By now I think long-time readers are aware that my goal here at Forþ-weard is to support other Fyrnsidera in establishing their modern praxis. To me, a big part of that exploring the holy tides and what modern adaptations and traditions for them could look like. Today, I want to talk about the New Year.
Some Anglo-Saxon heathens will tell you that the new spiritual year begins on Modraniht. Some actually move their celebration of Modraniht to our modern New Year’s Eve to sync up their spiritual new year with the calendar one.1 Personally, I consider the time between Modraniht and New Year’s Eve as a liminal time that doesn’t truly belong to either year, a time aside from the day to day. This is my unverified personal gnosis (UPG) and your mileage may vary. As such, I spread out a lot of my “new years” traditions throughout that period. One such tradition is actually a family tradition I’ve decided to continue: eating pork chops with sauerkraut on New Year’s Day for good luck and prosperity.2
The fact that I continue this tradition is a point of amusement in and of itself. You see, when I was growing up it was often a joke in my family that they would have to disown me over my distaste for sauerkraut. After all, what self-respecting American of strong German ethnic background doesn’t like sauerkraut? Well, me apparently, although I have found a way to prepare it to make my family’s New Year’s Day tradition an enjoyable one for myself.
So, here I am sharing for you my version of New Year’s Pork Chops & Sauerkraut for the one day of the year I actually eat sauerkraut by choice.
Ingredients
1 24oz jar German-style sauerkraut3 4 bone-in pork chops Salt & pepper to taste 1 medium onion, sliced 1 tsp onion powder 2 bay leaves4 1/2 cup dark brown sugar5 1 tablespoon butter
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350F
Salt and pepper the pork chops. You can also sprinkle some onion powder on them if you’d like.
Brown the pork chops in butter in a pan large enough to lay them out in a single layer.
Remove pork chops and add the onions. Cook until the onions are just translucent.
Add sauerkraut, onion powder, and brown sugar. Combine well and add bay leaves.
Place the pork chops back over the mixture and transfer to oven.
Bake for 15 minutes or until pork chops are cooked through
You can be as magical, or as mundane about this whole affair as you would like. Enjoy! If you happen to make this, I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Byron over at Mine Wyrtruman has a blog post entitled “Beginning the New Year with Mothers Night” that discusses the dating of mother’s night and the Fyrnsidu new year in much greater detail. ↩︎
I have absolutely no idea what the history behind this tradition is or why my family does it, they just always have for as long as I’ve been alive. ↩︎
It’s already late September, and it feels like this year has just flown by. Those of us in the northern hemisphere are officially in what Americans consider to be “fall” (Personally, I prefer “autumn”). For Anglo-Saxon heathens and Fyrnsideras that means Winterfylleþ (Oct 17th) is nearly upon us.
What is Winterfylleþ?
Hence they called the month in which the winter season began “Winterfilleth”, a name made up from “winter” and “full Moon”, because winter began on the full Moon of that month. De temporum ratione (The Reckoning of Time), The Venerable Bede
We know from the Venerable Bede that the Old English word translates to “Winter Full Moon” and that moon marks the beginning of Winter1… and that’s pretty much all he has to say on the subject. As usual, Bede gives us just enough information to whet the appetite and make some inferences.
For me, Winterfylleþ is one of my four “big” holy days, along with Geol, Ēostredæg, and Midsumor. For me, it is a time for both thanksgiving and propitiation. I consider it to be the beginning of the Wild Hunt, which will end around Geol. I don’t really have strong textual evidence for this last assertion, but I think it is thematically fitting. Many other cultures and pagan paths consider this time between summer and winter to be liminal, the connection between the world of the living and the dead stronger. For example, pagans with a more Celtic lean are getting ready to celebrate Samhain. Norse heathens may be gearing up for Alfablot. In Mexico, the Day of the Dead is celebrated on November 1st, and of course, we can’t forget about Halloween and All Saints Day. Seems to be a running theme, no?
Because we have little textual evidence for how the Anglo-Saxons might have celebrated this hinge in the year, I look to comparative traditions to inform my praxis. And so, my Winterfylleþ celebration will be three nights with three parts:
Welcoming my honored dead and beloved ancestors into my home.
Saying goodbye to seasonal deities who I will welcome back with summer’s return.
Offering to the gods with prayers for a safe and comfortable winter.
