"It's weird, because I find what she's talking about *incredibly* creepy/gross (though not as gross as Kaldera's practices detailed here: https://archive.ph/TbVMW), but can't *really* fault her reasoning or feel justified in condemning folks for doing something in private by themselves or only with fully-consenting adults." - Eh, I don't question (taking claims at face value) they have a right to do so, but that doesn't by itself prove they aren't making the world worse - I think "condemning", in this sense, is quite fitting.
"So, I dunno how much is me being a prude (though it sounds like for Krasskova, it's not *exactly* sexual, at least not always), how much I ought to trust my instincts, or what." - I wouldn't classify myself as a prude for having a problem with that; and, well, Kaldera also made a claim about it not being always about sex, but I might say the difference from the guys at National Geographic is that they aren't having sex while doing it (technically, some of the stuff about cultures on National Geographic omits sexual content Westerners would dislike, but well ...).
"My own experience is consistent with the idea that He expects and demands respect, but also expects you to learn from His example." - I don't have any problem with the idea of his demanding respect, but I think he sounds like a pretty non-authoritarian (not to be mistaken for "nice") boss in the myths. (Of course, the culture that worshipped him had slavery, but that's a problem nearly any religion arguably "has" by our standards.)
C5.2) "Add in the Western Occultism lens and a belief in reincarnation, and things get even messier." - Just to make absolutely sure: you know that there's explicit mention of reincarnation in ancient Europe, right? ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myth_of_Er .)
"The One-Eyed God (again!)" - No complaints here!
"Kershaw floats the idea that the notion of a feasting hall for the honored dead warriors of the tribe likely originally meant "all adult men", since all adult men would serve as warriors when needed." - Makes sense, but I might want to ask about half the population!
"Do you feel like his writings (as opposed to his lyrics) are worth checking out?" - Was wondering about whether you had a better-informed opinion, actually. I read and heard a few interviews with him, but read none of his books. He helped spread Sigurd Agrell's Uthark Theory, which I think has merit, and I think so do some of his LHP interpretations (e.g., if I may just throw another Therion song at you, see The Blood of Pingu - sorry, I mean Kingu; what I mean is, again, "telluric current"); but to me he sounded like "pompous windbag too fixated on a supposed antinomianism and paying too much attention to the lower nature*", i.e. a Thelemite stereotype?
*: note that his people having started from modern Scandinavians, frankly it's possible they need even *more* lower nature than what their LHP training may give them, but I'm definitely not Scandinavian, so even if that's true, I can't assume it relevant for me.
"That song's pretty rad, I'll have to check out at least the rest of the album, if not more Therion." - I'll recommend Secret of the Runes and the 3 subsequent albums; the ones before are less symphonic and the ones after less metal IIRC. (Lyrics-wise, at least some of the albums before are no less well-written occult-wise, though they may be about parts of occultist you'd be (I am) less interested in; I think some of the later ones go away from occultism.)
"Thanks to "Survive the Jive", I've been enjoying Wolcensmen lately, which is "dark folk", and so not as hard, but still high-quality music made by a practicing Heathen about relevant topics." - Bought Fire in the H...wite Stone - thanks! You know, Therion's a fairly well-known metal band that you did hear a bit about before, while, notwithstanding Dan Capp being well-connected enough to have called a bunch of other musicians, I think he's still pretty obscure; so, let me try to repay that - have you heard about Farya Faraji already (I just remembered I hadn't actually bought any of his albums.)? His work isn't mainly about religion, but there are themes from a bunch of religions, some of his YouTube videos debunk wrong impressions about musical history, and you might want to check the songs in Echoes of Byzantium Vol. I (as per the Bandcamp track list), and Thrymskvidha and The Varangians, including his commmentary.
C7.1) "what matters is if it puts me in touch with spiritual truths, and since those insights can be guided by separate, conscious Beings, "different but still right" is a valid outcome." - I might be too Progressive (and maybe secondarily too history-minded) to remember that as often as I should, but it does appear to make sense.
no subject
"So, I dunno how much is me being a prude (though it sounds like for Krasskova, it's not *exactly* sexual, at least not always), how much I ought to trust my instincts, or what." - I wouldn't classify myself as a prude for having a problem with that; and, well, Kaldera also made a claim about it not being always about sex, but I might say the difference from the guys at National Geographic is that they aren't having sex while doing it (technically, some of the stuff about cultures on National Geographic omits sexual content Westerners would dislike, but well ...).
"My own experience is consistent with the idea that He expects and demands respect, but also expects you to learn from His example." - I don't have any problem with the idea of his demanding respect, but I think he sounds like a pretty non-authoritarian (not to be mistaken for "nice") boss in the myths. (Of course, the culture that worshipped him had slavery, but that's a problem nearly any religion arguably "has" by our standards.)
C5.2) "Add in the Western Occultism lens and a belief in reincarnation, and things get even messier." - Just to make absolutely sure: you know that there's explicit mention of reincarnation in ancient Europe, right? ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myth_of_Er .)
"The One-Eyed God (again!)" - No complaints here!
"Kershaw floats the idea that the notion of a feasting hall for the honored dead warriors of the tribe likely originally meant "all adult men", since all adult men would serve as warriors when needed." - Makes sense, but I might want to ask about half the population!
"Do you feel like his writings (as opposed to his lyrics) are worth checking out?" - Was wondering about whether you had a better-informed opinion, actually. I read and heard a few interviews with him, but read none of his books. He helped spread Sigurd Agrell's Uthark Theory, which I think has merit, and I think so do some of his LHP interpretations (e.g., if I may just throw another Therion song at you, see The Blood of Pingu - sorry, I mean Kingu; what I mean is, again, "telluric current"); but to me he sounded like "pompous windbag too fixated on a supposed antinomianism and paying too much attention to the lower nature*", i.e. a Thelemite stereotype?
*: note that his people having started from modern Scandinavians, frankly it's possible they need even *more* lower nature than what their LHP training may give them, but I'm definitely not Scandinavian, so even if that's true, I can't assume it relevant for me.
"That song's pretty rad, I'll have to check out at least the rest of the album, if not more Therion." - I'll recommend Secret of the Runes and the 3 subsequent albums; the ones before are less symphonic and the ones after less metal IIRC. (Lyrics-wise, at least some of the albums before are no less well-written occult-wise, though they may be about parts of occultist you'd be (I am) less interested in; I think some of the later ones go away from occultism.)
"Thanks to "Survive the Jive", I've been enjoying Wolcensmen lately, which is "dark folk", and so not as hard, but still high-quality music made by a practicing Heathen about relevant topics." - Bought Fire in the H...wite Stone - thanks! You know, Therion's a fairly well-known metal band that you did hear a bit about before, while, notwithstanding Dan Capp being well-connected enough to have called a bunch of other musicians, I think he's still pretty obscure; so, let me try to repay that - have you heard about Farya Faraji already (I just remembered I hadn't actually bought any of his albums.)? His work isn't mainly about religion, but there are themes from a bunch of religions, some of his YouTube videos debunk wrong impressions about musical history, and you might want to check the songs in Echoes of Byzantium Vol. I (as per the Bandcamp track list), and Thrymskvidha and The Varangians, including his commmentary.
C7.1) "what matters is if it puts me in touch with spiritual truths, and since those insights can be guided by separate, conscious Beings, "different but still right" is a valid outcome." - I might be too Progressive (and maybe secondarily too history-minded) to remember that as often as I should, but it does appear to make sense.