We don’t pray here – we figure God, the gods and goddesses, or whatever powers that be either know already, don’t give a fuck, or are busy with more important matters than our petty stuff. We also kind of assume that they expect us to do stuff that we can do for ourselves, and that we will do them ourselves and not be lazy. We also believe in being good friends, so we don’t presume on our friendship with the powers that be by asking them all the time for stuff while giving them nothing in return.
We also don’t take an offering here. We figure the powers that be probably don’t need it. Let’s be honest, offerings are not giving to the divine powers, they are given to an organization to support it. Just being honest. God, the gods or whatever never see a dime, farthing or peso of that money; it all goes to the church, mosque or shrine.
Opening Song: “In The Year of the Wolf” – Motorhead
Poem: “My White Raven” by Just Patty
As I was doing some poetry searches for the pulpit this week I found this poem. It is a pretty tribute using the wolf and raven analogy and I must say it made me tear up a little.
Meditation:
Song of Preparation: Raven Wing – Iced Earth:
Text:
“It’s OK to Feed the Wolves, but Listen to the Ravens First” – Ed Raby, Sr.
Sermon:
I suppose it was inevitable that I would include a quote form myself eventually in the Pagan pulpit. This one came to me sometime this last summer but it really didn’t become the mainstay of my philosophy until after the first week of August or so. A reflection of lessons learned and a change of heart at that point in my life. I have a poem I am working on that reflects some things that happened at that time. Mostly though I came up with this line at that time that pretty much sums up a major tenet of my philosophy these days. The core of it is this notion of Wolves – Needs and Wants and Ravens – Reason and Wisdom. This of course has been the core of the whole Of Wolves and Ravens series on philosophy, but I haven’t written directly on this expression in a bit and it bears repeating.
“It’s OK to feed the Wolves…”
It is OK to fulfill your needs and wants. It’s OK. I know religion and other forces want to act as some sort of control mechanism of defining good and evil, but in truth I am not sure such a distinction truly exists. There are simply some ways of feeding the wolves that are not reasonable; nor are they wise. As I pointed out last week, I don’t sit there waiting for someone else to make the moral decisions of my life for me. I make them myself, as it is truly only my responsibility to make them. That said, I don’t think what I need and want is necessarily evil or bad in and of itself. It is often how those needs and wants are met; what decisions are made in how to meet them, that either makes them beneficial or a detriment.
“…but Listen to the Ravens First.”
That’s where engaging our Reason and Wisdom before we just run off and start pursuing the fulfilling of our needs and wants. To think about how thy should be pursued and for what reason is key. Reason and Wisdom need to guide our pursuit.
It is probably and interesting thing in nature that Wolves and Ravens enjoy each other’s company in the wild. They seem actually to look out for one another. Wolves benefit from the advantage of having eyes in the sky and that caw from the ravens when something is nearby and the Ravens benefit from both company and the protection of the pack when they eat.
There is a lesson in all that for making sure that Needs, Wants, Reason and Wisdom work in harmony. The Ravens don’t Decry the Wolves and the Wolves don’t ignore the Ravens. The respect each other and work together. These forces in our lives should be made to do the same,
I don’t know if this saying; which as far as I can tell is my own creation, might of helped you today. I just know when things get tough I bring it to my mind and ask what needs or wants do I need to fulfill and what the most reasonable and wise course of action might be to fulfilling them. I feed my inner wolves, but I listen to the my inner ravens first.
Closing Song: Unwell – Matchbox Twenty
I found myself revisiting this song this week. I guess when I fight depression it becomes a song of hope for me. It’s doesn’t fit the Wolves and Ravens theme, but it makes sense for my week. This has been on of those ‘loss of interest’ depression battle weeks, but I think I am coming out on the other side of it now and mostly it is because of this song.
Parting Thought:
I remain,
The Rabyd Skald – Wandering Soul, Bard and Philosopher. The Grey Wayfarer.
Today I want to look at the universe from the perspective of Norse Mythology. Basically, the Norse and Germanic people looked at the universe as one big tree. I will get into the creation myths of the Norse people later. Mostly this post is about the world as they understood it; basically, how they thought it was.
Yggdrasil is the central tree of the entire cosmos. It is a living ash tree and considered as such to be very holy. Ash being very sacred to pagans. It is an immense tree that either connects the nine worlds or each part of the tree is the nine worlds depending on the viewpoint. I can see the theological debates in the Norse people starting with this one.
The tree itself is where everything happens when it comes to the gods and their dealings with other immortals and mortals. The tree is supported by three immense roots that are each connected and thus fed by three major springs.
The god Odin claims in the mythology to remember when the world tree was small and young. It is also the tree he hung from for nine days to gain knowledge of the runes to aid him in his fight during Ragnarök. Based on how it is described in the ancient sources I would say I would lean toward the idea the world tree connects the nine worlds and probably serves as their skeleton that holds them together. When you also consider that the Bifrost Bridge itself connects the tree to other worlds like Asgard you begin to see this notion as well.
