Prophet or Madman

Memorial Day: Hail the Fallen

noreply@blogger.com (Brainwise) — Mon, 25 May 2009 16:38:00 +0000

Remember those who have served our country and paid the ultimate sacrifice. Check out the History Channel's write up on Memorial Day.

May our fallen soldiers find the peace they sought to protect.

Quotable | Civilized Phases

noreply@blogger.com (Brainwise) — Mon, 11 May 2009 14:21:00 +0000

The History of every major Galactic Civilization tends to pass through three distinct and recognizable phases, those of Survival, Inquiry and Sophistication, otherwise known as the How, Why and Where phases. For instance, the first phase is characterized by the question 'How can we eat?' the second by the question 'Why do we eat?' and the third by the question 'Where shall we have lunch?'"

-- Douglas Adams. 1981. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

Photo credit: Ammit

(Separation of) Church & State for May 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Brainwise) — Sat, 02 May 2009 03:13:00 +0000

The May 2009 edition of Church & State, the monthly publication from Americans United for Separation of Church and State, is now online. Top stories include:

Special Delivery: Letters From AU’s Legal Department Solve Church-State Problems In Public Schools Without Going To Court
A+ Arizona: State Supreme Court Flunks Voucher Subsidies For Religious And Other Private Schools
Power Struggle: With James Dobson Inching Toward Retirement And Others Off The Scene, Many Wonder Who Will Fill The Religious Right’s Bully Pulpit
Texas Two-Step: State School Board Takes One Step Forward On Science Standards – And Two Steps Back

Visit now: http://www.au.org/site/PageServer?pagename=cs_2009_05

Raise the Hammer for Vets!

noreply@blogger.com (Brainwise) — Fri, 01 May 2009 03:20:00 +0000

After defending our nation, and paying the ultimate sacrifice, our veterans should be honored and remembered by the symbol of their chosen faith. Raise the hammer for them!

Please take a moment to go to the Asatru Military Family Support Program's web site to sign our petition asking the Department of Veterans Affairs to authorize Thor's Hammer on headstones for veterans of the Asatru Faith.

http://www.hammerproject.org/

Red Thor Takes the Wheel

noreply@blogger.com (Brainwise) — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 17:45:00 +0000

Hrafnkell has a nice reworking of Jesus Take the Wheel. In his capable hands, the lyrics are transformed from whiny to empowering. Take a look at Red Thor Ward My Steps.

Church & State for April 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Brainwise) — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 16:45:00 +0000

The April 2009 edition of Church & State, the monthly publication from Americans United for Separation of Church and State, is now online. Top stories include:

Touchdown At The Supreme Court
Fighting ‘Faith-Based’ Bias
High Court Commandment
Senate Voucher Victory

Visit now: http://www.au.org/site/PageServer?pagename=cs_2009_04

Blaze of Glory

noreply@blogger.com (Brainwise) — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 21:52:00 +0000

I'm blogging this article for two reasons:

It mentions Ásatrú.
It concerns a matter of religious freedom/choice.

Hindus In Britain Demand Traditional Cremation

wikipedia entry on "Cremation"
Death in Banaras (scholarly treatise on why Hindus cremate their dead)
Internet Cremation Society
Cremation versus Burial (Mainly concerned with Jewish/Christian burial at ReligiousTolerance.org)
"Beowulf" and Cremation

Quotable | Art Function

noreply@blogger.com (Brainwise) — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 17:00:00 +0000

It is the function of art to carry us beyond speech to experience."

-- Joseph Campbell (1904 - 1987), American mythologist, writer, and lecturer, from his book Sake and Satori (New World Library, 2002; edited by David Kudler)

Specific image from Westminster's History of Art Module. It is part of The Weather Project, by Olafur Eliasson,
as shown in the Turbine Hall of Tate Modern.

Pagans in ... Israel?

noreply@blogger.com (Brainwise) — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 17:44:00 +0000

The headline brazenly proclaims, "Paganism returns to the Holy Land," but the truth is so much more subtle.

Of course, one could make the argument that paganism never really left Israel. That, at most, it was driven underground. And that seems to be the way things still are. Consider the following quotes from Ofri Ilani's article:

...most Israeli pagans reveal their beliefs only to those who share them. They usually keep religious gatherings ... secret.
"Some guys live with religious families. They can't tell their parents, 'I don't believe in Judaism, I'm a pagan.' They'd chop off their heads."
"In a country like ours ... being a pagan is not easy ... Worshiping other gods is something very sensitive in Judaism. We all were educated [to think] this is intolerable and illogical."
"...Judaism has only one god, and if you do not believe in him, you will be driven off with stones."

