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Crafting Invocations

Invocations are a common practice in modern Heathen spirituality. Whether one is engaging in a personal act of daily practice or are participating in a large group ritual, invocations of some kind or another will almost certainly happen. This often leaves newer practitioners wondering how to make their own invocations. In this article, I will unpack some of the big fears that you may be facing before then giving an example of from surviving source material that can help you structure your own invocations. Regardless of how you do it, what matters most is for invocations to be a genuinely authentic expression of you or your community’s understanding of their relationship with the Power being invoked.

Easily the biggest dilemma facing newer practitioners is the looming question: am I doing this right? Having such doubts is perfectly understandable, thanks to the nature of this movement’s emergence. Modern Nordic Paganism is, at its core, a new religious movement that draws its inspiration from ancient spirituality which was subjected to an extended process of violent suppression beginning over a thousand years ago. Very little, if any, material describing the how & the why of pre-Christian Norse spiritual practices survives to the present day. Surviving descriptions of rituals produced during this period were largely written by outside observers, such as the missionary Lebuin, Adam of Bremen, and Ibn Fadlan. None of these men possessed the kind of lived understanding of the spiritualities of Early Medieval Scandinavia that would have likely been taken for granted by the people participating in the rituals they describe.

These conditions aren’t helped by how modern society offers a very clear, specific, and often highly Christian-dominated understanding of how religion and spirituality are supposed to behave. One consequence of this is the idea that for any religious act to work, it must be done according to a specific format laid down over generations of practice. Information on these different practices is clearly defined, documented, and disseminated by institutions with considerable wealth at their backs. This emphasis on correctness, rightness, and adherence to existing forms permeates into how many people in Christian-dominated parts of the world understand the way that religion and spirituality are supposed to work. Anything that doesn’t “fit” within this framework tends to be dismissed as illegitimate, fringe, or fraud.

Unlearning these assumptions is, therefore, a critical part of both thinking about how to write invocations and for addressing broader questions in your spiritual practice. The expectations held by the overculture for how religion and spirituality are supposed to work are ones that have been shaped in an environment of unquestioning Christian spiritual hegemony. They are, therefore, a reflection of assumptions regarding the correctness of ritual and praxis which only accurately apply to Christian-derived spiritual practices.

What is especially significant for modern Heathens and Nordic Pagans is how heavily our practices emphasize the importance of right action over right thought and the general acceptance of imperfection. Doing right, rather than being right, is what matters most and the Powers are just as likely to bless a humble, simple offering of thanks as they are to smile on an elaborate ritual feast. Sometimes all you have to give is a moment of breath and that is as appreciated as the lavishness possible in times of plenty. To quote the Havamal:

No great thing needs | a man to give,
Oft little will purchase praise;
With half a loaf | and a half-filled cup
A friend full fast I made.

Havamal 52, Bellows Translation

We also have some idea of what the invocations and prayers of the pre-conversion Nordic peoples may have been like. One of the best surviving potential example can be found in the Poetic Edda:

“Hail, day! | Hail, sons of day!
And night and her daughter now!
Look on us here | with loving eyes,
That waiting we victory win.

“Hail to the gods! | Ye goddesses, hail,
And all the generous earth!
Give to us wisdom | and goodly speech,
And healing hands, life-long.”

Sigrdrifumal 2-3, Bellows Translation

This pair of verses gives a pretty clear idea of how the Nordic peoples may have organized an invocation. Each verse begins by naming the Power being recognized before then proceeding to request some sort of favor or assistance from them. More broadly, the first verse begins with an appeal to what seem to be animistic powers, the children of day and night, while the second is addressed generally to the Aesir and Asynjur, translated by Bellows as Gods & Goddesses. The general nature of the requests in the Sigrdrifumal also give the impression that these verses may have been a more general benediction though this possibility is speculation.

What this suggests for modern practitioners is that you can structure your invocations in a similar fashion. It is totally acceptable to limit your invocations to simple recognition and praise but you can, if you feel it is necessary, request assistance from the Powers you are working with. Whether you choose to do so is, of course, up to you but that this option exists is one to remember. Therefore, invocation is not necessarily an act of supplication. It is a request for interaction, relationship, and building trust between you and the Power you are addressing.

When it comes to composing a Nordic invocation, one tool you may wish to employ are kennings. All of the Powers possess different bynames, titles, and nicknames which reflect different aspects of what they represent. They also make clear to the Power in question that you are familiar with them and are very directly trying to reach them through a specific set of associations. Such kennings can be ones that are found in historical sources, personal kennings, or ones that have developed in your community. You could choose, if you wish, to use one of the skaldic poetic forms for structuring any words you use as part of the invocation as is done in the verses from the Sigrdrifumal. You are also free to use whatever other forms of creative expression you think are best for the Power and moment, such as dancing, specific movements, chanting, and singing.

One example would be if you were writing an invocation to Thor for strength in a coming confrontation. You could choose to invoke Thor as God of Laughter or Friend of Man for inspiring moral courage, the Thunderer if you are seeking more overt ability, or Warder of Midgard if you are expecting to be facing a trial which demands great endurance. How Thor is invoked will matter as much as that he is invoked and including such additional kennings helps guide this mighty Power more carefully. You are also free to change an invocation as your relationship with the Power in question grows and develops.

Ultimately, what matters most with your invocations is that they feel effective, meaningful, and authentic to your understanding of your spiritual practice. They will always vary, with every practitioner adapting or changing invocations to best meet the needs of the moment. You can be as traditional or modern, simple or stylized, as you like with your invocations. How you do invocations will also change as your practice grows and develops. As long as you feel that your invocations are effective for initiating and maintaining relationship with the Powers in question then that is what is most important.

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Developing Daily Practice

Daily practice is a common routine for many modern Pagans and Heathens of all levels of experience. For many newer practitioners, starting a daily practice is a critical first step in developing their personal spirituality. Experienced practitioners who have never used one or may have lapsed in their daily workings can also benefit greatly from reviving long-dormant exercises. This article will discuss some of the biggest dilemmas related to personal practice, including the constant question of, “am I doing it right”, some tools that are commonly used for daily practice in modern Heathen and Nordic Pagan spirituality, and a few initial answers to the challenges of how to make daily practice fit into your life. Above all else, what matters most in developing daily practice is that it is right and meaningful for you.

