A Heathen Rosary

In popular culture, we have this idea that the Norse pagans were the polar opposite of Christians, and it’s completely untrue. There are a lot of things in Christian practice that were very similar to earlier polytheistic practices across Europe. Yes, the pagans of old prayed and were even known to kneel in their worship. They had water purification traditions and even used a cross as one of their spiritual symbols. Christianity was not an alien tradition that dropped out of the sky, it grew out of older polytheistic traditions. It also changed, syncretized, and absorbed pagan traditions to convert or ease the conversion of more followers. So I have no problem in adapting Christian ideas for Heathen worship.

I had this idea to create a set of Heathen prayers that could be used with a “traditional” rosary. This type of rosary is really easy to find and is often even given away for free. One could change out the cross part for a tree pendant, but that is completely optional. The cross is an ancient symbol with many meanings. For these prayers, we use it to symbolize the World Tree. Starting at the cross/tree, we go through the rosary in the same order as one would for a traditional rosary.

Starting at the tree/cross, the first prayer is the “sign of the tree”.
Sign of the Tree
In the name of the Father, 
the Mother, and the Tree of Life.
Blessed be.

Meditation: 
The Tree of Life represents the connection of all life, the axis mundi powers upholding those connections, in whatever forms they take, in unity as well as multiplicity. We trace out the sign of the tree on our body- the Father and the mind/sky, Mother at the heart/earth, and the outward reaching branches of the Tree at our shoulders, to affirm the Holy Powers of the Tree of Life, the divine energy living in us, through us, and all around us.

The first large bead (as well as two more large beads later), we have this prayer:

The Allfather
Hail Wudan, Allfather, who traverses the worlds, exalted be your name.
As above, so below. That which has been will return again, 
in concord with the great law of Nature.
Grant us this day your healing and wisdom, and aid us in our evolution.
And may our right actions be an offering to you, wherever we may wander.
So mote it be.

On the three beads after the first large bead, as well as the ten beads for the first decade (which has the theme of wisdom to meditate upon), we pray this one:

Hail Holda
Hail Holda, Shining Goddess, Font of Life. 
Blessed are you, Mother of All, who guides us through every transition. 
May our love and good works be an offering to you, 
and may you comfort us always, until we return to your loving embrace 
at the end of our days.

For the space between, that is, before going to the large bead that starts each new decade, we have this one:

Glory Be
Glory be to the Father, the Mother, and the Holy Powers of the Tree of Life.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and evermore shall be, unto the ages of ages.
So mote it be.

At this point, you could do these prayers for the whole rosary, ending with the centerpiece prayer, that I’ll get to last. However, I’ve included different prayers for each decade. These are the ones for the second decade, starting with a god prayer for the big bead, and ten goddess prayers on the small beads (and justice as the meditation):

The Skyfather
Hail Ziu, Skyfather and Lord of Justice, exalted be your name.
As above, so below. That which has been will return again, 
in concord with the great law of Nature.
Grant us this day your balance and justice, and aid us in our evolution.
And may our just actions be an offering to you, in all our relations.
So mote it be.

Hail Zisa
Hail Zisa, Undoer of Knots, Mysterious Protectress.
Blessed are you, Lady of Justice, who clears the way. 
May our love and fairness be an offering to you, 
and may you protect us, this day and always.

Then another “Glory Be” and on to these prayers, in the same manner as above. For the third decade we have strength and sustenance for the meditation theme, and these prayers:

The Thunderer
Hail Dunnar, Strength of the Gods, exalted be your name.
As above, so below. That which has been will return again, 
in concord with the great law of Nature.
Grant us this day your strength and protection, and empower us.
And may our courage be an offering to you, 
as our hearts beat to the rhythm of your mighty hammer.
So mote it be.

Hail Siwwa
Hail Siwwa, Golden Goddess. 
Blessed are you, strong and gentle sister, who gives to us our daily bread. 
May our generosity with each other be an offering to you, 
and may you nourish us, this day and always.

Then another “Glory Be” and on to these prayers, in the same manner as above. For the fourth decade we have peace and love for the meditation theme, and these prayers:

The Peacemaker
Hail Fro, Lord of Peace & Fertility, exalted be your name.
As above, so below. That which has been will return again, 
in concord with the great law of Nature.
Grant us this day happiness and good fortune, and imbue us with your bliss.
And may our love and creativity be an offering to you, in all our relations.
So mote it be.

Hail Frīja
Hail Frīja, Beloved Lady.
Blessed are you, Shining Goddess, spinner of magic and love.
May our adoration and creativity be an offering to you, 
and may you bless us with all the joys of life, this day and always.

