Mostly For Reference

Let us all praise the Lord of Ships, the Vanir King. He is the bestower of wealth and the guardian of Seas, and his gifts are many! If you’re looking to start working with Njörðr, or worshipping him, these ideas make for quick and simple gestures that showcase your interest. They’re also perfect for a pagan who already maintains a close relationship with the sea, water spirits, or a sea deity. After all, spiritual practice gets hard to sustain when you’re working on a tight schedule! Which is why I hope these little personal ideas can inspire even those of you who already actively worship/work with Njörðr. 

First things first: pondering on what Njörðr stands for, what you think he can bring your life and what you think he would appreciate in return. 

Going for walks on windy days. Njörðr is said to raise winds that are favorable to sailboats! 

Cooking and eating sea products, especially if you can find them fresh! I usually keep an eye out for fishermen’s markets. It’s a good idea to buy locally if the opportunity presents itself. The most important thing is to make sure you’re buying from sustainable fish farming companies, especially if you’re at a restaurant or buying from a grocery store.

Putting the sound of waves as background music before sleep. You can visualize the sea, or the ocean, use this image to connect with Njörðr either by simply meditating on him and his gifts, or even by praying to him.

If possible, spending time near bodies of water: water is a network which connects the land to the ocean. In the end, all rivers, no matter how small, are bound to the ocean. 

Watching documentaries on the sea, or on marine life! The simple gesture of learning about his domain, developing your understanding of it, can make you feel that much closer to the Father of Light-Bringers. 

Whenever you’re at a local beach, collecting seashells or rocks which catch your eye! They’re a way to bring a piece of the sea home with you! 

Since I cook a lot, there’s this little habit I’ve come to develop, of adding a pinch of sea salt (or fleur de sel) to every recipe. Of course, I won’t do this if I’m cooking a simple sandwich for myself: I’m talking about large pots of soup, meat pies, stews, etc. It’s a way of reminding myself that the Vanir bring about the fertility which allows us sustain ourselves. 

Learning sea shanties!!! Did you smile? That’s because sea shanties are fun, and what better way to honor a God than by having fun in their name! One of my favorite songs ever is a folk ballad about an old woman who begs her husband to leave the city and go back to the island where they used to live, where she could watch the seagulls and where he would fish their dinner. Songs such as these can make for beautiful and deeply personal offerings. Once you’ve learned a fisherman’s song, you’ll find yourself humming it in your day-to-day, and thinking of Njörðr as you’re doing so.

Making offerings of coin to him. I’ve heard that he was particularly fond of the coin-shaped chocolates that are wrapped in gold foil! Generally, anything that is made of gold or silver makes for a beautiful offering to him. You can, of course, keep such objects after offering them! The act of sharing them with Njörðr is symbolic, as are many offerings, and you are as entitled to keeping these valuables as you are to drinking offering alcohol after the ritual is done. Placing your silver/gold object on a windowsill or an altar for a day, a week or a month is enough to act as an offering.  

When it comes to the Vanir, you usually can’t go wrong with buying local products! What does your area specialize in, in terms of food? Now that summer’s at our door, we’ve reached the perfect time to look into local farmer’s markets. If, like me, you’re in the habit of offering alcohol to some or most of your deities, local draft beer is a great idea for Njörðr. In my area, grocery shops sometimes sell this one beer that’s made using salt water! It’s my go-to for Njörðr, understandably.

Acting generously, taking opportunities to share with others! It’s a way of honoring and embodying the Vanir King’s own benevolence.

As a follow-up, working on your ability to be compassionate: putting yourself in somebody else’s shoes, forgiving a wrong that has been done to you, finding compromise during a conflict with loved ones… If you are put in a position of leadership, lead others with care and attentiveness. Njörðr’s mythological son Freyr is heavily associated with peace. By protecting peace, you are honoring them both. 

Keeping a symbol of his on you as an amulet: representations of fish, anchors, lighthouses, ships, or anything else that symbolizes the sea all make for beautiful reminders of Njörðr’s presence. Especially if they are silver or gold-colored! In fact, a simple silver or gold coin, or even just a coin with special meaning in your heart, is the perfect amulet to keep in your wallet/purse in his honor. 

