Heathen Gods And Rites Some Frequently Asked Questions

Book: Heathen Gods And Rites Some Frequently Asked Questions by The Troth

Our gods belong to two "tribes", the Aesir and the Vanir. Our myths speak of a time when the Aesir and Vanir were at war, but made a truce and exchanged members. This myth may be based in part on Historical battles between human tribes who later formed an alliance; at the same time, it reflects the ways in which our gods work together. Perhaps the best-known of the Aesir is Odin.

He is the god of many things: inspiration, ecstasy, poetry, healing, the runes, and death. Frigga, whom we see as Odin’s wife, protects homes and families. Thor is the storm-god who defends the world of humans. The lightning is his weapon, the Hammer; the rain that he brings makes the fields fruitful. Tyr is the upholder of right order and justice, both among humans and in the universe. Heimdall is the watchman of the gods, and also the progenitor and teacher of the human race.

The Vanir are sometimes called "fertility gods", but they are far more than that; they are the gods of all the things in this world that we are meant to enjoy, whether good harvests, sexual love, or riches. Frey is invoked for peace and plenty; he and Odin were also the founders and protectors of many dynasties of Heathen kings. His sister Freya rules over magic, sexuality, and riches, but is also a battle goddess—she takes half of those slain in battle to be with her. Their father Njordh watches over the sea, ships, sailors, and trade.

The Jotnar or "giants" are a third group of Powerful beings. Many of our myths tell of fights between the gods and the giants. However, the Jotnar are not "evil" as the word is usually understood. On one level, some of the Jotnar represent the impersonal forces of nature: not malicious, but sometimes destructive, and not especially heedful of human concerns. Yet others of them are depicted as wise and helpful. In fact, some giants have been adopted among the gods, and nearly all our gods have giants in their ancestry.

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The Troth - Heathen Gods And Rites Some Frequently Asked Questions

Race And Religion Creating A Group Identity

Religion plays a large part in many white supremacist movements. Not just because it seems to be an easy scapegoat and, especially in the United States, an easy way to claim discriminatory speech is protected. Social movements generally contain elements that challenge the way a dominant system works, and so new sub-cultures are created as an answer to the prevailing system. This is also a result of peoples’ tendency to seek identity within a group setting—religion offers an easy way to do that. Dobratz writes, “Although religion may be viewed as an individual matter, it is mainly a shared experience that links one human being to others; bond and tradition are major concepts associated with religion…they [religions] can also be used to foster collective identity in various social movements.” Odinism is not at all unique in its use of religion to inspire ethnic conflict. This is a tactic we often see used against Judaism, the idea that the Jews are somehow “different.”

In 2001, a Professor of religious History at the University of Stockholm minced no words when asked about neo-paganism, and more specifically Odinism, in white supremacy. He asserted that, in the 1990’s, neo-paganism had overtaken Christian Identity movements in white supremacy. In The Role of Religion in the Collective Identity of the White Racialist Movement, Odinism is specifically named as one of the three religious affiliations that has been most influential in influencing and developing the white nationalist/racialist movement. This article makes a separation between racial Odinism and other neo-pagan religions. While most other neo-pagan groups tend to see their religion as somehow “universal” in scope and would normally be classified as quite liberal, Odinists, “do not believe in universal religions…unlike most other neopagans, support neotribalism, emphasize racial purity.” It is important to note that the lack of belief in a universal religion is something generally attributed only to Folkish Odinists. There is much Universalist literature suggesting belief in the idea that the Old Norse gods are simply different iterations, or even only different names, of the same pagan gods worshiped worldwide.

It has been suggested that, “religion, broadly conceived, offers the most promising path toward realization of the white nationalist dream” (Dobratz). As a broad category, religion is very helpful in recruiting for new movements. It works to provide a common history and group identity, something very attractive to potential recruits. While they may privately compete among themselves, the number of different religions that have parts in the white supremacist/white nationalist movement actually serves to attract more members than if it were homogenous. Dobratz writes, “The different religious views provide alternatives from which people can choose.”

Lately, however, Odinism seems to have become the go-to religion of white supremacists who are disillusioned with Christianity. As churches have become both more liberal and more accepting of changing societal norms (such as homosexuality or women clergy), more and more interest in Odinism and other “ancestral religions” has popped up. Frank DeSilva, a member of the Silent Brotherhood, argues that a break from Christianity in favor of Odinism is occurring within white supremacy. “Religion is for the race-culture that created it. In consequence to this, the movement is becoming increasingly non-Christian.” He goes on to cite the fact that religions are become more integrated or “non-white” as a main reason for this shift. The idea of Christianity as a Jewish plot is also gaining popularity. In a rare case of reasoning that is (somewhat) logical, one reason for white supremacists reject Christian movements is explained—

“I’m an Odinist, and I really wish that all this Christian Identity stuff would just like fade away…me and a lot of my friends just think that it’s the stupidest thing around—Christian Identity. I mean, I believe Christianity is Jewish. I mean, in nature, Jesus Christ was Jewish—it comes from the Middle East—it’s a Middle Eastern religion. I don’t think it’s for us as a racial movement—why should we take a Jewish religion if we’re so anti-Semitic?”

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Pan Celtism And What It Means For Us

In the past decade or two, there has been an amazing spread of Celtic identity throughout the world. Celtic festivals are common all over Western Europe, North America, Australia, etc. We now have the Celtic League, the International Celtic Congress, and a major international Celtic festival (which was held in Valle d'Aosta in 2009). The question is: where do we fit into this Pan-Celtic milieu?

