All Blog Posts (36)

Tonight (Monday, April 30) at sundown starts the twelve-night observance of Wonnezeit. On this night, specifically (Wonnenacht or Walpurgisnacht), we are to open our windows and doors (within reason and with safety in mind, of course) and to keep them open through sundown on May 1 (again, within reason) to welcome the return of the Wild Hunt with Holle at the helm.



The Parade of Spirits is said to pass through homes, and Holle inspects them for orderliness (hence my rush to get…

 I had forgotten how great this place really is!!! If you're passing through Memphis, or live in the Mid-South region, check out Ebbo Spiritual Supply - they have an awesome selection of American folk magic books (seriously one of the best I've seen nationwide!), tools and supplies in addition to their ACR focus.  And great people!  I'm going to see if we can get some Urglaawe books in stock:…

The best list of Urglaawe resources (books, videos, related links, etc.) is on Distelfink Sippschaft's site:

http://site.distelfink.org/Resources.html



The "Hollerbeer Haven" journals, which started in the Braucherei guild and later became the journal of Urglaawe, Braucherei, Hexerei, and Deitsch Wisdom, are all available as free .PDF downloads there on the site.



We have very active Facebook…

I saw the post below (at the bottom of this commentary) on the Facebook status update of a friend.

There are many truths inside this status. There are quite a few folks, many of whom I know personally, who are one missing paycheck away from losing their homes or cars, etc. These kinds of difficulties have many origins, including the current economy. Many aspects of these problems are beyond our immediate or even long-term control, and there are many people who need a hand up (not so…

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

Every now and again, I come across short references that help to fill in some gaps in the understanding of our traditional practices.



One such gap is the time between Walpurgisnacht and the arrival of the Reifries (Frost Giants) thirteen days later. I think we finally have an answer.

On our current calendar, Walpurgisnacht falls on the night of April 30. However, since Urglaawe days begin at sundown, that night is actually 1. Wonnet (May 1) on the Urglaawe calendar.…

"The Burning of the Butzemann." 

The Butzemann is constructed at Grundsaudaag (Groundhog Day) out of selected and preserved remnants of last year's harvest and the lingering spirits of those remnants are then activated (along with the  physical material and the clothing to house them) through a ritual that Urglaawe inherited from Braucherei. He is given a name, which includes the patronymic and surname of his lineage, which is tracked from generation to generation. He then…

September 28 is the celebration of the Festival of Zisa, patroness of Zizarim (now Augsburg). Also, in the 1st century BCE, the Romans, under Titus Annius inauspiciously picked this date for an attempt to seize Zizarim. They discovered during the siege that there were far more people, including warriors, in the city (due to the festival) than they had anticipated, and the Romans suffered a major defeat.



Her presence is still…

Overnight tonight is the observance of the arrival and retreat of the Reifries (Frost Giant) Dreizehdax (Thirteen-Badger), who attempts to undermine the restored order of the land that was established by Holle's return on Walpurgisnacht.

Dreizehdax is thwarted by Dunner and is forced to retreat.

Hail Dunner! :)

This weekend witnessed a flurry of Walpurgisnacht activity across the region. On Sunday, Distelfink joined with the Norsewind tribe for a beautiful ceremony at the Sacred Oak in Oley, PA. Along with a tip of the hat to the site's Lenape predecessors, we honored our deities and ancestors. This was truly a blessed event. We celebrate the bonds of friendship and frith that are expanding throughout the Heathen community.…

Tonight (December 31 into January 1) is the Twelfth Night of Yule (remember that Heathen (and therefore Urglaawe) days begin at sunset on the prior day. Thus, "Sunday" actually begins at sundown on Saturday.

This is also the night of the progression of Berchta, a powerful goddess known to the Continental and Pennsylvania Germans. She may actually be Holle known by a different name, or She may be a Vanic relative of Holle. However, historical treatment of Her has portrayed Her…

On October 30, several of us were able to participate in (or to attend) a Samhain Banquet at Lebanon Valley College. We (Deb, Pete, Dennis, and I) were representing the Heathens within the context of Urglaawe. This event included adherents to a variety of traditions in addition to Heathen: Wiccan, ADF Druid, Druid, Earth Spiritualist, Pagan, etc. We had been working on devising a "mock" ritual that allowed Heathen, ADF Druid, Druid, and Wiccan beliefs and practices to be…

This weekend Distelfink members welcomed the arrival of spring with a ceremony dedicated to the goddess Oschdra.



Although little is known about Oschdra, Jakob Grimm states in Teutonic Mythology that Her name lives on in places in the German lands (IV, 1371) and that She is considered to be a White Lady (III, 908) along with Holle, Berchta, and others. She heralds the arrival of spring, and the hare, which is sacred to Her, has become one of the longstanding traditional symbols of…