In the ancient Norse pantheon, Freyja is a goddess of fierce paradoxes—she governs love and war, sensuality and sovereignty, life and death. She is also a master of seiðr, the Norse magic of shaping fate and storytelling.
But Freyja’s real magic? Reframing.
To reframe means to shift your perspective—to tell a new story. And that’s not just spiritual advice—it’s neuroscience.
Modern research shows that the stories we tell ourselves literally shape our brains. Through neuroplasticity, we can rewire thought patterns, build new emotional responses, and even reshape how our body responds to stress.
And this is where polyvagal theory comes in.
Developed by Dr. Stephen Porges, polyvagal theory explains how our nervous system constantly scans for safety or threat. When we reframe our stories—especially through emotionally charged, embodied practices—we help our nervous system move from fight-or-flight (survival mode) into ventral vagal state (connection, creativity, and calm). Freyja’s mythic energy helps us do exactly that.
Here’s how to work with her archetype to reframe your story and rewire your nervous system:
💗 1. Reframe through Love and Beauty
Freyja wore the sacred necklace Brísingamen and wept tears that turned to gold. Her message was clear: your pain can become treasure, and your body is a temple—not a battleground.
Neuro-tip: Self-compassion activates the ventral vagal nerve, calming the body and promoting emotional regulation. Naming your beauty—inside and out—and practising self-love actually soothes the nervous system.
Try this:
Each morning, place a hand on your heart and speak one kind truth to yourself. Make it sensory. “My skin is radiant.” “My heart is kind.” “I am a woman in bloom.”
🌱 2. Reframe through Fertility and Abundance
Freyja is a fertility goddess not just of birth, but of creativity, harvest, and growth. She helps us reframe scarcity into sufficiency.
Neuro-tip: Gratitude and abundance thinking increase dopamine, enhancing motivation and creating new neural pathways for hope and joy.
Try this:
When you feel limited or overwhelmed, reframe with: “What abundance already exists here?” Whether it’s breath, ideas, or sunlight—start small, and build.
⚔️ 3. Reframe through War and Magic
Freyja rode into battle. But she also practiced seiðr—a sacred form of storytelling magic that used words, symbols, and ritual to reshape destiny.
Neuro-tip: Storytelling isn’t just metaphor—it’s a way to rewire trauma. Trauma fragments memory. Myth helps us reintegrate it into a narrative our brain can safely process. This is supported by trauma research, polyvagal-informed therapy, and narrative psychology.
Try this:
Next time you’re triggered or in conflict, ask:
- “What is the story I’m telling about this?”
- “What else could be true?”
Then speak a new version aloud. Even one word can shift your body’s response.
🌀 Rituals for Rewiring with Freyja
- Visualisation: Imagine yourself surrounded by golden light, seated in Freyja’s chariot pulled by cats. What story would she whisper to you about your life right now?
- Prayer & Intention: Ask: “Freyja, show me the beauty in this pain. Help me see what I couldn’t before.”
- Symbolism: Use gold, falcon feathers, or cat images in your space. Each acts as a gentle anchor for your nervous system—a reminder that you are powerful, not powerless.
- Embodied Meditation: Breathe deep into your belly. Sense the ground. Feel into a moment when you reframed something hard—and triumphed. That’s seiðr. That’s neural rewiring.
Final Thought:
Freyja shows us that reframing is sacred work—and scientifically backed. The nervous system can change. The story can change. You can change.
So when the old narrative rises—“I’m not enough,” “It’s too late,” “I always fail”—ask yourself:
🗝️ What would Freyja see in this moment that I cannot?
Then speak it.
Feel it.
And let it reshape you.
Ready to rewire your story with myth, magic, and neuroscience?
Join us this September at The Heroine’s Path women’s creative retreat, where we embody archetypes like Freyja through polyvagal-informed storytelling, ritual, and somatic practice to shift our stories and heal from the inside out.
