My standard ritual at Asatru gatherings is an Odin-blot, simply because I have a special connection to Allfather and giving blot to him is undoubtedly what I do best. But this Midsummer, I changed my routine. One of our clergy students was performing an Odin-blot as part of her certification process, and I did not want to duplicate her efforts. I had done a Wotan-blot last October, near the 2000th (!) anniversary of Hermann's victory over the Romans at Teutobergerwald, and decided to present it at the Asatru Folk Assembly's Midsummer event.
We stood in a large circle, the night held back by blazing torches and a roaring fire. A triangle of tall wooden images representing Odin, Thor, and Frey towered over me. Behind them all an Irminsul, or World Column stretched toward the full moon. Before me was a simple altar, or horg. I made the Sign of the Hammer with my fist and intoned "In the sign of the Doom of Giants, and in the holy names of Wotan and Donar, I hallow the horg to Wotan and bless the place of blot..." We had begun.
My invocation drew a word picture of Wotan himself walking through the forest, and we called him: "Be with us, Wotan! Storm across our souls! Fill us with holy frenzy! Give us your might and main!" In a spirited call-and-response, we affirmed Wotan as the God of the Germanen, as our God. "Wotan!" I called; "Mit uns!" ("With us!") the folk responded, three times. I asked Wotan for his traditional gifts, namely victory, and wisdom, and above all the awakening of our Folk from their slumber.
We gave Wotan our "might, and main, and troth" - through the medium of a horn of fine mead, carried around the circle so that each could put in their gift "from heart to hand to horn." With each step I took, the drums and triangle sounded as Dylan and Robert - of the band Lasher Keen - provided accompaniment. After the libation, a second horn was held high, Wotan filled it with power, and I asperged the assembled folk with an evergreen branch. Thus were the gifts made, human to God and God to human, as befits those who are blood kin and friends.
Our meadow was surrounded by hills, and the pine trees roared our voices back at us. It was a powerful rite - primordial, passionate, an organic connection with the Folksoul.
Indeed, "Wotan...mit uns!"
Steve McNallen
Asatru Folk Assembly
http://runestone.org
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Asatru Folk Assembly's Midsummer 2010
The Asatru Folk Assembly's "Midsummer in the Sierras" was an extremely successful one, despite the fact that it went somewhat differently from what Sheila and I had planned.
What we had envisioned was a dynamic and intense experience that would affect all who participated. We got that! The only thing that fell through was our intention to have it highly connected with the outside world via the Internet.
First of all, the numbers: We had over a hundred people in attendance at the height of the gathering. This is compared to sixty-some last year, and an humble twenty at our first AFA Midsummer!
But the important thing was not the size of the crowd, but the attitude and energy. No doubt the rituals contributed to this, as did the two bands brought in to provide music. The presence of an official guest from Denmark helped, as well. But the biggest factor in our success was the creativity and productivity of the people who attended. This atmosphere, that "anything was possible," was worth more than all the Internet connectivity in the world!
I'll post more on the rituals later, but to give you a bit of a preview: Johnny and Jule Hulsey led us in a healing rite that affected several of us in a very tangible level. Bill, one of our two clergy students conducting their "certification blots," performed the actual Midsummer ritual. Lauren gave us an Odin-blot that left us open-mouthed. Sheila and I renewed our wedding vows. Young Gabe underwent his initiation into manhood. My Wotan-Blot rang off the hills like we had a thousand people in the meadow.
Music? We had two bands. Lasher Keen, experimental artists working in Germanic themes, rocked us. The Blarney Band gave us rousing fireside Irish songs.
Of course, there was work to be done. In a separate post I'll mention the huge accomplishments of the Folkbuilders. (Both Brad, Folkbuilder Coordinator, and Brent, his assistant, were present, along with another eight Folkbuilders.)
No, we didn't get you the minute-by-minute reports on the Internet, for reason's I'll explain later. But let me tell you, this was one incredible event..."Not just another Asatru gathering."
Steve McNallen
Asatru Folk Assembly
http://runestone.org
What we had envisioned was a dynamic and intense experience that would affect all who participated. We got that! The only thing that fell through was our intention to have it highly connected with the outside world via the Internet.
First of all, the numbers: We had over a hundred people in attendance at the height of the gathering. This is compared to sixty-some last year, and an humble twenty at our first AFA Midsummer!
But the important thing was not the size of the crowd, but the attitude and energy. No doubt the rituals contributed to this, as did the two bands brought in to provide music. The presence of an official guest from Denmark helped, as well. But the biggest factor in our success was the creativity and productivity of the people who attended. This atmosphere, that "anything was possible," was worth more than all the Internet connectivity in the world!
I'll post more on the rituals later, but to give you a bit of a preview: Johnny and Jule Hulsey led us in a healing rite that affected several of us in a very tangible level. Bill, one of our two clergy students conducting their "certification blots," performed the actual Midsummer ritual. Lauren gave us an Odin-blot that left us open-mouthed. Sheila and I renewed our wedding vows. Young Gabe underwent his initiation into manhood. My Wotan-Blot rang off the hills like we had a thousand people in the meadow.
Music? We had two bands. Lasher Keen, experimental artists working in Germanic themes, rocked us. The Blarney Band gave us rousing fireside Irish songs.
Of course, there was work to be done. In a separate post I'll mention the huge accomplishments of the Folkbuilders. (Both Brad, Folkbuilder Coordinator, and Brent, his assistant, were present, along with another eight Folkbuilders.)
