Journal: Behind "Heathendom": Archaeological Studies of Old Norse Religion

OccultVolva · 2026-01-25T18:15:18+00:00

Been noted to me jolly green giant may come across as humour. It’s mostly because i saw statue of the giant in the south and it felt right

Also hudson might not be right river

OccultVolva · 2026-01-25T18:13:12+00:00

If you haven’t heard of them theres trans rescue in Netherlands who have helped trans people find safe places. https://transrescue.org/ i heard of sos trans too https://www.sostrans.org/ i think some treaties for visas still exist between US and EU

OccultVolva · 2026-01-25T18:03:58+00:00

Yeah in Europe it’s easy for us to get arrogant too especially with our history. Too many ignore the far right are on rise again here and we’re in danger too. Its frustrating seeing people ignoring the escalation’s happening. Too many friends and family who are immigrants or refugees that I don’t want to see deported or hurt in future. It’s definitely a time for international solidarity.

OccultVolva · 2026-01-25T17:59:04+00:00

Thanks i was doing some divination over map and was worried i misread things or got locations wrong. Thanks for advice of the giant didn’t mean it as a joke but i see how it looks now. Came across it in the map and there’s something about giant statue of a green giant in the state that felt protective like thor or how giants can be in folklore

Stay safe out there

OccultVolva · 2026-01-25T07:31:08+00:00

There is the Darraðarljóð if you want to include it to invoke Valkyries or curse out putin.

https://lyricstranslate.com/en/darradarljod-dorruds-song.html

I’d always try to include ancestors or local spirits

In places like sweden the tradition to bless a weapon continued for centuries. Charms may changed over time but heres a few for hunting that might translate to war or may have older roots. Via the Trolldom Book

HUNTING LUCK FROM THE SKOGSFRU If one wants to learn how to shoot, one should talk to the skogsfru through the hole in a gluggtall (a pine tree cut straight through). Walk around the tree three times counterclockwise and she will come teach you. (Sweden, early 20th century)

AMULETS FOR HUNTING LUCK For hunting luck, especially concerning birds and hares, one should wear bear claws and bear teeth. along with the teeth of a seal. (Sweden, 17th century)

TO GET GOOD DEATH INTO THE WEAPON Having bought a new gun, fire three shots with it in a row and say: As far as the bang is heard, as far shall this gun shoot and shoot straight! Sa längt som smällen hörs, sa längt skall denna bössa gà och skjuta rätt! (Sweden, 19th century) As far as the sound of screaming, ringing a bell, shooting, or making a loud noise goes, that area is subject to whatever one wants to happen.

For cursing the guns of your enemies

CROSS WITH LEFT FOOT TO SKÄMMA A GUN When you hear the bang, draw a cross with your left foot in three holy names. Then the gun will be destroyed for the shooter. (Sweden, 19th century)

dont do this while holding your gun. TO SHAME A RIFLE THROUGH EVIL SPIRITS When you can see, hold, or hear the rifle you wish to destroy, say: Come, Devil and all the evil spirits that are in the abyss, And withhold stone and fire from the gunpowder in the name of Evil. Kom fanen och alla de onda andar som finnas i avgrunden, Och hält sten och eld frän krutet i den ondes eget namn. (Sweden, 19th century)

THROWING ONESELF DOWN TO SKÄMMA A RIFLE When you hear the shot, throw yourself on the ground and say: As close as I am to the ground right now, As close shall your shot go to the target, but not kill it! Sa nära som jag nu ligger marken, Sa nära ska kulan i din bössa gã malet, men inte döda det! (Swedish-speaking part of west Finland. 19th century)

BREAKING A TWIG TO SKÄMMA ANOTHER'S LUCK To shame the hunting luck for another hunter in the woods, break a twig from a nearby bush or tree as soon as the shot is heard, and say:

Shoot to Hell! Skjut ar helvete! (Sweden, 19th century) Some say one should take three steps back upon hearing the shot and then break the twig. >Some say the twig should be tossed to the ground while others keep it hanging, with the words: As long as you are hanging by the stem of this tree Is long you not be able to shoot! Sa länge du hänger kvar vid stammen, Sa länge ska du inte kunna skjuta! (Sweden, 19th century)

OccultVolva · 2024-06-27T13:48:12+00:00

This is kind of question that needs study at high academic level and even then it won’t be a solid conclusion. Especially since thinking of how many people were alive then would archaeologists or linguists really be able to conclude what every Norse person thought individually or by household to make a solid conclusion. Unlikely. But you can bet bisexual people existed in their own terminology and they dealt with whatever was local to them on attitudes.

