Runecaster Handbook The Well Of Wyrd

Book: Runecaster Handbook The Well Of Wyrd by Edred Thorsson

This complete guide shows you how to: make your own runes; load the rune with harmonious power; prepare the optimum setting for a rune reading. Includes general rune meanings, divination tables, the positive and negative aspects of each rune, itslinguistic component and phonetic value, runic layouts, and sample readings. By the author of the best-selling, Futhark: Handbook of Rune Magic.

Edred Thorsson in my opinion is the best author for anything to do with Runes or Northern culture and magic. I have been studying Runes and Northern culture for 10 or so years now and his books are the only ones I have come accorss that strip things back to the beginning. The information in his books is probably the most accurate and truthful information you will get anywhere. I recommend his books to any and all, especially those starting out with this kind of thing as there are too many books out there to do with Runes etc, which are vague and misleading. Also there are too many books with Christian and new age (I Ching etc) twists which don't truthfully represent the Runes at all. Edred does!

A great book for anyone whishing to learn more about the runes. Offers a good starting point for beginners and also a great resource for the more advanced runester. I have all three of Thorsson's books in this series (Futhark, Runelore & the Well of Wyrd) together they are a fantastic resource and a great spring-board to the more advanced studies.

Highly recommend it!

Buy Edred Thorsson's book: Runecaster Handbook The Well Of Wyrd

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Odin Owns Ye All

(actual song and album title by Einherjer)

I sit by the fires gleam all by myself
Four empty chairs & one’ve been kept warm
I drink to my kinsmen who sails now with Njord
I drink to my kin who’ll drink here no more

Odin owns ye all

I sing to them songs I wish their best on their way
I’m sure a valkyrie found them in the battle that day
I drink to my kinsmen who fought bravely at sea
I drink to my kin who’ll be missed not just by me

Odin owns ye all

To arms To arms - The kinsmen said
They’ve chosen to meet us in battle today
Fight Fight - The kinsmen said
If we show true Norse courage they’ll soon run away
Wrong Wrong - The kinsmen thought
You cowards are fourty men may you rot in Hel
Rise Rise - The valkyries said
Odin decided this day you would die

I drink to my kinsmen
Who sails now with Njord
I drink to my kin
Who’ll drink here no more
I drink to my kinsmen
Who fought bravely at sea
I drink to my kin
Who’ll be missed not just by me

Odin owns ye all

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Your Ancestors Matter

We Asatruar acknowledge our link to the clan, the family line of which we are a part. This article is intended to facilitate just such a remembrance. It is adapted from a new brochure available from the AFA - one of a series designed to make the central elements of Asatru more accessible to ordinary men and women.

There is a widespread belief in the modern Western world that Ancestors don't matter very much. This is particularly true of the Ancestors of European-Americans; among some writers and academics, "dead White male" is synonymous with irrelevance.

Luckily for us (and for the generations to come), a healthy interest in genealogy and family history defies this rootless, alienated worldview. Why do we care about our ancestors in a world that values self-satisfaction above all else? What does the deeper wisdom of our soul say about this? And just what is our relationship to those who have gone before us? Why does it all matter?

Native cultures in every part of the world revere their forebears. The American Indians, the Australian natives, African tribes, Asian peoples - all give special place to their kin who preceded them. Only in so-called modern societies, those most locked into the pursuit of material things and most distanced from the world of nature, have we forgotten the importance of the ancestral connection.

By ancient tradition, the barrier between the dead and the living is thinner at certain times of the year: Yule is one of these occasions, and the old Celtic festival of Samhain (popularly known as Halloween) is another. At these times, watch your dreams, and listen with your inner ear for the whispers of those of your line who have gone before.

There is much to be gained from the ancestors, and we have barely touched the possibilities in this short essay. Of course, they gave us the greatest gift of all, life itself - for if that golden chain of generations had been broken at any point, we would not be here! But we have our responsibilities, too. Above all, the family honor must be kept intact and the ancestors themselves must be given the high status they deserve. Obviously, we should do all we can to ensure that we have healthy children to continue the line into the future.

