True Leadership is Needed

IN these modern times when people feel alienated, oppressed, divorced from their rulers and have no control of their own lives, it is very easy to heap the blame upon those in positions of power and then extend this to all forms of leadership and authority. This is the case now, when anarchists and egalitarian politicians come out of the woodwork to spur people on to rebel against all forms of authority and order. But is leadership to blame?

Law, Justice, Freedom

AS A PEOPLE we are noted for our law-abiding qualities or recognition of the need for order. As Odinists we realise even more the need for order if we are to flourish. Nature is ordered, a fact which escapes many hippy-type heathens. If order breaks down chaos descends. So what is order?

The Ancestors

Honouring the ancestors, and an awareness of ancestors, is an important part of Odinism. It includes one's ancestors who are known and those who are not known, it includes the Disir and the Folk Mothers, and it also includes the High Heroes of the Folk. To the Odinist the deceased members of the tribe are as real and as present as the ones who are living. Often I am surprised at how few toasts I hear to the ancestors. Perhaps, then, this is a timely article.

Continuing Tradition

As is known, our blood ancestors passed on the bulk of their wisdom and knowledge by word of mouth. Deep wisdom was relayed from generation to generation in this way, sometimes by direct instruction, often in tales, myths, and legends.

Community: A Lesson from our Saxon Ancestors

Today we hear a lot about the 'community'. In most cases this is a corruption of the term, for it has little to do with the majority of the indigenous population, but is either a way of setting up 'experts' over us, to reduce our power to run our own affairs in ways best suited to us - hence the legion of 'community officers' - or else it is basically a code-name to give special categories special status or rights not given to the majority.

A Woman’s Place

IT HAS been said that Norse paganism is very patriarchal, giving rule and stress to the male in society and worship involved which mostly deals with Odin, Thor, Balder, Frey, etc.... But many fail to realise that the goddesses of the Aesir and Vanir played an important part in the life and worship of the Scandinavian peoples.

Reinstituting the Sacred: Cycles and Resonance in Our Lives

A talk by Eowyn OR at the 2004 Great Moot Last year, we considered the importance of rites of passage in our lives and the way in which they align our whole being in accordance with Natural Law, thus enabling us to skilfully navigate our…

Gealdor/Mantra as an OR practice

In the early days of this new overt resurgence of our glorious religion, the use of gealdor was somewhat overlooked in Blotar and personal practice. In fact some treated it with suspicion. Of course the fact that most (if not all) blot included hailing the Gods can be seen as practicing a mantra without consciously realizing it; for in a way these can be seen as a simple mantra. However it was not generally perceived as such and runic gealdor was only practiced by a few.

The Mead of Inspiration

Mead is mentioned frequently in Odinic myths and other bodies of writing related to Odinism, and as we know (and sometimes enjoy), it is also in evidence at Odinist gatherings etc. Many Odinists brew their own mead and in many ways it would be a fair observation to say that mead drinking has become a part of Odinist practice in some instances.

Another Site Reclaimed!

On a small mound, some yards from Cottington Road in the Cliffsend area of Thanet, Kent, stands a stone monument known as St. Augustine's Cross. The 'Celtic Style' cross bears an inscription which des­cribes the landing of this alien monk at nearby Richborough, where he "---on this spot met Ethelbert and preached his first sermon to our countrymen. A.D. 596".

Re-membering the Wheel of the Year – Part 4

Re-membering the Wheel of the Year – Part 3

July, August, September