Reblogged from Goddess of 10,000 Names:

A monumental sculpture of a reclining female form carved into the earth, dubbed "Lady of the North", has sparked much controversy in the English city of Cramlington. Some complain of the huge waste of taxpayer's money (an unfounded critique, considering the work's funding through the private companies Banks Mining and the Blagdon Estate). Others say "Why not an amusement park as a tourist attraction instead?" (despite the disruption of environment caused by a land form sculpture and an amusement park, the former is overall more environmentally friendly and beautiful than the latter).

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Asatru is the religion of kin, and we worship our ancestors. A father is someone who teaches you and loves you, and what is more deserving of honor and later worship after they have passed on and watch you from the other side?

All to often, we under appreciate our fathers. We put so much emphasis as a society on mothers, largely because for the longest time it was our mothers who we knew while our fathers were gone to work. They provided for us, were figures of order and authority, and while they sometimes could be strict, a good one always had your back.

My father is such a man. So I honor him, and give praise to him, and ask the Gods to bless a man who has no reason to help me, but does so anyways because he is a good person, and my Father.

Hail to my Father. Hail to my Fathers.

Also, I find myself living in a house I’ve not lived in in ten years. It was a place I never thought I’d live in again. At least for a weekend, I’m living with my Father, because I lost my home.

Part of the reason I haven’t posted in two months, and barely posted before that, was because I’d been in a relationship. Most of you are aware of this, I mentioned my girlfriend a few times. Well, it ended, badly. She joined a mystical order, got interested in their nominal leader, he got interested back. She promised it wouldn’t effect our relationship, so I didn’t complain. He lost his home, and I did the noble and Heathen thing, and offered him a roof.

From there, things went down hill. Rapidly, badly. I’m not a perfect person, I’ll be the first to admit it. But hospitality was betrayed by greed, good intentions repaid with aggression, ill treatment, and threats. This led to great stress on my body and mind, which when combined with the stress of my job, ruined my health to the point I believed I was going to die. For a month, after grevious treatment by both of them, she and I tried to make it work, but it was too late, and her other romantic interest proved sly at hindering our attempts. A few weeks ago, we ended it, but said we’d try to be friends.

Friendship, it seems, does not last long. Within a day, she started to tear into me. A few days later it was so bad I ran off to a friends house and stayed for half a week. When I returned, I did my best to ignore them, to avoid trouble. For a while, they were content. But then they were no longer content, and Thursday night it came to a head. Threats were made, and I could no longer feel safe. So I left. Where it goes from here, how I manage, I still do not know. These things, are in the hands of the Gods and the Norn.

But even if, at the end, all threats are born out and all i have is my Faith…that will be enough. I’ve reached that far in my growth, at least. And what flows from the faith of a Norseman…is exactly what you give to that Norseman. Like for Like.

Blessings of Hel upon you all. It is good to be home.

As of today, numbers are about 3 dead, 144 injured, and a lot of questions. CNN’s article is enlightening in that it reveals absolutely nothing about who did it, merely saying the “police have leads.” Which sounds a lot like the police don’t have much of a clue either. The end of the article states that a Saudi National is being guarded at the hospital as a person of interest, and that another suspect with dark skin and a possible accent may be wanted.

Of course, once we heard about it, everyone went crazy trying to figure out who. Muslims, Christians, (one CNN analyst kept pushing that it was probably a right wing group, whatever that means. I’ve seen left wing terrorists labeled as right wing as soon as the media hits).

The third blast at the JFK library is being claimed to be a “mechanical” issue, rather than a bomb. Not sure I believe that.

Where does that leave us? Well, people are scared, and hurt. The AFA on facebook was talking about how they had sent out an info packet to all their members to start helping their Folk, which is a good start. I’m pretty sure other organizations out there are doing the same. This would normally be the part where i give a place you can donate money or time to, but I don’t have anything like that.

I merely offer my prayers to Hel that the souls of the dead find peace, and my prayers to the rest of the Aesir and the Vanir that justice is brought to bear on the true culprits.

