#shaman

Every turn of the calendar snags us on the same bramble: become someone else, quickly. We tug, we tear, and call it progress. Tonight we trade the makeover for a tree’s wisdom. A new year is not a costume change; it’s a branching—a living extension of the trunk you’ve grown ring by ring. Branches don’t erupt from air; they emerge where the wood is ready, where sap already flows. That is mercy: you do not start from zero, and you do not have to rip free of yourself to grow.

The north keeps this picture close. Yggdrasil stands scarred and steadfast—roots in mystery, crown in weather, trunk bearing the marks of seasons survived. New growth doesn’t erase old rings; it depends on them. In that light, a “hangup” at the new year is not failure; it’s friction—the bark reminding you where strength lives and where reach would split the grain. The question shifts from “How do I reinvent?” to “Where can I honestly extend?” Some years ask for leaves; some ask for thicker bark. Both are growth.

We’ll name the temptations plainly. Frenzy masquerades as commitment. Comparison dresses up as inspiration. Shame pretends to be a coach. None of these feed a branch. What does? Warmth (kept promises, however small), water (the ordinary care you stop apologizing for), and light (truth told without embroidery). Boundaries are not fences around your life; they are the crotches that keep a limb from shearing under weight. Hospitality is not performance; it is the shade you offer while you grow.

If you feel caught on last year’s thorn, stop pulling. Feel the snag, free it gently, and face the sun you can actually see. The old ways don’t demand a different soul each January. They ask for fidelity to the one you carry—stronger trunk, truer reach, one living branch sized to the season. New year, same roots—new green, when it’s time.

Today’s show sponsored by Zeal Pet Foods.

For the four-footed kin at your hearth, choose food made with care and honest ingredients. Zeal Pet Foods helps you nourish their spirit and their stride—so adventure finds you both. Find the way at akumedia.akoutlaw.com/sponsors.

Learn more: https://shorturl.at/cZr6d?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=Q4_aff_zeal-pet-foods

— Be well my friends,

NonProfit Donation – https://akulfhednar.org/donate

Shaman Website – https://author.akoutlaw.com

Our Website – https://akumedia.akoutlaw.com

Newsletter Subscribe – https://akulfhednar.org/newsletter

Tags: zeal-pet-foods, deals,

#blackoutcoffee, #deals, #akulfhednar, #mystisk_ulv, #norse, #shaman, #alaska, #belysning, #burnout, #sacrifice, #odin, #january,

Care is not softness that melts at the first hard word. In the old north, care is craft and courage: the hall kept warm through winter, guest-right upheld at the threshold, the road made safe by those who stand their watch. Tonight we speak of care as a brave stance—not a mood. It is choosing to keep a small flame, to tell the truth kindly, to set boundaries before the storm, and to carry one another without breaking our own backs.

The sagas remember warriors; they also remember fire-keepers, healers, wayfinders—the ones who protected heat, water, and words. That is care. It looks like presence over performance, precision over frenzy, and promises sized to be kept. It honors consent: help that is requested, touch that is invited, counsel that waits for an opening. It respects edges: Þórr’s steadiness when a line must hold, Freyja’s discernment when love needs clarity, Ullr’s winter skill when conditions are bright and unforgiving.

Care is also for the self, or it collapses. A hall burns out when the hearth is misused. The body that carries others must be fed, watered, and allowed to rest without shame. To refuse exploitation is not a failure of kindness; it is fidelity to the work continuing tomorrow. The courage of care says, “I will be here again,” and shapes life accordingly.

We will name what care is not. It is not martyrdom, not rescue that steals dignity, not silence where harm is normal. It does not trade away truth to keep a fragile peace. Real care tells the weather, gathers the kin, makes the table, and lets each person bring what they can carry.

If you have been told your care is weakness, let tonight answer: care is the strength that outlasts noise. Keep the flame. Guard the threshold. Offer what is yours to give—and only that. The world is remade by such courage, one warm room at a time.

Today’s show sponsored by Trinity Road Websites.

Every hall, every clan, every warrior band needs its longhouse — a place where voices gather and stories endure. Trinity Road Websites builds that hall in the ether, where your message stands strong against the winds of time. Begin the journey at akumedia.akoutlaw.com/sponsors.

