Neolithic Shamanism: Spirit Work in the Norse Tradition - Raven Kaldera 2012

Glassblowing
The Red World: Fire

Galina: I have studied glassblowing for about a year and a half, and the first thing that I have to say is this: find a teacher. This is not a craft that you can learn well on your own. It’s also a fairly dangerous one: I’ve taken second-degree burns as the result of one brief moment of inattention, and I know of glassblowers who’ve had worse. Fire does not fool around. It demands reverence, respect, and, most of all, attention. Fire likes attention. It is the great exhibitionist of the elemental world. So before you attempt to engage in this particular craft, find a good teacher. If you’re not sure where to begin, call the art department of your local college. They might be able to recommend someone. It’s not as uncommon a craft as you might think.

Exercise: Fire and Sand

Glassblowing is like a well-choreographed dance. It requires that same level of mindful concentration, diligence, and, above all else, practice. Looking into the furnace, generally kept at least 2050 degrees Fahrenheit, is like looking directly into the depths of Muspelheim. I always offer a prayer to the denizens of that world before beginning my practice sessions.

With glassblowing, you see immediately how one must partner with Fire, court it, earn its respect. There is no mastery here. There is only partnership and the dance of skill. Best of all, the tools of glassblowing haven’t changed that much since the time of our ancestors. The same tools and techniques are still in use today across the globe, and this in itself is a powerful point of connection.

So find a good glassblowing teacher and learn to make a bowl. This might take awhile, as you will first have to master several fundamental techniques. Once you have the basics down, though, make yourself an offering bowl that can be used on your altar and in your work to collect offerings for the Gods or your ancestors. When you look at glass, no matter how utilitarian it might be, understand that you are holding in your hands one of the creative mysteries of fire. You are holding in your hands the result of a magnificent alchemy that mirrors the creation of worlds, a time when ice and fire collide. You are holding in your hands something very ancient and very, very sacred.