Seven for a Secret

No. Humans are animals as much as the fish and the bear. We are pack animals who have survived by strong bonds and community.

Do not buy the lie that humans are inherently evil. Societies can trick you into believing this, but it's not the truth of humanity.

Humans crave being together, sharing together, and thriving together.

He lived to between 30 and 45. An incredible age for an ancient hominid. This man couldn't have been a 'sTrOnG pRoViDeR mALe' and yet he lived to the Neanderthal equivalent of mid-80s. Why? Because his family must've taken care of him. His broken eye showed signs of healing, and his withered arm was amputated (perhaps one of the earliest examples of surgery). Despite his existence providing no 'logical benefit' he survived. Because he was loved.

In the biggest of moments. The life or death moments. The glory moments.

When the hoselay is burned over and if you can't get through the ever-exploding flames with just a handtool to repair it, everyone down the hill in the brush at the nozzle is going to die.

My Gods are there.

Or when you're 3 rounds of CPR in on a kid on the side of the road by yourself, just praying backup gets there quickly, when suddenly he gasps and opens his eyes. And those eyes that were dull and lifeless just a moment ago meet yours... and glimmer.

My Gods are there.

When hundreds of Engines thunder away from basecamp at the same time to form the biggest host Surtr has ever faced.

My Gods are there.

But those moments are few and far between.

Most often their presence is subtle. An ever present grace easily overlooked.

A gentle kiss of sunlight after a slight chill.

The stillness of a snow covered morning.

The creak of Redwood trees swaying in unison.

The exhale of waves falling back into the sea.

A breathtaking sunset that somehow feels is just for you.

My Gods are there. Part of all of it.

So while the grand moments are spectacular, I maintain our relationships in the subtle ones.

So there’s this story in Norse mythology, Þrymskviða. Compressed down, it goes like this: A Jotun steal Thor’s hammer Mjolnir and says he’ll only give it back if he’s given Freyja to marry, as she is the most beautiful goddess in all of existence. The gods argue over what to do for a while before Heimdall suggests they stick a bridal veil on Thor, says he’s Freyja, and pretend they’re giving Freyja (Thor) to the Jotun to marry so Thor can get close enough to the Jotun to steal Mjolnir back. 

Now typically when people talk about this story, it’s with an element of disbelieving comedy. “Oh my god, who would believe Thor was a woman, let alone Freyja, the most beautiful goddess in the world?” 

But I propose a different way to look at the story. 

See, different cultures have different beauty standards. Modern western beauty standards may be a delicate hourglass supermodel, but that’s not always been the case. Greece, for instance, depicted Aphrodite like this: 

Yeah. A Greek sculptor was told “sculpt the goddess of beauty” and they thought “alright, fat rolls, that’s where beauty is at, let’s do this”. And everybody else apparently agreed with them, because up went the statue. Beauty is a malleable concept is what I’m getting at. 

Now this is where it becomes relevant that Freyja is not just the goddess of love, sex, and beauty. She’s also the goddess of war. And the righteous dead. Goddess of war in the same Viking warrior culture that gave us shield maidens, women who wielded seven fucking kilogram (15 lbs) shields in combat. 

Sooooo … when the Norse storytellers said, “This is Freyja, goddess of war and the righteous dead, who rode giant murder cats into battle, she is the most beautiful goddess in the world”, I’m guessing they weren’t thinking of her as some willowy waif. No, I’m guessing they probably thought more along the lines of:

190 cm (6′3″), broad shoulders, built like a brick shithouse, with a jawline like whoa, and fully capable of murdering everything in her path.

Put in that context, the story of Thor dressing up as Freyja sounds less like a punchline about “how could anyone ever mistake Thor in a veil for Freyja?” and becomes more a case of “ohhhhhhhhhhh, no wonder all the gods thought this plan would work”. 

…..

Be A Light

for the last three days i just assumed that my lights all burned out. i bought new lights, changed them, and flipped the switch. nothing happened and it turned out that the chain had been pulled.

Other pagans: oh no! I must have upset them! What have I said!

Me a Lokean: oh yeah well watch this *tries to light candle with dying lighter, tries with an incense stick, gets wax all over altar, eventually lights the candle by lighting a bay leaf with a gas hob*

*candle produces massive flame*

Me: you’re taking the piss now

Loki, probably: yeah but you’re not anxious now at you! That was a great destraction, cheered you right up!

We get literally no description in the lore beyond that he’s attractive

You don’t need to be fit, much less built, to be a general

Loki does win physical fights in the lore, but that doesn’t rule out being skinny. Wiry guys can be athletic.

There are so many stories where Loki has no problem looking undignified. Oh so many.

Loki is a shapeshifter and can look like literally anyone

A lot of us cross the line from humble to self-conscious, and it can be hard to see our own worth and understand why a deity, with all their awesomeness, would single us out. Obviously I can’t speak on behalf of any deity and I can’t diagnose every case, but I have some running theories about what makes a deity reach out. Note: The structure of this involves a lot of my personal experiences and beliefs about the divine, so take it as you will. You’re allowed to view it differently than me! Hopefully either way it can help you in some way.

SOME POTENTIAL REASONS:

You’re offering something unique. Everybody worships in a different way, everybody brings something unique to the table. Perhaps they see what you’re doing (or have the potential to do later on) and want a piece of it.

It’s part of something bigger. I’m of the belief that deities still actively orchestrate certain events, and will set pins in place to create change later on. Perhaps for whatever their wider plan is, having you in the fold is good strategic move.

They like what you’re doing already. You’re already living your life in a way that reflects their interests and values, or you’re getting there. You’re already acting as a good example of what they want their followers to be like. So why not make it a thing? 

They think they can help. There’s something you need to learn or understand, and deities are pretty known for giving guidance. Your learning style may line up with their teaching style, and there is something uniquely rewarding and satisfying about helping someone with something you know you’re good at.

They just feel like it. I can’t explain the origin behind every relationship I have, sometimes it just happens. Sometimes the reason I talk to someone new is just “They looked cool and I wanted to.” It could very well just be that you piqued their interest! 

“But I’m not cool enough for any of that to be me,” You say. Wrong-o! You’re super unique and cool, and absolutely a person of worth! Maybe you’re not measuring your coolness by the same standards the gods/other people are, but everybody has something awesome to offer to the universe. To share an inspirational quote-thing, “Ants are amazing; they lift 5,000 times their own body weight, but that’s just their normal. They can’t see how incredible that is because their perspective doesn’t allow it. It’s the same with you: we can’t see ourselves from the outside to gauge how amazing we truly are.”