[WORKSHOP] Heathenry

[Sanguina Cruenta]

Welcome to the Heathenry Workshop!

Hello and welcome to my Heathenry Workshop!

This is for anyone interested in Germanic reconstructionism. This isn't meant to be a guide (there already is one in this forum) but a set of exercises, discussion topics and related wotsits to help those interested or just starting out to get their feet on the ground.

I'm not exactly sure yet, I'm kinda winging it here xd

At this point what I'm looking at doing is posting each current "class" here on the first page as well as in the body of the thread. I'll link to each class on the first page so that people coming to it later will be able to look back on older classes easier.

I should introduce myself, too.
My name is San. I've been a Pagan for ten years, a witch for just as long. I identify as a Heathen primarily and have been interested in Germanic Recon for around three or four years now. I don't consider myself a "teacher" in this workshop; more of an organiser. I'm just as interested in participating as the rest of you and am eager to hear your own ideas of what to do and explore.

Thank you!

Contents
Introduction (You Are Here)
Basic Background
Instructions - how to do it
Workshop members
Current Class and Exercise
Classes (links to each topic post will go here)
Q & A  

[Sanguina Cruenta]

Basic Background
What is Heathenry?

"Heathenry" refers to a specific religious umbrella: reconstructionist and reconstructionist-inspired religions focused on Germanic pre-Christian Paganisms. There are several individual traditions that fall under this banner. The most famous of this is "Asatru", and this term is rapidly becoming almost interchangeable with "Heathenry". But there are others: Forn Sed, Theodism. These tend to differ in which area they are focusing on. Theodism, for example, is Anglo-Saxon recon, while Asatru is more Icelandic. "Forn Sed" is more Scandinavian. "Heathen" refers to any of these paths and those who don't identify with one in particular often prefer the term "Heathen".

"Reconstructionism" is a term describing a method by which a religion is created by the practitioners, in which an attempt is made to reconstruct palaeo-Pagan religion. Reconstructionists of any religion rely on lore as well as historical and archaeological evidence. While the focus of recon religion resides in these sources, individual practitioners may personally rely just as much on personal experiences, though they may refer to themselves more as "reconstructionist-derived".

It's worth mentioning that reconstructionists understand that we live in a different time and culture to our palaeo-Pagan predecessors and that not everything done then is appropriate now.

Further information regarding Heathenry can be found in the Asatru Guide in this subforum.

~This may be added to as necessary~  

[Sanguina Cruenta]

Instructions
How to participate

If you'd like to become a member of this workshop, there are a few things to keep in mind.

First, introduce yourself. Please use the following form to do so.

[b]Name:[/b]
[b]Current path:[/b]
[b]Reason for joining workshop:[/b]
[b]Time you've been interested in Heathenry:[/b]
[b]Additional notes:[/b]

Next, replying to classes and topics.

If you are replying to the current topic, please quote the main question or topic you are replying to. If you are replying to a running conversation or replying generally to the topic, you don't need to do anything. Just continue the conversation as is. If that makes sense.

If you are replying to a past topic, please include the following form:

Replying to an Old Topic
[b]Class name:[/b]
[b]Class link:[/b]
~reply goes here~

If you are replying to someone who has just used said form, remember to quote that person. Keep that original form on the quote even if you're replying to a reply. Crop the tree down as you will, but keep the top part of the form so that we all know where we are.

If we all get confused I'll have to re-think discussing old topics. I can edit posts to try to keep them clean but I'd rather not if I can help it and I don't want to get confused myself, so please try to keep to that for now.  

[Sanguina Cruenta]

Workshop Members
Names and forms will be posted here

Name:Artistic Genocide which can be shortened to Art, Gen, Genocide, or Artsy.(Last is courtesy of Bya)
Current path:Hellenic Recon
Reason for joining workshop:While I've found my calling with the Greek deities, I've always sort of held an interest in Germanic Reconstructionism(?) and I would greatly enjoy learning more about the gods and traditions of fellow Reconstructists.
Time you've been interested in Heathenry:About three years, give or take a few months.
Additional notes: I find the "Doomsday" idea in Nordic Mythos to be quite interesting, as the Greeks do not have one.
3nodding

Name: ncsweet
Current path: eclectic witchcraft and seeker (BTW)
Reason for joining workshop: side interest in Heathenry
Time you've been interested in Heathenry: 2-3 years
Additional notes:

Name: Shearaha, Shea for short.
Current path:Eclectic neo-pagan and energy worker
Reason for joining workshop: I've been interested in Germanic reconstruction, and have done a little on my own, but I'm not sure that I'm in a place right now where I can make any kind of commitment to the Gods.
Time you've been interested in Heathenry: 3-4 years. I'm not sure exactly when my interest started, but that's about the time that I have been really looking into it.
Additional notes: None really. I think most people know me already. I'm primarily a lurker, but I do like to get involved every now and then.