The notion of sacred trees is very strong in a lot of mythology. The idea of a Tree of Life is pretty much central to the three Abrahamic Religions. Trees that provide life figure prominently in many other mythologies from Ancient Middle Eastern religions to China to Hinduism. The idea of sacred trees is very universal. It is no surprise here to me that the Tree of Life is literally the tree of all life.
For my purposes at this point it is important to establish that the Norse people believed that by traveling the tree one could travel between the nine world. You could also do this by traveling the Bifrost Bridge, but mostly you see gods and goddesses travel the branches and roots of the tree from one realm to another. Each of these nine realms or worlds was home to different races and each had a different nature. as we further look at the Norse World we will look at each of these in detail later.
From a literature perspective, this notion of a world tree still plays prominently. In fantasy, Tolkien’s elves live in such trees and his mythology starts with two trees. This idea of sacred trees is central many other stories. I have used it myself as part of a story involving a dryad, although you can no longer read it. My point is that this notion of old, living trees being the source of life and central to humanities existence is very human.
I imagine the source of such mythology is when a child asks how long a certain large tree in their life has been there. Grandmother looks at the child and tells them that she can’t remember a time it was never there. She then tells the story of how she asked the same question of her grandmother and got the same answer. It doesn’t take much to start to believe the tree has always been there and always will be.
In the end, it is said that Yggdrasil will hide the last two survivors of Ragnarök and it and those two survivors will be the seeds of a new world and a new time. The tree lives on no matter what the end of the world scenario plays out as being.
The Rabyd Skald – Wandering Soul, Bard and Philosopher. The Grey Wayfarer.
Happy Sun’s Day. Back to the Pagan Pulpit as normal.
Announcements:
We don’t pray here – we figure God, the gods and goddesses, or whatever powers that be either know already, don’t give a fuck, or are busy with more important matters than our petty stuff. We also kind of assume that they expect us to do stuff that we can do for ourselves, and that we will do them ourselves and not be lazy. We also believe in being good friends, so we don’t presume on our friendship with the powers that be by asking them all the time for stuff while giving them nothing in return.
We also don’t take an offering here. We figure the powers that be probably don’t need it. Let’s be honest, offerings are not giving to the divine powers, they are given to an organization to support it. Just being honest. God, the gods or whatever never see a dime, farthing or peso of that money; it all goes to the church, mosque or shrine.
Opening Song: Freedom – Alice Cooper:
I suppose it was only a matter of time before Alice Cooper made his way to my pagan pulpit songs. I love this video more than the song as it was the spectacle that was a show by Alice. His musicians were buff too. Mostly its the line – free to rock and free to talk.
Poem: “The New Colossus” – Emma Lazarus
I have always loved this poem. It seems these days to many Americans forget that most of us started as refuges and refuge from other lands. Liberty is why people came here and it should still be true that all who seek liberty should be granted it.
Meditation:
Song of Preparation: Free Fallin’ – Tom Petty:
Miss Tom Petty but his song live on and this one has been a favorite of my when I am free-falling in my thoughts.
Text: I am Free – Robert A. Heinlein
“I am free, no matter what rules surround me. If I find them tolerable, I tolerate them; if I find them too obnoxious, I break them. I am free because I know that I alone am morally responsible for everything I do.” – Robert A. Heinlein
Sermon:
It was only a mater of time before I got to a quote from Robert Heinlein. The science fiction writer from the Golden Age of Science fiction was also a libertarian, nudist and political philosopher but he is most known for his science fiction which did have a profound impact on society particularly A Stranger in a Strange Land which influenced 1960s thinking and The Moon is a Harsh Mistress which cannot be underestimated in its influence on the United States landing on the moon in 1969.
Mostly as I read him, I find an unshakable understanding of the value of human freedom and liberty. Part of this is his rugged belief in the individual needing to be self-sufficient and in that I am completely in agreement with him. I have been a kindred soul of Mr. Heinlein since I first discovered him back in Bible College.
I meditate on this quote often. When I was Christian I used to have the belief that people either did what it right out of love for someone else or out of fear of punishment. For most people I think this is still true, but I think the real problem with both of these is that they are lower forms of moral motivation. Both of them lack an understanding of freedom and liberty as a motivating factor. Love of freedom is a higher motivator I think and causes one to be moral even when no one is watching. Or even when everyone is watching. Love for others implies I only act morally when I perceive others might be affected negatively. Fear implies that I only act morally because I want to avoid punishment. Both are outside forces making me be moral; they are not me acting on my own internal morality or taking responsibility for myself in my decisions.
There is a great deal of difference when someone act morally regardless of consequence. The essence of Heinlein’s quote is that the rules don’t matter. Love or Fear doesn’t matter. What matters is regardless I am free to act and in the end it is not love or fear that makes my actions moral but that I choose in freedom what to do. The moral responsibility is mine, regardless of love or fears I might have.