We would have to fit in somewhere, as much of the spirituality and even the Celtic knotwork is tied to Padania. "Cisalpine Gaul," of course, was the name given to Padania by the Romans, which means in Latin: "Gaul south of the Alps." The Trophy of Augustus was the Roman trophy to the conquest of the Celto-Ligurian tribes.

One interesting commonality of the Celtic peoples throughout history is their struggle against encroaching Teutonic and Roman armies. In the movie 'Braveheart', Celtic Scots are depicted defending their homeland against basically Anglo-Saxon/Norman English. The Roman Julius Caesar conquered Celtic Gaul. These are just two of the more well-known examples. Many compare the Roman invasion of Cisalpine Gaul to the invasion of the English against the Scots.

Unlike many other European cultures, Padania doesn't have the definitive "one ancient culture" that it can draw most of it's inspiration from. Lega Nord chose the Celts. The Etruscans were too tied into Roman (Italian) identity, and the Langobards were invaders from somewhere else. At least some of this was based on political reasoning. We do not have the answer to this equation yet.

Actually, Cisalpine Gaul was demographically "Celto-Ligurian," as we have covered before. That is, a mix of both proto-Alpine and Celtic tribes. The Trophy of Augustus lists both Alpine and Celtic tribes.
Another factor is the spiritual component to all of this. The worship of the horned god Cernunnos has been co-opted by the Wiccan faith, along with other traditions from many cultures, into a universalist religion. Some social engineers of Wicca have long touted their religion as a leftist movement to contrast with the perceived right wing Christian movement. That is something we have to look harder at in the future. This worship of Cernunnos is heavily linked to the Cisalpine Gauls, but also widespread in ancient Gaul, and even Scandinavia.

The Pan-Celtic identity is such a good fit, as we are not really southern or northern European, and not Eastern European. Quite frankly, the region of Padania is/was historically located at the crossroads of Roman/Mediterranean (south), Germanic/Norse (north), Celtic/Gaulic (west) and Slavic (east) worlds. In viewing the greater scope of things, in both ancient and modern concepts, we're more Western European. Like the French, we're basically Romanized Gauls.

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Neo Druidism In Britain

The origins of the modern Druid Revival lie in speculation about the historical druids in Early Modern 17th century Britain. William Blake, the artist and poet, was among those who used the image of bards and druids symbolically in his poetry. In Blake’s mythos, bards are cast as the noble and admirable advocates for imagination (“Divine Imagination” as Blake characterized it). Druids, on the other hand, were used most often by Blake in a negative way to symbolize priesthoods of Literalism without imagination. In this poetical symbolism, Blake was inspired by current theories of certain scholars of his day which speculated that the British druids were in fact a remnant of the antediluvian religion of Noah and Adam in the Biblical mythos. Some saw them as the martyred exponents of the true religion taught by God in the Garden of Eden, as distinct from Christian religion as it later developed, which was seen by Nonconformists such as Blake to be corrupt. The theory that ancient druids were the true inheritors of the ancient Patriarchal religion was a move intended to make “True Religion” something British rather than foreign. Such a theory turned on its head the previous view of churchmen that druids had been bloodthirsty pagan priests who worshiped “devils” and were quite rightly stamped out by the superior culture of the Romans.

A more positive view of the druids, portraying them as wise old men arose with the northern European Romantic movement of the eighteenth and nineteenth century. One of the key proponents of the idea that the bards preserved a purer and more universal religion that transcended sectarianism was the Welsh Iolo Morganwg. His writings, though now acknowledged to be partly his own invention claimed to be based on manuscript sources and oral traditions in Wales. His work led to the establishment of the Welsh Gorsedd of Bards and influenced the forms of the Welsh National Eisteddfod, celebrations of British culture as distinct from that of the conquering English. The romantic positive figure of the druid and the bard became powerful images within the Welsh and Irish nationalist movements.

In 1964, George’s son Robert MacGregor Reid, then chief of the The Druid Order, died, and Dr Thomas Maughan was elected as his successor. Following a differing amongst some senior members, Ross Nichols founded the Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids, fully recognizing those three grades in a way that is not formalised in The Druid Order. The Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids now represents the largest body of organized Druidry in the world, with over ten thousand members.

Recent decades have seen an explosion of druidic orders and groups in Britain, including the Loyal Arthurian Warband (founded and led by British activist Arthur Uther Pendragon, self-declared reincarnation of King Arthur), the British Druid Order, the Secular Order of Druids, the Glastonbury Order of Druids and so on, with the Council of British Druid Orders set up in 1989 to enable meetings and discussions between different Orders to take place. In February 2003, The Druid Network was launched; its aim is to be a source of information and inspiration about the modern druid tradition, its practice and its history.

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Representation Of Paganism Wicca And Witchcraft In Modern Fictional Mass Media

Book: Representation Of Paganism Wicca And Witchcraft In Modern Fictional Mass Media by Lisa Dinsmore

The aim of this dissertation was to examine representations of Paganism by comparing recent fictional representations of Pagans and Wiccans against a "real life" model of Pagan and Wiccan practices and beliefs. A literature review focused on forming a model of Paganism, and looked at previous works which considered the representation of Paganism in fictional media. A crude form of content analysis was used to select an appropriate text for analysis. A semiotic analysis, ideological consideration, and a syntagmatic analysis of the narrative were all applied to the text, an episode called “Family” from the television series “Buffy: The Vampire Slayer.” This gave an in-depth model of a fictional text featuring Witchcraft.

