Hail to the Day!
One of the most common questions by someone new to Asatru, is, “How do I develop a spiritual practice?” The answer is simple. Start with The Dawn and get ready to create your day.
Go outdoors if you can or stand by a window. Sense the change as the sky begins to lighten – the transition between night and day. This is the time of liminality. It’s fleeting, but this interval provides moments of grandeur and power. This is when sky-colors change and clouds may dance before you. Sunna’s rays may shoot up over the horizon.
Think of your intentions; collect yourself into the moment if you’re outdoors. Feel the air, hear the sounds. Start your day with purpose. This is a time of profound expression. In the image of Ostara, the Goddess of the Saxons, she throws open the window to allow the light and warmth to enter our lives. Stand with arms outstretched, inhale deeply, and sense the energy flowing to your hands.
Embrace the majesty of our divine fertility-spirits: Ostara, Nerthus, Sunna, Frigg, and Freya in their guardianship of our blessed Midgard. In our home, this daily practice includes reciting a passage from the Sigrdrífumál:
Hail to the Day: Hail to the Sons of Day.
Hail to Night and its Daughter.
Gaze upon us gently standing here.
Give your blessings on our battles.
Hail to the Gods! Hail to the Goddesses!
Hail to the all-giving Earth!
Wisdom and lore, as long as we live, grant us
And healing hands.
Give thanks for this new day. Speak to those beyond the Veil. Send a morning thought to loved ones who live far away. Thank the Aesir and your Ancestors for another day to create anew and count the blessings in your life, and to offer blessings to others. Healing hands and healing words are magical acts. Good intentions should guide each day’s journey. Don’t let your Victories hide in the shadows. Celebrate them with a full heart.
Gythia Sheila McNallen