Once we understand the bond extending down the generations, we know that we can never truly be without family. Always there are the unseen ones, affecting events and reminding us that we are a part of a great stream of lives, seeking ever to express who and what we are.

Honoring the ancestors (who are, after all, us as we were before) is one of the three key principles to the European soul. The other ones are, respectively, the living of a life of courage and truth, and the right relationship with the Mighty Powers themselves.

The spiritual wisdom of the bold and free European tribes did not die out. It was suppressed - but it cannot be hidden forever, for it exists within us, the people who share this noble heritage!

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Asatru Poem The Temple Of Thor

Three months ago,
The invaders came,
And destroyed The Temple of Thor.

I had spent most of my adult life,
Honoring the Mighty Thunderer,
And helping the Folk,
When they came to pray and make sacrifice.

Now all that stands upon that sacred Hill,
Is a small wooden building that they call a church.

All around the land,
Folk are being forced ,
To kneel before their strange God,
They tell us that,
His name is Christ.

I do not understand these strangers,
They worship a Dead man,
It is said that he is God over the whole earth.

The Folk are confused and fearful,
They do not know what to do.

Those that have refused to worship in there church,
Have been tortured and killed,
I have seen whole families cut down for defending the Old Ways.

They say Our Gods are false,
That they are Demons,
That their God is the only True God.

They have destroyed many of Our Sacred Places,
And built church's on the sites,
So many of Our ways,
They take and add to their's,
So that it will make the Folk more comfortable in worshipping their God Christ.

But what they seem not to know is that,
If you intend to remove a tree,
You must also gather the seeds that fall to the ground,
Otherwise they may sprout again.

Now with hope in my heart,
I look to future generations of the Folk,
That the seeds of the Old Ways will sprout again.

Slowly the Old Gods will awaken,
And grow in strength,
As the Folk find,
And gather the seeds of Old.

And then maybe one day,
The Temple of Thor,
Will be once again,
Be rebuilt upon this Sacred Hill.

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Blotar A Brief Guide To Asatru Ritual

Book: Blotar A Brief Guide To Asatru Ritual by Anthony Arndt

Blotar (the plural form of blot) strengthen the bonds between humans and the gods, our holy kin. With blotar we honor the gods in a social atmosphere and invite them to share in our celebrations and give them gifts in return for divine favor.

The blot bowl and plates laid out for the gods and Ancestors are taken outside and given to the gods and land wights. This is often done by depositing the offerings at the base of a tree, where animals can devour it on the behalf of the gods and wights, or by casting them into a sacred fire, thanking the gods and spirits.

Download Anthony Arndt's eBook: Blotar A Brief Guide To Asatru Ritual

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As The Asatru Kindred Grows

Sooner or later, there will be the need for the kindred leader to share the responsibility and workload of managing the Kindred with others. Early on one finds that the many tasks necessary to produce a successful Kindred gathering are just too much for one person to handle. You should not be shy about asking for help from the members of the Kindred. In fact, many are looking for ways that they can help all you need do is ask. I know some kindreds who are very fortunate to have members quite willing to act as chairmen of the various committees necessary for successful Kindred management and functions.

Another important step for the Kindred as it grows, is to decide to incorporate in their state as a non-profit church, and eventually apply to the IRS for 501 (c) non-profit status. This will require for the membership of the Kindred to elect three officers to serve on the Board of Directors of the corporation. The requirements for incorporation vary from one state to the next, but basically the steps are: elect a president, vice-president, and secretary/treasurer and draw up a Constitution for the church/Kindred, and a set of By Laws. Other states may require credentials from the "National Church" granting so-and-so Kindred official recognition. This of course can be handled by the office of the Secretary/Treasurer of the Asatru Alliance. A simple request to the Secretary is all that is necessary to grant credentials.

Some states require that the Constitution, By Laws, and Articles of Incorporation be published in the legal ad section of a newspaper. Of course this takes money. When the Arizona Kindred incorporated ten years ago in Arizona, it cost us about $650.00 for all the fees, which included publishing our incorporation papers in the local newspaper three times. Then there are the incorporation fees themselves, which can run anywhere from $75.00 to $150.00 for non-profits, and some may have to seek legal help as well. So, it is obvious that this will take a major commitment from the Kindred, but those Kindred leaders out there who recognize the great importance of legitimizing Asatru know that it is worth the effort.

