Welcome to the homesite of Stand Spiral Ash, the premier, okay, only Twyern site on the web. If you came looking for fancy graphics, you had best keep looking. On the other hand, if you are searching for content, there just might be something here for you. I am currently undergoing a seachange in understanding Twyern triggered by research into Old English. This change is marked by adoption of what I call New Saxon (see below) terminology, such as Gidden, which is a word from OE brought forward into Modern English. (It means Deity, female gender.) These words have connotations and associations that are quite different than using Standard English. There will be many changes to this site because of this. The reconstruction continues! ABOUT VALIRE'BRAND(the author) ABOUT TWYERN(the system) ABOUT NEW SAXON(the language)

Although derived from Wicca, it can no longer be considered Wiccan. Twyern is one of the variations of Four-Fold mythology. By this, I mean it uses 4 Gods and 4 Giddens. This is not to confuse other Pagans, rather it is to more completely model our understanding of the Universe and how it works. Twyern recognizes Maiden, Mother, Crone, and Hag as Giddens; and Trickster, Beastlord, Father, and Grimfather as Gods.

It has evolved from a joint creation of Volkhvy of Rockhopper Coven and myself that deals with Four-Fold Gods and Gidden. This makes it a new tradition with no claims to antiquity beyond 1985. Drawing from our personal experience of the year cycle, Twyern is a North American creation. It is specific to Minnesota, although it is generally applicable across the Northern tier of states and into Canada

Twyern means "2 years" and refers to the interwoven cycles of the Gods and Gidden, as well as the solar year and the lunar year. The word itself is a reclaimed AngloSaxon or "New Saxon" word.

Twyern deals more with the various immanent Lords and Ladies than with the transcendent Deities. Though we recognize the Sky Father/Mother and Earth Mother/Father, the immanent Deities affect us more directly. Thus, Twyerns tend to call on the 4 Giddens and Gods more frequently.

We recognize the Trickster-Lokin, the Beastlord-Janir, the Father-Frelor, and the Grimfather-Hadin as Gods. The Giddens are the Maiden-Ariana, the Mother-Rheya, the Crone-Morriwen, and the Hag-Gruag. Why FOUR? Because there are 4 phases to the Sun and Moon. For the Sun, Rising, Zenith, Setting, Nadir. For the Moon, Waxing, Full, Waning, and New.

Of course, each Deity also has 4 Phases; Showen, Fullfyllan, Droupen, and Aweg. This makes this system very usable as a magickal system and as the basis for runic, card and stone divination. And make no mistake, it IS a system. There exists a Table of Hours as well as the Phase Rune Poem.

In my personal opinion, it is a Pagan's answer to Kabala. It provides a framework for ritual workings that is not dependent on Jewish Mysticism.
Or the Christian interpretation of it.

It is still a growing system, since each Twyern is urged to create their own version of the Rune Poem as their understanding expands. In addition, the Table of Hours is only of the Solar calendar; the Lunar equivalent has yet to be calculated. Maybe, in a year or so, I'll tackle that. Or maybe, I'll let my apprentice deal with it. Or anyone else who wishes to take a hand!

Okay! So with all these Phases, how do you celebrate the Holidays? That's the easy part! Every two weeks or so, there is a transition from one phase to another. Each transition has three players, if it's a Gidden transition, two Gidden phases and a presiding God phase. If a God transition, just the opposite. The interaction of the personalities creates a story.

For example, on March 4th Lokin Fullfyllan transits to Lokin Droupen with the help of Ariana Showen . The three players are two God Phases and one Gidden Phase presiding. All you need do is tell one version of WHY this occurs.

Lokin Fullfyllan seeks Ariana Showen. "Young One, your changes appear to be all in one direction." "It is called Growth", she replied. "It seems easy enough, do you think I can do it?" "Only by Growing yourself," she warns. "Help me, I must try this!" he declares.

Lokin changes Phase by growing, in this case to his Droupen Phase. Why he does this is function of who he is. As Trickster, he is impelled to explore every available avenue of change. Looking for a good trick, if nothing else. Yet this motivation drives the transition. He needs Ariana's aid to accomplish it; this drives their interaction. Each combination of Aspects and Deities provides a story for whatever transition is occurring. An examination of the "players" will tell how they will interact; so the stories tell themselves.

