Ask And Embla

"All men and women are descendants from Ask and Embla, the primordial man and women who were found, as tree trunks on the strand, by Odin, Hoenir and Lodur and given life. Thus, Asatru is the legacy of all humans."

This is part of the lore of the Northern people. There are thousands of such stories told by cultures both ancient and modern, from the Old Testament to the interior of the Amazon today.

Humans in their tribal state were extremely ethnocentric, and often their various groupings bear names that mean something like "the true people" or "the real human beings" to distinguish themselves from their neighbors. Likewise, their creation myths tend to be ethnocentric and to pertain only to themselves - not to all of humankind, with which they are not particularly concerned.

To argue that all humans are descended of Ask and Embla is to say that the myths of every other native culture are wrong, and that only ours is right. From the Australian Outback to the depths of Africa, groups have their own explanations for how they came to be. It is the
height of arrogance to assume that our stories apply to them, and that the sacred tales of their own people are false. Unless we assume that their lore is inferior and inaccurate, we are forced to the logical conclusion that each group is right - so long as it speaks to its own people, and no other.

Indeed, to say that our creation story is the only true one is to deny the existence and validity of other peoples' Gods - for it imposes Odin, Hoenir, and Lodur upon these other folk, shoving their Gods rudely out of the picture and negating their own religious explanations for the nature of things. Most Asatruar would not support such religious imperialism. To say that ours is the "one, true" story of human origin smacks not only of religious intolerance but...well, racism!

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The Suppression Of Wyrd

Why is it that references to the Wyrd are so few in number? Why is it that the concept of Wyrd has all but been forgotten for well over one thousand years? In fact, we are very lucky to have an, references left at all.

The answer to this searching question is that Wyrd was deliberately suppressed by the Christ-people. Why? Because the Wyrd, as the Supreme Cosmic Mind or Intelligence, would not fit in with the idea of a Judaic 'God' who professes domination over all 'his' creation. Nor would it fit the idea of his 'son', Jesus, as the Messiah or Saviour of mankind. So the Wyrd, as the actual intelligence behind creation, had to be suppressed.

In written works of the Old English period the thought of Wyrd as woven by three Goddesses was consciously played down by writers and copyists. In 'Beowulf', where the word 'Wyrd' occurs nine times, the poet has imagined 'God' as the Weaver, thus giving a veneer of Christianity to a purely pagan idea. Two centuries later the Christian writers no longer regarded 'God' as being subject to Wyrd, for Wyrd becomes subject to 'God', or regarded as one of his attributes.

"What we call Wyrd is really the work of God about which He is busy every day." - Alfred the Great.

Then followed the virtual suppression of Wyrd altogether, though not quite! For the Wyrd Sisters surfaced again in Chaucer's 'Legend of Good Women' - "The Wyrdys that we clepyn destine", and again around 1450 in 'The Court of Love' - "I eons the three of fatelle dentine that be our Werdes,"

Again the Wyrd Sisters raised their heads in 1605 as the Weird Sisters of Shakespeare's 'Macbeth'. Most interestingly they are portrayed as battle-maidens. (Though perhaps not surprisingly in view of the name 'Shakespeare' - spear-shaker!)

"First witch: When shall we three meet again?
In thunder, lightning and in rain?
Second witch: When the hurly-burly's done,
When the battle's lost and won."

Here we are reminded of 'Beowulf': "The Lord gave the people of the Waders webs to speed them in battle." It would appear that Shakespeare's source for the Weird Sisters was 'Holinshead's Chronicles', from which clearly the three sisters are associated with the time-continuum of Past, Present, Future: The first of them spoke and said: "All hails Makbeth, thane of Glamis!" (For he had lately entered into that dignities and office by the death of his father Sinell.) The second of them said: "Hails Makbeth, thane of Cawdor!" But the third said: "All hails Makbeth, that hereafter shall be King of Scotland!"

Interestingly, a woodcut from the first edition of the 'Chronicles' shows the sisters by a tree - obviously Yggdrasil! Despite the deliberate and systematic suppression of the Wyrd the concept arose from the Folk-soul at certain times. Of course the Cosmic Mind could never be fully suppressed and only fools would think that they could do so. The truth surfaces in the end! The Wyrd was at the beginning and is eternal, and the Sisters of Wyrd still weave the Web of Wyrd for Gods and Men and all things in the Nine Worlds.

