized beds with straight paths and perfectly sized courgettes - it’s overgrown in places and we don’t cut the grass much, we let weeds grow and most of the greenhouse doesn’t have glass. We primarily don’t use any substance that could harm the wildlife, except some baracades to protect our trees from the deer, and netting to protect our swedes/kale from pigeons in winter. We follow some permaculture methods, such as companion planting crops that protect other crops, we collect water from rain and make our own compost, and allow plants to grow where they want to. That probably sounds odd, but as an example, our raspberries never really thrived in the area we originally placed them in, but instead re-sprouted a few feet away in our blueberry bed and are now perfectly happy, along with the lemon balm and blueberries!

Most importantly we try to grow in a way that works with the land and wildlife. We left some overgrown leeks to flower, encouraging hoverflies and bees, and leave some berries on the red and black currants for the blackbird family that resides in the next allotments bushes.  Our next project is to create a small pond from an old bath we were given to help the frogs who live under a greenhouse nearby, who in turn will (hopefully) eat unwanted slugs and snails on our bean crops.  We don’t go home with cart loads of crops, or prize winning cabbages, but we always go home with joy in our hearts and a few runner beans or the odd squash now and then.

We have quite a few apple and fruit trees, and were very lucky that when we acquired the allotment there was already an old and well established apple tree in one corner. Every year we are blessed with rosy red apples in October and cooling shade on hot summer’s day.  In January we traditionally wassail our old apple tree, after pruning and checking her over.  For those who don’t know, wassailing is the old tradition of ensuring a plentiful crop by toasting and offering libations (usually with cider) to the trees At the same time, it is necessary to make as much racket as possible, playing loud music and in some parts of Somerset, firing a shot gun through the branches of the tree to frighten the devil or bad spirits away who hide in the tree. It’s a good reason to have friends over, drink cider and brighten up a cold dull January night with fire and song.

I have recently been reading Mary Reynold’s book “The Garden Awakening” which is a fascinating insight into holistic bonding with land as a living being. In one chapter Mary speaks about beating the boundaries as a symbol of your purpose to form a relationship with the land. Walking the edges of your land was traditionally done annually in Ireland as a marker. The intent  should be clear as you  mindfully concentrate, you need to  make the land understand by maybe speaking or even singing your intention, as you pace  You could use a drum, or stones, which create resonation and clear stale energy.  Although I have not done this, it sounds like a beautiful way of creating a familial bond with the land you are working with and it’s something I will be doing from now on.

The most important part of our relationship with the land is allowing yourself to bond and heal the earth and yourself with it. Sitting in the shade listening to birds singing, the sun touching your skin in dappled light, breathing with, and feeling the heartbeat beneath your feet or hands, being as one.

This is the greatest gift we are given.

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Words and photographs are ©Thea Prothero

All my work is 100% AI free.

My two books, A Guide to Pilgrimage and Heathenry for the Solitary Practitioner are available from all good booksellers, both online and in person.

When we think of summer gods in Norse mythology, we usually think of the bright, shining Baldr or the thunderous storm power of Thor. Iðunn, the quiet keeper of Asgard’s youth-giving fruit, is usually left in the background, often viewed simply as a gentle goddess holding a basket. Yet if we look more closely at her history, Iðunn is much more than a secondary character. She is the true power behind summer’s life force.

In our busy, modern world, it is easy to lose our connection with the cycles of the seasons. The story of Iðunn is relevant right now. At midsummer, her myths offer a framework for rebuilding our own internal energy.

Uncovering her deeper role as a goddess of fertility and harvest bridges the gap between historical research and everyday inspiration. This balance between history and modern connection is exactly what author Olivia Church explores in her upcoming book, Pagan Portals: Idunn: Keeper of the Apples of Immortality. By looking at how Iðunn mirrors the heartbeat of the land, we can understand the true power of Asgard’s quietest protector.

The Midsummer Shift: Nature at its Peak

We usually view Iðunn’s famous kidnapping by the giant Thjazi as a simple story about winter’s arrival. However, some Norse scholars found a much bigger picture. Hilda Ellis Davidson argued that the details of the story actually point to an ancient agricultural ritual. Looking closely at the 10th-century poem Haustlöng (which translates to “Autumn-long”), Davidson and Norwegian scholar Anne Holtsmark explained that the story acts as a symbolic code for the seasonal crop cycle and the end of the harvest.

Through this lens, Iðunn represents the vital transition from spring flowers to the heavy, physical fruit-bearing of high summer. To understand this connection, we have to look at what her fruits actually were. The Old Norse word used for her fruit, epli, did not just mean modern orchard apples, which did not grow widely in early Scandinavia. Instead, it was a general term for any round fruit, wild berry, or hazelnut ripening in the woods right now.

Because of this, Iðunn functions directly as the goddess of active summer growth. She rules over the green tree canopy, the swelling of wild plums, and the thickening of crops. Thor might bring the summer rain, but Idunn is the biological response. She represents the invisible growth turning summer sunlight into food.

The “Dísir” of the Brooks: Summer Ecology

For anyone wanting to connect with nature today, Iðunn offers a great way to engage with your local environment. In the ancient poem Haustlöng, written by the Viking poet Þjóðólfr of Hvinir, Idunn is described with a specific poetic phrase: dísi bekkjar brunnakrs. While standard translations by scholars like Anthony Faulkes read this literally as the “goddess of the bench of Brunnakr [her home field]”, language experts look deeper. Because the word bekkr can mean “brook” and brunnr can mean “well” or “spring”, language analysis by scholars such as Edith Marold translates the phrase as “the dísir-goddess of the brooks of the source of harvest”. In the heat of midsummer, these “brooks of the harvest” are indeed life lines for the soil. Indeed the recent heatwave experinced in the UK and temperatures roaring up to the high 30s, means that fields crops are at risk, but the hidden streams and natural wells are a welcome relief, and offer salvation for our harvest. Connecting with Iðunn is in tune with honouring the water systems that support us and the foundation of our lives. She is found in the cool dampness of a morning garden, the wet soil of a riverbank, and the shaded woods where wild fruits grow.

Relatable Immortality: Beating Summer Burnout

One of the most relatable things about the Norse gods is that they are not naturally immortal. They age, go grey, and grow weak just like us. They can only stay young by eating Iðunn’s fruit every single day.

Many of us experience summer as a time of limitless energy, we fill our calendars with numerous social gatherings, outdoor projects, and travel to distant places. However, pushing ourselves too far, can lead to burnout.

Iðunn reminds us that our energy is a treasure that we must actively protect. She does not hand out her fruit carelessly; she watches over it with intent. Working with Iðunn’s energy in the summer means slowing down to curate what keeps us feeling youthful, inspired, and healthy.

