The heading on this blog reads "Stephen McNallen - The leading figure of North American Asatru since 1972." If you know what Asatru is, that tells you a lot. And the heading's accurate; I'm pretty much the man who brought this modern version of an ancient faith to America.
Asatru has been a huge part of my life for some four decades, and will continue to be an integral element in my personality. Most people know me only through my role in native European religion, and that makes me a sort of two-dimensional character in their eyes. That's limiting; there's a lot more to me than that! I want this blog to reflect who Steve McNallen really is, the totality of the man behind the image. This is where I find my voice - on Asatru, of course, but on much more besides.
All of us are complicated people - you, me, the man or woman standing next to you at the bus stop. That complexity can be difficult to deal with sometimes, but it's also rich and rewarding and, above all, it truly reflects the human condition. I want people to see me in greater depth, offering my complexity to match their own.
Originally, this blog was supposed to help readers follow the development of my upcoming book on Asatru. You'll still get plenty of that. I can promise that this book will be different from anything else you've ever read on the subject - and, since it comes from the man who brought Asatru to America, I think you can expect it to be a significant work. But there will be much more, as well...my thoughts on many things ranging from the plight of indigenous peoples, to the special issues facing men and women of European descent, to the dangers facing all life on Earth, and anything else that crosses my mind and seems noteworthy.
Here you'll find the Steve McNallen that few people have ever seen. Will you agree with everything you see? Probably not - and that's okay. I aim to challenge you, to provoke thought and, hopefully, to entertain you. Here I stand, for better or worse, a man of passion and opinion!
I mentioned a couple of posts back that I've been undergoing some changes. Not that there's anything bad about that! Would you believe that I'm finally getting some tattoos? Probably the last male in America to do so, but then, I've never gone with the herd. Any guesses on what I'm getting inked on me?
Other developments include a renewed interest in parachuting, maybe culminating in a HALO jump. We'll see where that one goes!
Steve
At last, I've begun working on the last chapter of the book! The future of Asatru...no small subject, but an important one. Most books on Asatru have focused on the past, with some attention to the present. I'll give my attention to the future.
Just as there was an Asatru of the ninth century, so there will be an Asatru of the twenty-second century, and the twentyfifth. What are our goals and expectations for the rest of this century, and beyond? This is what I'll be thinking about over the next week or so.
Steve
It's taken forever, but this morning I added footnotes to the chapter on the Asatru religious festivals, corrected and improved a bunch of things to make it a better manuscript, and sent it off to Gili, my proofreader, revisor, and advisor.
One more chapter to go...!
The newly-completed chapter covers all the major religious festivals of our faith, to include some of the variations used by different individuals and groups across the country and around the world. I tried to make it clear that there is no single version of the Germanic religious calendar - nor was there in the Viking Age or any other time in the history of our peoples. There were countless variations due to local customs and even to differences in the climate. So it is today. Nevertheless, there are strong and consistent threads running through all this variety.
I covered the "Days of Remembrance" as well - when we honor men and women of bygone ages who defended Asatru against oppressors, or otherwise did really neat things. No, they're not an ancient custom; I initiated them fairly early in the Awakening but lots of people seem to like them.
So now to begin the last chapter!
...and to tell you about some of the changes I've been undergoing lately!
Steve
Okay, so Asatru is a native European religion. What do we believe, and how do we express those beliefs? Here's my quick and concise overview for my friends who don't have a background in all this, and who don't have a lot of time to research on the Internet because they're too busy booking minors into juvenile hall...or doing whatever they do where they work!
* The world is good. Prosperity is good. Life is good, and we should live it with joy and enthusiasm.We are free to shape our lives to the extent allowed by our skill, courage, and might. There is no predestination, no fatalism, no limitations imposed by the will of any external deity.
* We do not need salvation. All we need is the freedom to face our destiny with courage and honor.
* We are connected to all our ancestors. They are a part of us. We in turn will be a part of our descendants.
* We are also linked to all our living kin - to our families and to every man and woman rooted in the tribes of Europe. They are our "greater family."
* We are connected to Nature and subject to its laws. The Holy Powers often express themselves in Nature's beauty and might.
* We believe that morality does not depend on commandments, but rather arises from the dignity and honor of the noble-minded man and woman.
* We do not fear the Holy Powers, or consider ourselves their slaves. On the contrary, they are our kin and our friends. The Holy Powers encourage us to grow and advance to higher levels.
* We honor the Holy Powers under the names given them by our Germanic/Norse ancestors.
* We practice Asatru by honoring the turning of the seasons…the ancestors…the Divine…and ourselves - in everyday life.
Steve
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