I cannot believe that it has been a month already since my last Ritual For The Innocent Victims. Actually, I will be performing this ritual a day early because on the first of May I per perform my Fertility Ritual to the Gods Freyr and Freyja. I dread what the beginning of each month represents to me ! Once again it is time to memorialize those women and children who were killed for no other reason than they were too weak to defend themselves from their attackers. And women and children, the innocents, in our society should not have to defend themselves from these animals. They should be protected by a society that looks out for the next generation and the ones who birth and raise them. These " innocents ", and I am including some males this month, were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, and met up with a person, or persons, who suffered from a maddening anger, and who carried a weapon of death and destruction. We need stronger laws to protect these people, including the death penalty. Odin is clear, at least to me, when he says a gift for gift, and a lie for lie.
This month I am deeply saddened to have to read the names of those who were taken from us for NO GOOD REASON ! To the Gods I ask protection, and comfort for these victims of violent crimes, and that They guide them to happiness in their second lives. To Forseti I ask for justice for those who were taken too early. And to Vali, the Great God of Vengeance, I ask for retribution. No ! I demand it ! Finally, to the families of these innocent victims, I offer my sincere condolences, and hope that their journey through grief will not last too long.
Whenever I think of these victims I can't help but think of the lines from Daughtry's song, " Gone Too Soon".
Not a day goes by that I don't think of you,
I'm always asking why this crazy world had to lose,
Such a ray of light we never knew,
Gone too soon .
- Daughtry, Copyright, 2011 RCA records
The honored dead !
Dannaer Fields, 49
Bobby Clark, 54
William Allen, ?
Killed by two gunmen on a shooting spree in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Kayla Marie Golden,28
Shot repeatedly while leaving a pediatric center with her infant son. Her son, Keegan, was ripped from her dying hands. Thank the Gods the baby was found later alive.
Isabel Celis, 6
Went missing from her bedroom. Not found.
Brittany Killgore, 28
Killed in San Diego, Ca. Her body was later found in brush near a Southern California lake.
And to all those who do not make the " headline news " but whose lives were extinguished just the same, I raise my horn in solemn respect. May the Gods watch over you this day, and every day for eternity.
Glenn Bergen
Go with Odin's wisdom, Freyja's love, and Thor's protection !
A few of you, including some who I call friends, have voiced concern over the fact that I no longer wish to be associated with any religion, Heathen or otherwise. When I was called by the Gods and Goddesses 30 years ago I belonged to no religion, and had no affiliation to anyone in a religion. I was an Agnostic who believed in a greater power, but felt that it was unknowable and unreachable. I still believe that we can never fully understand what the Gods and Goddesses are trying to tell us. I had never heard words like Odinism, or Asatru, and simply called myself, "A Follower of the Old Ways." Over the years I have tried to fit the "religion" that others have re - discovered, and in some instances have re - invented, around my own beliefs, but they do not fit. I have also tried to work with those in our " Northern Tradition " religions but to no avail. There are too many personalities in these religions whose views include things that I do not believe in. Many of these individuals work as hard, ( if not harder), to elevate themselves in the heathen religions as they do to to elevate the religion itself. They see their views as the only means of reaching a spiritual relationship with the Gods and Goddesses, while at the same time using the Gods and Goddesses to make themselves a " famous personality " within these religions. They write book after book, go to advertised book signings, as though they were a celebrity ,and promote themselves as much if not more than the Gods that they honor. They of course profit from their Gods, through their writings, and charge for things like rune readings, and the selling of their shamanic services. To them all of this is part of their religion, but it is not part of mine ! For me religion is only about the relationships that we establish, and nurture, over the years with our Gods, Goddesses, Heroes, Martyrs, and our ancestors. I do not need anything else ! And I do not need to charge people to teach them about the Gods or how to establish a relationship with Them !
Someone recently told me that promoting the Gods was promoting and building a religion. Sorry, but I disagree ! I am trying to teach people that it is the relationships that we develop with the Gods that matters, not the trappings. We do not need a titled religion, organizations, temples, etc... to honor our Great Gods and Goddesses. All we need is a simple altar, our love and respect for the Gods, and time and care to develop a relationship with these wonderful deities who have graced us with their presence.
