Óðinshof District

​In January, we gather to celebrate the passing of Jól and the beginning of another wonderful year. As the name suggests, this is also a Blót to mighty Þórr. The Blót to the friend of man is followed by a large feast, full of joy and good memories. High Sumbl follows the feast, where bright words are spoken and good gifts are given. 

During the month of March, the Folk gather to celebrate the Ásynja of the dawn, Lady Austra. Her arrival brings the earth back to life as flowers bloom and animals awaken from hibernation. Her holy tide is celebrated by enjoying the outdoors, praising the fertility she brings every year and the idea of dawn in general. The Folk honor Austra with Blót, asking her for continued blessings of fertility and new beginnings in our lives. Following Blót, there is a feast, which is followed by High Sumbl.

Sumarmál, Old Norse for “summer time,” is celebrated in the month of May. The Folk gather to celebrate the continued fertility of the earth and give Blót to Holy Freyr, asking for fertility of the Folk and continued blessings in general. This is followed by a dance around the Maypole with all of the gathered Folk, and the event typically closes with a feast and Sumbl. 

Sigrblót, meaning “victory sacrifice,” is celebrated in July. This is a celebration of our previous victories, but also a time to ask Lord Týr for further victory in our endeavors as summer comes to a close and winter gets closer. This holy tide is celebrated by sharing our victories and accolades, praising Lord Týr with a sword dance or similar feat, giving Blót to him, and then sharing in High Sumbl with the Folk. 

As Miðgarðr’s warmth wanes in the month of September, Ásatrúar come together to celebrate Haustblót, or the harvest festival. This holy tide is both celebration and preparation- we celebrate the many blessings of the Æsir as the last harvest is brought in, and we pray to Lord Ullr to help us prepare for the coming winter. This event is marked by a Blót to Lord Ullr, where hunting weapons and work tools are blessed, as these are used to keep food on the tables of our families. This is followed by a feast, often made up of autumnal or wintry foods, and the event is ended with High Sumbl. The ancestors’ round is especially powerful at all of the winter events, due to the veil between worlds becoming thinner. 

One of the most recognizable motifs in Asatru is that of the Viking warrior. Helm, sword, beard, and blood: boys and girls have long been mesmerized by the stories of Valkyries and the eternal feasting and fighting of the Einherjar in Odin’s hall, Valhalla.

For those of us who practice Ásatrú, we recognize the importance and the value of the warrior. More important still, is the importance and the value of those who have fallen, the Einherjar. Once a year we set aside a day specifically to honor the Einherjar. We raise a horn to the fallen warriors to thank them for fighting for our people and our freedom.

In February, we celebrate both the masculine and the feminine while preparing to work our will on the world in the new year. Blót is given to Holy Freyr, to ask for success in our ventures and fertility in our Folk. We take this time to “charm the plow,” blessing our tools and digging the first symbolic furrow of the season. High Sumbl follows this, where the Ásynjur are especially honored.

The digging of the furrow represents masculine energy, while the charming of the plow represents feminine energy, just as our women compliment and support our men as they work their will in order to provide for the Folk. This is also a time where the tools of our industry (whatever that may be for each of us) are blessed for the coming year of accomplishment.

In April, after Austra has brought the flora and fauna back to bright life, the Folk gather to celebrate Nornanótt—the night of the Nornir. This holy tide puts emphasis on the divine feminine, giving Blót to Holy Freyja and honoring her magic. This celebration is often done in the evening hours, as the Folk burn fires to sacrifice items that we no longer have need of; something of a “spring cleaning." Nornanótt is an excellent time to reflect on the blessings woven for us by the Nornir, and to raise a horn to those blessings during Sumbl.

Miðsumar, or Midsummer, is considered the high point of the year for many of our Folk. Celebrated in the month of June, when Sól is in her full glory, around the time of the summer solstice. This holy tide is centered around the worship of Baldr and his brightness, as well as the joy of the season. At our Hofs, Blót will be given to Baldr, and a sunwheel will be lit before the Folk. The Æsir are thanked for our previous victories, and then the event is closed with a powerful three rounds of Sumbl among the Folk. 

During the month of August, the Folk gather to thank Holy Freyr for the many blessings given to us since Dísaþing in February. The name Freyfaxi comes to us from a story about a horse who was sacrificed to the god of the world. There is a Blót held in Holy Freyr’s honor, a feast, stories told of his deeds, and High Sumbl. 

Vetrnætr, or Winter Nights, takes place in October and is a celebration of the ancestors. During the colder months, the veil between this world and the next is thin, and our ancestors are closer than in the summer months. This holy tide is often celebrated during the evening, and is marked by giving Blót to the Alfar and Dísir—the male and female ancestors. This ritual is followed by a feast and High Sumbl, where our ancestors are especially praised over the horn. 

Jól is the 12-day period in December in which we hold our biggest celebrations. During the Jól season, we celebrate our families and our tribes and the bonds that hold us strong. We celebrate our Ancestors. We celebrate our Gods and the Wild Hunt. We celebrate the bright fires of the hearth that keeps us warm, and the we celebrate the rebirth of the sun. We have made it halfway through the harshest time of the year. The sun begins to stay in the sky a little longer each day, moving us closer and closer to the fruitful and warm summer.