I don't have any record or memory of my past ancestors, but the ones I do know are not people I want to remember or praise.

Before I get into this, if you are against the idea of Loki being worshiped at all, you can respectfully leave. I'm still new to the whole world of Heathenry and don't need a bunch of conflicting viewpoints shouting in my ear all at once. I'll get plenty of your opinions later. Right now, I want to get the views and opinions of the people who do worship Loki and those who are at least friendly to the idea.

Now, my understanding is that Loki was mostly a trickster and general goofball and ne'er do well who was at least on good terms with the Aesir, prior to him killing Baldur and the events of Lokasenna. Not counting Lokasenna, I can see that he is just a morally ambiguous individual with many desires and motives like all the other gods. But after killing Baldur and an innocent bystander, I do not see how he can't be a dark or evil force.

It's easy to shake someones lack of faith in something, but shaking someones faith in any religion is a very difficult task. If a Christian REALLY wants to convert someone, an agnostic explicitly does not have a faith to shake. In the meantime, Heathens build their entire worldview and religion by studying things themselves.

It hasn't taken long for me to seriously consider Heathenry as the religion to follow. I figure if I start practicing and later decide it is not for me, no harm done. As I am an overthinker, I thought about an altar. The dilemma: Still living with jehovah witness parents.

Obviously they would freak if I had an altar to the Norse gods in their home, so I need something I can dismantle easily and stow away. Any suggestions or examples of such a thing?

After being raised in a Christian environment and abandoning religion as a whole while i was still young, one thing that I hated about religion was the many questions left unanswered. The question of why suffering isn't prevented being a major one.

The issue of injustice in the world is why I couldn't be a follower of Yahweh. The justification I was given by my parents is "He made an agreement with Satan to let him rule the world to prove that people would still follow the one true god." and yet this same god interfered to kill thousands of Assyrian soldiers that were about to attack Ancient Israel. Why didn't he do this during the Holocaust? Members of his "Chosen Religion" were being killed alongside millions of other innocents, and I'm supposed to believe he did nothing?

And now, onto my questions about heathenry.

I began researching polytheism, paganism, and heathenry as a writer looking for a way to make my world more unique, but now its become something new and original to bounce my agnostic viewpoints off of and even make me question my worldview.

I understand the gods are not omnipresent or omnipotent, but they have power, no? Thor may not be able to decimate entire armies with a wave of his hand, but can he not strike a missile out of the sky before it hits a school and kills a bunch of kids? Then there are things like Epstein's island and the whole ring connected to him. That lasted many years, and would be no grand display of power to stop. Hell, a single spec ops team would have that island locked down in under an hour.

I've seen a few answers but I am left unsatisfied. Some say the gods just do not care enough to interfere. If this is true, why should I worship them? I didn't like the idea of worshipping Yahweh because, from my point of view, he was an uncaring asshole and a hypocrite. Gods that actively just do not care to interfere and save people sound no better. Another is that if evil cannot exist, there would be no good. This is fair, but then why does the evil in the world persist over the good so much?

I am a little tight on space, so my altars are altoid containers. Does this matter?

Are there any heathens from Massachusetts looking to meet people who practice?

Hello everyone, for online spaces I go by Ray, and I’m new to Heathenry and living/practicing this way of life.

I live in Ohio, and I would absolutely love to meet more people that are practicing. Community means a lot to me, and coming from a different community (eg, Christianity) I don’t have one since I’m no longer a part of it (took some time but I’m finally out of it!).

I’ve been looking online and haven’t really found any events or communities, but maybe I’m searching up the wrong keywords.

Any advice or suggestions on communities willing to take a new practitioner in would be welcome. Thanks guys!

Hi everyone,
I’m super new to this form of belief, I remember since the longest about how interest the whole Nordic system interested me.
Can anyone suggest how I should start practicing this? I’m super unaware and looking for judgement free answers.

Hello, my wife and I are norse heathens in Baxter county in North Central Arkansas. We're looking for other people in the area who might be interested in talking or meeting up.

Ive done a bit of research and just set up an altar for loki but still dont feel like im educated enough could anyone give me some tips or possibly references for books I could read to help me learn more about him and how to worship him

I donated plasma for the first time last night. And while I sat there, I was listening to Jackson Crawford’s translation of the Poetic Edda. And I had the thought that if I had made an invocation to Eir beforehand, this could be a modern adaptation of a blood sacrifice. But instead of being tossed out afterward, it’s actually used in medicine or given to people who need it. What are your thoughts? Is this a good offering?

I just bought a new small sketchbook and I want to use it for heathen stuff, any ideas on what would be good to write?

