The Web of Wyrd

[Heartsong]

Hello all!

This is a topic that has been on my mind recently. Much of this is going to be my interpretation of what the Web of Wyrd means for me in my practice and daily life, so please feel free to chime in your own thoughts!

What is Wyrd?



I think it's best to begin with Wyrd itself, which is well defined by Arlea Æðelwyrd Hunt-Anschütz in this way:

The Anglo-Saxon noun wyrd is derived from a verb, weorþan, 'to become', which, in turn, is derived from an IndoEuropean root *uert- meaning 'to turn'.[1] ...[W]yrd literally means 'that which has turned' or 'that which has become'. It carries the idea of "turned into" in both the sense of becoming something new and the sense of turning back to an original starting point. In a metaphysical terms, wyrd embodies the concept that everything is turning into something else while both being drawn in toward and moving out from its own origins. Thus, we can think of wyrd as a process that continually works the patterns of the past into the patterns of the present.

(Source: http://www.wyrdwords.vispa.com/heathenry/whatwyrd.html)

At it's core, then, Wyrd is a reflection of ourselves and our actions, the pattern of our life as it has unfolded, and as it will in the future. It is a constantly shifting reflection, however, spinning and twisting into new patterns as the choices and circumstances of the past affect our present and eventually our future. Hence it is a Web, one that surrounds us, and ties us to these three phases of our lives.

How did the concept of the Wyrd begin?

According to Norse mythology, personal Wyrd is woven by three Norns (the equivalent of the Three Fates), who live by the Well of Wyrd and weave it into physical form out of ørlög, the layers of the past which are relayed through speech.

A stanza from the Prose Edda describes the act:

Thence come the maidens, Mighty in wisdom,
Three from the place, Under the tree,
Wyrd "Wyrd" is called one, Another Werðende
Scored they on wood, Scyld is the third;
There Laws they laid, There life chose,
To men's sons, And spoke orlay (Völuspa 20-25)

In other words, the Norns continually tell the the tales of the present, which even as they give voice to it, becomes the past, and is thence interwoven into the overall tapestry that is the universe. Every event is akin to a small knot in a spider's web, where other threads then branch off into new directions. Thus, our personal Webs interconnect with those of others, the gods, and the earth. In many ways, it is comparable to the idea of the 'ripple effect', in which every individual action has consequences. There is a story about the Fates that also points to how, with the pluck of a finger, they are able to affect dozens of lives, like a chord on a harp.

What does the Web of Wyrd mean in my life?

While our actions can far-reaching effects in both our lives and the lives of others, so too can our words. That, I believe is very much the center of the Web, as indicated in the story of the Norns. And from our words, which are often the triggers for events, the Web widens and shifts, and according to most interpretations of it, thus determines the course of our future. In this way, the Web can be seen as the equivalent to the concept of fate or destiny. It's a complicated thought, however, because while most people will easily accept that our actions can shape our lives, they are less inclined to believe that they are meant to walk a certain path, much less that a single conversation can lead us to that path.

I personally view it in the following way. When I am having a conversation with a person, the words that I choose are going to have a nearly irreversible effect on how the relationship I have with that person is going to unfold. My actions concerning that person will be the same. If I offer to say, help them move into a new apartment, the relationship will move in a certain direction. But, if I make that same offer and then blow them off, it will likely then move in the opposite direction. One door closes and one door opens, as the old adage points out. And from these personal interactions, the links within the Web spiral outward from personal to universal. If I choose to blow my friend off, they may approach someone else, forging a new bond and hence a new thread in the Web.

[Xiao Rong]

Thanks so much for this topic, Heartsong! I also feel like learning about the Web of Wyrd has had some profound influences on how I think about life, magic, etc. ...

At it's core, then, Wyrd is a reflection of ourselves and our actions, the pattern of our life as it has unfolded, and as it will in the future. It is a constantly shifting reflection, however, spinning and twisting into new patterns as the choices and circumstances of the past affect our present and eventually our future. Hence it is a Web, one that surrounds us, and ties us to these three phases of our lives.

This is the best, and most concise definition of the Wyrd that I've heard. What I like most about the Web of Wyrd is that it acknowledges that we have creative freedom in determining our lives, although our choices are constrained by how how the strands of the Web have played out in the past (that, also in large part due to the choices and agency of ourselves and others). I like that it takes the concept of Free Will and Fate and presents a more nuanced view ...

