Thoughts.......

[mdehners]

Recently, I realized that I've been a Solitary Heathen for nearly 20 yrs. I've gone from "High Church" Blots and Sumbels to "Bumbles" and now to a more abbreviated rite that covers what I consider the more important points of Ritual. And the latter mostly Practiced for most of the last decade. That's why I've decided not to attempt to look for Heathens in the Knoxville area of Tennessee after I/we move. My Practice is too different from the more "orthodox" Heathen forms and since I've probably been doing them longer than their leaders....it would cause difficulties.
Meet local Heathens and Pagans sure but joining? I'm afraid that ship has sailed.
Cheers,
Pat

Comments

[weofodthignen]

More and more of us are solitary, after the fights over every aspect of both belief and practice, followed by the tech constantly changing. I often wonder how many of us there are left, but I gather the AFA is still going strong, and I hear noises about Facebook. Someone briefly flushed out a lot of people by semi-inadvertently posting to Northeast Asatru, but otherwise mailing lists seem to have all gone silent, and I suspect that's led to the moots dying out. Maybe The Troth and some of the local kindreds are still forging on. Maybe there is a flourishing ecosystem I just don't hear about since I refuse to do either Facebook or Twitter. And of course the groups in and around Berzerkeley are probably still doing their more or less syncretic things. I hope the people who have left heathenry or actually died have been replaced manyfold, but I don't hear about it.

I can hardly fault you, but it's sad.

[mdehners]

What began as a trend after the millennia I think will be cemented by COVID. I saw a bit of it in the 80's and 90's in the Pagan community with the Festival movement. Folks would get their group needs taken care of a couple times a yr and the rest they were Solitary. There was little need for stewardship since by then it was pretty much known no one was passing on "eldritch knowledge". With the Heathen community with the advent of the internet you could do your own research, often better than what established groups had(remember AFA and Troth in the early 90's? ). Add in the BS so prevalent and anyone with basic library skills can avoid dealing with what I think of the "Hagar the Horribles"(wannabe Hollywood Vikings). The Regin know I don't miss it.
Cheers,
Pat