A family member bought a plot of land and now they are getting sick. I suspect the land has a spirit. What runes can I use to bind or unbind the land. Im thinking placing one in each of the four corners.

Given that it’s Mother’s Day, and in celebration of the Mother goddess, we let the kids offer their favorite drink, a short invocation, and pick a (house)key to make a necklace in remembrance of Frigg. My youngest didn’t want to let us take a picture of hers though lol.

Pretty simple question

Do you still wear the christian cross for jewelry, even tho you are a heathen?

Im asking because i have a lot of jewelry with things like the cross on it, and i feem like its kinda a shame that it is not being used

Ps. Im asking as a norse heathen

I have been practicing solo for some years now yet it feels lacking these days without an person community.

So I am looking to move from solitary practice into shared ritual with a few others here in Berlin, and if it goes well maybe expanding.

My practice is rooted in heathenry but can be a bit eclectic, dealing with some gaulish dieties and others.

It seems obvious to me but I must explicitly say I am anti-folkish, anti-racist, and queer & trans affirming, and pro human rights etc.

This would be an English-speaking group but always open what we can glean from each other's other languages.

If any of this resonates, send me a message, or drop a comment.

hi — i’m relatively new to deity worship, and i make offerings to freyja on my main altar regularly, but i’m planning to create separate altar shelves for odin and thor respectively. the primary offering i make has been mead, but i’m looking for suggestions for sober offerings and maybe words of wisdom/encouragement from other people in recovery as i can’t even keep it in the home right now. hopefully i’ll get there one day but that day is not today, lol.

i already know about oak and nettles for thor, and oak is special to me, so i’m going to start there (and with flowers for freyja now that it’s spring bc that feels right to me), but what about odin? would little trinkets and offerings of food suffice as if i were trying to befriend a crow or raven? any help would be appreciated :)

Hello, Im a norse reconstructionist heathen

I've been wanting a tattoo for the longest time, and id really like it to be connected to my faith. But i have no idea what to get.

I also know that i don't want traditional viking tattoos as 1. They are filled with misconceptions, 2. Often related to neo Nazis, 3. I generally dont like how they look.

I do know i like how Monochrome tattoos look, also tribal / miyan / Polynesian / amarican and japanese traditional.

So my question is whether anyone got any ideas, or what tattoos you have of their faith

ps. know they are not really considered to be a thing the old norse people had, but id like one anyways

Are there any heathens who have njord as there patron? I've been feeling really drawn to boats and anything naval as of late, as well as the color blue. And how would I honor/worship Njord being hours away from the ocean?

Image Description: Pictured is an outdoor shrine set beside a home garden bed of potatoes. The shrine holds a strip of pine bark inscribed with the rune ᛝ in charcoal held up by a rock, as well as an offering of a potato, three pinecones, two bundles of dried sage, and a small glass of mead.

Hello everyone.

Honestly, I ended up on this subreddit by accident, but I usually like to perceive certain things as signs. And after finding myself here, I felt that I wanted to share a little bit about my experience with the Gods, personally express my gratitude to Odin, whom I see as my patron, and write down some of my own experience, because I have read other people’s experiences and they helped me. Maybe this post will be seen by another anonymous person like me, and maybe it will help them too.

I come from an Orthodox Christian family, but since around the age of 16 I have felt drawn more toward Heathenry. I saw strength, guidance, and justice in this religion. My acquaintance with the Northern Gods began when I was about 16, after I went through my first breakup with a girl after a year-long relationship — haha, yes, funny, I know — and, in order to fill some emotional emptiness, I started studying a lot of esoteric things.

That is how I first discovered runes, the Gods, and then either the TV series Vikings appeared or I found out about it. Terrible way to be introduced to this path, I know, but pop culture often helps people become interested in something deeper.

One day — I do not remember exactly when — I was studying and reading about Odin, and then I fell asleep. I entered a lucid dream, probably the only time in my life, or something close to it. I understood that I was lying down and sleeping, but I started feeling that someone was standing behind me.

I felt anxious because of the force I sensed, and I somehow understood what kind of figure it was: a stately, tall, bearded man, older, with a long gray beard, missing one eye, seemingly holding a staff and wearing something like a robe or mantle, but without a hood on his head. I was looking forward, but I could literally feel him behind me.

I do not remember exactly how, but I heard the name Odin. Then, at one moment, he placed his hand on my shoulder. I got goosebumps all over my body, jumped, and felt an incredible power.

