What is "The Northern Tradition?"
The Northern tradition is an ancient spiritual system of thought founded upon the knowledge, beliefs and practices of ancient European cultures, generally those north of the Alps including Eastern Russia, westward to Scandinavia, Britain, Ireland and Iceland and their descendent cultures in the Americas. It is a world-class spiritual tradition distinct from the Asian, Middle Eastern, Egyptian, and Greco-Roman traditions.
It was completely suppressed during the European Middle Ages but its core teachings survived nearly intact in remote northern villages and especially in Iceland. The Northern tradition is a culture-wide experience, meaning that those who experience life within the larger matrix of the North American culture will benefit from this knowledge regardless of your ethnic origins.
What is The Denali Institute?
The Denali Institute is a genuine mystery school of the North, providing introductory lessons as well as progressive instruction leading to qualification as Initiate, Rune Master and Runic Philosopher (the Erulians of old). Whether you are new to the runes or are an experienced runester seeking deeper knowledge of Northern spiritual mysteries, you will find material suitable to your needs here at the Denali Institute.
We teach ancient rune skills, in their original versions directly from the old texts, linking ancient imagery to modern understanding so you can directly apply their benefits in modern life, filling in gaps lost in time with the best of modern esoteric tradition.
Along with all this, we integrate the “whispered secrets” of Runes by Ragnar – those things we have personally learned, over 30 years of experiment and practice, about applying rune energies and mystical disciplines into the rigors of modern life.
We are a philosophic work, not a ceremonial order or religious institution, so we focus on student understanding and enlightenment rather than ritual and ceremony. We prefer lessons by mail in the privacy of your home because that is where you can best schedule your study time, and where you can shape your thoughts and link to your Inner World without distraction by others. Qualification steps are included in the progressive Rune Master program so you earn the right to your achievement of Initiate, Rune Master and Runic Philosopher levels of consciousness.
What are the Runes?
The runes, historically aged at 2,500 years, are a set of 24 angular symbols making up what is called the ‘Enchanted Alphabet’ of the North. Since time immemorial symbols have been used to help comprehend abstract qualities of the Creative Life Force. The runes are known to trigger archetypal awareness within your mind to provide you knowledge of invisible, transpersonal energy fields.
The Northern runes also help you assimilate beneficial Earth energies which bring you additional empowerment. We use the original 24 rune Elder Germanic Futhark exclusively with references to the ancient Anglo-Saxon and Norse variations. We do not use any of the modern versions of the runic alphabet for reasons made clear in our lesson material.
Why Alaska?
We are located in a rural setting 20 miles north of Anchorage, Alaska.
Why Alaska? First, because this is where we have lived, practiced and studied for 50 years, having moved to Alaska in the early 1960s. But more importantly, at 61º N, the Institute is on the same latitude as Oslo, Norway, Stockholm, Sweden, and Helsinki, Finland.
Alaska contains some of the last unspoiled wilderness in North America which means the landscape resonates with beauty and natural energies similar to the conditions under which the Northern mysteries were formulated. It is within this energy envelope that we receive our inspirations and write our lessons.
Denali is the Indian name for Mt. McKinley, the highest mountain in North America and one of Earth’s major power points. The mountain, within viewing distance of the Institute, and its surrounding wilderness area is a profound source of inspiration for the Institute.
While we reside, write, and teach from the High North . . . we are within milliseconds of our students electronically and enjoy excellent U.S. mail service for our lesson program. We use first-class mail to insure quick delivery to you. Postage for international orders will be higher.