The Vitki
I am Vitki,
I walk in the footsteps of my fathers, fathers.
A stranger in a strange land,
Odin spoke, I listened.
From a vision,
To a word,
To a deed,
So the path was begun.
Given to the Gods, Aslog I became,
I walked a long and lonely path,
Guided by the vision,
My spirit reawakened.
Troubled years I had,
Myself looking for myself,
My staff impaled in the earth,
Myself I walked away from.
To drink at Mimir’s spring I sought,
One draught I drank,
Knowledge won,
A sacrifice given.
(The Vitki)
I walk in the footsteps of my fathers, fathers.
A stranger in a strange land,
Odin spoke, I listened.
From a vision,
To a word,
To a deed,
So the path was begun.
Given to the Gods, Aslog I became,
I walked a long and lonely path,
Guided by the vision,
My spirit reawakened.
Troubled years I had,
Myself looking for myself,
My staff impaled in the earth,
Myself I walked away from.
To drink at Mimir’s spring I sought,
One draught I drank,
Knowledge won,
A sacrifice given.
(The Vitki)
These pages are dedicated to those who would follow in the footsteps of our heathen forbears, those who are the children of Heimdall and would know of the ways of the Aesir the Vanir and the Alfar. These pages are best approached with at least an understanding of Norse mythology and what it represents.
These pages are not about the history or the social anthropology of our ancestors, they are of a living path to knowledge and spiritual evolution as taught by our fathers, fathers. They are not for those who would live their lives following the Asatru faith as a religion. These pages are for those who are drawn to the mysterious ways of the Vitki, those rare people who are called by their spirit to walk the sometimes dark paths of the nine worlds in a quest for spiritual enlightenment and knowledge. An old path once well trodden that has now become overgrown with time and neglect, but it is still there for those who care to look.
The path is long and at times difficult, the further you travel the further it moves away from who you once were. It can be a solitary path to the understanding of creation in all its aspects and once you have progressed on the journey for a while you will find there is no way back.
These pages are not about the history or the social anthropology of our ancestors, they are of a living path to knowledge and spiritual evolution as taught by our fathers, fathers. They are not for those who would live their lives following the Asatru faith as a religion. These pages are for those who are drawn to the mysterious ways of the Vitki, those rare people who are called by their spirit to walk the sometimes dark paths of the nine worlds in a quest for spiritual enlightenment and knowledge. An old path once well trodden that has now become overgrown with time and neglect, but it is still there for those who care to look.
The path is long and at times difficult, the further you travel the further it moves away from who you once were. It can be a solitary path to the understanding of creation in all its aspects and once you have progressed on the journey for a while you will find there is no way back.
THE VITKI
The Vitki’s philosophy is about living a life in harmony with nature, respecting the world we live on and accepting it as a holistic entity of which we are all a part. The Vitki tradition includes theories of universal evolution and an understanding of our place within that scheme.
These pages will hopefully unravel some of the myths about the Vitki’s ways and also give a reasoned overview of our philosophy. You will not see very much history on this site, it is about a vibrant living culture as it is practised today. There are many sites out there that cover the history of Northern European cultures in their many forms, our interest is in the present.
Before you jump to conclusions and think we are trying to recreate something that is long gone, nothing could be further from the truth. True our beliefs and practices are the same that were practised by the Vikings and other Northern European peoples countless centuries ago. But we have travelled a long road and those old truths have not changed but our interpretation of them has evolved, as have the people who still follow them.
The Wise One has spoken words in the hall,Odin
Needful for men to know,
Unneedful for trolls to know:
Hail to the speaker,
Hail to the knower,
Joy to him who has understood,
Delight to those who have listened.
These pages will hopefully unravel some of the myths about the Vitki’s ways and also give a reasoned overview of our philosophy. You will not see very much history on this site, it is about a vibrant living culture as it is practised today. There are many sites out there that cover the history of Northern European cultures in their many forms, our interest is in the present.
Before you jump to conclusions and think we are trying to recreate something that is long gone, nothing could be further from the truth. True our beliefs and practices are the same that were practised by the Vikings and other Northern European peoples countless centuries ago. But we have travelled a long road and those old truths have not changed but our interpretation of them has evolved, as have the people who still follow them.
The Wise One has spoken words in the hall,Odin
Needful for men to know,
Unneedful for trolls to know:
Hail to the speaker,
Hail to the knower,
Joy to him who has understood,
Delight to those who have listened.
