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The Odinist Tradition
We complete Evan McCallum's Odinist Wheel of the Year with Eastra, on the Spring Equinox, and The Charming of the Plow, on April 10th.
Eastra is dedicated to the Goddess Ostara, or Eastra. As the name suggests, the festival eventually became Easter. It celebrates the return of life and fertility, which was especially dramatic in northern european climates.
The Charming of the Plow is similar, but is dedicated to the Goddess Erda, or Gaia. This rite deals more specifically with the earth and farming. We charm the plow to insure a good harvest in the fall.
Remember that, at this dawning of this New Age, folk," culture," peoples," etc. are what we make them. For instance, many of us find our family by choice" to be closer than our family by birth. In the New Age, a folk" is a group with a homogeneity of spirit, rather than of DNA. The One Planet, One People" bumper stickers do not call for genocide. Similarly, Folk" asks us to recognize our unity as a species and a planet and to manifest it as a unity of will to create the best world we can.
Also, it is important to remember that each of us embodies both the masculine and feminine principles. Thus, the words women" and men" refer to the principles more than the sexes. Look for the truth of the words about women and men in yourself and others, regardless of gender.
The Charming of the Plow
Evan McCallum
The place of the ritual should have an altar near the north of the area. Beyond the altar hang a banner of the Odin rune in black cloth with silver or gold markings. Place a rune banner for Freya to one side of the Odin rune and one for Thor to the other side. (Suitable images representing the three Deities may replace the banners.) Immediately behind the altar, hang a small banner with the rune for Erda, patroness of this festival. Decorate the entire area with flowers.
Next to the altar should be a small plow, hoe, shovel or other agricultural implement for breaking or seeding the soil. It should be freshly painted and decorated with ribbons. On the altar should be an incense brazier, a sword or dagger and a drinking horn in its center. Have a jug of mead or ale available beneath or beside the altar. You may want to have copies of the rite for the participants—ideally all the celebrants will be involved.
Light the ritual area only with fire. Have candles or torches on or beside the altar, to be lit during the ceremony. Place one at each Quarter and before each rune banner. Before beginning, light a small taper on the altar in order to light the other candles or torches and to aid reading. When using altar candles, they should both be light green.
Devotees may carry hand held banners or standards of the Odin rune, symbolizing the gods of Valhalla, or heroes of our own people. Appropriate music would be continuous replays of Halvorsen's Rustle of Spring," or Grieg's Wedding Day at Troldhagen." Possible alternatives are softly playing instrumental North European folk songs or nature sounds. If available, a bull's horn or other appropriate musical instrument should signal the start of the rite.
Besides the Godi (Priest), it is best that a Godia (Priestess) lead the ritual. If a woman of the Folk is not available, place flowers before the banner of Freya, and the Godi (or any other) may speak the words of the Godia.
When all is in readiness, assemble the folk. (If there is room, the Godi and Godia may lead a Procession of Honor, ending before the altar.) The Godi lights the candles or torches beside the altar.
Opening Call
The Godi or Godia sounds the summoning-horn and all gather in a semicircle before the altar. The Godi calls for a period of silence of at least thirteen heartbeats, as all put themselves in a calm and meditative state. Godi says:
Great Odin, we do now work this rite in Your honor. Be with us here, we do ask.
Godia:
O fair and magical Freya, we do now work this rite in Your honor. Be with us here, we do ask.
Godi (or other):
Strong and sturdy Thor, we do now work this rite in Your honor. Be with us here, we do ask.
Godia (or other so chosen) turns briefly to the East and salutes, saying:
O winds of the East, blow soft, cool, and sweet upon our people and our lands. Hail Odin!
All:
Hail Odin!
Godi (or other so chosen) turns briefly to the South and gives salute, saying:
O Warm sun of the South, shine brightly upon our people and our lands. Hail Odin!
All:
Hail Odin!
Godia (or other so chosen) turns briefly to the West and salutes, saying:
O blue waters of the West, flow cool and giving of life for our people and our lands. Hail Odin!
All:
Hail Odin!
Godi (or other so chosen) turns briefly to the North and salutes saying:
O lands of the North, give rich crops and calm souls for our people. Hail Odin!
All:
Hail Odin!
