Category: Ethics

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.

So far all of what has been covered focuses on the ideas and general principles of the Way of Fire & Ice. These are essential for understanding what it means and how Radical practice is different from other forms of spirituality. This brings the conversation to the last of the five points: living the Way. What is presented here is meant to influence and guide all aspects of your life. It does not start and stop with ritual observances, holidays and sacred symbols. These ideas saturate every part of your life.

It may seem obvious what this means. Of course someone who follows a particular form of religion or spirituality doesn’t stop being that person when they aren’t engaging in rituals or celebrating holidays. If the example of the Gods of Paganism in whatever form you follow shape your life then, logically speaking, most Pagans are always Pagans even if they’ve missed the last few ritual observances or their forms of honouring the Powers are unique to how they see things. Similarly the ethics at the heart of these practices likely always influence your personal conduct in one way or another.

The place where this gets really sticky is on bigger questions than regular observances, holidays and wearing the right necklaces. What do you do if there are things happening in the world around you, whether they are big or small, that are seen as unjust, unethical or otherwise wrong according to your beliefs? What if these actions are not ones that you or your friends are personally doing but are being done by others or in broader society?

Such questions are not easy ones to answer. Too many in the modern world have felt the lash of religious persecution justified by invocations of the sacred to cover for oppressing others. Whether you’re talking the bombed out shells of abortion clinics in Kansas, young queer people facing angry gangs of righteous bullies or veils torn from innocent faces on the streets of London there’s no question that using religion to justify attacking others is harmful and dangerous. It would, therefore, make sense to stand up to such groups and work with any who face harm from such persecution. Refraining from persecuting others and defending those who suffer from such harm is a direct, easy answer to these questions and is supported by examples like Thor’s defence of others, Beowulf’s aid for Hrothgar or Havamal 48 which says:

The lives of the brave and noble are best
Sorrows they seldom feed
But the coward fear of all things feel
And gladly not the greedy gives

But what happens when the harm being done is happening under the color of law or is the result of institutional decisions and trends instead of specific, discrete actions and you have to take your own actions to see justice done? If standing up to persecution is justified and causing such harm is not then how is taking action without direct provocation justified? One could argue that if refraining from imposing on others is morally justified then it would be wrong to violate this principle. Such an analysis, while understandable, is short-sighted.

Sometimes there are others in the world who do harm from a place of power and must be confronted. Taking action in these cases is very different from flipping the persecutors’ dynamic and taking up their whips to scourge the innocent. The reason is simple. Whether you are facing corrupt officials and leaders or powerful, seemingly faceless institutions who do great harm to others through thousands of small yet intolerable blows you are not acting as an aggressor or imposing on the innocent. That such injustice is happening is already a first act of harm. This justifies the necessary work to end the source of such injuries.

One good example of this are the recent actions by the group Extinction Rebellion in London in this past week. Over a thousand activists were arrested for blocking roads, disrupting traffic and shutting down large parts of the city. They claimed what they were doing was necessary to force the British government and other world leaders to declare a climate emergency and confront the growing crisis of climate change. On the surface what they did was not directly confronting the actual causes of climate change or the most guilty actors. Yet, in taking the actions they did, they forced attention to this broader concern, raised awareness and signalled a willingness to do whatever they could that is within their power to make change happen. By striking in ways that disrupted the mechanisms of normalcy they were, in an indirect way, attacking the larger problem.

Some, at this point, may then ask, “but what about the law?” This question assumes that obedience to the law, in all its forms, is an inherently good act while defying it is inherently bad no matter how justified that act may be. What it misses is law and morality are the same thing. Laws, in theory, are created by society with the consent of the governed to define orderly conduct. If the purpose of law is to ensure a just, orderly and safe existence for all under its power then any law which does not do this or, even worse, allows for the few to inflict harm on the many is directly contrary to this purpose. Even if an action is defensible according to the letter of the law if it defies this deeper, underlying purpose of equity and justice then the action is wrong regardless of legality. If there are laws which defend unjust actions then that law itself is unjust and should be defied until it ceases to be.

