Explore the mysterious and tragic priesthood of Diana at Nemi, where a deadly fight for succession was waged between a runaway slave and the priest. Discover the strange rituals and beliefs that surrounded the sacred grove, from the Golden Bough to the love of Diana and Hippolytus. Uncover the secrets of this ancient and strange cult.
The king, throughout Germanic tribal history, was considered the holder of the luck of his tribe. The onus was upon him to maintain a good relationship with the divine, and it was through him that his tribe received the blessings of the gods.
Eric Wodening’s “We Are Our Deeds – The Elder Heathenry – Its Ethic and Thew” provides a strong basis for beginning such a study. Using linguistics, the author examines English words and their origins in an effort to determine what the ancients really meant when they used terms like “good” and “evil”.
Growing up the way I did, there was an acceptance as fact of the myths associated with Christianity. My mom or grandmother, I forget which, had some picture or knick-knack that bore the phrase: “Only one life, ’twill soon be past; only what’s done for Christ will last.” When I was 18, I believed that I was “called” to preach. And I did for a while, hard though that might be to imagine, and even attended seminary. Eventually, after becoming an atheist, I was forced to analyze the idea of being “called” in different terms. I’ve always been rather
No one knows what happens after death, but I choose to live as if I understand its possibilities. Whether I have a shot at Valhalla or not, I will honor my folk and their gods by leading with integrity and standing in the footsteps of my spiritual ancestor, Óðinn.
Discover the ancient practice of pagans and heathens: embracing what we do, rather than what we believe, to stand in the middle ground and unlock divine experiences through rituals and traditions. Suspend disbelief and reap the rewards.
Among the many foreign concepts perpetrated on my ancestors by the invasion of Christianity, one was the idea that belief mattered. Ancient paganism, whether from Northern Europe or elsewhere, is orthopraxic rather than orthodoxic, meaning that it is about what one does and not what one believes. Many come to modern heathenry with a focus on gods and rites. This is understandable, as most of us were raised with Christian influences (even if we did not grow up Christian) and many of us came to heathenry via Wicca as the latter is the most accessible of the modern alternative
Honor the spirit of home and land. Remind yourself to appreciate and respect what surrounds you; your walls, floor, mantle, trees, and animals. Take nothing for granted and build the most precious things of all – family homes and homesteads. Together, these foster bonds that build clans and tribes – the utmost successful societal forms of life.
Heathenry is about home and family. Centering our lives around relationships with our kith and kin, honoring our ancestors, and investing in the welfare of our larger group, we strive for a life of reciprocal inviolability, a life with greater meaning and purpose.
Discover our primal need for an “innangarðr,” or an orderly environment with people that we can truly trust. Heathenry and paganism offer a meaningful cultural context to build such relationships despite living in a chaotic world.