Paganism with particular reference to witchcraft was portrayed positively in the text. It was discovered that the practice of magic had connotations of both power - particularly female autonomy -; and of sexuality -particularly homosexuality. Further analyses of a wide range of texts would need to be compared to the reallife model devised to give a more complete picture of the connotations behind the representations of Pagans, Wiccans and Witches.

This dissertations aims to look at representations of Paganism and in particular wicca and witchcraft in modern fictional mass media. Semiotic analysis in particular and other media theories will be used to look at the representations and the portrayals compared to a model of current Pagan practices and beliefs – the "realist" perspective versus the "real".

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Sunday Sacredness In Roman Paganism

Book: Sunday Sacredness In Roman Paganism by Robert Leo Odom

With most of the Christian world honoring Sunday as their day of worship, the question of its origin becomes important.

Over the past hundred years much has been written about the use of the week among ancient pagan peoples. However, little has been done to compile such historical material into an easily accessible book for the general public.

Robert Leo Odom for years has conducted special research on the Sabbath-Sunday question. In "Sunday in Roman Paganism," he leads readers through the pages of history showing the rise of the planetary week and its "day of the Sun" in the heathenism of the Roman world during the early centuries of the Christian era.

This book is not a capsulated history of Sunday as a church festival, but rather the history of the planetary week as it was known and used in the pagan world, and to show whether or not its "day of the Sun" was then regarded by pagans as being sacred to their Sun-god.


Robert Leo Odom is author of The Certainty of Life After Death, Sunday in Roman Paganism, The Lord's Day on a Round World, and What Do The Astrologers Know?

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Ostara Ritual Celebrating

Ostara: ritual celebrating the coming of spring, and thus also the beginning of planting. Dates this was celebrated on varied, but tended to fall around the vernal equinox. Eggs are painted with bright colors, and hidden, and hunts are conducted for them. (Eggs are a symbol of new life, and fertility. Rabbits are a symbol of this day too, for the same reason.) Other games are sometimes played with the eggs too, such as racing with them balanced on a spoon, or rolling them downhill. Eggs are ritually thrown high into the air too, and as high as the eggs fly, that is how high the crops shall grow. A procession, led by an ass, begins festivities which include a game called "Osterball". Dancing is an important part of the celebrations. Ostara bonfires are also lit. No flesh is eaten by mariners this day, to ensure safety from storms.

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The Younger Edda Also Called Snorre Edda Or The Prose Edda

Book: The Younger Edda Also Called Snorre Edda Or The Prose Edda by Rasmus Anderson

SNORRE'S EDDA, OR THE PROSE EDDA. AN ENGLISH VERSION OF THE FOREWARD; THE FOOLING OF GYLFE, THE AFTERWORD; BRAGE'S TALK, THE AFTERWORD TO BRAGE'S TALK, AND THE IMPORTANT PASSAGES IN THE POETICAL DICTION (SKALDSKAPARMAL) WITH AN INTRODUCTION, NOTES, VOCABULARY, AND INDEX.

All the poems quoted in the Younger Edda have in this edition been traced back to their sources in the Elder Edda and elsewhere. Where the notes seem to the reader insufficient, we must refer him to our Norse Mythology, where he will, we trust, find much of the additional information he may desire. Well aware that our work has many imperfections, and begging our readers to deal generously with our shortcomings, we send the book out into the world with the hope that it may aid some young son or daughter of Odin to find his way to the fountains of Urd and Mimir and to Idun's rejuvenating apples. The son must not squander, but husband wisely, what his father has accumulated. The race must cherish and hold fast and add to the thought that the past has bequeathed to it. Thus does it grow greater and richer with each new generation. The past is the mirror that reflects the future. (R. B. ANDERSON)

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Henge Of Keltria

Initially an offshoot of Ar nDraiocht Fein, the Henge of Keltria is a non-profit Church and the largest Celtic-focused Druid organization in the United States. They focus upon practices based upon honoring their ancestors, revering the spirits of nature, and worshipping the Gods and Goddesses in their unique manner. They are an initiatory mystery tradition. They have members and adherents throughout the United States and Canada.

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Norse Mythology A To Z

Book: Norse Mythology A To Z by Kathleen Daly

"Norse mythology A to Z, Third Edition" examines the characters, objects, and places whose stories make up the folklore of the Norse people, who lived in the region known today as Scandinavia. Passed down through the generations by word of mouth and finally written down in the 13th century and later, these myths include tales of gods and goddesses; heroes, giants, and dwarfs; and serpents and dragons that inhabit enchanted realms. This colorful volume brings to life many of these Nordic myths. Entries of this title include: the most famous gods and goddesses, such as Odin, Thor, and Freya; plants and animals important to Norse mythology, such as the oak tree and the eagle; stories and poems, such as "Treasures of the Dwarfs" and the "Poetic Edda"; and, much more.

The term mythology can refer to either the study of myths or a body of myths. For example, comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures, whereas Greek mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece.