(Hávamál)
The Vitki’s roots are in the Nordic/Northern European shamanism that spread with the Viking and Norsemen’s travels across Europe. These pages can be identified with the Vitki of the Aslogian tradition specifically. We use the same mythology, philosophies and tools as the Vitkis of other traditions and our practises are the same. Where we may differ is in the interpretation of the mythology, when the stories were first told they were used as a vehicle to convey ideas and concepts to a relatively uneducated population in a time before scientific understanding when fear of the unknown and superstition were rife.
As time has evolved so has our understanding of the worlds we live in and peoples minds are more open to universal ideas and concepts, we are no longer inclined to take the stories literally and at face value. The story has not changed, the truth never changes, but how we interpret the story has. Esoteric storytelling everywhere in the world has relied on symbolism and allegory to get its message across, and our forebears were no different. On reading Snorri Sturlason’s writings it becomes clear that the poetry and prose of the time relied heavily on symbolic and allegorical coding.
In these pages we hope to divulge to you aspects of a philosophy which is as alive as it was in the days of the Vikings and Norsemen. A philosophy which has over the years brought many enlightenment, understanding and almost everything they could hope for in life, lives which have been an almost continuous series of adventures.
As time has evolved so has our understanding of the worlds we live in and peoples minds are more open to universal ideas and concepts, we are no longer inclined to take the stories literally and at face value. The story has not changed, the truth never changes, but how we interpret the story has. Esoteric storytelling everywhere in the world has relied on symbolism and allegory to get its message across, and our forebears were no different. On reading Snorri Sturlason’s writings it becomes clear that the poetry and prose of the time relied heavily on symbolic and allegorical coding.
In these pages we hope to divulge to you aspects of a philosophy which is as alive as it was in the days of the Vikings and Norsemen. A philosophy which has over the years brought many enlightenment, understanding and almost everything they could hope for in life, lives which have been an almost continuous series of adventures.
RUNELORE
Runelore is the body of knowledge and experience that the Vitki use to carry out their work. It contains the practises and techniques used in healing, divination and spiritual evolution.
This is a body of knowledge that has been developed over thousands of years, originally it was passed on as an oral tradition but when European culture was changing a thousand years ago much of the source knowledge was written down so as not to be lost and to a lesser extent the knowledge became embedded in our folklore and the traditions were passed down quietly family to family.
At the centre of all Runelore are The Runes.
There are Beech runes,
There are Birth Runes,
And all the ale runes,
Precious runes of power,
Unspoiled they are unspoiled they are,
Learn them and use them long,
Till the high powers perish.
(The Lay of Sigrdrifa)
This is a body of knowledge that has been developed over thousands of years, originally it was passed on as an oral tradition but when European culture was changing a thousand years ago much of the source knowledge was written down so as not to be lost and to a lesser extent the knowledge became embedded in our folklore and the traditions were passed down quietly family to family.
At the centre of all Runelore are The Runes.
There are Beech runes,
There are Birth Runes,
And all the ale runes,
Precious runes of power,
Unspoiled they are unspoiled they are,
Learn them and use them long,
Till the high powers perish.
(The Lay of Sigrdrifa)
To many people the runes are just a way of fortune telling based on an old alphabet. It is amazing how wrong you can be. As you read through the Edda's you begin to realise the influence that the runes had on the culture of the time by the large proportion of the text in the Edda's that refers to them. Yes the runes on the face of it are an alphabet, but that is only the small tip of an extremely large iceberg. Each of the rune symbols refers to an archetypal energy form. The runes give us the ability to tap into these energies (Healing), manipulate them (Web shifting) and even see them manifesting (Divination).
To fully understand the runes you have to go back to the beginning of creation even before the creation of Ymir. The Eddas tell us that in the beginning there was nothing, but in this nothing was a void called the Ginnungagap. On the north side of the void was a land called Niflheim a dark region of rime and ice, on the southern side was a land called Muspellheimr a region of fire. It is from a meeting of these two energies of fire and the ice across the Ginnungagap that all creation comes. These then are the two primal energies from which every other energy form emanates, all the energies that make up creation are a combination or manifestation of these two energies.
As we said earlier, each rune symbol represents a manifestation of energy. In the case of the two primal energies the runes are Fehu representing the primal fire and Isa representing the primal ice, the two most basic positive and negative energies in life. Many people will see these represented in the same way that the Oriental Yin and Yang are.
