Vidar's Gothi

The news has many stories where people argue about tolerance and what it means for themselves and their culture. In many of these debates, it seems that the folks involved are missing some of the definition of tolerance or are trying to change the meaning to fit their agenda. We cannot allow such things to get in our way as we go about our Asatru lives.

It is important to note that just tolerating someone does not mean that you agree with them. Instead, tolerance is about how you treat someone with whom you disagree. This shows very clearly in matters of religion.

I often go to the Quiet Place and commune with Vidar Leathershod. He gives me glimpses into things that are happening or are going to happen. Some of the images take some interpretation and others are very clear. For the past several months, the images have been brief but clear. The Gods are busy.

At first glance, there would seem to be many differences between Christianity and Asatru, but many of these are superficial. At the heart of the matter are a few core, fundamental differences in how we view people and what makes them special. Fortunately, these differences are easy to explain. Unfortunately, the differences are hard to argue in a religious debate.

For the last month or a little more, my main work with this site has been cleaning up the damage from an onslaught of attackers from the outside. Sitting in the dim light of my home office and listening to the thunder outside, it occurred to me that this is what a modern battle between sorcerers would look like.

On Friday, January 20, 2017, Donald Trump was sworn in as the forty-fifth president of the United States of America. This has made many people very uncomfortable. I've heard, over time, that some non-Christians have concerns about a Republican government, and Trump in particular. I decided to go to the quiet place to see if there was any advice coming from there.

As another Winter Solstice rolls by, I want to wish you all a Good Yule and good new year!

If you are new to Yule, or to Asatru, you can read more from my previous Yule posts.

May the Gods guide you to where you need to be.

A linguist friend of mine pointed out this Anglo-Saxon version of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer". If you've got a few minutes, it is entertaining and worth the read. http://www.tor.com/2016/12/15/this-anglo-saxon-version-of-rudolph-the-red-nosed-reindeer-might-be-more-epic-than-beowulf/

The Grimnismál tells of a squirrel named Ratatosk living in the World Tree. We know this creature to run between the eagle at the top and the dragon at the bottom, carrying taunts to agitate the two. With each trip, it spreads anger and hatred, causing the recipients to shake the Tree itself. It looks as though we have a similar issue in our world today.

Last weekend, I attended the Central Iowa Pagan Pride gathering in Des Moines. It was a great gathering ; I met some great people and there were wonderful conversations. One of the topics that came up was that we sometimes encounter people who want to be part of our groups but are just too toxic. I thought this required more thought.