The term "myth" is often used colloquially to refer to a false story; however, the academic use of the term generally does not pass judgment on its truth or falsity. In the study of folklore, a myth is a symbolic narrative explaining how the world and humankind came to be in their present form. Many scholars in other fields use the term "myth" in somewhat different ways. In a very broad sense, the word can refer to any traditional story

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Sidelights On Teutonic History During The Migration Period

Book: Sidelights On Teutonic History During The Migration Period by Mg Clarke

THE following chapters are the outcome of two periods of stud}7 undertaken during the tenure of research scholarships awarded by Girton College, and form an attempt to discover the amount of historical truth under lying the allusions to persons and events in the Old English heroic poems. The essay deals with an aspect of these poems, which has not, so far as I know, been treated systematically byanyone who has previously written on the subject. Thus, in the absence of any model, I have had to work on independent lines, especially as regards the grouping and arrangement of different traditions, and the method of discussion followed in the several chapters. The actual arrangement has been adopted for convenience of discus sion, according to the nationality of the persons concerned, except in cases where a particular section forms a complete epic narrative with a personal (as opposed to a national) interest of its own: in these cases the tradition has been discussed under the heading of the poem in which it is contained, or that of the character round whom the
narrative centres.

Each chapter is arranged thus :

I. An account of the tradition respecting the nation or hero in question, pieced together from the scattered allusions in the poems.
II. The evidence of other authorities dealing with the same traditions or with the same characters.
III. A comparative view of the evidence of these authorities in its relation to the substance of the Old English poems.
IV. A summary of the inferences as to historical truth which may justifiably be deduced from the allusions in the poems.

The positive results obtained are often extremely meagre, and in no case do they make any claim to finality. Though much work has been done in this direction, much still remains: and any value which this study may possess lies chiefly in exploring new possibilities and in indicating the paths along which further research may in time lead to more definite conclusions.

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Politicians And Paganism A Look At Bohemian Grove

The Mysterious Bohemian Grove, place for politicians to worship the Canaanite god Moloch or just a summer vacation spot for the political elite? While researching this topic I have learned that the original bohemian club founded in 1872, was a group of artist and writers that got together to share ideas than slowly over time they were replaced by prominent business men and political leaders.

But who exactly is involved and what goes on there? The membership list according to one source has included every Republican U.S. president since 1923 (as well as some Democrats), many cabinet officials, directors and CEOs of large corporations including major financial institutions. Major military contractors, oil companies, banks (including the Federal Reserve), utilities (including nuclear power) and national media (broadcast and print) have high-ranking officials as club members or guests the motto of the grove is weaving spiders come not here which indicates that business nor outside concerns should enter into the grove.

However the Grove is particularly famous for a Manhattan Project planning meeting that took place there and is quite frequently mentioned to new attendees with great pride. While disturbing that here’s another forum where high level decisions are made, it’s not near as disturbing as the pagan symbolism, and the influence over this group of leaders it has. Could it be possible that in front of us they claim to be Christian while in the shadows there real master is the devil? What ceremonies are performed there, what rituals disguised as plays. Who is Moloch/ I hope to answer some of these questions throughout this article as we go deeper into the Bohemian Grove.

Since the founding of the club, the Bohemian Grove's mascot has been an owl, symbolizing Moloch. A statue of moloch stands at the head of the lake in the Grove; the Owl Shrine was designed by sculptor and two-time club president Haig Patigian and built in the 1920s. Since 1929, the Owl Shrine has served as the backdrop of the yearly Cremation of Care ceremony.

So who’s Moloch? Moloch according to my source, the bible was an Egyptian or Canaanite God that Babies were sacrificed to by burning. He is mentioned in the book of Leviticus and a few other places throught the Bible. heres one of the verses from Leviticus

Lev 18:21 And thou shall not let any of thy children pass through the fire to Moloch, neither shalt thou prophane the Name of thy God: I am the Lord.

So you ask what the hell does that have to do with politicians and CEOs camping in the woods? Well to answer that we need to look at the cremation of care ceremony. Here’s a photo of the ritual that is held at the grove every year sense 1893.

The ceremony involves the poling across a lake of a small boat containing an effigy (typically resembling a small baby or child) of Care (called "Dull Care"). Dark, hooded figures receive from the ferryman the effigy which is placed on an altar and at the end of the ceremony, is set on fire. This "cremation" symbolizes that members are banishing the "dull cares" of conscience

The ceremony takes place in front of a 45-foot (14 m) high hollow owl statue made of concrete over expanded metal framing and steel supports. The moss- and lichen-covered statue simulates a natural rock formation, yet holds electrical and audio equipment within it. During the ceremony, a recording of the voice of Walter Cronkite, a member of the Bohemian Club, is used as the voice of The Owl. Music and pyrotechnics accompany the ritual for dramatic effect.

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The Lessons Of Asgard

Book: The Lessons Of Asgard by Asatru Free Assembly

This collection of essays appeared over a span of almost two years in "The Runestone". Dealing as it does with the lessons to be learned from the Norse gods, it is a companion volume to The Values of Asatru. Together these booklets provide a good Introduction to those who want to know how to lead Their Lives according to the Principles of our ancient faith.

In out! little homilies we have tried to examine the gods as they affect our conduct in the real world. We have avoided the deeper symbolic implications of our deities, preferring to deal with them as models showing us how to live. It is perhaps too easy to say that Odin
exhorts us to learning and Thor urges us to strength, so we have tried to see ane step beyond that level, studying in greater detail the implications of the gods' values and specifically how we can apply them to our lives.