Once this is accomplished, and when your Kindred is serious about obtaining money and property, then it is time to file with the IRS for your non-profit status. You will find when you first go down to your local bank and want to open a checking account for the Kindred, that the bank will require you to supply them with what they call an EIN number. This is an Employer's Identification Number. It is the equivalent of a Social Security number, except for an organization. This of course allows the IRS to keep complete tabs on all people and organizations that use banking services. It is very important for the IRS to keep their super computers busy compiling data bases on everyone and everything.

Now, there is a gray area in the way that the IRS looks at non-profit churches. If your Kindred is only taking in and paying out a couple of thousand dollars a year, they do not pay much attention to you and leave you completely alone. It is when you reach the level where you are taking in over $5,000 per year that you must look for the 501 (C) status. Of course your Kindred may cruise along forever and not take in very much money, but what if you decided to acquire property, build a Hof or activity center? What if someone passes over the Bifrost Bridge and leaves the Kindred a nice sum in their Will? Or maybe a rich philanthropist comes along and likes what you are doing and donates $100,000 to the Kindred, then what are you going to do? Well, if you are not incorporated and have not received your EIN number, you can not accept the donation without having to pay taxes on it. And the person making the donation can't use it as a tax deduction. So, chances are, that they may go elsewhere to relieve themselves of their money or property. If your Kindred has completed the first two steps of incorporation and obtaining an EIN number, you could probably accept a large donation, but would be required by the IRS to immediately request for 501 (c) recognition.

So what is required of the Kindred to obtain 501 (c) status? First of all, the IRS requires for you to pay them $500 for the filing fee. You then have to meet their criteria of just what a church is. You also have to provide them with some type of Financial Report of just what kind of money the Kindred holds, where it came from, and where it went, so they can again see if it fits their criteria as a church. It's really not as hard to do all of this as it may sound. Other Kindreds have already completed all three steps, and they would be glad to advise anyone who is seeking information on how to proceed.

I must stress at this time, that the structure of the Asatru Alliance is nothing more than a confederation of independent Kindreds. The Alliance is not an organization. We do not have a Board of Directors, a membership list, or do we charge dues. So the Alliance itself is not incorporated. The true strength of the Alliance lies in the number of Kindreds that it has who have accomplished the three steps of legitimacy outlined above. Of course we stress this point in our By Laws where we urge Kindreds to incorporate.(Editorial note since the writing of this article the Asatru Alliance has become a 501(c) 3 corporation).

Asatru is poised on the threshold of tremendous growth. The infrastructure for the future must be in place first. I urge all Kindreds to proceed with the three steps as soon as they are able.

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Germanic And Celtic Religions

The only real differences between Germanic and Celtic religion seem to be the names by which the Gods are called. A viking of the tenth century would likely have felt quite comfortable in a Celtic ritual among the Gauls a thousand years earlier. Celtic religion deviates from the "Asatru norm" no more than do, for example, a priestess of Freya in Iceland and a warrior pledged to Wotan in Germany in Herman's time. Indeed, one is inclined to say that there is only "European religion" - and that the Germanic and Celtic beliefs are two expressions of it.

So what are the implications of all this? Well, it means that the Irishman need not feel out-of-place calling on Gods more often associated with Norway's fjords than the Emerald Isles hills and valleys. Ultimately all us Northfolk are spiritual as well as genetic kin.

Also Celtic-Germanic unity flies in the face of the sometimes-herard assertions that since Europeans often boast roots in different countries we're somehow mixed ancestry. How often have you heard someone say "I'm a Heinz 57 blend...part Irish, part Swedish, with some Englis h and German thrown in?" Clearly that's not mixed at all, because the Northern peoples are essentially one, in both their physical aspects and in their ancient relgiions. We musn't let people divided us on the basis of superficialities!

Thirdly, the catalog of our similarities measn we can use the one to fill gaps in our knowldge of the other.l As we reconstitute the tapestry of our ancient Asatru beliefs, there will be holes where the moths of time and persecution have done their work. But if we know the common pattern and how it's woven in the Celtic material, we can patch the holes with greater confidence.

