Writing

The Rabyd Skald – New Year and Blog Changes

/ Ed Raby Sr / Leave a comment

Happy Moon’s Day.

As I come into the new year I just need to make some blogging and writing announcements and offer up some thanks to my readers.  It should be noted that my last post I passed a milestone of 100 posts on this blog and this is 101.

Firstly with the new year you are going to see some changes in the pages at the top of the blog.  Mostly this is a practical change as after three months the pages are getting a little crowded with posts so I need to start breaking things down by two month intervals each with their own page which will be sub page under the main headings. I am going to make sure more links are available for navigation purposes.

There are also going to be new pages reflecting some new post types. I already started the page for Crossing Bifrost my new series on Norse Mythology.   I will also be starting a new fictional page for sort stories and poems under a new heading of some sort. That will make its debut in January sometime.

My daily writing schedule this coming year will hopefully look something like this.

Blogging: (every day) 

  1. Page the previous days posts.
  2. Edit today’s post.
  3. Write tomorrow’s post.
  4. Write blog fiction for a half hour

Writing: ( 4/ days a week) 

  1. Edit previous writing
  2. Put 1000 words on paper.

I thought about this a lot and I don’t find this overly ambitious considering a lot of things that used to take up my time like school and ministry are no longer present. I must consider being a writer as a possible career or side career and this is as good a time as any to do so.

Thank You and Happy New Year:

I want to thank all my readers for this year. If you hung around the whole thing you know I went through three blogs, a thousand personal crises and tremendous stressful change. If you hung around and were supportive though all that, I give you my most sincere thanks. Thank You and mostly thank you for reading no matter who you are.  It’s what writers live for – to be read.

Finally, Best wishes for the New Year. May 2019 be your best year yet.

Yours,

The Rabyd Skald – Wandering Soul, Bard and Philosopher. The Grey Wayfarer.

Skaal!!!

Crossing Bifrost – Introduction

/ Ed Raby Sr / Leave a comment

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.

Skaal!!!

A Skald’s Life – Business Virtues – Family Values

/ Ed Raby Sr / Leave a comment

Happy Wooden’s Day. It is also the 7th Night of Yuletide.  This night is sacred to Thor and Children.  There is an idea here of resurrection and renewal.  The idea of continuation in this night with children being the future and Thor’s sacrificing his two goats with his hammer for food and then raising them back to life the next morning as part of the mythology.  Thus the basis for the virtue of Fidelity, which is remembered tonight,  which is continuation and legacy.

Journal Entry:

I guess the only thoughts worth considering this week were the continued questions of faith with the whole Christmas thing. It is very strange, in a getting used to it sense, to not be celebrating Christmas in the sense I used to celebrate it.  That is celebrating the incarnation of Christ.  I just don’t buy that anymore. So I move along with people wishing me Merry Christmas and me saying ‘Happy Holidays’ in return and not getting bent out of shape about it either way.  There is a pagan part of me that wants to say ‘Blessed Yuletide’ back but perhaps this isn’t the time for me to do that yet. I have a lotto sort out yet regarding my faith.

The truth is though I want any holiday to be a time of community and family. So it is better not be an ass about it and move along given that most of my family is Christian including my wife.  It was weird Christmas Eve as it was the first time in a long time that I wasn’t at a candlelight service.  Instead I let my wife go alone and I stayed at home.  I spent the time thinking and meditating on a few things.

The one thing I will probably be doing in between writing fiction is working on The Book of Rabyd.  You can find an older incarnation of this book here: The Book of Rabyd.  The design was a book of principles, wisdom and sayings of the family passed down through the years.  I was reworking it on the Microphone.  I am going to try to rework it again as it needs to be updated. It is the basis for the values of the family.  It is also my legacy to my children and grandchildren.

The one thing though that starts today is the active seeking of a new job.  Time for me to be about the Business Virtues and pursuing my goals.

Self-Reliance:

“Self Reliance is the spirit of independence, which is achieved not only for the individual, but also for the family, clan, tribe and nation.”

Principle: Work to be self-reliant in all things.

