{"id":75,"date":"2009-08-20T21:42:26","date_gmt":"2009-08-20T19:42:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.odinic-rite.org\/test\/?p=75"},"modified":"2017-09-24T21:16:40","modified_gmt":"2017-09-24T20:16:40","slug":"odinism-our-faith-heritage-and-identity-part-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/odinic-rite.org\/main\/odinism-our-faith-heritage-and-identity-part-2\/","title":{"rendered":"ODINISM &#8211; Our Faith, Heritage and Identity &#8211; Part 2"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-av_section-a10eaf5f121cd648636af8a8acb880d0\">\n.avia-section.av-av_section-a10eaf5f121cd648636af8a8acb880d0{\nbackground-repeat:no-repeat;\nbackground-image:url(https:\/\/odinic-rite.org\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/bg-two.jpg);\nbackground-position:0% 0%;\nbackground-attachment:scroll;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div id='av_section_1'  class='avia-section av-av_section-a10eaf5f121cd648636af8a8acb880d0 main_color avia-section-default avia-no-shadow  avia-builder-el-0  el_before_av_textblock  avia-builder-el-first  avia-bg-style-scroll av-minimum-height av-minimum-height-25 av-height-25  container_wrap sidebar_right'  data-section-bg-repeat='no-repeat' data-av_minimum_height_pc='25' data-av_min_height_opt='25'><div class='container av-section-cont-open' ><main  role=\"main\" itemprop=\"mainContentOfPage\"  class='template-page content  av-content-small alpha units'><div class='post-entry post-entry-type-page post-entry-75'><div class='entry-content-wrapper clearfix'>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-av_heading-cd86e487e9b5440855cb4578d7fed892\">\n#top .av-special-heading.av-av_heading-cd86e487e9b5440855cb4578d7fed892{\npadding-bottom:10px;\ncolor:#ffffff;\n}\nbody .av-special-heading.av-av_heading-cd86e487e9b5440855cb4578d7fed892 .av-special-heading-tag .heading-char{\nfont-size:25px;\n}\n.av-special-heading.av-av_heading-cd86e487e9b5440855cb4578d7fed892 .special-heading-inner-border{\nborder-color:#ffffff;\n}\n.av-special-heading.av-av_heading-cd86e487e9b5440855cb4578d7fed892 .av-subheading{\nfont-size:15px;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='av-special-heading av-av_heading-cd86e487e9b5440855cb4578d7fed892 av-special-heading-h1 custom-color-heading blockquote modern-quote  avia-builder-el-1  avia-builder-el-no-sibling '><h1 class='av-special-heading-tag'  itemprop=\"headline\"  >ODINISM &#8211; Our Faith, Heritage and Identity &#8211; Part 2<\/h1><div class=\"special-heading-border\"><div class=\"special-heading-inner-border\"><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/main><!-- close content main element --><\/div><\/div><div id='after_section_1'  class='main_color av_default_container_wrap container_wrap sidebar_right'  ><div class='container av-section-cont-open' ><div class='template-page content  av-content-small alpha units'><div class='post-entry post-entry-type-page post-entry-75'><div class='entry-content-wrapper clearfix'><section  class='av_textblock_section av-av_textblock-396ddf1f42196ca838231e61a4602801 '   itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock'  itemprop=\"text\" ><p><strong>by Heimgest DCG<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>First published in ORB No. 107, April 1991<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-4567\" src=\"http:\/\/odinic-rite.org\/test\/wp-content\/uploads\/or-featured-hemgest-300x243.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"243\" srcset=\"https:\/\/odinic-rite.org\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/or-featured-hemgest-300x243.jpg 300w, https:\/\/odinic-rite.org\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/or-featured-hemgest.jpg 420w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>Odinism is not a rigidly dogmatic religion. Many approaches to our faith exist, and function side by side, but there must be recognisable parameters within which it operates or our identity is obscured or lost.<\/p>\n<p>Odinism is a living faith; it evolves; yet it maintains the timeless spiritual essence of our people. It is a way of life, a celebration of life, too vast to be encapsulated in words alone, yet simple enough to feel inwardly, and that intuitive wisdom should find outer expression in our actions. Odinism is the love of a family, the giving and receiving of hospitality. It is loyalty. It is the striving to live decent, honourable lives. It is a million things &#8211; and IT IS OURS! It cements our identity and gives us freedom.<\/p>\n<p>Today many mistake freedom for lack of responsibility. Some will say &#8220;I want to be free &#8211; no rules &#8211; no restraints &#8211; no discipline!