http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1nI1qA9zJQ
This short vid features Gunnell and Palsson, two scholars Im familiar with, for I admire their work. Likewise it features folk at the forefront of Asatru in Iceland today.
Some topic quotes I like:
-In Asatru there are no sins other than what you create yourself. Everyone in Asatru has to decide for himself exactly what he believes, especially what he believes to be right or wrong. There is no religious hierarchy in Asatru. Asatruers are allowed to form their own beliefs and issues such as on contraception and abortion.
-There is nothing dead in nature. The spirits of nature are a very central part of our beliefs. Belief in nature spirits .. no one will deny that they exist. This is our attitude to the world. We actually look at scientific discovery as religious discovery, it brings us closer, gives us a better understanding of the world we live in.
-Our religion is a constantly changing religion because we dont have a book that was written down 2000 or 5000 years ago, the religion must evolve along with all things.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Savannah PPD
What a wonderful, magical, joy-filled weekend I had! Filled with good friends, new friends, great experiences and warm-hearted encounters!
Lyndsey and I traveled to Savannah PPD (4.5 hrs). I was invited by Adriana Boatwright (on fb) after a group of local Heathens suggested to her that I come and present a class.
http://savannahpaganpride.com/
Adriana is a lovely, vibrant, talented and hard-working woman. Her sincere greeting and genuine hug was my first welcome. She is truly a blessing for the Pagan community, the way she kindly greets everyone, remembering their names, answering several questions at once, organizing volunteers .. she is a competent organizer so a wonder to watch! After all, she secured Emmet Park – nestled between the middle of Savannah and the river – for PPD. That is a great example of public relations!
Thank you ever so much for inviting me Adriana!
Two great people I knew, so was looking for when I arrived, was Belladonna and Dusty of Covenant of the Wise Church of Wicca. They are a wonderful couple who I could just spend hours and hours with. Both were presenting classes and I was able to share some time with them before my class began. Dusty had an interesting class entitled ‘Life is Like a Video Game’, that he gave me a brief explanation of (since our class times conflicted), and ::note to self:: must sit with Bella and exchange Tarot notes because I consider it a Book of Wisdom (where she refers to it as a ‘Sacred Text’). In all, Bella and Dusty are simply great .. always happy, smiling, informative .. great Pagan ambassadors.
http://belladonna.web.aplus.net/covenantofwisechurchofwicca/
I had a brief yet intense exchange with Adeeb Shabazz, a Metaphysician interested in Biblical, Quranic and Vedanta studies. In that these are a few of my interests, the conversation was energetic and informative. I could have spent more time with him.
http://whatifgod.net/.
I chatted a bit with the CUUPS folk. When I was first stationed in Germany (with the Army), CUUPS was the only Pagan networking opportunity. I was able to meet many Heathens through this organization so consider them fondly.
The SCA was there, and having been a member myself (a ‘Viking’ warrior, from 1980-85), I had to stop and chat with them a bit. Great costumes, quality weapons, they even had a demonstration area .. very organized.
Then there were the untold number of random Pagans I met, chatted with, laughed with, and shared fb info with. In all .. it was a very good day!
Oh! And cant forget my presentation, on Frey and Freyja. I appreciate the interest shown .. it is clear that Savannah has its share of Heathens seeking informative, thoughtful and practical information on the Tribal Folkway. I prepared a flyer for the occasion, which I passed out to everyone I spoke with, and which has already reaped several responces, basd on the fb friend adds and requests to join the Georgia Heathen Society (yahoo group).
SSG Fred Twombly was there with some of his friends. Fred and I have been friends for a few years and I am proud to know him. He was the Designated Faith-based Coordinator for Pagan religious activities at Victory Base Open Circle in Baghdad. He is a shining soul, a good man and an enthusiastic supportor of all things Pagan. He and his wife Anya are among my closest friends.
Thank you Sarah for introducing Emma .. who is a bundle of joy. Her bright eyes and inquisitive nature are only the first thing you see in this adorable child. She has a keen intellect and great wisdom resides in her heart. You are as great a grandmother as you are a mom!
Thank you Thora and Troy for opening your hearth to Lyndsey and I. Your hospitality will be long and fondly remembered. Lol .. but then, anyone who has ever been blessed to share the Dibble Traditional Breakfast has been truly blessed indeed! (Apple and Pork Pie .. oh my!!) From the late night chatter to the walk through Oatland, your loving company was the bedrock of my visit.
Thank you Lyndsey for driving. You are an excellent driver, very attentive. Lol .. I never once had to apply the imaginary breaks! Our girls were beat last night, so I don’t think Dewey – who is a very intelligent, very loving pup – was the only worn out one.
It is weekends like this – spent with good folk, sincere folk, kind and generous folk – that I have hope for all of our futures, as Pagans .. for open-handedness is the strength of our folkway .. what ever it may be.
Cant forget the Spiral Scouts. I have long read about them on the Internet but never met them or spoke with them. There were nine Spiral Scouts there. I spoke with one of their organizers and two of the kids. What bright and brilliant young Pagans! It was pleasure to meet them and have them explain their badges to me. Great stuff!
Finally, after PPD, Thora and Troy took us to the Shellhouse for some excellent seafood. There, I saw a lovely red-haired woman with a blue priestess tattoo. I approached her table and said: “Excuse me, but do you know Bella? I ask because of your lovely blue tattoo.” She did! I do not recall her name, but to me the encounter stood out to show that Paganism – in its many interpretations – is everywhere and growing.
Hail those who remember the Old Ways!
Lyndsey and I traveled to Savannah PPD (4.5 hrs). I was invited by Adriana Boatwright (on fb) after a group of local Heathens suggested to her that I come and present a class.
http://savannahpaganpride.com/
Adriana is a lovely, vibrant, talented and hard-working woman. Her sincere greeting and genuine hug was my first welcome. She is truly a blessing for the Pagan community, the way she kindly greets everyone, remembering their names, answering several questions at once, organizing volunteers .. she is a competent organizer so a wonder to watch! After all, she secured Emmet Park – nestled between the middle of Savannah and the river – for PPD. That is a great example of public relations!
Thank you ever so much for inviting me Adriana!
Two great people I knew, so was looking for when I arrived, was Belladonna and Dusty of Covenant of the Wise Church of Wicca. They are a wonderful couple who I could just spend hours and hours with. Both were presenting classes and I was able to share some time with them before my class began. Dusty had an interesting class entitled ‘Life is Like a Video Game’, that he gave me a brief explanation of (since our class times conflicted), and ::note to self:: must sit with Bella and exchange Tarot notes because I consider it a Book of Wisdom (where she refers to it as a ‘Sacred Text’). In all, Bella and Dusty are simply great .. always happy, smiling, informative .. great Pagan ambassadors.
http://belladonna.web.aplus.net/covenantofwisechurchofwicca/
I had a brief yet intense exchange with Adeeb Shabazz, a Metaphysician interested in Biblical, Quranic and Vedanta studies. In that these are a few of my interests, the conversation was energetic and informative. I could have spent more time with him.
http://whatifgod.net/.
