My lessons in Duality and Perspective are core pieces of my foundation and come to play in just about every aspect of my path. It is not just about understanding different sides, but also all the possibilities that lay between and places they overlap. The more I have truly lived within the lessons and ideas of Duality, the more certain little things creep up. Things that many people don’t seem to think about, or it doesn’t bother them – but it nags at me.
Language, actual definition and meaning of words, is one of those things and can have a huge impact on understanding. If we are not viewing the same definition of a word – its definition vs its common usage – then there is a disconnect and break down of communication. Small breaks can lead to big consequences.
I am not perfect – I make mistakes in language just like everyone else. I am about to share one of those times with you here shortly.
Wisdom isn’t gained without the experience. Experience happens over time and with an open mind. To me this speaks about the ability to see the disconnect, admit your perspective may be wrong, research, and then shift based upon the entire experience.
Society has this crazy idea of perfection – and if you admit you were wrong, or through growth you have come to see and accept a new perspective, that this tarnishes all your other work. I have watched many long-time content creators go through this. They have grown and changed. They want their content to reflect where they are, but their following was built on who they were, and then they feel stuck. A conflict based on people’s inability to see growth and change as a natural progression. Not a ditching of all that came before, but a growth from all that work.
Encounter of the Djinni
I played a lot of D&D and similarly structured games. One encounter has stuck with me, especially in the realm of language – encountering a Djinni . Words and the meaning behind them is all that matters when dealing with a djinni. Intention may be well meaning but if the words are wrong you will end up with a really annoying pseudo-dragon that never ever shuts up and talks in a high squeaky voice – yes, words mattered and I failed that one.
Djinni like to twist intentions and find loop holes in the words. Dealing with one requires not only knowing the right words to use, but how to use them. To see all the gaps and ways they can be twisted away from your true intention.
Words matter in our spell casting, prayers, mantras, and all that is spoken. That encounter with the djinni always comes to my mind when writing these things and reflecting back on the results. How am I using those words? What is the intention or goal am I trying to achieve? Do these words, and they way I am putting them together, really detail out the result I want? Are there different perspectives of the word, different from its core meaning? It is actually quite maddening at times, especially if you look at it through the cunning mind of a djinni.
We are not going to be perfect in this task, no matter how hard we try. We will make mistakes for all kinds of reasons. In reflection though we can see those cracks, missteps, and new ways to try next time. We learn, experiment, reflect, and grow from it all.
The Word Norse
I will admit I have been struggling with this word for awhile. I had even come to the conclusion that is was completely the wrong word for what I was referring to – but since it was the common word our community uses for everything, I continued to use it despite my own feelings on it. That was a mistake.
The word Norse by definition speaks to the language the people spoke – specifically referring to midievil language which was an evolved version of the previous language. This idea of using the language to identify the people happens often, it is not just this case. My issue though is language itself is only one part of a people, location, and their culture. This is where my disconnect begins.
Now, the Cambridge dictionary takes it a bit further, expanding upon it – defining it as “belonging or relating to the people…” I also note though they are pointing a lot to texts, and thus would be referring to language but not exclusively. Sure I can twist some wiggle room here – but that is not serving me.
Right now you are probably thinking I spend way too much time thinking on this kind of stuff – and I admit I do. Not because I want to though – but because my Guides, lessons, and experience have taught me the importance of language and perspective.
Admitting I was Wrong
Finally the disconnect had gotten too much for me. I can’t keep using the word “Norse” to keep describing that whole of what I am trying to convey. Beyond words, language, and text, and encompassing all the aspects of the culture, land, and people. Yes, I realize there are differences between them, but I am speaking of what connects them.
I will also admit that it is frustrating to use the word when referring to Deity like Kari (and Hel but we will save that one for later) because the moment you say “Norse God” everyone seems to lump that in with the main pantheon – the Aesir. The Deity I work with are more primal than that, before the Aesir, and considered the ancestors of the Aesir. Yet even in my discord with it – I used it because it is what others would recognize.
Finding the right Word
The answer was simple. If I had bothered to heed my own misgivings and do the slightest research I would have found my answer. The word I was looking for, the one that encompassed all the aspects I was referring to and feeling, even the one that explained my Deities better, was there the whole time.
Nordic. Such a simple word and closely adjacent to the one commonly used, but the definition creates a stark distinction. By definition it is relating to Sweden, Finland, Iceland, Denmark, Norway and the Faroe Islands – some also include Greenland and Aland.
There are other words that can be used. I am sure people from these countries can school me better on this. Perhaps this will not be my final evolution in this quest for a word. For now though, this word fits. It matches and encompasses more of the whole and not just an aspect.
It also feels more right when referring to Kari and Hel – as Nordic Gods. It distinctly separates them from the pantheon of Aesir, at least in my mind. Now do not mistake me here. I have nothing against that pantheon but They are also not who I work with. I know some may be ready to object when it comes to Hel specifically but I will be writing on this later to explain more of my thoughts there. For now I just ask for some grace.
Ending Thoughts
I know for some, this type of stuff does not matter much. They do not spend a lot of time thinking about it or considering it because through social conditions we just accept certain things. Perhaps I think too much and my lessons have dug so deep that it makes me look at these things in ways others just don’t care about.
I am also a witch though. Magic is a part of my core practices and life. Words matter. They have their own energy and vibration that affects and shapes the world. When we talk about spells backfiring – I personally see this more in the words we are using then the energies we weaving. Not saying it can’t be the other or both, but words themselves are how we are conveying and shaping that intention. We know what we mean – but does whatever we are working with understand it from that context?
For me, I always seem to reflect back on that experience with the djinni. Yes, it was just a game, but lessons are found everywhere. That was a lesson of language, intention, communication, and the importance of words.
I am human. I make mistakes. I change and evolve as I grow. I learn more, experience more, and my perspectives shift. Is this really a bad thing? If we do not wish to be static, why do we try and keep others static (referring back to those we follow)? Yes, their direction may not be one we continue to follow because it does not align with us, but it also doesn’t mean that all the work before was not good and helped us.
I personally keep following along with people because you never know where they will end up. You never know what small piece of inspiration you may still find. You did start following them for a reason right? I can think of three specifically that I have followed for years – I have watched this exact struggle playing out – and I wish I could just tell them it is going to be ok. They may lose some, but also gain others more aligned to where they want to be. As for me, even though the content is not always my taste anymore, I do still find bits and pieces that inspire me or give me pause to think, and that is useful.
In the end we make our own choices for our own reasons. If you believe in a word, the way you view that word and what it means to you, that too has power. Does it override the power of the word itself? – I will let you decide. For now though – for me – Nordic seems the better choice of words.
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