The Fox

Enjoying a visit to Reykjavik’s Cafe Loki

Lea Svendsen was once introduced as “a mortician who’s actually three foxes in a trench coat.” It remains one of the most accurate descriptors she’s heard, along with the time she was accused of “being perpetually adjacent to catastrophe” (which, amazingly, was unrelated to the time she was called out for being “the Lokeanest Lokean who ever Lokeaned”). It remains to be seen whether these are accurate reflections of Lea herself or just stunning examples of the brilliantly entertaining company she keeps.

Lea had a curious upbringing; her paternal grandfather immigrated from Norway, and he and his brothers brought the old gods with them to America. As a result, she’s been heathen all of her life . . . except for a few years of tempestuous teenage rebellion, during which she dabbled in Christianity. This brief background in Christianity paved the way for her later work as a funeral director and embalmer, giving her a solid foundation in how to best serve the families and parishes needing her assistance. It also instilled in her the concept of monastic devotion, which she carried with her in her return to heathenry and her dedication to her God Squad.

She grew up in West Germany (yup, she’s that old), so the European influence coupled with her grandfather’s attitudes ensured Loki was always an accepted and revered deity. This made for a very tepid entry into the American heathen community, but she is delighted to have found a home in the Northeast Heathen Community and a kindred that welcomes Loki and Sigyn while also putting up with her Lokean nun-sense (which you can read about at her blog A Loki Kinda Life).

Lea lives in eastern PA with two very clingy cats, a couple of ghosts, and a lot of gods.

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