Enough! All this scholarship makes thirsty work! I'm going to pour a fine bottle of Guiness into my mead horn, and toast all things Celtic/Nordic...Skoal, and Slainte, to you!

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God Tyr

Tyr is one of the more important Gods because of his strong interest in law, order, and justice. He is renowned for his personal sacrifice to safeguard Asgard from the Fenris wolf. It is told that the wolf broke its original bonds so the Gods schemed to use another extra strong chain. The wolf wouldn’t let the Gods bind him unless one of them put their hand in the wolf’s mouth as assurance that there was no trick. Tyr, knowing the price he would pay, offered his hand, thus allowing the Gods to bind the Fenris wolf. In anger, the wolf took Tyr’s hand.

Who then was Tyr? In Old English he was Tiw or Tig, in German Ziu, in primitive Germanic Tiwaz. What little we know about the tribe(s) who spoke the Indo-European mother tongue(s) about 2,500 BCE suggests that they worshipped a chief god, the Sky Father, called Dieus (implying straightforwardly 'god') or Dieus-p'ter (meaning 'god(the)-father'), and an Earth Mother, putatively called Dieu-mater ('goddess-mother'). She gave her name to Da Mater or Demeter in Greek, which is cognate with Diu-no or Juno in Latin. Her name did not survive in Germanic, but of course the archetype of the goddess-mother did.

Even the scholars are baffled by Tyr. They trivialise our religion by suggesting he is a god 'who has come down in the world'. Brian Branston, in 'The Lost Gods of England', says that Tiwaz, which is Tyr's name in early Germanic, 'sank in the social scale and was no longer regarded by the North West European tribes in the later years as Sky Father but had dwindled to a lesser god, a god of war and soldiers'.

Tyr is said to be the bravest. A person who exceeds all others is thus called Ty-brave. He is also a very wise god, and so the highly intelligent are called Ty-wise. He is identical to Teiwaz, described by Tacitus in his study of the Germani. As such it seems he was the original sky-father, and ruler of the pantheon, and god of war before Odin took over these attributes. He is a god of social order, and of justice. He would be prayed to for skill in combat, for it was an art he was most skilled in. He would also be prayed to for victory in legal matters, though this is usually a matter of praying for strictly interpreted justice. He is not a god of peace and is said to be one who is not known to settle quarrels amongst men. He is a god of honor, sticking strictly to the word given. There is more on Tyr in the section on runes, under the Tyr rune. Tyr's men and Odin's men are famous for not seeing things eye-to-eye.

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Germanic People Runes

Runes were known to Germanic peoples of the far North long before the Viking age began. The very beginnings of the use of the Runes are unknown, but the Vikings believed that the God Odin got them by hanging on the tree Yggdrasil. The name of this alphabet - Futhark, came to being by just taking the first letters of the first six Runes. Thousands of Runic inscriptions were uncovered on territories where the Vikings once roamed, sometimes even far from the borders of their lands. The inscriptions were most often engraved in stone, but there are examples of Runes engraved in metal, wood, bones and horns. Their use was varied: some were used just as road marks, while others would contain more serious texts. It's those inscriptions that hold invaluable informations for us about the life of the Nordic peoples. Most of them were made to honour the dead, however all these inscriptions also contain some other interesting information – founding of administrative centres, land ownership, oversea voyages, family relations, individual wealth, a person's status or even the beauty of a woman. Naturally, not all the Rune stones have survived to date. A lot of them were destroyed by Christian priests who thought these stones brought back memories of the pagan past. Others were destroyed by ignorants who didn't realize their worth and mostly used them as building material. Unfortunately, these cultural Heritage artefacts are destroyed even today, by various vandals; nevertheless, this happens a lot less than before.

