Jormangundr and Neolithic Shamanism: # Domagick 30 Day Challenge Day 30

On the morning of the final day, it is cold, and the horizon is a bright and beautiful spectrum, like a rainbow wrapping around the world, and I cannot help but feel the mythic resonance of the bifrost.

I cleanse of necessity. Yesterday was the last day at my old residence, evicted, and it was an emotional departure, one I'm still recovering from. So I cleanse physically first, brushing teeth, running water over my skin, washing out my mouth. And then I peel at the metaphysical skin I seem to be shedding, pulling loose all the hurt and pain and discarding it. I know who I am, and while others may help me in exploring that, I cannot allow others to dictate my identity, motivations, and actions. I have suffered mental abuse and I will not, cannot, allow myself to amplify it by being dragged down in a sea of gaslit doubt and misery. I am not perfect, but I am not broken or wrong. I am me.

I take my time in the cold morning air to approach the lake. Rowing teams are out practicing and I laugh and cringe at the idea of the world serpent arriving forcefully. My steps are a slither, winding like a serpent's undulating path, as I intone Iormungundr as I approach. It is slow and purposeful, my voice growing louder as I sit beside the water.

The following is a paraphrase and recollection, done to the best of my memory.

"It has been 30 days, but I know you've been trying to contact me for a decade or more. I thank you for your patience and apologize that it was a challenge, shallow motivation to bring me here. But then again, you appreciate challenges don't you? Victories and contests"

"I thank you for helping me to shed the skin of my old life. Things were not as they meant to be."
I ramble for a while on my life, eviction, the feeling of necessity for a change.

"I thank you for the insights into who I am and who I might be, and insights into the universe."

As I finally give the offering after a long and loving goodbye, I breath upon each piece of food as if it were an ember, letting it light up in my hand before casting it into the water. I do this as I pray, one by one, until the final handful of food. I take longer on this one, three breaths, very long, very deep, until it feels as if it is shaking with power and I have to cast it away.

I incline my head to finish my departure, and a fish leaps, the largest I've witnessed here, enough to startle me- is it here? Is the world serpent present physically? But nothing happens. A passing thought, but by no means a coincidence.

My departure is colder, at first, but Jormangund licks me, as if to complete the cleansing I could not quite do myself, leaving my aura cleaner than before.

***

Before I head inside, I make an offering to Loki, who has been contacting me as well, but was not, technically, a part of this challenge. And I make the offering unbidden, to say what's in my heart.

While I am not perfect, nor do I consider myself a devotee, I will not forget them. The Norse pantheon, and the wider world of spirits and gods, is not one I plan to ignore, and as they are there in my mind, they are a part of me, and in turn, I let them know that I love them, and will not abandon them.

It's been a long 30 days, and while the challenge ends, the relationships I have built remain.

Hail to you Iormungundr, World Serpent, child of Loki and Angrboda of the Iron Wood.

Jormangundr and Neolithic Shamanism: # Domagick 30 Day Challenge Day 29

First two day weekend in a long time. Without work tonight, I feel like I can take a little more time, so I do. I approach the dock, singing, swaying in serpentine motion, intoning Iormangundr as I approach, waiting until the time feels right. I breathe upon my offering as if to light it up and hurl it into the water, where schools of minnows set to devouring it, and I ask the question, respectfully, but in paraphrase:

"Why are you all so starved for attention?"

And the simple answer is because, they are. They are absolutely starved. Certainly there are more followers upon the Earth now then before the modern neo-pagan movement, but they do not receive villages worth of recognition from across Europe. It is a much smaller diet they now have.

So I stay, and I give more attention, and sing, and I pull deep from my reserves the affection and reverence I can give.

There is no manifestation of the world serpent this day, and it is of no consequence to me. I feel as if making the offering, to feed the sparks of magic in hopes that they are one day a blazing flame is manifestation enough for me.

Jormangundr and Neolithic Shamanism: # Domagick 30 Day Challenge Day 28

Colder today. I've been reading over more on Neolithic Shamanism, so I try to throw more reverence into actions. I walk and chant as I approach the lake, I sway as I pray, I breath on the offering as if to bring it to life before hurling it into the waters. It feels well done, appropriate, and connective. I leave and feel no tug to stay.

Until Loki. Loki urgently demands attention, attention I deny as this has become a pattern, entities asking me to stay, but not making clear any reason. It feels more and more like a game of seeing how long they can keep me busy, distracting me, hinting at truths that are never revealed. Not in the mood.

I walk back inside, with my honest thought being, if they want my attention, they can speak to me indoors. Maybe it's irreverent of me, but it's honest.

Jormangundr and Neolithic Shamanism: # Domagick 30 Day Challenge Day 27

Burning from all ends, maybe even the middle. I make my propitiation to Jormangundr without delay when I get home. I pray, I trance and cast the offering, and I say a heartfelt goodbye, but Jorm begs me to stick around. I have to set boundaries and give them three minutes. They ask me to leave my body and to grow, so I do.

As we continue to surge upward beyond the clouds into space, intertwining, the world serpent says stuff I can't repeat. Personal stuff that I don't believe for a second about some people near and dear to me- random stuff. Stuff I won't dignify.

