Aegishjalmur Read online

  ÆGISHJALMUR

  by Michael Kelly

  A Publication of the Order of Apep

  For the Folk of Eormensyl Hall of the Rune-Gild

  ***

  Most Especially For

  Ian & Ingrid,

  and For Paul, Whose Sense of Mischief Rivals Loki's

  Copyright 2011 by the author of this book Michael Kelly. The book author retains sole copyright to his contributions to this book.

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  The Apophis Club Draconian Magic Series

  APOPHIS

  Ægishjálmur: The Book of Dragon Runes

  Dragonscales

  Draconian Consciousness

  Words of Power

  The Grimoire of the Sevenfold Serpent

  Gods and Monsters

  Runes of Mann

  The Sevenfold Mystery

  Everything and Nothing

  The Satanic Dragon (forthcoming)

  The Draconian Quadrilogy (the first four books above in a single, large format volume)

  The Apophis Club Practical Guide Series

  How To Read Ogham

  How To Conjure a Spirit

  How To Astral Travel

  How To Make and Use Talismans

  How To Read Tarot

  How To Practice Sex Magic

  How To Be a Necromancer

  The Apophis Club Lesser Magic Series

  The Masks of Lesser Magic

  Personality Profiling for Lesser Magic (forthcoming)

  CONTENTS

  Introduction

  The Dragon of the North

  Dragon Runes

  Establishing Sovereignty in Midgard

  Mastery of the Mind

  Unlocking the Worlds

  Hanging On the Tree

  The Mysteries of Desire

  Time and the Gods

  Twilight of the Gods

  Further Reading

  A Note on Names: It has been my intention to make this book as accessible as possible for those with no prior knowledge of the Northern Mysteries. Given that modern English is itself a Germanic language, I have deliberately chosen (in most cases, with one or two idiosyncratic exceptions) to render names and other vocabulary relating to magical concepts in the form likely to be most familiar and pronounceable to the modern English reader. Thus readers will find named in this book 'Odin' rather than 'Odhinn'.

  Naturally, those who have a familiarity and love for languages such as Old Norse or Old English may substitute their more technical forms as they wish.

  INTRODUCTION

  Ægishjálmur is a practical manual of Draconian magic utilising the traditions of Northern Europe. This is an unsurprising development, since Northern European lore has a great deal to say concerning dragons and three such great wyrms in particular cast especially dominating shadows in the Eddas.

  The book contains sufficient information and guidance to stand alone. Anyone who wants to begin practice will be able to do so immediately, without obtaining other works first. However, the serious practitioner will certainly wish to reach out to some or all of the following three sources of invaluable further learning, which will flesh out their experience and knowledge to a very great degree:

  Apophis, by Michael Kelly. Ægishjálmur is a direct sequel to Apophis. The curriculum contained herein stands alone and can be practised without reference to the previous volume. However, Apophis contains an explanation of the foundations on which this curriculum is based, along with a much fuller description of some of the concepts, which may be skimmed over or even omitted in the current volume. Those Initiates who possess both books will find that the chapters and themes of Ægishjálmur are quite deliberately arranged in the same order as Apophis. It is quite deliberate that the two volumes share an identical underlying structure. In this way, an Initiate can use the techniques of chapter three of one book with chapter three of the other, interfacing the two perfectly. This will also be the case with further volumes in the series.

  The basics of Northern European mythology and runic lore can be found within these pages, but only the bare essentials required to do the Work herein and those mythological models which directly impact upon the curriculum. Serious students will need to look elsewhere to apply flesh to these bones and to fill in the gaps and omissions. Mythological sources are listed in the 'Further Reading' section at the close of the book. For Initiated insights, the student must refer to the works of Edred Thorsson, beginning with Runelore. Again, refer to the 'Further Reading' section for other titles.

  Serious students may wish to consider approaching the Rune-Gild with a view to membership in order to enrich their study of the Northern tradition (http://runegild.org).

  These options for deeper study remain open at all stages within the initiatory process, of course, and whether you choose to avail yourself of them now, later, or not at all, I wish you well as you prepare to don the Helm of Awe.

  Michael Kelly

  - The Dragon Fafnir - December 2010

  CHAPTER ONE

  THE DRAGON OF THE NORTH

  Draconian Magic and the Northern Tradition

  Draconian Magic is a magical current which is especially concerned with the energies and symbolism of dragonkind. It draws its inspiration from the myths and legends of dragons and serpents and it draws its powers from the fear, wonder and fascination these beings bring forth within the human psyche. It also draws its power from mankind's own biological heritage, reaching back to the very roots of the reptilian brain stem, the part of the mind where monsters reside, untamed and primal. It brings these powers and perspectives forcefully and consciously into full manifestation within the practitioner.

  The Northern tradition is that school of magic, mythology, history, philosophy, cosmology and psychology that has its roots in the people and tribes of Northern Europe. This is the world of runes and the Norse Gods, the heroes of the sagas and the world-tree Yggdrasil. This tradition lives on in the bloodline descended from those people today, those who still remember the ancestral Gods and the tales that have shaped their heritage.

