Nothing is forgotten. Everything is repaid.

And I’m like.... do you think none of your ancestors were gay? Really? Over the last thousand years? Back when everyone had ten kids? Not one was homosexual? Or bisexual? Or a person who experimented? Not one? And that they all care? Like every single ancestor from Adam to 1890 hates the LGBT community? There wasn’t one cool grandma?

It’s rooted in this notion that every person born before 1980 is some kind of mega-bigot and that’s just not the case. I don’t think that’s a safe assumption to make, especially when we’re talking about a large group of people who cannot speak for themselves. I was always taught that someone becomes a capital-A Ancestor when there is no living memory of them on our plane of existence. So unless they were keeping a written record or stories have been passed down, there’s no way to know how they feel without interaction. There have been cool people in every time period and there have been assholes in every time period.

People will try to say, “oh but my family is all really Christian” or “well in our traditional culture this was forbidden.” And I’m like, what were they before they were Christian? You don’t have any pre-Christian ancestors? Were all your Christian ancestors practicing modern American Fundamentalist Christianity? And in your traditional culture, was this always forbidden? Or was it just taboo and people were still out being gay regardless?

And even if all your ancestors are spiteful, why not adopt some ancestors? Why not call upon the Mighty Dead? Why not honor your Beloved Dead?

And why would you assume your ancestors wouldn’t change over time? I feel very strongly that they can and do. If someone can change their life around in five years, imagine what they could do with 800.

And why would you assume your ancestors wouldn’t love you? I think a lot of people who come from traumatic backgrounds hear a constant whisper - a whisper that says, “The world is not to be trusted and you are not worthy of love.” And you are worthy of love. Don’t let your trauma stop you from seeking love (from the living or the dead, for that matter).

He has tattooed on his chest the valknutr (funky triangles), Yggdrasil (the tree in a circle) and mjöllnir (Thor’s hammer). These are symbols misappropriated for use by white supremacists. Memorize them and lookout for folks like this. The horns with animal pelt, and being shirtless, also lend Odinist overtones to his appearance. Old Norse myth is often used as white supremacist propaganda, and here’s a great example of it in action.

I’m not gonna lie

Oh sure!

Visualization is key here. Some people like to use a wand, or a staff, or a knife. I use my finger. The tools are nice and help as aids, but the power is from you in the end and they’re all just that; aids.

Trace a circle around yourself, visualizing energy tracing from your fingertip or the tip of your knife/wand/staff. I always end up picturing it as glowing silver personally, but that’s just me. As you do this, put your intent and will behind it; that it keep out anything that you do not wish to enter, and guard you from ill intent, and that anything inside with you that you do not wish there be thrown out. 

Wicca was invented by Gerald Gardener in the 1940s, drawing inspiration from the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, beliefs about witches originating from the early modern witch trials, some controversial historical theories of the early 20th century, and a smattering of Irish and Anglo-Saxon seasonal festivals.

Wicca is not an ancient religion.

The vast majority, if not all, of the pre-Christian religions of Europe cannot be characterised as “witchcraft religions.”

Yule, Easter, etc. did not belong to Wiccans before Christians “stole” them, because there were no ancient Wiccans.

The maiden-mother-crone triple goddess is not an historical entity.

The deities and practices of all world religions and witchcraft/folk magic traditions do not belong to Wiccans.

I’ve been getting a lot of asks/messages lately from folks who want to practice Norse paganism and join the heathen community but are worried about white supremacist blogs. That’s totally valid - there’s a lot of them and some of them are well hidden under “aesthetic norse” blogs. So, I wrote up a little lists of indicators to look out for and avoid. Most of the runes and images(like Odin’s ravens) aren’t inherently racist/problematic and should be considered in context of the blog. Please keep in mind there are many more symbols and names/titles that could be included, I am just focusing on the Norse aspect.

