Sunday, August 28, 2016

Nerthus


Nerthus (Hertha) is Mother Earth and a Goddess of the Sea and of Rivers. The "Mother Earth" worshipped by the North Sea Germans, according to the Roman historian Tacitus (writing in the first century of the Christian era). Her worship included the springtime procession of a wagon in which her image was kept, which ended on a holy island.
 



The ancient people of the Norse had close ties with the Earth, and it’s seasons.  Their lives circled around the seasons as much as the seasons circle around the year.  The changing seasons affected not only the weather but also the day to day survival of the Norse.  It dictated what they ate, where they lived and how they lived.

And this is just a snippet of what can be found in, 'Who Are Your Divine Friends?'.

 

Correspondences:

Altar: outside upon cloth place pots of Earth in which has been drawn the runes Feoh, and Berkana, and Jera, and seeds to be planted, and a wooden tray of small cakes marked with the runes Sigil, and Tyr, and Ansuz, and a horn of mead, and a pitcher of rain or snow water

Color: brown, green, blue

Day: Monday

Incense: jasmine, juniper, lotus

Offerings: planting seeds, doing something to clean the earth or air.

Plant: birch, fir, hawthorn, loosestrife, mint, mugwort, rose, willow

Pronunciation: 'Nearth-os' (Nerthus)

Rulership: fertility, groves, peace, purification, sea, Spring, wealth, witchcraft

Runes: Berkana, Dagaz, Ehwaz, Laguz, Raidho, Wunjo

Stone: copper, crystal, quartz, smoky topaz

Symbol: groves, sea, earth, water

 

Nerthus

I am the springtime, young and yet old.
I am of mountains, mighty and cold.
I am the fertile fields and the scum.
I´m the eternal Die and Become.
I am as gentle as I can be wild.
I am the mother, and you are my child.

~ Michaela Macha

 

Hail Nerthus

Hail Nerthus,
Hail the dirt teeming with life.
Hail the bog, life’s ancient terminus.
Hail the pig, the fowl, the cow
and all animals and growing things
that feel the gift of Your blessing.
May we be inspired, Great Goddess.
May we be inspired in our devotion to You,
today and every day.
Hail, Nerthus.

~ Galina Krasskova 

 

Goddess of Earth

Goddess of Earth's gracious gifts.
Bounties that tease in blessed bloom.
Nerthus do stay and sever the sorrow.
For joy frames fertile fields
and harks health hale and hallow.

~ Salena Levy

 

A Harvest-Time Prayer to Nerthus

Fruitful Mother, Devouring Mother
I hail You.
Eldest of all, Veiled and Mighty
I sing Your praise.

Terrifying and trembling,
awash in adoration,
I will lay my treasures before You.
With head bowed low
upon the earth that is Your gift
(and our obligation),
I whisper my prayers
Thinking of You
and of Your holy groves.

You sent Your family forth,
gifting the world of man
with the arts of civilization.
These things You and Yours have given.
These things we have received:

The skill of drawing sustenance from the sea
The skill of tilling the soil
Of planting
of bringing forth crops
the gift of the harvest
The crafts of the earth and clay: of throwing a pot and working a kiln
Of building
Of reading the weather
The yoking of animals
Stewardship of the land
Burial of the dead
The merit of sacrifice
The terror of mystery

For these things, we are grateful.
For these things we shall always remember:

Prayers to You, oh Nerthus,
Ancient and wise.
Prayers to the Mother.
Be Thou always honored.

~ Kira R

 

In addition to having influence over fertility, she holds other divine offices that are not stated by Tacitus.  Beyond Tacitus, we have archeological evidence of bog contents including bent iron weapons, grand strings of amber, domestic animals, and human sacrifices; that some scholars believe are consistent with what we know of Nerthus’ worship.


In surviving Anglo-Saxon writings, there is a ritual of blessing the fields prior to plowing and planting.  During Charming of the Plough, which usually occurs around Imbloc, a customary activity is turning the soil, mixing it with an offering of milk, flower, and water.  Even if you don’t have a garden, turn a little dirt near your apartment or home and leave a similar gift.  This action rejoices in Nerthus’s awakening and draws the Goddess’s peace and prosperity to your residence.  Take a little of that same blessing with you, just collect a bit of the soil-milk mixture in a container and put it wherever you need peace or prosperity the most.  She can also be befriended by providing aid to farmers and cleaning up the Earth.

 












 

 


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Sunday, August 14, 2016

Esbat Full Moon


Esbat Full Moon

 

August 18 is the Full Moon.  The Moon is the only natural satellite of the Earth and the fifth largest Moon in the Solar System.  The Moon is in synchronous rotation with Earth, always showing the same face with its near side marked by dark volcanic that fill between the bright ancient crustal highlands and the prominent impact craters.  It is the most luminous object in the sky after the Sun. 




