Uncle Thor's Lessons, Anecdotes and Humor

In these troubled times, many people are declaring bankruptcy. It is a fact of life. Most of them are adults in between 40 and 60. Most are stable individuals who would thrive in a normal economy. The reasons for their financial woes range from job loss to credit card companies jacking their rates. Without those problems, they would have squeezed through this poor economy. One little thing tipped the proverbial apple cart. One more straw broke the camel’s back.

There is no excuse for crazy spending. Those who habitually spend beyond their means are fools. Make no bones about it. But what happens when folks who have economized and pared their spending to bare minimum find themselves financially overwhelmed?

There are cases where the only way to preserve prosperity is to file bankruptcy. It would be unconscionable if done only to dodge creditors. By the same token, it would be necessary if it is the only way to preserve part of one’s well-being. Life is unfair. Bankruptcy may be unfair to creditors, but it is certainly unfair to oneself to descend into poverty. Bankruptcy the only wise choice when there is no other way to avoid poverty. In this case, there are no winners. Everybody loses. Some lose more than others, but everybody loses.

Creditors who let greed do their thinking can burden debtors unreasonably. We see this with the credit card companies who jacked their rates. They did it after the president enacted laws to protect debtors. There was just enough time before the law went into effect that the credit card agencies could get away with a steep rate increase. Combine this with folks enduring an already weak economy and the people’s burdens multiplied. Credit card companies were unwilling to work out arrangements with their debtors. The ironic thing is that the people who got their rates jacked were not deadbeats. They were good customers who paid on time.

The result of the greed is a string of bankruptcies and a loss of revenue for creditors. The same kind of thing happened with the mortgage crisis, where greedy lenders played fast and loose with the rules. The resulting rash of bankruptcies caused by lender’s greed shook the banks to their core. Round 2 of this money shortfall is landing on the credit card companies.

There is a lot to be said for old fables that teach valuable lessons. Remember the story of the goose that laid the golden egg. It is a story of patience versus greed. In the case of the mortgage nonsense and the greedy creditors, again we see another instance of killing the goose that laid the golden egg. These things have been going on since the time of Hammurabi.

There is another lesson here. In the past forty years, we have come to rely more and more on credit. There was a time when credit cards were uncommon. The loans for average folks were for cars and houses. Both required large down payments. For other things, there were layaway programs. Most everything was bought with cash. People had no choice but to live within their means. Nowadays, credit cards are more common than cash. many things are bought on credit rather than cash. This type of installment plan is very expensive in the long run. By the time a debt has been paid, interest rates and time have conspired to double or even triple the cost.

We need to get back to living on what we have rather than making credit the largest part of our finances. For many, that means a change in priorities. Since the 1970s, there has been a shift in our society that emphasizes possessions over principles. That is a wrong attitude. As a society, there is an urgent need to shift away from the “I have got to have this” thinking. It is that mentality that gorges itself on credit like a pig in a turnip patch. We have to return to a mindset that is grateful for what it has. Happiness is not in getting more or having the next new thing. Happiness comes with being the right person, not how much stuff you can have.

The bad economy has burst the credit bubble. Just as people need to cut back on credit, so banks need to halt the greedy tactics. In the end, they are the ones who lose when bankruptcy becomes commonplace. Whether people are defaulting on mortgages or credit card debt, the banks lose. Most of these defaults would never have happened were it not for the banks’ shenanigans.

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The Heathen way is the practical way. When faced with a serious crisis, it is wise to discuss this with trusted people who are known for wisdom and common sense. It is hard to be totally objective in a very trying situation, so the perceptions of others can help. They are not in the problem, so they are not going to have their emotions getting in the way.

Though legal, the rightness or wrongness of bankruptcy depends on the individual situation. The greed of the credit card companies and bad mortgage lenders is also legal even though it is unethical. When subjected to an unfair burden, prior agreements are negated.

For those who are in circumstances that may lead to bankruptcy, help is available. There are advisors who are licensed or otherwise certified by law. Ignore the television commercials that claim they can give credit advice and reduce your debt. There are municipal or county agencies who can tell you where to find legitimate counselors.

