Aqua Utopia｜海の底で記憶を紡ぐ
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@asher404notfound
Intro post
Hello, my name is Asher, i use she/her Pronouns
I am 19 but all ages can interact if appropriate
I currently work with the deity Fenrir/Fenrisúlfr so if you have any questions on him i will answer to the best of my ability, i am new to working with him and establishing a bond with him, i am always ooen to tips as well so if anyone has any pointers, please let me know^^
Mighty Fenrir
Guide us with your steps
Show us the way
Teach us to resist
Help us in our difficulties
Mighty Fenrir
Guide us through the shadows
Show us the paths, even the painful ones
Help us recognize our values
Mighty Fenrir
Receive our love and respect.
*This prayer was written by me and is not from any official source.*
Children do not go to Valhalla
I saw one of those "Valhalla does not discriminate against the type of battle you lost" posts go by my dash. I really want to say something but the notes are full of people grieving and saying how much comfort this re-interpretation gave them and I'm not that much of a bastard.
This story of the littlest cancer patient going to Valhalla is kind of upsetting but I struggle to articulate why. It's like Christianity wearing my faith like a costume.
I don't want to call it cultural appropriation because, you know, Norse Paganism/Heathenry/Ásatru is a reconstruction of a dead faith - a (more or less) historically-informed best guess based on scanty surviving evidence (much, if not all, of that Christianised). It's public domain mythology, reuse and remix as you like, etc, etc.
But...
Valhalla is not and has never been a place of rest and healing, and to say it is is to fundamentally misunderstand the mythology. Valhalla is where Odinn is building an army to fight the war at the end of the world. It is not a place for children or victims of domestic violence or cancer patients or anyone like that.
If you're drawn to Norse mythology, if you're grieving and you want to believe that your loved ones are in a better place, let me give you a different story.
It starts with a little girl, a child whom the gods deemed monstrous. Her name is Hela and she's the daughter of Loki, so she every right to claim a home in Ásgard. But, as I said, she was called monstrous for her appearance and her heritage and all but cast out. She was given her own realm, far away from the gods, and tasked with caring for the dead that Odinn (etc) have no use for.
The charge that the gods give this outcast child was considered shit-work. Un-honourable, if not actually dishonourable. An insult for a goddess.
But Hela took that duty with solemnity and made Helheim a home for her wards. It's not a hall full of warriors feasting and drinking and fighting. It's quiet; a rest at the end of a hard life. A place full of children and grandparents, mothers and fathers, farmers and shepherds. You and me.
Helheim, like its mistress, is misunderstood and maligned. When we, who have no place in war, die, Hela will accept us into her hall, care for us, and let us to rest, instead of demanding we keep fighting forever.
It's where most of us will go, and that is not a bad thing. There are no entry requirements. It's not heaven, it's not even The Good Place, it's the default - to be with our people, to be cared for and looked after, to be free from pain and struggle. Helheim is a place of acceptance, care, peace, and rest. It's not paradise, but I don't think it sounds that bad.
Having doubts that your practice is “real”?
It makes you happy, that’s real.
I knew there was a reason I was on tumblr today
Burnt offering to Fenrir and about something that bothers me
Why is getting into worship so hard??
I think it’s honestly lack of direction and routine. While I love how free paganism is, it’s so easy to get lost especially with adhd. It’s the whole “so many possibilities that I can’t choose anything” thing yk
🐺 Subtle Fenrir Worship 🐾
Practice patience and compassion towards yourself
Spend time with any pets you have, especially dogs; play with them, walk them, give them a bath, etc.
Leave a dog treat or bone on your windowsill overnight for Fenrir (please keep your window closed if predators are in your area!!!)
Feed neighborhood dogs, cats, birds, etc.
Have a candle that reminds you of him (no altar needed)
Wear jewelry that reminds you of him
Keep a picture of him in your wallet
Volunteer at an animal or homeless shelter
Engage in random acts of kindness; hold the door for someone, buy someone in need a warm meal, offer to help someone carry stuff, etc.
Support animal/homeless shelters, environmental preservation organizations, or any cause you're passionate about
Have a stuffed animal wolf or snake (snake for his brother c:)
Have imagery of wolves, breaking chains, swords (broken swords especially), or the sun/moon, especially being chased by wolves (Sköll & Hati are said to be his children)
Fall asleep/meditate to the howling of wolves or sounds of the forest
Eat meat that you enjoy; get some good protein in your diet in general
Take a walk/hike in the woods or nature
Learn about healthy coping skills for stress, anxiety, depression, etc.
Make your space comfortable; make it your own!