Iðunn Today

We must read between the lines of the old texts to find Iðunn because her footprints are subtle. To help us explore how these academic threads weave into modern, everyday life, Olivia Church provides an excellent guide. Her upcoming book, Pagan Portals: Idunn: Keeper of the Apples of Immortality, published by Moon Books, perfectly balances historical facts with personal inspiration. It is a fantastic summer read for anyone looking to step into the orchard and discover the quiet wisdom of Asgard’s vital goddess.

This summer, instead of chasing the sun, search for Iðunn in the wild fruit ripening on the branches and the forthcoming harvest, protect your personal energy reserves, and honour the quiet cycles of renewal that keep us all alive.

The ending of Olivia Church’s book, Idunn: Keeper of the Apples of Immortality features a prayer, offering a simple way of connecting with this enigmatic goddess.

Hail to Idunn!

Keeper of the Apples of Immortality,

Goddess of the Orchards,

Bringer of the Renewal of Life,

Wise one of the Elven Kind,

and Gentle Friend to All!

(Shared with permission)

All text and photographs are ©Thea Prothero. Prayer to Idunn is ©Olivia Church and can be found in her newly released book: Idunn; Keeper of the Apples of Immortality published by Moon Books and available from all good booksellers.

My work is 100% AI free.

Other images used are from Wikimedia Commons and freely available as follows:

1)Bragi sitting playing the harp, Iðunn standing behind him (1846) by Nils Blommer

2) Ydun statue (1858) by Herman Willhelm Bissen

References in the text are as follows:

Church, O. (2026) Pagan Portals - Idunn: Keeper of the Apples of Immortality. London: Moon Books.

Clunies Ross, M. (2005) A History of Old Norse Poetry and Poetics. Woodbridge: D.S. Brewer.

Davidson, H. E. (1993) The Lost Beliefs of Northern Europe. London: Routledge, pp. 41-45.

Faulkes, A. (ed.) (1998) Snorri Sturluson: Edda: Skáldskaparmál. Vol. 1: Introduction, Text and Notes. London: Viking Society for Northern Research.

Holtsmark, A. (1949) ‘Myten om Idun og Tjatse i Tjodolvs Haustlong’, Arkiv för nordisk filologi, 64, pp. 1–73.

Marold, E. (1993) ‘Die Hauptprobleme der Haustlöng’, in Wolf, A. (ed.) Skaldenschaft und Poetik. Tübingen: Gunter Narr, pp. 115–123.

Þjóðólfr of Hvinir (10th Century) ‘Haustlöng’, Stanza 9. Edited by the Skaldic Project. Available at: skaldic.org

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And finally, if you want to know more about Heathenry, and the other gods of the North, my own book Heathenry for the Solitary Practitioner is a great foundational text, and available from all good booksellers, online or in person.

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I expect you will probably be aware that in 2010 air travel in most of Europe came to a stand-still because of the numerous volcanic eruptions from Iceland’s Eyjafjallajökull? I imagine you will have definitely know about the tragedy of Pompeii, when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79CE wiping out the whole town along with many areas around it?

But did you know that in 536CE its estimated that there were at least three simultaneous and different volcanic eruptions, possibly originating in Iceland, which ejected masses of sulphate gasses into the atmosphere, severely reducing sunlight and drastically reducing the temperature for several years? In 2015 polar ice core chronology dated a heavy and thick band of sulphur to this specific year, indicating the level of devastation would have been pretty close to extinction level. In short, this event was a watershed moment in the planets history and a major climate catastrophe. Following this devastation, mass plagues followed, wiping out over half of Northern Europe’s already depleted population.

Sunless summers and endless winters…

         "First will come the winter called Fimbulvetr (extreme winter). Snow will drive in     from all directions; the cold will be severe and the winds will be fierce. The sun will be of no use. Three of these winters will come, one after another, with no summer in between.
           Brothers will fight
           bringing death to each other.  
           Sons of sisters
           will split their kin bonds.
           Hard times for men,
           rampant depravity,
           age of axes, age of swords,
           shields split,
           wind age, wolf age,
          until the world falls into ruin."
          

(The Prose Edda, Snorri Sturluson, translated by Jesse Byock p 71)

The lines of the Prose and Poetic Edda, Voluspa poem speak about the events at the start of Ragnarok - the beginning of the end of the world.

In the small community of Vindelev in present day Jutland, just outside of the royal site of Jelling, Denmark, desperate times called for ever greater offerings and sacrifices to the gods, as it asks in the exhibition at Jelling: 
     "What would you do if the sun
one day became shrouded in volcanic ash and the stars disappeared from the night sky?

What would you sacrifice to get them back?”

In 2020 two amateur archaeologists found nearly a kilo of gold in a field, including the largest bracteate ever found and one which has the earliest inscription baring Odin’s name dated from 400CE. the inscription in Runes reads:

"Hostior! Helpu ufar fatai Jagai iR Wodanas weraR"
 "Sacrifice! I help the hunter Jagaz who is Odin's man"

Stephen Pollington says: “It is…the earliest unambiguous example of the wodanaz name in any medium so far discovered.” ( Woden - A Historical Companion. 2024. P24.) The inscription is beautifully crafted by a proficient runologist, and remarkedly the inscription is more worn than the rest of the bracteate, which could suggest that the owner touched this area frequently possible in homage or prayer.

These were two pieces of a wealth beyond imagining at the time and even in the present day, given in the hope of saving lives, a community and possibly to forestall the beginning of Ragnarok.

So let me ask you this.

What would you sacrifice in the face of death, famine and destruction?

What would you offer Odin?

All photos and writing is ©Thea Prothero.

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Every June, thousands of people gather on the Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire to watch the sunrise at Stonehenge. For anyone who has not experienced this event, it is one of those things that everyone in the South of the UK should try at least once in their lifetime. As the sun fills the ancient central circle of stones, it becomes a powerful reminder of how deeply our ancestors revered Midsummer.

If we go back in time, and look across the North Sea to Scandinavia, this same ancient solar worship takes on a personified, mythical form. In Norse culture, the summer sun was celebrated as Sunna (also known as Sól), a glowing goddess whose legacy still shapes Midsummer, one of Sweden’s most magical and enduring festivals.

⁠

Sunna The Sun Goddess.

In academic studies of Old Norse literature, particularly within the Poetic Edda, the sun is distinctly feminine, serving as an active protector rather than a passive symbol. Sunna’s daily journey across the heavens is a beautifully intense narrative of endurance, driven by the absolute necessity to keep the world alive.

