Inspired by the Midtvintersblot happening at SALT, Oslo in January 2020, I decided to follow the old Norse calendar which celebrated the changing of each season with a blot- a ceremony which often involved sacrificing an animal such as a horse in order to please the Gods and have protection for the next season. With Corona lockdowns, these happenings took place among small groups of friends and have continued to take on this more intimate format. The blots- Midvintersblot in Winter, Sommermål in Spring, Midtsommerblot in Summer and Høstblot in Fall take place usually in natural settings and involve the building and destruction of a conceptual, sacrificial horse. As part of the ceremony we would also thank the universe for all the good things in our lives and state our wishes for the next three months.

These happenings are a fun way of building a community of friends and experimenting with new modes of playful togetherness. As a foreigner in Norway, I also feel it is important to become connected to the seasonal patterns of my new country and feel there is a certain spiritual power in recognising and re-inventing these celebrations which were practiced for thousands of years. I am also interested in how the blots can be celebrated in a way which is not linked to far-right extremism, Viking re-enactments and New Age aesthetics.