Due to this environment, it's not much of a surprise that there is not all that much information about pre-Judaic divinities or practices. So some Israeli worshipers pray to Nordic or Celtic gods. But there is a movement to revive the worship of ancient Canaanite gods.

Hail to all those who seek to revive, preserve, and make relevant their ancient ancestral practices. Especially those living in what is considered the capital of monotheism.

Read the article at http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1072829.html

Hail Spring!

noreply@blogger.com (Brainwise) — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 21:40:00 +0000

On this, the day of the Spring Equinox, I wish the blessings of Ostara (Eostre, Oschder, Alban Eilir, etc.) upon all my family, friends, and kindred spirits.

Frigga, ever wise, Mother of all
Freya, our Lady of love, beauty, and fertility
Nerthus, earth Mother, womb of the world
Sunna, Lady of the heavens, bright and glorious in your return
Ostara, the spring Maiden, it is in your name we gather this day

Winter is over
The land is awakened
with your creative and sustaining powers
Flowers long to bloom
The light quickens, lengthening the days
And, soon we hope, warming them as well.

Thus the cycle continues.
Spring is nigh upon us:
Ostara takes root in our hearts
And then blossoms in our deeds.
We depart knowing her blessings.

Words: © Brian Weis 2008
photo credit: Frank Black 2008

A New Breastplate (And a Message for St. Patrick)

noreply@blogger.com (Brainwise) — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 13:34:00 +0000

Ah, yes. Today is St. Patrick's Day. Well, I for one will not be putting on the green and celebrating. I do not celebrate the lives (real or imagined) of those who tried to put down my ancestral faith. (For those of you who didn't realize, the driving out the snakes thing is most likely a metaphor for stomping out the ethnic and traditional practices of the Irish people).

Patrick, if you truly existed (even if only as a composite of several individuals as I suspect), I have a message for you. You did not drive out the "snakes" -- you merely forced them undergound. Nor did you eliminate their traditions. In fact, your beloved Church is riddled with more of my ancestor's traditions than those of the early Christians, and by this I am referring to practices from the first few decades of Christianity, or "the Way of Yeshua" as it was likely known by its earliest adherents.

And in case you missed it, Patrick. The "snakes" are back. We are back, and every year our numbers grow as more people awaken to the old ways -- be they Celtic, Germanic, Slavic, Romanic, etc. -- and make them relevant today. For our ways are relevant as they are a means of being in this world, being with it, and not trying to simply control it or ignore it in the hope of achieving some afterlife.

Originally written and posted last year, "A Heathen's Breastplate" is still appropriate to post on this day:

The Lorica (or Breastplate) is a prayer written in Irish and Latin that is often attributed to Saint Patrick. There are many variations of it (one can be found here), but I have decided to rewrite it in "honor" of the old saint who is said to have driven out the pagans.

Now it has a nice Heathen slant...

A Heathen's Breastplate

I arise today
Heir to the strength of Asgard;

Light of the sun,
Splendor of fire,
Swiftness of wind,

Depth of the sea,
Stability of earth,
Firmness of rock.

I arise today
with mine own strength to pilot me;
Thor's might to uphold me,
Frigga's wisdom to guide me,
Odin's hand to guard me,
Heimdall's watch to shield me,
Freya's love to bless me.

Afar and anear,
Alone or in a multitude.

The ancestors are with me,
before me,
behind me,
on my right,
on my left.

As sure as
The Earth beneath me,
The Sky above me,
The Holy Powers within me.

I arise today
Rooted in the mighty traditions
of my past.
And I walk Midgard,
Sending forth the blessings
of this day's deeds
to generations yet unborn.

copyright 2008, BSW

Book Review | Words That Work

noreply@blogger.com (Brainwise) — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 04:22:00 +0000

[This review is cross-posted to Amazon.com and Facebook (LivingSocial:Books)]

Words That Work: It's Not What You Say, It's What People Hear (Dr. Frank Luntz, Hyperion, 2008, ISBN: 1401309291)

Luntz's book will interest anyone who loves words, especially folks who are interested in the careful use of words to get a message across to other people. Most of Words That Work deals with framing language issues of the political and corporate varieties, and some folks may be turned off by Luntz's work with big corporations, the Republican Party, or both. But the non-partisan reader will enjoy the discussion of how a word's meaning can change over time, or through the careful control of context. The examination of polling's role in shaping a message or affecting public opinion is eye opening as well.

