Something that bothered me when I first began on my heathen path was the concept of "being heathen".  Once I'd proudly announced (online, naturally) that I was now a heathen there was a period afterward that asked a lot of questions. "Now what?" "What makes me heathen?" "What is different about me now compared to before?" So, I'd made the monumental decision to be heathen (rather than the nihilist I'd been in my twenties) and this was a big deal for me.  So why didn't I feel any different?  I knew I wanted to be heathen, so what could I do to make myself more heathen? As ..read more

I've just finished off season three, the final season, of Ragnarok on Netflix. I really enjoyed all three seasons. The narrative was compelling, the characters engaging and the whole thing was tied up really well by the final episode (no spoilers, though!). I'd love to see more stuff like this. Stories inspired by Norse mythology that aren't just underwear models in historically questionable outfits. I'm surprised and disappointed at how this series hasn't really been picked up and/or discussed by the heathen community - at least, not in the part with which I usually interact. This kin ..read more

A few days ago, on the Asatru UK facebook group, someone took issue with the focus of the next great heathen gathering being the goddess Hel. They seemed very offended by this and accused the group of being "Rokkatru" for paying homage to the ruler of the underworld. Rokkatru are heathens whose primary focus are the beings associated with "darkness" or the underworld. Some of these might be considered antagonists in the story of Ragnarok. Such beings are Hel, Jormungandr, Fenris, Surt and the often maligned Loki. The complainant seemed to be saying that, in heathenry there are "good" beings t ..read more

Perhaps it is fitting that, in a world as tumultuous as this, things have been rather chaotic and this blog has gone ignored in the wake of that. I have a few posts that I need to write, to update whoever might actually be reading this, but I want to restrict myself to the goings on of the last month, for now. After the first part of the year being given over to working my new(-ish) job, August was the first sign of any holiday for my family and I. We had a number of things planned and, looking back, it was a very busy and rewarding period. WE bought a new car (well, new to us). This was a lon ..read more

[p]If you're a heathen of my ilk, you'll be engaged and excited by "The Year of Aun", as explained by the Nordic Animism channel. [p]The rebirth of the 8-year-cycle of festivals and celebration is a momentous occasion for all heathens.  Add to that the goal of healing the world of the various toxins of modernity and it becomes a recipe for creating hope in a time of bitter darkness. [p]Most of the online content relating to #Aun2023, though, is the work of highly educated and very knowledgeable individuals.  Each with vast knowledge in related and Aun-adjacent subjects; animism, an ..read more

The Infamous 1972 Report That Warned of Civilization's Collapse A Wired.com article Capitalist forces, i.e. the unremitting quest for profit at any expense, is driving us toward an ecological apocalypse that will result in nothing short of the end of human civilisation. Those with the power and influence to do anything about it are reluctant to do so and very slow on the take up. Very slow as the article above shows that this undeniable situation we find ourselves in has been understood and forecast at least 50 years ago. It is not a new thing. There isn't any time left to think about things ..read more

Last weekend was the Asatru UK Althyng. In a last-minute, spur of the moment decision back in June, we decided to buy a day ticket for the Saturday. It meant we missed out on the fun later in the evening, but still provided us with a great, family day out. In the Facebook group for our heathen hearth, "Salgofnir's call", I wrote a little mini-review, an edited excerpt of which I'm reposting here: Well, the weekend saw us attend the #asatruuk #althyng at Sentry Circle campsite, Northallerton. We only had day tickets for the Saturday - mostly cos our decision to attend was a bit of a last-minute ..read more

Perhaps I should take a little time to explain the thinking and motivation behind moving this blog away from the popular vikingness of some aspects of heathenry. It is less a rejection of that side of things than it is a recognition that a more generalised pre-christian or even pre-capitalist focus fits in with my other interests, notably ecology, left wing politics and, well, hippiness. The world is in a really bad state at the moment. It could be said that in the west, at least, we are collectively enduring an economic and political, as well as ecological Ragnarok. Politics and the establish ..read more

Perhaps I should take a little time to explain the thinking and motivation behind moving this blog away from the popular vikingness of some aspects of heathenry. It is less a rejection of that side of things than it is a recognition that a more generalised pre-christian or even pre-capitalist focus fits in with my other interests, notably ecology, left wing politics and, well, hippiness. The world is in a really bad state at the moment. It could be said that in the west, at least, we are collectively enduring an economic and political, as well as ecological Ragnarok. Politics and the establish ..read more

Just so that we're not at all ambiguous about it, our heathenry is inclusive.   ..read more