Learning to tie knots, or any other simple skill that is useful on a boat is fun and a great way to feel connected with the sea. This goes without saying but if you’ve got the chance to go for a boat ride, take it in his honor!

Asking him to grant you a safe journey before traveling long distances.

Excerpt from “Tending Brigid’s Flame” by Lunaea Weatherstone

This prayer litany can be done all at once or over nineteen nights. You can offer one prayer each night or do it “Twelve Days of Christmas” style: on the first night, offer Flame 1′s prayer, on the second night offer the prayers for Flames 1 and 2, and so on until on the last night you offer all nineteen. However you get there, when you’ve lit that final flame, remember that Brigid holds the twentieth flame, which is eternal.

Flame 1: Wisdom

Brigid of brightness, I bid thee welcome, Brigid of blessing, come thou in. Brigid of strength, I bid thee welcome, This night and every night, this day and every day.

Flame 2: Hearth and Household

Brigid of the threshold, come thou in, Brigid of the hearthfire, take your ease, Brigid of the cook-pot, sup with us, Brigid of all comforts, live in our hearts.

Flame 3: Ancestors

Ancestors all, I embody your legacy, Ancestors all, I ask for your blessing, Ancestors all, I offer Brigid’s flame To light the needfires of deep memory.

Flame 4: Flamekeeper

Brigid of the timeless flame, bless your [children]: Those who keep the circle bright, Those whose faith has never failed, Those who keep your name ablaze.

Flame 5: Healing

Brigid of the holy waters, Brigid of the soothing hand, Brigid of the miracles, Touch me with healing.

Flame 6: Poetry

Brigid of lore, deepen my understanding, Brigid of bards, increase my eloquence, Brigid of poetry, lead me to beauty, Brigid of word and beauty of thought.

Flame 7: Courage

Brigid of the golden shield, Brigid of courage, Brigid of the sunbeam, Increase thou my trust.

Flame 8: Righteous Causes

Brigid, lend your righteous sword To those who work for justice, To those who speak the truth, To those who seek a better world.

Flame 9: The Oppressed

In the name of Brigid, who empowers the oppressed, In the name of Brigid, who released the enslaved, In the name of Brigid, who lifts up the downtrodden, May all her people be honored and free.

Flame 10: Children

Brigid the midwife, bless every birth, Brigid foster mother, protect every child, Brigid of springtime, bestow on each childhood The innocence of wonder and the magic of joy.

Flame 11: Women’s Causes

Mighty Brigid, your keening women call to you: Strengthen our voice, Strengthen our resolve, Strengthen our sisterhood.

Flame 12: The Earth

Brigid, preserve this planet, The stones and the seas and the skies. Brigid, spread your green mantle For the greening of the earth.

Flame 13: Animals

Brigid, protect the earth’s animals, The fish and the beasts and the bird. Brigid, shelter your creatures As your sheep shelter lambs from the wind.

Flame 14: Water

Brigid of the clear dewdrop, Brigid of the pure wellspring, Brigid of the pool of knowledge, Teach us to honor the gift of water.

Flame 15: Creativity

Bright Brigid, flame of creation, Kindle my enthusiasm, Fire up my passion, Ignite my imagination.

Flame 16: Nourishment

Brigid of the overflowing milk, Brigid of the good brown loaf, Brigid of the endless butter, May all beings be nourished.

Flame 17: Peace

Peace of the swan and peace of the [cattle], Peace of the hearth and peace of the open door, Peace between neighbors and peace between nations, The deep peace of Brigid within.

Flame 18: Gratefulness

Brigid, I thank thee three-times-three: For my birth, my body, my spirit, For my kin, my clan, my tribe, For my home, my work, my knowledge of thee.

Flame 19: The Three Flames of Brigid

May the hearthfire of welcome warm me, May the temple fire of faith sustain me, May the forge fire of change strengthen me, And Brigid’s love encompass me, now and evermore.

