As his bio on our Contributors page states, Master Ristandi has worked with the Northern Mysteries for over two decades, since he first discovered Edred’s works in 1987. After formally joining the Gild in 1993, he was named Fellow in 1998, Master in 2007. He is a member of the Woodharrow Institute and the Gild’s Seidhr Network.  Ristandi holds a Ph.D. in Folklore and Mythology, and his writings on Northern European spiritual traditions have appeared in a variety of journals and magazines like Leidstjarna, Rune-Kevels, Runa, and Symbel.  In January of 2006, Ristandi raised Blakulla Hall to further the work of the Gild in Southern California, and served as its Hall Steward and Master until 2008, when he relocated to the East. He is currently a member of Vermont’s Mitternacht Halle.  When not seeking the Runes in the Green Mountains, Ristandi can be found lurking around Burlington, keeping company with lake monsters, accordion players, and other disreputable folk.

We are very pleased to present you with the following interview between Gild Fellow Ariman and Master Ristandi.

How did Mystery first manifest in your life and how did you find the path into the Rune-Gild?

Depending on your perspective, I was lucky enough (or doomed!) to be born surrounded by Mystery.  I was born and raised in a small town in Western New York State’s “Burned Over” district.  This is a part of the country that, during the mid to late 19^th century, was home to wave upon wave of strange religious revival and experimental spiritual communities — where Joseph Smith went treasure hunting armed with magic seals and divining rods; where the Spiritualist John Murray Spear founded a utopian community and esoteric order advocating sexual magic and spirit contact.  The local river was home to a horned serpent (of Iroquois legend), and the surrounding hills were (again, according to Iroquois lore) haunted by phantom lights, diminutive but powerful “little people,” and shape-shifting witches.  A pretty otherworldly place in which to spend my formative years!

On top of all that, I was raised Roman Catholic, with a strong pre-Vatican II, Old-World flavour (much of my family has only been in the U.S. for two generations).  Despite the fact that I abandoned that deeply flawed faith at 16, its sense of Mystery and the power of the Unseen, together with its reverence for drama and ritual, remain with me to this day.

As a child, I was given a copy of the D’Aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths together with Folklorist Katherine Briggs’ Dictionary of Fairies.  The Gods, Spirits, and Wights described in those yeasty tomes always seemed more alive, more inspiring, more meaningful to me than distant, paternal Jehovah and his too-pure, too-perfect son.  Around the same time (I was about 8 years old, I think) I acquired a copy of Magnus Magnusson’s Viking: Hammer of the North – a beautiful, richly illustrated book.  I remember pouring over it and being strangely moved by the heroism and melancholy of Northern European history and mythology.

As to how I found the Rune-Gild… I suppose I share that story with many of my Gild-Sibs.  In my mid to late teens, I took what I’d call the usual tour of occult experimentation.  Dallying with Crowley and Thelema, slogging away at neo-cabbalism, enjoying the earthy release of American Wicca.  Most of this was done independently and in solitude, by the way — there wasn’t exactly a thriving community of fellow seekers at my conservative Catholic high-school.  I’d gotten myself on the Weiser press mailing list, and they were announcing the second printing of a book called Futhark which I thought might be a nice addition to my eclectic occult library.  I ordered a copy, along with a new tarot deck, a copy of the Book of the Law, and a few other trifles.

When Futhark arrived it was striking.  Upon opening it I had an inkling that this was a book that was different — it was somehow more than the usual re-hashed, watered-down occultism.  The author wrote with an authority that spoke of practical esoteric experience combined with profound academic knowledge, spiced with wit and good humor.  I spent the next 6 years ‘getting acquainted’ with Edred’s other works, and fleshing out my solitary occultism with more practical group experience.  During four years of college in the Midwest, I worked under the tutelage of an intense and (to some) infamous Magician from the Chicago Area, Jack Armstrong, before eventually deciding that the Runic Mysteries demanded my full attention and dedication.  I wrote to Edred in 1993, requesting admission into the Gild (I still have the sponsoring letter he sent in return).  Since then I’ve considered it an honor to serve in what I think is the finest crew of Wizards, Heretics, True Folk, Troubadours, and Radical Traditionalists to be found in Midgard or out of it!

The Rune-Gild has somewhat of a reputation for being an elitist, selective and no-nonsense organisation. Why is that and how would you define the essential difference between the Gild and other ‘Germanic Heathen’ organisations and philosophies?