According to mythology, the gods created the sun from sparks flying out of Muspelheim, the realm of fire. They placed Sunna in a golden chariot to guide these sparks across the sky. Her chariot is pulled by two majestic horses, Árvakr (meaning “Early-waker”) and Alsviðr (meaning “All-swift”).

To prevent the intense heat of the solar sphere from burning her steeds and the earth below, the gods placed a special cooling shield called Svalinn in front of the chariot.

The heavy burden of her daily flight is perfectly captured in stanza 37 of the mythological poem Grímnismál (The Sayings of Grimnir):

“Arvak and Alsvith | up shall drag
Weary the weight of the sun;
But an iron cool | have the kindly gods

Of yore set under their yokes.”

(Bellows translation.)

This cosmic journey is also a perpetual chase. Sunna is constantly pursued by the monstrous wolf Sköll, who seeks to devour her; a myth that the ancient Norse used to explain both the daily cycle of night and day and the occurrence of solar eclipses.

When the summer solstice arrives, Sunna reaches the peak of her power, granting northern parts of Scandinavia days where the sun barely sets. Historically, this transition from the dark winter to the endless light of summer was a profound turning point for agrarian societies. Midsummer in these early communities was a vital celebration of light, fertility, and impending growth.

On Midsummer’s Eve, the boundaries between the physical world and the supernatural world were believed to wear thin. The abundant sunlight is infused the earth with magic.

Here are some of the high points in folklore surrounding Midsummer from Sweden. (Thank you to Imelda Almqvist for setting me on the path to discovering more)

• The Power of Flora: Plants picked on Midsummer’s Eve were thought to possess miraculous healing and prophetic powers because they had absorbed Sunna’s maximum energy.

  

• The Seven, or Nine Flower Spell: This belief directly inspired the famous romantic tradition still practiced today. If you pick seven different species of wildflowers in absolute silence and place them under your pillow on Midsummer night, folklore dictates you will dream of your future spouse, although there is some evidence that it may also be a way of having prophetic dreams.

• Nature Spirits: As the midnight sun cast long, eerie shadows, people believed that trolls, fairies, and water spirits like Näcken (merman) emerged to play music and trick unsuspecting travelers.

• The Maypole (Majstång): Raising and dancing around the leaf-wrapped pole was a communal ritual to ensure fertility for both the fields and the people, echoing ancient desires for a bountiful harvest before the dark months returned.

A Living Connection to the Past

Today, Midsummer in Sweden is less about fearing wolves in the sky and more about enjoying good food, friends, and the outdoors. Yet, the wearing of floral wreaths, staying up to watch the sunrise, means we are participating in a tradition that is thousands of years old. It is a direct link back to our ancestors who looked up at the sky, saw a goddess driving a chariot of fire, and thanked her for bringing the warmth back to earth.

All text is © Thea Prothero please do not use without permission.

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When you think of the term Viking, what symbol immediately springs to mind? What is, to you, the icon of all things Viking?

I’m taking a bit of a leap of faith here, but I’m guessing it might be the iconic longship?

The longship was infamously the scourge of island monasteries around the coast of the United Kingdom over a thousand years ago, striking fear into the hearts of locals and bankrupting the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. When my daughters surprised me on my birthday a while ago, they presented me with a pendant in the shape of a sleek, snake-like prow, similar to that of the Oseberg ship. Indeed, a longship with its red striped sail raised, preparing to do battle, is the illustration on the cover of the Norse mythology books used in many schools.

To the Viking peoples, the longship was their key to new wealth and new lands; it carried their warriors to glory in war and conquest, and opened new doors of trade as far away as Constantinople (Istanbul) and North America. There is strong evidence that Vikings traded with Chinese merchants along the Silk Roads, and they may even have entered China itself.

Closer to home: Roskilde, Denmark, in the late 11th century, a series of barriers was created in the fjord to protect the prestigious town from attack. This included five ships, which were scuttled to form a permanent barrier, along with a ridge of boulders and stones. Excavation of these five ships began in 1962 and can be seen today as the main part of Denmark’s Viking Ship Museum. The ships have been reconstructed using traditional Viking methods of construction and offer a fantastic overview of the different types of boats used during the Viking age, from ocean-going trading ships to the impressive great longship, at over 30m in length, which would have carried 70-80 warriors destined for battle, with an average speed of 5 knots.

Visiting the museum brings both the cruciality and magnitude of the ship industry to life, with demonstrations of boatbuilding and even the opportunity to sail in one of the reconstructed vessels.

But we are doing the people of what is now Scandinavia a massive disservice by examining the importance of boats only on this limited time scale, and as a physical presence to sate the needs of the living. Most Viking-age wooden ships are only discovered when archaeological excavations happen on land, and the most elaborate boat burials are revealed. If we roll back time to many centuries before the Viking age, ships were still of such value and importance to the Iron Age Scandinavians that they were often cremated or laid to rest in stone ship settings.

Lindholm Høje in northern Jutland (Denmark) is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and although part of the immense field was removed for road construction in the nineteenth century, over 700 cremation graves remain. Much of the contents of the graves were lost due to the heat of the pyres. The site was covered for many centuries by shifting sands, but excavations took place between 1952-8, revealing the impressive site which was continually used for over 600 years.

Although it was raining when I visited the site, it was impossible not to be both intrigued and impressed by the clear presence of ships, even away from water. Why was it so important that you were laid to rest on a ship? Did the ship, as a grave setting, represent your wealth and prestige in life? Perhaps its value to your family outstripped your death, so, unlike the later wealthy Vikings, you could only have a representation of it in death?

Maybe the most enigmatic and tantalising of all the questions is:

Where was the stone ship going with the dead?

What are your opinions? Tell me in the comments below

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To put it simply, Sharon Blackie has been a huge influence on my life from the moment I first encountered her editorship of Earthlines magazine, and I am honoured to have reviewed all her books and am lucky to consider her a wise friend. My own journey of transformation began with her 2016 book, If Women Rose Rooted, which connected Celtic knowledge to ecological belonging. In Hagitude and her recent anthology of European elder female archetypes, Wise Women, Sharon offers us a new way of being in the world, where older women, so long ignored and forgotten, are reborn as wise crones ready to re-take their rightful place. This thematic landscape is brilliantly continued in her new book, Ripening: Why Women Need Fairytales Now, which further explores how the old stories can be utilised as blueprints for the modern female psyche.

“Fairytales matter because at the heart of every one of them is transformation.”