Welcoming the Honored Dead
This can be accomplished in several ways. I like to make an offering and invite my ancestors to linger in my home before preparing a nice dinner. The offering could be anything, really, but I often offer my ancestors coffee because most of my known ancestors enjoyed it during their lifetimes. I may also offer my grandfather’s favorite cigarettes or some pipe tobacco this year.
Once dinner is prepared, I will then set aside a portion of the meal at an extra place setting as an offering. (If more of my living family were pagan, I would invite them to this dinner as well, but alas, they are not). I am incapable of being quiet, so I don’t do the silent supper I often see suggested for Samhain. Instead, I prefer sharing stories of loved ones who have gone on before. Telling stories and toasting the memories of our beloved dead is a very Anglo-Saxon heathen thing to do, in my opinion.
After dinner, an additional libation offering or dessert offering at the altar may be an excellent choice. For me, this is also a good time to break out my oracle deck and see if my ancestors have anything they’d like to communicate with me. I derive a lot of comfort from these talks.
Saying Goodbye to Seasonal Deities
To me, this is a time to say goodbye to Eorthe for the season as she enters her winter slumber, awaiting Eostre’s return in the spring. This year, I will be placing my representations of them in a special place to “rest” until Hrēþe’s victory over Winter in the new year. This is, of course, largely based on my own UPG and SPG I share with others that suggest Eostre and Eorthe grow quieter in the winter months.
Prayers for a Safe and Comfortable Winter
In our modern world, the harshness of winter often seems softened by electric lights and gas furnaces. However, it doesn’t take much for those luxuries to disappear, if only temporarily. In my part of the world, we’re sometimes one bad storm with blackouts away from freezing. In my mind, it makes sense to make offerings to the gods in hopes that such storms will pass us by and that death stays away for another season.
As previously mentioned, I consider this to be the beginning of the Wild Hunt. Therefore, it is a good time to ask Woden to steer his Hunt away from my door. Frīg is also a major part of my praxis, so I will be asking for her aid in managing my family’s resources well through the winter months. My offerings will consist of grain, wool, whiskey, and incense. It may seem overboard, but as I said, I consider this one of my “big” celebrations.
The gods that you choose to honor for Winterfylleþ may be completely different. Some Norse heathens choose to honor Freyr (Ing in Fyrnsidu) and the elves for Alfablot at this time. Patricia M. Lafayllve’s A Practical Heathen’s Guide to Asatru2 suggests a Winternights ritual honoring the wights, for example.
Final Thoughts
I view Winterfylleþ as a hinge of the year, a beginning and an end. The practices I am building around this holiday reflect this mindset. As time goes by and I grow in my praxis, these things will likely evolve. It will be interesting to look back at this post next year when I’m preparing for the holiday again.
I’d love to hear from you. Do you celebrate Winterfylleþ? Samhain? Something else? Do you have a favorite tradition associated with this time of year? Let me know in the comments!
Photo Credit: Gippe
The Anglo-Saxons, much like their Norse cousins, recognized two seasons or halves of the year, Summer and Winter. What we think of today as Autumn/Fall and Spring are split between the two. Bede also mentions this before explaining Winterfylleþ. ↩︎
Honoring Your Ancestors: A Guide to Ancestor Veneration by Mallorie Vaudoise. The perspective of this book is rather folk Catholic, but I think there’s a lot in here for any pagan looking to start ancestor veneration. If y’all are interested in seeing a full review of this book, let me know.
I was very excited to have another opportunity to write a ritual to Beowa this month. It was my pleasure to introduce some of my friends to this beloved Anglo-Saxon god of barley and beer. Our group includes some very talented bards, and we were blessed with a lovely rendition of John Barleycorn to round out our offerings. Here is a link to a popular version of John Barleycorn on YouTube, in case you’ve never heard the song.
As always, this ritual format assumes you have your own preferences for ritual purification.
For this ritual, you will need:
Some sort of flat space for an altar. A table, a big flat rock, a window sill. Doesn’t matter.
An image of Beowa
Libation offerings. Water or juice is absolutely fine, but I suggest barleywine, beer, or malt whiskey.
Something to pour the libations into.
Incense (optional). I use loose with charcoal or cones, but whatever type you prefer is just dandy.
Candles. LED works just as well.
Good Neighbors (optional)
Note: This section is optional and has been put here in case you are performing this ritual outside or in an unfamiliar space (such as a rented park pavilion).