Well, in the Dumezilian sense, we’re unabashedly First Function.  Indeed we’re only First Function.  Our work is specialized — only a handful of people will be drawn to it in the first place, and even fewer will be able to stick it out.  This sounds like boasting, but it’s not really intended to be.  Work on the Self is hard, and sometimes daunting.  It’s always easier to Seem better than you are than to Become better than you are — and we in the Gild strive for the latter.  On top of that, we’re not just trying to change ourselves, but ultimately, to re-shape our World — one idea, one soul at a time.  This is work that usually goes unnoticed (at best) or is categorically misunderstood (at worst).  It’s not for everyone in the wider Germanic Heathen movement, any more than the cult of Odhinn was for everyone in the ancient world.  Chieftain, Magician, Poet, Shaman — these are rare and lonely roads to walk.

On the other hand, to use one example, if the Poet’s path is for the few, the Poet’s words should be heard by many.  Our fundamental approaches — the core methods and key concepts at the heart of the Gild should be more present in the wider Heathen community.  We have a great deal to offer that community, and if we are to serve it as a First Function organization should, then a strong relationship between the Gild and the wider Heathen movement must be cultivated.  This should be done from both directions, so to speak.

Within the Gild we need to continually develop new and more effective ways to communicate those aspects of our Work which can enrich Heathen religious thought and practice.  Edred’s Radio Free Rûna broadcasts are one example of this ongoing work, as are the Woodharrow lectures, and other public offerings by Gild-Sibs.  Elder Fellows and Masters should reach out to the Heathen community, and offer accessible workshops, lectures, classes, etc. — and while our online presence is certainly growing, emphasis should be placed on face-to-face interaction as much as possible.  This work has already begun in some places, and I’m happy to say that in my experience at least, Heathen communities in Central and Northern California have been very welcoming to efforts of outreach.  But this state of affairs can always be improved upon.

From the other side of the fence, as it were, I’d like to see the Heathen Community become aware that the Gild offers a sophisticated and well-established methodology for re-awakening sleeping Traditions — I would argue that we offer the best methodology for doing so, the only truly effective methodology for doing so.  This process involves one aspect of the Polarian Method, and is expressed pretty succinctly in Edred’s seminal essay:  How to be a Heathen.  While undoubtedly many modern Heathens are tacitly or unconsciously applying this approach, I’d like to see its adoption made more explicit, more deliberate, and more widespread.

Moreover, many in the Heathen community have thoughts or opinions about the Gild, its work, and its members that are based on hearsay and speculation.  As the Gild builds its ‘public face’ and makes more aspects of its work accessible, I’d like to see more folks in the Heathen community come to us with their questions about our work and our role — some few of these may wish to become members or associates of the Gild, but regardless of that, I’d like to see more Heathens willing to really inform themselves of who we are or what we do.  I should also point out that I’d like to see those members of the Heathen community who are also members of the Gild take a more active position and a more vocal role in openly correcting misinformation about the Gild, its history, and its membership — even when such a position isn’t the most popular one.  In a similar vein, some Heathen organizations have been fundamentally influenced by ideas from within the Gild (in at least one case, such an organization was founded by the Gild, and continues to adhere to core principles established by Edred and James Chisholm at its founding).  It would be honourable if such organizations openly acknowledged our foundational role in their History.

You recently appeared on a very well received Radio Free Rûna broadcast with Edred talking about the role of ritual in the Northern Tradition and in the process of Odian initiation.  Why is ritual in general so important in the Gild?

I’m glad to hear people are enjoying that broadcast.  It was a truly inspirational afternoon for me as well — and not simply because the Shiner Bock was flowing!

Ritual is crucial to our work because it allows us to actualize and embody abstract esoteric concepts in a concrete way.  Ritual — with its sights, sounds, tastes, textures, words of power, and meaningful actions — allows us to speak to the whole Self:  to the seen and unseen parts of our being.  If I wish to transform some aspect of myself or my world, I can tell myself that Change is possible, but through Ritual action, I can express and embody that Change in a way that makes it profoundly real to all of me — body and soul(s), backbrain and forebrain.  Gild Ritual is an intense and focused way of “giving self to Self” (sjalfr sjalfum mer!). 

