Wane Wyrds

I do alot of reading, it is a great passion of mine. I have decided not long ago that when I have a bit of time to do some leisure reading, I will just randomly choose on of the sagas or a it of the Eddas to read through, just because I have yet to really feel as if I have a handle on some of the lesser known myths of the heroes and kings which are relevant to the Gods themselves. Anyway, the other day I randomly chose the Völundarkviða. For those unfamiliar with the poem, it is the story of the famous smith Volundr, also known across Europe as Weyland the smith. Apparently Volund is quite a famous figure, and I had never heard of him. He can be found in an exorbitant amount of European myth and folktale. He is credited to have forged a number of swords within various sagas, as well as Caliburn, the sword in Mary Stewart's Arthurian legend, and Albion, the sword of Robin Hood. He is mentioned in the epic poem Beowulf as well, in passing. So I was quite shocked to learn that h...

Just wanted to apologize, I haven't been posting much here the past week or so. It has been an exceptionally tough week, but things are looking up now. I just started my first courses from the University of Oklahoma this week, which is the beginning of a life long dream for me. But the road to dreams begins with a few potholes obviously, on Weds. I had to take a road trip to the college to collect my student loan money, which of course was late. I had to buy my books the week before out of my own pocket, even though the money was supposed to be there two weeks ago! Sadly my mother and I are not the best navigators. Even with google directions we managed to become lost within a block of the building we needed to get to...lost for forty five minutes...taking a wrong turn into a multi story parking garage...Curse you Google maps!!!!! I returned home only to find that apparently the University of Oklahoma is not a reliable institution for check cashing purposes...(are you serious?!...

When I became a heathen, one of the first things I noticed was the amount of bird lore contained in the Norse myths. Freyja's falcon cloak, Hugin and Munin, the Eagle and the Hawk in Yggdrasil's branches, even the corpse devouring birds of Hel, just a few examples of the prevalence of bird Lore contained in the myths. They all spoke to me of a complex association between the Nine worlds, and in my perspective of vital importance to understanding the myths themselves. To me the bird is creature between worlds, or rather, a creature that can in some sense cross the boundaries between worlds freely. Many cultures across the globe view the bird as a hybrid, able to access both the earthly realms as well as the sky realms. Some see the bird as a messenger of the Gods, or even as a fetch for man's soul. I know the feeling well enough, being that my own fylgia is a creature of the sky. So, continuing, one of my primary ways of connecting to nature as a heathen, and ...

I found these recipes on an online forum, thought I would share them with you all. If you are brave enough to try them, please let me know how it goes. I am thinking of trying out the Viking bread soon! Will post the results if I do! Viking Bread Ingredients: 2 cups of flour 1 cup of whole grain flour 1 teaspoon of dry yeast 1 teaspoon of salt 1 cup of comestible grains 2 cups of warm water. Preparation: 1. Put all the flour in a bowl with the salt and mix it. put the dry yeast in the warm water until it melt. Then add it to the flour in the bowl. The Vikings use to use dry green peas but you could substitute some other ones, like the grain of the sunflower would do the same here. Put half of the grain into the bowl, mix. 2. Now pour in the water with yeast and mix it with a wooden spoon, until it is hard to stir. At this stage you now will knead the dough. Add flour so that the dough doesn't stick to our hands. 3. When the dough is nicely kneaded and ...

I would like to state first and foremost that this post is in no way intended to make light of the situation of the reader as an individual. If you are facing a crisis in which you or your kin"s basic needs for food, clothing, shelter, health are in jeopardy, then I would definitely say you have fallen on hard times. If that is the case, please do not take this post as a personal attack or demeaning of your situation. What I want to discuss in this post is the role of perception in how we experience the world around us. Here is a "hypothetical" situation...How many times have you been engaged in a conversation with a friend or acquaintance, and you were told, well, " I might do this or that but Times are hard, you know?" or something else along those lines. How many times have you heard something along those lines and simply smiled as best as you could, and humbly agreed? When inside you are doing the astral eye roll? I was having such a conversation a ...

http://www.facebook.com/groups/138752212878701/ My friend Nicole aka Freckles: the Happy Heathen has created a new ladies group on facebook for heathen women to find others and share information! This group is open to any and all. (ladies ahem!) The group is called NORSE WOMEN http://www.facebook.com/groups/138752212878701/ "Norse women are considered some of the strongest women in existence. Frigg, Freya, Skadi, and the Valkyries - it's hard to see how why we're not the strongest out there. This group is for all the women out there who fall under the Germanic Pagan umbrella. Whether it's Asatru, Norse Wiccan, Odinism, etc, we gather here. We share stories, crafts, recipes, and advice. Spread the word!"

I am so sick of listening to supposedly intelligent pagans/heathens bitching about things like "neopagans," "fluffy bunnies," "ren-faire types," etc... Everytime I see one of those debates, I feel like this guy... Can we leave the self righteous bullshit back at the pulpit? Since when does specialization=truth? Newsflash!!! YOU are doing as much damage to the "pagan community" with this constant bickering as that "fluffy bunny" communing with fairies and dragons with her gothic eyeliner and pentagram necklace listening to emo music writing dark poetry around the corner. Choosing a specialized spiritual path such as Asatru, Hellenic Reconstruction, Kemeticism, etc. DOES NOT make your opinion more valid. You know what does make your opinion valid? Basic Human Intelligence and Emotional Maturity. Dare I say it...there are plenty of specialized pagans who are just as moronic as the next fluffy bunny. Reading every book their is...

Loyalty is by far one of my highest held values, as woman, a heathen, and a human being. It is something that for me has always been a deal breaker in my relationships with others. Now I am not speaking of some blind, instantaneous following of someone simply because one has a social interaction with them. The loyalty that I speak of is earned, much like trust. It comes from a sense of closeness, intimacy, and devotion that is developed over time. It is not something to be given lightly, but rather, is in my mind as binding as an oath. As a heathen, my concept of loyalty is bound up in my understanding of kinship and frith. Of course, my perspective is a more modern understanding of these terms. I cannot pretend to live in modern times as the Norsemen did over a thousand years ago. But regardless of the change in definition of the terms, upholding them is still of vast importance to me. In those days, the ties of one's blood kin were considered unbreakable. Any man (or woman) might...

Was bored today, decided to do some adult coloring...

I felt the energy of Lammas strongly last night during meditation. I saw Freyja carrying the Sowelu Rune, and this made me think about many things. About the energy of the Sun, and the energy of life. The interaction of the Sun and the land, the creation of life that leads eventually to the harvest. Most heathens worship the Goddess Sunna as the embodiment of the Sun. For me, being true to the Vanir, Freyja is my Sun Goddess. Among a myriad of other roles. But there is no denying there is much to associate Freyja with the Sunlight. Her connection to gold, her control of elemental fire as evidenced in the Lay of Hyndla, her description in the lore as "bright and shining." These are just a few of the many ways Freyja can be seen on one level as a solar deity. The other side of the coin is the Lord Freyr, one whose connection to harvest is undeniable. One of the most common associations with Freyr is that of the sheaf of wheat or grain, not to mention his connections to the deep...