The Blót

The stream sparkled and meandered its way around rocks. The electric blue of a kingfisher’s wings glinted as the evening sun threw long tree-shaped shadows across the dappled dirt path. The days were lengthening and there was a warmth to the air that hinted at summer.

Along the track walked a group of nine; four men, two ladies and three boys. They carried between them kindling, mead, a horn and a wooden hammer. Conversation was cheery for they had not gathered as a group for a number of weeks. An observer would have noticed their purposeful gait, as adopted by those on a mission to be somewhere of importance.

The site for their blót was off the beaten track. A glade. An ancient oak grew there. A small circle of stones on the ground marked a place for a fire. And that was all. Minimum human interference made way for the birds to sing, the insects to buzz and hum, the flowers to bloom and the trees to blossom.

There was silence as the group stood encircling the prepared but unlit fire. Their busy daily lives made way for a quiet meditation as their senses attuned to the sounds and smells of the woodland. As the tension slowly left their bodies and nature’s wholeness returned, one of the group held aloft the simply engraved wooden hammer and hallowed the site in the language of their forebears…

…and when the ceremony was almost over — the fire burnt down to embers and the darkness of the evening was upon them – the mead horn was raised in honour of gods, ancestors and the land.

Before long, the group would be socialising in a nearby tavern, discussing things which are good and things which are bad, but above all bonding over shared experience and good camaraderie, and making plans for the future.

* * *

There are a variety of religious persuasions within our wider movement, and this short article is not designed to drive division amongst our folk, who must be unified predominantly under a banner of folk survival.

One thing which is of utmost importance, however, is the belief in a higher power. Politics aside, it is this which appears to form a dividing line between those who are fighting for the wellbeing of our people and those who are acting against us.

In Odinism, we hold blót (pronounced ‘bloat’ by many but not always). These ceremonies are generally held outdoors as a key element in Odinism is the natural environment. In this modern age of academia, we are forever faced with the question ‘why?’ and source citations are demanded. Yet do I need to prove as to why we hold blót outdoors? Do not the first paragraphs of this article give you the answer?

Research into our old ways is of vital importance of course, and the Eddas and Sagas survive to tell the tale of our beliefs. But we also have genetic memory to draw upon; this can be relied upon to the extent to which we are attuned to our gods and ancestors. Let me be clear that I am not talking about a spiritual free-for-all where anything goes. I am referring to ideas and actions which come through us, with the spark being our reading and genuine deep experience, which trigger ancestral echoes.

Religious ceremony creates a connection. Just as our laptop connects to the internet, so too should we view our blóts as a human connection to divinity. Indeed, this summarises a battle we face today; technocracy vs. spirituality.

At present we are in the Wolf Age, and I cannot prove divine connection with a scientific instrument or a textbook. Yet we must believe in something greater than ourselves if we are to advance towards a Golden Age.

There is a middle ground between Julius Evola’s ‘Ride the Tiger’ and Guillaume Faye’s call to action. I believe we can drive the New Awakening with our conscious efforts to realise a new Golden Age.

Holding blót is beneficial for many reasons, and like all things spiritual there are many levels of understanding, which reveal themselves as one awakens. At a base level, we have the element of camaraderie, then the wholeness and wellbeing which comes from being in nature. Using ritual to deepen one’s realisation of the seasons is another fundamental point, for the seasons depict one simple cycle within many greater cycles. Going deeper, we find a connection with our ancestors and the gods.

We must understand, however, that pretentiousness is pointless. This is not ‘Live Action Role Play’. Generally speaking, our folk are a long way from being truly spiritual. We do not meditate silently on the mountain for eight hours per day and thus a deep connection with the divine does not come easily. It has taken a long time to lose what we once had and will likewise take time to build back.

But by taking the time to be present, in nature, connecting physicality with spirituality in a ritual way that crucially has a logical lineage to our Hyperborean past, we can build a religious resilience that allows us to ride the tiger of modernity and also forges the mindset we need to act right now, awakening our folk and ultimately bringing forth the New Awakening.