Post by The Rev. Halfdamn Black on Mar 22, 2008 13:07:03 GMT -5
I think it's fairly safe to say that there isn't many practices that aren't touched by the turn of the seasons, and paganism (and my Heathen/Asutrar) is no exception. As a cornerstone of human existence and survival, the Equinoxes and Solstices will always hold a meaningful and magickal connotation.
[glow=red,2,300]Thursday, March 20, 2008...5 P.M.[/glow]
After a week of mental preparation and a day of physical preparation I was ready to conduct my Equinox 'ritual'. I use the term 'ritual' loosely because there is little that I do in my practice that is standard due to the nature of my patron deity. I receive my impression for what is needed for each ritual about 24 hours in advance. For me it is like a divine communication and while it would be nice to have more advanced notice, it's not in the nature of Loki to be anything less than spontaneous and in my reverence and love for him, I open my time up to accommodate the very thing that makes him a catalystic force of fire and change.
For this ritual several things were asked of me to bring. They were:
A sharp workman's knife
First Aid items
An instrument
An orange candle
The nub end of a red candle that I had been saving.
My staff unadorned, save for the bells that always decorate it
Wear some appropriate colored clothing, black, red, and orange
An apple
A lighter
Know the names of the four Dwarfs at the corners of the world
Two specific runes
I got all these things together on the day of the 20th and went to the appointed place of the ritual which was also given to me as a communication.
To this point I still had no complete idea of what the intent of the ritual was, and this is common in my practice, though rare for most people's practices. I consider it to be a sort of hallmark of Loki.
The ritual was simple with no tralalalalala big to do. I find this is true for most Norse practitioners. The Norse gods seem to appreciate and demand simplicity and efficiency.
*I went to the appointed place, a stony river bank in the woods with a beautiful snow covering on the ground and fragrant wet earth.
*I secured my staff standing in the mud.
*I carved the two runes into the orange candle with the workman's knife
*I lit the orange candle and the red nub end candle and stuck them standing in the snow.
*I walked to the water's edge to kneel down and listen
*I heard the animals, the winds, and the water
*I sliced my palm in the fashion of blood bonding.
*I dripped the blood on the mud.
*I then shoved my hands and arms deep into the earth and felt its energy and power.
*I spoke to Nordri, Sudri, Vestri, and Austri
I was then told by Loki why I was there. He had often solicited the craftsmanship of the Dvergar and their power and energy is that of the earth and rock and metal. I was to bond to them in frith and troth (Peace and honor) and they would become the wards of the cardinal direction for all my magick and circles. They would be my guides and aids in the creation of magickal totems and talismans and I would always honor and revere them.
*I bled into the earth and ground the earth into my wound.
*I took a handful of blood and mud and coated my staff, sealing it with the element of earth and the intonation to call the Dvergar.
*I buried the red candle, still burning, (A candle used on my first altar to Loki and a signifier of my bond to him) in the hole where I had scooped up the mud.
*I played the native flute I had brought and played a reverent tune in celebration and honor to Loki, the Dvergar, all the Vattier (Nature spirits and creatures), and ancestors.
*I was gifted two items: an olivine for my altar and an elm root to adorn my staff until the next event (Solstice)
*I was also given two gifts to give away: The apple which was now imbued with the prosperity and life of the coming season, and a feldspar
*I gave the items away that night to the people they were meant for.
That was the Equinox ritual for me in accordance to the wishes of Loki and while at first I had no idea why he chose what he did for it, it all became clear to me and the impression was both incredibly deep and life lasting. In honoring his simple wishes without question or fear, I received a bonding that will serve as one the strongest foundations for spiritual work that anyone could ask for.
As far as the use of blood in ritual, I would like to say that it is something to be undertaken with care, knowledge, and proper preparation and aftercare. If you feel blood is a necessary component to a ritual you want to do, don't do it with your head up your ass. Bring proper dressing and cleaning materials such as sterile gauze and anitbiotic cream, rubbing alcohol, or natural curatives that are known to fight infection. Also, if you use blood in a ritual...use YOUR OWN. Don't go out killing the innocent animals of this world to try and further your magickal goals. It's wrong. It'll come back on you. Enough said on that.