Odinist/Wodenism/Wotanist - Oidinist is most often the term norse leaning white-supremacists lean towards. The term “Odinist” was first used as a self-descriptor by Alexander Rud Mills, an Australian Nazi sympathizer who founded an Odinist church in 1934. The name was carried on by Else Christensen and her Odinist Fellowship; Christensen’s newsletter, The Odinist, contained more far right-wing political content than religious content. If you go the official Odinists website(link) you will find they support many white-only groups like the Asatru Folk Assembly. The Holy Nation of Odin is a church that is run from a maximum-security cell in California and is only open to whites.

Volkish/Folkish -  Volksfront is a hybrid racist skinhead gang/neo-Nazi group that started in the Pacific Northwest in the 1990s. It’s still a very active group and only alt-right would really use this terminology.

“ —often termed “folkish” within the community—by viewing Heathenry as an ethnic or racial religion with inherent links to a Germanic race that should be reserved explicitly for people of Northern European descent or white people in general”. 

Not to be confused with folklorist/folklore heathens who practice heathenry because of Scandinavian folklore(i.e. disir, dwarves, etc.).

HH or 88 -  88 is a white supremacist numerical code for “Heil Hitler.” H is the eighth letter of the alphabet, so 88 = HH = Heil Hitler. One of the most common white supremacist symbols.

The number is frequently combined with another white supremacist numeric code, 14(shorthand for the so-called “14 Words” slogan: “We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children”) in the form of 1488, 14/88, 14-88, or 8814. - ADL

Brosatru - I’m mostly adding this because it used to be a popular alt-right subreddit for “Asatru” practitioners that got removed. I’ve still seen it referenced in other pagan subreddits and some twitter profiles!

General keywords to look out for: heritage, ethnic, aryan, ethno-nationalism, nationalist, tribe

**Use reasonable doubt for runes and imagery**:

Othala. While not actually/originally a symbol of hate but a rune for family/ancestry, Othala has been appropriated by the alt-right regardless and should be judged by the context it’s seen in. It is frequently used in nazi marches, merch, and their websites. The U.S. National Socialist Movement replaced the swastika with the Old Norse Othala rune, which was previously used on an SS infantry flag in World War II. So if you see a blog with a red banner and a black Othala in the middle, just know it’s a replacement for the swatsika.

Algiz. Another Futhark rune appropriated, originally representing the Elk/Divine. It has been adapted by the far right as a “Life Rune”. Used in the “Free American Rally” and “National Alliance” and also used in the “Volksfront” logo. Like Othala it is used to replace the Swatsika in imagery where it’s illegal - it is  not used as frequently as Othala.

Huginn and Muninn. “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, VA featured two flags with Odinns ravens. Here’s the twist: some white supremacist groups claim the Raven flag was flown when Leif Erikson landed in North America in the year 1000 and thus is the “pure European: flag of the nation.” And for some white supremacists, according to David Perry of the University of Minnesota, “the concept of Vinland asserts a historical claim over North America, stretching from the northeast coast to the Pacific Northwest. They use the myth of Vinland to position themselves as righteous defenders in the wars of race and religion they believe are coming.” 

Valknut -  It is often considered a symbol of the Norse god Odin. Some white supremacists, particularly racist Odinists, have appropriated the Valknot to use as a racist symbol. Often they use it as a sign that they are willing to give their life to Odin, generally in battle. It was also seen on many shields at the Charlottesville, VA march. Many pagans may also use this symbol, so one should carefully examine it in context rather .

Tiwaz. Another rune appropriated, originally a rune for the Norse god of justice Ty.r Free America Rally is a loosely-coordinated network of white supremacists who hold protests and rallies on white supremacist-related themes. The logo for Free America Rally is an amalgam of several runes(Algiz and Uruz).

Mjolnir. This feels horrible to say because I know countless pagans and Marvel fans with Mjolnir necklaces/tattoos. However, I have also encountered many alt-right accounts with a BFG(Bound for Glory) banner or icon.

Additionally, I would highly suggest going through their follows/likes if you can’t find an obvious answer. Most modern Norse pagans who aren’t anti alt-right make it known in their bios but you an do further digging if necessary. 