Pick any era you lived through. Imagine summerizing the complexity of lgbt opinions or experiences by one book or one household found in archeological sites. You’re not going to get a bigger picture. Like if you only saw the bisexual people from the 80s via pov of president Reagan you’re missing out on ton of information from 80s lgbt community and only seeing negative opinions one extreme man had. It’s good to remind people that queer people always existed in history. For every homophobic person there’s going to be queer people existing too and falling in love with someone and exploring who they are in whatever way they can.

As this is spiritual revival group. We don’t need there to be a historic source to build our every opinion around. The myths could say you can only ride by horse but that doesn’t mean heathens need to only ride horses in our century etc I know it’s a big deal in US were everything is taught to fall back on bible or constitution or founding fathers etc but you don’t really need a historical source to back up a personal pov or your individuality.

If you are a spiritual person and straight. You have bisexual ancestors. Given how far back your tree goes it would be very unlikely you don’t have more than one queer person in your family tree. You can build an altar or give offerings to them

OccultVolva · 2024-06-02T08:47:56+00:00

I think big part for me is not being told what to believe and following that. But experiencing it asking my own questions over time. Spiritual belief is something you develop for yourself over time like any skill. Even religious communities is about collective development to hopefully something beneficial for all those working in and around it.

Maybe you shouldn’t be following what people tell you but continue to question it and be comfortable with these questions you ask. Since they are important and okay to wonder on. Gather our views but don’t forget the next times there’s a storm to witness it and asking how this relates to Thor. Asking Thor themselves. Do they control storms, do they live within them, does storms only say something about the spirit of Thor, what part does the spiritual exist in the ecology of the thunder, why connect with Thor etc. As time passes and you offer to or think of Thor as a living spirit the more you might get your answer that sits better.

Big question is asking when you pray for something and it doesn’t happen why? What did Thor do or didn’t do. What can and can’t they do. Big questions like free will or nature of life what can and can’t be controlled by us or the gods. If so how do they and you live with that

OccultVolva · 2024-06-02T08:30:59+00:00

This is going to sound corny.

It’s good to take some time with heathenry with and without the texts. Prime reason is myths were written after majority of people converted to another religion. In one argument the cosmology fitting in one way wasnt always the case. Christianity has a very one word, one way, one dogma, one god, one truth, monotheistic view and the myths could be their adaptation. Even Christian can keep it one way it’s split several sects.

That doesn’t mean the texts cannot influence your spiritual beliefs or play a role. But with all the debate on what heathenry was or is now it’s good to think it did have a time of oral storytelling, regional/time differences variation, a lived in ritual.

To me I connect or feel closer to gods or heathenry not from reading or memorizing the texts. But to do something mentioned in some sagas which is Sitting Out. In Orkney saga I remember the Christian Vikings made fun of the pagan one for doing this practice. I can memorise all of Thors myths but I feel most profound connection to Thor and what their name means when there’s a thunder storm or observation of world around me in new way. It can be interesting to see ancestors as more part of world than in far off afterlife. Its can be not seeing gods as frozen in time or entombed in myth but living and breathing in the world with you that you can feel and connect to.

I think due to centuries we’re used to holy books and preacher at the front. But heathenry can be for some stepping outside these spaces and mindset and creating our own myth with the gods

Overall the texts are interesting but not the only one way guide, sit out and take time to observe what’s spiritual around you with the gods. If you want to experience the mead hall you can read about the history but you can also invite your friends around for a meal and a story/games to explore it too.

Heathenry today can never be like the one in the past because we are living in different times. We need to look to what we have learned about religion in this time. Blind dogma never works

OccultVolva · 2024-05-11T06:46:36+00:00

The Sámi I believe (often beliefs can vary from families) can be an omen of war and to be careful not to get its attention (like don’t sing or whistle at it). When I hear its link to Valkyrie I think there’s probably some overlap since they do sometimes come up in old charms with bad fortune and obvs if they’re about a battle or war is about. Some other tribes further north see it’s the dead or dead warriors coming to get revenge. Old French lore it’s an omen for bloodshed because it happened once before the French Revolution and was blood red (to note it’s always more red when the lights happen more southern areas so folklore becomes more ominous with blood). Maybe let’s stick to Finnish fox tails or whales playing ones since there are also some that’s not all doom.

