On Saturday, December 14, the Blót Kindred Idavallen held a combined annual meeting, winter solstice ride and guild. All of them were held at the home of our NBR and Blót Kindred leader Thommy Vähäsalo.
I myself had written the wrong time in the calendar and thus arrived at a crowded table ready to hold a meeting. After a well-deserved dose of ridicule, with a twinkle in the eye of course, the meeting was announced.
We reviewed the past year, finances, future prospects, etc. Most people are probably aware of what an annual meeting involves, so I will spare us all a deep dive.
When the meeting ended, we gathered in Trätälja Gudahov to hold a winter solstice rite together. The rite was led by NBR Thommy Vähäsalo, who, after everyone had sworn by Tyr, invited me to be present during the ceremony. As is customary, we held our three toasts, the toat of power, the god toas and the free toast. Toasts were made to various deities, but perhaps most frequently to Sunna, Thor and Odin. This was followed by the free toast, where those present shared happiness and joy as well as sorrow, hardship and adversity.
This time, the toasts were mostly characterized by various difficulties we members have gone through during the past year. We have reached a fine and intimate community within the Blót Kindred that I am incredibly grateful for. Partly as a forum for our faith, but also for the relationships with like-minded strong people that are carved even deeper as the year rolls on.
It seems to me to have been an unusually tough year for most people, and so I send a salute to my fellow freinds in the Blót Kindred who are holding their heads high and fighting on. Hail to you!
After the rite had ended, we returned to the table that had previously served as the meeting place for the guild. There was good food and a nice atmosphere. In contrast with the almost heavy seriousness of the rite, the guild was light-hearted and dominated by laughter and joy. Perhaps this is how it often turns out when you have lightened your heart and put into words what you carry inside. That light-heartedness and calmness take over where worry previously ruled, at least for the moment. That in itself is worth its weight in gold and moments worth remembering.
In closing, I want to say that I am so grateful and happy for what we have created and continue to build stronger, both within the Nordic Asa-community and within our own and other communities. Our work to re-strengthen the position of Asatru in society continues with all we do in its name. In doing so, our ties to each other are also strengthened.
Hail Idavallen
Hail Nordic Asa-community
Hail Asatru