The issue as always is to be independent.  To not be reliant on others for my life and lifestyle. This extends to my family as well, and that it is just my wife and I in practicality.  The hope is to be debt free and prosperous to the point we don’t need anyone’s help to stand on or own two feet. So far so good, but more needs to be done for the future’s sake.

Industriousness:

“Industriousness is the willingness to work hard, always striving for efficiency, as a joyous activity in itself”

Principle: Work with enjoyment of work itself.

Funny thing is as much as I bitch about work with my fellow employees, I actually am starting to enjoy working for work sake. Now I just need to find something I enjoy doing as well for its sake and mine.

Hospitality:

“Hospitality is the willingness to share what one has with one’s fellows, especially when they are far from home.”

Principle: Be ready to be hospitable to those who truly need it.

You know, we are getting to the point where fiends over for dinner and a movie is not beyond the realm of possibility.  if I only had some friends that were local. I hoping through a new job to find some.  I just still have this problem of trusting people after being betrayed.

 Daily Routine:

  1. Communication / Cuddle Time
  2. Blogging
  3. Reading / Study – 1 hour per day minimum or until all necessary work is completed.
  4. Writing – 1000 words/day outside the Blogging.
  5. Empty In Box
  6. Financial Transaction Input

This new routine is working out better.  I still think though that another change is in order in the writing department. That’s why I added the Writing part.  Time to start working on that novel and perhaps my career as a writer.

Goals: 

  1. Be transparent with my wife to improve communication
  2. Finalize last requirements for my degree – Internship.
  3. Find a new, better paying job by the end of January 2019 or before.
  4. In 2019 have  a clear budget and financial plan working by the end of the year.
  5. Maintain a daily blog streak of one post per day for an entire year (365 days).
  6. Keep gym membership going somewhere and lift weights minimum of four times per week and walk minimum four times per week through end of 2019
  7. Follow Paleo Diet completely and use intermittent fasting until the end of 2019
  8. Cross one thing off bucket list every six months (Deadlines July 1st, and December 31st of 2019)
  9. Be in the best shape I can be by March 18th, 2019 (50th birthday), take pictures.

# 3 is front and center and # 6.  Both I hope to get going very soon, Once Number 3 and 2 are finished I will consider myself on my way to my new chapter of my life.  Goals: achieved since Summer 2018: 1

Budgeting: 

  1. Basic Emergency Fund – $1000
  2. Debt Snowball
  3. Fully funded Emergency fund
  4. Invest 15% of income into retirement
  5. Pay off Home Early
  6. Build Wealth and Give

I think the real reason we are following this is because both of us can agree to it. It will work we just need to up the income side of things.

The Rabyd Skald – Wandering Soul, Bard and Philosopher. The Grey Wayfarer.

Skaal!!!

Of Wolves and Ravens – Philosophy on a Schedule

/ Ed Raby Sr / Leave a comment

Happy  Tyr’s Day.  It is also the 6th night of Yuletide.  This night is sacred to the goddess Eir and Healing.  Eir being one of the Valkyrie who was famous for her healing skills.  I know today is December 25th and is sacred to all you Christians out there.  It used to mean a lot to me in this regard as well. So Merry Christmas and best wishes for the New Year.  Today we pagans celebrate the virtue of Discipline mostly in regard to taking care of one’s self in regard to health.

Well, this will not be a normal Of Wolves and Ravens.  As promised I am establishing a pattern for writing Of Wolves and Ravens. With a pattern I have a pretty good chance of being disciplined in writing it each week. I will be doing the same for Odin’s Eye and my New Series on Saturday on Norse Mythology. Haven’t come up with a unique title for that yet, but I will.

Topics I want to include here in Of Wolves and Ravens must meet the requirement of being a philosophical discussion. So included here is discussions of the Nine Noble Virtues of Asatru, The three higher virtues – Love, Justice and Wisdom.  Discussions on Minimalism and Libertarianism will here as well.  I must say this would be a good place to discuss economics and political philosophy so that will be here as well as regular western and eastern philosophy.  I think a ten week pattern is in order.

