welcome

The purpose of this meetup is to celebrate the magical properties of beer. We will meet at alehouses, taverns, pubs and beergardens around New York City.

For at least 10,000 years magic beer was brewed by craftswomen. The process was steeped in magic because (1) raw ingredients were transformed by a mysterious process into something new and (2) the product had mind-altering effects. Christian men began to take over beer-making in the Middle Ages and soon were strictly regulating every aspect of the process. Guilds were formed and laws were passed to restrict economic competition and severely limit the ingredients that could be used.

The Viking word 'alu' means an intoxicating beverage with magical qualities. 'Alu' derives from the Proto-Germanic root 'aluh' (magic). 'Aluh' is the source of the English words 'ale', 'amulet', and 'taboo'. Alu is also a charm word found on Viking jewelry and runestones.

The secondary purpose of this meetup is to enjoy the company of all who appreciate pagan history and art, the original culture of Europe. We will celebrate pagan holidays with enchanted brews! Witches, alewives, and brewsters are welcome to join our festivities.

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below from Mikal Aasved, unpublished dissertation, UCSB, 1988
http://www.schooloftheseasons.com/pdfdocs/harvestsample.p...

"Just as the life force of an animal is contained in its blood, so
are fermented beverages infused with the life force of the plants
from which they are made…When the spirits of these plants are
personified by a patron deity, the beverage then becomes the
'blood' or 'milk' of that god or goddess which embodies all the
life-giving, stimulating, and other supernatural and magical
virtues of these most sacred of substances."

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The Kalevala (The Epic Poem of Finland), Chapter 20 ("The Brewing of Beer"), selected excerpts
http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/kveng/kvrune20.htm

"Osmotar, the beer-preparer,
Brewer of the drink refreshing,
Takes the golden grains of barley,
Taking six of barley-kernels,
Taking seven tips of hop-fruit,
Filling seven cups with water,
On the fire she sets the caldron,
Boils the barley, hops, and water,
Lets them steep, and seethe, and bubble
Brewing thus the beer delicious,
In the hottest days of summer,
On the foggy promontory,
On the island forest-covered;
Poured it into birch-wood barrels,
Into hogsheads made of oak-wood.
................................................

"Osmotar, the beer-preparer,
Brewer of the beer of barley,
Used the beer-foam as a ferment;
But it brought no effervescence,
Did not make the liquor sparkle.

"Osmotar, the beer-preparer,
Thought again, and long debated:
'Who or what will bring the ferment,
That my beer may not be lifeless?'

"Kalevatar, magic maiden,
Grace and beauty in her fingers,
Softly moving, lightly stepping,
In her trimly-buckled sandals,
Steps again upon the bottom,
Turns one way and then another,
In the centre of the caldron,
Sees a pod upon the bottom,
Lifts it in her snow-white fingers,
Turns it o'er and o'er, and muses:
'What may come of this I know not,
In the hands of magic maidens,
In the hands of mystic Kapo,
In the snowy virgin's fingers?'

"Kalevatar, sparkling maiden,
Gave the pod to magic Kapo;
Kapo, by the aid of magic,
Rubbed the pod upon her knee-cap,
And a honey-bee came flying
From the pod within her fingers,
Kapo thus addressed her birdling:
'Little bee with honeyed winglets,
King of all the fragrant flowers,
Fly thou whither I direct thee,
To the islands in the ocean,
To the water-cliffs and grottoes,
Where asleep a maid has fallen,
Girdled with a belt of copper
By her side are honey-grasses,
By her lips are fragrant flowers,
Herbs and flowers honey-laden;
Gather there the sweetened juices,
Gather honey on thy winglets,
From the calyces of flowers,
From the tips of seven petals,
Bring it to the hands of Kapo,
To the hands of Osmo's daughter.'
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Then again they sought a singer,
Magic minstrel, beer-enchanter,
Thus to praise the drink of heroes,
Sing the songs of joy and gladness;