Freya Norse Goddess Of Love and War

Areas of Influence: Freya Norse Goddess of love, beauty, fertility, war, wealth, divination and magic.

This Goddess belongs to group of Gods and Goddesses known as the Vanir who were associated with nature, wild places and animals and unseen realms.

Her name means "The Lady" it is also often spelt Freyja.

Freya was the Norse Goddess of beauty that no man could resist when she wore her enchanting necklace known as the Brisingamen. This necklace was made for her my four dwarves. They demanded that as repayment she spent a night with each of them in turn.

Although she had many affairs she loved her husband deeply and when he went missing she cried tears of gold. She set out to find him by transforming herself into a bird with her magical cloak.

When she found he had become an ugly sea monster. Freya remained by his side and became enraged when he was murdered, threatening to kill the other Gods. To placate her Od was offered a place in Valhalla despite not dying as a hero on the battlefield.

She liked romantic love songs and bunches of flowers.

Norse Goddess of magic and divination as she taught Odin Seidr in return for knowledge of the Runes. She had the able to shape shift and to perform spells.

In modern times she has also become associated with the fairy realms and spirit realms as she is able to travel to all of the nine worlds in Nordic cosmology.

She moved to the world of Asgard, her land is called Folksvang (folks meadow) where here hall Sessrumnir (the many seated) is sited.

Freya is the ruling Goddess of the female ancestral beings known as the Disir that can be called upon for guidance and to see into the future.

This Nordic Goddess was also leader of the Valkyries.

This Norse Goddess of fertility is linked to the full moon.

Origins and Genealogy: This Goddess was said to be the daughter of Njord her mother is not known. She was the twin of Frey and together they represented the untamed forces of nature.

In Norse mythology she married Od who many argue is same God as Odin. This confusion has also lead to suggestions that Frigg and Freya are the same Goddess as both were married to Odin and had a magical feathered cloak.

She had two children named Hnoss (jewel) and Gemesi (treasure).

This Goddess took many of the Gods as her lovers including the trickster Loki.

Strengths:Goddess of female sexuality and the wild and untamed forces of nature.

Weaknesses: she is not bound by our current standards of human morality. She seeks to obtain what she desires and does not take into account the wants and needs of others.

 Symbolism

Freya is often depicted as a blonde Goddess wearing a Viking helmet and carrying a sword.

This Goddess is associated with the runes, the wheel of fortune and other forms of divination.

The Northern Lights were said to be caused by her traveling through the night's sky with the Valkyries.

Pictures of Freya are difficult to find. This link is to an image produced by one of my favorite Goddess artists, Thalia Took. The Goddess is shown wearing the magical Brisingamen necklace.

Sacred Animals: Cats and wild pigs. She rode a chariot driven by two blue cats given to her by Thor.

Other myths say she rode upon Hildisvini a battle swine who is a symbol of fertility and a protective talisman for those going to war.

Sacred Birds: Ravens as her magical cloak was made from their feathers enabling her to shape shift and fly.

Sacred Plants: Cowslip, daisies and primrose.

Sacred Crystals: Amber as the brisingamen was made from this natural resin.

Freya's Archetypes

The Shape-Shifter

The shape shifter has the ability to change her physical appearance. They are also able to adapt easily to different environments by altering there behaviour.

Shadow shape shifter is fickle, lacking conviction and constantly reinventing themselves like politicians to appeal to most people.

Freya is a shaman Goddess who is able to travel in the different realms by using her magical cloak to shape shift into a bird. She also has the power to transform other people into animals.

The Lover

Represents passion and selfless devotion to another person. It also extends to the things that make our hearts sing, like music, art or nature.

The shadow aspect is obsessive passion that completely takes over and negatively impacts on your health and self esteem.

Freya is a very passionate Goddess with many lovers yet she still care deeply for her husband Od. She also enjoys romantic music.

The Warrior:

Warrior represents physical strength, and the ability to protect and fight for your rights and those of of others.

Whilst the shadow side of the Warrior reflects the need to win at all costs, abandoning ethical principals to prove your supremacy.

This Goddess of war was entitled to the souls of half of the bravest warriors who died in battle. She invited them to stay with her on her land and extended this hospitality to their wives and lovers.

Please follow this link to the Archetypes page to discover which other Goddess Archetypes resonate with you.

How To Work With Freya Norse Goddess Archetypes

The Shape Shifter

The Shape Shifter is a useful archetype to have if you need to be flexible or perform lots of different roles.

The shadow side asks whether your chameleon like tendencies reflect a deep insecurity and inability to commit to any particular path.

The Lover

You may be drawn to this Goddess Archetype if you are looking to attract a new lover or to re-ignite the fire in an existing relationship. The Lover can also be a useful tool to discover what you are passionate about in life.

On the shadow side you need to ask, whether the amount of energy and time you are putting into relationships, or enthusiasm for projects is excessive? If this continues for too long you are likely to suffer from stress and physical ill health.

The Warrior

If you are drawn to work with this Goddess you may require her Warrior spirit to help you to stand up for your rights and set firm personnel boundaries. This Goddess can be a great stereotype to work with if you want to take control in your life, and wish to no longer play the role of the victim.

You may also wish to call upon this Goddess to champion the cause of others.

Conversely Freya may appeal to you if you have a very strong sense of self and are proud of the victories you have achieved. The shadow side may be asking you to reflect honestly on the cost of these victories. Have they been at the expense of others or your principals?