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Blots, Sumbles, and Stuff..

By: Gunnsmith

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Gday  the Folk,

and, good thoughts....

Had a few thoughts on the whole thing of religious practice. Seems to me that the first step is to become "realized".. that is, to know beyond a doubt that you "are" a heathen, nothing more, nothing less.... After that, there's only the matter of learning how to "live"  within that "true and authentic"... that you have found within you.

  This is a living way... and we have many sources of insight, council.. both in the spiritual , from the Folk Soul/.ancestral continuum.. the Gods, Alfar and the spirits of the land, sea and sky and from our lives, friends and True Folk.. Its all coming in, all the time if we only listen to it.

   When we see and understand  that something that we do "works". in terms of accessing this. then we know its "right" and when we do "right"... it makes us stronger,  wiser, and more courageous.

 Religious practice is very important, but its of no use unless it is a reflection of what is going on in all the other aspects of a persons life.

 It can be, however, a catalyst for all those other aspects and initiate positive change so its a two way street.

The "real motorcycle"... as Robert Persig wrote.. "you are working, on is yourself"... [nods].. and I think this is true for a lot of things in our lives.

  When a person does blot, and they take a drink and then offer, or pour a libation.. it seems to me that its a little like tasting the  cider, mead or whatever.. to determine that it is good and worthy of the offering.. that first swallow goes down and its good, and there is the feeling when you get into harmony with the act of having a drink.. and then offer that "feeling".. along with the rest of the drink "to the Gods." So, its the feeling and the love ,respect and the knowing that its good that is flowing out of you to the Gods or the Ancestors.... that's the gift.

sometime I offer chocolate and candied fruit to the Asynjur.. because of the notion that they just "might like it".. and, I think they do. One time I did blot and gave some of this... and a day or so later happened by my sacred place.. and the offering, which was strewn on the ground.. was all gone. Now, maybe the Ravens took it.. and that's spiritual too.. back to Asgard... heh..

When  you kill a deer or other animal its good to put the heart up into a tree for Ullr. If times are tough, only the top of the heart .. and you eat the rest later.  I don't usually eat the heart anyway, so  I put the whole thing up about as high as I can reach in the nearest tree. Sometimes after a successful hunt there is a vision, but not always, especially if a person is too busy with other stuff.. guess it goes by and the opportunity missed. People are so engaged a lot of times, that their spiritual life gets kind of choked off... doesn't get enough air to flourish... and that's an important part of a person that often gets neglected.

An the other side of that is people who, for one reason or another get too engaged with religion and not enough with life, generally.. and that's the same kind of imbalance only on the other side. We see that all the time with the christians and people go around with their heads.. I dunno, up in the clouds or somewhere.. and they don't really think or feel in the real world anymore.

"better not to send than to slay too many".. as it says in the lore... and its all about balance and harmony, and not neglecting one thing or going too far on another.

Course, we all get out of balance at one time or another.. and that's why our wives or husbands.. friends, co-workers...

will jerk the chain and bring us back to our "senses" ..... wives especially, are good at that.. takes about two sentences... heh.. and Bam!

I often hear people say that they are "expecting" something more when they come on here... and I guess everybody is looking for something different. Most times when I've experienced a lack of something.. eventually have come to understand that there is something within me  that I  need  to give and in that act of giving something came back that made a difference for me..

and we never know what that is, or who may be listening that is really having a hard time that day or whatever.

 "ours".. as Garman lord heard  from a vision..." is a religion of gift giving"  [nods]

you know, there's an old friend of mine who has gone through all the stages... hard drinking... half nuts  a good part of the time as he said.. then christianity.. born again... went to work in a prison.. to "minister" to the inmates.. got out of there... fell out of faith..

and at last when he went to the Yukon with me a few years ago and saw me doing blot on the way and  then  damn near jumped out of the jeep  later when I started talking about Thor.. yeah..

I can tell ya that he was rolling his eyes like a poleaxed steer. He says that wasn't the case, and we have a good laugh about that.

Now he is learning about the Northern Folkway. I sent him some  printed stuff this morning, and  it was all "gifted" from people  who have written a lot over the years on the internet, some of which I wrote, too...

and now, there's one more family standing around the fire watching the stars with us and raisin a horn to the Gods.

 "You gotta come down again soon so we can talk about OUR PEOPLE." he said yesterday on the phone.

 These are coming in, tired, cold and hungry with their clothes in rags and moccasins worn  nearly through...

 one individual and family at a time. They been through a lot over the years. slept in a lot of strange beds... and done  weird stuff.. they don't want to talk about, mostly..

. and its good  for them, and for us...to finally welcome them home again..

Home as they say.. "is where the heart is".. and that's where  the Folkway  lives and what it means to us.

Gunn