Then another “Glory Be” and on to these prayers, in the same manner as above. For the fifth decade we have kinship for the meditation theme, and these prayers:

The Forefathers
Hail Ancient Forefathers,  exalted be your names.
As above, so below. That which has been will return again, 
in concord with the great law of Nature.
Grant us this day your wise counsel, and aid us in our evolution.
And may our love, remembrance, and good works be an offering to you.
So mote it be.

Hail Idisi
Hail Idisi, Clan Mothers.
Blessed are you, Shining Spirits, who guide and guard us 
through all our trials and tribulations. 
May our love, remembrance, and good works be an offering to you, 
and may you comfort us always, until we join you in the Hall of the Ancestors.

Lastly, as we come around to the centerpiece, after saying one last “Glory Be” we have this prayer:

Hail Holy Queen
Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of All, hail, our life, our sweetness and our hope! 
To you do we sing, far-flung children of Embla: 
to you do we send our hopes, as well as our mourning. 
Turn then, most gracious goddess, your loving gaze toward us, 
and after our time in this world, show unto us the blessed realm of rejuvenation, 
O merciful, O loving, O sweet Mother Holda! Blessed be.

So there we have it. You can follow along with the video I made for it, if you like. The repetition of the prayers is very meditative and comforting and also helps with memorization. You could also use the prayers on their own without prayer beads, of course, and adapt them as needed.

Oschdre

Spring has come, stepping lightly. This is the beginning of the season of awakening. At this moment, we look to the East, the most auspicious direction in Ozark tradition, and we see all things recreated anew by the Three Sisters at the edge of the world; Helling- which means Day, Nacht- which means Night, and Oschdre- the Dawn. Where Night meets Day in this time of balance, the world bursts forth with color. Oschdre and her sisters step out on the horizon and recreate the world anew! This Sunday at my UU Fellowship, we will read Where Color Comes From; Origin of the Distelfink and celebrate these liminal goddesses. With the Sisters, may we step into a new harmony.

Happy Spring Equinox! Enjoy this lil playlist:
Light of a Clear Blue Morning, a Dolly Pardon song covered by The Wailin’ Jennys
Morning Has Broken by Yusuf / Cat Stevens
Let the Way Be Open by Abigail McBride
Wild Sweet by Starling Arrow
She’s A Rainbow by The Rolling Stones

Lady and Her Cats

St. Gertrude’s Day on March 17th is celebrated in Urglaawe as Frouwasege, a holiday for Frouwa (another name for Freya, which means “Lady”). So March 17th is also Grumbieredaag– Potato Day. It’s a day to plant potatoes and also make a potato bread called Datsch. This isn’t just any potato bread though. You’re supposed to include ingredients for what you want to grow in your garden, also including something black, something green, and something white for her cat. Crumbs from this bread are then sprinkled in the four corners of the garden while invoking die Gleene Leit (the Little People who live in the corners of the garden), and calling down help from above. There’s more to it, and linked with fairy lore, and is a relevant supplement to our fairy tradition here in the Ozarks. For more on the folklore surrounding this custom and other fairy lore, I highly recommend Folk Tales of the Pennsylvania Dutch by William Woys Weaver.  

But back to Frouwa/Freya… The idea is that the veneration of St. Gertrude may have been the continuation of Freya worship, in the sense that many of Freya’s qualities are there. St. Gertrude was the patroness of gardens, cats, and travelers and shows up in Pennsylvania fairy lore. Freya is associated with cats as well, as it is two cats who pull her chariot.

It was debated early on in Urglaawe whether it should actually be Freid (Frigg) honored at this holiday. After all, it was the Norse, not the Germanic peoples who had Freya in their pantheon. Most scholars believe that Frigg and Freya are one goddess. This isn’t just part of that tendency of lumping all goddesses together- there’s actually a lot of evidence that these two goddesses, in particular, having been one goddess– evolved from the earlier Germanic goddess Frija. (To learn more, see the article titled Frigg on the website Norse Mythology for Smart People.)

However, regardless of whether Freya and Frigg are or were one goddess, they are experienced as individual deities by so many of their worshipers. It reminds me of the Holle and Perchta pairing as sisters who rule over the light and dark halves of the year. Freya could represent wild feminine power and Frigga that of domestic majesty. 

And that brings to mind one of the theories as to why these were one goddess split into two– the theory that Christianity caused a separation of accepted qualities from ones that were too wild for the new religion, so what was once was a complex and nuanced deity became a wife/whore dichotomy.

I recall one of Freya’s myths in which she wanders all over the earth looking for her lost husband, and as she goes, she assumes different names and guises in the various places she goes. Perhaps this myth is what started the idea of all goddesses being one. 