Good Neighbors, Spirits of this Place We know that this space is yours But we ask that you let us borrow it for a while Join us if our purpose is agreeable Or leave us in peace for a time
Action: Pour libation for the Good Neighbors outside the space where you will be holding ritual.
Statement of Purpose
At Midsumor we reached a fullness as Sunne reached the height of her power. As the full moon comes only fleetingly each month, so too does summer’s peak last but a moment. The waxing year has ended, and the time of waning has began. And so, the harvests reach their peak and must be gathered in.
Now begins the time of reaping all that we have sown. Many of those seeds of intention we planted in the months following Ewemeolc have grown and blossomed, ripened for the harvest, just like the barley on its golden stalks.
And so tonight, we honor Bēowa, the spirit of the barley.
Action: Light the altar candles
Gatekeeper (optional)
Note: I do not usually acknowledge a gatekeeper in my personal praxis, but I know a lot of people do. So, I chose to include this section for those who may be looking for an appropriate gatekeeper-deity in Fyrnsidu. Other options might include Wadda, Frīg, or even Woden,depending on the purpose of the ritual.
Æled, 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: Light incense or pour libation offering for Æled.
Invocation
Hail to thee, John Barleycorn. To the one who is sown, grown and reaped. You provide us with grain for beer and bread Good food to fill our bellies and make us merry Through your birth, life and death You keep us hale all winter through. Hail Bēowa! [All: Hail Bēowa]
Action: Pour a libation of barleywine, beer, or malt whiskey for Beowa
We offer you now beer and barely and song, A return for that which you have given us, that you may raise you head again in the spring and give us good gifts again next year.
Action: Pour an additional libation for Beowa. Sing or play John Barleycorn.
Closing
From the gods, to the earth, to us From us, to the earth, to the gods A gift has been given, may be it be well received.
Action: Blow out the candles to indicate the closing of the rite. Dispose of offerings appropriately.
Look at me being timely with posting a ritual this time! The little cadre of midwestern Fyrnsidera that I met up with for Ēosturdæg are meeting again for Midsumor next week. This time we’re having a cookout and giving thanks to Sunne for the life-giving heat and light she provides.
As usual, this post assumes that you or your group have your own preferences for ritual cleanliness.
For this ritual, you will need:
Some sort of flat space for an altar. A table, a big flat rock, a window sill. Doesn’t matter.
An image of Sunne (optional, esp if outside)
Libation offerings. Water or juice is absolutely fine.
Something to pour the libations into.
Incense (optional). I use loose with charcoal or cones, but whatever type you prefer is just dandy.
Candles. LED works just as well.
Good Neighbors (optional)
Note: This section is optional and has been put here in case you are performing this ritual outside or in an unfamiliar space (such as a rented park pavilion).
Good Neighbors, Spirits of this Place We know that this space is yours But we ask that you let us borrow it for a while Join us if our purpose is agreeable Or leave us in peace for a time
Action: Pour libation for the Good Neighbors outside the space you will be holding ritual.
Statement of Purpose
Today makes the midpoint in the summer season. It is a hinge upon which the year turns From new life and growth to harvest and death The time of warmth and bounty begins to wane And so we gather to honor Sunne at the height of her power Before the cycles of nature pull her distant from us once more.
Action: Light the altar candles
Gatekeeper (optional)
Note: I do not usually acknowledge a gatekeeper in my personal praxis, but I know a lot of people do. So, I chose to include this section for those who may be looking for an appropriate gatekeeper-deity in Fyrnsidu. Other options might include Wadda, Frīg, or even Woden,depending on the purpose of the ritual.
Æled, 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: Light incense or pour libation offering for Æled.
Invocation
Hail Sunne, brilliant Day Rider, and Ever-glowing goddess [All Hail Sunne]
Action: Add incense or pour libation for Sunne.
Your brilliance warms Mother Eorthe’s soil, Calling forth the green growing things that nourish our bodies. Today, we celebrate the peak of your glory. We relish and respect the hot rays of your light, And adore the feel of your warmth upon our skin, Even as we protect ourselves from your full might
Accept now our offerings, our praise, and our thanks for the beautiful gift of your light. Remember us, even as the wheel turns and autumn begins to encroach upon our bright summer joy.
Action: Add incense or pour additional libation for Sunne.If in a group, allow time after the main offering for individual prayers and offerings. You may also allow time for additional toasts and/or divination.
