Life is (generally) about growing and maturing as a person as you get older and learn things. I think. My life has generally been about thinking “holy shit my life sucks, but maybe one day it will get better” to “holy shit, just let me die already.” But my Goddess insists I live a little bit longer for some reason rather than granting me the rest my broken corpse so desperately makes me desire.

Still, in some regards I have “grown” and “mature” in that views I once had have shifted, changed, gone away, or become stronger. Not just religiously, but politically, ethically, etc. I never claimed to be the nicest or most moral person out there, and I’m sure I’ve got views that would get me labeled a monster even more so now than years past, but I have…if not mellowed, come to recognize in certain situations that moderation is not always the worst thing.

This is especially true when it comes to magic. When I was younger, perhaps more psychologically violent, and just starting out on magic, I had no problem throwing out a curse if I felt it was justified and warranted. This, actually, ended up being pretty rare, but I still threw some out there. I have no idea if they worked, and I sometimes wonder if they may have slightly backfired on me, but I did them. A few of them I have even release (or tried to) in recent years. But as time passed, I learned more, and certain ideas solidified into my head I came to a bit of a conclusion (beyond the usual “magic doesn’t always do what you want).

Magic, being as real as anything and everything in this world, should be treated as real.

No, this might seem like galaxy brained levels of retardation, but it is ironically enough an attitude I almost never see. Especially when the realms of magic and politics come to pass, but in other areas as well. Lots of people, even those who claim to be experts and leaders, are all to happy to throw spells about in a way they seem rather unwilling to throw almost anything else about. And, like I said, this is especially true when it comes to political magics.

At this point I think we’re all familiar with those witches who organize to put curses or bindings on Trump, or nazis, or anyone else they don’t particularly like. Hell, Mainer74 dropped a post not long ago about a bindrune to “protect and promote inclusive heathenism.”

The leader of the Cascadian Freehold brought a request when she joined us at the BC Heathen Freehold Althing. She sought aid to make a bindrune to protect Inclusive Heathen groups, her Cascadian Freehold, our Heathen Freehold, and The Troth among others, from both racist elements and political elements who wish harm to our halls and our goals.

…

This is a defensive bind-rune, but a soldier knows defense is turning aside the enemies attack and destroying his ability to launch another.

Now, I’ve talked at length about shit like this before, but briefly: I’ve yet to really ever see any of the people on the Folkish or similar side of things ever really attack these “inclusive” heathens. I have, however, watched for the better part of a decade or more as the “inclusive” heathens have done literally everything in their power to shame, humiliate, vilify, and destroy any form of Heathenism that did not meet their ever more intolerant standards. Hell, the Troth used to be the middle ground heathen organization where everyone was welcome, now they’re just another organization of “heathens” who purged everyone they didn’t like out of their ranks, including their own fucking founder, and made everyone swear a loyalty oath to “never, ever badwrongthink again.”

Now, I’m not going to break down the bindrune Mainer’s created and see if it will actually do what he wants or if it will backfire on him. My mastery of the runecraft is not that good. But what he is (at least attempting) to do is not just create a ward, but infers he is also creating an attack with this bindrune. “It’s not enough to turn away the enemy’s attack, you must ensure to destroy their ability to attack again.”

Which brings us back to the whole “if magic is real, then magic is REAL” thing I brought up. To me (and I’ve said this a few places), using something like a curse is no different than using a knife or a gun. Oh, sure, curses are a bit less lethal these days (well….some of them. Some of them are pretty lethal), but generally when you want to attack someone with magic you desire to do them violence. Be it “punch them in the face,” “kick them in the dick,” or “murder that mother fucker,” the general idea is using magic to enact violence.

So my general rule for these things has come down to “don’t start throwing curses/attacks with magic if you’re not willing to actually shoot the person with a gun and face the real life consequences.” I know that might seem shocking to people, but it is the attitude I’ve come to lean on rather heavily. If you are not willing to face the consequences for your actions as if you had done them in a way that regular people could see and punish you for, then you probably shouldn’t be doing that shit with magic. The fact that there is no White Council to come punish you does not mean your actions would be morally or even legally justified just because you used magic.

So in the case of Mainer, I have to…if not laugh, at least scowl in some measure of disapproval over this bindrune. He is, basically, making the magical equivalent of a weapon. Now, perhaps this weapon is less a gun and more a claymore mine, but given that Mainer has expressed many views where he’s perfectly happy with violence that benefits him so long as he doesn’t have to shell out or get his hands dirty,  making a weapon against people whom he disagrees with, but is an absolute coward and wouldn’t actually go and attempt to kill in person is somewhat offensive. Especially since he’s made the case that one should be willing to pay the cost for one’s actions (see the whole abortion posts he wrote and my response).

All the fun of attacking the people you don’t like (whom you have aided in attacking for years) with none of the consequences.

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I was thinking of making a separate post for this, but I think I’d rather address the idea of “inclusive heathenism” here briefly. Now, I’m not entirely sure what all is included in this, but I’m assuming it means not just racial inclusiveness, but also things like LGBTQP+++++++ stuff like that.

My position on the whole “racism in heathenry” thing is that racism is literally nothing more than group/familial preference, which is not just accepted behavior in Heathenism, it’s actually very moral behavior. And as for allowing non-europeans to be heathens vs only allowing european-born people to be heathens…how you draw your family lines is really up to you. If only say German people are your family, or all “White” people are your family, or all of humanity is your family, that’s a choice each person has to make and decent arguments can be and have been made for such positions. But I don’t think that any one group really has the ground to bitch and vilify a group who draws their family lines different.

In terms of the LGBTQP+++++ thing though…I have to admit I’m not exactly a fan of being “inclusive” anymore. I’m sure this might make people rage, but if you go back in my blog you’ll find that at several points I supported Gay Marriage and rights and all this other stuff. Of course as time goes on and more and more about the LGBTQP++++ community comes out more and more…I find my views somewhat changing. If I remember correctly, Lesbians have some the highest, if not the highest, rates of domestic partner abuse out of any group of people. The Gay community is (in heathen terms) a community to whom the concepts of loyalty, trust, and honor are not just alien, they’re unheard off. For a few years now, the push has been to start getting Pedophile acceptance, which ties into the Trans community as well.

Dear Gods, the Trans community. In Heathenism there is the idea that a person is their deeds, and a person can be known by their deeds, and such deeds the Trans community has done. Almost without counting at this point. How easily those who scream for “inclusivity” are quick to forget the complete and utter genocide of the Dianics but a few years ago. Once a semi-respected branch of Paganism with modestly respected elders, now nothing more than scattered refugees desperately hiding from those who slaughtered them. The near constant attacks on business owner, the constant mobs on social media hunting down and slaughtering anyone (including their own). The current push of child drag queens and drag queen story-times (staff with a shocking number of known and/or convicted pedophiles).

Are these the people one should really desire to “include” in one’s religion? For a religion that emphasizes honor, to openly accept and unquestioningly defend a community or communities of people to whom the concept seems an anathema, seems antithetical to me in ways that should not be lightly dismissed. Rather, they should be investigated, questioned, researched, and resolved with reason and guidance from the Gods.

Mainer and his kin are free to do as they like, of course. It is not my place to dictate otherwise. But to offer violence to those who look at such things and say “perhaps such people and such behaviors are not for us,” is not an act that is moral or honorable, and I doubt such an act shall be looked upon favorably by the Gods.

 

 

Hela Bless