Mannaheim

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Our Teachers

RAGNAR

Ragnar is the Founder of the Denali Institute and a Philosopher/Teacher of Northern mysteries. In his teachings, he integrates his many years of spiritual study into the Elder Northern tradition in a seamless manner so as to fill in the gaps caused by a thousand years of suppression, while staying true to the foundation points of the old tradition that survived centuries of abuse.

In the 1960s he lived among the Yupik Eskimo people of remote ?bush? Alaska, learning their shamanic traditions directly from the Elders in villages and while on long winter sled trails that tested human endurance.  In the 1970s, he was a founder and first board president of what grew to be the largest non-denominational metaphysical church in Alaska in the 1980s. These intensive real-world experiences have helped develop his dynamic teaching methods which are the hallmark of Denali Institute lessons.

The course work and years of Denali Training prepare one to become an Erulian, a term derived from the name of an ancient Germanic tribe known as Heruli. They were known for their skills in runic lore. As time passed, this (or its alternate form - Erilaz) became the designation of the wisest and most skilled rune masters in the field of the Northern tradition. It is the highest mantle of achievement earned and awarded to students within the initiatory levels of the Denali Institute.

At this time we have one member of Mannaheim who has completed all three cycles of the Denali Institute's Rune Master Course Work and is eligible for the next step... Erulian. She maintains that "Hella's not done with me yet," and is taking that next step very slowly. "It's a lot of work. The Gods will work you even before the next lesson comes. So many times I was learning the lesson's concepts even before they came in the mail!"

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Isaac Bonewits

From Isaac's website: For thousands of years, people all around the world have shared common ideas about the nature and use of psychic energies. These ideas fit remarkably well with the results of parapsychological research. Isaac?s interdisciplinary approach was the first to unravel the mysteries of the occult in a way that intelligent, open-minded people could accept and use. In this lecture, based on his classic work Real Magic, Isaac will discuss the ?Laws of Magic,? the many varieties of psychic talents, the use of colors to describe magic (instead of the dualistic "black" and "white"), and the ethics of using or not using magic.

Isaac is like a fine wine... he just gets better with age. In 2006, he returned to us after a long absence to teach his "Laws of Magic" class, and it looks like he'll be coming in January, 2007. We recommend all of his books for folks interested in learning the "theory" behind the practice.

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FREYA ASWYNN

From the Llewellyn website: Born in Holland, Freya Aswynn was aware of her natural psychic abilities as early as four years old, often able to perceive what would occur before it did. At the age of 19, with no real formal education except for the abilities to read and to write, Aswynn decided to develop her gift even further. She initially joined a spiritualist group, and later went on to study such subjects as Rosicrucianism, Astrology, Cabala, Thelema, and was eventually initiated into Wicca in 1980. After awhile, Aswynn began to question why the only gods mentioned were Graeco-Roman or Celtic in descent because they had no relationship to her own Dutch heritage. She then came to discover that there in fact were Nordic gods, and it was after a difficult personal experience that she became devoted to the Norse god, Wodan. It was Wodans help that influenced Aswynn to begin her research on the occult and the Northern traditions. Runes had had an important impact on her life, so she began by studying them and their connection to Northern Europe and also began her first book, Leaves of Yggdrasil. She is also the author of Principles of the Runes, Northern Mysteries & Magick: Runes, Gods & Feminine Powers, and an audio CD, Songs of Yggdrasil: Shamanic Chants from the Northern Mysteries.

For those of you who have been fortunate to meet Freya personally, you know that she will knock your socks off with her knowledge and her energy. Generally, Freya appears at several pagan festivals in the United States and can sometimes be persuaded to stop by and teach a class. Let us know if you would like her to appear, and, we'll see if she has time to spend with us. 

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DIANA PAXSON & LAUREL MENDES

Diana L. Paxson pioneered the recovery of Oracular Seidh, and has taught workshops on seidh and trancework all over the U.S. and in Europe. Laurel Mendes has been practicing seidh since Paxson's group was founded in 1989. We are indeed fortunate that Laurel has moved to the East Coast and can be easily accessed through the greater Heathen Community locally.

Both Diana and Laurel are committed to ensuring that the practice of "Sitting" on the High Seat continues to spread. A number of our members have completed training with Freya, Diana and Laurel. If you are interested in either attending a weekend seminar where the practice is taught (there is a small cost for the materials) please contact Burt.