The fierce archetypes found within Ripening are a natural continuation of those in Hagitude, bridging the gap in age by examining how fairy tales can serve as a navigational standard throughout a woman’s life. Hagitude introduced the archetypal, often shape-shifting trickster, along with the truth-telling hard-core crone of later life. Ripening traces these powerful undercurrents back to their origins in early folklore and fairy tales. These symbols don’t just suddenly appear in later life; however, they are seeded early on through the resilience of savvy young heroines who continually disrupt broken systems to survive. Much like the shape-shifting women in Foxfire Wolfskin, who seek their skins to reclaim their true nature, in Ripening, these timeless archetypes become a blueprint for outmanoeuvring peril and claiming destiny.

By analysing the often hidden symbols in our lives, Sharon teaches us how to move through and learn from trauma. Her prose is a powerful catalyst, showing us how to “Recognise and make use of the possibilities that rise to the surface when broken systems are cracked open.”

For me, Ripening is an essential guide for personal metamorphosis.

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“Every liminal space between runes is a mystery school, and its curriculum is

mythology.”

This is Imelda Almqvist’s 5th book published with Moon Books, all highly acclaimed, and her first directly linked with Runes. I like to consider myself a bit of an expert in Runes in all their shapes and forms, but Imelda’s book, released in May, is truly a revolution in Runic thinking and has made me re-examine the Runes in completely new & unexpected ways.

The Circular Wheel

How Imelda’s book differs from other Runic books is by fundamentally breaking the old mould of reading Runes from left to right in a linear fashion, and instead presenting them as a circular wheel. This in itself is remarkable because it entirely changes how Runes can be read. A circular reading is continuous, meaning that the cycle and its perception offer endless opportunities for new understanding. Runes that appear to have no connection can now work in complementary ways, forming new meanings and expanding the scope of divinatory readings.

The Uthark Sequence

Crucially, Imelda departs from most standard mainstream texts, which commence with the Fehu Rune (ᚠ) and instead thoroughly explores the Uthark sequence, which begins with Uruz (ᚢ). By shifting the traditional layout along by one, to begin with Uruz, readers can view the sequence as a defined creation myth with raw, deeply cosmic, and profound meanings.

Of particular fascination to me was the intense liminal focus that runs throughout the book; instead of simply focusing on the individual Runes, Imelda maps out the ‘in-between’ spaces. I found this focus on treating these gaps as hidden knowledge and spiritual wisdom to be both inspiring and incredibly profound.

The Hávamál

Imelda anchors the book deeply within the historical context from which the stories of Runes evolved. Through the Poetic Edda, the reader learns how our ancient Norse ancestors understood the world around them. Her analysis beautifully incorporates the Hávamál (Sayings of the High One) to trace the origins of the Runes themselves. Imelda contextualises the historical reality of the Runes by stating

“In Hávamál, Odin details his mastery of 18 powerful spells known as the Runic Lay.”

Further explaining that this Runic Lay forms a distinct collection of practical magical spells, Imelda highlights that these 18 spells represent active applications of Odin’s cosmic wisdom, which ranges from healing to blunting enemy weapons and communicating with the dead.

Astrological Blueprint

The circular layout also works well as an astrological blueprint, meaning it can be read in a manner similar to a natal chart, successfully weaving together Norse mythology and complex planetary astronomy. Further, by demonstrating that early alphabets may mirror the night sky, Imelda bridges the gap between historical blueprints and grounded shamanic work.

In conclusion, Portals, Patterns and Pathways is far more than a typical Runic manual; it is a profound reorientation of how we interact with ancestral Norse wisdom. By seamlessly uniting us with the Uthark sequence, the stellar alignment of the Havamal and her innovative circular mapping, Imelda does not just teach us the Runes; instead, she brings them alive as a celestial matrix. It has left me questioning my own limited knowledge, and has transformed how I regard the magic hidden in the spaces between.

In short: This book will expand your Runic horizon and is absolutely essential reading!

If you are interested in reading more about Runes and Heathenry in general, my own book, Heathenry for the Solitary Practitioner, includes a chapter on them that examines their meanings and history.

All images of Runes are ©Thea Prothero, please don’t use without permission.

Images of the circular Runic wheel and Uthark Runes are ©Imelda Almqvist.

This post, along with all my other blogs and writings, is 100% AI free and are all entirely my own creation.

Pilgrimage as an activity/devotional practice is apparently enjoying a huge cultural revival across Britain and beyond. This is partially driven by organisations like The British Pilgrimage Trust, and it appears that many modern seekers are walking ancient tracks, visiting and connecting with renowned sites and finding a connection with nature, history and personal wellness through pilgrimage. Yet, when actually examining the facts behind the information, a curious paradox arises; despite our (by this I mean pagans in general and in all forms,) deep connectiveness to the Earth and that most of us have at least a partially earth based spirituality, it appears that pagan would-be pilgrims tend to remain just that. This reluctance to move from the armchair to active pilgrimaging is reflected, in sales of those books on pilgrimage for people of non mainstream religions, such as my own, A Guide To Pilgrimage.

A Guide to Pilgrimage was written to inspire, and serve as an active catalyst; to encourage and empower those who follow alterative belief systems. It was intended to stimulate a reclamation of the paths and old tracks, the ways and by ways, the landscape for spiritual practice, whatever faith, or no faith you hold.

Why, then do we see a deep hesitation within the wider pagan community?

To understand this gap between spiritual theory (pilgrimage as a spiritual practice) we must examine the hidden barriers keeping pagans off pilgrimage routes. One thing that has struck me more than once, is that many of the established pilgrimage routes are heavily institutionalised by Christianisation and in some, not all, cases, there is a culture of exclusion of non-mainstream beliefs. Recently members of the BDO (British Druid Order) were not allowed to attend an inter-faith meeting, to which they had been invited, because members of a christian church had objected to their presence. In my series of interviews with pagans who pilgrimage on the Pagan Collective website, the physical infrastructure of British pilgrimage can feel exclusionary to those outside of the dominant faith. In my discussion with writer, Roselle Angwin, we touched upon how the modern trail experience is often viewed through a singular cultural lens:

“The sense of ‘otherness’ persists...practitioners feel that conventional institutional environments are not truly welcoming to alternative spiritualities”

I can completely understand this sentiment, when a path is marked with christian symbols, it ceases to feel like neutral ground. For many pagans then, walking them can feel less like a free spiritual exploration and more like navigating someone else’s religious territory, this creating a psychological barrier.

To balance this argument somewhat, I should like to point out here that I often spend time in churches, and have walked several established pilgrimage ways. I do not have a problem bringing my own faith wherever I go. Recently I blogged about St. Mary’s Church in Itchen Stoke, Hampshire which has a fine labyrinth, a subject covered in my book and related directly with pilgrimage. Indeed walking a labyrinth could be the first step on your path to a full pilgrimage. Walking a labyrinth can be a powerful metaphor for pilgrimage; both are sacred journeys where you leave the world behind and follow a path towards a central goal. St Mary’s Church is open for all to experience it, whatever faith you have.

