widugeist

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 20:31:51 GMT

Philosophy

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 19:56:46 GMT

Consciousness/Life/Defense as a Starting Point for Political Philosophy
by Michael Rayborn

If one is to create a political philosophy of any kind we must have a starting point and begin with the "big picture". Political philosophy is a humanity and thus we must first look at the two things which comprises our very humanity: Life and Consciousness and of course the very defense and preservation of these two things. The human being possesses a living body and contained within it is a celebral cortex which is the very source of Consciousness. A society contains a collection of physical bodies which in turn contains (to a greater or lesser degree) Consciousness.

Thus it would seem obvious that any effective political ideology would aim to 1. Expand Consciousness, 2. Improve the Qaulity of Life and 3. Defend Life and Consciousness.

The expansion of Consciousness is acheived through Education and good starting points for this endeaver would be the exploration of Psychological and Physiological reality, ie the Humanities and the Sciences. The goal should NOT be indoctrination into a set beleif system but instead should be techniques for cultivating perception so that the Psychological and Physiological can be explored in an unhindered manner, the the starting point would be Epistimology (the scientific method) and Cognitive Psychology (an objective approach to a subjective reality). This is explained through mathamatics (the language of science) and words (the language of the psyche). Thus any political ideology which promotes freedom of thought and speech should be commended as the unhindered flow of ideas through communication can and will lead to the expansion of Consciousness and a deepened Understanding of psychological and physiological reality. Any political ideology which hinders thought or speech in any way should be combated in a Conscious and Constructive manner, ie one should fight Ignorance with Wisdom.

This of course leads us to the question of Life. Obviously, we are made up of living tissue and we are also sustained by it as well. The earth is a vast ecosystem which sustains us. Life evolves over time as a way to survive in an often hostile environment. Because we partake in a vast ecosystem anything we do will effect the environment as well as everything that lives within it. The things we do on a daily basis has a local, national, and global impact and will ultimately effect the person who performed the action in the first place. Every raindrop, -no matter how small- contributes to the flood that destroys the village, much in the same manner that every person who uses fossil fuel has in a small way effected the ozone layer. Its deterioration is a product of billions of people and cannot be traced to a single source of blame. We are all responsible. The most Conscious approach that we can take is to improve the Qaulity of Life by focusing on ecological problems. Other things that should be taken into consideration is the question of Human Rights and Animal Rights, but from the perspective of the overall big picture. If someone is wrongly descriminated against this may cause this person to become unhappy and may also effect his or her behavior patterns. The behavior patterns may be negative. If the person goes home and reflects a bad mood to their loved ones, this will also make these people unhappy. They then go to their jobs in a bad mood and begin to effect their environment in a negative way. This has the potential to cause a chain of negative effects which will effect the social infrastructure on a local, national, and global level and thus the qaulity of life becomes deteriorated, not just for the people who were unfairly discriminated against but also for the people who descriminated in the first place! This is why Human Rights is important. On a pragmatic level the question of Life also includes food production technologies which must be developed in a manner that is both Conscious and Constructive.

We then must approach the very delicate matter of Defending both Life and Consciousness. On the local and national levels people defend their physical and psychological well being in a number of ways. The most obvious forms of this is through self defense and national defense, which of course gave birth to the martial arts and the military. The use of violence is an unfortunate but totally unavoidable measure and should only be used to defend ones psychological and physical well being and this should be a last resort if the offending party cannot be pacified with reason and wisdom. In the reality of the world that we live in there are many who are under the clutches of ignorance, hatred and greed and thus the developement of Defense is a necessary measure against the offenders of Life and Consciousness. Unfortunately, Defense is often exploited in the name of ignorance, hatred, and greed.

Thus we have three starting points: Life, Consciousness, and the Defense of Life and Consciousness. The question of these three things has lead to the tripartite developement of civilization as we know it: 1. A thinking body or the Government and Schooling (=Consciousness) 2. The Military (Defense) and 3. Production / Trades / ect. (=Life). This also gave birth to a wide variety of political ideologies which discuss the problems of these things, often focusing on one at the expense of the other two. The most logical approach, however, would be to create balance and develope all three and with the sole aim of Expanding Consciousness and Preserving Life.

One thing that cannot be seperated from political philosophy is the question of virtue. What kinds of virtues would the members of society have in order to coexist with each other? Using the model of Consciousness/Defense/Life three highly important ones come to mind: Wisdom, Courage, and Generosity. The exploration of the psychological and physiological combined with experience developes Wisdom. One would need Courage in order to Defend both Life and Consciousness. Life can only be sustained through interaction and exchange, thus Generosity comes into play.

