I am 27, female, and Asatru. For those of you who don't know what that means, It means I worship the Norse Pantheon of gods. For those of you who don't know what that means, it means I am a follower of gods like Frey, Freya, Odin, Thor, and even the trickster god that some people avoid Loki. Still clueless? Think Vikings.
I started out my religious life as nothing. My mom had always said she was Mormon, My dad said he was Catholic neither of them actively pursuing anything spiritual or religious to my knowledge during my early youth. I struggled but accepted the concept of Jesus because as a child you believe what you are told by adults. When I was about eight years old my mom decided it was time to give me some religion in my life and I was baptized into the Episcopalian church by a man I remember being called Father Bosh, my God parents were my Great Aunt Marilyn and my Great Uncle Jake. My squalling baby sister was also baptized at that time. We attended Mass only rarely, as in Easters and Christmases only.
When I was about eleven years old crazy turn of events lead my mother sisters, new baby brother and I to move to Utah, where I converted to Mormonism, or as they like to call themselves The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I converted partly because I craved some spirituality in my life and partly because I wanted to fit in with the kids around me.
I remained a part of that church until I was in my mid teens. The girls I went to church with (especially one who I called my best friend) stopped talking to me when my tastes veered towards the darker and more artistic (at least in my opinion) gothic subculture.
There I was in South Jordan, Utah with my Mormon friends who hated me and my Mormon family who didn't really understand what was happening with me. It was a weird time for me in which not only did I do the cliche soul searching and what not but I also studied several other religions. I read a little bit about Judaism, a little of the Koran, I read the Tao of Pooh and the Te of Piglet (if those count as religious books)I was a big reader. I occasionally would look into the library card catalog and try to find books about things I was interested in. I wasn't really even meaning to find a religion when I did a search for Witches, and Witchcraft. I found books that talked about Wicca and Pagans, and felt at home in the new belief that in addition to the god that I already knew the love of but also the love of a mother goddess. I wasn't about to turn in that love from the goddess to rejoin the hypocrites at church who were teaching us to love our neighbors as ourselves and giving me the silent treatment for my hair worn in princess Leia-esq buns with cocktail umbrellas stuck in them. (not that that's goth, but it was one of the weird things I tried when I was coming into my own style)
I called myself Wiccan for many years. Then in my mid twenties I had the Norse Gods hit me over the head and shout "look at me, look at me" in a manner of speaking. Not to sound loony cause I know there are zillions of other people out there who will say they had something like this happen....but The goddess Sif showed up in several of my dreams brushing her long golden hair, telling me everything would be alright and that I was a person of value. I would have the goddess Freya appear to me and assure me that I would indeed find love again (after having two miserable failures of relationships) I had the Thor's hammer necklace that my spirit sister bought me follow me around the house until I wore it. I felt like I had Thor's strength with me when I wore it. I knew the Norse gods had claimed me.
I also knew that my past life regressions I had during my Wiccan phase were real. I spent many a past lifetime studying and teaching spirituality to other people. I've always been a spiritual soul. I know these things to be true.
To the point already, yeah I know I ramble. The point is. I am certain I was a Gythia before. A Gythia is a teacher and priestess in the Asatru faith. They will be reincarnated and take the oath in each life until they teach all that need to be taught and then Ragnarok happens. I know I don't know enough about the lore yet to take the Oath as it remains right now, and that my friends is the point. This blog will be my dedication to learning the lore, and towards readying myself to take that Oath.
~Hail The Gods,
J.
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