If you choose bankruptcy, get a lawyer experienced with bankruptcy. Do not do it yourself or go through one of those Internet “file it yourself” services. You will save money and time and get the best results with a bankruptcy lawyer. This is a case where “do it yourself” is a very bad idea.

Ocean Grove Train Show

I will be at Ocean Grove, NJ tomorrow and Sunday in the Communtiy room on Pilgrim’s Pathway participating in the annual train show. Hours are 11 to 430 Saturday and 12 to 330 Sunday. Please stop by. The sign at the door will read “Christmas and trains.” ( Of course, for me it is Yule ) This is my tenth year doing this.

This year, along with the usual two families (The Crawfords and us), we will have a club that runs circus trains.

Come enjoy the fun!

Happy Holidays

Uncle Thor

PS Ocean Grove was a Methodist town used for tent revival meetings. The fact that Heathens are running trains is a humorous thing.

I will be at Ocean Grove tomorrow and Sunday in the Communtiy room on Pilgrim’s Pathway patrticipating in the annual train show. Hours are 11 to 430 Saturday and 12 to 330 Sunday. Please stop by. The sign at the door will read “Christmas and trains.” (Of course, for me it is Yule) This is my tenth year doing this.

This year, along with the usual two families (The Crawfords and us), we will have a club that runs circus trains.

Come enjoy the fun!

Happy Holidays

Uncle Thor

PS Ocean Grove is an old tent revival community, hence the Christmas and Trains sign.

Here are skills that empower:

Concentration: if you can briefly focus on something regardless of distractions, you have a powerful tool. Building that mental focus is easy. Use a clock with a sweep second hand. Focus on the second hand as long as you can without having another thought. Your mind has to be fixed entirely on watching the second hand. You might make ten seconds the first few times. The goal is to try to concentrate for at least 30 seconds. You can do it if you practice for a few minutes, at least twice a day. This little trick is a great, simple and easy way to develop pinpoint concentration.

Center yourself: there is a place within each of us where we find both an unshakeable foundation and a source of confidence. It can best be accessed through contemplation and meditation. You do not have to blank your mind, assume weird postures or breath in unusual ways in order to meditate. All you need do is slow yourself down ,sit someplace comfortable, close your eyes and breathe slowly. Try to breathe the way you might when you are asleep. When you get calm, examine you feelings. Seek that which is connected to the calm you feel. In time, you will find that center of yourself.

Know the Power: Within 3 to 5 years, you can have greater skill than 99% of metaphysicians, magickians, runecasters, etc. You can begin working with the power in a matter of days. It is simple. Tale the power signs of your beliefs. They may be Runes, the powers symbolized by the Seven Planets, the Elements, aspects of the one Mind, etc. It does not matter what system you follow. Spend time a few minutes each day thinking about the power sources. Meditate on them. Think of how each one feels, how it works, and where it is manifest in the everyday world. Get to know them by feel and experience. If you do this consistently and back it up with methods to apply the power, you will have more than most folks who study and take classes and read book after book. You will be able to USE the powers. You will have the ability to apply them. You will know them directly. Granted, you will not get any titles or degrees, but by then you will not need them. Using them and knowing them is better than knowing about them.

Know how to Apply Power: There are many ways to project power, be they prayers, invocations, spells, rites, charms, etc. A person can be a walking spellbook by studying hundreds of them. Better it is to have a handful of techniques that you mastered than a hundred half-learned. Those who are most empowered use applications of one or two techniques for most things. They may have a handful more that they can adapt, but these are used infrequently. The trick is that they are so skilled at their preferred techniques that they can adapt them to almost any situation. Because of their insight and skill, they get their results.

One thing I stress is that among the many techniques, learn spoken spellcraft. Verbal spells can be altered to fit almost any occasion. They require no tools, no special ritual area and little or no time to prepare. With practice, you can even do them silently. Spoken spells can be combined with other methods. Call it affirmative prayer, treatment or spoken spellcraft, it is practical and effective provided you make the effort to develop the skill.

Find a few techniques which you can do well. Master them. The one or two that resonate with you most deserve your greatest effort. Learn to adapt them to handle any need. One technique mastered will carry you a long way. Have one or two more that you can use expertly and a handful of others as backups.

