AFA UPDATE

A PROJECT OF THE ASATRU FOLK ASSEMBLY

Issue 152
November 1, 2011

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FALL, THE ANCESTORS, AND ASATRU
We who follow Asatru place considerable importance on the turning of the
seasons, each of which has its own feeling and its own festivals. The
changes in the world around us from season to season are mirrored by
changes in our own inner life. In summer we are more outgoing, more active.
The coming of fall and of winter brings a new mood, and produces an inward
turning of the spirit. We can learn a lot by observing these emotional and
spiritual responses.
In my case, I am very aware that fall has arrived in the Sierras. Some
people note the changing seasons with a calendar, but I do it differently.
For me, the first day of fall is that day when I walk out on my deck in the
morning and I can see my breath. The new season is confirmed as I note that
my fluttering friends, the bats, with no more insects to devour, have
disappeared into their winter homes.
However you measure it, Fall is here. The nights are chilly; the days cooler
than they were. The leaves on the trees are turning to gold and yellow and
red and brown - the rains will come soon...then the frost...and finally the
first snows. Life seems to be in retreat as the leaves drop off, leaving
the bare, skeletal branches reaching skyward. The grass dies back, the
flowers disappear, some of the birds have flown to warmer climes and other
animals have sought refuge in their burrows. When the snow comes, you'd
swear that life had disappeared, and death triumphed in this landscape.
We all know, however, that spring will come. On the far side of winter, the
days will lengthen and the frosts will come no more. The grass will be
green again, and the flowers fill the fields. Life will return. Indeed -
and this is key - it had never really departed! It was there all along,
withdrawn, sleeping under the snow. There is an unseen continuity that runs
from summer to fall, and through the cold of winter to the renewed life of
springtime. The thread of life may be hidden, but it is not broken. Life
abides!
The indigenous religions of our European forefathers and foremothers, of
which Asatru is a leading example, knew that this same principle applies to
the clan, as well. The line of descent - the bond extending from our
ancestors, to us, and on to our descendants is a continuity just like the
unbroken stream of life that defies winter's blasts. The lineage, the clan
line, transcends time and space and, yes, mortality itself. The ancestors
are with us always, sending their blessings and love through the thin
curtain that is death. That curtain is especially thin at this time of
year - the festival of Winter Nights is a reminder of this truth, and the
Celtic celebration of Samhain is very much the same in spirit.
The love and blessings the ancestors give us is only half of the
transaction, of course. As the Havamal reminds us, a gift looks for a
return. Our duty to the ancestors is simply this: to remember them, to
visit their graves when we can, to show their pictures to our children and
grandchildren, and to tell their stories. Listen, as October works its
magic, for the loving whispers of those who have gone before us, and who
remain concerned for our welfare - and respond to them with love and
remembrance in return!

WINTER NIGHTS, SAMHAIN, AND US
About two weeks ago we celebrated the Asatru festival called Winter Nights,
at which we honored the female ancestors, or Disir.
Tonight, millions of Americans will celebrate Halloween by dressing up in
costumes and acting bizarrely. Children will go from door to door, decked
out as mummies or witches or princesses, and beg for candy. The older set
will go to parties at the office or in homes, but the general spirit will
be the same as that of their children - a night of fantasy, of the eerie,
the strange.
Halloween takes its name from "Hallows Eve," which comes just before before
All Souls Day in the Catholic calendar. It is hardly a coincidence that
this is the date of the old Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced SOW-an).
As always, the Church was adept at co-opting indigenous holy days and using
them for its own ends.
If we compare Samhain and Winter Nights, we see strong similarities. The
time of year is significant; harvest has ended and the rigors of winter are
coming. The dark half of the year is beginning. The nights are longer. Life
retreats from the cold. The wall between the worlds is thin, and the
ancestors are near.
Samhain and Winter Nights remind us of the closeness of the European
peoples. For all our squabbles, and all our distinct cultural differences,
we are in many ways the same bunch of people. The Celts, Germans, and Slavs
all descend from the folks of the Funnel Beaker Culture. Even today the
European genome is eighty-five to ninety percent derived from the earliest
hunter-gatherers to inhabit what are now our homelands. Unfortunately, this
closeness has not kept us from fighting one fratricidal war after another
with our kin. The bloodbaths of World War One and World War Two are the
most obvious examples, but countless less spectacular slaughters have
darkened our past. Yes, I know we have always fought among ourselves and I
am sure we always will. But modern warfare is a dysgenic disaster of
proportions which we can no longer accept.
As for me, I will have a Guinness and remember my ancestors - men like
Fergus, son of Nellan, who gave my blood a name - but I will also toast
those other men and women of Europa who have made me who I am.
Slainte!...and Prost!

LINKS -

OUR FOLK, OUR CULTURE

The Religion of the Vikings
Free PDF download of a chapter titled "The Religion of the Vikings" by
Anders Hultgard from the book "The Viking World," edited by Stefan Brink.
http://tinyurl.com/6hjye42

Icelandic Viking Village Expands
The Viking village at Hafnafjordur, near Reykjavik, has expanded by another
14-16 houses built in the traditional Viking style. Tourists will be able
to stay in these, and to eat in the Viking-theme restaurant that is also
part of the complex.
http://tinyurl.com/6dpxkm9

Viking Ship Burial Excavated in Scotland
A Viking chieftain's grave, with his burial ship, has been found in Scotland
on the remote Ardnamurchan peninsula, containing several possessions,
including a Norwegian whetstone.
http://tinyurl.com/6xs7vvo

SUSTAINABILITY, ECONOMICS, ENVIRONMENT
Nine Steps to Starting a Survival Garden
In a time of economic uncertainty and rising food prices, it it always a
good idea to have a garden to provide extra food for you and your family.
Besides providing a source of food in an emergency, a garden is also a
great source of wonderful vegetables which are MUCH healthier to eat than
most of the food you can get at the supermarket.
http://tinyurl.com/bq9hpa

Three Ways to Go Solar
With the cost of solar continuously declining and a huge solar power
explosion, you have more affordable ways to go solar than ever before. Here
are three of them.
http://tinyurl.com/3ebukyg

Skeptic's Own Study Finds Climate Change Real
A prominent physicist who is also a skeptic of global warming conducted his
own study to determine the truth. He discovered that, indeed, the planet is
warming.
http://tinyurl.com/3q4wcb7

CALENDAR
November 9 - Day of Remembrance for Queen Sigrid of Sweden. Sigrith was
offered marriage to Olaf Tryggvason, the Christianizer of Norway. The
condition was that she give up the religion of her ancestors. She refused
to do this, and Olaf ignobly slapped her across the face. In retribution,
she played a key role in his downfall. Meditate on the glory of strong
women who will not compromise on matters of honor.
November 10 - Full moon at 12:16 PM, Pacific Time.
November 11 - Feast of the Einheriar. The chosen heroes who sit in Odin's
hall are called the Einheriar, and we honor them on this day. Lift a toast
to those who fell bravely in battle for our Way, our people, and for the
noble cause. Think on the sacrifices of our veterans, and visit their
graves.

Hail the Holy Ones!
Hail the AFA!
Stephen A. McNallen
Asatru Folk Assembly
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