So that was Equinox for me.
Frith and Troth,
Rev. Halfdamn Black
[glow=red,2,300]Thursday, March 20, 2008...5 P.M.[/glow]
After a week of mental preparation and a day of physical preparation I was ready to conduct my Equinox 'ritual'. I use the term 'ritual' loosely because there is little that I do in my practice that is standard due to the nature of my patron deity. I receive my impression for what is needed for each ritual about 24 hours in advance. For me it is like a divine communication and while it would be nice to have more advanced notice, it's not in the nature of Loki to be anything less than spontaneous and in my reverence and love for him, I open my time up to accommodate the very thing that makes him a catalystic force of fire and change.
For this ritual several things were asked of me to bring. They were:
A sharp workman's knife
First Aid items
An instrument
An orange candle
The nub end of a red candle that I had been saving.
My staff unadorned, save for the bells that always decorate it
Wear some appropriate colored clothing, black, red, and orange
An apple
A lighter
Know the names of the four Dwarfs at the corners of the world
Two specific runes
I got all these things together on the day of the 20th and went to the appointed place of the ritual which was also given to me as a communication.
To this point I still had no complete idea of what the intent of the ritual was, and this is common in my practice, though rare for most people's practices. I consider it to be a sort of hallmark of Loki.
The ritual was simple with no tralalalalala big to do. I find this is true for most Norse practitioners. The Norse gods seem to appreciate and demand simplicity and efficiency.
*I went to the appointed place, a stony river bank in the woods with a beautiful snow covering on the ground and fragrant wet earth.
*I secured my staff standing in the mud.
*I carved the two runes into the orange candle with the workman's knife
*I lit the orange candle and the red nub end candle and stuck them standing in the snow.
*I walked to the water's edge to kneel down and listen
*I heard the animals, the winds, and the water
*I sliced my palm in the fashion of blood bonding.
*I dripped the blood on the mud.
*I then shoved my hands and arms deep into the earth and felt its energy and power.
*I spoke to Nordri, Sudri, Vestri, and Austri
I was then told by Loki why I was there. He had often solicited the craftsmanship of the Dvergar and their power and energy is that of the earth and rock and metal. I was to bond to them in frith and troth (Peace and honor) and they would become the wards of the cardinal direction for all my magick and circles. They would be my guides and aids in the creation of magickal totems and talismans and I would always honor and revere them.
*I bled into the earth and ground the earth into my wound.
*I took a handful of blood and mud and coated my staff, sealing it with the element of earth and the intonation to call the Dvergar.
*I buried the red candle, still burning, (A candle used on my first altar to Loki and a signifier of my bond to him) in the hole where I had scooped up the mud.
*I played the native flute I had brought and played a reverent tune in celebration and honor to Loki, the Dvergar, all the Vattier (Nature spirits and creatures), and ancestors.
*I was gifted two items: an olivine for my altar and an elm root to adorn my staff until the next event (Solstice)
*I was also given two gifts to give away: The apple which was now imbued with the prosperity and life of the coming season, and a feldspar
*I gave the items away that night to the people they were meant for.
That was the Equinox ritual for me in accordance to the wishes of Loki and while at first I had no idea why he chose what he did for it, it all became clear to me and the impression was both incredibly deep and life lasting. In honoring his simple wishes without question or fear, I received a bonding that will serve as one the strongest foundations for spiritual work that anyone could ask for.
As far as the use of blood in ritual, I would like to say that it is something to be undertaken with care, knowledge, and proper preparation and aftercare. If you feel blood is a necessary component to a ritual you want to do, don't do it with your head up your ass. Bring proper dressing and cleaning materials such as sterile gauze and anitbiotic cream, rubbing alcohol, or natural curatives that are known to fight infection. Also, if you use blood in a ritual...use YOUR OWN. Don't go out killing the innocent animals of this world to try and further your magickal goals. It's wrong. It'll come back on you. Enough said on that.
So that was Equinox for me.
Frith and Troth,
Rev. Halfdamn Black
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