Mimir

Mimir, being an exceptionally wise deity, was the counselor of the Gods.  Mimir is a primal oracular God, who was renowned for his knowledge and wisdom.  The name Mimir means "the wise one or the rememberer".  He is the brother of Odin's mother Bestla, and he is the guardian of the Well of Mimir, under of the roots of Yggdrasil.  He stood half-immersed in the water and on his powerful shoulders he is supporting the Kjolen Mountains.  It is said that he has been standing there since the beginning of time and that with the passing of millennia he became part of the mountain itself.  He can be appealed to for wisdom, advice, peace, knowledge, and the past.  He can be honored by reading to children or by teaching someone.

He later became one of the hostages exchanged between the Aesir and the Vanir to preserve the peace between the two after their war had ended.  Mimir was killed and beheaded by the Vanir when his fellow hostage, Hoenir, proved disappointing to the Vana-Gods due to his lack of intellectual prowess.  They sent Hoenir back to the Aesir, carrying the severed head with him as a message of their annoyance.  Mimir's head was preserved through herbal magic by Odin to maintain the God's great wisdom.  His head now speaks at the Well of Mimir, where those who visit it can acquire all of the God's enormous store of knowledge, wisdom, and advice.

And this is just a snippet of what can be found in, 'Who Are Your Divine Friends?'.

 

Correspondences:

Altar: upon cloth set three white candles, a bowl of stones and well water, a silver cup of mead, and the figure of a human skull set upon a long tail of spun white hair

Color: yellow, blue, white

Day: Sunday

Incense: cinnamon

Offerings: secret offerings unspoken

Plant: ash, celandine, chamomile, marigold, mistletoe, St. Johnswort

Pronunciation: 'Meem-eer' (Mimir)

Rulership: the arts, inland lakes, knowledge, peace, pools, springs, teaching, wisdom

Runes: Ansuz, Dagaz, Ehwaz, Laguz, Mannaz, Othala

Stone: chrysolite, copper, gold, jacinth, topaz

Symbol: fountain, pool, well, water

 

Invocation to Mimir

Hail, Grandfather of the Well of Wisdom!
Eyes that see through the darkness
Of the stone and water,
We honor your sacrifice,
We honor your pain,
We honor that which was hard-won
Only by losing.
Hail, Grandfather of the Sacred Spring,
You who has given much in service,
When the time comes,
May you bless us with your wisdom
And may we not be afraid to pay the price.

~ Raven Kaldera

 

Mimir

Memory
Intelligence
Magic
Isolation
Rede

~ Michaela Macha

 

Mimir

Wisest of Jotuns,
Keeper of the well of memory,
I hail You.
All things hidden, all things secret,
lie within Your domain.
For Your wisdom, knowledge, and inspiration,
I praise You.
Friend of Oðinn, trusted Counselor,
I raise this horn in Your honor.

~ Galina Krasskova 

 

Blue Eye Shine

Allfather’s eye in Uncle’s well.
Brilliant blue - the Old Man’s pledging.
Drinks the jotun of this ransom,
As dawning Sunna glancing glances.
Rays of brilliance bend through water.
Flashing fire golden glinting.
To the depths, the hidden depths,
Seeks reflection deep submerged.
Scooped the vision of His seeing,
Watery the line of sight.
Old god from younger’s pledge is drinking,
Reflected bright by Sunna light.

Ocular insert, wisdom’s seeming.
Seeming, gleaming, glint to know.
Swiftly flying Sunna shining,
Shining rays into below.
Iris blue regarding outward,
In reflection ray doth show.
Well for thinking.
Horn for drinking.
Eye reflecting, shine directing.
Mimir’s water Wisdom’s letting.
Inspiration, memories racing,
Deepest thoughts are chasing chasing.
In the well all things are altered.
Seeing seeming things sublime.
And in the well His eye is gleaming.
Gleaming, seeming, biding time.

~ Jackie Rae Hannigan aka Crowfuzz

 

An essential definition of wisdom is the use of knowledge.  In the Thirteen Virtues of a Witch, wisdom has nothing to do with education.  You cannot judge people's intelligence by how far in school they did or didn’t get.  Wisdom comes from life experience.  It is the best tool for giving people good advice and helping them out of tricky situations.  Wisdom is the ability to see what is for the best and when, or when not, to act.  Sometimes the experience just knows when to keep one’s thoughts to themselves.

Imagine if you will, that you are a news anchor or college professor.  You have been given the responsibility of presenting stories and passing knowledge to the people.  Without you, they have no way of knowing their history, current events or what might be coming their way.  You could see why wise people would be pillars of the community.  In the same way that Mimir's head is at the center of the well. 

Chapter 51 of the Prose Edda relates that, with the onset of Ragnarok, "Heimdall stands up and blows the Gjallarhorn with all his strength.  He wakens all the Gods who then hold an assembly.  Odin rides to Mimir's Well, seeking counsel for both himself and his followers.  The ash Yggdrasil shakes, and nothing, whether in heaven or on Earth, is without fear."

 

Ancestors

August

Divine Friends

Elements Table

Mimir

Odin's Wisdom

Ragnarok

Sage

Sage God

Who are your Divine Friends?

Wisdom

Wisdom

Yggdrasil