Of Axe and Plough
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Anglo-Saxon Heathenry and Roman Polytheism. A blog dedicated to Contemporary polytheistic Paganism, emphasizing Heathenry (Fyrnsidu).
Of Axe and Plough
3M ago
August 13th marks the beginning of the Nemoralia (August 13th – August 15th), a festival originally concerned with the Arician expression of Diana Nemorensis (Diana of Nemi). In fact there is a confluence of holy observances in the Roman system on August 13th, of which the observance of Nemoralia is but one. Diana is a notable figure within Roman theology in that She was a common deity to all Latin peoples (Fowler writes that She was second only to Jupiter Latiaris, Jupiter of the Latins, in uniting communities together, see W. Warde Fowler Festivals, pg 198) and represented the myriad groups ..read more
Of Axe and Plough
1y ago
In a recent episode of David Attenborough’s new BBC series Wild Isles, he spoke of what is being colloquially referred to as the “Wood-Wide Web“, …
Learning From The World Around Us ..read more
Of Axe and Plough
1y ago
There’s a certain simplicity in dealing with an overgrowth of English ivy. It could more appropriately be called an infestation, even. Untouched, it is a quite pleasant plant to look at – rustic houses residing in a bucolic countryside, be-garlanded with a lattice of evergreen and woody vine-work which inexorably enshrouds the entirety of whatever structure it is anchored upon, in a green embrace.
It paints a quite pretty picture, although the reality is often something else entirely. If left unchecked, it proves to be quite the nuisance.
Removing such a tenacious and damnable plant is simply ..read more
Of Axe and Plough
2y ago
J. P. F. Wynne’s 2019 monograph Cicero on the Philosophy of Religion: On the Nature of the Gods and On Divination opens its introduction with a with a pointed and cutting sentence:
“The Romans did not understand their own religion.”
I was browsing through the book, to see if it would be of some indeterminable use in the future for my personal reading and polytheistic musings, and this sentence stopped me in my tracks for a moment. Derived from the situation presented by Marcus Tullius Cicero in Academica 1.9, the sentence is certainly direct and eye catching, befitting an introductory hook.
A ..read more
Of Axe and Plough
2y ago
Identity formation is an ongoing process – achieved through both interactions with groups of individuals consisting of a common outlook, and through performative actions of rituals throughout life (Khademi-Vidra, 2014). How they form, are applied through the self or from external sources, and how they are integrated has spawned a century-old subfield of sociology, which only briefly will be spoken about here.
In the modern world, identity formation and enactment is often stripped from individual and communal spaces, largely through a combination of socio-economic forces that dismantles ..read more
Of Axe and Plough
2y ago
In my hiatus, as I am writing my own new material, you should read this. Please, and thank you.
The Wind's Eye
Local Gods hold a special place in my particular religion, where I emphasize connection and interdependence. I’ve always been drawn to building relationships with the spirits that surround me, even from a young age when I didn’t explicitly identify as pagan. Going into the woods as a kid, I tried to feel out the spirits of the trees, the living breath of the forest. I craved those immediate, commonplace connections, discovering the hidden holiness around me, and a feeling of in ..read more
Of Axe and Plough
2y ago
Divine Janus,
Two-Faced God of Things that Were
and Things Yet To Be,
As the Light gives way to the Dark
and the Dusk again to the Dawn,
Each in turn a new beginning,
Bear well Your benevolence on this new turning.
Janus Pater
Bring forth the Sun,
You who begins each year, fleeting,
through renewal of that which came before,
be gracious and merciful,
Open new doors and reveal new vistas.
Janus, God of Gods,
Father of Gods,
Gatekeeper, Beginner, Creator,
Source of Years,
Provide peace upon us ..read more
Of Axe and Plough
2y ago
I just read an amazing quote that sums up my feelings on so much: “You cannot eat theory.” This goes for leftists, polytheists, environmentalists, for damned near anything. You cannot FUCKING eat theory. If your response to someone struggling is to say ‘read theory x’ or ‘read this book/book list’ you are lost. A popular […]
You Cannot Eat Theory ..read more
Of Axe and Plough
2y ago
Clear orbs of light from the natural beeswax tapers flicker in the dark of the room, the flames dancing and forcing the shadows to write along the walls and the corner that the table is set against. It is as if this shrine, this holy space to my ancestors and dead, was a sentinel in that darkness, guarding and bolstering against it even if it is, in reality, simply in one spare bedroom of my apartment overlooking a busy road in Rhode Island.
I always offer sacrifice and prayers at night, at least on holidays that are in observance to the Infernal Gods and the Dead.
My space is adorned w ..read more