Maybe “Good Enough” is Better

The quality of the workmanship is competent rather than exceptional, and it may well have been made by a local provincial craftsman. The carvings are intriguing and clearly had some religious significance.

The quote is from Stephen Pollington’s new book, Woden: A Historical Companion (p. 237). This post is not about the book as such (which I do intend to review here, in the near future), nor even about the particular carvings, which perhaps depict Woden/Óðinn with His ravens, as well as Þórr and the serpent, in the 12^th-century English church that’s being described here.

Rather, I’d like to pause, and think about that “local provincial craftsman” whose work is “competent rather than exceptional.” It may well be that in that little corner of 12^th-century Essex, as in many other places and times throughout history, that local craftsman was simply one of the only people available with the tools and the skills to execute the work: either he makes carvings that are “good enough,” or the space goes unadorned.

And yet.

A Thought for the Day

Just as darkness is not adapted to sustain the splendour of the glittering light of the Sun, but suddenly vanishes; thus, also, when the power of the Gods, which fills all things with good, abundantly shines forth, no place is left for the tumult of evil spirits, nor can that tumult present itself to the view; but, as if it was nothing, it departs into nonentity, not being able to be at all moved, when more excellent natures are present, nor to disturb such natures in their illuminations.

Iamblichus, On the Mysteries III.13

May the Gods, who are so overwhelmingly generous with their gifts, fill you to overflowing, this day and every day.

Ave Cloacina!

Ave Dea Cloacina! Tibi ex voto, et pro beneficiis tuis acceptis, multas gratias ago!

Yesterday afternoon, for the first time in four days (and the first time this year!), I was able to flush the only toilet in my house. One of those little gifts—little wonders, miracles, even—that are so easy to take for granted, until they’re no longer there.

To Sunna at the Noon

Throughout this year, but especially over the past few weeks of Sunwait, I’ve been just overwhelmed with gratitude to Sunna for Her wonderful blessings and gifts. So in that spirit of gratitude, here’s a prayer that I’ve been using daily:

The Lesser Platoneia

November 7th is not actually Plato’s birthday. But let’s celebrate anyway.

Who will sing for me (when I walk the deathroad)?

An important and necessary conversation: When we die, what will happen with our bodies? What rites will accompany those bodies, and who will perform them? To what new homes will our agalmata, ritual tools, and other sacred items pass on? And what practical and legal steps do we need to take, to ensure that all those questions are answered, in the actual event, as we would have them be?

Where we go when we die

Hrafnafǫðr

He is the storm, and the eye of the storm,
The howling wind, the tension upbuilt.
His too is the calm that comes after the storm,
Mighty Father of battlefield ravens.

Call to Him now, on the howling wind,
Have no fear for your life, but call to Him now.
Listen for Him in the voice of the wind,
Then follow wherever He leads you.

Fly home to Him, on the wings of the storm,
Alight on a branch where He hangs on the Tree.
Rest there a while, in the eye of the storm,
Then fly forth again, to survey all the Worlds.

Requirements for the Student (and the Teacher)

In his commentary on Plato’s Parmenides, Proclus explains the basic requirements for both students and teachers of divine mysteries. While he’s speaking specifically in terms of the Platonic-Pythagorean tradition, I’d suggest that something akin to these considerations will form part of any healthy religious or spiritual tradition. And I would further suggest that these lessons can be very challenging for us modern westerners, given how much they’re at odds with prevailing notions in our society.

The Discernment of Images

Especially (but not only) with regard to pop-culture depictions, modern polytheists often find ourselves needing to distinguish sacred images in which a God is robustly present, from those which are not (literally) inspired in such a way.

This is not a new problem.

By All Your Names

Inspired by this morning’s beautiful post from The Recluse, I’d like to share a practice that has enriched my devotional life, more than I can say, over the last year or so.

Our Gods, our Holy Powers, have so many names, so many titles, so many heiti, more than we could ever possibly know. Sometime late last year, I started including in my devotions various forms of “by all Your names, I adore you,” “by whatever names You would delight in being called, be ever hailed,” and the like.

This can take a variety of forms. For some Gods, like Óðinn, we have literally hundreds of names and titles that have come down to us from our ancestors, and many more with which He has inspired worshippers who are still alive today. I’ve read and encountered more names for Him than I can recall in any given moment. So for Him, I’ll often call out by nine names that feel especially appropriate in the moment, or 27 (thrice nine), or as many as I can think of at that time (without explicitly counting, but I probably tend to run out around 50 or so), and then conclude with “by all Your holy and terrible and wondrous names, be ever praised!” Sometimes the names I list explicitly will all be clustered around a specific theme, or a particular group of His mysteries; other times, I’ll try to reach out as widely as I can, to praise Him by as many different aspects as I can. It all depends, and it’s all wonderful.

On the other end of the spectrum, when I started doing this practice last year, I didn’t have any names at all for the local land spirits, or for the specific Powers whose presence I’ve felt and recognized in the little gulch where I live or on the nearby mountains and hills where I often walk. So in this case, I would (and still do) go to a liminal spot, pour out a little offering of water, and address Them something like: “Hail the Gods and Spirits of this place! Hail you Holy Ones to whom this land is dear! By whatever names You would delight to be called by me, be honored and praised.” This too has been immensely valuable and, as best I can tell, very well received by Them.

As ever, use your own good judgment and discernment. But this is a practice that I highly recommend.