The Blot Rite
Godia takes the jug of mead and holds it for the Godi. He takes the dagger and touches the point to the jug, saying:
Great Odin, accept this as a sacrifice in honor of You, in honor of our gods, and in honor of ourselves. Place Your blessing within this good mead, so that we may draw upon your wisdom, and gain victory in all that we do. Hail Odin!
All:
Hail Odin!
The Godi puts down the dagger, takes and opens the jug and half fills the Blot-Bowl. He takes the bowl and dips the aspergillum or a bundle of leaves into the mead, and briefly sprinkles each of the worshipers, saying:
You are blessed in the Name of Odin.
When all have been blessed, the Godia takes the bowl and leaves and similarly blesses the Godi. Then she replaces all upon the altar, turns to those present and says:
At this time, as in times far past, are those of us who follow the Old Ones blessed and consecrated in their sacred presence. May the strength, power, magick and wisdom, the courage and the steadfastness of the gods themselves remain forever within each of us. Hail Odin!
All:
Hail Odin!
Calling the Great Ones
Godi stands before the Odin banner and says:
O Great Odin, Azure-Cloaked Wanderer from the far, ancient lands of our people, Lord of the Shining Ones who do protect our land, our folk and our families, we call to Thee to be with us here. We call to Thee across all time and all the worlds of the gods. Your people are still here, O Wise One. Come to us again, and give us to drink of Thy cauldron of life and of inspiration that we may prosper once again. Come to us now and be with us here? Odin the wise! Hail Odin!
All:
Hail Odin!
Godia lights the candle or torch in front of the Freya banner and says:
O Leader of the Wind-Riders, You who weave fates and destinies and before whose magicks men and gods do bow, co-ruler with the Great One, High Odin of the shining Lands of the Gods, we call on Thee, O Freya the Fair One! Be with us here in this rite! Hail Freya!
All:
Hail Freya!
Godi (or other) lights the candle or torch before the Thor banner and says:
O red bearded thunderer, friend and protector of our people, before whose mighty hammer neither god nor man can stand, we call on Thee, O mighty Thor! Be with us here in this rite! Hail Thor!
All:
Hail Thor!
Sumul Honoring the Earth
If a bull's horn or other appropriate musical instrument is available, sound it to announce the coming of the planting season. Then the Godi says:
Let us now fill our drinking-horns before the Gods, and drink in honor of this, the coming time of labor, of fruitfulness, of prosperity.
Fill the drinking-horn on the altar. The Godia takes it first to the Godi, then to all in the ritual, saying to each as she gives the horn:
The season is here for new work and good times. Drink now to Erda the ancient, Erda the beautiful, Goddess of Spring!
After drinking he celebrate says, Hail Erda!" and returns the drinking horn to the Godia. She then takes it to the next celebrant to repeat the process.
Charming of the Plow
After a pause of twenty heartbeats or more, sound the bull's horn again. Then the Godi says:
Spring is here, with warmer nights. Frost shall soon be a memory. The time to plow and to plant has arrived. From times most ancient, the farmer looked to the planting-time as the time of decision and the time of fate. He who tills the soil takes the greatest risk of all. Will the seed grow, will there be sufficient rain, and will it come at the right time? Will the sun warm the earth just enough to bring forth a bountiful harvest?
In planting and reaping the bounty of the good Earth, much depends upon fate. Yet much more depends upon man's understanding of nature. Men and women have known the great Earth mother has been known by countless names. Our ancestors in our ancient lands knew her as Berchta, Hulda, Holle and many more names of love and honor.
Erda is more than stone, dirt, grass or trees. She is the spirit of our beautiful planet, and the knowledge of living and the physical world about us. Erda is the knowledge of the seasons, soil, plants, animals, and the minerals of Earth. Erda is the rich subconscious feeling of contentment when we are alone in the wilderness, by rolling oceans, or high in the mountains. Man has lived upon this world for millions upon millions of springs and summers. His mind and his spirit are part of the Earth. He finds contentment when alone with nature.
Godia:
Watcher of the East, tell us of Erda!
Watcher of the East:
In ancient times the Goddess of Earth, Erda, the eldest of the High gods, was offered sacrifices so that crops would be rich, full and safe. Even in this day, with the magics of our technology, we cannot foretell the future of our crops—chance and fate are still with us. As with the land, we cannot know all, whatever the enterprise that humankind undertakes. Man must always risk what he has acquired in the past in order to produce a more bountiful future. An understanding of Erda is of utmost importance!