To understand the true nature of the runes and to be able to handle them effectively we need to think of them purely as energy, not concepts or letters of an alphabet. Their true nature is that of pure energy; the energy from which these worlds manifests and of course from which you manifest. The runes are part of you, this is the beauty of them they are not some external thing we have to try and understand or control. Because they are part of us once we have tuned into them and understood their nature our relationship with them becomes very natural and intuitive. Remember the same energy that runs through you runs through the rest of creation, that is the reason our relationship with the runes is so powerful and enduring.
The best way to get to know the runes is to use them, let them become part of your daily life. The more you use them the more they will teach you for they are already within you, you just need to reawaken them. In the early days it is best just to get to know the basic meanings and symbols and of course their names, meditate on them for a while each day until you get familiar with the whole set. In our tradition we use the Elder Futhark that contains 24 runes and are considered to be the oldest complete set.
Once you are familiar with all of them start using them, whether it be for divination, healing or whatever, start simply don't complicate things at first. For divination just choose three runes in relation to a question and let them show you what has led up to the situation you are in now, the current situation and the outcome of the situation. This is a very common three runes spread each rune representing past, present and future. Select a rune such as Uruz for basic healing or the rune Thurisaz for when you need a burst of energy. The way to do this is to focus on the rune symbol in your mind and draw the energy into yourself or another recipient to bring about the desired effect. You'll be surprised how little practise it takes to be able to channel the Rune energies where you want them.
After you've been doing this for a while you'll see the runes start take on a life of their own, the basic concepts which you learned of the beginning begin to grow and develop as your understanding of the runes grows and develops within you. Many people after they have been using the runes for a few years look back at their early notes and see a big difference in how they perceived the runes then and how they do now.
Know them.
Know how to score them.
Know how to read them.
Know how to send them.
Know how to sing them.
To fully understand the runes you have to go back to the beginning of creation even before the creation of Ymir. The Eddas tell us that in the beginning there was nothing, but in this nothing was a void called the Ginnungagap. On the north side of the void was a land called Niflheim a dark region of rime and ice, on the southern side was a land called Muspellheimr a region of fire. It is from a meeting of these two energies of fire and the ice across the Ginnungagap that all creation comes. These then are the two primal energies from which every other energy form emanates, all the energies that make up creation are a combination or manifestation of these two energies.
As we said earlier, each rune symbol represents a manifestation of energy. In the case of the two primal energies the runes are Fehu representing the primal fire and Isa representing the primal ice, the two most basic positive and negative energies in life. Many people will see these represented in the same way that the Oriental Yin and Yang are.
To understand the true nature of the runes and to be able to handle them effectively we need to think of them purely as energy, not concepts or letters of an alphabet. Their true nature is that of pure energy; the energy from which these worlds manifests and of course from which you manifest. The runes are part of you, this is the beauty of them they are not some external thing we have to try and understand or control. Because they are part of us once we have tuned into them and understood their nature our relationship with them becomes very natural and intuitive. Remember the same energy that runs through you runs through the rest of creation, that is the reason our relationship with the runes is so powerful and enduring.
The best way to get to know the runes is to use them, let them become part of your daily life. The more you use them the more they will teach you for they are already within you, you just need to reawaken them. In the early days it is best just to get to know the basic meanings and symbols and of course their names, meditate on them for a while each day until you get familiar with the whole set. In our tradition we use the Elder Futhark that contains 24 runes and are considered to be the oldest complete set.
Once you are familiar with all of them start using them, whether it be for divination, healing or whatever, start simply don't complicate things at first. For divination just choose three runes in relation to a question and let them show you what has led up to the situation you are in now, the current situation and the outcome of the situation. This is a very common three runes spread each rune representing past, present and future. Select a rune such as Uruz for basic healing or the rune Thurisaz for when you need a burst of energy. The way to do this is to focus on the rune symbol in your mind and draw the energy into yourself or another recipient to bring about the desired effect. You'll be surprised how little practise it takes to be able to channel the Rune energies where you want them.
After you've been doing this for a while you'll see the runes start take on a life of their own, the basic concepts which you learned of the beginning begin to grow and develop as your understanding of the runes grows and develops within you. Many people after they have been using the runes for a few years look back at their early notes and see a big difference in how they perceived the runes then and how they do now.
Know them.
Know how to score them.
Know how to read them.
Know how to send them.
Know how to sing them.
