Belief and Practice

 There seems to be a pervasive, underlying dualism in paganism which can be seen in the various either/or arguments that go around. Either religion or spirituality. Either modern or traditional. And at the moment, either belief or practice. It should come as no surprise to anyone who knows me and my liminal ways that I reject both hard views - the either/or paradigm - and instead my own perspective is based in balance.
  The current discussion going around is centered on whether it is orthodoxy (belief) or orthopraxy (practice) that matters more. One view holds that belief is the cornerstone to everything else and that what we do is less important than what we believe; by this view community is built on a similarity of belief. We all believe the same therefore we are all the same religion. In contrast the other view holds that what we believe is less important than what we do and that community is based on a similarity of practice. We do the same thing, ritually, therefore we are the same religion. The belief argument is often held as a neopagan stance, while the practice side is held by recons. Both have their pro's and con's; similar belief can acts as common ground for those with different practices, while similar practice can act as common ground for those with different beliefs.
  My sticking point in all of this is the either/or aspect, the idea that it has to be one way or the other. I believe this is a logical fallacy, a false dilemma. My experience with the pagan community over the last few decades has shown me that those who hold to the orthodoxic view still have boundaries of acceptable and unacceptable practice, just as the orthopraxic side has limits to what beliefs are and are not allowed. Most neo-pagan groups, for example, that embrace the idea of similar belief will still reject practices that involve, say, conducting a mass to the goddess in the guise of Mary, even if they all believe that Mary is a face of the Goddess. Similarly the orthopraxic groups will reject beliefs that are too far out of the accepted norm, such as CR groups that refuse to allow CR style worship to Lwa. (note that these examples are purely illustrative and not meant to imply any personal judgment in any direction). The point is that it is not nearly as clear cut or simple as the either/or. To be heathen or CR is as much about believing in the deities and cosmology - on some level - as it is practicing like everyone else. Even atheist heathens relate to the gods in some way and understand the heathen worldview. So to my mind it isn't either belief or practice, it's belief and practice.
   If I had to concisely describe my own view I suppose I would say that it is experiential, because experiencing something beyond ourselves - whether that experience comes through belief or practice - seems to me to be the heart of spirituality. Rote belief or practice by themselves, to me, are not transformative or powerful, but can be tools to reach past ourselves and create that connection. Even if the experience is a simple moment, an awareness that we didn't have before, it is that experience that we should strive for. Of course I am coming from a very esoteric place and my own past experiences shape my views on the value of experience; it may well be different for everyone else, and I don't judge those who find true value without transformative experiences. Spirituality will always be unique in many ways to the individual practicing it, no matter how much common ground that person shares with their community.
     I am a wanderer, and sometimes I practice with those who hold different beliefs just as sometimes I practice differently from those with similar beliefs. I do not feel that having a different belief from someone is an insurmountable issue, nor that practicing differently is the core of what defines us. A community is too diverse to ever fit into such a narrow model. No, it will always be a blend of differences and similarities, with a fine balance maintaining the homeostasis necessary for the community to exist at all. Sometimes people stray too far from the common belief or the common practice and cross that boundary of "acceptable" and then a new community is formed, but generally even in communities that emphasize orthopraxy or orthodoxy there will always be variations. It's human nature.

