| There
are places of great might on the Earth, and it behoves the Vitka to visit
them. Stonehenge, quite possibly the most powerful ancient holy site in
Northern Europe, is in spirit a recognition by the neolithic peoples who
raised the stones of a nexus of power in the Land . Here Sky and Earth
are wed, and all the subsequent invaders of Britain, bringing their ownGods
with them, recognised the holiness of this mighty stead. It has been used
down the ages as a pagan temple by all the diverse peoples who came to
live in "Merlin's Enclosure" (the most ancient known name of
the island of Britain, also known as the "Island of the Mighty"). It is my premise that a sensitive person can discover places of power where ever they are, and make shrines and leave offerings there to honour the Land Wights. Whether you live in Scandinavia, Britain, America, or Australia, if you want to have a vital relationship with the Earth Spirits that fill the landscape around you, you must interact with them and honour them. Every landscape has it's spiritual history and traditions. I think it is a good idea to research the ways in which the spirits of a locale have been honoured by people in the past. Surely Land Spirits that have been given certain offerings by a people for centuries, are accustomed to receiving offerings from humans in the same way. The Wights may be more receptive to indigenous and familiar rites or offerings from humans. If a heathen lives in America, for instance, it is wise for them to respect the spiritual ways of the indigenous people that honoured the Land and the nature Spirits before them. It is also appropriate and necessary for Asatruar to relate to the Earth in the way that is natural for them, and to call on their Heathen deities in their chosen home. I believe it is essential that one go into nature, and try to find places where the spirits are welcoming. Often power places reveal their existence through landscape features, for the "chi" or vital energy of the land flows in certain ways which can be indicated by the terrain. I find water courses, mountain tops and ridges, caves, and cliffs to be places of power, but one can also find them in the plains, usually over intersecting underground rivers. One can also tell especially holy places by their beauty; the way plants grow, the harmony of the whole, the behaviour of animals and birds in the area, and of course the "feel"of a locale are all indications of a good site for a nature shrine, an offering bowl, or a harrow. It has been my experience that life is enriched in innumerable ways by immersing oneself in nature. To me leaving offerings in the wild, beautiful, and powerful places of the Earth is true magic, and it brings great blessings. A shine or small harrow stone set up inconspicuously in a special place shows that one recognises the living spirit of Earth, and the spirits that inhabit the stones, trees, herbs and animals there. This act of recognition is a powerful one for the modern human psyche, which has been terribly wounded by philosophic ideas of the separation of matter and spirit. |
Some Holy Steads
Raven's Mouth Cave
Nerthus Cave
Cave of the Alfar
Earth's Breath Cave
Woden's Vé
Helga Vé
Beach of the Stone Uruz
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