Name:Esiris, or Riri
Current path: Currently seeking under a Kingstone Coven, eclectic
Reason for joining workshop: It looks like a good discussion on one of my favorite kinds of paganism.
Time you've been interested in Heathenry:On and off- about five years in total
Additional notes:
sweatdrop Sorry I didn't do this before I responded to the earlier comment.

Name: Vi or ViVi
Current path: Heathen
Reason for joining workshop: To help get me back on track after falling off the wagon for a few months xd
Time you've been interested in Heathenry: 2-3 year now I think.
Additional notes: heart

Name: Jes
Current path: Searching
Reason for joining workshop: I've felt a calling to the Norse pantheon for a long time and want to learn more about it.
Time you've been interested in Heathenry: A year or so.
Additional notes: I really look forward to any information I can glean from this workshop.

 

[Sanguina Cruenta]

Current Workshop Class
This is what we're working through now

Getting to Know the Gods

...in which we discuss the gods, making first contact, appropriate first offerings etc.

Ideally workshop members will, if they wish, make an offering and make first contact by the end of this topic. Those who have already contacted the Gods of the North may wish to contact a deity from this pantheon that they haven't yet met.  

[Sanguina Cruenta]

Past Workshop Topics
Links to old classes

Getting to Know the Gods  

[Sanguina Cruenta]

Q & A
Interesting questions and replies for your perusal

~ What are your views of other deities in relation to your own?

Most Heathens acknowledge the existence of other deities from other religions. Worship of these other deities doesn't occur within Heathenry. Whether it's sort of "acceptable" to worship them outside of Heathenry seems to differ depending on which group you're talking to.



~ Do you support the idea of reincarnation within your faith?

Reincarnation is kinda supported within Heathenry, but it's sort of "rare". People are only reincarnated within the family. You're much more likely to end up spending your afterlife in Hel or in a mountain or burial mound or, if you were special and died in battle, up in Valhalla.


 

[Sanguina Cruenta]

Reserved  

[Sanguina Cruenta]

Reserved  

[Sanguina Cruenta]

Reserved  

[Sanguina Cruenta]

The workshop is OPEN and accepting members! 3nodding  

[Artistic Genocide]

Name:Artistic Genocide which can be shortened to Art, Gen, Genocide, or Artsy.(Last is courtesy of Bya)
Current path:Hellenic Recon
Reason for joining workshop:While I've found my calling with the Greek deities, I've always sort of held an interest in Germanic Reconstructionism(?) and I would greatly enjoy learning more about the gods and traditions of fellow Reconstructists.
Time you've been interested in Heathenry:About three years, give or take a few months.
Additional notes: I find the "Doomsday" idea in Nordic Mythos to be quite interesting, as the Greeks do not have one.
3nodding

 

[Sanguina Cruenta]

Interestingly enough, I've heard it mentioned that the whole Ragnarok thing is only found in Icelandic-focused Heathenry. Trouble is, that's where most of the lore is from! so people kind of take it as a given. But I've read something by Freya Aswynn, who's more Norway-focused, that it has no place in her path and is more of an Icelandic wotsit. Given how late Iceland converted, it's possible that Ragnarok is influenced by Revelations myth as well.

It's all very interesting but does leave us somewhat confused!  

[Artistic Genocide]

That is interesting. The closets thing we have to a doomsday myth is a prophecy that describes a time when the gods will become so feed up with the way humanity has become that they will turn from all but their followers. The Prophecy is a hot debate item, however, and isn't accepted by a majority of hellenists from what I can gather.

This sort of leads me into my next questions. What are your views of other deities in relation to your own, and do you support the idea of reincarnation within your faith?

 

[Sanguina Cruenta]

Reincarnation is kinda supported within Heathenry, but it's sort of "rare". People are only reincarnated within the family. You're much more likely to end up spending your afterlife in Hel or in a mountain or burial mound or, if you were special, up in Valhalla.

Now my own beliefs in that area do differ from Heathen beliefs. I believe in reincarnation on more of a wider scale and that many people, not just a few, reincarnate.

Most Heathens acknowledge the existence of other deities from other religions. Worship of these other deities doesn't occur within Heathenry. Whether it's sort of "acceptable" to worship them outside of Heathenry seems to differ depending on which group you're talking to. I see no problem with it myself, but then there's a reason I call myself Heathen rather than, say, Asatru. wink