About this Site: To Seekers, Critics, and Friends
I created this site in January of 2008. In writings that I'd previously shared with people, I got a lot of praise, and Frey strongly suggested I build a website of publicly accessible writings "so people know they're not alone". I have gotten consistently positive feedback and I realize this is sorely needed. While the writings here mainly deal with my own personal experiences and practice, I believe it can apply to others, whether they take things in whole, or in part with modifications, or even strongly disagree with me, enough that it inspires them to write about what they believe, and why.
That being said, for better communication all around, I should explain some things up front, to keep in mind as you read the writings here.
TO SEEKERS
I am a devotee of Frey (since 2004) and His etin-bride Gerda (since Yule 2007). In terms of the three tribes or pantheons of the Northern Tradition, I am Vanic-focused, in contrast with those who are Aesir-focused (not necessarily Asatru) or those who are Jotun-focused/Rokkrtru. While I do, in fact, have alliances with some of the more "controversial" Jotnar as well as some of the more "acceptable" Aesir, and I give these Beings occasional honor, I am still working within a Vanic framework which is more what I have termed "Low Church/Low Magick" practices, that is, folk magick and simplistic ritual. As a votary of the Vanir, and Frey and Gerda specifically, my words will be colored by my devotion to this tribe of the Northern Gods. My alliance to some etins has obscured the fact that my primary Deity relationships are with Vanir, and They are the biggest influence on the way I conduct my spiritual and mundane affairs.
The writings here are mostly about the Gods and wights, and our interactions with Them. There are a few rants, but I feel that it's important to focus on the positive -- what we can do about our spiritualities -- rather than dwelling on the negative. I mention some of the negatives because they're there, and to turn a blind eye does no one a favor.
I firmly believe that there is a middle way between "fluffy bunny white light" that denies the reality of nature and the hardships it can bring, and the "more hardcore than thou" mode of thinking that feels suffering for one's belief makes a person "real". In my point of view, both sorrow and joy contribute to personal growth, and rather than trying to dominate ("power-over"), conform ("power-under"), or escape ("no-power"), one should find one's own niche in life and the greater scheme of things. I have survived many upheavals and traumas, and I live with some chronic disabilities, yet I feel a positive spirituality connecting with the Gods of the World has helped me rebuild my life, and connecting with some aspect of the Divine can offer hope to those who are seeking. It is my desire that the information presented on this website may help in that area, somehow.
Do not take my word as being the foremost and final authority on any subject. While there are certain subjects I feel I am capable of speaking on -- cultivating a relationship with Frey, being a God-spouse... those sorts of things -- I am not the Asapope, nor am I able to transmit Super Speshul Shaymanik Powahs via text. I throughly believe everyone needs to work their Wyrd out for themselves, and you owe it to yourself and your sanity to read as much as you can and get second opinions, get third opinions, before you jump the gun on anything. I have unfortunately seen too many people get on bandwagons of things without knowing what they are doing, and I refuse to take the blame for someone's "Asatru career" being ruined because this all looks really great and glamorous through text. (Honoring the Jotnar, in particular, may look real cool and "spooky", but for those of us who take it seriously, these are very volatile Beings who will make life very interesting if you approach Them without knowing what you're doing.)
Read everything you can get your hands on, and question everything that is thrown your way. Accepting things on faith alone is no more virtuous than being a skeptic. There is a sane middle between the believer-in-anything and the skeptic-of-everything.
TO CRITICS (OR WOULD-BE CRITICS)
While I do not personally identify as Asatru or Heathen, and have an article here discussing the specifics of why I no longer apply those terms to my religious practice, I am not anti-Heathen or anti-Asatru. I do have several friends who identify as Heathen and/or Asatru, and I have no desire to offend them, and it has been mentioned to me by a few good folk that my attitudes are close to the Asatruar in some parts of Europe. :)
Moreover, it should be said that I have no right to tell other people they're "doing it wrong" or to do it "my way". I'm not against Kindred X having their toast to Thor and never raising a horn to Loki -- I may disagree with their perceptions of Loki, but I don't have a right to even tell Kindred X they are "wrong", never mind telling Kindred X what they can and cannot do in their group. It's not necessarily "wrong", just different. I acknowledge that something somebody is used to doing, may work for them, and if it's not broken, don't fix it. Along those same lines, I reserve the right to do my thing, and so long as I'm doing my thing over here and not trying to promote myself as being Asatru or a Recon, there should be no problem. Right? Right. Unfortunately, some people have not extended the same courtesy to me, and I have an article addressing this very subject, located here, specifically for people who have said or assumed things about myself and my associates, or people who have heard such gossip and are curious as to what is really going on.