One of the most common questions around daily practice is the ever-present, “am I doing this right?” The answer to that isn’t something you can find in a book or online. It comes from whatever it is that you feel is most effective for developing your daily practice. How this looks and works will, by definition, vary from person to person. You may also find that you change different aspects of it, such as which Powers you work with, based on your experiences in life and spiritual practice. Daily practice, like all other aspects of Heathen spirituality, is something that will grow, develop, and change over time. That said, there are certain elements which are commonly used by Norse and Heathen practitioners in their daily practices which may work well for you. These are blót, trance, and divination.

Blót is one of the more common, popular elements to incorporate into daily practice and the reasons for this are straightforward. A personal blót is easy to do on a regular basis and tailor to your preferences. You can do as many or as few rounds as you like, provide what offerings you feel are most significant, and engage with the Powers in a very personal, less filtered way than group or public blóts. Such personal moments of communion are an excellent space to try new approaches and hone existing methods. Blót in daily practice is a space where you can affirm your personal, one on one relationship with the Powers that you honor and work with most frequently.

Trance in daily practice, in contrast to blót, gives a space for more freeform spiritual exploration. Where blót is useful for developing personal relationships with the Powers, trance helps deepen your understanding of working in altered states and opens you to a broader range of experiences. Trance during daily practice is an opportunity to experiment, seek guidance on highly personal questions, and develop greater confidence in your skill with trance work. Incorporating trance into daily practice is also an excellent way to practice your skills in working through altered states of consciousness. Whether you engage in deep uti seta sessions or calming exercises for processing the stresses of daily life, what matters is any trance you use adds to your spiritual experience.

Divination is a popular element in daily practice in many Pagan traditions, including Heathen ones. The reasons why are understandable. Whether divination is used for mystical insights, guidance from the Powers, or personal reflection, divination is a very user-friendly, approachable tool that is easy to incorporate into daily practice. What makes divination in personal practice especially useful is that it is free from the usual constraints of divinatory work. Daily practice divination, unlike many conventional readings, can be an unconstrained space to lay open to whatever the Powers or the Wyrd will show you. For newer Heathens and Nordic Pagans looking for ways to learn the runes, incorporating runic divination into your daily practice divination is an effective way to deepen your experience with them. Daily castings, readings, and contemplation of runes unbounded by specific questions or desires can be a highly useful mechanism for understanding their meanings, potential relationships, and significance.

Incorporating blót, trance, or divination into your daily practice are all useful tools for developing your personal spirituality. Unfortunately, many Heathens and Nordic Pagans often find it challenging to make space for daily practice. Everyone faces some combination of challenges to survival, ranging from family and health to work, school, and keeping a stable home. All of these are, likely, made worse by the, “are you doing this right?” voice whispering criticisms of anything that seems like less than what you “should” be doing for the Powers.

This omnipresent fear presents a significant barrier to personal and spiritual development. Its bones are made from the expectations and demands of daily life, which leave little space for anything not conforming to the ruthless, externally dictated cycles of production which drive society. Throughout this endless slog, the ceaseless drumbeats of productivity, hustle, and grind conspire to silence all other possibilities including those which divert precious labor time away from maximizing someone’s bottom line. Worst of all is the deeply embedded assumption that anything less than perfect is simply not good enough, on and off the job. In this world, claiming any amount of time with any kind of devotional action for your personal practice is an assertion of autonomy against the countless unceasing processes constantly pounding your Selfhood.

When viewed in this light, making space to engage with your spirituality, on your terms and in any form, gives you the time and space to truly appreciate who you are and what matters to you. Just as some of the most renowned of the Nordic Gods, like Odin and Tyr, are defined by their scars and how they got them, the same is true of the unique quirks, personal touches, and on the spot adaptations that come from the burdens of daily life. What the scolding voice of modern anxiety dismisses as imperfection is, in truth, another form of your life finding ways to flourish despite whatever is arrayed against it. Whether your daily practice on any given day is a short five minutes consisting of a whispered prayer and small libation or an extended process incorporating blót, trance, and divination, your level of practice is worthy as long as it brings you meaning, guidance, and solace.

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Review – Why We Fight: Essays on Fascism, Resistance, and Surviving the Apocalypse

There is little question we are living in tumultuous, trying times. Many works have emerged, each offering unique perspectives and ideas on how to best confront these challenges. Why We Fight: Essays on Fascism, Resistance, and Surviving the Apocalypse by Shane Burley, longtime antifascist journalist and researcher, is one such publication that offers powerful, piercing insights into how to best confront our changing, collapsing world. This collection of his published works on the struggle with the far right, living in an increasingly apocalyptic world, and what can be done, effectively demonstrate that Burley’s thinking runs deep into the roots of what ails modern society. His collected works show a clear evolution of analysis rooted in antifascism and offering direct responses to the greater challenges of our time. Burley’s strengths, as an author and thinker, are best demonstrated by how he effectively weaves his works into a broader tapestry and specifically by examples like “25 Theses on Antifascism”, “Introduction to Armageddon”, and “Chase the Black Sun”, all of which are included in this collection.

“25 Theses on Antifascism” follows three essays which each describe key developments in the struggle against the rising Alt-Right and their fellow-travelers, a choice which one could infer was meant to lay a foundation for the theoretical positions that Burley presents in his 25 Theses. Here he effectively presents his core observations, conclusions, and descriptions of how fascism operates and why these facts make antifascism vitally necessary. What is most piercingly effective about the “25 Theses” is that Burley effectively presents his positions in ways that are applicable both to conventional politics and to the particulars of underground, subcultural scenes where fascist organizing is often rife. He also clearly shows antifascism as more than just a simple response to fascist organizing but as a deeper form of practice aimed at tearing up the systemic roots of the far right, offering solutions both for the moment and all time. This same eye for utilizing specific instances to effectively illustrate the broader, systemic frameworks sustaining the modern far right guides the rest of Burley’s essays in this collection.

