1996 Events - Fiskiörn Kindred

(Note: events are in reverse chronological order.)

Yule

Fiskiörn Kindred kept Yule over many days, commencing with Mothernight, on December 19, and continuing until Hogmanay, aka New Year's. As part of our celebrations, we conducted a public ritual sponsored by ERCE, on Dec. 21 in the Unitarian church on Inglis Street. We held a private sumbel on the night of the 21st. Some of us met with a women's circle for Mothernight. The period of the wih-nights was a very enjoyable and special time. Now we move into the New Year!

Einherjar blót

was held on the shore on the windy, rainy night of November 10, with nine people in attendance -- followed by a most excellent sumble, indoors in the warmth.

Winter Finding

Fall is now with us, the nights are cold, and the leaves are turning to russet and gold. The Wild Hunt can be heard in the night winds... And so on October 4 we greeted the coming Winter, and made offering to the Dísir. We conducted this as a teaching blot followed by a discussion of blot structure and God/esses of the Elder Troth.

Fall Equinox

We held a quiet harvest blot to Jordh, to Thor and to Sif, on a grassy field by a small rowan grove. We poured an offering of wheat-beer, and left flowers and fruit by a rock in the grove. The other offerings (lovely gourds and small squashes and corn, herbs and berries) were placed on the gydhja's garden altar. After our potluck feast we held sumbel.

Avalon East Pagan Gathering - Opening Ritual

- conducted by Fiskioern Kindred on August 23, to honour the Landwights, with a new song for them, and to ask the God/esses for their blessing on the festival. We called particularly on Frigga, for frith, on Tyr, for justice and trothkeeping, and on Frey for good fellowship. All participants made an offering of grain, and stated what they brought to the gathering, while we sang another new "festival song". We then held "open horn", and many festival-goers came forward to toast our God/esses.

Fire rite - ship burning after sunset

Immediately before the feast at Avalon East, on Saturday August 24, we led a procession by flashlight down an extremely muddy path in the dark to the shore of the Bay of Fundy. There we displayed our ship, made from paper-mache with love and care by Seabird, painted by Roberta and Shane, with the details of dragon prow by Shane, and the eagle on the sail drawn by Katla and painted by Seabird with assistance from Shane. It was filled with wildflowers, herbs from Katla's garden, fruit, and barley gathered, braided and decorated by Thorgerd, and it symbolized the year of which we're now seeing the harvest. After a "Hail to the Day" it was set alight and launched as the tide began to ebb, by Fiskioern Kindred and friends. As it sailed out toasts were made, to the God/esses and to those who have gone before us this year, by Thorgerd, Shane, Seabird, Ian, Roberta, David, Francine, and (a very special guest) Mark, and finally Katla. We waited on the shore as it sailed further and further, burning, until finally the light was extinguished, far out in the bay.
The photo shows the boat...

Workshops at Avalon East

on Magic within Asatru, on crafting Bindrunes, and on Goddesses of the North. These were open workshops, well attended. Thorgerd designed a bindrune for childbirth for one attendee, and assisted others in designing theirs for what they needed. Katla's talks on magic and on Goddesses were well received, and she directed several interested people to information for further studies.

Gydhja Oathing

- took place at Loaf-mass. We now have a sworn Gydhja.
We had intended to celebrate Lammas in collaboration with some Celtic religionists, but they couldn't make it until the evening sumbel (and the Oathing), so we ended up with an Asatru Loaf-Mass rite also.

Ritual Workshop

(Wednesday July 24, Little Mysteries Books). Introductory workshop on conducting Asatru rituals. This was well attended, and Katla gave information about the "who" and "why" of blot and sumbel, and about where our knowledge comes from, as well as outlining what happens in ritual.

Sunna blót

was held July 6, in fair weather, among the greenery of a summer garden, with a feast and a sumbel afterwards.
(We would have done this for the solstice, but Katla was away at Trothmoot. She says Trothmoot was wonderful!)

Mead Bottling Party (June)

That was mead bottling, not drinking... bottling, got it? Not drinking... never drinking...couldn't drink the stuff, now, could we? Sampling, though, that's in order. After all, we're going to use this stuff to toast the God/esses... Must make sure it tastes OK, mustn't we? ...Ahh... I think it tastes OK. Just another hornful, though, to make sure... Anybody for a song, n ow?

Shopes' Symbel (May)

an evening of stories, songs and poems. It's not all that often that people get the chance to show what they can do, read their own work, tell what's important to them, and such evenings are beyond price.

Spring Plough Blessing (April)

went ahead as planned, despite a little snow which decided to fall to remind us that Spring in Nova Scotia sometimes looks a lot like winter!

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This list last updated on Tyr's day, April 8, 1997