  Draconian Magic is a school of magic which teaches that the goal of the soul is increased individuation and empowerment. The sovereignty of the Self is its creed. The purpose of the Draconian magician is to increase his own essence to a near godlike level, acquiring new powers and new states of being as he does so. He wins the mastery of his own life and seeks to perpetuate that life through the immortalisation of his psyche.

  The huge difference between such a spiritual path and that offered by the majority religions is a subject that has already been covered in Apophis and I will not retread that ground here.

  The root ideals of the Northern peoples are hearty and life-affirming. As such, the conflict seen within Judeo-Christian religions simply does not occur. Man is not seen as a sinner and a wretch, but as a noble being who is quite literally descended from his Gods. He carries Divine worth in his own flesh, blood and mind. As such, it can be suggested that there is no need for a distinction between Right-Hand and Left-Hand Paths in the North, such as one finds in other spiritual approaches; or perhaps more accurately that the Northern ideology is Left-Hand Path in its very essence. This does not mean that all who follow a Northern spiritual path are Initiates of the Left-Hand Path. Some choose to lead a gentler, less Self-evolutionary role. But there is no such irreconcilable conflict of basic principles as will be found between Christianity vs Satanism, or Setianism vs the other Egyptian cults. There is a sense of fellowship and
shared ancestry among all who follow the Northern way, even if some choose to develop and extend that ancestral power more than others.

  The union of Draconian Magic and Northern lore is a profound and enriching one, a perfect magical marriage. Dragons are a major feature of the myths of Northern Europe and there are three particular wyrms featured in the Eddas and sagas which will feature heavily in our Work, each manifesting a separate aspect of the primordial serpent.

  This brings us to a point where we need to define the patrons of the curriculum that lies before us. In Apophis, the three Deities pertinent to Draconian Magic were defined as: the Lord of Darkness, the Scarlet Woman and the Ancient Dragon. We must now take some time to examine these Deities as They manifest to us in the Northern tradition. If you, like me, have the blood of Northern ancestors flowing in your veins, you will find that this will become a marvelous revelation, a sense of coming home. It should not be mistaken as choosing a tradition, any tradition, and making its Gods fit. If these Gods are in your blood and you use the Work of this book to call upon Them, believe me, you will know about it!

  The Northern Deities of Draconian Magic

  Odin

  In Apophis, the principal God of Draconian Magic is explained to be the Lord of Darkness, represented in that volume as Set, the Egyptian God who is against the Gods.

  In the North, the figure occupying this foremost position, the principal God of the Draconian magician, is Odin, the All-Father. He is the Lord of Valhalla, the God of the hanged, Bolverkr, Lord of Light and Drighten of Darkness. He is a complex and multi-faceted God, which should suit us well since Initiates must be complex and multi-faceted people.

  Odin possesses many of the attributes belonging to the Lord of Darkness as listed in Apophis. He broke loose of the original cosmic order represented by the giant, Ymir, by slaying him and using him as the building blocks for a new creation, shaped to accommodate Himself and His fellow Gods: the nine worlds that hang from the world-tree Yggdrasil, most especially the world of Midgard and the enclosure of the Gods.

  He is also described as Gifting mankind with consciousness. According to the mythology the original man and woman were named Askr and Embla: Ash and Elm. In other words, they were trees. The symbolism of this should be obvious, since the complex of nine worlds in Norse mythology is itself figured as a tree, Yggdrasil. This implies that the human species is a microcosm of that greater cosmic structure and is – like the Gods – capable of travelling within all of the worlds and partaking of their unique energies.

  Odin gives mankind a mind / soul complex, the capacity for Divine ecstasy and spiritual inspiration, and – most importantly – a sense of Self. He makes human beings as unique, Self-aware individuals, each with a will of their own, even as He Himself is.

  Nor is Odin a comfortable God. He travels throughout the worlds, often as a wanderer in disguise, an old man who challenges those He meets, sometimes as a grim joke, sometimes in deadly earnest. He tests those who take His Name to themselves and affords them opportunities for heroism, which often equates to great discomfort and tribulation.

  It will be apparent that an Initiate honours Odin and seeks to emulate Him, developing the consciousness he has been given to its most elevated and inspired potential. He does not offer up prayers to Odin or beseech favours, for such would displease this God who favours heroic souls. An Initiate will acknowledge Odin in word and deed and will seek to emulate Him. The profoundest worship that can be offered to Odin is to take up your own spear and stride out into the worlds to forge your own path as He has done.

  Most of the Northern tribes traced the ancestry of their chieftains ultimately back to Odin. The All-Father was literally the blood ancestor of the Northern folk. He is not a God we choose to 'believe in' among other gods. He does not require belief; He is in every pulse of our blood around our body, a tangible part of our genetic heritage. The proof of His presence is our own consciousness, Gifted from Him. The existence of consciousness is the direct expression of the God of consciousness, who is no mere metaphor. This creates a very particular bond between Odin and the Initiate of the Northern Mysteries, a bond which goes beyond mere belief; it is the bond of kinship.