Every event is akin to a small knot in a spider's web, where other threads then branch off into new directions. Thus, our personal Webs interconnect with those of others, the gods, and the earth. In many ways, it is comparable to the idea of the 'ripple effect', in which every individual action has consequences. There is a story about the Fates that also points to how, with the pluck of a finger, they are able to affect dozens of lives, like a chord on a harp.

Yes! This is precisely how I understand how our lives work, and also how I see magic/spells working -- in my understanding, when I cast a spell, I am doing something that might have a ripple effect in ways that I can't know or understand, to hopefully achieve a desired result, although of course my influence is limited. If the effect I'm hoping to achieve is very large, or far away from myself in time in space (e.g. doing a spell to affect weather halfway around the world), then by the time my spell reaches them, I will have very little effect if any. In contrast, if I am hoping to influence a friend or my home or something, I will have a much larger effect; I will affect myself most of all with magic.

I think it's also worth mentioning the concept of "orlog", which is the most primal law that the Norns have laid down:

The Norns give to us our orlog (or the laws and absolutes of our fate), as much as they in conjunction with ourselves weave the wyrd that is becoming. The absolutes of our fates are those items that cannot be changed, like who our biological parents are, the situation and circumstances into which we are born. The ‘past’ always influences our present and our future. Think of it like this, we know that there are certain scientific laws and principals that affect all things, such as gravity. Gravity can be thought of as a type of orlog. While gravity may dictate that we humans stay on the earth, through our ingenuity we have built planes, spacecraft, etc. that can leave the earth and even the atmosphere. These items are still affected by gravity of course, and gravity is always exerting its force and presence. Similarly, it’s like DNA. DNA can be the orlog we are given, we may be very susceptible to certain types of diseases, but if one knows about this genetic inclination and vulnerability and takes steps in their life to try to stave it off, it is possible to in fact stave off such things.

(Source: Wyrd Designs)

The reason why I love the Web of Wyrd so much is that it dovetails very nicely with how I understand the Goddess. Goddess spirituality frequently describes the Goddess as the "Web of Life", the sum total of everything that has ever happened and everything that ever will, along with everything in the universe throughout all of time, and that we have agency over our lives, although our choices are constrained by the rest of the world. So I was really excited to see that how I understand the Goddess is very similar to how the Web of Wyrd works (even if Goddess spirituality writers, to the best of my knowledge, have not explicitly addressed the similarities). The main difference is that I see the Goddess as the spirit of the universe, so in some ways I would interpret the Web of Wyrd itself to be a conscious, living thing, rather than just a tapestry being acted upon (as the saying goes, "We are the weavers, we are the web").

[Heartsong]

This is the best, and most concise definition of the Wyrd that I've heard. What I like most about the Web of Wyrd is that it acknowledges that we have creative freedom in determining our lives, although our choices are constrained by how how the strands of the Web have played out in the past (that, also in large part due to the choices and agency of ourselves and others). I like that it takes the concept of Free Will and Fate and presents a more nuanced view ..

Thank you. Exactly! I think that the Web encourages us to take further responsibility for our own actions, instead of trying to shift it onto other people, or deities, or the concept of Fate. Our choices, and the choices of those in our lives, create Fate. And while we may not be able to change the past, we are still able to control how we will allow it to shape our future.

Yes! This is precisely how I understand how our lives work, and also how I see magic/spells working -- in my understanding, when I cast a spell, I am doing something that might have a ripple effect in ways that I can't know or understand, to hopefully achieve a desired result, although of course my influence is limited. If the effect I'm hoping to achieve is very large, or far away from myself in time in space (e.g. doing a spell to affect weather halfway around the world), then by the time my spell reaches them, I will have very little effect if any. In contrast, if I am hoping to influence a friend or my home or something, I will have a much larger effect; I will affect myself most of all with magic.

I agree! Magic is just like a web, in that while its effects spiral outwards, it is still firmly attached to the center (i.e., the caster), and the fact that all threads are connected back to this center means that it is the most strongly affected by any ripples.

The reason why I love the Web of Wyrd so much is that it dovetails very nicely with how I understand the Goddess. Goddess spirituality frequently describes the Goddess as the "Web of Life", the sum total of everything that has ever happened and everything that ever will, along with everything in the universe throughout all of time, and that we have agency over our lives, although our choices are constrained by the rest of the world. So I was really excited to see that how I understand the Goddess is very similar to how the Web of Wyrd works (even if Goddess spirituality writers, to the best of my knowledge, have not explicitly addressed the similarities). The main difference is that I see the Goddess as the spirit of the universe, so in some ways I would interpret the Web of Wyrd itself to be a conscious, living thing, rather than just a tapestry being acted upon (as the saying goes, "We are the weavers, we are the web").

