Monday, October 26, 2009

Asatru In Brief

Asatru In Brief Cover

Book: Asatru In Brief by Reeves Hall

Although there are many variations in beliefs and practices within this faith, Asatruers all share a defining personal loyalty to, or "Troth" with, the Gods and goddesses of the North, such as Odin, Thor, Frigga, the land wights (spirits), and many others; a deep respect for their Germanic religious, cultural and Historical heritage; and a strong determination to practice the moral Principles followed by their predecessors.

Asatruers take their knowledge of the gods and the universe from "the lore" (the Prose Edda, the poems of the Poetic Edda, heroic and family sagas, the historical record, and folklore); from science (history, anthropology, linguistics, archaeology, etc.); and from their own analysis, insights, and revelations.

Download Reeves Hall's eBook: Asatru In Brief

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Thursday, October 15, 2009

Yule Celebrations In Iceland

Yule Celebrations In Iceland Cover Yule or Yule-tide is a winter festival that was initially celebrated by the Historical Germanic peoples as a pagan religious festival, though it was later absorbed into, and equated with, the Christian festival of Christmas. The festival was originally celebrated from late December to early January on a date determined by the lunar Germanic calendar. The festival was placed on December 25 when the Christian calendar (Julian calendar) was adopted. Some historians claim that the celebration is connected to the Wild Hunt or was influenced by Saturnalia, the Roman winter festival.

Terms with an etymological equivalent to “Yule” are still used in the Nordic Countries for the Christian Christmas, but also for other religious holidays of the season. In modern times this has gradually led to a more secular Tradition under the same name as Christmas. Yule is also used to a lesser extent in English-speaking countries to refer to Christmas. Customs such as the Yule log, Yule goat, Yule boar, Yule singing, and others stem from Yule. In modern times, Yule is observed as a cultural festival and also with religious rites by some Christians and by some Neopagans.

The peak of Icelandic jol is when presents are exchanged on adfangadagskvold, the evening of December 24, then the gifts are given. It is a custom to eat hamborgarhryggur (smoked pork loin) or rock ptarmigan. Before Christmas some people cut patterns into laufabraud (e. leaf bread) and bake piparkokur (e. ginger biscuits).

On ?orlaksmessa (mass of Saint Thorlakur), December 23, there is a tradition (originally from the Westfjords) to serve fermented skata (stingray) with melted tallow and boiled potatoes. Boiling the Christmas hangikjot (smoked leg or shoulder of lamb) on ?orlaksmessa evening is said to dispel the strong smell which otherwise tends to linger around the house for days. The hangikjot and laufabraud are usually served at Christmas Day, December 25.

Unlike other countries there are 13 traditional jolasveinar Yule Lads that play the same role as the Santa Claus. The first one comes to town from the mountains December 11 and the last one arrives 13 days later on December 24. Children leave their shoe in the window and the Yule Lads leave something in the shoe when they arrive in town. If the children are naughty they might get a potato but if they are nice they might get something good, like candy, an apple or a toy. The Yule Lads all carry a specific name that describes his actions. For instance, the sixth one is Pot-Scraper and what he does best is to scrape leftovers from pots.

December 26 is generally reserved for family gatherings. It involves a lot of eating with relatives, usually with cousins and aunts and uncles.

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Simon - The Complete Simon Necronomicon
Bylaws - Unicorn Tradition Of Wicca
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Stephen Flowers - The Galdrabok An Icelandic Grimoire

How To Use Magic And Runes

How To Use Magic And Runes Image

PSYCHIC SELF EXPLANATION - HOW TO USE MAGIC AND RUNES

To understand how to strengthen the aura of a person, the nature of aggression psychic and magic is to be understood.

The pagan art that uses the will to effect change is called magic. The magic of the idea, according to popular literature, is the ability that allows a person to use the toll of magic rituals and symbols as opposed to laws such as chemistry and physics. Although it is an art that is related to magic as what is used by magicians and jugglers that deceive the eye, is not the same. Magic is the cause of many phenomena such as ESP, healing and astral projections mental, that are foreign and can not be explained. Magic is white or black above causes the occurrence of something good, while the second makes the occurrence of something bad.

psychic powers that are considered trash by scientists, just because science can not explain what is considered a paranormal phenomenon and is largely avoided by scientists. There are many who say they have developed powers such as these with the exploration of energy fields of the astral world which have not yet been identified or quantified by modern science. These skills include psychic means, healers, and soothsayers detectives. As in its operation in any other manner energy, astral energy building must also pay a price.

