Hello all!

At the end of December on the 23rd, I’m hosting a streaming event. It’s a fundraiser for Child’s Play benefiting the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

I’m calling it Glad Yule Games. The idea is to stream Valheim and other games.

All are welcome. Hope to see yall there!

As a matter of Integrity and transparency, I am publicly posting my resignation

To the Board of Directors of the Troth

I am submitting this letter to officially announce my resignation, effective immediately, from my Social Media Manager role, Communications Team position, and Troth organization membership.

To ensure there is no ambiguity regarding my decision, I will clearly outline the specific issues and grievances that have led me to this point:

1. As an Indigenous Jewish individual, I have watched as people who appropriate my culture are protected due to their proximity to leadership. In contrast, others who do not appropriate it are vilified without accountability.

2. I was personally informed that specific individuals were deliberately assigned stressful time slots at virtual moots solely because they were disliked by leadership. This behavior is unethical.

3. The organization has prioritized external gossip over creating a healthy, supportive internal atmosphere where gossip has no place.

4. Leadership has repeatedly excused public misconduct by citing personal diagnoses, which is unacceptable in any professional setting.

5. There is a pattern of favoring abusers due to personal friendships, even when victims come forward with legitimate claims of abuse. These actions undermine any claim to inclusivity or justice.

6. Individuals who have demonstrated racist, homophobic, and otherwise bigoted behavior remain in positions of power despite the organization’s professed values of anti-racism and inclusivity.

7. The Troth has failed to provide a safe and accommodating environment for individuals with disabilities at physical gatherings. Requests for accommodations have been dismissed, with leadership stating behind closed doors that these individuals “want too much.”

8. Despite my repeated requests, I was excluded from the interfaith group and later learned that it included only Heathen members. This exclusion speaks to a lack of genuine inclusivity.

9. The absence of clear expectations for conduct among Board members and officers has led to widespread misconduct and the neglect of numerous organizational needs.

10. Leadership has refused to address important topics, such as the situations in the Congo and Ukraine, citing concerns about optics. Despite promises to release statements, the organization remains silent.

11. The organization’s responses to urgent matters are consistently reactive rather than proactive, primarily due to the Board’s slow decision-making.

12. Leadership has shown more concern for the tattoo of a police officer than for the murder of a Black woman by that officer’s partner, again prioritizing optics over justice.

13. Marginalized members have been tokenized to present the Troth as diverse, while the organization remains predominantly Cisgender, Straight, and White.

14. My team faced retaliation after we informed a Board member that equating sex work with addiction was both false and offensive. This retaliation is unacceptable.

15. The organization established a public and online media policy to protect intellectual property; however, leadership has repeatedly ignored it.

16. I was instructed to contact specific individuals for content creation, yet many of them were either unwilling, uninterested, or unresponsive. Meanwhile, competent individuals were rejected due to personal biases within the organization.

17. Without adequate support from the organization, I have had to rely on my personal connections in academia to create content for the Troth.

18. During Trothmoot, a Board member used offensive slurs, but the organization and Board of Directors did not hold them accountable.

19. I have witnessed members of this organization engage positively with known racists, LGBTQIA+ haters, Nazi apologists, and even self-identified Nazis. As my mother says, “If you are in a room with nine Nazis and say nothing, then there are ten Nazis in that room.”

20. My family and I were targeted by antisemitic threats on social media, which forced us to upgrade our home security and involve the authorities. This situation was a direct result of my association with the Troth.

21. I witnessed my supervisor being bullied for performing her job. She was repeatedly questioned about her loyalty to the organization and was threatened with removal if she did not “be nicer” and conform to personal demands.

22. Legitimate opportunities to expand the Troth’s online educational programs were dismissed due to a perceived sense of ownership over specific ideas.

23. Proposals were rejected on the grounds that similar initiatives had been tried in the past and failed, rather than evaluating them based on current potential.

24. I was asked to spy on other Heathen spaces and report back to leadership, which is unethical and inappropriate, both personally and professionally.

25. On more than one occasion, I was forced to manage the public fallout of leadership’s inappropriate behavior to minimize damage to the Troth’s reputation. The fact that damage control is necessary for an organization claiming to be inclusive is deeply troubling.

