Buri

Buri is the God formed by the cow Audumla licking the ice that collected within Ginnungagap.  He had neither father nor mother.  But he is the father of Bor, and thus the Grandfather of Odin, Ve, and Vili.  Buri is the progenitor of all the Race of Gods.  He was formed out of the solidification of primal matter, potential, and energy.

Before there was soil, sky or any green thing, there was the gaping abyss of Ginnungagap.  This chaos of perfect silence and darkness lay between the homeland of elemental fire, Muspelheim, and the home of elemental ice water, Niflheim.

Frost from Niflheim and billowing flames from Muspelheim crept toward each other until they met in Ginnungagap.  Amid the hissing and sputtering, the fire melted the ice, and the drops formed themselves into Ymir, the first of the Godlike giants.  Ymir was a hermaphrodite and could reproduce asexually; when he sweated, more giants were born.

As the frost continued to melt, a cow, Audhumbla, emerged from it.  She nourished Ymir with her milk, and she, in turn, was nourished by licking the salty ice.  Her licks slowly uncovered Buri, the first of the Aesir tribe of Gods.  He was fair of feature, high and mighty.  He begets a son called Bor.  Bor had three sons who were Gods: Odin, Vili, and Ve.

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

 

Correspondences:

Pronunciation: 'Boor-ee'

Rulership: Ancients

 

Archaeology

Swords, stones and bones,
Coins, cloaks and combs,
Potshards and pollen
Are all we have left
Of our forefathers.

The songs that they sang,
The tales that they told
Are heard in no hall.

Writings that were wrought
By the foes that they fought
Tell a false tale.

Brooches in bogs
Tell us the truth.

Swords, stones and bones,
Coins, cloaks and combs,
Potshards and pollen
Are all we have left
Of our forefathers.

~ Vivian

 

Hail, O my ancestors!

Hail, O my ancestors!
Hail, O my gods!
Hearken ye spirits of hearth, field, and farm.
Come to my calling,
Come to my side,
Gaze on the wonders together we’ve wrought.

Kyra the golden, with Sif’s own bright hair
Voice raised in song, sweet and strong as fine mead.
Caitlyn the laughing, a storm with a smile
Dance with the grace of a Swan-may in flight.
Alyssa my Spark, with her heart on her sleeve
She’s a fountain of care, for whomever in need.

Come bold Aesir, test the strength of their will;
true to their kin, to their friends, to their word.
Come bright Vanir, test the truth of their love,
stewards to the land that gave them their birth.
Call all the Alfar, the Disir, the fey
Come join the dance, hear the song, feel the love.

Hail O my ancestors,
Hail, O my gods
Take of the cup that is raised to your health
Come round the hearth fire
Walk at our sides
In the love of the children, be ever alive.

~ John T Mainer

 

Elders

My dearest Elders, I thank ye for the gift,
For your blessed presence in my heart.
May between us there never be a rift.

And may our troth wax so strong we ne'er part.
Ye fill my soul like warm summer rain
As I see lightning sent by Thor in goat-pulled cart.

And Freyr has charmed the growing grain
While Matronae this land do walk
And the youngling pig for feast is slain.

I lift a horn and make solemn vow
To you who are so much more than men,
And ponder on Audhumla, the sacred cow.

~ Crowfuzz

 

In Honor Of Our Ancestors

I thank them for the love they shared,
I praise them for the children they raised,
And honor them for the generations they multiplied.

I thank them for the fields they plowed,
I praise them for the crops they planted,
And honor them for the food they reaped.

I thank our explorers who discovered new lands,
I praise those who started new settlements,
And honor those who created our countries.

I thank those who defended our kingdoms,
I praise them for the wars that they fought,
And honor those who died well in battle.

I thank those who braved cold winds, and deep snow,
I praise those who were stronger than the plague,
And honor those who struggled through famine.

I thank them for our wonderful culture,
I praise those who kept our religion alive,
And honor our ancestors for the heritage they passed down.

My life, our lives, are a living testament to all that they were.
We are the living monument that stands before the Gods,
And honors the memories of those who came before us.

~ Glenn Bergen

 

He can be appealed to for ancestors and ancient energy.  His friendship can be honored by helping elders in the family and community.  There were some uncertainties if Buri was a God or a Giant, so work with his energy at your own caution.  And there is no further information on him after the creation of the World.  Buri is mentioned nowhere in the Poetic Edda and only once in the Skaldic Corpus.

 

Ancestors

Buri

Creation

Croning or Saging

Disir and Landvaettir

Divine Friends

Elements Table

January

Sage

Sage God

Who are your Divine Friends?

