[Open Post] Heathen Open Post

[jprussell]

Howdy,

So, I'm looking to strengthen some connections among Ecosophia-adjacent Heathens, and an easy first step seemed to be a regular open post here on my dreamwidth.

A few ground rules:

1. The overall goal here is for folks interested in Heathenry to meet, share resources, and so forth. So, even though I won't draw a hard line on "on-topic" against "off-topic," it would be best if posts have something to do with Germanic/Northern European polytheism, whether ancient or modern.


2. Let's keep things civil. Disagreement is welcome, but insults, rudeness, and attacks are not.


3. I don't expect enough traffic to need to put a hard limit on when this post will be open, but once the next open post goes up, please post any new discussions there.

Otherwise, welcome, and kindly say hello!

Comments

[open_space]

Howdy!

I hope all is well.

Odin has been trying to grab my attention this last week and I was wondering if, 1) you had a relationship with him and would mind sharing what has been your experience and how does him feel to you and 2) If you had any book(s) or sources that you would recommend.

Thanks in advance and may you be well!

[jprussell]

I'm doing well, thank you! Hope you enjoyed your time in Glastonbury.

As for your questions: Hah! I say "hah!" for a few reasons: 1) I've heard He has a reputation for "reaching out" or "recruiting," and my own experience fairly well bears that out, 2) Odin/Woden is likely the God I have the closest relationship with, and 3) being the bookworm that I am, I certainly have some recommendations :D

So. First off, my own experience of Him. He can be a bit scary, but seems to share with other Gods an understanding of human shortcomings. He seems to push a lot for "you have what you need to handle this on your own, so go handle it" rather than fixing problems for you. He also seems especially ready to help/push when it comes to personal magical/spiritual practices, especially divination, and especially especially the Runes.

As for books, the always default starting place is the two Eddas. To gain insight into these, I have found most especially helpful The One Eyed God by Kris Kershaw, but also Maria Kvilhaug's The Seed of Yggdrasil. The books by Shani Oates on Odhinn have also had interesting insights, but I have found them a bit more hit or miss. Edred Thorsson's books on runelore and magic push an "Odian" standpoint of emulating rather than worshipping Odin, which I think go maybe too far, but aren't entirely wrong - emulation seems to be a big part of what Odin asks of/looks for from His followers. Galina Krasskova's works are also helpful, as she is especially dedicated to Him, even if I don't always agree with her. Lastly, I haven't read yet, but have read a lot of works drawing on Dumezil's Mitra-Varuna, which explores the idea of the dichotomy between the "Terrible" and "Lawful" sovereigns, with Odin playing the role of "Terrible Sovereign" and Tyr playing the role of "Lawful Sovereign." Also potentially useful, especially if you are knowledgeable about other Indo-European pantheons/bodies of myth is J. Dolan's Taliesin's Map, which is an exercise in comparative mythology with Celtic myth as the central hub.

So, to put a long story short, I have found my relationship with Him incredibly valuable, but I recognize that His value is not universal. He also seems to respect autonomy/agency enough to accept "thanks, but no thanks" from those folks He reaches out to that don't find His or other Germanic worship congenial. In my own case, even before I worhsipped Him, He was my favorite figure of mythology, and while a Christian, I would "joke" that if I didn't think Christianity were true, I would pick Germanic religion, and that was largely on the strength of myths about Him. So, I'd say, if He's reaching out to you and you're open to it, explore fully, but if you have misgivings, nothing to worry about.

Happy to answer any follow ups.

Cheers,
Jeff