The North Wind Was a Woman

A Yuletide Oath for 2011

2011-01-21T13:58:00.004-05:00

Idhavelli Hof celebrated our annual Yule Feast on 18 December 2010. There were many familiar faces and also some guests, and the pot luck feast was the best to date. Starrlight Mead was available for symbl, as well as hof-made mead. There was singing and storytelling, oathing and boasting, crafts and activities for the children, and much merriment had by all. My newborn son was fascinated

On Gifting

2010-07-13T09:24:00.003-04:00

(This is by no means a definitive post on my perspective on gifting, just an initial rant/purge. I may write something more formally composed at a later date.) The last two weeks have been highlighted by gifts. Some are small, acts and items one might not consider gifts, and others incredibly generous and beyond expectation. Still others are awkward, the gift given out of some obligation, and

Walpurgisnacht, and Planning Midsummer

2010-05-12T13:42:00.002-04:00

On 01 May, our bonfire was held on the back deck in a fire bowl. We lit the blaze and fueled it with confidential documents belonging to a friend who was moving (much faster and more energy efficient than shredding). Warding off of predators was one traditional purpose for the fires on May-eve, and our modern adaptation extended to those who would prey on identity and financial information.

OESTARA

2010-03-24T13:41:00.004-04:00

I'm decidedly making preparations for Oestara. Often, I witness even the higher pagan holidays with limited planning, and sometimes, participation. I'm making a conscious effort to remedy this in 2010, as my dedication to my spiritual life, the practice itself, is something I've felt waning since joining Idhavelli Hof. It's not the fault of the Hof, of course. I've just decidedly slacked off

Observances at Oimelc / Imbolc

2010-02-03T11:51:00.001-05:00

'Tis the season of re-kindling, re-birth. The brightest flame, the Candlemass, most holy day of Brigid: to thee I bear witness. A blessed Oimelc, Imbolc, or Candlemass to you!I recently received distressing news of a good friend from Colorado, a kindred soul with whom I created music and song stories, who wrote to inform me that she had been dealing with the hardships of addiction to

Review: 14 November Spa Ritual @ UUCH

2009-11-16T16:18:00.005-05:00

First let me just say, wow! Saturday night's ritual was proof that Hasaeti has power, and that our rite has the potential to be all that I (and others) have hoped and dreamed it might be.I will go chronologically, as I witnessed, without breaking the confidences of querants, so I don't forget anything.Before arriving at the Universalist church, I had done my own ritual to prepare. Earlier in

Hásæti

2009-11-10T08:18:00.004-05:00

After nearly two years of working together as a group, though with many personnel changes, the seiðr group sponsored by Iðhavelli Hof now has a name--well, a working title. The Old Norse word for "high seat" gave some the impression that it focuses the group's intent solely on spá, the oracular side of seiðr craft. But, by the end of last night's meeting, the group had agreed that Hásæti was

Before Returning...

2009-09-30T12:47:00.004-04:00

...to your regular scheduled program, a brief interruption. That is to say, I had planned another post before this one, one dealing with the idea of Gullveig, and whether or not she is some aspect of Freyja, but it's not finished, and I have to vent about one little thing.I never thought I would hear it from this group of spiritual people I've chosen to join forces with (hence my joining forces

More Updating: Grumbling about Teaching

2009-09-03T09:32:00.006-04:00

Now that the 30 Poems in 30 Days challenge is nearly finished (4 more to go!), I can get back to this neglected forum for my thoughts.The last post was a long update about seidr and my magical life. This post will be an update about other studies in heathenry.Recently, Idhavelli Hof finished the third round of studying the runes of the Elder Futhark. After some deliberation on what we might

In the Last Month...

2009-08-31T16:08:00.000-04:00

This entry will catch you up on some things that have been happening in my magical/spiritual life while I've been away from writing. Actually, I've only been away from writing in this blog, as I've taken on a writing challenge of 30 Poems in 30 Days with a good friend. Some of those poems will be posted here eventually, as they are devotional in nature or deal with mythological subjects.Two

To Woo or Not to Woo

2009-07-06T13:41:00.012-04:00

Indeed, that is the question. Svartasol posted her thoughts about heathen mysticism as a spectrum, and recently, Idhavelli Hof's Lore Group discussed the either-or pendulum, including stereotypes concerning folkish groups and not-so-folkish groups (typed: "universalist" for that particular discussion). I tend to agree with Svartasol and Valgrind that heathenry needs all gradients of a magical