Closing
From the gods, to the earth, to us From us, to the earth, to the gods A gift has been given, may be it be well received.
Action: Blow out the candles to indicate the closing of the rite. Dispose of offerings appropriately.
Disclaimer: I AM NOT AN EXPERT. Do not touch, consume, burn, or otherwise mess with any plant you are unfamiliar with. Consult an actual herbalist or your doctor. For all the gods’ sakes, please exercise caution and common sense when working with herbs. Always burn incense in a well-ventilated space away from pets.
One of the rather frustrating things about reconstructing Anglo-Saxon paganism is the lack of written sources. What sources we do have were written in the centuries after conversion and tend to provide only tantalizing hints about what might have been. One such piece of writing is the “Nine Herb Charm,” a medical text that describes the use of a combination of, you guessed it, nine plants in a salve along with a lengthy verbal component.1
Were these nine plants the most sacred plants in Anglo-Saxon paganism? We don’t know. Heck, we’re not even 100% sure what some of them actually are. But, the Nine Herb Charm provides all sorts of interesting glimpses into the Anglo-Saxon pagan mind. For example, it mentions “the seven worlds,” informing us just a little about the Anglo-Saxon sense of cosmology.
Since the Nine Herbs are described—at length—to drive out poison and illness, I thought it would make perfect sense to adapt them into an incense recipe for cleansing during formal rituals.
Nine Herb Charm Incense
1 part dried Mugwort
1 part dried Plantain leaves
1 part dried Bittercress
1 part dried Betony
1 part dried Chamomile flowers
1 part dried Stinging Nettle
1 part Applewood shavings
1 part dried Parsley
1 part Fennel seeds
I ordered everything except the parsley and applewood from an herb shop on Etsy. The parsley came from my pantry, and I shaved bits off a piece of the applewood my husband keeps around for his smoker. From there, I measured everything with a teaspoon into my mortar and gave it all a good smash to break up the big bits. This yielded me about half a spice jar of incense.
Guesses & Substitutions
Scholars aren’t entirely sure about the identity of some of the plants. Attorlaðe, for example, is unknown but thought by many to be woody betony.2 I did see someone claim that this plant was black nightshade, which I would not recommend. Cockspur grass is another common interpretation. I chose betony.
The next questionable interpretation is for “lamb’s cress.” Some people take it to mean watercress, while others say hairy bittercress or Cardamine hirsuta.3 I opted to use Cardamine bulbosa, a close relative to hair bittercress that is native to North America.4
My next swap is the applewood shavings. In the charm, they seem to be using a mash made of crabapples. I suppose I could have gotten my hands on some crabapples and dried their skin or something, but I think using a bit of applewood actually makes more sense for incense, especially given that the wood was intended for a smoker anyway.
And finally, there is the parsley. Some scholars believe that fille in the charm refers to chervil or a similar plant.5 Chervil is related to parsley,6 which is much more readily available in my local grocery store. Patti Wiggington uses thyme in her Nine Herb Charm salve.7
Don’t forget a good chant
I also wrote a little galdor to go with it because why not? The original charm had a verbal component, after all.
Nine herbs sacred burn and smoke Remember all which past you smote Drive out illness, malice, and pain Clear this space of the profane.
Conclusion
Is this an exact replica of what was used in Anglo-Saxon times? Definitely not. But do I think it will make the right connections and enhance my praxis? Absolutely.
Let me know in the comments if you have a different Nine Herbs blend that you favor. I’d love to know!
I’ve recently had a drive to spruce up my general altar space (this is separate from my area dedicated to Frig). One of the things I really wanted was a shelf to elevate certain items. I looked all over the internet, and nothing felt quite right. So, I decided to do a little DIY. Fortunately, I have a very handy husband who no longer asks questions and just breaks out the measuring tape.
My first order of business was the wood. I did not want to make it out of pine or poplar, though I supposed I could have picked up an appropriately sized board at Home Depot. I was just starting to think I would have to go to a dedicated lumber store when I found this: a red oak stair tread.
Please ignore the camping chairs, bag of turkey decoys, hardware fabric, and other misc items in the picture. The garage really isn’t suited for photo shoots.
Is this the ideal material for building a shelf? Probably not. Was it easily accessible and easy to put in the backseat of my car? Absolutely.