Odin, Thor, Freya and all the others are examples for us to emulate as we deal with our own personal circumstances. As we have said, they are models. Appreciating them on this level is important to those who follow Asatru, but it is only part of their significance. Beyond the role model is a numinous, logic-defying reality, something apprehended only by means of symbols, something that speaks to us on deeper levels where words are inadequate and linear reasoning breaKS down. Studying the gods, immersing ourselves in their lore, can gradually put us in touch with those realms of spirit and we can all add richness and power to our religious lives by tapping this ancient, non-verbal wisdom.

But - one step at a time. Let each of us try to live the lessons of the gods in our lives. In doing this we can eventually tune in to the deeper realities - and in the process, transform ourselves and the society in which we live.(Stephen A. McNallen, Breckenridge, Texas)

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Siegfried The Hero Of The North And Beowulf The Hero Of The Anglo Saxons

Book: Siegfried The Hero Of The North And Beowulf The Hero Of The Anglo Saxons by Zenaide Alexeievna Ragozin

The hero of the Nibelungenlied. Siegfried was the son of Siegmund (Sigmund), the king of the Netherlands, and Sieglind (Sisibe or Hjordis). His counterpart was the hero Sigurd, who appeared in many of the Icelandic and Scandinavian sagas, such as the Volsunga Saga. Siegfried was knighted at the age of eighteen. Siegfried hearing of Kriemhild's great beauty, the hero decided to woo Kriemhild. Siegfried also hoped to win fame and glory through his own prowess in warfare. Siegfried became lord of Nibelungland, after killing the two brothers, Schilbung and Nibelung. Siegfried gained the Nibelungs' treasure and the cloak of darkness (Tarnkappe) from Alberich, the dwarf and Nibelungs' treasurer. Siegfried also possessed the sword Balemung and the horse. Siegfried skin became invulnerable when he killed a dragon and was bathed in the dragon's blood. The only vulnerable spot on his body was on his back where a large leave covered fell on his back between his shoulders. Only Kriemhild knew of her husband's weakness. Hagen would later tricked Kriemhild to reveal this weakness to him. When Siegfried arrived in Worms, a city in Burgundy, Gunther won his friendship. Though he sought to woo Gunther's sister, he did not see her until a year later. They were only formerly introduced, after helping the king to win the war against the Saxons and the Danes, when Siegfried captured the two kings. Siegfried fell in love with Kriemhild, and her brothers approved of the marriage, if the hero would help Gunther win Brunhild in marriage. Siegfried does so by defeating the warrior-queen, using his magic cloak, Tarnkappe. Brunhild thought she was contesting Gunther. There was a double wedding. Whereas Siegfried's marriage was happy, Gunther was humiliating. When Gunther had tried to make love to his new wife, Brunhild fought him, bound the king, and hanged the king up on the wall. Gunther was no match for Brunhild's superhuman strength. Again, Siegfried had to secretly overcome Brunhild for Gunther. When Brunhild finally submitted to husband, Siegfried stole her ring and girdle, gave them to Kriemhild. The ring and girdle became symbols of their deception over Brunhild.

A man of great strength, Beowulf, pits himself in struggle against a monster, Grendel. Hero defeats Monster, and is rewarded with Treasures and his praises are sung. Then the plot twists, even in the ancient manuscripts of yore, Grendel's mother seeks revenge. She is a demon from the line of Cain, cursing humanity and hating all that brings happiness to mankind. Beowulf must also slay her to free the land from it's curse and to allow the people in it to rejoice and enjoy life in the mead hall. Later ,in old age, Beowulf must don his armor once again. he must wear the fine web mail to face yet another monster. A fierce dragon attacks his kingdom,and Beowulf faces his last battle. He Kills the dragon, but is himself fatally wounded. His kingdom falls into disarray , without it's strong hero to protect the people they are soon overrun by neighboring tribes. In the latest incarnation, however, it is mans own weakness,and lust that is the down fall of all great heroes. The monster of pride, arrogance, greed, and lust is the most terrifying opponent, and it is our own internal weakness that brings us all down, preventing us all from being heroes.

Download Zenaide Alexeievna Ragozin's eBook: Siegfried The Hero Of The North And Beowulf The Hero Of The Anglo Saxons

Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):

Stephen Flowers - The Secret Of The Gothick God Of Darkness
Jean Despagnet - The Hermetic Arcanum The Secret Work Of The Hermetic Philosophy
Bil Linzie - Investigating The Afterlife Concepts Of The Norse Heathen
June Johns - King Of The Witches The World Of Alex Sanders
Zenaide Alexeievna Ragozin - Siegfried The Hero Of The North And Beowulf The Hero Of The Anglo Saxons

What Is Stregheria

Stregheria is a branch of modern Paganism that celebrates early Italian witchcraft. Its adherents say that their tradition has pre-Christian roots, and refer to it as La Vecchia Religione, the Old Religion. There are a number of different traditions of Stregheria, each with its own history and set of guidelines. Stregheria appears to be based upon the writings of Charles Leland, who published Aradia: Gospel of the Witches in the late 1800s. Although there's some question about the validity of Leland's scholarship, Aradia continues to be the basis of most Stregheria traditions. The work purports to be a scripture of an ancient pre-Christian witch cult.

As with many other Neopagan religions, Stregheria honors both male and female deities, typically personified as the moon goddess and the horned god. Author Raven Grimassi, in his book Ways of the Strega says Stregheria is a blend of ancient Etruscan religion blended with Italian folk magic and early rural Catholicism.

Grimassi says of his tradition of Stregheria, "The Arician Tradition strives to maintain the ancient mystery teachings while at the same time working to adapt to modern times. Therefore we do embrace new material and teachings, but we do not discard older material."

