Books published by Avalonia

"The seidr current is fresh and vibrant, with the strength and solidity of the Norse deities behind it." - Katie GerrardSeidr is the intriguing and powerful early Norse system of shamanistic trance practices. In Seidr: The Gate is Open, Katie Gerrard has contributed a major work on the practices of seidr and trance prophecy, providing a practical manual full of dynamic group rituals and techniques based on known Seidr practices. Foremost amongst these techniques is the prophetic rite of the High Seat, where the Volva (seer) sends her consciousness to the underworld realm of Hel to gain answers to the questions posed to her. Combining more than a decade of research and experimentation, this book is characterised by both its scholarship and its accessibility. Katie Gerrard shares her own experiences on the path of the seer, and also draws inspiration from original sources in the old texts of the Sagas and the Eddas, as well as contemporary researchers and groups working with seidr in Scandinavia, Europe and America. Techniques for achieving trance, levels of trance possession, coming out of trance, the vardlokkurs (chants), necessary equipment, and the requirements for the roles of the different participants, are all discussed in a clear and concise manner, as is the relevance of contacting the ancestors, the dead and the appropriate gods, including the goddesses Freyja and Hel, and the Allfather god Odin. As befits such an inspirational book, the author provides both the relevant background information for the eleven rites contained within, together with explanations of their inclusion and purposes. The rites emanate practical effectiveness, a result of their regular use over many years for successful exploration of the mysteries of trance prophecy, the High Seat rite and Norse witchcraft. "This is a spiritual journey laid bare for an audience who are either already treading a similar path or are looking for guidance in order to follow a well trodden path to a similar end point."

Hekate Her Sacred Fires is an exceptional book for an extraordinary, eternal and universal Goddess. It brings together essays, prose and artwork from more than fifty remarkable contributors from all over the world. Their stories and revelations are challenging, their visions and determination in exploring the mysteries are inspirational, and their enthusiasm for the Goddess of the Crossroads is truly entrancing and sometimes highly infectious.Hekate is a Goddess of great antiquity. She is primordial, powerful and sometimes animalistic - and yet, she is also sophisticated, modern and capable of adapting to different cultures. She is the Torchbearer, the Cosmic World Soul, the Guide and Companion. She is Mistress of the Restless Dead, who rules over the Heavens Earth and Sea. She is the Keybearer and so much more. Her devotees today, as throughout the ages, include philosophers, poets, sorcerers, theurgists, witches, root-cutters, enchantresses and ordinary people.In her introduction, the author and priestess Sorita d'Este brings together an exciting wealth of material on the history and development of how the goddess Hekate has been seen through the ages. As well as a fascinating discussion of her possible origins and mythological connections, the introduction also includes a timeline providing glimpses into her portrayal through the ages, with extracts from literature and examples of amulets, coins and art. The spectrum of material covered in this anthology is as diverse as the forms of Hekate herself, emphasising her role as lightbearer, keybearer, initiatrix, world soul, child's nurse, mistress of crossroads and serpent mysteries.Her devotees describe her role in traditional witchcraft and initiatory Wicca, healing and paganism, her approachability through her angels and trance oracles, her assistance in overcoming traumas and helping the dead continue their journeys. From the reestablishment of the ancient worship of the great mother goddess as Hekate in Thrace (Bulgaria) to meteorites and pilgrimages, Hekate's presence around the world and beyond is vividly described and illustrated by her torchbearers.

"For most people in the U.K., Mid Wales and its border with England will be somewhere vague, a landscape largely unknown and barely considered. Ask where Shropshire is, or Hereford, or indeed the old Welsh counties of Montgomeryshire or Radnorshire and most people will not know. Yet this area, known as the Welsh March, has in the past played an important part in the history of these islands, and has also been a repository of the esoteric and the occult. While many people, both those in the occult community and the wider public, are unfamiliar with this, this work endeavours to address this situation. " - Gary NottinghamWELSH BORDER WITCHCRAFTA RENDITION OF THE OCCULT HISTORY OF THE WELSH MARCHThe occult history of the Welsh March is brought to life by the author in Welsh Border Witchcraft through stories of the cunning men and women, conjurors and healers, ceremonial magicians and witches who practised their arte in this liminal landscape. This borderland between England and Wales is an area steeped in bloodshed and mystery. This is the ancestral lands of Dr John Dee and is one that is redolent of the spirit of Merlin, and where the mysterious Sin-Eaters practised their trade.Here for centuries, various occult practitioners have flourished with their charms and their poppets. Examples of these local charms and curses are discussed by the author, shining a light on their origins and purpose, often revealing that the knowledge and inspiration for the magic in this region came not only from the local area but also from much further afield. Throughout the author draws on his own research, anecdotes and extensive local knowledge. Author Gary St Michael Nottingham has lived and worked in the Welsh March for many years. His previous published books include the seven-volume set Foundations of Practical Sorcery and its companion Ars Alchemica: Foundations of Practical Alchemy, both published by Avalonia.

Njord and Skadi: A Myth Explored delves into the story of the Norse giantess Skadi and her unhappy marriage to the sea-god Njord. As compensation, after the gods killed her father, Skadi is given a choice of husbands from among the gods, but she has to choose by looking at just their feet. She chooses the finest-looking feet, believing them to belong to Baldr, but finds to her dismay that she chose the Vanir god Njord instead. Not surprisingly, the marriage does not work out, and they each return to their respective domains, with Skadi keeping her status as a goddess.The author, Sheena McGrath, presents this book as a series of questions, using the story to open up the world of Norse myth and culture. She goes beyond the bare narrative by providing a wide perspective both on how myths work and some of the interesting theoretical questions raised in the study of mythology. Even simple questions, like why Skadi had to choose her husband by his feet alone, are shown to open up all sorts of mythological perspectives from Cinderella to medieval penitents to interpretations of myth in the 19th century. Drawing on her extensive study of mythology the author also addresses many other important questions, including:ASGARD, JÖTUNHEIM, MIDGARD: WHERE ARE THEY?ARE THERE ANY STORIES SIMILAR TO THIS MYTH?WHAT IS A GIANT? WHY DO THE GODS AND GIANTS INTERACT AT ALL?WHO ARE THE VANIR?WHAT IS IT THAT GIANTESSES WANT?WHY IS LOKI SO VULGAR?WHY DOES LOKI BORROW A SHAPE IF HE'S A SHAPE-SHIFTER?WHY DOES LOKI KEEP GETTING STUCK?Influenced by the work of the scholar Margaret Clunies-Ross, who views the conflict between the gods and giants anthropologically, as a battle over resources, access to women, and power, this book does not start from the assumption that the giants are evil or stupid but treats them every bit as seriously as the gods. In this ground-breaking study, McGrath encourages the reader to question received wisdom, explore Norse mythology and its goddesses, and deepen their understanding of the 'how and why' of myth.