I chatted a bit with the CUUPS folk. When I was first stationed in Germany (with the Army), CUUPS was the only Pagan networking opportunity. I was able to meet many Heathens through this organization so consider them fondly.
The SCA was there, and having been a member myself (a ‘Viking’ warrior, from 1980-85), I had to stop and chat with them a bit. Great costumes, quality weapons, they even had a demonstration area .. very organized.
Then there were the untold number of random Pagans I met, chatted with, laughed with, and shared fb info with. In all .. it was a very good day!
Oh! And cant forget my presentation, on Frey and Freyja. I appreciate the interest shown .. it is clear that Savannah has its share of Heathens seeking informative, thoughtful and practical information on the Tribal Folkway. I prepared a flyer for the occasion, which I passed out to everyone I spoke with, and which has already reaped several responces, basd on the fb friend adds and requests to join the Georgia Heathen Society (yahoo group).
SSG Fred Twombly was there with some of his friends. Fred and I have been friends for a few years and I am proud to know him. He was the Designated Faith-based Coordinator for Pagan religious activities at Victory Base Open Circle in Baghdad. He is a shining soul, a good man and an enthusiastic supportor of all things Pagan. He and his wife Anya are among my closest friends.
Thank you Sarah for introducing Emma .. who is a bundle of joy. Her bright eyes and inquisitive nature are only the first thing you see in this adorable child. She has a keen intellect and great wisdom resides in her heart. You are as great a grandmother as you are a mom!
Thank you Thora and Troy for opening your hearth to Lyndsey and I. Your hospitality will be long and fondly remembered. Lol .. but then, anyone who has ever been blessed to share the Dibble Traditional Breakfast has been truly blessed indeed! (Apple and Pork Pie .. oh my!!) From the late night chatter to the walk through Oatland, your loving company was the bedrock of my visit.
Thank you Lyndsey for driving. You are an excellent driver, very attentive. Lol .. I never once had to apply the imaginary breaks! Our girls were beat last night, so I don’t think Dewey – who is a very intelligent, very loving pup – was the only worn out one.
It is weekends like this – spent with good folk, sincere folk, kind and generous folk – that I have hope for all of our futures, as Pagans .. for open-handedness is the strength of our folkway .. what ever it may be.
Cant forget the Spiral Scouts. I have long read about them on the Internet but never met them or spoke with them. There were nine Spiral Scouts there. I spoke with one of their organizers and two of the kids. What bright and brilliant young Pagans! It was pleasure to meet them and have them explain their badges to me. Great stuff!
Finally, after PPD, Thora and Troy took us to the Shellhouse for some excellent seafood. There, I saw a lovely red-haired woman with a blue priestess tattoo. I approached her table and said: “Excuse me, but do you know Bella? I ask because of your lovely blue tattoo.” She did! I do not recall her name, but to me the encounter stood out to show that Paganism – in its many interpretations – is everywhere and growing.
Hail those who remember the Old Ways!
Thursday, October 08, 2009
Urlog and Heathenry Today
I have said it before and I will continue to say it: the Heathens Against Hate campaign should be ‘Heathens Against Hating Heathens’.
As some of you may be aware of, Dan Halloran is running for City Councilman in New York. The political opposition recently started a smear campaign against him for being Heathen.
Recently, an exchange has taken place on The Troth list regarding this matter. For those who have seen the news articles on this subject – being passed freely on yahoo groups and facebook – it will be clear that Dan is very open about being a Heathen and has been open for over 10 years. And it is this openness that has recently brought him under attack by his political opponents.
If that were not enough, now, fellow Heathens are attacking him. Specifically, members of The Troth who are calling him to task for not being open enough.
Lets be clear: None of us knows how to be a Heathen. Sure, we have the lore (the history, folklore, mythology, Eddas and Sagas) to lean on, to seek guidance or precedence from, but all that amounts to the fact that we are all re-constructing something from the past, something that none of us was born to, so none of us has any more answers than any other.
Sure, some of us put a great deal of time, money and effort into the study, research and practice of what we find in the lore. Even so, that is only an educated guess. Therefore, each of us must read the lore ourselves, roll up our sleeves and read the Eddas and Sagas, study an ancestral language, comb through an enormous amount of documents to try to figure out, essentially, ‘What Would Thor Do’.
In the early 90s I started asking ‘What has Heathenry accomplished since it began in 1971?’, and ‘Why haven’t we grown as much as other new age / Pagan systems?’ The answer is simple – in my opinion – and it was something my husband explained to me: ‘We eat our own.’
There it was .. basic, concise, elementary, and every bit the truth. Heathens attack other Heathens over the smallest of things.
-Is Thor’s hair red or blonde?
-What is the date of Winter Nights?
-Are those of Italian or Spanish descent Heathens?
-How many souls do we have?
-Is it a fetch or a totem spirit?
-Were seidfolk witches or shamans or something else?
-Which version of the Eddas is the best?
-What time period should Heathens focus on?
-Which version of the Nine Noble Virtues is best?
-Can I make up my own virtues, and does there have to be nine?
-What calendar is the best to use?
-Are the Jotuns ever remembered or honored?
-Do Heathens have laws and how should they be enforced?
-All Heathens are Vikings and we should dress accordingly.
And the list goes on and on and on into nausea – like a dog chasing its tail, the arguments have no end.
Unfortunately, to many Heathens are too quick to get in someone else’s Heathenry and dictate how and what and when they should do anything, or if they should be punished or even considered a Heathen. Oh .. and the big insult: use someone’s birth name instead of their self-chosen Heathen name. The pettiness has no end!
Unless you count the end of Heathenry. Because that’s what I see .. we pick away and nag away and attack away until what .. what is left? A ‘chosen few’? Then what? What has that accomplished other than Heathenry has gone the way of other dead religions and traditions .. nothing but musty relics on a shelf.
Christianity has dogma .. Heathenry does not. Christianity engages in actively attacking each other over denominational differences .. Heathens should not. Christians are filled with hate and bile for anything not of their bible .. why do Heathens feel compelled to adhere to the Folkway then shove their personal interpretation of that down an others throat?
Yes .. that is the question: ‘Why is it that Heathens feel compelled to attack each other over every little issue?’ Perhaps one answer is, because we don’t always know what the issues are or should be (?). But what if we do?
Lets look at Urlog (Old Norse Orlog; Anglo-Saxon Orlaeg; Old High German Urlag). Ur means ‘primal’ or ‘first’, and lag means ‘law’, so it means ‘primal/first law’. Ok .. easy enough, so what is/was the primal/first law?
According to the information our ancestors left us, urlog was both the fundamental principles of the uni/multiverse and a general guideline for individual life. This means that there exists an underlying singular concept at the center of all the worlds and all the gods – a prevailing or singular spirit. This does not mean that ‘all gods are one god’, but it does acknowledge that our ancestors – like virtually every other world culture on Midgard – recognized a central creative life force.
