Wane Wyrds

Though Samhain is not a heathen holiday, I just wanted to wish everyone a Merry Samhain. I feel it is relevant to say a few words about the importance of ancestor worship during this time of year. Because of some recent dreams I have had, I have been exploring my roots more deeply the past few days and uncovering some interesting things. Whether one is celebrating Hallows Eve, Winter Nights, Samhain, it becomes clear that this time of year is one in which our heathen and pagan predecessors in Europe sensed the spirits of the deceased and their ancestors more strongly than other times of year. For some reason I have felt particularly sensitive to these changes this year. My mother and I were speaking yesterday about familial spirits and the ways they contact us, which is odd considering that my mother is Christian, though in a highly secular sense as many modern individuals are. We happened to be watching a show about medium-ship on television when she began to...

It seems like I have been running into alot of posts, statuses, and general rants this week in relation to personal accountability as a heathen. What I mean in blunt terms is that I have heard alot of people bitching about this or that person who is a heathen online, but not in life, etc. Which on some level amusing because the same people are posting this sort of thing in every forum ONLINE, but I digress. Now, I understand the frustration a so called "real" heathen might feel when heathenry in general seems to be rising in popularity, and with this influx comes the heathen version of the dreaded "fluffy." As someone dedicated intimately to Freyja, trust me, I get it. So often I hear newbies relegate my Goddess to the same realm as any other "love goddess," or even worse called the sexual aspect of Frigg. To me this represents a gross misrepresentation of the fullness that is Freyja. I do what I can as an individual to state  my thoughts about this i...

The pressure inside my dresser, from all the clothes stuffed inside which I will never wear. The dust that collects between the keys of my laptop. The faces of strangers filling my social sites with meaningless thoughts and memories of times I would rather forget. Fall has come, and I can't stop myself from throwing things away. They say that we modern humans are disconnected from the cycles of the earth. The constant buzz of electric current fills the background of our lives, drowning out the grounding energy of the earth. Sometimes I wonder if this is why so many modern heathens seem to connect to Thor on a much wider scope than the other heathen Gods. Perhaps the Thunder God is simply easier for us to feel comfortable with, and relate to. The buzz of light and the boom which deafens.

The Langobardi, by contrast, are distinguished by the fewness of their numbers. Ringed round as they are by many mighty peoples, they find safety not in obsequiousness but in battle and its perils. After them come the Reudingi, Aviones, Anglii, Varini, Eudoses, Suarini and Nuitones, behind their ramparts of rivers and woods. There is nothing noteworthy about these peoples individually, but they are distinguished by a common worship of Nerthus, or Mother Earth. They believe that she interests herself in human affairs and rides among their peoples. In an island of the Ocean stands a sacred grove, and in the grove a concentrated cart, draped with cloth, which none but the priest may touch. The priest perceives the presence of the goddess in this holy of holies and attends her, in deepest reverence, as her cart is drawn by heifers. Then follow days of rejoicing and merry-making in every place that she designs to visit and be entertained. No one goes to war, no one takes up arms; every o...

My friend Krystal Henderson is creating her first anthology, and has sent out the call for submissions! If you are interested, here are the details, and her contact email is at the bottom. Love and Light Cena Title: Fire Jewel: A Devotional Anthology to Freya Publisher: Asphodel Press Deadline: May 13th, 2012 She is known as Giver, Sow, Sea-Bright, Battle-Goddess, Teacher of Seidr, Vanadis, Priestess, Daughter of Njord, Sister of Frey. Freya is one of the most popular goddesses in the Northern Tradition. This anthology is a celebration of Freya in her many aspects. I am looking to include prayers, rituals, poetry, articles, experiential essays, recipes, meditations, black and white artwork or whatever anyone feels called to contribute. Length of submissions: no more than 8000 words for an essay Do not feel as if you need to be Heathen to contribute. As long as submissions are respectful and focused on Freya specifically. All are welcome to submit something for the anthology. Regr...

I guess there are some things in life I will never understand. Atleast, that is the conclusion I am coming to, the more I read about things such as woman's roles, women's supposed place in the household, and the history of women's oppression. On the mundane level, I can understand the causes. I mean, if your living in a period in history where disobedience equals a real danger of physical violence, I can understand that on some level. But how did it get so damn bad? How did it get to the point we are now, where women were viewed as second class citizens, basically throughout the entirety of known history for the most part?

So last night I was surfing through the Netflix lineup of documentaries and came across the doc The God Who Wasn't There. I watched it and thought it was so interesting, hey, why not write a blog about it. This doc was directed by a former fundamentalist christian turned atheist, and it's premise is an examination of the historical, factual development of Christianity in it's earliest days. This is something I have been studying in depth for my Humanities courses as of late, so naturally I was interested.

Dismantling the Obstacle to Empowerment Then Gangleri said “Which Aesir ought men to believe in?” High answered, “There are twelve Aesir whose nature is divine.” Then, Just-as-High added: “The goddesses are no less sacred, Nor are they less powerful.” Gylfaginning 20 There is much made of the heathen faith, especially among Reconstructionist groups, that may give many pagans reason to turn away from the call of the Old Gods. There are those who would wish us to believe that patriarchy is the rule when it comes to being heathen. They call Odin the All-Father, and there are many who would use these simple words to place the Northern Gods into a system of hierarchy which never existed. Yet if they only followed the wisdom of this All Father as he spoke above, heathenry and our life in general might be vastly different.

Is this what we've come to? Finding ones personal fetch, or animal fylgia, is something that I have been reluctant about discussing, mainly for the reason that within both heathen and pagan circles, I feel the misconceptions of this concept run deep. But it is something so very important to me as a heathen, that I feel it is time for me to discuss my perceptions of the fylgia, as well as these misconceptions. I think part of the reason the term fylgia is so confusing, is that in the old languages, the word itself had more than a singular meaning. Often it was used interchangeably with other terms within some of the literary sources. The word fylgia is often associated with the haminja, or personified luck force of the individual. Also, the word fylgia and dis were often used interchangeably, leading to more confusing. In previous posts, I have discussed how the word disir can denote any feminine being, but is most often associated with a sort of ancestral guardian spirit which is m...

The Lord Freyr's Prayer Hail! Lord Freyr, who art nought in Heaven But alive in the our midst, God of the World Frith unite us all together In each place your feet hath trodden. Give us this day, our share of your bounty Bread, Beer, and a spot of Honey We wish nought for forgiveness Let our deeds define us Those who trespass against Frith Shall never again know peace Cast them out from the land, Lord Freyr! Drive them out by the Sword! May they never know your blessings! Tempt us in earnest For that which nourishes us And suffer never the fool Who sows discord among men For thine is Frith Upheld by the Sword Forever and Ever Among All Men. I was looking to write short daily devotion to Freyr, when I decided hey, Christians have stolen plenty of rituals and concepts from us heathens and pagans. A gift for a gift, why not? Hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed composing it. ;) Love and Light Cena Image by Righon:deviantart