I love it when the seasons change. Each shift of warmer to cooler months feels like a fresh start, and the seasonal magic is really where it’s at. In the summer I like to focus on cleansing, doing things outside and lots of gatherings. But in the winter things change to a more personal perspective and I want to work on inner growth and spending time with myself. 

I’ve put together a list to give witches some ideas on what they can do this winter. Feel free to add to it in the comments and write your own take on things. Happy winter witches!

1 Winter spell jar - Sometimes I like to create a fresh spell jar for the season. I view this jar as me, my psychic energy, and I place it in things I want to cultivate during the season. Maybe it’s an image of the High Prestress from tarot, because I want to learn to connect more to my higher self. Or maybe it’s a rose quartz because I need to work on self-love. Place it in whatever feels right for you and leave it out to remind yourself of where you’re going this season. 

2 Melt away the stress snow spell - Collect snow from outside and bring it in. Pace it in the center of a circle of white candles. Say your intention over the snow and let it melt away whatever you were stressing over. Modify this spell in any way you want as a release spell. 

3 Collect snow for other spells - Snow melts. But you can use it otherwise in place of water during the winter. You can use it to cleanse crystals or wash ritual items. If you’re feeling very witchy you can collect snow from graveyards. Just be mindful of ‘who’ you’re collecting the snow from if it’s from the tops of graves. 

4 Cinnamon ornaments - Make cinnamon ornaments with cookie cutters, glue and powdered cinnamon. Mix together and make a dough, cut out with cookie cutters and tie up with string. Not only does cinnamon smell good, it brings in prosperity energy.

5 Winter wish fire spell - If you have a fire going, use it to write a wish on a bay leaf and toss it in the fire. 

6 Winter graveyard walk - Nothing is prettier than an old graveyard covered in snow. Walk around and take it in. Leave pennies as offerings to anything guarding the cemetery.

7 Winter offering - Don’t forget your ancestors this winter. Leave them out their favorite holiday treats, drinks, or light candles in memory of them. 

8 Yule ornaments - Collect pine cones, sticks, or berries from outside and make yule ornaments to hang on your Christmas tree. 

9 Pine cone candle holders - Pine cones also make great candle holders. Cut them in half and hollow out a space for a candle on the inside. Perfect if you want to add a little winter decor to your magical working space. 

10 Charm your soup for a winter healing spell - The winter blues is real, and this spell helps with feeling blah during the cold months. Make a soup (any soup, really) and say your intention over it. Mix your spoon clockwise and imagine a white light mixing into your soup, while you eat it imagine it going into your body and warming you up from the inside. 

11 Herb jar candles - Evergreen is a nice winter herb to burn and looks great in candles. Make your own jar candles with melted wax and jars you might already have. Add evergreen herbs and even white quartz crystals to the tops of your candles.

12 Lavender sachets - If you’re having trouble sleeping, make a lavender sachet. Use purple felt and sew up three sides. Flip inside out and fill with lavender herb. Sew up the remaining side. 

13 Bird feeders - Love making these during the winter. Only because I feel like birds need a break too and there’s less food for them during the winter months. Take a toilet paper roll and smear peanut butter on them, then roll them in bird seed. (Kind of preschool project, I know.) Hang them outside on your trees. 

14 Read read read! - Since most people are spending more time inside during the winter, it’s the perfect time to catch up on any witchy reading. Try your local library and see what they have on witch books, cook books and more. 

15 Orange slices - Make orange slices for citrus cleansing baths by slicing fresh oranges very thin and baking them on low 175 degrees for 3-4 hours or until they are dry. String them along for a garland for another variety. 

16 Winter blessing - Do a winter blessing spell for you and your loved ones. 

17 Baked breads and cakes - Lavender bread is my favorite but make sure you purchase edible lavender herb first. Try cinnamon cakes or anise for a winter theme. Look up the meanings of the herbal properties before adding them into your dough. 

18 Tea leaf reading - The colder months are a great time to brush up on your tea-leaf reading. You’ll need loose tea leaves and a keen eye to pick out the shapes in the cup. 