&#8221; This idea is an absurdity, garbage spouted by the foolish, the perverse, and the pretentious. It is a lie of the exploiter. We are not separate from nature, from creation &#8211; nothing is &#8211; and nature has immutable laws. Some people may not like this, but it is a fact of existence, and Odinism accepts it.<\/p>\n<p>Nature is full of diversity, and our faith reflects and respects this. Our own folk have always been individualistic, and Odinism reflects this also. There is room in our faith for differing views and perceptions. This is good and healthy, but still there is the apparent paradox that to be truly free, and remain free, one must also have responsibility, because each individual is part of the whole. As individuals we are part of the folk. To aid the folk aids the individual and our personal future is part of our people&#8217;s future. As Odinists we serve our folk and ourselves &#8211; when our people are free, the individual will also be free. If an individual separates himself from his race he loses his heritage because he loses the heritage of his people. He becomes &#8216;outcast&#8217;, cut off from past and future, and with no identity in the present. To defend your people&#8217;s identity is to defend your own.<\/p>\n<p>An outward expression of this truth is the Odinic Rite&#8217;s structure. The Rite does not snuff out individuality but offers channels for its expression for the good of all. Firstly we have individual Apprentices, who if they feel sufficiently committed, may be professed into Odin&#8217;s Holy Nation. This is a solemn and binding oath before Gods and men. A few may take this lightly in this Age of fast foods, fast entertainment, and fast values. In a material sense such folk may or may not prosper, but spiritually they damage themselves, and distance themselves from the Folk Soul, the Gods, and their own true worth. Most of those men and women who take the Oath of Profession remain true; they wear the &#8216;Torc&#8217; as a token of honour.<\/p>\n<p>An individual, Apprentice or Professed, can become a member of a Hearth, which allows each person another way of growing within a supportive unit. Each member also supports the Hearth. Every Hearth, as a unit, will develop its own identity within the greater body of the Odinic Rite. Some will stress the development of esoteric aspects, some cultural, some practical, or some may have come together around a common interest. Our faith has many facets. Hearths may come together for joint activities such as festivals, camps and moots.<\/p>\n<p>Our structure provides a solid framework to build on. It should be a circle of loyalty, and it ensures our unique identity.<\/p>\n<p>Read the other articles in this series:<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.odinic-rite.org\/test\/odinism-our-faith-heritage-and-identity-part-1\/\">Part 1<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.odinic-rite.org\/test\/odinism-our-faith-heritage-and-identity-part-3\/\">Part 3<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.odinic-rite.org\/test\/odinism-our-faith-heritage-and-identity-part-4\/\">Part 4<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Odinism is not a rigidly dogmatic religion. Many approaches to our faith exist, and function side by side, but there must be recognisable parameters within which it operates or our identity is obscured or lost.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4567,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[150,278,563,620,631,781,784,1051],"class_list":["post-75","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-or-and-odinism","tag-celebration-of-life","tag-dogmatic-religion","tag-intuitive-wisdom","tag-living-faith","tag-loyalty","tag-odinism","tag-odinists","tag-spiritual-essence"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/odinic-rite.org\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/odinic-rite.org\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/odinic-rite.org\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/odinic-rite.org\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/odinic-rite.org\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=75"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/odinic-rite.org\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/odinic-rite.org\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4567"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/odinic-rite.org\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=75"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/odinic-rite.org\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=75"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/odinic-rite.org\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=75"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}