How to Conduct an Odinist Ritual

Last Updated: February 5, 2023 References

Called the “The-Rite-of-Bragi,” this ritual honors the gods and goddesses of Odinism and Asatru. Odinism is a polytheistic and pagan religion dedicated to the deities of the Norse pantheon. It is also called Asatru and Heathenism.

Steps

1
Purify yourself by washing your body and dressing in a shroud that is pure and white, red or black. Then wait for the darkness of night.
2
After the descent of the sun, position yourself before a luminous object. This may be any source of light, from a candle to the starfire in the sky.

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3
Stand erect with your eyes and arms raised and declare these words: "A man without gods has a desert in his heart."
4
For many heartbeats, stand motionless. When a person is still, the poets say he is moving through time without moving through space.
5
Next, touch all the gods and goddesses of Asgard by naming them one by one. According to the ancients, naming is a kind of touching, for the name is a part of the thing. Remember all the gods/goddesses of the Aesir and Vanir.
6
After touching all the gods and goddesses, you must advance to the final and most mystical part of “The-Rite-of-Bragi.” Still standing before a luminous object, select one god or one goddess from the sacred pantheon. Then—in the cauldron of thought— in the crucible called imagination—visualize yourself as the deity you have selected.
7
If the visualization is successful--if you literally see yourself as one of the gods or goddesses--you will experience “The-Glimpse-of-Extraordinary-Beauty,” and you will be enveloped and penetrated by the thoughts of a god or a goddess.

Community Q&A

Question

Does the outfit have to be a shroud, or can it just be jeans and a t-shirt and such? I don't have access to a shroud.

Community Answer

You don't have to use a shroud, but you should try for the closest option. The point is not dogma, it's to be in comfortable clothes that are loose and neutral. Jeans are restrictive (you wouldn't work out in that), time-dependent (it is relevant to trends and to a period in fashion), and mundane (so mundane that some workplaces forbid them, although they are considered "normal" clothes). None of this helps you focus on the gods instead of modern daily, petty life. You can look up online how to make a gown (the easiest sewing exercise out there) so that you have perfect and dedicated ritual clothes, or at least use a cheap cotton nightgown of the right color and without patterns.
Question

Can I sit on the ground as if I were sitting with the gods/goddesses?

Community Answer

Yes, standing or sitting should work. Stand in the beginning of the ritual, though.

Warnings

Be careful worshiping ettins such as Loki, who may bring mischief into your life. You do not have to name every god for the ritual to work.

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Odinism and Norse paganism has been associated with white supremacy. Know that Odinism isn’t a hateful religion.

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