This morning I awoke and lay in bed until I felt a voice saying, “It’s time to get up now, and go outside.” I had felt it coming, but as the sunrise began to occur it was important that I leave my warm covers and discover what I was being nudged towards. As I got myself ready to step out the back door, I saw an old man with poofy hair on the top of His head, flowing all the way down his back. His eyes and brows were sharp – but His gaze was not evil. He made me think of Winter Warlock in the old children’s show “Santa Claus is Comin’ To Town” after the warlock changed from “bad to good”…
He was standing in a little room that felt almost like a little mountain house in Bavaria, like Heidi’s grandfather’s home. I asked, “Are you Ullr?” and received an affirmative answer. He was directing me to go to the outdoor altar so He could communicate with me as He wished, so there I went. I lit the winter candle on my indoor altar as I passed to go join Him outside.
Once there, I was transported between realms and stood before Ullr and Ve at the Horgr in the Forest of the Godanum where Ve trains me frequently. Ullr was then dressed in sparkly white magickal, wintery looking robes. He handed Ve a big scoop of snow with both palms up, and Ve tossed it into the sky. This created a veritable winter wonderland in the Forest, with all the ground and trees covered with beautiful, cleansing white. I noticed a deer, a doe I believe, behind the stone platform outside the Horgr where I was facing the two Gods. The deer was eating winter berries when they could be found, and generally searching for food from the trees and around the bases of trees.
I held out my hands, palms facing up as directed. Ullr and Ve made bind runes appear on each palm, and then I sensed the runes were glowing and beginning to cover my entire body. I felt cool, shimmering sensations throughout my entire system.
Ullr brought to my mind “the holly and the ivy” – so I inquired further. He said that Juniper greens and berries were more appropriate or applicable than ivy to pair with the holly, so I knew I had some learning to do. He said the Celtic tradition would have good or at least nearly the exact same meanings associated with these plants as our tradition does and He encouraged me to go read in the Scottish traditions book that I have been enjoying lately as it melds the Norse and Celtic in the Scottish folk ways from which I know I directly hail ancestrally. I will be reading it as soon as this account is finished and offering placed out to Ullr. I also asked about elderberry and making other herbal preparations to help friends and family get through the colder months healthily, but got the sense that He will reveal more when I learn the sacred implications of winter plants.
Louhi (Finnish Goddess of Shamanism) visited me during this experience for a short moment – I was in Her Keep above the sacred fjords, and She dressed me in white, wintery-type robes. She has been ever close as a personal guide, trainer, and confidante, and as I returned to the Horgr to stand before Ve and Ullr again, I got the sense that both Louhi and Ullr wanted me to think of this as a call to be a “winter priestess.” This really blew me away and I am completely in awe and consider it a great honor to continue down this path and learn more fully what this may mean.
As God of the Priesthood and also being another very close personal trainer for me, Ve’s presence allowed me to understand that this is part of my calling as a priestess. Due to Ullr’s instruction and the general feeling I got, He wishes to do sacred workings this winter and I am to work with Him during this time – especially learning sacred uses for winter plants and trees. It was rather an, “A-ha!” moment for me…why should my herbal preparations and sacred working with the Green World be limited to only specific seasons? It seems only natural that my Green World altar should be looking quite different this coming winter season!
As I was told my time with the Godanum was coming to an end for this encounter, I intimated that I should bring Ullr an offering of corn breakfast porridge (I have organic grits and He seemed to be pleased with that) with cream and sweetened with pure maple syrup as well as a cup of sweet potato chai tea from our local tea crafters, so I placed both of these on the outdoor altar in thanks to Him. He even asked that I put the porridge in a starry-patterned bowl that we usually use for our kids and one of their plastic spoons as well, giving me a sense of His personality as “Father Winter” – a magickal being from whom I could totally see some of the Santa Claus stories developing.
All hail Ullr, Father Winter!
Much gratitude to Ve, Louhi, and Ullr, for directing me this morning and setting my on the course I need to follow as we spend the autumn season preparing for the upcoming winter in just a couple months. Your sacred guidance and teachings bring a joy and fullness that words cannot describe.
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