Put Intellect above Emotion: Think before you act. Think it through. Use your power of reason. There is no conflict between use of reason and use of spiritual methods. They do not contradict. Put your faith in reason. Your feelings have their purpose, but the ultimate decision comes from your intellect.

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One more piece of advice. Part of empowering yourself is finding the right sources of information. To whom do you listen? What do you read? The best advice is to heed those who have proven it in real life. Here is a story that illustrates the point better than any set of literal instructions:

I had a friend some years ago who had an interesting past. That is interesting as in the Chinese curse, “May you live in interesting times.” His interesting past happened in Japan, where he had served in the US Army as a military policeman. My friend got involved in some kind of illegal activities which put came to involve Japanese organized crime. The Japanese mobsters, known as the Yakuza, have their own peculiar culture, much as the Italian mobsters had decades ago. One of their traditions was a that if a Yakuza member made a foolish mistake, he would cut off part of his finger. The more stupid mistakes, the more cuts fingers.

I asked my friend how he navigated through the Yakuza. He explained, “Stick with the guy who has all his fingers.”

Within the story is the trick for choosing the people to whom you can listen, and in knowing whom to avoid.

By the way: at the time I knew the man, his army service was long over and he was improving his life considerably. He was able to change direction from chronic mischief to a life of integrity. I hope he is still doing well. As I have said time and again, you can overcome your past behavior and make yourself a life worth living. He did.

Here are a few traits that will make a difference:

Patience: What with the instant nature of so many things in this era, impatience and the resulting frustration are rampant. A person can get a fully prepared meal in minutes. He can make a cell phone call anywhere in the world instantly. Anything he wants can be bought on the internet and shipped to him in days. A common term for all this is Instant Gratification. People are losing the ability to wait. The cry of these times is “I want it and I want it now!”

In patience there is peace. In its opposite, there is turmoil. You can learn patience. One facet of patience is the ability to wait. There are many good things that take time. Patience is needed for them to mature. A garden grows in time. A fine dinner takes time to prepare. Developing skill in most things requires ongoing effort over a period of time. Be your goal that of a craftsman, artist, dancer or musician, skill comes with much time.

Patience can be aggressive, much like the siege of a mighty fortress. There is a way of waiting out an opponent or enduring a situation. There is also the art of the ambush. One is reminded of the hunter waiting for prey and the fisherman waiting for a bite. This is patience.

Another aspect of patience is the patience we have with others. There is the kind of patience afforded to those of lesser abilities, for instance. A teacher has patience with his students. A mother has patience for her children. Patience calmly endures the frailties of others. It gives the other person time.
Time takes time, and a blade of grass only grows a day’s length in a day. There are things we can hasten and other things that only come in their own time.

Of all things that empower, patience is essential. The person who is patient has a wonderful type of power to do things effectively while not allowing things to affect him adversely.

Persistence: The ability to keep at one’s efforts empowers him and assures progress. The greatest achievements require continuous effort. Success comes by keeping at the task. There are many things that can be achieved in one act, but the greatest things often must be earned one little bit at a time. Persistence sees them through to the end. It is intertwined with patience. Persistence is crucial.

Teachability and the willingness to learn: There are people who are so full of themselves that they are unable to learn. Teachability is an asset which makes you able to benefit from the knowledge of others. The essential ingredient for teachability is willingness. You have to be willing to learn.

Part of teachability is the talent of finding good teachers. There are people whose knowledge and experience are such that you can gain valuable insight from them. These are people who tell you what you need to hear, not necessarily what you think you want to hear.

The ability to say NO and mean it: A doormat gets nothing done. The doormat is reactive to the wants of others and allows them to rule his life. An essential ability is something the doormat cannot do: say NO. If you say YES to everything, you will have no life of your own. You have to be able to refuse that which intrudes on you. If your old pals want you to idle about while you have work to do, then saying NO is the only way to assure the job gets done. If someone wants to impose on you, saying NO is sure to keep you free of it. When a person asks you to join in something you know to be wrong, saying NO reinforces your commitment to being the right kind of person. I find that people who have a hard time saying NO are burdened with things that are not to their benefit. Those who can say NO tend to be unencumbered by interferences.

