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[musingsofthehiddenshrine]

The results of a first meditation

So as mentioned on my question I don't feel a call to my ancestors... I don't have a connection to them, and having asked here, Odin and Loki came with an answer. But first I should give some context.

Earlier this year I was doing a walking meditation as I walked into work - was walking both the real world and one of the ways between worlds, and at this point I'd already raised a question in the past, as my relationship with Loki and Odin felt 'different', felt like it had grown. Loki at this point ... for want of a better word stated that I was his child, and gave me permission (for want of a better word again) to use the surname Lokesbairn. Odin also gave me the title of The Wordsmith. Anyway back to the solution they provided.

My craft has never included ancestor worship as I feel disconnected from my ancestors, I only know my family line as far back as my grandmother, beyond that my great grandmother/grandfather are just faces in photos, stories aren't ever told about them etc. My craft however has always included working with deities, the spirits of the land and the spirits of Hearth and Home.

Both Loki and Odin suggested that I use the stories told of the Norse pantheon, and the myths and legends in general as my starting point and meditate on them. I've just done this as a trial, not specifying any point or anything, but instead let myself fall into meditative state, took my normal visualisastion to set up the wards and space (so entered my forest clearing), from there the first thing I could smell was smoke... that smokey smell from a fireside, and the smell of hay, and damp reeds and an earthy smell. So I 'followed' the smell, and the scene showed itself as very dark, the main illumination coming from a fire in the center of a room, the room distinctly feeling round and closed in. I had a strong sense of 'goats' penned in a corner, and a figure huddling near the fire, mixing a stew. Another figure was there, but upon a knocking on the door went to fling it open.

There was no further visual scene but instead the very strong sense of words flashed across my main 'A visitor' 'Snow' 'Offer hospitality' 'stew and drink' 'warm by fire' 'ginger hair' 'trickster' 'new lineage' mend the rift' 'mischief' 'balance'. I'm -not- 100% certain what to make of this, as I had a sense of familiarity with the visitor.... but ginger hair and trickster is who I'd normally associate with Loki... but the only myth I know of that's widely told would be of Heimdall and the creation of the class system.

I'm open to comments on this - but this is more a personal note on my own practice, as I'm working on paying more attention to my craft now in a more organised manner - and using this for what it's meant for as a long (if only to save me buying more notebooks and journals!). I will be trying to draw what I 'saw' but just a ramble really.

[musingsofthehiddenshrine]

A long time since I posted here

and as ever I am asking a question for those more experienced in the pagan community than me. I'm looking at really focusing on my practice more, and one of the exercises I've seen in a book I'm starting to work through is a meditation to connect with your ancestors.

Now ... I don't resonate with any of my known ancestors... and I don't have a connection with any of them... indeed in terms of ancestors I don't.... know who I resonate with the strongest, so I'm not sure how to proceed. Is there anyone here who can give me some advice, as to how to proceed? Especially as one of the steps includes 'focus on a visualisastion of your ancestors'

[musingsofthehiddenshrine]

Happy Early Equinox To Those Who Celebrate

🍂🍁🍂🍁🍂🍁🍂🍁🍂🍁🍂��🍂🍁🍂🍁

Fall is Officially Upon Us

[musingsofthehiddenshrine]

I hate, hate, HATE the term “affordable housing.” I hate that we’ve normalized it. I hate that we just accept that the majority of housing, a basic human right, is unaffordable to much of the population. Housing should be affordable as a baseline. If rich people want to add arcades and gold-plated hot tubs on top so be it, but everyone, everyone, regardless of income level, should have access to a clean, comfortable home with enough light and space to make life worth living.

[musingsofthehiddenshrine]

UPG vs. SPG vs. Canon

UPG - user's / unique personal gnosis SPG - shared personal gnosis Canonical - what is in the source materials and/or what is most commonly believed across communities/practitioners/etc.

I've been thinking a lot lately about what we call UPG and how we interact with UPG vs something considered to be canon or shared gnosis. I believe it's incredibly useful to call out experiences, notions, and correlations that we have personally experienced or felt drawn towards. Through doing so, we establish shared gnosis within groups or across online communities and help keep the old gods alive with new sparks of life. But when does UPG become SPG and when does SPG become canonical to the faith? Is it important to differentiate and if so when/to what degree?

Heathenry doesn't have a rule-book or sacred texts, so I feel we have a lot of freedom with what constitutes "canon." What does Loki represent? Up to you! How do we celebrate a wedding? Up to you! What is the ritual for contacting deceased loved ones? Up to you! Are Frigg and Freyja different? Up to you! We have some sources that remain, and while they can be incredibly useful, they are all locked within a far-off sociological context and we know we are missing considerable details. We can utilize these sources and archaeology for best guesses as to practices that were practiced historically, but at the end of the day a lot of it is just that: a guess. A well-educated guess to be sure, but nothing close to a universal "heathen" theology.

So why do I bring this up?