This does not mean urlog is ‘god’. In fact, the word ‘god’ here doesn’t really have a definition because it’s a concept. Just like the Hindu idea of Brahma is a concept, or the Judeo-Christian idea of Adonai, or the Arabic idea of Allah, or the American Indian idea of Manitou, or any other idea of the central source of The All that is solely one thing. These are merely words to describe something that is ineffable.
It appears that the original Germanic tribes honored Zio/Tyr as their ‘urlog’ or ineffable god, a role that later went to Wodan. If so, then this is just another ‘Zio/Tyr’ or ‘Wodan’ or just another way of saying ‘urlog’, or the life force, or the original creative impulse, or the Absolute Reality, or whatever it is one feels comfortable referring to it as.
Now, if one can accept that there is a central and primal current that all tribes across the world have recognized, and that they each have given it a name particular to that tribe, can we further state that our Heathen gods are akin to the gods of other tribes, just with a different name? And if one can consider that, can one also say that in as much as ‘I want them to let me be free to honor my gods – the gods of my ancestors – in a way fitting to myself, I too want to allow these other tribes the same freedom’? And if one can be so tolerant of other tribes then can one not likewise be tolerant of each other as fellow Heathens (or how about as human beings)?
Often, on Internet lists, I see Heathens proclaim and then discuss how ‘tolerant’ the Germanic tribes were, of how tolerant their ancestors were, and of how tolerant this Folkway is .. while bashing, slandering, attacking and otherwise being very un-tolerant of fellow Heathens.
According to my study and reflection of urlog I tend to relate it to Sanskrit dharma, which means ‘to uphold, sustain’. As such, I understand urlog as something that upholds or sustains all the worlds, and on an individual level, that which upholds or sustains each according to their individual understanding.
In this way, I see urlog at the center of every hearth, for it is that which is upheld at that hearth, by the hearthkeepers – the couple. I see urlog at work in cashiers and educators, in healthcare providers and lawyers, in police officers and childcare workers, across every layer of society, for each is seeking to come to terms with what it is they need to uphold or sustain on any given day based on variable circumstances – or thew. Not law, that is written down, but thew, the customs that vary, that change, that are fluid and ever changing, as reflected in the situation of the hearth, the kindred, the tribe, the society, the state, the country, the world around us.
Who then has the answer to what is right and wrong for everyone?
The answer is simple: No one does. As such, no one has the right to impose their own personal urlog on to the words and deeds of others.
As a Heathen woman there is only one thing that I seek to ever uphold, the one urlog that, to me, is the most important of all, and that is the World Tree. And if that’s too big to get one’s head around (as most urlog is), then beneath the shade of that Irminsul is the Folkway – the Way of my Folk. And what is that ‘way’? Well, to simply do my best, moment by moment, situation by situation – thew by thew – to water the Tree, to nurture my ever-expanding understanding of the Folkway.
This makes me far too busy to attack a fellow Heathen, or sit on some high chair and proclaim that ‘so-and-so is not a Heathen’, or to otherwise engage in petty pursuits that do nothing to add white healing clay to the Tree. Because honestly, I’m too busy coming to terms with what being a Heathen is .. even these odd 29 years later! Instead, I only hope that my words here – based on years of trial and error, on success and failure – can lend hope and honor to the future of Heathenry, not just for me, but for all of us, Heathens everywhere.
As some of you may be aware of, Dan Halloran is running for City Councilman in New York. The political opposition recently started a smear campaign against him for being Heathen.
Recently, an exchange has taken place on The Troth list regarding this matter. For those who have seen the news articles on this subject – being passed freely on yahoo groups and facebook – it will be clear that Dan is very open about being a Heathen and has been open for over 10 years. And it is this openness that has recently brought him under attack by his political opponents.
If that were not enough, now, fellow Heathens are attacking him. Specifically, members of The Troth who are calling him to task for not being open enough.
Lets be clear: None of us knows how to be a Heathen. Sure, we have the lore (the history, folklore, mythology, Eddas and Sagas) to lean on, to seek guidance or precedence from, but all that amounts to the fact that we are all re-constructing something from the past, something that none of us was born to, so none of us has any more answers than any other.
Sure, some of us put a great deal of time, money and effort into the study, research and practice of what we find in the lore. Even so, that is only an educated guess. Therefore, each of us must read the lore ourselves, roll up our sleeves and read the Eddas and Sagas, study an ancestral language, comb through an enormous amount of documents to try to figure out, essentially, ‘What Would Thor Do’.
In the early 90s I started asking ‘What has Heathenry accomplished since it began in 1971?’, and ‘Why haven’t we grown as much as other new age / Pagan systems?’ The answer is simple – in my opinion – and it was something my husband explained to me: ‘We eat our own.’
There it was .. basic, concise, elementary, and every bit the truth. Heathens attack other Heathens over the smallest of things.
-Is Thor’s hair red or blonde?
-What is the date of Winter Nights?
-Are those of Italian or Spanish descent Heathens?
-How many souls do we have?
-Is it a fetch or a totem spirit?
-Were seidfolk witches or shamans or something else?
-Which version of the Eddas is the best?
-What time period should Heathens focus on?
-Which version of the Nine Noble Virtues is best?
-Can I make up my own virtues, and does there have to be nine?
-What calendar is the best to use?
-Are the Jotuns ever remembered or honored?
-Do Heathens have laws and how should they be enforced?
-All Heathens are Vikings and we should dress accordingly.
And the list goes on and on and on into nausea – like a dog chasing its tail, the arguments have no end.
Unfortunately, to many Heathens are too quick to get in someone else’s Heathenry and dictate how and what and when they should do anything, or if they should be punished or even considered a Heathen. Oh .. and the big insult: use someone’s birth name instead of their self-chosen Heathen name. The pettiness has no end!
Unless you count the end of Heathenry. Because that’s what I see .. we pick away and nag away and attack away until what .. what is left? A ‘chosen few’? Then what? What has that accomplished other than Heathenry has gone the way of other dead religions and traditions .. nothing but musty relics on a shelf.
Christianity has dogma .. Heathenry does not. Christianity engages in actively attacking each other over denominational differences .. Heathens should not. Christians are filled with hate and bile for anything not of their bible .. why do Heathens feel compelled to adhere to the Folkway then shove their personal interpretation of that down an others throat?
Yes .. that is the question: ‘Why is it that Heathens feel compelled to attack each other over every little issue?’ Perhaps one answer is, because we don’t always know what the issues are or should be (?). But what if we do?
Lets look at Urlog (Old Norse Orlog; Anglo-Saxon Orlaeg; Old High German Urlag). Ur means ‘primal’ or ‘first’, and lag means ‘law’, so it means ‘primal/first law’. Ok .. easy enough, so what is/was the primal/first law?