Jettison Power: The other side of the necessary talent of saying NO is the ability to jettison that which impedes your life. A person has to be able to jettison people, activities and things which are harmful to him. Keep in mind that there are things which were once useful but are now an encumberance. Once their time is past, they need to be released. Old ways that no longer work, old patterns that were never good to begin with, and old acquaintances who sap your time and energy are things that have to be discarded. You must let go that which is not good for you so that you can embrace that which is right for you. The person who can jettison that which is burdening, impeding or wasteful is making it easier for himself and his efforts.

Going to LCD: Call it “cut to the chase”, “getting to the bottom line” or “going to the lowest common denominator” if you will. This ability allows you to cut through everything else and get right to the essential point. You have to perceive the hard facts without embellishment. If you can do that, you have a powerful ability that will serve you well, especially when things get chaotic.

Brutal self-honesty: Let us face facts. There are times in Life when being open and forthcoming are not wise. You may have to withhold some facts or even obscure them. If you must do that to others, make sure you do not do it to yourself. You cannot afford to lie to yourself about the facts.

You have to be brutally honest with yourself about yourself. That means admitting to yourself your true motives, plans, feelings, etc. You do not have to share this with others, and frankly, it is rarely a good idea to do so. You do have to be thoroughly honest with yourself. Those who lie to themselves and try to soften the facts tend to get into stupid situations. Self-honest people tend to avoid a lot of needless static.

Love: You have to love. There has to be at least one thing that draws you. It may be a person, place, thing, activity. You have to have at least one thing about which you are passionate. People who love are people who live well. The loveless become pathetic in time.

Decision: the power to make a choice and select a course of action is the true test of empowerment. Doormats, wishy-washies, fence-sitters and spineless worms want an easy decision or to have someone make the choice for them. As the saying goes, “Stand for something or fall for everything.” You choose the “something” on which you will stand. Use your power of decision. With this trait comes the ability to make a stand. These two are intertwined and inseparable. Many people never decide because they are afraid of making a mistake. Decisive people are willing to take the chance of a mistake. Do not let fear make you indecisive. Face your fear and make the choice you know has to be made – by YOU

A Generous Spirit: The large, expansive spirit of goodwill is something we tribute to the God Thor. The Greeks saw this in Zeus and the Romans recognized it in Jupiter. The generous spirit does not necessarily give things away, though it may do that, too. By generous we mean a radiating sense of goodwill that is felt by all around it. It is strong, jovial, good-natured and genuine. It inspires and empowers. The generous spirit never shrinks. It is bright, joyful and affable.

A Genuine Friend: The empowered person is one who is a beneficial friend. He appreciates the good folks in his life and acts accordingly. He thinks of the best interests of his friends and family. That is a far cry from the sniveling creep who puts his own wants above the integrity and well-being of others. The genuine friend would never do his friends wrong just to satisfy his wants. He is the kind of friend who always respects their well-being.

These are the traits that empower. They are hallmarks of those who are empowered. Their nature is such that they spread that great force of good to others.

Tomorrow, we will look at Part 3. These are the techniques that can make the power tangible for you. Empowerment is grand. The ability of the empowered individual to use that power of wondrous, indeed!

This is based on my experience drawn from the past 40 years. If you want to know my experience, read the back articles from Uncle Thor’s Magazine on my Artillery Park site. What follows is insight based on facts that have proven themselves time and time again.
There are three things you need to know before we get started.:

A) Life is unfair. Be glad that it is. If many of us got what we really deserved, we would be in a world of pain.

B) You are responsible for your life. You might not always be responsible for your causing your circumstances, but you are responsible for what you do with them. Keep in mind that in all your experiences, good and bad, the only constant thing is you. Only you can make the changes that improve your experiences. Take responsibility for your input into your circumstances. Doing so empowers you to make the right changes and get the best results.

C) The Gods are not great big magickal people looking down on us from some far-off Heaven. They are not our babysitters, disciplinarians, shepherds or cosmic mall mommies. They do not demand our fawning over them, nor will they make all our decisions for us. That being the case, you have to make your own decisions. You do NOT honor the Gods by slavishly leaving all your decisions to them. You honor the Gods when you use your mental and emotional assets to make decisions on your own.

