Day 6 of Yule: Odin’s Day and the Wild Hunt

This post is part 6 of my 12 Days of Yule series, inspired by the seasonal framework at Pagan Grimoire. Today we turn toward Odin, the Wild Hunt, and the wisdom found in winter’s deepest stillness.

As Yule continues, the season moves inward. Day 6 is traditionally associated with Odin and the Wild Hunt, a mythic procession of spirits said to move through the winter sky. This is a day tied to knowledge, liminality, and the unseen currents that shape our lives.

The Wild Hunt

The Wild Hunt has been described as a literal hunt, with Odin, or another leader in other cultures, and his team of undead sweeping the countryside like a storm. They hunt and cut down who can't find shelter. His eight-legged horse, Sleipnir, often trampling them underfoot like a hooved Wheel of Fortune. That's not the only version of the story.

Odin and the Pursuit of Wisdom

In Norse tradition, Odin is a god of seeking. He sacrifices comfort, certainty, and even safety in pursuit of understanding. He is associated with poetry, magic, memory, and sacrifice. 

Midwinter mirrors this pattern. The natural world is quiet. Growth is hidden. What remains visible is endurance. This makes Day 6 a moment for reflection rather than action, for listening rather than speaking.

The Wild Hunt as Seasonal Threshold

The Wild Hunt appears across many European folk traditions. In Norse-influenced stories, Odin leads the hunt. Riders, animals, and spirits move swiftly through the night, reminding those below that the boundary between worlds is thin.

Whether understood literally or symbolically, the Wild Hunt reflects a psychological truth: Winter often stirs memory, restlessness, and unresolved questions. Thoughts can move quickly, circling old paths. This does not mean something is wrong. It means we're processing something.

Practices for Odin’s Day

This day is best honored quietly and intentionally. Seek wisdom by:

  • Reading for Challenge: Spend time with a text that offers guidance rather than comfort. This could be something new and unfamiliar, poetry, or a passage that has challenged you before.
  • Journaling for Clarity: Write in stream of consciousness. Let questions surface. Do not rush to answer them.
  • Divination or Reflection: Runes, as a nod to Scandinavian influence, cards, or quiet contemplation can be used to explore what is asking for attention as the year turns.

The Wild Hunt Within

The Wild Hunt can also be understood as an internal experience. There are moments when ideas, memories, and emotions move rapidly through the mind. On Odin’s Day, we are invited to observe this movement without trying to control it.

Stillness does not stop the hunt. It allows us to witness it. In that witnessing, insight often appears.


Today I'll settle in with a book full I've been meaning to finish. Even if I don't finish, I'll make progress. How will you challenge yourself to find wisdom?