Mothers’ Night: A Devotion to Frigg, the Dísir, and all Mothers

Mothers’ Night arrives quietly, on the eve of the twelve nights of Yule. Outside, the cold wind rattles bare branches and sighs through the eaves. But indoors, warmth gathers like a blessing. People step out of the early winter dark and into a room scented with pine and lit by soft candlelight. At the center of it all stands an altar: a statue of Frigg, the beloved Almother, surrounded by images of the women we hold dear—some still with us, and some now dwelling in memory. Beside her sits a sculpture of three seated women, the Dísir: the ancestral mothers and guardians known in other traditions as the Matronae or Idises.

When the gythia lights the candles and wards the space, we offer our first hailings to the seen and unseen:

Hail Frigg!

Asadís, Fully Trusted One, Seeress, Lady of Frith and Light!

Cast your mantle of protection over us.

Guard and guide us.

Come into our homes this night. Great Mother, be welcomed.

Hail the Dísir!

Hallowed Mothers of blood and spirit—

We welcome you to hearth and home.

Ward our way

and guide us through the waning and waxing light.

Hail to all mothers and those who mother, gathered here tonight.

Yule is one of the most beloved celebrations in the Heathen calendar. It’s rich with lore and full of traditions that have endured through more than a millennium of Christian influence. The first night of Yule, Mothers Night—also called Mōdraniht, Mütternacht, or the Night of Mothers—is one of my personal favorites. Observed on December 20th, the eve of the Winter Solstice, it marks the beginning of the twelve holy nights.

The Venerable Bede mentions this old Anglo-Saxon observance in De Temporum Ratione, describing Mōdraniht as a celebration held around Christmas. Like Samhain, it acknowledges those who came before us, but with a special focus: the female ancestors who protected, nurtured, and shaped their families. Mothers Night honors them all—our departed kin, our living mothers, and divine figures such as Frigga.

For me, Mothers Night is an especially meaningful time to honor Frigg, my patron goddess, along with my own maternal line. Some also use this night to honor Holda. While I don’t have a personal devotional relationship with her, I still recognize her role in safeguarding families and guiding women through childbirth—responsibilities she shares with Frigg. And so I offer her a place on my altar and ask for a gentle winter ahead.

Earlier in the day, I prepare that altar. As a mother of nine and a grandmother, I feel Frigg’s presence deeply in my own life. On this night, I honor her, my mother, my aunts, my grandmothers, and the Dísir they may now walk among. I decorate the altar with greenery, candles, photos of the women who shaped me, a statue of Frigg, a horn of mead, a blessing bowl, an evergreen blót-tine for sprinkling blessings, and homemade cookies—because this is the season of baking, sharing, and sweetness.

If you walk a Heathen path—if Frigg, Holda, or the Dísir hold a place in your heart—I invite you to make Mothers Night part of your own Yule traditions. It’s a beautiful way to honor the mothers, both mortal and divine, who have carried us, strengthened us, and continue to watch over us.

Hail Mothers, mortal and immortal!

Hail Dísir of spirit and blood!

Long lineages linking what is and what will be,

Generations gifting life and love—

Weave your protection around us.

May the warp and weft of our lives

reflect the strength and beauty of our connection.

And may our words and deeds form a firm foundation,

blessed by generations to come.