Here are a few things:

1) No matter how low you feel, no matter how bad you think you have been, you can become a person who makes a difference for good. That comes through two things. First, you must make a decision to put the bad behind you and develop the good. Second, you have to make every effort to develop yourself into the person who makes that good difference. This is not easy. You must want it more than anything else and you must persist, even if you fall behind now and then. Millions of people have done it. Why not you?

2) Willpower has its uses. It can get you through situations of a relatively brief duration However, it can easily run out of steam. The real power is desire. The attainment of a goal is mainly a matter of how badly you want it, and how hard you will strive to get it. Desire is the steam that keeps willpower working. You have to make yourself want it. I have seen many people fall short when working on willpower alone. Those who had the strongest desire were the most likely to succeed. Willpower is the lesser part of the equation; desire is the greatest.

3) The people who succeed are those who are willing to endure temporary setbacks. Many people have small failures along the way. Sometimes they are calls to persevere and push harder. Sometimes they are a call to change course and try a different approach. They may even mean that you need to change your plans or your goals. And sometimes they are things that are not yet ready to give way to you, so you have to wait until the time is right. Until that time, you have to expend every effort to prepare for another try when the time is right. The only time failure is absolute is when you give up.

4) Choose reasonable goals. Unless you have the talent, you are not going to become a big-league ballplayer, famous rock star or commander of a space mission. As the saying goes, do not bite off more than you can chew. Look for the right thing for you and master it.

5) Don’t be stupid. Ignorance can be cured by education. Stupidity can only be cured by common sense, but only if the stupid one is willing to listen. Frankly, that does not happen often. Stupidity can afflict dullards and geniuses. Use common sense and reason. Many an otherwise capable person has lost out because of stupid choices. You cannot afford the luxury of being a jackass.

6) Stay away from the duds. That goes for ammunition and jackasses. Mindsets are contagious. If you persist in idling with knuckleheads, you will become just like them. Idiots will tell you what you want to hear. Good people will tell you what you need to hear. Learn to listen to the right people. Good people are the ones who are successful at living.

7) Life is not a straight line. There are side trips and switchbacks along the way. If you get shuffled to a side track for a while, make the best of it. Learn. Gain experience. You would be amazed at how something you experienced for a brief time might come back later to be useful information. Nothing is wasted. The side trips and side tracks of life can be great opportunities if you use them wisely.

In the journey of life, many focus on the destination. Few watch the journey. If you pay attention to the journey, the destination will take care of itself. In other words, live with eyes wide open.

9) Perhaps the best way to state this one is Wheaton’s Law: “Don’t be a dick.” Your actions have consequences. That goes triple for how you deal with people. If you mistreat others physically, mentally, emotionally, socially, financially or otherwise, it will eventually catch up with you. The longer it takes, the more you will suffer. Cheating, lying, deceiving and other mischief may get you what you want in the short run, but in the long run you will be very lonely, despised and shunned. What point is gaining a thing, only to lose your reputation, the love of family and the friendship of others?

10) Before you attempt something, especially if it is questionable, ask yourself: “Is it worth it?” Is the goal worth the effort? Is the thing you gain worth the price you pay? Calculate the cost, be it money, time, effort, love, trust, etc. Is it worth it if it costs you a marriage? A lifelong friendship? Your reputation? With difficult choices, consider what you might lose compared to what you may gain.

11) If something you are doing is causing you problems, stop doing it. If you have trouble stopping, then get help. Make every effort to put a halt to behavior and choices that are bringing you trouble. Seek help if necessary. A wise person has the good sense to get help if and when he needs it. A fool tries to go it alone against a problem that is larger than his efforts to overcome it.

12) Make your priorities. These vary from person to person. Determine what yours are. Place first things first. At the top of the list should be needs. Place your needs before your wants. You will be surprised how many of the things you think you want are of little or no consequence. Know the value of things. Some things’ value can be measured by money, but the things that count most cannot. Things like health, the love of family and friends, accomplishments and peace of mind have value that cannot be measured mathematically. There are unfortunates of whom it can be said “He knows the cost of everything and the value of nothing.” Don’t be that person! Know the real value.

