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Disablot and Charming the Plow

Disablot is a Norse/Germanic pagan holiday that honors female deities. Female spirits of ancestors, Disir, Odin’s Valkyries, or other women in your life are honored. Frig, Freya, and Ostera are often celebrated. 

Disir are female deities that honored women ancestors and were felt to guard the living. We honor women who give us life and their fertility.

Celebrated in Scandinavia before Christian conquerors to enhance the coming harvest season. The holiday is also referred to as the “charming of the plow” after the namesake spell.

Dísablót is celebrated each year in Uppsala Sweden at the Disting festival around January 31. Traditionally this winter holiday was held during the vernal equinox.

The name Dísablót means Thing (or assembly) of the Goddesses. Celebrated in Sweden as the first Moot Fair of the season.

The Thing was a famous gathering where law and justice were discussed. Contracts were made and grievances were expressed. Bravery was honored and it was a time to consider how your acts affected others.

Feasting

This holiday holds a great feast celebrating new beginnings. Offerings were made to female ancestors. Farmers asked for blessings for the future planting season.

In preparation for the feast, small cakes were baked. These cakes were then placed in the furrows the plow made as an offering to mother earth.

Charming the Plow

A time to give thanks for the coming spring and the fertility of the soil. During the ritual, the equipment, seeds, and fields would all be charmed for an abundant growing season.

The ancient legend states that the Swedish King told the goddess Gefjon she could take ownership of as much land as she could plow in one day.

Gefjon turned her four sons into oxen and they plowed the land from coast to coast.

Celebrate Today

Bake some small cakes to honor Mother Earth. Dig four holes in your garden in the cardinal directions and place a cake in each hole. Ask that the cakes bless the soil with fertility.

Lift your arms to the sky and ask that the Gods bless your garden with fertility and abundance.

Anoint your plow (or garden tools) with olive oil and herbs such as myrrh and cinnamon.

 

Honor the Women in Your Life Today

Celebrate this holiday by recognizing and honoring those women in your life that make a difference. What women this year have had an impact on you?

You may also want to celebrate Thorroblot this season.

Simple Guide to Become a Norse Pagan

So, you want to become a Norse pagan? That's great! In general, pagan religions don’t ask you to convert, proselytize, or profess allegiance to a single God.

Norse paganism is open to anyone who believes in their deities and practices. There is a growing interest in Nordic religions. In fact, the old Norse religion is going through a major revival.

11 Core Nordic Religion Principal Beliefs

The Nordic religion was the primary belief system in Scandanavian and Germanic countries before the spread of Christianity. We know about this faith due to oral histories, written accounts, artwork, and archaeological excavations.

The Norse religion thrives today. As with many modern pagan religions, there are various branches that people follow such as Asatru, Vanatru, or Heathenry among others. For the most part, they all embellish the following beliefs which come from the ancient Nordic people.

Odin, The Allfather of the Norse Faith

Odin is a man of intrigue, danger, love, and betrayal, to name but a few of his personal traits. The Allfather seeks and gives wisdom on his journeys, as a warrior, and a poet.

According to Prose Edda, the Allfather is the “highest and oldest of all the gods” and the literal father of many of the Aesir deities. He is the Norse God of Wisdom, Death, War, and Sorcery.

We will be taking a dive into his character and his nature. Odin is a man of intrigue, danger, love, and betrayal, to name but a few of his personal traits.

Norse Afterlife

The Norse religion has a rich yet complex view of death and the afterlife. A Norse priest helps us break down the most important things to know.

Introduction to Norse Paganism

What is Norse Paganism? A question that many have asked, from believer to scholar, and all of them have a slightly different answer.

In short, it is modern people adopting the religious practices of ancient Scandinavia and it's European territories.

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