Artio, Germano-Celtic Bear Goddess

  Sometimes the deities we feel drawn to worship are fairly well known in mythology or can easily be read about in secondary sources material, but other times we are drawn to deities that are obscure. This is the case with one of the main deities I work with, a Germano-Celtic goddess named Artio; in practical terms it means that I have a scant few references to work with and must make up the difference with personal gnosis and experience. I have hesitated to write too much in the past about Her because I knew that it would mean talking about personal practices that were developed through inspiration more than research, but it seems only fair now to offer what I know and my own experiences. Perhaps it will help others who feel drawn to or called by this particular obscure deity to feel more connected to Her.
     Artio is also called Dea Artio and Andarta all names that relate to or directly mean "bear" (Monaghan, 2004). One of the best known pieces of evidence relating to Artio is an engraved statue found near Berne, Switzerland. The statue depicts a seated female figure, generally thought to be the goddess, holding a basket of fruit, facing a bear who is standing in front of a tree; an engraving on one side of the statue says: "to the goddess Artio" (Green, 1992). A second find with in inscription was found in Bollendorf, Germany, and other evidence was in France (Green, 1992; Monaghan, 2004). While the areas Artio has been found in could be considered Germanic, the name is Gallic, and She is generally described as either Germano-Celtic or Romano-Gaulish (I favor the former myself). Although the imagery of the statue is obscure and there is a lack of literary evidence, most agree that Artio was likely a goddess of fertility and plenty, and possibly a patroness of hunters as well as protector of bears (Green, 1992; Markale, 1986). Some also theorize that She was a more general goddess of the wilderness and wild things (Monaghan, 2004). Sources agree that She was also seen in the form of a bear, with Sjoestedt placing her in the category of zoomorphic goddesses alongside Epona (Sjoestedt, 1949). It seems likely that the bear goddess, Artio, was eventually replaced by a bear god, Artaios who was synchretized by the Romans to Mercury (Markale, 1986).
     My connection to Artio comes through my seidhr work. When I first seriously began to practice seidhr I decided I needed to find out who or what was willing to act as a guide and protector for me. I already had a close working relationship with my Fylgja and with certain plant and animal spirits, but I suspected that taking this sort of spiritual work in a new direction would involve new Powers, beyond Odin and Freya who were already involved. I undertook a spiritual Journey and encountered a bear who was also a woman, simultaneously. She told me that she would be with me for any seidhr or spae work that I did and that her name was Arto. I had never heard that name before, but I knew that Art meant bear so I didn't think much of it. I was also told that when I did oracular spae work I should wear a bear skin instead of a veil. I assumed she was some sort of powerful spirit, and was happy that I had someone willing to be with me in this work.

    By coincidence (or synchronicity) shortly after this experience I came across a fossilized cave bear tooth for sale and I bought it and made a necklace from it which I have since worn whenever doing any seidhr or spae. The bear fur was, suffice to say, much more difficult to find but did come to me in due time and I use it as I was told to.  I even recently had a dream where I "won" a bear skull and was instructed to feed it by blooding it; I'm waiting to see if such a skull finds its way to me in the real world or not. I later found out that Artio was an actual historic Goddess, although there is nothing in the scant records to indicate a definite connection to any type of oracular or magical work associated with Her. I don't know why I was surprised that I ended up contacting an obscure Germano-Celtic goddess, since, in retrospect, that makes perfect sense as the sort of deity for me with my dual-trad ways. I can comfortably honor her in either a Celtic or Norse (Germanic) context, which is nice. This connection has always worked for me and I feel very protected by Her in seidhrworking and also very connected to the bear. Although I will say that my personal experiences with Her show that She can be both tender and protective and also very intense. I have encountered Her in the Spiritworld and been dismembered, for example, but I have also been healed; I have had Her in bear form charge at me roaring so that I was literally too terrified to move or even think, but She has also been very gentle with me.
  I have a small shrine for Her with a collection of carved bear statues and the best image I could find of a goddess and bear. I also honor Her especially on the equinoxes. In the spring I celebrate the awakening of the bear on the spring equinox with a ritual for her that includes offerings of honey and bread. In September I celebrate the dreaming of the bear on the fall equinox with offerings of fresh fruit and vegetables. This is purely my own invention, although my kindred has adopted the practice along with me. We all practice seidhr together and have adopted Artio as a group, which seems to be working well.

  
   Honoring Artio has forced me to trust my own intuition more and to be willing to follow my gut as I find ways to connect to a deity where there is very little existing historic information to rely on. I have also learned a great deal about bears as I worked on learning about the animal most strongly connected to this deity. Bears are amazing animals, and I have found female bears particularly interesting; they are devoted mothers and excellent teachers, verstaile and intelligent. Bears have several biological quirks, not only do they hibernate, but a female bear can delay pregnancy after fertilization through a process that scientists are still trying to understand. I encourage anyone drawn to Artio to begin studying bears as well (I've focused mostly on black bears because they are native to my region).