13) There are things that cannot be attained in a single attempt. They need to be taken gradually. It is like a big, thick sandwich. You cannot gulp it down in one or even two or three big bites. You can eat the whole thing with many smaller bites. There are things in life that will be taken by a string of small efforts rather than a few big ones.

Tomorrow: Part 2

I do not understand why people would want a king when they are free. I cannot fathom why people would cede their will to that of a ruler. Likewise, in a universe where the Gods are immediate, why would someone want a priest, minister or rabbi to tell them how to worship? Why would people take any book and make it the rulebook of their lives?

We can read and get guidance. We can go to experienced folks for advice. So why demand a leader to tell us what to do?

In view of these questions, I am personally proud that I have no followers. There are people who read my work and enjoy it, but there are none who look to me to tell them what to do. My books are not treated like sacred texts written in stone. I have no sycophants, no disciples, no apostles, no herds of fawning followers ceding their will to mine. That tells me that I am doing what I set out to do: help people empower themselves. The focus of my work is not myself, but giving people something they can use so each can focus on himself and the things he holds dear.

One of the things that baffles me is a tradition called Theod which insists new members swear allegiance to a king. It demands that new members become “thralls” to follow the demands of those further up in the hierarchy. Kings? Thralls? That seems ridiculous to me. I cannot see what it has to do with the search for spiritual insight. All I see there are the usual parishioners and priests and bishops under other names.

Recently, there has been a flak storm over one such “king” who has gained the enmity of many. Most of his adversaries are Theod people, but not all. They talk of betrayal and trickery. When running for political office, the man made much of his Catholic background. This has many accusing him of everything from being a closet Catholic to selling out his Theodism. I had dealt with the man many years ago. He made many promises and tried to sway my wife and I to abandon our Heathen friends in favor of his allies. Suffice to say that he lost our good will. This latest flurry of accusations and such ought to make folks suspicious of making someone their king.

The Gods are free. They do not cost anything. Can you imagine Thor or Odin or Freya insisting you must first have a king in order to be a real Heathen? Would the Gods demand you have an intermediary? Reason says that if they want closer contact with you, they would prefer dealing with you directly rather than working through a hierarchy of middlemen.

Heathenism does not need kings or thralls. Heathenism needs strong, independent people. Heathenism thrives with people who can chart their own course without a multitude of clergy and contrived royalty. It is good to accept good guidance and to read. It is also good to make your own choices based on your experiences and insights. The best thing is to empower yourself.

And you can rest assured that when you listen to Uncle Thor (Me!), you will not be asked to join a group or seek a leader. I see no point in starting an organization and I certainly have no desire to be or to appoint a king, director, boss or fuhrer. At the end of the day, we are all equal.

Aesop’s fables tell a tale that makes a good lesson here:

“The Frogs were living happily in a swamp that just suited them; they went splashing about caring for nobody and nobody troubling with them. But some of them thought this was not right; they should have a king. They therefore sent a petition to Jove to give them what they wanted. “Mighty Jove,” they cried, “send us a king that will rule over us and keep us in order.” Jove laughed at their croaking, and threw down a huge Log. The Frogs were frightened by the commotion in their midst. After a time, seeing that it did not move, one or two of the boldest of them ventured towards the Log, and even dared to touch it. Then all the Frogs came and did the same; and for some time the Frogs went about their business every day without taking the slightest notice of their new King Log. But this did not suit them, so they sent another petition to Jove, and said to him, “We want a real king; one that will really rule over us.” This made Jove angry, so he sent among them a big Stork that soon set to work gobbling them all up. The Frogs repented too late.”

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Soldiers in Western nations take their oaths to their various nations. For examples, American soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines and coast guardsmen swear allegiance to the United States of America. Until August of 1934, German soldiers took their oaths to Germany and the German people. When the National Socialists came to power in Germany, they changed the oath so that soldiers pledged allegiance to Hitler rather than the nation and people. History shows how that experiment ended.

Our Annual Yule Message

A kindly reminder to our fellow Heathens, Odinists and Asatruar.