An Esbat is the ritual that centers around the moon. Generally, most Wiccans observe the Full Moon Esbat, and concentrate their important spell work then.  The Full Moon Esbat is used for banishing, protection and divination workings, also planning, releasing and working with time.  It is during this time that the God becomes the strong Father figure who cares for the Earth and all its creatures.  The Father is the ripeness of manhood and in his prime, a great leader.

Sturgeon Moon of August.  The fishing tribes are given credit for the naming of this Moon, since sturgeon, a large fish of the Great Lakes and other major bodies of water, were most readily caught during this month.  Plan a ritual to preserve what you already have.  A few tribes knew it as the Full Red Moon because, as the Moon rises, it appears reddish through any sultry haze.

The sturgeon is a symbol of strength and longevity to Native Americans. Like salmon, sturgeons swim upstream to get to their spawning grounds.  They are very graceful swimmers, causing very little disturbance as they move through the water.  Water is the element of the emotions.  So sturgeon have the strength to swim against the current and the ability to survive despite hard times. 

 

 


The full moon affects everything around us, the way we act, the way we think, and the way we handle our emotions.  The effects of the moon had been talked about, and joked about, since the Dawn of Time.  Phrases like “once in a blue moon” and “full moon special” have been used as an excuse for a wide variety of behavior.  It pulls the tides, and even draws the energies of plants from root to tip.

Meditate on the accomplishments from the last few weeks that you are proud of and would like to celebrate in community.  Make clear also any intentions that you would like support around manifesting in the weeks following the Esbat ceremony.  Bring a symbol of each to add to the altar.  You are encouraged to bring with you a candle, shell or small object that represents the moon.  These will be charged with the energy raised at our celebration and placed in a special place in your home as a symbol to support you in filling your intentions.  Bring any inspiring music, poetry or images as well as a light snack to share after the ceremony.

 

28 Adorations to Mani

I adore You, Sweet Incantation of Night.
I adore You, Hati’s Fetter.
I adore You, Son of the Keeper of Time.
I adore You, Delight of Mundilfari’s House.
I adore You, Brother of Sunna.
I adore You, Nephew of Nott.
I adore You, Kin to Sinthgunt.
I adore You, Lustrous Illuminator.
I adore You, Beloved of Unn.
I adore You, Singer of Odd little Rhymes.
I adore You, Intoxicator.
I adore You, of the thirteen turnings.
I adore You, Bearer of the gleaming scimitar.
I adore You, Who sometimes shields his face.
I adore You, Ancient Splendor.
I adore You, Protector of Children.
I adore You, Solitary Singer.
I adore You, Keeper of Cycles.
I adore You, Master of Tides.
I adore You, Friend of Alfar dark and light.
I adore You, Who inspires longing.
I adore You, God of Camellias.
I adore You, Who makes the heart ache.
I adore You, Protector of the Mad.
I adore You, Beautiful as Alabaster.
I adore You, Gleaming Pearl in the body of Night.
I adore You, Master of the Abacus.
I adore You, Golden One and Beautiful.
My Adoration, I hail You.
Sweetest God, ancient and beautiful.
Be ever praised, Mani.

~ Galina Krasskova

 

Some people have preferences of which moon cycle they like best so experiment to find out which ones you like best.

 









 

 


 

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Monday, August 8, 2016

Odin


Odin (Óðinn, Woden, Godan), of the Aesir: Father of all the Gods and of men. The God of magick, ecstasy, poetry, and man’s consciousness of inner divinity; He brings knowledge, wisdom, ideas and inspiration to help Mankind.  He is both the shaper of Wyrd (fate) and the bender of Orlog (destiny) showing the interconnected nature of all actions. He is married to Frigg and father to Baldur and Hod.  Although he has many lovers and many more children.


It is he who makes men mad, possessed of driving rage, and also the “madness” perceived of the warrior in battle, the seer in trance, the poet’s creativity. It is also he who sacrifices an eye at the well of Mimir to gain inner wisdom, and later hangs himself upon Yggdrasil to gain the knowledge and power of the Runes.  He can travel to any realm within the nine Nordic worlds.  He is pictured wearing a floppy hat and a blue-grey cloak and is accompanied by two ravens, Hugginn (thought) and Munin (memory) who daily fly over the world reporting all that has happened.

He pops up in everything from the Ancient Saga of the Volsungs to Modern Neil Gaiman's American Gods.  He was typically accompanied by a pack of wolves and ravens and rode on an eight-legged horse named Sleipnir.  He can be appealed to for leadership, city hall, war, divination, professors, luck, poetry, travel, and wisdom.  Odin can also be honored by making a donation or volunteering to a veteran's organization or a college.

And this is just a snippet of what can be found in, 'Who Are Your Divine Friends?'.

