Serendipities

The Morrigan’s Call Retreat 2023

This past weekend, I attended the Morrigan’s Call Retreat in person for the first time. (Blog followers with a keen memory may remember that I had a presentation slated for the 2020 retreat, but that one ended up being virtual, for good reason!) It was also the first time I’d ever really been to New England (at least I assume Manhattan doesn’t count?), and the first time I ever met Morgan Daimler in person, so it was a weekend of firsts in a lot of ways, for me.

I had two presentations, and I’ll be uploading the notes from those to my Patreon for supporters as soon as I manage to find the time to finish editing them (but my time is a bit constrained now that my child is out of school for the summer, so patience is appreciated!) Anyone who was at the retreat but didn’t make my workshop is also welcome to email me to ask for the handouts or notes for either “Working with Deities of Battle” or “When the Morrigan Goes Quiet”.

I hadn’t been sure how I was going to get to the retreat itself as I don’t drive, but I trusted in Na Morrigna and it worked out — one of my sorta-local friends was also going and we rode up together, which was a really nice way to start the weekend. (Getting stuck on the train between DC and Baltimore was less nice, but all’s well that ends well.) We arrived on Friday during orientation, but the nice folks at registration and the regulars we ran into at lunch all helped us get oriented properly. I also first ran into Morgan at lunch, and met the whole crew in one pass! I got unpacked and prepped for my first workshop, “Deities of Battle”, made my introductions to the local Fair Folk, and then wandered over to the pavilion.

Way more people showed up than I expected, and it turned out that I hadn’t brought enough handouts. Whoops! People were pretty accommodating, though, sharing with neighbors and taking pictures on their phones, and I handed out a lot of business cards for folks to email me afterwards. It seemed to go over pretty well – even when I took a Deep Dive into UPG with a side dish of Extreme Woo, including the discussion of the Otherworldly War I mentioned here previously. I was really nervous about its reception, but when I later walked in on a conversation on how to use some of the types of battle sorcery I’d mentioned against A Certain Florida Man currently playing at Governator, I knew I’d found my people. Na Morrigna might not pick political parties, but They do stand for sovereignty, and right relationship, and I find most devotees take a stand against oppression and bigotry. After dinner I went to the first ritual, despite feeling a bit like my energies were tapped out. (Shout out to a tylwyth teg ally of mine for helping me actually stay upright through that!) It was pretty good, but I was focused a little too much on staying upright to get much of anything out of it. And, to my extreme disgrace, my attempt to turn off my phone earlier had apparently not taken — it was still on the “shut down or restart?” screen when the alarm went off at the very end of the ritual. Not the best omen! At least it was a pretty tinkly musical alarm and not blaring beeps…

On Saturday, I went to Morgan Daimler’s workshop “Offerings 101” and then Sionnain McLean’s workshop on “Spiritual Self-Care” and thoroughly enjoyed both. Morgan’s was a little oriented towards beginners but also had some fun anecdotes and a few things I hadn’t thought of. I think Sionnain’s flowed nicely into mine, on the topic of fallow times, and there were certainly some common themes. That workshop I’ve done a couple times before, and it opened up nicely into a discussion and sharing session where attendees were addressing each other and it really felt like we were building community. After lunch I went to “Pagan Priest/ess Work” also by Morgan, and got some great advice and also a little bit of validation for my own path, which is more spirit-focused than human-community-focused, though I still do work for the human community around me. Then my friend Katie and I just… stayed. We talked to Morgan and Mel for probably the next two hours, missing the ritual and instead going in deeply into some personal practice stuff and also veering into the weeds on a fair few other topics! It was probably more what I needed — sitting still, for one, as my spoons still weren’t quite full.

There had been a Kindred Crow concert planned for that night, but with Caine in the hospital and Irene deep in grief, that was not to be. (I share the grief, but our friend was not so central to my life, nor I so central to hers, though I miss her sorely and will be at the memorial service tomorrow.) I did attend the bonfire circle that night, though, and so was there to witness and take part in a raising of energy for the members of Kindred Crow, and managed to capture a small clip of it to send on. I also managed to finally connect with the land deeply that evening, and received a profoundly personal message — including the awareness that I was about an hour too far west to be on the land of my indigenous ancestors.

The next day, partly because of my intense experience leading to not-great sleep (and the suddenly chilly weather didn’t help) and partly just due to my energy expenditure, I spent most of the day just chatting with folks in the dining hall. I was a little disappointed at not feeling up to the ritual and workshops, but I wanted to be able to make it back to my friend’s house without fainting and that was already a tall ask. It was nice to connect with folks, though, and I managed to bond with people over my chronic illness, and over butterfly raising!

When we left, my friend graciously agreed to take me an hour east for me to greet the land my ancestors lived on when the first colonists arrived, and that was a complicated and powerful experience — one that I will probably be processing for a while. It is enough to say here: I was recognized, even as diluted and as distanced as I am. In so many ways, the Morrigan’s Call Retreat was a homecoming for me.

Hello from Connecticut!