In the end, understanding the concept of "words that work" will help just about anyone regardless of the specific communication situation. But what, perhaps, impresses me most about this book is that, after all the "meanness and abrasiveness" that Luntz has witnessed and experienced, he remains dedicated to finding the positive. He writes: "...there is much to be gained by being upbeat and optimistic. When you trash the opposition, you simultaneously demean yourself. The best warrior is a happy warrior. Accentuate the positive ... eliminate the negative. Negative definitely works, but a solid positive message will triumph over negativity."

Some may call that naive, maybe even accuse him of attempting to sugar-coat or dumb down important issues (I know I kind of felt that way at first). But after going through the examples in the book, and looking for others on my own, I can see the value in his approach. Hopefully, others will, too.

National Book Critics Circle Awards

noreply@blogger.com (Brainwise) — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 18:11:00 +0000

Amazon.com has a list of the 2008 and 2007 nominees for the National Book Critics Circle Awards. Looks to be some interesting reading: NBCC Awards

DelanceyPlace: Business Education

noreply@blogger.com (Brainwise) — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 23:25:00 +0000

I cannot believe I am sharing an excerpt from Delanceyplace twice in one week (previous one was about The Twilight Zone). But when I consider the current shambles of our economic system, and see the hand wringing, the blame games, and the extreme politicking playing out, I have to wonder about the role of business education in this whole mess. Today's excerpt reinforces a view I've had for a while about "business" as a college major, and about going for an MBA after earning one of those business degrees (instead of first earning a degree in a more specific discipline): It's a bad idea.

In today's excerpt--writing in the late 1990s, the authors contrast the business leaders of the immediate post-World War II period to contemporary businesses leaders raised on a steady diet of business publications, management books, MBAs and consultants--and conclude that it is unadorned critical thought, not the current business fad, that brings business success. As T.S. Eliot lamented in Choruses from The Rock:

Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge?
Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?

"During the 1990s virtually an entire generation of top executives left their businesses, retired, or passed away. Many of these executives had achieved legendary status--[David] Packard at Hewlett-Packard, [Akio] Morita at Sony, [Sir John Harvey-] Jones at ICI, [Sam] Walton at Wal-Mart, and [Jan] Carlzon at SAS, to name a few. These leaders shared some notable characteristics that differentiate them from their successors. They lived through the Great Depression, which crippled the world's economy in the 1930s; they experienced the horrors of World War II; they served their business apprenticeships in the postwar rebuilding period of the late 1940s and early 1950s. But what may differentiate them most from their counterparts of today is the issue of management.This 'old guard' was the last of a breed of executives who developed their management skills almost entirely in the workplace. They were building businesses while management 'science'--if it can be called that--was still in its infancy.

"In 1948 ... the Harvard Business Review had a robust circulation of fifteen thousand. That number had reached nearly two hundred fifty thousand by the mid 1990s. The Harvard Business School itself and the few other graduate business schools in existence in 1948 awarded 3,357 MBAs--a far cry from the 75,000 MBAs awarded forty-five years later. Even McKinsey, the best known of consulting companies, was a relatively small firm with annual revenues of under $2 million, compared with 1994 revenues of more than $1.2 billion. Management guru Peter Drucker was a youngster of thirty-nine. Seven-year-old Tom Peters was probably 'in search of' a new bike.

"The executives of [the immediate post-war] period were not uneducated--in fact, many were extremely well educated--but they did not learn their approach to business from a business school, a management expert, a celebrated management book, or an outside consultant. Options such as these were not generally available. These executives learned their business skills in the industrial jungle. ...

"The forty-year-old executive of the 1990s, by contrast, probably holds one of the tens of thousands of MBAs awarded each year. His formal management education is supplemented by dozens of business periodicals and hundreds of management books. If, however, a situation seems resistant to even this mass of management wisdom, there are several hundred consulting firms and more than a hundred thousand consultants ready to provide additional management skill and knowledge. In 1993 businesses around the world spent $17 billion for consultants' recommendations, and AT&T alone lavished $347.1 million on outside expertise.

"That does not necessarily mean that the business executives of the past were superior to those of the present. ... Still, we suspect that if those [managers] of years gone by found themselves at the helm of any of today's extraordinarily complex and competitive business enterprises, they would steer a straight and successful course."