It is important to remember, as many others have pointed out, that many unjust systems were actually legal. The horrors of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade, which lasted for three centuries, were protected by law. The destruction of Native American communities in North America was sanctioned by the US and Canadian governments. The horrors of Nazi Germany, ranging from the persecution of LGBT people to the Holocaust and the deliberate starvation of millions of Russians, Ukrainians, Belorussians and countless others in eastern Europe, were legally protected government policy. This was, in fact, invoked by many high-ranking Nazis during the Nuremberg War Crimes Tribunal to defend their actions and question the grounds for putting them on trial. None of these legal shields change that these actions were wrong and unjust by any measure.

This leaves it clear that taking action, sometimes even illegal action, in the name of the right cause or to end to harm against others is justified in the Way of Fire & Ice. You cannot simply stand by and do nothing when others are suffering or when your community is in danger. This is where living the practice is both most meaningful and most challenging. Taking up this form of Norse Paganism is more than accepting a specific method of spirituality that puts a lot of emphasis on meeting people’s needs, working in the now, always living and adapting and using the past for developing inspired adaptation. It means taking up these values to do right in the world, make life better for everyone and never accept good enough as the best that can be.

At first this may sound daunting. Not everyone can be a full-time agent of change. You should also not always be constantly switched on with no rest or respite from such work. If the point of working for a better world is to make life better then part of that means living your best life. Instead you should strive to do the best that you can, what you feel capable of doing and what you think is the most effective way to resolve the problem at hand. This could be everything from charging to the front lines of direct action to having the hard conversations about big issues with the people you care about. What matters most is always living the values of the Way in all aspects of your life as best as you can.

Answering the question of what inclusivity in spirituality is has driven intense debate across all forms of Paganism, including and especially Norse Pagan and Heathen practices. There is little dispute among most that inclusivity is something to strive for. Many are now referring to themselves clearly, loudly and proudly as inclusive practitioners and their organizations are openly calling themselves inclusive in nature. Easily the biggest example of this sea change was Declaration 127, a joint statement by multiple Heathen and Norse Pagan groups around the world declaring their support for inclusive principles and refusal to give space or shelter to the Asatru Folk Assembly because of their promotion of openly bigoted ideology. The Way of Fire & Ice is definitely one such form of practice.

For the Way of Fire & Ice, also known as Radical Norse Paganism, the foundation of inclusivity rests on the much older concept of hospitality. For the ancient pre-Christian Norse peoples hospitality was one of the bedrock concepts of their societies. In Norse hospitality, which is described in detail in the Poetic Edda saga known as the Havamal and discussed in many other places, if a person came to your door in need of food and shelter you were obligated to provide it for them. Guests would provide some help around the house for the duration of their stay in a form of mutual aid. Hospitality was open to anyone in need so long as they behaved as a good guest should and didn’t abuse the generosity of their hosts.

How hospitality shapes inclusivity is very direct and simple. In Radical Norse Paganism anyone who wants to practice is free to do so regardless of race, gender, sexuality, age, national origin and physical or mental ability so long as they treat all others in shared space with dignity and respect. These factors are ones that are beyond any person’s control. They are inherent to their being and existence in many different ways. Just as the ancients expected hospitality be extended to any person in need so to does the Way keep its doors open to any person who feels called by what it teaches regardless of any inherent factors or traits that define them.

Some, however, might then argue this means anyone and everyone must be welcomed no matter what. If, as some argue, no one can be discriminated against by inherent traits then it wouldn’t make sense for this practice to exclude anyone at all. This, however, both misses the point of how inclusivity is understood in Radical practice and how hospitality worked. In the ancient world hospitality could be withdrawn or even denied to a guest if that guest either was abusing the generosity of their hosts, abusing other guests in the space or were notorious for such deeds.