No blog this week because I’m up at the Morrigan’s Call Retreat, presenting two workshops! I’m copying in the abstracts below, and reminder that I’ll be uploading the notes and/or handouts for these to my Patreon for supporters at any level after I get back!

1. Working with Deities of Battle During Tumultuous Times

Na Morrigna are multifaceted goddesses, but one thing they all share is an association with the battlefield. Many people have been hearing the call to service, but what does it mean to serve a deity of Battle or War? I’ll start by describing the roles Na Morrigna play in battles described in the lore, and then discuss my personal work with them, and how it relates to the tumultuous times we’re living in. We’ll discuss the idea of battle both literally and in the abstract, and how the chaos of the battlefield can clear out stagnation and bring change and justice. We’ll examine the different ways to take part: from front line activism, to support staff and healers, with specific attention paid to supporting types of magic and ritual – and modern-day battle sorcery. This is meant to open up into a facilitated discussion, so come prepared to speak about your own deities and your own work, and to ask insightful questions!

2. When the Morrigan Goes Quiet: Fallow Times

Sometimes The Morrigan seems to be loud, front and center in our lives, and giving clear guidance – and then, it suddenly stops. No communication, confusing divination, no sense of direction or purpose: we hit a Fallow Time. Or perhaps it was us: we were doing daily devotionals, we felt incredibly connected, and then life happened, and we fell off our practice, and aren’t sure how to get back on track. Many of us find places along our paths where we feel less magical, and more disconnected from our deities, ancestors, and other spirits. We’ll discuss these situations together, first from a personal perspective, sharing our individual stories of the loss and the long journey back. Then we’ll talk about community: how to hold space for those experiencing Fallow Times, and how to help others find their way back. Fallow Times can be tricky to navigate, but with a little help they can reinvigorate stagnant practices and bring new energy into our spiritual lives. This is meant to be a guided discussion, so please share your own stories of Fallow Times, the journey back, or assisting others!

Freyja’s Falcon Flight: Let it Burn Away

May 27, 2023
by Alexandra

It’s the waxing half moon, so I’ve once again gone to see Freyja and have been shown something to share with you all. And as before, this is based on my experience, and I’m offering it to the community in case it’s helpful or resonates with some of you. If you’re used to doing journeys from a script, great! Otherwise feel free to have some one read it to you, or record yourself reading it. Edit the intro and expand the outro if you need to, but please leave the middle intact, and don’t share the recording without telling them where to find my original post!

I recommend lighting a devotional candle and/or making small offering to Freyja (perhaps a libation) before you begin. Prepare yourself however you normally would, to do work at an altar. For my part, that usually means wearing one of my devotional hair ribbons and perhaps donning magical jewelry, and acquiring something to go over my head while I journey.

Falcon Flight: Let It Burn Away

Begin in stillness, and quiet, and darkness. Find your center, and align yourself with earth and sky. As you stare at the darkness behind your eyes, feel and see as mist swirls up from the ground, obscuring everything around you. After a moment, it begins to part, leaving you standing in a flowery meadow.

When you arrive in the meadow, take a moment to observe around you, turning until you see a path. At the entrance to the path are two shrubs, and as you move on that direction, you see trees as well. Shrubs give way to trees and undergrowth on either side of the path, getting taller and denser as you move onward, until they join overhead into an arch, forming a tunnel of trees that slopes downward, getting denser and darker.

Eventually, you notice that the path has become flat, and then it begins to rise. Now the trees are thinning again, branches giving way to brightness, and as the trees again give way to shrubs, you see a gate in front of a wide plain and beyond it, the great world tree. If you have any guides or guardians you wish to accompany you, ones who can join you in flight, call to them now, before you step through the gate and make your way towards the tree.

As you approach the World Tree, circle around it clockwise, until you see an opening beneath one of the great roots. Duck under this root and enter the tunnel beneath. There is hard dirt packed beneath your feet, and the entire tunnel seems to have been hewn from that same clay-rich dirt and sandstone. Not as many feet come this way — the floor is still rough in places, so watch your step as you continue forward. There are torches set into sconces in the rough hewn walls, and their light looks like fire but you feel no heat as we continue past, and you smell no smoke or pitch.

The tunnel curves gently and then begins to rise in a gradual incline, ending in a doorway, two huge stones on either side and capped with a third. Touch one gently as you step out into the fresh air — these are worn by the elements and smooth to the touch. If you look back to the entrance, you will notice that on this side, the tunnel leads into what looks like a large burial mound, standing alone in a large clearing, though the forest is slowly encroaching from all sides.

Smell the air — the pine sap scent is strong, and your nose can tell there is moving water somewhere nearby, even if your ears cannot yet hear it. Now you should continue, following a clear trail deeper into the forest. Your footfalls are muffled by pine needles, and the air seems still. The scent and after a while the sound of water is to your left as you walk, and after a short time, you arrive at a fork, with three paths to choose from.

One path curves to the left, and you can just make out a bridge over a creek in the distance. The one to the right seems to vanish into the trees. Continue down the middle path, which leads straight ahead. After a while, the trees seem to thin a bit, and the underbrush grows less tangled.