Quinn Spitzer and Ron Evans, Heads You Win!, Fireside, Simon and Schuster, Copyright 1997 by Kepner-Tregoe, Inc., pp. 15-17.

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What Ancient Heathen Practices Do We Keep?

noreply@blogger.com (Brainwise) — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 04:00:00 +0000

[The original version of this essay was submitted to my mentor in the Clergy Program. I was asked whether I could clearly state "what aspects of our ancient practices we wish to keep and which we do not? What policy would you formalize that would help you tell someone else when they should accept a practice and not accept other practices or beliefs of our ancestors?"]

What Ancient Heathen Practices Do We Keep?

What aspects of our ancient practices do we wish to keep? Which ones can we discard? How do we determine which beliefs and practices we should accept?

I have been wrestling with this set of questions for a few weeks. I must admit, however, that even after accepting the assignment, I felt that trying to work out a coherent, reasonable approach seemed far too huge a task for me. Truly, who am I to answer such questions? The first strike against me is that I have only been involved in the tradition for a short time. Other folks had been actively researching and promoting the religion, even starting organizations and writing books, well before I knew of it. Strike two is my lack of proficiency in the lore. I do work to regularly add to my knowledge, and I love to do the readings, but the simple fact remains that I am not a "lore hound" -- that is, I do not have a vast repository of lore or historical data committed to memory. And the third strike?

I actually got well beyond a third strike against myself. But then I started to calm down a bit. I realized that, although there were others who were superior to me in knowledge, I have a sincere desire to be of service to the Gods and Goddesses and all who approach them. I have been serving in this capacity, albeit with small steps, and no one has questioned my capabilities or worthiness to do so. I further realized that the questions that lead this piece are the very questions that everyone involved in the Reconstruction must answer. And we must continue to evaluate and answer these questions as the movement grows and matures, as new folks are awakened to the path. And if I am going to be successful in my service, I must be part of the conversation regarding those questions. Third -- and here I am continuing my previous meme of the three strikes, but now in a positive bend -- I realized that this query really boils down to a single question:

What ancient practices are relevant today?

Although I have already taken a tangential path to bring several questions down to one, I am going on another slight tangent. I believe it will serve a useful purpose, and I hope that will be evident when I return to answering the question of relevant practices.

During my brief forays into studying theology, and by that I do actually mean theology of a Christian persuasion, I came across an interesting approach to Biblical interpretation. I say it was interesting because I felt that the approach, although espoused by two Evangelical theologians, could be applied to the study of just about any "scriptures" -- please note the use of quotes here implies that while not all faith traditions can be said to have their own scriptures, as the Abrahamic faiths do, many of them do have writings of some form or at least some historic record to be translated and interpreted for a modern audience.

I recall that one of the instructors referred to the method as a triangle because it had three points. I cannot remember what specific name, if any, he gave the triangle -- I have the lecture recorded somewhere, but cannot find it or my notes. I do, however, remember the basic gist. And it goes something like this: When considering a writing of a spiritual nature (or even one of historical record), one has to approach it in light of its literal context, historical context, and eternal context. In other words:

What is the literal meaning of the passage?
What did it mean to the original hearers?
What does it mean today? (The Christian approach tries to determine the "eternal truth" or meaning of the passage for all time. But I would simply look for a relevant modern meaning.)

In applying this triangle methodology to our ancestors' practices and beliefs, I would add a fourth and final context: Is it practical (feasible)?

So, I have taken the triangle method of Biblical interpretation, which originally had no application to our faith, and developed a model for evaluating practices and beliefs. A visual aid for this model appears below [click image for larger version]:

Next I will show the model in use in evaluating two practices.

Ancient Practice Analysis #1: Bog Justice

According to the Free Dictionary, a Bog Body is any one of the approximately 700 preserved human remains found in natural peat bogs, mostly in western Europe, from about c. 8000 BC to early medieval times. "That they have been variously found with cut throats, severed limbs, ropes around the neck, and so on suggests the possibility of ritual killings, murders, and ignominious burial (since none was found within a proper grave)" [thefreedictionary.com]. There is debate as to whether these bodies represent certain evidence of executions for a crime, sort of a "bog justice" if you will, or as a human sacrifice, or something else entirely. Even with the debate, the fact that our ancestors seemed to have a practice, even minimally so, of placing bodies into bogs will suffice for the purpose of analysis.