Lest we fall into the calamity of reducing every goddess into oblivion– another way of looking at it could be that She is a spiritual entity that can divide herself into many, into multitudes– sisters, daughters, valkyries, angels, other selves… Or perhaps She is simply part of a big family of similar beings. All these goddesses that are described as shining, and as ruling over matters of life and death, well there would have to be many of them, if you think about it, because there are so many of us. –I’ve heard it said that there are probably more than three Norns as well.

However you think of them, it seems fitting to treat Freya and Frigg as separate goddesses in worship, especially when worshiping out in community with others. It takes nothing away from our own beliefs to do so, making it the most inclusive approach and thus the one that is orthopraxic.

Holle Trinity

An image of Mother Holle (Hulda) that many are most familiar with is that of an old woman leaning out of a window shaking a goose-feather pillow or mattress, to make snow. However, she isn’t just a goddess of winter and snow. She controls the weather, the winds, but is also associated with water, wells, ponds, the underworld and mountains. Forget about pantheons– she may be older than both Asir and Vanir. Though she does seem to be related to the goddesses Frigga, Freya, and Hel.

Her best known fairy tale, Mother Holle, may on the surface appear to be a tale that simply advocates for hard work. However, in Urglaawe, the tale is viewed as a metaphor for her true nature and realm. (For details of that analysis read “Frau Holle” from the Urglaawe Perspective.) It is she who rules death and the afterlife, and it is by her that all souls come back around to rebirth.

There are many other fairytales that seem to depict a figure like Mother Holle, but never name her as such, or often, at all. In these tales, she asks for help with (usually domestic) tasks, and rewards good work with gifts of gold, and sometimes otherworldly help. I’m mainly thinking of the old woman in the Appalachian story of Whitebear Whittington (or the Ozarks version- The Three Nuts), but there of hints of her in Ashpet and some Mountain Jack tales as well.

As guardian of babies and children, she became the keeper of their stories as well; Mother Goose. The goose is her best known animal association, and though this animal may seem mundane in a way, it is a bird with deeply magical associations, as Arith Härger points out in his video Old Mother Frau Holle.

These stories depict her as a crone goddess, and that is what she has been depicted as throughout the Christian era, but she can actually appear as any age. The Grimm brothers believed the fairy tale of the Goose Girl to be about her, for in the story, she controls the winds and attends geese. In the symbolism of that story, we might contemplate that she is also the imposter, as there is a duality to her nature. She is dark and she is light, just as in her better-known story the characters Gold Marie and Soot Marie could be viewed as outward expressions of that nature. In that light, you might say that she is both the ash-faced girl, and the fairy godmother. The story Snow-White and Rose-Red comes to mind as well, which is a better reflection of the harmony of that dual nature, and a true sisterhood…

In Urglaawe, the goddess Berchta seems to fill that role as a darker expression of Holle. Though scholars believe Berchta to be another name for the same goddess, in Urglaawe, she is Holle’s sister and darker aspect. It is Berchta who rules over the dark part of the year, when Mother Holle is on the Wild Hunt. It is Berchta who holds the keys to past, present, and future and stands at the threshold of the turning of the year. She is seen as a goddess of time and the mind, and one of her lesser known animal associations is the owl. She is closely connected with the birch tree, which is deeply associated with new beginnings. Like Mother Holle, she is caretaker of deceased children, and a couple of her stories that illustrate this are The Blown Out Light and The Jugglet of Tears. When she is not being depicted as a elderly woman with a long iron nose and one big goose foot, she is seen as a young goddess, shining and beautiful in a long white gown and two dark braids.

It is this “shining” feature that the Grimm brothers talk about when they describe the “white ladies” of Germanic myth. It reminds me of a video by Maria Kavilhaug that I watched over a decade ago, in which she describes a near death experience she had as a child lost in the snow. A bright light embodying a comforting female presence came to her in that moment. It is pretty common for people to see a white light in near death experiences. Though I know this has scientific explanations, to me, it speaks to the idea of shining goddesses that guide us through death and through life threatening experiences. 

Which brings me to the third and most mysterious entity; Die Weisskeppich Fraa (The White Haired Lady). In Deitsch lore, she is an entity called in for healing in the Braucherei tradition. It isn’t really known if she is representative of a healing aspect of Holle, or perhaps akin to the Norse goddess of healing; Eir. In Urglaawe, she is considered the goddess that embodies Megge (or Mægen)- the spiritual energy that pervades all life, and is used for healing. Urglaawers view certain figures as her avatars, such as Mountain Mary, Gedreier Eckhart, and Hildegard of Bingen. Though in the sense that she permeates all things, I would liken her to Brandon Weston’s notion of the “Flow”- that essence in nature with which Ozark magical practitioners seek to be in harmony. She is pure spiritual essence, and to me, she is that which can only come from Mother Holle.

