By Heimgest DCG
As we have seen in previous articles including part 1 of this work, our mythology is applicable on various levels of reality and understanding. At a profound level it is an illuminated guide to our own individual evolution to more highly evolved sates and levels of consciousness. A path we progress upon over many lifetimes until we achieve the highest state of awareness, which we may call Odin Consciousness. It is important to realize however, that this progress is not necessarily one of seamless upward advance, indeed we can sink into lower states of awareness if we do not consciously strive to evolve and attain the Odin consciousness. There are many pitfalls along this path, and our myths warn us of the various dangers and illusions, which can impede our journey.
As, at this level of reality, the myths refer to our own individual path, likewise the symbolism and allegories of the myths refer to our individual selves and as we saw, central to this, is the image of the great tree Yggdrasil on which all else hangs. Yggdrasil represents ourselves as the individual and in part one of this work we saw some of the components of the individual.
We see in our mythology that Yggdrasil has three great roots and under each of these roots is a spring or a well. The first root is in Asgarth, which is the realm of the High Ones, and under this root is the Well of Urd. We are told that the three Norns, the deities who control wyrd or destiny sit by this well and it is also the place where the Gods and Goddesses gather to hold council.
The second root is in Jotunheim, the giant’s realm and the well or spring found here is called Mimirs Well. To drink from this well endows one with great wisdom and mythologically Odin sacrificed and eye to drink from its waters.
The third root is sunk into Niflheim, the mysterious realm of the dead and it is here that the roaring river of Hverelmir has it is source. From this river we are told a great many rivers flow.
So we can see Yggdrasil has three roots which exist upon three levels. It should also be noted that the nine worlds our mythology speaks of, also occupy three levels. First there is the level where Asgarth, Vanaheim and Alfheim are situated. These being the abode of the Aesir, the Vanir and the Light Elves who also seem to have a God like status.
The second or middle level contains Midgarth, Jotunheim, and the abodes of the dwarves and the dark elves Svartalfheim. Whereas the elves who reside on the Godly level seem to be divine entities, the black elves do not have this beneficent quality.
The third level contains Niflheim and Muspelheim.
Now these three roots and these three levels correspond to the three levels of consciousness that we have as individuals. These being the super-conscious, the conscious and the sub conscious. These also relate to levels of awareness so that the level of super consciousness or higher awareness is correspondent to the Divine realms of Asgarth, Vanaheim and Alfheim, the realm of the Gods.
Midgarth represents our everyday conscious awareness and the realm of our sensual perceptions, hopes and desires. These desires can be noble or ignoble, they can seek to become more evolved or to be stuck to the material and sensual, thus Jotunheim and the dwarves and dark elves realms are also on this level.
The third level corresponds to our sub conscious awareness. Mythologically it is where we find the realms of Nifleheim and Muspelheim. The sub conscious is a mysterious realm in many ways and one which stores many of our hopes and desires. These can be positive or negative. Often suppressed emotions and negative desires or fears etc lurk here, as well as unconscious desires for positivity. It is this level where many personality flaws or positives find source for in a way it is like a source level. Nifelheim is often said to be shrouded in mists and an abode of the dead. The mists show the fact this level is hard for us to penetrate and we can be held back from higher evolution by the negative impulses or fears or desires which lurk there. In this way, if we are to `dwell` in this realm, that is, if we cannot overcome these negatives in a way we will be dead to higher levels of consciousness. Muspleheim is symbolic of our fiery emotions which we posses in our sub conscious mind, most notably the sexual urge, which though in itself is quite natural and beneficial, if uncontrolled it can cause us many problems and again impede our advance. In this realm is the spring Hvergelmir and it is seen to be rushing and the source of many rivers. This is symbolic of the life force which is found at the base of the spine and its many rivers are the conduits through which this energy flows into our bodies. As we saw in part 1, the serpent residing there gnawing at the roots is again symbolic of the negativity which can come, if this life force is not controlled and properly channeled. The sub conscious is tremendously potent in its effect on us, if we can `control` it, then we will be able to evolve upwards.
Midgarth is the realm of our everyday perceptions and equates to the conscious mind. In this realm we perceive existence through our senses and process them. We also find in this realm our conscious material or sensual desires. These can be obstacles to higher evolution if not controlled. In the myths they are symbolized as the giants, dwarves and dark elves. A mention on the Jotuns perhaps should be made, for while the male Jotuns are hostile and destructive the female Jotuns aren’t always so, in fact the Gods often have Jotun wives or allies among the female giants. Here we see that though both are representative of desires, the males depict what we could call the extroverted material desires which unless controlled can be detrimental to our spiritual development. This would include at times hatreds because often hate is based on an unfulfilled or somehow thwarted material desire or wounded ego. The female Jotuns represent a more spiritual desire and thus are depicted as often helpful. Again it is not desire, which is negative in itself, it is uncontrolled or obsessively material desire, which is a block to upward development. This realm of course also has Mimir`s well in it which contains `Odin’s Eye`. Now as the myths are not to be seen as literal, there isn’t a pond with an eye at the bottom of it. What this refers to is the intuitive eye, sometimes called the third eye. The ancient Indo European God Shiva is depicted as having three eyes, the middle eye situated at the point between the eyebrows being this “eye of intuition“. Odin is seen as the Northern European counterpart or development of Shiva and obviously both came from the same ancient Aryan source. In the Odinic myths, this attainment of the eye of intuition is symbolized as Odin being one eyed. Again this is not a literal fact but a way of symbolizing an essential truth. As this relates to us as individuals, it shows that on this realm we can by spiritual discipline achieve this `third eye`, which is attainment of higher awareness and an upwards evolution.
The final level of consciousness explained is depicted as the realm of Asgarth. Bifrost, the shimmering bridge, connects this divine realm to Midgarth. This shows how once we attain the attributes of the third eye or the spiritual eye, or the eye of intuition, or Odin’s Eye as it can be called, we can then cross, or evolve to the levels of super conscious awareness. Bifrost is that “bridge“ between consciousness and higher consciousness. It is symbolic of the life force again flowing up the spine ( Yggdrasil`s trunk) and entering higher realms. In our bodies this is the medulla oblongata situated at the back of the skull where the spinal nerves enter the brain. With sufficient development we can see this life energy as vibrant colour.
At this level is the final conflict or final attainment of the Odin Consciousness. but we cannot even depict that in myth as it is beyond our experience until we finally experience it, and is beyond description in word.
We see again then, how the myths at a profound level are an illuminated path to Odin Consciousness and relate at this level to our own beings. We are not only “on Yggdrasil” as the cosmic axis, we are Yggdrasil.
Hail the High Gods
Hail the Rite
Hail the New Awakening
Heimgest.