No, we didn't get you the minute-by-minute reports on the Internet, for reason's I'll explain later. But let me tell you, this was one incredible event..."Not just another Asatru gathering."
Steve McNallen
Asatru Folk Assembly
http://runestone.org
Midsummer 2010
The AFA's "Midsummer in the Sierras" was an extremely successful event, despite
the fact that it went somewhat differently from what Sheila and I had planned.
What we had envisioned was a dynamic and intense experience that would affect
all who participated. We got that! The only thing that fell through was our
intention to have it highly connected with the outside world via the Internet.
First of all, the numbers: We had over a hundred people in attendance at the
height of the gathering. This is compared to sixty-some last year, and an
humble twenty at our first AFA Midsummer!
But the important thing was not the size of the crowd, but the attitude and
energy. No doubt the rituals contributed to this, as did the two bands brought
in to provide music. The presence of an official guest from Denmark helped, as
well. But the biggest factor in our success was the creativity and productivity
of the people who attended. This atmosphere, that "anything is possible," was
worth more than all the Internet connectivity in the world!
I'll post more on the rituals later, but to give you a bit of a preview: Johnny
and Jule Hulsey led us in a healing rite that affected several of us on a very
tangible level. Bill Shelbrick, one of our two clergy students conducting their
"certification blots," performed the actual Midsummer ritual. Lauren gave us an
Odin-blot that left us open-mouthed. Sheila and I renewed our wedding vows.
Young Gabe underwent his initiation into manhood. My Wotan-blot rang off the
hills like we had a thousand people in the meadow.
Music? We had two bands. Lasher Keen, experimental artists working in Germanic
themes, rocked us. The Blarney Band gave us rousing fireside Irish songs.
Of course, there was work to be done. In a separate post I'll mention the huge
accomplishments of the Folkbuilders. (Both Brad, Folkbuilder Coordinator, and
Brent, his assistant, were present, along with another eight Folkbuilders.)
No, we didn't get you minute-by-minute reports on the Internet, for reasons I'll
explain later. But let me tell you, this was one incredible event..."Not just
another Asatru gathering."
Steve McNallen
Asatru Folk Assembly
http://runestone.org
the fact that it went somewhat differently from what Sheila and I had planned.
What we had envisioned was a dynamic and intense experience that would affect
all who participated. We got that! The only thing that fell through was our
intention to have it highly connected with the outside world via the Internet.
First of all, the numbers: We had over a hundred people in attendance at the
height of the gathering. This is compared to sixty-some last year, and an
humble twenty at our first AFA Midsummer!
But the important thing was not the size of the crowd, but the attitude and
energy. No doubt the rituals contributed to this, as did the two bands brought
in to provide music. The presence of an official guest from Denmark helped, as
well. But the biggest factor in our success was the creativity and productivity
of the people who attended. This atmosphere, that "anything is possible," was
worth more than all the Internet connectivity in the world!
I'll post more on the rituals later, but to give you a bit of a preview: Johnny
and Jule Hulsey led us in a healing rite that affected several of us on a very
tangible level. Bill Shelbrick, one of our two clergy students conducting their
"certification blots," performed the actual Midsummer ritual. Lauren gave us an
Odin-blot that left us open-mouthed. Sheila and I renewed our wedding vows.
Young Gabe underwent his initiation into manhood. My Wotan-blot rang off the
hills like we had a thousand people in the meadow.
Music? We had two bands. Lasher Keen, experimental artists working in Germanic
themes, rocked us. The Blarney Band gave us rousing fireside Irish songs.
Of course, there was work to be done. In a separate post I'll mention the huge
accomplishments of the Folkbuilders. (Both Brad, Folkbuilder Coordinator, and
Brent, his assistant, were present, along with another eight Folkbuilders.)
No, we didn't get you minute-by-minute reports on the Internet, for reasons I'll
explain later. But let me tell you, this was one incredible event..."Not just
another Asatru gathering."
Steve McNallen
Asatru Folk Assembly
http://runestone.org
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Join...the Rising!
Asatru Rising...this year's Midsummer celebration of the Asatru Folk Assembly...starts Thursday evening, June 24th. And you can be there, no matter where in Midgard you live.
There's a mood in the air, a sense of change, of a subtle but unmistakeable shift in the soul. Odin's breeze rustles the branches of the World Tree. Something new and glorious is about to be reborn.
You can follow the happenings of this powerful meeting of the Folk in many different ways:
News will posted on the Asatru Folk Assembly's Facebook...
Pictures will appear on http://picasaweb.google.com/afaops...
Podcasts, to include major talks, will be on the new site, http://asatrurising.podbean.com/...
Or you can follow us on Twitter; search for AsatruAFA.
There are many Midsummer festivals, but there will be only one Asatru Rising.
Steve McNallen
Asatru Folk Assembly
http://runestone.org
There's a mood in the air, a sense of change, of a subtle but unmistakeable shift in the soul. Odin's breeze rustles the branches of the World Tree. Something new and glorious is about to be reborn.
You can follow the happenings of this powerful meeting of the Folk in many different ways:
News will posted on the Asatru Folk Assembly's Facebook...
Pictures will appear on http://picasaweb.google.com/afaops...
Podcasts, to include major talks, will be on the new site, http://asatrurising.podbean.com/...
Or you can follow us on Twitter; search for AsatruAFA.
There are many Midsummer festivals, but there will be only one Asatru Rising.
Steve McNallen
Asatru Folk Assembly
http://runestone.org
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