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Northern Magic Rune Mysteries And Shamanism

Book: Northern Magic Rune Mysteries And Shamanism by Edred Thorsson

This in-depth primer of the magic of the Northern Way introduces the major concepts and
practices of Gothic or Germanic magic. From Pennsylvania Dutch hex-magic to Scandinavian
runes, Northern Magic explores the folk traditions, ancient lore, Germanic Mysteries, magic,
and wisdom of this ancient Germanic culture.

Another of Thorsson's masterpieces! I strongly recommend this book to all pagans who follow the Northern Way. I don't quite understand the bad reviews about Edred Thorsson being a satanist, he is quite far from it!

This is an excellent book for beginners of Asatru, due to the book wide variations of Norse paganism. This book covers many subjects and customs such as: The Troth, Runes, Hex-signs, Seith Magic, and much more. This book, however, is not in depth in these subjects, but a great introduction to them. If you are looking for information on Runes of the Elder Futhark, I wouldn't count on this book, however Thorsson introduces the Younger Futhark and covers them pretty well (one page on each rune, front and back!) I also recommend this book for the advanced, because it introduces new customs as well. Be sure to check out other books by Thorsson.

This is a really good reference for the very busy professional person who needs a clear presentation of ideas in a very short space. It would function as an excellent primer to Runelore and/or Futhark.

This book gives a really good quick overview of the Northern Way as it exists in its present remanifestation. In Chapter III, Dr. Thorsson explains the similarities and differences between the Troth, Rune-Galdor (operative rune magick), and Seith (norse shamanism) in a clear and concise manner.

Chapters IV and V explain Teutonic Cosmology and Theology in a quick, clear, and concise manner.

Dr. Thorsson does make a run at describing the Teutonic "soul" concept, but this is not as satisfying as the foregoing-described concise summaries.

Dr. Thorsson focuses on the younger runes and some home-grown Pennsylvania Dutch magick in this book, which might be interesting to some.

In my opinion, this book is most valuable for the quick summaries, and illustrations accompanying same, discussed above.

Since 1972, Edred Thorsson has been dedicated to the esoteric and esoteric study of the Indo-European, Celtic and Teutonic traditions. He studied Old Irish, Middle Welsh and Indo-European religion and culture at major universities in Germany and in the United States.

Buy Edred Thorsson's book: Northern Magic Rune Mysteries And Shamanism

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God Vidar Shoe

Vidar is tall, strong, and handsome, has a broad-bladed sword, and besides his armor wears a great leather shoe. Vidar's "thick shoe" consists of all the leather waste pieces that Northern cobblers have cut from their own shoes at the toe and heel, collected by the God throughout all time. As it was very important that the shoe should be large and strong enough to resist the Fenris wolf’s sharp teeth at the last day, it became a matter of religious observance among Northern shoe-makers to give away as many odds and ends of leather as possible.

The Norns’ Prophecy

One day, when Vidar had joined his peers in Valhalla, they welcomed him gaily, for they all loved him and placed their reliance upon him, for they knew he would use his great strength in their favor in time of need. But after he had quaffed the golden mead, Allfather bade him accompany him to the Urdar fountain, where the Norns were busy weaving their web. When questioned by Odin concerning his future and Vidar’s destiny, the three sisters answered oracularly each by the following short sentences:

“Early begun.”
“Further spun.”
“One day done.”

To which their mother, Wyrd, the primitive goddess of fate, added: “With joy once more won.”

These mysterious answers would have remained totally unintelligible to the Gods, had she not gone on to explain that time progresses, that all must change, but that even if the father fell in the last battle, his son Vidar would be his avenger, and would live to rule over a regenerated world, after having conquered all his enemies.

“There sits Odin’s
Son on the horse’s back;
He will avenge his father.” - NORSE mythology (R. B. Anderson)

At Wyrd’s words the leaves of the world tree began to flutter as if agitated by a breeze, the eagle on its topmost bough flapped its wings, and the serpent Nidhug for a moment suspended its work of destruction at the roots of the tree. Grid, joining the father and son, rejoiced with Odin when she heard that their son was destined to survive the older Gods and to rule over the new heaven and earth.