Ritual also serves as ‘common ground’ — it binds us and connects us across time and space.  All Gilds have rituals that embody the essence of their craft, and which belong to their members alone — and we are no different.  When we enact our rites — whether the daily rites of the Gilder, or the more elaborate seasonal or situational workings, we make connections that transcend time and space — we are connected to our Gild-Sibs around the world, and to the Gilders of the past, and those who will come after us.

Specifically, which ritual has had the most or a significant impact on your own development and why?

Wow… that’s hard to say.  In my academic life, I had the good fortune to study with and learn from some really astute scholars of ritual.  And as I’ve said before, elsewhere it is the structure of ritual that holds the most meaning for me.  I’d say I learn from every ritual, and even those I’ve enacted literally hundreds of times still hold mysteries I’m yet unfolding.

There are some of which I can’t speak openly, but if I had to pick one of those I can, I’d say that the Rites of Sumble, as we held them at the 3^rd, 4^th and 5^th World Gild Moots (2000, 2001, and 2002, respectively) were among the most life-changing Ritual experiences I’ve ever had.  Deceptively simple in structure, yet profoundly transformative, these are the ones that really stand out in my memory.  Not least of which because this was an opportunity to gather in sacred space with Gild-Sibs old and new, many of whose names were already legendary to me when I met them for the first time in Columbus in 2000.  To chant Runes together, to call upon Gods and Heroes, to hear of Deeds accomplished and to witness Oaths of action — Sumble is among our most effective and powerful rites — use it wisely, and use it well!

You are renowned for being very knowledgeable on the topic of the Fetch.  Personally speaking, your paper on Fetchwork was a crucial influence on my own path to fellowship in the Gild.  What is the Fetch and why is developing a close relationship such a prerequisite for personal development within the Northern Mysteries?

Thank you!  I would clarify the question a bit, and say that I wouldn’t call a close relationship with the Fetch a prerequisite, since it’s in many ways an ongoing task of practical work in the Northern Mysteries.  Let’s say instead that an ever deepening relationship with this most mysterious part of the Self is a constant goal in our Gild Work.  The Fetch is something you strive for from the beginning of your work, and throughout it.

As to what the Fetch is — I’m not sure I could say it more succinctly or effectively than I’ve already done here.  But I certainly don’t think this is the final word — the Fylgja cannot really be explained – he/she/it must be sought.

As to why such a relationship is vital to cultivate, even in early stages of one’s Rune Work, that’s perhaps easier.  I’d say that the idea of the complex, multifaceted Self — the plural Soul — is one that is absolutely key to deep understanding of and practical work with the Northern Mysteries (and Indo-European mysticism in general)  It’s also one of the ideas that has been most thoroughly abolished from the modern, materialist concept of the self.  We clearly yearn for it though, and it consistently emerges in pop culture and fantasy literature (think of the daemons in Phillip Pullman’s His Dark Materials series, and I’m sure other examples will come to light).  It is a very difficult task to learn to think of ‘One’s Selves’ rather than ‘Oneself,’ but when we can do so, we come to know, rather than to believe, that we are more than we seem.  And we move farther and faster along the road of personal transformation in the Germanic Tradition. 

One area which has attracted some healthy discussion  is that  relating to whether the differences between seidhr and galdr  are more apparent than real.  What is your take on this and how would you define the two concepts?

You’re not making this easy for me, are you!  I’d start by saying that our first task, as always is to uncover what we objectively know about the way our Ancestors understood the distinctions, if any, between those terms.  In the broadest sense, galdr seems to refer to traditions of sorcery with a strong sung or chanted vocalic component — there’s some suggestion that it’s related etymologically to gala “to chant” “to cry aloud” or “to crow.”  Seidhr, while its etymology is often contested, seems most closely related to words for sitting (with the sense of “Sitting-Out” — on platform, roof, or in some other liminal place — to raise spirits).  Descriptions of seidhr practice in saga literature also sometimes include references to songs or chants (like the varðlokur in Erik the Red’s Saga) so we shouldn’t be seduced into thinking that these traditions have no structural elements in common — even if there were clear aesthetic differences between a seidhr-song and a galdr-chant, both suggest a fundamental belief in the sorcerous power of the human voice.

The problem arises when we attempt to divide various qualities associated with contemporary magical practice (sometimes even degrees of social acceptance) between these categories.  I’d say that it’s important to preserve these distinctions insofar as it applies to our understanding (and re-awakening of) traditional concepts of sorcery and magic, but that we should recognize that the language used to describe traditional Germanic magical practice is complicated, and transcends any sense of ‘binary opposition’ between galdr and seidhr that’s been employed in the current revival.