So when I set about creating my deepest prayers, sometimes I use the Carmina Gadelica and the Metrical Charms for inspiration, but it is with this trinity in mind: Mother Holle, her beloved sister Berchta, and the ever flowing healing spirit of the White-haired Lady.

Idise: Our Clan Mothers

In Heathen traditions, not only is a hearth goddess honored around this time of year, but also often the Idise of the family or kindred. (Though some kindreds honor the Idise in the Autumn.)

The Idise (of Germanic tradition) or Disir (of Norse tradition) are simply put; the ancestral Mothers and other feminine spirits who watch over us. For Ozark Pagans, a more familiar term might be Clan Mothers, though it’s not just Mothers in the mix. These are the feminine spirits and goddesses who are attached to us, and are not limited to blood kin. 

The comfort of knowing one’s Idise are watching over in times of need, is a great comfort that can only be compared to say, guardian angels in the more mainstream traditions. 

In other Pagan traditions I’ve been in, there wasn’t really a comparable category of beings. In Druidry, we had the Three Kindred: Deities, Ancestors, and Nature Spirits, though those categories could get a bit fuzzy in definition, and as time went on I began to question who exactly were included in these categories. As I wrote in “Guardian Kindred & Other Spirits”, the Druidic terms seemed to be all-inclusive, and might include beings or powers that may not exactly be in our corner. That led me to creating the term “Guardian Kindred” to denote those beings who were inclined to be in our favor. 

However, in this, my second foray into Heathenry, I’ve realized that in order for a deceased forebear to be an “Ancestor” they have to be evolved, and thus benevolent. In Urglaawe, Himmelgegend is the realm of spiritually advanced ancestors. So I think that this is where our prayers to the Ancestors go. I’ve known a lot of people who have issues with the Ancestor veneration aspect of Heathenry/Paganism, because of trauma and dysfunction they had with their parents or grandparents. This type of ancestor has to undergo a lot of soul work with Mother Holle, and may be awaiting reincarnation in Unnergegend, or are being transformed in Her great Mill, which grinds the soul into all its separate parts. Because of this, they are not available nor ready to be venerated as an Ancestor, but I think getting to that point is the goal, and is something Mother Holle and her kin are working with us to bring about. 

So rest assured, the Idise are a category of being that we can freely pray to and share our lives with. One might even find it easier than reaching out to the deities. How? Just start talking to them, pour them libations, and reach out to them through our hearts, and with our minds through meditation.

Hearth Goddess Folklore

The Winter Thermstice is drawing closer, and there are so many names for this holiday and so many ways to commemorate it. When I followed a solely Celtic path, I called it Imbolc. In my first jaunt into Heathenry, I called it Dísablót or Disting. Now that I’m exploring Urglaawe, there are many new names to consider, as it’s a multi-part holiday in that tradition. I like the idea of honoring both a hearth goddess and the Dísir/Idis (matriarchal spirits) at this time of year. The Urglaawe celebration of Entschtanning (emerging) includes both those components, which seems to me to be syncretic. That holiday has a lot of other things going on; travelers returning from the Wild Hunt, Groundhogs bringing news of the Underworld, and beginning preparations for building a magical scarecrow golem– But right now my focus is the Hearth Goddess…

Freid is the Deitsch goddess of this holiday. She is usually compared to the Norse goddess Frigg, but I find it interesting that the name Freid looks a whole lot like a Welsh name I’ve seen for the Celtic hearth goddess Brigid.

She is also called Haerdfraa, which means Hearth Lady. Here we have another example of a deity being named for their main role. Just as there may be a single spirit for each hearth, might one consider the Hearth Lady the Goddess of All Hearths? Or we could go with the idea that there are multiple Hearth Ladies…

To bring in an Ozark/Appalachian perspective, we could recall the story of Ashpet– the part where she has to go and get fire from the old witch…

Now, in case you didn’t know, Ashpet is an Appalachian Cinderella story. (A written version of it can be found in Grandfather Tales by Richard Chase.) Ashpet is mistreated, covered in ashes from hearthkeeping, and made to do all the work, just like her Cinderella counterpart. However, there are quite a few things about this particular tale that makes it a bit different from that of Cinderella. For one thing, Ashpet is not related to the two older girls in the household- not even by marriage. Ashpet is hired help. For another thing, there is no “fairy godmother”, but an “old witch” whom the whole community is afraid of. Everyone, that is, except Ashpet.

This story takes place in a time before matches and lighters, a time when starting a new fire was a difficult task. And so, if your hearthfire went out, the most sensible thing to do was to go and “borrow fire” from a neighbor. It was probably considered a bit of bad luck if the fire in your hearth was allowed to go out. But as Ashpet was held responsible for the entirety of the household chores, it’s no wonder it went out.