“There dwell Vidar and Vale
In the gods’ holy seats,
When the fire of Surt is slaked.” - NORSE mythology (R. B. Anderson)

Vidar, however, said not a word, but slowly wended his way back to his palace Landvidi, in the heart of the primeval forest, where, sitting down upon his throne, he pondered long about eternity, futurity, and infinity. If he fathomed their secrets he never revealed them, for the ancients averred that he was “as silent as the grave” — a silence which indicated that no man knows what awaits him in the life to come.

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Does Asatru Have A Holy Book Like The Bible

No. There are written sources which are useful to us because they contain much of our sacred lore in the form of myths and examples of right conduct, but we do not accept them as infallible or inspired documents. Any religion which does this is deceiving its members about the purity and precision of the written word. The various competing factions of Middle Eastern religions are proof of this. Their conflicting interpretations can not all be correct!

There are two real sources of holy truth, and neither expresses itself to us in words. One is the universe around us, which is a manifestation of the underlying divine essence. The other is the universe within us, passed down from our ancestors as instinct, emotion, innate predispositions, and perhaps even racial memory. By combining these sources of internal and external wisdom with the literature left us by our ancestors, we arrive at religious truths. This living spiritual guidance is better than any dusty, dogmatic "holy book", whose writings are often so ambiguous that even clerical scholars disagree and whose interpretations change with the politics of the times.

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Yule Celebrations In Great Britain

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.

In Britain and other parts of the British Influenced world, the modern Yule or Yuletide is more commonly associated with Christmas (along with Christmastide) which generally supplanted it around the 11th century other than in North East England where it remained the usual word (and had the variants of yel and yul), possibly being reinforced by the Norse influence (see Danelaw) on that region. It was revived in regular use in standard English during the 19th century however the name Yule log was recorded earlier in the 17th century.

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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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Ehwaz Rune

Ehwaz means horse. In the Nordic tradition, the horse was a sacred animal, the same as in the old Slavic tradition. This animal was connected to Frey, which we find out in the saga of Hrafnkel, Frey's priest. A modern person can hardly realize what kind of a relationship his Ancestors had with the horse, or the specific connexion there was between a man and his faithful companion. This relationship was based on mutual trust and absolute devotion. Therefore, unlike the tamed force we have in Thurisaz, in Ehwaz the relationship between the ruling and the ruled is somewhat different, because the horse is not only a man's servant but also his faithful friend and helper. Because of that the sense of this Rune isn't in the control and subduing but in the mutual exchange of energy, an exchange that goes on between two beings that mutually respect and complement each other. It's the Rune's symmetrical shape that points out to harmony and energetic balance. Communication, as a sort of energetic exchange is also connected to this Rune. Beside that, Ehwaz is connected to journeys as well, seeing that then the horse was also the main means of transportation.

Divination:

Positive meaning: improvement, harmony, team work, loyalty, faithfulness.

Negative meaning: mistrust, isolation, betrayal.

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The New Flesh Palladium

Book: The New Flesh Palladium by Robert North

Enter the realm of the New Flesh Palladium freely and of your own will. The author of this book, Robert North, is perhaps best known to the general public as the erudite translator and editor of the once obscure occult classic Sexual Magic by Paschal Beverly Randolph (1990). But there is a deeper side to the story. The author ... takes us on a dramatic adventure in the history of sexual magic.

The author of this work, Robert North,is perhaps best known to the general public as the erudite translator and editor of the once obscure occult classic SEXUAL MAGIC by P.B. Randolph. Now, in the form of a historical treatment of sexual magic, North introduces the world to the ideas of the New Flesh Palladium. the author takes us on a journey from the Heaven and Hell of Emanuel Swedenborg, through the realms of Mesmer and the Marquis de Sade, and into the worlds of aleister crowley and Wilhelm Reich. In the course of this journey we discover the philosophy of the New Flesh---a dramatic adventure in the history of sexual magic.

