tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18121890262419149032018-05-28T22:57:29.631-07:00<center> A blog for Asatru, philosophy, politics, and whatever else crosses my mind <br><br>If you would like to share what I write feel free, just be sure to include a link to this site<br><br>Regardless of your opinion of what I write I want to hear what you think, just please respect my intelligence and don't repeat bumper stickers or slogans <br> <br> To any Bible-thumpers out there: <br> <br> Your Hell. You burn in it. </center>Ryan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01781732178964988746noreply@blogger.comBlogger77125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812189026241914903.post-10640377393088051302014-10-02T13:28:00.000-07:002014-10-02T14:01:07.156-07:00

In modern Heathenry ethical practice and ideas has been heavily influenced by the Nine Noble Virtues.  First written in the 1970s citing the Havamal as their main source of inspiration the Nine Noble Virtues are one of the most widely used ethical codes in the American Heathen community.  The main flaw in the Nine Noble Virtues is in its core conception.  The super-individualism argued for by the

Ryan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01781732178964988746noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812189026241914903.post-70535257155340109592014-10-02T13:04:00.001-07:002014-10-03T11:04:14.187-07:00

The verses cited are the most solid examples of each virtue in action, there are others that likely provide compelling support for these ideas that have not been included here. Boldness Voluspol 3, 4 Havamal 15, 16, 19, 48 Vafthruthnismol 6-8 Skirnismol 10-13 Hymiskvitha 5-7 Lokasenna 1-5, 13-15, 44-46, 50 Thrymskvitha 25-28 Baldrs Draumar 1-6 Volundarkvitha 22-25

Ryan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01781732178964988746noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812189026241914903.post-46093955542714188682014-01-08T14:35:00.001-08:002014-01-08T16:39:49.228-08:00

In recent weeks there's been a whole flock of posts flying across the Pagan blogosphere regarding the question of polytheism, atheism, and whether or not one must believe in the literal existence of the Gods to be a proper polytheist.  For those unfamiliar there has been a growing uproar over this matter with much in the way of data spilled in some rather ferocious condemnations of any who do are

Ryan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01781732178964988746noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812189026241914903.post-47134933134501921432013-11-29T20:28:00.002-08:002013-11-29T21:23:19.608-08:00

Today, on this day best described as the apotheosis of American crass consumerism, I came across a very interesting post on the Wild Hunt by Pagan writer and activist Alley Valkyrie on the question of the poor, service, and how it fits in Pagan theology.  For those not familiar Alley Valkyrie has been long involved in a number of different causes starting with environmental activism before

Ryan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01781732178964988746noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812189026241914903.post-69522506887480237312013-10-31T16:58:00.001-07:002013-10-31T16:58:04.689-07:00

Dead alive depths divine Darkness shrouded caress Calling chorus rising Comforting heart soothing Softly embraced surely Safe surrounded loved Mound-dwelling might-making Many stood growing good

Ryan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01781732178964988746noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812189026241914903.post-76833786136408107242013-10-22T12:43:00.002-07:002013-10-22T12:55:36.553-07:00

In the Heathen community there is a great deal of discussion and glorification surrounding the  ideas of Valhalla, glorious death in battle, big burly Vikings, and of course the final battle of Ragnarok.  It forms a very powerful, intoxicating set of romantic images, ideas, and concepts which pervade the whole of Heathenry.  While there is little doubt in the ancient world the place and role of

Ryan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01781732178964988746noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812189026241914903.post-65944002375741035212013-10-22T11:51:00.001-07:002013-10-22T11:51:24.114-07:00

City life, bright lit nights Coursing wights, dancing sing Weaving warbling winsome Wonder whirling leaping Lives laconic jive Lurch tumble rise rumble Buildings broad tall climbing Brick steel mountains growing

Ryan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01781732178964988746noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812189026241914903.post-44093658011463424002013-10-08T18:53:00.001-07:002013-10-08T19:33:24.454-07:00