References:
Sjoestedt, M (1949). Celtic Gods and Heroes
Markale, J., (1986). Women of the Celts
Green, M., (1992). Dictionary of Celtic Myth and Legend
Monaghan, P., (2004). Encyclopedia of Celtic Mythology and Folklore

Connecting to my Ancestors

  I do not know exactly how long I have been honoring my ancestors, although I do know that I began doing so long before I was associating with any groups or formal religions that encourage it; I would guess probably since around the mid 90's. Of course now I know that many pagan faiths, including Heathenry and Druidism, include aspects of honoring the ancestors, both the person's own family line as well as important past figures or close family friends who are not blood relations. There are different reasons for remembering those who have come before - some people do it to keep the memory of those people alive and to nurture a sense of connection to the past; others do it because they believe that a person's spirit lives on after physical death and can be interacted with. I fall into this second group, since I have always believed that the spirit lives on and that there can still be a relationship with these spirits. I don't think my actual practice directly reflects those taught by any one faith group, rather it seems that parts of what I do are a little like what many other groups do.
     My initial approach to ancestor worship*, which is still a main part of my practice, was to create an ancestor altar. At first this served simply as a way to feel connected to my ancestors, who I had not known in life, but as relatives who I knew and loved began passing away the purpose shifted to a place I could go and talk with them, light candles for them, burn incense, and leave offerings. My first ancestor altars where simple affairs, a small collection of pictures of my relatives, eventually with a simple white candle.

My ancestor altar, circa 2004

As time went on the altar grew and became more complicated, with a decorated resin skull being added in to represent all of my ancestors whose names I did not know, but who were still with me in some sense. I also added a collection of small female statues to represent my Disir, the female ancestors who guard my family line. A special oracle set, and then two, were added for when I felt the need to consult my Dead without wanting to go the full spae route. Many of the pictures acquired little tokens or mementos, usually objects owned by that person in life, and more candles were added. In short the altar developed it's own personality.

Ancestor altar, circa 2012

  I like to light the candles on my ancestor altar and talk with my ancestors, especially my father, the way I did when they were still alive. It acts as a touchstone for me, a place I can go to honor my Dead but also a place I can go for comfort. I point each picture out to my children and tell them stories about their ancestors. I bring offerings of coffee (a staple drink in my family!) and of bread. At the holidays that they celebrated I bring candy. I also make spontaneous offerings outside, usually of coffee or hot chocolate, which seem to be the best received; I simply say whatever I feel moved to say and pour a little bit out onto the earth for them.

   Speaking of holidays they celebrated - yes my ancestors were Christians; Catholic on my fathers side and Congregationalist on my mother's. I have not found this to make any difference whatsoever in their acceptance of my honoring them, although my Catholic grandmother has asked that I have masses said for her which leads to some interesting experiences on my part. I have certain ancestors that feel closer than others and they seem to be the ones that are more likely to ask for specific things and to come through during divination or spae. Others seem content to be there in the background. Actually it reminds me a lot of the experiences I had with family functions as a child where some people were very chatty and others hung out by the food table snacking, so maybe that's a healthy dynamic to have.

    Finally I have honored my ancestors by doing a variety of genealogical research over the years. I did this to honor their memories, but it also proved to be very enlightening for me especially for my mother's side which did not have the tradition of passing down stories of the past generations the way my father's side did. I had known from a young age that my father's mother was half Cherokee and half Scottish, and that his father was the son of a German and an Irish immigrant, for example, and a variety of stories about different family members on that side. But I never knew until I researched that my mother's family had pretty much been in New England since it was a British colony, or that a member of that side of the family had fought in every single American war since the Revolutionary war. It made me feel much more connected to that side of the family. But even if that wasn't possible, even if I had no idea who my parents were or anything else further back, I would still honor them, still acknowledge their place in my life. 

   The Havamal says "Cattle die and kinsmen die,
thyself too soon must die,
but one thing never, I ween, will die, --
fair fame of one who has earned"

 So long as we remember those who have gone before us, whose lives gave us life, they are never really gone. They are our roots, our connection all the way back to the beginnings, and knowing them means knowing ourselves, who we are and where we came from. Even nameless, even unknown they are still there. I believe they can hear us when we speak to them and that they care about what happens to us, especially those people who loved us in life (blood relations or not). As long as I feel like they are there and care, I will be here, caring, speaking to them, and pouring out offerings for them.