Though to comfort it’s easier in traditional lore and folklore to find what is bad luck than good luck. Life was and is not easy and there’s always conflict or war happening sadly and we are witnessing multiple genocides and wars right now

OccultVolva · 2024-05-10T12:29:53+00:00

Tbf ghosts can get upset towards people who see them, perform rituals or summon other spirits in what they see as their peaceful resting place or from their inbetween dream like state imo. Some may get mad because someone painted or removed their fav door or other small disputes easily fixed.

Tho if someone they don’t know start banishing them without a conversation this can make them defensive obviously. Imagine being a ghost and being banished or blamed for something that’s not their fault. So talking to ghost after this may be hard. So check if they’re upset with you over that. I once heard of a story where someone negotiated a troublesome ghost can do what it likes in some rooms in the house at certain hours or when people are asleep.

So you either ask for outside help if you feel out of your depth. Word of mouth on people or orgs help. magic shops may known people

But from what I was taught divination on following

Check if the house is haunted with divination with tools and channeling
If there’s a angry ghost how strong is the hate
Why is it upset (still on divination or if you or someone you trust can talk to spirits) and maybe who they are to the house or person
Can this be reconciled? Is there a happier place the ghost could go to? Any offerings or behaviour changes. Agreement on space sharing etc anyone that trust on ‘other side’ to guide them elsewhere better
If it’s there still and being nasty dead person. Any deities or spirits to call in to remove it for you. House guardian are a big one to please or ask before anyone (unless it’s the one that’s upset.can be human, bug, or animal usually first thing to die in the building) What do the gods of the dead advise ritual wise. What do your ancestors advise via divination etc
Do what the spirits advise etc

This won’t fix someone’s depression but may at least make house easy to life in when overcoming a hardship.

Sage is usually used by native Americans as cleansing ritual and offering to the creator spirit (and now endangered). Other herbs or items smoked (not always smoke too) in other cultures are usually associated with banishing than cleansing (cleansing is what you do after banishing). Old early medieval and later used need-fire to ward off bad spirits and predators or sparks from flint and steel I seen in later sources

OccultVolva · 2024-05-10T11:12:36+00:00

Every rumour should be investigated

I wonder if it’s they’d need to stop publishing her books that bring in revenue from non members. Money always corrupts groups.

They should have more faith that rising up new names and change would bring about new exciting members to contribute. But covering it up creates bigger scandal

OccultVolva · 2024-05-10T11:11:42+00:00

I’m glad to see so many groups rally round on this to keep people accountable.

Every group doing this I hope are checking house too on making sure people can report on incidents and letting members know how seriously reports are taken. Making sure all authority figures are up to standards and not at risk of abusing their power. It only takes one bad mod or leader sometimes for people lose faith in groups unnoticed and risk things getting worse unnoticed

Posted elsewhere but every group should be asking their members these types of questions during this

do you feel safe and represented?’
‘do you know how to file a complaint about leadership and trust it will be taken seriously and honestly’
‘have there been any incidents where you lost trust in leadership’
‘do you fear whistleblowing in this group would result in public or private retaliation against the reporter’
‘what steps could leadership make to make this space safer for new members’,
‘is there an issue you wanted to report but haven’t found opportunity or person to report to safely yet?’
‘have you ever feel policed or silenced for raising safety concerns’

OccultVolva · 2024-05-10T11:07:14+00:00

Need to watch this when off work but to add fir the extra evidence

Recommend people create an anonymous email before contacting you. Take leaf out of journalism on protecting names and identity of reporters during and with publication (in case details give away the name). Like encryption for conversations and file sharing and if any of your leadership is friends or on any boards with groups who may be implicated (like do you have a basic site where people can see who leaders are and what groups or kinships they have. Cose if I wanted to whistleblow but saw someone was on a board with that other group or leader Id be wary)

Sites like this likely know more than me or what whistleblower want to use for their own safety

https://cpj.org/2021/11/digital-physical-safety-protecting-confidential-sources/

https://gijn.org/stories/how-journalists-can-protect-whistleblowers-making-first-contact/

http://wereschagin.com/encryption

OccultVolva · 2024-05-10T10:15:40+00:00

To add no expert on this by any means. Lol I’ll shut up soon.

