Charming of the Plow blot Thank You
Hails All,
Just wanted to send out a big THANK YOU to everyone who made it to our crazy-go-nutz blot on Saturday, not to mention Master Tor's birthday shin-dig. He certainly was awed by the presentation of his cake! We have spent today slowly opening the gifts so that he can play with them at his own pace. Thank you all for your generosity and thoughtfulness.
It was certainly a wild and woolly day with the gaggle of kids we had in the house, in the yard, on the roof, under the trees, in the pond...OK I am getting carried away. point is, I think the under-ten crowd had a good time and I am grateful to all the grown-ups for being so patient and lending a hand in monitoring the play and directing the clean-up.
Our pre-blot discussion revolved around Gefjun and the significance of the Gylfaginning story. We also discussed the realities of agrarian life at this time of year; the shortage of stores, the work of preparing and repairing your tools for spring planting and so forth. "Spring cleaning" is not done in spring, but in preparation for it.
The blot itself was cheery, personal and quite informal (ahem). Obviously the highlight wasn't the blot's content, but rather what preceded it - the Ancient Ordeal of Fire Making. Having Becky's flint and steel to play with was a blast. Though the only true blasts were from Greg; first the blast of sparks, then the blasts of his expertly applied breath to fan the flames. Other folk helped too, of course, with several taking a stab at using the steel. Char cloth is a must. WE MADE FIRE!!!
Silly as it was, we certainly all gained a new appreciation of how essential fire making was to our ancestors, and how fragile one can feel waiting in the dark, damp cold as your kinfolk work manfully (and womanfully) to bring you sustaining warmth. My other favorite part of the blot was the mega-flocks of geese who crossed over head while we hailed the landvaettir. It was also nice to have Miss E volunteer to do the sprinkling of blessings, though we sort of lost focus as a result.
Big thanks to everyone for contributing to the feast! It was all delicious. Lewen's apple cake was my personal fave. Next time...more cheezy poofs since the kids sorta wiped us out (and we'll make sure there is diet soda next time). If anyone wants them, I will share the chili and quiche recipes.
Sumbel was thought-provoking. There seemed to be a theme in the later rounds of learning, teaching and seeking new wisdom (both for one's own benefit and for the benefit of kin and community). This was tempered by convictions of respect and appreciation; for our own as well as others' cultures and spiritual paths. It seems many of us are determined to make this a year of intellectual growth. What a cool thing!
So again, thank you all for coming and making it a great day. As always, our hails and well wishes to those who wanted to come, but couldn't. Never fear, we'll catch up soon enough.
Just wanted to send out a big THANK YOU to everyone who made it to our crazy-go-nutz blot on Saturday, not to mention Master Tor's birthday shin-dig. He certainly was awed by the presentation of his cake! We have spent today slowly opening the gifts so that he can play with them at his own pace. Thank you all for your generosity and thoughtfulness.
It was certainly a wild and woolly day with the gaggle of kids we had in the house, in the yard, on the roof, under the trees, in the pond...OK I am getting carried away. point is, I think the under-ten crowd had a good time and I am grateful to all the grown-ups for being so patient and lending a hand in monitoring the play and directing the clean-up.
Our pre-blot discussion revolved around Gefjun and the significance of the Gylfaginning story. We also discussed the realities of agrarian life at this time of year; the shortage of stores, the work of preparing and repairing your tools for spring planting and so forth. "Spring cleaning" is not done in spring, but in preparation for it.
The blot itself was cheery, personal and quite informal (ahem). Obviously the highlight wasn't the blot's content, but rather what preceded it - the Ancient Ordeal of Fire Making. Having Becky's flint and steel to play with was a blast. Though the only true blasts were from Greg; first the blast of sparks, then the blasts of his expertly applied breath to fan the flames. Other folk helped too, of course, with several taking a stab at using the steel. Char cloth is a must. WE MADE FIRE!!!
Silly as it was, we certainly all gained a new appreciation of how essential fire making was to our ancestors, and how fragile one can feel waiting in the dark, damp cold as your kinfolk work manfully (and womanfully) to bring you sustaining warmth. My other favorite part of the blot was the mega-flocks of geese who crossed over head while we hailed the landvaettir. It was also nice to have Miss E volunteer to do the sprinkling of blessings, though we sort of lost focus as a result.
Big thanks to everyone for contributing to the feast! It was all delicious. Lewen's apple cake was my personal fave. Next time...more cheezy poofs since the kids sorta wiped us out (and we'll make sure there is diet soda next time). If anyone wants them, I will share the chili and quiche recipes.
Sumbel was thought-provoking. There seemed to be a theme in the later rounds of learning, teaching and seeking new wisdom (both for one's own benefit and for the benefit of kin and community). This was tempered by convictions of respect and appreciation; for our own as well as others' cultures and spiritual paths. It seems many of us are determined to make this a year of intellectual growth. What a cool thing!
So again, thank you all for coming and making it a great day. As always, our hails and well wishes to those who wanted to come, but couldn't. Never fear, we'll catch up soon enough.