The opposite of virtue is defilement. Based on the three-fold model of Life/Defense/Consciousness, what are the three things that appose these important things? The opposite of Consciousness is Ignorance. That which distrupts interaction and exchange is Greed. If Defense is not used to protect Life and Consciousness then it has devolved into bullydom which is a product of Hatred, because only pure spite could be the motivation behind attacking someone without reason or cause. Greed could be a reason for this, but even Greed is a product of Hate due to its antisocial nature. These three defilements have an extremely destuctive effect on a personal, local, national, and global level...their effects are most obvious when we observe the behaviors of self aggrandizing politicians and dangerous religious fanatics. First and foremost we must combat these things with Wisdom and Inspiration.

There are two models for the developement of Life/Defense/Consciousness, the Mechanistic Model and the Organic Model. The Mechanistic Model is often the basis of an entire Nation which divides people into specific catagories: the "thinking people", the "defenders" and the "producers". It is admittedly effective for sustaining a Nation, however from my perspective it seems to cut people off from their own innate wholeness and transforms them into cogs that feed a Machine. I prefer the Organic, grass roots Model. This is where a small group of people forms a collective and cross trains in a manner that allows each person to be their own thinker/defender/producer which of course leads to the holistic developement of the intellectual, physical, and creative facaulties of the Self and creates a league of realized and empowered individuals who can unite to cause positive transformation on a local, national, and global level through direct action via their celebral, physical, and creative talents. Some may call the Mechanistic Model "fascism" and others may call the Organic Model "anarchism" and of course most social stratums will probably fall somewhere in the middle of these two extremes.
If one watches The Matrix the whole of humanity is jacked into "the matrix" where as the few have found a way to seperate from it and become virtual "supermen". The theme of the movie is not the arguement of which is better but on the matter of *choice*, thus I will leave it up to the readers to choose between the Mechanistic or Organic Model. Of course the Mechanistic and Organic Models cannot be thought of as true opposites. The true opposite of these things would be Nihilism which is the beleif that any action or developement is pointless and that we live in a meaningless universe. Thus it could be thought that the Mechanistic and Organic Models are 45 degrees from each other rather than true opposites.

Through this Three-Fold Paradigm it is hoped that this can be an effective lense through which political idealogies can be examined for what they really are and that one can develope a more rational and experiential approach to these matters rather than blindly following the ideologies espoused by ones parents, professors, the media, or political representatives. In my humble opinion one should be open minded yet critical of any information they are presented with.

The Elf Struck Mind

Sun, 27 Apr 2008 23:49:45 GMT

The Elf Struck Mind by WidugastiR

Raven Flying All So High
Brighten My Icey Mind
Take My Winged Thoughts
Awaken my Frozen Soul

Huginn brings me Light
Clearing Fog from Head
Muninn brings the Night
Opens Mirror of Darkness

Ever so High the bright Ravens Fly
Far Above Ymir's scattered Brains
Kin they are to the Light Elves
Mighty are their arrows of Light

Frey is the Lord of the Elves
He brings frith to the Self
Good Will fills the Geist
Reality seen Crystal Clear

All ill will is melted away
As Gullinbursti glows hotly
Heart becomes open and soft
The Ice no longer holds

The frozen damn begins to break
The waterfall wildly pours
tears of joy pours down the cheek
As one is released from Hoarfrost

The Tragedy of the Stone

Sun, 27 Apr 2008 03:01:38 GMT

like a swan gliding across the lake the coffin glides across the isle in dark requim

blood pitch darkness takes my soul as I scream in agony

drowic phantasms woven over my eyes, telling truth with poetic lies

my soul descends deeper and deeper into the underdeep of the damned

the dragon of the bitter seas rises like a full moon tide

in the depris of fallen ships I see a shining green gem

i gaze into this gem and a tiney soul resides in it....a womane of great beauty

gently i press my lips against its cool and faceted surface, trying to taste her lips

but the green gem seperates us, and my

heart falls deeper into meloncholy...wrenched from love once again....

Aspects of Wizardry

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 01:47:51 GMT

In this communication I hope to give a general overview regaurding the different aspects of wizardry and how it leads to both wholeness and individuation of the Self.