As the path reaches the edge of the forest, and the pine needles give way to a large open field, your eyes are drawn to the great hall. It is large, and you know at once to whom it belongs. This is Freyja’s Hall, Sessrumnir, and you are in Folkvangr. Approach the door, and when the guard calls out his challenge, announce yourself and your purpose. He will stand aside and let you in.

When you enter, you see many other magical practitioners, both Humans and Others, dressed in dark clothing and gathered around a central fire that is long and narrow, taking up the middle of the hall and stretched out between the dais on your left and the rear wall on your right.

As you continue to look, you notice that the fire is strange — unnaturally white, and though it burns its fuel fiercely, there is little heat and no smoke, only the faint scent of birch and flax. It is witch-fire, elf-fire, no normal hearth fire is this. And as you step forward to take your place around it, shoulder to shoulder with your fellow practitioners, you notice many of them are reaching towards the flames, to drop things in, which flare and then seem to disappear, with only a small amount of ash remaining.

You know then, what this fire is for: it cleanses the unhael, it takes those things you long to be rid of and purifies them, leaving only inert material remnants, ready to be returned to the earth. Reach into your cloak – is there something in an inner pocket that you are ready and willing to be rid of? Is there anything you have bound or trapped that you do not have the power to transmute, that you would like to offer to Freyja’s witch-fire? If you would choose to, reach out your hand now, and place it into the flames. They will not harm you, or burn any hael thing.

As you finish, you notice others have begun to leap across the flames, and as they do sometimes the edge of their cloak or a wisp of their hair catches and just as quickly burns out. Not everything that is unhael within us can be put as an object into the flames.

As you contemplate this, one person steps up to the edge of the fire at the end nearest the rear wall. All eyes are now on them, as their eyes are fixed firmly on Freyja, who stands from her seat on the dais, as they take the first step into the flames. Nine steps through the coals they take, before they emerge from the other side, and kneel before her. She bends down to bless them with her hands on their shoulders, and then tips their chin to have them stand. As she embraces this brave person, it seems to you that she whispers something in their ear, though you cannot make out either the sounds or the shapes her lips make.

Others go back to leaping across the narrow part of the flames, until another steps up to make the journey of nine steps. And another. And another. What will you do, in this place and in this time? Will you leap across, will you walk through the coals, will you approach Freyja to speak with her? Do what you feel called to do.

[interlude]

When you are finished here and have spoken with Freyja if you wish it, go back the way you came: out the door of the hall, to the forest path, through the forest, to the mound, through the mound-tunnel and out from under the root, across the plain, and back to the gate, through the tunnel of trees, and back to the meadow. Then the mist will swirl up again, and take you back to your body.

Fairy Witching Update!

May 19, 2023
by Alexandra

A couple of months ago, I wrote a post titled “The Less Mystical Side of Fairy Witching” , and I thought today I’d offer an update!

I did, in fact, find a tree and get it planted — well ahead of schedule. I went with a variety of crabapple that is considered “edible” (technically most crabapples are “edible”, they’re just not very tasty or nutritious) and should grow crabapples the approximate size of a golf ball. I’m told they make good jelly! And I’m sure the critters will love them. It had a couple of flowers on it the day it got planted, and then bloomed vigorously for about a week, and is now setting fruit! So, mission complete.

Close up of the young tree with a few large white blossoms

I think my local Fairy Queen is satisfied, too, because her rosebush is blooming up a storm! I call her the Rosegay Queen, and when we first moved in and I was examining the property, it became apparent very quickly that the strange little rosebush (which was barely more than a forked stick then) had an Otherworldly quality to it. I have put offerings near it since then, and that seems to be her preferred location for omens, as well — I once found a strange little antique watch face nearby. Once the crabapple started setting fruit, the rosebush started blooming, which in itself is not very significant because the timing is following the weather, but I have never seen it bloom this much before, and we’ve been here three years now, and this spring we were under drought conditions. I have not watered, fertilized, pruned, or done anything to encourage this rose to bloom, and I’ve watched my grandfather take care of roses my whole life, and they seem to take a lot of particular care, much of the time. I’ve never seen this one have more than two or maybe three blooms at a time, before. But this rosebush is currently blooming in abundance, and there’s a sense of satisfaction permeating it that I believe is coming from the Rosegay Queen.

I started calling her that after I first spoke to her and she suggested it. I tend to ask for a name I can use and share freely when I begin relationships with the Fair Folk I encounter, and those names are very often drawn from the landmarks or flora of their territory. When I had earlier explored her territory, which follows a nearby stream, I had found that the streambanks are overgrown in many places with wild roses, which seem to be her particular emblem. She claims to be Daoine Sidhe, which hail from Ireland, though she did not explain how or how long ago she came to be here — and I have not asked. I do tend to ask those I encounter what kind of fairy they are, with the intention of better understanding how to interact with them. I cannot be sure that the folkloric understanding of types of fairies actually matches their own experiences of themselves at all, but I try to communicate my reasons, and most of the beings I’ve encountered can at least take a couple of the terms in my head and mash them together or give me qualifiers for a sort of ballpark framework. The Rosegay Queen was very clear on being Daoine Sidhe, though, and claims a connection to Una and Finvarra, whom I have since begun to get to know better.