Interestingly, there are some practitioners of Italian witchcraft who have tried to distance their version of Stregheria from Grimassi's and the other Neopagan forms of the religion. Some, in fact, have complained that it's become "too blended" with Wicca and other non-Italian traditions. Maria Fontaine, a third-generation Stregha from Pittsburgh, says, "A lot of what's traditionally sold as Stregheria by Neopagan authors is an offshoot of Wicca with Italian names and customs mixed in. Although there are some similarities, it's very different from traditional Italian folk magic. It's like the difference between eating real Italian food in a village in Tuscany, and going to your local Olive Garden restaurant for dinner. There's nothing wrong with either, they're just very different."

Books You Might Enjoy:

William Wynn Westcott - The Sepher Yetzirah
Michael Harrison - The Roots Of Witchcraft
Sepharial - Astrology And Marriage

Pentagram Meaning For Pagans

The pentagram (the five-pointed star, usually but not always depicted enclosed by a circle) is nearly universally used by wiccans and other witches, and comes closest to being the most commonly used symbol within paganism as a whole. Rooted in ancient Greek and Roman paganism, with ties to goddesses such as Hygeia and Venus, the pentagram has been associated with occultism, ceremonial magic, and even Christianity (the five points signifying the five wounds of Christ). By the 20th century and the rise of religious Wicca, the pentagram had become a more general symbol representing the cosmos as a whole. One common way of interpreting the pentagram assigns an element to each point of the star: the highest point represents spirit, with other points representing fire, air, water, and earth. Surrounded by a circle that signifies eternity or the vast emptiness of the cosmos, the pentagram functions as a symbol of the entirety of nature.

Because of its Greco-Roman origins and its usage today embedded in symbolism drawn from classical Occultism - the four elements underneath spirit - not all Pagans regard the pentacle as important or even useful. Celtic Reconstructionists and Odinists, for example, do not generally incorporate symbolism from cultures outside the Celtic or Norse world, and therefore regard the pentacle as irrelevant to their spirituality as the Christian cross.

Within such ethnically specific expressions of Paganism, symbols with strong cultural associations generally take precedence. Thus, pagan Druids often use the Awen, a symbol depicting three straight lines that diverge as they move downward, with a dot or point above each line. This symbol was created during the Druid renaissance of the 18th century and has been interpreted in various ways. Practitioners of Norse religion often regard the Mjollnir, or hammer of Thor, as emblematic of their distinctive cultural tradition. Similar symbols include the Caduceus for adherents of Greek Paganism, the Ankh for Egyptian traditions, and the Medicine Wheel for some Native American traditions. The labrys, or double-edged axe, has roots in Greek and Cretan culture, but because of its association with Minoan priestesses it has become a symbol of Dianic wicca and witchcraft (traditions with a strong feminist ethos).

Books You Might Enjoy:

Shanddaramon - Self Initiation For The Solitary Witch
Tuesday Lobsang Rampa - Tibetan Sage
Aleister Crowley - Songs For Italy
Pat Holliday - Miracle Deliverance New World Pagan Idolatry
Stephen William Hawking - Space And Time Warps

Pagan Symbolism

A visitor to a bookstore or gift shop that caters to Pagans will notice a broad assortment of symbolic jewelry: pentacles and pentagrams, Thor's hammer and the Minoan labrys, the Sheela-na-Gig and the crescent moon. Even symbols borrowed from other faith traditions, including the Yin-Yang, the Qabalistic Tree of Life, and the Medicine Wheel, feature prominently in the world of nature-centered and magical spirituality. What the observer may deduce - and rightly so - is that no single image or symbol holds universal prominence within this highly diverse and decentralized spiritual path. Unlike the Christian cross, the Jewish Star of David, or the Sanskrit OM, no one symbol fully defines the multi-faceted world of Paganism.

Nature religions also employ symbolism borrowed from other faith traditions. Wicca's links to Ceremonial Magic and occultism include, for at least some wiccan lineages, a strong emphasis on Hermetic Qabalah (a non-specifically-Jewish permutation of the Kabbalah that emerged within the occult community between the 15th and 17th centuries); this means that the Tree of Life is significant to their spiritual practice. Pagans who practice divination use related symbols including the glyphs of astrology and the imagery from the Tarot. Meanwhile, the Daoist Yin-Yang symbol and the Christian Celtic Cross (particularly when drawn as an equal-armed cross) are used by some segments of the Pagan community as symbols of the cosmos as a whole. Often these images from other religions are re-interpreted within a Pagan context; for example, the Celtic Cross does not symbolize the death of Jesus for Pagans, but rather functions as a European variation on the medicine wheel: the circle symbolizing eternity and/or the goddess, the cross symbolizing the four directions and/or the god.

Some Pagans employ more abstract symbolism as well. For example, wiccans often will use colors to signify the elements and deity: yellow is associated with air, red with fire, blue with water, green with earth, black with the goddess, and white with the god. The four suits of the Tarot deck have similar associations: swords signifying air, wands fire, cups water, and pentacles earth. Such associations may vary slightly from group to group; many groups prefer to associate wands with air and swords with fire, for example.

