'Odin, Hear Me!' by Steve McNallen

'Odin, Hear Me!'

This is a prayer (if that's the word) to Odin I wrote back in the 1970's, and published in A Book of Uncommon Prayers, available through the Asatru Folk Assembly.

Odin! Rune-God, Raven-God, Wolf-God, Odin!  I call out to you, not as a slave, or on bended knee, but on my feet and open-armed, a befits your offspring.  Watch me as I struggle.  But the fight and the fame must both be mine; grant me that victory which I win by might and main.  If I fight well, Odin, take me into Valhalla, where I may feast and drink and be merry with your heroes until the time comes to fight once more.  Odin, hail!

Steve McNallen

Asatru Folk Assembly
http://runestone.org

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New Steve McNallen interview on Red Ice Radio - "ancestral roots & metagenetics"

This is a new interview, posted on YouTube two days ago. Steve McNallen goes deeper into the spiritual and scientific side of things. “Synchronicity” was tied into the discussion as well. I wrote down a few points and observations. He compared death to a “curtain,” in which messages can occasionally get through from both directions. He brought up an interesting example as far as the disconnect between individuals and their roots; a present day family at the dinner table, and nobody is speaking to each other, as they’re too busy checking their cell phones, tablets, etc. Henrik, the host from Sweden, brought up a recent book that is said to show evidence between the ancient Norse and the ancient Greeks; I think partly due to the similarities between the two mythologies. Steve asked for the information on that, but didn’t comment on it.

One interesting pattern and I’m not suggesting any specific person or organization is that Guido von List is never mentioned that I can see. In this interview, Friedrich Nietzsche and Carl Jung  were discussed, but not List. “Metagenetics” is a bio-spiritual scientific belief that ancestry and metaphysics are systemically tied together. In so many spiritual traditions, especially in the east, there is no need to even mention this item because it isn’t even considered a part of wisdom. It would be like insisting that one should breathe oxygen. In the West however, and only within European/north European traditions, this passes as “controversial.” Since those traditions were genocided long ago, apparently the “guilt complex” doesn’t apply here. When someone delivers “controversy” to your doorstep, and only to your doorstep, it’s not easy to just ignore it.

Red Ice Radio

Stephen A. McNallen is a prominent religious leader of the native European path called Asatro. McNallen established the first legally recognized Asatro organization in the US in 1972 and quickly became a prolific writer and speaker on the subject on Germanic Paganism, which broadly includes the ancient tribes of Northern Europe. He believes that spiritual fulfillment is best achieved by following the ways of one's ancestors. In the first hour, Stephen addresses the importance of venerating our ancestors. He explains how discovering our ancestral past is vital for our future. We'll talk about what happens when one is cut off from their ancestral roots and how powerful interests rely on it. Stephen discusses how the "world managers" work to get the masses to lose their impulse for something deeper. They belittle honor, courage and heroism for reasons of control as these pose a threat to the system. Later, Stephen talks about the falsification of Europe's history, which always portrays Europeans as the evil ones, and people disown their ancestors because of it. In the member's hour, we'll hear about metagenetics and the idea that ancestry matters - that there are spiritual and metaphysical implications to heredity. He ties together varied topics as Jung's theories of archetypes, rebirth in the family line, psychic links between twins, and the Norse concept of the soul to support that statement. We'll also talk about how biology is being ignored to push egalitarianism. Later, McNallen talks about reigniting the spark, reconnecting to that which is in us. We're the outcome of all who have gone before us and their decisions up until this point. The hour ends on Odin's model of evolution.

 

Supermoon huddle

I thought I would add this here since Steve McNallen has mentioned many times the importance of retreats. Again, I’m not an Odinist. However, this past “supermoon” three days ago, a few of us gathered in a special location at the base of the northern Santa Cruz mountain chain. It was at a spot that we had not used before. It was at a location that was not hard to get to, but secluded, making it a perfect place to take a mini-retreat. A retreat doesn’t have to take a whole weekend, with lots of planning. I can’t stress it enough, sometimes you need to be physically distanced from it all, with no distractions; something a little more than a backyard retreat.