Q1: What is the literal meaning of placing a body into a peat bog?
A: It is a dead body dumped into a bog. It is not a pleasant burial.

Q2: What is the historical meaning (i.e., what did it mean to our ancestors)?
A: I will use the Free Dictionary information here and conclude that this is an "ignominious burial." While we cannot know for certain, in looking at other historical records, we can safely assume that this was not a desired end. It was likely something to be avoided.

Q3: What is the modern relevance of bog justice?
A: Modern relevance in killing someone and dumping the body? If we are to assume an historical basis of justice, then the modern relevance would be retribution, or perhaps vigilante justice. In either case, it would be an extreme punishment.

Q4: Is bog justice practical today?
A: It is neither practical nor feasible. Our modern society has a legal system for addressing grievances and crimes. And as flawed as it may be, it is a system we have to work within, otherwise our actions will be branded as criminal and then we will be subject to it (the system). Besides, depending on one's geography, a peat bog might be very difficult to find.

A similar analysis can be applied to the concept of raiding, and the same conclusion can be drawn: it is not practical in today's global society. (Greg Shetler briefly covers this very topic in his book, "Living Asatru").

Ancient Practice Analysis #2: Animal Sacrifice

Q1: What is the literal meaning of sacrificing an animal to the Gods and Goddesses?
A: It is a communal giving of a gift to higher powers.

Q2: What is the historical meaning of animal sacrifice (i.e., what did it mean to our ancestors)?
A: A sacrifice of this nature was not taken lightly. It was a "gift for a gift" -- a gift with a very high price. Additionally, our ancestors believed that blood was a very powerful gift because it represented life itself.

Q3: What is the modern relevance of animal sacrifice?
A: In this case, I feel that the modern and ancient meanings are roughly equivalent. However, there is little question as to which perspective placed a greater value on the sacrifice. For our ancestors, giving up an animal to sacrifice was a risky prospect and it bespoke a great trust in the natural powers to provide. Today, we have convenience stores and giant grocery outlets -- and most of us do not grow or raise our own food.

Q4: Is animal sacrifice practical today?
A: From my perspective, living and working as I do in the post-agricultural (even post-industrial) world, animal sacrifice is not practical or feasible. I could follow one of the alternative practices, such as making a bread or cake "animal" and sacrificing it. or making a work of art and offering it up. But I do not have the resources or knowledge to raise an animal for sacrifice, nor do I have the proper training do conduct such a sacrifice. There is still a minority of folks for whom animal sacrifice could be practical. As I recall from a recent interview on RavenCast, Kveldulf Gundarsson lives on his own farm and conducts animal sacrifice at the high holidays. This is entirely appropriate for him and his wife in their practice.

So, in conclusion, there are four qualifiers I use for determining whether to adopt a practice or belief from our ancient ancestors: Literal Context, Historical Context, Relevance, and Practicality/Feasibility. And, as I have shown in my second example, sometimes there is room for variance as the practice in question will be appropriate for some, but not all, the faithful. That, of course, makes perfect sense in a religion with no established dogma.

Recent "Theater Lackey" Updates

noreply@blogger.com (Brainwise) — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 23:09:00 +0000

Here are the latest posts over at my theater blog, Confessions of a Serial Theater Lacky

A Couple of Quick Updates: The Award of Excellence and my preliminary notes about tech for "Over the Tavern" -- the first production of the 2009 season.
TAVERN Review: A great review posted in the Philadelphia Inquirer!
OVER THE TAVERN Song List: The complete list of songs used in the sound design.

The Twilight Zone

noreply@blogger.com (Brainwise) — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 14:52:00 +0000

Delanceyplace is a free service that provides a daily email with an excerpt or quote they consider interesting or noteworthy. There is no theme other than the fact that most excerpts come from a non-fiction work (usually, but not always, works of history). Today's excerpt is about one of my favorite TV series: The Twilight Zone. And it gives a nice bit of background on host, Rod Serling, and The Twilight Zone's place in American history.

Read on:

In today's excerpt-Rod Serling (1924-1975), his groundbreaking anthology science fiction TV series The Twilight Zone (1959-1964), and the unfamiliar and uneasy loneliness of the suburbs:

"During the postwar years, average Americans in ever greater numbers deserted small towns and big cities to embrace the emergent concept of suburbia. Rod and [his wife] Carol Serling made that move, following commercial success, to a notably upscale aspect of the new American paradigm. But like so many other young adults of the 1950s, Serling experienced an uneasy sense of dislocation.

