Category: Lore & Ritual
Winter Nights and the Healing of the Soul
by Hyndla OR
For the past 10 years, Donar’s Hearth and the Odinic Rite Vinland have hosted a Winter Night’s party that was open to the “public”. We have always combined the spiritual with the fun. We have the traditional …
Wights and Our Folkway
by Juliegh Howard- Hobson AOR
The care and keeping of landwight relations is underemphasized in the many writings on Northern European folkways. Yet, it is the wights, (disir, alfar, house wights, land wights, tompts) who actively strengthen—even more than our ancestors, and more than our gods–our vital link, our holy bond, to Nerthus, the earth, this place we occupy day and night until we leave.
Spirit: Instinct, Intellect and Emotion PART 1
By Tyrsegil Bloodketil
Spirit is the vitality of being, the essence of existence without which life would not be possible. Conversely, spirit cannot exist without matter, marking the reliance of the physical body and spirit upon one another as integral. In the purest Pan-Aryan spiritual systems the significance of the spirit comprises the core of sacred teachings from the Old Norse önd and odh (Germanic wod) to the Sanskrit prana and atman (Germanic athem) representing the Breath of Life and Self respectively.
Donar Chant
By Juleigh Howard Hobson AOR
For Hallowing the house and hall
And every one who comes to call
An iron nail is in the wall.
Hail Thor!
Preparing a Ritual Drinking Horn: A folk recipe of sorts
by Dave Hobson AOR
Every ritual object that we fashion for ourselves is charged with much more power than a purchased object could possible contain. This power, in turn, charges both the liquid that it will hold and the folk who will pass it in Sumble or in Blot. It is a very simple task to create your own drinking horn—don’t be intimidated by the magical significance. Like all things, the result is far more impressive than the method.
Exploring the Blot – Part 3: Artefacts
By Mark Puryear
As a ceremonial religion, Odinism utilizes various implements in the worship of our deities. These items are sacred symbols embodied within the very strata of our ancestral belief system, which allow us to connect to the ritual purpose of communication with the Gods on a deeper spiritual level.
Our Purpose
By Jeffrey Morales AOR
Humanity has been, and continues to ask the question: “Where do I come from?” On a more individual level, we ask the question: “What is my purpose for being?” In 1665 Robert Hooke was the first person to use the word “cell”. The cell has been established as the most basic unit of life; for it holds the characteristics of all living things. Physical human form (the body) is a universe to trillions of living cells. Our spiritual consciousness can be viewed as one of an infinite number of cells within our conscious cosmic universe. We are each part of a greater “Oneness” that goes beyond our perception of life.
Exploring the Blot – Part 2: The Sacred Verse
In ancient societies poetry was an incredibly important factor of religious expression, especially in Teutonic Europe where Skaldic and Eddic art forms were highly valued and praised among the folk. In fact, every piece of lore that has survived from the pre-Christian era in this region was written in verse. Therefore, it would be safe to say that this practice was also used in the writing of prayers (boenar) and blotar as well. When we consider the fact that the Hindus, our Indo-European cousins, have retained their sacred verse forms and meters (Anustup, Mahapadapunkti, etc.) in liturgical hymns and prayers for thousands of years, it is easy to see that the same would have been the case for us, had it not been for the Christian invasions.
Exploring the Blot – Part 1
By Mark Puryear
The word “blot” is an Old Norse term designating a sacrifice or offering. It is etymologically linked to English “blood”, which was its original meaning; since in ancient times animal and even human sacrifices were performed to the Gods and Goddesses, with their blood being a central object of observance. This may be shocking to some, but what many should know is that every race in every land on earth has practiced some form of blood sacrifice at one time or another..
The Yule Tower, Heart(h) of the Northern World.
By Arnbald OR-B & FS (Brittany & French Saxony)
For many Odinists today, the Yule tower (Julleuchter) appears as one of the main cultual artefacts in the family hof. As its names suggests, it is mainly involved in the Yule time celebrations. If it has became an important symbol of the old faith, the artefact itself – as we shall see – not necessarily an old symbol.
