Hall of Sif - Overview
This ritual is, as Ian Corrigan calls it, a “prospecting” ritual. The purpose is to gather a list of spirits willing to work with us for magical workings. However, unlike Ian’s Court of Brigid, the spirits found will come from the Norse Goddess Sif.
The idea is that Sif rules over several areas or functions. Each of these functions would then have a Chieftain, much like a vice president in a modern corporation. Under each Chieftain will be the courtiers, or working spirits who get the work done. It is the courtiers that we want to make contact with as they will be the most useful for practical magical workings.
After doing trance journey work to discuss with Sif the possibility of finding working spirits She seemed quite willing to participate in a “Court of Sif” rite and told me that Her functions were five in number. I did research using the Troth’s book, “Our Troth, Volume 1” writing down notes on each function I came across. When I was done I found that I had five; beauty, abundance, kinship (particularly by marriage), prophesy, and protection. Sif then told me to refer to these women in Her service as Chieftains.
Doing more trance journey work I was able to meet each of Sif’s Chieftains. They were all women of various visages. Each described what item they would like to be offered for their help. I then used my limited knowledge of Old Norse to come up with names for each. The names are really titles, “Beauty”, “Abundance” etc. I admit that I may have made mistakes, so please don’t judge me too harshly.
1. Beauty - Friðr. She appeared to me as a tall, blonde woman with long wavy hair and blue eyes. The offering she would like is locks of hair. It should be noted that hair was pretty important to the ancient Norse. In the sagas whenever they described a beautiful woman all they talked about was how long and lovely her hair was. Sif is described as the most beautiful of the goddesses and Her main attribute is Her hair made of gold. Which leads to Her second Chieftain.
2. Abundance - Gnött. She appeared to me as another tall, blonde woman, but her hair was long and straight and her eyes were gold. Her offering should be coinage of some kind. This should be actual currency.
3. Kinship - Frœndi (or it could be Frӕndi). She appeared to me as a matronly woman with curly medium length, light colored hair. Eyes were gray in color. Her offering is bread, homemade if possible. It occurs to me that Amish friendship bread is perfect as you are expected to give starter packages away to neighbors and friends.
4. Prophesy - Spá. She appeared as a woman of medium height with curly medium length dark hair. Her eyes were dark. Her offering should be mead.
5. Protection - Hlif. She appeared as a tall woman with straight, longish, black hair with bangs. Her eyes were blue, but very light in color. She carried a rowan staff. Her offerings are rowan wood. The wood should be touched to the tongue first before being offered.
What to expect from the ritual
The ritual to find the courtiers will follow ADF core order of ritual. Offerings will be made to Sif, Her Chieftains and then to Her Courtiers, asking for them to aid us. If the omens are good we will then go forward with the work to summon them all and for folks to interact with the courtiers.
What should the participants get from a spirit.
When interacting with a spirit there are several pieces of information you will be collecting for our spirit list.
1. The name of the spirit
2. What they look like
3. What function or area they can help with.
4. What they would like as an offering for their help.
5. A symbol to help call them.
The symbol is an idea I would like to try. Instead of using an arbitrary system of creating a sigil, I would like the spirits themselves to reveal their own sigil. This is an extension of my Rún Valdr practice where I would get Deity Symbols from various Deities to represent Their presence. The symbols I received for Sif and Her Chieftains are quite different than the typical symbols I get for Rún Valdr and the symbol for Sif is different from the personal symbol I use for Her. Here is what I got for Sif and the 5 Chieftains:
Sif
Friðr
Gnött
Frӕndi
Spá
Hlif
Further Concerns
We will try to contact 9-12 spirits and then close the ritual. During the ritual cloth bracelets will passed out to each of the participants. These bracelets will be charged using Rún Valdr to help the participants gain a trance/journey state of mind, offer protection and to (hopefully) filter out subjective information that may interfere.
Vardlokkur
This, in the Norse tradition, are songs used to attract spirits and were very important in any kind of spirit work. My idea is for everyone to do a toning with the intent of attracting and welcoming the spirits of Sif to our ritual. I will sing other parts over this specifically welcoming the spirits.
Ritual to use Courtiers of Sif in magical work.
This rite will be an abbreviated ADF core order of ritual. Extraneous parts will be cut out, namely Bardic and the Kindreds (and possibly Earth Mother as well). Since this is a magical working rather than devotional offerings to Sif and her Court are enough.
I would still make offerings to the Outdwellers and you really don’t want their interference.
Outdwellers: The mighty Jotunkind
Earth mother: Jorð
Open Portals/Gatekeeper: Whomever you deem appropriate.
Sif offering. Make offering and ask for aid and authority in magical working.
Chieftain in question offering. Make offering and ask for aid and authority in magical working.
Worker spirit in question offering. Make offering that they prefer, asking that they appear when summoned.
Trance induction to inner temple/nemeton (this section will be done during a trance journey)
Summoning of spirit (use of symbol as a focus, calling by the authority of Sif and the specific Chieftain) Interaction with spirit (asking for task to be done, settling on final price, establishing time frame, etc.)
License to depart and thanks to the worker spirit
Come out of trance to finish rite.
Thanking spirit
Thanking Chieftain
Thanking Sif
Thanking Gatekeeper/closing gates
Thanking Earth mother
Thanking Outdwellers
End of rite.