Wayward Wanderer

Community.  It can be a source of support and joy, a cause of frustration, and often a mix of both.  Join your host for a walk through the advantages offered by organized community, the state of community and organizing within Heathenry, the causes of cults of personality, more sustainable options for community organizing, and more!

Hey folks I'm pleased to announce that I will be presenting on confronting white supremacy at the Harvard Divinity School this April!  The event is free to attend, both in-person and online, so please register and find out more at the following link: https://hds.harvard.edu/faculty-research/programs-and-centers/program-evolution-spirituality

Welcome to the Aesir episode.  Join Ryan for a short journey through the Aesir's roles as Gods of society, humanity, and community.  Highlights of this episode include naming some of the more well-known Aesir and what they are associated with, the Aesir and war, and the Aesir's place in the grand cosmic drama of Ragnarok.

In this explainer, Ryan explores ritual and sacrifice in modern Heathenry. This explainer will cover why ritual is important, what the words sacrifice and offerings tend to mean in modern Pagan and Heathen practices, and the core Heathen rituals and blot and oathmaking.

How is the world made and shaped?  By co-creation, of course!  Join your host for a deep dive into what co-creation is, how it is founded in Wyrd, why it empowers people, and more.

The Wayward Wanderer welcomes Shane Burley back to the pod for a dive into how Richard Spencer of AltRight fame is rebranding by stealing from Dune and Greek myth, fascists ditching Heathenry and the Eddas for highly antisemitic reasons, the infighting plaguing the non-Christian far-right, the Asatru Folk Assembly cannibalizing the Ku Klux Klan, and what Heathens, Pagans, and antifascists can do t...

What could spirituality look like if you remove the concept of ultimate evil? Join your host for an exploration of what a spirituality without ultimate evil might look like, how the concept of the Devil emerged, and why Nordic myth and spirituality have no devils of their own. *https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/belief/2010/aug/02/book-job-religion-judaism *https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/gu...

In this explainer, Ryan dives into what makes the Nordic Gods what they are. This explainer will cover how all Gods are not the same, the attributes that unite the Nordic Gods and set them apart from other forms of deity, their main groups better known as the Aesir, Vanir, Jotnar, and Others, how they interact, and what this means for modern Heathen and Pagan practitioners.

2024 has definitely started with the world in a messy place. Join your host for a walk through how our increasingly tumultuous world may impact Heathens and Pagans and, despite all appearances to the contrary, why our movement's may have a brighter future than you think. Notes: *Growth of Paganism https://www.newsweek.com/witchcraft-wiccans-mysticism-astrology-witches-millennials-pagans-religion-1...

Polytheism. It is easily one of the most well-known defining characteristics of Heathen and Pagan spirituality. So what is it and why do modern people find it to be so appealing? Join your host for a deep dive into what polytheism is and why it holds meaning for modern practitioners.

CW: This episode deals with conspiracy theory, the origins of racism and whiteness, colonialism, genocide, anti-Semitism, and other related topics. Listener discrection is advised. Can myth, as it is understood in Heathenry and Paganism, help us better tackle the problem of conspiracy theory? Join your host and find out as we explore how myth can help us better understand conspiracy theories, why...

Welcome to a spooky season offering on some of the creepier creatures in Nordic myth. Join your host for a little visit with trolls, huldra, nokken, nattmara, cryptids, and more!

Welcome to the episode where we talk about the elephant in the room: what is Paganism? Join your host for a conversation about the new religious movement that Heathenry is a part of, the factors behind its emergence, why people are attracted to it, and more! https://thefederalist.com/2019/09/26/climate-worship-is-nothing-more-than-rebranded-paganism/

The Havamal is the most important of the surviving primary source texts for understanding Heathen ethical philosophy, morality, and practice. This episode dives into this saga, its form, contents, and what we can learn from it today. What you will find may surprise you.

The Jötnar are one of the most controversial groups of the Nordic Gods. Treated as demons by some and often maligned in many discussions of Nordic myth, these Powers of the wilderness are more than meets the eye. Join your host for an introduction to these beings and how Heathen practice benefits from integrating them into your spirituality.

Welcome to the episode where we really get the ball rolling on why social justice ideas should be incorporated in your Heathen spirituality and the ways that existing Heathen concepts gel really well with them. It will also discuss why the whole, "don't get political" argument has nothing to stand on, especially in these times. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/politics-and-religion/article/...

Developing relationships with Gods is a major element of Pagan and Heathen spirituality. Join your host for a dive into some dos and don'ts, the possibility of holding to no Gods at all, why having a relationship with a God does not grant anyone special power or authority, and more!

Welcome to a special episode on how trans identity and Heathenry. Joining your host are three trans practitioners describing their reasons why they Heathen spirituality appeals to them, how they feel Heathen lore is trans-positive, and what allies can do in these times of growing danger for trans people everywhere. GoFundMe for Dee Shull: https://www.gofundme.com/f/dqhtp-raise-money-for-rent-and-b...

Ragnarok is, without a doubt, one of the most well-known of the Nordic Myths. Join your host for a dive into why it matters, what it signifies, its possible influences, and more!

Welcome to Part 7 of Streams of Resistance, a Wayward Wanderer special limited series. In this episode, I sit back down with Scott Earnest, founder of Hands of Eir and a former white nationalist, to talk about dogwhistles, a rhetorical tactic that is very commonly used by the Right and Far Right.

Welcome to Part 6 of Streams of Resistance, a Wayward Wanderer special limited series. In this episode, we will be discussing the far right in the US armed forces featuring Dreya Taylor, a long-term active duty US Navy sailor and anti-racist Heathen.

Welcome to Part 5 of Streams of Resistance, a Wayward Wanderer special limited series. In this episode, we will be finding out more about the relationship between the far right and elements of law enforcement featuring Austin Lawrence, criminologist and co-founder and Steward of Raven's Knoll.

Welcome to Part 4 of Streams of Resistance, a Wayward Wanderer special limited series. In this episode, we find out more about eco-fascism, fossil fuel fascism, what these are, how they are connected to climate change, and what we can do about them featuring Steve Ongerth, co-founder of the IWW Environmental Unionism Caucus and long-time environmental activist.

Welcome to Part 3 of Streams of Resistance, a Wayward Wanderer special limited series. In this episode, we dive into Christian Nationalism, their favored methods and recent successes, the exvangelical movement, what to expect, and how we can fight back featuring Blake Chastain, writer of the Post-Exvangelical Post newsletter and host of the Exvangelical and Powers & Principalities podcasts.

Welcome to Part 2 of Streams of Resistance, a Wayward Wanderer special limited series. In this episode, we dig in to the world of modern Nordic spirituality, also often known as Heathenry, who have long been seen by mainstream society as a major source of Far Right extremism. Tune in to find out how true that actually is with Rune Rasmussen, creator of the Nordic Animism YouTube channel, Scott Ear...