I have had the most fortunate experience this past weekend to do forging in a ritual state.  I will start by saying that this was approached from a pagan point of view and I believe that most reading this are open-minded enough to accept the concepts I am going to write about without ridicule.  I performed this smithing with the aid of Dr. Sibley, who provided the elements of smithcraft magic for me to apply to the actual work at hand.  I shall try to remember and include as much as I can about this.  This forging was approached from Norse/Scandinavian tradition.  The first day we were to do ritual fire lighting.  This didn't really pan out except for getting the technique due to the torrential downpours and everything being damp.  The one method that was gone over which seemed to have the most ritual significance was the starting of the fire using a fire-drill.  The base on which the fire-drill was rubbed on was a piece of oak from a tree that had been struck by lightning and lived.  These aspects make the tree sacred for not only is oak a tree of Thor, but the fact that it has been touched by Thor (lightning struck) and it survived.  The bow and drill were both of rowan branches, rowan being another tree associated with Thor (being also called Thor's savior from one of the myths.)  The holes in the oak in which the drill was placed were made with the peen end of the hammer and struck by the smith doing the work (myself) leaving a triangular shaped dent in the wood.  This was simulating the oak being struck by lightning again (by proxy... the smith acting as Thor himself and the hammer being the Thunderweapon, Mjollnir.)  With a little bit of dried mistletoe in the bottom of the dent (mistletoe holding magical properties to the Norse) the drill was then used to create friction and start a ritual flame, but due to the a fore mentioned rain this did not happen (let's hear it for the sacred lighter.)  Had all gone well we would have transferred a small flame from the oak to a candle for safekeeping.

The next day was a bit more interesting. Dr.  Sibley led our group on a shamanic journey to me forging a ceremonial axe head. The rhythm was kept relatively even by Mud playing a steady drum beat and the ringing of the anvil.  I was fortunate to have Birch tending the fire for me (I was using a simple rivet forge to do my work.) It was very interesting. We set up sacred space. I rang the anvil 3 times (picked up from a discussion on an e-mail list) and Dr. Sibley invoked the Allfather and Earth Mother as well as the Vettir (land-spirits) and I welcomed my ancestors.  I set up my area around the forge and anvils so that all the tools I would need were within hands reach. I selected the metal and decided how much. then put it into the forge and the voyaging began.

I remember little of the voyaging except that the others were "forging" themselves anew (??) but I found it most interesting that Birch and I worked very efficiently together. This was the first time he ever tended a coal fire and also the first time that we have worked together. We seemed to understand what the other was doing and what the fire needed without uttering a single word the whole time. I don't remember much else. The drumbeat and the ringing anvil really help one achieve a ritual state. The only things I remember are the drumbeat, the fire, and the forming of the metal to the exclusion of all else.  I sort of remember onlookers, but cannot recall faces. There are vague thoughts of the fire representing the molten core, the mountains were my anvil, and wielding the celestial hammer (part of the voyage???) I remember that once the axe head was done, I was physically, emotionally and spiritually drained.  I barely had the energy to stand, but in the end I was very impressed with the axe head. It was my first one and turned out much better than I anticipated.

I looked on it later and just saw the imperfections but everyone else mentioned how incredible they thought it was. I realize that it is the journey on the road of perfection and that what I saw are improvements that will go into the next one.  It was quite an experience.  But it is definitely a start on the path of a ritual smith.  There is nothing like become so in tune with your work that you become your work to the exclusion of all else.  The work is the only thing going through your mind and your concentration is in applying your will to the metal and watching it take shape.  Hope I didn't go too far out on this one.