A Handbook of Saxon Sorcery & Magic: Wyrdworking, Rune Craft, Divination & Wortcunning - Alaric Albertsson 2017

Conclusion: The Druid and the Witch
More Magic Techniques

In pre-Christian England, there were two categories of wyrdworking: wiccecræft and drýcræft. A witch—in Old English, a wicca or wicce—was simply a wyrdworker, any person skilled in shaping the forces of wyrd. The witch’s reputation and fortune depended largely on luck. As long as things were going well, the witch might enjoy the appreciation and admiration of his or her neighbors; however, a drought, the death of a child, or even something trivial like a broken heart could place the witch in a precarious position.

The Saxon druid (drýmann or drýicge) had a higher status, and thus more security. These people could be thought of as “professional witches.” The druid served his or her community under the patronage of a local thegn, or even under the king himself. Beyond this, the primary difference between drýcræft and wiccecræft appears to have been the level of training. The witch may have known no more than a few simple spells and a bit of herb lore, whereas the druid probably served an internship to learn the skills necessary to his or her profession. We can surmise that the Saxon druids bore some resemblance to Celtic druids, as the Old English word drýmann is cognate with the Brythonic drouiz, the Manx druaightagh, and the Irish drui. Serving largely illiterate communities, the Saxon druids were teachers and historians, as well as sorcerers.

For the Saxon sorcerer today, the key difference between a witch and a druid is that the latter serves his or her community and is recognized for this service. In other words, “druid” is a functional title. If you serve no community, you may indeed be a skilled witch, but you are not a Saxon druid.

Service alone is not enough. I do not believe a title like this is something you should assume for yourself. It should be given to you by others in recognition of the work you have done. It is a reputation, not a crown. If you assume the title of druid, you then need to defend that title, which can be an awkward burden. The acknowledgement should come from someone else. It might be a mentor who names you drýmann or drýicge in recognition of your skill. Or if you are self-taught, it might be your fellow híredmenn, the folk of your extended family or tribe, who acknowledge your ability. When others acknowledge you as a druid, you do not need to defend the title yourself.

Here I am talking about traditional Saxon druids. There are some Neo-Pagan religious organizations today—Ár nDraíocht Féin (ADF), for example—in which all members are referred to as “druids.” Within these organizations it is understood that all of the members are not necessarily accomplished as sorcerers, although some members may be. And within organizations such as this, the word is not being used as a title that might be challenged. For ADF members, being a druid simply means that you are an ADF member, nothing more or less.

Outside of these organizations, however, I believe you should only describe yourself as a druid if you have been acknowledged as such by your community. Even then the title has authority only as far as others choose to recognize it. You may not even want this acknowledgement and responsibility. You may be entirely content shaping your own wyrd, and possibly the wyrd of your immediate family members, and going no further than that. You may be content as a witch with no druidic aspirations at all, but whether witch or druid, you will undoubtedly develop a personal style of sorcery suited to your own interests and talents. Now that you have read about various Saxon cræftes, you may already have an idea of how your own style will unfold.

The Rúnwita

The path of the rune sorcerer requires study and meditation. You will need to master all twenty-nine runes described in the Anglo-Saxon Rune Poem. You may also be interested in studying the other four runes—calc, gár, cweorth, and stán—but this is your personal choice. You should be able to give a basic interpretation of each rune without glancing at a book.

You may be, and should be, accomplished in the art of runic wiglere, but a true rúnwita is also skilled with active rune magic. Some basic equipment you will want to acquire includes:

· • a set of divinatory runes; you can begin with the Elder Futhark, but eventually you should have a complete set of all twenty-nine (or thirty-three) runes of the Futhorc

· • solid material for crafting runic charms—this can be wood, bone, or antler, or an assortment of all these

· • a tool for carving or engraving runes into the aforementioned material; a wood burner works best for wood, while a rotary drill is good for bone or antler

· • red paint or dye for coloring the runes

· • cardstock (or paper) and red marking pens to make quick, finite charms

Rúncræft combines very well with both wiglere and galdor. Studying either of these skills will improve your rune work.

Although these arts are not especially dangerous, I believe it is always better to err on the side of caution, and so I recommend the aspiring rúnwita wear or carry a protective runic charm. This can be as simple as the eolh rune, or it may be a more elaborate series of runes or even a bindrune.

