As early as the mid-19th century, white supremacists started using Norse mythology in an attempt to legitimize ideas that people with Scandinavian or Germanic heritage were of a superior race. Later, the Nazis used Nordic symbols, often the runes, as part of their party. To this day, white supremacists often claim Norse paganism, also known as heathenry, perverting the true meaning of the myths and symbols in order to fit their twisted ideology.
But many modern Norse pagans are taking a stand: actively creating inclusive communities and stating exactly what they stand for. We can also find Nordic witches like Siri Vincent Plouff, my guest for today’s episode, who are teaching and practicing heathenry from an inclusive lens.
For white folks with Nordic or Germanic ancestry (which includes me), there’s power in researching (and potentially even adopting) the beliefs of our ancestors.
Yes, we need to confront the fact that many of our ancestors would have been colonizers, as well. And we have a responsibility to do better. But go back far enough, and our ancestors were also impacted by the forceful spread of Christianity, which turned their native practices into a crime.
For me, the beauty of researching Nordic and Celtic stories and traditions is to understand a little of what my ancestors would have practiced before many of them were forced to convert. What gods or goddesses might they have prayed to? What animals or seasons did they find sacred? What herbs or trees did they have a special connection to or use to heal their families? What can I claim for myself to root myself in the traditions of my ancestors?
[I need to add that heathenry isn’t just for white folks or for people with Nordic or Germanic heritage. That’s kinda the whole point: it should be for anyone for whom the stories, rituals, and the runes resonate.]
For this newest episode of the Radical Soul podcast, I spoke to Siri, author of the newly released, Queering the Runes: Reclaiming Ancestral Wisdom in Rune Magic & Mythology.
During our conversation, Siri offers a high-level overview of heathenry. We also chatted about how it was appropriated by the Nazis and continues to be misused by white supremacist groups, and how modern heathens are creating a more inclusive practice.
As Siri mentions in the episode, “it can’t just be that we aren’t racist. It can’t just be we’re an inclusive group because we exclude the bad guys. It has to be like: then what are you actually doing? What are the good things that you are trying to spread in the world? What do you actually stand for?”
For folks interested in learning more, Siri offers many anti-racist heathen resources on their website.
You can also join us on Sunday January 19th for an introduction to queering the runes. This is a donation-based event. RSVP here.
About the Book
Siri’s new book, Queering the Runes: Reclaiming Ancestral Wisdom in Rune Magic & Mythology, is an inclusive guide to Nordic paganism and rune divination. In the first chapters, it covers some of what we discussed in the podcast in more detail. But the majority of the book is dedicated to understanding and working with the runes through a queer lens.
Siri offers their own take on each rune, as well as recommendations for using a specific rune for ancestral work. Their recommendations are often queer- or nature-oriented.
For instance, Siri associates the Jera rune, the rune of the harvest and summer, with Pride: “a moment of being celebrated by and among your chosen family and friends for being exactly who you are.” To use Jera energy to work with your ancestors, they recommend asking what the growing season might’ve looked like for your ancestors and how you might “pay tribute to your ancestors on specific harvest festivals.”
About the Guest
Siri Vincent Plouff (they/them) is a Nordic witch, rune reader, and tarot reader. They are the author of Queering the Runes: Reclaiming Ancestral Wisdom in Rune Magic & Mythology and coauthor with Cassandra Snow of Lessons from the Empress: A Tarot Workbook for Self-care and Creative Growth. As an unabashedly queer person, they are constantly interrogating runes and Nordic practices through a unique lens of sexual and gender identity. They see witchcraft as a way to break out of expectations and live outside of society. Siri is the brain behind the radical heathenry podcast The Heathen's Journey. They teach about runes, tarot, and witchcraft.
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