“Introduction to Armageddon” is where Burley takes this sharp insight and applies it to our present, apocalyptic conditions. In it, he confronts the real challenges that come with living in a world in climate crisis and all that goes with it. “Introduction to Armageddon” delves as much into what this means both analytically and practically, beginning with a more mythic frame of reference before addressing how extreme weather, a deteriorating and increasingly gig-based economy, and a political system which defaults to brutality when all else fails, as has been recently and brutally illustrated by the Biden Administration’s continuation of Donald Trump’s policy of expelling Haitain refugees. This essay is a real tour de force, effectively combining Burley’s insights on the growing far right with a frank, direct assessment of the dire circumstances facing us all. His placement of this work following several pieces discussing the far right’s propaganda techniques and history of violence reinforces the need to confront these forces as part of any struggle against climate apocalypse and for social justice, effectively tying these specific examples into his broader narrative.

“Chase the Black Sun” closes out this collection with a turn by Burley to the personal. This essay provides space for him to wrestle with the seductive appeal of the far right present in Operation: Werewolf, a fascist formation which disguises itself as a self-help and personal improvement program. In it, Burley addresses both how Operation Werewolf deliberately manipulates masculine expectations, fears, and vulnerabilities by reflecting their appeal off of his personal struggles with these same demons. By closing with such a personal work, Burley effectively returns the broader narrative and the questions he poses back to the individual, prompting the reader to consider their own connections to the broader world and how they can effect change.

Equal parts theory, practice, and direct example, Burley effectively weaves each individual contribution into a broader story. His choices and arrangement give shape to a deeper, compelling narrative which actively inspires hope and confidence that, while the future is uncertain, there are both the people and the means to make a better world possible despite the apocalyptic conditions facing us. His layering of the mythopoetic with the mundane gives additional force to his works, illustrating his position with multiple levels of engagement. As Burley demonstrates through the many examples of effective strategies and campaigns that fill his works, countless beacons stand lit against encroaching darkness whose combined radiance could, one day, banish it. Anyone who is looking for guidance in these trying times would do well to pick up a copy of Why We Fight: Essays on Fascism, Resistance, and Surviving the Apocalypse.

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Initiating Right Relationship with the Powers

Being in right relationship with the Powers and the world around you is one of the core, guiding principles of Fire & Ice Heathenry. While the concept itself is fairly intuitive, many new practitioners often wonder how you initiate these relationships and what is most important in sustaining them. What is most essential for understanding how this works, in Radical practice, is discussing the blot rite and what it implies for right relationship, how you can incorporate names and kennings into your workings with the Powers, being receptive to their responses, and ensuring equity in any such relationships. I will cover both how these concepts can help you initiate right relationship with Powers of all kinds and some ways to practically utilize them in your personal practice.

In Fire & Ice Heathenry, the core logic of how you build right relationships with the Nordic Powers is informed by the practice of the blot, a rite of sacrifice dedicated to a specific Power. In historic blots, as described in Hakon the Good’s saga, early medieval Nordic peoples ritualistically slaughtered livestock and collected the blood in great bowls that were set aside as offerings for the Gods and sometimes sprinkled on participants as a form of blessing. The general patterns observed in Snorri’s account also appear in Ibn Fadlan’s Risalia and missionary Adam of Bremen’s descriptions of the great Uppsala festival, both of which added human sacrifice, often by strangulation, into the mix. Less bloody examples of similar practices include hoards of broken swords found throughout Central Europe and Scandinavia, which researchers speculate was an offering by the victors to the Gods of war as thanks for their triumph. You could, arguably, even include folk customs of leaving out gifts of milk and honey for local spirits of home and land follows a similar pattern as these other cases. Regardless of the particulars, what is shared is something perceived as having great value was subjected to ritualistic destruction which dedicated the item as an offering to a specific Power.

This pattern of exchange by providing offerings is what forms the basis of both the Fire & Ice version of the blot rite. Blot, viewed from this perspective, always include act act of providing gifts as sacrifice to specific Powers. This gifting is part of what builds a relationship between the individual practitioner and the Power in question, whether that Power is a departed relative or one of the Aesir. The word gifting is especially important here, as gift-giving in pre-conversion Scandinavia was part of a broader system of exchange between people and Powers which is often described in some parts as a gifting economy. In this framework, offerings given to the Powers are not simply one-way acts of supplication but are part of a broader relationship of gifting between practitioner and Power making such acts during blot and dedication part of what builds lasting bonds. Value becomes much more subjective, being based on necessity or significance to the practitioner and Power instead of any monetary or commercially-dictated conceptions of value.

How you do this will, of course, vary. For modern practitioners, blot offerings tend much more towards the milk and honey end of the spectrum with prepared food, alcohol, and fresh fruit and flowers being popular offerings in the present day. Regardless of the specifics, what you use in your dedications should be guided by both what you consider as having value both for you and the Power you are sacrificing it to and by what you can practically do in your living situation. I’ve personally provided offerings through pouring material onto the earth or water, tossing onto open flame, ritualistic breaking, and leaving out to evaporate or decay over time. What matters is that the method you are using effectively destroys or consumes the offering in a way that makes it unusable by you.

Though providing offerings is an important element to right relationship, they are not the only things to consider. It can, if you prefer or are pressed for time and space, be as simple as providing the offering while saying a few words but this does not mean building relationship only consist of sacrifices. This is, in part, because the sheer multitude of Powers that exist in Nordic-inspired practice which means simply giving offerings with only minimal or even no clear direction will do little for affirming a clear relationship. It is here that names and kennings become a very useful element to incorporate into your rituals, offerings, and acts of right relationships.

In Nordic lore every being has both the names they are known by and a whole host of titles, bynames, and kennings they have acquired through their actions or that have been bestowed by modern practitioners. These additional names represent different facets of their personalities, actions in the world, and how modern practitioners understand these Powers. Some of these Powers, such as the more well-known Gods, have many names which each have their own significance and associations while others names, such as local vaettir, may be unknown and require significant work to learn. In some cases these names carry the implication that they themselves are not the true name of the Power in question but are a kenning themselves, as shown by how the names Freyr, Freya, and Tyr all translate as, “Lord”, “Lady”, and “God”.