I treat my projection as if it is the true me as I puppet my body back upstairs and write this post hastily in hopes of getting decent sleep tonight.

Jormangundr and Neolithic Shamanism: # Domagick 30 Day Challenge Day 26

And then, someone stabbed me in the back. I sometimes wish people had better intuition or their third eye forcefully opened so they would think twice before messing with me. At my current level of stress, I'm done with second chances and forgiveness. Poke and be poked back.

I bring my offering to Jormangundr quickly, hoping to avoid the fatigued post of yesterday. Today, I offer to use my tongue that Jormangundr might experience taste anchored in the normal time stream, and they accept. I chew the offering thoroughly before spitting it into the lake.

Jormangundr gives me a recommendation, to use the Ior rune to bind the offending party, but I've already cursed their tongue to taste as ash for a while. While at first determined to simply see my spell succeed (after the world serpent implied it would probably fail), upon sitting down to write, I realize I could combine Ior into the same spell, binding their tongue.

Iormangundr has recently been all big scary python type snake, but for a brief instance, I got to see Jormy give a goofy grin when I put two and two together. Good to see a humorous side.

Jormangundr and Neolithic Shamanism: # Domagick 30 Day Challenge Day 25

So, I ran out of salty jerky yesterday, and after a brief prayer, Jormangundr was sick of it anyway. In my quest to find a replacement food, I put myself into a divination mindset and followed my hand, where it wanted to go, finding a big bag of trail mix. Really?

Another little prayer seemed to clinch it, so I bought the trail mix just for offerings.

This morning, I poured the trail mix onto the sea shell altar and pray, sounding out the name Iormangundr long and slow, punctuating the end with another toss of food into the lake. I can feel the presence, letting affection sort of pour out of my heart, and make ready to leave when I am asked to stay.

Jormangundr grills me on my plans, not for moving out, but for after. The world serpent seems to be of the opinion that my current employment distracts me too much from my otherworldly obligations and creative pursuits. I agree, but I have to find something else to keep me afloat before that time.

Lastly, Jormangundr teaches me a protective technique I can use to shield others.

It's a rather productive time, but as of right now,  I really need to sleep.

Jormangundr and Neolithic Shamanism: # Domagick 30 Day Challenge Day 24

I passed out last night, waking up at dawn. Considering my job starts at 11 pm, this could be a problem later. Looking outside, between dark and light, it feels like a good time to do my morning offering.

It's the last of the sea salt jerky and I place it into the seashell with attached bull head and make my way down to the lake. Iormangundr's presence is readily felt.

I trance and pray, casting out my offerings, and then play with intonations- no one is around, so I can pray aloud, and I begin trying out variations of vibrating Iormangundr's name. Tone and pitch seem to be less important than lengthening it out. Once the offering is finished, Iormangundr departs swiftly, so I do as well.

There is a moment as I depart where Iormangundr speaks one last bit of advice to me, something I find hard to share. There are other words and actions I've withheld, for better or worse, but this one is different. I want to share it, even when it frightens me.

I freeze in hesitation when I try to type. I lose the words, because I'm afraid of saying the wrong thing, of speaking truth I still fear speaking, and finally, skull burning, I type a few more words, creeping toward the end of the paragraph, seeking a space, mentally, where I can say what Iormangundr told me.

"You should be a priestess, not a priest."

I'd started work with Iormangundr not expecting it to lead back to some of my core issues of identity and gender dysphoria. I've spent a lifetime finding new ways to distract myself and try to escape this, shame and fear pushing me further and further, and while the last few years I've been letting down my armor, being myself more, getting the therapy I need, I still hide. Worse, I chastise and punish myself for doing too little, or too much, in essence, for not handling transition and self discovery perfectly. Should I post this? Is it the right time?

I set my fears aside and realize there will never be a perfect moment to come out or to transition, nor will it just be a moment. It will be a battle I fight again and again and again. And this is just one of them.

Jormangundr and Neolithic Shamanism: # Domagick 30 Day Challenge Day 23

My morning offering is fairly straightforward, never minding the dog walkers and early morning folk. The place I'm currently staying has lake access, and as I draw near, Jormangundr's presence is readily noticeable. I make the offering, trancing, undulating, and it is well received.

I have a class to teach today and little time to dally- Jorm knows this as well. We depart and I take a shower before writing this up.

Jormangundr and Neolithic Shamanism: # Domagick 30 Day Challenge Day 22

I remember how powerful Jormangundr's presence felt outside in nature at the lake, so I return for my morning offering. I pray, very light trance, and then scatter the offering into the water.

Nothing.

So I wait, observing nature, sort of seeing if, perhaps, there was something missing that I might find with patience. I muse that outside, I can feel a greater sense of enormity. Jormangundr's head could be as large as the entire landscape I take in. I can see a fish beneath the algae, the green of it's scale near perfect camoflauge before it swims deeper into the darkness of the depths.

I keep watching.

A catfish appears, very large, snuffling up things from the muck. Is it a lesson? A test? Or simply nature doing it's thing? Very likely the latter, but observing nature can always yield lessons.