Although I will always have" Faith in the Aesir ", Asatru has begun to mean more than just that. It has begun to stand for a religion with all the same trappings of those other religions that I have avoided over my lifetime. From this moment, until the day that I die, when asked which religion I belong to, I will answer this way: " I am A Follower of the Old Ways. I honor the Gods and Goddesses of my ancestors ! " End of sentence, end of paragraph, end of story !
Glenn Bergen
Go with Odin's wisdom, Freyja's love, and Thor's protection !
Mighty Yggdrasil
High above heaven's rim,
Tiny buds upon its limb.
Tough bark grown in rugged layer,
Stretching forth in constant prayer.
A Mighty Ash with branches strong,
Standing stoic for so very long.
In whose branches, slightly curled,
Is held in place, our tiny world.
Great White Ash, pillar for all,
Always green, Your leaves never fall.
Strong roots You have to anchor your place,
You stand so proud, and with such grace.
Watered daily from a cloudy well,
One root sunk deep in Niflhel.
Nidhogg gnaws at Your firm footed base,
That horrible creature is such a disgrace.
As the holder, and protector, of all that is life,
What a shame You endure so very much strife.
I honor Your strength, Your sacrifice too,
I give You offerings as part of your due.
Yggdrasil, Great Ash of our universe,
I write for You this inadequate verse.
My words can never honor you suitably,
But I give my faith to You completely.
- Glenn Bergen, Copyright, April 24, 2011
Go with Odin's wisdom, Freyja's love, and Thor's protection !
Arbor Day is all about trees, and their importance here on our tiny blue world. I am not sure how many trees are planted on this day worldwide, maybe millions, but none can compare to the greatest tree that was ever planted, Yggdrasil. Arbor Day is another one of those secular celebration days that I have borrowed, and use to honor something, or someone, in our great pantheon of Gods and Goddesses. Today for me is Yggdrasil Day. A day to honor our Great World Ash for all that it does and means to us Midgardians. If you consider it to be an actual tree, or just some cosmic force that holds the nine worlds together is a matter for a later discussion. Either way it is to us, who follow the Old Ways, the great tree of life that binds our nine world cosmology together as one cohesive structure.
Let us not forget also that we here on Midgard have another very strong connection to trees in our lore. I quote from Voluspa, " Until three of the Aesir assembled there, strong and benevolent, came to the sea. They found on the shore two feeble trees, Ask and Embla, with no fixed fate. " Gylfaginning finishes the story, " And they picked these up and created men from them. The first gave them spirit and life, the second understanding and power of movement, the third, form, speech, hearing and sight. They gave them clothes and names. " The Gods gave life to the trees, and mankind was therefore born.
Voluspa gives us a wonderful description of the Great Ash Tree : " There is an ash tree, its name is Yggdrasil. A tall tree watered from a cloudy well. Dew falls from its boughs down into the valleys. Ever green it stands beside the Norn' s spring. " The importance and sacredness to the Gods is shown in Gylfaginning when Gangleri asks : " Where is the chief place, or sanctuary of the Gods ? " High One replies: " It is by the ash treeYggdrasil. There every day the Gods hold court. " Just As High then goes on to give the best description of Yggdrasil. " The Ash is the best and greatest of all trees, its branches spread out over the whole world and reach up over heaven. The tree is held in place by three mighty roots that spread far out. One is among the Aesir; the second among the Frost Ogres, where once was Ginnungagap; the third extends over Niflheim, and under that root is the well Hvergelmir. But Nidhogg gnaws at the root from below. Under the root that turns in the direction of the Frost Ogres lies the Spring of Mimir, in which is hidden wisdom and understanding. The third root of the ash tree is in the sky, and under that root is the very sacred spring called Urd. There the Gods hold their court of justice. " High one adds later on : " There is a great deal to tell about it . In its branches sits an eagle, and it is very knowledgeable. Between its eyes sits a hawk called Vedrfolnir. A squirrel named Ratatosk springs up and down the Ash and conveys words of abuse between the great eagle and Nidhogg. Four harts leap about the branches of the Ash and eat the shoots. And along with Nidhogg there are so many serpents that no tongue can count them. "
I honor the Great World Ash Yggdrasil every year on Arbor Day, the last Friday in April, with a full ritual, and by placing a new Valknut, Thor's Hammer, or rune stone necklace on the branches of my artificial 6 ft. white ash tree that I have sitting next to Odin's altar in my living room. I think it is very appropriate that the Great Ash sits next to the All - Father's altar because of his many connections to Yggdrasil. I do not celebrate Christmas so to me this wonderful 6 ft. ash tree, with all its shining jewelry hanging in the branches, evokes the same emotions of joy and wonder that I used to experience as a child on Christmas morning. The best thing is I get to experience it 365 days a year because I never take down the tree. It honors me with its presence, and I honor it with my presents, day after day, year after year. I found the 6 ft. ash at Amazon. com for about $ 300.00. It was definitely worth the money !
