Mimir

Culture: Norse   Also called: Mímir

Mimir is renowned for wisdom, keeper of a well at the roots of Yggdrasil where Odin sacrificed an eye for a single drink; after Mimir's death in the Æsir-Vanir war, Odin is said to have preserved his head with herbs and consulted it for counsel, an unusually literal image of wisdom kept close at any cost.

Associations

Deep wisdom, counsel, sacrifice for knowledge, the well at the World Tree's root.

Ways people honor him (modern)

• Seek out genuinely wise counsel before major decisions
• Reflect on what you'd truly be willing to give up for real understanding
• Keep water from a meaningful source on the altar
• Read Odin's sacrifice at Mimir's well in the Poetic Edda's Völuspá

Approach any deity with respect and do your own research. Practices vary widely between traditions, and modern devotional practice often goes beyond what survives in ancient sources.