Breaking long building song Budding shy slow arise Light rolling leaking up Long seeking far reaching Open lighten outward Order shifting further Shapes awake shorn shadows Shrink dance sink grow arise

Ryan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01781732178964988746noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812189026241914903.post-81002481099493965622013-10-03T15:38:00.001-07:002013-10-08T19:33:40.645-07:00

Rising falling roaring Rumbling reaching soaring Cashing sweeping calling Carressing cavorting Playing probing rising Pressing falling brushing Boundless endless burbling Beckoning seducing

Ryan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01781732178964988746noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812189026241914903.post-70647718710125337362013-09-30T14:25:00.001-07:002013-09-30T14:26:48.167-07:00

Build break batter swing shake Bolster shatter raise high Mighty hammer mover Maker common people's Life changer leveller Loosing strength freeing lives High low humble known Hands holding strong standing

Ryan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01781732178964988746noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812189026241914903.post-74991115184590076142013-09-17T14:02:00.000-07:002013-10-12T14:41:16.316-07:00

Link zum Artikel übersetzt von Erin Banks Während der letzten Wochen gab es eine geradezu virtuelle Explosion bezüglich der Aktivitäten, Diskussionen und Debatten, wenn es um die Frage des Rassismus in den heidnischen Religionen ging. Diese kürzlichen Diskussionen begannan Am 19. August als der Blog „Wer macht die Nazis“ einen Artikel über Stella Natura veröffentlichte, ein Rockfestival,

Ryan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01781732178964988746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812189026241914903.post-57955435788983027982013-09-17T11:31:00.001-07:002013-10-12T14:36:38.012-07:00

Available in German, translation by Erin Banks Over the last few weeks there has been a virtual explosion of activity, discussion, and debate on the question of racism in Paganism.  These recent discussions kicked off on August 19th when the blog Who Makes the Nazis published a piece on Stella Natura, a rock festival attended and endorsed by a number of racist and neo-Nazi acts, which was

Ryan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01781732178964988746noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812189026241914903.post-56400212634043678582013-09-06T16:27:00.003-07:002013-09-06T16:27:46.539-07:00

The pattern is almost identical: the drumbeat for war heralded by the denunciation of yet another mini-Hitler in the making with serious sober-sounding pronouncements issued by serious sober-looking people.  It's Iraq all over again just change the names, remove the oil, add in a hulking Russian bear, and you're set!  Every one of these serious sober people is, quite conspicuously, silent on how

Ryan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01781732178964988746noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812189026241914903.post-48909349306497783732013-08-10T12:34:00.000-07:002013-08-10T12:34:09.761-07:00

The Yggdrasil, the great World Tree of Scandinavian lore, is a very powerful concept in modern Heathen practice.  While some may deride the imagery of the world held up by the branches of a vast, cosmic tree as nothing more than primitive anthropomorphism.  To the modern, materialistic mind such an idea is just as laughable as claiming the Earth revolves around the sun.  Yet the dismissal of this

Ryan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01781732178964988746noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812189026241914903.post-953996823019438302013-08-05T13:39:00.002-07:002013-08-05T13:39:25.717-07:00

The last few months have been a fairly tumultuous time in the Heathen community going by the storms raging across the blogosphere.  Two individuals held up as leaders in our community have both been at the center of major controversies.  While there is a lot of debate happening on the specifics of each both instances share a common thread: power and accountability.  These troubling incidents have

Ryan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01781732178964988746noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812189026241914903.post-49236541820694587672013-07-15T16:04:00.000-07:002013-07-17T21:28:05.202-07:00

The verdict in George Zimmerman's murder trial is, without a doubt, an explosive topic.  On one hand are the justifiably outraged, denouncing the decision as letting a murderer walk free while mourning yet another unjustly slain son.  On the other are those who argue one of two things: it's the justice system and it was a fair trial or that Zimmerman was somehow justified in shooting the young

Ryan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01781732178964988746noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812189026241914903.post-47907380295382975952013-07-03T14:34:00.001-07:002013-07-03T14:34:32.734-07:00

