Calling the Wind of Life
A Trolldom story by Erik Ohlsen
Always the wind of life blows, but rarely does my awareness perceive its loving embrace. It’s taken two moon cycles of practiced perception. Two moons of drawing in, cleansing, sweeping, sending, listening, directing, and feeling the wind’s kiss on my face to truly begin to understand.
Each new step in my “wind riding quest” taking me deeper and deeper into relationship with the versatility and utility of the wind. Then, one day, the Wind of Life arrived to show me Immortality.
A break in my work allowed me an afternoon to venture to the coast to relax my mind. My dedication was simply made for peacefulness and connection.
At the trailhead, I was immediately greeted by the most beautiful dancing wind spirit. They spun through the dry grass moving slowly toward me. Oak leaves and baccharis seeds gently lifted, spun, then dropped only to be lifted again in a hypnotic dance.
Five feet from me the spirit dissolved amid a patch of yellow flowering tar weed; seeds and leaves curling at my feet. That was the first sign that today the wind was courting me...
I hiked through the grass covered dunes noticing the varied microclimates where sun and wind waxed, waned, and intensified.
Finally, I arrived at the beach and gazed across the great pacific. The wind blew steady and oh so sweet. I cast away my shoes and walked into the singing, shallow edge of the tide. The water was cold but cleansing and I surrendered myself to the shifting waters and caressing winds, caught in the sensations.
They filled me with joy.
Then, something drew my attention. A tickle of my senses. I backed away from the water and peered down into the wet sand. There in the breaking tide I saw a huge, dead wasp. It’s was half buried and as big as a sea urchin.
I’d never seen one so big, nor one with a large red body. I picked up the little being considering it a gift. Maybe I can incorporate this creature into a Trolldom spell?
I held the dead wasp by the wings inspecting its limp body. The stinger was long, at least 1cm and wickedly curved.
I began walking down the shoreline, wasp in hand, every now and then I would whisper words of awe and gratitude and then blow onto the large insect with my breath. I didn’t know why exactly, but it felt right. Eventually, I sat on a log and inspected this creature further. I was thinking about ways I could wrap it up to take home without damaging the body.
But suddenly, I was struck with a powerful urge to leave it here on the beach. Not knowing why, but trusting those inner voices of intuition, I placed it on the sand next to me and brought my awareness back to the wind. It seemed to have changed, growing in intensity and also prickling something in my mind.
I closed my eyes and breathed with the wind. Each outward breath seemingly a force as strong as each ocean gale.
Me and the wind.
Breathing, to and fro. In and out.
Together.
Oneness, harmony, connection.
The sun shone hot on my face but the wind always caressed away the fiery heat. All I could feel was gratitude for this moment. For the life the wind gave me, and the wind that I gave to life.
I scanned the beach watching bits of seaweed and clouds of sand riding the gusts. The wasp next to me was riding too. I could see its wings being pushed and its body pulsating up and down as the Wind of Life grew stronger. And then, STRONGER.
I was mesmerized with how the wind seemed to be stirring this wasp, spinning and spinning it around little by little, pushing its wings up and down. Up and down.
Then, a thought struck me. What if this wind could give this wasp life again? Connecting with the wind of my own breath, and the life therein, why couldn’t these winds bestow life upon another? It was at that moment that the wasp…began to fly.
Not by blowing in the wind, but by buzzing its wings full of life and vigor.
It charged at me.
I was so startled that I leapt off the ground out of its path. It skimmed along, striking the sand with its stinger, clearly agitated and confused. A ghost? A Spector?
No, it was fully alive.
Now, I was shocked, in awe, and scared all at the same time. The biggest wasp I’ve ever seen, dead and injured moments before, now scouting the beach for prey.
The Wind of Life came that day and it showed me immorality. What will the wind teach me next? What will it teach you?
Erik Ohlsen is a master of regenerative design, an internationally recognized Permaculture teacher, a landscape contractor, author, farmer, herbalist, storyteller, and practitioner of Nordic magical traditions.
To find out more visit:
Website: erikohlsen.com
Erik will be hosting Johannes B. Gårdbäck for a 3 day intensive Trolldom workshop in Northern California from September 25-27th. Johannes B. Gårdbäck is author of “Trolldom – Spells & Methods of the Norse Folkmagic Tradition”. Johannes has 30 years of experience as a professional practitioner and for the last 5 years he has taught hundreds of students and apprentices the ways of Trolldom & Nordic Spirituality.
This is an incredible opportunity to dive into a living magical tradition, and learn practical skills for weaving in partnership with the natural world.
The syllabus for the weekend includes:
Making offerings – Re-establishing relations with parts of Nature.
Partnering with the Elements
The House of Völund & Old World life Orientation- working with Myths and Labyrinths.
For more information, or to sign up follow this link:
https://www.urhall.com/event-details/elements-nature-the-labyrinth-sept-25-27-2024
If you are interested to learn more about Johannes, and the Trolldom tradition you can check out this interview from Ritualcravt:
https://www.ritualcravt.com/johannes-gardback-an-interview-with-a-trollkunnig/
What a beautiful powerful story! Thank you. I too have been in the presence of a wind being. The experience is with me always.