“Freyr is the most renowned of the Æsir; he rules over the rain and the shining of the sun, and therewithal the fruit of the earth; and it is good to call on him for fruitful seasons and peace. He governs also the prosperity of men.”
- Gylfaginning XXIV

Artwork by:
Howard David Johnson

Good Yule to all. I had a rather late celebration because of time constraints. My equipment for worship has also been limited as a result of my recent move across the country. Just remember that you can worship and keep our Holy Tides with the bare minimum.
I gave three cans of beer and a scented candle this year for Yule.
Even if what you have is less than this the Gods accept all offerings with a pious heart with love.
May the Gods bless you all.

Hail to the Yule Father

Goat-Drawn God of Glaring Light,
Banish all trolls of baneful blight,
Fare forward towards the holy fight,
Wield Thy flashing Maul with might,
Shoot shimmering bolts at thursar far from sight.
O Red-Bearded Bowman, Mother Earth’s Delight,
Free us from our own ignorance, Thunderwright,
Strong Thunor, steer us to have righteous sight,
Kindly heed this boon and keep us in healthy sprights.

Old weather lore is a personal love of mine, especially for interpreting the natural world and the influence upon it by the Gods and spirits.

Here are some monthly thunder omens as detailed by Olaus Magnus in Historia de Gentibus Septentrionalibus:

In January thunders mean higher winds than usual and a taller growth of the earth's crops.

In February, that death will come to a great many, particularly to those who live luxuriously.

In March, that strong winds are ready to burst out, that there will be a fruitful season, and noisy legal disputes.

In April, that rain will fall, which will be good for the crops, and the fields will wear a cheerful face all the year long.

In May they signify everything adverse: a dearth of crops and every commodity frighteningly expensive.

In June they forecast a more plentiful fertility, but sickness is much to be feared.

In July too an abundant supply of corn, but ruin for peas, beans, and fruit.

In August, that men shall live together at peace, yet there will be terrifying illness.

In September, that a fruitful season is at hand, together with wars, civil discord, and carnage.

In October any thunder is reckoned to be ominous, showing that tempests are threatening on land and sea.

In November, though they happen in very infrequent years, they promise fruitfulness in the coming year.

In December thunders are a sign of general plenty and that men shall live agreeably together.

Þórr is said in Swedish folk belief to have his realm on the island of Gotland in a ringfort called Torsburgen.

His homestead is called Svartstugan or Mörkstugan, meaning “the black house”, deriving from Old Norse myrkvastofa, meaning dungeon. which was a mountain on the island. On the side of the mountain, there are said to be iron rings where he moors his ship. He has his home within the mountain and it is said to be about 32ft in length, and about 6ft wide. He has a smooth rock slab as his dining table, which he rests his hammer on, and next to it was his oven. The caves at the foot of the mountain were his store rooms and his barns. The entrance to his hall was a 3 mile long tunnel, and the entrance was 9ft wide to make way for his broad shoulders. There is a high stone block at the top of the mountain that is called “the pulpit” that he looks over the world with.

These beliefs directly relate back to the Sámi belief of Thor dwelling in a cave, and the Icelandic Thor cultists who worshipped Helgafell and believed they would die into the mountain as an afterlife.

These attested beliefs when pieced together from the sources, undoubtedly paint an ancient picture of Þórr and the cosmology of his cult.

Before I proceed, in this post I am in NO way justifying the act of breaking oaths. Anyone who takes their word seriously should be very careful what oaths they take and to who they make them to. And that is the point of what you’re about to read.

When we think of an oath we think of a bond that is made between two conscious beings.
Usually these beings are humans or Gods.
The one giving the oath Is usually the one who carries the most angxiety of breaking their bond. However, an oath is a two (or multiple if there are many individuals/beings involved) way street and the reciever of an oath can also fail the one who is giving it. Unless they are a God or divine being of course.

The Gods are perfect and require nothing from mankind. Therefore an oath made to them is strictly dependant on the human/lower being who made it because the Gods are incapable of failing an oath due to their divine nature. The oath made to a God(s) is strictly for the benefit of the one who made it. Because no matter what you could offer as a human through your pledge, the Gods are above it and have no need for it. The same can be said for offerings.
The Gods only wish for the one who gave the oath to succeed and align themselves more with their divine nature.