Ancestral Offerings

To bridge the gap and get walking, we need to look beyond the medieval church-centric definitions of devotional travel, We need motivation that resonates in a more connective manner with paganism. In October last year, I attempted to re-shape pilgrimage with my talk at the Scottish Pagan Federation conference, and my article in Pagan dawn about the darker side of pilgrimage. I reframed pilgrimage as a profound act of remembrance and honouring of the ancestors. By shifting the destination from a saints shrine, to a more resonant and tactile place of our ancestors, where they lived, worked and/or died or were laid to rest, the act of journeying takes on a raw personal necessity. A journey to ancient chambered barrow, or a cemetery becomes a tangible way to connect with our collective heritage.

When we walk with the specific intention of carrying our ancestor’s memory, every footstep becomes an offering.

This framework shifts the pilgrim from a passive tourist navigating christian architecture into an active practitioner reviving a lineage of earth and ancestral veneration, which predates the stone walls of the church by thousands of years.

Seeking the Spirit of Place.

Traditional pilgrimages often emphasise the human-made monument as the ultimate destination at the end of the pilgrimage, This structural focus can run contrary to a connection with the living earth and natural geography, or the genius loci, landvaettir or simply, the spirits of the place. This is another reason why we need to completely reframe the journey into something more connective with our own spirituality. In another of my interviews for the Pagan Collective, author Barbara Meiklejohn-Free noted that the true objective is to look beneath the institutional suerface:

“The goal is to bridge the gap, providing the tools and confidence for seekers to reclaim the sacred, often-hidden and ancient landscape for themselves.”

Without the confidence to look past the church steeple and find the ancient pre-christian wells and stones, many pagans simply opt out of organised routes entirely.

Moving Forward, Literally!

A Guide to Pilgrimage was written precisely to break down these barriers and challenge out-dated views of pilgrimage as a sacred practice. Pilgrimage does not belong to any single religion, it is an ancient human instinctual method of connecting to the landscape and thereafter, the divine in whatever form this takes.

The landscape belongs to all of us!

Whether we are walking to connect to a loved one, the land spirits, or find peace, it is our own path and one which is completely unique to the seekers. With a practical framework, such as my book, A Guide to Pilgrimage, you can navigate shared spaces, and move beyond the comfort of the bookshelf.

So, Are you Ready to Step Off the Page and Onto The Path?

If you are looking for that push, and a guide to help you bring pilgrimage out of the medieval church and back into the hands of the people, like you and me. if you are looking at a place to begin mapping out your own, unique and meaningful pilgrimage, then pick up your copy of my book.

A Guide to Pilgrimage is available from all good booksellers, both online and in-person.

All images in this article are from A Guide to Pilgrimage and are ©Thea Prothero. Please do not use without permission.

All quotes are from my interviews for The Pagan Collective series ‘A Guide to Pilgrimage Interviews..’ and can be found on The Pagan Collective’s website here:

https://thepagancollective.com/2026/01/26/a-guide-to-pilgrimage-interviews-roselle-angwin/

https://thepagancollective.com/2025/08/31/a-guide-to-pilgrimage-interviews-barbara-meiklejohn-free/

I have always had a deep affection for E. Nesbit’s lesser-known tales of unease, and it has long been a quiet frustration of mine that she is often overlooked alongside the likes of M.R. James et al. To most people, her name is closely tied to childhood favourites like The Railway Children and The Phoenix and the Carpet. Yet, for me, her true appeal lies in her darker side, which was shared by some of my favourite writers of that era, particularly Robert Louis Stevenson. Her eerie story, Man-Sized in Marble, was chosen as the BBC’s annual Ghost Story for Christmas a couple of years ago, and I am pleased to think that a whole new audience is finally being introduced to her hidden, ghostly world. I was therefore extremely pleased to discover that the esteemed theatrical company Monkey With Cymbals' newest production would be Haunted Shadows: The Gothic Tales of Edith Nesbitt, and directed by the esteemed Jonathan Rigby, no less. I was further delighted that the show was returning to the south coast, after missing it last year, meaning I can finally see the production I have heard many good things about.

And I am pleased to say, it was well worth the wait!

I was intrigued to see how these darker tales of Victorian dread would translate to the stage, especially given that the show was a one-woman production. Claire Louise Amias demonstrated that she is an exceptionally talented actor, seamlessly moving from character to character through Nesbitt’s troubled childhood and into three chilling stories. Opening with The Shadow, the audience is introduced to a lonely housekeeper, haunted by an unearthly entity lurking just out of sight. The second story, The Pravilion, is a strangely eerie tale about two young men who bet on whether they can survive the night in a strange outhouse, only to encounter a terrifying, carnivorous force. The highlight, for me, of the entire evening was A Strange Experience. I have never read this particular story before, and was incredibly impressed by how this rarer tale unravelled. It follows a young woman who harbours a deadly secret and explores themes of madness and confinement, adding a refreshingly modern twist.

Amias is a master of transformation, a shapeshifter with a cadence that lends gravity to each mesmerising character. She commands the stage entirely alone and holds the audience completely entranced throughout. Rather than relying on special effects or many wardrobe changes, Amias builds tension and holds the audience in suspense solely with her physique, a talent not often seen today.

I chatted to a few people as we left the theatre; the overall impression I got was that everyone was dazed by the intensity of Amias’ performance and a sheer sense of awe that a single performer could hold a room completely captivated. It was a beautifully presented traditional piece of gothic theatre, which certainly left the entire audience looking over their shoulders as they walked out into the dark, moonless night…

All images are ⓒMonkey with Cymbals, and are shared here with kind permission.

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Although most of you know me as someone with a fascination with the Viking Age, I am still deeply intrigued by other ancient civilisations, such as the Greeks and Romans, and I am a huge fan of Mary Beard. When I read this week on social media, yet another attack on Mary, I knew it was the right time to write this article.

My introduction to Mary happened through the TV screen, when I avidly watched the BBC series ‘Meet The Romans’. I was completely hooked by how modern and familiar Beard made this ancient city feel.

Bypassing the well-documented and overly dramatized elite emperors, Beard instead presented a vibrant metropolis, full of every day people, much like you or I. Seeing Rome as a diverse and multicultural hub, much like modern London, brought this classical world alive to me in an entirely new way that I had not anticipated.

