Neolithic Shamanism: Spirit Work in the Norse Tradition - Raven Kaldera 2012
Lake
The Blue World: Water
Raven: I live between two small lakes, both with lazy, accepting spirits. The smaller lake is all fishing grounds and lily pads, and its spirit is so sleepy that it’s hard to even get it out of bed, so to speak. She will sometimes come out in curiosity when I bring a new student over to “meet the Lake spirit” as an exercise, but generally she barely opens an eye when I call. The slightly larger lake has a spirit who is serene and accepting, and she knows many of the local spirits. I’ve done many a working standing up to my chest in that lake, singing with my arms outstretched, and the Lake spirit was easygoing and fine with whatever I did. A simple offering would be enough, and nothing fancy was required. However, I’ve met Lake spirits who were far less accommodating. Some were surly, some even dangerous. There’s one lake I know of that has a history of people accidentally driving off a pier and drowning themselves; its spirit is lethal and calls them in to their deaths.
Galina: Lake spirits always seem so vast to me, so immense, even when the lake itself isn’t that large. My adopted mom was Swiss, and two years before she died, she took me all over Switzerland. I first became aware of the unique presence of Lake spirits during that trip, specifically with Lake Lucerne. They are magical beings, and it always seems to me that they can easily serve as gateways for journey work, passages between the world, doorways through which one can path walk. Some are more interested in interacting with humans than others, but, as with any group of beings, that is only to be expected. They also seem very much our elders, and I caution, as always, that they must be treated with respect. In fact, you’ll notice that throughout this book, we consistently approach the Elemental Powers as though they are our superiors and elders. In many respects, they are. They are our eldest ancestors, ancient, intelligent, and never, ever human.
Lake spirits were referred to as sjörar in Old Norse, and as mentioned above, they can be very different in personality. Some like people. Some ignore them. Some eat them. If you are working with spirits and you plan to take a boat out onto a lake for any reason, it’s best to propitiate the Lake spirit first. Throwing them a small, shiny trinket or sharing your food and drink are most useful. If you’re going fishing, it’s especially important, because you can get them to help with guiding a few fish to your hook . . . and if the local spirits notice a spirit worker blithely ignoring them, they may be offended in a way that they wouldn’t be with an “ordinary” person, and you may be sure that you won’t get any fish at all. (In fact, in the worst case scenario, you won’t get any fish, your boat will be damaged, and you will be hurt. Do not take these spirits for granted.)
In many places in the world, old legends (or modern tall tales) speak of the spirits of specific lakes. In the Pacific Northwest, the spirit of Lake Chelan is a great serpent who was propitiated by the local Native Americans, and the spirit of Moses Lake is supposedly a spotted female goblin. One small lake near Berlin, Germany, has a legend of a Bull spirit who emerged periodically to help plow or wreak havoc. The spirit of Van Lake in Carmarthen, Wales, supposedly emerged once in female form and took a human husband, until he ceased to entertain her and she returned to her lake. It’s always good to learn the folklore surrounding a specific lake, because some Lake spirits, like the rusalki of Russian lore, delight in tricking and sometimes harming hapless individuals who fall into their clutches. It’s always good to know if you should follow some protocol or avoid specific things; often that knowledge is locked away in our folklore and faery tales. Water is the most temperamental of the Elemental Powers and, in many respects, the most alluring.
Exercise: Lake Healing
Sjörar can be incredibly healing entities, but you have to find the right one who is willing to help you in that way. This may require going around to different local lakes and ponds, making offerings, and assessing the nature of each Lake or Pond spirit and its willingness to be gentle with you. If you find a sjöra who has a gentle and human-friendly personality, and who seems willing to connect with you, ask it to give you a healing. Generally, during communications, a Lake spirit will come right up to the edge of the water where you’re standing—if you have the Sight, you can see it rising out of the water.
As with Ocean spirits, don’t put any offering into the water that the local aquatic wildlife can’t eat, and pick up any debris or trash that has accumulated. Also similarly, start by singing to the spirit, and walk into the lake as you sing. If you are a good enough swimmer to float on your back, this is the best way to receive a healing. If you aren’t, or if you’re not physically able, go into the shallows to a place where you can sit down on the lake bottom with the water coming up to your neck. If you can find a tree to lean against so that you can relax, this is useful; if not, you might consider bringing in something that will not be damaged by submersion that you can lean against, such as a legless chair or BackJack. The idea is for you to be at least partially relaxed and have only your face out of the water.
Ask the Lake spirit to help with whatever healing you need. Close your eyes and relax in whatever position works for you. Hum quietly. Keep humming until you go into a light trance, and stay there until the process feels done. That’s a hard state to qualify in writing, but we’ve noticed that usually when the spirit is finished and withdraws, there is a sudden jolting return to full awareness of one’s surroundings. The senses seem particularly sharp, and sensory input is surprisingly loud and bright. Leave the lake, give your final thanks (and perhaps a final offering), and return home. Water healings are often subtle and may take some time to show up, but water—because it is all throughout your body—is capable of making deep systemic changes that will affect the whole body or unconscious mind.