Song for the Darkening

May 14, 2023
by Alexandra

Last fall, I shared two poems/songs/prayers I called “Song for the Way Opening” and “Song for the Winter Rade” after getting a message from some of my allies that I should be celebrating the movements of the Pleiades more intentionally. So one thing led to another and the prayer Daimler gave for the Way Opening sort of spontaneously transposed itself into a ballad to the tune of Thomas the Rhymer, and then I reworked the prayer for the Winter Rade more intentionally, and now here’s the Song for the Darkening, which I’ll be celebrating during the day tomorrow.

The first two stanzas of the song are the same, and the last two stanzas are as well, except for the two seasonal words in the last line, and the end of the third line changed to rhyme properly.

Song for the Darkening

I call to all you goodly wights,
My kin and friends whoe’er shall be.
All you who’d be my allies true,
And come and walk this path with me.

I call to all the Queens and Kings,
Monarchs and Sov’reigns, all gentry near —
If you would celebrate with me
Tis time to come and join me here.

Today the Queens leave the night sky,
To trade the dark for the light of day;
Now Seven Queens their own paths tread
As each will travel her own way.

Their powers burn as bright as fire —
So bright together as apart —
But in our world, the sun’s hot rays
Outshine their stars and they depart.

The Queens ride out for weal and woe;
The gates are open, holding wide.
Each Queen has errands to complete
Before the stars again are spied.

As they ride past, may we be blessed,
With token or with smile or nod,
And may they take our offerings,
As their refreshment while they’re abroad.

A good word to the Fairy Rade,
And may you never do us harm!
Ride out along the fairy roads,
Bringing with you Summer’s warmth.

I’ve also pulled another omen to share: one rune and one ogham fid, to symbolize the two groups of fairy folk with whom I work most closely. I pulled Algiz, which is a rune of protection and defensive actions, and Straif, associated with the Blackthorn, and for which my kenning is “Strengthening Changes”. I also associate Straif with magical workings of an active defense type, such as banishing, cord cutting, and return-to-sender workings. Taken together, it’s a warning to be careful, and to stay vigilant – don’t hesitate to protect yourselves! It seems like we might be seeing an upswing in activity that continues rising, instead of ebbing as we round the corner on this Bealtaine season.

My Bealtaine Season

May 5, 2023
by Alexandra

A lot of witches and pagans use the term “Samhain Season” for the months of October and November (approximately – everyone seems to define it a bit differently) but I hardly ever see its counterpart – “Bealtaine Season”. There’s an Otherworldly high tide at this time of the year as well, though it might be a little more difficult to sense, as there are upticks in activity in the physical world and many of our mundane lives as well – getting outside more and tidying gardens in preparation for planting, making summer vacation plans – as opposed to the slowing down of the autumn and winter.

But just as Samhain is the modern Irish month of November, kicked off with Oíche Shamhna, November Eve, so too is Bealtaine the modern Irish month of May, with Oíche Bealtaine the May Eve festival. Though this year where I live, the rising tide was already quite high by the dark moon on the night of April 19th-20th, and I expect it’ll be another week or so before I actually feel the ebb.

It’s a busy time of year, for me, because the beginning of the high tide often overlaps with another of my personal festival calendars, and there are a number of mundane anniversaries as well. My other personal festival calendar follows the movements of the star Spica, and this year, Spica’s heliacal seetting was approximately April 25th. So we went straight from the dark moon (20) into that (25), and then my wedding anniversary the following day (26), and then Oíche Bealtaine/Hexxenacht (30), Bealtaine/May Day (1), my child’s birthday (3), the astrological cross quarter & full moon (5), my mother’s birthday (7), mother’s day (14), and the dark moon again (19), which is when I expect things to settle down, given my past experiences.

I wouldn’t mind Otherworldly things settling down early, though – whether it’s just that or also the astrological weather, I haven’t been sleeping well, and when I’ve been asleep I’ve often been pulled off somewhere, doing magical work instead of getting uninterrupted rest. I’m exhausted.

Despite that exhaustion, though, I’ve been outside quite a bit, getting garden beds ready for the growing season, and getting my beautiful new crabapple tree settled in. While the cherry and plum blossoms usually follow the equinox around here, it seems like this crabapple will flower along with the azaleas and rhododendrons. Those tend to be at peak bloom just after our last hard frost, which is usually just about the first of May. And then a week later, it’s time to start moving all my seedlings outside for good, so it’s a busy time of year for a garden witch like myself as well! Weeding the herb bed and transplanting seedlings and planning out what else to plant where once the ground is warm enough to germinate seeds. This year I’d also like at least one more shrub to fill in a gap in front of the house.