There are three types of Futhark: Elder, Anglo-Saxon and the Younger Futhark. The Elder Futhark was used up to the 5th century A.D.; it consisted of 24 Runes divided into three groups called aettir(“families”). Anglo-Saxon Futhark was created in Britain during the 5th century A.D. by Anglo-Saxon peoples (Saxons, Angles); it was used until the 11th century. The Younger (Scandinavian) Futhark was used sporadically in Scandinavia, most of all Denmark and Sweden up to the 17th century. This alphabet was most often found engraved on jewellery, stones, weapons, wood, but very little on the discovered manuscripts. Here, we will explore the Elder Futhark, the oldest Runic alphabet used in parts of Europe populated by Germanic peoples, including Scandinavia; this is also the the Futhark we consider to be the most functional.

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Asatru As A Life Embracing Religion

One characteristic of many other religions is the fact that they see life on Earth as messy and something to get away from. Christians reject their Earthly life as base and full of evil and temptation to be avoided; buddhist seek to get off the wheel of life once and for all. The key activity in most of these religions is the rejection of enjoyment in life while preparing ones soul for the afterlife. Often, one sacrifices in this life for ensuring a better afterlife. In this way, they are life rejecting.

Asatru is not life-rejecting; it does not say that our life is base. Rather we embrace life, its triumphs, trials and conflicts and see that a person who meets all of these things in high spirits is truly worthy and deserves reverence. We don’t think that weakness is better than strength. We do believe that success and victory in life are worthy things to strive for. We are not born into a life of sin which we must overcome; rather, we are descendents of gods who can achieve great things with our lives if we but set our mind and will to do so. In this way, Asatru is life embracing.

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Did Vikings Live In The Christian Age

Toward the end of the Viking Age, from about 1000 to 1066, the Christian Church became more of an influence on the Vikings and they became less warlike. Even Leif Ericson, the first European to set foot on the North American Continent, was an emissary of the church, converting his mother (his father staunchly remained a pagan) and others around him in Greenland.

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Asatru Holidays February Horning

Horning 2,
Barri: This is the day we celebrate the wooing by Ingvi Freyr of the maiden Gerd, a symbolic marriage of the Vanir God of Fertility with the mother Earth. It is a festival of fertility, the planted seed and the plowed furrow. For those of you who garden, this is the time to plant seeds indoors, to later be transplanted in the summer garden.

Horning 9,
Day of Remembrance for Eyvind Kinnrifi: Olaf tortured him to death by placing a bowl of red-hot embers on his stomach until his body burst open. Eyvind’s crime was a steadfast loyalty to the Old Gods. A good day to reflect on kristjan kindness.

Horning 14,
Feast of Vali: This feast originally celebrated the death of Hothr at the hands of Vali. This late winter festival relates to the triumphant return of the light of the sun over the dark days of winter. Today it is traditional celebration of the family. A time for the customary exchange of cards and gifts with loved ones. It is also a time for the renewal of marriage vows and an occasion for marriages.

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Fehu Rune

This is the Rune of wealth and expansive energy. It represents a new beginning, so it is used to enable the beginning of a project. Its number is One, the number of the beginning. In its original interpretation Fehu means cattle. If we imagine an agricultural community, we will easily realize that the livestock plays a vital role in life within the community. Fehu represents possessions, earned or deserved, so it also represents material gains. Since bulls were sacrificed to Frey, which we know from some Sagas as well, we can directly connect Fehu to him, although it's often connected to his sister Freya. Seeing that Frey and Freya are fertility Gods, Fehu is also connected to this phenomenon. The aspect of Fehu must always be present in our life if we want to live it in a good way. Because if we're not materially set, if we don't have good employment or a place of residence, we can hardly advance in a spiritual way. Fehu is also connected to Gulveig, the deity of gold, i.e. material wealth. Gulveig is actually just another aspect of Freya.

Divination:

Positive meaning: financial strength, power, wealth, success, fertility, new beginning.

Negative meaning: material losses, greed, sexual frustration.

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Victory Or Valhalla The Final Compilation Of Writings

Book: Victory Or Valhalla The Final Compilation Of Writings by David Lane

David Lane was a prolific writer who tackled all of the issues imperative to the survival of our race. Some of the material contained in these pages will be familiar to those who have read Deceived, Damned & Defiant. However, this book also contains newer writings, including his fictional story "KD Rebel" as well as his last interview.