Here’s the full material list:
4′ red oak stair tread
4-pack of 2″ corner braces
1 pack of 1″ felt pads
Fine sandpaper or sanding block
Tung oil (or whatever finish you prefer)
And the tools we used:
Table saw
Chop saw
Drill
Electric sander
The space I wanted to put this in wasn’t really deep enough to accommodate the whole depth of the stair tread, so the first thing we did was rip it down to 9″ wide with the table saw. If you have the space for it, the rounded edge of the stair tread could actually make a nice front for the shelf. Alas, I do not have the space.
Here is a rough sketch from my iPad of how we cut the stair tread into the shelf pieces.
After that, my husband cut the legs from the main piece, measured at 7″ each. The remaining 32ish inches became the top piece. While he was doing that, I spot-tested how the tung oil would look on the scrap from step 1.
The chop saw burned the wood a bit, but I was able to get the marks off with the electric sander. I also used this to speed up the process of cleaning up the sharp edges of the cuts before finishing with very fine grit sandpaper.
Then, it was time for assembly. I forgot to take pictures, but we measured 4″ in from each end and marked it. We then measured 2″ in along those lines on each side to mark where the braces would go. We placed a leg and a brace and marked the holes. Repeat for each brace.
Drill, baby, drill. Pre-drilling is important, especially since this is a hardwood. Hubby drilled all the holes, and then assembly began.
Here you can see the placement of the braces.
From there it was just a matter of rubbing on the tung oil and leaving it sit for 15 minutes before buffing it out. I let it cure for a day and then repeated the process and cured it one m ore day before adding the felt pads. And voila! A finished shelf for my altar space.
The finished shelf sits on the garage workbench
This was a really fun and gratifying project. The finished product is hardly perfect, but it was made with love and perfect for my needs. I’m looking forward to having this shelf in my sacred space for many years to come.
The spring has just been flying by and I have not been on top of the blog! It seems I blinked and it was Ēosturdæg. The big post I’ve been working on will be delayed, I’m afraid. But, never fear, I do have more content coming. For now, I have a somewhat belated ritual to share with you. I composed following group ritual for a meet-up with other Fyrsideras this weekend. I’m posting it a bit late but there’s no rule that says we can’t hail Ēostre any time besides Ēosturdæg! It’s a little short and sweet but I hope y’all find it helpful.
A few important notes: I am assuming that the individual or group performing the ritual has their own preferences for ritual cleansing, and so jump straight into the hallowing. And while I do not personally include a gatekeeper in my personal praxis, I have included a section for those who do; feel free to skip it. As always, my hallowing and closing are borrowed from my friend Wind in the Worldtree. See my Geol ritual for more ritual notes.
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.
An images of Ēostre (optional)
Libation offerings. Water or juice is absolutely fine.
Birdseed or similar
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.
Hallowing
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!
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
We have come together today to celebrate the coming of spring, the beginning of a season of warmth and growth. Hrēðe has defeated Old Man Winter, and now Ēostre dances across the land, coaxing all that is green and good from Eorthe’s rich soil.
Gatekeeper
Æled, 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
Invocation
Hail Ēostre, Bringer of Summer and Bearer of Blossoms [All: Hail Ēostre]
You bring us to wakefulness with the dawn As you rouse the Earth from her Winter slumber. You know the timing of flowers and the dances of bees. We come before you to celebrate your day, Grateful for the waking world around us, For he dandelions that grow plentiful around our feet, The singing of birds and the buzzing of bees. And the sweet scent of spring rain before the summer blooms. We thank you for these signs of the turning season And the warmer temperatures that bring them. They are such beautiful gifts that you give us.
A gift calls for a gift, and so now we bring you our humble offerings.
Action: Pour libations and/or scatter birdseed (if outdoors). If in a group, allow time after the main offering for individual prayers and offerings. You may also allow time for additional toasts.
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
Action: Blow out candles to signify the end of the ritual and dispose of the offerings appropriately.
A quick note on the nature of this review. I am not an academic and I am not looking at this book from that perspective. I am examining this book from the angle of a reconstructing Fyrnsidere with no training as a historian or linguist. As such, I am not an expert and everything contained in this review are my opinions as a layperson.
I picked up Pagan Goddesses in the Early Germanic World: Eostre, Hreda and the Cult of Matrons by Philip A. Shaw in preparation for an upcoming post on Eostre and Hrēðe. It was referenced by several sources I found during my initial research, and I decided that it would be worth picking up myself.
