Hearthside

We have now come through the Tyr year, the stark masculine energy, the struggle. The Bïork year is upon us. Berkana, the birch rune, the rune of transformation and rebirth. The softening feminine energy shines through. This is a year of new beginnings. But we must be cautious, what is present in the roots, is what will unfold. Change takes time, but birch trees are fast growing. We can turn things around, letting go of old patterns, causing new ones to take root. For those of you new to this series, I am using the Rune Poems along with Rune Rasmussen’s Nordic Animist Year to build up a sort of Farmer’s Almanac of what each year will hold for us in a 19 year cycle. I also look at historical events and weather patterns for comparison and as a basis for what may come in this cycle. All of this is experimental. A multi-year project which may or may not have any worth. I always start with the rune poems. Rune Rasmussen’s book uses the Swedish Rune Poem, but I compare the others as well. Bïo...

I haven't been a Heathen very long, comparatively. I have been fairly successful at learning quickly because once I found Heathenry I threw myself head long into it. I read anything I could get my hands on, I learned to read in Old Norse, and most importantly, I talked to other Heathens. That is always the fastest way to learn. You can absorb all the knowledge others already learned much faster through a discussion. We need to encourage more discussions in Heathenry, and help them to flourish. Discussions can get heated without being debates. The thrill is the depth, not being right. That was what drew me into my Kindred, I was willing to challenge ideas, but be polite about it. I wasn't going to follow blindly, but I could accept being wrong. And I have been wrong a lot over the years.  I recently had the opportunity to go home, to where my family lives in British Columbia. In 2017, I moved back with my mom. I had been a shut in for 3 years at that point, after teaching up nor...