26. Private and privileged conversations were monitored by Board members, creating an environment of distrust.

27. The Board claims to represent a diverse group of individuals, yet until recently, all members were White. Despite claims of inclusion, the Board does not reflect the reality of a membership that is over 30% queer and non-white.

Over the past three years, I have placed my trust in this organization, but unfortunately, it has not been justified. I have defended, supported, and served the Troth in good faith, but the promises of diversity, inclusion, and equity still need to be fulfilled. Instead, these values have been used as a shield to obscure the truth: this organization is fundamentally unhealthy.

In my 30 years of involvement in Pagan and Heathen spaces, I have had the privilege of serving on the boards of two other organizations. I understand how a healthy organization functions when it prioritizes its members. Unfortunately, the Troth operates more like a high school clique, focused on internal politics rather than providing the community and education it claims to offer.

The excuses I have been given, the harm that has come to my family, and the lack of accountability from both leadership and members have left me no choice but to resign. I have not made this decision lightly. I have spent months grappling with whether I could continue to work for an organization that seems more concerned with its own ego than with addressing its serious internal issues.

I sincerely hope that one day, the Troth will become the inclusive and supportive space it has always promised to be. I urge you to reflect honestly on the ways this organization has failed and take meaningful steps toward improvement.

With great sorrow,

Rabbi Chana Johnson 

Social Media Manager

As of Monday October 28, 2024, I, AJ Johnson, herby resign as Public Relations Director of The Troth. I also resign my membership from the organization.

Through my time as a member of The Troth, I have witnesses firsthand that the statements of inclusivity and community building sold by the organization are false promises. I do not have a list of grievances; I do have long list of observations and conversations. I brought up any grievance I had the moment it happened, only to have them silenced or promised away.

Between events which lacked accessibility for those with mobility issues, to no consideration of those with sensory or processing difficulties. To those given position within the organization openly using slurs in public space at sanctioned events. To shielding abuser apologists, this BoD may not have known the full history, but too many choose to remain in the circle of abuse after the truth has come out. To at least one person in leadership being allowed to keep their position and only receiving a “talking to” after making racist remarks about Black women. To the Communications team developing a statement about the murder of another Black woman at the hands of law enforcement that the BoD chose to censor, not due to legality or non-profit status, but due to optics. To optics being the sole focus of the BoD for at least two years.

Much of the last two years has been spent by the BoD fighting with two YouTube personalities, The Troth and its membership has paid the price for this popularity contest. Much as Odin lived a self-fulfilling prophecy, so does The Troth. They fought so hard to prove these two outsiders wrong, that they have become the undoing themselves. The Communications team has spent the better part of the last two years coaching and trying to guide leadership on how to hold themselves in public, how to respond to criticism, how to be selfless in leadership, only to be ignored, and bullied.

There is no holding leadership accountable for bad takes, miss-steps, or inappropriate conduct. They play the victim. They use their personal afflictions to ease their responsibility. They are never at fault. When allegations of bullying by 2 members were made, the member who made the complaint was ignored because the leadership did not like them. They used evidence I supplied to aid the accuser in their complaint and removed the accused membership due to unrelated incidents involving another member who also supplied evidence, the BoD then named the second victim in public statements and videos, making them the target of further attacks, slander and libel. This led to a doxing incident, which was then picked up by a known conspiracy theorist and regurgitated with photos of my home and address posted on TikTok. Which was picked up by another person on TikTok who at the time had a large enough following within the Heathen community for this information to spread. The BoD caused additional harm to victims of members of the organization.

Any attempt made to help spread the message of inclusive heathenry was muted as we were told, “we tried that already”, “no one liked it”, “I have to be part of it”. No new idea was given the time of day, if that idea did not come from one person or that person’s favorite person at the moment. The internal structure of the organization is abysmal. No training, no resources on how to perform the job you were given, and you are not allowed to default to the industry standard. People are not placed in the position they are best suited or qualified to serve, they are placed wherever leadership decides to put them, no matter how unqualified they are. Talents wasted on low level no work jobs, while departments these individuals would excel at floundered due to lack of knowledge of those appointed the role.

When leadership is called to stop problematic behavior, stop speaking in public and to consult Communications before making public statements or engaging in online discourse, Communications is accused of bullying and given ultimatums. When legal advises not to speak to the press, and Communications shares this information, it is ignored. Placing the image and ego of the leadership above the best interest of the organization.