Was it worth it? … Kinda?
I’ll be honest, when I first pulled the box containing this book out of my mailbox we were already off to a bad start on first impressions. When I pay damn near $50 USD for a book, even a scholarly one, I expect it to be a little heftier than this. If you decide to read this book for yourself, I highly encourage you to look for it at the library, borrow it from a friend, or thrift it. Save your money.
Initial annoyance aside, the book is quite densely packed. The back blurb describes it as a “readable introduction to some ways in which linguistic evidence can be brought to bear on historical issues.” I suppose readable is a subjective adjective. If you are accustomed to reading dense, scholarly material it may be a fair assessment. If you are not, then your mileage may vary.
The strange angle at which I took this picture makes the book appear taller than it is. But as you can see, it is quite skinny, and the internal text is not tiny.
If you’re looking for a deep dive on the linguistic arguments around Eostre and Hrēðe, this is your book. I will say that proponents of the Hrēðe-is-a-goddess-of-victory camp may not be pleased with his conclusions. His conclusions about Eostre are also… interesting. Personally, I agree and disagree with some of Shaw’s conclusions, but we’ll discuss my UPG in another post.
I do think Shaw’s point that scholars have focused too much on the roles of goddess too much vs their localities is an interesting one. He says in his conclusion on page 99 that “the goddesses of this book seem to point in the other direction, towards the tribal, the local, perhaps even the familial or personal.” Now, I highly doubt Shaw was intending to call out modern pagans with his statements. I am very much convinced that he was speaking to his fellow academics. But I do think this line perhaps gives food for thought about how we as modern Fyrnsideras approach our reconstruction and our gods. My thoughts on this are half formed at best, however, and I shall save them for a later discussion.
Aside from food for thought, my biggest takeaway from this book is perhaps its extensive bibliography. I suspect there’s more than one interesting gem in there.
In conclusion, do I think this book was worth the money I spent on it? No. Do I think it’s worth reading for my reconstruction journey? Yes.
Disclaimer: While my blog focus is the modern practice of Fyrnsidu and Anglo-Saxon heathenry, this post will be pulling quite a bit from Norse heathen sources and authors because this topic is somewhat universal to the greater modern heathen experience.
If you asked me what I think is the singular, most important concept in all of heathenry, I would be compelled to say that it is thus: reciprocity. And I don’t believe I am alone in that assertion. Many (if not most) contemporary heathen writers spend at least some time on the subject.1 Indeed, it is often discussed in modern pagan circles more broadly. If there is one thing I think a new heathen should have a basic understanding of before entering praxis, it is this fundamental concept.
What is Reciprocity?
Be a friend to your friend, and repay each gift with a gift.
Hávamál 42 – Jackson Crawford’s translation
Diana Paxson sums it up well, I think, in Essential Asatru when she says “Friendship provides a useful model for our relationship with the gods and goddesses and other wights. Like any other relationship, friendship with a god requires mutual respect and attention.”2
Reciprocity, also known as the gifting cycle, is the means by which we build that relationship with our gods. They bless us, and we give them good gifts. Christians do it, too, although I don’t think most of them conceive of it in such terms. They offer their god their time, their money (tithes), their praise, and their faith. In return, they are granted blessings in this life and the hereafter, or so their doctrine goes.
Heathen gifting tends to look a lot more like actual gifts. Some pagans have altars cluttered with votive offerings, while other tend to stick to incense or libations. Praise in the form of poetry or song can also make a worthy gift. Offerings can range from humble to extravagant, and vary by occasion. For example, you might offer a glass of water with your daily devotions. You also might offer an entire bottle of expensive liquor when you get that big promotion you’ve been chasing.
In Fyrnsidu, the exact what you’re gifting is far less important than the fact that you’re actually doing it. Although, I think there is something to be said for selecting a gift for your gods with the same care you would select a gift for a dear friend.
But why, tho?
If you have a good friend, and really trust him, and want good to come of your friendship, you should speak your mind with him, exchange gifts, visit him often.
Hávamál 44 – Jackson Crawford’s translation
I want to be really clear that the purpose of the gifting cycle is not bribery.3 When you begin the process of building a relationship with a spirit (be they a god, an ancestor, or a wight) you should not be doing so with the expectation of immediate return on investment. For one thing, they are not obligated to return the favor if there is no interest on their end in having this relationship. That first gift should be because you are interested and want to engage with them, or perhaps thank them for a perceived gift you’ve already received.