I take responsibility for my actions because they are mine and no one else’s. By the same principle, I don’t take moral responsibility for the choices another makes. Those choices belong to them; not me. It is why in relationships, the moral choice question disappears when people are coerced or forced to do something through law or fear. If they are manipulated to a choice, then that is also not a choice in freedom. It’s why as Libertarian I feel the real immoral forces of this world are the misuse force, threat of force and fraud. Nothing can be moral when it is influenced by these actions.
If it requires fear or love to be moral, then I am basically saying I have no internal morality. But once I understand the line: “I am free because I know that I alone am morally responsible for everything I do.” Then I know I am acting freely moral because I have chosen it; not because I was forced or manipulated to it.
I dwell on this quote a lot, mostly because I have been accused of manipulation. I don’t think people know how repugnant that idea is to me. Too many people live in the love and fear dynamic, and so they assume I do as well. I don’t. I take responsibility for my part in things; but if there is another person involved, they are responsible in equal measure to me. That’s why my marriage being rocky in the past was both of us. My affair this summer was both of us. I gladly take my responsibility for my part in both of those things as that is the morally right thing to do, but I hold the other side of both of those relationships responsible for their part in it as well. I don’t let them off the hook for what they did. Some people don’t like that. Tough rocks.
As I move forward, I want this understanding to guide my decisions. It lines very much with my concept of honor. It is not fear of law or god that motivates me. It is not love for others that motivates me. It is my own sense of personal honor that I alone am morally responsible for my actions that matters. Nothing more; Nothing less.
Closing Song: Let it Be – The Beatles:
The Beatles sooner or later would have made the Pulpit, but this week this song seems appropriate to me. Let it be.
Parting Thought:
Yes, it is. Something I am trying to come to grips with lately.
I remain,
The Rabyd Skald – Wandering Soul, Bard and Philosopher. The Grey Wayfarer.
I became interested in Norse mythology as a teenager. It was a combination of two factors.
Firstly, I played Dungeon’s and Dragons – 2nd edition. One of the realms I created as a Dungeon Master at the time was a Norse like realm with the Norse Pantheon in full power. My character from that realm was what would now be considered a Tempest Priest of Thor named Thane True-Blade. He had a brother Karic True-Blade who was a devoted follower of Tyr and a fighter. There was a female thief named Sylvia who was more or less devoted to Loki. You get the idea.
Secondly, there was the Marvel Comic world with Thor the comic book. No, I haven’t seen the movies. Reason? Because while the comics and D&D were instrumental in getting me involved in Norse mythology, I soon fell in far greater love with the actual mythology, than how it has been used or inspired other things.
I start each post on The Grey Wayfarer with “Happy Thor’s Day” or “Happy Frigg and Freya’s Day” This is an example of one of those inspirations. Our days of the week have four of them that are direct references to Norse gods and goddesses. It could be argued that Sunday and Monday are as well, but they are also generic references to the Sun and Moon. So we could be dealing with Apollo as much as Sunna/Sol and Luna as much as Mani, depending on which mythology you want to credit. But Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday all have direct reference to Norse mythology.
It is these references along with many others in the western world that draw me to Norse Mythology, Christianity didn’t erase them all and in fact sometimes embraced them and made them their own. Our recent celebration to Christmas; for instance, is full of things that are borrowed and plan out stolen from Norse Yuletide. Those symbols had other meanings but Christianity has taken them and repackaged them for their own use. I find it however interesting what has survived and why.
Much of western culture and heritage is Norse and no, I don’t find that anything to be ashamed of. In fact, there is a lot to be said for the lessons that Norse Mythology were teaching to its people. Religion shows what cultures value and try to pass on and so studying Norse mythology can help us see what those values were and how they were taught generation after generation.
Unlike the atheist who does not see any value to religion, I don’t take that course. Religions develop for reasons and not all of them are about manipulation or control. Part of paganism for me is that there are ‘universal’ truths and principles that religion guards and promotes which benefit society and often at some point they are turned into religion or become part of a religion mostly in an effort to preserve them. Religion for years was also the place where science at a low-level and philosophy was created and preserved and part of that is mythology. Stories that illustrate those principles and truths. Stories that teach are the stock in trade of mythology and that is not always a bad thing.
There is also the simple fact the Norse Mythology has had tremendous impact on modern culture particularly pop culture involving fantasy writing and movies. Elves, dwarves, giants, etc. all owe their inspiration to Norse mythology. Comics, movies, art and many other things draw on Norse Mythology. My writing is definitely influenced by it and has for a long time. But I am not alone there – Tolkien, CS Lewis, Robert Jordan, and many others join me in that regard.
There is also the fact that I simply find the Vikings bad ass warriors and a lot of why they did what they did was their mythology. It is a mythology formed in the harsh realities of the ice, snow and cold of the North. I understand how these relate all to well having lived in the North of North America all my life. So I suppose there is a natural resonance with such mythology for me as that mythology of the Norseman provides a common ground. A spiritual connection based on a commonly understood environment, if you will.
