Vegvisir Theme

About

The Vegvisir Galdrastafir, is an old magical symbol that can be traced back to Icelandic folk-magic. The purpose of the staves are to ensure that a traveller will find his way, in all kinds of weather, even if the path is unknown.

Often known as 'The Runic Compass' or 'The Viking Compass', the Vegvisir is often used in modern pagan and heathen esoteric work. Here it's often seen as having a metaphoric meaning, as a tool to ensure that you don't lose your way in life.

"The Vegvisir is indeed a spectacular example of the Norse eight-spoked graphical galdr tradition. It's also a galdr I have focused a great deal on in my own work. To the point where I started seeing it as a key for unlocking Løndom (secrets) that had previously been hidden right under my nose." - Ræveðis

The graphical representation of the Vegvisir used for this theme, was designed by Ræveðis. The ring of glyphs seen around the graphical galdr itself, are individual variations of the løn-runes known as The Vegvisir Cipher.

"I was aiming to make a light theme that would work well on a widescreen display. The colours I choose to use were earth toned, and the style dirty and tactile, as I wanted to give it an overall physical presence" - Ræveðis

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About Galdrastafir:
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Graphical Galdr staves, also known by their Icelandic name 'Galdrastafir' or general Scandinavian name 'Galderstave' (plural), are magical sigils used in Norse folkmagic.
Often used in pagan and heathen practices such as Asatru and Germanic Paganism, many people claim the usage of these designs to date back to the Viking Age.

Although it's known that the Vikings used magic in several forms, such as Seidr and Galdr, many of these designs are in fact of much younger origin. In fact, most of the Norse galdr staves were created though the 16th and the 17th century, with strong influences from 15th and 16th century Renaissance Magic and Witchcraft.
 
This however does not take away their importance in modern heathen practices, as they are firmly building upon the Norse traditions, and often very firmly connected with both Norse mythology as well as the runes and Norse folklore. The Galdrastafir are a historic fusion of traditions, building on a solid Nordic foundation, that spun off on its own.

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About the author:
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Ræveðis is a Danish artist and graphic designer known especially for his artistic rendering of occult symbols and dark imagery. Ræveðis has been active on the Scandinavian occult scene since the late 1990's, and is known for his strong foundation in the Scandinavian folk-traditions and occult practices.

Although not directly connected with any particular religious practice, Ræveðis' work often resonates with people within both the Asatru- and Wicca community, making it appealing to Pagans, Heathens, Witches and those who work with related esoteric practices.

Ræveðis' work with Galdrastafir draws on both a knowledge of Runes, as well as several methods of coding and ciphering. Apart from being created to be aesthetically pleasing, his work is also known to contain hidden riddles and meanings. These are often not commonly visible even to those familiar with his work.