Those currently in leadership are too far out of touch with the modern world to understand what is required to help the organization prosper this far into the 21st century. Afraid of the technology that would spread the message of inclusive heathenry.

Elections within the organization are a joke. Those running for office being told they had been elected in a fair election process by a friend, the president, only to be told a short time later by someone else, that they jumped the gun, and a technicality had taken placed. Promised a special election that never happened, despite countless requests for updates. Being told, your voice is important and needed on the BoD, right until they realize your sense of truth and justice is just too strong.

Diversity does not exist. Those not cis and white are tokenized by the organization when it suits the optics. Asked to speak up only when spoken to. Given pats and pleasantries and promises when not. An interfaith committee which seats only heathens and is impossible for those outside the organization to contact. An in-reach program which talks a great game, but in reality, only peddles publications as tracts and does not look at emails or messages from those incarcerated or their families or even clergy working inside the prison system, begging for help and resources. Heathen essentials is a great program that is too often sacrificed due to equipment issues. Classes going weeks apart due to no funding for the proper equipment, relying on the instructor’s personal computer to host everything. No one is held accountable. Stewards takes months, and in my case, three years and counting to reply to emails. The former clergy head, taking 3 months to even open her email. Transphobic comments from members and those given roles in the organization gone unchecked, because one trans member didn’t see it happen, despite the pagan community calling it what it was. Being called a “quitter” for not producing a newsletter so ancient and unnecessary, when not given content, even after calls for help. No one wants a monthly mini Idunna, and certainly they didn’t want to share content with one. A clergy leader praising the nine noble virtues in public at Parliament of World Religions, leadership was present and did nothing. So much more can be said, and that fact saddens me.

Why have I stayed? I thought we could move things in the right direction. I thought we could change the broken system and educate on inclusive heathenry. The Troth does not teach inclusivity, it does not live inclusivity. The Troth lacks intersectionality, instead centering on the “look how bad I have it” trope. I was brought in by the well-crafted optics and excuses, I ate them up for a long time. I questioned them time and time again, only to be shut down. I believed in what this organization could be and wanted to help them get there. I no longer believe The Troth can be anything that is says it is. I no longer feel that The Troth is a safe place for heathens. Too involved in preserving legacies and egos and friendships to do what is right. Too afraid of upsetting a few for the sake of many. The Troth has brought pain and sadness to my heart and to my home. I know I will lose people for this, and I understand. I lost people over my statements on Diana Paxson as well, but unlike The Troth, my desire to be liked will never outweigh my commitment to my own integrity and morals.

My recommendation for The Troth are 2, either dissolve and give up, or completely remove the current BoD under a vote of no confidence and rebuild with people who are capable of living the mission statement with transparency and integrity. I am not ashamed of my time with The Troth. Instead, I am glad for how this organization has shown me how strong I am in my convictions. I cannot continue to be part of a system who makes promises of service, inclusivity and care, while having its fingers crossed behind its back. Those two YouTubers made a lot of really good points, albeit in a less than polite way at times, but leadership would hear none of it.

To the heathen community who publicly and in private servers said changes needed to happen, I meant what I said two years ago, we were trying from the inside to give you what you deserved. We failed. The abuse and bullying and sidestepping is too much to take on when you have an antique system designed to shield and not hold accountable. Friendships and connections are more important than health and safety here. The Troth is a victim at its own hand. The Troth is its deeds. Respectfully, AJ Johnson Public Relations Director of The Troth

Welcome to our weekly r/Heathenry Discussion & Questions thread! If you want to share something Heathenry-related or ask a question about Heathenry, but don't want to make a whole thread about it, then share or ask it here!

New to Heathenry? Then check out the stickied Statement of Purpose post to learn what this subreddit is all about. Also, please check out the resources in the sidebar, especially The Longship, our beginner's guide.

Finally, feel free to join our Discord server.

Still have questions? Ask them below!

This is how we do Eihwaz in Runic Alchemy.

• Tune into the Earth somewhere on the level of your belly and down. Feel it not only in yourself but also in the world around you.

• Slowly breathe out and along with this exhalation, slide the energy of Earth down deeper to the world of Fire, somewhere below your feet.

This is the bottom-left descending bar of the rune.

