Yule is a time of celebration of family of ancestors and of our traditions.  It is also a time when the wheel turns to the darkest of nights, when we sit by candlelight and recount stories and poems handed down through the generations and we contemplate the wisdom of the ancient ones.  Winter nights and especially the time between Yule and the renewing of the wheel over the next twelve days is a time when we can feel the presence of the gods, when the whispers of wisdoms come to us in dreams and when we have the opportunity to connect in powerful ways with the gods.  This time of year is a time to reflect on the foundations of our beliefs, our community, our kin our family and most importantly ourselves.  Also a time to chart a path for the coming year.  

That has brought me to this poem in the Edda's.  As I went about shopping, decorating our home and preparing for Yule with family and friends  I found myself at odds with the world around me.  Our world is filled with people in pursuit of "things", trinkets, bobbles, shiny glittering things that have no use or value.  This is not news, whole businesses and marketing companies stake their lives on this and have become very successful.  What I found most appalling is that all the people that are willing to trade hard earned money for useless, poorly crafted, overpriced stuff!  When the price goes up or some marketing company convinces the public that the latest gadget is a must have these same people will sacrifice more of their time, funds and even basic necessities to buy the latest gadget or bobble.  Let me give you a blatant example.  Every December is known as engagement month in the wedding industry.  Jewelers go to great lengths to advertise wedding sets, engagement rings and the unique designs of the company.  First let me tell you that diamonds are not rare as a matter of fact there are 10 precious stones that are more rare than diamonds.  If diamonds were rare there would not be one on every womans finger yet every jeweler will convince you otherwise and everyone falls for the pitch.  

People work like dogs, complain about their jobs, rush to find ways to relax and bring down blood pressure all to fill homes with useless, unnecessary shiny bobbles and gadgets.........and to make corporations exceedingly rich.  There is nothing honorable or just or good in that scenario and this tale has played out many times before to a very destructive and sorrowful end.  

The Grottasongr tells a very old tale of comfort and peace to excessiveness, greed and destruction.  Matter formed and men/kingdoms rise only to destroy themselves through endless greed and oppression of humankind.  This is confirmed in our knowledge of the story of the great flood which is told in every spiritual text around the world.  The story of a world that rose to greatness, wisdom and spiritual strength and that had the opportunity to continue in that vein.  However, as the stories (even the biblical story) tell us, men became corrupted with greed, lust, jealousy and corruption until their destructive behavior brought about the destruction of the worlds.  We are there now.  The following excerpt from "THE MASKS of ODIN" by   Elsa-Brita Titchenell explains it well.

Such divine mills apply on the cosmic scale. As for the terrestrial Grotte, the mill of growth or evolution whose massive wheels are turned by the giantesses of earthly ages, it produces the result of whatever grist is supplied by the current "king" or race of humanity. It can do nothing else. Thus each civilization or wave of characteristic properties must bring its own consequences. During King Frode's early days of peace and plenty, a gold ring lay unclaimed at a busy crossroads for ages, it is said. When it disappeared the golden age was ended. A new age succeeded it — King Mysing — who in his turn was overcome by the deluge as his lands sank beneath the waves, an event which may have reference to the sinking of the so-called Atlantean continent and its cultures. In the theosophic records, these marked the midpoint of our planet's lifetime, the most material age of all — humanity's midnight. Significantly it was midnight when the giant maids asked of King Mysing if he had enough of salt. It was a moment of decision: to continue the creation of matter, the downward trend of the past age, or turn the evolutionary current toward spiritual growth. The king's choice brought its inevitable result: the deluge sank his ships and drew the cycle of his reign to a close. The fourth age had brought on itself its own destruction by inundation — an event which offered humanity the opportunity to rise once more toward the divine source from which it had originally descended. 

Our choice then, is to decide we have enough salt and turn our attention toward spirutual growth.  Study, blot, learn runes and dedicate to becoming a vitka and share it with family and especially the children.  Hail!

I will be posting the Grottasongr tomorrow.