Comments for A Heathen's Day http://aheathensday.com The Life and Thoughts of a Modern Day American Heathen Mon, 07 May 2012 01:49:50 -0400 hourly 1 Comment on From hlautbolli to Chocolate Bowl by Hrafnkell Haraldsson http://aheathensday.com/2012/05/from-hlautbolli-to-chocolate-bowl.html#comment-3659 Hrafnkell Haraldsson Mon, 07 May 2012 01:49:50 +0000 http://aheathensday.com/?p=2215#comment-3659 Thank you. I think that's an excellent offering. I also make offerings of a portion of meals and of course, libations of wine or, especially, mead. Thank you. I think that’s an excellent offering. I also make offerings of a portion of meals and of course, libations of wine or, especially, mead.

]]> Comment on From hlautbolli to Chocolate Bowl by brainwise http://aheathensday.com/2012/05/from-hlautbolli-to-chocolate-bowl.html#comment-3658 brainwise Mon, 07 May 2012 01:31:32 +0000 http://aheathensday.com/?p=2215#comment-3658 Well done, Hraf. I have offered chocolate and heavy cream on several occasions. But this write-up puts the concept into clearer perspective with a justification. Thank you. Well done, Hraf. I have offered chocolate and heavy cream on several occasions. But this write-up puts the concept into clearer perspective with a justification. Thank you.

]]> Comment on Odin’s Ravens! by Gabriel http://aheathensday.com/2012/05/odins-ravens.html#comment-3657 Gabriel Sun, 06 May 2012 13:46:24 +0000 http://aheathensday.com/?p=2228#comment-3657 I read this article in SA (printed version): http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=just-how-smart-are-ravens 5 years ago and I thought the same. I read this article in SA (printed version):
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=just-how-smart-are-ravens
5 years ago and I thought the same.

]]> Comment on Debating Gender in Historical Heathenism by Hrafnkell http://aheathensday.com/2011/01/debating-gender-in-historical-heathenism.html#comment-3656 Hrafnkell Wed, 02 May 2012 14:39:37 +0000 http://aheathensday.com/?p=1887#comment-3656 And it was only being the submissive partner that was an "abomination" if we can use that word with all its religious connotations (Norse objections were not religious at all but cultural). And again, it was perfectly okay to be the one doing the penetrating, whether the hole belonged to a male or female. I think this is one of the problems with the quest for authentic Heathenism - distinguishing between religious and cultural traditions and as you say, modern Heathens should look at things from the other side of the coin. Heathens did, after all, sacrifice each other to Odin. You want human sacrifice? Think about that. All these help explain why I am a revivalist and not a hardcore reconstructionist. And it was only being the submissive partner that was an “abomination” if we can use that word with all its religious connotations (Norse objections were not religious at all but cultural). And again, it was perfectly okay to be the one doing the penetrating, whether the hole belonged to a male or female.

I think this is one of the problems with the quest for authentic Heathenism – distinguishing between religious and cultural traditions and as you say, modern Heathens should look at things from the other side of the coin. Heathens did, after all, sacrifice each other to Odin. You want human sacrifice? Think about that.

All these help explain why I am a revivalist and not a hardcore reconstructionist.

]]> Comment on Debating Gender in Historical Heathenism by Nick http://aheathensday.com/2011/01/debating-gender-in-historical-heathenism.html#comment-3655 Nick Wed, 02 May 2012 13:46:53 +0000 http://aheathensday.com/?p=1887#comment-3655 Sorry for resending this, but there were errors in the first submission: Let’s assume that homosexuality WAS an abomination to our Heathen ancestors. So what? What sane, thinking person would attempt to reclaim or perpetuate everything that our ancestors embraced, in the name of “authenticity”? There were, quite frankly, things about pre-Christian Heathen living that SHOULD have been discarded. People grow and evolve, and not always for the worst. Ten to one that Heathens who object to homosexuality, based on their perceptions of what our ancient ancestors believed, would be among the first to complain if they were chosen by some group of die-hard recons to serve as human sacrifices to the Gods, or to accompany their deceased leader into the afterlife. Sorry for resending this, but there were errors in the first submission:

Let’s assume that homosexuality WAS an abomination to our Heathen ancestors. So what? What sane, thinking person would attempt to reclaim or perpetuate everything that our ancestors embraced, in the name of “authenticity”? There were, quite frankly, things about pre-Christian Heathen living that SHOULD have been discarded. People grow and evolve, and not always for the worst. Ten to one that Heathens who object to homosexuality, based on their perceptions of what our ancient ancestors believed, would be among the first to complain if they were chosen by some group of die-hard recons to serve as human sacrifices to the Gods, or to accompany their deceased leader into the afterlife.

]]> Comment on Debating Gender in Historical Heathenism by nICK http://aheathensday.com/2011/01/debating-gender-in-historical-heathenism.html#comment-3654 nICK Wed, 02 May 2012 13:42:48 +0000 http://aheathensday.com/?p=1887#comment-3654 Let's assume that homosexuality WAS an abomination to our Heathen ancestors. So what? What sane, thinking person would attempt to reclaim or perpetuate everything that our ancestors embraced, in the name of "authenticity"? There were, quite frankly, things about pre-Christian Heathen living that SHOULD have been discarded. People grow and evolve, and not always for the worst. Ten to one that Heathens who object to homosexuality, based on perceptions of what our ancient ancestors believed, would be among the first to complain if they were chosen by some group of die-hard recons to human sacrifices to the Gods. Let’s assume that homosexuality WAS an abomination to our Heathen ancestors. So what? What sane, thinking person would attempt to reclaim or perpetuate everything that our ancestors embraced, in the name of “authenticity”? There were, quite frankly, things about pre-Christian Heathen living that SHOULD have been discarded. People grow and evolve, and not always for the worst. Ten to one that Heathens who object to homosexuality, based on perceptions of what our ancient ancestors believed, would be among the first to complain if they were chosen by some group of die-hard recons to human sacrifices to the Gods.