Week 1 – Nine Noble Virtues and The Higher Virtues

Week 2 – Honor and Eastern Philosophy

Week 3 – Courage and Western Philosophy

Week 4 – Truth and Love

Week 5 – Self Reliance and Minimalism

Week 6 – Industriousness and Economics

Week 7 – Hospitality and Justice

Week 8 – Discipline and Political Science

Week 9 –  Perseverance and Libertarianism

Week 10 – Fidelity and Wisdom

I think this pattern will be a good one as it will keep me covering a lot of different topics and not getting stuck on too many.  I will try to bring modern events and other things into the discussion as much as possible.

I want to change the nature of the Wolves and Ravens as far as Need, Want, Reason and Wisdom which will still appear at the end and make them more personal to myself. Taking the discussion about whatever topic is there for the week and putting it into practice personally is the goal at that point.  This should keep me writing and more importantly changing for the better as I continue this journey I call my life.

I remain,

The Rabyd Skald – Wandering Soul, Bard and Philosopher. The Grey Wayfarer.

Skaal!!!

The Pagan Pulpit – Happy Holidays

/ Ed Raby Sr / Leave a comment

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

See the source image

Meditation:

Image may contain: one or more people, text that says 'To be honest, I'm doing perfectly fine without the people I had to walk away from. Jekyll Doesn't Hide'

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:

See the source image

I remain,

The Rabyd Skald – Wandering Soul, Bard and Philosopher. The Grey Wayfarer.

Skaal!!!

The Rabyd Skald – The Grey and the Wayfarer (Part 4) – Resolution? (And a Few Notes About Writing Plans)

/ Ed Raby Sr / Leave a comment

Happy Saturn’s Day.  It is Day 3 of Yuletide. This night is sacred to Mani the god of the moon who determines its course each night and determines its phases.  The Night is also sacred to the concept of darkness. This night honors the beginning of the return of the sun.  This is where the yule log tradition is; where hunters light one and jump its flames for luck in the coming year.  It is also a day to remember and honor the virtue of Courage. 

The Grey and the Wayfarer:

It’s been a while since I have written about my depression battle and perhaps it is because this seems to be such a normal thing to me right now and in fact The Grey has been strong, but I have kept walking through it and made it to the other side. I won’t say my problem with depression is resolved as in ended so much as it has been easier to resolve to walk through it.

In large part I have had some struggle this semester in school because of it but I look back and realize that I walked through it and made it and in the process did some good work in school.  Some of it was crap because of the drain of energy The Grey can have at times; but other parts of it were good. I mean I did really well in my international business class and my economics class. I enjoyed both of them which was something that was good.

I have love-hate relationship with my depression.  I love the times where I am coming out of it and there is a burst of creativity and clarity I simply cannot explain.  It’s the fucking valleys that suck that you have to walk through to get to those moments.

Today is about writing as much as depression, as I use writing as a way to fight it.  I find that I can artificially pull myself out of depression by writing.  It’s kind of tool at times to force me to shift from the valley to the mountain. This blog has been an instrument of that several times since its creation.  Well, with time off from school and just having work to go to, I have been thinking about some changes to The Grey Wayfarer’s writing schedule.

Writing Notes: 

Most of the stuff that is scheduled will stay the same: Sun’s Day: The Pagan Pulpit, Moon’s Day: A Skald’s Life – Foundational Virtues, Tyr’s Day: Of Wolves and Ravens, Wooden’s Day: A Skald’s Life – Business Virtues, Thor’s Day: Odin’s Eye, Frigg and Freya’s Day: A Skald’s Life – Self Virtues.

The problem of course is Saturn’s Day which has been Rogue Wizard and The Grey Wayfarer sharing space.  Sometimes not doing either and doing one of these The Rabyd Skald posts in its place like today has happened too.  I have the additional problem of now that school is over of wanting to write more on the fiction side of the ball.  Not just for the blog either but on the side in that I would actually get my novel done by the end of June.

Now I have done more than just the fantasy type stuff of The Grey Wayfarer serial and the urban fantasy stuff of Rogue Wizard. I have done science fiction and I would like to even do some fiction of a more normal nature.  My mom is a fan of mysteries and thrillers are often enjoyable.  My thing for the blog might be simply Short Stories of various types. I reluctantly admit that doing a poem and commenting on it might be viable as well. My point I that I have a lot of ideas running in my head and I am thinking of how to create  platform to present them.

