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    New Heathen Advice

    I'm realatively new to this path, and I've read all the stickies and am trying to do my homework, but is there any advice you wish that you would have gotten as a newbie? Anyone kind enough to put like a list of vocab together, some of this is very confusing and I'm doing my best to understand all that I read. Thank you in advance!

    #2
    Re: New Heathen Advice

    The one thing I wish that someone had told back in the day is: "There are other forms of Heathenry and Norse/Germanic Paganism than reconstructionism. And if someone tells you that you have to be reconstructionist to call yourself Heathen they're selfimportant twats that should summarily be ignored."
    Warning: The above post may contain traces of sarcasm.

    An apostrophe is the difference between a business that knows its shit, and a business that knows it's shit.

    "Why is every object we don't understand always called a thing?" (McCoy. Star Trek: The Moive Picture)

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      #3
      Re: New Heathen Advice

      My advice would be to summarily ignore any advice to summarily ignore any information from any source, because I'm going to assume you're intelligent enough to filter what you want/need from what you don't want/need (and the more sources you draw from, the sooner you'll begin to filter), but then I'm not militantly for it against either hard-line reconstructionists or hard-line cherry-pickers. I try to follow the Old Way as traditionally as possible, such as not intentionally blending in Celtic, wiccan, or other practices, but I don't have an aneurism if others do or don't.

      As to terminology, this might get you started:



      If you run across something you can't figure out, just post up here. Just because we don't all agree on all things doesn't mean we don't like each other.
      I often wish that I had done drugs in the '70s. At least there'd be a reason for the flashbacks. - Rick the Runesinger

      Blood and CountryTribe of my Tribe
      Clan of my Clan
      Kin of my Kin
      Blood of my Blood



      For the Yule was upon them, the Yule; and they quaffed from the skulls of the slain,
      And shouted loud oaths in hoarse wit, and long quaffing swore laughing again.

      Comment


        #4
        Re: New Heathen Advice

        My advice would be: take the mythology with a grain or two of salt. Or a gram. Or a bucket. Or...well you get the idea. Because a lot of it was written after Christianization, I just feel that certain themes were added into old stories and even new stories made up to more or less mirror the Christian mythology. What I'm trying to say with this, is don't let the Eddas be the be-all-end-all of your beliefs and follow them because they are what they are. Enough of the main religions do that with their holy books already.

        Part 2 would be that just because someone is dead or bound in the myths, doesn't necessarily mean that they are in reality.

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          #5
          Re: New Heathen Advice

          Keep an open mind, read as much as you can get your hands on, don't take any one (or ten) authors as gospel, and make your own informed decisions.

          If you can do that, then you're set.

          Comment


            #6
            Re: New Heathen Advice

            I'm still fairly new to Heathenism myself, but I find the holy tenets 'You're not the boss of me.' and 'You're doing it wrong.' sum it up wonderfully.

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              #7
              Re: New Heathen Advice

              Even if you choose a reconstructionist path, remember that you live here and now, not in the days of yore. And you're path needs to reflect that.
              "The doer alone learneth." -- Friedrich Nietzsche

              Comment


                #8
                Re: New Heathen Advice

                Originally posted by Vigdisdotter View Post
                Even if you choose a reconstructionist path, remember that you live here and now, not in the days of yore. And you're path needs to reflect that.
                Except that is not what reconstructionism is or what reconstructionists do, you are thinking of re-enactors or re-creators.

                And reconstructionism is not a path but a method of interpretation. It has nothing to do with things or events either, in the context of heathenry it has to do with the rebuilding of the various ancient worldviews and then testing them to see if they are still functional filters of perception and what parts of that worldview are usable now.

                Once that worldview is understood the ritual practices...and your "way of life"...while not being identical to what was done will at the very least be in line with what was.

                - - - Updated - - -

                Originally posted by ERDRICK View Post
                I'm realatively new to this path, and I've read all the stickies and am trying to do my homework, but is there any advice you wish that you would have gotten as a newbie? Anyone kind enough to put like a list of vocab together, some of this is very confusing and I'm doing my best to understand all that I read. Thank you in advance!

                First off, what are *YOU* looking for/to get out of it.