I try to only put native plants directly into the ground, with my crocuses being the main exception. I didn’t plant any of the daffodils or grape hyacinths or dandelions, though the pollinators seem to love them, so I let them stay. I try to proliferate what native plants show up, like the milkweed, the boneset, the wild blackberry, and the asters. the crabapple is a hybrid, not a wild type, but it’s still close enough that the native pollinators and birds should get use of it. Pretty much all of my other herbs and veggies are in raised beds or pots, in an attempt to contain them. The containment hasn’t worked well for the mint or the yarrow, but it turns out yarrow is native here as well, and the mint is a reasonable addition to my front lawn, no worse than the grass. I planted an eastern white cedar in the back yard last year, and also a passionflower vine, but I’m not sure if that actually made it through the winter. It’s supposed to be a perennial but I’ve yet to see it this spring. If I had a bigger budget, I’d love a couple of serviceberry bushes and a redbud tree and a bunch of native irises and honeysuckles… but most of that will have to wait!

Being in good relationship with my land and local spirits is one of the foundations of my practice, and native landscaping is just one of the ways I lean into that. I’ve also been working on a ritual format similar to quarter calls, that petitions large nearby land spirits or waterway spirits that form natural borders in the landscape. I used it for a small ritual with a group of friends last weekend, and called upon the Susquehanna River, the Chesapeake Bay, the Potomac River, and the Appalachian Mountains. I know these landmarks, I know their spirits, and I have been developing relationships with them for years – it seems only fitting to give them offerings and to ask for their support as I do seasonal workings.

Freyja’s Falcon Flights: To Idunna’s Apple Grove

April 28, 2023
by Alexandra

It’s the waxing half moon again, and so I’ve gone to Freyja and been shown another journey path to share with you all. And as before, this is based on my experience, and I’m offering it to the community in case it’s helpful or resonates with some of you. If you’re used to doing journeys from a script, great! Otherwise feel free to have some one read it to you, or record yourself reading it. Edit the intro and expand the outro if you need to, but please leave the middle intact, and don’t share the recording without telling them where to find my original post!

I recommend lighting devotional candles and/or making small offerings (perhaps a libation) before you begin, for both Freyja and Idunna. Prepare yourself however you normally would, yo do work at an altar. For my part, that usually means wearing one of my devotional hair ribbons and perhaps donning magical jewelry, and acquiring something to go over my head while I journey.

Falcon Flight: To Idunna’s Apple Grove

Begin in stillness, and quiet, and darkness. Find your center, and align yourself with earth and sky. As you stare at the darkness behind your eyes, feel and see as mist swirls up from the ground, obscuring everything around you. After a moment, it begins to part, leaving you standing in a flowery meadow.

When you arrive in the meadow, take a moment to observe around you, turning until you see a path. At the entrance to the path are two shrubs, and as you move on that direction, you see trees as well. Shrubs give way to trees and undergrowth on either side of the path, getting taller and denser as you move onward, until they join overhead into an arch, forming a tunnel of trees that slopes downward, getting denser and darker.

Eventually, you notice that the path has become flat, and then it begins to rise. Now the trees are thinning again, branches giving way to brightness, and as the trees again give way to shrubs, you see a gate in front of a wide plain and beyond it, the great world tree. If you have any guides or guardians you wish to accompany you, ones who can join you in flight, call to them now, before you step through the gate and make your way towards the tree.

As you approach the World Tree, circle around it clockwise, until you see an opening beneath one of the great roots. Duck under this root and enter the tunnel beneath. There is hard dirt packed beneath your feet, and the entire tunnel seems to have been hewn from that same clay-rich dirt and sandstone. Not as many feet come this way — the floor is still rough in places, so watch your step as you continue forward. There are torches set into sconces in the rough hewn walls, and their light looks like fire but you feel no heat as we continue past, and you smell no smoke or pitch.

The tunnel curves gently and then begins to rise in a gradual incline, ending in a doorway, two huge stones on either side and capped with a third. Touch one gently as you step out into the fresh air — these are worn by the elements and smooth to the touch. If you look back to the entrance, you will notice that on this side, the tunnel leads into what looks like a large burial mound, standing alone in a large clearing, though the forest is slowly encroaching from all sides.

Smell the air — the pine sap scent is strong, and your nose can tell there is moving water somewhere nearby, even if your ears cannot yet hear it. Now you should continue, following a clear trail deeper into the forest. Your footfalls are muffled by pine needles, and the air seems still. The scent and after a while the sound of water is to your left as you walk, and after a short time, you arrive at a fork, with three paths to choose from.

One path curves to the left, and you can just make out a bridge over a creek in the distance. The one to the right seems to vanish into the trees. Continue down the middle path, which leads straight ahead. After a while, the trees seem to thin a bit, and the underbrush grows less tangled. There is a little smoke in the sky, above the rise of the hill, as though it comes from a hearth-fire, and you follow the path towards it.

As the path reaches the edge of the forest, and the pine needles give way to a large open field, your eyes are drawn to the great hall. It is large, and you know at once to whom it belongs. This is Freyja’s Hall, Sessrumnir, and you are in Folkvangr. Approach the door, and when the guard calls out his challenge, announce yourself and your purpose. He will stand aside and let you in.