These names help establish a connection with a particular known Power by clearly signalling to them that you are reaching out very specifically to them. Using multiple names reinforces this by calling out to that Power on multiple different levels at the same time. Incorporating multiple names into a greeting, invocation, or ritual can also provide you with material for chants, poems, and songs all depending on what it is you are seeking to do. Song and poetry, particularly in the traditional saga forms like ljodhattar and fornyrdislag, can be especially empowering for you both because of the mystical significance attached to these art forms in the lore, are a helpful tool for reaching altered states, and give you space to personalize how you interact with the Powers while also providing some handy tools for developing the specifics. Even if you don’t have the specific names, such as for those of a local vaettir, you can still use kennings such as descriptions of natural features or specific places they are associated with to achieve the same effect.

Once you have reached out to the Power through their names and provided your offerings it is time to wait and listen to what they have to say. How you do this can vary greatly depending both on what Power you are interacting with but generally speaking there are two methods I’ve found to be fairly reliable which are using the ecstatic state and sitting in silence. Entering an ecstatic trance state to directly commune with the Power and open your perceptions to different forms of information. You could, if you so choose, even incorporate some seidr techniques like Uti Seta to better reach them. The second, sitting in silence, instead urges you to remain in an alert, observant state so you can better take in the world around you. This method can be especially helpful when working with the vaettir thanks to their close associations with specific places.

Whatever you learn from listening to the Powers will help guide you in creating such right relationship though you are not required or obligated to act on anything you feel puts yourself or others in danger. Your autonomy is always paramount in any interactions with the Powers and if a Power is asking or demanding something that you do not feel comfortable or safe doing then it is always ok to assert your boundaries by refusing to do so. Ensuring such equity and safety during practice is just as essential to right relationship as all other aspects of this process. To put it simply, you cannot be in right relationship with a Power if that Power is making you feel unsafe. This also applies in reverse, particularly in places with histories of violence against indigenous inhabitants, local communities, or the environment which can inflict lasting harm on the Powers associated with such places. If a local Power expresses a desire to not work with you or demands weregild as a necessary precondition for initiating any relationship, you should honor that request and work with them as best as possible to fulfill such requests.

In summary, starting right relationship is a process that is rooted heavily in the deeper logic of Heathen lore which is consistently and deeply founded on reciprocity, equity, and consent. In a world where trauma, particularly of the spiritual sort, is all too common and institutional abuse of power runs rampant building your relationships on these principles puts you in a much better position to fully develop your spirituality in terms that are healthy and sustainable. It is also a process that you can initiate on your own, based on your best understanding of the Powers and your environment. Whatever works best for you is what matters most in all aspects of Fire & Ice practice and initiating right relationship is no different. Building your relationships with the Powers on these terms is healthy both for you, the Power you are working with, and your interactions with the broader world around you.

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Victory Over Fascism

There is no doubt the world is entering very dangerous times. The COVID-19 plague rages unabated in many corners of the world, climate change is moving more rapidly than ever, record numbers of people are going hungry and homeless, and the United States is careening recklessly towards an autocratic takeover. These are the times that try us all, threatening all that we hold dear.

All we know of Norse Pagan and Heathen practice requires that we take action. Everything from the examples of the heroes of saga and song to the Aesir boldly charging to certain doom at Ragnarok leaves no doubt the dangers of our times must be confronted directly and decisively. They also urge that in doing so we apply our wisdom, discretion, and skill to strike in the most effective way possible.

The most tangible of these dangers for me and those living in the United States is the advance of a particularly American brand of fascism which has come, to quote Sinclair Lewis, “wrapped in a flag and carrying a cross.” Whether they wave Confederate flags, carve swastikas in their flesh, or demand submission under the watchful eye of their especially vicious God all are marching for a society with no room for anything they disdain or label as degenerate. Even fascists who cloak themselves in Pagan symbols will not be spared from their allies’ long-planned purge.

In this spirit, I call on all Norse Pagans and Heathens facing this growing terror to take action. On October 25th, 2020, nine days before Election Day 2020, I will be leading a group of practitioners in an online Sigrblot to Odin, Freya, and Loki for victory over fascism in America. As many familiar with the lore can tell you, a sigrblot is always done to rally the favor of the Powers by warriors on the eve of battle or the day of setting sail. You may join us, through our Facebook group or Discord server, or hold your own blot for anti-fascist victory on October 25th.

Just as was true in ancient days, this sigrblot must be followed by action. I ask all who participate or support this work to spend the nine days following giving offerings, conducting workings, and engaging in necessary political work whether that is the labor of electioneering, preparing for and participating in direct actions like the People’s Strike, or whatever other deeds you feel will best contribute to bringing down the fascist menace. All who join in this struggle must do so knowing that while battle will be joined on November 3rd, this clash may not be resolved for weeks, months, or even years from now.

This does not matter. Fascism’s vicious advance must be thwarted. The vile, cowardly deeds of its servants are indisputable. Their threat of imminent harm is utterly intolerable. No matter how long this battle must be fought we will carry on until the day comes when we bury them in the ash-heap of a dying world, leaving us free for building a new, green and golden one in the possibility that follows.

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Facing Ragnarok

The sun turns black, | earth sinks in the sea,
The hot stars down | from heaven are whirled;
Fierce grows the steam | and the life-feeding flame,
Till fire leaps high | about heaven itself.

Voluspa 57, Bellows Translation

The world is on fire. In the Arctic unprecedented megafires have consumed over 13 million acres of forest in Siberia, Canada, Greenland and Alaska, fuelled by record-breaking summer heats and the accelerating feedback loop of climate change. Smoke released has choked nearby communities as the air grows thick with toxins. On the other side of the world the Amazon has been engulfed in fires deliberately set by mining and ranching companies seeking to drive out indigenous communities and turn their homes into desolate pits and overgrazed wastelands with the active support of Jair Boslonaro’s government. These infernos were so severe they blackened the skies over Sao Paulo, one of the largest cities in Brazil. The trees holding up life as we know it are on fire.