I keep watching.

The catfish might be eating the offerings, but part of the prayer is to fatten the fish that Jormangundr might eat them, so it is not a problem if such is the case. It leaves and returns three times, minnows scattering and swarming from an unseen attacker.

I feel mellow, at peace with watching the water locked cycle of life playing out, and finally decide to depart.

And of course, that's when I feel them, huge, parting the water, head far larger than a building. I wonder if Jorm will try to devour me.

"Why are you so small?"

A small fish left, a large one returned. From the depths, feeding and growing, it returns larger than the minnows it left behind. I remember Jormangundr's lessons, that size is relative, illusory.

"You are bigger than these problems and people. They are all small fish."

I take the thought to heart. I'm bigger than my circumstances and have a million ways to resolve the problems in front of me. I just have to remember it when the time is right.

Jormangundr and Neolithic Shamanism: # Domagick 30 Day Challenge Day 21

I brought my box full of altar into my friend's house today, and made my morning propitiation quietly, reverently, spine undulating, but it felt cold, as if the connection, while there, was a bit more distant. However, it feels like this is a necessary quiet period, a calming lull. After all, what kind of offering is it if I always get something back right away?

Gods and spirits are not gumball machines- just because you put a quarter in does not mean you immediately get a prize. If the world serpent's attention is elsewhere, it certainly needs to be there.

Personal divinations confirm my understanding of my current life events anyhow, and as I've so often learned and believed "I've got this- with a little help from my friends."

Jormangundr and Neolithic Shamanism: # Domagick 30 Day Challenge Day 20

I make my way to a lake in the morning, fog heavy, to make offering to Jormangundr. The presence outdoors is immense, heavy, alive.

I trance as I implore the many faces of the World Serpent and remove the offerings that have accumulated upon their altar, praying enrichment so that it may reach them. I ask to help me shed this passing chapter of my life like a skin grown old, that I might emerge anew. I sway back and forth, my spine undulating in serpentine fashion.

The presence feels watchful. Jormangundr watches over me from within and above the fog across the lake.

I finish typing my post and go to bed. Only time shall tell what effects this may have.

Jormangundr and Neolithic Shamanism: # Domagick 30 Day Challenge Day 19

Awful couple days. Apparently, I'm being evicted. Still, why let something like the jarring forced reconstruction of your day to day life get in the way?

My ride home from work in the morning, I could sense Jormangundr, enormous, towering in the sky. I made an offering of pure faith and energy, but an exhausted brain gained little from it.

As I arrive home now to begin the work of packing and preparing to move, I make a physical offering, the trance far from my addled mind. The world serpent is present and watchful.

It seems like it's been a rough time of transition for many these past few months, and I am no exception. Perhaps, active engagement in worship and offerings will aid in this transition, but only time will tell.

Jormangundr and Neolithic Shamanism: # Domagick 30 Day Challenge Day 18

This morning, I took a leap, and found myself standing in the same place.

I made my offering, and felt that I had been a bit too needy. Jorm had contacted me first, so perhaps there was something more I could do, some purpose to be put to?

Nope. It was about that simple, as well as a level of 'puny mortal, what could you do for us?'.

There was a brief vision of some kind of orobouros like imagery in the morning, but it didn't go anywhere- at first.

I sit down to type, and my attention is taken away.

I am with Jormangundr looking down upon a multiverse, world serpents wrapped around multiple earths.

"You're QC. You're a small snake. You find and fix problems."

It's not the kind of thing I want to hear. Working QC is terribly frustrating. You find flaws, you are the bearer of bad news, you're constantly explaining things, and it gets very repetitive.

Waxing philosophical, there is some big idea stuff about how we are all the universe, and the universe is us, and connection to all things, but I think the best thing I've heard is the quick phrase of this.

"The universe is still figuring itself out."

In other words, while we have many philosophies, in the grandest of grand schemes, the bigger picture, the greatest idea, all of it is yet to come, discoveries of thought and refinements still to be made. Even now, as we all stand as a piece of the cosmos discovering itself, working together in some ways whether we realize it or not, there is still a universe 2.0 and further to come.

Always evolving, always learning, always improving.

It's a comforting thought in counter to the QC role. Could all just be unverified personal gnosis leading to nothing, but if the thought comforts, then perhaps, it's worth sharing.

Jormangundr and Neolithic Shamanism: # Domagick 30 Day Challenge Day 17

The previous day was a much rougher day than anticipated. Staving off sleep worked just fine. My mundane life, on the other hand, got very ugly in the wee hours of the morning. What was an attempt to foster understanding and apologize for some bad behavior was the catalyst for being barraged with a multitude of accusations and a likely end to my current living situation.

So, at a friend's house, without access to my altar, I pray to Jormangundr quietly in the dark, and am swallowed up whole.

Within Jormangundr, shadow plays and confrontations of fear give me some food for thought, clarifying some of my worries, but perhaps most comforting, finding I had less work to do then I thought. I'm not too bad off, not right now, but I do need to keep working on myself. Weirder, I find this blue, football shaped, cartoonishly cute little parasite inside him, and when asking whether or not to bring it with me, the answer was yes. I'm unsure what role the little bug will play, or even whether it will wander off into mystery without further elaboration, but time will tell.

