Hammer Project - Military Family Spport

I am at heart a soldier still
I hear the Call across the years
It stirs my soul and thoughts well up
Of duty done, and friendships made
Stave 209: Ye Piparskeggrsmal

Hail all;

As a veteran, albeit peacetime Guard and Reserve duty, I look upon those days with fondness and realism.

The Hammer Project, which is supported by the Asatru Folk Assembly, is an outreach project to support service members and their families.

One aspect, which is of growing importance. . .getting recognition that a symbol for Asatruars who have died as active warriors, or as veterans back home in the community they defended, deserve to have the choice of a symbol of Faith on their gravestone just as much as any other man or woman of Faith who has carried the Burden of Warding he Commonweal.

Please go to the site, which is linked to the subject header and read it over.

Also, there is a link to follow on the site for the purpose of signing an online petition in suport of the Hammer Project's goal of gaining the aforementioned recognition.

Thanks in advance - Pip

Orlog and Wyrd - another nonscholarly view

Orlog and Wyrd, such small words, with such big, big meaning.

Not being a bookish man, I'll keep my thoughts writ small ,-)

Orlog (Orlay) and Wyrd (Weird) are two distinctly different things in one's spirituality.

One's Orlay is formed by one's Words and Deeds falling into The Well. Depending upon the significance of these; the Layers (the root of both Orlay and Law) are gathered deeply, becoming strong influences or are blown away like a morning mist on the surface of a pond.

The strength of one's Orlay shapes one's Wyrd, for what we have done is what we shall become. The Past increases, the Present is where we are (always) and the future is being shaped, is never sure.

This is reflected in the lack of a "true" future tense in English and other Germanic languages, unlike Latin and other non-Germanic languages.

Amo, amat, amas (if I recall correctly) - I loved, I love, I will love. The English is a compound verb, composed of a varient of "to be" and the object action.

Which shows me that the Germanic - English - Nordic worldview does not concentrate on That Which May Become, but on That Which Became (the bulk our Orlay) and That Which Is Becoming (the further building and strengthening of our Orlay).

Our Wyrd is shown in That Which Is Becoming, moved to one outcome or another by our Orlay, and by our free will.

Our Wyrd is never fixed in stone, it is constantly being affected by our Orlay, plus the Orlay of our Kin, our Kith and our Community...

Then we could start dragging in Might, Maegn and Luck; but that another kettle of fish entirely.

Poetry IS devotion

Connecting to the Holy is a powerful Gift with which we have been blessed.

Poetry is one such method I use. It is also my main way of gaining understanding of the Aesir, Vanir and other Wights seen and unseen.

As always, 1st stave is repeated as the Burden. This poem was sparked
by photos taken by a friend of a storm off the shore of Argentina.

------------------------------

Storm Jarl

Tales are told of, mighty Holies
Born of forces, far beyond ken
Strivers, thinkers, seekers, do-ers
Thor is one such, Warding All Worlds

O'er the whaleway darkness rises
Stars are blocked out, stormheads growing
Roiling upwards, from the wavetops
Clouds of battle; waging ever
- Burden -

Midnight's silence, air is heavy
Mood is heavy, steps are heavy
As I walk slow, upon the sands
At the edge of Aegir's Seaheim
- Burden –

I turn my face into the wind
And feel the sting of salty spray
Upon my face and in my lungs
It heartens me and gives me strength
- Burden –

Sight is eerie, golden flashes
Lightning dances, in the distance
Striking crosswise, striking downwards
Into my ears, there comes no sound
- Burden –

As I look on, wonder begins
All is too calm, thunder's sleeping
Bursts like Noonday, over Midgard
Lighting my steps, across the dunes
- Burden –

Flame bright sword tongues, split the darkness
Within my heart, and on my skin
I feel the heat, as the flashes
Touch the wavetops, and cook the air
- Burden –

Comes a rumble, low and far-off
Great the distance, storm it must be
Like the roar of distant cannons
Which I heard when young man I was
- Burden –

O'er the whaleway darkness rises
Stars are blocked out, stormheads growing
Roiling upwards, from the wavetops
Clouds of battle; waging ever
- Burden -
- Burden -

A reply to a nonHeathen

Hail all;

I originally sent this on 12/31 to the "Spiritual Deism" discussion list. It was in response to one correspondant thereon mentioning Heathenry in one of his posts, particularly the "Jungian archetype" way of looking at the Gods.

----------------------------------------

Something I like about this group is the invitation to (what I remember as) good debate on topics of interest, plus the devotion to what I see as a purposeful provision of information on Spiritual Deism.

I'll speak up as one of the Heathens on the list.

I use the name Asatru for the faithway/belief system in which I live. It is a deceptively simple word; a 19th century literary construct meaning having faith in the gods. As an Asatruar, I have plighted mytroth to the holy Aesir and Vanir.

Opinion of the nature of the gods and goddesses worshipped historically and currently is very wide-ranging. We have atheistic Asafolk (there were those called 'Godless" in the Sagas) at one end ofthe spectrum and those who believe they have seen the Holy Powers fully personified in their individual lives at the other.

Jungian archetype folk are a part of this picture as are Campbellians, Dumezellians, Rydbergians, Simakicists, Grimmists and so forth.

I am likewise a part of this picture. I suppose one could think of me as a man who has "seen" the Holy Ones in a personal way (reacting to both Genius and Animus); much of my poetry is inspired by this interaction and my worship is conducted by speaking to them as individuals.

I am also Numenistic in my approach; feeling their Power in the "footprints" they leave in creation; again, poetic inspiration....and yes, I do take some of my inspiration from the philosophy of the Religio Romana of some of my ancestors.

I am also somewhat Deistic (panentheistic) in my thoughts. For me,the question always remains, what is/was the Initial Causation? What set the Dance of Fire and Ice in motion to fill Ginungagap and start Life in its course? I think that this Ultimate Source is both Unknown and Unknowable, to large extent, by the mind of man. But, the individual gods, goddesses, giants and heroes, descended from this Ultimate, are in some part known and knowable.

Otherwise I suffer from neither heterodoxy, orthodoxy, heteropraxy nor orthopraxy, just being myself in my understanding and worship ,-)

--May the Holy Aesir and Vanir strengthen us. May our Blessed Forebears see us as worthy. May we ever build for Kin, Kith and Community.

In Grith under Troth - Stefn Ullarsson Piparskeggr
Catamount Grange Hearth - Husband
Oak Shadow Kindred (an independant kindred) - Skald

Asatru Folk Assembly - Folkbuilder
IL, IA. MO, WI, MN, east NE, east KS, west KY

Hammersign in Asatru Ritual

The "classic" Hammer Sign is a modern construct in the opinion I've formed over the years.

Does this diminish it's meaning?

I think not.

I am of the opinion, for modern Heathens, that which aids us in being able to bond with the Holy Powers is in fact, good.

I use a variation on the "traditional" Hammer signing.

I start with my hand raised to Asgard as I face North, feeling the touch of the Holy Powers upon me.

I then clench my fist and bring it to my forehead, while saying "Odin;" to the middle of my chest - "Tyr;" to the base of my chest - "Uller;" to my left shoulder - "Thor;" to my right shoulder - "Frey;" and back to the base of my chest - "Balder."

For me this acknowledges: Wisdom - Law - Guardianship - Strength - Prosperity - Hope.

I find that using this Hammer Sign gives me comfort and eases me into a state of mind, which opens a "path" to feeling the Holy Powers when I am Standing before Them to Offer Words, Drink and Spirit.