treeoflife
Isavarg's Book of Shadows

Explaining the Heathen 'Wheel of the Year'

NOTE: This is my interpretation and what I've chosen to follow. It's more of a season, than any particular day, and there are other minor holidays that happen that are related to them as the calandar follows the cycles of the moon, as well as the sun. The format I have chosen to follow is that proposed by Samfundet Forn Sed Sverige of Sweden because it is the simplest and has fewer connections to the Volkish movements that seem to be the foundation of the orgs in the US. The Ingwine Heathenship of the UK has an interesting calandar which tries to incorporate Anglo-Saxon Heathen holidays and the Northern Tradition paganism has an interesting calandar of days dedicated to certain deities throughout the year, and this includes deities from different pantheons which I quite like the idea of - if you have deities that are more special to you, you can honour them on that day. Sometimes the main festivals don't include deities that you might have an afinity for so it is good to have these days.

Like the Wiccan/Druid Wheel of the Year, the Heathen one has eight basic festivals that occur throughout the year.

Julblot - the Winter Solstice
Disablot - in February
Varblot - the Spring Equinox
Majblot - early May
Midsommerblot - the Summer Solstice
Sensommerblot - early August
Hostblot - the Autumn Equinox
Alvablot - late October/early November

I have created a mini site for each of the holidays where I hope to post information about it, which deities they are for, what I do for the holiday and of holidays which are connected to it, or which occur in that season. As a solitary Heathen, I find the 'tradtional' ways that these holidays are celebrated aren't always appropriate for me, and they aren't always practical for other reasons. Time change, societies evolve, old ways die out and new practices take their place.

DEITY DAYS:

January

2nd Fenris
12th Niflheim
16th Muspellheim
19th Thor

February

5th Iormundgard
9th Nerthus and Wuldofader

March

2nd Hrethe
12th Odin

April

12th Jord
13th Alfheim
16th Iduna

May

7th Frigga
8th Fulla
9th Gna
10th Lofn
11th Syn
12th Var
13th Snotra
14th Gefjon
15th Huldra
16th Eir
17th Sjofn
18th Vor
19th Hlin

June

9th Jotunheim
10th Nidavellir
11th Loki
23rd Baldur

July

10th Hela
25th Aegir and Ran
30th Tyr

August

24th Nehalennia
31st Frey

September

3rd Mimir
18th Vanaheim

October

2nd Gerda
3rd Njord
5th Nehalennia
11th Wayland the Smith
14th Mordgud
15th Freya
16th Laufey

November

1st Hela
3rd Saga
8th Nehalennia
15th Nidhogg
17th Holda
18th Angrboda
26th Valraven
27th Forseti
29th Sigyn

December

3rd Mengloth
20th Asgard
27th Freya and Frey
29th Skadi