This is what justifies excluding anyone who argues for bigoted ideologies. Whether they are Folkish Asatru, white nationalists, AltRight, some other variety of fascist, trans-exclusionary radical feminists, misogynists, homophobes or any other similar belief at the core all of these ideologies are based on actively denying other people the right to exist. Such active dehumanization isn’t just disrespectful and denigrating, it actively puts people in harm’s way. Denying others’ right to exist, as those who deny the validity of trans experiences or excuse racial discrimination just to name a few of many examples, becomes justification for doing physical harm to them.

This goes all the way down to the level of language. Words are as much deeds as any other action. Some might see this as excessive sensitivity but there is research supporting this position especially when it comes to inclusivity. For non-white peoples living in largely white-dominated societies racial slurs, profiling and harassment causes very real psychological harm. At the worst such language, and the ideas these words carry, are grist for the bloody mills of police brutality and hate crimes. In the case of gay, lesbian and trans people there is solid evidence that, along with inspiring violent deeds, such language causes direct harm up to and including suicide. Words, far from being harmless, carry great weight that causes real harm to people who already suffer too much in modern society.

Some would say this position is invalid and inherently hypocritical. If, as they would claim, inherent traits are grounds for including people then anyone practicing these ideologies must also be given space. Many of them lay claim to some sort of inherent trait like bloodline, gender essentialism or some other biological-sounding yet utterly pseudoscientific nonsense. Regardless of their justification their beliefs or ideas are the products of and all for specific beliefs and actions which can be changed. The same is not true of someone’s gender identity, race, sexuality or place of birth. No matter what someone does they cannot stop being Black or gay or born in Morocco while a white nationalist or transphobe can stop following and acting on such destructive, dehumanizing ideas.

Stating this space is open to all, except for anyone who cannot respect others or treat them with the basic dignity all people deserve, is only the beginning of what inclusivity means in the Way of Fire & Ice. For those involved in the practice it also means everyone’s voices matter in shaping the Way, what it means and how practice impacts them and their lives. Those who are from marginalized groups, whether they are trans, queer or from an oppressed minority group, are the first that anyone should listen to on any matters impact their experiences or communities. Newer practitioners have as much to offer, from their fresh perspectives, as experiences and trained people. True inclusivity means giving voice to those who, whether due to societal factors or group dynamics, are often denied say.

For the Way of Fire & Ice inclusivity is absolutely essential. It is directly tied with the other core ideas, practices and precepts of Radical practice. To truly honor ideas like hospitality, living by your deeds, following a living practice, inspired adaptation and making practice work for people you must welcome all regardless of any inherent traits. If their deeds show they cannot work with others then they should be removed from shared, community space. To be truly inclusive is not just to welcome in people from marginalized communities but to also give them a voice, space to express themselves and to heed the wisdom expressed by those who are less experiences or connected within a community as much as those with the weight of time and training behind them.

Serving people’s needs in the context of spirituality is a complicated question to wrestle with. What makes this such a thorny matter is that it cuts to the heart of what it is all about. For many the purpose of religious practice of any sort is to connect people to a higher power either directly, through mystical practices, or philosophically through ideas that are meant to help you lead a good life as defined by each practice. Most forms of practice combine the two to varying degrees. The implicit idea here is such connection and guidance lead people to a good life, thus fulfilling their needs.

The problem with this generally accepted assumption is it puts the belief system and its requirements at the center of the discussion. People are expected to adhere to what flows outward from there, receiving guidance from accepted authorities that theoretically will ultimately serve their needs. While on paper this dynamic is supposed to serve the needs of people in practice it puts the whims of authority in the position of interpreting what is good for others. This takes power away from people to decide what is best for themselves by putting it in the hands of others.

In the Way of Fire & Ice the process for developing spirituality works in the opposite direction. There are certainly sources in this practice that are used for initial inspiration and discussion. How this is handled, however, is completely different than many cases of conventional religious or spiritual practice. Just as the past is used as a starting point for inspired adaptation applied in the present the same is true of the initial material and ideas offered in the Way, also known as Radical Norse Paganism. Radical ideas become a foundation for each person to build their own ideas, practices and specific interpretations of what they think is best for them and living in the world.

