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Walpurgia Feast
(May Eve)
By Evan McCallum
Have your altar near the north of the ritual area. Beyond it hang an Odin-rune banner of black cloth with silver or gold rune-markings. Place a rune-banner for Freya to one side of the Odin-rune and one for Thor to the other side. (Alternatively, place images representing the three Deities instead of banners.) Immediately behind the altar, place a smaller banner bearing the rune of Freyr. Beneath or beside the altar, have a jug of mead or ale. The altar should have a drinking horn in the center, a sword or dagger and an incense brazier (light it shortly before the rite, burn a floral incense). You may want to have copies of the rite for the participants.
Decorate the ritual area with flowers. Celebrants should bring food for a banquet to follow. It is traditional to erect a Maypole with many-colored ribbons in the ritual area. Prepare two garlands of flowers and staffs tied with many-colored ribbons for the ritual. Women should be decked with flowers and ribbons, and may similarly decorate the beards, hair and clothing of their men.
Light the ritual area only by flame. Have candles or torches on or immediately beside the altar. Place a torch at each of the four Quarters (directions) of the ritual area, and one before each rune-banner. If using candles on the altar, have a green one on the left and a gold one on the right. Additionally, light a small taper on the altar before the start of the ceremony in order to light the other candles or torches, and to aid reading.
Devotees may carry hand held banners or standards of the Odin-rune, symbolizing the gods of Valhalla, or heroes of the people. Appropriate music would be continuous replays of Grieg's "Midsommervalka," or the "Peer Gynt Suite," though you may prefer other music or nature sounds. If available, use a bull's horn or other appropriate musical instrument to signal the start and end of the ceremony.
It is best if a Godia (priestess) leads the rite, in addition to a Godi (priest). If a woman of the Folk is not available, place flowers before the banner of Freya and let the Godi speak the words of the Godia.
When all is in readiness, the folk shall assemble. The Godia hands the ribboned staffs to all. (If there is room, the Godi and Godia may lead a Procession of Honor, ending before the altar). The Godi then lights the candles or torches beside the altar as the celebrants’ plant their ribboned staffs about the edge of the ritual area.
Calling the Far Realms
Godi or Godia sounds the summoning-horn. All gather in a semicircle before the altar. The Godi calls for a period of silence of at least thirteen heartbeats, as all place their minds into a calm and meditative state.
Godi:
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 salutes, 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 and of all the places of our people, 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 sacrifice in honor of You, in honor of our Gods and in honor of ourselves. This is the season of Your yearly victory. As guardian and giver of the Life-force that imbues us all, place your blessing within this good mead, so that we may draw upon Your wisdom and gain victory in all that we shall do. Hail Odin!
All:
Hail Odin!
Godi puts down the dagger, takes and opens the jug, and half fills the Blot-Bowl. He takes the bowl, dips a bundle of leaves into the mead and sprinkles each of the worshipers briefly, saying:
You are blessed, in the Name of Odin
When he has blessed all, the Godia takes the bowl and leaves, and similarly blesses the Godi. Then she replaces all upon the altar and turns to those present, saying:
At this time, as in times far past, those of us who follow the Old Ones are 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
Sound the bull's horn (or other appropriate musical instrument). The Godi lights the candle or torch 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 of time and all the worlds of the Gods. Your people are still here, O wise One. Come to us again, and let us 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 candles or torches in front of the Freya-banner and says:
O Leader of the Wind-Riders, You who weaves fates and destinies and before whose magicks men and Gods do bow, Co-Ruler with the Great One, High Odin from the shining Lands of the Gods, we call on Thee, O Freya the Fair One! Be with us here, in this rite! Hall Freya!
All:
Hail Freya!
Godi 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 of Fruitfulness
Sound the bull's horn to announce the coming of the time of love and lust.
Godi:
Let us fill our drinking-horn before the Gods and drink in honor of this, the time when we celebrate the joys of love and of lust.
Fill the drinking-horn on the altar. The Godia (or other so chosen) holds the horn forth before all, saying:
Drink now to this high season—to joy, to love, to sex and to the wisdom that should go with them.
The Godia (or other) takes the drinking horn to the Godi, then to all in the ritual, saying to each as she gives the horn:
To joy, to love, to sex. Hail Walpurgia!
After drinking the celebrant shall say: Hail Walpurgia!
And hand the drinking horn back to the Godia (or other), who then takes it to the next celebrant and repeats the process.
Salutation to Life
Sound the bull's horn. After a pause of five heartbeats, the Godi says:
On this night we celebrate the blending of spring into summer—the blending of youth into maturity. Now is the time that Nature blooms, and this is the time in which we celebrate the fertility of humankind. The God and Goddess of love and fruitfulness are Frey and Freya, of the High Vanir. By Their joyous and sensual example They have, through the ages, shown the erotic joys and needs of a folk, a people and a society to beget more of their own. The legends of the God Bragi and the lovely Goddess Iduna show that the happy times of youth are best for mating. All of the love and compassion which is Nature's gift to us needs to be satisfied that we may have a fruitful, growing society and a happy people. Know well that with love and lust we must loose the fetters of civilization. Those who are overcultured often are too restrained to enjoy life's pleasures and challenges. Know well that with love and lust we must become primal and revel in the primitive emotions that will give us godlike ecstasy and, in time, many strong children!
Godia:
Watcher of the East, tell us of life.