Inside, you see no one but Freyja. Approach her, and give her the offering you brought for her. She will give you a golden cloak in return, a smaller version of her great cloak, and she will lead you outside. Experience the thrill of being transformed into a bird!

As a falcon, follow your Lady, circling ever higher until your sharp eyes spot a cottage and a circle of trees. As Freyja in her falcon form banks sharply to begin her descent, follow closely and land in a low branch in a tree across from the front door of the cottage. Leap down when Freyja instructs you to, and marvel as you land on your normal feet again. Follow her into Idunna’s cottage, and when you are inside, give Idunna the offering you have brought for her. In return, she will hand you an apple and may instruct you to peel or slice it. Do as she says, and then offer it for her inspection. Listen as she explains your omen.

When she gets up, follow her and Freyja outside. Notice how the air feels and smells – you’ve been led to a small ring of apple trees, which bear flowers, leaves, and fruit at all stages of growth. Listen as Idunna sings to the trees: “Apples, apples, grow on my trees… Apple blossoms, feed my bees…”

Only she can tell the types of apples apart – some for the gods that they never wither, some for the elves to use to heal, others for humans to change their luck. If you have a question for Idunna, ask it now, and listen carefully for the answer.

Thank her when she is finished speaking, and then turn to Freyja. If you have any questions for Freyja, ask them now, and listen carefully for the answer.

When she is finished talking, she will change both of you back to falcons for the flight back to Folkvangr. Delight in the sensations of it! Earlier you flew to arrive swiftly – now, fly for the joy of it! When you are ready to change back to your human shape, land on the roof of Sesrumnir, and wait for your Lady to make the change. Then you can slide down, and land on the soft grass.

When you are finished with your time in that other place, go back the way you came: through the forest, to the mound, through the mound-tunnel and out from under the root, across the plain, and back to the gate, through the tunnel of trees, and back to the meadow. Then the mist will swirl up again, and take you back to your body.

Lenormand Deck Review: Under the Roses

Deck: Under The Roses Lenormand
Publisher: US Games Systems, Inc
Writer & Artist: Kendra Hurteau & Katrina Hill
Overall Rating: 9/10

Cardstock: The cardstock is fairly standard, like what you’d expect from a similar pack of poker cards. Easy to riffle shuffle, neither too matte nor too slick.

Artwork: The artwork is a digital illustration style that evokes a Victorian or Gothic aesthetic. Additionally, the backgrounds have subtle text featuring the meanings of the cards. There are two versions of each person card, with light skin or dark skin, and there is no Querent or non-gendered person card, but I’ve been using the title card for the Querent.

Book: This deck has a fairly standard Little White Booklet, with a list of keywords for each card, and descriptions of basic spreads, as well as a spread developed specifically for this deck. The booklet also explains how Lenormand is read in combinations, unlike tarot.

Likes: I like the artwork and aesthetic, and I feel like it’s neither too simple nor too busy. The instructions are fairly good, too – this was my first Lenormand deck (years ago!) and the LWB was definitely helpful in getting my head wrapped around this system.

Dislikes: I wish there were more people cards. That’s pretty much the only drawback, in my opinion.

Overall Recommendation

This is my go-to Lenormand deck most of the time, and at this point the box is starting to disintegrate because of that! I do sometimes have to add people cards from another deck (particularly the Queer Lenormand which has amazing diversity), but it reads well, and I think the imagery of the non-people cards is pretty evocative. It worked for me as a first Lenormand deck, but it might not be the best introduction for someone who’s entirely new to cartomancy.

Sacred Space & Between the Worlds 2023: A Long-Awaited Conference

As I told several people over the course of the weekend, I’m pretty sure we’d bought these tickets in 2019. The last time we attended was in 2017, I believe – and I was pregnant at the time. When I heard that a Between the Worlds was planned, I felt an inexplicable but undeniable draw to be there, despite the difficulties of parenting a small child and dealing with worsening chronic illness symptoms. We decided we’d find a way, and we made plans to be in Hunt Valley in early 2020.

And then, well. The coronavirus had other ideas.

The conference was postponed, new dates were publicized… and then it was postponed again. And again.

And last weekend, when it finally happened, we were there. Not without issues: we had to bring one of our rabbits with to do twice-a-day nebulizer treatments, and on Thursday there was only one room with working air conditioning. Luckily more of the conference rooms did for the rest of the weekend, but our guest room did not, so we were happy the weather cooled down enough to allow for open windows to cool the room a bit. Other guests had issues too: we heard about water leaks, 5am fire alarms, rooms that hadn’t been cleaned properly. Diana Paxson had to cancel at the last minute due to a family emergency. Orion Foxwood was late to his first workshop, and Dr. Beverly Smith missed her first one, probably due to airport and traffic issues. And those are just the issues I know about!

But despite all of that, the repeated chorus of the weekend was that we were all so happy to be back, to be in community again, to be learning and growing and doing important ritual work. I saw many people I haven’t seen in a long while, and met a few new folks, too.

