Blue hawker / Blå Mosaikguldsmed,

whom I saved from the lake yesterday

ANCIENT EROS

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Dear friend,

Summer solstice is upon us, in Danish it is sommersolhverv. The etymology is slightly different: Solstice derives from Latin: Sol (meaning 'sun') and stice (from sistere, meaning 'stand still') and solhverv derives from the Norse hverfa, ('turning'). The wheel is turning the other way now, and marking this point in time with ceremonies and rituals is an ancient practice.

Some days ago, I finalized the last chapter of my book and went to our lake to celebrate with a quick dip. I dried in the sun. Two dragonflies landed on my knee. They had sex. It is not like they couldn't see me with their more than 30.000 eyes each. I have seen dragonflies fly in tandem, but this erotic encounter was new to me. They formed a wheel. The females can have multiple sexual partners and the final one will fertilize her eggs. If you are curious to learn more about their lovemaking and e.g. the special penis hook that can scoop out the semen of competitors, read more here. I didn't get to take a picture of this beautiful encounter, so you'll have to settle for this single specimen above. Unfortunately, my dog came running and the love wheel rolled on.

Dragonflies belong to the oldest insects on Earth. 300 mill. years ago, a now distinct cousin of the modern order of dragonflies had a wingspan of 70 cm. The dragonflies of today, from the Odonata order, date back 200 mill. years.

Looking into this creature's 30.000 eyes, it is deep time staring back. How magnificent you are, little one! Starting life as a nymph, and later capable of flying 25-30 km per hour! What a survivor you are!

Rune Hjarnø Rasmussen on Nordic Animism

(click one more time in the new window that pops up)

ANCIENT WAYS AND TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE

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A year ago in June, my family and I found Stengården, a home of our dreams. I have written a chapter for my book, the almanac, about this. The book is divided into 12 chapters, one for each month. The June chapter also contains a meeting with the magnificent storyteller and scholar, Rune Hjarnø Rasmussen, PhD of Religious Studies and founder of Nordic Animism.

I first met Rune at Folkeuniversitet, where he taught a class on land connectedness and animistic practices of the Nordic countries from the era of the Islandic sagas to the 19th century's folklore. I learned a lot about traditional knowledge (which Rune calls these ancient practices and belief systems) from our part of the world. I had no idea that animist beliefs co-existed with Christianity up until the beginning of the industrialisation. Believing in beings like gnomes, elves, trolls, Elder Mothers and honoring the spirits of the natural world by various rituals and practices, was all part of building relationship and being embedded in a web of relations. In this chapter, Rune adresses the various crises of today, political, climate, biodiversity, and relational ones (he calls them in fact a clusterfuck of crises). Animism is a meaningful tool to use and engage with these crises, it is an ancient technology for connectivity and respect for the more-than-human.

I find Rune's work extremely important and useful for several reasons. It is shedding light upon a long forgotten ancestral past. It feels like the practice of mending a giant hole that modernity burnt in a traditional suit, passed down through generations. But Rune is not only a great, curious and open-minded academic, he is also actively trying to contribute to cultural change. He uses his research for cultural activism, reawakening annual feasts like the Yule Goat procession, celebrating Aun - the year of cultural healing, making calendars, constantly sharing his research with others on his platforms. Nordic Animism has become a movement.

Check him out: Insta / Youtube (his latest video explains why the Norse gods are abusive!)

Happy Summer Solstice AND full moon (the June full moon is called Strawberry Moon),

Birgitte

Rune has a new course out on The Animacy of Runes! Watch his pitch and read more here