July For Loki Using 30 Days Of Deity Devotion Prompts, Day 20 Art That Reminds You Of Loki

July for Loki using 30 Days of Deity Devotion prompts, Day 20 • Art that reminds you of Loki

Very tough choice, as there is a lot of excellent art that reminds me of Loki, both dedicated to him or not. Among all the spectacular pieces out there, I chose this picture called Ginger Trickster by erebus-odora on DeviantArt for a particular reason. It’s the closest portrait of Loki as he appeared to me the first time he showed his face (at least that I can remember of), between 2011 and 2012. I was perfectly aware that it was him, though he chose Tom Hiddleston’s face. Yeah, yeah, silly fangirl projecting pagan fantasies on an actor, right? Wrong. Because when you’re in the presence of a deity, you can FEEL their energy, no matter what face they choose. Btw, later on I discovered, talking with other people too, that Loki does enjoy Tom’s portrayal of his MCU version, so I guess it’s no wonder that he chose a similar aspect to show up to me that night. And he had flowing red/cinnamon hair, bright yet dark green eyes, lips with scars from the accident with the Dwarves, just like this picture. So, of course my heart skips a beat everytime I see this wonderful piece of art. And I know there’s lots of prejudice, lots of people thinking that lokeans enjoying MCU Loki along with being devoted to the god Loki are just fakes, wannabes or whatever; this post is especially dedicated to them and to the people who were victims of such prejudice. If my experience is worth anything, and I hope it is (otherwise I don’t know why I’m writing this stuff out here), that’s just not true. Some people may daydream of having spiritual experiences when they’re just not, projecting their own fantasies into those unreal experiences, yes. But just because a deity shows up in a modern or even fancy aspect, it doesn’t mean the experience is faux. Each of us is the only one that knows which deity is talking to them, deep down inside we can feel it. And no one can tell others what is right or what is wrong, or how a deity should manifest or not. So, the moral of this post is, nevermind the bollocks. Which, incidentally, is a great lesson Loki loves to teach to his devotees.

Art: Ginger Trickster by erebus-odora on DeviantArt

July for Loki using 30 Days of Deity Devotion prompts, Day 16 • How do you think this deity represents the values of their pantheon and cultural origins?

In the surviving myths, Loki plays the Trickster: smart, intelligent, funny, full of tricks (resources), not following any rule. Crossing all boundaries, breaking all rules, the Trickster is the one who destroys what is old and stagnant. Of course he is also a jokester and a prankster, given the right circumstances, but I wouldn't recommend taking him lightly. Tricksters are common around the world: just to mention a couple of Loki's colleagues, we find Anansi the Spider, Br'er Rabbit and Leuk Rabbit in West Africa (and therefore in the Caribbean due to the slave trade), Hermes in Greece, Coyote and Raven among Native American and First Nations mythologies… they have very much in common, though of course each has their own specific character. They're not one and the same, no more than two people with the same interests are one singular person. So, what does a Trickster like Loki tell about the cultures celebrating him? That these people knew the importance of Change, and knew Chaos is often needed to bring it forward. It is necessary to accept Chaos in our lives along with Order, in a difficult yet essential balance, the infinite cycle of Life, Death and Rebirth. Not only that: in his adventures, Loki often displays useful virtues, such as intelligence, shrewdness, diplomacy… these bring amazing gifts to the Æsir, and often get him out of trouble (or into trouble, but nevermind). I assume these qualities were considered as important as physical strength, and it’s no surprise. Loki, as most Tricksters, is also very well versed in seiðr and magic in general. This may be a bit controversial since in the infamous Lokasenna the practice seiðr is brought up basically as an insult, but let’s not stop at the surface. The great goddess Freyja is a mistress of witchcraft and seiðr, and is said to have taught it, or at least some of it, to none less than Óðinn. We know Loki masters the art, since he can shapeshift into basically anything he wants. It would be logical to assume seiðr, witchcraft, and whatever kind of magic, were probably not only accepted, but held in great consideration among Nordic people, since great two beloved divinities like Freyja and Óðinn practiced them. So, even though being well versed in magic is part of the Trickster's job, I'd dare to say this knowledge was probably very much respected in Loki too. So, does this answer today’s prompt? No. I found this question rather dull myself, so a rather dull answer seemed appropriate. 