On another hand, when an oath is made between humans, it is two (or multiple) ways in terms of the oath being kept. An example would be when one is sworn into a specific line of work. Such as a member of the armed forces or a police officer, you take an oath. Because of the nature of the realm we live in, these organizations may fail you in one way or another that may result in the loss of your job, and further, the breaking of your oath. But not because of *you* of course.

Should you be the one who bears shame and receive divine punishment for an oath broken that you had no responsibility for its end? Of course not. And I don’t believe the Gods see it this way either. We live in a wolf-age full of rats, con artists, and liars of all types.
It is easy to be deceived into swearing yourself to someone (or some people) who will indeed fail you and will not serve you in your path of growth.

We as Germanic Pagans are relearning the nature of our ancient sacred practices. One of these practices are oaths. Heed these words well and learn from the mistakes of others.

The Heathen Frisian king Radbod refuses to be baptized by bishop Wulfram.

He refused to convert because he "preferred spending eternity in Hell with his Pagan ancestors than in Heaven with his enemies."

By Iwobrand

Thor’s bow beside a waterfall I saw today.

The Eyrbyggja saga mentions another form of sacrifice to Thor…

“The circle where the court used to sentence people to be sacrificed can still be seen, with Thor's Stone inside it on which the victims' backs were broken, and you can still see the blood on the stone.
Though this assembly place was held to be highly sacred, people were not forbidden to ease themselves there.”

Makes one wonder how many stone circles were used in a similar manner.

Offerings made to Thunor and Hrethe today.

Prayers, olive oil, and lavender incense were given on this beautiful Easter’s day.

Hail Eostre, Thunor, and Woden Who is most high!

“Safe mayst thou go, safe come again,
And safe be the way thou wendest!
Father of men, let thy mind be keen
When speech with the giant thou seekest.”
~ Vafþrúðnismál 4, Bellows
Painting by Kara Malikova.
ᚬ
“Heill þú farir!
heill þú aftr komir!
heill þú á sinnum sér!
æði þér dugi, hvars þú skalt, Aldaföðr,
orðum mæla jötun.”

Another Odin idol is taking shape. I used a wind-felled tree, suitable for Viðrir. The face is based on an Anglo Saxon artifact.
ᚬᚦᛁᚾ × ᚢᛁᚴᛁ

Heathenry (or Paganism/Natural Religions) as a whole is one’s connection to the divine through logical observances in the natural world. I am of the belief that if you follow an ancestral tradition, yet are disconnected from your ancestral lands, that doesn’t mean you can’t worship the Gods your forefathers called upon.
Even if you don’t live somewhere a plant sacred to Thunor, Woden, or Frigg may grow, that doesn’t mean you can’t use substitutes. The Gods have domain over the whole of the cosmos. Not just places our ancestors dwelled. Their essence is within all things.

Impressive Frēa - Thunor - Woden weoh godpoles.

image source

"𝕮𝖍𝖆𝖗𝖌𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝕽𝖎𝖉𝖊𝖗"

"𝔉𝔦𝔯𝔰𝔱 𝔦𝔫 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔣𝔯𝔞𝔶
𝔣𝔞𝔠𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔣𝔬𝔢,
𝔚𝔬𝔡𝔢𝔫 𝔯𝔦𝔡𝔢𝔰
𝔬𝔫 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔴𝔞𝔯𝔟𝔦𝔯𝔡𝔰 𝔯𝔬𝔞𝔡.
𝔏𝔞𝔰𝔥𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔬𝔲𝔱 𝔟𝔬𝔩𝔡𝔩𝔶
𝔩𝔞𝔶𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔪𝔢𝔫 𝔩𝔬𝔴,
𝔰𝔦𝔤 𝔦𝔰 𝔱𝔥𝔲𝔰 𝔰𝔬𝔴𝔫
𝔟𝔶 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔰𝔩𝔞𝔶𝔢𝔯 𝔬𝔣 𝔣𝔬𝔢𝔰."


A thula I wrote in honor of Woden-Atríðr ("Charging Rider").

“When I was a child, we were always told not to whistle at night.
‘Otherwise Joen's (Odin’s) hunt will come,’ my parents said.”
~Collected by Evald Tang Kristensen in Vokslev, Jylland, 1893.
𐃏
Painting by Yana Kharchenko.