Let me start by introducing myself.
My name is Hirut, and I’m a 32-year-old Flemish man. My father is a farmer—the fourth generation in our family. Although I don’t yet know where life will take me or whether I’ll one day take over the farm, both personal and family questions still remain. Still, over the past year, I’ve learned to combine my passion for farming and tradition with the development of my own spirituality.
From the moment we transitioned from hunter-gatherers to agricultural societies, something shifted in our traditions. Fertility rituals began to take shape, deeply tied to the cycles of the land. In this post, I want to share a few of the practices I’ve started to embrace and will carry with me in the years to come.
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1. Blessing the Seeds for Foran-lencten
Early February marks the time when I start buying seeds. I consciously and mindfully make a plan for what I’ll plant in the vegetable garden. During a ritual offering, performed under the full moon, I bless the seeds with the energy of Ing-Frea. I enter a deep state of meditation and prayer. The first seeds—often flowers or early crops—are sown indoors in a ritualistic way. This blessing sets the intention for a fruitful growing season.
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2. Welcoming Spring to the Land on Eáster-freólsdæg
As spring arrives, I welcome it in both my garden and vegetable patch. I plant marigolds (Tagetes) in each corner of the garden as a symbol of the new season. These flowers also have natural pest-repelling properties. I carry out this act as part of a written ritual, giving space for gratitude, intention, and connection to the turning of the year.
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3. Mindful Harvesting and Giving Thanks to Donar
In the past, I often worked in the garden quickly and with a performance mindset. But I’ve since learned that our ancestors followed the rhythm of nature and were present in the moment. Now I treat the harvest with reverence and respect—grateful for the wonders of Mother Earth.
Donar plays a special role for me here. With his hammer, he makes the land fertile. Interestingly, science has confirmed that land struck by lightning becomes more fertile. After each harvest, I offer something to Donar or to the All-Gods as a token of gratitude.
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4. Respect and Reverence for the Spirits of the Land
As I mentioned before, I don’t live on the farm itself but in a small housing unit. It’s newly built, and the destructive nature of construction has stripped much of the old spiritual energy from the place. But I’ve learned that by showing reverence to the land spirits—through offerings and rituals—I can call that energy back.
Even though my vegetable patch is quite small (about 8 meters by 2 meters), I’m grateful that it still allows me to grow a good amount of food for my family. The spirits of the land are always included in my full moon offering rituals.
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5. Leaving the Last Sheaf for Wodan
Historically, our ancestors would leave the final sheaf of the harvest standing for Wodan. I’ve started doing the same—offering a portion of my harvest to the Allfather. It’s a simple but powerful act of remembrance and reverence.
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I encourage everyone to live consciously and mindfully, with honour, in the small everyday things—following the rhythm of nature. Even in modern times, the old ways still live on, if we choose to walk with them. In the years to come, I continue to build my own practice. Based on the high quality content.