In Eye of Odin: Nordic Mythology and the Wisdom of the Vikings Per Hendrik Gullfoss has produced a hybrid of Norse mythology and classical astrology, with a substantial dose of psychology. He works with these two historically completely unconnected systems, together with his emphasis on the internal journeys and individual transformations of life, and weaves together an insightful and fascinating retelling of these classic tales.
He has sections where he syncretises Odin and Uranus, Loki and Mercury, Thor and Jupiter, Heimdall and Saturn, Njord and Neptune, Frey and Mars, Freya and Venus, Frigg and the Moon, Balder and the Sun, and then discusses Ragnarok. In each section, he retells several of the stories of the deity and interprets them through these lenses of astrology and individual psychology. Odin / Uranus for example seen as the mediator between the cosmic laws and humankind, masculine force, and feminine, consciousness and wisdom, spirit bound in matter. Or Loki / Mercury seen as instrumental consciousness, as a child of the Earth embodying the struggle between order and chaos, and particularly as sexual ambiguity and fluidity.
Gullfoss’ writing is conversational and fluid, and he easily moves between his different influences as he retells these stories and then puts them into the perspective of individual psychology. I found his perspectives and discussion very insightful, although limited – in my theology, the gods are persons in their own right, not simply aspects of my personality, and the stories of the gods are not purely symbols of my psyche. I would also be cautious in how wide-ranging I would be in drawing in influences to interpret these stories. His over-emphasis on polarity, the feminine and masculine, and the new age elements (karma, cosmic consciousness) was occasionally annoying, but minor issues.
His use of these stories and of classical astrology to discuss the development of human consciousness and explore mystical thought in the Norse tradition is on balance thoughtful and innovative. I found it a very valuable work indeed. If you are connected to the Norse gods or interested in their stories, or if classical astrology is part of your practice, I will strongly recommend reading Eye of Odin.
~ review by Samuel Wagar
Author: Per Henrik Gullfoss
Crossed Crow Books, 2024
129 pg.
Paperback £15.99 / $30.95 Can / $21.95US