My methods of approaching this are much less systematic as those of say Odin’s Eye or Of Wolves and Ravens. What I think I will find more beneficial is a topical rather than chronological methodology in Crossing Bifrost. Topic Headings will include, but are not limited to, the following.
The Norse World – Yggdrasil (The World Tree) and Its Realms – Asgard, Midgard, Hel, etc.
Norse Races and Creatures – Elves, Dwarves, Giants, etc.
Norse Gods and Goddesses – Odin, Freya, Thor, Frigg, Loki, etc. This would also include god monsters like Fenrir the Great Wolf and the World Serpent Jörmungandr.
Norse Symbols and Objects – Thor’s Hammer Mjolnir, The Valknut Symbol ,etc.
Norse Culture and History – Probably a little more difficult to define but topics here might involve how the Norse Mythology influence Viking Culture and History.
Basically I will probably have a sub page under Crossing Bifrost for each of these where appropriate and them probably follow an alphabetical listing on each sub page itself. The one requirement basically is that it has to relate in some way to Norse Mythology to be posted here.
Hope you enjoy my journey of discover on this subject. If you learn something along the way – well that is good too.
I remain,
The Rabyd Skald – Wandering Soul, Bard and Philosopher. The Grey Wayfarer.
I have a similar problem to the one I had in Of Wolves and Ravens in that I need to establish a pattern of posts for Odin’s Eye as well. I have addressed my four main theological objections to Christianity and probably very soon they will have their own page so people can interact with them in a much more focused manner. I walk along waiting for people to offer answers to my honest objections and this platform will be for that too as beyond my main four I have many other objections toward Christianity and the Bible being the ‘Word of God’. Seems like a good discussion topic list for Odin’s Eye.
I will continue to discuss things regarding where I am spiritually. I will continue to discuss Deism, Humanism and Paganism here on Odin’s Eye. I also want to offer up a continuing critique of Christianity, the Bible and other religions. Plus a general criticism of religion in general can be expected. Part of my reason for this is to help refine what I am trying to discover, by eliminating what I think is false. So perhaps, the following pattern is good for starters:
Week 1 – Deism
Week 2 – Bible Problems
Week 3 – Humanism
Week 4 – Christianity Problems
Week 5 – Paganism
Week 6 – Religion Problems
Week 7 – The Wayfarer’s Spiritual Side
Week 8 – My Theological Objections to Christianity revisited.
It should be noted as well that for pagan holidays on the calendar I will interrupt this series and write about them. I am going at pagan holidays from the Norse Viking point of view. The next one is on February 2nd and is called Disting.
What I want to make abundantly clear is this. Like when I was a Christina theologian, I will always respect a counter argument. I am not trying to be offensive in my criticism, merely asking a lot of honest questions that need answers, and if you think you have one as a reader, don’t hesitate to give them. My interest here is not to bash people but to give reason to faith if it can be found. If not that element of faith is just that – blind trust with no evidence.
I also will remind people at this point that I have degrees in Biblical and Theological Studies. I don’t mind questions about whether I have considered something, but I do object to assumptions of ignorance. I guess the problem a lot of Christian and former Christian friends have or might have is this simple point, that I am not just a normal Christian who left his faith. I used to be a pastor and preacher. I am still knowledgeable about the bible and theology that Christianity employs.
I also have no tolerance for name calling, so if you want to get banned that’s a good way to do it. I work hard to not do it myself, so I expect the same courtesy in return.
I am on an honest search for spiritual truth if it can be found. If you can make me consider something that might lead me to that, I will welcome you with open arms. That would include returning to Christianity, if it could be proven past my theological objections. My purpose is not to tear down, but to refine and discover. If you enjoy the walk with me as a reader and learn something? Bonus.
I remain,
The Rabyd Skald – Wandering Soul, Bard and Philosopher. The Grey Wayfarer.
Happy Sun’s Day. It is also the 11th Night of Yuletide. This night is sacred to the Valkyries and Warriors. We remember those who choose the slain as the noble and honored dead destined for Valhalla, and those warriors who were chosen. Today we remember the virtue of Self-Reliance.
Announcements:
We don’t pray here – we figure God, the gods and goddesses, or whatever powers that be either know already, don’t give a fuck, or are busy with more important matters than our petty stuff. We also kind of assume that they expect us to do stuff that we can do for ourselves, and that we will do them ourselves and not be lazy. We also believe in being good friends, so we don’t presume on our friendship with the powers that be by asking them all the time for stuff while giving them nothing in return.
We also don’t take an offering here. We figure the powers that be probably don’t need it. Let’s be honest, offerings are not giving to the divine powers, they are given to an organization to support it. Just being honest. God, the gods or whatever never see a dime, farthing or peso of that money; it all goes to the church, mosque or shrine.