                Comment


                  #9
                  Re: New Heathen Advice

                  Originally posted by GaryG View Post
                  Except that is not what reconstructionism is or what reconstructionists do, you are thinking of re-enactors or re-creators.
                  No, I'm thinking of reconstuctionists who use the lore to justify their homophobia and to bar known gays from events (only the male homosexuals). That's a VERY common one I've encountered. And it just doesn't seem to compute in their minds that what was socially acceptable back then (mocking someone for being Ergi) is not acceptable now and is even objectionable.

                  That said, I'm not suggesting that ALL reconstructions are as mentioned above. Plenty aren't. But the OP asked for advice, so there is mine.
                  "The doer alone learneth." -- Friedrich Nietzsche

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Re: New Heathen Advice

                    I'm looking for a religion with beliefs similar to my own (heathenry aligns extremely well). I've had pagan beliefs for a while, but just haven't found anything that would add to my life or really supplement it. From what I'm reading heathenry seems to fit everything I'm looking for.

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Re: New Heathen Advice

                      Originally posted by ERDRICK View Post
                      I'm looking for a religion with beliefs similar to my own (heathenry aligns extremely well). I've had pagan beliefs for a while, but just haven't found anything that would add to my life or really supplement it. From what I'm reading heathenry seems to fit everything I'm looking for.

                      Ok so what are your beliefs and how does heathenry fit in to them and when you say dd to or supplement your life could you expound on that.

                      And what is it you are looking for.

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Re: New Heathen Advice

                        Originally posted by GaryG View Post
                        Ok so what are your beliefs and how does heathenry fit in to them and when you say dd to or supplement your life could you expound on that.

                        And what is it you are looking for.
                        The Noble Virtues are things that I strongly agree with. I've honored the Norse pantheon for about 2 years or so. Heathenry I think will add to my life a chance at insight that other religions I've looked into haven't. I like that there is hard science studies of my ancestors and understanding how they thought and how they viewed life or interacted with the world, and taking those concepts and applying them to my everyday life. I don't need to join a coven and there's no one above me religiously. It's just what I understand and can take away from my learnings and how I can use it to make my life better, or even other people's lives better.

                        For a long time I felt lost when it came to the spiritual side of my life. I mean, I knew what I believed in and what morals/beliefs that were important to my life. It just took a long time searching to find something that aligns with me so well and will allow for personal growth during my studies not just spiritually but also personally.

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Re: New Heathen Advice

                          Originally posted by ERDRICK View Post
                          The Noble Virtues are things that I strongly agree with. I've honored the Norse pantheon for about 2 years or so. Heathenry I think will add to my life a chance at insight that other religions I've looked into haven't. I like that there is hard science studies of my ancestors and understanding how they thought and how they viewed life or interacted with the world, and taking those concepts and applying them to my everyday life. I don't need to join a coven and there's no one above me religiously. It's just what I understand and can take away from my learnings and how I can use it to make my life better, or even other people's lives better.

                          For a long time I felt lost when it came to the spiritual side of my life. I mean, I knew what I believed in and what morals/beliefs that were important to my life. It just took a long time searching to find something that aligns with me so well and will allow for personal growth during my studies not just spiritually but also personally.

                          I assume you know the NNV are a modern construct and for the most part heathens really do not pay them much mind considering they are "traits" that anyone, regardless of faith or creed should aspire to as they are more human things than any particular religions.

                          Heathenry is world accepting as opposed to world rejecting and that's pretty much where the "viewed life and interacted..." comes into it. Heathenry does not have covens but has something similar just a different name. I notice it says you live in Littlestown PA. If you are on facebook look up the North East Heathen group. There is a group based out of Allentown, which while about a 2.5hr ride from you is not too bad considering, they are good people.


                          Remember that Heathenry is about garnering a share of luck and good fortune through honoring the ancient contract of reciprocity with your gods, ancestors, and kin, NOT cultivating some sort of ephemeral, esoteric relationship with the "patron god" of your choice.

                          What have you read up on so far?

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Re: New Heathen Advice

                            Originally posted by GaryG View Post
                            Remember that Heathenry is about garnering a share of luck and good fortune through honoring the ancient contract of reciprocity with your gods, ancestors, and kin, NOT cultivating some sort of ephemeral, esoteric relationship with the "patron god" of your choice.
                            This is pretty much the essence of all trad pagan religions.

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Re: New Heathen Advice

                              Originally posted by Claude View Post
                              This is pretty much the essence of all trad pagan religions.

                              Wouldn't know it by what you see out there though.

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