Doors of Valhalla
Vincent Ongkowidjojo
Mandrake of Oxford, 2016. 354 p.
ISBN 989-1-906958-72-5
Vincent Ongkowidjojo has already published a book on runes and rune magic, Secrets of Asgard. In Doors of Valhalla he starts with comparing the Nine Worlds of Norse mythology to the (seven) planes of existence and the seven rays that are defined by esotericists like Blavatsky, Leadbeater, Forture, Bailey, Powell and Steiner. That is ‘Door 1’ to Valhalla. The next doors (and chapters 2-5) are connected to the Voluspa poem, that relates the history of the Norse gods. ‘Door 6’ deals with ‘The Germanic Trinity’, of Odin and his two brothers. Here the Havamal and Lokasenna are introduced. Havamal is interpreted from a cultive perspective. Lokasenna outlines the Norse gods and goddesses as archetypes. Voluspa and Lokasenna – in old Norse and in modern English – are two of the appendices, along with a ‘Cabinet de Curiosités’ and an index.
The book is as well an exegesis of these three texts as a guidebook for the walker of the Northern path. Exercises, a philosophy on states of consciousness and the nature of initiation, and the description of a Seidr trance technique (using a high chair and a cloak) contribute to deepen the knowledge of the magician. Doors 11 and 12 give insights on the gods and goddesses as real beings and as archetypes.
Interesting read as introduction to the Norse myths and magic for esotericists of other traditions; for followers of the Northern tradition with an interest in other esoteric schools; and for those interested in the Northern tradition for its own sake.
