First off - I understand that Northern European Heathenry and it's attendant philosophical basis can be difficult to understand. I can't say that I completely understand it (in the mental sense) myself. But I'm a "feeling" person and it just feels right to me.

The reality is that the terms Witch and Witchcraft come into our modern English language from Anglo Saxon roots. The Anglo Saxons were Nordic peoples. Their philosophical outlook and world view are centered in the concept of Wyrd and it's relationship to The Norns(The Fates)

The following page does a good job of stating it all plainly, or as plainly as it can be.
http://www.wyrdwords.vispa.com/heathenry/whatwyrd.html
And Robin presents a very good case as it relates to Traditional Witchcraft in his first book "The Witching Way of the Hollow Hill"

I think that TWWotHH is the first book I have ever seen that discusses in such depth the philosophical basis underlying the Magical Arte it represents and it makes one wonder why other books either skirt the subject or ignore it completely. How can we master these Artes if we do not have at least a basic grasp of the philosophical foundations. Such foundation is the Why which must need combine with the What and How of Praxis in order to be effective.

Owen thats a superb article you posted.
Im working my way through TWW and am enjoying it. One concept in particular, where he speaks of the strands of the web being potential, i found very interesting. The article you posted and the way it describes events as resonating throughout the web and effecting other strands is how i see things.
For me the concept of Wyrd offers some comfort when i am faced with difficult decisions because i feel that whatever decision i do make is the "right" one in order to learn exactly what i need from the experience.
As the article stated we can , to some degree, effect our strands

The threads already woven in cannot be changed, but the overall pattern is never fixed. Existing designs can be expanded into new forms.

However I also feel that we decide what our individual Threads contain. This is something i cant quite explain properly in words but i will try anyway *s*
I feel as though during the period before we are incarnated (or reincarnated for that matter) we are part of a "pool" of potential . This could be similar to the idea of Ginnungagap. The Norns can be seen to be both a part of that pool (as they represent the different stages or aspects of potential co existing at once) but also the shapers of the pool from a void into something material. Because of this we share in the process of spinning the initial thread because we are from the same source. So its not so much an idea of not having any free will but more of already having chosen but just being unaware of what i chose.

(wonders if that makes any sense at all) *lol*

Jera
x

OMG! I'm trying to catch up on the reading and Jera, this just cracked me up! Is this real?

I"m having a difficult time reading the small font. Is there a way to make it larger on my end? Heyope!?

Hi Rowan
Its not a real online initiation (thankfully) but a parody i found some time back which i thought was hilarious, its right up there with the lady pixie moon drop magical name generator *lol*
The site that mentioned about giving you your initiation online in their chat room is however real.
Going back to the magical name generator (which still makes me laugh) ive noticed a trend on Witchvox that the people who have more recently joined the contacts page now have a magical name that is three to four words long. Now im not bashing anyone for having a longer magical name but is this another thing that people think falls under the "fluff factor" ?
*curious*

Jera

Jera wrote:
Hi Rowan
Its not a real online initiation (thankfully) but a parody i found some time back which i thought was hilarious, its right up there with the lady pixie moon drop magical name generator *lol*

Going back to the magical name generator (which still makes me laugh) ive noticed a trend on Witchvox that the people who have more recently joined the contacts page now have a magical name that is three to four words long. Now im not bashing anyone for having a longer magical name but is this another thing that people think falls under the "fluff factor" ?
*curious*

Jera

I rather think so. For one, it's demonstrative of mass unoriginality. I see "Raven" used in every other witch name. It's gotten very trendy, and doesn't help much to dispel the stigma of the "McWiccan".

As ought to be obvious by my own, I am a proponent of using public witch names that wouldn't raise an eyebrow in any setting whatsoever.