Nerthus Blot

“Nerthus,

Earth Mother,

Lover of Odin,

Mother of Thor,

We ask you to join us in celebration of the earth.”

“Hertha,

Erce,

Lover of Frodi,

Mother of Forgyn,

We ask you to join us as we celebrate that which you have given us.”

Wind whistles among the trees –

oak and ash and yew and birch,

elm and aspen, maple and pine –

I can hear each one’s voice,

sweet as a bird, steady as a drum

pliant as the supple sapling,

all singing a song of praise to You

You Who holds them in Your hand;

like a child which has fallen down

and needs comforting,

they come to you for succor.

For long have they been afflicted

under the harsh hand of Man;

brothers and sisters torn away

now adorn the palaces of hubris.

You Who are the Earth,

You Who rules us all

Have mercy for our sins

against our kin, your children.

We have labored long in darkness;

open our eyes to the light of Truth

that we may rejoin the Dance

of Life into Death into Life again.

Holy Mother of the Gods,

and Holy in Yourself as well,

break us when we need breaking

that we may pour forth like seeds into the earth

Teach us the loving embrace of death,

that sacrifice is worthy of You,

that we cannot live apart from the world

because we are the world.

Lady of the Wain and Grove,

give us the words to say

when all around us destroy themselves

in the name of progress;

help us show them there is a better way,

a simpler way, though it is not easy,

and let us remember where our roots lie:

in the bosom of You.

“Erce, Goddess of the earth, mother.   We thank you for your presence today.”

Gothi pours some of the mead from the horn into the earth.

Gythija says:

“Nerthus, Lady of the Wain grove, she who shows us that that which is simple is not always easy, we thank you for joining us.”

Gythija pours some of the mead from the horn into the earth

“From us to the earth to the gods.”

“From the gods to the earth to us.”