There is no downplaying the severity of these crises. The Earth’s ability to sustain life as we know it is teetering on the edge of collapse. As normal as it is to seek comfort in words that are explaining this all away with cherry-picked statistics and massaged data all meant to obscure the truth there is no reframing of the facts that makes them any less grim. It is also easy to respond to ever-increasing, seemingly unstoppable horror with numbed apathy and disengagement. Even so there is still hope that final crisis can be averted and a better world can be made for everyone. The answer lies in heeding the example of the Norse Gods in how they face their greatest crisis, the apocalyptic struggle of Ragnarok.

Ragnarok presents an existential threat to the Gods. Many of the Aesir and some of the Vanir will die in the Final Battle. All the worlds on Yggdrasil will be engulfed in flames. They know this catastrophe is inevitable and can only be delayed, not averted. Even so the Gods prepare themselves to stand firmly against their Doom. They gladly charge onto the field of battle, knowing many will fall in the struggle, showing it is better to always fight for what is right than to submit to danger and injustice.

Such a stand isn’t just a matter of one last, heroic rush into the jaws of death. In the Voluspa a new, green world full of life and new potential rises from the ashes of Ragnarok. Baldr returns from the dead while the children of Thor and Odin’s son Vidar will survive the blaze to help guide the new humanity that springs from the wreckage. The promise of ensuring the rise of a new, better world even though they won’t live to see it is more than enough to move the Gods into making the ultimate sacrifice.

You can see the same holding true for those fighting the climate crisis. Great work will be needed and much of the fruits of that labor won’t be seen by anyone currently living. Even so the efforts to mitigate and undo the damage done will be seen by the children and grandchildren of those who struggle now against the odds. No matter how dark the world is in this moment the promise of a better future shows the way forward to better possibilities.

These times are not only that of holding back the coming tide. In crisis there can also be opportunity to imagine a better world and build it from the bones of the old. After all the greatest hope for overcoming climate crisis lies in totally transforming every aspect of society from the ground up. When Odin, Vili and Ve faced a similar challenge in the days of Ymir they gladly took up spears to make it so, sharing the burden and joy of creation with all the Powers of the Nine Worlds.

Just as was true of the time of Ymir the causes of this crisis are no mystery. The culprits have names, addresses and powerful institutions protecting them. Their greedy, short-sighted scramble for more ill-gotten gains to feed their insatiable hunger has put all life in jeopardy. These reckless, all-devouring giants have made it clear they will do absolutely anything, even if that means ensuring there will be no future for anyone on this world, to live even more lavishly tomorrow than they did today. If they were monsters of saga and story there would be no question of their villainy.

The choice before everyone is simple, stark and couldn’t be more clear. Even though we face seemingly insurmountable odds the example of the Gods and sagas is undeniable. Immediate action is required from all who hold life, the natural world and everything around us as sacred. In this struggle all must go forward knowing what they do now isn’t just a question of fighting for themselves, it is a matter of ensuring there is a future worth living in at all. Whether your deeds in the coming days are great or small they will ensure that potential has a chance to happen.

The sluggard believes | they shall live forever,
If the fight they faces not;
But age shall not grant them | the gift of peace,
Though spears may spare their life.

Havamal 16, Bellows Translation

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A Place Without Spirit

For modern Norse Pagans the world around us is alive in countless ways. Reality is full of countless beings, known as the vættir (pronounced vie-tear), who are tied to living beings and places. Vættr (pronounced vite) are associated in lore with everything from trees and rivers to mountains and forests. In places where the vættir tread you can almost feel the touch of something beyond sight yet very present, hanging in the air with its own sense of purpose.

Not all the vættir are associated with natural spaces. Some, known as husvættir, are tied to people’s homes and dwellings. According to surviving folklore the Norse peoples left out offerings for their husvættir to build relationships with them, keep them happy and seek their assistance. Though husvættir in folklore were tied to specific dwellings it would make sense for larger public spaces, like parks or community spaces like walkways and public squares, to have their own vættir. Those vættir could be the reason people use a particular space as a place for community and they might also be drawn to such spaces because of people using them for communal purposes.

Even though, from an ethical standpoint, one should act as if everything has or is associated with a vættr not all things do. Some places, like Iceland, are said to have multiple vættr tied to them. Others have may have none either because they never had a vættr associated with them. Such a state is not uncommon in surviving lore and even though it is possible modern practitioners should behave as if all places may have a vættr anyway. The most exceptional circumstances are when a place had their vættr was driven off. As much as this may sound unlikely there is a certain logic behind how this could be possible.

In the ancient world people regularly left out offerings, most of which were food and drink, for the vættir of their homes, the land they lived on or were passing through. This was as much, as was mentioned earlier, for building relationships with them as it was for keeping them happy. This suggests a certain level of reciprocity is necessary to keep the vættir both happy and willing to work with people. It also strongly implies that vættir might become hostile, depending on the actions people take, or even potentially leave if an area is no longer hospitable for them.

In the pre-modern world human capacity to cause such large-scale changes was very limited. This is no longer case in the present day where everything from gentrification to mountaintop removal can radically and rapidly transform spaces anywhere in the world. Destruction of natural spaces to exploit existing resources is clear as far as how it can destroy the spirit of a place but the case of public spaces used by communities is one that is less discussed. If, for example, you replace a beachside promenade that once was a center for community enjoyment with a string of boutique fast fashion stores such development would cut off the vættir from what defined it in much like how clear-cutting a forest would do the same for the vættir of that natural space.

For the modern practitioner this poses some serious ethical challenges. When spaces are treated as shared both by the living things who inhabit them, whether urban, rural or wild, but also by entities whose presence enhances those places then you have to think about place in a very different way. Any serious disruption to a space, either as a habitat or its ability to serve as a community place, has consequences that reverberate beyond the obvious. Often new projects like strip malls or housing blocs are pitched as economically beneficial yet are incredibly destructive socially, ecologically and spiritually. Nothing is ever as simple as how it adds up on a balance sheet somewhere.