Art: Loki by Bubaben on DeviantArt

July for Loki using 30 Days of Deity Devotion prompts, Day 18 • How does Loki stand in terms of gender and sexuality? (Historical and/or UPG)

“A heart ate Loki,-- | in the embers it lay,

And half-cooked found he | the woman's heart;--

With child from the woman | Lopt soon was,

And thence among men | came the monsters all.”*

{{*Hyndluljóð (The Poem of Hyndla), Poetic Edda}}

Loki is famous for being a shapeshifter, and shifting through genders is one of his abilities for sure. In the myths he is usually described as male, and a very handsome one too, but there are a few exceptions. In Þrymskviða (“The Lay of Thrym”), Thor and Loki pretend to be Freyja and her handmaiden to get Mjölnir back from Jötunn king Thrym. Thor is in disguise and keeps his pronouns, but for Loki the text uses female pronouns when in disguise, which suggests a slightly deeper transformation on his (her) behalf. Another famous example you might be familiar with: in Gylfaginning (“The Beguiling of Gylfi”), Loki turns himself into a mare to lure the stallion Svaðilfœri away from his work. They run away together, and when Loki returns to Ásgarðr he is pregnant with Sleipnir, the eight-legged horse destined to become Óðinn’s steed. Speaking of Óðinn, it’s good ol’ Grímnir himself to reveal, in the Lokasenna, that Loki spent 8 years in a cave as a milkmaid tending cows, and there gave birth to a number of children while in female form. Curiously enough, Loki reminds Óðinn that he spent quite some time among men “in witch’s guise” as well. So you see, even the mighty Óðinn is not strictly male, according to such myths. What does it tell us? That these two are blood brothers for a reason, just for a start. Then, it gives us lots of food for thought.

Last but not least, the one that for me is among the most fascinating episodes in all of Norse mythology. In the above mentioned Hyndluljóð, Loki eats the heart of a woman and then gives birth to monstrous children. As the story goes, an evil woman (a “witch”) had been burnt (three times?) by the Æsir. Is she Gullveig? Is Gullveig Angrboða? Not the place to discuss this. What matters here is, her heart survived, half-burnt. Loki finds it and eats it - but why? Is it a metaphor of the crematory Fire? Maybe there is a deeper reason in the fact that the heart was considered the home of the principle of life and of the soul itself, so by eating the woman’s heart Loki was probably able to absorb her female magic and wisdom… So much so that he then gives birth to children, monstrous ones of course - much like their siblings born from him and Angrboða. Or maybe, just maybe, such monstrous children are a metaphor for magical powers and actions that were believed to be evil as the tales were being written down later in time? Who knows… who knows… 

In my personal experience, Loki remains mainly male. I call him Faðir (father), and refer to him with male pronouns, but as you can see using female or neutral ones is not wrong at all. 

I’m sorry there’s not enough space here to discuss these themes in a more elaborate ways, there would be plenty to say, but I hope I gave you some interesting hints to think about.

Art: The God of Mischief by NickRoblesArt

July for Loki using 30 Days of Deity Devotion prompts, Day 15 • Any mundane practices that are associated with this deity?

