Sweord and Soul

Asatruar saves woman's life

Mon, 29 Oct 2007 18:20:11 -0500

A woman who ran off the road and plunged over a cliffSiple, who was walking his Airedale terrier Dusty when he found Scott lying next to her car on the beach, said he was praying to Njord, the god of the sea, while awaiting rescuers."I was just praying to him, ‘hold the tide back a little bit longer so we can get Diane out of here,'" Siple said Friday.Siple said he is a member of an old Germanic-Scandinavian religion called Asatru.... It's being reconstructed from a thousand years ago. We're not naked dancing in the woods," he said.

monotheism, polytheism, Greek, and Germanic/Norse

Sun, 28 Oct 2007 19:45:13 -0500

Mary Lefkowitz, professor emerita at Wellesley College, wrote a very interesting article in the Los Angeles Times, where she notes deficiencies in the world caused by dominant monotheistic religions, and discusses how a polytheistic religion might be aThe separation between humankind and the gods made it possible for humans to complain to the gods without the guilt or fear of reprisal the deity of the Old Testament inspired.... By allowing mortals to ask hard questions, Greek theology encouraged them to learn, to seek all the possible causes of events.

The Runestone Journal

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 19:18:19 -0500

Look for a great new journal for Asatruar!

Leif Erickson day set

Tue, 09 Oct 2007 16:46:36 -0500

(Dag) Rossman will help the campus observe Leif Erikson Day Tuesday when he speaks about ancient Nordic spirituality. Rossman, from Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, will discuss “Ancient Nordic Spirituality: The Northern Path to Wisdom and Balance,” at 7 p.m. in Minnesota State’s Wissink Hall 285.

Future of Asatru

Fri, 28 Sep 2007 01:34:19 -0500

Here is a video excerpt from an Aegir's Feast panel discussion on the future of Asatru (the panel discussion was 45 minutes, the video is only 16): the future of Asatru Technorati Tags: academia, religion, spirit...

Revival of Asatru

Tue, 25 Sep 2007 18:07:32 -0500

From a recent article in the University of South Alabama newspaper The Vanguard describing the revival of Asatru:Within the last 30 years, a lot of people have been trying to get back to their roots, to reconnect with what their ancestors believed and how they lived. One of the faiths that has sought to re-establish itself is Asatru.Asatru can best be defined as the revival of the ways, beliefs and customs of the ancient Germanic tribes of northern Europe which inhabited, at differing times in history, the modern nations of England, Germany, Ireland, Iceland, Scotland, Wales, Belgium, France, the Netherlands, West Poland, Northern Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Norway, Sweden, and Finland.

The Dangerous Result of "Made in China"

Sun, 08 Jul 2007 22:50:45 -0500

There is a list of many of the recalls of Chinese-made products from just this year. It seemed scary to think of all the products that were made through dangerous or faulty materials being used on the Chinese side.

The Vikings are on the Move: A Religious Rights Rally

Wed, 04 Jul 2007 13:26:45 -0500

As I mentioned earlier, there will be a religious rights rally today in Lafayette Square Park in our nation's capitol.

Happy Summer Solstice

Thu, 21 Jun 2007 16:46:41 -0500

A solstice occurs twice a year, whenever Earth's axis tilts the most toward or away from the Sun, causing the Sun to be farthest north or south at noon.

The Pope and the Imposition of Foreign Culture

Tue, 22 May 2007 10:47:27 -0500

Jason at Wildhunt talks about Pope Benedict XVI's recent tour through South America.

Religious Rights Rally at the White House

Mon, 21 May 2007 11:11:34 -0500

Recently I wrote about the struggle with the Department of Veterans Affairs to get the Wiccan religious symbol approved for the cemetery headstones of veterans.

Sigr

Sun, 29 Apr 2007 21:28:25 -0500

Here is a great commentary on victory and religion in our lives --- watch the YouTube video filmed during Ostara 2007 Easter celebration: Sigr Technorati Tags: religion...

Veterans Affairs and Proper Burials

Mon, 23 Apr 2007 15:31:10 -0500

Last year, I spoke about how Sgt. Patrick Stewart, who was killed fighting for the US in Afghanistan, was denied by the US government a proper cemetery headstone.

Virginia Tech: Guns and Defense

Tue, 17 Apr 2007 16:15:04 -0500

While Interpretations and reactions to such events are heavily culture-bound. In the USA the popular media typically encourages us to react roughly as follows:* Drop into a fear-based state of consciousness.

Kurt Vonnegut

Sat, 14 Apr 2007 12:18:45 -0500

By now, you probably have heard that Kurt Vonnegut has died.While I was not a big fan of his writing style, he did influence a lot of people.Here is a link to one of his short stories, "Harrison Bergeron".