Dearest keeper of magic,
Have you ever felt something touching your feet when you are swimming? Gotten a bit scared maybe? I for sure have. I have a difficult relationship with the water plants. And probably fear of Näkki inherited in my DNA.
This letter comes a little late, and I'm sorry for that. It's my birthday week, and I've been turning over what spell would fit it. Name days, birthdays... neither felt right this time. So I asked myself: is there some spell I actually used this week?
One answer was this one. A version of it, anyway. A little spell to do when going swimming. To help stay safe from the evil water spirits.
This spell and ritual are from Southern Savonia, Joroinen. It's collected in the year 1928. Similar spells are found in different parts of Finland too. Anywhere, where the water spirit Näkki was a concern.
This kind of folk believes had a protective role. When people did not know how to swim, keeping them away from the water was the easiest protection.
Näkki is a water spirit in Finnish folklore, tied to freshwater lakes. Sitting on a stone, combing her hair. It was told, that Näkki lured in the children and young to drown them. Näkki draws a boundary between the realm of water and us who walk on the ground. When we go to a lake, we enter something else's territory.
Here's the ritual:
Before going swimming, throw a stone into the water and say out loud:
"Näkki, to the shore; I, to the lake."
"Näkki maalle, minä järveen!"
Then, when getting out of the water, pick a stone again and say the previous sentence reversed:
"Näkki, to the lake; I, to the shore."
"Näkki järveen ja minä maalle!"
You take the shore back. The exchange closes.
And of course I forgot the returing part...
On my own swim this week, I forgot the second half. Never let the Näkki back into the water. (And I was not aware of the stone playing part in this ritual before this, either). So next time I'm headed to the shore, I should probably go prepared for something. The water spirit I meet may be a little angrier than usual, waiting to be returned to her home 🧜♀️
That's all for now! See you in August again. I have some a new circle launching soon, so keep your eyes open and look for good signs 🌙
With warmth,
Ninni, Witches' North