Over the centuries, our conventional society and the Christian religion have adopted many Heathen themes for celebrating Christmas. The Christmas tree is an adaptation of a German custom honoring Yggdrasil and the Yule log of all the Northern lands. The snowflakes and eight-rayed stars are the Younger Hagal Rune and the Aegishjalm, respectively. The Elves in the North Pole workshop are a version of the Dwarves in their smithy. Santa Claus is the Yule visitor, which according to local heathen customs may have been Odin, Thor, Freya or Berta. There are many other customs borrowed from the Heathens of Old.

We can easily be swayed by the use of our beliefs to accept other things that are not ours. Many of our Heathens are new to our ways. They may miss some nuances of the heathen celebration of Yule. To keep things true ,we must remind ourselves:

Yule is NOT Christmas.

The trappings may be similar. The actual holiday is totally different. For one thing, the date is clear. We celebrate on the Winter Solstice. They celebrate on December 25th. Barring a cosmic shift in the orbit of Earth, the 25th will never be the Solstice. Our day is anywhere from the 19th to the 23rd.

We do NOT combine the holidays. We do not substitute one for another. Heathens celebrate Yule. If Christian relatives or friends invite us for their holiday, fine. However, their holiday is not ours. We are not celebrating the nativity of some Middle eastern carpenter. We are celebrating the rebirth of the Sun, so to speak. Yule is the shortest day of the year and the day when the Sun begins to wax again. Because Yule was usually the last time before Winter made travel difficult, it is also the last big family gathering of the year.

To put it simply, Yule is about OUR families. Christmas is about THEIR mythic carpenter’s family.

Here are articles form Uncle Thor’s magazine that put it all into perspective for you:

Prepare for a genuine Yule – http://www.thortrains.com/utmo/preyulea07.htm

Greed versus Prosperity – http://www.thortrains.com/utmo/0mercant.htm

The Madness Begins: Heathens, Yule and the Christmas Shopping Mania : – http://www.thortrains.com/utmo/yuleshopx.htm

Heathens, Christmas and Santa Claus: How do we deal with the secular side of Christmas? – http://www.thortrains.com/utmo/08yyulexmasx.htm

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Please support Heathen businesses. We are offering several of our publications at special discounts this season. Please give us a try:

http://www.thortrains.net/trollwisepress/aheathenspecial.htm

Yesterday, I told a story of something I had observed a long time ago. I had seen the same thing subsequently. The idea of Thor itself is somehow empowering. The God himself is expansive in many ways. Thor is closely related to the electro-magnetic principle. The nature of his electricity draws us to its source. (Perhaps this is the magnetic half of the action of the electric principle.) We find a blend of grandeur and the kind of benevolence that draws people to it.

I am reminded of the Designated Hitter of the Boston Red Sox – and I hate to admit anything good of Boston, being lifelong Yankee fan. They call him Big Popi. He is a massive man of great strength, with considerable skill at the bat. Popi has quite a temper when the game is not going his way. People are drawn to him. Popi exudes a feeling of goodwill and happiness. He has that kind of expansive nature that encompasses all within range. There are individuals who exhibit these same traits. They are similar to Thor’s nature.

Let us not be tempted to discuss this in terms of archetypes, lest we lose focus.

Those familiar with Thor can attest to an expansive feeling and a spirit that can best be described as generous. It is both expansive and attractive. There is neither fear nor gloom in it. The energy inspires confidence and joy. It makes people smile. Those who have felt it know its general essence of goodwill and grandeur.

We can discuss Thor as we might a metaphysical principle. Indeed, he is much more than that. However, an abstract approach is necessary at times for reasons of objectivity. Like all things and all people, Thor has a set of principles along which he operates. He also has a distinct power and essence. This kind of investigation revealed Thor’s connection to the astrophysicist’s concept of electromagnetism. It also opens the question of whether Thor’s expansive nature has any correspondence to the “dark force” or “dark energy” of astrophysics. “Dark energy” is an ever-expanding principle which pushes things further out and apart.