Now, why do Twyerns have so many holidays? (You've got to be kidding! Who doesn't want more holidays?) Well, there IS a serious answer, too! By following the Cycle, or, Dancing the Dance, as we call it, we come to know the Gods on a deeper level. We experience the cycle of life and death in a condensed form.

I was born physically male in Bagley, Minnesota at 10:30 AM on July 5, 1951. I was reborn female in Montreal, Canada at approx.9:30AM on July 2, 2001. (That should keep the astrologers happy!) I embarked on my Path around age 10, when I first heard the Wild Hunt. But it was slow going until my twenties when I first encountered a real, live teacher!

This was in '71, and she taught me Ceremonial Magick. I was in the Air Force at the time stationed in Omaha. I began practicing a pared down version of CM that I called Ritual Magick, since I've ALWAYS made adjustments in whatever systems I've found. At the time, I was a thorough Agnostic believing it was all internal. At least, until I was busy in circle and felt a hand on my shoulder! Turning, I faced a bearded male figure with one eye, ravens on his shoulders and a blue cloak. He said, "You're mine." THAT was when the Gods became real to me.

Some folks may be puzzled why I'm not in with the Heathens after that encounter. It took a while (years!) to understand that my Patron was Hadin, the Grimfather, not Odin. And my initiator. After the service, in '76, I moved to Minneapolis and joined a Wiccan teaching class where my ritual background gave me a definite leg up. (My first Wiccan ritual was a Drawing Down the Moon, much to the dismay of the instructors. It came off without a hitch. Worked, too.)

Right from the start, things developed in odd directions, after my Second in '78, I asked for and received Ministerial credentials. In '79, under a full moon, I dreamt a ritual that I have incorporated into my practices, a Sonic Circle Cleansing. It serves as the basis of the Basic Temple Rite. In '83, I wrote the Yair'yemund(see Special Rituals), a ritual designed to really help turn the Wheel, not just celebrate the turning.

1984 was the crucial year, it was the Year of the Thrice Killed God. Let me explain. Community rites led by different groups had been ongoing for years, but that year somehow the God was slain at Lammas, Mabon, AND Samhain - a good trick since no one had revived him inbetween! That got me and Volkhvy thinking about balance. After some months, we developed the FourFold concept. Volkhvy and I developed it in somewhat different directions, but we maintained communication about our diverging paths and acted as sounding boards for each other. That helped enormously in the development of our respective Paths.

Twyern is my brainchild. And this is my website.

Valire'brand of Spiral Ash 090603, 021406

New Saxon is my name for the reclaimed Anglo-Saxon wordhoard. Those words that were lost in the cultural imposition of Christenized Latinate culture around 1000 years ago. Words are chosen carefully for utility, clarity, and euphony.

But I didn't just grab Anglo-Saxon words; I brought them forward (with a lot of help!) through vowel shifts and general linguistic changes into Modern English. So what I have are the words that the rootwords would have become, had they survived.

Why? Because words carry culture. And using another culture's words obscures our cultural heritage as English speakers. Two NS words that I use illustrate two basic principles of New Saxon. “Gidden” is an improvement on Goddess while “Farthing” clarifies the concepts of directionality.

In modern craft, “Quarters” commonly refers to points on the compass, i.e. East is a point 90° from North. Whereas the East Farthing extends from NE to SE, a full fourth of the circle. Likewise the Northeast Farthing extends from N to E. Another fourth of a circle, but one that overlaps the East Farthing. This shows that the circle is not discrete sections; instead it exists as an interwoven whole.

Returning to Gidden/Goddess: Goddess is truly a ghastly kludge of a word. It is an unholy amalgam of the masculine AngloSaxon root “God” and a feminizing, diminutive suffix from Greek-by way of Old French&Late Latin “-ess”. If you break the word down it means “the Male Deity who is feminine.” Hardly as satisfying as “Gidden”, which is from AngloSaxon “Gyden” meaning Female Deity, period.

Sometimes the words change the the way we look at what did survive. How does the loss of a way to describe female deity(which English did for nearly 4 centuries) impact the way we view the divine female? For cultures change over time, and language grows to reflect those changes.

Winnowing the English we speak; the wordhoard of New Saxon emerges from the shadows. Delving into the lost derns(hidden places), we find jewels of language that speak across the age and welcome us home.

Valirébrand 020507