Perhaps the most ubiquitous symbol of all within paganism is so widespread and commonly held that it often goes unnoticed - the circle. The circle has a strong feminine association, linked to the vulva or the womb (in contrast to the more masculine/phallic symbolism of the straight line). Likewise, the circle has strong associations with nature: the earth is round, the earth moves in a circular orbit around the sun, the moon likewise progresses in a circular progression around the earth. Reincarnation suggests a circular movement of souls between death and life. Although not all Pagan traditions explicitly use the circle in rituals in the same way that Wiccans do with "circle casting," even culturally specific forms of Paganism often conduct ceremonies in a circle - subtly reinforcing the nearly universal Pagan rejection of hierarchy.

Books You Might Enjoy:

Sepharial - A Manual Of Occultism
Anonymous - Pagan Holidays
Pansophic Freemasons - Masonic Symbolism

Pagan Solar Cycle

The solar cycle as observed by many wiccan groups involves eight holidays, collectively known as "the Wheel of the Year." These holidays include the solstices, the equinoxes, and four seasonal agricultural festivals with roots in British and Irish mythology. The wheel of the year includes these festivals:

* Samhain, traditionally celebrated on or near October 31
* Yule, the winter solstice
* Imbolc, traditionally celebrated on or near February 1
* Ostara, the spring equinox
* Beltane, traditionally celebrated on or near May 1
* Litha, the summer solstice
* Lughnasadh, traditionally celebrated on or near August 1
* Mabon, the fall equinox

Several of these festivals have alternative names, sometimes from folkloric or even Christian sources: thus Samhain is also known as Hallowmas or Hallowe'en; Imbolc as Candlemas; Lughnasadh as Lammas; and Mabon as Michaelmas.

Like the lunar cycle, the wheel of year is rich with symbolism and mythology. Some traditions weave throughout the eight holidays a running narrative about the birth, life, and eventual death of the goddess, who over the course of the year is impregnated by her consort and gives birth to a sacred child. Another narrative associated with the wheel of the year involves a never-ending cycle of conflict between two mythic kings - the Oak King and the Holly King - who continually defeat each other at each solstice, the Oak King triumphing in the summer while the Holly King emerges victorious each winter.

Each of the agricultural festivals also has rich folklore associated with it. Samhain (the name literally means "summer's end") signifies the onset of winter and is associated with the end of harvest and the slaughtering of livestock to prepare for the cold season; thus it has traditionally been linked to death and to contact with ancestral spirits. Imbolc ("In the belly") celebrates the coming of spring and a time when ewes are lactating and pregnant with spring lambs. The celebration of spring reaches its apex with Beltane ("The fire of Bel"), a festival to mark the onset of summer and chronologically opposite of Samhain. As Samhain is a festival honoring death, Beltane is dedicated to the celebration of life and fertility. Finally, the onset of harvest is marked with Lughnasadh ("Lugh's festival"), marked by the first harvest and traditionally observed with games and other festivities. Incidentally, Bel and Lugh are the names of Celtic gods.

These holidays are not universally observed among all Wiccans, let alone all Pagans. Their popularity among many wiccans and some other Pagans stems from their symmetry and the rich mythic and folkloric material associated with the festival days. In some locations traditional celebrations associated with these holidays that predate the onset of paganism by many generations, continue to be celebrated. For example, the town of Padstow in Cornwall has elaborate May Day festivities each year that many scholars believe are vestigial remains of ancient religious observances. The Padstow May Day celebration has been re-created in Berkeley, California for a number of years-an example of contemporary Pagans drawing on folkloric practice for inspiration.

Books You Might Enjoy:

Aleister Crowley - Oracles
Anonymous - Pagan Stones And Gems
Anonymous - Pagan Holidays

Pagan Social Activism

One of the first well-known pagan leaders to actively promote social activism as an outgrowth of her religious practice was Starhawk. After her first book (The Spiral Dance [1979], an introductory text to witchcraft), Starhawk wrote several books about social and political activism from the perspective of promoting ecofeminist values. By the late 1990s and early 2000s, Starhawk had emerged as a public figure as renowned for her activism as for her religious beliefs. Her work includes training others in nonviolence and direct action, and supporting the peace movement, women's movement, environmental movement, and the anti-globalization movement.

In her book Truth or Dare: Encounters with Power, Authority, and Mystery (1987) Starhawk suggests that power can function in three ways: "power-over," "power-from-within," and "power-with." "Power-over" is power wielded by the privileged to dominate or control others. "Power-from-within," by contrast, is power not concentrated in the hands of a few, but rather power that emerges within individuals to enable them to reach their full potential and to engage creatively with others. "Power-with" is the healthy social alternative to "power-over." "Power-with" is the egalitarian and truly democratic exercise of power in which peers join together to share power in common. Most of what is wrong in contemporary society can be traced back to toxic forms of dominating power. Thus the way to transform society is to encourage all people (and particularly those who traditionally have been denied access to power) to manifest their power-from-within, and then to join together with others as equals to create shared, healthy, non-dominating power structures in order to create a truly just and good social order.

Selena Fox, the founder of Circle Sanctuary in Wisconsin, engages in a variety of social and environmental initiatives. She is the founder of the Lady Liberty League, devoted to promoting religious tolerance, especially (but not exclusively) for Pagans; through Circle Sanctuary she has led efforts toward nature preservation and environmental education. The Circle community engages in a variety of social ministries, including prison ministry, food drives, and public education on nature spiritualities. In 2005 Circle was in the forefront of "the pentacle quest," the successful legal effort to force the Veterans Administration to permit pentacle-marked headstones and memorials for wiccan military veterans.