According to the information our ancestors left us, urlog was both the fundamental principles of the uni/multiverse and a general guideline for individual life. This means that there exists an underlying singular concept at the center of all the worlds and all the gods – a prevailing or singular spirit. This does not mean that ‘all gods are one god’, but it does acknowledge that our ancestors – like virtually every other world culture on Midgard – recognized a central creative life force.
This does not mean urlog is ‘god’. In fact, the word ‘god’ here doesn’t really have a definition because it’s a concept. Just like the Hindu idea of Brahma is a concept, or the Judeo-Christian idea of Adonai, or the Arabic idea of Allah, or the American Indian idea of Manitou, or any other idea of the central source of The All that is solely one thing. These are merely words to describe something that is ineffable.
It appears that the original Germanic tribes honored Zio/Tyr as their ‘urlog’ or ineffable god, a role that later went to Wodan. If so, then this is just another ‘Zio/Tyr’ or ‘Wodan’ or just another way of saying ‘urlog’, or the life force, or the original creative impulse, or the Absolute Reality, or whatever it is one feels comfortable referring to it as.
Now, if one can accept that there is a central and primal current that all tribes across the world have recognized, and that they each have given it a name particular to that tribe, can we further state that our Heathen gods are akin to the gods of other tribes, just with a different name? And if one can consider that, can one also say that in as much as ‘I want them to let me be free to honor my gods – the gods of my ancestors – in a way fitting to myself, I too want to allow these other tribes the same freedom’? And if one can be so tolerant of other tribes then can one not likewise be tolerant of each other as fellow Heathens (or how about as human beings)?
Often, on Internet lists, I see Heathens proclaim and then discuss how ‘tolerant’ the Germanic tribes were, of how tolerant their ancestors were, and of how tolerant this Folkway is .. while bashing, slandering, attacking and otherwise being very un-tolerant of fellow Heathens.
According to my study and reflection of urlog I tend to relate it to Sanskrit dharma, which means ‘to uphold, sustain’. As such, I understand urlog as something that upholds or sustains all the worlds, and on an individual level, that which upholds or sustains each according to their individual understanding.
In this way, I see urlog at the center of every hearth, for it is that which is upheld at that hearth, by the hearthkeepers – the couple. I see urlog at work in cashiers and educators, in healthcare providers and lawyers, in police officers and childcare workers, across every layer of society, for each is seeking to come to terms with what it is they need to uphold or sustain on any given day based on variable circumstances – or thew. Not law, that is written down, but thew, the customs that vary, that change, that are fluid and ever changing, as reflected in the situation of the hearth, the kindred, the tribe, the society, the state, the country, the world around us.
Who then has the answer to what is right and wrong for everyone?
The answer is simple: No one does. As such, no one has the right to impose their own personal urlog on to the words and deeds of others.
As a Heathen woman there is only one thing that I seek to ever uphold, the one urlog that, to me, is the most important of all, and that is the World Tree. And if that’s too big to get one’s head around (as most urlog is), then beneath the shade of that Irminsul is the Folkway – the Way of my Folk. And what is that ‘way’? Well, to simply do my best, moment by moment, situation by situation – thew by thew – to water the Tree, to nurture my ever-expanding understanding of the Folkway.
This makes me far too busy to attack a fellow Heathen, or sit on some high chair and proclaim that ‘so-and-so is not a Heathen’, or to otherwise engage in petty pursuits that do nothing to add white healing clay to the Tree. Because honestly, I’m too busy coming to terms with what being a Heathen is .. even these odd 29 years later! Instead, I only hope that my words here – based on years of trial and error, on success and failure – can lend hope and honor to the future of Heathenry, not just for me, but for all of us, Heathens everywhere.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Asgarda !
This was sent by one of my FBF (facebook friends):
http://www.planet-mag.com/blog/2009/art/jenna-martin/asgarda/#http://www.planet-\mag.com/blog/2009/art/jenna-martin/asgarda/
Here is the text. Be sure to click through for all the pics!
______
"In the Ukraine, a country where females are victims of sexual trafficking andgender oppression, a new tribe of empowered women is emerging.
Calling themselves the "Asgarda", the women seek complete autonomy from men. Residing inthe Carpathian Mountains, the tribe is comprised of 150 women of varying ages,primarily students, led by 30 year-old Katerina Tarnouska. Reviving the tribaltraditions of the Scythian Amazons of ancient Greek mythology, the Asgarda trainin martial arts, taught by former Soviet karate master, Volodymyr Stepanovytch,and learn life skills and sciences in order to become ideal women.
Little physical documentation existed on the tribe, until recently, when renownedFrench photographer, Guillaume Herbaut, met the Asgarda back in 2004 in themidst of the Orange Revolution.Finding their involvement with the revolution intriguing, Herbaut spent fourteendays photographing the tribe for "Le Retour des Amazones". As apparent inseveral of the photos, the Asgarda idolize Yulia Volodymyrivna Tymoshenko – akey figure in the Orange Revolution and leader of the "Fatherland" party. Hopingto convey "the tradition, the legend, and the uneasiness among women inUkraine", Herbaut's photographs portray devout and austere females intraditional and newfangled garb brandishing braids, battleaxes, and boxinggloves. While Herbaut is uncertain if the photos are a good representation of the tribe,he adds "They were very happy when they saw the pictures. They want to showtheir strength". When asked of his impressions of the Asgarda prior to and afterphotographing them, he remarked, "My first impression was `Asgarda is the rootof a new sect'. My second impression was `Asgarda is the root of a new sect'!"
New sect or the rebirth of a previous one, the Asgarda are reclaiming their lostindependence, and, if Herbaut's photographs are any indication, they aren'tafraid to fight for it."
______
I did some googling (most info from the Planet site, above):
______
An Amazon. In the Ukraine. I enjoy reading the photostories from EnglishRussia, and I thought I would share this one with you!
Apparently "a French explorer discovered a tribe of Amazons", living together and training martialarts in the Ukraine….. I have no idea what the real back-story of this is… Perhaps it's better not to know. I'm not sure that there's any good excuse fordressing up like Xena.
Here's the full story.
Update: Ah, a bit of Googling sheds more light. These ladies belong to something called the Asgarda Movement, founded by 30-year old Katerina Tarnouska, and there are about 150 of them.
More pictures and background can be found here. It seems that they are connected with themovement to rediscover traditional Ukrainian / Cossack dance/fighting which I mentioned a couple of posts ago.
http://burningpearl.com/jianghu/tag/asgarda-movement/
______
Here is the main Asagard website. Only a small portion in English and German(below):
www.asgarda.org.ua
______
English portion:
Almost no evidence remains about women-warriors. No record of their upbringingcan be found anymore. From historic records we only know that they existed.
It is said that Ukrainian women were always most beautiful, merry, good-natured,talented, and generous, as well as courageous, selfless, faithful, and wise.
Foreign historians were amazed at the span of knowledge of our women. They couldread, write, they had equal rights with men, they were respected, and theiradvice was taken. At that time women in Europe did not have equal rights withthe men in their own families. The right to read had only whore and intelligentwomen were burned on the stake.
