A video of our Heathen community. Teach your children the ways of our Ancestors, and tell them of our Gods. As long as our Blood endures, our tales will never be lost to time. Kinship is everything. Honour tradition the Ancestral way! ᛟ

May Sunna embrace all of my Kin with her warm and nurturing light - wherever they might be in the world. ᛋ

There is no such thing as being "half in." You're either a man of true conviction, or you are nobody - the same goes with Blood; it is not a club. It is either the most important, or not important at all. ᚦ

I think our biggest flaw is our ineptitude to carry the responsibility for the actions we take and the words we say - we are ever so eager to point our finger to anything but ourselves. Many people are inherently followers and susceptible to peer-pressure and social constructs. This is also why we establish hierarchy in every facet of life and create laws and dogma to keep the "herd" in check. It is also why figures like Jesus became so popular - who doesn't like pawning off all responsibility for forgiveness; completely disregarding the price they pay for it - blind obedience. We are however capable of more than we can imagine currently, within the confines of our constructs. We aren't weak, but we are oppressed - by ourselves.

Óðinn embodies the culmination of all forebears; by serving as the progenitor of Gods and Men, a repository of Ancestral Wisdom, a synthesis of archetypal virtues, and a preserver of legacy - uniting past and future. His self-sacrifice on Yggdrasil (the tree of Life, connecting past, present and future) is archetypal, embodying the universal pattern of enduring struggles for Wisdom, transformation and rebirth. His act reflects the Ancestral ideal of transcending mortality through Knowledge, inspiring us to emulate sacrifice and determination for growth and legacy. The runes he discovered through this process are archetypally significant as symbols of Wisdom, power, transformation and rebirth gained through sacrifice and Ancestral memory - they represent the enduring legacy of Ancestral Knowledge, inspiring us to seek enlightenment and mastery over Fate. ᚨ

Wherever your home might be - nothing will ever be more beautiful than your own Ancestral lands. I feel its warm embrace every time I come back to it. Today, I arrived back in the Netherlands again - let me show you a little bit of its beauty.

If you are European, and live in Europe, you will know the feeling that, when standing on a certain street, or any given place, on or near the place your Ancestors lived for millenia, you experience the notion that "my great-great-great grandfather must have stood here at some point, and looked at the same view." This is the Divine - to look at something not as a singular person, but as a man that houses many generations. It is this Sun that set on my Ancestors' faces, whilst sailing these very seas. Now, it shines on mine, and these seas that once surrounded them, now surround me. ᚨ

I worked on this rig a few times when it was on the North Sea, back in 2019. May the 5 missing persons be found alive and well and returned home safely. My heart goes out to the families. We, as offshore workers, all feel this.

Heroes of Europe: Michiel de Ruyter Michiel de Ruyter (1607–1676) was the Netherlands’ greatest naval hero of the Dutch Golden Age; a self-made seaman from humble origins in Vlissingen who rose to lieutenant-admiral general and repeatedly saved the Dutch Republic through bold leadership and tactical skill during the Anglo-Dutch Wars. Born to a modest family, he went to sea young, worked his way up as a merchant captain and privateer, and entered formal naval service in the First Anglo-Dutch War. His reputation was sealed by decisive actions in the Second Anglo-Dutch War: a hard-fought victory in the Four Days’ Battle (1666) and, above all, the daring Raid on the Medway ("Tocht naar Chatham") in June 1667. In that operation he led the Dutch fleet up the Thames and into the Medway, broke through English defenses (including a protective chain), burned or destroyed multiple capital ships, and captured the English flagship HMS Royal Charles, which was towed back to the Netherlands as a trophy. Dutch losses were light (roughly 50 men and some fireships). The raid humiliated England and helped force a favorable peace for the Dutch. In the Third Anglo-Dutch War (the “Disaster Year” of 1672 and after), de Ruyter’s strategic victories over larger combined Anglo-French fleet; at Solebay (1672), the two battles of Schooneveld (1673), and Texel/Kijkduin (1673) prevented a seaborne invasion of the Dutch coast and kept the Republic from being overwhelmed while it faced crisis on land. He was respected by his own men (who nicknamed him Bestevaêr, which roughly means “grandfather”) for his personal courage, discipline, modesty, piety, and willingness to share risk. He modernized aspects of the Dutch navy, is credited with helping found the Netherlands Marine Corps, and died in 1676 from wounds received in action against the French off Sicily during a futile mission many believed he was sent on because the Dutch Crown believed he gained too much influence. He was sent to defend Spain during the Messinian revolt and engage the French fleet under the command of Abraham Duquesne, who had far superior numbers and firepower. De Ruyter expressed clear reservations about this mission. He is famously recorded as saying, in substance, “Where the gentlemen of the States trust their flag, I will risk my life,” and in fuller accounts he noted that it grieved him the government was willing to risk the honour of the flag with such an inadequate force - yet he would go even if ordered with a single ship. He remains a Dutch national folk hero, with ships, streets, and monuments still bearing his name. The Netherlands would not exist as it does today if it was not for his tireless and uncompromising sacrifices to the Fatherland. ᛉ

Our Native Faiths are dynamic, not static. Focusing on an exact 1:1 reconstruction of historical practice is not only unrealistic, but also should not be the intention of the practitioner. Our Ancestors intended for us to become wiser and more resourceful than they were - in the same way a parent wants that for his or her own children. It's not only the story of our Ancestors, but also the story of yourself and of those who descend from you. Each generation adds their own layer of Wisdom and understanding onto it, learned in his or her own contemporary generation. In the end, it is a multi-generational journey to attempt to come closer to the Gods and to expand our understanding of them, as well of that of Nature itself. Honour your Ancestors' traditions, but don't be afraid to add new traditions - as long as you stay true to the core essence of our Faith. ᛟ

An ode to the North Sea.

An old Dutch video ("Eeuwig levende tekens") on the meaning of certain runes and symbols, and their application.

Native Faith is a living tradition, which means we do not have "holy scriptures" or a book that defines our religion. Our Faith is passed on orally and pragmatically (through traditions, folklore, song and art,) and is free of rigid dogma (our Faith is dynamic and evolves through every following generation adding onto it.) This is also the reason why literature such as the Eddas are written in poetic form, as it appeals to the reader through the use of metaphor and allegory and inspires us to "find out for ourselves" (much like reading a bedtime story to children, using fantastical storytelling to convey a "moral of the story" that children can actively envision in their minds.) This is also why there a lot of difference in nuance - as every region/folk has its own folklore and focus on certain Gods or Natural aspects. For example, in coastal regions people will have more affinity with sea-deities than further inland, etc. I often notice that ex-christians in particular struggle with this concept, as they are used to a paradigm that has a central governing theology that generalises dogma universally. Both ancient Paganism and modern-day Paganism do not work that way. Spirituality is an individual (and tribal) experience and it's up to the practicioner how much of the esoteric they wish to explore. Some are content just practicing living tradition, others devote their lives deciphering Ancestral Wisdom. I personally believe all missing pieces are carried within us, through the essence of our Ancestors (Ancestral Memory.)

Storm "Boelo" here on the North Sea. May Rán have mercy on us all!

Are Pagans really "evil demon-worshippers?" ...let's find out!