*worship means ardent devotion or adoration, from the middle english worshipe which meant worthiness, honor. I have no issue using this word to describe what I do in honoring my ancestors, but some people feel strongly about not using this word, and prefer to use veneration, or honor. My use of the word worship is a choice, but I understand others may choose differently; if the word usage bothers you feel free to replace it with "veneration", a synonym for worship that may be more acceptable.
     

Ch-ch-ch-changes

So I have renamed the blog and given it a new look. My goal in overhauling and renaming the blog is to make the content more balanced and more reflective of my life, as oppossed to my research (I’ll still include that too of course). I feel like the blog has become, to some degree, about fulfilling expectations rather than expressing my own thoughts and practices. I’d like to get it back on track and I feel like this is a great way to do that. In reality this probably won’t amount to a huge change, more like a subtle shift, but I am excited to see things moving a new directions.
  The new name is based on a suggestion from a friend. I like it on several levels: I am dedicated to Woden (Odin, Wotan, He-of-the-many-names), like Him I am a wanderer with a thirst for knowledge, and I am a witch whether you call it seidhr, folk magic, or what-have-you. It feels like an honest name that describes better who I am and what I do. That name, with it's three w's, relates to the rune wunjo which I have a special association with myself and also, as that same friend pointed out, lends itself nicely to a combination of the three w's and the valknut symbol which is often considered to be Odin's.

rough draft of design

 I'm excited about this new beginning - tomorrow I'll be blogging about my approach to ancestor worship.
 

book review - The Nature of Asatru

 Time for another book review. This time I decided to update and share a review I did 5 years ago in the journal Idunna for a book by Mark Puryear called "The Nature of Asatru". If you have read and liked this book don't even bother reading this review, because I can summarize it concisely by saying that I feel this is the Asatru equivalent of the 21 Lessons of Merlin.
   Looking at the back of the book it seems like it should be an ideal beginner's book; Puryear has almost 20 years experience in Asatru and is a member of a group, the Asatru Nation, which is an American offshoot of Australia's Odinic Rite. The book is touted as an  introduction to the core values of Asatru, yet it quickly becomes apparent when reading the text that instead of describing widely held universal beliefs of Asatru the book is actually focused exclusively on the beliefs of Puryear's particular group, which are not in any way universal. Exactly the opposite in fact - the book is full of controversial theories, misinformation, and foreign elements. The author is also insistent that Asatru has no subgroups or denominations, despite the wide range of modern practices, and lumps all Asatruar in with the Asatru Nation/Odinic Rite. This by itself is a serious problem.
   The book's tone is both racist and homophobic, reinforcing the stereotype that Asatruar are all like this. Puryear blends a bizarre sort of political correctness in with his bigotry, encouraging tolerance of other people's choices while strongly condemning miscegeny and homosexuality. He describes children with mixed heritage as having no ancestral roots and miscegeny as genocide and stops just short of encouraging people of Northern European descent to breed together to save their "race". He does flatly state that the "white race" is failing due to being outbred and not keeping the bloodlines pure. The attempts to make this more palatable with politically correct buzz words fails, at least with me. Personally as someone of mixed heritage I found it repugnant and offensive, and his wife's essay in the appendices about a woman's place compounded it by adding misogyny into the mix, albeit cleverly disguised.
   The book includes many elements that seem to me to be foreign to Asatru, although I profess a very minimal knowledge of the Odinic Rite; it is possible that this is the norm for that group. Puryear says that the gods meet daily to judge the souls of the dead and assign them a place in the afterlife; not something I've heard anyone else supporting. He also very strongly divides Norse magic into "good" galdr and "evil" seidhr, going so far as to say that Gullveg was burned by the Aesir as a punishment for teaching evil seidhr to humanity. (Apperantly he ignores Freya teaching seidhr to Odin). He describes Helheim as a land of bliss. He adds nine vices to the accepted 9 noble virtues and these vices appear to be an odd mix of the Christian 10 commandments and deadly sins. He describes the Aesir and Vanir as nearly-archetypal deities of goodness, with Loki as the opposing force of pure evil He also inaccurately claims that there are no modern followers or cults to Loki. The author's ideas about orlag seem to me to be closer to the Wiccan concept of the law of 3 than the common heathen views, with his belief that orlag is about what we put out coming back to us. He also divides offerings into four catagories based on the four classical elements of earth, air, fire, and water, which struck me as being very odd.
   The book's mythology was heavily influenced by the writings of Viktor Rydburg, who attempted to homogenize all Norse and Germanic mythology into a single system, with predictable results. Rydburg is not widely accepted in mainstream heathenry, yet the book presents his theories as facts without any explanation of the source material or normal views. Puryear describes Frigga as the sister of Njordh and mother of Freya, Frey, and 8 others with him, for example, which is not a widely held belief in heathenry. He equates Gullveg to Angrboda and lists Gullveg as the mother of Loki's children; in turn he says that Hel is not Loki's daughter but rather that Urd rules Helheim with Loki's daughter, named Leiken, as a minor servant. He describes Baldr as the most popular heathen god and relegates Tyr to the role of warrior and son of Odin, while denying his role as god of justice and god of the Thing which are the widely accepted views of Tyr. He describes Skadi, who is normally viewed as giantess who married into the Aesir, as the daughter of Volund (the smith) and Idunna. In his book Sunna and Mani are alfs and their mother is Nott (or Nat) who he claims is actually Ostara. I could go on, but hopefully that is enough to demonstrate the odd material presented on the gods, the majority of which is not widely accepted by the larger community. I think presenting it as if it were fact or accepted lore does a great disservice to beginners who will not realize that these are not popular beliefs.
    Facts that should have been easily checked are wrong, such as the authors assertion that the most common modern and ancient method of humane animal sacrifice is beheading the animal - this statement is followed by a rambling discussion of the guillotine. The book itself is inly 127 pages long, follwed by an equally long appendices which include an essay by the author's wife about a heathen woman's place (in the home caring for her family) and a cobbled-together version of the Havamal.
    In short this book is the last thing a beginner should read as it is often off-putting, offensive, confusing, and factually incorrect. While it is always best to start with the myths themselves - the poetic and prose Eddas are generally recommended - both volumes of Our Troth and Diana Paxson's book Essential Asatru would also be good for those just developing an interest in Asatru.
   