The word fatalism, in the modern context, conjures up the image of a person whose life is adrift and rudderless.  To be a fatalist in the eyes of contemporary society is to give up all control over what happens to you by surrendering everything to the whims of forces far beyond one's control.  In our high-stress, high-demand world the idea of being in total control of yourself and your

Ryan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01781732178964988746noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812189026241914903.post-63951491328615998242013-06-15T00:46:00.000-07:002013-06-15T00:46:13.765-07:00

So things, unfortunately, did not quite go as planned in Newcastle!  Thanks to something of a comedy of errors involving me deciphering the northern English accent just a touch too late, missing an important stop from the bus by just one stop, and running all over the Newcastle waterfront for the better part of an hour based on directions given by friendly locals (which sadly were conflicting,

Ryan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01781732178964988746noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812189026241914903.post-75661846334830866072013-06-15T00:31:00.001-07:002013-06-15T00:31:07.685-07:00

Ahh Oban, how little I time I had to know ye!  The first thing that struck me on the trip north by train was the transition from Edinburgh and the lowlands of Scotland to the coastal highlands on the way up to Oban.  As much as they are a part of the same place it was clear very early on the lowlands and the highlands were two very different worlds in many ways.  In spite of this it was a

Ryan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01781732178964988746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812189026241914903.post-57177756995862330212013-06-11T08:20:00.000-07:002013-06-11T09:42:34.418-07:00

Ah Edinburgh, a beautiful little city that really shows its age.  Where London was quite a hodgepodge of old and new there was a definite sense of layers, history, and preservation in the city on the Firth of Forth.  Where London was constantly busy, always a rush from one place to another,  Edinburgh had a much more laid back feel to it.  Granted this difference of atmosphere was probably

Ryan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01781732178964988746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812189026241914903.post-57262030152798724382013-06-09T04:49:00.000-07:002013-06-09T04:49:58.356-07:00

London is quite a city!  After getting settled in, recovering from jetlag, and waking up a bit I spent the last few days wandering around town, checking things out, and of course taking a lot of pictures.  Unfortunately four days is definitely not enough time to see everything but I managed to get in a lot of the highlights. After catching up on sleep and resting from traveling around

Ryan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01781732178964988746noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812189026241914903.post-89011867656948605582013-06-05T16:16:00.000-07:002013-06-05T16:16:04.650-07:00

Whew!  Jumping across multiple time zones ain't easy, especially when your flight leaves at 1PM and arrives just after 7AM.  So the first thing was getting off the plane at Heathrow, jumping through all the hoops (hooray customs!), and getting situated for heading downtown.  Like SF International Heathrow is blessed with a lovely high-speed rail line that runs from the airport right into the

Ryan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01781732178964988746noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812189026241914903.post-78788801879284255702013-02-21T11:28:00.001-08:002013-10-08T19:34:06.827-07:00

Grinding groans mighty moans Great sound echoes deep, loud Creeping crawling mighty Cold rising north sea's hold Shrinking slipping shattered Shorn battered torn dying Weeping Skadi's warbling Woe soaring over snow

Ryan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01781732178964988746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812189026241914903.post-83710988168256472682013-02-19T14:31:00.000-08:002013-10-08T19:34:06.831-07:00

Frantic leaping frolics Flame growing shrinking wane Whipping crackling wild Wrestling feasting fully Chortling Cheerful sings Charming carols warming Hearths hearken homes warmth Heating hearts, warming lives

Ryan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01781732178964988746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812189026241914903.post-57445963549590447182013-01-28T10:33:00.000-08:002013-01-28T10:33:06.191-08:00

The hammer is one of the most well-known and popular Heathen symbols today. Most commonly it is revered as the primary symbol of Thor, the Thunder God and protector of Midgard and humanity.  It is a powerful, direct symbol but it is one which is only understood as a blunt instrument.  Many, especially in modern society, see the hammer as nothing more than a crude implement whose main function is

Ryan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01781732178964988746noreply@blogger.com0