Last March I posted about the Halls, Workshops, and activities within the California Mark of the Rune-Gild and, in continuation of that, it is my great pleasure to announce that the members of the San Francisco Bay Area Rûna-Workshop have raised a new Outer-Hall of the Rune-Gild.

On Midsummer’s Eve 2009, six Gild-Siblings (along with a Hall-Cat who was consistently present during the ritual and even brought a fresh gopher to the potluck afterwards) raised Galdrabrú Hall.  Now, with Blåkulla Hall in Southern California and Wednesmere Hall in Washington State, there are three West Coast Halls and three is an excellent working number.

While some of what Galdrabrú Hall does will be open only to Gild members, we will still be hosting various open rituals and public outreach events.  The California Mark Rune-Gild pages will soon be updated with new events but, in the meantime, if you are in California and are interested in knowing more about the Gild in California, specific events, or have any other questions related to the Northern Mysteries, feel free to send me an email at lothar@runegild.org

I’m one of those rare creatures:  a California native – but not because I haven’t journeyed beyond where I was born and bred.  Since my parents owned a travel agency I spent a lot of my childhood travelling and then a lot of my early adulthood driving across the U.S. on road trips or to visit friends (after all, travelling at high speeds over large areas of land *is* the Indo-European way).

But I’ve always lived in California and have always considered it my home.  Maybe this is due to the fact that it holds beautiful beaches, majestic snow-capped mountains, and awe-inspiring deserts (all within relatively short driving distances of each other), and a very diverse population – which is why I was a bit surprised that there weren’t more Gild Siblings within the state when I joined the Rune-Gild back in 2003. 

There were probably more than I was aware of, but whatever magnitude my ignorance was, my perception was that there wasn’t a whole lot of Rune-Gild activity going on in California. 

While the wide spectrum of Asatru and Heathenry was very strong in the state, there wasn’t an organized, official, *Rune-Gild* presence that hosted events, workshops, classes, or gatherings, that I was aware of.

Then, in 2006, soon-to-be-Rune-Master Ristandi raised Blåkulla Hall in L.A.

 In 2007 my wife Jan and I met Ristandi, and members of the Hall, for the first time.  Since then the connections have strengthened and partly because of this growing sense of community we have all sought after the runes, and our own transformations, with greater gusto and joy than before.  We were more than just isolated Gilders now.

 And, although California’s first Gild-Master has since journeyed to far eastern lands, the Rune-Gild in California is continuing to grow stronger.  Last year Ristandi handed the reins of Blåkulla Hall over to his designated Hall Warden and Hall Steward, he named me Steward of the California Mark, and, most importantly, we have all continued to build our local and regional communities, as well as engage in our individual work.

 We have very active and vibrant members in the Los Angeles area (where Blåkulla Hall is centered), Orange County (where vital Gild Learners and Associates Seek after the Mysteries), and the San Francisco Bay Area (where the members of my Rûna-Workshop and I put on events).

 We’re not just a bunch of individuals connected by lines on a map, we’re friends and colleagues, and, in ever-increasing ways, we’re ‘siblings’ in more than just title.  We’re becoming family.

 And we have very cool things in store for ourselves and our Mark.

 Check out california.runegild.org to see some new pages that describe our goals, provide a Calendar of Events, and provide links to the Halls and Gilders who are hosting events, workshops, etc.

 If you live in California, and you are interested in Seeking after the Runes, drop us a line or check out a public event.

 We’ve always got plenty of mead and there’s always room by the fire.

*Scholars don’t agree on the origin of the word ‘California.’  Some choices regarding its origin include:

1. A legendary island, ‘California,’ of Amazons (ruled by Queen Califia) as referenced in the 1510 romance novel Las Sergas de Esplandián by Seville author García Ordóñez de Montalvo.


2. A land (Califerne) listed among realms (including that of the Saxons) that would be hostile to Charlemagne from the Song of Roland.


3. A word meaning ‘hot oven’ from cali – hot, and fornia – oven.


4. An indigenous term Kali forno which may reference a place with high mountains.