Book Review: The World of the Druids

  I haven't done a book review since last month so I thought it was about time to do another. This review will look at Miranda Green's book The World of the Druids, which was published in 1997. The book is divided into 10 sections that cover everything from what we know about ancient Druids to the Druidic revival and modern Druids. Of particular interest may be the sections on Celtic cosmology and theology, female Druids, and evidence of ritual sacrifice. At 192 pages the book is fairly short and very easy to read, with an impressive selection of images (291 to be exact) that support the text.
    Green's strength is archeology so it should come as no surprise that she spends more time discussing archeological evidence than many other similar books do. This is something of a catch-22 in a book on Druidism as there is very little definitvely "Druidic" material that can be identified from ancient sites, leaving much up to guess and supposition. The advantage to the reader however is the material covered that relates more broadly to Celtic culture and can provide insight into dress, jewelry, and lifestyle as well as religion (broadly) while remaining in an easily accessible format. Unlike books that are intended to focus on archeological evidence this book largely avoids being dry or overly complicated, and is fairly easy to read and follow.
     I also liked that Green is very clear about the difficulty with many of the sources, including archeology, before offering that material. She doesn't downplay the issues that we have with the sources available to us that provide the only real information we have about the Druids. She is also clear that even defining who was and wasn't "Celtic" historically is complicated, saying, "...defining the world of the ancient Celts depends upon three categories of evidence, all of which need to be used cautiously because they are incomplete and sometimes ambiguous." (Green, p 11, 1997). She does provide a solid amount of literary references from Greek and Roman writers, as well as native Celtic myth.
     Green approaches defining the historic Druids by establishing who the Celts were at that time and what their beliefs were, and then uses that context to describe the Druids and their role in soceity. She uses archeology, Greek and Roman writings, and Welsh and Irish myths to do this. I can appreciate the value of this approach as context is vital to understanding any group functioning within a larger society, such as the Druids. The book is honestly worth reading just for the insight into Celtic culture that Green provides, but she does do a fair job of explaining the Druids' place as well.
    The book finishes up with chapters on the Druid revivial and modern Druidism, both of which are fascinating. Although not nearly as in depth as other works, of course, it does provide a good overview of more recent Druidic history and would serve as a good introduction to the topic. The focus here is on Druids in England specifically, so anyone looking for information about the Druid revivals in other areas will have to look elsewhere.
     I think that as a book on Druids this one is of moderate value, but is a better resource on Celtic culture. I can think of other books on historical and modern Druids that I would recommend first, but this one is nice in its brevity and inclusion of both historic and modern practices. I would, however, recommend it more highly as an introduction to ancient Celtic culture and religion, which is more of the book's strength than strictly Druidism. For someone just venturing into this area of study this book is a good place to start.