Once a relationship is established, then of course the gods become a source of strength, comfort and support in our times of need, much like our human friends. What issues you bring to a deity will depend upon your individual relationship with them. Like different friends sometimes fulfill different roles in our lives, so too may different spirits.
For many of us, these relationships themselves are the entire point of praxis. We want to feel that connection to something beyond ourselves. Whether the emphasis your praxis is on building relationships with gods/goddesses, ancestors, or landwights is a personal decision.
Offerings for Modern Praxis
There has already been a lot of ink spilled on the subject of why blood offerings are no longer appropriate in modern praxis4 (the possible exception being if you are actually a farmer who processes their own livestock as a regular part of your profession) so I am not going to spend a ton of time rehashing that discussion. Just don’t do it, m’kay?
Having said that, burning incense and purchasing items for offering aren’t always practical. Here I’d like to suggest a few alternatives:
Use a wax warmer to offer pleasing scents at your altar. This can be a great alternative to burning incense, and can avoid flames entirely if you select an electric option.
Spend time doing an activity that brings you closer to your deity. If you are a crafter, this could be time spent making something for your altar. If you worship a hearth goddess, physically cleaning and cleansing your home could be considered a devotional act.
If you cook a special meal, set some aside before you eat. This is an especially great option for ancestors if you’re preparing a family recipe.
If you are a wordsmith or musically inclined, write a poem or song for your deity’s glorification or amusement.
A Real-Life Example
Ignoring the eye-blinding color of my accent wall, this is a small altar to Frīg near my kitchen. I theoretically tend to it on a weekly basis, but let’s face it, I’m not the world’s most consistent Fyrnsidere.
On Frīg’s Day (Fridays), I change the flowers and light the wax warmer. On special occasions, I burn loose incense, but the wax warmer generally works best for me.
Whenever the urge comes over me, I also make libation offerings. Usually for me this looks like making Frīg a cup of tea, and then making myself one, too. My prayer will sound something like this:
Hail Frīg, hearth mother, spinning goddess [Some thanks or other acknowledgement] [A petition if I have one]
Sometimes I may talk more about whatever is weighing on my heart while I sip my tea with her. Often times, I sit quietly and listen with my inner self for her responses. On rare occasions I will do divination. None of this is pre-scripted, and there’s very little ritual to it. Since this is a permanent altar in my space, I don’t feel the need for a hallowing every time.
If this reminds you of inviting a friend or a relative over for tea and a deep talk about important things, well, that’s sort of exactly what it is. This is how I build reciprocity with this goddess. From talking with others, sharing tea with Frīg or Frigg (Norse) seems to be a common practice.
My set-up for my ancestor altar is actually quite similar, and includes a different wax warmer. I often offer coffee and break out my oracle deck when talking with my ancestors.
The “Broom Closet”
Not all of us can practice as openly as we would like for numerous reasons, and I think it is important to take a moment to acknowledge that. Some of my suggested alternative offerings are more suitable for people in this situation than others. I think the wax warmer and the devotional acts are probably the safest options, aside from simply leaving out glasses of water, as I’ve seen other pagan creators suggest.
If this is you, just do your best. I strongly believe that the gods will not fault you for earnest gifts, even if they are a bit stealthy and lacking in ceremony.
Alaric Albertsson discusses reciprocity briefly in Chapter 3 of Travels Through Middle Earth: The Path of a Saxon Pagan (revised edition), which discusses the wéofod and giving offerings. “Heathens believe that the exchanges of gifts—in the form of offerings—are ways to develop long-term relationships with the gods, ancestors, or landvaettir.” Patricia M. Lafayllve, A Practical Heathen’s Guide to Asatru. This quote is from the beginning of Chapter 13. ↩︎
Diana Paxson discusses how our relationships to our gods are akin to friendships in Chapter 8: Ways of Devotion in her revised edition of Essential Asatru: A Modern Guide to Norse Paganism.↩︎
There is such a thing as propitiation, but this is different than the gifting cycle and serves a different purpose. Wind in the Worldtree has a post on this subject titled “Propitiation.”↩︎
Wind in the Worldtree covers this topic well and in-depth in this post, “Blood Sacrifice.”↩︎
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!
If I’m wrong about this, please feel free to point me to some sources in the comments. I’d love to see them! ↩︎
Forþ-weard 