19 Tarot meditation - Brush up on your tarot by doing tarot meditations. Choose a tarot card that you would like to connect with more closely. Light a candle and place the card in front of you. Close your eyes and meditate with the card taking in any messages, feelings or visuals you receive. 

Go Into

BECAUSE, LIKE,

Oct 29, 2021

I was reading about the Wild Hunt and how apparently, Odin Allfather was a typical father in that he refused to ask for directions during his annual Yule ride through the night sky, and instead of turning his fun, flying sleigh around or taking a slightly different route, he’d just plow on through the same route he always took, regardless of who or what was in his way. 

And if your house or land WAS in his way, he STILL wouldn’t reroute. He’d just burn the house down instead.

Which is THE funniest thing I have read in years. And it just got funnier when I pictured the whole thing turning into a buddy road trip with Loki and Odin and Sleipnir, and voila, a wild comic appeared.

So let's talk about it!

Apple Cider has been a stable in my house every single year for almost my whole life.

Although I never lived in one house for more than a year or two (and oftentimes, not even in one country), I always had a yearly visit to my grandparent's house in Washington before moving here permanently. There's a beautiful pasture, a giant garden, an orchard right next to our home dripping with pears and apples comes autumn. Every year without fail, my grandpa would drag me over with a big ol' bucket and we'd gather pounds and pounds of apples. We made all sorts of fun things. Applesauce, apple cakes, apple candy, apple honey and sugar, apple syrup - and my favorite in the whole wide world, apple cider. We would get fresh herbs from a farmers market and make gallons and gallons of cider to jar for the upcoming years, because I would always, without fail, want a cup of it when I was sick, sad, lonely, or tired.

In recent years, as I study more and more about my practice, I realized that Apple Cider was basically a potion of happiness and safety. A perfect homesteading potion/spell - which is why it gives me such a sense of comfort. And now, I'm realizing that it would be selfish of me to keep such a treasured recipe to myself.

So here is what you'll need:

Crock pot

10 apples (I recommend 5 honeycrisp and 5 granny smith), quartered

Moon water (enough to cover apples by at least an inch and a half)

1/2 - 1 packed cup of brown sugar (depending on your sweet tooth)

1 orange, sliced

1 tablespoon whole cloves

3 cinnamon sticks

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon allspice

1/4 teaspoon ginger

1/4 teaspoon genuine vanilla extract

Tiny pinch of salt

What do the ingredients manifest?

Apples: Love, Luck, Prosperity, Healing

Sugar: Sweetness, Love, Inviting good things

Orange: Abundance, Happiness, Love in marriage

Cloves: Protection, Success

Cinnamon: Protection, Healing, Luck, Love, Success

Nutmeg: Luck, Protection, Safety, Balance

Allspice: Luck, Financial Success, Healing

Ginger: Confidence, Prosperity, Success

Vanilla: Love, Passion

Instructions:

Wash your apples and orange

Cleanse your crock pot with your preferred cleansing method (I like an incense/smoke cleanse)

Slice your apples and orange, add to the crock pot

Add your sugar, herbs, and spices

Cover with moon water until it's 1.5-2 inches above the apples

Cover crockpot with lid and set to low for a minimum of 6 hours, preferably overnight

Strain out apples, herbs, orange slices

Add vanilla and tiny pinch of salt, mix well

Serve piping hot with a fresh apple or orange slice, if desired

You can also use the cooked apples to make applesauce, or turn them into apple pancakes or add to cakes/baking mixes! I hope this recipe brings warmth and light to your kitchen <3

Blessed Be everyone, and have a wonderful autumn.

Anthropologically speaking, magic is like religion and science; it's a way of interfacing with and understanding the world.

It can have metaphysical functions, like offering some corn to the storm god so the storm god doesn't fuck over your crop harvest.

But magic sticks around because it also serves social functions: it makes people happy to have a corn festival for the storm god. Festivals are fun, it builds community.

