Community.  It can be a source of support and joy, a cause of frustration, and often a mix of both.  Join your host for a walk through the advantages offered by organized community, the state of community and organizing within Heathenry, the causes of cults of personality, more sustainable options for community organizing, and more!

Hey folks I'm pleased to announce that I will be presenting on confronting white supremacy at the Harvard Divinity School this April!  The event is free to attend, both in-person and online, so please register and find out more at the following link: https://hds.harvard.edu/faculty-research/programs-and-centers/program-evolution-spirituality

Welcome to the Aesir episode.  Join Ryan for a short journey through the Aesir's roles as Gods of society, humanity, and community.  Highlights of this episode include naming some of the more well-known Aesir and what they are associated with, the Aesir and war, and the Aesir's place in the grand cosmic drama of Ragnarok.

In this explainer, Ryan explores ritual and sacrifice in modern Heathenry. This explainer will cover why ritual is important, what the words sacrifice and offerings tend to mean in modern Pagan and Heathen practices, and the core Heathen rituals and blot and oathmaking.

How is the world made and shaped?  By co-creation, of course!  Join your host for a deep dive into what co-creation is, how it is founded in Wyrd, why it empowers people, and more.

The Wayward Wanderer welcomes Shane Burley back to the pod for a dive into how Richard Spencer of AltRight fame is rebranding by stealing from Dune and Greek myth, fascists ditching Heathenry and the Eddas for highly antisemitic reasons, the infighting plaguing the non-Christian far-right, the Asatru Folk Assembly cannibalizing the Ku Klux Klan, and what Heathens, Pagans, and antifascists can do to fight fascism in 2024.

What could spirituality look like if you remove the concept of ultimate evil? Join your host for an exploration of what a spirituality without ultimate evil might look like, how the concept of the Devil emerged, and why Nordic myth and spirituality have no devils of their own. *https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/belief/2010/aug/02/book-job-religion-judaism *https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zhsjscw/revision/6 *https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/history-magazine/article/history-devil-medieval-art-middle-ages *https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2008/06/02/return-to-paradise *https://www.onblackwings.com/post/christian-bias-in-the-prose-edda

In this explainer, Ryan dives into what makes the Nordic Gods what they are. This explainer will cover how all Gods are not the same, the attributes that unite the Nordic Gods and set them apart from other forms of deity, their main groups better known as the Aesir, Vanir, Jotnar, and Others, how they interact, and what this means for modern Heathen and Pagan practitioners.

2024 has definitely started with the world in a messy place. Join your host for a walk through how our increasingly tumultuous world may impact Heathens and Pagans and, despite all appearances to the contrary, why our movement's may have a brighter future than you think. Notes: *Growth of Paganism https://www.newsweek.com/witchcraft-wiccans-mysticism-astrology-witches-millennials-pagans-religion-1221019 https://www.christianpost.com/news/witches-outnumber-presbyterians-in-the-us-wicca-paganism-growing-astronomically.html *Growth of Charismatic Christianity https://www.csmonitor.com/1987/1223/zheal2.html https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2396939320966220?Tag=security https://www.gordonconwell.edu/blog/pentecostal-charismatic-christianity/ *Gaza https://www.businessinsider.com/israel-dropped-as-many-bombs-in-gaza-us-afghanistan-2019-2023-11 *https://www.newsweek.com/gaza-strip-size-us-cities-maps-1833863

Polytheism. It is easily one of the most well-known defining characteristics of Heathen and Pagan spirituality. So what is it and why do modern people find it to be so appealing? Join your host for a deep dive into what polytheism is and why it holds meaning for modern practitioners.