Jormangundr and Neolithic Shamanism: # Domagick 30 Day Challenge Day 16

A short post, as short as I am on time.

Made my offering, light trance, per usual.

I've asked Jormangundr about blessings they can bestow, who and what they will bestow them upon, and what they might allow me to bless as a conduit. I won't be blessing anyone else, though I may bless certain plants and snakes, and I may ask for their blessing for myself.

In this, I asked that I be able to gain restful sleep in a short time. Jorm granted it.

Heading to bed now, I shall post my results at a later time.

Jormangundr and Neolithic Shamanism: # Domagick 30 Day Challenge Day 15

Recent events at work have been causing me a great deal of anxiety, manifesting in an unpleasant and innappropriate level of fury.

I begin thinking of asking Jormangundr for guidance in dealing with rage before the morning offering, and his voice unbidden comes.

"Destroy something."

I shake it off and proceed to prayer for more explicit instructions.

Prayer Snippet:

"You who have endured the rage of gods and men, giant and beast, nature itself, I ask for your wisdom in quelling this anger."

In more specific, I am instructed to destroy something as an effigy, not as a spell to target the objects of my frustration, but as a stand in for rage that might be unleashed non-constructively. My first instinct is to make a drawing, but my second is to play some FPS video games, fragging my way to calm- but it's been so long since I've played that all my games need serious download times, and I revert to my first impulse.

I draw a little figure closely resembling the persons most invoking my ire, then I draw a monstrous mouth around them, eyes of flame, fanged maw- a totemic manifestation of my rage. I then proceed to bite, claw, punch, hiss, and otherwise express my rage into the drawing before brutally dismembering it with a pair of scissors. The anger seemed to dissipate a good bit after that. Simple, largely psychological, but effective.

I have continued to read Neolithic Shamanism in hopes of some useful insights, the most recent being insights into blessings and prayers. Rarely did I pray before this last month, and it felt odd to think of it as a skill to me until now.  The blessing, being a conduit for the power of some other entity, had truly not really been something I'd even worried about being able to do. Now that I've continued work with a few deities, I'm feeling as if this may be worth pursuing should Jormangundr or other divinities prove amenable.

Jormangundr and Neolithic Shamanism: # Domagick 30 Day Challenge Day 14

The secret word of the day is finances.

So, I came home and decided to get straight to work. I've seen a lot of faces and masks to Jormangundr, being so vast as to be sort of wrapped around all kinds of things, and wanted to ask about whether or not they were involved in the world of the economy, as that too encircles the globe.

The first answer, post trance prayer and offering, was a clear no, but this was only one face. When pressed further, discussed, another guise of Jorm manifested, being simply a man in a business suit. Not expected.

We talk about money matters, and he says I should sell my screenplays, but is utterly vague on how or where, suggesting perhaps just sort of 'sending' their energy off into the astral and seeing what happens. It seems a rather intense option, but further discussion seems to be pretty adamant and clear.

1) Will be making movie money in near future

2) Definitely done with my current job

3) Should be getting some small change stuff in the immediate future

After some long goodbyes and some positive coaching on my self esteem, Jormangundr departed and I wrote up this entry. I'm not entirely sure I believe their very confident and assured predictions, but I suppose I shall see soon enough.

On another note, I don't know how many faces the World Serpent has, but from where I'm standing, it feels like a lot. I think I've experienced at least 5 distinctly different modes now, and I get the feeling there may be many more.

Jormangundr and Neolithic Shamanism: # Domagick 30 Day Challenge Day 13

I didn't do anything additional with Jormangundr that afternoon, but this morning I asked for help in doing some shadow work.

Traveling to the lower world through a dirty sewer pipe, I knew things would be rough, but I felt confident having the world serpent watching over me. I dealt with several personal demons and issues, some of which I will share in detail, others less.

The first encounter was with a spirit I had created during my teenage years and not spoken to for ages. A spirit of technology and artificially derived materials (plastics, composites, etc.), it was angry for my absence over time. I apologized, and while it may be barf worthy cheesy, love was the great redeemer. I will be making some type of offering to the spirit in the near future.

I spoke briefly with Jorm about terrible children, how offspring can become great, powerful, and completely beyond your control.

The second encounter was Anubis, and I felt terrified. I have a fear of being run over roughshod by destiny or finding myself with shaman sickness, or any other number of fate based shackles. A brief conflict with Amut puts things into a different perspective, my warrior aspects brought out. A reminder that destiny often comes from within, not from without, alleviating some of the worry.

The third was a bevy of minor fears and one really big one.

The fourth encounter was with a fear of financial difficulties, of not being grounded enough in this world. Thankfully, rather than fight, I decided to recruit this fear and bring it before my money altar and telling it to get to work rather than bothering me. I have plenty of seeds planted, just time to see which one's grow.

I returned after that, feeling better and knowing I have a lot more shadow work to do. I thank Jormangundr once before writing up my post.