One of the most important forms of magic is called "transactional" magic; forming relationships and communicating with entities that are personified elements of human life. The Greek god Ares is a personification of war, by pouring out some wine for him in the hopes that you'll survive a war, you are performing an act of transactional magic.

The advertising concept of Branding often seeks to personify a corporate entity whose only goal is to sell you things. Coke isn't just coke, it's hip, it's young, it's fashionable, and by purchasing Coke, the corporation will impart those qualities upon the customer. Which is by definition an act of transactional magic.

Blackberry, Apple, and Whisky Pie to celebrate the Autumn Equinox or Mabon

The Autumnal equinox is here! It’s the day where light and darkness are equal, a perfect balance. We are now entering the dark part of the year. It’s time to celebrate the second harvest sabbat. Personally it’s one of my favourite because we can see the shift in Nature. Summer is fading away but there is still lots of green leaves. The air is getting colder but the sun is still hot. I am now preparing my home for the winter to come. I decluttered all my closets and donated every thing I didn’t needed anymore. There is still plenty of fruits to make jams and preserves as well

On this day of celebrations, I am giving you this amazing Apple Pie recipe. It requires a bit of work but it is totally worth it, I promise! Funny story, it’s the first time I am baking a pie, I’ve never had pies before, it not really custom where I grew up. I was curious so I decided toggle it a go. I had to do it 3 times with small adjustments every time and now I am really satisfied of the result, and now I am really convinced that it is one of my favourite fruit desserts!

Time

Preparation: 30 min the day before (the dough) + 1h30 (making the pie)

Cooking: 1h

Cooling down: 45min

Ingredients

Pie dough

If you want to just a single crust pire, you’ll have to divide the quantities by 2.

330g all purpose flour

1 tsp salt

3tbsp sugar

230g butter (must be very cold) cut into 1cm cubes

120mL iced water approximately

Filling

4 apples peeled, cored and cut into thin strips

200g blackberries, lightly crushed

2tbsp whisky (I recommend a sweet one, not too smoky for a light flavour. I used Glenmorangie)

3tbsp light brown sugar

1tbsp grounded cinnamon

1tsp all spices

1/2tsp clove

1/2 tsp nutmeg

40g flour

3tbsp Salted Maple Caramel (I used this recipe here https://bromabakery.com/salted-maple-caramel-recipe/ ) If you don’t want to do this recipe, any caramel spread will do.

1 egg beaten for the egg wash

Preparation

Pie dough

Make the day before

In a large bowl combine sugar, salt and flour

Add the butter. Mix to cover the butter cubes with flour (it keeps them cold longer). Rub butter into flour until it is the size of walnut halves.

Make a well in the center and add the water a few tablespoons at a time and mix lightly until the dough comes together (don’t over do it)

Wrap the dough in plastic and let it rest in the fridge for the night. This step is really important because a very cold dough will be extra flaky!

Filling

In a large bowl, mix together apples, blackberries, whisky, sugar, cinnamon, all spices, clove, and nutmeg.

Let it rest during the next step.

Making the pie.

Pre heat your oven 190°C / 375°F

Lightly grease your pie pan with butter then dust it with flour (your pie will not stick to the pan in this case)

Divide the dough in 2 balls.

Put one ball back in the fridge

Roll out the other ball in a disk. It has to be large enough that it will recover your pan and drape over the edges of it. Gently fit the disk onto your pie plate by patting the edges of the pan.

With a fork make some holes in the dough

Filter your filling through a colander to separate as much as juice than you can. Now add the caramel, and the flour, mix well. The fruits have to be coated by the flour and the caramel.

Don’t throw away the juice, it is delicious to drink with black tea

Pour the filling into the pie pan.

Let the pie rest in the fridge while you are doing the next step.

Decorating the pie

Roll out the second ball of dough, then cut thin strips about 1 cm wide.

Use them to create a lattice pattern on the top of your prepared filling.

You can make braids and lie them around the edges of the pie. You can also use cookie cutter to add fun shapes, let your creativity guide you!

There is tons of amazing inspirations on Pinterest and Instagram if you need it!

When your design is done, brush the pie with the egg wash.