The 14 words created by David Lane are immortal words. The White Race is in great danger. This collection of writings by David Lane is fantastic. He was a "MAN AGAINST TIME". In Germany a lot of people know David Lane's 14 words. We also enjoy his great writings. David Lane had been a competent author with wide-ranging knowledge of the world. We must unite our race to survive.

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Important For Every Gothi

It is important for every Gothi to have a library, for study and reference, but also to share with others who seek knowledge of their precious heritage. This, of course, like all of the other requirements of the job, is a life's work. Begin with the Elder Edda, study The Havamal daily, but also learn the ancient myths of our Gods and Goddesses. Learn the myths and unlock the keys to the Nine Worlds. Study the Runes and obtain a set of them, or better yet, make your own. Learn the Runes, and use them. Read the wealth of information about our heroes in the Sagas, and obtain and read every possible book about the history, culture, customs, and lore of our ancestors. Of course study the Viking Age, but don't forget that the history of our people began with Ask and Embla, and continues on today. Where are you going to find time to do all of this reading? Why don't you start by selling your television and using the proceeds to buy books? And please, list your library in your Will so that when you die your precious book hoard doesn't wind up in the Goodwill box! You must acquire all of the knowledge that you can, because the Folk with come to you with their questions. Be prepared to answer them.

It is also important for the aspiring Gothi or Gythia to obtain the ritual tools necessary for your work. I know that it will take many years to obtain or build them, but you must do it all the same. Since the beginning of our people's spiritual awareness, the most precious possession of our holy men and women was the ritual bowl. Pronounced Bowli in Old Norse. It is symbolized in the shape of the Perthro Rune. It contains the power of our Gods, the luck and fortune of the tribe, the receptacle of our will and aspirations, and the holy offerings that we make to our Gods. It is the primal possession of the Shaman and the priest. It is sacred.

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Seeking Kindred Membership In The Asatru Alliance

Whereas the Asatru Alliance is not a mail order church, there are no provisions for individual membership in the Alliance. To be a member of the Alliance, you must belong to an official Alliance kindred that is, a Kindred that has met all criteria for membership in the Alliance and has petitioned the Thing for full membership, and has been accepted by an official vote of the Thing.

The Alliance has provisions for people who are trying to form Kindreds. You need to write the secretary/treasurer of the Alliance and outline your request to form a Formational Kindred with the Alliance. In this letter you must declare that you will uphold the By Laws of the Alliance, and make an honest effort to respond to all inquires that you may receive of people wishi ng to make contact with you for possible Kindred membership. That does not imply that you have to accept any or all of the people who contact you, it just means that you at least have the courtesy to respond to their request for information.

Your Kindred will then be listed in the Kindred Listings of the Alliance in the Formational Kindred section. This allows our many Vor Tru readers to seek out a Kindred in their area for possible membership. When you eventually are ready for Official Kindred status, you then send your delegate with membership petition to the AlThing.

I might add at this point that it is very important to have a permanent and secure mailing address. I do not advise using your home address, but rather a Post Office box, for security reasons. You do not want some psyched out Jesus Freak paying you a midnight visit to vandalize or terrorize you. The worst that they can do to your Post Office box is to scratch your numbers off, or write you a hate letter. It is also important that this be a permanent address, for it is very confusing for everyone when a Kindred changes its address.

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Asatru And Neopaganism

Though it is sometimes lumped together with "Neopagan" religions, Asatru is of a different character from the mainstream of Neopaganism. It is not based on "new" material; it is based firmly and foremost on historical records and the copious data we have preserved regarding the mythical and cultural underpinnings of pre-Christian society and religion.

Ironically, it was the Icelanders who, after their nominal conversion, first recorded and wrote down the stories and sagas of Heathen days, thus assuring their survival. The Icelanders, unlike others, were never ashamed of their Heathen past. A constant and recognized tradition of historical folk-belief and folk-custom also helps to refine the shape, beliefs, and practices of Asatru. Neopaganism often appears as synonymous with movements and beliefs like theosophy, cultural and moral relativism, monism, liberalism, Goddess worship, feminism and radical environmentalism and the like, but Asatru is not associated with those things as a whole.

