Walburganaht 30th April

This week on the evening of 30th April many of us in the Wodenist/Odinist/Wotanist religion remembered the festival of the German Goddess Walburga. James Hjulka Coulter in his Germanic Heathenry equates this deity with the Norse Freya.
Walburga Frouwa and Her twin brother Ing Fro[Frey] are the Lady and Lord of the Wicca tradition. She leads Woden`s host of wish-maidens and receives half of the heroes slain in battle.
She is the `Protectress of the Slain` and has great magical abilities. She taught Her craft to Woden and is regarded as the patroness of witches and She is the focus of honour at Walburganaht.
Her waggon or `wain` is drawn by by cats and hence the association of this animal with witches.
Treating these creatures with kindness brings the favour of the Goddess.
On the Brocken in my maternal Heimat of the Harz the witches gather every May eve to celebrate their ancient rites.
Whilst the continental Germans kept Walburgasnaht or Walpurgisnacht the Celts kept the festival of Beltane on the same evening. It is a time of magic when the boundaries between the worlds of the living and the dead are lowered. Fires were lit by the ancient Germans and Celts and people jumped through the smoke and and flames to purify themselves for the forthcoming summer season.