Tattoos and Art by Valhallvaror

Ancient Wildness is that feeling inside of each of us that we are not begotten only from our upbringing, nor just a result of the world around us, but also created from something much more primal within our blood. Our ancestral history and our deep roots within nature create the structure of our beings, the skeleton of our personas, if you will. Listen closely, and nature speaks to us; gaze at the stars, and our ancestors guide us. We are part of the larger world, full of creatures and beings, spirits and interconnected energies. Our very DNA holds the design and memories of the many who came before us. If we would only learn to listen to those whispers, we might find a pathway to understanding, maybe even discover our own personal magick.

I felt the pull of ancient wildness as a child growing up in the forests, where the trees taught me about a life beyond my own, where we howled at the moon with the coyotes, where childhood was experienced through nature. There I learned of my proud heritage, from a Scottish fur trader who married the daughter of the Nez Perce, to the foremothers of my namesake Halvorson, ancestors of the vikings. And so I knew ancient wildness, even if I didn’t have a name for it, and yet I felt it’s power.

Years later, as I grow in myself and in my understanding, my magick comes forth as art. Through tattooing and drawing, carving and creating, I might channel this ancient wildness from myself out into the world. There is so much more to ponder, so much more to learn, and as I discover more about my ancestry and about the world, I inevitably learn more about myself.