What I love most about Beard is that she brings a true authenticity to presenting. She is exactly herself, as you would likely find her if you met her in the supermarket. Beard in this respect, has broken the hidden rule that: a) women in the media must be young b) they must be glamorous ie, with lots of make up, definitely not grey haired and had some sort of plastic surgery and c) wear designer clothing. You have seen how this defiance has made traditional critics deeply uncomfortable, leading to cruel public remarks and aggressive online trolling. Yet, instead of letting this vitriol silence her, Beard instead, uses it as fuel. I have found it immensely inspiring to see how she engaged with trolls and treated this abuse as lived evidence for her academic theories.

The institutional pushback she faced went far beyond the digital realm and into the heart of the establishment when Downing Street even attempted to block Beard from becoming a trustee of the British Museum due to her outspoken and pro-European views. This was clearly a blatant attempt to silence an authoritative female scholar for refusing to keep quiet. Undeterred, the museum bypassed this government veto and appointed her anyway, proving that Beard is a force to be reckoned with.

For me, this fight to change old narratives can be connected directly to Emily Wilson’s translation of the ‘Odyssey’. As the first woman to translate this epic poem into English, Wilson stripped away 400 years of male bias. An example of this is how Wilson accurately translates the ancient word for ‘slave’ instead of the more sanitised ‘maids’ which completely changes the narrative. This mirrors Beard’s fight to stop men completely controlling how history is presented, demonstrating that it is who is telling the story as to how the past is viewed.

Beard’s book, ‘Women and Power’ clearly shows how our modern gender dynamics are not a natural thing, but have their origins in deep-rooted antiquated agendas. Or as Beard herself says, “You can’t easily fit women into a structure that is already coded as male; you have to change the structure.” This active erasure of women from history is equally apparent in Janina Ramirez’s book ‘Femina’.

Ramirez exposes how male gatekeepers literally struck influential women out of medieval historical records by writing the word ‘femina’ in the margin in order to dismiss their importance and silence their voices. While Beard highlights how classical literature created a blueprint to silence women, Ramirez demonstrated the physical evidence of how this was achieved. Together they prove that our collective memory of the past has been manipulated to preserve male power.

Applying Beard’s theory of systematic erasure to my own area of knowledge, namely to the Norse world has forced me to confront many of the values and beliefs that are assumed to be correct, but may easily have been distorted. The Viking Age has long been painted in pop culture as hyper-masculine. Lets take the Birka warrior grave in Sweden, as our example, here; for over a century was presumed to be male due to the high end weaponry grave goods, but DNA analysis, incidentally carried out by a woman, the person buried there was proven to be female. The largely male academic community scrambled around to argue that she was an anomaly, however there is ample evidence in the sagas, and other archaeological finds which show that women could become warriors of esteem in the Viking era.

This stubborn refusal to accept women in positions of authority brings us to what I consider Beard’s sharpest analysis in ‘Women & Power’: The weaponisation of the Medusa archetype. In classical mythology, the medusa was the ultimate symbol of female monstrosity, decapitated by Perseus to protect society. Beard demonstrates how this myth is continuously recycled in modern politics, for example, to punish women who speak up and make themselves heard; the perfect example here is Hilary Clinton who ran for the presidency of the USA and was frequently depicted in the media as Medusa, with make opponents cast as the hero Perseus. In mapping modern women onto this ancient monster society subconsciously frames them as unnatural threats to the status quo.

The way forward must lie with the storytellers of the future. While Mary Beard has laid the modern groundwork by exposing how the patriarchal blueprint works, there is a glimmer of hope that this dismantling old the old ways will be carried forward by the new generation of women historians, such as Janina Ramirez, Alice Roberts and Eleanor Barraclough, who are fundamentally changing what history looks and feels like. Alongside peers such as Suzannah Lipscomb and Cat Jarman, they are blending the rigours of science, and archaeology with engaging broadcasting, to re-write women back into the historical narrative.

This shift has had a massive impact on how I view and understand history. Last year I had the good fortune to visit Pompeii, and had no hesitation in packing Mary Beard’s ‘Pompeii: The Life of a Roman Town’ in my day bag. I didnt want the standard male-dominated tour of gladiators, I wanted her feminist perspective to guide my feet.

Although I have visited before many years ago, I wanted to see how the ordinary people, now preserved as ash sculptures, lived, shopped and spent their leisure time, and Mary’s word transformed my experience. I noticed the layout of kitchens and bakeries, and viewed how enslaved people kept the city running.

Beard and the generation of women historians following her, gives us the tools to see the past in new ways, with in all the colours it should be

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What historical era do you think needs remodelling from a feminist perspective? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below:

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In my book, Heathenry for the Solitary Practitioner, I point out that one of the many ways to a deeper more nuanced Heathen practice, is to connect with the Runes in all their forms, and believe me, they have many. From a writing system originating in the Germanic areas of Northern Europe, to a modern, widely used form of divination, used within many pagan paths; Runes are a tangible link to the people who came before, following a belief system that would be likely recognisable to modern followers of the Northern Tradition.

When looking to obtain Runes, I would recommend only purchasing from someone whose ethos and beliefs are complementary to your own. the Runes you find on the front of magazines, or are readily available on well-known websites, are likely cheaply produced by machine, or worse possibly by children working long hours for little money and are definitely not crafted with any insight or understanding.

Simply: Choose wisely.

One aspect of working with Runes that I highly recommend is to craft your own set:

“I have crafted many sets of Runes myself, even before I read the Hávamál or the Eddas. The first set I crafted when I was a teenager, I used sea washed stones from my local beach, and painted each Runic Sigel with acrylic paint. These Runes served me well into my adulthood, however I found that the gradually wore down and chipped off. This set I still have, but as I went through life, and my spirituality changed and grew, this set’s energies only seemed to speak of the past, of my youth and not the present. A few years ago, I had the wonderful opportunity to visit the Orkney Islands, decided to craft a new set from stones collected at various beaches on the coast, places I connected with spiritually on my journey around the islands. Before I began picking the stones, I centred myself and sitting on the beach, placed my hands into the sands, the sea and stones. I stilled myself, slowed my breathing and listened, my hands communicating physically with the land. In this way, I asked the land, and the Landvaettir if I may take some pebbles, and what they would be used for. If I had felt they didn’t want me to do this, I would not have taken any. Luckily for me, I was given permission from them. The Runes After I returned home, I placed the stones on my altar, and there they stayed until it was the right time to carve them. I then created a sacred space, mediated with each stone to discover which Runic sigil would merge suitably with each stone’s energies and marked them with a pencil accordingly. I then carved them with a Drimel (a mini drill that will mark stone) whilst using galdr – chanting the individual names over them. They were then replaced on my altar….”

