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Original Post:
by: Personified on Jan 31, 2013

Today (Jan/31/2013) is Disting. It is a holiday for Heathens that we often call "Charming of the Plough". It is also known as "The Assembly of the Disir" (Disir being the female spirits of the Northern tradition). During this holiday we often blot to Frey, asking that he makes the ground fertile over the oncoming year. A lot of the Vanir are included in work around this time.

Ploughing is something commonly done on this day. In Nore lore, the Goddess known as Gefjon (whose name means "Giver" was associated with ploughing. She was part of the Aesir and the Vanir. It is said that she ploughed the land that became Denmark. Odin sent her to look for land, and in her searching she ran into King Gylfi of Sweden. She entertained him shortly and in return he promised her that she could have as much land as four oxen could plow through in a day and night. Thus, she went to Jotunheim where the Jotuns ("Giants") lived and had four sons, who turned into giant Oxen. She went back to Sweden, and plowed through practically all of the land.


Gefjun dragged from Gylfi,
gladly the land beyond value.
Denmark's increase,
steam rising from the swift-footed bulls.
The oxen bore eight
moons of the forehead and four heads,
hauling as they went in front of
the grassy isle's wide fissure.
-Bragi Boddason

Traditionally a lot of land-taking rituals occur on this day! This can be something as simple as going out and planting something, or doing a ritual where you walk around your land with fire and make sacred fire areas. It's a good idea to include the landwights in work around this time of year. You could always build a spirit house, or leave them an offering somewhere. I'll include some useful links at the bottom.

The Disir are honored here as well, though more specifically during the Disablot. A small sacrifice is generally made, and offerings given. Sometimes a meal is made just for the Disir, and left at a small altar or shrine.

Some things you could do today would be: Raise a horn or drink to the Vanir (Freyr and Gefjon specifically), lay brown and green cloths on your altar, light a variety of candles (brown, yellow, green, red),bless the tools you work with, leave an offering for the Disir and the landwights, etc.

Spirit Houses:
http://www.spellsofmagic.com/read_post.html?post=484088

Disir:
http://www.spellsofmagic.com/coven_ritual.html?ritual=2291&coven=628

Blots (by CleverName):
http://www.spellsofmagic.com/read_post.html?post=453833