It was 9:45 PM, and a stream of clouds traveling in one direction blocked out the bright moon most of the time as we sat on a wide gravel trail at the base of a hill. We usually go for a location within the trees, but this was a nice alternative. An occasional breeze of warm yet cool air blew against my face during the otherwise still night. The dark mountains stood majestically against the dark blue sky. There was enough moonlight through that endless stream of clouds to illuminate the trail and hillside. The hazy light was beautiful, almost ethereal. For a moment, I recall thinking why can’t we do this more often?

When we first arrived, an owl flew up upon a branch about forty feet high. It stayed there for about five minutes. I tried to take its picture, but it was too high for the flash to be effective. It felt special to have an owl do something they rarely do. It was a special evening, with the clouds continuously swirling around the moon’s bright light. At one point I got up from my chair and walked down the wide trail for a while, beer in hand. I enjoy just thinking about what I want to think about in this type of location, and not what someone else thinks I need to be thinking about.

Sometimes, and not just because of a buzz from several beers, a special location can enhance certain emotions, and everything and everyone past and present seems timeless and together… and with the better of it all rising in spirit. Especially as I looked at the swirling clouds around the moonlight like sparks. Maybe the nearby mountains are like a spiritual antennae at night; opening that curtain between worlds of time. A large raccoon suddenly appeared walking across the trail, bringing me back to earth, and I returned to the camp.

There are two more "supermoons" left this year (August & September), and one more blood moon in October.

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Steve McNallen on Red Ice Radio

Only the first hour is available for non-members, but much is covered. One concept covered is that the Vikings--whose Odinic expression seems to be the source of most of our knowledge of the spiritual tradition--were a very sophisticated trading society, not strictly "barbarians." Also, the idea that a particular people's mythology is their very own "collective spiritual dream." Many of the attacks on Christian centers were actually in retaliation for the hostile, aggressive social, political, and economic policies used by the Christian missionaries. Lastly, that the name "Odin" was actually more of a title meaning "master of the order." The various European words for "order" sort've sound like "Odin," such as "ordine" in Italian. The word for "order" in the Camunian dialect (of the Lombard language) is "urdèn"...... Urdèn! Coincidence?


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From the video description:

Stephen A. McNallen is a prominent religious leader of the native European path called Asatru. McNallen established the first legally recognized Asatru organization in the U.S. in 1972 and quickly became a prolific writer and speaker on the subject on Germanic Paganism, which broadly includes the ancient tribes of Northern Europe. He believes that spiritual fulfillment is best achieved by following the ways of one's ancestors. This ancestral approach to Asatru has put him at odds with many who insist on a universalist worldview. He's also a proponent of "upward evolution" for the individual and the group, encouraging others to incorporate daily spiritual practice in their lives.

The Asatru Folk Assembly (AFA), is the most active and successful national group in the U.S., holding major gatherings on both coasts each year plus dozens of regional events around the country. The AFA is international in scope with members in the UK, Scandinavia, Eastern Europe, Spain, South America, and Australia. In the first hour, we'll discuss Christianity's invasion of Europe and Viking rage caused by missionaries. We talk about the misconceptions and vicious stereotyping of the Vikings, who were sophisticated people. Stephen discusses the belief system of Asatro, an expression of the native, pre-Christian spirituality of Europe.

He speaks about Europe's loss of soul, caused by the disconnection with Indo-European ancestors, and the importance to reawaken that ancestral wisdom. In the second hour, we speak about the Vatican's hold of Europe and what might occur if Europeans do not integrate their ancient native religion into this century. We'll also hear about runestones and more spiritual concepts found in Norse mythology. Later, we talk about the slaughter of Norse people, suppressed European mythology and the re-emergence of the ways of old that existed for thousands of years in Europe before the invasion of Christianity.

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