- Torch
- Wand
- Horn (use two if available)
(if two horns are not available, use one horn and a chalice) - Offering Bowl
- Mead
- Ale
- Herbs
- Earth Mother – Grain
- Outdwellers – Ale
- Landvettir – Ale or Mead
- Alfar & Disir – Ale or Mead
- Aesir & Vanir – Ale or Mead
- Ullr – Oil
- Skadhi – Oil
Pre Ritual Briefing/Claiming & Saining
Processional Sounding – blow horn
Hammer Rite
A priest/ess goes to the four quarters and makes the Hammer sign saying:
Hammer in the (whichever direction you are in), hallow and hold this holy stead,:
(then goes to the center and makes the sign overhead saying):
Hammer above us, hallow and hold this holy stead.:
(then towards the ground, make sign and say):
Hammer below us, hallow and hold this holy stead.
Welcome
Welcome to all who come to keep the Old Ways.
Earth Mother
(an offering of grain is made to the offering bowl, saying)
We give this gift to you
Mother Nerthus, springing forth this day.
Look kindly on our work,
Berchta, beldame of the wheel,
Spin us good wyrd this day.
O Mighty Mother of us all,
Pray, fill our house with joy.
Hail Nerthus, accept our sacrifice.
All: Hail Nerthus, accept our sacrifice.
Invocation to Odin
Seer:
Odin the One-Eyed,
Rune Lord of Wisdom.
Hear as we hail you
Honor our working,
Waken our word skill
Quicken our Magic
Skald speech be in us
By your blessing, Odin
Outdwellers
Hear me all you wights unhallowed,
Etins, trolls and all the Out-garth
Ravers, enemies of Asgard,
Here we give you proper honor.
Take this gift, here freely given,
Trouble not our holy working,
For our hall is well warded
By the Redbeard’s mighty-hammer
Consecration of Space and Participants
(purification with water, air and fire. Purify the area and participants with sacred water. Another will follow with the torch or lantern (fire))
I charge thee all in the North
In the name of Tyr
To wash away that which does stain the soul, the spirit, and the land.
I charge thee all in the East
In the name of Freya
To wash away that which does stain the soul, the spirit, and the land.
I charge thee all in the South
In the name of Thor
To wash away that which does stain the soul, the spirit, and the land.
I charge thee all in the West
In the name of Idunn
To wash away that which does stain the soul, the spirit, and the land.
(fire tender walk the outer area with the lantern)
Our kin, our homeland and our ritual space are purified with fire, air and water.
Hailsa!
All: Hailsa!
Meditation
Triads: Fire, Well and Tree
Well: (stand before the well)
Let these Waters become the well of Mimir. Grant us wisdom and keep ill away. May it’s cleansing powers be here to stay.
Tree: (stand before the tree)
Let this tree become the ash Yggdrasill. From the depths and heights spans the world tree.
Fire: (stand before the fire)
Let this fire become Bifrost, the rainbow bridge. May it’s sacred fire light our way. May blessing and wisdom grow each day.
Statement of Purpose
We gather here on the Feast of Yule, the Beginning of the Sacred Year, the Time of Turning. Our larders hold what gain we have reaped from our labors.
While we notice now the long darkness in which we spend many hours, in the Scandinavian countries the darkness is more absolute. Such a desolate time inspires feasting and the celebration of light. Evergreen trees and holly, which remain green throughout the long nights and bitter cold, are a promise that life is not fled, but will return to the land and bounty return to the folk.
On this day we honor all the Aesir – Gods and Goddesses of the Folk – and Ullr and Skadhi.
Yule is the most holy of the Germanic Feasts and shares many of the functions and connotations of the Celtic Samhain Feast. The Gods and Goddesses are closer at this time as are the Dead, Trolls, Ettins, Wights and other magical and mysterious beings. Yule is a time to recognize boundaries, between future and past, ours and theirs, realized and unrealized. Oaths for the coming year are particularly appropriate at this time.Open the Gates
(hold wand up to the tree with both hands and while invoking the gatekeeper, slowly bring arms apart keeping wand in right hand and visualizing the gates opening.)
Ritual Leader:
Wondrous Heimdall, watchman of the Gods,
Rider of the mighty horse Gulltop,
We ask thee to open the gates so that we may cross the rainbow bridge
By thy will, let the gates be opened!!
All: Let the gates be opened!!
Kindred Offerings
Landvettir: (the horn is filled with ale or mead and elevated saying)
To all those who dwell in this land, we give honor.
Kindreds of soil, of the waters, of the sky,
clans of tree and herb,
of stone and stream and lake,
tribes of bird and beast and creeping things,
you we remember with honor as we drink.
We ask the spirit of the land to join us at our fire and feast, that all wights of good will may be blessed.
(Horn is passed as all sing a chant to the Nature Spirits, when done, the remnants are poured into the Offer Bowl saying)
Let all the Earth and Sea and Sky receive with us the blessing of Eostre!
Hail Landvettir, accept our sacrifice!
All: Hail Landvettir, accept our sacrifice!
Alfar and Disir: (horn is filled with mead or ale and elevated)
Alfar we honor Great men and fathers Who in their highday Heroes were reckoned Likewise the Disir Great and good women Mothers, grandmothers, Peace-weavers, wise ones Ancestors aid us, Hear as we hail you Offerings we pour to you In honor and love
(horn is passed while all sing Mothers and Fathers of Old, when done, the remnants are poured into the offering bowl saying)
Hail to the Alfs, all ringed round us, the fathers of the folk Hail to the Dises, all ringed round us, the mothers of our might. Hail to our kin, in the hidden lands, Hail the Ancestors, accept our sacrifice!