Because Ashpet was never allowed to leave the house, the older two girls, one at a time in turn, are sent to get fire from an old scary witch. She was their closest neighbor, but still a fair walking distance from their house. The two girls were reluctant to go inside, expecting the old woman to fetch it for them and hand it through the door. The old witch asks them each to comb out her hair in exchange for the fire, but each of them behaves very rudely and won’t even come into the house, and so, they are both turned away.

Finally, they get desperate, and Ashpet is sent over. She walks right into the old witch’s house like an old friend, greets her politely, and asks for some fire from her hearth. The witch agrees, but only if Ashpet will comb out her hair. Ashpet gladly combs out the old woman’s hair. I bet right about now you’re thinking, “what’s the big idea about combing hair?”. Well, in an earlier version of this story, the old woman is actually asking the girls to comb out nits and lice from her hair. So… not only is she thought to be an ancient and powerful witch (and thus very scary to most people), but she also has a contagious parasitic infection. Ashpet isn’t afraid of any of this. Where the other girls showed fear, disgust, and rudeness, Ashpet demonstrated bravery, kindness, and friendship. It’s easy to view the old woman’s request as a test of bravery or non-squeamishness, but she actually needed help.

I feel that there’s quite a bit of symbolism and meaning to this story. The old witch is definitely a Crone goddess, and often when a story has three sisters, the youngest seems to fit the role of a Maiden Goddess. Since this maiden figure also tends a fire as her main duty, though she seems to have no magical powers of her own, I think she might also be a cultural memory of a Hearth Goddess (such as Brigit or Freid). Could it be? Downgraded, and downtrodden though she is, I think it may be so. All ash-covered, kind, and beautiful. 

As you may well know, the Crone’s domain is winter and darkness. What is reborn out of winter and darkness? Light. The sun is reborn on the longest night, in the depths of winter. So of course one would need to go to the Crone’s realm to fetch back the fire of the sun. Who better to do it than the Fire Maiden- Ashpet? 

When I first read this story, it made me think of another myth- that of Brigit and the Cailleach. Only in that story, it is the Crone who oppresses the Maiden, and breaking free from her confinement, Brigit defeats or escapes the Cailleach so that spring may return. Their relationship is much different from that of Ashpet and the witch, who actually work together in friendship and cooperation. 

✨In the past year or so, I’ve come to realize that in stories like this, the Crone is actually a lot more like Mother Holle than the Cailleach. Something that Mother Holle does is ask for help, then reward those who do so, often with gold or silver.✨

So from this Crone figure (whom I like to think is a fragmented cultural memory of Fraa Holle), Ashpet receives three burning coals on a shelf mushroom  (a symbol of life and fertility- especially magical since it grows on a tree, between earth and sky) for transporting them to the other hearth. Here, I’m reminded of when another Crone gave Youngest Daughter (a later version of the story names her Nell) a magical treasure of three golden nuts in the story Whitebear Whittington. Those too, could be seen as representing the sun. 

Soon after, in both stories, a magical washing occurs. In the story of Ashpet, this happens when the Crone comes over and has the dishes magically wash themselves in the river (and the pots and pans wash themselves in sand) so that Ashpet can dress up and go to Sunday Meeting. In Whitebear Whittington, it is the point in the story in which Nell goes to clean Whitebear’s shirt in a river, and the blood stains instantly wash away.

Later, Ashpet finds her love, and Nell wakes the Bear King, but in the seasonal symbolism of these stories, I see those events happening at the Spring Equinox. It is now, in the quickening of the year, that I dwell in the part of the story that gives us little fires/suns and river washings.

“I kindle this flame in the way of the Fire Maidens;
light of the Sun, light of the Hearth, light of Life.
As you emerge from the Grandmother’s sacred realm of darkness,
shine brightly for us here.
Oh Golden Maidens, light our way.
Bless and hallow all, and deepen within us.
May you be our hope and shelter,
as you bless us with warmth and renewal on this day,
in this turning season, and always.”

Finding Ozark Deities

In my last post, I talked about creating a uniquely Ozark Pagan tradition, drawing from our culture, and from the Appalachian sources that formed our culture. On the surface, these regions are predominantly Protestant. However, alongside this, is a continuous animistic belief system to be explored, as well as a compendium of folktales and fairytales that hold a depth of ancient symbolism and remnants of old beliefs.