Recently, if you remember, in celebration of the release of Heathenry for the Solitary Practitioner, I ran a competition on here for my wonderful Substack subscribers, (You!) The prize was to win not only a copy of my book, but a hand crafted set of Runes created by myself.

With permission from the winner, I wanted to share with you the process of this creation, which in actual fact began at the beginning of 2025 and my visit to Iceland.

One of the most remarkable places I visited was the Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach, which, most of you will know, has recently vanished almost overnight.

As I walked on the beach last year, I collected enough stones to create a Rune set, I knew then they were not for myself but another, although at that time, I did not know what form this would take. Since then, the stones have been kept in a small bag, safely with my other Rune sets and other stones.

The competition winner was given the choice of which Rune set they would like, and chose the 24 character Elder Futhark. This system dates from between the 2nd and 8th centuries CE and all other Runic systems originate from this one. It is the one that most closely resembles our alphabet in number of symbols, so this makes it a good set for the beginner.

I selected the stones and placed them on my personal altar under Odin’s eye, for nine days and nights before anything further was done to them, I wanted to awaken them from their slumber and make them ready for their transformation.

Due to the nature of the geology of Icelandic stone, it was not possible to carve them, so instead I painted then in red, symbolic of blood, the sacrifice by Odin to receive them, and the usual offering given when they are hallowed in the Heathen tradition. As I painted each, I sang their name over them, to infuse them with the power of each Rune.

I crafted a container, a bag, for them with a red felt lining, and outer recycled material, this was hand-sown as I sat in circle.

When these aspects were complete, as requested by the winner, I did not dedicate them to any deity, but instead hallowed them with ice and Fire on my altar.

They were then ready to be sent to the winner.

If you would like to learn more about Runes and other aspects of Heathenry, my book is available from all good booksellers, both online and in-person.

Slightly late, but here are my reviews of the two books published by Moon Books in April.

Draiocht Ceoil - The Sound of magic in Irish Traditions.

Geraline Moorkins Byrne.

Geraline Moorkins Byre has written an engrossing study of the Irish tradition of “Music Magic”, a magical artform, deeply connected to Ireland’s ancient past, used to channel sounds as a conduit for natural magical energy. This ground breaking exploration of the tradition of Draiocht Ceoil, covers its evolution from the roots of the poetic traditions of old Ireland, through to modern day Irish folk practices.

The author is a forth generation music shop owner and trained Fili (a highly skilled professional poet) and her enthusiasm and deep love shines throughout every page of this wonderful book, keeping the reader both captivated and engrossed. Within, the reader will learn that sound magic is more than simply music, it also includes speech, non-lexical sounds and the natural environment. I was fascinated to learn how ancient learning through oral traditions, magical protection, and spiritual navigation was preserved by the people under oppressive conditions, making them a force for political freedom. Through in-depth scholarly research and modern applications, the reader will find practical exercises and advice which makes the traditions of Draiocht Ceoil available to those who seek to understand and learn from.

Witchitorium: A Glossary of Magic, Witchcraft and Spirituality. Nixie Vale.

This is, in short, a comprehensive reference guide designed to help readers understand the specialist vocabulary of the occult. The book is designed for both novice and experienced practitioner, offering a compendium of terms that the reader with in all probability, come across at some point in their magical workings.

The author argues that understanding magical words is a crucial element to successful workings in ritual and spellwork. The A-Z covers some very diverse terms, for example, the tag lock, a physical object that creates a direct energetic link between a spell and its target, from a board spectrum of spiritual paths, providing a unified and essential resource.

My own two books are available from all good booksellers, online and in-person,

Or can be ordered directly from my publisher, Collective Ink, here:

https://www.collectiveinkbooks.com/moon-books/authors/thea-prothero

Dear Rowan,

After watching THE FILM, (you know the one, right?) I wanted to check in with you, and see how you were feeling? It certainly looked like a fun time was had by all - apart from Sgt Howie of course!

We spent most of the day drinking Summer Isle Cider,

dressing up, parading down the streets, dancing and singing The Landlords Daughter.

It was a bit rainy down here, so we didn’t bother with the bonfire, couldn’t find the right kind of adult either. We did find Willow McGregor though, so not a complete waste of time.

We did get a bit lost walking through all those alleyways, searching for the pub.

But ended up asking at the Library, where the nice lady eating peaches from a tin for lunch gave us directions, as we were in desperate need for more cider by then.

The Green Man had closed early for Mayday though, so we headed over to the kirkyard to pay our respects to Sgt Howie…

But they were a little late with the headstone!

We wondered if you & Myrtle might be at the schoolhouse having your Divinity lesson, but of course it was closed for Mayday too.

In the end we headed down to the beach and found your flower crown in the cave,

I put it through your mum’s letterbox, although it seems to have changed hands now? We were a bit disappointed not to be able to buy any chocolate March Hares.

It just happened that the lad playing the Jew’s Harp in THE FILM walked past and we asked him where everyone was.

He said we should head on down to the steps, by the fountain head.

Of course there was no-one there, and by that time we gave up and decided to spend the afternoon in the local museum. Funnily enough, it just happened to have a display about THE FILM!

After that we headed home, and pulled out our own collection of memorabilia about THE FILM, and spend an enjoyable couple of hours reminiscing.

Anyway, here’s hoping that your apple trees are fruitful this year, and this year’s sacrifice was more acceptable than last time, (otherwise I dont hold out much hope for His Lordship!)

Dont forget to write soon and tell me all your news. Please send some chocolate march hares, if you can.

Love to your Mum and Myrtle.

xx

I became a fan of Hyldyr relatively recently after speculatively purchasing their Comparative Havamal a couple of years ago. I was blown away with the academic excellence, overall quality of the print and ethos behind it. Hyldyr are an independant publishing company based in Washington USA, founded in 2021, and known for their high quality, limited editions. Combining academic expertise with high quality artist expression, they are completely unique in their field.

Only released a couple of weeks ago, Hyldyr’s most recent publications both complement and enhance their already growing renown.

So let me demonstrate why you should be at least following Hyldyr on Instagram:

Introduced by scholar Katherine Beard from the University of Oxford, ‘Mjolnir, Hammer of Thor’ clearly demonstrates the longevity of the hammer as a symbol of devotion and faith with the beloved Norse god.

“Thor’s Hammer, Mjolnir sparks much in our modern imaginations.”

Within the book you will find, expertly demonstrated, the right extent of academic rigour, along with beautifully detailed illustrations; just enough for a modern, but discerning and enthusiastic audience. The book represents a solid, well grounded introduction to the hammer including its beginnings, the archaeology and the ever changing interpretations.

