Goddess Freya
Is it a plane? Is it a bird? Oh, it’s something much more exciting, the most glamorous sighting you’ll ever see: goddess Freya, racing her golden cat–drawn chariot through the sky. She’s blindingly beautiful, and boy, does she know it. Throwing her head back in laughter, she shakes a trail of spring flowers from her cascading locks. When she cries in extasy, her tears turn into pure gold. If you’ve got it, flaunt it! Some days, she turns her magical cloak of falcon feathers into wings to jet through the sky, other times she rides a boar, rumored to be her human lover in disguise. Speaking of lovers, there are so many! “Men, they are just too delicious,” she says rolling her eyes, then flashing a blinding smile. Not war god Odin, but Freya, the fearless leader of the Valkyries*, has the first pick among the brave warriors who died in battle. The chosen ones are welcomed in Freya’s magnificent hall, the rest go to Valhalla.
Do you want to learn magic? Freya will teach you. Are you looking for love? She will guide you. And if you are lucky enough, and your offerings please her enough – remember, she adores beautiful, precious things – the goddess of both love and magic will show you that love actually IS magic.
There is a story about how Freya begot her favorite possession, a fiery necklace called Brísingamen. Completely besotted, she offered the four dwarves who had crafted it large sums of gold. The dwarves proposed a different deal. The necklace would be hers if Freya agreed to spend a night with each one of them. Unblinkingly, she agreed. Unashamedly, she would henceforth wear the necklace, day and night. A scandalous story to some, perhaps. How could a goddess sell herself like that? But I prefer to see Freya’s deal as an allegory for using your feminine capital to get what you want. If you desire something, why not use your feminine powers – your emotional intelligence, sensuality and yes, even your beauty – to get what you want?.
It certainly hasn’t tainted Freya’s legacy. The ancient goddess has had towns, girls and even a day named after her: Friday. Her name is still sung proudly in the second verse of the Danish national anthem (“Denmark is the hall of Freya.”). And I’m sure that on a clear night, you can still see Freya zooming among the stars in a whirlwind of shiny feathers, daring you to use your wings and claim all the things your heart desires.
*Female warrior deities in Norse mythology
- Share
MD Friends
Building bridges
From the Erasmus Bridge and the Mercedes-Benz Museum to Qatar’s metro network; Ben van Berkel’s iconic landmarks bring people together in rapturous beauty, again and again. I talked with the Dutch architect and educator about sensuality, ‘healthy’ buildings and the remarkable parallels between our designs.
- Share
MD Friends
More than a feeling
Don’t ignore your emotions; they are much more powerful than you can imagine. By linking the magical world of emotions with hard science, Dutch scientist Pierre Capel, professor emeritus in experimental immunology, shows us the consequences of our feelings and the power of our minds. The message: we can do much more than we think. “Meditate. It’s the single best thing you can do for your health.”
- Share
Marlies Says
Keto curious?
The fact that I feel bikini-confident all year round is, of course, a nice bonus. But for me, the biggest payoff of following the keto diet is the way it optimizes my health and gives me tons of energy.
- Share
Marlies Says
Super (skin) food
‘If you can’t eat it, why put it on your skin?’. I pretty much live by this beauty adage. After all, with your skin being one of your body’s largest organs, anything – and I mean anything! – you put onto your skin will end up in your bloodstream.
- Share
 food "Pinterest")