Today’s service resembles a concert more than a service. Basically, the idea struck me that I should do the past year, one month at a time, in song. So there will be no text or sermon today. Just one song per month (two for one month) representing each month as I experienced it. This probably as much as a reflection on this past year, but rather than write about it, I will just give you a song on each month and a little commentary.
I suppose a warning is in order as I am going to be pretty open here about my thoughts. I also should note that I had to take a break twice while writing this post. There are a lot of strong emotional memories to 2018 for me. Some good; some bad. In any case, my hope is a little more closure on a year I hope to not repeat. Overall it changed me for the better, but it was a helluva ride.
Music for me is still a an expression of the real emotions and thoughts I am having I can’t express in words. I think for this reason this way of doing a year review is probably more accurate in many ways than just writing about it.
January: No Rest for the Wicked – Godsmack:
I choose this song for the theme for the entirety of 2018. I started with the struggle to be a ‘man of God’ who had lost his faith. The whole year was me not getting enough rest because of all my struggles. In the end, I dropped the masks and I am probably far more at rest because I am more genuinely who I really am now. The verses of this song really reflect some of my thoughts to this day, so it fits.
February: American Pie – Don McLean:
In February, my long time organist and friend died. This represented the last of three great musicians/vocalists in my church and with this death for all practical purposes it was ‘the day the music died’ both in my church and my soul. It was my grief over this, and the fact only one person understood it at the time, that left me vulnerable.
March: Losing my Religion – REM:
March was a transitional month for me as I started to fall in love with someone I shouldn’t have. Looking back on it, and as warning to others, grief over the loss of two good friends in less than a year, a weak marriage and looking for comfort, left me open to this. That and not caring about my religion anymore. I had lost my faith a couple of years before due to theological reasons, but now the emotional side of it came crashing down.
April: Don’t Stand So Close to Me – The Police:
Lot’s of secret love this month. Both directions and both forbidden. I have come to a greater understanding of this song than I ever wanted to this year. Now when I hear this song, I remember the lessons of this past year vividly. Mostly how easy it is to submit to temptation, especially when you are hurting and want something to ease the pain. There is really no excuse for this, but there are reasons people do this which I now know all too well. I have no excuses, but I did have those reasons.
May: Monsters – Shinedown:
The shit hit the fan in late May and my monsters got loose. I think I made the remark at the time that the Pagan was freed from his cage and was kicking the Christian’s ass. I suppose this song stretches into June as well.
The reason it does, is I trusted someone I considered to be a friend with something important. They took advantage of that trust and betrayed me to get one more win over me, probably to stroke his already overly inflated ego. Yeah, rage doesn’t begin to describe what I felt when I found that out. It became greater as more details emerged during the summer and I began to discover how planned and maliciously thought out this betrayal was. It still is something I struggle with and quite frankly I finally found someone I don’t believe I can ever forgive. At least not until the scale of justice gets balanced first. Til then my monsters stay hungry and patiently wait.
June: Familiar Taste of Poison – Halestorm:
I fell in love with Halestorm this summer. I also fell fully in love with a young woman. It’s a decision I now regret. I think the relationship was full of natural chemistry but part of that chemistry was the additional effect of generating a toxicity that was wonderfully deadly. I didn’t want to be saved and I didn’t want to be sober. In the end, I think that toxicity killed it. I probably should be glad for that, but there is still a sadness and pain to it all for me. This song definitely captures that feeling for me still.
July: 400 Lux – Lorde:
I don’t like describing people as addictions. It makes them seem like they’re not people but the relationship I had was addicting. Relationships are things. We were always killing time together in July, so the lyrics fit too. It’s no accident I chose the video for this song that has scenes from The Perks of Being a Wall Flower. It’s a reminder, that life needs to be lived and not just observed. It’s also a book I probably will not read again for the foreseeable future. Maybe someday I will pick it up again with new eyes, because I really liked it. There are too many memories associated with it right now. That and the Song All of Me by John Legend. This song by Lorde I can still listen to and remember without it being too painful, but not that one.
August: Stuck with You – Huey Lewis and the News:
August was a roller coaster month. It was pivotal turning point. I went from being very special to the young woman in question to becoming someone they used to know in the space of less than a hour. I found a new job, but this happened the same day, so the joy of that disappeared. I found myself alone and bleeding from my soul pretty bad. In that state, I also woke up and began to think that my wife and I could save our marriage. From my perspective, it was a long shot and I fully expected my wife to tell me to go to hell.
But she didn’t. She accepted my apology and apologized to me in return. We talked, I mean really talked, for the first time in years. It started a healing process that is still in process, but we are better than we have ever been in a long while. This was the start of that.
Long story short, we found our way back together. In all of this, the only one who really never stopped loving me is her. The only one who exercised ‘Christian’ love, mercy and forgiveness was her. It overwhelmed me and I fell in love with her again. We picked this song as our own while on a weekend away. I am happy to be stuck with her and she is happy to be stuck with me.