The Galdre

At first glance, the skill of galdor might seem one of the easiest paths to take. No equipment is required, and the sorcerer does not need to study Rune Poems or herbs to master his or her cræft. But the path of the galdre, the wyrdworker who uses song and chants, can be more challenging than any other. For this reason, it is most often used in conjunction with some other cræft. It can be difficult to shape wyrd using only your voice unless you have a special talent for this.

If you are drawn to galdor as your primary style of wyrdworking, you probably have a better than average vocal talent. You may be a scop (pronounced “shope”), an entertainer, either by profession or as a hobby. You do not need much equipment to pursue this discipline, but you will want to have incantations for a variety of needs. In fact, you may want to keep a galdorbóc, or book of incantations, to collect all of your chants in one place.

The sorcerer who primarily uses runes or worts will usually chant as he or she works, but sorcerers who focus on galdorcræft are just as likely to use song. Giving tunes to your lyrics can endow them with greater power. The tunes need not be original, and you can recycle your favorites over and over if you wish. The contemporary Pagan community has a history of filking songs (giving new lyrics to traditional tunes) in this way.

As an alternative style, you can recite your galdor as a poem or prose while playing a musical background accompaniment on a guitar or dulcimer. This may work better if singing makes you feel self-conscious, but it requires some ability with a musical instrument.

The Wyrtwita

Requiring as much study as rúncræft, wortcunning also demands more in equipment and supplies than any other discipline. Nevertheless, many sorcerers are attracted to the magic inherent in herbs and roots. You should know the uses of (and have on hand) a variety of herbs. Consider planting your own witch’s garden.

Healing magic comes almost naturally to wyrtwitan, but a sorcerer skilled with wortcunning should have a wider range than just healing. Some of the basic materials you will need include:

· • a couple of books devoted specifically to herbology, at least one of these outlining magic uses for herbs

· • a mortar and pestle

· • a cauldron or pot for heating water

· • strainers (teaballs and cheesecloth)

· • an assortment of wide-mouthed jars

· • a double boiler for making ointments

· • a good variety of herbs with a range of magical properties

· • red cloth, thread, and needles for sewing herb pouches

· • vodka and/or mead for making tincture potions

· • petroleum jelly for making ointments

· • cold-pressed almond oil for cold infused oils

As the Old English charms indicate, wortcunning combines very well with galdor. This is a good secondary skill to develop. A set of chants to use while brewing your potions will enhance your work.

You might want to sew several protective herbs in a pouch and carry this as a charm. Or brew a protective infusion that can be sprinkled in your immediate vicinity should you feel threatened in any way.

The Wiglere

Although the focus of this book has been on active magic, with wiglere (divination) as only a tool for guidance, there are some people who find they have an exceptional talent for soothsaying. If this is your strength, then it makes sense that you develop it to the best of your ability. However, do not assume you are destined to be a wiglere just because you have had some visions or insights; such a talent is not unusual among sorcerers. Explore some active magic skills and see if your repertoire is wider than you imagine at first.

If not, then hone your skill as a wiglere. Learn different methods for approaching this art. A good wiglere may have a talent for seething, but it is nice to have runes or a set of wyrd stones as a backup system for when you have hiked all over the Seven Worlds without getting your answer.

The equipment or tools you use will depend on what methods you develop for your own practice of wiglung. Some things to consider:

· • a set of divinatory runes, preferably including all twenty-nine runes of the Futhorc

· • a set of wyrd stones

· • a staff and cloak (or cloth) for seething

· • a large, clear crystal or a scrying mirror

There are possibilities not mentioned here because they are based on non-Saxon concepts. Tarot, which developed from Pythagorean mathematics, is one such system. Astrology, based on southern Mediterranean constellations, is another. This does not mean they are in any way inferior for divination, only that they are beyond the scope of this book.

A protective charm of some kind is especially useful for the wiglere who practices extensive seething or scrying. The charm can be herbal or runic in nature, or the wiglere may choose to carry a small thunderstone (quartz crystal). These crystals are sacred to Thunor and are infused with his protective force. It was once believed that they were delivered into the earth when lightning struck.

I advise focusing on one or, at most, two of the modalities we have discussed. You have undoubtedly heard the expression “jack of all trades, master of none.” You are unlikely to become very good at any of these disciplines if you try to work with all of them at the same time. You can always branch out later after you have mastered your first skill.

Conversely, it helps if you know at least a little about these various disciplines. What I am suggesting is that you become both the jack of all trades and a master of one or two skills. At least a passing familiarity with all of these arts will enhance your work as you follow the path of a Saxon sorcerer.