Rituals for the Northern Tradition
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Horn and Banner Horn and Banner Rituals for the Northern Tradition Compiled by Raven Kaldera Hubbardston, Massachusetts Asphodel Press 12 Simond Hill Road Hubbardston, MA 01452 Horn and Banner: Rituals for the Northern Tradition © 2012 Raven Kaldera ISBN: 978-0-9825798-9-3 Cover Photo © 2011 Thorskegga Thorn All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the permission of the author. Printed in cooperation with Lulu Enterprises, Inc. 860 Aviation Parkway, Suite 300 Morrisville, NC 27560 To all the good folk of Iron Wood Kindred, past and present, and especially for Jon Norman whose innocence and enthusiasm we will miss forever. Rest in Hela’s arms, Jon, And may you find peace. Contents Beginnings Creating Sacred Space: Opening Rites ................................... 1 World Creation Opening ....................................................... 3 Jormundgand Opening Ritual ................................................ 4 Four Directions and Nine Worlds: ........................................ 5 Cosmological Opening Rite .................................................... 5 Warding Rite of the Four Directions ..................................... 7 Divide And Conquer: Advanced Group Liturgical Design. 11 Rites of Passage Ritual to Bless a Newborn .................................................... 25 Seven-Year Rite ..................................................................... 28 A Note On Coming-Of-Age Rites ........................................ 31 Coming of Age Rite for a Girlchild ...................................... 33 Rite of Passage for a Boychild .............................................. 37 Rite of Passage for an Ergi Child .......................................... 41 Runic Handfasting Rite ......................................................... 46 Frigga Wedding Rite ............................................................. 50 Vanir Wedding Rite .............................................................. 55 Handparting Rite ................................................................... 57 Vanir Ritual for the Joining of Families ............................... 58 A Note On Funerals ............................................................. 60 Seasonal Rites Candlemas Creation Rite ...................................................... 64 Oimelc Candle Rite .............................................................. 67 Charming of the Plough Ritual ............................................. 70 Ostara Rite ............................................................................. 71 Northern Tradition Beltane Rite .......................................... 73 Litha Rite for Frey and Freya ............................................... 75 Northern Tradition Lammas Rite ........................................ 77 Equinox Ritual for Idun ........................................................ 82 Winternights Ritual ............................................................... 85 Mother Night Ritual .............................................................. 89 Blutmonath Journey to Helheim .......................................... 92 Sun Wheel Rite For Yule ................................................... 105 Rituals for Gods Rite of the Tides .................................................................. 112 Rite of the Nine Mermaids .................................................. 114 Solitary Ritual to Angrboda ................................................. 131 Solitary Rite for Baldur and Nanna..................................... 134 Bragi’s Ritual for Public Speaking ....................................... 136 Sacred Well Rite for Eir ...................................................... 137 Freyr: A Man To Man Rite ................................................. 139 Four Directions Rite for Freya ............................................ 143 Forseti Ritual, in Two Parts ................................................. 147 A Blót to Frigga .................................................................... 150 Frigga Blot ............................................................................ 159 Ritual for Jormundgand ....................................................... 168 Loki Rite ............................................................................... 170 Evening Ritual to Mani ........................................................ 173 Well of Wisdom Seidh Ritual For Mimir .......................... 175 Devotional Rite for Njord.................................................... 179 Three Norns Ritual .............................................................. 181 Walpurgisnacht Ritual for Odin .......................................... 183 Ritual In Honor Of Woden ................................................ 188 Devotional Rite for Sigyn..................................................... 192 Skadhi Blót ........................................................................... 194 Sunna Rite ............................................................................ 201 Farmer’s Thorrablot ............................................................ 203 Ritual to Tyr ......................................................................... 204 Oathing Rite for Ullr ............................................................ 206 Rituals for Many Purposes Rite of Yggdrasil ................................................................... 211 Three and Three Protection Rite ....................................... 221 Warding Rite for Gerda ...................................................... 225 Needfire Ritual ..................................................................... 230 Anglo-Saxon Blessing Rite ................................................... 236 Evening Rite of the Five Elements ...................................... 244 Rite for the Land .................................................................. 249 Earth Healing Rite For Jord ................................................ 251 Acre Bot Ritual, Modernized .............................................. 253 Rune Creation Ritual ........................................................... 259 Rune Tree Rite .................................................................... 264 Holda Housecleaning Rite ................................................. 267 A Meal Blessing .................................................................. 269 Fidelity Ritual for Sif ........................................................... 272 A Northern-Tradition Sauna Ritual ................................... 277 Ritual for Healing of the Body ........................................... 282 Thirteen Maidens Graduation Ritual ................................. 288 Heimdall Ritual for Blessing a Guard ................................ 295 Mordgud’s Ritual for Blessing a Guard .............................. 297 Standing In The Shadows Rite ........................................... 299 Chaining Fenris: A Ritual to Bind The Inner Beast .......... 302 Hela’s Rite of Unbinding .................................................... 307 Solitary Rite for the Ancestors ............................................ 313 Ancestor Ritual of the Four Directions .............................. 315 Bloodline Curse Aversion Rite for Hyndla........................ 318 Ritual for Elevating the Troubled Dead ............................. 321 Ritual for Frith ..................................................................... 326 HORN AND BANNER i Foreword To the casual observer, the form of the rituals found within modern Norse Neo-Paganism would seem to be fairly straightforward – one would assume that rituals from Àsatru or other forms of Northern European pagan reconstructionism1 would find a place here as well. This is not always the case. Traditional Heathen rituals mainly fall into two categories: blót and sumbel. The former usually indicates a formal offering or sacrifice of some sort on the part of a family or community, while the latter term generally refers to a round of toasts made by a group in honor of a god or gods, ancestors, and/or honored persons living or dead.2 Few solitary rituals appear to be used in mainstream Heathenry, and those that exist are due more to simple necessity than anything else – for example, when a Heathen finds him- or herself geographically isolated from others of the same faith and thus must make offerings or mark holy days alone. However, the strong emphasis on group observation in Àsatru/Heathen religious practice is not necessarily a part of all forms of Norse/Germanic paganism, which may be far less community- or kin-focused than concerned with the individual’s unique relationship to his or her gods. Many of those who have chosen to adopt the “Northern Tradition Pagan”3 label – or who have merely chosen not to use “Àsatruar” or “Heathen” to describe themselves – may look to other sources than the accepted “lore” and related secondary academic sources for inspiration concerning rituals both personal and communal. As many modern Norse/Germanic religionists ultimately come to their beliefs through a 1 “Reconstructionism” refers to those pagan religious traditions which seek to accurately recreate the practices, world-view, and beliefs of pre-Christian Europe via primary sources such as mythological poetry and contemporary accounts, or secondary sources such as academic interpretations of archaeological finds. Àsatru, Nova Romana, and Hellenismos