Learn more: https://shorturl.at/cZr6d?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=Q4_aff_trinity-road-websites

— Be well my friends,

NonProfit Donation – https://akulfhednar.org/donate

Shaman Website – https://author.akoutlaw.com

Our Website – https://akumedia.akoutlaw.com

Newsletter Subscribe – https://akulfhednar.org/newsletter

Tags: trinity-road-websites,

#deals, #akulfhednar, #mystisk_ulv, #norse, #shaman, #alaska, #belysning, #strongone, #caregiver, #january, #awakening,

At the year’s hinge the halls grow quiet and the loom grows loud. The Norns lean over the warp; ravens shuttle through the rafters with small, bright truths. This is not an hour for reinvention, but for recognition. Beneath the names we trade in market light—roles, titles, masks—there is an older name, the one your ancestors used when they spoke of you without sound. It is the tone of your breath when you are not performing, the color of your courage when no one looks. The old north teaches that a person is not a statue but a thread—pliant, strong, meant to be woven. Fate is not a cage; it is a pattern asking for your consent.

To remember yourself, you don’t chase omens or grind at mirrors. You sit in the hall of your being and honor guest-right with what arrives: the child you once were, the keeper you are, the elder you are becoming. You pour them each a cup and listen. What repeats is not a flaw to be sanded off; it is a clue to the craft you carry. Even your scars have a grammar—knotwork that shows where you held under weather. The mead of poetry is not only for skalds; it lives wherever honesty and beauty share a table. Drink it and your speech becomes clean: fewer words, truer weight.

Yggdrasil stands as witness: roots deep in mystery, crown bright with news, trunk scarred yet living. So are you. You are allowed to be multiple and still be whole, to mourn and to desire, to guard your heat and to share it. The gods of the north do not demand perfection; they demand presence. Let the new year be less a command to become and more a permission to become visible—to yourself first. When you remember your oldest name, the world does not change at once; it simply comes into focus, and the path ahead looks back as if it has been waiting for you all along.

Today’s show sponsored by EBookers Ireland.

Ready for your next getaway, Ireland? With eBookers Ireland, build your perfect trip—flights, hotels, and car hire—in one easy booking. From Dublin city breaks to sun escapes, find flexible deals and real savings, tailored to you. Book smart today at eBookers dot ie. eBookers Ireland—travel made simple. Learn more at akumedia.akoutlaw.com/sponsors.

Learn more: https://shorturl.at/cZr6d?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=Q4_aff_ebookers-ireland

— Be well my friends,

NonProfit Donation – https://akulfhednar.org/donate

Shaman Website – https://author.akoutlaw.com

Our Website – https://akumedia.akoutlaw.com

Newsletter Subscribe – https://akulfhednar.org/newsletter

Tags: ebookers-ireland, deals,

#mountainroseherbs, #deals, #akulfhednar, #mystisk_ulv, #norse, #shaman, #alaska, #belysning, #hypervigilance, #responsibility, #january, #awakening,

Every January the world shouts for a brand-new self—as if you were defective packaging that needs a rebrand. We’re not doing that. Tonight we step out of the “New Year, New You” trap and into a truer view: you are not a project to fix; you’re a gift to steward. The work isn’t becoming someone else—it’s letting your real strengths breathe, trimming the noise, and choosing influences that help you keep faith with yourself.

We’ll make this livable. First, Name the Gift: in one plain sentence, name what people reliably receive from you—steadiness, hospitality, clear words, good listening. That’s not ego; it’s inventory. Second, Map the Winds: list three influences pushing on you this season (algorithm pressure, family expectations, workplace pace). Mark each as helpful, neutral, or draining. You don’t have to fight every wind; you can tack and still reach home.

Third, Set a Keeping Practice (not a makeover): choose one small daily action that protects the gift you named—pour water before screens, step outside for nine even breaths (inhale nose ~4s, exhale mouth ~6s), write one honest line, offer guest-right at your own threshold. Fourth, Edit the Feed: remove one draining input (mute, unfollow, decline), add one nourishing input (a book on the table, a friend on speed-dial, a weekly walk). Influence is a diet; change one ingredient, not your whole life.

