Njord Ritual: Blessing a Father-To-Be
(Excerpted from the book Ingvi's Blessing: Prayers and Charms for Field and Farm)
While the woman may bear and nurse the child, the man who has aided her in this act should also stand forth and be blessed, for he has a long and arduous, though joyful, task ahead of him. He should be blessed with salt water, and marked with the runes Uruz and Laguz, and a wreath of twigs bound with blue and white ribbons should be placed on his head.
If the man who has sired the babe will not come forth to do his job, or if he is not fit for the task, and if another (whether man or woman) has chosen to step forth and love and care for mother and babe, then let this one be blessed in his place, and simply omit the first two lines of the following prayer.
Blessed be
the fruit of thy loins.
Blessed be the seed of thy body.
Goodfather Njord, have you hale and healthy,
Goodfather Njord, see you strong and sound,
Goodfather Njord, keep you joyous on your journey,
To love and care for your mate and child
With the eternal power of the ocean’s waves.
The wreath should be hung above the doorway of the house, where it can be seen every day when going out, as a reminder of the sacred task that has been taken on.