"Something essential, however hard to define, had been lost en route; some aspect of innocence, perhaps, that at least to a romantic imagination, once existed in our towns. Each such place had been unique, organically created over decades, taking on a shape and style all its own. Suburbia, in comparison, was defined by Pulitzer-prize winning author David Halberstam as 'the new social contract according to Bill Levitt.' Reacting to rampant blandness, residents began to yearn for the good old days, if less the reality of a bygone lifestyle than what Richard Schickel called 'an imagined past.' Our growing hunger for this mythic America shortly informed 'much of the new popular culture.' What would eventually come to be called The Nostalgia Craze would prove essential to The Twilight Zone from its earliest episodes. ...

"On [this dislocation, the myth of normalcy, the dehumanizing effects of commercialism, the angst of the nuclear age, and] other subjects, Rod spoke truthfully and fearlessly. One early observer of TV hailed him as the medium's 'angry young man.' The only other contender: Edward R. Murrow, whose interview show followed Zone on Friday nights (1959-1960). What Murrow achieved in CBS's newsroom--integrity!--Serling pulled off at that network' entertainment arm.

"Earlier in the decade, Serling and other top talents openly addressed important issues during TV's brief 'golden age.' Colleagues included Reginald Rose (Twelve Angry Men), Paddy Chayefsky (Marty), and J. P. Miller (The Days of Wine and Roses). All turned out smart scripts for 'live' anthologies that dominated TV drama from 1948 to 1955. Then the price of sets lowered and TV became big business for mass entertainment. Serious drama was out; predictable potboilers were in. From that point on, Serling necessarily presented politics and philosophy in a foxier manner. ...

"Casting a seductive smile, Serling alone continued to convey on TV what every other serious writer wanted to say but wasn't allowed to. High-profile sponsors now acted as self-appointed censors, making certain that their products were presented in a context that offended no one. So Serling 'said something' by doing so indirectly, dropping confrontational realism for parable. During The Twilight Zone's five-year run (1959-1964), he employed imaginative/allegorical fiction to comment on (and sharply criticize) postwar America. 'On Zone,' Peter Kaplan claimed, 'the nightmare side of American life was opened up,' ... all the more frightening because stories took place close to home rather than in distant Transylvania. ... What initially seemed to be out-of-this-world dreams of darkness reflected a shadow-world existing on the edge of our brightly lit suburbs."

Douglas Brode and Carol Serling, Rod Serling and the Twilight Zone, Barricade, Copyright 2009 by Douglas Brode and Carol Serling, pp. 1, xv-xvi.

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Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness [Real Estate Edition]

noreply@blogger.com (Brainwise) — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 17:46:00 +0000

"Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" are among the inalienable rights of people according to the Declaration of Independence. Yes, I said the Declaration even though most people mistakenly attribute the phrase to the Constitution [1]. Still, because these rights have been mentioned in the Declaration, giving them a certain degree of forcefulness, they have been used in arguments against government regulations (particularly that "pursuit of happiness" thing [2].

Now, I actually had a reason for bringing up what is perhaps the most famous phrase of the Declaration of Independence. And that is something I have heard my father say often in reference to government foolishness: "The Founding Fathers said people have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Food, shelter, clothing ... that's up to you. Period."

Speaking of government foolishness, it would appear that our new President disagrees with my father:

President Barack Obama’s plan to confront the housing and foreclosure crisis is even more ambitious than first expected — committing as much as $275 billion in an effort to keep as many as 9 million Americans from losing their homes. [Politico.com]

Now, the Heathen perspective on this housing situation is one of personal responsibility. But, no, it's so much easier to swim with the tides of victimhood and declare, "It's not my fault. Someone has to do something to help me out of this mess!"

Yes, the promise of owning one's own home was dangled in front of alot of people. Banks and other lenders pushed through huge loans to people who had no business receiving them. But did anyone actually twist the arms of these homeowners-to-be? At some point, these folks should have been able to realize that the so-called prevailing wisdom of buying "as much home as you can possibly afford" with the hope of increased income or increased property value that pays for itself down the road was simply spurious, if not completely irresponsible. Where did these people learn the basic principles of economics and budgeting?