Keep rhythm with the Daily Trio—Sow one tiny act that serves your gift, Tend one good already alive, Rest for one true minute. Carry tokens: a stone to drop what isn’t yours to perform, a seed/paper to note the next faithful step, a grain/shell to remember nourishment. Close with a Nine-Breath Harvest so the day ends honest, not harsh.

What this is not: denial of needed change, perfectionism in slower clothes, or a reason to stay where harm is normal. If grief or symptoms rise, widen your circle and add professional care; our guidance is cultural and spiritual—non-clinical, consent-first.

This year won’t make you new; it can make you truer. Keep the gift you are, choose kinder winds, and let repetition—not pressure—carry you forward.

Today’s show sponsored by DreamHost Hosting.

Even the strongest voices need a steadfast hall to echo from. DreamHost Hosting is that fortress — fast, enduring, and ever watchful. When your words are ready to ride the storm, let DreamHost be the stronghold that carries them into every realm. Learn more at akumedia.akoutlaw.com/sponsors.

Learn more: https://shorturl.at/cZr6d?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=Q4_aff_dreamhost-hosting

— Be well my friends,

NonProfit Donation – https://akulfhednar.org/donate

Shaman Website – https://author.akoutlaw.com

Our Website – https://akumedia.akoutlaw.com

Newsletter Subscribe – https://akulfhednar.org/newsletter

Tags: dreamhost-hosting, deals,

#australiantshirts, #deals, #akulfhednar, #mystisk_ulv, #norse, #shaman, #alaska, #belysning, #january, #awakening, #exhaustion, #ancestral, #rest,

Today we discuss you and me, talking about a new Julian calendar with new opportunities. I want to be sure you know that we are here if you need someone to talk to and look forward to seeing you again starting January 2nd.

Todays show is brought to us by the wonderful collection of books by our host. Find them all at https://author.akoutlaw.com

Tags:

mental health, Norse wisdom, Norse spirituality, harmony, spirituality, ancestral guidance, Celtic-Norse, resilience, daily practice, community care, mindful living, self-steadiness, supportive listening, Alaska Úlfhéðnar, Belysning, Mystisk Ulv, Úlfhéðnar path, radio ministry, outreach media

In the old telling, the worlds hang together on a living ash. Yggdrasil drinks from deep wells, lifts boughs into light, and endures tooth and weather—serpents at the roots, an eagle in the crown, messengers racing the trunk. It is not untouched; it is tended. Tonight we take the World-Tree as a way to live: root where you stand, reach without tearing, and keep a rhythm of care that lets many lives rest in your shade.

We’ll make it practical:

Rooting Stance. Before the day begins, place both feet or your seat into support. Lengthen the spine, soften the jaw, and take nine even breaths (inhale nose ~4s, exhale mouth ~6s). Name one ground-truth you can act from today: “I can move kindly but firmly,” or “I will keep one promise small enough to keep.”

Water the Roots. Trees drink invisibly; so do we. Choose one hidden support you’ll keep—water within reach, a real meal, sunlight for five minutes, one message to your elder or friend. Quiet care is still care.

Branch Without Breaking. Write a single sentence for the reach you’ll attempt (call, page, task). If you feel the fibers strain, reduce the span, not the tree. Precision is mercy.

Tree-keeping for Wounds. After a nick (harsh word, small failure), do a resin seal: three slow breaths, then one clean line to yourself or another—“That stung; here’s the next small step.” Healing is maintenance, not magic.

Keep the Daily Trio so tending becomes a habit: Sow one tiny good at the roots (prep tomorrow’s water, lay out the tool), Tend one existing branch (maintain what already lives), Rest for one true minute (eyes closed, nine breaths). Carry tokens: a stone to set down what gnaws at the roots and isn’t yours, a seed/paper to mark a new leaf, a grain/shell to remember nourishment. Close with a Nine-Breath Harvest: three for sowing, three for tending, three for resting—then one quiet “thank you.”

What this is not: carrying everyone, ignoring harm, or standing alone in every storm. Even the World-Tree has help at the wells. Our guidance is cultural and spiritual—non-clinical, consent-first—and meant to sit alongside professional care.