• During the small pause after that notice, you feel a little extra pressure in your head. It's because you changed the balance in your system. You reduced Earth so new fresh Fire arrived instead.

• Make a gentle slow inhale and feel your entire vertical axis which stands across all the levels starting from Fire, through Earth, Emptiness in the middle, Air, and Water on the top. This is a vertical bar of the Eihwaz rune.

• After doing so you will find yourself on the way to a new balance and that small extra pressure steps down from the head.

• With a second slow relaxed exhalation, let the Water fall onto your head and flow down through yourself.

This last step is the last, top-right descending bar.

Breathing helps to manage attention, and doing Eihwaz step by step helps understand each of its aspects. But after some practice, we want and can do everything as a single steady holistic process, not dependent on breathing and without causing temporal pressure and energy fluctuations.
We want and can achieve true balance.

Balance both static, as represented by the vertical axis of simultaneity.
And dynamic, as represented by two diagonal bars, compensating continuous changes made by each other.

When you catch this triple state of Eihwaz by holding an energy egg in your hands, notice how the vertical axis of Eihwaz resonates with your vertical axis, so you may start feeling you are holding yourself in your hands. This bigger you, who holds you between palms, probably longer than you think, and watching your life, who is it?

I am starting to pray to thé allfather Odin an i am starting to worship heathenry more

Once upon a time there was a royal couple who ruled over a large area; they were well-versed in magic; even the Elements were their subjects. His name was Woud, and hers was Freid. The king was a powerful man with a long, flowing beard, and his eyes were so fiery that the humans who looked into them turned blind. He usually walked naked, only his waist was clad; his waist garment was fastened with a cast belt buckle to which his ruling power was tied—as long as he wears it, he will rule. However, one cannot steal it from him, for his hips and shoulders are so broad that the belt cannot be pulled over them. Every time he went about the business of ruling, he put on a coat which covered him completely.

His queen consort was the most beautiful woman ever seen; like her husband, she wore a waist garment, but her hair was so rich and long that she could cover herself with it entirely. She drank only water from a well; her husband, some kind of wine. When she bent over the well to scoop water into her hand, her hair shone in the light of the sun and her arms as snow.

However, she grew jealous; she feared that she no longer satisfied her fiery husband. In a fit of passion, she went to see the skilled dwarves. They fashioned a necklace for her which had the power to turn the hearts of all toward the bearer and made the beloved never waver in his loyalty. However, as payment, she had to give herself to the dwarves.

Adorned with the jewels, she captivated her husband’s love. He learned, however, at what price she had acquired the jewellery. Thereupon he fled from her. When Freid awoke in bed in the morning, she reached out her arms for her husband. He was not there; when she quickly reached to her neck, the necklace was gone. Sad beyond words, she began to burn with love for Woud more than ever. She rushed after the fugitive, travelling to many countries over the course of many years. When she sat down in the evening, weary from the journey, she cried into her lap, and each of the tears turned into a precious pearl.

At last, when the time came to an end, she encountered him and told him her woes and showed him the pearls that she had cried for him. And he counted the pearls and there were as many as there were jewels in the necklace. Thereupon he softened and gave her the jewels in reconciliation. He had travelled far and wide, but had found no other equal to her in beauty, so he remained faithful to her.

Franz Xaver von Schönwerth, The Legend of Woud and Freid, Bavarian folktale, collected in Aus der Oberpfalz - Sitten und Sagen Vol. 2 (1858)

-Wyrd- to my understanding

Weird innit? Yes it is actually. Wyrd is Weird. Not even that long ago in the 16th century, weird related to fate, what will come to be. It only changed narrative due to a Shakespear play where the word became associated with strange-supernatural. Before that Weird was still holding its original germanic meaning of the concept of Wyrd.

Proto Germanic Root: Wurthiz Still recognisable in German and Dutch-Flemish as Worden-Werden (to become-were -> were is also cognate)

This also attestst that wyrd was not a fixed concept, it was ever growing and expanding like a massive climbing plant or weed twisting and growing everywhere. The very fact that Wyrd lived on in the word weird and were must be the result of strong beliefs and a central important role just like we can see placenames linked to important deities. Yet so little heahtens seem to know about the workings of wyrd and its place as a core principle in the workings of daily life such as frith, kin and the concepts of luck and honor.

