Idun Project expands in SE England

Members of the OR met up on Sunday 22nd August to help Hengest clear his new allotment and ready the plot for propagation. If you've never rented an allotment before, then you have no idea how much blood sweat and tears it takes to knock an overgrown and neglected plot into shape. My blistered hands and aching body are witness to how much work we did.

Odinic Ritual: The purpose and need for Dance

During this summer’s Odinic Rite Folk Camp, I gave a talk and demonstrated a ritual dance, which was composed from Morris dancing steps of the Cotswold tradition. You can watch a video of this dance at the end of the article. The reason I decided to perform this dance at the Folk Camp was because I wanted to show those who had not considered it before, that ritual dance has great potential for Odinism in the Modern World.

The Legend of the Edelweiss

The Edelweiss is one of the symbols of Switzerland, and also of other alpine countries such as Austria. It is a rare flower that grows at high altitudes. The Edelweiss has therefore given rise to many legends. This is one of my favourites

The Idunn Project – South East

This first report by Jim charts his initial progress and thoughts about his newly acquired allotment, and shows that extensive gardening experience is not a prerequisite for such a venture - all you need is enthusiasm, respect for the soil and faith in Nature.

Holy Odinic Symbols: The Fylfot/Swastika

In this article I have sought to concisely explain the history, etymology, meaning and modern use of the Fylfot/Swastika, including in ritual, utilising both external sources and my own interpretation and experiences as guides. I hope you will find this article both useful and interesting in learning more about this most holy of symbols. Hail the Fylfot!

Wyre Marsh coastal clean up

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Freysbeacon Guardians met up as planned for a clean up of the Wyre salt marsh in North west England. There was literally tons of rubbish which is brought in on a high tide, most of the rubbish was plastic drinks bottles in which we cleared hundreds from the area.

Laundry and the butterfly: a study into the harm done by conventional detergents

In this article I have sought to briefly explore and explain the harmful effects that conventional household washing/cleaning detergents can have upon the environment, it's ecosystems, and of course us, for we are of course inextricably linked to the fate and welfare of our surrounding natural environment.

Frey’s Beacon Guardians

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After being inspired by this years OR Great Moot and also by the sterling work carried out by The Guardians of The White Horse Stone (GOWHS), we the good Folk of Frey’s Beacon decided that we would become more pro-active in the coming cycle.

MIDGARTH 911 (US) AND 999 (UK)

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Midgarth is in a state of emergency- a global Ragnarok. Wider culture may take far longer than Odinists to peel the scales from their eyes and witness the harvest of devastation- a crisis arising from adherence to the life-denying paradigms of the desert creeds and its bastard offspring, the culture of materialism.

Ship Burial

In the Elder Days Odinists practised both earth burial and burning. The body of a high-ranking warrior often received special treatment. It was laid in a cairn with goods and arms and sometimes even a charger. The body was placed in a sitting posture, usually in a chamber formed of baulks of timber or blocks of stone, over which was piled earth or gravel. But the ceremonial disposal of the dead for which the old Odinists are most often remembered is what we know as ship-burial.

Preservation and Destruction in the Vale of the White Horse

The landscape of the Vale has been shaped and adapted by the activity of man during the last five thousand years. Neolithic colonists from the European mainland brought with them the skills and equipment of agriculturists: they transported seed corn and domesticated the beasts of their flocks and herds.

Language of the Gods

Icelandic or Old Norse has come to be regarded in some Odinist circles as a kind of holy language. Just as Victorian clerks were wont to scatter Latin phrases throughout their writing and never used a plain word when a more obscure one could be found so some latter-day Odinists will often not use an English word in their rituals when they can find an Icelandic word that will do. It matters not that few of their fellow Odinists (sometimes even the user himself) do not understand. The user of language has made his point and others must wallow in ignorance, for some will be too intimidated to say, "Hey, what does all that mean?"