Drawing Inward for the Winter Holy Tides
This morning, I woke up to a brisk temperature of 40 Fahrenheit- quite a marked change from the 90 degrees of two weeks ago! As I breathed in the cold air, I reflected on my ancestors. How did those noble Saxons feel when they felt the first cold morning of their winter? Did they welcome it, or did they feel a sense of dread?
Whatever the case may have been for our forebears, we know that the winter months are the time to look inwards: to our own hearth, to our ancestors on the other side of that thinning veil, to our own strengths and weaknesses.
My people at Njörðshof are familiar with this, as I have proverbially beaten them over the head with it for over a year now, but to borrow some imagery from John Steinbeck, any “long discontent” should be treated the same as these winter months.
If you are in pain, or mourning a loss, or simply feeling lower than usual due to the change in weather, please do not wander out into the cold. Look inwards, to your AFA family, and come sit by the flame of the Folk. We are here for you, and we will suffer through any winter right by your side. Keep attending events, keep our Gods and Heroes in mind, and reach out to your Gothar if you need us. We are here to serve you, and we will do so no matter what.
Gothi Trent East
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