As a Heathen, I view public ritual through the lens of hospitality. Knowing how to act in the most respectful way in any situation was (and is) the key to avoiding many unnecessary disagreements in communities, especially our community.
Category: Modern Heathenry
As a follow-up to our“Offerings for the Gods” article series (Offerings for the Aesir, Vanir, and Jotnar), several of our readers have asked how to make these offerings. There’s no one right way
Spring, for me, is a time of healing. The land comes to life once again, and I am revived as well. Like the land, I go into a hibernation--emotional, spiritual, and sometimes even physical--in the win
As we are in the middle of the spring holidays and are getting ready for summer, it seemed a great time to finally sit down and write a simple ritual for Freyr. Freyr is often honored at many holidays, such as Frexfaxi, Winternights, and Yule, but for me, His presence is most obvious in the Spring.
Every Heathen’s reasons for choosing Heathenry are different. Personally, I have a ton of reasons for choosing a Heathen path. That's why my column at Patheos used to be called “Happily Heathen”
The recent discussions around definition and limitations in Heathenry got me thinking about my own version of Heathenry. Last fall I wrote about why I love Heathenry and what is the heart of Heathenry
As a polytheist, I’ve found that they are many challenges involved with being a woman dedicated to Freyr. One of my biggest issues with Him, and one of the reasons it took me so long to come back to Him, was the myth of how He won his jotun wife, Gerda. It’s a fascinating story told in the form of an old-fashioned narrative ballad (unlike most of the surviving tales), and at first glance it doesn’t really portray Him in a very positive light.
Heathens have a wide variety of spiritual experiences. Some Heathens have little or no direct experiences with the Gods, while others develop devotional relationships with one or more Heathen deities.
My relationship with Freya has been a long one which has involved much wooing on both of our parts. It started when I was 19 and had just found Wicca; She turned out to be my Patron Deity. A few years
When I first started this series, I thought it was going to be pretty straightforward. I mean, everyone knows who the Gods are, right? However, relatively quickly I found out that this was not as easy as it sounds. Does Freyr’s Jotun bride, Gerd, count as a Vanir or as a Jotun? Balder is clearly an Aesir god, but no one seems to actively worship Him, so should He even be included?
Long story short, Norse mythology is messy. It just is. Best to accept it and move on.