Books You Might Enjoy:

Anonymous - Pagan Stones And Gems
Starhwak - The Spiral Dance
Sepharial - A Manual Of Occultism
Baron Tschoudy - Alchemical Catechism

Goddess Recipes Oils Perfumes Etc

[From 'The Witches' Goddess by Janet & Stewart Farrar (C) 1987
and published by Phoenix Publishing Inc., Portal Way, P.O.
Box 10, Custer, Washington USA 98240. Presented here to help
encourage the continuance of The Craft and to encourage those
who find it of interest to acquire the books written by the
selfsame authors. Uploaded Into computer BBS circulation by
the MYSTERIA MAGICIA BBS of Des Moines, IA.]


MOON PRIESTESS PERFUME:
1 Drop Queen of the Night Oil
3 drops rose oil
1 drop lemon verbana oil
4 fl. oz (120cc) white spirit
Blend the three oils in a bottle. Add the white spirit, and shake all
vigorously. A cologne can be made by adding another 1 FL. oz (30cc)
of white spirit and 3 fl. oz (90cc) of distilled water.

MOON PRIEST COLOGNE:
1 fl.oz (30cc) lemon verbana or Lime oil
2 fl.oz (60cc) coriander oil
1/2 fl.oz. (15cc) camphor or myrrh oil
1/4 fl.oz. (7cc) white spirit
3 3/4 fl.oz. (105cc) distilled water
Blend the oils in a bottle, add the spirit and water and shake all
vigorously. Increasing the myrrh oils gives a darker perfume; increasing
the camphor, a lighter and more spicy one. All perfumes 'behave'
differently on different skins, so it is worth experimenting to find
your own balance.

EARTH MOTHER PERFUME:
Musk oil
Patchouli oil
Rose Oil
Blend in equal parts, bottle and shake well.

ISIS PERFUME:
Rose oil
Blue Lotus Oil
Blend equal parts, bottle and shake well.

SUN GODDESS PERFUME:
Cinnamon Oil
Lemon Verbana Oil
Ylang-Ylang Oil
Blend equal parts, bottle and shake well.

OIL FOR THE DARK OF THE MOON:
2 fl.oz.(60cc) tincture of myrrh
1 fl.oz.(30cc) oil of cinnamon
1/4 fl.oz.(7cc) Queen of the Night Oil
1 fl.oz.(30cc) oil of rose
Blend, bottle and shake well.

OIL FOR THE RITES OF ISIS:
7 drops oil of rose
2 Drops oil of Camphor
2 drops tincture of myrrh
3 drops oil of blue hyacinth
Blens the oils of rose, camphor, and blue hyacinth during the
waxing moon. Bottle and keep till the Moon wanes. Add the Myrrh

KALI INCENSE:
This is an individual and personalized incense, for attunement
to your own Dark of the Moon.
1 oz (30gm) sandalwood chips
1 oz (30gm) Dried jasmine flowers or 6 drops jasmine oil
1/2 oz (15gm) dried rose petals
2 drops of your own menstrual blood
Blens and use for private meditation during the onset of your
menstruation.

MORRIGAN INCENSE:
1 oz (30gm) musk amberette
1/2 oz (15gm) dragon's blood (resin used in violin staining)
4 drops patchouli oil
4 drops civet oil
4 drops of blood from your own finger
Blend at the dark of the Mon, put in a jar and bury in the earth
for 6 weeks (a flower pot of peat in a cool cupboard will do).

ATHENE OIL & INCENSE:
The olive is sacred to Athene, so use pure olive oil as an
anoiting oil in particular, rub between the palms of your hands
and annoit your feet, forehead and lips. For the Incense:
1 oz (30gm) cedarwood chips
1/2 oz (15gm) camphor
7 drops musk oil
Female sweat (as much as possible)
6 olives unstuffed and preferabbly black
Blend the first four ingredients well, at the full moon, and add
the olives. Put in a jar and leave for one month to mature. Then
remove the olives (Which will have imparted their essence to the
rest) and throw them away.
Stuffed olives, both black and green, are an obvious food for
a ritual of Athene, also stuffed vine leaves, a very Athenian dish.
If possible, of course, the wine should be Greek - especially
retsina, though that is an acquired taste.

PRE-RITUAL BATH SCENTS:
To cleanse and relax the body before a ritual, and to energize
the psychic centres. Fill small sachets of muslin cloth with equal
amounts of the following herbs:
Basil (for psychic energy)
Borage (to strengthen the inner self)
Lavendar (to banish mental and emotional stress)
Centuary (a traditional witch herb)
Rue (a traditional bathing herb)
Put a satchet into your bath five minutes before you get in, to
give the aromatics time to work.

DIANA OF THE MOON INCENSE:
It is recommended that it be made in the hour and the day of teh
Moon - i.e. the first or eighth hour after sunrise, or the third or
tenth hour after sunset, on a Monday.
Thoroughly mix equal amounts of the following:
Gum mastic
Jasmine
Mandrake
Orris root
add a few drops of wintergreen oil and moisten with a little clear
mineral oil.

AINE of KNOCKAINE INCENSE:
1/2 oz (15gm) meadowsweet flowers and leaf (gathered when the
plant is in full bloom and dried)
1/2 oz (15gm) finely chopped pine needles
1/2 fl.oz. (15cc) lemon verbana oil
By the way, meadowsweet blossom also makes a delicious wine.




Books You Might Enjoy:

Benjamin Rowe - Enochian Temples Analysis Of The First Enochian Key
John Dee - The Calls Of Enoch
Richard Weiss - Recipes For Immortality