A Völva (Volva) is a Norse female seer and practitioner of psychic abilities, seidr and witchcraft. The Völva has also been described as a prophetess and a priestess. In my view, a Völva is a certain type of healer. As those of us who are consciously practising spells, intuitive abilities and some forms of witchcraft know: it’s ultimately about healing. Another word used in traditional Norse texts is Sejdkona. Seidr (sejd in Swedish) is a type of trance prophecy where the practitioner induces an altered state of mind in order to communicate directly with the spirit world or to journey into the ‘other side’ bringing back information.
Völvas were highly respected in old Norse society and could travel between farms and always find somewhere to stay because of the sought after services they provided. They were often travelling and would be women who did not have their own set family obligations, but instead dedicated their lives to helping others, through their abilities.
Despite often being talked about in a past tense, the Völva is alive and well in different forms than the traditional ones. Female seers from all traditions are awakening and again realising our powers. It’s part of our individual and collective divine feminine ancestries and cannot be taken away. It’s in our being.
