Freyfaxi - Folkbuilder Jim Cummings
Our celebration of Freyfaxi, the beginning of the harvest, is quickly approaching. In olden times, the significance of this season was magnified - if our ancestors did not have the discipline and self motivation to work hard planting and sowing, the harvest would be poor, and they may not survive the harsh northern winter.
Today, few of us are farmers, solely responsible for growing the food to sustain ourselves and our families. While living the Noble Virtues is a reward in itself, as doing so ennobles us, and helps us to evolve as individuals, in this celebration of the harvest, we see an external, material culmination of practicing particular virtues – Discipline, Self Reliance, and Industriousness.
In this modern world, we may not experience famine due to a weak harvest, but success in all aspects of our life still requires self discipline, diligence, and hard work. As we celebrate this holiday, we should take note of the efforts we have made in the past year, and savor the rewards we have reaped due to them. Perhaps we will also reflect upon areas where we could have applied ourselves more rigorously, and focus on doing so in the year to come – if you don’t like what you are harvesting, plant different seeds.
And, always, we should give thanks and honor to the Divine Powers, at this time especially Freyr, the Lord of abundance and fertility. Like all our Gods, he does not give us “hand outs”, but imparts to us the innate abilities, which, if we have the fortitude to use them, allow us to reap Life’s bounty.
Folkbuilder James Cummings
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