Bake for an hour at 190°C / 375°F.

Tyr is best known from the story about the Fenrir wolf. Just to refreshen everybody’s memory, Fenrir was one of Loki’s many bizarre children. He started out as a cute pup but as he grew bigger the gods started fearing him. Not even Loki dared go near his own child. Only Tyr was brave enough/loved Fenrir enough to keep playing with him.

Eventually the gods decided that it would be safest to tie Fenrir up but no chains could hold him so they got a magic rope that was impossible to beak. Fenrir suspected trickery was afoot and said he’d only put it on if someone put their hand in his mouth. If he couldn’t break the rope he’d bite the person’s hand off. Again only Tyr stepped forward, put his hand willingly in the wolf’s mouth and lost it as a consequence.

Tyr appears again in Lokasenna where he defends the god of peace, Frey, from Loki’s insults.

Tyr is one of my favorite Norse gods. As a child I had a very surface level view of the Fenrir story. I thought Fenrir was stupid because he knew the gods were tricking him but let them put the rope on him anyway, but I also thought Tyr was mean for being part of it.

It does explain Tyr’s role through. He’s a god of war, but also law and fairness. When he put his hand in Fenrir’s mouth he knew he was going to lose it. He accepted that he would have to make that huge sacrifice for tricking his friend. Losing his hand was fair. He knew he deserved it.

And as a god of war I think it’s endlessly interesting that he’s the person who defends Frey, god of peace, defender of women and freer of the imprisoned. Thor is god of mindless war, Odin is god of smart warfare, but Tyr is god of fair, righteous battle. He doesn’t want war for war’s sake, he only wants war to right wrongs. He’s the god who’s on the side of the downtrodden and abused. Basically, even though he’s a god of law, if the police isn’t fair he’d be one of the people on the ground throwing shit at the police.

He’s the god you pray to if you want things to be fair, but there’s a risk you might not be the wronged part even if you see it that way. Tyr was willing to lose his own hand in the name of fairness so if your prayers to him backfire on you you’ll know you were the real asshole in that situation.

a signature page: what is special for you. Signature herbs, smells, tools etc.

an ancestral chart: get to know your ancestors!

local lore about witches: are there any stories about witches in your town/area?

the history of your city: how was your city founded? are there any links to magic/the occult?

sabbat altar pages: especially good for hidden witches, if you cannot build an altar just draw an altar in your grimoire!

honouring a witch you admire: make a page about your favourite witch (real or not) - their story and why they are important to you

energy drawings of yourself: whether you can see/make them yourself or if they are from others

Let me start off by clarifying that these are the Norse holidays I personally celebrate and how I choose too. I have it split up into major holidays(holidays I try not to miss aka major holidays) and minor holidays(Smaller celebrations, I might not even celebrate these, etc.). This information will vary from person to person, you can celebrate whichever holidays however you want! Enjoy ~ 

✨Major✨

Jól

Jól otherwise known as Yule/Yuletide is a Nordic holiday celebrated between sundown on the Winter’s Solstice for a following twelve days(now you know where the Christians got it). It is also during Jól that the Wild Hunt takes place, Óðinn rides out with his dead, elves, or the dwarves may ride out across Midgard. Seeing the Hunt was thought to bring famine, plagues, and war but offerings of food and gifts could be left out for blessings and prosperity.  Jól was said to mark the return of Baldr from Helheim and the loosening of grip of winter of the Earth.

There numerous references to Jól in the sagas including Skáldskaparmál, Heimskringla, and poetry written by the skald Eyvindr Skáldaspilli which when translated reads:

“again we have produced Yule-being’s feast [mead of poetry], our rulers’ eulogy, like a bridge of masonry”. Most of these references testify to Jól being celebrated with blóts, feasting with family, drinking, gift giving, and dancing.

To be more specific, you can celebrate the twelve days of Jól by being hands on in your devotion! This was traditionally a time of year that was largely devoted to baking, finishing the mead making process, and hand making decorations and offerings to the heathen home and gods!! There was typically at least one julbord(feast) and an animal sacrafice. 