Spiritual Developement

First, there is the Spiritual or "Ascetic" aspect of Wizardry, the ability to transcend what is considered "conventional reality" by connecting to the divine and going above and beyond Self...indeed, into a kind of "Higher Self". Their are many ways of going about this. First, there is the devotional method of prayer (bede) and religious ritual (blo't) which is designed to unite the Wizard with a specific godhead. Prayer, or "bede" is a simple way of communicating with a God. This can be done with the eyes open or closed, usually with arms reaching out to the sky while standing up. The blo't, on the other hand, is the giving of a gift to a God or Goddess, in modern times this is usually a drink, a loaf of bread, or a trinket of some kind.
This is called by some the "Right Hand Path" (or Deosil Way) and this approach is eshewed by those who identify with the Left Hand Path because it may cause the anhilation of self as it merges with another being. This actually is not entirely true especially if the Wizard is uniting with an Being of the opposite sex. This would not lead to "anhilation" but instead it would lead to wholeness and completion.

Second, there is the identification method of "going under the cloak" (or meditation) as well as that of magic (galdor). "Going under the cloak" or meditation is a way to explore the internal subjective realm of the Self through deep contemplation and relaxation. The act of magick, or galdor, on the other hand is the act of ascending into the internal Wode Self (in emulation rather than worship of Woden) and acting apon the world directly through arcane words and gestures. This is called by some the "Left Hand Path" or the Widdershin Walk.

To summarize, Devotional Work is designed to connect with the Fylgia where as Identification Work is designed to ascend into the Wode Self. The true Wizard will fluxuate between these two extremes which will lead to a kind of sacred marriage between the Wode Self and the Fylgia.

This corresponds with Asgard.

Intellectual Developement

The overall ability to memorize, synthesize, and analyze information is also another important facet in the developement of the Wizard. The main Tool for this is the Lore, which must be memorized, synthesized, analyzed and of course tried. The different aspects of Lore are A) Literature, B)Language, C)Runology, D)Indo European or General Studies.

All of these things are extremely important in understanding the theory and practice of Wizardry. The reason why is because the very structure of Wizardry is based on the World Tree and the Runes. In order to Understand the World Tree and the Runes one must study the Myths because the mythic events and the beings partaking in them live within the very structure of the World Tree as well as the Rune Realms. The Scandinavian Sagas and Folklore also contain historical examples as well as operative procedures of the practice of Wizardry itself.

The reason why language is important is because the Eddas and the Sagas are written in Old Icelandic. If one knows Old Icelandic then the overall meanings of the myths can be deciphered and understood as a "psychocosmology" ie events that occur within the collective and personal Germanic Soul or Self instead of just taking it absolutely literally which is actually an extremely limited way of reading the myths. Just as Woden explores the Nine Worlds of the World Tree, he also creates Mankind from Trees, thus the Nine Worlds are within...along with the mythic events that take place within them.

It goes without saying that scientific runology, or the examination of rune staves that are carved on found objects, large stones, and written on paper should be the foundation of rune work. By doing this, one can build a strong and sturdy skeleton which can then be fleshed out with esoteric work later on. If the skeleton is weak and lacks a spine, then esoteric work will be built apon a weak structure that will easily collapse.

Indo European Studies is also very important because the Northern Wizard is not a monolith by any stretch. In fact, some of the Rune Staves can be traced back to the Pheonician writing system and a good deal of them were inherited from the Italic (which was inherited from the Greek) writing system. There is a definite relationship between the "symbol systems" utilized by the Celts, Greeks, and Germanic people and this should not be ignored. Their myths and overall culture also has many correlations and can ultimately be traced back to the steppes of Northern Russia, the origin of the Proto-Indo Europeans.

The intellectual vigor that is needed to examine these facets of Lore can be applied to virtually every aspect of life and will definitely sharpen thinking and memorizing skills. Critical thinking skills can be carried with you anywhere and is worth more than all of the gold in the world.

This corresponds with Light Elf Home.

Physical Developement

The physical aspects of Wizardry cannot be denied. This is most obviously seen in the use of the physical body in Rune Work, ie the use of Stada (Body Postures), Hond (Hand Symbols), the act of singing (which utilizes the rib cage, vocal cords, tongue, lips, and lungs), as well as the necessary hand and eye coordination that is used to carve or write runic symbols. In the practice of Stav, a modern martial art based on the shapes of the Runes, a general structure which contains all of the patterns of the Runes acts as a general guide to footwork and the execution of various techniques. The langseax, seax, and qaurterstaff are common ritual tools in the practice of Wizardry and you get bet that he anceint Wizards knew how to use them and did martial arts as a way to stay fit as well as be prepared for battle. Daily rune work also enhances ones overall physical health because it has a balancing effect.