September: Love Walks In – Van Halen:
In August I was standing in a convenience store when this song was played. I started singing it out loud as the cashier was doing so too. He stopped and asked me if it had meaning to me and I said it did now. I continue to play this song on my ‘Wife Playlist’, it makes me think of this moment and her every time. Throughout September it was my second favorite song next to Stuck With You.
October: I have two for this month. Sorry I couldn’t choose just one.
Both of these songs are on my current walking play list and have been so for a long time. In October as school began in earnest, I found myself listening to them every day. I still do when I listen to music.
Prayer – Disturbed:
It is the way I pray – ‘living isn’t hard enough without ‘god’ making it harder. I love the lyrics of this song and the feelings behind it. It reflects a lot of my continued struggles with faith.
Voices – Disturbed:
I love the video of this song as it reflects the song so well. I like how the guy is bullied, made fun of and has that girl he likes moment where she dissed him. He then fantasizes about how to get even with them all – the voices speak in his head. Instead of acting on them though, he just leaves work and goes to a concert and lets it all go instead. I listen to this one a lot when I am having dark thoughts. It helps them simmer down.
November – Hammer to Fall – Queen:
I include this one for a lot of reasons: 1) The biopic Bohemian Rhapsody was released this month and my daughter and I had a date and went to see it. Best movie I have seen in a long time. 2) I think in some ways it became a month of returning to ‘normal’ where my wife and I, my family and the friends I have left are back to some sense of stability. This song kind of is symbolic of that as my daughter and I got back to talking music, books and movies – instead of the chaos of my life. 3) The message of this song. The hammer is going to fall, so live life fully. 4) Plus it wouldn’t a music list without Queen.
December: Dreams – Van Halen:
Reflective of the end of the year. I graduated college (with a little work to do) and my wife, myself and family have been celebrating the holidays together. I am starting to dream again about what my life will be. Dreams are what love is made of according to the song and honestly my life has started to reflect that again.
Parting Thought:
Wishing you the most prosperous journey as you travel through 2019.
I remain,
The Rabyd Skald – Wandering Soul, Bard and Philosopher. The Grey Wayfarer.
Happy Saturn’s Day. It is the 10th Night of Yuletide. Today is sacred to Sunna, goddess of the Sun and Light. It is about the celebration of the return of the sun more and more each day until Midsummer. Today we remember the higher virtue of Justice. That is light bringing out the truth, so that we can be just.
I suppose it is fitting that the day I begin this series is also the day of Yuletide that celebrates the goddess of the sun Sunna or Sol. I have decided to call this regular feature that considers Norse Mythology: “Crossing Bifrost”. The Bifrost Bridge being the burning rainbow bridge (rainbows being created by light from the sun) that connected Midgard (earth) with Asgard (the realm of the gods) in Norse Mythology. The idea is to travel across this bridge into the world of Norse Mythology and in so doing learn something of value.
With this regular feature in place there is a kind of trifecta of sorts to my thinking each week. Of Wolves and Ravens considers philosophy and in particular my philosophy. Odin’s Eye Considers the issues of Spirituality and Religion and in particular my spirituality. Now Crossing Bifrost will be about my thoughts on Norse Mythology and what we can learn as people from those myths.
Religion and mythology are created by men for various reasons. I would say a couple of these reasons are 1) to teach principles a culture deems important and 2) give examples of those principles in story. People resonate with stories far faster than lectures.
A word of warning, I am no expert on Norse mythology. Far from it. I actually am doing this series to help my own understanding and knowledge of the subject. I do however have a lot of experience in looking at stories and drawing the moral meaning out of them. I will probably make some mistakes because of my ignorance. If so, and someone out there knows better than I, feel free to correct me. I am taking the role of learner with this series and perhaps moral commentator from time to time and not necessarily teacher.
I will of course write this series with a main goal of your entertainment and enjoyment. Hopefully, we all will learn something each week and more importantly apply something of virtue and value to our lives. Stories should teach lessons and I feel Norse Mythology does do that. I hope you enjoy it.
The Rabyd Skald – Wandering Soul, Bard and Philosopher. The Grey Wayfarer.
Happy Thor’s Day. This is the 8th Night of Yuletide. this night is sacred to Skadi and Ullr – The goddess Skadi is a giantess associated with skiing, bow hunting, winter, and the mountains. Ullr is the god of snowshoes, hunting, the bow, and the shield. The idea behind this night is hunting and being outdoors. It is also a day to remember those who provide our meals and sustenance. The Virtue remembered tonight is Truth.
Introduction:
I am wrapping up my four main theological objections to Christianity with the simple but profound fact that the god of the Bible is very suspect in as far as whether or not he is just and acts with justice. I would go so far to say that the god of the Bible does not follow his own clearly stated guidelines for justice – 1) “Eye for eye, tooth for tooth” and 2) Restitution Included. Namely that the punishment should fit the crime and that restitution when merited should be offered. This is the standard of justice found in the Torah or Law of Moses. Jesus of Nazareth takes this on in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7 pointing out that the principles of justice were still valid and in fact because things should be done for the love of god, they were even more challenging. God expects Christians to still be just and follow his principles of justice. The issue is: does the god of the Bible follow his own rules. I would say not.