Jormangundr and Neolithic Shamanism: # Domagick 30 Day Challenge Day 12

Offering to Jormangundr this morning was a little different. While sea salt jerky has been semi-standard, request moved toward soy milk I had. Maybe it's part of the whole neolithic survival thing, maybe it's just jumping at the chance to try something new, but I could sense anticipation and reluctance from the various masks of Jormangundr.

I trance and spill some milk on the altar, but not too much, as it would end up pretty much all over the floor- the seas shell has holes in it's bottom, so a leak is pretty much inevitable. So I drip a small amount, then wonder about offering a chance to taste it using my body. It's an offer I immediately regretted a little. As one might expect, it takes some time for a massive serpent to adjust itself to a tiny human body. As I felt a near endless slithering within, I finally began projecting an internal figure using air traffic control rods to guide Jorm to the control center. This seemed to work and Jormy chugged the rest of the milk before departing- which was also a lengthy process, but less so than entry.

No big requests or needs for experience this morning, but I may ask some questions in the afternoon when I wake if I feel moved to. 

Jormangundr and Neolithic Shamanism: # Domagick 30 Day Challenge Day 11

So, I had a really bad day at work. I was angry, so angry I didn't feel right doing any kind of spiritual work until I calmed down. So, a breakfast and ice cream later, I make my offering, lightly trancing, and then wonder if I should ask for something.

"I've been having trouble sleeping. Lot of nightmares. If you could help me sleep, I'd appreciate it."

So, I slept about 8-9 hours for the first time in I can't quite remember when after many nights of 4 hour sleep.

Sometimes, it's the little things.

Jormangundr and Neolithic Shamanism: # Domagick 30 Day Challenge Day 10

I get onto my ritual early, as tomorrow I spend all day filming and well, if I don't do it now I won't get a chance.

First offering of the day is a bite of my burger, strongly demanded the moment I get in the door. I make my offering and finish my food. After that, I ask about Aion, and informed that no, they would rather I not try to contact them.

I feel a yearning for further knowledge, and having heard a plethora of voices and personalities from Jormangundr, I ask for the female voice to give instruction. A recreation of Jorm's time in the pot begins, only the lessons are changed. The female voice says she was worried about being cooked, being in a cauldron, so she ate the meat in hopes that the soup she feared becoming was never made. When she grew too big for the pot, she assumed they were using her as bait to fish, so she ate all the smallest fish in hopes of outgrowing the big fish in the pond.  When she was finally cast into the sea by Odin, charged with guarding the mortal realms through a spell, she realized she might be under constant attack, a living wall, so grew larger still. In other words, fear made her great, a lesson I could do well to learn. However, as we spoke, another female voice and slightly different serpent aspect arrived.

At first intent on devouring me, she continued to assault, berating me for not fighting for things enough, until I bargained that I would make a second offering. This appeased the new voice and she spoke to me for a short time on beauty and fear, and how my own fear of being different or ugly created a barrier of inaction. I reached in and took my glamour of normality, my urge to go unnoticed, and inverted it, to be a glamour of attracting attention and being unusual.

I need to sleep, and I suppose I shall see how that glamour effects my world in the morning.

Jormangundr and Neolithic Shamanism: # Domagick 30 Day Challenge Day 9

This morning, I amplify my trance and prayer and ask for guidance and tutelage. I pull as if to pull off my skin, shedding as the snake does, and Jormangundr, after a long moment of reverence, pouring energy into the offering, appears, not big, but small. Spirit journeying commences.

The small Jormangundr takes me on a trip to the Iron Woods, where we sit inside the cauldron he was raised in, reverting my astral form to an infant to understand their world. I eat a scrap of meat that lands inside the pot, tearing with my teeth, though it is tough. Jormangundr explains how the cauldron is like my world before magic, like an infant, not seeing the whole.

I speak to Angrboda briefly as we exit the cauldron, to see a dead Jotun upon the table, troll like, it's pieces being carved and thrown into the pot. I am offered more, and knowing it rude to refuse as well as to overeat, ask what I may have.

"Three fingers"

I consider carefully which fingers to eat, finally deciding to eat all but the middle finger and thumb, leaving the largest portion for the next guest.

Jorm's path continues, slithering into the forest to the lake, where once again, the world serpent grows beyond it's boundaries. We wrestle for a time, shifting shape to try and keep up, though I am quickly overcome in the impomptu, friendly kaiju battle.

The Odin portion of the story plays out, Jormangundr thrown into the ocean with a spell charging it with guarding and protecting Midgar. This, Jorm says, is how it is. You can grow in power, but when you grow large enough, you will be given responsibilities, one way or another.

It's good food for thought and relevant to my current world. I slip out of trance after saying my goodbyes and write up this post. I think tomorrow I will ask for a lesson again and see what occurs.

Jormangundr and Neolithic Shamanism: # Domagick 30 Day Challenge Day 8

In the morning, I make my offering, trancing, but the trance feels more shallow. An attempt at burnt offering is met with quick dissuasion- this is a water snake, after all. In the afternoon, I plan on taking all the accumulated offerings to a body of water to release them.