I came home with several pages of notes, a couple of new books, and memories of three important rituals, all important for different personal reasons. The first one was Gwendolyn Reece’s Ritual for “Dissipating the Glamour that Mistakes Outrage for Action”, which began with a short talk and discussion defining this illusion and how it functions to keep us from taking action against that which outrages us, so as to better identify our target. It was a successor to another ritual she led at a previous conference, on dispelling the glamour of cynicism as a trait of intelligent people, which is another illusion that prevents people from taking action and using what power they do have, however limited that may be. Gwendolyn also spoke again of her views on what she terms humanity’s initiatory challenge, which informs my own thinking about “Tower Time” / “The Storm” / the current “Great War” (which as Seo Helrune has pointed out is perhaps not the best term, but I don’t think anyone’s coined anything better for that particular aspect).

The second ritual was the Between the Worlds main ritual. Every main ritual at a Between the Worlds conference builds upon and continues the work of the previous rituals, and I believe it was this ritual that was tugging at me back in 2019. It is difficult to explain to people who haven’t experienced one, what it’s like to take part in an elaborate ritual organized by powerful magic workers, but the energy was palpable, and I got a little bit of personal insight in addition to flowing my own energies into the working itself. The ritual purpose, as explained by the organizers, was: “Together we travel to the crossroads and the center of all things. There we seek guidance and empowerment as we seek to mend the worlds within and without.”

The third ritual, and last chronologically, was the Universal Temple of Spirits ecstatic rite on Saturday evening, concurrent with the Gala which we opted to skip, in favor of the UToS rite. As I first heard the calling to serve Na Morrigna at a previous UToS rite, I wasn’t about to skip it! I had a heartfelt moment with Lugh when one of the attendees was possessed by him, and I supported two friends through their own possessory experiences, but the only other personal thing I got from the ritual was a sense that I should perhaps pursue training as support staff for this and similar rituals. UToS calls them Guardians, and they take care of those who are possessed, both during the experience (making sure they land gently when they fall, making sure the entities possessing them remember dietary restrictions and the like), and afterwards, providing much needed aftercare in the form of snacks and help processing the experience. One of the primary skills for this work is simply noticing when an attendee begins the transition of being possessed, and that’s a sense I have already somewhat developed, in my oracular seidr work and in other ecstatic contexts. What I don’t have is the physical strength to support their physical bodies, but I wonder if that lack is a true obstacle, in a group setting. As long as there are other people with that strength, I imagine teamwork can get the job done. There were several other clear possessions, including a time when Odin showed up in duplicate and then later, not to be outdone, Loki showed up multiply as well, and spent some time having a conversation with themselves, seemingly from several different points in mythic time. Odin and Fenris also conversed at one point, and the room stood still to listen as the Wolf asked for acknowledgement, and the Old Man agreed that he’d done an unkindness, and both seemed to speak of Ragnarok from a place outside it… but then, we were both within and without mythic time in that place. It was theologically complicated, but these situations echoed some of what Loki said at Mystic South last year, and made me wonder about how the gods evolve and change, and what new myths we might have as they continue to show up in our modern world.

I attended several non-ritual workshops, and of those I think my favorite was Ann Gróa’s talk on snakes, serpents, and dragons in historical Nordic thought. I have a snake name-spirit in my indigenous spiritual tradition, and I always like to learn more about the understanding of snakes in all the cultures connected to my personal practices. It’s a very personal thing for me, but at home, a lot of my practice becomes syncretic, as I celebrate things like the equinoxes in a variety of traditions. The autumn equinox in particular is sometimes a week of celebrations: an Álfar blót, the Pleiades cycle Way-Opening, an Ojibwe name-feast, and Rosh Hashanah with my in-laws. It’s a balancing act, to be sure. But the workshop was very enlightening, and I came away with a ream of notes – and a handout that came with a bibliography!

It was slightly surreal being back in that hotel. There was a time that I knew the layout well, knew the names of the rooms, but this year I kept forgetting and had to keep checking the map on the back of the program. Last time I was there, I was pregnant – and this week I’m planning a sixth birthday party. I’m not sure that going back will fit in my budget for next year, but I hope it will. And if not, I will surely be there at the next Between the Worlds joint conference, whenever that will be.

Freyja’s Falcon Flights: To Make A Choice

March 31, 2023
by Alexandra

I think I only did one of these last year, in September near the Autumnal Equinox, after getting the nudge from Freyja. I had thought that I would do them at the waxing quarter before the solstice and the waning moon after, from the Vernal Equinox through the Autumnal, but Bé Chuille stepped forward and asked for larger monthly workings, so I’m now doing those every waning quarter and I’ll be doing all the Falcon Flights on the waxing quarter. That’s honestly a little easier to keep track of, anyways!

So, just as a reminder, these Falcon Flights are journey paths Freyja guides me through that I am then supposed to share with those in my community. If you’re here reading this and it resonates, great! You’re part of that community. You don’t have to be a devotee or Freyja already (though you do need to be open to at least a small working relationship) and you don’t have to identify as Heathen and you don’t have to live nearby.