Ultimately the specific actions taken to preserve the spirit of a place are up to those who are fighting to preserve what’s worth keeping intact. There are times when changing a place for the better is necessary but this question needs to be assessed in terms of all the potential costs and not just based on promises of future economic prosperity. Profit does no one any good if it comes at the cost of a place’s spirit and what it provided. Whatever answers you reach when facing these challenges must resolve these deeper ethical matters.

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Guides, Not Gatekeepers

One major challenge facing all forms of Paganism, regardless of the particulars, is the role of the clergy. As a group of new forms of spirituality there is a lot of debate, discussion and questions on whether there should be any sort of clergy and what place they have in the new community that is emerging. Part of what shapes this is, even though many Pagans don’t like admitting this, most of our expectations of what religion is, means and should look like has been shaped by the norms of the dominant practices in the present day. For most Pagans this means some form of Christianity where clergy also serve as leaders, counsellors and religious officiants all rolled into one.

Regardless of the specific form clergy take, the role they play poses serious questions to all our communities. To put it simply: should being a clergyperson also endow that individual with the mantle leadership and all that entails or is their purpose to be guides for others in the community? Some might say these two functions are one in the same. Such a claim misses that taking on a leadership role gives that person power over others which can get in the way of and at times work directly at odds with serving as a spiritual guide. What further complicates this is most forms of Paganism embrace building direct relationships with the Powers, raising additional questions of whether having clergy in leadership positions even makes sense when in theory anyone can reach the Powers on their own.

In the case of Norse Paganism there are additional causes for friction. As far as all available sources can determine there was no formal clergy of any kind in the ancient world. The closest there was to any resembling a priest were the goðar, district representatives and chieftains in Iceland who served as community leaders and presided over sacrificial feasts. The term, more commonly used as goði or gyðja, has been used since in the modern day to refer to the closest thing Norse Pagans have to priests and priestesses but this is a somewhat inexact fit. Historically the main function of the goðar was to serve as representatives for their regions and their religious duties mostly consisted of hosting major religious rituals for their people.

Further complicating this is they are not the only historical examples who could scan as clergy to modern practitioners. Another possible contender are the vǫlur, more commonly known as vitkis and vǫlvas, who were the seers, mystics and sorcerers of the ancient world. They were regularly consulted for guidance, divination and the blessings of their power by others. This effectively makes them, in some ways, channels for information from the divine in a way that many clergy are said to be today. There were also the skalds who were the storytellers, poets and keepers of knowledge for the Norse peoples. In some ways this also makes them a good candidate through their understanding of the ancient lore.

The best solution for this dilemma is for clergy to focus on study, offering spiritual guidance and encourage communities to lead themselves by collective, directly democratic processes. The main reason embracing this approach is it provides clergy with the space to focus on what they do best. When it comes to giving clergy space nothing clutters the mind or energy more than having to juggle the many responsibilities that come from holding a position of leadership. This can often get in the way of doing the job of spiritual guidance and leads to burnout. Putting power in the hands of the community frees prospective clergy from such burdens and helps foster better understanding of practice in the whole of the community.

Another critical reason for keeping leadership separated from clergy status is to prevent possible abuses of power. History and current events are loaded with examples where people used the mantle of the sacred to abuse others, create their own personal fiefs and dictate their demands regardless of the needs of others. This does great harm to people and spiritual practice by undermining the credibility of all spiritual workers. Keeping power vested in the community and not automatically bestowing it on people who hold spiritual offices prevents such abuses from happening. This also means it is necessary for the community to retain the power to determine who they consider to be their spiritual workers and remove people from such positions when they abuse the trust given by the community at large.

In the Way of Fire & Ice this collective principle is reinforced by recognizing all three sacred roles of goðar, vǫlur and skald as equally important yet possessing no special claim to power over others. Each of these purposes fulfils a necessary function in ritual and dispersing it between the three allows people to focus on what they do best. Someone might, for example, have an excellent head for the lore and leading others in song during ritual but has no interest or skill in the mystical aspects of practice, making them a better skald than a poor vǫlur. You may also have people in your community who shy away from the jobs of facilitating and organizing ritual, which are the hallmarks of a good goðar, but are supremely skilled at the mystical aspects of practice making them an excellent candidate for studying as a vǫlur.

This separation, along with allowing people to better specialize in the aspects of spiritual work they are most drawn to, also helps in addressing the question of power. Through honouring the lore through having three separate, equally important sacred roles power is effectively divided making it difficult to concentrate such influence in a single person. Such division ultimately helps the community both through the greater skill that comes from specialization and by ensuring no such single-person rule under the mantle of clerical authority is ever possible.

Even with these ideas and solutions the question of how to best guide others in spiritual practice will always remain a hotly debated topic. What works best will always grow, change and adapt to the needs of people in the present. As long as the discussion continues, people keep debating these ideas and proposing new solutions everything will continue to move in a productive, healthy direction. What matters most, like all other things in spirituality, is the focus must always be on serving the needs the spiritual and not reinforcing power for the few.

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Mysticism and Personal Practice

In Heathen and Norse Pagan practice there is an ongoing debate over the role of mysticism, folk magic and other similar practices in modern spirituality. The revival of the arts of seiðr and runic mysticism have gained a lot of momentum in the wake of the modern resurgence of Norse Paganism. For some these occult arts are a vital part of their understanding of spirituality. They provide a doorway to the Powers and greater understanding of the world around them. For others their use undermines the authenticity, seriousness and gravitas of the broader movement. One of the best discussions of these dynamics, along with a strong argument for using these mystical practices, is Dara Grey’s recent essay available on academia.edu titled, “Wiccatru, Folk Magic and Neo-Shamanism: Reconstructing the historical roots of magic and mysticism in Nordic pagan traditions”. The questions that will be discussed here are those of authenticity and guidance for how to best handle mystical practice regardless of if you incorporate it into your personal spirituality.