That brings us to another point. Heathenism is not limited to the Sagas and Eddas and other old lore. Through science and the experiences of our modern age, we are writing the new lore. Science is an ally, for its discoveries can become new places for spiritual investigation. Reason is the primary tool of investigation. Once we get past the idea of Gods as great big men and women with magickal powers living in cavernous throne rooms, all discovery is possible. The same science that baffles monotheists and challenges their beliefs is the science that offers us extraordinary opportunities in matters of Heathen spirituality.

We can investigate our Gods and our spiritual principles using science and reason. The monotheists dare not do so for fear of offending their deity. For them, faith is something they put in their beliefs, even when there is no evidence or when the evidence says otherwise. Odin counsels that we put our faith in reason. Like our Heathen forebears and their ancient Greek and Roman Pagan contemporaries, we recognize reason as valid for both mundane and spiritual things. Reason is far superior to unknowing faith. This is why our Gods do not demand our faith. They would rather we find our way using common sense and reason. Indeed, anything that is truly spiritual must be practical. Anything spiritual that is impractical or stupid is not spiritual, but an example of misinformed religious nonsense masquerading as the real thing.

Through Thor we find our own greatness. He is called the God of Mankind because his energy and nature have an uplifting affect that brings us to our best. Yet Thor is not some big man in the sky swinging a big hammer. Those are myths and allegories. Thor is a spiritual being far superior to us, as are all Gods. We find him not in some far-off heaven, but right in our own world today. And if we look in the right spirit, we might find some of Thor in ourselves.

This happened at least 30 years ago.

I was on the road one hot summer day. I wanted to get out of the car and stretch my legs, so I stopped in a gin mill to have a beer. The place was like any neighborhood tavern on a Saturday afternoon. Several men were talking. I chose a seat off to the side of the bar. After all, it was just a momentary halt and there was no desire to get drawn into a conversation.

The men’s conversation somehow shifted to Thor. One could feel the air change in the tavern. They were enjoying their conversation. The men appreciated Thor as a powerful God who got things done. The mere thought of the Thunderer energized them with the same intensity as if they were discussing an 90-yard touchdown or back-to-back grand slams. Granted that these were not Heathens and all they had was the smattering of myths they may have read in grammar school. I found it quite a thing to see how the very image of Thor had the power to evoke good feelings, smiles and a near-tangible energy.

Out of the blue, one little fellow at the bar made the inevitable foolish statement. He said “But Thor is just a myth. Jesus is our god. We have to remember that.”

The air in the bar thinned out like the air being let out of a tire. The others muttered their agreement with the statement, but with a down feeling. One could tell that they said it because they felt they had to say it. Mention of Jesus with a hint of their obligation to be good Christians sucked the energy out of that room in a flash. The dynamic, happy energy was replaced by stagnation. The smiles were gone and so was the spark of life that had filled the room only a moment earlier.

I waited a minute or two and then finished my beer and left. That incident had me thinking for the next sixty miles. There was a powerful message there.

That was not the last time I saw something like that.

One thing has been obvious for a long time. Thor inspires. Thor energizes. Thor lifts the atmosphere. Talk of Thor brings smiles. Somewhere deep inside every man is an essence that resonates with Thor’s power. Here is a deity whose very name can inspire.

Compare this with Jesus. I have seen it many times. Someone brings up Jesus and the air deflates. Folks respond only because they feel they have to. It does not come from that deep place. It comes because they think they are obligated to cede everything to Jesus, even if it does not feel right. Jesus is a matter of an ingrained habit of obligation that spoils fun.

Thor inspires. Even a small conversation among non-Heathens is enough to get that wondrous spark. The image of a powerful deity who takes action and shows great strength and courage is awesome. Contrast it with a deity who is all about following rules and being a doormat to man and “God”. There is no comparison. Thor is the winner. Even people who claim to believe in Jesus get that spark of inspiration from Thor.

Is it a mere mental trick? No. This happens all too often. There is something greater than identification with a mythic image. Thor resonates in accord with the heart of mankind. Jesus is just a thing of the head combined with a little guilt and a misplaced feeling of obligation. Thor is the real thing.

There is a God to whom all mankind can turn, and his name is Thor.

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The only Earth the meek will inherit is the earth they are ground into when the other guy’s tanks came rolling in. Blessed are those who stand. Better to stand for something than be run over by everything.

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