The tapestry that is Traditional Germanic magical belief and practice is a vast, diverse and complex one.  Perhaps the biggest problem that I see with the way we currently use these two categories is that it encourages us to think of Germanic magic in an over simplified, binary fashion — this is seidhr, this is galdr…  this is not galdr so it must be seidhr... and so forth.

Without losing sight of what we can learn from exploring the way these terms were used historically, I think we should be open to exploring the broader world of Germanic magic — which in many cases involves beliefs and practices that do not easily fit a (largely false) binary distinction.

You have a Ph.D. from the University of California I believe.  How far did your doctorate work overlap with your Gild Masterwork and would you recommend doctoral studies to Gild members as part of their initiation?

My doctoral research and my Gild work are quite different in subject and specific content, but very similar in structure and approach.  My personal goal has always been to bridge the worlds of academic inquiry and esoteric practice as effectively as I can.  To quote from my Masterwork:  “I strive to inspire magicians to think like wise and careful scholars, and to inspire scholars to explore and enact like daring sorcerers.”

My doctoral work was an integral part of my personal initiatory experience.  In order to become who and what I wanted to be, it was inevitable that I would work towards attaining the highest academic degree possible in my field, from the best institution and program to which I had access.

To other Gilders, I’d offer the words of the philosopher Epictetus:  “First, say to your Self what you would Be, then do what you have to do.”

Whether this involves advanced academic work depends entirely on what it is you tell yourself you wish to be.

On the other hand, I would say that today  more than ever before, the academy is sympathetic to our aims and goals.  All Gilders, regardless of whether they are personally involved in advanced academic work, should  recognize what valuable resources the academy has to offer — from the wealth of information in the stacks of the average college library, to the cutting edge writings being published in contemporary journals of history, Germanic studies, Folklore, Anthropology, Medieval Studies, and related disciplines.  Institutions like the Societas Magica, and the Society for the Academic Study of Magic are two specific organizations Gilders could certainly benefit from exploring, whether they have formal relationships with the Academy or not.

What do you remember about the day you were announced as a Master in the Rune-Gild?

The day of my formal Naming as Master was, like so much else in the Gild, a day fraught with synchronicity.  The day in ’98 that I first met Edred face to face coincided with what I was later to realize would be a key point in my musical career, and the day on which I was Named coincided with a similar benchmark in that aspect of my life.  I was lucky enough to be Named as a Master at the same time that Waldo Thompson was being Named as a Fellow — it was an honor and a privilege to share that initiatory moment with him.

As to what I remember?  Everything.  From the smell of the air, to the taste of the iced-tea and nachos with brisket (hey, it was Texas!) we shared before embarking on our journey to the place where the initiation was to occur.

Edred took us to the site where the Gild had been ritually established some 25 years before.  A place where secret staves are hidden, and even the rocks whisper Runes to those who can hear them.  It was an unexpected and powerful experience of the magic of place, one of the Gild’s deepest mysteries, but one which is seldom made explicit.

I cannot really speak openly about the rite itself, but let it be said that Waldo and I each received the Runes appropriate to our grade within the Gild, and we each renewed our oaths of loyalty to the timeless work of the All-Father.  I had to depart for home in Los Angeles just a few hours after the working, but not before we had the opportunity for rich discussion, fellowship, and an impromptu lesson on the Mysteries of Freya and her role in the Work of the Gild.  It was a thoroughly transformative experience, far beyond what I expected and anticipated.

You are respected as being an engaged Master who willingly gives time and energy to deserving associates, learners and fellows.  Your Yuletide Saga Discussion on the Gild Forum has, for example, proven to be very popular.  What final advice would you give to somebody new to the Gild or thinking about joining and starting along the path of initiation?

Thank you for saying so!  Although in all fairness I’d venture to say that some of my Apprentices and Journeyman students would describe me as a cranky old sod with a tendency to disappear and not answer his e-mails!

But as far as advice to new Gilders, or those thinking about affiliating with the Gild, I’d say:

You Are more than you Seem, even in your own eyes…

Are you ready to Become who you Are?

If so, the Gild stands ready to help you in that endeavour.

To those who already reside within the Halls of the Gild, I’d say:

What would you Become that is more than you are now?

Do the Work at hand… and you will Become even more than you dream…

Reyn til Runa!