Spiritual Orkney
CONTACT US
Helen & Mark Woodsford-Dean
Craigielea, Harray, Orkney, Scotland, KW17 2JU
+44(0)7749 934617 (mob) / +44(0)1856 761133


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Skull Splitter libation
Skull Splitter Libation
Our story

When we got married at the Ring of Brodgar, Stenness, Orkney in April 2008, we were a bit worried about the weather because it had snowed whilst we drove up through Inverness and some of the ferries to Orkney had been cancelled. Indeed, our honeymoon week was thoroughly damp, but the day of our wedding was glorious.
 
Our Celebrant was Louise Park (also of the Scottish Pagan Federation) who came up to Orkney from Perth. Louise reassured us about the weather by telling us that the evening before our wedding, she would travel to the site and pour out a libation of Skull Splitter.
 
What is Skull Splitter?
 
Skull Splitter is a rather excellent and very strong dark ale, brewed here in Orkney. If you drink enough of it, it does exactly what it says on the bottle - usually the following morning!
 
What is a libation?
 
Pouring libations is a Pagan tradition that has its origins in the past and is documented by Classical writers and strongly indicated in the rest of the archaeological record. It derives from the idea that by breaking or deliberately losing something, it passes over into the Otherworld, as an appeasement or offering. 
 
Spiritual Orkney maintains this tradition by pouring a libation out to the gods and the spirits of the place before your ceremony, usually the evening before, and we try to combine this with meeting you informally (to help put you at your ease before your ritual). 

In 2023 we amended our practice slightly, following suggestions from Scott Richardson-Read of the Woven Land Network, from whom we learnt that beer or cider offerings may kill lichen and mosses on stones, whilst distilled spirits, such as whisky, damages wildlife fauna and flora. Whilst we still offer and open a bottle of ale at the site, we also take a flask of tap water with us to which we add just a drop of the beer and distribute only that at the site. The remaining ale is taken home and offered at our outdoor altar.

The gods of Orkney seem to like Skull Splitter, so that is what we offer. Over the years, couples have added their own local and native libations to ours. Orkney weather-deities seem to appreciate it all and if you wish to add your own offering to ours please discuss with us.

What is Skull Splitter magick?
 
We ask for the best possible weather for a particular time and day - we don't stipulate that sunshine is a requirement, we let the gods choose, because firstly you get what you ask for and secondly you never know quite what you are asking for with respect to repercussions with regards to weather magick (think butterflies flapping wings and causing hurricanes elsewhere).

Does it work?
 
Nearly all of our couples have had excellent weather - often miraculous! Sometimes we draw our curtains back on the day of a ritual, see the weather and think 'oh no' but, by the time we get to the site, the sky has cleared.
 
Once we performed a ceremony in light rain and, just as we finished, the couple had the most magnificent double rainbow appear ... we think that was a sign that our Skull Splitter magick had still been successful.
 
We remain incredibly grateful to Louise Park for sharing this ritual / spell with us - thank you!
We are agents in a gift economy

Part of our ‘weather negotiations’ have always been that we do make an actual ‘sacrifice’: a gift for a gift. Our main offering is always our time as we make a point of clearing up and removing any rubbish from the site, both before and after ceremony; we always try to leave the site tidier than it was when we arrived. 

The Skull Splitter is only our 'down payment'; on the day of the ceremony a further offering of home-baked honey cake with mead is provided as an additional 'thank you'. Although the Woven Land Network also recommend that food items are not left at any sites, we can be assured that our honey cake is removed almost immediately: it is not unusual for gulls to take an interest in our ceremonies, spot the opportunity for food, and gracefully swoop in to acquire our offering as soon as we start to walk away!
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