Better late than never....

The Spring 2013 issue of Hollerbeer Haven is now available in .PDF format. It is a large document, so please be patient during the download.

Holle's Mill

This post is spurred on by an article in Denali Institute of Northern Traditions' May 2013 issue of True North. The article, The Magical Mill, referred to the presence and role of mills in various European mythologies, including Norse and Finnish.

As is the case with so many European folk religions and traditions, Urglaawe retains lore and knowledge of a major mill from Braucherei oral tradition. “Die Miehl” is by the hall of Holle, and it is in this mill that Holle takes the souls of the departed for processing between lives. 

The mill is said to separate the different pieces of the soul in order to release the returning components. In Urglaawe understanding, the portions of the soul that are released are the Urleeg (Ørlög) and the eternal Hoch (Higher Self; the divine spark). The Glick (Luck/Hamingja) is sometimes also passed from construct to construct. Additionally, the Folyer (Fetch/Fylgia), which, in Urglaawe, is seen as an independent entity that attaches itself to a new soul constructs, is freed to find another symbiotic host. The Urleeg, Glick, and Hoch may remain together or be separated into new soul constructs.  

The purpose for the milling is, in Urglaawe belief, to prepare the Hoch quickly for a continuing upward spiral of advancing consciousness. In the deities’ effort to thwart the forces of chaos (which in Urglaawe feature ignorance, apathy, rootlessness, and unenlightened self-interest along with the physical threats described in the story of Ragnarök), the advancement of human consciousness is one of their biggest investments. 

With each lifetime and variation in the interaction of the soul components, the Hoch is to increase its ability to understand existence and to assert its will into improving the existence. In short, the deities want us to be, at the end of this cosmic cycle, where they were at the beginning of it. It is, therefore, in the deities’ interests to keep the Lewesraad (the cycle of life, death, decay, and rebirth) moving along expeditiously.  

In fact, the Urglaawe view of the Wild Hunt pertains directly to this battle with chaos. In our oral lore, it is Holle who leads the Wild Hunt (though Wudan and She are often together, too). Her purpose is to find any souls that have fallen out of the Lewesraad cycle and to bring them back into it. She is followed through the skies by the souls that She has found or that have sought Her out. It is for this reason that the Deitsch culture associates Allelieweziel (Halloween) with the departure of Holle from this plane.  

In Braucherei, there are intervals in the spiritual year that the veil between the physical and spiritual planes (or among the worlds of the multiverse). Allelieweziel and Grundsaudaag (Groundhog Day), in particular, are times at which many Braucherei practitioners engage in soul work to direct lost or distressed souls towards the Miehl. It is also noteworthy that the same processes and cycles pertain to animal and plant spirit constructs, though they differ from those of humans.  

Holle’s Miehl plays a central, critical role in the purpose of human existence, purpose, and advancement. Many of us believe humanity is currently backsliding due to the dereliction of responsibility for one’s own advancement (another article unto itself), and it up to us to aid our deities’ efforts by striving to live our lives more deliberately, being conscious of the impact of our thoughts, words, and actions.

Braucherei in the Urglaawe Context

This will be a discussion and workshop on "Braucherei in the Urglaawe Context" at Trothmoot, which is being held this year in California at Tehachapi State Park.

Registration at Trothmoot would be necessary. Online registration for Trothmoot is now closed, it is possible to register and to sign all necessary forms and to pay on site.

Friday, May  31, 2013, 1:30 PM PDT

http://www.thetroth.org

http://www.co.kern.ca.us/parks/tehachapi.asp

Oklahoma Tornado Relief Efforts

Expanded info on Oklahoma tornado relief efforts. Thanks to Destiny Ballard of Bifrost Way for this information.

http://thetroth.blogspot.com/2013/05/oklahoma-tornado-relief-efforts.html

Awesome Little Braucherei Find

Sometimes the most amazing discoveries are sitting in our closets or storage areas!

My mother had asked if she could borrow one of the old family Bibles or other books that I have in my possession. I have several old Bibles and other books ranging from the Colonial period forward, though some are not in the best of shape, so I gave one that is in good condition; it is a Bible from 1844. 

This particular Bible had belonged to my great-grandmother and then my paternal grandmother. As we were looking through it, I found a little bag squeezed in the pages. 

This little discovery turned out to be a little Braucherei bag with a charm written on a piece of paper within it. The paper is in very delicate condition, so I have not opened it up fully, but it is definitely a charm, and I can see a fair amount of handwriting through the paper. 

When I get the paper opened fully and can decipher what is written upon it, I will share it.

Another Incantation for Recovering Stolen Property

Der Dunner hot sei Hammer

Vun de Reifries zerickgenumme

Der Hammer zu Ihm gheert 

[Elhaz rune 3x] 

So duhn ich yetz mei Vollmacht 

Iwwer mei [Geld, Land, Bau, usw] 

Beyaae un errichte  [Tiwaz 3x] 

Ziu, Zisa 

Finnt mei Ursache wie rechtmeesich 

Schwecht em Feind sei Sinn [Thurisaz 3x] 

Un losset mich siechreich sei. [Uruz 3x]

[Elhaz rune 3x] 

[Tiwaz rune 9x] 

Heele!

---------------------

(English Translation)

Thor took his Hammer back

From the Frost Giants

The Hammer belongs to Him 

[Elhaz rune 3x] 

So do I now my authority 

Over my [Money, Land, Earth, etc.] 

Affirm and assert 

[Tiwaz 3x] 

Ziu, Zisa 

Find my cause just 

Weaken the intent of the enemy [Thurisaz 3x] 

And allow me to be victorious [Uruz 3x] 

[Elhaz rune 3x] 

[Tiwaz rune 9x] 

Hail!

New World Witchery, Episode 49

I was very pleased to have my Sippschaft sister and brother pass the link to Episode 49 of New World Witchery from 2012. This is an excellent episode, if for no other reason than the presence of the chants, a couple of which I know with some differences in the lyrics and form of Deitsch or German.

By the way, the word "Braucherei" is often pronounced in this episode as "BROW-chair-eye." This is due to the differences in phonological differences between Deitsch and English. The correct pronunciation of the word is "BROW-khe-RYE" with a primary stress on BROW  and a secondary stress on RYE. The "khe" is a phoneme that does not exist in most English dialects (it does in parts of Scotland, at least). This is the hissing sound that sounds like you're trying to clear your throat. You can hear it during the Urglaawe portion of this episode.

My apologies for the quality of my voice during the interview. I was actually coming off of a bit of a cold and had actually lost my voice earlier that day. :)

Many thanks to Cody and those who work on New World Witchery for this wonderful and balanced  piece of work.