Recap of Idhavelli Hof's Thing 2009

2009-07-01T13:48:00.005-04:00

Where: Umstead State Park, Camp CrabtreeWhen: 26-28 June 2009Members of the Hof's Rede visited the campsite the Sunday before the event, to survey the facilities and decide just where everything would take place. The site consisted of two units, though we ended up using one unit due in accordance with our registration numbers. There were many private cabins, most containing 2-4 bunks, and a

Contemplating Seidr Group Hamingja

2009-06-09T13:05:00.003-04:00

A quick note: I've decided not to participate in the International Pagan Values Blogging Month. While I've been going back to basics in a lot of ways, I find that my mental focus is not long enough at this time for deep speculation analyzing ethics and values. I'm reading IPVBM, just not participating actively. Just not up to the challenge at present.Seidr group meeting last night was

Divination: 09 April Rune Cast

2009-05-22T11:34:00.000-04:00

Concerning commitment, dedication, enthusiasm with regard to present concerns about my future work within the seidr group, as well as how to translate those things to my relationship with self (motivation in weight loss, depression and becoming a better vessel for spirit work and for myself).Who showed up:Laguz, Elhaz/Algiz*, Mannaz*Inguz, Berkana*, Ansuz*Uruz*, Hagalaz, Eiwaz* representing runes

Approaching Spirit Work with Enthusiasm and Dedication, Part III

2009-05-19T16:29:00.005-04:00

Part III of this entry will discuss some elementary skills whose practice will keep the spirit worker enthused, brushing the dust off and polishing up what have become routine cycles and making them enjoyable again. Some of my suggestions might seem simple, rudimentary, or even remedial, but remembering why we do what we do, why we desire to honor our gods and ourselves through our work takes

Approaching Spirit Work with Enthusiasm and Dedication, Part II

2009-04-21T15:52:00.002-04:00

Part IIHow do we become dedicants? How do we again become enthused by our gods, our practice, our spirituality as a whole?These are questions I've been pondering the last few months. They were sparked by a fellow member of the seidr group I belong to, and I have been considering them in a deeply personal way as well as with regard to the group. After Friday 17 April, our group will be shifting

Approaching Spirit Work with Enthusiasm and Dedication, Part I

2009-04-14T15:40:00.000-04:00

Part I I've been thinking about these entries quite a bit and, after reading the previous post a few times to set my direction, I realized that I think "commitment" is the wrong word for the job, and that "dedication" might be more appropriate, considering its own connotations to devotion of self toward sacred use. See Oxford English Dictionary entry below: 1. a. trans. To

Commitment and Enthusiasm

2009-03-17T09:53:00.006-04:00

In my last post, I discussed the seidhr group's last practice session that went a bit off kilter. My good friend cor_cordivm commented (as Vervainrose) and carried the discussion to her LiveJournal. In her multiple posts on the subject, she brings up some strong points about the idea of commitment and dedication, and ponders briefly just how much of that is brought to the group each time we

The Way of Practice

2009-02-17T11:28:00.002-05:00

Well, last night's seidr practice came off a bit rusty in places, but I don't think I'm ready to rationalize that to a long-ish break between practice rituals. One of the problems with doing full rituals on a weeknight is that many folks are coming straight from work and need time and effort to get in the right mindframe for trance and the oraccular spa. We do, however, know roughly two weeks

Hávamál 144

2009-02-04T09:35:00.003-05:00

Veistu, hvé rísta skal?Veistu, hvé ráða skal?Veistu, hvé fáa skal?Veistu, hvé freista skal?Veistu, hvé biðja skal?Veistu, hvé blóta skal?Veistu, hvé senda skal?Veistu, hvé sóa skal?The Seiðr group met 02 February to discuss the practice of seiðr/spá while looking at this particular excerpt from The Hávamál. This is arguably a recipe for magic, as knowing the how, when and why of all these lines

A Summation of the Last Two Months

2008-12-17T19:05:00.003-05:00

Incredibly long...Been absent...from a lot of things, and also from this weblog. That is not to say that I haven't been doing spiritual work during that time, because I have. The work is just as puzzling and confused as I am, and I've been trying to make sense of things as best I can. Mixed readings, crossed signals, too many things all at once. I'll make an attempt to parse them out

Bird Wings, and Other Miscelleny

2008-09-30T14:30:00.002-04:00

Notes from 29 September Sei