The Guilds of Practitioners

This blog is written and maintained by members of the Oley Freindschaft Guild of Braucherei Practitioners and of the Guild of Urglaawe Braucherei and Hexerei Practitioners.


The Oley Freindschaft recognizes the totality of the practice of Braucherei, which includes the contexts of Christianity and of Urglaawe.

The Guild of Urglaawe Braucherei and Hexerei Practitioners is dedicated to the advancement of these traditions within the Urglaawe context.

Sunday, February 17, 2013

Braucherei Zunftsammlung at Central PA HeathenCon

We'll be holding a Braucherei Guild discussion as part of the program of Central Pennsylvania HeathenCon on Saturday, February 23, 2013, at 1:00 PM.

Central Pennsylvania HeathenCon
Northland Motel and Northland Bowl
1521 Martin Street
State College, PA  16803
February 22-February 24, 2013

See also: http://www.meetup.com/braucherei

The topic of this discussion is "Braucherei in the Urglaawe Context," and the program is scheduled to last one hour with an additional 30 minutes until the next program item begins.

Friday, February 8, 2013

Opening and Sealing

Opening a Braucherei rite, particularly in the Urglaawe context, typically calls upon Fire, Water, Spirit, or any combination thereof. Other elements may be used, too, depending on the circumstances.

The opening with Spirit most frequently utilizes the left hand drawing the Hagalaz rune over the pineal gland. The practitioner makes a fist with the left hand, leaving only the thumb standing upright (like a "thumbs up!" sign). The form of the Hagalaz rune used for this purpose is that of the Elder Futhark.

The Opening (Deitsch: die Effning) with Fire and/or Water includes envisioning the appropriate proactive rune (Fehu and Eiwaz, respectively) in the practitioner's mind's eye while following the shape of the client's head. Beginning about three inches above the client's head with the hands together, the practitioner chants Fehu or Ehwaz (or combines both), and then opens the hands and follows the outline of the client's head and then returns the hands to the starting position. This is done three times, and then the main Braucherei chants begin.

Throughout the course of Braucherei work, the rune most frequently used as a seal (Deitsch: es Siggel) is Naudhiz (reactive Ice), particularly when the opening was with Fehu. Naudhiz is again used at the end of the session as a seal in opposition to Fehu. Mannaz (reactive Metal) is used as a seal in opposition to Ehwaz. In both cases, the right thumb is extended from a fist and the appropriate rune drawn.

Ansuz and Gebo may also be liberally applied as rune of the energy exchange to the client. The right hand applies, the left hand removes.

If the session was opened with Hagalaz using the left thumb, then the session is sealed with Hagalaz using the right hand.

As is the case with many aspects of Braucherei, the situation may call for variations on these processes. These are simply elements and runes that I commonly use in my practice.


Thursday, February 7, 2013

Sympathetic Healing Charm for Cataracts and Styes

For a cataract (es Aageheidel) or stye (Schussbloder), a sympathetic charm included the sufferer doing the following process for three days in a row:

Grab a handful of Salt and hold it in the right hand.

Go to a flowing stream prior to sunrise.

Using the left hand, wash the offending eye nine times with water from the stream, and allow the runoff to drain into the stream. Say the following incantation nine times (once per wash):

Es Wasser, Des Salz
Es Wasser, Des Salz
Des Salz iss am Vergehne
Glaarer binnich yetz am Sehne
Die Holle schteht geeich yeder Schaade
Kummt Sie mir un helft mir graade.

The Water, This Salt
The Water, This Salt
The Salt is ceasing to be
Clearer now do I see
Holle stands against every harm
She comes to me and helps me now.

Using the right hand, throw a handful of Salt into the water. Take nine steps backwards, and then walk forwards towards the home.

Runic Inclusions

The charm may consist simply of the steps above. However, one may also apply runes to the incantation.

In the case of a cataract, the trouble is due to age or degeneration of the eye, the cataract would be considered negative (reactive) due to the element of Time. Thus, I would utilize, using my left hand, the positive Time rune, Jera, to annul the reactivity of the cataract and to draw the energy out, disposing of it in the water of the stream.

Interestingly, Salt is the element that stands in opposition to time, so I could also use my right hand to channel in the positive (proactive) Salt rune, Uruz. The right hand would still dispose of the physical Salt, and the Salt energy would dissolve the drained energy of the cataract in the stream.

The nine steps backwards is a symbolic reversal of Time and injury.

If the rune is due to damage, it is usually considered to be a result of a reactive Earth interference. Thus, the positive Earth rune, Tiwaz, can be called upon, and the energy can be removed with the left hand.

There are times, though, when the cause of the cataract is known to be another source. For example, an injury resulting from a metal would respond better to the positive Metal rune, Kenaz. A cataract resulting from diabetes would be considered positive (as opposed to the negative/reactive instances cited above) and would respond better to the negative/reactive Venom rune, Thurisaz.

If the cause of the cataract is unknown, runic meditation, including the incantation of Dagaz and Ansuz, may help to identify the best runes to call to in the practitioner's mind's eye.

Monday, February 4, 2013

Charm for Relaxation


This spoken charm is a removal charm for stress (Deitsch: der Stress) or insomnia (Deitsch: die Schloflosichkeet):

Es Wasser, Es Wasser
Wann es Salz verschmolze iss
Sinn mei [Druwwel] aa zeriss'
Zing! Zing! Zing!

Water, Water
When the Salt is melted
My [troubles] are also torn to bits
Zing! Zing! Zing!

Application of the Charm in the Urglaawe Context

This description applies to the use of the charm in the Urglaawe context.

I always use the left hand as the removing hand and the right hand as the application hand.

When I say this particular charm, I often incorporate the Dagaz rune into the process. I use this chant most frequently in the application of healing bath water for the removal of insomnia or stress.

Stress or Insomnia

The chant calls to the water, but it also is seeking dissolution. Fire is the figurative dissolver of Water. Thus, I draw upon the negative, dissolving Fire rune, Dagaz. Let me be state once again that these terms do not mean one is bad or one is good. Either can be beneficial or detrimental depending on the circumstance.

Stress is an external affliction with positive energy, and Insomnia is a positive internal affliction with positive energy.  As this is a dissolution charm, I would add herbs to the bath water, and I would utilize the negative Dagaz with my right hand to dissolve the positive energy of the ailment. 

Towards the end of the bath, I would alternate the left hand action with the insertion with my right hand of the negative Water rune Laguz to remove the dissolved ailment.

Zing!

This word is often used is weakening, dissolving, removing, and banishing chants. The original meaning may have been, "zieh dei Gift," meaning "draw thy poison." Not all incantations of those natures use it, but readers will see it frequently.