I just don’t know if my fiction should be confined to a single day anymore and Saturn’s Day should instead be another regular feature.  I want to give that some thought but right now I am leaning toward a weekly discussion of Norse Mythology.  The fiction however might one of those things where I write them in a pattern and when one is finished, it gets posted the as a second post for the day.  What I may simply do is set aside say an hour to a half hour where I just write the fictional stuff each day and when one gets finished to my satisfaction, I will post it.

For you the reader this could be difficult, I mean it means taking what you get and waiting for your favorite to come about which is why using an established order will be employed to make sure I don’t get stuck on one thing. I will tentatively guarantee two of these a week as well. At first I will just do the two fictional series I have been doing and I will announce when something is added.  Just know that there are some changes coming and hopefully they will be good ones.

The Rabyd Skald – Wandering Soul, Bard and Philosopher. The Grey Wayfarer.

Skaal!!!

 

 

Odin’s Eye – 12 Nights of Yule

/ Ed Raby Sr / Leave a comment

Happy Thor’s Day.  Also happy first day of Yuletide – Tonight is Mother’s Night which is a celebration to honor the goddesses Frigg, Freya and Disir. It marks the Winter Solstice eve.  The official last day of the year in some Germanic and Celtic Traditions. Today we remind ourselves of the Virtues of Motherhood and Industriousness. 

Introduction:

I had an awkward conversation at work about Christmas.  Basically people wanted to do a secret Santa thing and to be honest I am way too broke for that right now.  I basically said my religion is complicated.  This post will drop on December 20th which is the first day of the twelve nights of Yule or Yuletide.  This is a really complicated time for pagans in that different pagan traditions celebrate the end of the year in many ways.  The Germanic, Anglo-Saxon and Scandinavian traditions all get mixed up here in the united States, but most of what you see as far a traditional ‘Christmas’ is actually Yuletide symbols and traditions from those pagan traditions, mixed with a story about a baby in Bethlehem and presto – Christmas.

That said this holiday had a long-standing tradition before Christianity arrived, which is about ultimately a Celebration of the Winter Solstice and the rebirth of the sun.

Faith:

My faith is complicated on this subject because to be quite honest one of the main reasons I say I am a pagan is so I can celebrate holidays with everyone else. I have no problem celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah, or any other holiday at this time of the year along with Yuletide with the pagans.  I look for the commonalities of faith in this holiday and in large part it is about final ending and starting the New Year.  It is a season of hope and joy regardless of tradition and so that I can join in with my fellow humans and celebrate the end of the year and the rebirth of the new one.

Religion:

The pagan traditions that survive at this time of year are quite extensive, from decorating trees, to the yule log to Christmas carols.  Kissing under the mistletoe is a favorite of mine. The resurrection theme in Christmas is just as prevalent in the idea of the resurrection of the sun only Christians will talk about the future resurrection of the son of God.   Gift giving predates Christianity as does holly and even fruit cake,

I find the fact that the whole twelve days of Christmas thing is actually a response to the twelve nights of yule. The actual tradition is very complicated but I found a good web page on Nordic Wiccan about it called The 12 Nights of Yule. Next year I may do a series about this holiday marking each of the twelve days as I find the whole thing fascinating. I am kind of new to this pagan thing, so I am still learning and the more I learn the more I enjoy the mythology behind it all.

Theology:

I suppose the real powers that be don’t mind us humans celebrating that which makes humanity great even in the middle of the darkest time of the year.  Us northerners have four seasons and it gets darker and darker and then as winter continues it gets lighter and lighter and eventually the sun’s rebirth will cause life to return to us in Spring.  The idea of rebirth is an old theological concept and it isn’t just found in Christianity or Paganism.  Nearly all religions have a concept of rebirth.  This idea of hope in darkness and joy in the midst of darkness is pretty common too.

Spirituality:

I am not sure how I feel about Christmas as an X-Christian other than the story is nice.  one of the things I may start doing is looking at certain Biblical stories and pointing out why they are problematic and the whole Nativity story is really problematic.   I also think that on a human level I can learn spiritually from any faith that genuinely tries to celebrate spirit of joy and hope. It is a family holiday and a time to remember some important things. I guess I like the fact it is a time of celebration from a standpoint of Yule rather than a single day.