I see religion as being a very personal thing, between yourself and the Gods, and even within an orthodoxy you still have people who relate to their God/s and Their worship quite differently. It's not up to me to tell you which Gods you should be closest to. I believe very strongly in "Live and let live". You can honor your Gods as you see fit, whether that's Odin, Thor, Frey, Loki, Surt, or Xenu. (The last was a joke. Sort of.) In contrast, I reserve the right to honor *my* Gods as I see fit, and provide options for those who want something a little different, and are not finding it within mainstream Heathenry. Currently, there is not much of a place within Aesir (esp. Odin and Thor)-dominated Heathenry for those who honor the Vanir and practice Witchcraft, or for those who have alliances with Jotnar/Rokkr and practice shamanic techniques.
The vast majority of opinion on this site as far as to what the Gods are like and what the Gods do has been formed by Unverified Personal Gnosis (abbreviated to UPG). This is the only place I will put a disclaimer, as I don't feel I should have to take up a paragraph on every page with such, and it gets annoying to see repeated disclaimers: "All right, already!". In most cases my personal gnosis of the Gods has been confirmed by others who have relationships with the same Deities and have had similar revelations from Them. I am a hard polytheist and I do believe the Gods will interact with people and even intervene in people's lives although with varying degrees of contact and influence. In other words, not hearing from the Gods does not necessarily mean one is "doing it wrong", however the possibility should not be completely ruled out just because They are not doing it to everyone. I do believe that it is possible and even common for people to be devout without having mystical experiences, and indeed it takes all kinds of people to make a world. I am not superior to you or anyone else because I tend towards the woo-woo side. If everyone was a mystic, communing with the Gods all day long, nothing would ever get done. Shamans, mystics, and other types have always been historically rare. However, there is an entire spectrum of woo, from the heavily God-bothered to those who get occasional "pings", and I believe most people fit somewhere on this spectrum.
You will note that I have a very good grounding in the primary sources of historical lore (such as the Eddas, Sagas, historians such as Bede, Saxo, Tacitus, Adam of Bremen, Jordanes, etc) as well as secondary sources (HRED, the Wodenings, et al), and I have made the analogy of using these texts as a diving board into the swimming pool of deeper understanding of the Northern Gods. I do believe it is important to read the Lore with a grain of salt, as it was written by cultural/religious outsiders, moreover we do not live in the 6th century and much of the way the Gods interact with us has changed because *humanity* has changed. If you don't think humanity has changed much since the 6th century, step away from the Internet now. Yes, you. Now. I do have to say, also, that the way the religion of the Northlands looked from 500-1000 C.E. is not the way it looked during 1500-2000 B.C.E., even though people were inhabiting those areas. We don't have written Lore to work with from that time, but we do have archaeology to piece together what might have happened. I believe a lot of my personal gnosis points towards the way religion was practiced during that time period, updated to being relevant for the 21st century. Even so, I wouldn't go so far as to say the Northern religion is what you want it to be... it's not. You cannot pull anything you want out of your ass and say, "This is it." The Northern religions (by any name) need to retain some cultural elements for it to be what it is and not look like Wicca with Nordic names attached. But it is necessary for us to be intellectually honest and have a sense of reality, which would mean not insisting on 6th century tribal standards for the 21st century urban jungle dweller or suburbanite, and ignoring the fact that we live in a globalized society with influence from many different cultures.
The viewpoints presented on this site are solely that of one Sigrún Hildiwulf Freyskona. They may or may not necessarily be shared by my partner, my Kindred, and people whose sites I have linked to. I do not claim to speak for anyone other than myself, even if I have received feedback from people in enthusiastic agreement with the writings here.
TO FRIENDS
As I re-work this bit on my website at the end of June 2008, I have received many e-mails through the contact form on my site, from people all over the world, almost all being positive feedback, and often thanks for putting the information out there. I say, thank you. I'm not here to change the world, or change people's minds, but it is always great to encounter like-minded people, and it gives me hope that the Northern religion may make a turn for something more sane and wholistic; I would really like to think, from what I've observed as of late, there are more people concerned with embracing the Gods and Midgard rather than stirring up trouble. This is my prayer. Though we may come off as being "a warrior religion", you can't fight all the people, all the time.
So again, tusind takk to the people who have sent positive feedback, know that it makes my day and encourages me to keep reaching towards the Gods, and to keep on writing.
In closing, I truly hope whoever reads this website can benefit from some part of it, and may better understanding and Vanic frith rule the day. If you have any questions or comments about this site, please feel free to contact me. There is no such thing as a stupid question.
Blessings,
Siggy
June 27th, 2008