The best place to start in this discussion is history, the wellspring for all forms of Norse Paganism and Heathenry. There is little debate in the ancient days that runic magic, seership and other forms of folk magic were practiced by many members of society. Probably the most famous example are the well-documented völur, also known as völva when presenting as women or vitki when presenting as men, who were said to be versed in the arts of seiðr. They were reported, in many sources, to see visions of the future, interpret omens, speak to the dead and perform acts of sorcery. The völur were frequently consulted for guidance and assistance. Their works were also not uniquely the province of a specific group of individuals but could be done by others as shown by Thorgeir the Lawspeaker “going under the cloak” to seek a solution to the challenge of Christian missionary activities in Iceland. There is also evidence in the sagas of multiple individuals, including great heroes, using runes for magical workings and runic divination is a common practice in the present day.

Unfortunately, even though we know these practices existed, there isn’t much in the way of documentation or description of how such actions were performed or their metaphysics. Yet despite this limited information one consistent factor among the ancient practitioners is they seem to have employed some form of altered state of consciousness, also known as a trance or ecstatic state, as part of their workings. This piece of information is incredibly valuable for the modern spiritual seeker thanks to recent breakthroughs in the young yet growing field of neurotheology, the science of studying what happens to the brain during religious and mystical rituals. This research, pioneered by Andrew Newberg, has uncovered rather surprising results.

Newberg’s research, which was based on neural scans performed on Buddhist monks and Catholic nuns engaging in meditation and prayer, found the brain responds to such practices in unconventional and unexpected ways. Subjects who were engaging in meditative practices during these tests registered brain patterns showing a shift away from the parietal lobes, the regions of the brain responsible for tracking objects in three-dimensional space, a response which the subjects described as feeling one with the world around them. Chants and prayer saw increased activity in areas of the brain associated with regulating behavior and directing attention. Participants engaging in mediumship, channelling and other forms of possessory work saw the thalamus, the region of the brain responsible for processing information, increase while activity in the sensory lobes drop suggesting they were receiving something from an unconventional source. Subjects who felt moments of profound religious ecstasy registered increased activity in the same parts of the brain association with sexual arousal.

To be clear none of this research proved the existence of any specific entity, Power or divinity. What it does, however, show is such practices are certainly doing something that is engaging the brain and human consciousness is ways that are outside of the ordinary. Such experiences, according to Newberg’s research, were accompanied by flashes of insight, understanding and intuition in the participants. This strongly suggests that people who engage in mystical practices, regardless of their specific form of spirituality or religion, are experiencing reality in a different way than is normally the case and their experiences are providing them some sort of guidance for their daily lives.

Between the historical evidence, research on modern adaptations of these practices and the scientific research into brain activities during these periods there is little doubt that mystical practice can be rewarding for those who engage in it. This is not to say that such practices are a required or necessary part of modern Norse Paganism or Heathenry yet it does show there is a place for such mysticism for those who feel it has value for them. Whether or not you pursue such mysticism is, ultimately, a personal matter. Just as you have the right to engage in or refrain from seiðr or the more occult aspects of the runes you should also respect other people’s choices to pursue these paths.

The question of the validity of mystical practice and whether to incorporate it in your spiritual work is far from the only one that must be wrestled with. Mysticism carries with it more than just personal insights and spiritually fulfilling experiences. It also poses challenges to how we understand reality, the potential social power mystical workers can wield, the harm they can do and what these mean for all practitioners. These are problems that must be confronted regardless of your take on incorporating mysticism into your spirituality since they could directly impact your life regardless of the particulars of your personal practice.

When it comes to knowledge, reality and mysticism there are many potential pitfalls to be aware of. Mystical insights, while at times profound and potentially earth-shattering, are filtered through the pra0ctitioner’s understanding and experiences just like any other information is. This is further complicated by the vast gulf in capacity between humans and the Powers. Personal biases, assumptions and desires play as much of a role in interpretation as mystical prowess. All these factors pose serious problems for using mystical insights regardless of their source.

The best answer to these problems is to consistently apply critical thinking. Mystical knowledge is, at the end of the day, another form of information that must be processed using the same skills that apply to any other source. Any assertions or discoveries should be checked against available sources and extraordinary claims must be supported by additional, extraordinary evidence. This, of course, depends on the nature of the insight and its significance. There is a world of difference in impact between a seiðworker claiming Loki’s favorite color is purple and depending solely on runic divination for guidance on your mental health. When in doubt seek a second opinion that ideally should come from a different source. The same is true of any magical workings. If, for example, you cast a bindrune for getting a meaningful job it won’t do very much if you don’t actively seek work.

On the flip side of the coin from critical analysis is the question of power. Mystics of all kinds in the ancient world wielded enormous social power in their communities and the same is true, to an extent, in modern Norse Paganism. There are some consistent warning signs to watch for when it comes to mystical abuse of power. If a person is claiming their skills grant them special authority over others, such as claiming they are the chosen voice of a certain Power, you should correct them if possible or avoid them for two reasons. The first is such claims of authority are very difficult to challenge since there is no way of consistently verifying what has been claimed. The second is anyone making such a claim is creating a foundation for power that is prone to abuse. When someone asserts they are only answerable to the Powers then anyone who is caught up in their orbit will, sooner or later, face abuse thanks to the total lack of accountability to those around them.

The same is true of people making other difficult to dispute claims such as the all too commonly invoked, “ancient family secrets” line. Such groups or individuals have the problem of usually impossible to verify claims wrapped up in a veneer of respectable, indisputable authority. One notorious example of this is the Odin Brotherhood, an organization whose founder claimed his works were the product of a surviving line of Nordic practice that was secretly passed down completely unaltered within his family for nearly a thousand years. Such claims are usually very different from people who focus on working with surviving folk practices, such as folk magic or folklore, as those who genuinely work with folklore treat their sources as another form of information and not indisputable gospel truths. People making assertions of ancient, totally authentic secrets are just as prone to abuse as those claiming to be specially chosen by the Powers thanks to the total lack of accountability that comes with their claims to unimpeachable authority.