 

 

 

Esbat Wane Moon

Esbat Wane Moon

The Hunters Moon is sometimes called the Blood Moon in October.  The leaves are falling from trees, the deer are fattened and it’s time to begin storing up meat for the long winter ahead.  It is a Moon of new goals, protection, resolution and spirituality.  The night of the Hunters Moon is a great time for divination of any kind.  At this time of year all of nature is making ready for winter. 

This is a time to reflect on what you did during the year and to evaluate your accomplishments.  Plan a ritual to remember those who have passed from this world and be sure to make an offering to them.  The waning phase is a time for turning inward and reflecting. It is a time for reaping what was put forth in the waxing phase of the moon. The waning phase is often used for banishing rituals.

October is a time of transition as the earth prepares for winter’s rest and we prepare for our journey through the dark of the year. At night there’s a chill in the air. The leaves of trees have blazed to their full autumn splendor and are drifting away on the wind. This is the time of Hecate, Cerridwen - the Dark Mothers who stands alone. This is the time to contemplate the cycle of life, death and rebirth.

2 white altar candles
1 black candle
1 pink candle
Sage, frankincense or myrrh incense (for clearing)
many small pieces of paper & a pen

Ritual Bath: Add salt to the water, or tie the following herbs in a small piece of cloth: hyssop, lavender and rosemary. Run under faucet.

As you inhale the aroma of the steaming herbs, visualize the steam breaking up any tension in your body, and exhale. Ask your body and spirit to release any thought forms that are not in accordance with your highest potential, and be willing to look at where you might be harboring doubt, suspicion, or fear.

With each inhale, affirm that you are breathing in the healing energies of the Universe, and that you can transform yourself through meditation, patience and faith.

With each exhale, affirm that the outmoded thought forms are transformed into new energy that can be utilized for growth. Let the old energy go down the drain and return to the altar, out under the moon if possible.

Light your white altar candles and incense. They are symbolic of peace, truth and protection. Meditate for a few minutes on what that means to you personally. Is there anything in your life now that is not in sync with your personal truth?

Light the black candle. The color black is an absence of color, and therefore absorbs... the black candle will represent the absorbing/transforming power of the dark moon, and as we work with it, imagine the pain or anger being pulled out of you and absorbed and transformed by the energy that is symbolized by the black candle.

Take a small piece of paper, and write with as much emotion as you can build one thing you want to release / transform.

Light one corner of the paper, and immediately drop it into a flameproof / heatproof dish (a large ashtray or a ceramic pot with some soil on the bottom would be ideal). When working with fire use caution.

Repeat with any and all emotions, fears, resentments, gripes, angers, resentments, excuses, obligations, etc. etc. etc... Until you feel clear! If you still feel bad, keep going for a while!

When you've cried, griped etc as much as you can stand, put out the black candle.

Light the pink candle. Put on your favorite music: something that makes you feel energized, happy and motivated! Now you need to focus on filling up the spaces left where the old pain was! Time to fill it in with the affirmations of your choice... Affirmations are positive, specific statements. They help you visualize, and believe in, what you're affirming to yourself, helping you to make positive changes.

Always write affirmations in the present tense! Keep repeating them over and over until you feel great! Grounding the moment and yourself.

When you are finished, put out the pink candle, and save it and the black candle until the next time you do this exercise.

As with anything Wiccan and Pagan, there isn't really a right or wrong way to do things. It's much more about listening to your body and soul and feel your way through life.  Some people have preferences of which moon cycle they like best so experiment to find out which ones you like best.

Affirmations

Elements Table

Esbats

Mani

Mani Lunar

Mani's Day

Moon (Rune)

Sunna and Mani

Waning Moon Release

Your Divine Friends

Norns

The Norns of the Norse Mythology are three old hags by the names of Urd (fate), Skuld (necessity) and Verdandi (being).  They live beneath the roots of Yggdrasil, where they weave the tapestry of Fates or Wyrd.  Each man's and woman's life is a string in their loom, and the length of the string is the duration of a person's life.  Their friendship can be honored by teaching or learning a craft, especially carving or weaving.

The Norns are often depicted as ancient women who hide their appearances underneath a hooded cloak, and can see the past, the present, and all possible futures with ease.  Others describe them as three maidens and their carvings consist of runes or weavings.  They most likely cycle through ages just as the well does.  They live around the Well of Urdr in Asgard and see to it that the fates of mortals and Gods alike are weaved according to plan.  Thus, the Norns are said to wield tremendous power that is respected even by God Odin.

The Gods have their own threads, though the Norns do not let the Gods see those.  This clear subjection of the Gods to a power outside their control and the implication that they, too, will have an end are major themes of the literature surrounding the mythology.  They can be appealed to for karma, fate, past, present and future.

