Ninth Day of Yule, 2011

So we have reached the Ninth Day of Yule! As some may know, and I mentioned yesterday, nine is a number of completion in the Heathen Scandinavian world. Nine worlds there are, nine days did Odin hang upon the World Tree, Yggdrasil. Twice nine are his charms. At Ragnarok, when he dies, nine steps as a giant will Thor take before he falls dead, slain and slaying the world serpent Jormungandr.

And so we have reached a completion, but not the end. And there is a lesson in this. Even Ragnarok is not the end of all things, even if it is very much a completion of the world of the Aesir that we know. So too, it is with Yule, for we still have three nights left. Even as the year reaches is its completion, so too another begins.

Here is the pic from last night.

And here are the presents:
Nine Worlds of Lore,
Eight Maidens dancing,
Seven Alfs a leaping,
Six Horns of Mead,
Five Golden Rings! (no dice)
Four Runes Inscribing,
Three Days of Kinship,
Two Goats of Thor,
And a Raven in a Yew Tree.