On October 9, 2025, The Folk and guests of the Ondheim Theodish fellowship met at the homestead of Chris Thane and his family to celebrate Winternights. The weather was clear, but cool and crisp, as is appropriate for the season. In the tribal meetings of the weeks prior to the gathering, the folk spent time making homemade jar candles to be used in honor of those who had passed beyond the veil. It is our tradition to create candles for the folk who have departed and light them from our needfyr to metaphysically invite them to our ritual gathering.
On the full moon a few days prior to the event, the hunters within the tribe gathered at the homestead of Chris Thane where he performed the traditional Ullr blot and weapon blessing for the hopes of a good hunting season.
The needfyr itself was lit two days prior to the event, as an opening to the meta-ritual in the tradition of our ancestors to hold holytides over the course of multiple days. The needfyr was kept burning for three days in an oil lamp, and on the day of the gathering, the lantern was used to ignite the ritual fire thereby maintaining the fire for the entire time. The gathering began in the early afternoon and was well attended by tribesmen and guests alike. Most of the day was spent strengthening the community bonds that are such an integral part of Theodish belief.
The folk then shared a feast, and as the sun set, we came together for ritual. The ritual was held in honor of the Disir and all the folk who passed beyond the veil, and gifts were given and offerrings made. The ritual was well received, and omens were judged to be good. After a brief break for dessert and more socialization, the symbel began. Coming together in symbel is one of the greatest rituals the folk participate in. The moment when all of our words and deeds flow directly from us into the well of wyrd and are witnessed by Gods, folk, and ancestors alike. It is the most sacred of our rites. Well-wrought words spoken in hall and ancestors and heroes remembered are the path to immortality within our faith.
Glaed Winternights to all!
William Lord
Ondheim Theodish Fellowship
Ondheim.org
In the tradition of our tribe, lunch was followed by workshops. Our workshops are designed as an effort to build upon the bonds of community between tribe and guests, as well as further the education and understanding of our members and friends. First on the afternoons workshop list was Erik Karl’s presentation on linguistics and the roadmap between modern languages all the way back to Proto Indo European language. A truly fascinating examination of how language has evolved over time! Next up was a breakdown of the elements of Ritual and how to design and perform different rituals within our community and faith done by William Lord. A face to face explanation of the “Anatomy of a ritual” article on our website with some question and answer time for those who are developing their own personal, ancestral, and landvaettir rituals, which is a very important process for the development of our spiritual paths and practices.
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