]]> Comment on From hlautbolli to Chocolate Bowl by Makarios http://aheathensday.com/2012/05/from-hlautbolli-to-chocolate-bowl.html#comment-3653 Makarios Tue, 01 May 2012 23:24:43 +0000 http://aheathensday.com/?p=2215#comment-3653 Very well explained. Thank you. Very well explained. Thank you.

]]> Comment on From hlautbolli to Chocolate Bowl by Hrafnkell http://aheathensday.com/2012/05/from-hlautbolli-to-chocolate-bowl.html#comment-3652 Hrafnkell Tue, 01 May 2012 17:18:57 +0000 http://aheathensday.com/?p=2215#comment-3652 That's always been the struggle, hasn't it: between the new and innovative and the "the good old ways." Thomas Jefferson was a proponent of innovation and it is a fortuitous turn to the future that gave us a country where I can safely honor my gods and - paradoxically - the old ways. I'm neither one nor the other. I appreciate the customs and traditions - what the Romans called mos maiorum - but I think we need to temper the old with our new realities. In the old days, they might have buried a chariot and horses - today you'd lower a Beemer into the tomb. One would be no more or less appropriate than the other in the eyes of the gods. That’s always been the struggle, hasn’t it: between the new and innovative and the “the good old ways.” Thomas Jefferson was a proponent of innovation and it is a fortuitous turn to the future that gave us a country where I can safely honor my gods and – paradoxically – the old ways. I’m neither one nor the other. I appreciate the customs and traditions – what the Romans called mos maiorum – but I think we need to temper the old with our new realities. In the old days, they might have buried a chariot and horses – today you’d lower a Beemer into the tomb. One would be no more or less appropriate than the other in the eyes of the gods.

]]> Comment on From hlautbolli to Chocolate Bowl by David29073 http://aheathensday.com/2012/05/from-hlautbolli-to-chocolate-bowl.html#comment-3651 David29073 Tue, 01 May 2012 16:45:54 +0000 http://aheathensday.com/?p=2215#comment-3651 As we have evolved as humans, so has our way of viewing life changed. So it should be natural that our Spiritual needs have also evolved as well. We don not take slaves, or sell human beings like we once did, nor do we make human sacrifices like we once did. That’s a good change! I find the idea of sacrifice, as you have defined it, worthy of chocolate, since my household holds this delight in the same way as yours. My granddaughter, who is 12, will eat copious amounts of chocolate after a bad day at school or practice (gymnastics). I enjoy a good set of chocolate covered grahams over an episode of "Game of Thrones", and my wife enjoys a good dark chocolate to munch on for no reason at all other then the pure enjoyment of Chocolate. To make a sacrifice of chocolate is correct, and will give a good spiritual smile to the Gods. I think it is important, that as we progress as human beings, with our technology, our communications, and our way of living and caring for our ancestors, our spiritual understandings will also change along with the way we communicate spiritually. Adjustments should be made. As you have pointed out, there will be traditionalists who will argue that things should be kept as in the "old days" but I think progress is not a bad thing, even in a spiritual sense. Just think how things would be if the Catholic Church had decided that celibacy wasn’t such a good idea in the first place. Think of how many children could have been saved. Makes ya wonder, doesn’t it? Change is good; anyway you look at it, especially spiritual change. As we have evolved as humans, so has our way of viewing life changed. So it should be natural that our Spiritual needs have also evolved as well.
We don not take slaves, or sell human beings like we once did, nor do we make human sacrifices like we once did. That’s a good change!
I find the idea of sacrifice, as you have defined it, worthy of chocolate, since my household holds this delight in the same way as yours.
My granddaughter, who is 12, will eat copious amounts of chocolate after a bad day at school or practice (gymnastics). I enjoy a good set of chocolate covered grahams over an episode of “Game of Thrones”, and my wife enjoys a good dark chocolate to munch on for no reason at all other then the pure enjoyment of Chocolate.
To make a sacrifice of chocolate is correct, and will give a good spiritual smile to the Gods.
I think it is important, that as we progress as human beings, with our technology, our communications, and our way of living and caring for our ancestors, our spiritual understandings will also change along with the way we communicate spiritually. Adjustments should be made. As you have pointed out, there will be traditionalists who will argue that things should be kept as in the “old days” but I think progress is not a bad thing, even in a spiritual sense.
Just think how things would be if the Catholic Church had decided that celibacy wasn’t such a good idea in the first place. Think of how many children could have been saved. Makes ya wonder, doesn’t it? Change is good; anyway you look at it, especially spiritual change.

]]> Comment on Welcoming Ostara by Hrafnkell Haraldsson http://aheathensday.com/2012/03/welcoming-ostara.html#comment-3650 Hrafnkell Haraldsson Tue, 01 May 2012 12:31:00 +0000 http://aheathensday.com/?p=2197#comment-3650 Happy Beltane to you as well. If you can say it, so can a Heathen! :) Happy Beltane to you as well. If you can say it, so can a Heathen! :)

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