In Ukraine a woman was always a guardian, protector, and priestess. She had theknowledge of medicine, treatment of illnesses, medicinal herbs, and laws ofnature, universe, and religion. She was able to sing, dance, play musicalinstruments, and write poetry and songs. She knew astronomy and astrology. She was not only a hostess, not only a woman who does washing, embroidering, cooking, and looking after children, she was also a Goddess. Everything she did, she did with goodness and love.
We know that embroidery symbolized protection, a weaving spool could tell the future, and correctly prepared food could givehealth and strength.
This was whole cult, a world outlook. Apart from ordinary household chores Ukrainian woman knew self-defence, martialskills, and different kinds of weapons. She passed this knowledge to herchildren. That is why, even if our men were brought up without their fathers, they were taught by knights and real warriors.
What is it Asgarda?
Asgarda – is a martial art of Ukrainian women.
Asgarda – is a complex system of harmonious development of women.
Asgarda – is a moral and ethical system for bringing up women.
Asgarda – proud and persistent women, good-natured wives, and good housekeepers.
Asgarda – complex system of harmonic development for women based on Cossack martial art Bojovyj Hopak and the elements of national Ukrainian dance.
Asgarda has four aspects:Folk art – is based on the elements of Ukrainian national dance, choreography,and art theory. It is oriented toward creative people that aim to show off theirskills to the maximum, and take part in Ukrainian festivals, presentations, andshows in Ukraine and abroad. The main purpose is to revive women's martial artand spread the knowledge about Ukrainian culture through dance and acting. Girlstrained in this aspect of martial art take part in zmah odnotan and tan dvobij.Health – is derived from complex moving positions and from the exercises ofAsgarda and dance motions (like shaping), which are directed toward making abody healthy. It is also oriented toward beginners as well as people with healthproblems. You can show your achievements in zmah odnotan, tandvobij and zabava,and also in shows and festivals.
Sport – is an aspect that active and persistent girls participate in. It aims atstrengthening women's martial art as it is being taught by Asgarda, preparinggirls for Ukrainain and international competitions of different styles ofmartial art, and reviving the glory of the Amazons and martial culture of theUkrainian women. This sport aspect is based on the main Asgarda exercises. Itcontains seven levels of difficulty "Zorjanycja", "Skhidnycja", "Litavycja","Zrivna", "Kozachka", "Vista", and "Volkhvynja". Higher levels of difficulty areachieved through five different kinds ofCompetitions: "Odnotan", "Tandvobij", "Zabava", "Bornja", "Herc". In parallelwith the development of physical skills it is necessary to develop the skills ofpublic speaking, playing the musical instruments, dance, study household,embroidery, knitting and other skills necessary for women. It is necessary tobecome acquianted with such science as anatomy, physiology, psychology,aesthetic, medical aid, etc.
Martial aspect – trace the main way forwoman-warrior. Is based on the main elements of Asgarda, handle various kinds ofweapon and manual of self-defence. For amazons who went through stamp of bodyand spirit through martial aspect, foresee studing philosophy, psychology, worldoutlook, development of parapsycological skills and psychic powers, folktreatment and healment.In spite of aspects girls-amazons study all sciences necessary in every daylife. Laws and rules of life. Ability how to associate correctly and how toachieve your purpose. Skills of creating family, housekeeping or your businessactivity, growing up children.
Woman-warrior – is a perfect woman.
Kateryna Vitaliyivna TARNOVSKA – Teacher and Asgarda Founder. The most important fight in the life person conducts with itself. Working uponits body the person becomes not only healthier, achieves progress in itsmeasures, but also becomes self-discipline, develops skills in controll of itsspirit, mind and body, further develops its adroitness, personality, strength of beliefs, firmness, courage, bravery in deeds.
All these skills are as necessary for women as for men. Now women don't occupysecond-rate role in the society, so if they are improving themselves, they areimproving society. That's why they need martial systems as means of stampingbody, spirit and mind.From the remotest time living on the boundary of two worlds – Eastern andWestern Ukraine-Rus gave the beginning for many phenomena , amazing humanitytill now. One of these phenomena is a caste of women-warriors. Ancient Greek andRoman historical sources speak about ancient women-warriors tribe and name themamazons.
Ancient chronics describe amazons' strength and bravity and alsoboundaries of their state. It is found out that areas of Donetsk region, coastalareas of Azov sea are exactly the areas belonging to amazons' state, known inthe whole world. In the period of its prosperity the state went beyond Don andreached the shores of Dnipro river. From legends about Amazons it is known that they didn't disappear or die, but had composed with skyts and fought togetheragainst foreign invadors.
It is naturally that women-warriors had their own martial culture and takinginto account from Greek's descriptions it was rather developed. After a while amazon's martial culture united with Ukrainian martial art and saturated Ukrainian national dances. It is very important that in the Eastern regions ofUkraine a lot of women with warrior features: pride, braveness, firmness,strength of beliefs, strong-will, etc were saved. The soul of ancient Amazoniais flying inside our nation.
Supreme Teacher of Boyovyi HopakVolodymyr PylatIf you are interested in revival of Amazon martial culture, please, apply to
Central School of Boyovyi Hopak:
tel.: (0322) 98 40 48e-mail:
info@asgarda.org.ua
www.asgarda.org.ua
______
On female Martial Arts:
http://www.asgarda.org.ua/Special-features-of-martial-art-for-women.html
More Pictures!
http://www.divinecaroline.com/22176/65946-tribe-ukrainian-fighting--pics
-And the link from the Asgarda mainsite with their pics (some not seen above):
http://www.asgarda.org.ua/fotos/
http://www.planet-mag.com/blog/2009/art/jenna-martin/asgarda/#http://www.planet-\mag.com/blog/2009/art/jenna-martin/asgarda/
Here is the text. Be sure to click through for all the pics!
______
"In the Ukraine, a country where females are victims of sexual trafficking andgender oppression, a new tribe of empowered women is emerging.
Calling themselves the "Asgarda", the women seek complete autonomy from men. Residing inthe Carpathian Mountains, the tribe is comprised of 150 women of varying ages,primarily students, led by 30 year-old Katerina Tarnouska. Reviving the tribaltraditions of the Scythian Amazons of ancient Greek mythology, the Asgarda trainin martial arts, taught by former Soviet karate master, Volodymyr Stepanovytch,and learn life skills and sciences in order to become ideal women.
Little physical documentation existed on the tribe, until recently, when renownedFrench photographer, Guillaume Herbaut, met the Asgarda back in 2004 in themidst of the Orange Revolution.Finding their involvement with the revolution intriguing, Herbaut spent fourteendays photographing the tribe for "Le Retour des Amazones". As apparent inseveral of the photos, the Asgarda idolize Yulia Volodymyrivna Tymoshenko – akey figure in the Orange Revolution and leader of the "Fatherland" party. Hopingto convey "the tradition, the legend, and the uneasiness among women inUkraine", Herbaut's photographs portray devout and austere females intraditional and newfangled garb brandishing braids, battleaxes, and boxinggloves. While Herbaut is uncertain if the photos are a good representation of the tribe,he adds "They were very happy when they saw the pictures. They want to showtheir strength". When asked of his impressions of the Asgarda prior to and afterphotographing them, he remarked, "My first impression was `Asgarda is the rootof a new sect'. My second impression was `Asgarda is the root of a new sect'!"