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Kenaz Rune

Kenaz signifies a torch. It represents the light leading us in the darkness, helping us to rise from the dark depths of our spirit by knowing our selves. Seeing that fire is the element here, all aspects of this Rune are connected to physical and spiritual traits of fire. It can be the fire of creation, but also creative sexual energy. This Rune can also symbolize inspiration and understanding, that is every flash of light which can lead to enlightenment or understanding of something previously unknown to us; it can also signify the forming of a good idea in a creative sense. The inspiration Kenaz brings can be not only the creative kind but also the kind of inspiration that brings new motivation for life. Whenever your life becomes a routine Kenaz brings a breath of fresh air. The fire of artistic inspiration is strictly controlled, and the human passion must be the same; if it isn't, the relationship can become hell. Fire is connected to purification. One of the possible interpretations of this Rune is the association with cremation and it corresponding with Kano, the holy vehicle in the cult of Nerthus, Nordic Goddess of the Earth.

Divination:

Positive meaning: vision, creativity, inspiration, enthusiasm, passion.

Negative meaning: blind passion, destruction, loss of vision or inspiration

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Shamanism And The Image Of The Teutonic Deity Odin

Book: Shamanism And The Image Of The Teutonic Deity Odin by Asbjorn Jon

The Seidre were shamanic folk who travelled from community to community speaking with the Other-world on behalf of the townspeople they visited. They would question the recently-deceased loved ones and ask favors of the gods through the town's dead kinfolk. It was believed that they were also able to obtain special favors for individuals from their passed-on relatives. Such favors might be something like a priestess who may ask that her grandmother endow her with the family's power in her physical body in this lifetime, rather than waiting for it to be bestowed on her. Many of the Germanic and Slavic peoples believed the power was passed from family member to famlily member on the death of the preceding generation's head witch- but it sometimes skipped a generation or two, and the newly-deprived head honcho of the family's witchery would likely feel inclined to ask why. The Seidre could ask this question for them.

Also, as a group, the community might be inclined to ask for a particularly good harvest, protection from flooding in the spring, a light snow-fall during winter, or an easy freeze instead of a harsh and windy winter. In the event of some mystery, such as who committed a murder that had no suspect, they might also be able find this out by asking the deceased or a representative of one of the gods or Goddesses "who-dunnit".

The Seidre were also known as Bien-Sheidre. "Bien" is a French word meaning "excellent or beneficient"- now where does that fit in?? Was it a late-comer in the naming game? Or does it even matter here? So many questions. Most may not even be relevant, but I would not consider myself to have done very thorough research if I did not ask them all.

I believe the term to be a late addition from upper regions of France, since it is likely that by the time the Teutonic tradition was thoroughly rooted in Germanic cultures, they would have probably made contact and begun trading with French peoples from that region- indeed had probably done so for a thousand years or more. There is evidence of sea-travel up and down the coast of Prehistoric Europe- the routes from Italy to Gaul and the Rhineland areas (what would later be parts of Germany, via The Danube and Rhine Rivers) were travelled regularly in small boats. Even the occassional trip to Britain and Ireland was not unknown. It would certainly make sense to have a Seidre bless your trip, and then carry them across the water as extra protection!

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Asatru As A Cosmology

Asatru has a unique and advanced view of the universe, which has developed over the millennia. This cosmology details a universe of Nine Worlds tied together by Yggdrasil and it details how all things interact within and between these realms and through time. This universe is rarely harmonious and these cosmological tensions define the interactions of Gods and human alike. In this universe, numerous independent agents interact, sometimes in conflict, sometimes in harmony, to create all the manifestations and events we see. Understanding and working with this cosmology will help you understand the various rituals and practices of our way. Understanding this cosmology will also help you understand the evolution of the universe, its cycles and its ultimate destiny.

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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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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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Potentialities Of Loki

Book: Potentialities Of Loki by Anonymous

The figure of Loki is as fascinating as he is problematic. Jan de Vries (1933), Hilding Celander (1914) and Folke Strom (1956) characterise Loki as a 'problem', while to Anne Holtsmark (1962) he remains a 'riddle'. To this day scholars are divided on how to categorise Loki. Some call him a god, others a giant, an elf (Karl Weinhold 1849:13) or a demon, and often they do not define what they mean by these appellations .i Is Loki a demon? Or, as according to Jakob Grimm (1835) (1953:199f.), a fire elf? Does Loki's alleged 'fire nature' (Karl Simrock 1887:99) imply that he is a 'destroyer' (Karl Simrock 1887:99)? Is he 'evil' (Hermann Schneider 1938:241), the Lucifer of the North (Sophus Bugge 1881:10)? The cunning trickster (Jan de Vries 1933)? Or death (Anatoly Liberman 1992:142)? Of course, a conference presentation cannot provide answers to all of these questions, but let us concentrate briefly on one of them, Loki as 'evil'.

