Life is full of changes. Nothing stays the same forever, even the Gods grow and change.

With the landmark anniversary of 500 posts, I find myself looking over both myself, my practice, and my religion and faith. I find myself facing things I never have before and never thought I would face at all.

I find myself looking at the Heathen religion with sorrow. While we have managed to avoid much of the social justice plague that has so poisoned much of paganism, we have many other problems, problems that slap the very face of what the Heathen faith is about. It is supposed to be about faith, family, honor, and respect.

Instead, it seems no matter where I have looked or gone, it is less about faith and more about dogma. Instead of being about family and tribe it is little more than absolute warfare over whose version of heathenism is the “correct” and all others are wrong. No one is honored, all are mocked and derided even for logical or fact based interpretations. There is no respect, despite numerous and mandatory calls on the subject.

Heathenism, as a religion is failing to be what it needs to be. Now, in the future, I have faith it will be the true faith it is meant to be. I have seen the seeds. But it will take much stress, much pain, and events that force all Heathens to stop fighting with each other and fight a foe to all of them.

It’s not there yet.

In my own life…I haven’t been the most religious. While my faith and bond with the Gods is beyond question…I rarely hold the holy days. A blackberry cream soda with Hel is my more common devotion, and I have ties outside of the Norse pantheon that isn’t strictly in line with “traditional” Heathen practice. What I have become with my bond to Hel is far beyond what is accepted even in larger paganism. I am her son, adopted to the very throne of Helheim. I have been mocked and dismissed by heathens for merely stating I am a gothi to Her, none would dare respect a claim of divinity, even by adoption.

And…I’m not even a cleric anymore. My duties to Hel and the realm of Helheim are different than those of a priest. My place is different, and the time comes where those duties are going to take more precedence in this world and my life.

This blog has been a chronicle of my life and practice. But that life and practice is changing. I am starting to not think of myself as a Heathen, that religion has somewhat failed me as a worshiper. But the Gods or a part of me, and like Skadi and the Asgardians, I am now becoming a part of them. My life is no longer a heathen’s path. It is…a God’s path.

Here in the next few days, the name of this blog is going to become Son of Hel. WordPress tells me it has a way to redirect people from the old address to the new, so everyone should still be able to find me. But the time of change has come, just as you voted in a resounding 9-1. Thank you for your support.

I am now Svartwulf, Son of Hel. By the will of Hel, by the will of myself, and by the will of you.

Follow me if you will into our Wyrd and let there be glory and kinship for all.