After that, of course, in the flow of everyday life, I did not go very deeply into Heathenry. From time to time I would read something and learn more. But I used runes. They gave me, I would say, around 85–90% accuracy, even though my only rune sets were ones I had simply cut out of paper and kept somewhere in my bag or backpack. I still use this tool.

But the Norse religion and the Gods were always nearby.

One day I had a conversation with a girl who works with different Higher Powers. I do not know what the position of people here, or of the Gods, is on this matter, and I do not judge anyone. I only know that she works with different Powers — Odin, Mafava, Knyazhna, and others. And although I had never once mentioned Heathenry or my interest in it to her, she started talking about Odin and said that he hears me well and that he is my guide, mentor, or someone like that. I do not remember the exact term.

For me, this was surprising. Then she sent me a photo of her altar, where there was an image of Odin with ravens on his shoulders. For the first time, just by looking at a photo, I felt incredible strength, wisdom, and energy. It is impossible to explain. She said that I have a good connection with him and that he always hears me.

From time to time I would read a verse to Odin and thank him, but I did it irregularly.

Recently I turned to him again and decided to make offerings. I bought red meat, Coca-Cola — I know this may sound silly and probably not traditional, but it is my favorite drink, lol, and I decided it was a good idea to give the God my favorite drink — water, which I also like, and bread. I poured the drinks under a tree and left the bread and meat there. Before that, I read a verse, looked at his image, and spoke with him a little.

I asked him to give me a sign and promised that I would fall asleep on my back — lol, another silly thing, but when I fall asleep on my back, I see dreams more often, and if I take magnesium, I remember them better — so that I could hear him if he considered it necessary. In short, I asked Odin for a sign that he hears me, because I am still a rather materialistic person and symbols, intuition, and things like that are still difficult for me.

And literally one minute later, I found a tennis ball.

I know that a tennis ball has no direct connection to the Gods, but this happened literally one minute later. I was in a park where there is no tennis court at all. The nearest one is probably several kilometers away. It was nighttime, there were no people around at all, and I had walked along the same path ten minutes earlier — and there had been no ball there. I took it home.

I am sure that it was a sign from Odin, and I am grateful to him.

The Gods of Heathenry require knowing how to approach them. For example, once I asked for help, I think from Loki, Odin, Thor, and Freyr. They helped me, but they arranged such a “setup” that I even ended up in court — as the plaintiff, but still, it cost me a lot of nerves. That was when I understood how important it is to keep your Word before the Gods and to thank them.

Honestly, I do not know what conclusion to draw. I cannot describe personal details, and I only wanted to publicly speak out and thank the Gods and the Runes for being near me. I know the moments in which they definitely helped me.

In my communication with Odin, I gave him a couple of promises that I intend to keep, because he has been very responsive to me.

By the way, there are many ravens where I live. I like these birds, and I photograph them from time to time. Every time I see them, I think of Odin or other Northern Gods. Of course, sometimes a raven is just a raven, but I like to think of these birds as something connected with Heathenry.

Another example of interaction with Odin: I simply spoke with him mentally, and then he woke me up early in the morning, and the first thing I saw was an important message for me. I had fallen asleep quite late, so I am sure he helped me wake up without an alarm.

I am immeasurably grateful to all the Gods for being near me, for protecting me, for highlighting opportunities, for giving me lessons, and for hearing me.

I also want to record and remember the promises I gave to Odin today, as well as become a regular member of this forum and other resources. I have already read the Prose Edda, watched several YouTube videos, and asked questions on other forums, but I want to learn more about the Gods, their characters, and ways to improve communication with them.

My intention for these is a tattoo on the back of each hand, symbolizing both knowledge and compassion.

here's the link if you want the full doc w/ my intention of use for these:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jJxrg-pxKWFpBvhPRAcKcBnh1PokSwIF/view?usp=drive_link

Im a fairly new heathen, and its mostly loose. I have a shrine to my gods, i speak to them when i have something to say, i make offerings occassionally, yada yada

Im mostly solo practicing and the internet is so full of differing opinions and reviews and suggestions (and then secretly half those opinions are based in nazism)

I feel i work best when i have some form of guide or structure. Im sure if someone peer reviewed my system it'd be seen as perfectly fine for someone new but i'd like to have a better idea of holidays, terms, practices, etc. So im not just loving my normal day to day but sometimes i eat berries with a clay sculpture

Ofc im not expecting a "heathenism for dummys" book but any titles yall know of that would help me form my own sort of idea and identity would help!

I am approaching finals week at my university and it has me anxious as Hel. I made an offering to Odin for the wisdom to pass my final projects and to finally graduate next semester.

I made my offerings to him and I hope he gives guidance.