The Pagan Heart
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July-August 2005 Issue
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Holy Day - Personal Reflections of the Festivals We Celebrate Norse Midsummer
By Dairmot
Last July my house suffered the loss of my father. Though he was not Pagan, we understood each other well and were the best of friends. So in his honor the celebration of Midsummer was delayed for about a month to the date of his passing on July 20th. It served as a celebration of the harvest and also a memorial of his passing. As my steading is spread over the whole country at this time I had planned to do the ritual by myself. But as fate would have it, my student, his lady and her little girl arrived shortly before the planned date. So he and I did the ritual together. My Harrow (worship area) for warm weather use is very simple. I have a fire pit in my South yard and four Sections of tree trunk that mark the quarters. At each quarter is a torch for illumination. Located on the North side of the area is the altar. I laid a fire in the fire pit and set up and filled the torches. On the North Altar I put a spear for Odin and my rune bag along with a bottle of mead and a horn cup. In the East I placed a sword and shield to represent the land our ancestors came from. In the South a hammer for Thor. The West Held a Battle-Ax to honor the warriors who had passed over the Rainbow Bridge to the Halls of the Gods. After I lit the fire and torches my student joined me in the Harrow. I don't call quarters - I simply make the sign of the hammer at each, starting in the North and working clockwise around the area. After this I called on Odin in the North. I do not invoke, so to speak. I invite. I have found the Norse Gods to be a slightly testy group who expect good manners. Commanding the presence of any tends to be less than a good idea. A simple request on the other hand is usually fulfilled. My stated purpose was to honor the memory of one who had passed into the Halls of Valhalla Thor in the South was next called upon. As my patron I tend to have a very relaxed relationship with him. I simply greeted Thor as a friend and mentor. After Greeting the Gods I called upon my ancestors in the West. And then acknowledged the Homeland in the East. Now this manner of working would give some of my very early, very formal teachers fits, but it is how I do what I do now and that suits me quite well. I feel no need to carefully go round the circle in order from one point in an unbroken line to the next. Formality is not a part of my practice any more. I tend to keep things far simpler as I have gotten older. At the fire prayers were offered and a quote from the Havamal recited. The Stave dealing with the fact that the word fame of a good man will live forever. A �good man� is the only way to describe my late Father. Everywhere I go people tell me how he made their lives more pleasant, or how he had helped them out at one time or another expecting no gain for himself. We each made our prayers at each of the quarters, mine aloud and my student's silently, as that is the way each of us prefers to work. At Odin's Altar I asked for guidance in the form of a rune casting. I drew and was very pleased with what I was shown. Being a very private matter I regret that I will not share that information with you. My student cast as well and was also given important information. After proper libations had been offered to the Great Ones and the ancestors we closed our temple and ended the rite. A final word: I do not follow any set form for my rituals. A loose free-flowing manner has come to work best for me. My early training 35 years ago was formal to the point that form became more important than function. My present method of work isn't strictly true to Asatru form, or any other. I feel that form is more suggestion than hard and fast rule in most workings. Intent is what makes things function. Knowing that what you set out to do is in a sense a done deal before the work is ever started. It is my hope that this glimpse at the way I work has been of use to all that read it.
Cattle die, kindred die,
Cattle die, kindred die,
From The Havamal,
Little are the sand grains,
Moderately wise
Moderately wise
Moderately wise
From The Havamal,
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Primary Article - The Opening of the Mundus Cereris
Secondary Article - Odin's Ordeal
Secondary Article - Holy Day: Lughnasadh
Secondary Article - Holy Day: Rugiu Svente
Return to the Index of articles for Seasonal Festivals