On the other hand, if these don’t work for you or aren’t your jam or just don’t resonate even if you are Heathen or a Freyja devotee, that’s fine too – I’m not the pagan pope! You don’t have to be part of this particular community. We’re all part of many overlapping communities and I don’t expect this blog series to resonate for everyone who likes my blog for other reasons. This series is based on my own experiences and UPG and I don’t expect everyone to agree with me or have the same viewpoints. Just scroll on, or skip reading the week of the waxing quarter. No worries.

Just: no Nazis, bigotry will not be tolerated, and bad faith arguments will get you blocked. We support Declaration 127 and Queer Liberation and Decolonization around here, and with the current state of American Heathenry, I find it best to state all of that shit up front.

And now, with no further ado, here is the script for this month’s Falcon Flight. Before you begin, prepare an offering for Freyja.

Falcon Flight: To Make a Choice

Begin in stillness, and quiet, and darkness. Find your center, and align yourself with earth and sky. As you stare at the darkness behind your eyes, feel and see as mist swirls up from the ground, obscuring everything around you. After a moment, it begins to part, leaving you standing in a flowery meadow.

When you arrive in the meadow, take a moment to observe around you, turning until you see a path. At the entrance to the path are two shrubs, and as you move on that direction, you see trees as well. Shrubs give way to trees and undergrowth on either side of the path, getting taller and denser as you move onward, until they join overhead into an arch, forming a tunnel of trees that slopes downward, getting denser and darker.

Eventually, you notice that the path has become flat, and then it begins to rise. Now the trees are thinning again, branches giving way to brightness, and as the trees again give way to shrubs, you see a gate in front of a wide plain and beyond it, the great world tree. If you have any guides or guardians you wish to accompany you, ones who can join you in flight, call to them now, before you step through the gate and make your way towards the tree.

As you approach the World Tree, circle around it clockwise, until you see an opening beneath one of the great roots. Duck under this root and enter the tunnel beneath. There is hard dirt packed beneath your feet, and the entire tunnel seems to have been hewn from that same clay-rich dirt and sandstone. Not as many feet come this way — the floor is still rough in places, so watch your step as you continue forward. There are torches set into sconces in the rough hewn walls, and their light looks like fire but you feel no heat as we continue past, and you smell no smoke or pitch.

The tunnel curves gently and then begins to rise in a gradual incline, ending in a doorway, two huge stones on either side and capped with a third. Touch one gently as you step out into the fresh air — these are worn by the elements and smooth to the touch. If you look back to the entrance, you will notice that on this side, the tunnel leads into what looks like a large burial mound, standing alone in a large clearing, though the forest is slowly encroaching from all sides.

Smell the air — the pine sap scent is strong, and your nose can tell there is moving water somewhere nearby, even if your ears cannot yet hear it. Now you should continue, following a clear trail deeper into the forest. Your footfalls are muffled by pine needles, and the air seems still. The scent and after a while the sound of water is to your left as you walk, and after a short time, you arrive at a fork, with three paths to choose from.

One path curves to the left, and you can just make out a bridge over a creek in the distance. The one to the right seems to vanish into the trees. Continue down the middle path, which leads straight ahead. After a while, the trees seem to thin a bit, and the underbrush grows less tangled. There is a little smoke in the sky, above the rise of the hill, as though it comes from a hearth-fire, and you follow the path towards it.

As the path reaches the edge of the forest, and the pine needles give way to a large open field, your eyes are drawn to the great hall. It is large, and you know at once to whom it belongs. This is Freyja’s Hall, Sessrumnir, and you are in Folkvangr. Approach the door, and when the guard calls out his challenge, announce yourself and your purpose, and hand him the offering you brought for his Lady. He will give you a cloak in return. Put it on, and step inside.

Inside, the hall is dark, and folks wearing cloaks talk in hushed tones and whispers, gathered in small groups. If you would talk to Freyja today, approach the dais and speak.

When you are finished, move towards the closed door, opposite the one you came in. A cleric is there, to let you know when it is your turn. When they motion to you, move forward, and pull your cloak over your face so that it falls to your chin, obscuring your vision of everything except yourself and the floor. Open the door, and enter the room. Someone else is in here, but you can only see their dark robe and their two hands, outstretched. In each palm is an object. Choose one, and take it. If you speak to the person, they will answer, but you must make the choice before you can leave this room.

When you have chosen an object, you will be allowed to continue on. A door will open or a portal will appear – you may remove your hood and call to your guides to join you before you step through. What you find on the other side will be important, and personal, based on the object you chose.

…

When you are finished with your time in that other place, a trail of amber stones will begin to glow, illuminating a path back to Folkvangr and the path that will lead you back to the World Tree. You may stop at the hall along your way, if you wish. When you are ready to depart, go back the way you came: through the forest, to the mound, through the mound-tunnel and out from under the root, across the plain, and back to the gate, through the tunnel of trees, and back to the meadow. Then the mist will swirl up again, and take you back to your body.

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