Hearthside

I have been thinking a lot about Fair Speech in heathenry for a long time. I first became aware of the concept of Fair Speech when I was studying Beowulf in university. Fair Speech is very much tied to other heathen concepts such as Deeds, and Kinship. All three of these concepts relate to Frith and Grith in a way that is so interwoven that it is impossible to separate them. As such, I will focus on Fair Speech in this post, and bring in the other two as they relate to it when talking about Frith and Grith. My hope is that this approach will create a more complete picture of heathenry and these concepts.  Fair Speech in its essence boils down to civility and courtesy, the ability to express oneself without being disruptive to the social order or causing unnecessary offense. Within the tribe this takes the form of having a difference of opinion with one’s Kin, but expressing it in dialogue in such a way that all parties can engage in an open discussion that will neither aliena...

Historically, Midwinter or Jól would have been celebrated according to the lunisolar calendar, so the date of the Midwinter moon would have been in January. Jól traditions were moved after the introduction of christianity to fall around Christmas, which had been influenced in its date by the solstice practices of other pagan groups. In modern times, many heathens celebrate Midwinter at the solstice. That is not my own tradition, but I do recognize the solstice as an important day in the heathen calendar. To me the Yule month (December) and the Midwinter month (January) are ripe with festivity. The Wild Hunt is shrieking through the night skies, the frost and snow is settling everywhere, and the dark time extends itself over everything. The urge to retreat from the busyness of the rest of the year is strong. It is time to slow down the pace, and enjoy the warmth of hearth and home. Still, the Solstice day is a day to be outside, hailing Sol, knowing the light will be returning.  It ...

Tonight is Mother’s Night, or at least it is when I celebrate it within my hearth. Bede recorded it as being the Eve of December 25th, or Christmas Eve. However, it likely shifted to that date after the introduction of Christianity. Some modern heathens celebrate Mother’s Night on the Eve of the Winter Solstice, and some celebrate it on December 24th. Others don’t celebrate it at all. So what is Mother’s Night? It is the celebration of the female ancestors, or Disir. It is similar to, or may be the same celebration as Disting of Disablot, which doesn’t seem to have a set date in the sources. Some modern heathens celebrate both separately, with Disting usually falling somewhere between January 31st and mid-February. Others celebrate one or the other, and some celebrate neither. The truth is modern heathens don’t really agree much on what holidays to celebrate other than the major 3: Sigrblot, Winter Nights, and Yule. (And often with the addition of a 4th at Midsummer.) It is up to the t...

Whenever the icy winds roar across the prairies and the temperatures drop I find myself thinking about Skaði. I imagine her standing out in some field among the snow drifts with snowflakes caught in her hair, laughing as the wind shrieks around her.  Nordic goddesses are all pretty tough, but Skaði is next level. Perhaps it is her Jötunn blood, or perhaps it is how she loves to be out on the land. I spend a lot of my time hiking in all seasons. My body quickly adapts to the temperatures, I know well when the weather will change and I am prepared for it. Many people I know complain when they have to go outside this time of year, but there is a certain satisfaction in victory over the elements, in surviving all of winter’s harshness, not just enjoying its sweetness through the window. The frigid temperatures remind us that it is a gift to be alive every day and that we should make the most of it. Skaði more than beats the elements, she thrives in them. And this is also metaphorically...

So you may have heard of the terms universalism, tribalism, and folkism in heathenry. A lot of people don’t like them as labels, and that is fine. I do think they have value though, in trying to convey complex ideologies, so bear with me. Universalists believe that anyone can practice heathenry and usually in any way they think is right, while the folkish belief is that heathenry is an ethnic religion with traditions that shouldn’t be appropriated by other groups. Now, obviously folkism is very clearly a not so polished veneer for white supremacist and bigoted ideologies, but universalism is also not without its problems. The problems are not so much that anyone can practice, but that if anyone can practice any way that they want that it waters down practice until it loses its meaning and value.  Tribalism is often presented as the middle point, but that is an oversimplification. Tribalists believe that you are only heathen if you group practice or are oathed into a heathen communi...

One of the most frequent associations with winter in heathenry is the Wild Hunt. But who is the leader of the Wild Hunt? Could it be Odin, or perhaps a more female host? You may have heard the names Perchta, Hulle, Holda, Berchta, and many other variations. Sometimes she is even called “Frau Gode,” suggesting she is Odin’s wife. Many scholars argue she is an all-mother goddess from the Proto-Indo Europeans.  Holda comes from the Proto-Germanic "hulþaz" meaning "favourable, gracious, or loyal." And if we look at the Grimm’s Fairy Tale “Mother Holle” we see that she rewards those who are humble and loyal, and punishes those who act contrary to these ideals. It seems in particular that she dislikes greedy or lazy people.  Mother Holle is associated with snow. When her quilt is shaken, it snows in the world. And some say Holda is associated with the first snowfall in particular.  But is she a goddess or some sort of spirit who rewards hard work? Holda is associated with...

I have been thinking about Canadian heathenry, and both the challenges and strengths to having a heathen worldview in the Canadian landscape, as well as abroad. It can be tricky to quite fit in with the dominant christian over-culture. There is certainly a lot of room for misunderstandings. Of course, being raised in that culture, it is possible to blend in unnoticed the majority of the time. All of that is what it is though, and we have to work within that framework. More interesting perhaps, is looking at how heathen worldview can actually be a strength in our interactions with other individuals and groups. I have been blessed in my life with many mothers. There is of course, my birth mother, who helped to shape me into the strong woman that I am today, but my heathen worldview has also led me to forge many reciprocal bonds with people of other cultural groups that are more familiar with bonds of reciprocity than mainstream Canadian culture. One such special bond that I formed was...

So, this is not my regularly scheduled content (what schedule, you ask?) but it is heathen and Canadian, so that makes it apt content for this blog. If you aren’t from Canada, that is okay. It might interest you too, or you might want to skip this one, your choice.  What is the Heathen Confederation of Canada (HCC)? It is a newly formed organization in Canada that advocates on behalf of Canadian heathens. But before I get into the how, I want to be transparent here. I am running for the National Council. However, this isn’t a political post. I am not trying to gain any votes here. In fact, if you aren’t already a member, the cut off has passed for being eligible to vote in this first election. Instead, this post is to tell you more about this organization and why I think it is beneficial to all Canadian heathens, and why you should check it out for yourself. If this is your first time visiting my blog and you followed the link in my candidacy bio, you are probably already a member....