Hearthside

I find it fascinating how many people are really interested in Land-taking and Hallowing rites but know nothing about them. I first read about them in The Tradition of Household Spirits by Claude Lecouteaux, but there are many books that talk about them. There are actually examples of Land-taking and Land Hallowing in the Landnámabók . The basic premise of a Land-taking is to let the landwights know that you are taking stewardship of the land. I say “stewardship” very pointedly. You aren’t just taking the land, you are agreeing to take responsibility for the land. You have to take care of the parcel of land you take. If you don’t you will see the landwights encroaching back into that space. Even so, they may try from time to time. The most common elements of a land-taking are to walk (usually sunwise) around the boundary (in a process called circumambulation) of the piece of land you wish to take stewardship of and declaring to the wights your intentions to take stewardship of the lan...

Tonight is Mother’s Night, or at least it is when I celebrate it within my hearth. Bede recorded it as being the Eve of December 25th, or Christmas Eve. However, it likely shifted to that date after the introduction of Christianity. Some modern heathens celebrate Mother’s Night on the Eve of the Winter Solstice, and some celebrate it on December 24th. Others don’t celebrate it at all. So what is Mother’s Night? It is the celebration of the female ancestors, or Disir. It is similar to, or may be the same celebration as Disting of Disablot, which doesn’t seem to have a set date in the sources. Some modern heathens celebrate both separately, with Disting usually falling somewhere between January 31st and mid-February. Others celebrate one or the other, and some celebrate neither. The truth is modern heathens don’t really agree much on what holidays to celebrate other than the major 3: Sigrblot, Winter Nights, and Yule. (And often with the addition of a 4th at Midsummer.) It is up to the t...

So I have been on a bit of a hiatus, but for an important reason. I was getting married. I have had the blog entry below already written but in need of some editing for months, but I have a lot of ideas in the works most of the time. Now was the right time to put it out there, because our marriage speaks further to the topic at hand. We were supposed to be married last July, but of course pandemic times put plans on hold. We were blessed this year to have a small gathering of 26 people, and then through the wonders of modern technology livestream to friends and family all over the world.  Our ceremony was a meaningful and moving combination of our faiths as well bringing in elements of our combined story and emphasizing the importance of family in all its unique forms. At first I wanted to keep faith out of our ceremony, but my spouse wanted his father to say a prayer, and I knew that this would be a very meaningful moment between father and son and that it must happen. As such I a...

It seems like some heathens focus a lot of energy on the gods, and not on matters closer to home, the ancestors, the landwights, and housewights. A healthy hearth practice recognizes that there are other beings besides the gods who demand our respect. Working with your housewight(s) is a rewarding relationship that is worth fostering. Being aware of other beings in your environment helps you understand your environment better and will help your life to be healthy, happy, and whole.  I know… it sounds like a bad sales pitch, but there really is truth to it. Getting to know the spirits of place is always rewarding. Ritualizing the routine of maintaining a gifting cycle gives it meaning and can make you feel more purposeful. Being respectful to the beings around you and engaging in the gift cycle with them will build your luck and the luck of your family/hearth.  Housewight is a rather broad term that can refer to a number of beings that you may share space with in your home. The...