This year I am going to present the Great Ash with a very special gift that I found at the Scandinavian Festival last year. It is a beautifully carved Thor's hammer. This white Thor's hammer is hand carved out of bone, and has beads on either side of the Hammer. It looks kind of tribal ! It will make a beautiful additiion to the dozen or so necklaces already hanging in its holy branches.
Coming just a week after Jord's Day, ( Earth Day ), it is fitting to have a day to honor Yggdrasil, and to re- seed the earth with seedling trees. Planting trees is not only a great way to honor Mother Jord, and Yggdrasil, but it is also a wonderful gift for future generations of mankind. I cannot imagine a world without trees, and there would be no nine world universe without Yggdrasil the Great Nine World Ash !
Glenn Bergen
Go with Odin's wisdom, Freyja's love, and Thor's protection !
P.S. My Great White Ash Tree !
Odin goes by many names and has been labeled with many titles such as : The Wanderer, God of Wisdom, Rune Gatherer, Lord of Valhalla, etc.... My favorite title for him, however, is God of Magic ! There are several stories in the Eddas and Sagas where Odin is shown using his magical ways to talk to the dead, either recent victims, or those who have rested in grave mounds for some time. Odin can force his will over battles allowing one king to become victorious over another, and even once punished a Valkyrie for not doing his will by pricking her with a sleep thorn. Odin has the ability to shape change which he has used several times to get Himself into, and out of, some very tight spots. He also has the ability to use magical charms to heal as we clearly see in the Second Merseburg Charm.
Odin is well known for his ability to make the dead speak to him. In, " Balder's Dreams ", He rides to Hel to find out why Balder is having dreams of his imminent doom. The story goes :
" Odin rode to the eastern door
Where a sibyl slept in her grave.
The master of magic chanted charms,
Forced the dead witch to rise.
The witch said: " Let me know the stranger
who willed me to come this weary way.
Deep under the snow and drenched with rain,
The dew drifting over me, I was long dead."
Odin said : " I am called the wanderer, son of War Wise......
Odin then goes on to question the witch about how and why Balder will die, and even though she repeatedly says, " You made me speak, but you shall hear no more." Odin forces her to answer all of His questions.
In the, "Lay Of Loddfanir", Odin states: " I know spells no king's wife can say, and no man has mastered." He then goes on to name 18 spells that he knows. ( Though he doesn't tell you how to chant the spells ) The twelfth is especially important to our discussion and for raising the dead. " I know a twelfth : If up in a tree I see a corpse hanging high, the mighty runes I write and color, make the man come down to talk to me. " We can all learn from the living obviously, but to learn from those who have passed is a special ability that Odin has mastered, and uses to expand his great knowledge.
Odin also has the ability to cause men's deaths. A good example of this is when he visits King Geirrod and speaks to him, first as a stranger, but later he tells his victim Geirrod who He really is : " Ygg will soon summon the slain, your life will not last much longer. The Norns do not smile on you, now you see I am Odin." ( Presumably Odin takes on his regal form at this point ) "King Geirrod was sitting down with a half - sheathed sword on his lap. When he heard that his visitor was Odin he stood up intending to take Odin away from the fires. The sword slipped out of his hand and fell hilt down. The king then stumbled and fell foward against the point of the sword, and so died ." Odin then vanishes and as was His wishes Agnar became king for a long time.
