Heathenry Has Standards * whines *

Yes. Heathenry has hierarchy. Imagine that.

Gangleri's Grove

Today a reader sent me a blog post (which was rather old) wherein a self-described feminist complains about all the things that’s wrong with Heathenry. When I stopped laughing, I decided I should address some of the points therein. Now, I know some of y’all send me obnoxious news articles and blog posts to wind me up and that’s ok. I read and file most of them but every once in a while, something will dovetail with an issue I want to cover, or will skirt along the periphery of something that is worth addressing so here we are. Keep the articles coming.

I deleted the email after I read it this morning but several points stuck in my head so I’ll try to recap them here:

Our intrepid blogger complained that * gasp* Heathenry has an “unspoken code of hierarchy,” and an expectation of deference to those with more…

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Confronting Racism




So here’s what I responded with:














On this Easter I give you this

The arrogance of the Christian god

It’s good for several laughs, not the least of which is the fact that all Christians and Muslims, and a great many Jews, insist there is no god but their own – yet in the bible itself we find YVWH referencing himself as being in a company of Gods.  We find him dictating laws that he then commands his followers to directly disobey.

It’s sad how people take that book and use it as a club against those who they don’t like, those who don’t follow their ways.   Europeans have no idea how very much of the ethos they *think* is Christian, is actually pre-Christian native ethos that their ancestors have syncretized into the desert faith.

May you have a blessed Eostremonath (Easter month, which is what the Anglo Saxons called this month).

Aurora Borealis





Magni update

He’s 9 1/2 months old now, and not even done growing yet!  He weighs about 25 pounds.

He’s literally double the size of our other cats.  He bowls them over without trying.  But he’s the sweetest thing, the most gentle soul.

I’m pretty darned sure he’s got Norwegian Forest cat in him somewhere.  He’s got heavy fur between his toes, the heavy white fur on his belly (that you can’t see in these pics but it’s there), the fur tufts in his ears, and the heavy club like tail.

Hail Aaron.

Hail Aaron. Long will you be remembered.  

He died this week, early in the week, on the Christian day of rest.  Which is perhaps appropriate for a man who went above and beyond for his friends, family, clients, and strangers, who didn’t take rest for himself.  He left a wife and two young children, a daughter and a toddler son.  He was 33 years old.  He and my son became friends 21 years ago, and remained friends to the day he died.  They got into a lot of trouble together.  They dated and married girls they grew up with, they had children at the same time.  They helped each other out with car repair, marriage advice, child care, and more.  

He was a quiet sort, chronically exhausted looking, who possibly drank more than he should but worked very hard to make sure his family had a home and a roof over their heads.  He would sacrifice his weekends helping his friends and family work on their vehicles, or help them move, or take care of things around the house that they were unable to do because of health.  He recently stayed at work until 10pm, on his own time, to make sure a family’s car was running properly and safe.  The day he collapsed in his garage he had been reading the thank you card the family sent to him.  They thanked him for his dedication, and for the fact that because of him, they were able to take their vacation without worry.  

He got sick in December, had a little bronchitis but was well enough to continue working.  He never got better though.  He ended up getting pneumonia apparently, and still continued to work.  He was working the day he collapsed in his garage.  He hit his head on the way down and ended up vomiting while unconscious.  He aspirated on his vomit and quit breathing.  He was likely down for about 8 or 9 minutes before anyone found him.  He coded twice, once on the way to the hospital and once there.  He was placed on a ventilator and admitted to ICU.  He never regained consciousness.  They took him off this past Sunday.  He passed 6 breaths later.  

He had a premonition.  I know he did.  He told his wife the week before that if anything happened to him he did not want to be on a machine, not even for one day.  He told her what she should do with things of special value to him.  They were going to write a will in the coming weeks.  He was an organ donor and made sure she knew he wanted to donate whatever could be used. 

When he passed, because he was an organ donor, the hospital announced a Code Hero on the intercom system.  Every staff member that was available lined the halls from his room to the operating room where they took him to harvest his life saving organs and tissues.  Because he was young and healthy before this happened, there was much that could be donated. He saved the lives and restored health of between 40 and 50 people by his donation.  