I see a lot of apologies and fear related to "upg." People worry it isn't legitimate to experience something they don't see widely reflected in texts or within groups. I want to tell anyone who's had those fears: this is normal! We are discussing working with and/or worshiping ethereal beings that operate outside the confines of our sense of time and space--we are going to experience these entities differently. Maybe even differently than how we did in previous years of our own practices. This goes hand in hand with the idea of not prescribing our upg onto others. We may experience something incredibly real and powerful, but we may be alone in the specifics of that experience. That is in no way indicative of the upg being fake, invalid, or incorrect, and there is no need to force this upg onto others.

In short: don't worry about what's "canonical." It is a living, breathing faith that is currently undergoing a large resurgence and shake up. Let's help construct the canon together, and let's not be afraid to share our unique experiences with the divine.

[musingsofthehiddenshrine]

Color Magic Cheat Sheet

Hey all!

Color magic is a good way to incorporate magic into your day to day life and add more power to spells. Here is a little cheat sheet for you!

Red: Passion, Love, Charisma, Strength, Lust, Courage, Will, Vitality, Energy, Anger, Motivation(good in glamor spells)

Orange: Creativity, Justice, Success, Ambition, Joy, Opportunity, Harvest, Attraction.

Yellow: Learning, Knowledge, Focus, Confidence, Memory, Happiness, Friendship

Green: Prosperity, Nature, Grounding, Money, Luck, Fertility, Growth, Self-Awareness, Success, Hope, Growth

Blue: Communication, Travel, Loyalty, Forgiveness, Tranquility, Healing, Truth, Childhood

Purple: Psychic Ability, Divination, Wisdom, Knowledge, Intuition, Meditation, Spiritual Power, Astral

Pink: Love, Self-Love, Femininity, Beauty, Compassion, Romance, Affection, Emotional Healing

White: Spirituality, Peace, Calm, Cleansing, Purity, Higher Self, Truth, Innocence

Brown: Home, Protection, Fauna, Family, Loyalty, Stability, Grounding, Pets, Concentration

Black: Banish Negativity, Protection, Loyalty, Binding, Energy, Absorption, Defense, Justice

Silver: Divination, Lunar Energy, Clairvoyance, Intuition, Feminine Energy, Dreams

Gold: Healing, Wellbeing, Wealth, Cosmic Energy, Attraction, Luck, Prosperity, Abundance

I hope this helps!

[musingsofthehiddenshrine]

As a supporter of inclusive Heathenry, I feel it is important to join other voices such as those of Asatru UK - AUK and The Troth in promoting awareness of the Ásatrú Folk Assembly (AFA)’s plans of planting roots in the UK and hosting an event at Stonehenge for Winter Nights. We oppose the AFA and their discriminatory views, words, and actions, both implicit and explicit, and oppose the idea of their hatred being brought to Stonehenge to represent their idea of Heathenry at such a globally famous, historic site used by Pagans throughout history.

For more information, the The Pagan Federation has released the following statement: https://www.paganfed.org/a-response-to-the-proposed.../

Also, consider signing the following petition and/or promoting awareness of this amongst other Pagan and Heathen spaces: https://chng.it/k4Bfh2rFbp

Thank you for your time and have a good mafen!

[musingsofthehiddenshrine]

I'm starting to think I like dead wood a bit too much! But it is super architectural and rather sculptural.

[musingsofthehiddenshrine]

Yesterday was all about tidying up and preparing for Spring. Yesterday I tidied up the dead and removed the grass sprouting in my mini wildflower meadow. Planted the primroses for some additional spring colour and then threw about some wildflower seedbombs.

Then it was onto tidying the leaves out of both ponds. The small barrel one I'm thinking of turning into a bog garden. We'll see.

[musingsofthehiddenshrine]

Also me and the pup have been on an adventure in Sherwood Forest

[musingsofthehiddenshrine]

I was trying my new phone out the camera is amazing

[musingsofthehiddenshrine]

Never doubt nature's ability to recover itself. Sometimes it just takes time

[musingsofthehiddenshrine]

I want to use this post to remind people that from death new life can spring.

[musingsofthehiddenshrine]

So many beginner questions about Heathenry are predicated on the idea that it works similarly to an organized religion, or that it ought to and we just don't have that information.

It does not.

Other assumptions are based on the idea that Norse Heathenry died out with the end of the Viking Age.

It did not.

There's also this notion that there was some kind of universal mythology that everyone recognized and adhered to.

There was not.

And of course, people keep treating the Eddas as sources of this nonexistent universal mythology, when these books were neither written by Heathens nor intended to document the greater consensus on mythology.

There is no true mythology in Norse Heathenry. Just regional stories, legends, fairy tales, and folklore.

These are just a few of the many common misconceptions people have when getting into this. In order to wrap your head around Heathenry, you need to deconstruct your entire understanding of how religion/spirituality works. And that's fine—I had to do it—but it is necessary.

[musingsofthehiddenshrine]

Why does this make me think of Skyrim

Taking the slow way back to the car

[musingsofthehiddenshrine]

Is it possible to startle because you're reacting to something you've sensed or been spiritually wandering?

As there's times I've startled having 'seen' something moving or a shadow moving, or just startled for no reason... But it's felt like something made me jump

[musingsofthehiddenshrine]

Soft reminder to be patient with yourself this winter ❄️