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Walburga – Saxon Moon-Goddess whose festival is May Eve, Walpurgis Night.

Waldh – Frisian Forest-God of healing.

Wan, Wans, Wanes – (ON Vanr, Vanir) God/esses of earth, water, and hidden wisdom.

Weird’s Well, Urdhr’s Well – Where the Gods have their court. The Great Norns use water from it to keep Yggdrasil’s branches from rotting. Swans feed in the well.

Wight – A being or entity of any kind with some living quality.

Wih – ON vé: 1) Holy (used as a prefix), in the sense of being filled with such an intesne might that it is set apart from everyday things. 2) An unsheltered, out-of-door image of a diety.

Wihaz – ON vé: Sanctified.

Wilbet – Saxon Moon-Goddess.

Wild Hunt – The Wild Hunt is a spectral phenomenon where Woden (Odin) and Giantess Skadi lead a band of the homeless dead across the sky to the terror of anyone who witnesses it. This is seen as a pack of dogs with attendant huntsmen in full cry. The hunters ride black horses, and are attended by black hounds with staring hideous eyes. The Wild Hunt does not ride from the middle of May until the end of June, a 42 day period corresponding with the 42 by-names of Odin Some believe that this period has special qualities for growth, but that divination does not work so well then. Pennick, Magic in the Northern Tradition.. Also see Åsgardsreia.

Witte Wijven – Frisian wise women who practiced healing, divination and magic. They lived in special shamanic lodges or earth houses. Each lodge was a hollow earth mound entered by steps cut in the mound’s side. On top was a wooden platform to which access was gained by a chimney from inside the lodge. These platforms, bedecked with staves, skulls and magic items, were used for “sitting-out magic”. Wherever it was used, the basic form of the platform was a grid structure, the nine-square pattern, a square was divided into three along each of its sides, and the points joined with lines. This created a grid of nine small squares. This is the first “square number” which completely encloses a square within a square, and in magical terms, it provides a completely protected square at the center of a larger square.

Wod, Wodiz – Inspired frenzy, fury, intoxication, inspiration.

Wode – ON ódhr, OE wode: An emotive, synthesizing part of the soul which brings various aspects together in a powerful and inspired way. Related to the mood.

Woden – Saxon name of Odin.

World Serpent – See Iormungand. Also known as Jormungand and Midgardsormr.

World Tree – See Yggdrasil.

Wotan – Germanic/Teutonic name for Odin.

Wyrd, Wyrrd – ON Urdhr. The process in which past actions (ørlög) work through time to affect present experience. Its meaning corresponds roughly to the Eastern concept of “karma”. Although wyrd can be personal, it is often linked to whole families, tribes and even races.

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