Month: February 2011

The Old Norse Way

on

Meeting Date: 2/10/11
Topic: Asatru 101

This past week, our topic was Asatru and traditional Norse beliefs.  From the land of vikings, Asatru is Germanic paganism.  Germanic pagan beliefs are a form of reconstructionism, as the primary texts and sources of Asatru are extremely old, firsthand accounts.  Sadly, these collections of writing were compiled by people who were not Norse or Asatru.  Christians wrote the stories and legends down, and while they may be accurate, they are from the perspective of an outsider, and are inherently incomplete because of that.

070302_viking_ship_02[1]-1.jpg

In Norse tradition, there are many virtues that adherents follow, including honesty, loyalty, and hospitality, among many more.  Hospitality is customary in many aspects of Asatru belief and practice.  This stems from old tradition: in times of old when family and community were integral to survival, the giving of gifts ensured that a person remained in good standing with their community.  Gifting continues to be very common in Asatru practice.

SycamoreRunes.JPG

The runic alphabet, one type being the Elder Futhark, consists of 24 different runes, all of which have a name that represents the sound of the rune itself.  Runes are a common divination tool among the Norse community (and in other circles as well).  Mastery of rune interpretations takes many years to perfect, and can involve complex sequences of runes that take on different meanings when arranged in different orders.  Runes can also be used as an alphabet for communication.

Some good resources regarding Asatru and Norse practices can be found on the internet, but there are also some wonderful books that can aid in study of this topic.

The Sagas of the Icelanders

This text includes many sagas and tales of Viking heroes and adventurers from years 1000 to 1500.

Beowulf

I’m sure that many of us have read Beowulf in our English classes in high school and college, but the story of Beowulf and his world has many examples of traditional Norse practices, including the Sumbel.

Futhark: A Handbook of Rune Magic

This is a book of the 24 rune meanings, and it also provides the phonetic values and meanings of each rune.  This is a great resource for those interested in beginning the study of runes as a divination tool.

Poems of the Elder Edda

A collection of lyrical poems from pre-Christian Scandinavia. 

The Year of the Rabbit Begins!

on

Meeting Date: 2/3/11

Topic: Chinese New Year
“Once upon a time, the Jade Emperor decided that the animals in his kingdom were going to have a race.  He wanted to assign worthy animals to represent the years of the Chinese Zodiac.  He decided that he would pick the first 12 winners to represent the years.  The animals all prepared for the race.

Cat and Rat were close friends, and they trained for the great race together.  The night before the race, Cat asked Rat to ensure that he woke in the morning, as he was used to sleeping in late.  He implored Rat to wake him in the morning, and Rat, being a good friend, agreed.

Rat woke early for the race, and did not wake Cat, because he realized that Cat was a strong contender in the race.  Rat did not want to compromise his chance of winning, and so, he did not wake his friend.  

Cat woke in the afternoon to find that he had overslept and that Rat had run in the race without him.  Rat had actually won the race that the Jade Emperor held, and is now the first animal in the Chinese Zodiac.  Ever since Rat betrayed Cat, Cat vowed to remember how his friend betrayed him.  This is why we only cats and rats together when the rats are being chased by cats.”

chinese-new-year-in-singapore.jpg

Chinese New Year is determined by the lunar calendar, which is based on the cycles of the moon.  The lunar calendar consists of 12 lunar months, which do not line up with the traditional months of the Gregorian calendar.
The Chinese New Year this year began on February 3.  The year of the Rabbit began, which may cause readers to reference the twelve animals that represent lunar years in a cyclical manner.  The animals repeat to represent the years every twelve years.  Below is a graphic of the animals in order, accompanied by their recent years.
chinese_zodiac2.jpg
As per the Greek zodiac, Chinese zodiac attributes specific qualities to individuals who are born in different years.  This link will take you to a more comprehensive resource of these attributions.
Some other customs that are typical of Chinese New Year include family time, gifting (of money and food), and parade/festival type activities.  
Chinese New Year is also celebrated in many countries, typically those with large Chinese populations, including Mainland China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines, and many more.  
Red is the main color of the new year, representative of prosperity and joy.  Money is given as gifts in red envelopes with traditional wishes of luck written on the envelopes.  In addition to the red envelopes given as gifts, other small presents are given in abundance.  Sweets and fruit are common gifts.
Fireworks and firecrackers are also used in celebrations and parades, in hopes that the noise will scare away evil spirits.
CNY-Fireworks1.jpg
And so begins the Year of the Rabbit!  Check out this link to the NYC Chinese New Year Parade for more photos and information about the upcoming year!