Mrs. Brainwise and I passed on a number of homes, and even dropped out of few bidding wars, simply because we were determined to not be "house poor" or overpay on the value of a piece of property. Yes, we have a smallish home, and we have had to do some work on it. But much of the work pays dividends in value. We're sitting fairly comfortably and there is very little danger that we'll lose the house. If you can't set yourself up in a similar manner, then you're probably better off continuing to rent instead of sinking money into a losing prospect and then waiting for the government to bail you out.

Stop using my tax dollars to help folks who cannot handle money in the first place!

---------------
[1] The 5th Amendment does offer protections to our "life, liberty, or property," noting we cannot be deprived of any of them without due process of law. (Reference: Things That Are Not In The U.S. Constitution).

[2] Barron's Law Dictionary, 2nd Ed, pg.378.

Intro to Sacred Drumming | Jan 31 & Feb 1

noreply@blogger.com (Brainwise) — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 20:07:00 +0000

This class is conducted by an associate of mine from the School of Sacred Ministries:

Intro to Sacred Drumming Jan 31st & Feb 1st, 2009
Saturday & Sunday 10–5 pm. $150 suggested donation.

At the Center For Vitality and Wellness in Berwyn, Pa.
www.centerforvitalityandwellness.com (directions on web site)

Learning about playing Sacred Shamanic Rhythms as a form of meditation, prayer, healing and energy work. Going deep as a circle into rhythm vibration.

You will learn and play simple rhythms within sacred circle. Shamanic drumming and rhythms can facilitate deep energy shifts, meditation and healing.

We will play shamanic frame drums with a beater. This is not about being a musician, but about experiencing the healing vibration of shamanic rhythms. You do not need any experience in drumming. You don't even need to have a drum - we have drums for you to use. But bring a drum and a rattle if you have one, as our supply is limited!

Tao is a Shamanic Healer/Teacher, Ordained Interfaith Minister, and Musician. Tao has been on a spiritual path for over 28 years, she has studied and practiced Shamanism intensely for over twelve years. A graduate of The Foundation for Shamanic Studies' advanced 3 year program, she also has been trained in teaching Shamanism by Sandra Ingerman (author of Soul Retrieval and Medicine for the Earth).

My Thoughts on the Path

noreply@blogger.com (Brainwise) — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 02:29:00 +0000

[The original version of this essay was submitted to my mentor in the Clergy Program. This version has slight changes to make it work as a blog post.]

My thoughts on the path.

I could have gone with a title like "This I Believe" or "How I See Asatru" or any other of 100 phrases that incorporate some form of belief/believe and Asatru. But Asatru is only one way to describe Germanic Reconstruction. Some might argue that that "Asatru" as a term is better suited to to the reconstruction going on in Scandinavian states, particularly Iceland, and that it is less than ideal as a descriptor of Germanic spiritualities. I'm not going into those arguments at this time. And belief can be a dangerous thing. The Abrahamic faiths have beliefs, beliefs that preclude all others, beliefs that motivate some toward violence, beliefs that are not up for debate. And all those beliefs are grounded in (dictated by?) a "holy" book of some sort. Hence ... "my thoughts on the path."

Now, I will admit I was in one of those Abrahamic camps for many years. Given where and when I was born, it's not at all surprising that I bought into the culture surrounding me. The only alternatives were differing flavors of Christianity. Sure there was a minor exposure to Judaism -- more of a token nod, if you will -- but that's to be expected. The point I am trying to make here is that there was a predominantly Judeo-Christian scene during my formative years. I had no contact whatsoever with Muslims, Buddhists, Pagans, etc. Not until my high school years, but even then it was sparse.

My interest in (and modest aptitude for) science combined with what I had seen of several varieties of Christian expression led me to seriously doubt all the "one way" rhetoric that I had been exposed to ("One way? You cannot even agree on what that one way is!"). My Judeo-Christian foundation further cracked when I explored Taoism and Buddhism, which I started exploring during my study and practice of Okinawa Kenpo Karate-Kobudo (now called Ryukyu hon Kenpo Kobujitsu). As an aside, I must say I find comfortable parallels between Taoism and Heathenry, but not nearly so in Buddhism (though its mental discipline and philosophy are quite interesting).

Around this time I ejected Jesus as a deity in my life, but I still held to some concept of a generalized, amorphous "God" figure -- sort of a variable that could be filled with one's personal experience/concept of divinity. For a while, I even espoused the “All the gods are one god” kind of shtick, but I now seriously doubt I ever truly believed it.

Why do I bring all of that up here?

