(Rabbit Rabbit! Because I’m technically starting this post on February 1st.)

I find comfort in the synchronicity of starting this blog just before the beginning of Entschtanning.

It’s the “baby bump” phase of the year and a good time to begin to plan and prepare for the year ahead. For my ancestors getting their footing in this new land, this looked a lot different than it does for me now in 2026.

Even though my small inner city backyard is still covered in several inches of ice and snow, I can feel the energy stirring, still asleep but dreaming of new life. It makes sense that we build our Butzemann around this time. This is the time of preparation.

We also clean our hearths, which in the modern day expands to stoves and ovens in addition to traditional fireplaces . For me, this also expands to toaster ovens, air fryers, microwaves – basically anything that I use to cook or heat food. Why? Because those things assist in providing me nourishment and they deserve to be cleaned and refreshed. (I clean my kitchen regularly throughout the year. It’s just that at this particular time of year, I like to give it a good deep clean and refresh.)

My kitchen appliances have spirits of their own. The spirits and energies of the metals within them are still very much alive and present in my house. In my experience, the spirits of rocks and minerals don’t “die” in the way that plant spirits do. They remain present, but changed, evolved. (I’m just gonna pin that idea to explore in a future post.)

My oven, stovetop and air fryer are all fairly clean at the moment. They’ll just need a quick clean. The microwave ABOVE said stovetop, well… that’s gonna take a little bit of elbow grease. The toaster could also use a good de-crumbing.

Something you may or may not know about me is that I enjoy cleaning and organizing. I am by no means a white-glove inspector, neat-freak type of person but I do have decluttering and organizing skills that I’m quite proud of. I channel these skills into my acts of devotion. Sacred cleaning is an integral part of my personal practice. 

Check In: February 5th – Entschtanning Day 4

I’m happy to report that the stove and oven are in good order, but I’m definitely procrastinating a bit with the microwave. 

Unlike Voryuul or Yuul, Entschtanning is an Urglaawe 12-day observance without much guidelines regarding what happens during each of this 12-day time period. The first night of Entchstanning also coincided with our Cartomancy Club meeting in the Witches Betwixt Discord server, which is scheduled to coincide with the Full Moon. This inspired me to ask Rue to do a 12-card reading for each day of Entschtanning this year using the Woodland Wardens deck, a recent addition to our collection:

Day 1 Feb 2nd – Cat: Lavender – Independence #1

Day 2 Feb 3rd  – Snail: Gooseberry – Anticipation #58

Day 3 Feb 4th – Vulture: Asphodel – Upheaval #14

Day 4 Feb 5th – Fox: Ivy – Adaptability #27

Let me pause here and recap the synchronicities between the reading and what I’ve experienced so far:

Independence: Ripping the band aid off and breathing new life into my projects and passions. Not relying on anyone else or anything to motivate me. Just me, forging ahead.

Anticipation: We had a wonderful time at the Flyers game with fellow heathens but we definitely spent the entire workday in a state of anticipation waiting for game-time!

Upheaval: A huge, unexpected change happened at my job that will cause a lot of things to change very rapidly.

Adaptability: Regarding my job, adaptability to the changes ahead are necessary and I’ve already felt myself mentally shifting to figure out the best mask to present at this job to best preserve my sanity and energy. Also, this morning, a close friend sent me a video of a family of foxes on her front lawn.

Check In & Recap: February 15th

(Here’s the rest of the cards that Rue pulled on the 2/2 Full Moon.)

Day 5 Feb 6th – Frog: Lotus – Metamorphosis

Day 6 Feb 7th – Elk: Ash – Strength – (This was the day of our kindred’s Entschtanning Sege.)

Day 7 Feb 8th – Goat: Willpower – Overcoming Obstacles

Day 8 Feb 9th – (Reversed) Snail: Huckleberry – Relying too much on physical proof/evidence

Day 9 Feb 10th – Martin: Foxglove – Mischief

Day 10 Feb 11th – Duck: Chrysanthemum – Luck

Day 11 Feb 12th – Moth: Eucalyptus – Ending

Day 12 Feb 13th – Finch: Peach – Romance

Fast forward and it’s already the 15th; Entschtanning has come and gone. Here’s a recap of the remainder of the observance:

Metamorphosis: This one is fuzzy for me. I can’t say with 100% certainty that I experienced some big “aha” moment last Thursday that resulted in some big change within myself, but I have noticed my mindset shifting this past week. There is a very angry rebellious teen spirit inside me still that rages internally while I’m working my day job. I was finally able to make peace with the fact that I need to work this job to survive under capitalism and communicate that to my inner angry teenage self. The screaming has been less frequent.

Strength: This was the day of our kindred’s Entschtanning Sege and I do recall leaving there feeling particularly “strong.” It was a deep, inner strength that only time around my spiritual family can instill within me. Having the gods in your corner is great, but they have obligations in other realms. When you are able to form trusting bonds with other humans in physical spaces, you can feel their strength add to your own. 

The days after Entschtanning Sege are a blur. The themes of Overcoming Obstacles, Relying too much on physical proof/evidence, Mischief, Luck, Ending & Romance I’m sure presented themselves at some point during these past days, but the pressures of work, life & fascism are creating a fog in my brain.

Yesterday was a great ending to this Entschtanning cycle. We didn’t have a big celebration for the Feast of Light (es Lichderfescht) but we did have the first session of a Scion TTRPG that Rue is running with their brother and two of our godspeople. There’s just this extra layer of fun you can have as a heathen when you are roleplaying as the children of Norse gods. Getting together to play a game felt like a great way to fully embrace the spirit of the “emergence” season. Play is fun, it gets your blood flowing, your heart pumping, your mind moving.

I’ve also spent a good amount of time during these past twelve days thinking about my “gardens.” One of my gardens is my actual garden in my backyard. The other is Philadelphia Pagan Pride Day. Both garden planning and event planning season are already upon us! I’m happy to report that I’ve battled my Executive Dysfunction Demon and submitted the application for this year’s event and sent an email to Parks and Rec to ask about getting a permit for a Memorial Day Weekend event at a different park for a secondary event.

I’m emerging into this year with a renewed sense of inner strength and resolve. Yes, the world is on fire but that makes me more determined than ever to survive. Survive and help others survive. Choose battles wisely and ride out the storms ahead. I know the kind of world I want to build and be a part of. I just need to survive the collapse of the old world first. 

I emerge into this year with determination.

Hail Freid! Hail Sunna!