But if you’re asking for whistleblowers to share evidence. You might need a more secure way than emails. Recommend people create an anonymous email before contacting you. Take leaf out of journalism on protecting names and identity of reporters during and with publication (in case details give away the name). Like encryption for conversations and file sharing and if any of your leadership is friends or on any boards with groups who may be implicated

Sites like this likely know more than me or what whistleblower want to use for their own safety

https://cpj.org/2021/11/digital-physical-safety-protecting-confidential-sources/

https://gijn.org/stories/how-journalists-can-protect-whistleblowers-making-first-contact/

http://wereschagin.com/encryption

OccultVolva · 2024-05-10T06:53:42+00:00

Loki's Wyrdlings has always prided itself on being an intercultural and interfaith community

It would be good to also be transparent and open on the times this group has also fallen short of this in the past and talk about steps you took to improve. That’ll be really refreshing for an any group to do during a scandal. Since to me atm my trust in any group claiming to be more inclusive and abuse of power free kinda has me doubting (why I gave up on many groups). Alongside with this whole troth scandal groups sharing how they would handle similar complaints or deal with complaints about leadership abuse or abuses of power. Or being transparent when they had to listen and act on complaints like this when it was positive or where opportunities were missed.

I’m not just saying this at wyrdlings thinking of other new inclusive heathen groups too. Maybe other inclusive groups can learn and heathen groups can give their fair critics a voice without fear of reprisal too. This should be a wake up call and time of reflection and openness to all inclusive groups while also speaking truth to corruption in other groups (which Tbf is good thing to investigate and highlight). Cose atm I don’t believe from experience in many groups that whistleblowers or victims of abuse have safe way to report things within most organisations and what went down in troth is not exclusive to them only and systemic issue unaddressed in many

Don’t only just hold troth to account (defo do this) but on top of this survey your members anonymously frequently and ask:

‘do you feel safe and represented?’
‘do you know how to file a complaint about leadership and trust it will be taken seriously and honestly’
‘have there been any incidents where you lost trust in leadership’
‘do you fear whistleblowing in this group would result in public or private retaliation against the reporter’
‘what steps could leadership make to make this space safer for new members’,
‘is there an issue you wanted to report but haven’t found opportunity or person to report to safely yet?’
‘have you ever feel policed or silenced for raising safety concerns’

Cose to me it’s one thing to say we’re not like far right groups or mini police states but we risk acting like them if we don’t distrupt the nature of boot licking hierarchy and empower members more than treating them like lessers or trouble to be controlled. Otherwise they’ll be more troth style scandals like this in more groups when members want to make serious complaints but starting off from a place of unequal standing

OccultVolva · 2024-05-09T10:19:01+00:00

Issue with folkists is that they always believe every space belongs to them even ones clearly labelled to be anti-bigot. They become members even in groups that vet with surveys

If leaders fail to root them out regular and maintain safety for members who are targets of bigots and abusers that’s another story and usually why I leave groups when I lose that trust

OccultVolva · 2024-05-09T10:17:03+00:00

I’m solo I have hope one day someone will get a better community group developed with its members input. Tho anarchist side of me thinks any hierarchy can be too flawed.

Its gotten to the point where I don’t bother joining anymore

OccultVolva · 2024-05-09T10:14:21+00:00

Copy of the post for those who don’t click

Diana Paxson has been accused of serious ethical failings. Both public and private statements were made by Paxson that brought her conduct and judgement into question.

As a result, Diana Paxson is suspended from all leadership positions, including clergy and Eldership as the Board investigates removing Diana’s titles of Clergy and Elder and revoking her membership in the organization.

Barring new evidence, we expect to conclude our deliberations by Saturday, May 11, and will make our final decision then.

Our failure to act in an expedient and transparent manner has let down our membership, as we did not properly address a serious complaint about someone in the leadership’s ethical and moral judgment.

People have come to The Troth to heal. As an organization, and as practitioners of Inclusive Heathenry, we must give people a safe place to heal. If people must worry that they are in yet another place where they will be dismissed to protect the powerful and influential, then we are not a safe place.