So far there have been no missions or tasks for me, mostly because she’s been working to repair some of the damage I’ve built up over the years. Which…has been rough. Healing is not ever an easy experience, and though Hel is the Goddess of Death and life, just because she can remove a wound doesn’t mean she will do it as smoothly as say Eir will. Not that I’m complaining. Old abilities are likely coming back, and once adapted to, should be useful. Also because I’ve been over busy with work, and I thank her for the understanding.

Hopefully I’ll be able to get back to blogging soon. I do miss sharing with everyone out there. Questions can of course be sent to the email provided above, so I’m always happy to do that and with permission, it would give me something to post.

Blessings of Hel upon you all.

Lucius Svartwulf Helsen

I do wish to apologize for the lack of updates, life got in the way again, but hopefully I will be able to get more of the Getting Started series out there for you folks as I write them. Easter would have been a wonderful chance, but alas.

Anyways, since I took my Oath to Hel, I’ve been working on different things. A symbol of faith was made before the Oath, but I am finally going to show it to you all. Hel likes to garden, and for me her holy symbols are derived from flowers (especially the Hel Orcid, more on that later). And thanks to an idea my GF had, which she got from the Dresden files (and I feel bad I didn’t run with this sooner) I have made a small box of runes to carry with myself at all times that I might have their power ready, since I can’t always lug around paper and pen thanks to my job.

Lastly, I was going to get a tattoo to mark my dedication to Hel, but ended up finding something today that I had to snatch up (I was compelled, I tell you! She wanted it! There was squee!) that has put that on hold. Namely, a new idol in the form of a statue of Death (by Neil Gaimon) that I found at the comic book shop. A gracious discount was offered unto me, and I could not deny the divine providence of payday and discount.

So here they are below, the box and runes, symbol, and idol.

Reblogged from The Belle Jar:

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If there is one thing that drives me absolutely bananas, it's people spreading misinformation via social media under the guise of "educating". I've seen this happen in several ways - through infographics that twist data in ways that support a conclusion that is ultimately false, or else through "meaningful" quotes falsely attributed to various celebrities, or by cobbling together a few actual facts with statements that are patently untrue to create something that seems plausible on the surface but is, in fact, full of crap.

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Hail unto you, my Goddess, my friend. May our journey be long and happy in both this life and the next.

Reblogged from voice of my ancestors:

"To go to Hel" means to die. Hel is a place, and seen as a figure. In most instances, she is seen as female, but rarely also as neutral. While Oden's Valkyries take the victorious slain-in-battle, Freyja another portion of the dead, Hel presides over the rest. She is envisioned as a crone-like woman, fierce and dreary with half her face made of flesh and the other half made of darkness.

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This is not a surprising thing, we’ve all been raised in a society with an emphasis on the “morality” of life, of good and evil, and what one should not do lest they face punishment divine and eternal. We’ve been force fed a world where somethings are evil simply because they displease a God and we’ve been fed the rules of that God, consciously or unconsciously.

But Asatru, and Heathenism, does not have a concept of Evil. We don’t. There was no evil out there for us. Now, there are bad things out there, and there are things you should probably not do, but there is not evil.

Many a Heathen finding this out wonders, “what is good, then?” How should I live, without the clear cut morality that I’m used to?

The answer is simple, you seek to live a good life, and what is good is this: Do right by your Kin (Divine and Mortal), Keep your Word/Honor, and Seek Glory.

We’ll start by looking at keeping your Word/Honor. Your word is your bond, your honor is your worth, and that which you say you will do, you must do, or it brings forth bad consequences to not just you, but your kin as well. Here’s an example. A man and wife say that they will love each other, share their wealth, and raise a family under the Oath of Marriage. But when that Oath is broken, bad will is let out, often on the innocent, as many a husband or wife who thought they were being a good spouse has found out when a vengeful other tore their world apart. Children are ripped from a family and often turned against one parent or another. Wealth is sundered and one spouse is left destitute, and depending on which spouse that is, can often find themselves in financial slavery to the other for decades, if not longer.

(This is not to say that divorces is a bad thing, and our ancestors allowed both husbands and wives to divorce each other. Sometimes, things cannot be saved, and it is better for a family to part).

But say you keep your word. You help a friend when you say you would. The bonds become stronger, and that friend will help you out in turn, especially if they are a Heathen and the rule of Gift for Gift is in force. Showing up on time to your job, paying your bills, placing food on the table of your family, and a roof over the heads of Kin, these are honorable and will breed good things. The Gods reward those who live with honor, and so too with good mortal kin as well.