All: Hail the Ancestors, accept our sacrifice!
Aesir & Vanir: (horn is filled with mead or ale and elevated)
We call to the Aesir and Vanir. Hear us eldest and brightest. To all you shining and deep ones, Wisest and mightiest, Cunning and fair, loving and comforting, gods and goddesses,
(horn is passed while singing Hail all the Gods, when done, remnants are poured into the offering bowl saying)
So, High Ones, We call to you as our elders, in reverence and love, to join in our magic. Come to our fire, Aesir and Vanir Meet us at the boundary Guide and ward us as we walk the elder ways. Hail Deities, accept our sacrifice!
All: Hail Deities, accept our sacrifice!
Key Offerings
Skadhi (skah-dee): (oil to fire)
Skadhi, great huntress and serpent-hanger, Njord’s husband and snowshoe-goddess, We ask you O Shining Bride of the Gods to join with us on this night of darkness, For the winds are wailing and the wolves are howling in the hills. O mighty winter-goddess, woman of the wild, As the darkness covers the fields and the folk, We pray that you share your strength with us, That you guide us in our goings and doings, And that you bring the light of your wisdom to fill the hall and the Folk again.
All: Hail Skadhi! Accept our sacrifice!
Ullr (ool): (oil to fire)
Ullr, great huntsman and master of the bow,
Sif’s son and Snowshoe-Aesir,
We ask you O Glory of Winter to join with us on this dark night,
For the frost is thick and the cold is
chilling to the bone.
O mighty shield-god, fair of face and fight,
As the darkness covers the fields and the folk,
We pray that you share your strength us,
That your skiff should shield us from harm,
And that your shining light fill the hall the and Folk again.
All: Hail Ullr! Accept our sacrifice!
The Omen
(stand before the tree holding runes up high)
Seer:
Hail Odin, Lord of the Shining Ones Thou who knowest the runes of wisdom. Grant me thy insight so that I may interpret thy ancient words
(cast runes)
This is our past This is our present This is our future.
(interpret the meaning of each rune)The Blessing
(Fill vessels with water and mead while saying)
Now let the birth might of Ullr and the joy of Skadhi, the Aesir & Vanir, of Alfar and Disir, and all goodly wights, shine in this blessing.
We pray as your people,
Hallow these waters
O mighty and shining
Offering we’ve given
Pray gift us in turn
Behold the Waters of Life!
All: Behold the Waters of Life!
(cups are passed while singing)Final Blessing
(recenter folk)
Ritual Leader:
Now let us rest in silence, with the Power of the Between in us, and know the blessing as it manifests itself in our lives
(silence for a time)Personal work if any
Closing
Ritual Leader:
We have been blessed by Ullr & Skadhi, offerings we have given, Blessings we have received by the Landvettir, Alfar and Disir, Aesire and Vanir. But now it is time to return to our common world, to continue our holy feast here in our hall in our mortal realm. Always remembering, that we mirror the halls of the holy ones, when our love for them is in our hearts and our bellies are full of their blessing. With joy in our hearts, let us carry the magic from our sacred grove into our lives and work. Each time we offer to the powers, they become stronger and more aware of our needs and our worship. So now as we prepare to depart, let us give thanks to those who have aided us.
(with each, pick up offering bowl and hold high)
Ullr & Skadhi:
We thank thee Ullr and Skadhi for thy blessings, thy love and thy gifts. We honor thee and bid thee go in peace.
All: We honor thee and bid thee go in peace
Aesir & Vanir:
We thank thee Aesir and Vanir for thy blessings, thy love and thy gifts. We honor thee and bid thee go in peace.
All: We honor thee and bid thee go in peace
Alfar & Disir:
We thank thee Alfar and Disir for thy blessings, thy love and thy gifts. We honor thee and bid thee go in peace
All: We honor thee and bid thee go in peace.
Landvetir:
We thank thee Landvetir for thy blessings, thy love and thy gifts. We honor thee and bid thee go in peace.
All: We honor thee and bid thee go in peace.
Ritual Leader:
We thank all those powers who have aided us. We honor thee and bid thee go in peace.
All: We honor thee and bid thee go in peace.
(renew the center)
Closing Gates
Well:
Let this well once again be water
Tree:
Let this World Tree be as it was
Fire:
Let this rainbow bridge once again be fire.
Ritual Leader:
Let all be as it once was.
Ritual Leader: (hold hands to the side with wand in one)
Wondrous Heimdall, watchman of the Gods.
We thank thee for thy divine assistance.
We ask thee to now close the gates between the worlds.
(slowly raise hand and wand together visualizing the gates closing. Stop when hand meets wand directly in front of tree)
In Unison:
Let the gates be closed!
All: Let the gates be closed!
Ritual Leader:
Hail Nerthus our Earth Mother, to you we
return all we leave unused. Uphold us now in the world as you have in our rite.
Hail Nerthus!
All: Hail Nerthus!
Announcement of the End
Ritual Leader:
Children of the Mother
People of the old and ancient ways
Friends of this rite
May the sacred presence’s remain within you always.
Until we meet again.
We wish your all peace, love and bright blessings.
This rite is ended.
Page Information:
“Mystic Ash Grove Yule – 2004.” submitted by SeleneTawny on 15 May, 2019