Thoughts on the Colloquy of the Two Sages

     One of the most important texts for modern druids to study may be the Colloquy of the Two Sages, the tale of a confrontation between the esteemed Druid Ferchertne and the recently graduated student Nede. The tale, on its surface, is a simple story of a confrontation sown by Bricriu between the elder and the youth after Bricriu convinces Nede, who is returning from training over seas, to seize a rank beyond his experience. The two Druids face off over the literal seat of contention, engaging in a battle of words and wits to test who truly deserves to sit there. In the end Ferchertne emerges the victor, but Nede’s graceful defense earns him a place as Ferchertne’s student.

     Reading this story establishes a pattern of challenge and response that is useful for all modern Druids to study. Nede’s initial actions are bold, even arrogant, as he assumes the chair of the highest ranked Druid in the land and this can be seen as the opening challenge in the coming confrontation. Nede does not approach Ferchertne as a humble petitioner, but rather by declaring his own value and assuming a place as if it were already his own. In response we see the first of Ferchertne’s challenges, not only of words but of actions and attitude as he tests Nede’s resolve and temper by speaking angrily and insulting Nede’s experience and knowledge. Nede passes this challenge by responding calmly and proclaiming his own wisdom. This, then, sets the stage for the next phase of the testing the direct question, where Ferchertne asks Nede where he is from, what his name is, what art he practices, what his tasks are, by what path has he come, whose son he is, and what tidings there are. None of these are direct, literal questions, but all are allegorical and are responded to with poetry, and each question is answered and then turned back on the elder Druid. It is only after the final question, where each man is asked to prophecy, that Nede concedes to Ferchertne and willingly proclaims him the better poet and seer and kneels at Ferchertne’s feet, at which point the older Druid asks the younger to stay on as his student. From this we can see that the importance of the period of questioning and answering as a form of testing, as well as the importance of the final acknowledgements of the student’s true place.

     In modern Druidism this pattern of challenges could be used to model actual initiation rites on; it also illustrates the vital importance of two elements within modern traditions: the student-teacher relationship, and the hierarchy of wisdom. The traditional Druidic model of teaching, as illustrated in this Colloquy, shows a student petitioning to study with a teacher, studying with that person for as long as there is knowledge to be gained there, and then moving on to find a new teacher. This is illustrated in Nede’s studying at first with Eochaid in Scotland and when that teacher can teach him no further he is sent back to Ireland where the main action of the tale between Nede and Ferchertne occurs. This is a useful model to be used today as well. The story also illustrates the importance of understanding our individual place within the greater hierarchy of our fellow Druids and both respecting those above us as well as teaching those beneath us.

     I, personally, found a great deal of beauty and inspiration in this story. The question about what art they practice gives a list of the many skills the Druids claimed including satire, blessing, poetic inspiration, storytelling, peacemaking, and teaching wisdom. The tale also showed me something of the proper balance of attitude that Druids were expected to have, both proud and assertive but also respectful and quick-witted in the face of confrontation. Nede serves as a great model to meditate on as student who is well on the way to earning fame and a place of honor. I can hold Nede before me as an example of how to react to a challenge and how to carry myself with pride while still remaining respectful of those wiser than I.

     On a final note the Colloquy is also a treasure trove of cultural references and Druidic lore that anyone interested in Druidism should take the time to study. I favor Christian Guyonvarc’h’s book The Making of a Druid: Hidden Teachings from the Colloquy of the Two Sages because of the detailed and extensive introduction, notes, and appendices. Being able to study the story with the different translations and glosses included is very useful and illuminating and offers additional insight into some of the passages. These additions, such as the extensive discussion about the seven poetic grades, are an important aspect to understand for both Druids and Celticists, or anyone else interested in Irish culture.