Well, we held our Blot today in celebration of the harvest and the bounty realized from seeds sown.  This is one of the most special of celebration times for me exceeded only by my yearly Yule trek and Blot.  I view this time as crucial in that it is a cusp of life and death in both the spiritual and physical sense.  In times past the rewards for hard work, proper planning, kin cooperation, and the gifts of the Gods were great, as were the consequences for a lack of dedication and a turning from ones own were dire.  Although less vital in the harvest sense today the principle is still as vital and needed as it ever was.  Midgard changes around us and, as we change with it, we rejoice in the beauty as we acknowledge the beginning of dormancy and decay.  It is a time for the Hailing of life and determination.
 

Gretta, Signi, Gunnar, and myself were present at this blot as well as an invited guest of Gunnar’s.  Kat was unable to attend.  We went slightly higher into the cascades than usual to reach a point we have not held Blotar in before and to be sure of being undisturbed.  Gunnar and his friend gathered wood for a small fire and I unpacked the items for our ritual.  Gretta had brought her horn since our plan was to follow the Winter Finding Blot of the OR.  For the Corn Mother I used a simple cob grown in my garden.  After blowing the moot horn and the hallowing I lit the cleansing fire and asked each for the blooded rune I had requested they bring to this blot.  All were placed in the fire by my hand and Odin was asked to receive the thought of the runic representation as the essence was returned to the Gods.  I spoke of the value of the runes to our folk and the meaning they hold to our people and faith.  Often we lose sight of the depth the runes have for our folk and forget that they are more than a mere source of mysticism or a crude alphabet.
As the Blot progressed I asked Gretta to perform the first reading and although it was the first time for this format she was inspiring and the following portion (From the Book of Blotar) brought a glow to her face.

Closer to the Hearth we gather
As the summer ends
May we have food to nourish us
And the warmth of friends.

I believe that our women keep these sentiments alive for us as a Faith and Folk and it was moving to hear them spoken.  The second reading was done by Gunnar and it brought forth a pride in our faith versus that which is foreign to us.  The warning of greed and our loss of link to Midgard were lost on none of us and many views were expressed on this after the Blot.

The presentation of the corn mother was made by Signi and it was completely new to all of us.  The only change made was that it was offered to the Gods through our cleansing fire rather than being placed upon an altar.  The returning of any of form of sustenance was hard in past times and I could feel this inside as this sacrificing of food took place.
 

All in all it was a good Blot with active participation from all except Gunnars friend who seemed uncomfortable and did not take part in the memory cup or oathing.  He is caught between the path of christianity and the need to go further along his ancestral lines and the faith they represent.  His presence created no loss in the Blot but his refusal to take part in the oathings caused some bitterness I’m afraid.  Gunnar was particularly angered since he felt this was an insult to the Gods and ourselves.  I’m afraid it was more a matter of curiosity than anything else.  It may be a while before we have non Odinist guests at our Blots again.  It also became apparent that the Hearth must order more Books of Blotar since some memories are better than others ;).
 

Fare with the Gods

Heimdall (Steve) AOR