She Who Shines Over the Sea
Freya is a Norse goddess and is described as one of the most beautiful of the Norse spirits. She has control over love, sex, fertility, magic, witchcraft, warcraft, death, pleasure, and glory. She is simultaneously a spirit of fertility and death, beauty and war!
Freya means Lady and some say may be a title rather than a name. Legend tells that Freya, daughter of Njord and Herta, Sea and Earth, was among the Vanir hostages who joined the Aesir to maintain spiritual peace. Freya quickly become a strong force in her new realm teaching the Aesir how to craft charms and potions. She's the goddess who inducted Odin into the world of magic.
Freya can be invoked for love, romance, and fertility, however, she is also a death goddess. Under her name Valfreya, she leads the Valkyries to the battlefield where she lays claim to half the dead who are brought to live in her beautiful palace, Folgvang.
Freya was never an obscure goddess, beloved and worshipped by many in various European territories, and today remains among the most loved and venerated Pagan goddesses. Because she was a spirit that frustrated the Christian authorities the most, she was denounced as a Queen of Witches, automatically branding any woman who venerated her as a 'witch'. Of course, Freya's rites and traditions did in fact encourage magical practice, mediumship, shamanism, and female autonomy with Freya herself being the role model. This behavior was considered abhorrent and sinful to the Christian authorities and likely to some in power today.
Ironically, the constant condemnation resulted in Freya surviving more vividly than any other female European goddess and helped to keep her from fading into obscurity. Likely not the outcome they'd hoped for!
Freya is the matron of soldiers, veterans, jewelers, seers, shamans, and practitioners of the magical arts.
She usually manifests as a golden, beautiful, and charismatic woman, however, she is also a shapeshifter and can take any form she likes. She is seen often seen wearing a magical falcon feather cloak that gives her the ability to fly, and her Brisingamen, the glowing necklace forged for her by dwarves.
Freya is known to weep tears of amber; honey contains her essence and Freya knows the power of runes. Use runes to communicate with her. Specifically, Freya is associated with the runes Berkano and Ehwaz.
Freya's metal is gold, her planet is the Moon, and her sacred day and number are Friday and 13.
Two gray cats, possibly lynxes pull Freya's chariot. Cats, rabbits, boars, oxen, ladybugs, cuckoos, falcons, and swallows are all animals associated with Freya. So if you've been communicating with Freya and happen to see one of these animals know that Freya is near.
Feedings stray cats or adopting cats, so long as you treat them well, will help get you into Freya's good graces.
If you feel called to venerate Freya here are a few things to offer her: honey, mead, flowers - primroses, mugwort, holly, or hemp, and love songs. Freya accepts humble offerings but is known to have fine taste and will happily accept lavish offerings of jewelry and perfume as well.
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