Remember how I'd signed up for a ritual on Feb 17th, and that I was going to focus on Frigg and Fire Grounding? Well, on Monday, my Hearth Kindreds got really loud! Encouraging me to sign up for last night's High Day ritual. And I did. I used the ritual that I wrote for Frigg and edited into one celebrating Midwinter and honoring my Hearth Kindreds. All while I edited and wrote, Frigg chimed in either through simple channeling or possession.
Opening the Rite, I said: "On this day of Jan 28th, we're celebrating Midwinter and honoring the All Hearth Kindreds–just know that Frigg is standing in the front, leading the inspiration for this ritual. But I see Them all present, sitting in a grand room, around a huge warm, crackling fire. Many of them doing various fiber arts, mending things, writing, reading, drinking, relaxing, laughing and socializing with one another. Entities of many, if not all, cultures, together in one peaceful space. No lines, no boundaries, no boxes, no human rules about "mixing". Togetherness. Community. A Cauldron of healing and strength."
Frigg said, "Even with soups and stews, you add various ingredients to make one delicious meal, do you not? Some blend and add their own flavors (like how softer ingredients may dissolve). Some add, but still stand on their own (tougher ingredients like meat or pepper). Those with sensitive pallets can discern all the parts that make up the whole. They do not just disappear–absorb, assimilated–they are not destroyed. Their flavors are still present, just not their bodies! Think of DNA–your ancestors bones and flesh are gone, but the genetic makeup and their spirits are still present. Their memories are still here. Their history and lessons are still here.
"You are all part of a Cauldron of Community. Many parts make up the whole–working together and helping to create a great meal–hearty, warming, healing, nutritious. Look at the many organisms that make up a droplet of water, a human body–different communities made up different organisms with different skill sets to make up the whole. Working together to survive, protect, and thrive.
"Many people have rejected the American idea of a Melting Pot, worried that differences disappear. So think soup–the Cauldron of Community, instead of a Melting Pot."
Rev. Vic read the Power of the Forge Attunement by Rev. Jan Avende, which was written back in 2021 for Imbolc. Which Frigg also encouraged me to use and ask for volunteers to read. Frigg wanted participation from attendees--She wanted active community participation. Many did volunteer. This ritual was about Grounding and Protection...and Protecting that Community.
In ADF COoR Rituals, there's a part when we call on a Gatekeeper--who guards the portal between our world and the Other. Gatekeepers are usually entities associated with liminal spaces and travel, like Hermes, Hekate, Heimdallr, Baba Yaga, Manannán mac Lir, Elen of the Ways, etc. For me, they're usually animal spirits--Rabbit in Spring, Honey Bee in Summer, Reindeer in the Fall and Winter; sometimes Garanis Crane for whenever. For this ritual it was Great Blue Heron.
We call on the Gatekeeper to help us open the gates. The Gatekeeper is purely for this kind of ceremonial ritual. Overall not necessary. When I do any kind of magik, spirit work, trance work, whatever, I don't call on Gatekeepers, only my Spirit Guardians. But in the Core Order of Ritual, they're important. Once the Gatekeepers are present, we open the Three Hallows--gates, portals. Three Hallows within ADF Druidry are:
- The Fire - Heavens, Gods, Upperworlds "May this candle become the Sacred/Cosmic Fire. May it open as a Gate."
- The Tree/Mountain - Earth, Nature Spirits, Middleworld "May this block of wood become the Sacred/Cosmic Tree. May it open as a Gate."
- The Well - Ancestors, Underworld. "May this cup of water become the Sacred/Cosmic Well. May it open as a Gate."
- Altar cloth is the Hearth Blanket that still in progress.
- Green Crochet Hook from Manannán mac Lir, which I used to purify the space and as a wand when I Opened the Gates.
- Hearth Keeper Prayer Beads
- Kuksa Offering Cup
- River Stone from a local river. I've had it for decades, it's my favorite rock, and I often use it in my Hellenic and Roman Rituals in the place of The Tree. Frigg really wanted it to be present.
- Crane Ada Spirit that represents the Gaulish Garanis Crane, but for this ritual it represented the Liminal Gatekeeper Great Blue Heron, who is also an animal sacred to Frigg.
- Vestia figurine representing all of my Hearth Kindreds.