This corresponds with Middle Earth.

Creative Developement

The creative aspect of Rune Work comes from the ability to form images in ones head as well as tap into creative passions. One has to be able to visualize and picture what ones wand will look like before they carve it. The same could be said of taufr as well as ones seax. Craftsmanship is very important in the practice of Wizardry. There is also the cultivation of the minds eye as well as accessing the "inner ear" "inner nose" "inner tongue" and "inner feeling". For an example, when you are feeling and visualizing the centers and pathways in your Lyke you are utilizing the powers latent in the Creative Center. When you visualize a Rune Stav and "hear" the sound of this stav in the realm of the inner ear and then merge it with a corresponding hyde (for an example, a working using tiwaz/sowilo/raidho as a bind rune would be best sent through the imaging of an eagle-hyde) for the purpose of a Sending you are also utilizing the power of the Creative Center. The use of this center in magick falls under the realm of seidh or dweomer or "soul manipulation". It is considered soul manipulation because the soul or self of the person is made to feel, smell, taste, hear, or even see something that does not really exist...it is a projected and sorcerous illusion. These same imaging techniques are used in the practice of hamrara (shapeshifting),
hamfara (otherworld travel), utiseta (sitting out), and spae (soothsaying). This is is why *dwarves* are so important in the practice of seidh (hence Freya sleeping with 4 Dwarves)...they lend their powers of imaging / shaping / crafting which is so important in the practice of witchcraft. The vardhlokkur (spirit binding) attracts and binds these type of elves to the bidding of the seidhkonur. Thus the "warlock" (spirit binder) is a kind of germanic version of a goetic daemon summoner.

This corresponds with Dark Elf Home.

Instinctual Developement

The Instinctual Center is crucial in the developement of the Wizard. It is in this center that one participates in Shadow Work, the exploration of the taboo, rejected, and disturbing aspects of the psyche. The primal self at this level is explored so that influences hidden from the Conscious Mind can be explored and that the very bottom of ones Soul can be explored.

Things such as Greed, Lust, Hunger, and other survival functions are explored and mastered...both controlled and utilized in positive ways. As one goes deeper and deeper, things such as past lives and deep genetic memories can also be explored...the ancestral streams and primal realms are accessed directly.

This is also the serpentine realm of raw, libidinous energy, and it is in this center that the sexual function is explored, utilized, and mastered. Raw libidinous energy is stored in this realm and then channeled upward to increase the creative, physical, intellectual, and spiritual centers. However, Shadow Work must proceed this because the release of this draconian energy will increase what you already are. Failure to work with and master the Shadow elements of the Self will cause one to fall into the hands of Loki and his Children if this serpentine energy is released too soon.

This corresponds with Hel.

Fire and Ice

Finding a balance between Fire and Ice is of upmost importants if one is to develope ones Geist, Wit, Lyke, Kraft, and Soul in a balanced way. If one is too hot and energetic, then one will be burned out...if one is too cold and static, then one will fall into laziness and procrastination. The key is to be warm and glow steadily so that one can carry out their work eternally and not fall into mania or meloncholy.

This corresponds with Muspel Home and Neifl Home.

Hard and Soft

Another aspect of balance is finding a balance between hard and soft, or the Entish and Wanic parts of the Self. If one is too soft then they will be too impressionable, falling into every trend and falling into conformism and becoming too sensitive. If one is too hard then they will be too rigid, resisting even positive changes and becoming too callous and unfeeling. The key is too become flexible..bendable yet firm at the same time.

This corresponds with Wane Home and Ent Home.

Overall Balance is the Key

Balance is important because it will help you find this center. Being in your center is the most important thing that a Wizard can do. However, this is not easily done and in order to become Wise enough to find the center one must be a Fool and fall into the folly of extremes. Only when the extremes are explored can one return to Middle Earth. Soar into the realm of the Geist only to plunge into the pit of the Soul, Contemplate in the Ivory Towers of Wit only to plunge into the underground world of the Arts and Crafts. Explore the pleasurable and lush realms and then treck into the hostile and barren places of iron and stone. Go entirely into the World and then renounce it as you plunge inward into the Self. Eventually you will find your way Home.