In my experience, Loki is a very multidimensional god, so there are a number of things we can do that please him. He’s not one to ask for huge, solemn rituals to celebrate him - though he doesn’t despise one, mind you: but that’s not the only nor main way to honor him. For example, he’s associated with a number of animals, both from the lore and from modern paganism sources. Fly, Spider, Vulture, Hawk, Fox, Salmon, Wolf (UPG?), Snake, and the list could go on, but it gives you the idea: in our everyday life, we can help “his” animals, or better yet animals in general since he seems to love them all. How? By not killing the critters in our house, for a start, but rather set them free outside. Then, according to our possibilities, we can either make a donation to, or volunteer in, an animal shelter. Loki is a god that stands up in defense of the victims of all kinds, so to honor him we can try and do the same by defending someone who’s being victimized, or again, we can donate to/volunteer in associations and such helping those in need. Along with Sigyn, they’re both very protective of children, so consider doing the same, the way you prefer. Then, of course, there are the Dead. Loki is very much a Death god in my practice, so taking care of the Dead can be a great way to homage him. Basically, since he’s usually ever so present in the lives of his devotees, whatever you do can be a way to honor him, as long as the intent is there. Experiment, do what you feel, listen to him and find your ways, that will always be my advice.

Art: Witch by Erlyenda

July for Loki using 30 Days of Deity Devotion prompts, Day 11 • Festivals, days, and times sacred to Loki

To my knowledge, there are no historical traces of sacred days/times dedicated to Loki.

Some modern lokeans celebrate him especially during the month of July, as you can see. This is a recent tradition, dating back to the summer of 2012 and a blogging project by Galina Krasskova. July is not a casual month though, since it’s the month preceding/seeing the heliacal rising of Sirius (usually late July/early August). As we already saw, Sirius is known as Lokabrenna (“Loki’s burning”, “Loki’s Torch”), and it’s a star that has always been celebrated by ancient cultures, Nordic included. So, here’s a good reason to dedicate these hot days to our beloved firey Trickster. 

But that’s not all, as Loki loves to be celebrated throughout the years, and each devotee has their own special days/festivals dedicated to him. Many see Saturday as a good day to homage him. Saturday was known in Old Norse as Laugardagr, “bath day”. Some suggest that Laugardagr was named after Loki, an adaptation from Lóður, but there is no certain evidence of this. What we know for sure is that Laugardagr was replaced by the Latin “dies Saturni”, Satur(n’s)day. Many modern practitioners notice similarities between Saturn and Loki, so it kinda makes sense to dedicate the Saturday to him. I personally feel he enjoys this day as much as I do, so I try to celebrate him even more on Saturdays, but it’s not a rule - there are no rules when it comes to Loki.

Apart from this, in my practice (UPG) I noticed he loves the Winter and Summer Solstice, possibly because of their connection with the Sun, and therefore with the Fire, but what I felt both times was so personal, I won’t share it here. Last year I also felt him very active around Samhain, of course in his Vulture form. But then again, I always feel him near, so I might not be the best one to talk about this specific topic.

Art: LOKABRENNA II by ErgiGoat on DeviantArt

July for Loki using 30 Days of Deity Devotion prompts, Day 14 • Has worship of Loki changed in modern times?

Most likely! To my knowledge, we have no info about ancient worship of Loki. But is it likely that a god ever so present in myths and lore didn't have a cult of his own? No. Is this lack of info an indication of Loki being considered evil in ancient times too, and therefore not worshiped? No. There are no traces of cults dedicated to good ol’ Heimdallr either, just to make an example: would anyone suppose he wasn’t held in great consideration and venerated? No. So it’s fair to assume, given also the numerous surviving examples of Loki’s name still being used in folk sayings, that he was respected and worshiped like all the other gods and goddesses. No surviving traces of his cult, no info about how his devotees used to worship him (offerings, prayers…), basically nothing at all besides a few stories in the myths. How do you even start to work with such a deity, you might wonder? Here comes the interesting part: by listening directly to him, and to your innermost feelings. It may sound difficult, and could be a bit disorienting at first, since we’re so used to finding all kinds of info on “how to” relate with a deity, but Loki won’t buy any of that shit. One of the first lessons he taught me, and I know I’m not the only one, was: “read the myths, look beyond the words, learn their true meaning, then come with me and I’ll show you”. So, if you’re wondering how to start relating to Loki, listen to him. Follow your senses. Ask questions to those who already know him if you want, but always think with your own brain, follow your heart, and do what YOU feel is right. That’s, in my experience and opinion, the best way to worship Loki.

Pic from freepik