For example, straw animals in the shape of goats(Þórr), stars, boars(Freyr), horses, and ravens(Óðinn) were made and hung up around the house or a Jól tree! Yessss, that was something that German immigrants brought over to the U.S. The Jól tree was traditionally a tree outside that was decorated and offerings were left at in honor of Yggdrasil! You can also make wreaths, garlands, and woven rugs or wall hangings! 

The first night of Jól is typically called the Mothernight, this was in honor of the All Mother Frigg and the Disir. The first night(the longest night) is supposed to be symbolic to the rebirth of the world from winter. This is the perfect night to start on some weaving or crafts! Frigg is known for her weaving.

Disablót

Disablót was a sacrificial holiday(blót) in honor of the female deities, women, disir and valkyries. It’s purpose was to enhance the upcoming harvest and prepare the grounds for sowing. 

 It is mentioned in Hervarar saga, Víga-Glúms saga, Egils saga and the Heimskringla. This  celebration still lives on in the form of an annual fair called the Disting in Uppsala, Sweden(I really want to go to this). There’s a lot of debate to when the holiday was originally celebrated because the sagas all are slightly different. However, it is currently celebrated at the end of February by Sweden!

It was around this holiday that the first furrows were plowed in the fields and that there was a feast of new beginnings.

Nordic folk customs would include getting ready for the gardening season, preparing for the gardening/farming season ahead, and making a feast for your loved ones and female deities you work with.

Sigrblót

Sigrblót also known as Summer Finding or Ostara is the celebration of the spring equinox and welcoming good weather. It is a celebration of the rejuvenation of the earth, fertility, and growth.

This is a holiday often used to celebrate the Germanic god Ēostre, the embodiment of springtime and life, Iðunn, god of youth and renewal, and Frigg/Freyja, for their key elements in fertility magic. Is more commonly seen in modern days as a celebration of the renewal/awakening of the Earth(Jörð), the deities, and life. It is also a celebration to welcome joy and light into one’s life.

Nordic folk custom would include a large bonfire, smorgasbord(as always), baking sweets, and honoring the gods mentioned above or ones important to you this holiday.

Midsummer

Midsummer is probably the second biggest celebration next to Jól. It is pretty much just the celebration of the summer solstice and can also be celebrated in hopes of a good harvest at the end of fall. 

This holiday is attested to in the Ynglinga sagas and has long been a passed down celebration. Folk custom for celebrating would be large bonfires, speeches, smorgasbord, dancing around a majstång(traditionally for fertility), lots of drinking, and galdr. This is another holiday with a lot of hands on folk tradition; wreath making, kindling fires, making toy viking ships of wood and filling them with offerings to be burned, burning corn figures, adorning homes, halls, and the fields with fresh flowers and greenery.

A lot of of historians believe this is a particularly good time of year to make blessings to Baldr. This was also the time of year for sailing and war. With crops planted at home, vikings would set off to go to other lands. 

Freyrfeast

My favorite holiday!! There is no actual surviving name for this beast but it’s believed to be held around the star of August and most modern Norse pagans celebrate it on August 1st. The  Óláfs saga Tryggvasonar en mesta has an account of a priestess of Freyr traveling across Sweden at the start of winter with a picture of his god as a sacrifice for fertility and to honor him. Traditionally it’s a celebration of the first harvest where the primary god honored is Freyr with Sif and Þórr also celebrated as gods of harvest.

Traditionally the very first sheaf of grain harvested(I use my first bundle of lavender) is bound and blessed as an offering to the aforementioned deities and spirits of the field.

Folk customs include decorating the village well and springs, holding a grand feast of the gathered harvest, and baking a bread in honor of Freyr to give him at the end of and then plit among family. Preserving meats and vegetables was also done along this time of year and is a great time to start new batches of mead for upcoming  blóts.

Haustblót 

This is the celebration of the Autumn Equinox, the second harvest of the season, and when Norse folk would start preparing for winter by bringing livestock + stored food inside. It is referenced to in the Ynglinga sagas as well as the Eddas. It’s not as celebrated in modern times but farmers and agriculturalists still celebrate it and you can too!!