Some Asatruar may study those things or consider them important, but the Heathen faith-movement as a whole is not entangled with the "new agey" elements that characterize most Neopagan faiths. Asatruar also do not tend to be as politically liberal as other Neopagans. Asatru has a deep respect and veneration for Nature itself- the earth itself is believed to be the body of a Goddess, and many sacred beings are believed to dwell within nature as a whole, but this does not mean that Asatru may be simply lumped in with radical environmentalists or nature-worshipers. The situation is a bit more subtle than that.

Asatruar largely reject the general Neopagan belief that "All Gods are one God"- Asatru is now, and always was, a truly Polytheistic faith. There are traditions of sorcery and mysticism to be found in historical Asatru as well as in modern Asatru- but unlike the Neopagan world which seems to be largely fixated on "magic" and things of that nature, this is not the main focus of the spiritual or religious lives of most Asatruar.

It is well known that most Neopagan religions tend to haphazardly blend and mix all manner of cultural religious features (like Gods, beliefs, and mystical techniques) from east and west into a chaotic blend of metaphysical hodge-podge; Asatruar are, like all reconstructionists, against the disrespectful and immature appropriation of spiritual and metaphysical ideas from other cultures. Asatruar have their own Gods and Goddesses- those of their own Ancestors- and their own historically-attested ways and beliefs. And these are all they need.

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Northern Mysteries And Magick Runes And Feminine Powers

Book: Northern Mysteries And Magick Runes And Feminine Powers by Freya Aswynn

In the global scheme of mystery traditions, cultures from most countries have their own current mythos, yet northern shamanism conspicuously lacks representation in contemporary spiritual practice. Northern Mysteries and Magick fills this gap by unearthing the ancient Nordic pantheon, examining the meanings and interrelations of the earliest 24 runes, known as the "Elder Futhark," and exploring the often overlooked feminine aspects of Northern mythology. [A separately sold] CD [Songs of Yggdrasil: Shamanic Chants from the Northern Mysteries] hearkens back to tribal storytellers and replaces the vital aural component missing from our paper-based society. Freya Aswynn's accent lends a crisp consonance to her powerful performances as she invokes the old gods of an icy clime. Waking this pantheon from its long slumber, Aswynn extrapolates a natural course of evolution for the Northern tradition and synthesizes it into a magical tradition suitable for the contemporary practitioner. --Brian Patterson

Bring the power of the ancient runes into your life for divination and magic with Northern Mysteries & Magick (revised edition of Leaves of Yggdrasil) by Freya Aswynn.

The runes are more than an ancient alphabet. They comprise a powerful system of divination and a path to the subconscious forces operating in your life. Northern Mysteries & Magick is the only book of Nordic magick written by a woman, and it is the first to offer an extensive presentation of rune concepts, mythology, and magical applications inspired by Dutch/Friesian traditional lore.

Also unique in this book is the inclusion of the feminine Mysteries of the North. You'll learn how they are represented in the runes. You will see how each of the major deities of Northern Europe still lives in the collective consciousness of people of Northern European descent.

- A complete analysis of the Elder Futhark Runes and their meanings
- How to use the runes for divination including several rune spreads
- Using the runes in magick
- Rune charms and power sigils
- Shamanic drumming and chanting
- Profiles of the eight major Gods
- The Northern Feminine mysteries featuring four major goddesses

If you are into runes or Scandinavian mythology and mysteries then it is easy to see why "Northern Mysteries and Magick Runes And Feminine Powers" is so popular. Starting with a short piece on the northern tradition in perspective, it proceeds quickly into a detailed section on runes. For each rune it gives the Germanic, Anglo-Saxon and Old Norse names, the phonetic value and the traditional meaning as well as an illustration of the rune. Beneath this there is a detailed analysis of the rune in terms of the culture of the time, it's derivation when known, other words it is associated with, how it was related to specific Norse gods and myths, and various other pieces of information as appropriate. While the information is detailed the writing style is not very technical in nature and so creates a flowing, easy to follow read that anyone can understand.