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

 

Correspondences:

Abode: Well of Urdr

Rulership: Fate, Destiny, Wyrd

 

Trialogue

What you have spun, I will weave it;
a single thread´s such a lonely thing.

What you have woven, I´ll cut it;
what use is your work if it´s never done ?

What you have cut, I will tear, comb and spin;
it´s fit for another round on the wheel.

~ Michaela Macha

 

A Thread From The Loom

Moons before the tides of time
Twisted in its cosmic rhyme
Here the fledging seed is sprung
From thoughts of Wyrd hence are spun

All the gods and all of man
Bound in threads at their hands
Long before the Midgarths make
They, them the sisters three of fate

To love or loath the pattern wove
To walk the line or trip the thread
Urd knows and Skuld bares death
Verdandi elusive in a moment's breath

All the gods and all of man
Bound together the master plan
We forge our way through 9 worlds lay
All from a glimpse here today

~ M Odinsdatter

 

Sisters Wyrd

Sisters Wyrd
weave the web upon the loom
tangled strands; coming doom
vibrant - glaring - dark and subdued
strands distinct and different hued.

Men - Giants - Gods....their beauty and their horror
all woven together now until forever
upon the loom the sisters weave.
Do you believe...?

I saw this once long ago....
on a distant night
But I mistook the web and called it God
blending all the colors into white.

Tried to lighten the shade of my own thread
Clean and scrub the glaring red.
But I tell you it was all a lie
with nothing there to glorify!

No pattern to behold
give me back the Gods of old.
Explode with color; drench my soul
descend upon the rainbow.

~ Matilda Marks

 

The Three Maidens

Cold and heartless, they number just three,
Those maidens who live close by the ash tree,
That grows evergreen beside the holy spring.
Songs of the past, present, and future they sing.

They show no emotions, never happy or sad,
These Norns are not good, but neither so bad.
Stoically they weave the lives for all men,
With each new birth, again and again.

They are maidens of death, but also of life,
They spin together love, misery, war and strife.
Their gossamer thread they embed in our souls,
They provide us our laws, our lives, our roles.

Urd, Skuld, and Verdandi, these are their names,
They weave out our lives, our destiny on their frames.
Forever they sit and work at their loom,
Until Ragnarok comes, that ultimate doom.

~Glenn Bergen, 2011

 

Guardians of Fate

Three sit at the foot of the World Tree,
at Wyrd´s Well since the dawn of time
They water the roots of Yggdrasil
Norns these Ladies are called.

Together they guard, they watch, they govern
The threads of fate run through their hands
Black Urd guards that which has been.

Together they spin, they measure, they cut
Tender the web, but not torn ere its time
Red Verdandi guards that which becomes.

Together they know, they keep, they ken
Everything flowing, coming and going - they stay
White Skuld guards that which will be.

Together they guard, they watch, they govern
Black they are, red they are, white they are
Together they spin, they measure, they cut
Black they are, red they are, white they are
Together they know, they keep, they ken
Black they are, red they are, white they are
Norns they call the Ladies of Fate.

~ Original "Hüterinnen des Schicksals": Michael Schütz

 

A common misconception is that the destiny woven or carved by the Norns is final and unalterable, as in the Greek concept of fate.  The Norse model of fate, however, is far more dynamic and volatile than this and leaves ample room for an individual in the shaping of destiny.  The words of the Norns are not absolute.

The starting point for understanding the Germanic view of destiny is the mythological image of Yggdrasil and the Well of Urdr.  Yggdrasil is a tree that stands at the center of the cosmos and holds the Nine Worlds, the dwelling-places of humans, Gods, and all other beings, in its branches and roots.  It grows from the wells.  Water is central to the image; the waters of the wells nourish the tree, whose evergreen leaves then shed dewdrops into the well.

The water cycle in this model expresses a circular passage of time.  The Urdr Well, which corresponds to the past, influences the growth of the tree, which corresponds to the present.  But then, unlike in our modern linear conception of time, the present then returns to the past – even retroactively changing it.  This is the significance of the dewdrops that fall back into the Well. 

The Norns may be the shapers of luck, but they are far from the only beings capable of altering the course of destiny as it flows through the Well of Urdr and Yggdrasil.  All life is an interconnected web, where the slightest thrumming of one strand can cause the whole web to tremble.

 

Ancestors

Crone

Crone Goddess

Croning or Saging

December

Disir and Landvaettir

Divine Friends

Elements Table

Norns

Seidr

Who are your Divine Friends?

Yggdrasil