Godi:Watcher of the South, tell us of Erda!
Watcher of the South:
The knowledge, the wisdom and the understanding of Erda—the knowing of the environment—gave rise to Thor as the farmer, patron of fields and pastures. Thor is the producer of food, and needed clothing and shelter. Thor was not just a persistent plodder—he was also inventive, pragmatic and strong, just as the farmers of today!
Godia:
Watcher of the West, tell us of Erda!
Watcher of the West:
The understanding of Erda has also made Her, in this day as in times past, the Goddess of Enterprise and prosperity. The knowledge and understanding of the environment that is our Earth has allowed humankind to make clothing, build shelters, fashion tools to do all things, make beauteous jewelry and games for recreation. Even more the specialized knowledge of Erda and her bounty make possible the trading of skills and of products. Through this wisdom, we do all things!
Godi:
Watcher of the North, tell us of Erda!
Watcher of the North:
In this day we can more easily gain knowledge and understanding of the world about us. Verily, so much knowledge has been recorded that if we attempted to learn it all, there would be no time in life for risk, no time for action, for success or failure! A life without risk is a life of dreaming and a life of contemplation—like the lotus-eaters of ancient times, soon lost without a trace.
Time always passes, and so does life. We must ever strive to gain a general knowledge of Erda, and always to observe Her in action. In the deepest parts of our minds we must understand Erda, so that we may better assume the daily risks of an active life.
Godia:
Watcher of the East, tell us of your thoughts.
Watcher of the East:
Erda comes to those whose minds and spirits are healthy. A body which is sick, besotted with drink, or polluted with drugs will make a sick mind. Our perception of reality must be acute and healthy if we are to risk and to act wisely. The world is hard enough as it is—don't make it worse!
Success always has its risks, before during and after we make our decisions and actions. Listen and hearken ye well: Health is necessary to succeed!
Godi:
Watcher of the South, tell us of your thoughts.
Watcher of the South:
Erda comes to those who act. Healthy bodies and minds are necessary for wise action. Listen and hearken ye will: People that act, interact with Erda—they gain experience!
Godia:
Watcher of the West, tell us of your thoughts. Watcher of the West:
If we understand Erda, we are confident of survival. I speak not of man's survival in nature, but of man's survival with man!
All action begins with the faith and confidence that we can attain our goals, that we can reach our objectives. Listen and hearken ye well: hope produces action!
Godi:
Watcher of the North, tell us of your thoughts.
Watcher of the North:
The understanding of Erda will give our people the vision and imagination to persevere through the most turbulent of times. Strife and turmoil are always ahead! Turmoil offers opportunity to those who are prepared in body and in mind. Know well all you who hear me: The preparation of the mind is far more important than the preparation of the body. Listen and hearken ye well: A healthy imagination and flexibility to change will assure your success, in any time and any place!
Godia:
Know well that if we have an understanding and faith in the past of this Earth, we will have a guide in foreseeing the future. A healthy and positive imagination of the plans that we make for the future will assure our success, our victory, in that future. Life has always been a struggle. Know well that only those who are strong and wise, those who confront the future, will succeed in the future!
Watching and observing with the sharpness of the eagle is the first requirement in making decisions. Positive activity and attitude must ever be our watchwords. Listen and hearken ye well: Faith in Erda will come to us if we observe and if we think! May Odin's people prosper and multiply!
Closing
When it is time to end, the Godia or Godi have all stand silently for a moment. The Godia or Godi then holds out the sword in salute before the rune banner(s) saying:
The time for our rite is ended. Let us give thanks for this time when we may be with the gods. As we go our ways, may the spirit of far Valhalla and the High Gods of the shining land, go ever with us, with our children and with our people. Hail Odin! (salute)
All:
Hail Odin! (salute)
The Godia or Godi replaces the sword upon the altar, and says:
This rite is ended. Go ye ever in the Way of the Gods and live their blessing.
After the ceremony pour any remainders in the drinking horn at the base of a tree with an improvised salutation to the Azure Cloaked One.
1989, Evan McCallum. | 