Some might say this is offering nothing more than a total free for all to practitioners and provides no clear way forward. Such a take misses that developing your own way is only half of the process. The other half of the process is recognizing the broader world we live in, the impact of our actions on that world and how that world impacts us. These broader dynamics, as a reflection of the influence of Fate on our lives, mean that while we can live and understand the world as we choose this does not mean we do so as we please with no regard for consequences. Such intimate ties of cause and effect which bind everyone in the world together means you cannot simply interpret and apply however you want. You must take the needs of others and the world around you into account.

For a concrete example of this you may find the knowledge-focused aspects of the Aesir Odin to be most appealing to you. In your practice you might choose to express this by writing poetry in the old forms, researching the lore or meditating on the runes. You might also choose to explore this element of a highly complex God by exploring the questions posed by the world around you. Both approaches are equally valid interpretations of what Odin is associated with.

In both cases the pursuits of wisdom are not value-neutral experimentation for its own sake. What you learn and how you apply it has impact on both your life and the lives of people around you. There is a world of difference, from a moral perspective, between using the fruits of such labor to advance bigoted ideas, act as a spiritual gatekeeper or deny others their basic needs and applying your knowledge in ways that uplift people around you, better inspire free exploration or increase our understanding of the struggles of the human condition.

In Radical practice there is no question you should always use what you learn, understand and develop through your spiritual practice for the betterment of yourself and others. Spirituality doesn’t start and stop in ritual, meditation and devotionals. You live it in every moment of your life. This means your insights, interpretations and the broader guidance that moves you always applies. Such application manifests in small ways, such as tiny acts of kindness for a lost stranger, or in big ones, like engaging in direct action. Regardless the core thread is all the people and the world around you matter. Striving to be a better person does not mean using others as rungs on the ladder of success. It means seeking ways to improve yourself while also standing with others in their times of need, offering a helping hand where you can and always being mindful of the impact of your actions.

This is also why free exploration, interpretation and pursuit of spiritual knowledge by all practitioners with no gatekeepers, authorities or barriers is necessary. No one person, no matter how learned or experienced they might be, will ever have all the answers. Neither will any specific institution or organization. Everyone ultimately benefits from discussion, debate and encouraging the pursuit of new experiences. What matters most in this dynamic is not how close or far they are from one specific person or authority’s view but their impact on your life and the lives of those around you. Spirituality, in this understanding of practice, is a compass that helps guide you and not a map with specific routes, directions and points you are supposed to follow.

This does not mean the Powers exist to serve you and your needs. They are not automatons or archetypes who simply are present to fulfil your every desire. They have their own needs, goals and drives. However this doesn’t mean their choices get to override yours or your autonomy simply because they demand it. A Power doing something doesn’t make their actions automatically right just as your own interpretations and applications of spiritual practice aren’t automatically right regardless of impact. It is your responsibility to always be mindful of your needs and boundaries when working with any of the Powers. Sometimes this can be resolved through careful negotiation of what is acceptable while in other cases you may decide a specific Power is not one you can currently work with.

This process of people-centered spirituality works just as well in a community setting. This is where discussion, debate and reaching a shared consensus comes into play. Shared practice that meets the needs of people is created by collectively shaping these ideas. It would, after all, make no sense to claim something is a people-centered communal practice if it was developed in ways that disregard the desires of all members of the community engaging in that practice. Such a process should also make sure that your community is as welcoming and hospitable to any guests, visitors or others who wish to participate by helping explain to them what your community’s practices are and why your group engages in such practices.

Ultimately building practitioner and people-centered spirituality is a constant process. Your needs, the needs of those around you and those of the world will always be in a state of chance. How your practice works will always be changing as will the practices of the community around you. Such changes are not a problem. Instead what matters is that any changes, developments or adaptations are serving people’s needs, improving lived conditions, uplifting the state of the community and making things more hospitable instead of less. These sorts of changes, ideas and objectives are the essence of people and needs-centered spirituality.