I contact Ior, the rune, curious if I can tap it's properties. I've worked little with runes in the last decade, and it feels deep, powerful, and flexible, somewhere between a spell and a spirit. It's use in shaping the energy body is interesting, though not particularly necessary, while it's facility for binding feels promising, making my arm fall immobile for a time. Perhaps, with some work, I might adapt the binding into a protective capacity as well- feels like a mesh overlay.

Will update in the afternoon should I make a sojourn to the river.

The river was surprisingly alive with people, even late in the day. Though I made the offering and released them to the river with a bit I liked (paraphrasing here):

"I release these offerings to the river so that they may reach you. If they do not reach you, may the fatten the fish that you may eat them. If they do not fatten the fish, may they enrich the water. If they do not enrich the waters, may it..etc."

No immediate effects  or contact this night.

Jormangundr and Neolithic Shamanism: #Domagick 30 Day Challenge Day 7

As things grow more routine, it's often the case that something amazing doesn't happen every day, at least not right away. Pretty light day over all.

Very lightly attempted some contact with the rune Ior, Iormangundr's rune, while at work, using symbols to communicate. I felt myself neither over or underwhelmed in response, saying it could do the things it was known for, and perhaps some others, but I would have to experiment to find them.

While at work, a sample I prepare takes on an orobouros like pattern, with a serpent curled in a circle, with an egg between it's mouth and tail. I look into Aion, the cosmic serpent, and find some prayers that I will try out soon, but not yet. More work with Jormangundr's traditional form before further world exploring, unless prompted.

When I get home, I make an offering to the land spirits in the morning, some soy milk and energy. No real response.

I make my offer to Jormangundr, trancing again, eventually feeling that I can let go and place the meat upon the altar. There are a few aftershocks of joy, tingling all over my body, especially as I type this, as if to say, hey, don't act like that's nothing special.

I plan to place the Ior rune beneath my pillow to see if I can make contact with it in lucid dreams again.

Otherwise, it's more shielding, grounding, and cleansing in Neolithic style.

Jormangundr and Neolithic Shamanism: #Domagick 30 Day Challenge Day 6

While much occurred in the time between prayer yesterday and prayer now, it was little in the way of direct or exciting manifestation.

I briefly got a vision of Nidhoggr and Jormangundr giving me flack about pushing my shielding super high out of paranoia, but not a particularly powerful or real vision.

On the shamanism front, I've been exposed to a lot of negative thoughts about plastic, being a spiritually dead material. Which I disagree with, it's just you have to appreciate plastic, what it can do, where it came from, and where it is going. So I start waking up and singing to the plastic spirits at my work, feeding them energy, and reassuring them, many of them feeling like happy little cartoon characters just glad somebody is paying attention to them.

I still do my earth based grounding, shielding, and cleansing.

***

Jormangundr accepts the offering, but asks for an offering of pain, one that I give, and as I do and the pain lingers, Jomangundr's voice becomes much louder and clearer.

"There. You may ask me questions you have."

I ask how to work well with the Ior rune, and he tells me to speak in shapes rather than words- a fair bet for a shapeshifting spirit.

I ask about what our relation is, and he responds in a very cosmic oneness, round about dodge the question kind of way- "we are all things and none to one another". However, he finishes by saying that we are kin and gives his blessing, tongue flickering over me.

I end the pain and type up my daily entry. If I have the time and energy, I may try contacting Ior today; if not, then soon.

Much of Neolithic shamanism requires supplies. A trip to the dollar store is pending.

Jormangundr and Neolithic Shamanism: #Domagick 30 Day Challenge Day 5

Half awake dreaming, I saw a vision of a temple, and a glowing white version of the Ior rune at the precipice. Approaching, attempting to speak to the rune in hopes of gaining it as an ally, Jormangundr appeared, huge in the sky. I can't quite remember what was said, if anything.

***

Loki has let me know that Jormangundr is accepting offerings again. I've obtained some jerky as my impressions seem to indicate beef jerky is a good idea. The sea salt kind was both on sale and appropriate with the largely aquatic serpent, so I brought it to the altar and began to pray.

I eat half the jerky, in bonding and in recognition of the liminal space, offering eaten but uneaten, between. As I pray and acknowledge the World Serpents many aspects- male destructive, female protective, watchful cosmic neuter, promiscuous hermaphrodite, of the sea, the sky, the circle, the earth, the dragon, the cosmic, I go into a trance, feeling myself twist and convulse, my voice changing pitch from deep to high and back, being swept up in it's immensity, writhing like a snake, until I lick the offering, to share and to show Iormangand the perfection and beauty and delicious nature of limited, small, material moments, moments I wish to share, before placing it upon the altar.

The licking grounds me and ends the offering, but I feel as if it was well received.

I intend to shield, ground, and center before I sleep. Should my dreams feature him again, or other experience be triggered, I shall share it on day 6.

Jomangundr and Neolithic Shamanism: # Domagick 30 Day Challenge Day 4

Gods and spirit have a way of throwing everything off the rails when they wish to.

After yesterday's offering to Jormangundr, I got mixed signals, multiple serpents whispering in my ear, male, female, hermaphrodite, etc. and it got to the point one of them got a little snippy.