Tie your hands together with string, and cut or break it as a symbolic breaking of chains
Sing a song, play an instrument, or listen to music in the evening or night (like a wolf howling its song)
Write poetry/stories about wolves, nature, chains, loneliness, friendship, or other themes within Fenrir's myth
Light fire or bonfire at night; sit in front of the fire and simply be at rest for awhile
Go camping; sleep under the stars out in nature
Drink something relaxing that you enjoy or mead; raise a glass to Fenrir
Learn a new survival skill; something that would be useful out in the wild
Allow yourself to feel your feelings; cry, shake, scream - whatever you need to do
Find a healthy outlet for your emotions; drawing, boxing, crafting, writing, etc.
Learn about self-defense; learn how to protect yourself (including weapon use if needed)
Try using your pet as a grounding presence; pet them, focus on their soft fur or smooth scales or fluffy feathers, notice how they feel calm and safe and let that tell you that you can be calm and safe as well, etc.
Ground yourself within nature; try to meditate there if you can
Stand up for yourself; practice being vocal about your discomfort or upset
Assert your boundaries; learn what your boundaries are; know that not all of them need to be spoken - they can be silent
Find healthy outlets for your emotions; boxing, dancing, drawing, writing, singing, etc.
Practice healthy conflict resolution skills; learn what healthy conflict resolution looks like
Spend time with your loved ones
Do something nice for your loved ones; cook them a meal, give them a gift, watch their favorite movie together, etc.
Cook a good meal for someone in need, especially one that's really filling
Engage in activities you're passionate about
Learn about your local flora and fauna
Go foraging (SAFELY!!!! RESEARCH FIRST!!!!)
Make a list of goals that you'd like to achieve - long-term and short-term; celebrate any progress you make towards these goals
Celebrate your accomplishments, big and small (making your bed, getting out of bed, eating breakfast, taking a shower, etc.)
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For the time being, this is my list of discreet ways to worship Fenrir! I hope you found it useful. I'll likely add more to it later on. Take care, y'all!
Link to Subtle Worship Master list
Ok like, this is so helpful, I've been looking for just daily devotional act I could do for Fenrisulfr, but nothing felt right, but some of these speak to me so I'll try to add these to my daily routine ^^
Casual ways to connect with your deities
-Pray to them or just just talk with them and tell them about your day
-Light a candle and say your thanks
-Offer your meal/snack to them or bake/cook with them or for them
-Watch a movie in their honor
-Offer your morning drink to them or make a cup for them
-Assign them a plant and take care of it as a devotion to them
-Listen to music that reminds you of them
-Say good morning/good night
-Thank them for the things you see that you consider beautiful
Temporary altar setup, just got a fenrir figurine today, when my living situation changes (hopefully soon) he'll get a larger space dedicated to him^^
Again, this is temporary, I am aware of the fire hazards as of rn, they will change soon, but I had a long day. Good night guys^^
Hail Fenrisulfr! Son of Loki
I don’t usually do book recommendations/reviews on here, but for this one, I had to. This was an incredible read, both because of the depth of description of this specific Norse Pagan practice, but also because of how well-researched it is and the author’s firm stances on inclusion and anti-fascism. There’s an entire chapter section devoted to identifying and condemning fascist movements trying to co-opt Norse Pagan practices, and some of the literature cited to explain fascism are texts that I have used in my grad program (I specialize in Holocaust and Genocide Studies), which was really awesome to see! Definitely highly recommend this book 👍🏼
Also, I’d love to hear your book recommendations! I keep a running wishlist for my books, so let me know what should be added to my list!!
I've been working at my new job for about 3 weeks now, I don't want to jinx myself but they are training me for a higher position and talking about a pay raise with it. Through this job I've finally been more active and not rotting in my bed. Unfortunately this means I've been unable to light his candle or do spell work due to the fact I'm rarely home or am to exhausted to do spell work, but I make due. But Through my work, I discovered Fenrisulfr's favorite candle I've dedicated to him yet, its a very woodsy sent and its been the tallest I've ever seen his flames.
Thank you guys for all the love and support, I really do think fenrir speaks to me through this app, I sort tend to get a lot of notes, but when I do, I'm always brought back to something I've needed to hear. Thank you again, Hail Fenrir, braker of chains
What is Norse Heathenry?
Norse Heathenry is a contemporary pagan spirituality derived from the beliefs, customs, superstitions, and folklore of the pre-Christian Norse people. It is one of a few different kinds of Heathenries, which include Slavic Heathenry and Teutonic (Germanic) Heathenry.
The word "heathen" means "of the heaths." However, it's not a word the Old norse people themselves used. They didn't have a word for their spiritual belief system, as they didn't distinguish this from all other aspects of their lives. Rather, "Heathen" was coined by Christian writers to refer to Scandinavian pagans (this is also why it's sometimes used interchangeably with the word "heretic").
Nowadays, Norse Heathenry is referred to by many names, which reflects different developing iterations of it. Amongst these names are Norse Paganism, Asatru, and Forn Sidr / Forn Sed.