  Unlike the Principle of Darkness in many mythologies, Odin is not a Devil figure. He is the All-Father, the chieftain of the Æsir. He rules in Valhalla, He is not a rebel against the order He has created.

  And yet in many ways, He is far more secretive and subversive than any of the other Gods who follow Him. He frequently travels in disguise and deliberately misleads mortals and Gods alike. He is not afraid to lie or deceive in order to achieve His aims. Odin plays a long game and when other Gods are most concerned with the preservation of what They have, Odin understands that Ragnarok is inevitable. He will face it heroically, but He lays His secret plans for the reshaping of the world thereafter. As the God of consciousness, Odin understands the principle of Remanifestation and applies His energies to using it instead of fighting it. Odin moves the pieces in His game far beyond the limits of the vision of others. Nor is He afraid to break the rules of the game when Necessity requires it.

  The role of the Devil-like figure in Norse mythology is played by Loki, a complex figure whose purpose is to introduce a chaotic element into the world of the Gods, thus creating the potential for transformation. He is a master of transformation and disguise Himself, assuming many different forms. As a horse, He sired Sleipnir, Odin's eight-legged steed. He is also the father of Fenrir, the wolf of Ragnarok, and of Hel, the Goddess of the realm of the dead which bears Her name. Loki's influence causes strife and trouble for the Gods, but His cunning also often wins the day for the Æsir. It is only after He causes the death of Baldur that He is finally chained and the events leading to Ragnarok are set in motion. These latter tumultuous upheavals are discussed fully in chapter nine.

  Matters are more complex than this brief description would suggest, however. Edred Thorsson makes a good case for Loki actually being a manifestation of Odin's own Shadow-Self rather than a totally independent entity. It took me a while to reconcile this idea, but the more I came to Understand and know Odin, the more certain I became that Edred was right. Loki is a manifestation of Odin's Understanding of the necessity for change and transformation. He is a catalyst, and often a cruel one, sweeping away the old to make way for the new. Odin is aware that Ragnarok is both necessary and inevitable and Loki is the tool He uses to ensure that it unfolds according to His design.

  This does not mean that Loki is under Odin's direct control. That is entirely untrue. Odin and Loki are frequently at loggerheads, to say the least. But Loki is nonetheless a projection of Odin's Will, a realisation of what is Necessary.

  It will be apparent to the astute reader that we each have a Loki within us – our own Shadow-Self – who needs to be unchained at times. When the path of our Wills is set and we know what we are to do, when we are acting with our Odian consciousness, that is when Loki will slip through also. He will act upon the same current of Will, but will introduce elements and shape occurrences which are tangential and unforeseen. This phenomenon is discussed more fully in the later chapters of the book.

  It is noteworthy that both Odin and Loki are shape-shifters and change Their forms during the course of Their myths in order to achieve Their goals.

  Those familiar with the teachings of the Temple of Set may appreciate the following allusion: Loki is to Odin as HarWer is to Set, a fitful and unpredictable Other Self.

  What is indisputable is that Odin is the primary God of the Northern Draconian magician. He is the God of consciousness; the God of transformation; the God of life, death, and life beyond death; the God of magic; the winner of the runes; the shaper of worlds (inner and outer), who holds the valknutr, the means of binding and loosing those worlds.

  There are many tales and attributes of Odin which are of great relevance to the Work outlined in this book and which the Initiate will actively seek to emulate. These will be introduced in their prope
r places. This brief introduction serves merely to outline the core Essence of that God who is the sovereign ancestral Deity, in whose Name we Work.

  Freyja

  The second Deity of the Draconian current identified in Apophis is the Scarlet Woman. She is the feminine complement of the Lord of Darkness, the focus of Desire within the Draconian pantheon.

  The Northern Goddess who holds this position is without any shadow of a doubt Freyja. Her origins and the nature of Her mythology mark Her as quite distinct in many respects.

  It is to Her origin that we must look first of all. It is highly significant that Freyja is not of the Æsir. She and Her twin brother Frey are from a different race of Gods, the Vanir, with whom the Æsir fought a war. It seems highly likely that the woman who was the cause of this war was Freyja Herself, as will be explained below.

  Why is it so important that Freyja is not one of the Æsir? Because the Scarlet Woman in Initiation is representative of the Other: She is that which the Initiate is Not, but which he Desires. Freyja is a Goddess, and thus worthy of the interest of Odin and his kindred, but She is something different, something from Outside, something Other, adding a new and dynamic element.

  The mythology tells how when the Æsir had established themselves, a stranger came to their halls, a woman named Gullveig. The meeting was not a cordial one and the Æsir killed the mysterious woman with their spears and burned her body. She returned once again and again they slew her with spears and burned the corpse. She returned a third time, more powerful than before. This ill-treatment of one of their own by the Æsir led the Vanir to initiate a war between the two races of Gods, finally ending in a truce and the customary exchange of hostages.