He died perhaps too soon, perhaps at the appointed time.  He spent his life building up his family and his friends, even at the cost of his own health.  He leaves a legacy of dedication, love, commitment, trust, and loyalty.  May his ancestors welcome him home.  

Hail Aaron.  

Questions about Odhinn

Due to a recent conversation on a secret, closed group I belong to it spurred some questions.

Odhinn, by the time of the Anglo Saxon Conversions to Christianity, had the reputation of being treacherous, deceitful, oath breaking, etc.  I think that this, in part, is why the conversion of Anglo Saxon England went easier than Sweden for instance.

He was a God of War.  He required blood.  Lots of it.  He required the triple death in many cases but He was perfectly satisfied to accept blood.  In fact I believe it intoxicated him, much as the Mead of Inspiration did.

So let’s examine this.  Odhinn hung on the tree, sacrificed himself to himself, in search of enlightenment.  That tells me pretty plainly that he is a God in search of not only wisdom, but the evolution that comes from wisdom properly assimilated.

My personal experience, my personal gnosis, of Odhinn, is that he NEVER lies.  He also never tells the whole truth either.  His reputation for treachery, I believe, comes from this very thing.  It allows peoples’ personal biases to to color what they hear, often to their disappointment and peril.  I myself have been guilty of this on occasion.  My gnosis regarding this has made me evaluate most things in my life in this light.  Is it re-affirming personal biases?  Is it beguiling me because it’s what I want to hear?  Am I ignoring signals and evidence I should really be taking into consideration?  This has changed my outlook on life in ways you can’t imagine.  Is my life happier for this?  NO.  But it’s healthier in many ways.

So my questions to you are these:

  1.  How do you think Odhinn approaches His people in the current era?  We don’t sacrifice people to Him any more.  If He gets blood it’s because we give our own.  How does He get our attention now?
  2. How do you think he has changed over the millennia?
  3. Do you think he has evolved?  Is He more, or less treacherous?
  4. Why do you think he has gained such a position of supremacy?
  5. I have added a question – why do you think people are worshipping the Gods more than the wights and ancestors?


Please, take as much space as you need to answer these questions, or make a blog post of your own and link back for me to read.


Marijuana reduces Benzodiazepine use


This is big.  There is a syndrome called “benzodiazepine abstinence syndrome” that can last for YEARS after last use of these drugs.  It causes tremors, increased anxiety, cravings for it, sleep disturbances, mood disturbances.  Most people who are genuinely addicted to benzos will never completely recover especially if they are older.  This is big, it’s a way to both manage their anxiety and get through abstinence syndrome.

I’m getting quite tired of the “studies” put out by people with ties to Big Pharma who try to scare people.  Marijuana does not cause schizophrenia.  That’s a genetically linked disease.  Marijuana does not increase violence, unless you count the cartel violence because it’s an illegal drug and of course growing, transporting, and dealing are all dangerous occupations because it’s illegal.

Want to know what does cause all kinds of problems?  Big Pharmaceutical drugs.  Oxycontin.  Oxycodone.  Xanax.  Ativan.  Suboxone.  Yes, suboxone.  There’s a whole underground market for this drug.  It sells for as much as $20 a pill or strip.  What about the violence associated with these drugs?  What about the deaths associated with these drugs?  Show me the massive increase in marijuana overdose deaths – in fact, show me any marijuana overdose deaths at all (1 supposed toddler OD because of parental stupidity doesn’t count).

It does make people drive very slowly.  It gives people “the munchies” if they are new to using or don’t use regularly, if you use regularly it actually reduces appetite.

I will have to look on my old laptop but I also have a study that shows that opioid use goes down by a pretty substantial margin when marijuana is used in conjunction with opioids in pain patients.  Like 35-40% or more.

Marijuana has been known and used for at least 10,000 years.  There is documentation for its use in ritual and in medicine going back at least several thousand years.  We have cannaboid receptors.  Because we evolved to use marijuana.  Do I smoke?  No, because I will lose my living if I do.  Would I if it were legal?  Yes.  And it should be legal.  Government should not be in the business of telling adults what they can and cannot do, what they can and cannot ingest, what they can and cannot smoke.