What Is Dísablót?
Dísablót is a Norse festival that honors female ancestors, deities, and spirits. It is referenced in multiple sagas and was celebrated in either the Autumn or the Spring depending on the country.
The word Dísablót is a combination of Dísir (plural of Dís, a term for a female spirit) and Blót (a festival or celebration involving sacrifice).
Dísablót is more commonly associated with harvest festivals, and thought by some to be a Norse parallel to the Gaelic festival of Samhain (or Halloween); it is theorized to have been a more private festival held within family units to honor their female ancestors and the female spirits that protected the family. However in Sweden, Dísablót was documented as an important part of a large, communal event (the Disting) which was held every Spring at the sacred site of Gamla Uppsala; this event was nearly always held at the halfway point between Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox.
During the resurgence of Pagan and Heathen practices in the 20th century, various groups and organizations created Festival or Holiday Calendars; many such calendars feature Dísablót alongside Imbolc due to the timing of its celebration in Sweden. But modern individuals who identify as Pagan or Heathen choose for themselves when to celebrate Dísablót and autumnal celebrations are not uncommon in households and communities.
Dísablót at its heart is a festival that honors female fertility and the continuation of life. Some appropriate ways to celebrate include:
Setting up an altar with images of female ancestors and relatives and setting out offerings of their favorite food, drink, or possessions
Invoking female deities, goddesses and spirits from traditions that feel good to you.
In the Norse tradition, this could look like invoking favor from gods like Eir and Freyja or spirits like the Valkyries or the Norns. Oracle cards and printed artwork are a fun and easy way to bring images of these beings into a space.
Offering tokens to the land surrounding your home.
For those who celebrate in the Autumn, this could include harvest time foods like fresh-baked bread, apples, and late-season flowers.
For those who celebrate in the late winter, this could include fresh-baked bread, citrus, and greenery that persists through winter or wintertime flowers like snowdrops.
These offerings can be left out in nature, or buried in proximity to homes with gardens to promote bounty in the seasons to come.