If you’ve got Amazon Prime it’s available on Prime Video. It’s also available to rent on YT for what looks like $1.99, though I am sure those of you who are more resourceful than I am might be able to find it elsewhere for the low low price of free.

Fair warning, it does deal with the events of the Charleston church shooting, and Neil also talks with some members of the church which is quite an emotional and heartbreaking moment. It also contains imagery featuring the KKK which can be disturbing. There is absolutely zero glorification of the Klan or anyone associated with them, past or present and any sort of “oh but the Scots had it rough coming here too” gets absolultey fucked right out the water as being absolutely abhorrent and despicable. It is depicted as the vile and evil blight against humanity that it is, and Oliver makes no attempt to hide his horror, rage and dismay when dealing with certain interviewees, though he does remain comendably calm and doesn’t just haul off and punch the guy, even when you can tell he really wants to.

I’m a Scottish historian and folklorist, but I work primarily in folklore now. I have a lot of thoughts about this topic. Because it is currently the primary topic that folklorists are discussing, especially those who specialise in Scottish, Irish, or Scandinavian folklore.

I first became aware of the issue in the early 2000s, when neoNazis were appropriating any type of ‘Celtic’ (a problematic word, but it will do for now) festival or celebration. They were also approaching people at the Highland Games in the USA, assuming that anyone proud of their Scottish heritage was only a short distance away from interest in ‘white pride’.

Today, it has become such an extreme problem that folklorists discuss it. The people who approach us who claim interest in these topics could very easily be neoNazis and often are. This means we tend to look with suspicion at anyone who is a little too deeply invested already, or is wearing jewelry/has tattoos/etc. of various symbols - including things like Thor’s hammer, I’m sorry to say, for all you Marvel fans out there. Celtic symbols of any kind are worthy of suspicion, particularly crosses or triquetra (sorry, Charmed fans). These are often dogwhistles, and folklorists discuss the need to be extremely cautious now compared to even ten years ago.

All that said, the other problem is that Scotland and Ireland have long suffered from Othering - romanticising their realities. When your ‘identity’ as an American ‘Scottish’ or ‘Irish’ person makes you want to believe that this means anything about your personality or your family to the detriment of the people actually living and working in the country today, it’s a problem. ‘I drink a lot/have to drink a lot because I’m Scotttish!’ is one I’ve heard a few times. These are real, live people, with real lives, who don’t act like one thing or another. There’s nothing inherently noble about being Scottish, Irish, Scandinavian, etc.

I realise the media is invested in all this romanticisation, too. Whether it’s the ‘Scottish people are like, 1 inch away from raping people’ of Outlander (inaccurate both historically and currently, in fact I’d argue Outlander is the least-historically accurate of all media I’m aware of regarding Scotland), or the complete insanity of Braveheart, or insert other media here, it’s an issue for the people living in that country. There are entire tours that avoid Glasgow, for example, because the city is so much…just a modern city. I worked with some guys from Visit Scotland who had taken my folklore course, and they told me ‘Glasgow doesn’t sell’. Because Glasgow isn’t fantasy-Scotland. When people become tourist attractions to overlay a fantasy on, ignoring their lived realities, it’s a real issue.

A while ago, a friend of mine asked me to vet another folklorist for her. This friend of mine is pagan. I have many pagan friends, some of whom are witches. When I told her these things, she got absolutely furious with me, claiming well obviously not all folklorists are talking about it because he’s not! No, we’re talking about it to each other because of how dangerous the proliferation of neoNazis has become, and that includes paganism and witchcraft. If you find yourself getting that defensive about these topics, it’s time to take a step back and wonder why you are invested to the point of obsession. 

We’re not saying that everybody who is pagan, or into witchcraft, or into Scottish/Irish/Scandinavian heritage is a neoNazi, but to be aware of those who are. And of how your interest will look to outsiders, especially those of us who have been scholars of the subject for a very long time.