Odin, of course does not just deal in death, but also in the creation of life. In Voluspa we read, " Until three of the Aesir assembled there, strong and benevolent came to the sea. They found on the shore two feeble trees, Ask and Embla with no fixed fate. They did not breathe nor think or speak. They had no hair, no fairness of face, Odin gave life's breath, Hoenir gave mind, Lodar gave hair, fairness of face. " He is also, of course, the father of Thor, Balder, Vali, Vidar, and Hermod. Maybe adding your seed to procreate is not specifically magic to some, but to me it is magical !
Shape changing is also a type of magic practiced by Odin, as well as others in the Sagas and Eddas. In the story of Odin, ( posing as Bolverk, a common farmhand), He plans to steal from Suttung the Mead of Poetry. In this story Bolverk ( Odin ) shape changes not once but twice ! Bolverk tricks Suttung's brother Baugi, as payment for wages, to take him to Suttung's hall for a drink of the mead. Suttung of course refuses. Outside the great hall, however, Bolverk, uses the auger, called Rati, to drill a hole through the mountain into Suttung's inner chambers. Bolverk then changes himself into a serpent, and crawls into the hole. Baugi tried to kill Bolverk with the Auger but Bolverk was too fast. Bolverk then changes back into himself and sleeps with Gunnlod who's chamber he has entered. After three nights she gave Bolverk a drink of the precious Mead of Poetry. Bolverk, however, wanted more than just a drink. In three continous drinks he emptied all that was contained in the cauldrons, Odrorir, Bodn, and Son. When he finished he shape - changed into an eagle and flew away as fast as he could. When Suttung saw an eagle in flight he suspected what had happened and turned himself into an eagle and gave chase. When the Aesir saw it was Odin who was flying towards Asgard they put their crocks out in the court yard, and when Odin came over he spat the mead out into the waiting containers.
The final magic that Odin practices is healing. We see this clearly in the Second Merseburg Charm :
" Phol( Balder) and Wodan
were riding in the wood
when the lord's foal
sprained his foot.
Then Sinthgunt enchanted,
and her sister Sunna;
Then Frigga enchanted,
and her sister Volla;
then enchanted Wodan,
as he could so well:
for bone - sprain
as well as joint sprain;
bone to bone,
blood to blood,
limb to limb,
so that they are linked again !
So as you can clearly see Odin is not just the All - Father he is the All - Everything. There is little that the Great Odin is not master of and over. Yet even with all his attributes, including his wonderful magic, even the greatest of all Gods cannot change what the Norns have weaved. Not even magic can change fate !
Glenn Bergen
Go with Odin's wisdom, Freyja's love and Thor's protection !
Donar's Oak
I walk on a long path that is many centuries worn,
Surrounded by brush, thicket, and sharp thorn.
I pass over mighty mountains, and flowers so frail,
On sunny days, and through windy storms that wail.
I am pulled to this place by an invisible umbilical cord,
Not of my birth, but one magically connected with Mother Jord.
I am guided to a grove, where once there grew a mighty oak,
One that was for years visited by many of our ancestral folk.
At Journey's end I reach where once stood Donar's oak tree.
Sadly There is no longer anything left there for our folk to see,
Though the Saint long ago destroyed the sacred oak and let it rot,
We will forever come, and leave offerings on this most holy spot.
- Glenn Bergen, Copyright, 2012.
Go with Odin's wisdom, Freyja's love
Some may have noticed that the header on my website has been changed. My Weebly website will now go by the name :
A Follower of the Old Ways
( Formerly An Independent Asatru )
After years of trying to work with those in our religion, I will no longer " promote " organized religion. My sites will only be used to honor The Gods and Goddesses, Martyrs, Ancestors, and Heroes. It has taken me 30 years to finally give up on organized religion. It is too corrupted with opposing ideas, and way too many personalities. Only our Gods etc.. matter ! The rest is a bunch of........... nonsense. ( Being nice )
Also I am shutting down my Facebook page for An Independent Asatru. I have started a new Facebook page Called The Temple Of The Triad. From now on its just about the Gods etc... my friends !
Next article : Odin : God Of Magic !