PHILOSOPHY
Let us take a look at some of the philosophies and theories behind the Vitki tradition. This should not to be thought of as a definitive dogma, shamanism does not work that way. Although shamanism is a holistic practise, it relies on individual experience. In shamanic terms no matter what any one tells you, no one can tell you the truth, you have to make the journey to find your own truth. I can only give you the tools and show you the way to make that journey. Some of our principles parallel those of other cultures, one should however avoid automatically thinking they are the same. This becomes very apparent in the case of Orlog and the eastern philosophy of Karma which many people make the mistake of thinking they are the same thing. Although they both refer to the natural law of cause and effect they are indeed very different ideas.
The Wyrd
Orlog
The philosophy that is central to all our practices has to be the Wyrd Philosophy. The Wyrd shows us the mechanics of life, in fact it is the essence of creation itself, the material that the divine inspiration uses to give form. It is through a knowledge of the Wyrd and the ability to see it and manipulate it that the shaman functions as a healer or seer and all things unseen.
The Wyrd can be best thought of as a giant web that stretches beyond space and time, even beyond the edges of creation. The strands of this web are made up of pure energy in its various forms, but unlike a spiders web, this web is three dimensional. Everything that exists is on this web and indeed part of it, it is the matrix of energy that causes manifestation. From the moment something is created to the moment it ceases to exist it is somewhere on the web.
Wherever some thing is on the web it will reflect the nature of the energies of that part of the web in its natural disposition. Therefore from a healing point of view someone with a disposition towards illness in their life is on a part of the web that has an excess of disharmonious energy. In healing that person the shaman needs to manipulate the web so that the person is ‘moved’ to a more harmonious part of the web. Web shifting as a means of healing although common is not all that the web is about. In the web the past, present and future all come together at one point, it is the place of the Norns; Skuld, Verdandi and Urd, the three sisters who weave the web of fate.
The Wyrd can be best thought of as a giant web that stretches beyond space and time, even beyond the edges of creation. The strands of this web are made up of pure energy in its various forms, but unlike a spiders web, this web is three dimensional. Everything that exists is on this web and indeed part of it, it is the matrix of energy that causes manifestation. From the moment something is created to the moment it ceases to exist it is somewhere on the web.
Wherever some thing is on the web it will reflect the nature of the energies of that part of the web in its natural disposition. Therefore from a healing point of view someone with a disposition towards illness in their life is on a part of the web that has an excess of disharmonious energy. In healing that person the shaman needs to manipulate the web so that the person is ‘moved’ to a more harmonious part of the web. Web shifting as a means of healing although common is not all that the web is about. In the web the past, present and future all come together at one point, it is the place of the Norns; Skuld, Verdandi and Urd, the three sisters who weave the web of fate.
The most complex thing about the Web of Wyrd is its simplicity, because it is, in essence, so vast and so simple the modern logical human mind has great difficulty comprehending it. With time spent watching it manifest, seeing it ebb and flow, feeling it as part of you and finally realising you are one with it, then the understanding will grow. All levels of creation no matter how subtle or divine are still manifest from the power of the web, it flows through all three planes of existence and everything on those planes to some extent is reliant on its existence.
This is the reason shamanism is considered a holistic philosophy, there is nothing in existence that is not somehow connected to everything else, we are all made from a part of the same substance and that substance is the Wyrd.
Orlog is often confused with Karma, though the two share similar mechanics they are very different philosophies. The Hindu system of Karma is very much centred around morality, guilt and carried forward debt, it also relies heavily on reincarnation to justify its parameters. Orlog on the other hand is a much simpler view of the laws of cause and effect. There is no guilt associated with it, you are born with a clean slate and those limitations imposed upon you by the situation of your birth; what you do with your life is your responsibility. It is up to you to live your life in such a way that you will generate a good Orlog. There is no cop out, you cannot blame the fact that your life is miserable on some unknown event that happened in a previous existence.
By living your life in positive evolutionary manner or by going around filling the world with goodness you fill your aura with positive Orlog (and energy). If you have a negative approach to life or go around wallowing in fear and anguish then you will fill your aura with negative Orlog (and energy). You do not necessarily need to commit evil deeds to generate a bad Orlog, negative thought patterns filling your psyche will have a similar effect, conversely you do not only have to do 'Good Deeds' to gain a positive Orlog, the mechanics of Orlog are well beyond the confines of human morality.
Once you have filled your psyche with a particular type of energy then the Wyrd kicks in, you will be drawn to a part of the web which resonates most with your particular energy type. Pain begets pain, joy begets joy, if you are of a depressive disposition this can have dire results as you are drawn into darker and darker cycles without ever understanding the reason why. This is one of the reasons why positive people so often seem to effortlessly realise their ambitions, they are unconsciously using the power of the Wyrd.