Following this section is an excellent piece on runic divination including the nine worlds of Nordic mythology and how they relate to the conscious. Divination methods discussed include the basic fourfold wheel and the more detailed eightfold wheel techniques. This is followed by a very informative section on runic magic and traditional magic techniques and beliefs. Each of the traditional Scandinavian gods is presented with a detailed profile that includes their name in Norse, English, Dutch, and German, their primary element, secondary element, color, number, totem animals, personal sigils, magical items, the purpose for which they are typically invoked and the runes used for them.

The book ends with a chapter on feminine mysteries that includes a short piece on the practice of Seith (mostly the casting spells and enchantments), an examination of Odin and how he related to the feminine mysteries, and detailed profiles of the feminine gods such as Frigga and Freyja. For those who are interested in runes, northern magic beliefs and systems, or just a detailed account of how runes and magic were used historically and what they meant to the people of that time it is a highly recommended read.

Buy Freya Aswynn's book: Northern Mysteries And Magick Runes And Feminine Powers

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Asatru History

Asatru is frequently regarded as one of the Neopagan family of religions. That family includes Wicca, Celtic Druidism, and re-creations of Egyptian, Greek, Roman, and other ancient Pagan religions. However, many Asatruar prefer the term "Heathen" or "Pagan" rather than "Neopagan;" they look upon their tradition as "not just a branch on the Neopagan tree" but as a separate tree. Unlike Wicca, which has gradually evolved into many different traditions, the reconstruction of Asatru has been based on the surviving historical record. Its followers have maintained it as closely as possible to the original religion of the Norse people.

Asatru or 'satr' is an Icelandic word which is a translation of the Danish word "Asetro." Asetro was "first seen in 1885 in an article in the periodical "Fjallkonan". The next recorded instance was in "Hei'inn si'ur ' 'slandi" ("Heathen traditions in Iceland.") by 'lafur Briem (Reykjav'k, 1945)." It means "belief in the Oisir," the Gods. "Asatru" is a combination of "Asa" which is the possessive case of the word 'sir (AEsir) and "Tru" which means belief or religion.

Throughout Scandinavia the religion is called Forn Si'r (which means the Ancient way or tradition), Forn sed (the Old custom), Nordisk sed (Nordic custom), or Hedensk sed (Pagan custom). Other names are:

Norse Heathenism, Germanic Heathenism, the Elder Troth, the Old Way, Asetro, Vor Si r (our way), Forn Si r (Ancient way), Forn sed (the old custom), Nordisk sed (Nordic custom), or Hedensk sed (Pagan custom), Odinism or Folkish 'satr'.

The religion's origin is lost in antiquity. At its peak, it covered all of Northern Europe. Countries gradually converted to Christianity. In 1000 CE, Iceland became the second last Norse culture to convert. Their prime motivation was economic. Sweden was ruled by a Pagan king until 1085 CE.

Icelandic poet Gogi Sveinbjorn Beinteinsson promoted government recognition of Asatru as a legitimate religion; this status was granted in 1972. Since the early 1970's, the religion has been in a period of rapid growth in the former Norse countries, as well as in Europe and North America.

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5 Rune Magic Rituals Never Seen In Print Before

Book: 5 Rune Magic Rituals Never Seen In Print Before by Anonymous

Learn how to develop your own runic rituals updated to the 21st century. RUNE-MAGIC allows you to develop your spiritual and psychic powers. With these new powers you can attract health-wealthhappiness into your life. Runes are an energy! As a Northern European you can now attract the virtues of your Viking Ancestors into your daily life today. Strength (Rune UR) --- Courage (Rune Tyr) --- Victory (Rune Sig) --- Wisdom (Rune Os) and Individuality (Rune Is) They are very powerful Universal Energies of Creation. They reside in the infinite Quantum Ocean where time does not exist. There is no past present nor future. Only the NOW!

"The murmuring Runes of the Universe, the sacred symbols of Salvation of the Cosmos are deeply buried within ourselves, in our soul as inherited memories. They call, murmur and rush within us, and we could not get them outside of us by imitation, if they were not built into us since eternity. You will find on this page Rune Magic as practiced by Ragnar Storyteller. I am a Practicing Rune master using Rune Magic in my everyday life.

May the murmur of the Runes Call us to action.

Download Anonymous's eBook: 5 Rune Magic Rituals Never Seen In Print Before

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