Glenn Bergen
Go With Odin's wisdom, Freyja's love, and Thor's protection !
Why is everybody so hung up on the name game and titles ? You can't have a conversation of any great length with another Heathen / Pagan before they are asking what type of Heathenry you practice. Then they don't stop there ! Oh no, they have to know whether you are Northern Tradition, Universalist, Tribalist, Folkish, Reconstructionist, Neo - Pagan, Asatru, or Odinist. One woman on her blog recently brought up the question of whether religion should bring about happiness. I mean who the hell cares ! I personally never ask because I do not feel it matters what you are, or what you call yourself.
Do these people not get it ? Gods and Goddesses from another world, realm, or plane of existence have spoken to us. They want us to know that They still exist, and want us to once again be a part of Their realm of reality. They don't give a damn what we call ourselves, or our organizations, or the categories we make up to describe what we think we are. They simply want us to re - unite as a people. They want us, the descendants of our ancestors who honored them a millenium ago, to be as we were before, one folk with the same values, customs and heritage.
Should our beliefs be considered spirituality, or religion, a woman recently asked me. Don't care ! Never will ! If someone walks up to you on the street and hands you a hundred dollar bill, then tells you to have a nice day, you don't question why. You should just be thankful for the gift and move on. The Gods and Goddesses gave me a wonderful gift 30 years ago. They gave me Their presence, and Their friendship. Through the past years They have gifted me many things and I have, to the best of my abilities, returned gift for gift. I honor Them because They have honored me with Their love, wisdom, and strength. Whether this relationship with the Gods and Goddesses has a name is of no concern of mine. It is the relationship that matters not what names we want to call it, or how deeply we study it.
Our relationship, ( belief / religion), should be about our Gods, ( along with our martyrs, heroes, and ancestors ), and not about us ! Religion is like a temple. You build it to honor the Gods and Goddesses, not ourselves. We are the smallest component in this " religion ", and yet we all try to raise our own importance with titles, and categories, books, blogs etc... Take a step back friends. We are nothing ! We exist because the Gods and Goddesses allow us to exist.
I am no different ! This month well over 5,000 people will visit my website, and lately I have been feeling that I know more than I actually do. Well, guess what ? Compared to the Gods, I don't know much of anything ! And all those people out there who write as though they know what is going on, and what the great answers to religion are, don't know much either. The Gods and Goddesses do Their best to educate us, but we are too small minded to understand Their true meaning or concepts. All we can do is make an educated guess, but we always seem to fall short.
We need to focus our attention on the Gods and Goddesses, and away from ourselves, and our own self - importance. We need to focus on learning from them, and not from those who are as unknowing as we are. Sometimes I even wonder why the Gods bother with us ? We are so damned ignorant, and filled with our own self - importance that we can't see the forest for the trees. We need to wake up to the fact that we are not so great, and bow before Those who are !
Glenn Bergen
Go with Odin's wisdom, Freyja's love, and Thor's protection !
Crowning Glory
A silent promise of life lies dormant in the earth,
The seed awaits warm rains to awaken into birth.
Pushing through solid ground it searches for a way,
Struggling to the surface, it catches its first warm ray.
Unfolding out in sunlight the tiny plant then breathes,
Its stem splits in two, and grows itself some leaves.
Morning Glory reaches out as though to reach the sun,
Resting at night to recover from a battle hard - won.
With each new day it grows in might and strength,
And every new leaf it creates gives it greater length.
When it is fully grown and has gained a mighty power,
Morning Glory crowns its tip with a beautiful little flower.
- Glenn Bergen, Copyright, 2012.
Mother Jord
Mother Jord, Great Goddess of Earth,
Goddess of seasons, of life, and of birth.
Goddess of planting, of growing, and reaping,
Always evolving, and changing, never sleeping.
Your air is so fresh, it makes us feel strong,
Your winds that are howling are just your wind - song.
Your storms overhead that bring us fresh waters,
Form the playground for Ran, and her daughters.
You rumble and shake all over this land,
Some say You are angry, they don't understand.
Your stirrings are merely Your cycles of life,
Not glimpses of hatred, or malice, or strife.
We seed, and we plant, we sweat, and we toil,
We work very hard to grow in your soil.
