Ask Me (Just About) Anything

[jprussell]

Howdy,

I don't actually expect many folks to have much to ask me, but an anonymous commenter over on JMG's Magic Monday asked me a question and I didn't see it until the deadline for it to close, so I figured I'd put up a post for him or her to post the question here, if interested, and while I was at it, I figured I'd open the floor to anyone who might have follow-ups on earlier blog posts, would like to know more about me, or whatever else.

If it helps to spark any questions, obviously most of the time on here I write about Heathenry and occultism, in my day job I teach business communication (so, mostly public speaking, some writing, and a grab bag of other topics like listening, difficult conversations, running meetings, and that kind of thing), and I have an interested layman's knowledge of military history, ancient history, historical linguistics (mostly Indo-European), roleplaying games (especially older flavors of D&D, but I went through a phase with post-Forge indie/story games), and various other geeky topics. I'm also a dad, a veteran, and a former management consultant.

So, with that, ask away. I'll keep this open until 11:59 pm central time January 21st.

Cheers,
Jeff

Comments

[jprussell]

So far, just JMG's Druidry Handbook, which gives slightly more detail on each Few, but I also have (but haven't yet read and so can't speak to) The Ogham Roads and The Book of Ogham by Michael Kelly.

Cheers,
Jeff

[(Anonymous)]

Hi Jeff (OP here),


JMG mentioned on this week's MM that he has noticed increased activity in relation to the Druid Revival gods. I know that you are a Heathen, but do you know anything about this increased activity that JMG mentioned? Have you heard anything from other people you know in the pagan sphere(s)?

I hope you don't mind m asking you in this thread. I hope you are well. Many thanks.

[jprussell]

Unfortunately, I don't have much to offer here beyond what JMG and the MM folks have said. For what it's worth, pursuing my own hybrid DMH+DA through a Heathen lens work, I've found the Druid REvival/Welsh Gods somewhat responsive, even if They haven't been my focus.

Sorry I don't have more to offer!

Jeff

[(Anonymous)]

Hi Jeff,


Thanks for responding. If you don't mind me asking, what kind of response have you gotten from the Revival/Welsh pantheon? Also, what kind of results are you getting from your own Heathen approach using JMG's work?

It seems that many pagans are reporting success with their practices these days. There appears to be something happening.

I hope you don't mind the follow up questions. Many thanks for your time and help.

[jprussell]

Don't mind at all!

1) I haven't really called directly upon the Welsh/Revival Gods, but in meditation and scrying, I've encountered some of them, such as Rhiannon, as well as some seemingly-Welsh beings that don't come directly from the myths (for example, when I scryed the gate of Water, I met "Elowen," a female water spirit/Goddess that from what I can tell isn't documented in any myths). In these encounters, I've gotten advice and encouragement.

2) As for the Heathen approach to JMG's work, again, it's hard to point to specific "results," but it seems to be working for me. I pray to the Heathen Gods outside of ritual, and when I do the SOP, I call upon Heathen Gods in the opening and at each Gate (in my case, using the opening from the DMH, at the forehead, Woden (Odin), at the Solar Plexus, Baldaeg (Baldr), to the right Frigg, to the left Idun, and then Air: Woden (Odin), Fire: Frige (Freyja), Water: Ing (Frey), Earth: Idun, Spirit Below: Erce (Jordh), Spirit Above: Tiw (Tyr), and Spirit Within (Myself). It seems to work for me. Between prayer and ritual, I've gotten steering on hard questions, support when things are hard, and reassurance that I'm on the right path. I do divination with both the Ogham and the Runes. When I'm on my regular schedule (I've been off that for a bit now), I do daily Ogham readings and once a week do a Rune cast, and for specific questions, I use whichever one "feels" right - for me, the Ogham tends to work better for more "spiritual" questions, and the Runes for more "practical" ones, or those having to do directly with my Heathen religious practice, and divination is one area where I've most clearly gotten the impression that "This 'Stuff' Works" (TSW) - I've gotten insights and guidance from there that sometimes surprise me.

For what it's worth, when I first started magical practice, I used the Heathen Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram (LBRP) and Middle Pillar (MP), as published on JMG's Dreamwidth at the time and now expanded into a full program of study in Isaac Hill's The Heathen Golden Dawn, along with meditating on the Eddas and daily Rune casts, and it was while following that approach that I had my first, and so far strongest, religious experience, an encounter with Idun and Woden that is hard to describe, but was extremely vivid and made a believer of me. I ended up going with the DMH, though, both because I sensed I needed a better balance of solar and telluric energies that Golden Dawn-based systems provided, and because at the time it was a complete system of magic compatible with Heathen Gods that came from JMG, whom I trusted (ans still trust, for that matter).

Hope this helps, and happy to answer any follow-ups.

Jeff