Ultimately the question of mysticism, if it is right for you, what it means and how to approach potential abuses of it is one that will remain in constant debate as long as modern practice exists. What matters most is answering if these practices are good for you and what practices you choose to incorporate. Whether or not you find mystical work useful incorporating it into your practice always a highly personal choice that should be respected so long as the practitioner is not using their skills as a tool for gaining untouchable authority over others. Regardless of your choice the information obtained by such means should always be treated critically, just like any other source, and never used as a tool for abusing or ruling over others. Such insights are a guide for practice and must never be a scepter for lording over others.

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Tearing Off the Mask: Revealing the Gulf Between Fascist Spirituality and Pagan Practice

The presence of white nationalist and fascist groups in modern Pagan, Norse Pagan and Heathen communities is a serious challenge. Their constant claims of being a part of this broader movement and assertions of common ground have seriously muddied what should be otherwise crystal clear waters. At the heart of their arguments are constant claims that, regardless of political disagreements, they still honor the same Powers as other Norse Pagans and Heathens. Yet when one digs deeper into the historical sources used as inspiration in the Way of Fire & Ice, most Norse Pagans and Heathens along with the generally accepted practices in Paganism it becomes clear their ideas have almost nothing in common with what much of the modern movement follows.

For some this may seem like a rather esoteric concern. Debating the nature of the Powers and what this means may sound more like a purely academic matter than something that impacts the way people live, how they view the world and face the challenges of life. Nothing could be further from the truth especially when it comes to drawing a line between the fascist creep in our community and everything else. Viewing the Powers as autonomous beings with independent capabilities, wisdom and their own agency leads to viewing the world through a very different set of core assumptions than the fascist, neo-Volkisch view that enshrines blood above everything else.

The best place to start is with what the generally accepted views in Paganism, Norse Paganism and Heathenry are of the Gods, spirits of place and the dead. Generally speaking all of these groups are polytheistic. This means there are many Powers, ranging from the humblest spirit and deceased ancestor to the mightiest Gods, instead of just one all-powerful deity. These Powers have their own unique goals, associations, stories and agency. They are complicated beings who have their good aspects, mistakes and their own fair share of bad deeds. Regardless of the specifics they are independent from humanity and without exception existed before we did.

What follows from these core ideas is pretty straightforward. When Powers are independent entities with their own goals and means to pursue them practitioners need to work with them on a basis of building a respectful, equitable relationship. Working in such relationships reinforces the need to do the same with other people and ideas within your life, showing that life is something you live in conjunction with everything in the world around you. Their external, autonomous nature also means they offer a unique perspective that isn’t filtered through the realities of human existence. Sometimes this means their wisdom may be a bit confusing or difficult to understand but it also means they offer a fresh perspective.

Fascist theology, as much as it can be described as that, is even more distant and opposing to any form of polytheism than monotheism, pantheism or atheism. Regardless of which sources you point to, ranging from Stephen McNallen’s metagenetics to the Odinic Rite and David Lane’s Wotanism who also came up with the Fourteen Words, all neo-Volkisch, white nationalist and fascist forms of stolen spirituality draw their ideas from the writings of Carl Jung’s notorious 1936 essay “Wotan.” In this essay Jung, drawing on his broader theories on archetypes, claimed that Adolf Hitler’s rise was because Hitler had successfully awakened the archetype of the God Wotan in the collective blood-borne unconscious of the people of Germany. He claimed this awakening was turning Germany towards transformation and strife that was driven by hereditarily encoded imperatives they were powerless to resist.

In the hands of McNallen, Lane and others this idea has been taken to even further places from the polytheism of the ancient and modern practice. According to them the Gods are merely blood-based reflections of an ancient culture and nothing more. They have no existence outside of the psyches and tissues of the people they are allegedly associated with, an idea that has absolutely no basis anywhere in the ancient lore. The best expression of this is in the Asatru Folk Assembly’s Declaration of Purpose which states, in their second point, the demise of people they define very loosely and incoherently as “ethnically European” would lead to the demise of the Gods they claim to revere, leaving the prospect of “race war” looming foully yet unstated in the shadows. For fascists the Gods are mere playthings of their warped egos used to validate their darkest desires with only the barest of lip service paid to their passions and guidance.

There is little doubt these ideas are intrinsically at odds at every level. You cannot claim the Gods are only archetypal reflections of some sort of genetically mandated commandment while also citing the very sagas, like the Voluspo, which clearly show them as cosmic beings who created humanity free of decrees and gave us minds, life and breath to find our own way in the world to validate hatred. For those who follow the polytheistic norm practices by most Pagans stating the Gods only exist because of us and will cease to be without us is both at odds with what is in the lore and actively lessens their true potential. On the personal and moral level it encourages people to live in selfish arrogance, viewing the world around them in terms of what it can do for them instead of on its own terms. Such folly has been proven the swiftest path to destruction multiple times in history and most painfully in the present by a world that is dying thanks to the fruits of heedless greed. In reducing the Powers they diminish themselves and anyone they lure into following their twisted ideology.

Theologically and morally this makes the fascists who call themselves Pagans nothing more than shameless thieves. That said we can’t simply dismiss the problem they pose by saying, “they aren’t real Pagans or Heathens!” Their wholesale seizure of the lore, icons and Powers we revere is meant to camouflage their true intentions from broader society and unwary seekers they prey on for recruits, funds and as fodder for their hideous crusade. What makes this worse is some spaces, though not as many as there once were, openly welcome them and treat them the same as any other Pagan or Heathen even though what they practice is worlds removed from what the rest of the community does.

What this shows is there is no reason for anyone who honors the Powers to give any sort of space to these hate-filled bullies. They harm the innocent, attack any who dare oppose their cruelty and in their heartless march to domination trample on the very things they claim to be fighting for. For fascists the Powers of Norse Paganism are convenient tokens for justifying their actions and hiding their true intentions. There is no space in their ideology for compassion and no fascist should be given hospitality or safe haven in our communities unless they have conclusively, unquestionably and totally renounced their former affiliations while also making a genuine effort to heal the harm of their actions and former associates.