This brings us to doing right by your Kin. This one is sometimes harder. Gift for Gift is of course in full effect here, but there is more than that. You hold the Honor of your Kin with your deeds. Think of Hitler, and his deeds, now think of everyone who shares in the name of Hitler? Think of what life must be like for them, even if they share little or no blood with Adolf? With his deeds, Adolf Hitler dragged the name of not just himself, but his kin, down with him. But think of George Washington? His name was made great, so great that even those with no blood to him have taken his name in order to both Honor him, and to evoke some of his power.

You determine how people will view your kin.

But this is also true for your Heathen Kin. When you are open about your faith, and you should be for this brings one on the path of Glory, no matter the hardships, you speak and set an example of every other Heathen out there. If you say you worship Odin, but then lie to all you meet, what will they think of you? Of fellow Heathens? Of Odin himself? Will they see you as a man of your word, or someone who should be shunned and mistrusted?

You will come across those who say they are Heathens, but who rant and hiss at those of other races, who speak of conspiracies and attempts to destroy the Kin. Do not question their faith, for it is in each man’s heart that he must determine what and how much he believes. But know that they do harm the Kin, for it allows others to claim that we are all Racists, and that we follow the same path as Hitler, and this defames our kin. I do not concern myself with the thoughts or potential plans of any such people that might be out there who do seek to destroy our Kin, because I trust that our Gods will see to our defense, and that by living good and honorable lives, we will show the world what it truly means to be Heathens, and that the conspiracies and plots of fiends and tricksters will come to naught.

Mostly because I also trust in my sword, and if such a fiend comes to my house to try and smash my idols, defame my altar, and to harm my family, I will have a sacrifice or two to give to the Gods.

Lastly is to seek glory. When you become successful, and more importantly, become successful through Honorable means, your name becomes Great. People will look up to you and wish to emulate you. They may see your faith as the key to your success, and so come to the Gods. They may see what being honorable does, and so to begin to live honorable lives.

Heathens, both old and new, respected those who had wealth and power, if only enough to provide a good home to their families. It meant that not only were you not lazy (something that was bad) but that the Gods favored you (which is undeniably good!). If you work hard and keep your oaths, Glory will follow, if only in the form of respect from those who are grateful that you can be relied upon.

But what do you do about people that abuse your honor, your good will, and harm your kin? That is simple, you give a gift for a gift. If a man is an oathbreaker, who gives you his word and then willfully forgoes keeping it (this is different from someone who says they will do something, but some outside force prevents it), you should turn against with all your will. In that instance, you can, maybe even must, do what you can to prevent harm from coming to yourself or the Kin.

As for what you should not do? There are numerous laws out there from Heathen times, and I’ll likely touch on them, but here are the big three that you should never do.

1) Break an Oath you have any way of keeping, no matter the personal cost.

2) Kinslaying. Never slay a kinsman except in an honorable fight. For if you do it in secret, through trickery, this is Murder, and is far different and much hated by the Gods than simply killing another.

3) The Rape of a Free Person. Against Man or Woman, rape is wrong, regardless of which gender or sexual orientation you or they are. Our ancestors, and we, are open to almost anything sexually, indeed we have at least four Gods and Goddesses that govern sex and sexuality. You can do almost anything you like, but do not rape your kin or a free person. This displeases the Gods greatly, and brings a bad name to you and to the Kin.

So, here’s some hard and fast rules for basic Morality in Heathenism that can get you started. If you have questions, feel free to drop in comments, or reach me through the email posted at the Communication tab.

Does this help Me and more importantly, does this help the Kin?

1) It helps me and the Kin: It is Good

2) It helps me, and is neutral to the Kin: It’s probably good.

3) It helps the Kin, and is neutral to me: It’s probably good.

4) It helps me, but hurts the Kin: It’s probably bad.

5) It helps the Kin, but it hurts me: It’s a grey area, but it might be good, for without the kin we are lost. Speak to the Gods and length about this, and with your kin. :/

6) It hurts me, and it hurts the Kin: It’s BAD! >:(

I’ll talk about all of this more later, but this will get you started.