For people who are familiar with the call of work internally, is known that the psychological effects caused are sent through the subconscious mind to come into force. Therefore, the emergence of psychic attacks will be present if the mind of the person is attuned to the negative effects of mental activity. It also occurs if the mind is open to attack by malicious items world astral. This can cause very bad effects and whether these attacks are not stopped by the mental self, the consequences can be even worse.

I psychically defense can be developed by increasing the strength of the aura and psychic abilities are primarily focused on the mind of an individual. The aura of a person focuses so similar and shows a glow that encompasses the essence of a person and is regarded as a reflection of a persons spiritual state. To strengthen your aura, a person must do visualization.

One of the suggested exercises is to conjure a triple white flame of fire in the heart that expands and wraps the body of the magician in a balloon. No negative thought or imperfections are allowed as luminance is that it is pure and attract positive forces himself and thus the aura and strengthens. It is a kind of magic and is called as a guard, while making a sphere of protection or a protection balloon plot. People also suggest to take the blue or white magic of the land so that the energy expended by oneself is less and help in making a powerful field.

The other ways of increasing psychological self-defense is the use of runes which are symbols or signs that have specific uses. For the protection of a person or an object, the rune Elk, also known as the Elhaz Algiz or rooms used and negative thoughts and the peace of mind increases. A person with a peaceful mind will have a strong aura auras reflect the welfare of ones mind. For those who do not start, the aura and psychic self-defense sound like nonsense. However, we must admit that not everything can be explained today. For people who are trained to know about the paranormal, psychic elements can affect and influence their welfare. It is for their own welfare to be protected. Even for people who are skeptical about this, positive thinking and strengthening the eyes of aura as indeed is a reasonable proposal.

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Monday, October 12, 2009

Germanic And Celtic Gods And Goddesses

Germanic And Celtic Gods And Goddesses Cover The Celtic Lugh and our own Odin are much the same. Odin is father of the Gods, keeps two ravens, carries a magic spear, and has one eye. Lugh is first in the Celtic family of Gods, is linked with ravens, carries the Spear of Victory, and closes one eye when he performs fantastic deeds on the battlefield.

The Nordic Thor, whose name means "Thunderer", prizes his mighty hammer. He rides about the heavens, laughing in his red beard, in a wagon pulled by supernatural goats. Taranis of the Celts, whose name also means "Thunderer", drives a chariot behind sacred bulls. He wields the thunderbolt, whose name in the old Gaelic tongue derives from the same Indo-European root as the name of Thor's hammer, Mjolnir. Taranis, too, is pictured as having a flowing red mane.

Tyr, as our tales tell, lost his hand binding Fenris the wolf. He used to be the Sky God, scholars say, until Odin took his place. The Celtic Nuada lost his arm in battle against the Fomorians, and so Lugh - the Celtic equivalent of Odin - became leader of the Gods.

In the domain of fertility and plenty, our own Frey rules supreme among Asafolk. One of his favorite beasts is the horse, which just happens to also be sacred to Dagda, "the good God", who is Frey's Celtic equivalent.

Other divine beings...

Giants? The Celts have them just as Asafolk do; they're called the Fomorians, and the Celtic Gods battle mightily against them. Moreover, the role they play is pretty much the same - representing the forces of inertia and entropy in the cosmos.

Valkyries find their reflection in the Morrigan, fierce Goddesses of the battlefield who grant victory, spin the fates of war, and serve the heroes in the afterlife. This twin aspect - fiends of blood and death on the one hand, enticing lovers on the other - is found in both cultures. Similarly, both Celtic and Germanic sagas tell of supernatural women warriors who instruct and initiate the chosen heroes. Brynhild teaches Sigurd hidden magical lore, and the female chieftain Scathach ("Shadow") takes the Irish Cu Chulain under her care and makes him the warrior he is destined to become. It is probably no accident that Sigurdand Cu Chulain are descended from Odin and Lugh, respectively.

