I did my devotional a little differently today.
First I lit a disc of charcoal and placed it in my incense burner. When it was ready I lit my Three Kindred candles and sat down in front of my altar.
I honor my Ancestors. I then named my most recent Ancestors that I could remember as well as some cultural Ancestors as I placed rosemary on the charcoal as an offering. What do the Ancestors want me to know today? I shuffled the Wychwood Oracle deck three times and drew the Trickster, upright. I looked up the meaning: mischief, fun, uncertainty. I placed the card on the floor in front of me and continued on.
I honor the Nature Spirits–those of bud and leaf, fur and feather, fin and scale. I also mentioned that I honor all the Nature Spirits, because some of them don’t fit in those categories. I spoke these words as I placed lavender on the charcoal as an offering. I shuffled the Wychwood Oracle deck once. What do the Nature Spirits want me to know today? I drew the Lady in the reversed position. I looked up the meaning of this card–allure, negligence, disharmony. I made a grimace because this certainly was not a good sign, and left the card next to the Trickster from the Ancestors.
I honor the Vanir–Freyr and Freyja, Nerthus and Njord, Skadhi and Gerd, Odr and Kvasir, Hnoss, Gersemi, and Gullveig (and any others I missed). I placed oats on the charcoal as an offering. I shuffled the Wychwood Oracle deck once more. What do the Vanir want me to know today? The Cup, upright. I looked up the meaning–replenishment, respite, healing–and smiled. Thank you, Vanir.
I raised myself up from a sitting position to my knees and threw my right hand up in the air, facing towards my portrait of Lady Freyja. I picked up my prayer card and recited the prayer on it to her:
Hail to the Lady of amber. Hail to the Lady of steel. Hail to the Lady of passion, Bringer of luck, Bestower of wealth. You are the envy of all the Gods, the treasure of the nine sacred worlds. Freya, mighty and magnificent, I praise Your name with my Passions. Ignite within me an awareness of my own creative fire. Ignite within me hunger, to burn through the pale shadow of my life and find integrity: in all I do, in all I dream, in all I am. Bless me, Freya, Lady of the Vanir, and I shall hail You always. (Prayer by Galina Krasskova, modified to be in the singular.)
This prayer was full of devotion and love. I shuffled the Wychwood Oracle deck three times. What do you, Lady Freyja, want me to know today? I drew the Hand reversed and placed it under the other three. I read the meaning silently. Help needed, reaching out, incomplete goals. I looked at all the cards gathered. The Hand was closest to me. It looks like Lady Freyja is reaching out for me! I was excited at this revelation, because it shows that the Lady is interested in me and also reflects the fact that I am reaching out to the Kindreds.
I finished my devotional with the words, For your blessings today and every day, I thank you. May I continue to honor you today and every day. I shuffled the cards back into the deck after taking the above picture.
Upon reflection, it appears that I have a good relationship with the Vanir and Freyja. The Ancestors seem to be a bit finicky, and I definitely need to work on my relationship with the Nature Spirits. Being more Earth-conscious should help with that. Also spending more time outdoors with the garden will help. I’m not sure what is going on with the Ancestors. The Trickster seems to be a benevolent figure in this case, but–thinking back to myths of Loki–the Trickster could just be ambivalent. In any case, I look forward to seeing these relationships grow and change over time, and I look forward to getting to know the Kindreds and Lady Freyja better!
The Druid's Cosmos 