Solitary in Asatru

Community is a generally considered a huge part of Asatru and related faiths. What about those people who worship without a religious community?

- Are you solitary? If so, is that by choice or necessity?
- How necessary is a religious community or not? Why?
- How important is a mundane community or not? Why?
- If someone is solitary, how do they practice Asatru or other Heathen religion? Particularly, I'm interested in what people's more formal, solitary blots might look like.
- What do you do to cultivate or support your community, religious or secular?

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What books SHOULDN'T you read?

In another discussion group I'm in, I asked a similar question, but it was very subject oriented. Here it's more general.

What book you would not recommend reading, and why so? Be it contents, or just a waste of time and money, or are there better books on the subject?

I can also ask it in a different way - What book wouldn't you recommend for a beginner in this or another path? (material to advanced, need for solid basics before, etc...). That's a different question actually, but never the less also important.

Also, if you think that the book isn't bad, but not suitable for a specific crowd, mention it (i.e. "Wicca" by S. Cunningham, which I think is good for a general interest in Neo-Wicca, but not as good for someone interested in Traditional Wicca).

Why these question(s)? There are many lists of "What to read", but there aren't many of "What to avoid". Many of the books which I think should be avoided, are those who are actually more "easy selling" - tempting covers, tempting titles, etc., which beginners (and non beginners) may buy, and just waste some good time and money, better spent elsewhere. Though IMO, there is no such thing as a "bad" book, because from every book you can learn something (such as - "what is a bad example for a book").

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Speaking to the Gods Informally?

Can you speak to the gods/goddesses informally, such as the Christians do in their religion? Or must it only be in formal ritual and worship?

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Expectation of a Deep, Personal Relationship with Deity/ies?

I was reading in another thread - and my apologies, but I can't seem to locate it again! - and something in it stuck with me today. The idea brought up was that for most Celts, a relationship with the gods wasn't necessarily about having a deep, personal, intimate communion with them, that it was a different way of looking at the gods' interaction with men. In other threads, primarily from those of Celtic or Heathen beliefs, the relationship with local land and house spirits seems to have more emphasis as a more important part of the day to day life.

I know that there are those who do have an intimate, personal relationship with one or more deities... but perhaps my expectation of this as an inherent and fundamental part of religion is a Christian hangover, rather than fully embracing a totally new approach to things? And I sense that it could be a barrier to developing a deep and intimate experience in a totally different way, especially since in the last month or so, forming a better understanding of and connection with the more immediate, local spirits has become more and more something on my mind.

I would love some more discussion of this idea, and about making this paradigm shift.

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Communing with Nature?

I'd like to hear from those who are practicing a religion that reveres nature (or places a great importance on nature or nature spirits) who live in suburban or urban areas. Particularly from people who are transplants there, who have had to adjust to it.

I lived in a rural area my whole life - acres and acres of wooded hills around a family farm - and a few years ago we moved to the outskirts of a honest-to-goodness town. I like it here for a lot of reasons, but the difference is huge in terms of the connection that I feel to nature. It's like trying to have a relationship through glass. Yes, I love the trees around here, and I find meaning in dandelions pushing through cracks in the sidewalk, etc, but it doesn't have the wildness that really resonates with me, and I'm feeling the lack of that strongly.

Also I feel a lack of privacy, due to the proximity of other homes, which affects me. Sure, there's nature everywhere (or I would go mad) but there's no privacy.

What are some ways that other people (who aren't conveniently living in the middle of the woods Smiley ) find to deeply and meaningfully connect with nature? I'm finding that kind of communion to be elusive, and I miss it.

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Becoming a witch or Being a witch?

I often read on some websites that you can't become a witch. You are a witch or you aren't. What do they mean by that? Do you have to have witches as ancesters or something?
Or do they mean you have to be a witch in an active way, like in every action you perform you must act like one without to much effort?

But you can't be a witch without learning and knowing about it, isn't it? Or am I wrong? Doesn't a witch have a spiritual way of growing?

I all confuses me sometimes...

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Traditions for birth or babyhood?

Many faiths have beliefs, rituals, and traditions around "baby-having" - both celebrations, and taboos. I always find these beliefs so interesting.

Does your path have any traditions or rituals for during pregnancy, during or after birth, or the postpartum time? If these kinds of details aren't known about your path, what do you imagine they might have been? If your path simply doesn't address these, then what do you think would be meaningful for you within your faith and practices?

If you've done some sort of religious/spiritual ceremony or before or after the birth, I'd love to hear about it! (Whether it was part of your official religious path or not.)

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Simple Ways of Celebrating the Wiccan Sabbats?

What are some simple ways of celebrating the Sabbats without too much complex ritual and pomp?

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Lay Pagans vs. Clergy 2 (the other way round)

The Lay pagans vs. clergy thread was a brief-but-interesting discussion that focused on what separates the clergy from the laity (to the extent that either word applies) within different pagan contexts.

This thread is aimed at running at the same sort of issue from the other side; what is the role of the laity? What differentiates them from clergy? Which pagan ways have a formal or informal role for a laity? How much latitude should lay pagans be allowed in different areas? For example, does it matter if an eclectic neo-wiccan, who is happy to identify as 'lay' believes some of the anthropological and historic inaccuracies that are well known at TC, or is it ok for lay people to believe the 'myths' of their tradition?

I understand that most participants at TC are more likely to fall into the clergy, or the non-hierarchic parts of paganism, but I'm interested in people's perspectives and thoughts on those who are not so inclined/called.

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New Asatru Web/Podcast

Myself and two others are starting a new heathen/Asatru webcast beginning Sunday Feb. 7 at 1pm EDT. We will have book reviews, interviews with authors and other personages of note, band interviews/reviews, and whatever else we can think of to squeeze into an hour block of airtime.

Come check us out!

http://www.ravenradio.info/

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