That's a great point!! I often wonder if the Web itself also makes choices, or has the potential to guide people towards certain paths, perhaps for both their benefit and the benefit of others. That's a question I've been pondering lately...

[loona wynd]

Ah yes. Wyrd and Fate. I am going to come at this topic from the world view of some one with Germanic Pagan influences, but also with the concepts associated with some styles and practices in Traditional Witchcraft. In both different paths the concepts of Wyrd and Fate are essential to understanding those worldviews. By understanding that worldview you can understand those paths a bit more.

I like how simple you made Wyrd in your post. Wyrd and fate are very complex concepts that often times get explained in ways that just make them seem more complicated than they need to be. Your presentation is fresh and I really like that. For me it shows that you understand the concept enough and have experienced its effects in your life.

For me the aspect of Wyrd I have the most difficult time accepting is Oorlog. According to Oorlog I inherit the negative and positive energetic ties of my ancestors. This is one of the reasons why you see so many tales of revenge in Germanic/Norse lore. People work to get back what was taken from their ancestor or family, and they also have to deal with any ill will that has been built up by their ancestors at the same time. I have never really agreed with the whole the sins of the father become the sins of the son type of thing, which is what Oorlog really is about.

Wyrd is one version of Fate. At least its related to the version and understanding of Fate that I have based on Traditional Witchcraft views. Fate then to me is essentially that which must occur based on that which has come before. In some ways you could say that with this view our paths are predetermined but thats not really what Fate is. Really as it stands there are things that must happen in our lives based on things that have happened before (patterns) but there are also things that could happen based on the same patterns. Those things are the things that we have the power to change through our choices and free will.

Basically every decision we make creates a new road for Fate and Wyrd to manifest on. This is important in understanding the roles of witches in Traditional witchcraft. While we can not directly change Fate in Traditional Witchcraft you can learn to manipulate the strands of Fate or wiggle them enough to be able to create the changes you wish in your life. In order to be able to do that though, Traditional witches need to undergo a lot of Underworld work and have a Shamans death of sorts.

This is also one of the reasons I prefer the Traditional Witchcraft view of Fate. You don't inherit the issues and energetic repercussions of your ancestors. Its just your own actions. While the actions of your ancestors do have a place on your Fate strand (as you are a result of their actions) in general the focus is more on your own Fate and Fate workings than that of your ancestors. You venerate your ancestors and work with them in ritual though.

[Heartsong]

For me the aspect of Wyrd I have the most difficult time accepting is Oorlog. According to Oorlog I inherit the negative and positive energetic ties of my ancestors. This is one of the reasons why you see so many tales of revenge in Germanic/Norse lore. People work to get back what was taken from their ancestor or family, and they also have to deal with any ill will that has been built up by their ancestors at the same time. I have never really agreed with the whole the sins of the father become the sins of the son type of thing, which is what Oorlog really is about.

I'm not entirely sure I agree with that interpretation of Oorlong, either, but I can relate to it. To me, though, it's more about memory. I'm very, very protective of my family's memories, and I've committed myself in many ways to preserving them, particularly those of people who've passed on. I retell the stories and write down as many of them as possible, but I also think about them often. In a way, it feels like I'm a vessel for those people, and that history. And to be honest, it can be a pretty heavy burden. In relation to the Web, the closest I can liken it to is being vividly aware of many of the threads that tie me to an ancestral past. I think there are some people, like me, that have allowed the past to completely shape their future, and continue to do so. Others, however, are much more successful at paying respect to the past without letting it be their life's focus.

Wyrd is one version of Fate. At least its related to the version and understanding of Fate that I have based on Traditional Witchcraft views. Fate then to me is essentially that which must occur based on that which has come before. In some ways you could say that with this view our paths are predetermined but thats not really what Fate is. Really as it stands there are things that must happen in our lives based on things that have happened before (patterns) but there are also things that could happen based on the same patterns. Those things are the things that we have the power to change through our choices and free will.

I would agree with that, and I like that you used the word 'pattern'. That deepens the connection to the analogy of weaving that often is associated with the Web.