New sect or the rebirth of a previous one, the Asgarda are reclaiming their lostindependence, and, if Herbaut's photographs are any indication, they aren'tafraid to fight for it."
______
I did some googling (most info from the Planet site, above):
______
An Amazon. In the Ukraine. I enjoy reading the photostories from EnglishRussia, and I thought I would share this one with you!
Apparently "a French explorer discovered a tribe of Amazons", living together and training martialarts in the Ukraine….. I have no idea what the real back-story of this is… Perhaps it's better not to know. I'm not sure that there's any good excuse fordressing up like Xena.
Here's the full story.
Update: Ah, a bit of Googling sheds more light. These ladies belong to something called the Asgarda Movement, founded by 30-year old Katerina Tarnouska, and there are about 150 of them.
More pictures and background can be found here. It seems that they are connected with themovement to rediscover traditional Ukrainian / Cossack dance/fighting which I mentioned a couple of posts ago.
http://burningpearl.com/jianghu/tag/asgarda-movement/
______
Here is the main Asagard website. Only a small portion in English and German(below):
www.asgarda.org.ua
______
English portion:
Almost no evidence remains about women-warriors. No record of their upbringingcan be found anymore. From historic records we only know that they existed.
It is said that Ukrainian women were always most beautiful, merry, good-natured,talented, and generous, as well as courageous, selfless, faithful, and wise.
Foreign historians were amazed at the span of knowledge of our women. They couldread, write, they had equal rights with men, they were respected, and theiradvice was taken. At that time women in Europe did not have equal rights withthe men in their own families. The right to read had only whore and intelligentwomen were burned on the stake.
In Ukraine a woman was always a guardian, protector, and priestess. She had theknowledge of medicine, treatment of illnesses, medicinal herbs, and laws ofnature, universe, and religion. She was able to sing, dance, play musicalinstruments, and write poetry and songs. She knew astronomy and astrology. She was not only a hostess, not only a woman who does washing, embroidering, cooking, and looking after children, she was also a Goddess. Everything she did, she did with goodness and love.
We know that embroidery symbolized protection, a weaving spool could tell the future, and correctly prepared food could givehealth and strength.
This was whole cult, a world outlook. Apart from ordinary household chores Ukrainian woman knew self-defence, martialskills, and different kinds of weapons. She passed this knowledge to herchildren. That is why, even if our men were brought up without their fathers, they were taught by knights and real warriors.
What is it Asgarda?
Asgarda – is a martial art of Ukrainian women.
Asgarda – is a complex system of harmonious development of women.
Asgarda – is a moral and ethical system for bringing up women.
Asgarda – proud and persistent women, good-natured wives, and good housekeepers.
Asgarda – complex system of harmonic development for women based on Cossack martial art Bojovyj Hopak and the elements of national Ukrainian dance.
Asgarda has four aspects:Folk art – is based on the elements of Ukrainian national dance, choreography,and art theory. It is oriented toward creative people that aim to show off theirskills to the maximum, and take part in Ukrainian festivals, presentations, andshows in Ukraine and abroad. The main purpose is to revive women's martial artand spread the knowledge about Ukrainian culture through dance and acting. Girlstrained in this aspect of martial art take part in zmah odnotan and tan dvobij.Health – is derived from complex moving positions and from the exercises ofAsgarda and dance motions (like shaping), which are directed toward making abody healthy. It is also oriented toward beginners as well as people with healthproblems. You can show your achievements in zmah odnotan, tandvobij and zabava,and also in shows and festivals.
Sport – is an aspect that active and persistent girls participate in. It aims atstrengthening women's martial art as it is being taught by Asgarda, preparinggirls for Ukrainain and international competitions of different styles ofmartial art, and reviving the glory of the Amazons and martial culture of theUkrainian women. This sport aspect is based on the main Asgarda exercises. Itcontains seven levels of difficulty "Zorjanycja", "Skhidnycja", "Litavycja","Zrivna", "Kozachka", "Vista", and "Volkhvynja". Higher levels of difficulty areachieved through five different kinds ofCompetitions: "Odnotan", "Tandvobij", "Zabava", "Bornja", "Herc". In parallelwith the development of physical skills it is necessary to develop the skills ofpublic speaking, playing the musical instruments, dance, study household,embroidery, knitting and other skills necessary for women. It is necessary tobecome acquianted with such science as anatomy, physiology, psychology,aesthetic, medical aid, etc.
Martial aspect – trace the main way forwoman-warrior. Is based on the main elements of Asgarda, handle various kinds ofweapon and manual of self-defence. For amazons who went through stamp of bodyand spirit through martial aspect, foresee studing philosophy, psychology, worldoutlook, development of parapsycological skills and psychic powers, folktreatment and healment.In spite of aspects girls-amazons study all sciences necessary in every daylife. Laws and rules of life. Ability how to associate correctly and how toachieve your purpose. Skills of creating family, housekeeping or your businessactivity, growing up children.
Woman-warrior – is a perfect woman.
Kateryna Vitaliyivna TARNOVSKA – Teacher and Asgarda Founder. The most important fight in the life person conducts with itself. Working uponits body the person becomes not only healthier, achieves progress in itsmeasures, but also becomes self-discipline, develops skills in controll of itsspirit, mind and body, further develops its adroitness, personality, strength of beliefs, firmness, courage, bravery in deeds.
All these skills are as necessary for women as for men. Now women don't occupysecond-rate role in the society, so if they are improving themselves, they areimproving society. That's why they need martial systems as means of stampingbody, spirit and mind.From the remotest time living on the boundary of two worlds – Eastern andWestern Ukraine-Rus gave the beginning for many phenomena , amazing humanitytill now. One of these phenomena is a caste of women-warriors. Ancient Greek andRoman historical sources speak about ancient women-warriors tribe and name themamazons.
Ancient chronics describe amazons' strength and bravity and alsoboundaries of their state. It is found out that areas of Donetsk region, coastalareas of Azov sea are exactly the areas belonging to amazons' state, known inthe whole world. In the period of its prosperity the state went beyond Don andreached the shores of Dnipro river. From legends about Amazons it is known that they didn't disappear or die, but had composed with skyts and fought togetheragainst foreign invadors.
It is naturally that women-warriors had their own martial culture and takinginto account from Greek's descriptions it was rather developed. After a while amazon's martial culture united with Ukrainian martial art and saturated Ukrainian national dances. It is very important that in the Eastern regions ofUkraine a lot of women with warrior features: pride, braveness, firmness,strength of beliefs, strong-will, etc were saved. The soul of ancient Amazoniais flying inside our nation.
