I Skade (is)  

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Ice we call the broad bridge

The blind need to be led

 

Ice- bark of rivers

And roof of the wave

And destruction of the doomed

 

 

Who

Skadi is an ice Jotun whose father was killed by the Aesir. She came to claim compensation- and married Njord as a result of this. In time their marriage ended, and some say she married Ull instead.

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Reflections

Skadi is the story of grief, finding oneself after loss, and fighting for what is rightfully owed.

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The element of ice is a strange one- it preserves, becomes frigid, holds fast. Yet when it moves it clears everything out of its path with an unrivalled power (think of a glacier).

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Skadi's grief motivates her narrative- she demands a God to marry but ends up with Njord - the sea God and wise negotiator. I feel that learning to adjust to this marriage, experiencing his kindness, but also how the beach just doesn't suit her, is how she finds herself again. Her story reminds us that we find our self as much by experiencing what doesn't suit us, as finding what does.

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It's interesting how far the Gods will go to appease Skadi (even humiliating themselves by covering their faces and allowing her husband to be chosen by their bare feet. Perhaps this is insight into the power of ice, or perhaps the danger of a grieving woman- think of Demetria and Persephone.

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Skadi is a reminder that the human mind doesn't cope well with expansive potential. The big shops know that too much choice can paralyse the buyer- and they may walk away empty handed. Potential without boundaries (like the ice bridging a river) can lead to procrastination and confusion.

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I love Skadi's story- from angry grief, to skiing in her mountains- wild and free.

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She represents the power of beauty, grief, woman, and the value of wisdom and compassion in helping someone to come through a difficult time.

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Healing

I associate Skadi with the throat chakra, especially asking for our needs to be met- or fairness.

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Finding the peace and space to move out of the "freeze" stress response/dissociation, and reconnecting to the body.

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Working with grief and allowing the body to release trauma – through shaking, and perhaps through humour.

The journey to be at peace with ourselves.

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Learning to let go, to go with the flow, to adjust and adapt, to trust.