May tonight return you to the ash’s craft: drink deep, hold fast, and lift what you can to the light.

Today’s show sponsored by Mountain Rose Herbs.

From the green breath of the earth come roots, leaves, and blossoms carrying the wisdom of ages. Mountain Rose Herbs gathers these gifts with care, offering teas, tonics, and remedies that restore balance to body and spirit. Walk the path of natural healing — find the way through akumedia.akoutlaw.com/sponsors.

Learn more: https://shorturl.at/cZr6d?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=Q4_aff_mountain-rose-herbs

—

Be well my friends,

Our Website – https://akumedia.akoutlaw.com

Shaman Website – https://akulfhednar.org

Newsletter Subscribe – https://akulfhednar.org/newsletter

Tags: mountain-rose-herbs, deals

#akulfhednar, #ulfhednar, #norse, #shaman, #alaska, #belysning, #oldways, #mythicpractice, #nervoussystem, #ritual, #mindfulbreath, #resilience

Freyja’s magic isn’t stagecraft. It’s the old north art of right attraction—drawing what truly belongs, releasing what does not, and holding your own sovereignty while you love the world. She keeps many names: mistress of seiðr (spirit-craft and discernment), keeper of Brísingamen (worth that cannot be counterfeited), rider between grief and gold. Her lesson is merciful and exact: beauty is attention, desire is a compass not a tyrant, and every spell has a price—usually presence, patience, and clean boundaries.

We’ll make that livable with small, human practices:

1) Mirror of Gold (clarify desire).

One sentence, plain: “What I truly want today is ____.” Not the whole life—one honest want small enough to act on. If the sentence shames you, trim it until it’s kind and true.

2) Thread of Consent (sovereignty).

Name what you are willing to give for this desire (time, attention, one conversation) and what you will not (self-betrayal, debt, harm). Say it out loud. Freyja’s magic begins where consent is kept.

3) Honey & Amber (body pace).

Three gentle breaths—inhale through the nose ~4 seconds, exhale through the mouth ~6—while touching the sternum. Imagine breath thickening into warmth. Desire that honors the body lasts longer.

4) Offering of Beauty (tend the field).

Make one small thing beautiful: a cleared surface, fresh water, a clean sentence. Beauty isn’t decoration here; it’s the signal that says “welcome, but truthful.”

5) Price of the Spell (exchange).

Write the one tiny action you’ll trade for movement toward your want—send the message, mend the hem, prep the tool. Then do it.

Keep rhythm with the Daily Trio so magic becomes habit: Sow one small good aligned with your clarified desire, Tend one existing good already alive, Rest for one true minute (eyes closed, nine even breaths). Carry tokens: a seed/paper for beginnings (your plain want), a grain/shell for nourishment (pleasure that feeds, not numbs), a stone for release (what isn’t yours to chase).

What this is not: manipulation, love without boundaries, or bypassing grief. Freyja holds both: the tears and the gold. Our guidance is cultural and spiritual—non-clinical, consent-first—meant to sit alongside professional care.

May tonight teach you her craft: want cleanly, give willingly, and keep your own name while you call good things home.

Today’s show sponsored by FournSeven Poster & Frame.

Every hall, every wagon, every shield once bore a mark of pride. FourSevens Decals carries that same spirit into your home and travels — symbols that set you apart, bold designs that speak of strength and story. Claim your mark at akumedia.akoutlaw.com/sponsors.

Learn more: https://shorturl.at/cZr6d?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=Q4_aff_fournseven-poster-frame

—

Be well my friends,

Our Website – https://akumedia.akoutlaw.com

Shaman Website – https://akulfhednar.org

Newsletter Subscribe – https://akulfhednar.org/newsletter

Tags: fournseven-poster-frame, deals

#akulfhednar, #ulfhednar, #norse, #shaman, #alaska, #belysning, #oldways, #ravens, #sleep, #rumination, #nightpractice, #mindfulness

There’s a particular kind of bravery that doesn’t look like charge-the-hill. It’s the courage to turn inward without flinching— to meet the self you actually are today, not the costume for yesterday or the fantasy of tomorrow. Tonight we practice that courage and remember a merciful truth: on the long road, you are not late. You are where you need to be to take the next honest step.