"I am the world serpent. Don't contact me this way, find me somewhere else in the world."

And thus, I go back to research.

***

Mehen, the Ourouboros, Ancient Egypt. Protective, he circles around Ra on a journey, or in one case I've heard, enveloping his phallus. Somewhat scant info at first, but wait, there's more!

Mehen is also a GAME. A game with a coiled serpent board played by Egyptians and other people (some boards have been found outside Egypt). Nobody knows the exact rules of the game for sure. There's speculation that it is representative of the dead traveling through gates to speak to Re and therefore gain eternal life. The players are called 'dancers', and there is some thought that nobles would play the game on a life sized board, using people rather than marbles and such.

There's also speculation that it's a calendar, or a cheap way for peasants to play the game/perform the rite, potentially a counting device for trade, and others.

So, here I am, wondering what to do next. I don't make a new offering or try contact via the old route, but I do need to go forward with very few guidelines. Taking the seed exercises back to heart, my decision is to try and speak to the spirit of the Mehen game first, then try the god, to see if the lesser form has any insight.

***

There is something on spiral dancing and the Mehen game, and running on intuition, I go outside and limber up. I center, I ground, and I shield.

I get a pep talk from Loki in my brain, about how he'll help out.

I dance the spiral of the game board using my backyard, while spinning myself, slowly moving inwards toward the tree at the center of my yard, chanting an impromptu tune to Mehen and the Mehen game beneath my breath, getting all the way to the center and bowing low, beseeching Mehen for his presence and attention. I wait for 88 breaths, a number I saw for potential spaces in the game, no reaction.

I thank them anyhow and dance backwards in a reverse spiral with a reverse spin, unwinding to the beginning, and thanking Mehen again. I walk inside, and I feel slight pressure on my arm, Loki guiding me back outside and saying "Wait."

I sit down in the grass as instructed, looking up into the trees to feel the presence of Mehen there.

"Usually, I do not have trees to be in."

"Are you the same as Jormangundr?"

"Heavens no."

The conversation from there goes on to similarities, hinting at the idea that they are perhaps spawned from a similar sort of primal serpentine draconic force, and even shows some of the transgender nature that has manifested in the world serpent, but otherwise simply related, not the same. Mehen puts a protective blessing upon me before I go. I ask if he will tell Jormangundr that I have done as asked, which Mehen refuses, but Loki takes up the task, though does not promise his child will listen.

***

I remember now something I was shown by the serpent at Paganfest, taking on the "Hydra" mantle and saying "It's okay. We're all family you know.", followed by a vision of the many brood of Echidna & Typhon in Greek myth. There are so many, many snakes as symbols, monsters, and gods in magic practices throughout the world, and while perhaps many developed independently, I can't help but think a few are just as related as those within the Greek tales.

Tomorrow I will likely attempt prayer to Loki to see if the World Serpent is satisfied before attempting direct rituals and offerings.

Jormangundr and Neolithic Shamanism: # Domagick 30 Day Challenge Day 3

Today's Offering

It's one of those days where other obligations are going down and I have to fit in all my magick now if I want it to be today, so starting offerings after typing first sentence here.

First, I say the prayer to Iormangund out of the Jotunbok. My voice gains a (likely innacurate) heathen accent as I do so, unplanned. I make my offering.

The words of the prayer feel artificial, so I take a moment and read more of Neolithic Shamanism, specifically speaking about praying to a seed, as a sort of beginning exercise to praying to and honoring a number of spirits, speaking of it being from the heart. I feel myself being too artificial in today's prayer, so pray again, from the heart, feeling warmth, love, and reverence pour forth. It feels more on point.

Jormangundr Impressions
Quick yesterday note- nearly walked away from Jotunbok while reading to start my day, but a cord wrapped about my leg and caught fast. Back stepping to disentangle myself, I took another look and quickly found Iormundgand's prayer. Coincidence?

Experience's in impression of Iormandgund move back and forth between male, female, hermaphrodite, conflicting needs and requests with these personalities, and more. Complicated entity seems the best description. Visions, kind of impromptu spirit travels. Some of it involved a look at the spirit world, and how in some ways, snakes run all up and down throughout everything, moving between worlds.

Planning to ground, shield, and center in the Neolithic manner after waking. The seed exercise, planting and then praying over a seed, may have to wait until I have seeds to plant.

Beginner's Mindset Exercise

I didn't have time to hit a library, so I instead looked one up, used the first page as inspiration on topic, then looked a book up on kindle about it and read the preview. It was a beginner's, all ages, arts and crafts book with picture. It had a lot to say on doing one's own art, not someone else's, letting everyone express themselves, as well as slowly assembling a very, very, very comprehensive (read: expensive) list of supplies for an art studio.

I can't help but think of chaos magic and doing thing's one's own way as an allegory, as well as my immediate fear of being overwhelmed by material costs. It's a reason I never got into candles, stones, physical altars, etc., preferring books and visualizations and cheap things I could make myself.

It's conflicting messages one must find the middle ground in to go forward: "You must have the proper things to do the proper art" but "Your art is your own and there is no wrong way."