I don’t believe (oh no, there’s that word again) that spirituality exists in a vacuum. I can choose to reject a concept or even an experience, but I cannot remove its effect upon me. And each experience I have is affected by my earlier experiences in some shape or form. Not all experiences have direct causal affects on later ones; nor are all effects equal in application. Not too long ago, I told someone, “There is no God, and yet there is. There are no Gods; yet here they all are!” I would claim this statement as rather a wonderful pluralistic/polytheistic stance.

I am at this point because of how I see the process of experiencing the divine. The human brain, in my opinion, cannot fully comprehend/process/grasp/etc. the fullness of divinity. We can only catch a glimpse of it through the religious experience – those seemingly rare moments of transcendence that link a person to the greater mystery. This glimpse, or partial view, is then further filtered through the individual’s language, social class, culture, etc. And when that individual tries to share the experience with another, it must once again go through his filters and then be processed through a similar – though not necessarily identical – set of filters of his audience (be it one or several people). To me the development of dogma came about as a means of sharing religious experience or at least pointing the way to having one’s own experience. Rigid dogma, then, is the result of the sharing becoming more important than the actual experience.

This brings to my personal conclusion that all faiths (or spiritual paths) are simply means of experiencing divinity in this world. All faiths are, in one way or another, mere symbols in order to effectively communicate and share divine experiences. But they are not THE divine, which remain somewhat beyond our full comprehension -- at least while we remain in this world of forms.

I do not mean to give the impression that there is something wrong with our symbols. This could not be further from my heart. As human beings, we crave symbols and ritual because we need something tangible to help us relate to the intangible. We feel the need to DO something. That's where we are, and where we have come from.

And please note: I did not say that all faiths are EQUAL or the SAME. Nor do I say they are all EQUALLY TRUE. They are all, in their own ways, simply VALID. If a path works for an individual, then it is valid.

As I grow in my understanding of the ways of my pre-Christian ancestors, I find that the path(s) they blazed are the most practical for me. Polytheism – which did not exist until monotheism declared to be so – was simply the natural way of things. It is a way of seeing the world as it is, and accepting it, instead of trying to force little thing to comply with a rigid, and ultimately artificial, view of “why” things are they way they are. Granted, we cannot go back and practice exactly as our ancestors did; we need to make the faith relevant for the time in which we live. This is natural. The religion revealed by our source materials, our lore, is an imperfect snapshot (mostly taken by outside observers, if you will). While helpful, this snapshot does nothing to help us understand how the religion developed to that point. And it does less than nothing to tell us how it might have continued to progress to the present day. We can, however, extrapolate. Carefully. And this is the exact mission of reconstruction.

"I Love Black And Gold"

noreply@blogger.com (Brainwise) — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 02:02:00 +0000

Best use of Joan Jett's "I Love Rock'n'Roll" since "I Love Rocky Road"!

The Pop Rocks | "Heartbreaker" Steelers Fan Song

noreply@blogger.com (Brainwise) — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 01:42:00 +0000

Even if you're not a Steelers fan, you might get a kick out of these kids performing their version of Pat Benatar's "Heartbreaker." At the very least, it should warm your heart to know that some kids these days appreciate the classics.

Sale to the Chief? Really??

noreply@blogger.com (Brainwise) — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 23:35:00 +0000

Can someone please tell me why these sales were necessary for celebrating a Presidential Inauguration?

Is this kind of thing any better, any different, than President Bush encouraging people to shop after the Sept. 11 terror attacks?

Quotable | The Public's Money

noreply@blogger.com (Brainwise) — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 22:31:00 +0000

The American Republic will endure, until politicians realize they can bribe the people with their own [i.e., the public's] money.”

-- Alexis de Tocqueville (1805 - 1859), French political thinker and historian, most famous for his work Democracy in America

Prophet or Madman

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(Separation of) Church & State for May 2009

Raise the Hammer for Vets!

Red Thor Takes the Wheel

Church & State for April 2009

Blogroll Update: Pharyngula

Blaze of Glory

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Pagans in ... Israel?

Hail Spring!

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Recent "Theater Lackey" Updates

The Twilight Zone

Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness [Real Estate Edition]

Intro to Sacred Drumming | Jan 31 & Feb 1

My Thoughts on the Path

"I Love Black And Gold"

The Pop Rocks | "Heartbreaker" Steelers Fan Song

Sale to the Chief? Really??

Quotable | The Public's Money