Wyrd connects everything. Every decision, step, meeting, deed, it all transpires into wyrd where it takes form of threads that weave its way in a complex tapestry only visibly to the Norns. The only thing that we cannot weave ourselfs is our ultimate fate, that is set in our thread by the norns. Along our way we weave a pattern that connects. When making a new friend, you connect wyrd with him. If that person acts with honor, then your own wyrd will benefit from their honor. Honorable deeds can gift luck to a person. Luck is considered the greatest possible gift. It did not mean the same as we today see luck, a lucky person was someone with great stamina, skills, confidence, insights, battlespeed, a great speaker, well connected, intelligent, etc. Such luck could be gifted by connecting one's wyrd.

Looking at the values of words, we know how important the runes are and we probably know of the sayings in Havamal that advice you to hold your mouth if you have nothing intelligent to say. A curse could have serious consequences. Also a wishing of luck was literally a gift. A spoken word could transit its power and value into wyrd, into the spiritworld where it could materialize. Speaking bad of a person could therefore affect that persons wyrd and break down his luck and honor. His future could depend upon this because in tribal times your word was all you really had. We know honor was a family thing, if one person was offended, then the entire family was offended. Even if the furthest cousin you did not like, would take it up to defend that honor because the entire family wyrd depended on it.

So if you called a person your 'brother', this meant that you tied the wyrd of your family with that persons and henceforth, your family would have to stand up and engage in combat to defend the honor of said 'brother'. Wyrd was tied, the fylgja spirits would connect in the spiritworld. This is why many refrain from calling anyone brother or sister. Its not the way from the core principle of the culture.

Honor will transpire on your kin and the people that connected. Also in death. A person of great luck will continue to gift his luck even in death. People would sleep on the burial mound of ancestors with great luck and honor, to receive inspiration or messages that they could benefit from. To tie wyrd. For the spirits of the dead can follow the threads of wyrd and observe our honor and luck today, and gift to it. We all remember the visiting of our ancestors every year in Yule time, to check if we are acting worthy of their honor.

This brings forth an interesting question;

What happens to our honor and luck when we decide to venerate Loki, the fated destroyer of our realm, enemy of the Æsir on Ragnarok according to the Edda?

What happens if we use runes of which we do not know its individual values and read or carve them with the intent of taking decisions or to affect our future?

What happens if you tie yourself to people you hardly know and state they are family?

At the roots of the world tree, pillar of our universe of existence, the Shapers, the Sisters of Wyrd, weave the fibres of life and tie up fate. As these fibres grow they bend, buckle, twist and turn with every branch, cut or knot on its way, every fibre connects to every other and the fluids of the well run through them all and he end of every fibre awaits a concluding. Make yours a fertile fruit or a strong branch.

#belgianheathenheritage #heathenheritage #germanicheathenry #heidendom

https://www.reddit.com/r/germanicheathens/comments/1gbf0m6/germanic_goddesses_of_fate/

Cross-posting as I think the folks here may appreciate this.

It's a fairly short video webinar by Stephen Pollington.

Hello!

I read on TheTroth website in their section on blot on the new modern vs classic.

For background: I am a solitary heathen, but for many years have found it difficult to practice honoring the gods, spirits, ancestors and departed loved ones. On the side, I have practiced Magick and meditation. So, I am familiar with Greek magical papyri (pgm) style. And the classic blot, for me, just feels too close in line. Absolutely support others engaging the gods as they wish, but it isn’t for me. My hot take: possibly a synchronization of Christian purification ritual even seems closer to what may have been practiced than other neopagan/hermeticistic approaches (I.e. addressing in the fashion of the Lord’s Prayer (pater noster) rather than calling in the corners) the PGM has influenced a lot of new age and grimoiric practice. All of which were a synchronization with early Christianity anyways.

The “new modern approach”, well I’m eager to try it. With the idea of ritual washing of the hands and face, hallowing with fire in a brazier, etc feels more religious practice vs. private spellcrafting given my background.

All this to ask:

1. If it has, how did your practice evolve? Either individual and/or group wise?
2. Do you practice the new modern blot or classic? Or some other way?
3. Where can I find out more about the most recent heathen practice development? Are there publications such as the troth specifically covering such?
4. I have the book “Hammer of the Gods”, and it describes blot in a manner more similar to the “new modern”… is the “new modern” a Theodish practice rather than more generalized Asatru?