Belief in the Little People that inhabit the landscape has always been a part of our culture, both in the Ozarks and the Appalachians. This is a living fairy faith, the rich details of which can especially be found in Pennsylvania. In Folktales of the Pennsylvania Dutch by William Woys Weaver, we may find not only the tales of the fairy folk that reside in our country, but also the ways they are venerated and clues to deeper origins. For example, the fairy queen Shlaangafraa (“Snake Lady”), seems to be very much like the Celtic goddess Sironâ, and the forest king Buschmops /Waldemops seems very much reminiscent of Cernunnos. (Yes- it seems that that folklore tradition has preserved a lore venerating deities that are Celtic in origin as well. In truth, I believe that German and Celtic syncretism has as always been happening.)

Tales from other parts of Appalachia often have an Ozarks version that is a bit different in the details. We can sometimes find the deities here too, when we know how to recognize their symbolism, as often the characters in question are not named in the tales. For example, there’s the Jack Tales– Jack himself seems to be part folk hero, part demi-god, an adventurer of the Maponos-type, and a benevolent trickster. It’s some of the older characters in his tales, and other mountain tales, who give magical assistance and are never named, but may have once been symbolic of ancient gods. Fairytales were the repository of their lore, after all other modes had been outlawed. Earlier in history, listeners would have known these characters from earlier tales in which their deeds and appearance would have made them quite recognizable. Whether these names were forgotten as time went on, or omitted for secrecy, it has come down to us to decipher the greater meaning.

Another place where the gods were hidden was the “helpful entities” called on for assistance in the Braucher folk magic tradition of the Pennsylvania Dutch. These practitioners used to be called “powwowers”. When they came here to the Ozarks, they were called Power Doctors. The helpful entities or spirits they called on were actually, for the most part, Germanic deities, though sometimes they were referred to just by titles.

Some deity names are just titles. (For example, the names Freyr and Freya simply mean lord and lady). Calling entities or spirits a title that reflects their role looks a lot like reverence of archetypes. Maybe in some sense it is, but in common thought, people tend to associate archetypal belief with non-belief, and animism with the opposite– abundance of belief. Actually they are both archetypal and animistic, but also much more than that. The titles tend to become names when the language changes and the people forget, or don’t think about, the original meanings.

These sources have proven to be invaluable for the building up of Ozark Pagan/Heathen tradition, the details of which I plan to share here, and in public rituals, in the following seasons, so that anyone who wishes to, may join in an Ozark tradition.

Crafting an Ozarks Tradition

In my local UU Pagan group, we have public rituals, and over the past year, we’ve done all of them as Sunday services at our parent congregation’s fellowship. In the last couple of rituals, we’ve begun focusing on fine tuning our own regional form of Paganism/ Heathenry. In order to do this, we not only pull from Ozark lore, but from that of Appalachia as well, for settlers from that region contributed greatly to the early development of Ozark culture. So much so, in fact, that when author Colin Woodard identified eleven distinct cultures that have historically divided the US, the lower part (our part) of the Ozarks were included as part of “Greater Appalachia”.

This is but one version of an Ozark Paganism. There were many cultures that contributed to Ozark and Appalachian culture, and it’s still evolving. For my group’s rituals though, we must be mindful of cultural appropriation, and respect closed practices. We do, however, draw more from the major influences– it has often been said that for both regions it was the Scots-Irish that had the greatest influence. However, failing to credit German cultural influence may simply be WW2 anti-German sentiment, as the unique aspects of the Pennsylvania German tradition spread far into Southern Appalachia, and yes here, in the Ozarks as well. It is from that tradition that we got the Power Doctors, moon-sign medical astrology (planting/living by the signs), wart cures, tree peg spells, and a lot more.

“The strong historic connection between the German immigration to Pennsylvania in the New World and the early settlements of the Appalachian back country is easily proven through genealogical research. The Shenandoah Valley, with its Scots-Irish and German populations, was seen as ‘an extension of Pennsylvania’, a conclusion that holds true for most of the southern Appalachians.”
—Signs, Cures, and Witchery: German Appalachian Folklore by Gerald C. Milnes

By incorporating aspects of not only the Appalachians, but also the Pennsylvania Dutch Pagan tradition called Urglaawe, we get a more complete Pagan/Heathen tradition, especially for mythology and the deities, which were hidden under the guise of “helpful entities” called on by the Brauchers or Hexerei (the magical practitioners of the Pennsylvania tradition).

In the rituals for the year ahead, I hope to bring to my group and to our local community a sense of what it can mean to flourish in one’s own culture. We can reclaim things that may have been lost on the trek through the hills and through time, or perhaps were hidden until the time was right. That time is now.

memory triggers for learning the runes

Learning the names, meanings, and other association of the elder futhark runes can be a very daunting task. The ability to memorize things is definitely not one of my strong points. That’s probably why I procrastinated so long on learning the runes. And actually main motivator in doing so was to be able to give the omen at rituals without having to fumble with a “cheat sheet” of rune meanings. Casting the omen at ritual was one of those things I couldn’t really get out of; I’m the organizer of our small ADF Protogrove, and any ritual parts that no one wanted to take, I ended up doing. I didn’t have much faith that I would be able to memorize all the symbols, names and basic meanings, but I figured I’d better try. Turns out, I was much more successful than I thought I would be.

