Exploring Our Gods and Goddesses – Sigyn

We know very little about the Goddess Sigyn. Not much has survived from the pre-Christian era about this Goddess, yet despite the fact that little has survived, there is still much available to us to learn from.

On racism, hate, and the folly of disrespecting the Goddess Hel

Some things need to be shared, emphatically.

Sarenth’s blog from about a year ago is suddenly exploding with the comments from some narrow-minded racist idiot, who is leaving f-bombs, poor grammar, atrocious spelling, and far more seriously death & rape threats. Part and parcel of the death threat is the person’s written desire to create killing squads to put entire ethnic groups to death. [Sarenth, you definitely need to report it to WordPress.] Oh, and let us not forget that he is using one of our Deities’ names as an insult. Disrespecting the Goddess Hel is NEVER a good idea. I’m not repeating it here, because well, I have a healthy respect for the divine, and I also strongly believe that trolls don’t deserve their 15 minutes of infamy. But, I felt prompted to educate the poor small-minded one on why this was NOT a good idea.

In the steps of the ancestors… how Pope Francis’ trip isn’t all rainbows and blessed babies

One of the tenets for those of us who work in Northern Tradition polytheism, is that not only do we honor the old Gods and Goddesses, and the spirits (vaettir/wights) of land and sea, but that we also honor those who came before us: our ancestors who paved the way. So what makes more sense than to take that road paved on their blood, sweat, tears and bodies, and walk in remembrance?

Have you made your ancestor’s proud today?

Understanding the Terms – Wyrd & Orlog

The concepts of wyrd and orlog are interconnected, but can sometimes prove to be stumbling blocks as their meanings are learned. In Heathenry or Northern Tradition Polytheism we have no absolute concept of one’s fate, rather we have a notion that our destiny, or doom is comprised by choices and while a certain fate may come to pass, we also have the ability to make other choices to potentially change it. To understand how wyrd and orlog are connected, let us explore the meanings of these words.

Norns at the fountain by Sarmati

And so it begins…

Through the years I’ve been one voice among so many others talking about the Gods and Goddesses of the Northern Tradition. My voice has been heard across forums, mailing lists, Livejournal, and Facebook. My words have been seen as a columnist at the interfaith website Patheos, as a contributor to Witches and Pagan Magazine and as a contributor to various polytheistic devotionals. I have been a presence at various kindreds and their rituals, attended numerous gatherings as both one among many there to worship with the community, and sometimes there in the role of gythia (priestess). I have spun songs, and sung invocations to our Gods. I have spoken of ways to connect to one’s ancestors.

But as invariably happens, life pulls you in different directions and so I retreated from public for the most part overwhelmed by a job that kept me ridiculously busy and a number of serious concerns impacting my family. Yet in private I never abandoned my Gods, or my ancestors. My practice continued.

And now circumstances have transpired enabling me to return once again to share my voice, my musings and thoughts, to be publicly part of the conversation once more.

And so it begins.

P.S. So this is my first venture here on Word Press, I imagine I'll be tweaking the design and layout for a while until I precisely get the look and feel I want. Please be patient with me in the meantime.