DAY 9

(May 2)
Episode 2

I woke up around 0700 today, went out to the grass outside the hotel where I had a quiet moment.  Said the Sigdrifa prayer as I have become accustomed to since arriving in Norway and I drew one rune; Algiz.  I will be on the lookout for the significance of that as the day unfolds.

I am excited to get on the road after sitting around all day yesterday.  After breakfast we met in the lobby and we left on a bus around 11:30.  We were told we had a 7 hour trip in front of us, I expected beautiful scenery and boy did I ever get it!  It was one spectacular breathtaking view after another as we wound our way to our destination…wherever it was.  We never know where we are going until we get there.

We wound up in a place called Lom.  It is in Jotunheim, which is especially cool for me because I have read many stories in the Northern lore that take place in Jotunheim.  Jotunheim means “Giant Home”, where the giants live.  The hotel we are staying at is really old and beautiful, many of the outbuildings have sod roofs, there is hand-carved woodwork everywhere, it is magnificent.  Today, being here in this place, it has finally sunk into my brain that I am actually in Norway…I get it now.

Tomorrow we leave at 0800 sharp.  We have another hour bus ride and absolutely no idea what we will be doing.  It doesn’t seem like we are far enough up for skiing, but an hour bus ride could change that.  Or, maybe we will white water raft in one of the rivers here?  Who Knows?

I feel a strong spiritual vibe here in Lom.  One of the largest Stave churches is in this town, I took a walk down to see it.  It was closed so I couldn’t go in, but it was still wonderful to walk around it.  It is surrounded by graves, some of them very old.  Some are so old that the engraving on them has been washed away by years of weather, all that remains is a nameless stone to mark the resting place of a  person that at one time had a name, and a family, and a life.

Speaking of names, there are so many wonderful names on these stones; names you don’t hear in America.  Names like Ragnhild, Oddleif, Gudrun, and Sigurd.  I found a family plot with the name of Berge, I know I am related to some Berges so I hailed their name…you never know.

I feel like algiz manifested today in the aspect of connection to the Gods.  I did in fact feel very connected today, to everything.  Tonight we had a wonderful dinner in an equally wonderful place, life is good.  0700 comes early so I am off to bed.

 

DAY 10

(May 3)
Episode 2

I drew isa this morning.  It is an extremely busy day, no time to write, I’ll tell you about it tomorrow.