It is another joyous holiday celebrated with grand bonfires, large feasts, drinking, and dancing. It is believed that villagers would cast the bones of their slaughtered cattle on the flames to help them survive the winter.

There is a belief that once the village fire and all other fires were extinguished the families would go back their homes and light their hearth from the common village flame, bonding the community! I don’t know if this true but I’ve heard the story a few times and I honestly love the idea of it.

Vetrnætr/Álfablót

Otherwise known as Winters Night(or Samhain). This is the celebration of the last harvest, honoring of the landvættir, ancestors that protected the land through harvest, the vanir, paying respects to Death, and the welcoming of winter. Vetrnætr and Álfablót are celebrations of the same holiday but Álfablót is a blót that’s held privately in the home on the day of Vetrnætr.  

Similar to Freyrfeast, for Vetrnætr the last sheaf of wheat/grain was bundled up and blessed and often given as an offering to Óðinn and his dead setting out for the Wild Hunt. It was believed with the start of the Wild Hunt the dead could return to the places where they had lived and a large feast, celebration, and fire were commonly used in their honor. 

This was also a time for serious contemplation of death. To the Norse people, death was always around the corner and was viewed as a natural part of life. Death wasn’t viewed as negatively as it is in modern times but rather the Norse lived their lives in a way to live & die with honor, so their future ancestors would have something to celebrate on this day.

Álfablót in particular was typically run by a woman but we’re past gender norms now so whoever is comfortable running a ritual do it. It is a sacrifice to Freyr and the elves of Alfheim, in honor of the families ancestors, the life force of the family and the hearth, and is believed to also be a ritual for fertility. It is done the night of Vetrnætr.  

Minor

These are not necessarily minor, they are just not holidays that I always keep up on, don’t celebrate, days of remembrance, etc. There are definitely more Scandinavian holidays I’m not including because I’m not knowledgeable on them all and they’re not as widely celebrated(like celebrating Flag Day in America).

January 19 - Þorrablót is an Icelandic midwinter feast in honor of winter and Þorr which contains song, story telling, and traditional Icelandic foods like blóðmör and Brennivin. It is typically celebrated during Þorri February 2 - Barri is the celebration of the union between Freyr and Gerd and a celebration of fertility and the earth. February 9 - Remembrance for Eyvind Kinnrifi, he refused to convert to Christianity so Olaf Tryggvason tortured him to death. March 28 - Ragnar Lodbrok Day! Cheers to one the most legendary Vikings in history, King of Denmark and Sweden, and raider of Paris. April 31st-May 1st - Waluburgis Night, a celebration of the saint Valborg a nun who was the niece of Saint Boniface.  May 9 - Remembrance for Gudrod of Gudbrandsdal, whose tongue was cut out by the Norwegian king ‘St. Olaf’ for speaking out against the tyranny of the Christian Tryggvason, and urged others to resist him and continue worshiping the old gods.  May 20 - Frigg Blót! This actually a fave but it’s not really major so I’m keeping it down here. It’s a celebration of warmth and spring. Traditionally the time of year to go camping, hold a bonfire, and perform a blót for Frigg and honor her as the All Mother, pray for good blessings and health to those of your hearth. June 8 - Lindisfarne Day: It’s believe that on this day in 793 CE three Viking ships raided the Isle of Lindisfarne which is marked as the start of the Viking age. July 9 - From the Laxdaela Saga, it is a day of Remembrance for Unn the Deep Minded, she was well-known and respected cheiftan in Iceland. October 8 - Day of Remembrance for Erik the Red, founder of Greenland. October 14 - Vetrablót is a celebration of the harvest and honors Freyja as the god of fertility and honors the disir as well. November 11 - Feast of the Einherjar, a holiday where the fallen heroes of all the halls(Valhalla, Fensalir, etc.) are remembered. November 27 - Feast of the winter and hunt gods  Ullr and Skadi, also a day to celebrate Weyland one of the greatest Germanic craftsmen.