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Asatru As A Warrior Religion

Asatru also has strong warrior ethics embodied in it. Nearly all of the Gods and goddesses have battle proficiencies of one sort or another. Ancient warriors called upon these war Gods and Goddesses to bless them in their battles.

Odin, sitting on Hlidskialf, proficient with the spear, magic and deception, represented intelligence warfare. Thor and his mighty Mjolnir represented fierce hand-to-hand combat. Many of the Goddesses also exhibited martial virtues. Frigga also shared Hlidskialf with Odin and was proficient in magic and deception. Freya garnered half of the fallen warriors to take back to her hall. The Valkyries, women warriors serving Odin, were known as fierce fighters as well. Without doubt, Asatru embodies a strong warrior ethic.

Perhaps most obvious of Asatru’s warrior spirit is embodied in one of its most recognized and used symbols: the hammer. The hammer represents Thor’s Mjollnir with which he smites the foes of the Aesir and Vanir. This symbol is almost universally recognized as Asatru’s symbol and shows that Asatru sees conflict as a key theme of the universe and being prepared for it and dealing with it are central obligations.

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Goddess Huldra Or Holle

Huldra or Holle: Another birch goddess. She is patron of household chores and duties, such as spinning. Her realm is sometimes found by going down a well. She is helpful to young women who perform well their cleaning and chores, and punishes those who don't. She also is said to lead the Wild Hunt and during the winter, is said by some to be the consort of Ullr. She is leader of the huldrafolk, a sort of land-wight.

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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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The Lessons Of Asgard

Book: The Lessons Of Asgard by Asatru Free Assembly

This collection of essays appeared over a span of almost two years in "The Runestone". Dealing as it does with the lessons to be learned from the Norse gods, it is a companion volume to The Values of Asatru. Together these booklets provide a good introduction to those who want to know how to lead their lives according to the principles of our ancient faith.

In out! little homilies we have tried to examine the gods as they affect our conduct in the real world. We have avoided the deeper symbolic implications of our deities, preferring to deal with them as models showing us how to live. It is perhaps too easy to say that Odin
exhorts us to learning and Thor urges us to strength, so we have tried to see ane step beyond that level, studying in greater detail the implications of the gods' values and specifically how we can apply them to our lives.

Odin, Thor, Freya and all the others are examples for us to emulate as we deal with our own personal circumstances. As we have said, they are models. Appreciating them on this level is important to those who follow Asatru, but it is only part of their significance. Beyond the role model is a numinous, logic-defying reality, something apprehended only by means of symbols, something that speaks to us on deeper levels where words are inadequate and linear reasoning breaKS down. Studying the gods, immersing ourselves in their lore, can gradually put us in touch with those realms of spirit and we can all add richness and power to our religious lives by tapping this ancient, non-verbal wisdom.

But - one step at a time. Let each of us try to live the lessons of the gods in our lives. In doing this we can eventually tune in to the deeper realities - and in the process, transform ourselves and the society in which we live.(Stephen A. McNallen, Breckenridge, Texas)

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Othala Rune

Othala represents inheritance or heritage and a warm, safe home. This is Fehu on a higher level, but also Fehu – the beginning of a next circle. The heritage of Othala can be understood in the material sense but also as the knowledge of Ancestors and wisdom of the Old one always has to come back to. The basic meaning of Othala is actually Ancestral or Inherited Land i.e. home. A resting place we're all aspiring to; it can signify our homeland as well as our spiritual homeland. It's the goal we've finally reached in order to accomplish the peace we longed for. This Rune was used by the Nazis, as well as two Sowilo Runes which were the emblem of the SS formation. Even today Othala is used by skinheads to mark their white heritage, which only damages the Runic system, and the Germanic system in general. That damage is caused by the piling of negative emotions towards Germanic symbols. Othala signifies belonging, but not in such a vulgar sense like belonging to a single race, but more an axis and basis everyone should find within. The Rune is used to end what one has started.

Divination:

Positive meaning: heritage, home, security, belonging, independence.

Negative meaning: a limiting traditionalism, loss of a spiritual basis, problems with the law and possessions.

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