Supreme Teacher of Boyovyi HopakVolodymyr PylatIf you are interested in revival of Amazon martial culture, please, apply to
Central School of Boyovyi Hopak:
tel.: (0322) 98 40 48e-mail:
info@asgarda.org.ua
www.asgarda.org.ua
______
On female Martial Arts:
http://www.asgarda.org.ua/Special-features-of-martial-art-for-women.html
More Pictures!
http://www.divinecaroline.com/22176/65946-tribe-ukrainian-fighting--pics
-And the link from the Asgarda mainsite with their pics (some not seen above):
http://www.asgarda.org.ua/fotos/
Friday, September 18, 2009
A Visual Litany Against Fear
I wrote an essay on Herbert's 'Litany Agains Fear' for my WealThau list (a Heathen womans-only group). I also posted the essay here.
http://vinlands-volva.blogspot.com/2009/08/litany-against-fear.html
This morning I was directed to this video by one of my FB friends. To me, it is a beautiful visual of the Litany.
I prayer that all women who seek their inner strength, find it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BI_HOPqcRFA
http://vinlands-volva.blogspot.com/2009/08/litany-against-fear.html
This morning I was directed to this video by one of my FB friends. To me, it is a beautiful visual of the Litany.
I prayer that all women who seek their inner strength, find it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BI_HOPqcRFA
Saturday, September 05, 2009
Health Care and Herbalists / Healers
Health Insurance: Disempowering for Patients, Harmful for Herbalists and Healers
By Jess Hardin
Yes, I am among the millions of unassured Americans. Unassured by industry claims, administration promises and congressional intentions when it comes to health legislation. No, I am not one of the privileged, able to slap down multiple plastic cards and receive the kind of A-1 care reserved for the well insured, looking down my nose at the less fortunate.
While our work and purpose includes healing others, my family and can’t get medical insurance even if we want it. We don’t qualify for existing state and federal health insurance because our land is considered an asset, and yet not anywhere near enough money comes in to pay the premiums on even the lousiest policy. It is a stretch for us to make small payments to a private subsidized clinic that serves our backwoods community, a wonderful doctor and staff who nonetheless lack the equipment to conduct many tests, and who have to refer their patients to the big-city hospital whenever the condition is serious or requiring surgery.
I have heard people talk about “catastrophic illness” involving medical bills that lead to bankruptcy and ruin, but in my case there will be no such ruinous bills … I simply will not be getting the treatment when needed.
As a technically impoverished healing school, you might think we would be among the first to champion a new system of universal care. Not!
The larger and more standardized a system is, the less personal, regional, flexible and adaptable it becomes. And as poorly managed as private enterprises of any kind can be, it is the official government run systems and programs that have the greatest potential for mismanagement and abuse. In the hands of bureaucrats, even something as seemingly benign as health care becomes a means for the observation, manipulation and control of a country’s citizens.
Of all the so-called solutions, insurance co-ops make the most sense to me, so that participation is strictly voluntary, and its members get to vote on who directs it. But frankly, even the very concept of insurance seems largely absurd to me, unnatural and objectionable.
To begin with, the majority of people with health insurance will pay far more in premiums during the course of their lifetimes, than they would have spent direct-paying doctors.
If that weren’t the case, the insurance conglomerates would be losing money instead of making the billions and billions of dollars in profits that they do. In addition, in an environment where there were no insurance companies, the costs of health care wouldn’t be nearly as high as they are now. Providers can charge the insurers more than they would individuals, leading to doctors ordering expensive and often unnecessary tests that they otherwise wouldn’t have.
A problem with the very concept of insurance itself, is that it tends to make people more dependent and less responsible. Kids sent out into the world with the insurance of a financial safety net tend to be more careless and cavalier than those teens and twenty-somethings who know they can’t count on their parents to pay for every mistake or bail them out of every jam. Similarly, people insured from childhood on have proven to increasingly focus on treatment after the fact, than they do on prevention.
Subconsciously if not consciously, folks may feel less need to concern themselves with the effects of the foods they eat or the exercise they miss, when the believe they can always turn to a doctor to treat the heart disease and adrenal burnout their lifestyle choices may have caused. For the same reason, the longtime insured are also less likely to ever learn how to treat themselves, even when dealing with simple conditions that are easy to both diagnose and affect. They’re less likely to pay attention to their own bodily signs, to experiment with changes in the way they eat, to become familiar with herbal and other natural remedies, to seek advice from an experienced relative or midwife, or to visit and support community herbalists and natural healers.
If that weren’t enough, I am at a gut level repulsed by the very way in which insurance works. All my life I have done what many thought was impossible, doing things differently than others, taking extreme risks, following a dream with little money and little common sense, but also little self doubt and even less restraint.
In essence, I bet on myself again and again, bet my life and belongings, even my future. I was all the more careful and tried all the harder exactly because there was no backup, no fallback plan and no net, knowing that I had placed everything I am and own on “myself” in the “first”… “to win.”
It galls me even to be forced to pay car insurance we can’t afford every month, on a Jeep we drive less than ten miles to town and back, forced to bet our scarce funds on a game where I only get paid anything if I screw up and have an accident, or fail to notice some other driver screwing up in time to avoid the collision.
There is something seriously wrong about a government threatening us with jail unless we participate in some profit-producing game, especially one in which the only way for us to win is to lose! And now they want to force me to pay for a health care arrangement where I get fewer benefits the better that I take care of myself, where I have to get sick or do something unaware and hurt myself in order to get any payback, and where I only win the lottery big if I come down with something serious, chronic and largely incurable.
We might better place our bets on our selves, on our driving abilities and the human body’s natural inclination towards health. That way we’re more likely to pay attention to how aware we are being on the highway, and on how our bodies feel as well as how we are treating them. It’s said that the worst thing that could happen this year is for the Congress to fail to pass on national health bill. It would indeed be tragic for some of us with no other way to get the high dollar, high-tech help. On the other hand, doing nothing in the halls of Congress is always better than doing the wrong thing. And it may prove that those without sanctioned insurance plans may be the most conscious, concerned and caring … the response-able, responsive ranks of the growing unassured.
-Jesse Wolf Hardin
codirector of the Animá Lifeways & Herbal School
-with Kiva Rose
http://www.animacenter.org/
Feel free to share and post this piece.
By Jess Hardin
Yes, I am among the millions of unassured Americans. Unassured by industry claims, administration promises and congressional intentions when it comes to health legislation. No, I am not one of the privileged, able to slap down multiple plastic cards and receive the kind of A-1 care reserved for the well insured, looking down my nose at the less fortunate.
While our work and purpose includes healing others, my family and can’t get medical insurance even if we want it. We don’t qualify for existing state and federal health insurance because our land is considered an asset, and yet not anywhere near enough money comes in to pay the premiums on even the lousiest policy. It is a stretch for us to make small payments to a private subsidized clinic that serves our backwoods community, a wonderful doctor and staff who nonetheless lack the equipment to conduct many tests, and who have to refer their patients to the big-city hospital whenever the condition is serious or requiring surgery.