Conclusion:

I like Yule and I like the concepts it is trying to both teach and uphold.  I think if I had more time I would have liked to dig deeper into this for this year, but it will just have to be a time of wonder, joy and peace for me this year. As I go through next year, part of what I will be doing is researching all this.  As a  writer of fiction, I smell a lot of potential stories in all this. A time to enjoy my family and life.

So I remain,

The Rabyd Skald – Wandering Soul, Bard and Philosopher. The Grey Wayfarer.

Skaal!!!

The Rabyd Skald – Graduation Day

/ Ed Raby Sr / Leave a comment

Happy Saturn’s Day and Congrats Ferris State University’s Class of Fall 2018. 

I am taking not going to be posting the normal post today.  Don’t worry now that I have a break from my studies through the holidays, I will probably post a couple extra The Grey Wayfarer (Fantasy Serial) and Rogue Wizard post next week to make up for it.  I want to actually kind of work on those two series in the coming weeks as a way to cool down from academia.  BS in Political Science (with minors in Economics and International Business) ‘finished’.

I graduate today.  Not that I am finished.  I have an internship and maybe another class to do.  But I have met the requirements to walk across the platform so I am going to do so.  I need a win for the end of the year.  I will be a full-time student next semester simply because of the need for financial aid to finish the above.

Starting tomorrow, I will be back to the blogging routine. I will also start making arrangements for my internship and seeing what classes I can take online to keep that full-time status but most of the pressure will be off from a degree completion pint of view.

This last semester was the hardest I had to do not because it was academically challenging.  Rather,  it was an emotional up hill battle from day one.  I was emotional exhausted after the summer and so I fought motivational issues all semester, including right to the end.  But, I finished and fell over the line doing it. We will see what pieces I still have to pick up next semester but today I will wear the black robe the cap and walk the platform.  Just another path of the walk of life for the Grey Wayfarer.

See you tomorrow,

The Rabyd Skald – Wandering Soul, Bard and Philosopher. The Grey Wayfarer.

Skaal!!!

The Rabyd Skald – Once More into the Breach

/ Ed Raby Sr / Leave a comment

Happy Tyr’s Day

I know I am not a warrior in the physical military sense. I guess the closest I have come is playing football which required a certain physicality with violent action.  I can hit someone at full speed and they would feel it, fight off people trying to grab me and keep my balance.  I have an aversion implanted from four years of football drills to being on the ground. When I fall for any reason, my first instinct is to get back to my feet.  At six-foot five inches and a muscled 290 lbs. frame I don’t usually get a lot of people threatening me.  I have a lot of strength and power with good flexibility and I can walk quite a ways without stopping to rest.  While not ever having served in any military, I have a warrior mindset which I have applied to peace time activities. The old Japanese proverb applies:

See the source image

Thanks to my father, I know how to shoot straight.  I know how to engage in stillness when hunting and I have hunted enough that if it became a necessity for me I could pick it up and do it without too much adjustment.  I gave hunting not because I think it is immoral or just hated the activity.  I gave it up because it just isn’t a chief interest of mine and my father died and the only times I enjoyed hunting was when I did it with him.

I still would like some martial arts training  and I don’t think it is too late for that.  The whole viking thing has made me wonder what it would truly be like to fight with sword and shield wearing mail.  Not much good when it comes to a world of firearms but the physical exercise might be beneficial in other ways.  I may be getting older but that doesn’t mean I need to fade away.

Mostly I am a warrior against the forces of life. I take the Nine Noble Virtues of Asatru to heart and apply them to my life where they fit. Right now it is once more into the breach (Henry the Fifth still being my favorite Shakespeare play – the movie version from 1989 staring Kenneth Branagh being my favorite) and I am nearing the end of Fall 2018 at Ferris.  If things are going well by the time this post drops, I will have finished my capstone paper and submitted it and with that my Health Economics class will be finished as well.  I will only have Inferential Stats and that involves putting together three statistical reports and submitting them on exam day tomorrow.  If I am making good progress I might be done today and Wednesday will be an actual rest day or preparation day for my capstone defense.

In any case, the warrior mind is to defeat each project by completing it.  The time for feasting is near.

