Old weather lore is a personal love of mine, especially for interpreting the natural world and the influence upon it by the Gods and spirits.

Here are some monthly thunder omens as detailed by Olaus Magnus in Historia de Gentibus Septentrionalibus:

*In January thunders mean higher winds than usual and a taller growth of the earth's crops.

In February, that death will come to a great many, particularly to those who live luxuriously.

In March, that strong winds are ready to burst out, that there will be a fruitful season, and noisy legal disputes.

In April, that rain will fall, which will be good for the crops, and the fields will wear a cheerful face all the year long.

In May they signify everything adverse: a dearth of crops and every commodity frighteningly expensive.

In June they forecast a more plentiful fertility, but sickness is much to be feared.

In July too an abundant supply of corn, but ruin for peas, beans, and fruit.

In August, that men shall live together at peace, yet there will be terrifying illness.

In September, that a fruitful season is at hand, together with wars, civil discord, and carnage.

In October any thunder is reckoned to be ominous, showing that tempests are threatening on land and sea.

In November, though they happen in very infrequent years, they promise fruitfulness in the coming year.

In December thunders are a sign of general plenty and that men shall live agreeably together.*

Goat-Drawn God of Glaring Light,
Banish all trolls of baneful blight,
Fare forward towards the holy fight,
Wield Thy flashing Maul with might,
Shoot shimmering bolts at thursar far from sight.
O Red-Bearded Bowman, Mother Earth’s Delight,
Free us from our own ignorance, Thunderwright,
Strong Thunor, steer us to have righteous sight,
Kindly heed this boon and keep us in healthy sprights.

2025 Germanic Pagan Religious Calendar Now Available!

Orthodox Temple of Natural Religion is proud to present our Germanic lunar calendar. Our calendar contains precisely reckoned lunar months that adhere to ancient Germanic customs and precise modern astronomy, and it contains dates of the holytides, exact days and times of quarter and cross-quarter days, unique Temple Seasonal Celebrations, brief description of each month's religious activity, and information on how to use the calendar. It is also features handsome typography and beautiful pictures. This calendar is ideal for beginning Germanic pagans seeking to take their worship to the next level by adhering to the Germanic religious calendar, for advanced Germanic pagans seeking accurate historical dates, or for Temple Germanics who consider the elements and powers of the eight seasons and observe the Temple's Seasonal Celebrates on the lunar phases corresponding to their nearest quarter and cross-quarter days. The calendar's lunar days and seasonal dates also make it able to be used and cherished by any heathen or neo-pagan.

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If this view was consistent among Germanic culture then it would provide interesting insight into the symbolism behind the famous hammer amulet found in Skåne, Sweden.
In Pagan traditions around the world it is common for a single thing/animal/phenomenon in nature to have multiple associations with different deities. An example of this would be that bears are not only connected with Thor, but also Othin. Winds, storms, and thunder are primarily associated with Thor but Othin also is associated with these things. In this case the raven is no different.
The crows of ravens could be associated with the dispelling of evil spirits by means of Othin or Thor himself. Their presence or noise being an omen that the righteous hand of the Gods are near.

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Uðr, Mjötuðr, Wóden:
The Dispenser of Life, Death and Fate

Uðr is a name I think about time and again because the deepness of it is especially interesting and I always seem to find a new piece of information which sheds further light on it.

One idea is it stems from an old spelling of unnr meaning "waves, the sea." This idea is plausible considering his other sea based names ("Water Nick, Nick of the Waves/Old Man of the Sea, and Island Bearer") however, I believe that there is much more to it than simply "waves." Our Forebears loved to use sea based metaphors to more deeply describe or simply poetically refer to something. With that, it is worth diving into other possibilities.

When we look at other uses of uðr, the most interesting use is to mean "fate, bane" as in the word mjötuðr which is always associated with fate meaning "the dispenser of fate, the maker/destroyer," and in more recognizable terms could be translated as "our Maker" which is used to denote a giver and taker of life.

Going back to the idea of uðr being used figuratively (with seafaring imagery), it would make sense if rather than simply meaning "waves," it referred to fate and its trials as "the waves we ride through life."

Now, we see obviously enough how Wóden is involved in fate, determining who is the victor in war and who will gain riches on earth and who will enter the Golden Halls and so much more. He is also seen to choose the time of death for Kings and others outside of war and is the bane of every warrior in the end sealing their fate.

According to Snorri he not only gives us our souls in the beginning (as Völuspá corroborates), but at the end he takes us back with him to Gimlé or Vingólf which does bear a resemblance to the lines concerning Wóden from Maxims 1 of the Exeter book, "the souls' preserver...and again at the end he will possess (wield) all of mankind. That is the dispenser of Fate himself (meotud)." In this last mentioned poem, the "Dispenser of fate" is indeed the Old English cognate (Meotud) to the Old Norse (mjötuðr). It is a name used to denote the christian god in the English context generally. This practice of taking older folkish names and rehashing them for god or christ is a regular practice of theirs to try to shift the folk mind towards christianity. Even in the Norse folkish context, the term shows the same general meaning as the christian use ("the maker/destroyer" as previously mentioned).

Thus, I believe the name calls Wóden "Fate itself" and/or "Master of Fate."

* Maxims 1 is generally taken to refer to the christian god and I would agree, BUT there is a caveat. In reviewing it more closely you find that every element associated with the christian god can rightfully be associated with Wóden previously. Thus, it is most likely that the poem seeks to take away Wóden's place and give it to the christian god saying "Oh, Wóden isn't actually all of that, my god is."