Germanic Studies

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 00:45:10 GMT

If one is going into the feild of Germanic Studies and seeks to become a Wizard, then these are the basic texts one must read to have a firm foundation in the Lore which is the very skeleton of the greater Work.

Literature

The Poetic Edda (Lee M. Hollander Translation)
The Prose Edda (Everyman Version)
The Sagas of the Icelanders (Robert Kellogg Translation)
Njal's Saga (Penguin Classics)
Scandinavian Folk Beleif and Legend by Reimund Kvideland

Icelandic

Icelandic:Grammar, Text, and Glossary by Stefan Einarsson
Icelandic-English / English-Icelandic Dictionary by Arnold R. Taylor
Colloquial Icelandic by Daisy Deijmann

Runology

An Introduction to English Runes by R.I. Page
Runes by R.I. Page
Runes and Runic Inscriptions by R.I. Page
Rune Amulets and Magic Objects by Mindy MacLeod
Runes and Magic by Stephen E. Flowers

Indo European

In Search of the Indo Europeans by J.P. Mallory
How to Kill a Dragon by Calvert Watkins
Comparative Mythology by Joan Puhvel

Germanic Magic

Leechcraft: Early English Charms, Plantlore, and Healing by Stephen Pollington
Galdrabok: An Icelandic Grimoire by Stephen E. Flowers
The Black Books of Elverum by Mary S. Rustad

Research

The Craft of Research by Wayne C. Booth
A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations by Kate L. Turabian

The Bifrost Bridge of Health

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 01:21:28 GMT

I cut and pasted this from a health food article written by Nickey Pilkington. This is not the entire article, I simply hammered out the Iron and left out the unnessary Dross. Her writings are below and put into qoutes.

The reason why I find this interesting is because the Rainbow is an important symbol in the Troth of the Northern Way, and it does seem to be an excellent guide to a holistic nutrition that will lead to or maintain ones health and well being.

"Perhaps we can also use the rainbow as a health reminder. The colors of the rainbow can be a reminder of the colors of the fruits and vegetables that we should eat on a daily basis for optimum health.

The blue and purple of the rainbow can remind us to eat purple grapes, blueberries, blackberries, elderberries, and black currents. These contain anthocyanins, which can reduce the risks of cancer, heart attack, diabetic complications, age-related memory loss, and Alzheimer's disease. They can also help control high blood pressure.

Many of the dark purple foods contain phenolics, which may slow the effects of aging and are powerful antioxidants. This group includes prunes, plums, and raisins.

The green color in the rainbow can remind us to eat green peas, honeydew melons, kiwifruit, broccoli, green lettuces, kale, spinach, and leafy greens. These contain lutein, which helps maintain good vision and reduces the risks of macular degeneration and cataracts.

Another green group includes cabbage, broccoli, bok choy, Brussels sprouts, rutabaga, Swiss chard, cauliflower, watercress, and turnips. These contain indoles, which are good for reducing the risks of cancer and tumor growth in cancer patients.

The yellow orange colors of the rainbow can remind us of foods that contain bioflavonoids, which work with vitamin C to reduce the risk of heart attack and cancer. They also have powerful antioxidants that help maintain strong bones, healthy skin, and good vision. The foods in this group include tangerines, oranges, lemons, grapefruit, peaches, apricots, nectarines, papaya, pineapple, pears, yellow raisins, and yellow peppers.

The dark orange of the rainbow can remind us to eat pumpkin, apricots, peaches, carrots, sweet potatoes, mangoes, butternut squash, and cantaloupes. These contain beta-carotene, which can boost the immune system, is a powerful antioxidant, helps maintain good vision, and reduces the risks of heart attacks and cancer.

The red band of the rainbow can remind us to eat tomato based products, watermelon, pink grapefruit, and guava. These foods contain lycopene and can reduce the risk of breast, skin, and prostrate cancer. They also reduce the risk of heart attack.

Other good foods in the red band are red onion, kidney beans, raspberries, cherries, strawberries, beets, cranberries, red apples (with the skin), and red cabbage. These contain anthocyanins, which are powerful antioxidants. They can help control high blood pressure and can reduce the risks of cancer, Alzheimer's disease, heart attack, and diabetes complications.

A healthy goal is to eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables every day. It would be good to try to include fruits and vegetables from the different colors of the rainbow. There are many other fruits and vegetables that are not listed here. Include as many of them as possible for added variety and even better health."