- Prometheus' Flame which represents all of my Fire Kindreds.
- Framed Picture: Frigg by Anette Pirso
- Reindeer Mother, who's still carrying the sun higher into the sky, making our days a little longer, and soon a little warmer and greener.
- The Hearthstone--a brick that I found sticking out of the frozen earth of my property.
- Old Stove Candle Holder/Oil Diffuser
- Stuff in the back are Midwinter Bark and Cornmeal Offerings, a lighter, water, and my divination stuff.
- For divination, Frigg picked the Womanrunes by Shekhinah Mountainwater, which you can also find on Molly Remer's website Brigid's Grove.
I was already planning a working for that Frigg Ritual–Grounding using Fire. Now most people would associate Fire with destruction, chaos, a feral element, healing through pain, and transformation. Needfire. Survival. Extreme. True, fire is untamable, one always has to be aware when working with it, because it can get out of control fairly quickly and be very deadly. Fire's a very hungry element, uncaring about who you are.
Then the Hearth Kindreds started showing me something calming. The back of a fireplace from the flame's point of view. The Container of this fire. Once the fire is contained to a wick, to a pile of kindle, to a brick or stone hearth, it's transformed. Still dangerous, but now it becomes a workable tool of warmth, of light, of comfort. A grounding campfire, fireplace. A place to cook, to relax. A place of peace and safety. A place to perform magiks, to scry...
I said, "The Hearth Kindreds also wanted this Working to be about Protection. Aside from the back of a fireplace, Frigg's also been showing me a Well of Source Energy opening beneath the flame.
Some of yall've made Energy Balls with me before. Frigg wants Energy Balls again. We'll use our energy to create the ball, I'll open the Well, and we'll charge our balls with THAT energy, instead of our own."
Frigg said, "For those of you who're more adept in magik and energy work, practise taking some energy from fire, instead of using your own. There are people and entities in this world that want you to feel powerless, weak, exhausted, and hopeless. We Kindred will help you. Earth and Moon aren't the only ones who can recharge you. Seek the Sunna, the Sun. Seek Fire. The heat you can feel. Heat is energy. Not just to warm, but to work. Practice safely pulling energy from hearthfire, needfire. Work with us, the Spirit Work.
Intentions for themselves, their families, homes, neighborhoods. Keep their focus either on self, home, or local. Keep it local. Better reach. Better control. Better practice."
I told them to create their energy forms, while I tranced and opened the Sacred Well of Source Energy. When I told them it was opened, for them to extend their tendrils down into the Well and draw up that energy into their forms. Then when I say that I'm closing it, it stop and bring their cords back up into them.
I've opened the well before for myself with no issue. I've even done it in-person for groups. I forgot how difficult it can be to do for a larger group of people scattered all over the world. We had about 10, give or take, people present. At least one was a Reiki Master and could draw from her own well--I didn't see her among the others, I'm pretty sure she did her own thing.
I tranced and saw myself beneath everyone as screens in the zoom room. With intense breath work, movement, and divine help, I opened the Sacred Well of Source Energy. Unmuted and gave them the cue, and watched them send their tendrils down into the well. Then I just held the container, held the space, until Frigg told me to close it. Unmuted and gave the warning, saw the tendrils retract. I made sure all were out, and then I closed it.
Boy was I glad that I've been exercising again and rebuilding my endurance!
I checked in to make sure everyone was feeling fine, then I instructed them on what to do with their energy forms--to put it into them, the walls of the homes, or to send it to a local target or one of their Kindreds.
Then I did the Omen with Frigg using the Womanrunes: Frigg gave Blessings and Advice.
- Whole Moon - Cycles
- Sisterhood - Friendship
- Tool - Collaboration
Her message said that it's okay to be sad, afraid, and enraged, but to keep our fires contained and under control. Grounded. No feral fire, only tools. Use your inner fire as a TOOL. Be Athena, not Ares--both War Gods. But one comes from wisdom and calm and the other from reckless rage. Be Athena.
She also said for those who're adept with energy work, to safely learn how to draw energy from fire, from the sun, instead of using your own energy. Especially if you're exhausted, tired, and frustrated. The Kindreds want to help. Draw on Them for strength and energy.
Trust in Joy.
Follow the Foxes and the Bees...