A Guide to the Heathen Holidays

Instagram: @thewisdomofodin

Source used:

Asatru for Beginners by Mathias Nordvig

A Practical Heathens Guide to Asatru by Patricia Lafayllve

My name is Jacob and I am a Norse Pagan. I started my journey with the Old Gods in 2016, in 2019 I was giving an offering to Odin outside of my home and I felt his presence before me. In a few short words I knew my task ahead of me, I needed to gather the folk. With backgrounds in running my own photography business, and my time managing restaurants, I had the skills to make a difference.

I started with an Instagram account in June 2019 to start reaching out to others for the first time, and in August 2019 I began my journey into youtube. While it was a slow journey at first, I continued to make videos in hopes that they could help others who started out lost like me. By February of 2020 I made the first huge step into what the Wisdom of Odin was created to do, I put out a call to gather the folk. Within a week I had 9 people ready to meet in Kentucky for an Ostara festival, and it was one of the most beautiful days of our lives.

We started something on that hill, we set in motion something I think will change the world. We started to plan the next gathering a day after returning home. Midsummer would become a life changing experience all over again. We gathered 27 people to worship the old gods in Kentucky.

In between those two gatherings the Wisdom of Odin sky rocketed in viewership and community support. While I am so honored to be watched by so many, my ability to respond to meesages is coming to an end. All I can do is to continue to promote these gatherings, and make videos to help others.

There is a dream that exist, a dream that grows closer by the day. A dream to build a hall in North America! Keep watching for updates on its development. This hall will not be easy and it will have cost, I am working with some amazing people to make this happen and I hope when the time comes youll be willing to take up hammers to assist us in its construction.

Patreon has become an amazing community, and through the patronage of over 100 people it has become one of the fastest growing Patreon's in the world. The greatest benifit I can give is a Discord community that may be one of the best out there. With over 20 admins it is a well oiled machine of constant conversations on the Gods and the old ways. If you wish to join this Discord community please consider donating at the first level of my Patreon ($5). With your support I can soon become a full time youtuber while also keeping this channel ad free!

This is the most amazing journey I could of ever hoped to be on, we are doing amazing things my friends, my folk. We have much work to do.

[shebear]

Cliff notes: No matter what you celebrate, , every holiday involves feasting, fire, and drinking. 😂🍻

[QuietFury]

Anybody else have to rewatch this due to the wholesomeness of the kitty?

[oIAEGIRIo]

Jacob! My name is Jacob, And I am a Norse Pagan! I want to thank you for you videos and your wisdom! You have been a great guide to open my eyes to the gods! I've felt them around me! I am very new to all of it! But I can tell you now that I can feel a difference in myself! Again thank you!!! Skal!!

[tanjaowald]

Im german and the way you said Walpurgisnacht killed me😂 dont want to make fun of you. Learning takes time but you say it so funny

[betty]

I live in Tyrol/ Austria and we have a festival in february which is definitly based on heathen traditions. We have specials rituals to help the spring defeat the winter. Men are dressed in different very special costumes and they wear wooden masks and special hats. Every figure symbolices a season. They have special ways to move or dance and at the end the spring is standing on the winter, so it's defeated and the warm weather can come. It was restricted by church every now and then, but it's so deep rooted in ourselfs that it's still practiced! In fact we have information back to 1600 but it's definitly much, much older. And it's still practiced exactly like back then! We're extremly proud of this tradition. If you want to see it check out : fasnacht tirol muller
"Muller" is what we call those figures but everyone has it's own name as well. I make those masks as I'm a sculptor. You can see some of it on my insta: hackl.bettina 🤗

[jackreardon]

I am grateful Odin has crossed my path with your videos. I am new to this faith but i feel the strong pull of the gods, thank you for teaching me so much in such a little time

[dezzyl]

I know sometimes its easier to adapt the names of what we have from Wicca beliefs and such. I think the main importance is just folk gathering together and connecting with the energies and gods around us. No matter what the day is. Thats what I love about Paganism. You do when you feel is best and not this straight line belief system. :)

I tend to celebrate All Hallows Eve, Halloween, Samhain, it goes by many names. Its a time I feel more connected with those that have passed on. Its the strongest time for me personally compared to anytime of year.

[wmoody]

Ok so last night I feel as though I had made a real connection with the gods and heard my calling to learn more about Norse Paganism and it’s history and you were the first channel I found and you have been so informal, thank you for the content brother!

[SterbenNL]

Reason why we don't know for sure is because most of them did not write... The fact that any information has been left behind by skalds is a gift.

[karenrm_art]

Local clan/family traditions probably influenced how and when the ancestors honored their significant events more than any organized holiday calendar.

[morganandwoodstock]

As a German, your pronunciation of Walpurgisnacht was hilarious XD there is a great song about the night you can reference for pronunciation, by the band FAUN!

[Oleksii_marrow]

Can't recommend Nordic Animist Year by Dr. Rune Hjarnø Rasmussen enough! Incredible research and he holds such a depth of knowledge on animism and speaks on it well. Because the reading never stops, does it?

[dseelenmagie]

🤣 Walpurgisnacht... it's difficult for everybody! This is why I love this channel as well, the info is great and Jacob is great for the entertainment value, just a likable guy all around.

[UnchartedAtlas]

I think you're right on not worrying too much about the reconstructionist approach. I use to be hardcore reconstructionist but like you said, there's just so little to go by and I think also it takes away from the important aspects of the faith itself, being community based but also being fluid and adaptable. At the end of the day, we know the old ways were always open to change when introduced to new concepts and groups, it's not rigid like Christianity. So although we do have to go on modern interpretations of the holidays, it's the mere fact we're putting the effort in to celebrate along the rhythm of nature that really connects us to the ancestors. The same way you can follow in your fathers footsteps without actually being him, the same way he followed in your grandfather and so on. Every generation will and has changed things slightly. Even Christianity has changed in its two thousand years of practice.

Great video mate, Skål

[Renegade_Melungeon]

Well said!!! Such topics are a fine line, it's like walking on eggshells - But you walked the tightrope with wisdom and grace.

[barefootanimist]

I think the biggest influence for one's selection of holidays should be an awareness of seasonal cycles where one lives, and secondly, whether one is a gardener, rancher, farmer, etc... Agricultural festivals make little sense for someone who's accustomed to purchasing out-of-season foods all year at a supermarket, rather than observing the process of their planting, growth, harvest and preservation.

As you said, Jacob, the part of the world in which you live is going to have a big influence on how you celebrate. I've lived in a temperate rainforest for the majority of my life, which has a different feeling through the year, than would living in a Tropical island country. I've lived in areas where wind is the predominant weather in winter, and in others where rain is the predominant weather. I've also lived in places where snow fell, feet deep, in September, and stayed until May, and in places where the first snow falls in January, and is gone a couple of weeks later... They all feel very different, and impacted how I walked my pagan path.

[annastasiaisgreekforrebel]

I’m a Norse Pagan but also a witch so I just go with the Sabats and add a Norse Pagan spin cause I used my religion in my craft.

[robertmiller]

I love the sweater when your speaking about yule. I have a gray one that has Vader in a Santa hat saying "I find your lack of cheer disturbing"

[thesleepystrawberry]

This is the first year I have been actively practicing witchcraft and celebrating the holidays on the Wheel of the Year. With the pandemic going on celebrations have been just myself doing tiny rituals, making food, and taking long nature walks. For Yule I really want to have a fire, celebrate the Sun and bake some delicious sweets.

[BrennanDemarest]

You offer a very interesting view into modern hearten religious practices and thought. Thanks for that!