So a few years ago, I wanted to identify as Asatru. However, for multiple reasons, I decided that, while I am fascinated by the aesir, vanir, and jotun, it wasn’t for me.
One of the reasons is that what I was told is that magick was considered a feminine thing. For a man to practice magick was frowned upon as male magicians were considered distrustful.
Local groups in my state told me Asatru was not about magick. And even when some groups practiced something, it was usually restricted to rune work or Wicca. And Practioners were usually female. If you mentioned any other practice, especially darker stuff, you’d be barred from the group. Some groups frowned on magick altogether.
So if anyone here practices Asatru, what has been your experience as a magician or witch? What is Asatru’s attitude towards magick, especially male practice.
The attitude of humans and the attitude of the gods may differ.
I don’t share their view about those gods (who are my ancestral gods) scorning magick, but neither can I really criticise them for taking that stance, given that many young people are unhappy in their identity and desperate to larp as anything else, and those types would naturally be drawn to Asatru, and become liabilities and epicentres of drama if left unchecked.
While I understand about drama and disgruntled young people looking for identity, the energy I got was not a concern over drama. It felt more like cultural bias and superstitious fears.
And how can you expect young people to get serious if they can’t get a mentor? I’ve heard of people trying to make kid friendly satanism like schools and stuff. I was thinking about a Boy Scout like organization for Asatru.
Well the all father hung himself on the world tree for 9 days after giving up an eye to learn the runes. He was also a student of one of the vanir sorceress’s. I forget who exactly. (Edit. Shit I should have known this. My lady freya was the one who taught odin magic) So i mean if its ok for Odin the all father why not others.
But to answer your questions. Yes it is considered a more feminine practice in general because it uses the yang or darker and more feminine aspects of nature.
If anyone’s curious as to what other reasons I had in deciding that Asatru wasn’t for me, here’s the others.
I’m not big on ancestor worship. This is considering generations of Christian raised family members. The idea doesn’t appear alluring. I’m more into non-human spirits and gods. I’m open to ancestral guides, but I think they’ll just argue for tradition.
The focus on tribe and community is something that feels kind of alien, considering I’m use to being on my own and groups often mean obligations or judgment.
The notion of “reconstruction” sounds like a cool idea on paper, but the way the lore has been kept up seems like a game of telephone. I don’t think we can really really reconstruct the old nordic society and belief system, nor should we. It’s best to just say “fuck it, lets experiment with something new.”
A lot of asatru reject the Jotun despite the Aesir having jotun ancestry and blood. I wanted to look into it myself since ancestry wise they’re one of the pantheons of my ancestors, but then again I’ve had this conflicting vibe due to other ancestry being Irish, Egyptian, other parts of africa among other ancestry and just decided to not touch it.
I remember people concerned about the viking seer from the “Vikings” show being male and speculating that he may have been gay.
I PERSONALLY, QABALISTICALLY THINK that magick is more masculine and divination is more femenine, as Satariel is a girl and Gaghiel is a guy.
I have randomly worked with the Norse Gods for a while and I have never been discriminated for being a guy, plus all the people I know who are into Norse magick are guys and most authors I read on the topic are guys
Being masculine doesn’t prevent you from doing femenine things, and being femenine doesn’t prevent someone from doing masculine things, thus even if magick was a femenine thing, it shouldn’t be wrong that you practiced it
If the electricity, water, and internet all went out for good tomorrow, and trucks stopped shipping affordable food in every day, you’d be begging to find a group who’d let you in, within a week - or dead.
Remember this was the situation the majority of humans who ever existed had to deal with.
What you only see from a privileged young person’s standpoint is the social fabric that would have saved you from being murdered, or more likely sold into slavery, in the past, and which was the reality of human society - because it works.
The idea one can and should live only for oneself is the high-dependency and high-maintenance morality of a consumer society, with strong law-enforcement that means very few young people are snatched off the streets and sold into slavery (or worse).
The poorest areas in developed countries tend to naturally fall into gangs, where loyalty of some form is expected and ratting out a fellow gang-member is the worst sin one can commit.
Seidr and Galdr, though I’m not sure if its new age or actually in their culture but a feminine or gay male was allowed to practice Seidr if his role in the working was what normally the female took. As the female was considered the conduit of the magick working. I could be wrong can’t remember where I read it however.
I 100% agree with you, because in the current world it would be very problematic, it is better to take the inspiring aspects of it into our lives without attempting to raid places near the coast
I’ve always dealt with a situation of perceiving or taking interest in obscure, sometimes controversial, all for the purpose of doing something positive for others. It’s often resulted in being judged harshly or ridiculed.
An individual is still an individual. He or she should have the autonomous right towards their own life and being. Not to mention, a person going their own way can also be helpful towards society as they can bring innovation and positive change.
I suppose I wasn’t clear. I’m used to being on my own, and being in groups has often led to obligations and judgment from peers. So it felt like being Asatru required being in a community, which I am not.
She took my evocation-to-physical-appareance-virginity and then I never called her again, it was too much, but when I did it I was a Satanist, so I had no concern or even a remote idea of Norse magick being supposedly only for women
“Should” [citation needed! ] and “Is the way people tend to act” are two very different things though.
Lord Of The Flies, etc., show the worst example, but there’s no obligation most normal societies place on people which is worse then the consequences of being excluded, or alternatively, of letting unbalanced people run the show.
Taking this forum as a sample, there are far more unbalanced and unstable people who think they’re great, and if given their head would try to force others to affirm this, than there are truly great people.
And the ones who are truly great and contributing tend to not be insecure enough to need constant affirmation of their awesomeness by right of “being,” since they’re usuallly out there “doing.”
One thing I do agree with Asatru groups on is judging people by their deeds; anyone can breeze onto here and claim to be the wife/son/incarnated avatar of a god or major demon, but very few can actually coach someone out of a problem with their magick, or manifest money and a home for some other member in need.
Respect can only ever be earned, and usually it’s earned by helping others, which comes back to those scary “obligations” or even, that dirtiest of words to the modern mind, duty.
] and “Is the way people tend to act” are two very different things though.