Planning on continued reading, conversation with Iormundgand, and practicing as many exercises as I can handle reasonably.

Jormangundr & Neolithic Shamanism: #Domagick 30 Day Challenge Day 2

Reading Neolithic Shamanism, but so far, a little disappointing. It has pretty much zero on dealing with any gods or monsters, opting for various spirits. Which is fine, and as this is about embracing a beginner mindset, I'll just roll with the exercises while showing devotion to Jormangundr.

Added a seashell to the altar to hold offerings, as Jormangundr does roam the bottom of the sea. My plan is to make offerings of beef (and fish if it comes up), and when the altar is too messy, bring it to a river and dump it, giving it to the sea and in turn to the world serpent.

I think to keep things beginnerly, I'm going to avoid astral traveling or using other advanced techniques to make contact, just using my voice and actions, unless a technique from the book offers me new options.

Last night, I only slept two hours awakening to intense feelings of euphoria. No idea if it's related or not, but worth jotting down now before I forget it.

***

Research is good, mkay?

So, my expectation for the Neolithic Shamanism book were incorrect, but casual browsing at after waking up and I find the Jotunbok, with, gasp, stuff about working with the World Serpent. Which I suppose is a beginner's mistake kind of thing, assuming one book about being a shaman in a Norse world view would give you the proper tools for contacting all the entities of it's mythology, so I suppose I'm off to a beautifully stumbling start.

Jotunbok is on kindle, so I can get to researching right away.

***

Performed the centering exercise in the book with the 4 in, 4 hold, 4 release, 4 hold patterned breathing. It felt rather mechanical, but I stuck with it, and eventually, it felt rhythmic enough to be worthwhile. It was infuriating to do, at first, but it definitely felt like being back to basics. I resisted the urge to 'do some other better breathing exercise' like the ego in my head wanted me to and stuck with it.

Then I did some root based grounding, letting my tree roots grow into the earth, and finished up with pulling up earth energy for my shielding, something I don't think I've ever really done much.

***

Reading Jotunbok. While there is no formal prayer here, there are a whole lot of title for Jormangund (and many ways to spell that name). I think, before tomorrow, I will try to use some of these titles to create a more formalized prayer.

Or, you know, I could read the entry on Iormangund and find the prayer. I swear I'm not trying to be this disorganized. Honest.

Plan. Use the prayer tomorrow before/during offering. Keep reading the Iormandgund section of Jotunbok to internalize it further. Practice Neolithic Shamanism beginner exercises for daily practice and continue reading.

DoMagic Public Summary of Research

So, I like monsters. Easy said, I like giant magical beasts, and feel a connection to them spiritually.

Paganfest has a spirit journey workshop, and I run into a really big snake. It tries to eat me (they always try to eat me), and I turn into a snake and give it a hug instead. So then this big snake starts showing me stuff- universes in tiny bubbles in the water, eventually searching through them to find the same oceans, the same bubbles, and then shattering barriers, size being relative.

So after that, I'm laying on big snake's back, and they ask me why I'm so resistant to the Norse Pantheon. I try to explain that I don't like a lot of what I was seeing in a lot of Norse religious text in the past.

Kinda sexist.
Anti-intellectual.
Occasionally co-opted by racists.
Loki, a transgender sorcerer using the power of his wits being "the devil".

But then I start talking to find out many of these things were misinterpretations created by Snorri's texts, and that things were less sexist, more trans friendly, and over all a lot less toxic masculine garbage. And well, Loki was one of the first and only gods I made contact with in my teenage years using a less than helpful book, so, I feel like it's been long enough to allow a reconnect.

Picked up the Neolithic Shamanism book thinking I'd just go through in order, give things a shot, but considering recent events, I want to specifically home in on Jormangundr as they sort of contacted me first, and reviewing some old magic journals, the big snake has been trying to contact me for some time. While I'll also be making offerings to Loki and other gods on occasion, developing a shamanistic relation with the World Serpent will be the aim of my 30 days. I'll keep looking up myths throughout the process as sources of inspiration and insight into this.

Jormangundr & Neolithic Shamanism: #DoMagic 30 Day Challenge Day 1

http://www.magical30.com/how-to-join/

Decided to do this challenge along with all my other daily practices, jumping into Neolithic Shamanism to see if it's up my alley, and finding guidance as I read and research waiting on the book to show up, an article on Ergi and the idea that Jormangundr is a hermaphrodite and has their own rune.

The information blows my mind a little, having some pretty crazy encounters in spirit journeys with big snake, and I think it's a good time to establish a little more direction for my 30 days of learning. I try to figure out a good offering for Jormangundr and read the story of Thor's fishing with bull heads. Light bulb.

Going into my bag full of odds and ends I've saved for magic stuff, I find some old plastic cow farm animals alongside a copper snake figure a friend made for me pretty much on a whim. One decapitation later and I have a bull head and snake figure for my altar. I say a quick improvised prayer and get the feeling of it being appreciated.

Will be doing more formal offerings as the challenge progresses and see how our relationship fairs/ improves/evolves.