At its most basic, this is a person’s luck. More specifically, it is “family luck”, meaning that it is is inherited through the family line. It is the fortune that we carry around with us. In Old Norse, there is a word that describes the life force, much like words in other languages exist, such as ki, chi, prana, or mana. This word is “ond”. Ond is the life force that flows through everything in the universe. I tend to think of our hamingja as the manifestation of our own personal current of this energy. It both informs and is informed by our vital force and exists as an inseparable manifestation of it. The greater one’s hamingja, the more prosperous one is, or more fortunate. Hamingja affects our wyrd. Rather than luck, which is generally how it is described by most authors, it may be better to think of it as personal spiritual energy, given to each one of us, through inheritance, going back to the original first people created by Odin.
Hamingja can manifest subtly. It can be seen in one who never looks tired or haggard, even when sick, or in the housewife who always seems to get her laundry in off the line before the rains hit. It can show itself more overtly in the fisherman who is always able to make the good haul in an area where others have tried and failed, or the stockbroker with a Midas Touch. It is because of this that many tend to view hamingja as “luck”, but those of us that study universal energy and its manipulation, we know that there is probably more than just luck at play. I consider that as individuals we in the Prairie Sky Hearth all have very good hamingja, and as a family our combined hamingja is very strong. I say this because I see the manifestation in our daily lives; dark clouds come to us just like everyone else, but they never seem to stay long and their effects are more like bumps in the road than anything else.
Hamingja is sensitive to one’s actions in this lifetime. Righteous action has a positive effect upon a person’s hamingja, and feeds their energy. Attitude plays a big role as well. Looking at the sunny side of life and making lemonade when life hands you lemons is integral for the development of positive hamingja and overall strong ond. You attract exactly what you send out. One’s hamingja can also be strengthened by daily devotions and other personal rituals. The rituals of the Year Wheel, so common to European pagan practice will also strengthen our personal luck reserves, as will living with the seasons. Energy raising activities such as blots, sumbels, and galdr can turbocharge your Hamingja for a little while – so can initiations. These are the spiritual equivalent of a dose of Red Bull.
Sometimes we receive symbols, words of power, or other charms during meditation, initiations, dreams, or astral travel, to increase our hamingja. These gifts of spirit should be cherished and kept close for they are meant for the individual. Unless otherwise instructed, do not share these gifts. World mythology is rife with stories of what can happen when someone discovers your spiritual keys to power.
It is possible to overpower or influence someone else’s hamingja. This can be done positively, such as giving physical and/or energetic assistance to a loved one during times of illness, injury, or emotional distress. Care must be taken, though, especially if you decide to do something drastic, like take on the symptoms of someone you know. This activity has been performed successfully by heathen and non-heathen groups alike, but it is very draining for all the recipients. When you work to add to or influence someone’s hamingja, or to overcome it entirely, establishing healthy routines for yourself in the realm of diet, exercise, meditation, and spiritual life is paramount.
Of course, this is not the influence that we think of, when we consider someone influencing another’s hamingja, is it? It is unfortunate that many people come to study magic and energy manipulation to fill voids in their life with what they mistakenly believe is “easy” power. I’ve met far too many individuals like this in my short lifetime. Most straighten out sooner, rather than later, because being nasty – whether one uses magic or not – takes dedication and perseverance. It is difficult to keep the flames of hate burning brightly for a long period of time, although some folks seem intent on clinging to bad moments in their lives. Most people will give up quickly, though. Those individuals who do keep at it are largely driven by fear, insecurity, and envy. This can happen knowingly and intentionally, but many times it happens in ignorance.
Regardless of how it happens, this type of attack against someone else’s hamingja is destructive to the originator. The energetic backlash created can be physically, mentally, and spiritually debilitating. It does no one any good to engage in this sort of behaviour because in doing so, one has tied his wyrd to another but in a 100% negative way. It retards one’s forward advancement on whatever the spiritual path may be and also manifests physically in day to day living as chaos and instability. These are the folks that most of us give a wide berth when we see them coming. One’s hamingja can be drained to the point that it takes years to rebuild – sometimes never.
I have heard of one particular occultist – well known in some circles – who used to befriend people that he did not particularly like to begin with – for the sole purpose of cursing them. This was done for many years to see if the curses that this individual developed would work. I am told by those close to this magician that their personal life went to shit, and indeed I knew that simply from following a few events that garnered a bit of press many years ago. Also, their ability to work any sort of magic appears to have gone the way of the do-do bird. No more spells, no readings, no teachings, no otherworld journeys – nothing. I know that this individual now lives an almost cloistered, hermit-like existence. I am an optimist who likes to see the good in people, so I hope that this downtime is being put to good use and that he is able to rebuild his personal energy/luck because when he was switched on, he was one hell of an amazing pagan.
Most of the time, though, we lose hamingja because of our own stupidity. We choose French fries over salad, beer over water, and easy over right. We alone must live with the consequences of our actions. Impulsive decisions, lack of planning, poor living, gambling on poor odds in life one too many times – these can lead to a depletion of our inherited luck. Acting dishonourably can drain it significantly. It is important to realize also that when we do those things, guilty though we may feel, the guilt means nothing. We can not hide behind forgiveness. It is not the hamingja of the one you have lied to that suffers – but yours. Your hamingja is affected by your actions.
As you go through life, be aware of hamingja, because its existence with your wyrd and ond is symbiotic. We will all screw up and do some rotten things from time to time. That is simply life. When we consciously strive to increase our hamingja by living true and by accepting responsibility for our actions, we will find that those trips off the path will occur less and less, as we attract better and better into our lives.
