Tag: Frīg

A top-whorl drop spindle and a bottom-whorl drop spindle crossed and resting against brown and cream wool roving and blue-gray hand-spun yarn.

Who Was Going to Tell Me About Distaff Day?

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My first post for Forþ-weard was about about tailoring your personal sacred calendar to your own praxis. Well, I have a new example for you happening in my own praxis in real time.

I recently—as in, during the last 48 hours—learned of the concept of Distaff Day (this is the part where you can all point and laugh at the silly American). Anyway, as someone whose praxis is largely dominated by Frīg, I am enamoured of this concept. Now, as far as I’m aware, this holiday is wholly Christian in origin1, being the day following the feast of the Epiphany, but it’s also been taken up secularly by people in fiber arts communities (which is how I came to learn of it)2.

In continuing on with that first post about fleshing out your own holiday calendar, I’m thinking I want to find some ways to incorporate Distaff Day into my rotation. Here are the traditions I’m considering starting for myself:

  • I didn’t spin at all during Geol this year more out of coincidence than conscious choice, but I’m thinking having an intentional fiber arts hiatus from Mother’s Night through Distaff Day in the future. There’s precedence for this practice, too.3
  • Scheduling a vacation day from work if January 7th happens to fall during the week and I have the time available.
  • Designating Distaff Day as when I will begin my first project of the new year.
  • Making an offering of my first spun yarn of the new year to ask Frīg’s blessing on my new endeavors.
  • Joining a local yarn spinning event, class or workshop that day if one is available.
  • Treating myself to a new distaff or spindle if needed4

These may seem like small things, but recently I’ve decided that I want to get more serious about devotional craft work—and just generally becoming better at spinning. I love the idea of formalizing and ritualizing the beginning of my crafting year just a little bit to help me in these goals.

So, who wants to join me in celebrating a heathen-ified version of Distaff Day? Let me know if you have any other ideas on how we could celebrate!

  1. If I’m wrong about this, please feel free to point me to some sources in the comments. I’d love to see them! ↩︎
  2. Specifically, I saw this video on YouTube by JillianEve. ↩︎
  3. Jacob Grimm states in Teutonic Mythology V.1 that “In the North too, from Yule-day to New-year’s day, neither wheel nor windlass must go round.” ↩︎
  4. I don’t actually own a distaff of any kind at the moment, and it’s something of a hinderance to my progress with my drop spindles. ↩︎
A sideboard with a deep red table runner. Each end has red, white and natural beeswax candles. On the left are statues of Ing, Frig, and Woden. On the right is a picture frame with black paper in it and a wax warmer.

A Ritual for Geol

Rose1 Comment

The following is a ritual to Frīg and Woden that I recently composed for a group Geol celebration. It can easily be adapted for a solo practitioner by replacing some plural pronouns and optionally dropping the Statement of Purpose section. Originally, I wrote the ritual to fit the requirements for my local mixed-faith group, but this version is stripped down to what I would consider the necessary components for a Fyrnsidere’s praxis. And yes, this ritual has footnotes, haha. I’ve also included a further reading section for more information about ritual format in Fyrnsidu and Anglo-Saxon heathenry. Please note that how I structure my rituals may vary from the sources I’ve linked to. Every individual and group’s praxis will look a little different. Please feel free to adapt this to your needs.

For this ritual you will need:

  • Some sort of flat space for an altar. A table, big flat rock, a window sill. Doesn’t matter.
  • Images of Frīg and Woden (optional)
  • Libation offerings. Water or juice is absolutely fine.
  • Something to pour the libations into.
  • Incense (optional). I use loose with charcoal, but whatever type you prefer is just dandy.
  • Candles. LED work just as well.

Hallowing1

May the gods guide us,
May our oaths keep us,
May our deeds free us,
May our ancestors aid us always.
May the gods banish from this place ill and wrong,
Hallow this space, shield us from all baneful wights,
Let the gods’ blessing be over our heads!2

Action: Walk around the space with a flame such as a candle or lamp as the words are spoken. Light the altar candles.

Statement of Purpose

As the year wanes, Sunne’s light grows faint. The nights loom long as her strength fades. In the lengthened shadows, the Wild Hunt rides. And in this liminal time we gather as our ancestors did, pushing away winter’s chill in the warmth of fire and frith. We anticipate Sunne’s triumphant return, and give thanks to Woden & Frīg that the death has passed us by another year. Together we make merry and give good gifts, that we may bring the light of joy into this cold midwinter night. 

Gatekeeper3

Æled4, radiant one, offering-bearer
We ask that you give life to this flame
That it may carry our gifts and prayers
Upon its rising smoke
Open the gate!

Action: Pour a libation or light incense for Æled

Invitations

Good neighbors, we call to you. This land is cold and sleeping. The nights have grown long and chill. We invite all spirits of good will who dwell here to join us at our fire and feast with us at our table. Be merry with us in this place of frith.
Hail the Landwights!
(All: Hail the Landwights!)

Honored ones who have gone before us. Beloved ancestors of body and of spirit, we call to you through the generations, back into the mists of time. As the wild hunt rides and the veil is thin, we invite you to our fire. Feast with us, laugh with us. Celebrate with us on this longest night.
Hail our Honored Ancestors!
(All: Hail our Honored Ancestors!)

Hail the Gods and Goddesses, the mighty ones. The year is dying, and it is time we remember your many gifts. Join us at our fire and feast. Receive what we have brought for you. Hear our words of thanks and witness our oaths.
Hail the Gods and Goddesses!
(All: Hail the Gods and Goddesses!)

Action: Pour a small libation for each group as they are invited in.

Main Invocations

Hail to the Heorþmōdor, blessed Hearth-mother, Frīg
Hail to the weaver of frith and weaver of wyrd
Come sit at our table and weave your peace amongst us
That we may strengthen our bonds.
Hail Frīg!
(All: Hail Frīg)

Action: Present offerings for Frīg. Suggestion: a fruit wine.

Hail to the Hygeferigend, wise Soul-Bearer, Woden.
Hail to the wander on his mighty steed
Shake the snow from your cloak and hang it by the fire (or heater)
Let us fill your cup and heap your plate.
Hail Woden!
(All: Hail Woden!)

Action: Present offerings for Woden. Suggestions: whiskey or brandy. And of course, mead is an excellent choice.

Closing

From the gods, to the earth, to us
From us, to the earth, to the gods
A gift has been given, may it be well received 5

Þa godas bletsien eow þissum geare. Glæd Gēol!6

Action: Blow out candles to signify the end of the ritual and dispose of the offerings appropriately.

  1. I am making the assumption here that the reader has their own preferences for cleansing and am jumping straight to the hallowing. ↩︎
  2. This section has been borrowed from Wind in the Worldtree. ↩︎
  3. I personally don’t usually include a gatekeeper when doing private offerings by myself, but I wanted to include this for others who may find this step important. ↩︎
  4. Æled is a reconstruction, a best guess at a sacred fire deity based on the language, how we believe fire was thought of, and comparative study of other Indo-European religions. I think he makes the most sense to use as a gatekeeper in this context. Pronunciation: IPA /ˈæː.led/. Æ is pronounced like the ‘a’ in ‘mat’ and the e is pronounced like ‘ay’ in ‘may’. Read more at Wind in the Worldtree. ↩︎
  5. This is also borrowed from Wind in the Worldtree ↩︎
  6. Old English for “May the gods blessings be upon you [all] this year. Glad Geol.” Credit to T Patrick Snyder for the OE translation. ↩︎

Further Reading

Anglo-Saxon Heathen Ritual Format

Bonus Reading Suggestions