Gnosis Diary: Life as a Heathen

My personal experiences, including religious and spiritual experiences, community interaction, general heathenry, and modern life on my heathen path, which is Asatru.

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Lokabrenna Day

Posted by on in Paths Blogs

Lokabrenna Day is on the heliacal rising of Sirius. This year, that will be August 8th through most of the USA. Lokabrenna means Loki’s Torch, and is the Icelandic name for Sirius. Some heathens and other pagans celebrate this day as sacred to Loki.

Heliacal rising means the first time the star is visible in the predawn sky. During the time when the star is not visible, it is in near conjunction with the sun, which outshines it. The heliacal rising of Sirius precesses 1 day every 4 years. It will become August 9th in 2019. The modern tradition of celebrating July for Loki arose when the heliacal rising of Sirius fell in July.

Lokabrenna Day is also called Loki’s Day. There are two different holidays sometimes called Loki’s Day: Lokabrenna Day and April Fools’ Day. April Fools’ Day is celebrated on April 1st each year by some American Asatruars and other heathens as a day to play pranks and tell jokes in honor of Loki. Lokabrenna Day is a more serious holiday for Loki, and is celebrated by some heathens, including Asatruars, and by some polytheists and pagans, who might call themselves Lokean, Northern Tradition, or even some varieties of Wiccan.

Image: the Snaptun Stone, an artifact depicting Loki, public domain via Wikimedia Commons.

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Erin Lale is the author of Asatru For Beginners, and the updated, longer version of her book, Asatru: A Beginner's Guide to the Heathen Path. Erin has been a gythia since 1989. She was the editor and publisher of Berserkrgangr Magazine, and is admin/ owner of the Asatru Facebook Forum. She also writes science fiction and poetry, ran for public office, is a dyer and fiber artist, was acquisitions editor at a small press, and founded the Heathen Visibility Project.

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