The Rabyd Skald – Wandering Soul, Bard and Philosopher. The Grey Wayfarer.

Skaal!!!

A Skald’s Life – Foundational Virtues – A Viking Soul

/ Ed Raby Sr / Leave a comment

Happy Moon’s Day

Journal Entry:

I get asked once in a while if I have Viking ancestry and if that is why I like them so much.  Truth is I don’t know. Part of the mystery of being me is my father’s side of the family in that biologically, I might be. I do know that German blood flows in these veins and the whole Scandinavian – Germanic mythology was pretty much the same, except the names were changed and later the two mythologies merged. I want someday to do a genetics test and maybe hunt down some of dad’s ancestry.  I do hope there is some Scandinavian descent in there somewhere.

Were all human and I work very hard not to think my heritage makes me better or worse for that matter than everyone else. I reject racism of all types including the type done by liberals when they want white people to feel guilty for the past crimes of ancestors. I am only responsible for my own actions, not my father’s or any of my forefather’s

I do think I have a Viking Soul.  I resonate with the warrior philosophy of the Nine Noble Virtues (NNV).  I think what they believed deals far better with reality than many mythologies.  It digs back down into my pagan roots and finds the hand axe wielding tribal warrior standing there.  Grim faced and ready for battle. The man who appreciates home and hearth when he can get it, but also longs to board the ship and set sail at least for a time to fight for something better for himself and his family. To prove his value to himself most of all and to others as a bonus.

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 think I am just weary at this point.  I am just tired of what I am doing this semester and want it to end to make way for what is next. From an honor standpoint I struggle less with my own sense of self-worth. I struggle more with value in what I am doing and where I am going. I am also starting to address the question of looking for honor in this world I can value.  I know it is there, I just need to find it.  I need some vision of the future and the world I want to live in and then go find it and make it happen.  That is what I mean when I say I need to be positive about my future.

Courage:

“Courage is the bravery to do what is right always.”

Principle – Act with Courage at the right time.

Courage right now takes the form of being disciplined enough to get finished. I have basically a paper to do which counts toward two things and three short projects which constitute a final exam.  The first is due at the end of today and the second at exam time on Wednesday.  I already finished a take home final yesterday so that is done. Courage is facing the rest and getting them done.

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.

If there is one thing I have had to consider about being a scholar at this time of exams and my capstone paper; it is truth.  The decision recently was to make this paper as close to the truth as I can make it. Regardless of whether or not that will get me a good grade. I am being given the opportunity to speak with words and in a defense so I will take it with full truth and nothing but the truth.

Morning Routine:

  1. Review Nine Noble Virtues (NNV) and Principles
  2. Review Goals
  3. Review Bucket List
  4. Full Body Stretch
  5. Meditate on One of the Virtues
  6. Breakfast
  7. Supplements and Medicines
  8. Shower and Personal Hygiene
  9. Get Dressed for the Day

I haven’t had a problem with the Morning Routine.  It’s the most solid part of my life right now. I am going to consider my meditation practices once the semester ends.

Bucket List:

  1. Go Back to Budapest, Hungary for a vacation.
  2. Get My Tattoos.
  3. Actually Get Drunk.
  4. Smoke a Joint.
  5. Hike the Northern Lakeshore Trail along the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
  6. Write My Novel.
  7. Learn Latin.
  8. Learn Hungarian.
  9. Weightlifting – Bench 225 lbs, Squat 315 lbs, and Deadlift 405 lbs.
  10. Start my own business

I am looking forward to looking at this list closer during the break. Yeah, I may have to go one semester of full-time online stuff to get financial aid for my internship so Christmas Break might be a good time to take a breath and look at this list again and rewrite and redefine it.

Weightlifting:

Still looking for a gym but the most likely candidate is the one near where I work.  I can just get off work and go there before I come home. I will probably use the time to develop a four-day split and if I end up at work five days a week for whatever reason then one will get a double.  I may have to use the new gym time for walking at least until the snow clears.  The rails to trails is just a short walk from my apartment so once spring comes I will be grateful to get out and hike again.

The Rabyd Skald – Wandering Soul, Bard and Philosopher. The Grey Wayfarer.

Skaal!!!