This is a good standalone book but it definitely does track back to Fire and Ice fairly often. This is not a book you absolutely have to have if you are interested in the Norse practice this is really only for if you want to follow the Norse practice in the way of Fire and Ice. The two are not necessarily the same such as not every witch is a Wiccan well not ever Norse practicing person does it in the same fashion as Fire and Ice. If you are not planning on following the was of Fire and Ice then I would say you can go without reading this one.

I can't say I'm this book's target audience, as it seems to be targeted at experienced Norse pagans looking to add to their practice. I am someone who knows a bit about paganism and magic, and is interested to learn more, who is still reading about various practices and figuring out what I believe in and what I want to practice.

This book, Spinning Wyrd, is very clear and well-written, so while I may not benefit from the book's teachings as much as an experienced practitioner, I can tell what is going on and what the author is talking about without being an expert. The book is very up-front about its revivalist perspective, which crafts new practices and rituals rather than seeking to copy or reconstruct those of the past, so if you are inclined towards reconstructionism you will not get much out of this.

Other books by the same author have been criticized for historical inaccuracy, which I believe is unacceptable regardless of whether you are pursuing reconstructionism and revivalism, as I think it is important to know the history whether or not you are seeking to recreate it. Therefore, I would recommend doing your own research on any historical matters referenced in this book. However, I encourage readers of any pagan, magical, or occult book to cross-check historical information, regardless of subject or author. A lot of historical misinformation about these topics is out there and there are a lot of matters which are frequently debated or incorrectly sourced/repeated, so this is not a jab against this book's particular author, and I tend to give authors at least a bit of the benefit of the doubt on these matters, though I still hold them responsible for responding to criticism appropriately and correcting errors in later editions.

The book also takes a refreshingly open-minded view towards Norse paganism that leans away from the folkish, white-supremacist perspective all too common in this community. While you may not agree with all the sociopolitical perspectives presented, the book does not spread hate or negativity.

While this book might not speak to everyone, I recommend it for readers with a bit of knowledge about paganism and magic who are looking for a unique perspective on modern interpretations of the Norse tradition.

An interesting and insightful glimpse into Norse mysteries, Spinning Wyrd follows on from the authors previous book, The Way of Fire of Ice. Definitely worth a read.

3 stars

There's some interesting reflections and food for thought but i found that most of it was a sort of explanation of the author's experience.
Not my cup of tea
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I was expecting something very different from this boon than what I got. The premise is about "the forces or wyrd" and how to use them and ai was curious as to what that means and what it entails.
The books was basically a review and the authors own ideas and connections on basic Norse mythology. Add to that a few regular meditiation methods, with a Norse mythology spin on them and that's what this book is.

At parts, the author tried to explain to the reader how even with science you can see this religion of his being true. It fell flat for me on that argument. It read more like a try to get the scientific community to accept this as a potential truth, and it didn't add anything to the book itself.

Other than that, I found the author wrote very well. I liked the references and the clarity on where he had found what information. I was however not a fan of the rambling with the opinions everywhere. It read like it was trying to be a scientific text, but instead of clear facts it was opinions.

All in all, I think what bothered me most was the try to be scientific whilst handling something that is inherently opinion-based. Had it just been "this is how we do it in our religion and we believe this is how it works and these are our reasons" then it would have been a good book. As it is now, I can't say I'm a fan about anything more than the references and the stories.

I would like to preface this review with that I did not read the first book, Fire and Ice, which did result in some confusion. This book builds upon the first and relies on the reader being familiar with the spiritual foundations and rituals outlined in it. Smith does include a complete list of the related rituals and spells in the first appendix of the book, but they are without context and therefore lacking in meaning to those jumping into this book.

Despite having not read the first book, I thoroughly enjoyed this one. Smith offers an inclusive, historically-based yet modern approach to heathenry that is accessible to everyone and everyone. He spends a great deal of time making sure the reader understands that racism, prejudice, sexism, homophobia/transphobia, and environmental destruction have no place in modern heathenry, an approach I greatly appreciated. This particular book dives deeply into the self, animism, seidr, ancestor worship, and destruction and rebirth. As a hedge witch, I was most interested in the sections on seidr, which were not as comprehensive as other chapters in the book, but valuable nonetheless.

As I mentioned earlier, this book is historically based, with Smith citing historical sources throughout as the inspiration for the rituals found throughout the text. The corresponding rituals are a modern incorporation of historical practices, making them accessible and relevant to the modern reader. These are worth doing as they come up in the text in order to fully connect with the content covered in each chapter. As they say, witchcraft is a practice and as a practice, it requires constant work and attention to grow. This is no different.

Overall, this is a fantastic continuation of Smith's exploration of modern heathenry (Fire & Ice Tradition) and well worth the read. I highly encourage you to read the first book first though, so you can fully enjoy this one.

I really appreciate the love that was put into the making of this book, I would recommend a physical copy of this over digital version.(only because I would love to use it often and make notes and all the different lessons and great resources.) This is everything I was looking for on my journey with my ancestors. 10bout of 10 would say is a must for anybody that's looking to learn more on connection and the norse history and traditions.

I received a copy of this book for a fair and honest review. I have been reading more on Nordic religious practices. This book called to me on a level that even I am a little unsure off. All I can really say is that it spoke to me and made me look inside and outward to the universe. That is not something that usually happens to with book like this one. It makes me want to look into his other books on the subject.

Spinning Wyrd by Ryan Smith is an excellent addition to any practitioners shelf providing both spiritual insight and practical experiences for those exploring heathendom.
Those who have enjoyed this Author's previous work in The Way of Fire and Ice will be delighted to know he has continued to build on and go deeper into his practical work meanwhile readers new to this path will find themselves guided to one of many potential first portals into doing the good work.

This book breaks ground for practices that reflect back to things I have read about in the Sagas. Ryan Smith has written a very interesting and focused series of exercises and their reason as well as what to expect I have not tried any of the rituals such as sitting out yet, but I may. From reading this it is clear to me that the author is actively trying to approach the Diety and ancestors to make life more meaningful and clear. I read the frst book from this author and find this one to be one of the best I have ever read for new material. Anyone interested in the genre of paganism, heathenism and runes will gain greatly from reading this, yet alone actually doing the work!

With Norse ancestors I wanted to read this book the moment I read this abstract. Fate is something that I’m always intrigued by and the author addresses this along with other topics in this Norse practice and Heathenry. It is an insightful and intriguing read.

If you have read any of my reviews, you’ll know that I love historic and foundations. the first book in this series, The Way of Fire and Ice, set the stage for this book. While I have not yer read the first book, it didn’t stop me from reading this one. Though I will go back and read it now that Smith has whet my appetite with this book. It truly is an eye opener and I look forward to more time with Smith’s writings.