Consider the "lesser" beings, the ones that seldom figure in myth and poetry, but who make the life of the common man and woman more bearable. The land spirits, for example, are alike in both cultures. Elf lore, and the connections of these wights to the ancestors, was recognizably the same to the ancient Teuton and his or her Celtic contemporaries

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Viking Attacks On Europe Were Self Defence Scholar Writes

Viking Attacks On Europe Were Self Defence Scholar Writes Cover A new theory about what drove the Vikings to raid Western Europe in the late eight and ninth centuries has been published. It suggests that the Vikings in Denmark were reacting to a threat from the Carolingian ruler Charlemagne, who was seeking to destroy their society and impose Christianity on them.

The theory was put forward by Robert Ferguson in an article for the December 2009 issue of BBC History Magazine. His book, The Hammer and the Cross: A New History of the Vikings, was also published in November.

Starting in the 790s, Viking ships began raiding throughout Western Europe and the British Isles, often targeting monasteries. Ferguson points out that peaceful contacts between the Norse peoples and Christian societies, such as trading with each other. He therefore asks why did the Viking attacks begin when they did?

But with the accession of Charlemagne in 771, the Carolingians began to implement a new program of converting their pagan and neighbors and promoting Christianity. Charlemagne launched numerous invasions of the Saxon peoples led by Widukind.

In a podcast interview, Ferguson adds the goals of Charlemagne were to force the Saxons "to abandon their culture, political system, beliefs and everything, and make them part Christians and part of his empire."

Ferguson notes an episode of "ethnic-cleansing:" when, in 782, Charlemangne's armies forcibly baptised and then executed 4,500 Saxon captives at Verden, a town close to Denmark. The Danes would have been well aware of what was happening with the Saxons anyways, as Widukind was married to sister of the Danish king, Sigfrid, and often took refuge in Denmark to escape the Carolingians.

Considering the situation, Ferguson writes, "Should the Vikings simply wait for Charlemagne's armies to arrive and set about the task? Or should they fight to defend their culture?"

But the Norse could not fight the Carolingian military directly - instead they went after soft-targets, such as monasteries, which were symbols of the growing Christian encroachment. Ferguson says, "everything points to a hatred that goes beyond just robbers who just wanted money."

The article goes on to describe these early Viking attacks, and how their raids expanded throughout Europe, with Viking kingdoms developing on the British Isles and elsewhere.

Several other explanations have been put forward for Viking violence, such as innovations in shipbuilding which encouraged piracy, and overpopulation in Scandinavia, which forced many of its people to leave their homeland in search of fortune.

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Futhark A Handbooks Of Rune Magic

Futhark A Handbooks Of Rune Magic Cover

Book: Futhark A Handbooks Of Rune Magic by Edred Thorsson

Complete book of rune instruction including definitions of the 24 Runes of the Elder Futhark. Includes discussion of phonetic values, derivation and magical qualities of each rune, as well as exercises, chants, rituals, all geared for self-development.

This book is written by a very experienced historical linguist and practicing Norse pagan. The former means he won't miss any known information about the runes, but unfortunately the latter means that he has lots of speculative material of the own which he mixes in with his scholarship. This wouldn't be so bad, but he rarely bothers to tell you which is which, so if you want to know the strictly historical facts about the runes, this is definitely NOT your book.

"Futhark" remains the best available introduction to Rune magic. While one should read from many sources (including other works by the same author), this work holds the kernel of all the techniques one needs to follow and practice the path of Rune Work. Much has been written concerning Thorsson's/Flower's adherence to other cults and it must be admitted that this led to schism between the author and the Odinic Rite. Personally, I believe that what Edred gets up to elsewhere is his affair. Technically speaking, this book is still the best introduction. If you are seriously interested in the runes, read it.

Edred Thorsson whose real name is Stephen Edred Flowers (a well known academic) has become a contraversial figure within Asatru/Heathenism and Academic Runology due to his Setian/Satanic memberships and Odian veiws. However this book, his first to be published on the runes, was written whilst he was a member of the Asatru Free Assembly and the Odinic Rite UK so some of the ideas in this book reflect this. The book is mostly a combination of Armanen rune lore mixed with Asatru/Odinism and Neo-Pagan magical practices plus academic runology. For a beginner in rune study, a difficult book to separate fact from fiction. For an advanced student, if you can already seperate the false from fact, you won't need this book! Probably a book better suited to those who want to study Armanen Rune Yoga in an 'Elder FUTHARK' and Neo Pagan/New Age format.


Buy Edred Thorsson's book: Futhark A Handbooks Of Rune Magic

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