Blots are held for a variety of reasons, yearly festivals, community crises and personal requests. They are not done it the form of mindless subservient services, (no names, no blame) or as an act or appeasement. They are celebrations, renewing of ties and tokens of gratitude. They should not be done with mock solemnity or sobriety, think of it as a discussion or conversation with an old and trusted friend.
Note. This format is for indoor use, if preferred, a suitable variation of a hammer rite may be used instead.
While striking a match and lighting a single candle repeat
the following lines…
"Hermed lyser jeg denne
staden i fred. Řnsker vetter og Ćsir, mann og kvinne velkommen til blot"
(Norwegian, with thanks to Jon Julius Filippusson)
Translated as:
"With this, I light this space in
peace. I wish vćttir and Ćsir, man and woman welcome to this blót".
With the candle/flames lit, the rite has begun in earnest.
Next, thanks are given to the gods/esses either
collectively or individually for recent help or blessings.
Then the reasons for the blot and to whom the request is made are stated, and what will be offered in return as a gift. The format for the ceremony will vary for every individual or group so I see little point in including another variation.
During or after the libation the request and thanks are given, forming essentially, a "pact" or "bond" between the god/ess and the individual or the group. The words spoken during this time are sacred and binding and should be suitable for the occasion.(1)
Then the libation is taken outside and poured into the earth (preferably at the roots of a tree) saying something suitable such as...
"Fra gudene til Jord til os, fra os til Jord til dei gudene"
"From the gods to the earth to us, from us to the earth to the gods" (Originally an ADF phrase)
So ends the blot.
(1) The libation is the most common form of offering, however, any other type of offering can of course be made, handmade objects or poetry for example. And just to restate the obvious, any "sacrifices" are metaphorical or simply personal sacrifices (such as giving a gift of something which is personally significant). We've moved on from the "dark ages" and have an entirely different moral code today, so, no blood please, we're heathen's, not barbarians!
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