I have a great story I completely forgot to share.
This past Sunday was my kindred's public blot to Odin. Our gothar asked if someone else would be willing to lead the ritual, as they had another event they wanted to go to in order to support a friend. Since I led the blot for Loki back in July, given their oath, it only seemed appropriate that I lead the blot for Odin, so I volunteered.
As we're waiting to folks to arrive, a couple comes with their 4-5 year-old daughter. Generally we don't see kids in attendance, but we're not going to turn them away, either. She recognized me from the CUUPS kids group, so she asked to sit next to me. I said yes, and she sat to my left. Her parents brought things so she could color and her mom raided the RE (religious education) cabinet the UU congregation has (we meet at the church) that's filled with fidget toys, so she was very much occupied.
So I give the opening spiel about blots to the newcomers, talk a bit about Odin (and explain that we have a little offering bowl for Loki per their oath of drink sharing), and we set sacred space. As everyone goes up to fill their drinks, the girl asks her mom what everyone's doing. Mom explained how we're getting drinks to toast Odin and that when we're done we're "going to share some of our drinks with Odin and Loki." This child, in the cutest and most earnest way, says: "I don't wanna share my drink with them." Something about them being absolutely rejected by a small child was so funny to me. 🤣
As the "leader" of the ritual, I gave the first toast. We go around the circle clockwise, so I asked this girl if she wanted to say, "Hail Odin," but she didn't so we moved right along to mom and dad. After a few more people, she started saying, "Hail!" when everyone else did after each toast. So when we made it all the way around the circle, before closing it out I asked her again if she wanted to say, "Hail Odin." This girl sits up, says, "Hi everybody," like she's about to give a speech, says a few things I couldn't understand because fast child speak, but then she said something about, "because he's an old man." Like the fact that Odin is an old man is why we're toasting him lol. Mom got her to say, "hail Odin," before she rambled too much, but her being so ready speak was so precious. Like she got into it the more she saw.
After we finished up she was walking around the room and talking to folks, and then she comes up to me and says, "Look what I found!" It was a small evil eye bead. She found an eye. At an Odin blot. 😆 And one for protection, at that. I think it was Odin saying he sees her and is looking out for her, that he appreciated her presence there.
It was such a delight to have this little ball of energy present. It made me think about writing a shorter kid-friendly liturgy for a blot. If enough folks wanted to bring their kids and it became too much to have them all there, I would love to take the kids to another space and do a kids sumbel. (Admittedly I'd kind of prefer we let everyone stay in the same space, but I still think writing a kids liturgy would be fun, regardless. Wouldn't hurt to have it in our back pocket!)
Anyway, it was just a joyful experience in Heathenry that I wanted to share.
Edit: I just learned from her mother that she leaves things for Odin on their altar at home. She talks to him all the time and calls him Uncle Odin. <3