Faith:
From a standpoint of my own faith, the biblical god’s justice, and in particular the doctrine of Hell, has always been a problem. My standard answer throughout my days as a pastor to others that asked was that the justice of god was a mystery. That someday, we would know it all and see that this god was just to send people to hell. Even if they were people who we loved and who this god claimed to love. But it was more than that as some of the stories of god executing justice were a little lacking in justice. Job’s trial is a good example where God allows the Devil to kill all of Job’s children and servants save a few and does it simply to test Job to see if he will remain faithful. The Biblical god’s answer of – “I am god, that’s why.” is a little lacking in reasoning for a supreme being for one and the whole situation is lacking in compassion not just for Job but for all the people slain for another. They all lived and died simply to satisfy a bet between the Devil and the almighty is a little much to reconcile with the idea of God is love. Stuff like this definitely tests your faith and it should.
Religion:
The thing is most religious responses to the justice of God dilemma either cite ‘mystery’ (read – I don’t have a good answer, so I am going to punt) or our ignorance. Simply put they both attempt to give a god a different standard of justice than we follow. How convenient, but also telling that we cannot even use the standard of justice of ‘eye for eye’ with the biblical god. The very standard that this god gives, he does not follow.
The fact that I used to come up with this double standard for god myself bothered me for years when I realized that is what I was doing. A standard of justice is only viable if it is evenly applied to all. It should be logical and consistent enough that it CAN be applied to all without exception. We have learned not to tolerate double standards between those that lead and those that follow so why here? Why does this god of the Bible get a free pass for being hypocritical?
Religion does its damnedest to keep us from seeing this, and it does it by trying to make God so high his different standard of justice is justified. It sounds like a ruling religious class seeking to justify why they can impose rules on others that they don’t have to follow themselves. After all, they are ‘men of god’ and so as Cardinal Richelieu points out in the Three Musketeers movie in 1993 – “The Cardinal is not subject to the laws of men”. Easy to justify if you create a different standard of justice for your god and you then say you are subject to that standard, not the standard of men.
Theology:
But the Biblical God fails theologically and it comes out best in the doctrine of Hell and final judgment. Everything we will do is in a short temporal time of existence but everything about the final judgment of the god of the Bible is eternal. In short, this god is going to punish us in an eternal and permanent way for our behavior in temporal and non-permanent existence. This includes annihilation and eternal punishment views. The only thing that might save Christianity here as far as theology is actually the idea of purgatory where the punishment is redemptive and non-permanent. But even here there is a postulate that punishment can last centuries compared to the shortness of life.
So being burned like the rich man is said to be burned is somehow eye for eye and tooth for tooth? In that story, the rich man is burned not because he defied god but because he had a good life and Lazarus was rewarded because he had suffered in life. Go look at the story (Luke 16) yourself, this is the rationale that is given. So because a guy had it good he is punished with burning fire? How is this eye for eye? Justice would have been to have the two trade places for a second life, not that he is burned for a long period of time.
There is little justice in this story, just a god who on the one hand in the Old Testament tells people who prosperity is a sign of God’s blessing and then turning around and saying though that if you do become prosperous, the biblical god is going to burn you as punishment for it. In a full analysis of the biblical account not only are there many accounts where god’s justice is a little suspect but where he violates the very rules he sets forward because he gets jealous or angry. Like the other mythologies, the biblical god is very human and reflects probably more of the attitude of the author of that particular passage than the almighty that actually might exist.
Spirituality:
For me personally, I come back to the quote I have used before. If the god or gods are just then they will judge us based on the virtues we lived by. If they are not just, then they do not deserve to be served. If there are no gods then, we should live in such a way as to be fondly remembered. I worry less about an afterlife; because regardless, it is this life I must live either way. I choose to live based on virtue because, in the end, it is all I really have. My own personal responsibility for the life I live is mine alone. Cue Robert Heinlein.
Conclusion:
I will revisit these objections in the future with other thoughts. Odin’s Eye will continue to be a discussion point on faith, religion, spirituality, and theology. I will continue to use it to find a path to knowledge and wisdom. What you may see in the future is me actually deal with more specific Biblical passages and why they are problematic. There will also be the continued discussions of deism, humanism, and paganism. I probably will have a more detailed plan next Odin’s Eye.
I remain,
The Rabyd Skald – Wandering Soul, Bard, and Philosopher. The Grey Wayfarer.
Happy Moon’s Day. It’s the 5th night of Yule. This night is sacred to community. A Feast usually done this night with a potluck, mead, friendship bread and gingerbread people. Tonight is about remembering the virtue of Hospitality.
Journal Entry:
It being the last full week of the year, I am thinking about the changes to my routines and goals and so forth. This has really been a very difficult year looking back on it with deep lows and high highs. Nothing really in between was present. I suppose this is going to be a reflective week and I need to watch that. The Grey is still around and being overly focused on the negative can bring that down with more power.