Watcher of the East:
That which we imagine in our minds, that which we feel of ourselves, can also be the projection of ourselves through our children. All the satisfactions of this life—whether sexual, paternal, maternal, or fraternal—come from the desire deep within us to extend our lives through our offspring, or those of our kinfolk. The Life Force has given each of us this vision. And the Life Force, manifest through our ancient Gods and speaking through our lore, says that life has been created to produce yet more life. In the lust and joy which begets the new, lovers continue themselves towards eternity, with one more link in the chain of life that began countless eons ago. It is a Truth more ancient than the oldest mountains.
Godia:
Watcher of the South, tell us of life.
Watcher of the South:
That which satisfies us in life comes to us all by following the ways of the Life Force—the compelling, powerful, erotic emotions which sustain the desire to beget generations yet to come. The primal animal within each of us has instincts that must be satisfied. And those without this powerful, lusting drive are those families, lacking offspring, shall vanish from the Earth.
Godia:
Watcher of the West, tell us of life.
Watcher of the West:
Society, above all, is based on the cooperative effort of parents to rear their children. To thus join together requires folk that think alike—a good folk who are alike in facing life's trials and in treasuring life's rewards. Verily, the need and the cooperation of a people together must come, unbidden, from the heart and soul of all. Those who think alike, and who face all of life together will ever seek each other's company, for they speak a common tongue that is beyond words. In time, their children and their children's children inevitably seek mates each from the other, so that the folk who face the world together shall in time match their outer appearances with the unity of soul which they all possess. Those who appear different to the eye are of the other folk who have known other realities, who think differently and who will fit other lands. Other people though, will not fit with a folk welded together by countless generations of laughter, labor, tears and love. Living peoples, living nations and living folk are so because they think alike and breed alike. Dying societies are composed of people who are not alike, who do not cooperate, who are different.
Godia:
Watcher of the North, tell us of life.
Watcher of the North:
Each society, each folk, must direct its people in the most practical, profitable method of raising children. The mores of living society are the practical rules that have been formed by generations upon generations of experience, the unwritten philosophy of a living people, folk and society. We today look at the mores of our ancestors by considering the actions of the Gods. Through the legends that have come down to us, we may see Their actions and judge them. Though much today remains ever the same, the world has changed over two millennia and the problems which confront us may differ in part from those which our ancestors knew. When there is need, we must change our customs and our moral values with the times, that we may survive as a people and as ourselves.
Godia:
Watcher of the East, tell us of life.
Watcher of the East:
Times have changed. Our sexual mores must fit the times, even though our erotic emotions must be satisfied. In this day we have children by choice, not just by the currents of Nature. To perpetuate ourselves and our people, we must nowadays shape our lives to fulfill our economic, marital and parental needs. Woman and children must be secure in this world, if our society and our folk is to live, love, prosper and multiply. A folk and society that is victorious in all of this world's ways must have sexual mores that are good and sensible.
Godia:
Watcher of the South, tell us of life.
Watcher of the South:
In ancient times, when people lived in clans or tribes, the ties between people were strong. Group living allowed for an easier moral posture. In the time of Frey and Freya, the nobility of Asgard, like the prosperous Folk everywhere, could easily support their young, no matter how numerous. Today, as ever, we must know the joys of life and lust, but we also must see that our families and folk are prosperous and safe. The sensual freedom of the Gods must, in this day, be for the Gods only. This era knows all too well of the ills which may infect the careless, and which can cruelly destroy vast numbers as well.
Godia:
Watcher of the West, tell us of life.
Watcher of the West:
Hearken to the ancient legends! In this day, folk and cultures are different, such that Iduna and Bragi could not meet and marry in such a short time. Thus, we, as the folk of Odin, must seek and bring to our group those that could, because of culture, become good mates for ourselves, or others of Odin's people. We should ever seek the fairest and the best of body and mind, that our descendants may be wise and strong. The seeking of a lover and a mate is of the highest import, for the children mirror the parents and their parents before them. Parents, lovers, and mates must think much alike, laugh and cry alike within their souls, so that harmony shall ever be with Odin's people.
Godia:
Watcher of the North, tell us of life.
Watcher of the North:
We are here to know the joys of life and to create new life. Within us is the god given imagination to ever seek new ways of surviving, of being victorious and of being fruitful. We may plan and we may dream and know the joys of an excellent lover. Yet ever beware the excess of intoxicants and opiates, for they can produce dream worlds of inaction and nothingness. Remember always . . . life is for those who do, and not for those who only dream!
Godia:
Watcher of the East, tell us of life.
Watcher of the East:
Enjoy your life to the fullest. Yet always the head must control the passions. Beware of senseless lust, whether it be your own or others'. Be advised by the lessons of our legends. Be vigilant of your own self. Even high Freya knew intemperate lust for the power of the magic stone of Brisingamen. She brought troubles upon herself and Her mate, Odur. Be vigilant of others, for this world has many who are twisted and evil. The kidnapping of Iduna for lust, shows the need to protect yourself from those who are warped. Remember always that our greatest pleasures are forces of great power, and can bring our greatest problems unless we have care. Yet, with all its difficulties, know that life is rich and good and should be lived to the fullest!
Godi:
Listen and know ye well, all who are gathered hereabout: Life was created for living. Living is the creation of yet more life. May Odin's people prosper in wealth | 