Thank you all

Are there still any of thé visdom teas that thé seers used to give to warriors and they Saw thé visions in which they talked to thé gods and our ancestors

I know that this group is meant for more serious questions and topics,however I have a question.

I am still kinda new to all of this ,but is it me or as winter comes I feel closer to the gods and almost as though the gods are closer too. Or is it just me🤣.

Does anyone here play roller derby? I'm a newer skater (been skating for about a year) and I've been finding that I'm connecting deeper with my Gods as i dig into the aspects of the sport. Freyja has been with me as i learn to play (it very much feels like battle sometimes) and Tyr when I referee. I tend to go through intense spiritual fallow periods when my personal life is a mess, but derby has been bringing me back to what matters most and I'm curious if there are any other players here who incorporate their faith into the sport. Thanks!

Looking for fellow Heathen’s or kin to be part of to learn more and meet others as well.

I am still going about my path but wanted some adadvice from those who have been at it longer. Obviously information and sources are always welcome but I am wanting more advice that would help on a personal level. Like, what is something you wish you heard when you started out? Thanks to anyone who has advice and words of woswisdom to offer.

1. Are there any scriptures or stories or scriptures?
2. What do i need to talk to thé gods?
3. What is each god a god of?

4 how to pray?

Hi everyone! I have read some posts about beards being a part of our faith, I wonder where this comes from. Maybe I’m overlooking some sources on this, but nothing springs to mind about beards and the religion specifically.

As for myself, I am still doubting growing my beard as I don’t like the association with vikings. But if it is a part of our practice, then that can help me in my decision.

Welcome to our weekly r/Heathenry Discussion & Questions thread! If you want to share something Heathenry-related or ask a question about Heathenry, but don't want to make a whole thread about it, then share or ask it here!

New to Heathenry? Then check out the stickied Statement of Purpose post to learn what this subreddit is all about. Also, please check out the resources in the sidebar, especially The Longship, our beginner's guide.

Finally, feel free to join our Discord server.

Still have questions? Ask them below!

Does anyone know anything about Swiss paganism or Germanic my roots come from Switzerland Ireland and Wales

It took 10 months and a handful of memos and letters of recommendation, but the army authorized me to grow a beard. I know it's not required for heathenry, but it does hold spiritual significance to me.

Ive been on the path for a while now but tonight was not only my first blot, but apart from dawning an oath ring was really my first expression of my faith. Definitely is the first I’ve really involved my family in my spirituality despite this being a part of my life for as long as it’s been now. I feel like tonight I’ve grown immeasurably in my spirituality and am so happy and thankful to have found and come down this road in my life. Thank you to my fellow heathens, thank you to my family, thank you to my Ancestors, and thank you great Gods!

After recently rededicating to the Anglo-Saxon path, I decided to do a small offering to Ingui Frēa and the Fae, to ask for blessings for the winter to come and thanksgiving for all the good they do for us. Traditionally In the past, I have synchronised Winterfylleth and Samhain but it felt right to do a little something today as seperate holidays. Thinking going forward in my pratice that for Winterfylleth I will do what I did today and for Samhain will make offerings to my ancestors and Woden. Thought It would be nice to share and people may get encouragement!

• Attached picture of my candle, Ingui Frēa statue, Tomte statue and offering of oats.

How did you guys build relationships with the gods?

If you observe... Have a Happy and Safe Winterfylleth!

https://ingwine.org/lorehoard/winterfylleth/

https://preview.redd.it/258wt8x747vd1.jpg?width=1792&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8f30eae9576e6fb9372d655780b5a84d74515776

For the past couple months, I've taken a short break from lighting Loki's candle. I've not only been busy, but whenever I want occupied with something else, I simply didn't have the motivation to light their candle at all.

I'm going to try to pray more often, and then light his candle again, but I don't know if he'll be angry or annoyed at me or not. I was kinda going through getting back into the routine of school again, but I'm still worried he's disappointed or something, I don't know.

Hello, with Álfablót coming up (in the northern hemisphere) and I wanted some suggestions on how I can properly do my first ritual. I would be limited to just me since my housemates are not pagans themselves. And I don't really have any groups around me to turn to for help.