#wonnetzeit

Pre sundown:

Dinner of Hexensuppe. Many different recipes exist, but the one I make goes as follows- Sautee diced celery and onion. While those cook in butter, julienne and dice carrots and potatoes. Sautee all the diced vegetables for thirty minutes on the stove until they're soft and toasty, then add in a can of strained garbanzo beans. Add chicken broth, generous black pepper, red pepper flakes, paprika, salt and coriander.

Clean the house! The hunt travels best without tripping hazards. I wiped down the counters and stovetop, swept, mopped, vacuumed, dusted, and tidied.

Dress and pack for the morning. I live in an area with access to a small woods at night with no curfew, so I have the privilege of celebrating in a more traditional manner. However, I do celebrate alone since there are no Urglaawe/Hexerei practitioners in my area.

My bag that I pack includes my lyre, matches for a small fire, some dried lawn clippings and newspaper for kindling, water, and a mix of land offerings.

usually beans are recomended for land offerings but they are harmful to animals unless cooked. Instead, I opted for a mix of pearled barley, rice (which can be served raw), flaxseed and oats.

Post Sundown

Before I go to sleep, I set an alarm for three A.M. I travel to my celebration spot before first light in the morning so I can start my fires, do my prayers and any spells, perform my land offerings, all before Walpurgisnacht technically ends.

I also open all the windows in the house. Some people leave the doors open, but that freaks me out a little...

After the windows are open, I go around with a small crystal hand-bell from my mom and throw a ruckus in the house to coax any spirits out.

Pre Sunrise and First Light

I woke up at 3:00 A.M. and (very slowly... so tired) put on my dress and boots. (It's pretty thick in the forest and steep. It was a little muddy this year to get up the hill, I was so scared of falling over lmaooo)

Before leaving the house for Walpurgisnacht, Alleliewezil, Arsgang or really any holiday that has a 'nighttime celebration', I give my ancestors an offering and ask for safe travels to and from my stomping grounds. They like coffee quite a bit (and I won't deny I stole a little for myself.)

I took the forty-five minute walk to the hill and made it there around 4:00 A.M.

I started by thanking the hill for letting me stay, gave it some of my offerings and water and cleared out the divot of dead leaves. Even if the ground is wet and not likely to catch, I still don't want to risk starting a bigger fire than what I can quickly control.

I lit my fire and built it high enough with sticks to keep it going until first light. I put it out once sunrise comes since I don't need it anymore and It's best to watch it and make sure all the embers are 100% cooled before leaving.

Until sunrise, I perform on my lyre and dance. This is what I included this year: Die Wonnetzeitsege (which is an invocation, not a song...), Uti Vaar Hage, Kum Kum Geselle Min, en Mei Nacht Segen for Walpurgisnacht (From Patrick Donmoyer on spotify. It is no longer available, but I was able to put a rough transcription and translation in a songbook of mine), Die Walpurgisnacht (faun), Toilers Seranade (a folk song from Minnesota), and Die Mai ist Gekommen.

The tracklist is made so that I can play from 4:30-First light with small breaks to tend to the fire.

at 5:30, first light arrives and I had my final leap over the fire to cleanse, and then I douse and smother it.

I watched the sunrise for another thirty minutes, periodically checking the fire to make sure it was no longer smoldering.

Once I can be sure that the fire is done and safe to touch with my bare hands, I scatter the remaining coals and do my best to leave no trace.

I give one last land offering before I walk back home

Post Sunrise