Æfterra Ġéola – Latter Yule (January)
Thunresblót (Thunor’s Blot): On the first night of full moon, we blot to Thunor for productive and bountiful crops to guard & protect us against hunger
Ġeloablót (Yule Blot): On the second night of full moon, we blot to Woden and the Ese for Spiritual Peace to guard & protect us against misfortune
Godbótblót (Atonement Blot): On the third night of full moon, we blot to Seaxneat-Frea (Lord Seaxneat) for atonement to guard & protect us against our transgressions
Sólmónath – Sun Month (February)
Foca Offrung (Cake Offering): Béda’s recorded as saying, “The Sun-month may be called the month of cakes, which they offered to their gods”. Likely a family observance, as new spring cooking would begin, and our forebears would welcome the warmer weather, while looking forward to a prosperous season. We observe this offering on the full moon.
Hréthmónath – Rheda Month (March)
Hréthesblót (Rheda’s Blot): Rhreda is another name of the Erce-Friye, the Allmother and wife of Woden. Béda said that “Hréthmónaþ is named for their goddess Hréth, for whom they sacrificed at his time”. Hreda is the anglicized form of Hréth or Hréthe. With Winter’s cold coming to a close, and the beginning of summer fast approaching, it’s likely our forebears honored the Allmother Mother Earth and would seek to gain her favor to receive bountiful crops to sustain our folk, good weather to aid our folk in our lives helping us to prosper, and fertility that we may grow our families & folk. We observe this offering on the full moon.
Éastremónath – Easter Month (April)
*The Angles of Northumbria marked summer’s beginning by honoring Éastre (Easter), a goddess of the dawn, whom we equate with Frówe. The Southern Scandinavian Angles, who hail from what is now Denmark, sing in their own National Anthem: “There’s a beautiful country, it stands with wide beeches; it’s called Old Denmark and it is Freya’s [Frówe’s] hall”
Éastreblót (Easter Blot): On the first night of full moon, we blót to Éastre-Frówe (Lady Easter) for peace, prosperity, fertility, & abundance to guard & protect us against war, strife, and hardship
Siġeblót (Victory Blot): On the second night of full moon, we blot to Woden for victory to guard & protect us against peril
Wyrdeblót (Wyrd’s Blot): On the third night of full moon, we blot to Wyrd for revelation to guard & protect us against concealment
Thrýmeolċemónaþ – Three Milks Month (May)
*The Saxons of Wessex, Middlesex, Essex, and Sussex (originally from Northern Germany) marked summer’s beginning by honoring Baleday (Bældæġ)
** Known as the folcġemót, the folk moot was a general assembly of the people of a town, city or shire (county or parish), and was held annually on the first of Three Milks (May) when our folk gathered from across the land to meet, seek social interactions, engage in business trade, and settle legal matters, but it could be convened on extraordinary occasions by ringing the moot-bell
Bældæġesdæġ (Baleday’s Day (May Day)). An ancient pan-European festival marking summer’s beginning; usually celebrated on or around May 1st, approximately halfway between the spring evennight and summer sunstead. Tacitus’ Germania (24) states that, “They have but one form of public spectacle, and that is repeated without variation at every gathering. Naked young warriors, for whom the thing is a game, leap and bound about amidst bare swords and bristling spears. Practice makes them skillful at this exercise, and skill makes them graceful; but it is not done professionally or for pay. Their most daring flings find their sole recompense in the delight of the spectators“. This spectacle, with youths surrounded by spear-wielding warriors, reminds of the man-ring that the Gods engaged in when they threw weapons at [Baleday], for whom all things took an oath not to harm. It’s probable that Baleday was honored on the full moon of Three Milks, but as time passed, traditions evolved. Today’s celebrations show the merging of the Angles and Saxons, with the Angle traditions of honoring Easter and the Saxon traditions of honoring Baleday. This is the likely reason why “May Day” falls roughly between Easter and Baleday’s Day (May Day). We observe this offering on the first of Three Milks month, or if some choose, the full moon.
Ǽfterra líða – Latter Calm (July)
Midsummer – Our forebears observed two seasons, called the Misseru (Half-Year Seasons). Béda stated “The folk split the year into two seasons, summer and winter. They called the month when winter began Winterfyllith, by a name from winter and full moon, as winter is allotted the beginning of the same month from the full moon of the same month…” Our year begins on the full moon of Winterfylleth (Winter Filling/October). Three Full moons later is Yule, which falls on the full moon of Æfterra Ġéola (Latter Yule/January); this is midwinter, as well as the fixed anchor date in calculating the year. Being midwinter, this puts the start of summer on the full moon of Éastremónath (Easter month/April); therefore, midsummer falls three months later on the full moon of Ǽfterra lítha (July). Midsummer, to our northern brethren, was a time when the main yearly Thing (legal assembly) was held and folk gathered from all around to meet, seek social interactions, engage in business trade, and settle legal matters.
Winterfylleth – Winter Filling (October)
*Winterfylleth is the name for “Full moon”; here indicating the official end of summer being on the full moon and ushering in the beginning of Winter.
Fréanblót (The Lord’s Blot) – We blót to Lord Seaxneat for (Financial) Peace to guard & protect us against poverty/Hunger
Gydennablót (Goddesses’ Blot) – We blót for fertility to guard & protect us against infertility
Ylfablót (Elves blot) – We blót to the Elves for healing to guard & protect us against sickness and or plague.
Blótmónath – Blot Month (November)
Húsblót: Béda stated that, “Blótmónath is the month of sacrifices, because in it the cattle that were to be killed would vow to their gods”. With the weather cooling & summer behind us, Winter is fast approaching, our forebears relied on animals for food & in winter’s cold, lessening crops meant less food for our families & animals. Many of the animals wouldn’t survive the cold & fewer animals meant greater chances of survival; thus, offerings to the gods were likely an asking of help for winter survival. This was probably not a public blot, but more of a personal ritual done with each family as part of the slaughtering and processing part of their lives.
Ærra Ġéola Early Yule (December)
Módraniht: Béda stated “that very night, which we hold so sacred, they used to call by the heathen word Módraniht, that is, “Mothers’ night”, because of the ceremonies they enacted all that night”. We don’t have much information on this observance; just that our forebears held a significant observance on this night. Whenever you observe this night, a few days back on the winter sunstead, on Christmas Eve, or the Ærra Ġéola full moon as we Folcsidish do, the important thing is to focus the meaning that resonates with your folk soul. Some say it’s a night to honor Niht, some Erce Fríġe, & others our ancient clan mothers & female forebears, while some have evolved it into a Heathen Mother’s Day. Either way, it’s open to local and familial variance.