Working with Freyja: Offerings, Herbs, Crystals & More

Freyja (sometimes spelled Freya, Freja, Freyia, or Froja) is the Norse goddess of beauty, sensuality, sex, war, gold, and divinatory magic. Her name translates simply to “Lady,” and she is the twin brother of Freyr, or “Lord.”

She is often conflated with Odin’s wife, Frigga, who is a goddess of love, marriage, and fate. Though these two goddesses may have the same origins, Freyja is a powerful deity unto herself.

About Freyja

The Norse pantheon has two groups of deities: The Aesir and the Vanir. These reflected the difference between civilization and wilderness. Where the Aesir represented an orderly, well-regulated society with a ruler, Odin, the Vanir represented the freedom and chaos of nature.

Long ago, the two battled in the Aesir-Vanir war. Though their philosophies and cultures were very different, the two were evenly matched in battle. A truce was called, hostages exchanged, and two groups eventually merged into a single pantheon. Freyja was originally part of the Vanir.

This is part of what makes the theories about Freyja and Frigga’s origins so interesting. Freyja is the wife of Od, which some say is an old epithet of Odin’s.

In many ways, Freyja and Frigga are foils for each other: Freyja is married but makes love to whomever she pleased. She is sensual and wild, and an embodiment of the magic of nature.

Frigga is an embodiment of marital love and family, or what Freyja’s wild sensuality would be when made to conform to a civilized structure.

After assimilating into Asgard, Freyja taught the magic of seiðr to Odin.

She owns the golden necklace, Brísingamen. It was made by dwarves and very precious to her. When she saw the dwarves crafting the object, she offered them treasure for it.

They turned her down. The only payment they would accept was if she spent a night with each of them, and she did. Ever since, she is almost never seen without the necklace — to the point that Thor wore it to disguise himself as Freyja and trick a giant.

Freyja also rides a chariot drawn by cats, has a boar named Hildisvini, and wears a cloak of falcon feathers. She rules over Fólkvangr, in which lies her great hall. There, she receives half of all of those who die in battle.

Symbols & Associations

Freyja is associated with all things ties to love, sex, beauty, and battle. She is tied to cats (particularly gray Norwegian forest cats), boars, horses, and falcons, as well as chariots, weapons, and her necklace, Brísingamen.

She is also strongly associated with gold. One of her names translates to “beautiful in tears” because she is said to weep tears of pure gold. When she first joined the Aesir, she wept beautiful golden tears from which flowers grew.

Powers

Freyja has a far-reaching domain and is often petitioned for help with issues ranging from warfare to lust. Her powers include:

  • Seiðr, a type of shamanistic divinatory and cursing magic.
  • Shapeshifting using her falcon cloak.
  • Seduction. Her beauty was so famed, it was often all she needed to get what she wanted.
  • Weeping tears of gold.

Many of Freyja’s powers boil down to her skill with seiðr combined with her beauty and cleverness. She is a deity who knows exactly how to get what she wants.

Offerings

Freyja appreciates offerings appropriate for most other love and beauty goddesses. Things like perfume, wine, chocolate, mirrors, incense, candles and jewelry are all perfect. She also enjoys:

  • Amber.
  • Gold.
  • Mead.
  • Honey.
  • Images or figures of cats.
  • Flowers.
  • Pork.
  • Apples.

Freyja is a deity who knows what she likes and isn’t shy about trying to obtain it. If you work with her, she will likely tell you what kind of offerings she would like from you.

Signs Freyja is Calling You

Freyja can call you in many ways. If you feel drawn to battle, that may be her. If you feel the urge to connect with your sensuality and inner beauty, that may be her. She might also call to you by urging you to work with runes.

If you use an oracle deck or other divination tool featuring images of goddesses, she may appear frequently to you there.

You might find that you seem to be followed by falcons or gray cats.

Freyja can also appear during dreams, meditation, or journeying work.

Crystals Associated with Freyja

The crystal most strongly associated with Freyja is amber. Amber is a kind of fossilized tree resin that forms beautiful translucent red, gold, or even green stones, sometimes with inclusions of plant matter or small animals.

Other stones associated with Freyja include:

Herbs Associated with Freyja

In addition to crystals, Freyja is associated with several herbs:

  • Cowslip, said to preserve youth and beauty. It’s also said to help the user find Freyja’s hall.
  • Primrose, used to attract love and lust. Sometimes used just like cowslip.
  • Daisy, used as a charm for protection in battle (especially for women and members of the LGBT community).
  • Linden tree, used to visit her hall.
  • Lily of the valley. These were said to spring forth from Freyja’s tears after she was taken hostage.
  • Snowdrop. In some legends, these were the flowers that grew from Freyja’s tears.
  • Strawberry.
  • Cannabis, which was sacred to the Vanir. (Check the legality of this herb in your area before attempting to grow, purchase, or use it.)
  • Columbine flowers, as well as other herbal aphrodisiacs.

Working with Freyja

A flower garden is a wonderful way to work with this goddess. When she was first traded as a hostage, she cried from the lack of spring flowers in the bleak, cold landscape.

Plant a garden of her sacred herbs for her and decorate it with statues of cats, gold chimes, and amber-colored gazing balls.

You may also want to set up an altar for her. Find an area in your home that isn’t easy to ignore, so you won’t be tempted to let it get neglected and dusty.

Cover it with a beautiful cloth — her colors are blue, pink, green, amber, gold, and purple, but you can also choose lace or anything else that evokes beauty to you.

Adorn it with amber stones, images of cats, lovely flowers (especially those sacred to her), images of Freyja herself, an offering bowl, candles, and an incense burner.

Visit it regularly, light the candles and incense, and make offerings to her. If you need help with any of the matters that fall under her domain, ask her sincerely to aid you.

Sex magic is also appropriate here. Freyja is strongly tied to beauty, lust, and sex for pleasure. Dedicate lovemaking to her. Have sacred sex and set the stage with candles, perfume, incense, and fruit. Use sex as a way to channel your energy into your intentions and ask Freyja to help you.

You can also connect with Freyja by learning runes. Norse runes are both a divination tool and a way to use magic — you can use them similarly to sigils or seals, by carving them into candle wax, anointing yourself with them in makeup or perfume, drawing them on your doors, walls, or windows with oil, and much more. Experiment and see what using runes can add to your practice.

You may also wish to connect to Freyja in her battle goddess aspect by joining a fight for something that you believe in (even if it isn’t a literal, physical fight). Organizations dedicated to women, veterans, and animal welfare all align with her.


As the Norse goddess of lust, war, and magic, Freyja is a powerful figure to work with. If you feel her call, she can bring tremendous beauty, power, and sensuality to your life. Connect with her through making offerings, planting lush flowers, and delving into the magic of the runes.

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