Life giving foods sprout forth from Your rains,
Our reward is Your fruits, vegetables, and grains.
You provide us with weapons, and clothes to keep warm,
And materials to build shelters for weathering a storm.
Fire to warm us on the coldest of nights,
The dawn of Your morning is the best of all sights.
Jord, Great Goddess, and mother of Thor,
Passionately written of in our ancestors lore.
Plant in our hearts the right things to do,
So we can be gentle, and caring, in our love for you !
- Glenn Bergen, Copyright, April, 22, 2011
Glenn Bergen
Go with Odin's wisdom, Freyja's love, and Thor's protection !
The secular world celebrates April 22nd as Earth day, and they do some good by planting trees, and picking up garbage. Some march in protest against pollution, or nuclear energy, etc... All good causes ! We in the Asatru religion, however, celebrate it as Jord' s Day, which is a day to honor our great life sustaining Goddess. Today is a day to celebrate Her natural beauty, and to honor Her for the great bounty of life, fauna and flora, that exists because She allows it to exist and flourish. It is a day to thank the Great Goddess Jord for all that She provides us. Our food, shelter, clothing, warmth......everything, comes directly or indirectly from Her good graces. She is one of the two Gods that we depend on most, the other being Sunna, without whom we would be extinguished within a blink of an eye.
Unfortunately, as a species we do not treat or honor Her very well ! We pollute Her waters, Her air, we defile Her natural resources, destroy Her rainforests, and hunt Her animal species in some cases to the point of extinction. In other words we abuse, or misuse, every gift She gives us. We disrespect Her with every candy wrapper we carelessly throw on the ground, with every car exhaust, and every factory smokestack that billows toxic chemicals into the clean breath of air She provides for us. The only time we humans seem to take any notice of Her, or give Her respect is when we tip the balance of Her wonderful natural environments against ourselves, or when we build our homes in areas where we shouldn't. Then when She goes through one of her natural cycles of life, ( volcanoes, earthquakes, etc.... ), we either blame Her, or people pray that She will not hurt them or destroy their property. It is a disgrace the way we as a species treat one of our most important deities ! The true shame is that we have created such a chasm of distance between ourselves and Her, that many don' t even acknowledge her omnipresence, or even the fact that She is a living breathing entity. Some have even lost sight of Her natural beauty, which is almost impossible to miss unless you walk around with blinders.
Tommorrow, however, is not a day for anger, but a day to show our love, honor and devotion, to one of the most beautiful Goddesses, and the mother of Mighty Thor. To honor our great Goddess Jord, I need no temple, no altar, no book of blots, and no symbols to represent Her magnificence. All I need do is stand on Her fertile soil, with the beautiful backdrop of lush green trees and bright blue sky, because these are her symbols, and this is Her temple. With Mother Jord I do not need to reach out with my mind, and my thoughts, to make contact with Her, I can just literally reach out and touch Her. She is everywhere and everything ! Mother Jord does not live in one of the other eight worlds, She is right here with us, every minute of every day. And this day April 22nd, is the day to honor Her for all she does, and means to us.
After a brief ritual, I bless the ground with my Thor' s Hammer, and then I plant some beautiful flowers to adorn our Great Earth Goddess, as a gift of life to the most prolific life giver there has ever been. I sprinkle on some water, also blessed, and spread a little fertilizer to make Mother Earth even stronger as a final gift to Her. I am even going to plant an azalea bush this year, right next to the Rhododendron bush I planted last year. This little garden of flowers is my gift to Mother Jord, and it is a gift that will keep giving all spring and summer long.
Actually, this whole week has a lot of religious meaning for me. It is a, " Holy Week ", if you will forgive the phrase. I honor wonderful Jord on the 22nd and then next weekend I honor Yggdrasil on the same day that everyone else celebrates Arbor Day. This whole week I will be out hiking, kayaking, and experiencing all of the great sights, scents, and feelings that Her natural world can invoke in us / me. Jord is such a wonderful Goddess, and deserves so much more than we give to her. She deserves as much as She gives to us.... and that my friends would be our all !
Glenn Bergen
Go with Odin's wisdom, Freyja's love, and Thor's protection !
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