At Trothmoot 2013 in Tehachapi, California, participants in the Holle Sege were treated to a wonderful experience. By Leticia Andreas' Holle Weih, Troth Elder Birgit Knorr shared her song, Heil Dir, Holle, to the group. I remember feeling the power around us rise as she sang her song. It was sublime.
Since that time, I was hoping that Birgit would make the song available. Thanks to Jan Hijatt and Birgit, the song is now on YouTube.
I am also working, with Birgit's permission, on translating the song into Deitsch for use in Urglaawe rituals. I am not sure that I can sing it as beautifully as Birgit does in the video, but music is something that we sorely need in rituals.
Birgit, Diana Paxson, and Michaela Macha (among others) are leaders in this area, and we at Distelfink hope to use the talent of some of our musically-gifted folks to add to the songs of Heathenry.
Thank you again, Birgit and Jan, for making this video available.
Oklahoma Tornado Relief Efforts
Expanded info on Oklahoma tornado relief efforts. Thanks to Destiny Ballard of Bifrost Way for this information.
http://thetroth.blogspot.com/2013/05/oklahoma-tornado-relief-efforts.html
Hollerbeer Haven Issues
All back issues of Hollerbeer Haven, Journal of Urglaawe, Braucherei, and Deitsch Wisdom, are now available on Urglaawe.net and on Distelfink.org.
Central PA HeathenCon 2013
Central Pennsylvania HeathenCon is fast approaching!
This is the first year in which we will have workshops and discussions added into our schedule. Our preliminary agenda is as follows:
FRIDAY
AFTERNOON: Arrival
6:00 PM - Dinner Out
8:00 PM - Land-taking Blot/Sege (led by Hearth of Yggdrasil)
Night - Free Time
SATURDAY (All workshops in Meeting Room at Northland Bowl)
This is the first year in which we will have workshops and discussions added into our schedule. Our preliminary agenda is as follows:
Northland Motel and Northland Bowl
1521 Martin Street
State College, PA 16803
February 22-February 24, 2013
AFTERNOON: Arrival
6:00 PM - Dinner Out
8:00 PM - Land-taking Blot/Sege (led by Hearth of Yggdrasil)
Night - Free Time
SATURDAY (All workshops in Meeting Room at Northland Bowl)
8:00 AM - Breakfast Out
10:00 AM - Blot/Sege (Northland Bowl Meeting Room)
10:30 AM - Re-enactment and Experimental Archaeology in Heathenry - Annie of Kindred of Mann
12:00 PM - Lunch In
1:00 PM - Braucherei in the Urglaawe Context Discussion - Rob of Distelfink Sippschaft
2:30 PM - Introduction to Traditional Poetry - Eirik of Hearth of Yggdrasil
4:00 PM - Round Table Discussion - Jo and Jeff of Hearth of Yggdrasil
6:00 PM - Dinner Out
Evening - Relaxation and Free Time
10:00 PM - Nachtsege/Blot led by Distelfink Sippschaft
SUNDAY
8:00 AM - Breakfast Out
10:00 AM - Closing Blot/Sege led by Community
11:00 AM - Checkout
The Season IS the Reason!
Every year, at Yuletide, we are are bombarded with complaints about a "War on Christmas" and declarations that "Jesus is the reason for the season."
There are few things that are as far off track. First off, the "War on Yule" began long before any alleged War on Christmas. The War on Yule was so pernicious that Christmas subsumed myriad Yule traditions and mutated them so much that the average person thinks they were originally Christian traditions!
Santa Claus as a depiction of St. Nicholas... Seriously? How many reindeer are there in Anatolia?
Then there is the "Reason for the Season" statement. Honestly, there is such ignorance related to this claim. All indicators are, that if Jesus of Nazareth was indeed an historical figure, he was far more likely born in the late summer or early autumn. The placing of Christmas halfway into Yule is part of a Church strategy of undermining Saturnalia and Yule traditions in order to advance the Church's agenda.
Thus, Christmas is not the reason for this season of celebration. The reason is the Yule, or the winter solstice, which represents, among many other things, the victory of light over darkness. The new season of winter begins at Yule, but the days begin to lengthen. Therefore, the Season IS the Reason!
Berchtaslaaf
Recent conversations and circumstances have brought the goddess Berchta to the fore. Urglaawe observes Bertchta's feast day, December 31, as the Berchtaslaaf (Procession of Berchta). This is an integral part of the Yule observance.
Old lore indicates that we are to eat a meal of gruel and herring. In fact, the lore, as reported by Grimm, states that is ALL we are to eat on that day. Fortunately, we have found Berchta to be flexible when it comes to that report, particularly if the meal is present and is at least eaten a bit.
We will write more about this radiant goddess as Yule approaches. :)
Old lore indicates that we are to eat a meal of gruel and herring. In fact, the lore, as reported by Grimm, states that is ALL we are to eat on that day. Fortunately, we have found Berchta to be flexible when it comes to that report, particularly if the meal is present and is at least eaten a bit.
We will write more about this radiant goddess as Yule approaches. :)
Erntfescht 2012
Distelfink Sippschaft and Hottenstein Freibesitz each held their Erntfescht events on the weekend of September 22-23.
Hottenstein collected 97 pounds of food that went to food banks in Schuylkill and Carbon Counties. The farmers in the fellowship traded some specialty crops with each other (squash for cabbage, apples for grapes, etc.).
Distelfink collected over 160 pounds of food that were donated to the Berks County Food Bank. Some seeds, particularly herbal seeds, were exchanged among some members. Some perennial herbal seeds were also planted in several garden areas across the Deitscherei.
Distelfink's event took place at the Pennsylvania German Cultural Heritage Center at Kutztown University. The site was perfect for the Sippschaft's needs, and they hope to have more events there in the future.
Some photos from Distelfink's event are below.
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