Another problem is when people are confronted with historical facts that do not gel with their presupposed ideas about what Scotland or Ireland was like. People want it to be magical so badly that when they find out the actual religious heritage of these nations they get very upset or refuse to believe it. Either you like and are interested in these places despite what they can do for you, and despite what you find out about them, or you aren’t interested in them at all - you’re interested in a prop for your personal fantasy. Again, these are real places with real people whose lived experiences don’t need to agree with your preconceived notions of them.

I’m going to finish this by agreeing completely that Scottish people in Scotland also need to recognise that they aren’t morally pure just because they’re Scottish, but this is more about Brexit, the independence movement, and immigration. Yes, Scottish people were treated badly, but they also treated others and each other badly. Arguably the worst incident in all of Scottish history was the second Clearances, and that was Scottish people doing it to each other.

Invariably they turn out to be exclusionists with delusions of personal magic powers that “link” them to my homeland, which they dare to turn into their egotistical warped fantasy of white supremacy and mystic woo.

So like sorry if I’m cagey as fuck if all you want to do is ask innocent questions about my personal beliefs, but this is the flip side of what I’m dealing with on a fairly regular basis and it is insidious.

We have, like, four deities associated with war. One of them is queer. One of them is a protector of the common folk. One of them is a disabled god of justice. One of them is a goddess.

warlock of the mojave desert

warlock of the redwood forest

warlock of the san andreas fault

warlock of the salton sea

warlock not of los angeles exactly, but everything in the area that is continuously lit up if you look at it from an airplane at night, which extends basically all the way to san diego

warlock of the ghost of the orange orchard over which the city of Orange was built

warlock of the way the sky is never quite black at night in the cities, but instead a weird purpleish-red-grey

warlock of the mountain snowmelt and the concrete rivers that carry floodwater to the sea

warlock of Irvine (very funny if you know about Irvine)

Look, every time I find a vendor with stuff I like or a book that looks interesting, I have to play the “Are they legit or are they a nazi?” game, counting the number of times they use words like ‘ancestors’ and ‘heritage’ because those are both known dog-whistles and important parts of the religion. This game is not fun. And as someone who’s Latine, who works far more with ancestors of color than the white ones (largely because I don’t know much about the white ones, save the general regions they came from), I am frequently literally afraid of interacting with other Heathens in person without a shitload of googling beforehand, checking which runes people adorn themselves with, matching that to the potential dog-whistle count, and still never being sure unless I see them specifically denouncing racism/antisemitism/transphobia/homophobia/etc.

I am a part of this religion, and this is my experience. If I didn’t profoundly love our gods and traditions, I would’ve packed my shit and gone back to generic multi-pantheon polytheism. So if I feel this way, I need y’all to take a moment and think about what it’s like to someone who’s not on the inside, whose experience of us is basically just neonazis and the #notallheathens crowd, people who see our symbols being used by the ones emulating the fascist fucks who literally tried to exterminate people like them, and have not actually stopped trying.

And the neonazi Heathens are us. We don’t get to say they’re not, we don’t get to No True Scotsman them just because we don’t like how they’re doing our religion. They’re still doing it. We can’t point at the worst and most racist parts of Christianity and use them as examples of Christianity’s many flaws (which is a phase most pagan types seem to go through, myself included) and then act shocked and insulted when someone does the exact same thing to us.

Jewish people, Black people, LGBTQIA+ folks, and countless other marginalized groups have every right to be wary. They don’t owe us a fair hearing. They’re just trying to survive in a world where some of us are literally killing them.

Yeah, we have the right to be mad that our sacred symbols are being turned into instruments of hate, and that they’re inspiring fear in people who aren’t familiar with what we’re actually about. I sure as fuck am. But we need to be mad at the nazis, not their targets. And then we need to do something about it. If we do nothing, we’re complicit. Lecturing the people who are being hurt in this circumstance is not helpful, not sharing wisdom, and not creating frith* with people who are part of our larger communities. We create frith by listening, and by seeing to the comfort and security of our communities as best we can… and our communities out here in the Really Real World are bigger than just our co-religionists.