I started by associating the shape of each rune with it’s meaning. Here are some associations I used for initial memorization of a very basic meaning and other information for each rune:

fehu – means cattle and cattle equates to moveable wealth. Two lines jutting out from the vertical line remind me of cow horns. This rune looks like an F, and represents the letter F.

uruz – means auroch, a wild European ox that is now extinct. It represents primal power. I thought that the shape of this rune looked like what I imagined the profile of a ox’s body would look like; broad in the shoulders but tapering down at the hind quarters. It’s also an upside down U, and this rune represents the letter U.

thurisaz – means thorn or thurs (giant). It represents danger or a warning. It looks like a thorn and represents the sound “th”.

ansuz – means ás (a god), in particular; Odin. It represents communication, which is Odin’s domain. This rune almost looks like the letter A (if you were to extend some of the lines), and it represents the letter A. I think “A for answers”, to remember its meaning.

raido – means riding and this rune has to do with travel. It looks like an R, and represents the letter R. R for riding.

kenaz – means torch. It represents illumination and knowledge. Imagine a flashlight on the left of it, and it looks like a drawn image of light shining forth. It looks like the letter C, and represents C or K.

gebo – means gift. This rune has connotations of hospitality and relationship. The X reminds me of the criss-cross over the top of a round loaf of bread, or ribbons on a present. Gebo and gift both start with G, the letter this rune represents.

wunjo – means joy. It looks like a banner on a stick, something someone might wave in a joyous parade, or a balloon on the end of a string. The first part of it’s name reminds me of the word “win” (though it’s not pronounced like it). Both words start with W, and this rune represents that letter.

Thus ends the first aett (eight). I wanted to remember the sequence of the runes, so that I could recite them to myself as a memorization practice. So to remember this first aett, I thought;

“The futhark is a gift of joy.”

The first seven runes spell out the name given to the runes, “futhark”. Gift and joy are the meanings of the last two runes in the sequence.

hagalaz – means hail or hailstone. It is taken to mean a big change or crisis, much like the destruction of a hailstorm. It could be thought to resemble hail ricocheting between two walls. It’s often regarded as Hella’s rune. It looks like an H and represents the letter H.

nauthiz – means need. It looks like the way someone would rub two sticks together to make a need-fire, or the whittling sign an old granny would make with her fingers as she says “tsk tsk, naughty naughty”. This rune represents the letter N and has needful or negative connotations.

isa – means ice. It represents stasis, the way everything is still and immobilized in the winter when all is frozen. It looks like an icicle. It looks like the letter I and represents the letter I.

jera – means year (the J is pronounced like Y) and may represent a year’s work or harvest; an earned reward. It looks like two cupped hands coming together to do work. This rune represents the letters J and Y.

eihwaz – means yew, the world tree. It represents initiation and mysteries of life and death. It could be seen as a sparse tree, with one branch at the top, and one root at the bottom. This rune represents the sound “ei”, pronounced “eye”, so I think of Odin the one-eyed and his sacrifice on the world tree.

perthro – means dice cup. This has been interpreted to mean gambling or divination, which are things you might do with a dice cup. Casting lots have to do with fate (destiny) and mystery. The shape of this rune is like an overturned cup or pouch. The name has the sound “throw” in it, and you throw dice.

algiz – means elk sedge. It is a protective rune, shaped like the plant it’s named for. It’s shape also reminds me of a pitchfork or trident, which are protective implements. It represents the letter Z.

sowilo –  means sun. It represents energy and success. It looks like a sunray or the letter S.

So now we’ve come to the end of the second aett. The phrase I used to remember this rune sequence was:

“Hella needs an ice harvest. I was destined to protect the sun.”

