Daily Angel Oracle Card: The Norns, from the Viking Oracle, by Stacey Demarco, Artwork by Jimmy Manton

The Norns: “While there may be things that are fated, still, our will and energy can alter them. We all receive gifts from the divine at birth, which we can develop or ignore. Focus and energy must be put towards a task if it is to be successful.”

“The thread of of life shimmers i the dawn.
It is woven by what was;
It is entwined with what is:
And plaited with what will be.
Each has their destiny,
But each too, their will and magic.
Nothing is certain.
All is in flow.”

Yggdrasil, the tree of life that holds the nine worlds within it’s limbs and roots, grows from the Well of Wyrd. Wyrd is the flow and living force of destiny, which nourishes the world tree and all life. Seated under the tree, ensuring the flow of Wyrd, are the three maiden Norns -Urdr (What was)Verdandi (What is), and Skuld (What will be).

These deities weave the destiny of each new baby born. They visit each child and bestow upon them their fate, which they carve in the form of runes into Yggdrasil. While it is tempting to look at the Norns as similar to the Fates in the Greek Pantheon, the Norse did not see fate as unalterable, as the Greeks did. Instead, they saw fate as malleable, subject to the will and energy of the individual and the forces of their environment. So while someone could have a destiny carved for them by the Norns, by channeling their own desires and personal energy, they could change it.

If we turn to mythos, we can see this concept at work: One day, a new baby entered the world to a jarl (Danish chief) and his queen. The Norns traveled to them. The Norns wove and weaved, the silk flying around them, and after a small while, told the mother that her son would be a great warrior, who would attain great glory.

Knowing that such men often died early, the woman begged the Norns thus: “Please, great women, my son is bound to have an early death should he be a warrior If this is his only fate, I am both happy and bereft. Whist warriors keep us safe, their families must suffer, and they must lose their lives! can you not grant him another talent? Can you not soften his destiny?”

“Ah”, said Urdr, “what we give cannot be taken back.”

“But”, said Verdandi, “We are not the only influences. We can carve his destiny upon Yggdrasil, but the waters of Wyrd and the magic of the whole can change.”

“So”, said Skuld, “The will, the wave and the whole shapes his destiny too.”

And so the Norns left the woman and traveled back to the tree of life. They carved the new sons’ destiny into its wood, noticing as always that as they did the shape of the fate began to shimmer and move. As always.”*

~ By Stacey Demarco

Destiny is calling, are you listening? Are you ready and willing to accept this mission? Ready to embark upon the next chapter of your life? Destiny is calling but it is up to you to answer this call. Up to you to decide to take action towards creating something new, to grasp the opportunity, to take a chance with your heart. To step fully onto the path of your Soul.

Free will is a wonderful gift. It allows us to choose in each moment what we wish to create; more of the same or something brand new. Free will allows us to take absolute responsibility for our lives; and free will allows us to create by default if we refuse to take the reigns.

It’s all up to you.

Do you get out of your comfort zone or stay where you are? Do you dream a little bigger and put some effort into getting where you need to be? Do you dream a whole lot bigger and have faith that you possess the resources to get you there?

Or do you assume that other forces are in control and you are merely along for the ride, for better or for worse?

All up to you.

Destiny is calling…

Namaste

Dee

~Archangel Oracle

*Viking Oracle, by Stacey Demarco, Artwork by Jimmy Manton