Seriously. I’ve seen a post like this before, but it needs to be said again.

Weird Smells? Go get your house inspected. You may have mold or a gas leak in your home.

Cold Spots? Again. Get your home checked out.

Creaking when no one is home? Your house/building is probably shifting. Get it inspected just to be safe.

Sibling or Child saying weird shit? They probably have an imaginary friend or are having fun. If it still freaks you out go to a mental health professional to rule out anything that could be causing them to say creepy-ass things. Better safe than sorry.

Hearing thumps? Check to see if any trees or bushes are hitting your house. Then check to make sure an animal you aren’t aware of isn’t making the noises. If you can’t find a cause, get it checked out by a professional.

Scratching in the walls? It could be a rodent. Get it checked out.

If you have checked all mundane reasons for what is being experienced by you or a relative/friend, then go onto spiritual reasons. You can always cleanse before you get things checked out there’s no harm in that. But to assume it’s always a spirit is dangerous. You could put people at risk especially if it’s rodents, a creaking house, or a gas leak. 

Because if it is those reasons then you can easily get it taken care of, but if you actively ignore it because you believe it’s a spirit then it’s all on you, not anyone else. 

Not everyone knows this, but the “Nine Noble Virtues,” or “NNV,” are not set down and codified anywhere in the lore. They were first created by members of the British Union of Fascists and National Socialists, the Odinic Rite, and the Asatru Folk Assembly.

All three of these organizations are made up of fascists and white supremacists.

They were invented by racist fascists in an effort to mirror the Ten Commandments and make their practice closer to Christianity. They are a new invention, made by fascists, to further fascist values. Just throw them in the trash with the fascists where they belong.

If you look into them, those innocent-seeming values were carefully chosen to support the whole ‘traditionalist’ fascist ideal. There’s nothing wrong with courage or hospitality, of course, but the visions of courage and hospitality projected into the NNV are a twisted and corrupted vision of it, and the whole concept of the NNV is poisoned.

If you read the modern versions, in that very link you gave, you’ll see the racism creeping in hard.

For example, “Hospitality”, for the people who made the NNV, really means

To succor the friendless but to put no faith in the pledged word of a stranger people.

AKA “Not people who are different from us.”

i was atheist for most of my life and still consider myself highly scientific. like you, i ended up gravitating towards polytheism because i felt as though i was missing something.

for me, i’m still not certain if i believe the gods exist as entities. my religious thinking is still strictly atheistic in its basic sense -- i haven’t been able to shake that. i believe in the gods largely as psychological or cultural archetypes -- which does not mean they have no power. far from it -- psychology and culture hold more power over us, in many cases, than physical, scientific realities like supernova or the movement of distant stars. for me, the gods exist primarily as symbolic hooks for me to feel more connected with my ancestors, the land, or my community. family, earth, and people can be awfully abstract -- Pluto, Thor, and the Morrigan are, in many ways, easier to grasp. i am a polytheist because i like the depth and breadth the symbolism and rituals of the gods bring to my life -- indeed, Halloween felt very empty in the years before I began my offerings to the honored dead. i like the connections polytheism allows me to forge between my inner, emotional existence and my outer, physical existence -- it was difficult to explain, for example, my connection to a particular tree on my family’s property without allowing for the existence of tree spirits and old gods. i like the dimension it adds to my private philosophical or semiotic musings -- hati and skoll will eat the sun and moon, and what does that mean for us?

scientifically, i find great interest in allowing myself to indulge the deep human desire to be connected to something greater, to find meaning in things that don’t necessarily have it, in observing my own feelings and thoughts as i shift my psychology. maybe it’s real, maybe it’s not; maybe i’m forging false connections, maybe i’m not; but my life is better for it, and i am happier for it, and as long as my spirituality never directly conflicts with my scientific and rational needs (and I do not feel the need to “prove a negative” in the atheistic sense), no conflict exists.