We’ll make this livable. First, Name the Weather: one plain sentence, no embroidery, no apology—“I am tired and trying,” “I am grieving and learning,” “I am quietly okay.” Accuracy lowers threat; the body stops guessing. Second, Witness Without Verdict: place a hand to chest or over the drum of breath; take nine gentle breaths (inhale through the nose ~4 seconds, exhale through the mouth ~6). Let thoughts pass like birds—noticed, not captured. Say softly, “I am still here.” Third, Choose the Thread: from what you see, pick one value to carry today—steadiness, hospitality, courage—and attach it to one action small enough to keep (fill the glass for morning, send a line of thanks, step outside for air).

Keep rhythm with the Daily Trio so self-honesty becomes momentum: Sow one tiny good aligned with your thread, Tend one existing good already alive in you, Rest for one true minute (eyes closed, nine even breaths). Use tokens as anchors: a stone to set down what isn’t yours, a seed/paper to note the next step, a grain/shell to remember nourishment—eat, drink, warm your hands. Close with a Nine-Breath Harvest so the day ends in truth, not scolding.

What this is not: excusing harm, bypassing grief, or pretending you’re finished. It’s consenting to reality and choosing the smallest faithful act from here. Our guidance is cultural and spiritual—non-clinical, consent-first—and meant to sit alongside professional care.

If tonight gives you one accurate sentence about your season and one promise small enough to keep, that is courage. That is the work. And it is enough for today.

Today’s show sponsored by FournSeven Poster & Frame.

Every hall, every wagon, every shield once bore a mark of pride. FourSevens Decals carries that same spirit into your home and travels — symbols that set you apart, bold designs that speak of strength and story. Claim your mark at akumedia.akoutlaw.com/sponsors.

Learn more: https://shorturl.at/cZr6d?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=Q4_aff_fournseven-poster-frame

—

Be well my friends,

Our Website – https://akumedia.akoutlaw.com

Shaman Website – https://akulfhednar.org

Newsletter Subscribe – https://akulfhednar.org/newsletter

Tags: fournseven-poster-frame, deals

#akulfhednar, #ulfhednar, #norse, #shaman, #alaska, #belysning, #oldways, #mythicpractice, #nervoussystem, #ritual, #mindfulbreath, #resilience

Solstice is the year’s hinge—longest night, thinnest light, perfect for learning the quiet skills that keep a mind steady. Tonight we use the winter turn as a classroom: not to force cheer, but to practice rhythms that nervous systems trust—naming truth, keeping a small flame, and choosing acts we can actually keep. The lesson is simple: mental health grows where cadence lives.

We’ll make this teachable and livable.

**1) Name the Night (accuracy over drama).**

Say one plain sentence about your season: “I’m tired and bracing,” or “I’m mending and moving slower.” Accuracy lowers threat; your body stops guessing. If it’s heavy, widen your circle; you’re not required to do this alone.

**2) Keep the Wick (one protected flame).**

Choose a tiny piece of warmth to protect for seven days—sleep window, morning water, one honest line in a journal. Post the boundary where you’ll see it: *“Wick first, then tasks.”* Guarding heat is not selfish; it’s craft.

**3) Teach the Trio (daily structure).**

Run the **Daily Trio** as class notes:

* **Sow** one small good (set the kettle, lay out the tool).

* **Tend** one existing good (maintain what already works).

* **Rest** for one true minute (eyes closed, nine even breaths—inhale nose ~4s, exhale mouth ~6s).

Repetition—not intensity—trains the system.

**4) Use Tokens (concrete cues).**

Carry three small objects as memory aids: a **stone** to drop what isn’t yours (say “Not mine today”), a **seed/paper** to mark one beginning, a **grain/shell** to remember nourishment (eat, drink, warm your hands). External cues offload a tired mind.

**5) Close the Lesson (harvest, not scold).**

End with a **Nine-Breath Harvest**: three for what you sowed, three for what you tended, three for how you rested, then one quiet “thank you.” Solstice wisdom: small kept promises restore dignity faster than grand intentions.

What this is not: denying grief, staying where harm is normal, or replacing needed clinical care. Our guidance is cultural and spiritual—**non-clinical, consent-first**—and meant to sit beside professional support.