Where does Norse Heathenry come from?
Norse Heathenry comes from the Nordic countries of Europe: Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, and the Faroe Islands. These places are also known as the homelands of the vikings. But despite their shared origins, Norse Heathenry is not the religion of the vikings. This very large misconception has a very long, complex history behind it, owed to a combination of commercialization and fascist tampering. The Heathenry we see in America is extremely muddied from these influences. Fortunately, we now have the means to disambiguate it, thanks to increasingly accessible cultural exchange.
The following explanation is a product of ongoing anthropological, theological, and cultural research, in combination with what we know about the historical.
Norse Heathen Beliefs
Unlike organized religions, Norse Heathenry is (and has always been) a decentralized belief system. This means it has no universal doctrines, no orthopraxy or orthodoxy, no holy texts, and no religious figurehead governing it. When you hear people say "There's no 'right' way to practice Heathenry," this is generally what they're referring to.
However, Norse Heathenry does have a distinct way of thinking about and viewing the world, and it's very different from what we usually see here in the US. If you're feeling stuck trying to figure out how to "do Heathenry," this would be why.
Animism
A staple of Norse Heathen epistemology is Animism.
Usually, Animism is defined as the belief that all things have a spirit or vital essence to them. But this is only one definition of many, and not the definition that applies here.
The Norse concept of Animism is "the awareness that all things are part of an interdependent ecosystem." This changes how we engage with everything around us. We understand that when we interact with the forces of this world, they will interact back on their own merit. Our relationship with all things is a social one, and we're not spectators in our environment, but active participants at all times.
This stands is stark contrast to the way the USAmericans typically view the world: As a landscape to either test or be tested by, with the forces of the world acting as the means through which this is done.
Additionally, there's no separation between the sacred and the profane.
Immanence
Faiths that focus on spiritual ascension, enlightenment, or attaining a good afterlife are known as transcendent faiths.
While Norse Heathenry has some transcendent elements, it's ultimately an immanent belief system, which means its focus is on living life for the sake of living, as opposed to living life to receive a good afterlife. A good afterlife is already guaranteed.
(Some Heathens may strive for a specific kind of afterlife, however, which do have certain conditions for accessing. But these are elective rather than required, and different as opposed to superior. It's all a matter of preference, at the end of the day.)
The Norse Gods
Many people are already familiar with the Norse gods, such as Thor, Odin, Loki, and Freyja, but not many people are familiar with how they operate as gods.
In Hellenism and Religio Romano, the gods are divine lords who preside over different domains of society. It's a reflection of what the ancient Greeks and Romans highly valued in their civilizations: Law and political/civic involvement.
In Norse Heathenry, however, gods don't operate in a lordship capacity. Instead, they're more like celebrities in that they're celebrated figures everyone knows about.
While they don't rule over one thing or another, the Norse gods often act as allegorical representations of worldly phenomena. Thor is to thunderstorms as Loki is to "random-chance odds." SIf is to wheat-fields as Odin is to the old wandering beggar. Frey and Freyja represent masculine and feminine principles, Skadi the driven snow and foggy winter, and so on. The gods exist as worldly experiences inasmuch as they exist as ideas.
Lastly, but importantly, the Norse gods don't distribute rewards or punishments in accordance with on one's actions or deeds, nor do they tell us how we ought to live our lives. The way they interact with us depends on our individual relationships with them, which can be just as diverse as the ones we have with each other.
Myths & Folklore
What people often refer to as the "Norse Myths" are stories found in two old Icelandic texts called the Prose Edda and the Poetic Edda. These texts are special because they're the oldest and largest collection of tales featuring the Norse deities.
However, these texts represent just one region's period-specific interpretation of Norse folklore. They also only represent a fraction of the tales that still circulate within Nordic oral traditions, so not only are they not "canon" in the usual sense of the word, they're also just a sample.
This is all to say that Norse Heathenry doesn't have a hard body of mythology. It certainly has a defined one, but its definition is built from local legends, fairy tale humor, songs, customs, superstitions, and family folklore in addition to what survives on runestones and parchment. The corpus of Heathenry is very much a living, breathing thing.
Spirits
Norse Heathenry recognizes a wide variety of different beings, the likes of which can be found all around us. Some of these beings are like how we typically imagine spirits, in that they're incorporeal or otherwordly, while others are physical but may play tricks on you so you can't see them.
Like many things pertaining to Heathenry, there isn't a universally-shared classification system for Norse beings. But generally-speaking, beings are defined by their natures and the manner in which they relate to the rest of the world, rather than their morphology. For example, Trolls can take the appearance of rocks, trees, and also living people, but they can also be incorporeal spirits. This is all, however, the same kind of Troll, rather than being different types of trolls.