From Hyldyr’s website:

“Ancient amulet, annihilating weapon, holy instrument

Historically, Viking Age pagan Scandinavians often wore amulets depicting the hammer of the beloved god Thor.

This beautiful, art-filled, and scholarship-grounded book examines this phenomenon, highlighting and discussing a variety of examples from the historical record. It additionally contains discussion of the contemporary revitalization of this ancient practice far beyond Viking Age Scandinavia.

Authored by folklorist Joseph S. Hopkins, thoroughly illustrated by artist Jacqui Alberts Lund, and introduced by scholar Katherine Beard, this book serves as a solid introduction to the topic that encourages readers to dig deeper.”

‘Earth Wounds’ is a creative exploration of Viking Age funerary practice, and includes some prestigious academic names, including Leszek Gardela and Giorgia Sottotetti. Described in the introduction as a historical meditation, the book successfully encapsulates both history and art within its pages in a way that its both evocative and powerful. Interestingly it includes both kennings and specific word origins, which embed the work back within the ground, along with the dead.

‘Earth Wounds’ is an exploration, a dream and an interpretation, and one which is thoroughly engaging, unique and plays directly to the publisher’s high standards.

From Hyldyr’s website:

“Cattle die, kindred die, we ourselves also die”

A unique and surreal publication unlike any before it, this atmospheric book combines photographs, illustrations, and scholarship-grounded discussion from artists and historical reenactors Kevin Alexandrowicz and Devon Rawlings to explore the topic of death in the Viking Age (around the years 800 to 1100).

For example, the authors create characters inspired by graves while highlighting what is and is not known about numerous burials from the period.

Some text and illustration are taken from Hyldyr’s website, with their permission.

Make sure you check it out, here:

https://www.hyldyr.com/

Meanwhile, my book, ‘Heathenry for the Solitary Practitioner’ is available from all good booksellers, online or in-person.

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The first time I heard Máire Brennan’s voice was as a child, on the TV programme Harry’s Game, a 1982 gritty thought-provoking drama about the “Troubles” in Northern Ireland. Luckily the music, in my opinion, far outshone the programme, and with it, my love of Clannad.

As a teenager, my enchantment with both Clannad and Máire’s voice continued with the wonderfully evocative TV series Robin of Sherwood. At a time the series with its ethereal mythic music, offered an escape from upheaval in my life and a connection with something much bigger than myself - a longing for my roots, a mystical place which only appeared in my sweetest dreams. it was then that I first started really examining my own identity and my place in the world. It was then that I first encountered real magic through music.

My favourite song by Clannad is ‘Newgrange’ from their 1983 album, Magical Ring. (above) To me, this song is the epitome of both Máire’s voice and Clannad’s mage-like power of creating an atmosphere so uncannily supernatural that you cannot fail to be transported to “ The country of the young”, never to return.

Simply, it is a beautiful song.

In 2014 I had the great honour to review Clannad’s (at the time) new album Nádúr, (Nature) for Pagan Dawn.

“After a 15 year absence, the legendary Irish band Clannad return with this much anticipated album. Nádúr reflects Clannad’s blend of traditional Gaelic and contemporary ethereal influences.

Their defining sound is brought firmly into the 21st century here, taking the listener on an enigmatic journey into the ancient forest, full of dappled sunlight, haunting sounds rising up from the depths of the earth of Donegal. The dulcet voice and harp playing of Máire Brennan is, as always, the true signature of Clannad and is particularly poignant in “Setanta” a perfect balance of old and new.

On the other hand, the beautiful ballad, "Turas Dhomsa Chon na Galldachd" harks back to well-known songs like the classic, “Harry’s Game”. The journey continues with a homage to small fishing villages, alongside odes to the legends of Eire in “Vellum”. The stand out track is “Brave Enough” - strong enough even to compare with “In A Lifetime”.

The Album is a long-awaited treat for diehard Clannad fans and is sure to bring in many more.

Buy this album: you’ll be playing it for years to come.”

In 2023 I was lucky enough to meet Máire and the remaining members of the group at the Robin of Sherwood convention in Chepstow; in truth, the chance of meeting Clannad was the main reason I went. She was everything I imagined her to be; poised, gracious and elegant, as well as welcoming and friendly. it was one of those memories that will stay with me forever.

As I listen to Macalla on a streaming service, I feel incredibly thankful that Clannad have been part of my life, from being the soundtrack of my teenage years, to becoming an old friend that never fails to bring comfort and solace in times of need.

If you have never listened to Clannad, (where have you been??) then I highly recommend that you take a journey into their ethereal world, and be led into the Magical Ring…

Have you been wondering why, as a Heathen, I seem to spend an inordinate amount of time in or around churches?

Its a great question and, to me at least it makes perfect sense.

Firstly a church, like Corhampton (pictured), offers a glimpse into the history of a place, and its people in a clearly defined way.

Let me explain using Corhampton example: it is a Saxon Church built during the reign of Cnut in 1020CE. Named simply as “a church” in the Doomsday book, it is remarkably in an almost unaltered state since it was built. To find any Saxon building, church or not, in its (more or less) original state is extremely rare and highly significant. Indeed when stepping inside, it does have a feel of ages, as though you are stepping back in time.

.The church is built on a mound, possibly indicating a former ritual or site of significance, thus making it a site of continual devotional use for (possibly) two thousand years, maybe more.

One further indicator of its former, pre-christian importance is the ancient yew tree which stands in the church yard, estimated to be at least 1,200 years old.

Churches, certainly very old ones, such as Corhampton, offer a glimpse into our history that cannot be found in a history book, or online. They make our past tangible and accessible to us in a way like nothing else can.

Standing inside the church at Corhampton, looking towards the altar offers a sense of the devotion and worship, layered through time, even before the Saxons perhaps to our own deep ancestral DNA. At its essence a church offers a sacred connection to belief in all its forms, christian or Heathen or pagan. it connects to something universally identifiable and intrinsic within us, something beyond the here and now.

I find sitting in quiet contemplation, or even prayer within a church immensely peaceful and my own gods accept this honouring in whichever way I offer it.

Corhampton has a deeply reverential atmosphere, internally, it is cool, and silent, and an innately peaceful way to spend time in whatever devotional practice you choose.

All text and images are ©Thea Prothero, please dont use without permission.

Both of my books, Heathenry for the Solitary Practitioner and A guide to Pilgrimage are available from all good booksellers, both online and in person.

And if you have taking the trouble to read one or both, please leave a review somewhere, like Amazon or social media, this helps me keep writing, thank you!