Join us in a magical experiment as we come together for a spiritual retreat devoted to the goddess Freyja, exploring the mysterious magic of seiðr. Hosted in a cabin with 20+ acres of gorgeous land to explore in Eastern Kentucky, this retreat is curated for pagans seeking a deep spiritual experience.
Schedule
Friday: Calling of the Spirits, Sacred Counsel on Freyja
On Friday, we shall arrive and settle into the cabin and have dinner. Our ritual Friday night will be a twist on the landvaettir ritual that we traditionally hold upon arrival, a “Bjóðandi ok Brottvísun” or Summoning and Banishing ritual, honoring the spirits of the land, calling our helping spirits and banishing any harmful spirits. Following the ritual, we will hold a Sacred Counsel on the goddess Freyja, sharing our experiences with Her and discussing Her nature around the sacred fire.
Saturday: Guided meditation followed by sacred counsel on love, Building the Altar, Freyjasblot, Sacred Counsel on Magic
Rising on Saturday, we shall begin the day with an hour+ guided meditation on love, followed by another Sacred Counsel on the nature of love, and where love finds its place in a polytheistic context and morality. Throughout the day, we will work on building a large community altar to the goddess for the Freyjasblot ritual we will hold at night after dinner. Following the blot will be another Sacred Counsel, this time on the topic of magic – our experiences with magic and its nature and role in modern paganism.
Sunday: Drawing runes for the high seat, seiðr preparation, galdrsongr practice, the feast, seidr
Sunday will be devoted to an exciting ritual – a synthesis and recreation of the oracular seiðr rites described in the Saga of Erik the Red, Vatnsdæla saga, and other sources. This will be an oracular divination ritual calling upon the helping spirits honored on the first night, featuring the communal singing of galdr-songs crafted for the occasion. In the morning, we shall draw runes to determine who will fill the role of the volva, who will prepare for the ritual the rest of the day. Others will practice the galdr-songs and prepare the ritual space and communal feast. At night, we will hold the ritual. Will Freyja aid us in calling the spirits to tell our future and answer our questions as we recreate the rites of old? You’ll have to be there to find out.
Information
Cost: This event will cost $160 per person
Dates: Friday, May 22 through Monday, May 25
Number of Spots: 9 beds/couches and 4 camping spots
Who can join: This gathering is adults only and pets are not allowed.
How to Join Us: Due to the small number of spots available and the intensive schedule of the event, there is an application to join. The Fellowship has traditionally always employed a first-come, first-served basis for attending events. This application-based-model is an experiment on our part, with the goal of curating a more refined experience and serving the community to the best of our ability. We fully intend to review how this model performs and adapt according to community feedback. All standard gatherings will still be based in the traditional model – while our traditional gatherings are always planned with both those new and seasoned to the pagan path in mind, this is intended to be a more curated, focused experience. Applications will be open for one week, but this window may be extended if needed and this page will be updated when applications are closed. Click the button below to apply.
If you have questions, please email logan.northerntraditions@gmail.com for more information