If you’re teaching others, offer pace, not pressure; practices small enough to keep; and language that invites rather than shames. Let this longest night become a syllabus for steadiness: keep the wick, keep the rhythm, and meet returning light with one promise you can actually keep.

Today’s show sponsored by Edens Herbals.

From grove and glen, the earth offers calm to the weary and focus to the wandering mind. Eden’s Herbals gathers those quiet strengths with care, crafting botanicals you can trust for the road ahead. Whether you seek steadier days or gentler nights, walk with the green wisdom of the land and carry your balance forward. Learn more at akumedia.akoutlaw.com/sponsors.

Learn more: https://shorturl.at/cZr6d?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=Q4_aff_edens-herbals

—

Be well my friends,

Our Website – https://akumedia.akoutlaw.com

Shaman Website – https://akulfhednar.org

Newsletter Subscribe – https://akulfhednar.org/newsletter

Tags: edens-herbals, deals

#akulfhednar, #ulfhednar, #norse, #shaman, #alaska, #belysning, #oldways, #mythicpractice, #nervoussystem, #ritual, #mindfulbreath, #resilience

When the North says strength, it doesn’t mean white-knuckling. It means steadfastness—the kind that holds a door in a storm and keeps guest-right when tempers flare. Þórr, the thunderer, is more than noise and muscle. He protects the common road, hallowing thresholds and fastening what must hold. Tonight we recognize Þórr as a craft of mind: clear edges, clean promises, and a courage that spends itself where it truly matters.

We’ll make that livable with four simple practices:

1) Thunder Breath (steady the field).

Sit or stand, jaw soft, tongue resting. Inhale through the nose ~4 seconds; exhale through the mouth ~6. Do nine rounds. Imagine breath traveling like rain across hot stone—steam rises, then settles. This is not hype; it’s heat managed.

2) Hammer Line (name the edge).

Draw an invisible line across your lap or desk with two fingers. Say one plain boundary you can actually keep: “I’ll answer after I’ve read this,” “From 7–8 I’m off the grid,” “Not today.” Boundaries are Þórr’s shield; name them before the lightning.

3) Oath Grip (promise small).

Make a light fist, then open the hand. Choose one promise for the next hour you can keep without drama—one paragraph, one call, one shelf. Þórr’s honor is kept in inches, not speeches.

4) Forge of Words (speak clean).

When it’s time to talk, heat the sentence once, hammer it flat, and quench it: trim to what’s true and kind, then stop. Excess words waste heat.

Keep rhythm with the Daily Trio so strength becomes habit: Sow one tiny act that reduces friction (lay out the tool, pour water), Tend one existing good (maintain what already works), Rest for one real minute (eyes closed, nine even breaths). Carry tokens: a stone for release (drop what isn’t your fight), a seed/paper for beginnings (note the next small promise), a grain/shell for nourishment (eat, drink, warm your hands). Close with the Nine-Breath Harvest so the day ends honest, not harsh.

What this is not: bullying, martyrdom, or burning yourself to prove worth. Þórr keeps roads open; he doesn’t trample travelers. Our guidance is cultural and spiritual—non-clinical, consent-first—meant to sit beside professional care, not replace it.

May tonight hand you a hammer you can actually lift: breath that steadies, edges that protect, and words that hold.

Today’s show sponsored by FournSeven Poster & Frame.

Every hall, every wagon, every shield once bore a mark of pride. FourSevens Decals carries that same spirit into your home and travels — symbols that set you apart, bold designs that speak of strength and story. Claim your mark at akumedia.akoutlaw.com/sponsors.

Learn more: https://shorturl.at/cZr6d?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=Q4_aff_fournseven-poster-frame

—

Be well my friends,

Our Website – https://akumedia.akoutlaw.com

Shaman Website – https://akulfhednar.org

Newsletter Subscribe – https://akulfhednar.org/newsletter

Tags: fournseven-poster-frame, deals

#akulfhednar, #ulfhednar, #norse, #shaman, #alaska, #belysning, #oldways, #mythicpractice, #nervoussystem, #ritual, #mindfulbreath, #resilience