I have heard people talk about “catastrophic illness” involving medical bills that lead to bankruptcy and ruin, but in my case there will be no such ruinous bills … I simply will not be getting the treatment when needed.
As a technically impoverished healing school, you might think we would be among the first to champion a new system of universal care. Not!
The larger and more standardized a system is, the less personal, regional, flexible and adaptable it becomes. And as poorly managed as private enterprises of any kind can be, it is the official government run systems and programs that have the greatest potential for mismanagement and abuse. In the hands of bureaucrats, even something as seemingly benign as health care becomes a means for the observation, manipulation and control of a country’s citizens.
Of all the so-called solutions, insurance co-ops make the most sense to me, so that participation is strictly voluntary, and its members get to vote on who directs it. But frankly, even the very concept of insurance seems largely absurd to me, unnatural and objectionable.
To begin with, the majority of people with health insurance will pay far more in premiums during the course of their lifetimes, than they would have spent direct-paying doctors.
If that weren’t the case, the insurance conglomerates would be losing money instead of making the billions and billions of dollars in profits that they do. In addition, in an environment where there were no insurance companies, the costs of health care wouldn’t be nearly as high as they are now. Providers can charge the insurers more than they would individuals, leading to doctors ordering expensive and often unnecessary tests that they otherwise wouldn’t have.
A problem with the very concept of insurance itself, is that it tends to make people more dependent and less responsible. Kids sent out into the world with the insurance of a financial safety net tend to be more careless and cavalier than those teens and twenty-somethings who know they can’t count on their parents to pay for every mistake or bail them out of every jam. Similarly, people insured from childhood on have proven to increasingly focus on treatment after the fact, than they do on prevention.
Subconsciously if not consciously, folks may feel less need to concern themselves with the effects of the foods they eat or the exercise they miss, when the believe they can always turn to a doctor to treat the heart disease and adrenal burnout their lifestyle choices may have caused. For the same reason, the longtime insured are also less likely to ever learn how to treat themselves, even when dealing with simple conditions that are easy to both diagnose and affect. They’re less likely to pay attention to their own bodily signs, to experiment with changes in the way they eat, to become familiar with herbal and other natural remedies, to seek advice from an experienced relative or midwife, or to visit and support community herbalists and natural healers.
If that weren’t enough, I am at a gut level repulsed by the very way in which insurance works. All my life I have done what many thought was impossible, doing things differently than others, taking extreme risks, following a dream with little money and little common sense, but also little self doubt and even less restraint.
In essence, I bet on myself again and again, bet my life and belongings, even my future. I was all the more careful and tried all the harder exactly because there was no backup, no fallback plan and no net, knowing that I had placed everything I am and own on “myself” in the “first”… “to win.”
It galls me even to be forced to pay car insurance we can’t afford every month, on a Jeep we drive less than ten miles to town and back, forced to bet our scarce funds on a game where I only get paid anything if I screw up and have an accident, or fail to notice some other driver screwing up in time to avoid the collision.
There is something seriously wrong about a government threatening us with jail unless we participate in some profit-producing game, especially one in which the only way for us to win is to lose! And now they want to force me to pay for a health care arrangement where I get fewer benefits the better that I take care of myself, where I have to get sick or do something unaware and hurt myself in order to get any payback, and where I only win the lottery big if I come down with something serious, chronic and largely incurable.
We might better place our bets on our selves, on our driving abilities and the human body’s natural inclination towards health. That way we’re more likely to pay attention to how aware we are being on the highway, and on how our bodies feel as well as how we are treating them. It’s said that the worst thing that could happen this year is for the Congress to fail to pass on national health bill. It would indeed be tragic for some of us with no other way to get the high dollar, high-tech help. On the other hand, doing nothing in the halls of Congress is always better than doing the wrong thing. And it may prove that those without sanctioned insurance plans may be the most conscious, concerned and caring … the response-able, responsive ranks of the growing unassured.
-Jesse Wolf Hardin
codirector of the Animá Lifeways & Herbal School
-with Kiva Rose
http://www.animacenter.org/
Feel free to share and post this piece.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Litany Against Fear
I must not fear.
Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
I will face my fear.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.
Only I will remain.
-Bene Gesserit Litany Against Fear
I read somewhere that this was a 'Buddhist prayer' adopted by Herbert. As a Yogini I am more versed than most in Pali and Sanskrit texts so have looked for something that resembles this. Certainly, I am no scholar, nor do I admit having even scratched the surface in this field, but still .. this seems far more Seid than Buddhist to me.
From many historical accounts during the Church's madness (the Inquisition), witches were said to slip each other drugs so that they would not feel the effects of the burning stake or the hangman's noose. And of this I have no doubt. Yet, I imagine another means of facing this gripping horror: mind control (to be samvizka or einhugr or hugstyrkr or hugdyggr. Even to use hugrúnar to create hughvarf in someone [or self]).
In my life, 'facing fear' has been something I have willfully decided to engage in. To look my fear in the face. In so doing, it has 'passed over me and through me', so that I can 'turn' and see its passing.
Because I have done this I have cause to reflect on this part: 'Where the fear has gone there will be nothing'. I know this nothing, this Nothingness, for I have been left standing with it, in it.
In one way it is like a clean slate, which is not always as refreshing as it sounds, for to be left with nothing can also mean being left bereft. Building anew upon a stark emotional and intellectual landscape is daunting. Some are never able to accomplish this task, and so may fall prey to depression. Others may rebuild in such a way that they are unrecognizable to those around them, and somust leave to start their life anew elsewhere. Some may build but a shell of their past, walking among familiar faces while existing as but a shadow of their former self.
The possibilities for light and dark are endless.
The use of the word against is interesting .. it means 'abreast, opposite to, facing towards'. In archaic terms it meant 'by or before the time that, in preparation for, to be ready for the time when.' As such, it denotes probability. So Herbert's litany can be seen as not so much a prayer to strengthen us as we stand in opposition to fear, but to prepare us for the inevitablity of the same.
Now, relating the word probable to its Old English origin I see that it is rooted in Latin probbilis meaning 'to prove', or to 'try, test'. So that in my reckoning this would relate to the peorth rune. As a dice game - the Game of Life - it is a test of character and resilience.
So the Litany Against Fear can be used as a shield of preparation, a prayer to ward the soul for the probable that will prove our metal.
Seid Deliberately!
Yngona Desmond
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Fenja and Menja
Grinding corn! I just ground corn into meal! First-time ever. What fun! Totally digging Simple Living. Now I get to decide: grit, meal or polenta!
Doing this brings a flood of memories from my childhood, and ones that are older because they are not this lifetime.
Weaving the thread back to Grotti!
Hail Fenja and Menja!
Hail the Gold of their Labor!
Doing this brings a flood of memories from my childhood, and ones that are older because they are not this lifetime.
Weaving the thread back to Grotti!
Hail Fenja and Menja!
Hail the Gold of their Labor!
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