The first sentence is made up of meanings and associations of the first four runes of this aett. In the second sentence, “I was” is one possible pronunciation of eihwaz. The rest of the sentence goes along with associations of the last three runes in the aett.

tiwaz – is named for the god Tyr, god of justice. It represents honor and fairness. This symbol points up toward the sky, and Tyr was a sky god. I also think of it as a ‘spear of justice’.

berkano – means birch goddess. It is a rune of blessing and fertility. It looks like a B, and represents the letter B. B for blessing. It also looks like a pregnant woman in profile.

ehwaz – means horse. It represents transportation, teamwork, trust and harmony. To remember the meaning of this one, I considered that it looks a bit like a horse, and the part that dips down in the middle could be a saddle. If this rune is turned on its side, it resembles an E, which is the letter it represents.

mannaz – means mankind. It is a rune of awareness and social order. This one looks like two stick figures embracing in a side hug. The letter is represents is M.

laguz – means water. People have associated this one with things already having to do with water in esoterica; emotions, dreams, mystery, the subconscious. The rune looks like an ocean wave or a ship’s sail. The name of the rune makes me think of the word lagoon. It kind of looks like an upside down L, and represents that letter.

ingwaz – means the god Ing (Frey), or seed. This rune contains the meanings and attributes of Lord Ing; fertility, agriculture, growth. There are two ways this rune is represented. One is an X stacked on another X, which looks like a plant springing up. The other is the shape the two Xs make in the middle- a diamond shape which could represent a seed. The sound this rune represents is “ng” as in Spring.

dagaz – means day. It is generally interpreted as awareness or awakening. It kind of looks like daybreak through a window or between two walls. The letter it represents is D.

othala – means home. It generally means an inheritance or belonging. Looking at the rune, you’ll notice two other runes in it: gebo (gift), and Ingwaz (Frey). So othala is a gift of Frey. The rune itself looks a bit like a house. The letter it represents is O.

So now we’ve come to the end of the last aett. This is what I used to remember the sequence:

“Tyr blesses horses and men, sail-ing all day to home.”

So those are the memory tricks I used to get started. Once I got those basic connections, I knew I would be able learn more and retain it. Soon I was able to practice retaining this knowledge by writing down the runes on a scrap of paper, in the right order, reciting their names and recalling their bare-bones meanings as I went along. Knowing this much encouraged me to continue studying the runes in depth. I hope some of these memory triggers help others get started as well.

 

 

home and hörgr

Earlier this year I posted an article about moving and settling into the new place. Lately, I’ve been feeling a renewed sense of contentedness and belonging, of gratefulness.

Last year, we spent several months house hunting. Each time we found a house in our price range that we liked, it either had too many repairs, or it was bought up before we could make a bid. We began to get very discouraged. At one point, I planned out a home-finding spell to do at the next full moon: I was to make house-shaped cinnamon ginger cookies and mark them with the rune othala, making them with intention and sharing them with my family. If any of you readers are house hunting, you can use that spell and let me know how it works, because I didn’t quite make it to the full moon…

One day, I was inspired out of the blue to just pray to Odin and Frigga that they would lead us to our true home- not a fancy shiny new home, but our true home, one that suits us, a place where we belong. A few days later, I got onto one of the real estate websites that I frequented, and saw a new listing, one in our price range and with the main things I wanted (a fireplace, wood floors, and a porch)- and it was in our son’s school district. Looking at the pictures, my heart leapt. This may sound a little crazy, but I marked an othala rune over the computer screen with a saliva dampened finger and said some spontaneous spoken charm that I no longer remember. We went to see it that day, it’s first day on the market. It didn’t even have a real estate sign in the yard yet. We made an offer and had the house inspected. As the house is over 50 years old, it had some issues. We negotiated an allowance for certain things to be fixed. We moved in at the turn of the year.

It felt like home right away and I wasted no time in unpacking and getting everything set up. As time goes on, I’ve developed a rhythm to my days and a feel for the rooms. I love the way the wood floors feel under my feet, and the way some of the boards creak. I love the old stone fireplace. It has a (non-functional) gas starter, installed when such things were popular; the inspector thought it was a gas fireplace, so I was very disappointed until I learned that it actually burns real wood and is no longer linked to a gas line. I’ve placed Three Hallows symbols on the fireplace mantle and set up altar items on shelves next to it. The house is old and patched up strangely in places. It has the original roomy hardwood kitchen cabinets with old fashioned handles, and extra large utility room that doubles as my craft room. It is quirky and imperfect like us. It is our true home and I thank the gods for it.

Now, as the weather is turning warmer, we are becoming more familiar with the yard and starting a garden, an herb patch, and a flower bed. One day after gardening, I had noticed a lot of large stones laying in various places. Before we moved in, I had decided that when the weather was warmer, I was going to find a large stone to use as a small hörgr to place offerings. But I was finding many large stones, so I figured I could make a proper sized hörgr. I built it on a hilly place in the yard close to the garden and close to a line of tall pine trees. I found the large square stone last. A hörgr doesn’t usually require a flat top (as libations are usually just poured over the top to trickle down over all the rocks), but I was delighted to find it, as now I can use it as an altar surface. Through touching each stone and balancing them with each other, I feel that I have come closer to the land. In shaping this hörgr, I have crafted a deeper level of belonging.