Sunday, August 06, 2006

Summer Esbats

We intend to hold beach Esbats on the next two moons, the Barley Moon on the shores of the Deben and the Harvest Moon on the Stour. We will continue to experiment with Fire Scrying. Pyromancy, as this is known, can be used in the same manner as other divinatory tools such as the Crystal Ball and the black mirror, one has something to focus upon, rather than de-focusing the mind. It is important to use local and natural driftwood to enhance the scrying. A light ,trance-like and relaxed state of mind works best and makes it easier to see the fire-shapes which give images for interpretation.
Let these impressions flow and remember to keep records of all you see. A useful activity to build confidence in the art of clairvoyance. In 'The Sea Priestess' Dion Fortune mentions the Fire of Azrael using Cedar wood, Sandalwood and Juniper used in a sea-shore ritual to invoke the overlap between two aspects of the Goddess as The Moon and the Sea.

As these exotic woods are not easily available these days and not environmentally ethical to use we have found that an Incense of these together with the salty driftwood that lays on our shores and has the essence of the locale already in it, an adequate substitute. Add in the sounds of Sea birds and the rustlings of shore creatures in the dark and this makes for a very powerful Esbat.

Tuesday, August 01, 2006

Heathen Practices

These useful links have been supplied by Carol, of the Ipswich Pagan Council, to whom we are very grateful. They show Heathen Practices

Wyrd - http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wyrd

Symbel - http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Symbel

Bragarful -http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bragarfull

Blot - http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bl%C3%B3t

Seid - http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Seid

Online Resources -

http://omacl.org/ (online classics library - you can read the
original source materials here for free)

www.thetroth.org

www.thorshof.org
www.odinic-rite.org
http://www.gippeswic.demon.co.uk/odinshof.html

http://www.tha-engliscan-gesithas.org.uk/ The English Companions - a
more academic resource.

A suggested booklist: the links will take you to the page at Amazon.co.uk, and from there you will find other links to similar books.

Edda, translated by Anthony Faulkes.

The Poetic Edda, translated by Carolyne Larrington.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1419121707/1684

True Hearth by James Chisolm - a guide to everyday heathen practise

Nine Worlds of Seid-Magic: Ecstasy and Neo-Shamanism in North
European Paganism
- Jenny Blain, and by the same author Wights and Ancestors: Heathenism in a Living Landscape (Understanding Heathenism S.)

The book of Seidr -The Native English and Northern European Shamanic
Tradition
- Runic John

Our Troth - Kveldulf Gundarsson - the working practise and research
of The Troth

Teutonic Religion: Folk Beliefs & Practices of the Northern
Tradition
- Kveldulf Gundarsson

Way of The Runes - Bernard King

The Norse Myths: Gods of the Vikings. - Kevin Crossley Holland -Modern
Beowulf - There are loads of translations out there.

Gods and Myths of the Viking Age - H.R. Ellis Davidson, A good
introduction to the academic perspective on Norse religion.

Chronicles of the Vikings: R I Page - An anthology of Viking-Age
writings

An Introduction to English Runes - R.I.Page - Comprehensive academic
study of the anglo-saxons use of the runes

The Agricola and the Germania - P. Corneliu Tacitus - the main primary source for
the beliefs of the early Germanic tribes.

She also recommends pretty much everything from Anglo-Saxon books

There's a book list from thetroth that looks very
comprehensive -
http://www.thetroth.org/memsvc/stewards/flyers/benw/flyer8.pdf