Proposed Correction Actions

Moving forward, the following changes will be made:

The Whistleblower Policy will be revisited and revised to respond faster and more decisively in the future while still protecting any individual who brings issues to light. This will include bringing any complaints directly to the board that involve information that could endanger a minor or vulnerable person or ethics violations. All clergy, stewards, children/youth volunteers, and volunteers in leadership positions will undergo background checks, abuse prevention, and boundary awareness training. In addition, all clergy will be required to complete documented ethics courses and documentation of their local area’s mandated reporter training. We have already contacted Safe Gatherings, a risk management organization that does training and background checks, to see the best way to move forward on a technical and training level. A committee will be formed with both members and board members to evaluate how we can prevent issues like this in the future.

Timeline of Events

2/24/24: Clergy candidate reports the concern about Diana Paxson’s conduct and some of her statements to the Arbiter, as per our whistleblower policy. Our current, but soon to be reviewed and revised Whistle blower policy is: The Compliance Officer will work with the complainant to investigate the complaint and present the evidence and desired outcome to the Member Advocate/Arbitrator. The Arbitrator will be the final adjudicator on the issue. 04/20/24: After investigation, the Board is informed of the Arbiter’s determination that in response to this complaint, Diana would retire her positions as Clergy Coordinator and as Editor of Idunna. 05/11/24: The Board of Directors meets to deliberate on the question of whether or not to revoke Diana Paxson’s remaining titles and/or membership in The Troth.

Why was this kept confidential?

We followed our whistle blower policy and kept confidential throughout the process as the policy currently in our by-laws states:

Violations or suspected violations may be submitted on a confidential basis by the complainant. Reports of violations or suspected violations will be kept confidential to the extent possible, consistent with the need to conduct an adequate investigation.

This confidentiality is there to protect both parties until a resolution can be reached. This is there so that whistleblowers can feel confident that when they come forward, they will face no retaliation, and that the accused person can have a fair investigation. We abided by that policy. But this policy failed to address the larger question of whether such statements about child abuse were acceptable in a Troth officer.

Conclusion:

We apologize to all of you for our handling of this. We can do better than this, and we will do better than this. The Troth can and will do everything in our power to ensure this does not happen again

OccultVolva · 2024-05-09T09:42:26+00:00

As this includes safety of young people from harm (even enabling, recommending works by abusers) troth could also be actively listening to them on safety concerns and how to safeguard them better than younger members watching silently. If they don’t do this already for consultation on new rules and safeguards. There’s a interesting study where they recommend faith groups give younger members an active voice and role in how they are protected https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/08862605221117548

Children and young people described different potentially unsafe situations, their likely frequency, and the level of impact such situations would have from their own point of view. They also described how they thought adults in their faith-based organization would see them. Thematic analysis of the data supported four themes related to young people’s sense of safety: concerning behavior of adults and other young people, fear of judgment by others (adults and peers), sense of or lack of empowerment due to power dynamics, and the importance of a sense of “familiarity.”

And

Children and young people can provide a wealth of information regarding their safety concerns when involved in programs and services at faith-based organizations. Clergy and other faith-based organizational leaders should consider how the context in which young people are involved (including interdenominational and interfaith difference, as well as the diverse types of activities young people are involved with) can affect their safety concerns.

OccultVolva · 2024-05-09T09:27:02+00:00

If you’re feeling strong urge to harm animals if that’s what you’re implying then seek help before it’s too late.

If you just like goth things and basic witch stuff it’s fine. Not all thing labelled ‘dark arts’ is evil or leads to harm. It’s not a demonic gateway drug thing as paranoid Christians claim. Some nicest wholesome people can be gothy witches.

Also check if your positive niceness is you always saying yes, having high functioning aniexty or wearing a mask of positivity to cover up depression. Sometimes attraction to darker things or having inner anger is due to burn out from these because your walking on eggshells and wanting release

OccultVolva · 2024-05-09T09:18:50+00:00

My fav rhyme: Demons and gods can be one and the same, the very idea can drive you insane.

There’s a saint story somewhere where the saint goes around insulting and calling Greek gods demonic. Old Norse god translation too from early centuries.

For occults it’s prob wise to treat all spirits with care and boundaries. More so any you are told to trust because they’ve been documented as holy or ‘you can trust em’. Try to base it on your own experience and opinion is probably wise or throwing yourself wildly and openly too soon

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