This is also why the lines between "spirit", "god," and "ancestor" can become very blurry at times. In English use, these are all typically labeled under the category "vaetter." Sometimes "wight" is used to refer to spirits of various types, but isn't often used to refer to gods.
Typically, the way people interact with spirits entirely depends on what kind of spirit they're dealing with, as well as their disposition towards human beings. Some spirits may enjoy a personal relationship, while others are best when left unbothered.
Values & Morality
Because Norse Heathenry has no doctrine and is immanent in nature, it has no fixed value system. Just like the stories were decentralized, so were the Norse people's values.
This is a feature as opposed to a flaw, and a fact as opposed to a theory. But it also has a habit of making Americans very uncomfortable.
For this reason, Heathens sometimes choose to construct their own value system to observe as part of their practice. But what those values are is up to each individual.
Anyone claiming Norse Heathenry has a universal value system is either new to Heathenry, or selling something.
Veneration
Heathen veneration is not just limited to gods, but also includes ancestors and even certain kinds of spirits, such as nisse/tomte.
Like most things in Norse Heathenry, what, who, and how a Heathen chooses to venerate is their choice to make. One popular observance across the globe is to craft altars, shrines, or similar sacred spaces for the entities one venerates. If a Heathen lives in a house that has a nisse (similar to a gnome), they might leave porridge (with butter) by the hearth for him, and he'll in turn bless the house with good luck and fortune.
Oftentimes, relationships with entities are very interpersonal. Heathenry's animistic and immanent nature means entities are rarely cold and distant, including the gods.
Misconceptions!
A list of misconceptions off the top of my head:
The practice known as 'Odinism' is an invention of the Germanic Volkish movement, which was the social precursor to Nazi Germany. This is also, unfortunately, the first kind of "heathenry" to be brought to the US, back in the 1970's. It was spread through the country via one of the fastest-moving networks at the time: The US prison system.
The Black Sun is a Nazi symbol, not a Heathen one.
No, Norse Heathenry is not a closed practice.
No, you don't have to have Scandinavian heritage to practice Norse Heathenry. Blood quantum is not a thing.
The rune alphabets are old, but the method of runecasting is new.
So is the use of magical bindrunes.
Bindrunes are also different from Galdrastafir. The latter is actually a form of Jewish-Christian-Norse syncretism and needs to be taught orally since it's a mystery tradition. You can still slap the Helm of Awe on things and look cool about it though.
Norse Heathenry is not the same as being a viking, and Norse Heathens are not vikings. However, some Heathens partake in viking reenactment as an extension of their practice.
There's no good or bad gods in Norse Heathenry. All the gods are capable of great good and great bad, just like people. They're fallible, and that's what makes them relatable.
Odin and Loki aren't at odds with one another.
You don't need to wait for a god to pick you to start venerating them.
If you're interested in learning more about any of these in-depth, check out the website I've built on Norse Heathenry, located in my pinned post!
"Do not be afraid of your own power. Identify where within you there is fear and bring it to the light. That is how you break your chains." - a channeled message from Fenrir.
Thank you for sharing this, I felt a pull to be on tumblr (which I'm rarely ever on unless posting) and this was the first thing to pop up on my feed, I needed this today^^
Writing for your deities is such a liberation. It's a way to pour out your feelings, to write them down not only for your deities to see, but also for you to better understand. It doesn’t matter if you see yourself as a "good writer", or a "bad writer". Prayer and poetry is always magnificent when written in honor of what you love, and what you believe in. Sure, the prayers you write may not hold as much meaning if shown to others, but that is precisely the beauty of it. Something that is written from you to the Gods is absolutely sacred.
Quotes and sayings that I associate with or was shone to me by Fenrisulfr
Some of these really spoke to me so I hope they speak to you as well
After about a week+ of working with Fenrisúlfr, some of the most toxic people in my life left and old friends of mine started reaching out. Im growing closer to my family and getting out more, I'm working on job applications and fixing up my car. Honestly, I am Surprised with how good im doing and I couldn't be more proud of myself.
Hail Fenrisúlfr, The braker of chains.
Little something I felt Fenrir was pushing me to do and wants me to share^^
Self love
Quality time
•Hikes, movies, enjoy sunsets
Physical touch
•Skin care, stretch, bathe, eat healthier
Acts of service
•Declutter, use a habit tracker, meal prep
Words of affirmation
•Gratitude, affirmations, positive note, self complements
-Cut off toxic people
-Acknowledge your feelings
-Cut negative self talk
-Celebrate the small things
-Stop watering every flower
-Don't take things so seriously
-Shadow work
Breath, it's ok, life goes on, and so do you❤︎
Note: You are all deserving of love, no matter what your past is like or if someone tells you otherwise, if you need love, it's gotta come from you. (yes, I used a Bo Burnham lyric)