What I want to do this week is have shorter journal entries and put more writing in the bottom part of the stuff on each journal entry to talk about changes and what I am trying to do there. This is the last full week of the year, so it needs to be done.
Honor:
“Honor is the feeling of inner value and worth from which one knows that one is noble of being, and the desire to show respect for this quality when it is found in the world”
Principle – Be positive about my future
I don’t see any need to change the Principle concerning this Virtue. As far as honor goes think more about my future and less about the past. In that sense I feel some sense of value to my wife and family. I feel valued by the co-workers but at the same time the work I do is not something I can or want to do forever. I need something a little more significant from my perspective.
Courage:
“Courage is the bravery to do what is right always.”
Principle – Act with Courage at the right time.
No need to change things here either. Things are working well and I feel more brave and it is going to be needed more and more as this next year starts to unfold.
Truth:
“Truth is the willingness to be honest and to say what one knows to be true and right. It is often better to not say anything at all if one cannot be honest.”
Principle – Pursue knowledge, wisdom and truth at all times.
No need for change here either. I simply need to get better about being truthful with myself and others. Or just keep my mouth shut. Mostly I am just trying to dedicate myself to study more and reading.
Morning Routine:
Review Nine Noble Virtues (NNV) and Principles
Meditate on the Virtues
Review Goals
Review Bucket List
Full Body Stretch
Breakfast
Supplements and Medicines
Shower and Personal Hygiene
Get Dressed for the Day
I already made changes here and this routine is the most solid I have. I really need to make the meditation part a little more formal but the routine itself is solid and works.
Bucket List:
Go Back to Budapest, Hungary for a vacation.
Get My Tattoos.
Actually Get Drunk.
Smoke a Joint.
Hike the Northern Lakeshore Trail along the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
One of these things has to come off this list by June 30th. I don’t want to change anything here and perhaps what I do need to do is put a collage picture on the wall with representations of all these things. That should be side by side with one with my goals.
Weightlifting:
The only change needed here is I need a new gym and need to get back into lifting. This will probably happen after the new year or near the end of this one.
The Rabyd Skald – Wandering Soul, Bard and Philosopher. The Grey Wayfarer.
Happy Sun’s Day. It is the 4th Night of Yule. This day is dedicated to the gods Freyr and Njord. It is about peace and having a good upcoming season. Tonight is about the virtue of love and the developing a sense of community. Compassion, forgiveness and mercy are all present in this night of Yuletide.
Announcements:
We don’t pray here – we figure God, the gods and goddesses, or whatever powers that be either know already, don’t give a fuck, or are busy with more important matters than our petty stuff. We also kind of assume that they expect us to do stuff that we can do for ourselves, and that we will do them ourselves and not be lazy. We also believe in being good friends, so we don’t presume on our friendship with the powers that be by asking them all the time for stuff while giving them nothing in return.
We also don’t take an offering here. We figure the powers that be probably don’t need it. Let’s be honest, offerings are not giving to the divine powers, they are given to an organization to support it. Just being honest. God, the gods or whatever never see a dime, farthing or peso of that money; it all goes to the church, mosque or shrine.
Opening Song: Halford – Get into the Spirit:
Halford is the lead singer for Judas Priest. I really like the fact that metal music can do this kind of thing. Do something different. Some of his takes on classic hymns at Christmas are superb.
Poem: “Yuletide Prayer” – Jenna
Meditation:
Just something personal I have noted in my life. I actually feel far less stress. I haven’t enjoyed the holidays like this in years. Just saying.
Song of Preparation: Pentatonix – Carol of the Bells:
What a great group these people are. I can’t say enough of how I have enjoyed Pentatonix over the years.
Text:
“Happy Holidays”
Sermon:
Just a short word today – Happy Holidays to all that come here and read my stuff. I trust you will find this holiday season full of peace, joy, hope and love. Enjoy the season and live life fully in the coming years.
Skaal!!!
Closing Song: “Baby It’s Cold Outside” – Lady Gaga and Joseph Gordon-Levitt:
You probably can tell where I stand on this controversy, This is clearly two people who have the hots for each other and there is this game they are playing back and forth. Seeing in this version Lady Gaga is playing the part of the person trying to convince the other to stay, is she trying to rape him? Sorry, the notion is ridiculous. both of these people want to go at it with each other. It’s not undo pressure, it’s actually cultural concern by what outsiders will think that is the issue.
Gods, I don’t know when Puritanism became politically correct, but it needs to be stopped. Let’s be honest this is got to be another example of political correctness being something we need to discard as the language and cultural fascism it is. Are we really going to get to the point where flirting and seduction is going to be considered rape itself?
Enjoy the holidays and keep warm with the one you love.
Parting Thought:
I remain,
The Rabyd Skald – Wandering Soul, Bard and Philosopher. The Grey Wayfarer.
The Grey Wayfarer 