 

Correspondences:

Altar: on a cloth place a horn of mead, an evergreen branch, and a set of runes laid out in concentric circles

Color: black, orange, red, dark blue, grey 

Day: Wednesday

Incense: dragon’s blood, pine, sandalwood

Offerings: mead, do something in a leadership position especially if it is difficult

Plant: beech, ferns, maidenhair, mandrake, marjoram, polypody, valerian, yew

Pronunciation: 'Oh-din' (Odin)

Rulership: the arts, civilization, fate, healing, horses, initiation, magic, wild hunt, ships, wisdom

Runes: Ansuz, Dagaz, Ehwaz, Ingwaz, Jera, Lagaz, Othala, Wunjo

Stone: agate, carnelian, gold, jet, onyx, tin

Symbol: blue cloak & floppy hat, eagle, raven, wolf, spear, air

 

God of Mystery
Tune:"Bound for the Promised Land"

I sing the God who never rests
From finding hidden lore,
And for all the riddles that he guessed
He's ever seeking more.

Chorus:
I follow the God of mystery,
Of memory and thought;
Oh, won't you come and join with me,
To seek what he has sought?

Through labor, trickery and charms
He won the poets' brew,
And breaking free from Gunnlod's arms
From Suttung fast he flew.

Chorus

A knowledge contest entered he
And pledged his life as bet;
His last question was a mystery,
Vafthrudnir lost his head.

Chorus

To drink from wisdom's water, he
Feared not the price to pay,
The wonders of nine worlds to see,
He gave one eye away.

Chorus

Nine nights upon the tree of woe
Triumphant over pain,
To grasp the runes, he looked below
And fell to earth again.

Chorus

The High One wanders far and wide,
He seeks by night and day,
He calls his children to his side
To walk upon his way.

Chorus
Chorus

~ Michaela Macha

 

Odin is my Guardian

Odin is my guardian, I shall not fear
He maketh me stand tall on green battlefields
He leadeth me into bloody conflict
He restoreth my pride;
He leadeth me in the paths of wisdom for His name's sake
Yea, though I walk through the gates of Hel,
I will fear no evil, for He is with me,
Thy shield and spear comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in Valhalla;
I sit with my brothers in arms; my horn runneth over.
Surely battle and strife shall follow me all of my days;
and I will dwell in the halls of Valhalla forever !

~ Glenn Bergen

 


I met a man

I met a man
upon a road
brimmed hat hid his face
old and grey
curiously spry
a twinkle in the left eye

I met a man
we talked for hours
of war and peace
politics and law
of curious lore
and times before

I met a man
cloaked in grey
he reminded me
of gods and heroes
giants and beasts
halls filled with feasts

I met a man
carrying a staff
carved with unknown
letters -- perhaps runes
when closely I peer
it's actually a spear

I met a man
who spoke of magic
a price of lore
paid willingly
for new skills
himself he'd kill'd

I met a man
and walk with him still


~ Matt Ottercat

 

From Asgard to Midgard

From Asgard to Midgard I wander,
My one eye sees clear my way
My dark ravens herald before me,
To rally the souls of the Brave.

~ Matthias Wilson

 

Odin

Sitting out
The wind howling around me
The leaves falling in death
I remember Odin
He calls many
Yet few can stand
His terrible presence
With one eye in the well
And one turned toward you
He consumes you
Like the fires of Ragnarok
That he strives to hold back
Of those who encounter Odin
None remain unscathed
Yet all are transformed
All are reborn
Odin I hear you!
Odin I feel you!
Tree-swinger
Spear-shaker
Mead winner
Lore master
Rune rister
Fate twister
Odin
Hear me!
Odin
See me!
Odin my friend
Deal well with me!


~ Jeff Wolf

 


Odin Chant

A whispering wind whistles in through the window,
a God-wind gusts in through the door!
The Wanderer´s wonder is whirling around you,
each moment the magic is more.

~ Diana L Paxson

 

The Havamal explains that our truest friends are those who do what is in our best interest, even if it’s not what we want to do.  In stanza 124, Odin reiterates how worthy friends say what needs to be said, rather than merely saying what we want to hear.  "The truest friends can tell each other their whole mind.  Anything is better than to be faithless: no true friend says only what we want to hear."  Both sides should benefit equally from the others support.  We should be willing to make sacrifices for our friends, to help them in their hour of need.  Odin tells us that by doing this, we make ourselves worthy of friends who will stand by us even in tumultuous times. 

Odin gets half of the dead warriors and brings them to Valhalla so that they would fight alongside the Gods; in an attempt to strengthen and save the Gods in the final battle Ragnarok.  On the day of the final battle, Odin will be killed by the wolf Fenrir.

Today, his modern influence can be found in art, music, and more.  In the book American Gods, Mr. Wednesday (Odin) is the Old Norse God of knowledge and wisdom, aspects which he uses to his advantage as a confidence artist.  The comic book character Odin was created in 1962 by Stan Lee.  And the appearance of J. R. R. Tolkien's wizard Gandalf was influenced by Odin, and commentators have compared the character to Odin in his 'Wanderer' guise.

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