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2010/05/18
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Category: Being Heathen :
Author: Ludwig (9:22 pm)
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My Godhi, Rod Landreth, was the first to say this to me. I don't know if its original to him, but I do know it made quite an impact on me. "We live in Saga times, what is your Saga? Is it worthy of your children's children's children to tell about the fire?" Its an interesting question to ask yourself. Once you've asked it, and honestly answered it for yourself...its an interesting question to revisit frequently. A worthwhile self-assessment. Are you reading and learning about our native Folkway? Do you teach your children about Heathenry? Are you living heathen, and modeling a heathen way of life for your children? Do you honor your Gods and Ancestors, and involve your children in you ways? Are you maintaining and strengthening your marriage and your family? Are you working as hard as you can at home, at work, and just generally in your life? Have you taken the time to get to know other heathens in you area and region? Do you gather with other heathens? Are you a member of a kindred, and if not...are you working on finding or starting one? Are you learning new crafts or new skills? Are you practicing your existing crafts and skills as well as you can? Do you live your life bravely and with honor? Are you taking chances and making the effort to make worthwhile things happen? Do you live a life that makes our Gods and Goddesses proud? Do you live a life that makes your Ancestor's proud? And back to Rod's initial question: "We live in Saga times, what is your Saga? Is it worthy of your children's children's children to tell about the fire?" Will your children's children's children tell stories of what you have done to protect and strengthen your family? Will your children's children's children tell stories of what you have done to grow and advance your kindred or tribe? Will your children's children's children tell stories of what you have done to advance our native Folkway? In my estimation, we only get one chance at this life. We truly do live in Saga times. What will your Saga say? Mark Ludwig Stinson |
2010/05/18
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Category: General :
Author: Ludwig (8:02 pm)
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There are a lot of scholarly heathen books, and I have no problem with that. I enjoy scholarly books. And part of reconstructing our Folkway, is examining and understanding what our heathen ancestors were like, what they did, what they believed, how they viewed the world, and how they viewed themselves. But there are stacks of books about the past, written from a scholarly perspective. And tons of Asatru 101 books, that describe our Gods and Goddess and basic heathen concepts. But there are very few PRACTICAL heathen books; very few books that say...here are ways to practically apply these heathen concepts in real life, written by people who have successfully applied them in real life. A PRACTICAL book can include the lore. It can even have scholarly elements. But, the current trend in heathenry to raise the scholarly aspects of the Lore above the practical application of the Lore, leaves a large gap in what real heathens, in real tribes, working hard to make real progress need to feed their efforts. I sometimes use the term "blue collar heathen," to refer to these real heathens...actually focused on living heathen and building heathen communities. A practical book is about DOING. Its nuts and bolts. Its about what works. And "blue collar heathens" are starved for some PRACTICAL books. We talk constantly about Heathenry being all about DOING. And we talk constantly about Heathenry being about COMMUNITY. But almost all of our books are scholarly books about ancient texts, interpreting ancient texts, what our ancestors believed, history, metaphysical aspects, runes, mythological stories, etc. There are so few books that are PRACTICAL books about living heathen within a kindred or tribe, in our modern times. The 2nd volume of Our Troth (2nd Edition) has some fairly practical information sprinkled through it. And True Hearth is a fairly practical book. Way of the Heathen, as outdated as it is, has some excellent chapters that I would call practical. And there are a couple of others. If I'm overlooking some books along these lines, I would be happy to learn of them (add a comment to this note with the title if you'd like!) Here some books I'd love to see written...or hopefully someday, multiple titles about each of these topics coming from different authors with differing perspectives. 1. Until "Heathen Gods" was written, the largest practical guide on "How to Start a Kindred" was a 9 page PDF that was several years old. So, I think Heathen Gods is an example of a practical book on heathenry. But, I think more should be written on the topic of how to Start and Maintain a kindred and tribe, from different perspectives and with more ideas. The more good information available on this topic, the better. I'd be the first to widely promote such a book by another author. 2. Tribal dynamics. Growing a lasting tribe. Making it productive. How to ensure that the members are advancing the tribe forward, while the tribe is also advancing each of the members forward? How to build collective Luck? What sorts of kindred events build and improve the kindred? How to judge new members, and how to bring them up-to-speed in the kindred? How to handle members that are disruptive? 3. What is a Chieftain's role? How to lead a kindred? How to handle difficult members, of various types? How to weather a stressful time within a kindred? How to build consensus? How to assist each member in finding their place or role within the tribe? What are the physical, practical steps and actions a Chieftain should take, to be a good Chieftain? There is a lot to be written on this topic. 4. The practical Godhi guide. What should a Godhi have read and understood? What is a Godhi's role? What are the responsibilities? What should a Godhi know how to do. How does a Godhi and Chieftain work together? How to resolve problems? The boundaries one must put in place...what can a Godhi handle and what should they refer to someone else (a therapist for instance). 5. The Role of a Thyle. Developing and maintaining Thew within a Tribe, with or without a Thyle. What is thew? How does it develop? How can one work to develop it within a tribe? What responsibilities to various leadership positions have in maintaining thew? Many specific practical examples on how to approach, form, and later alter Thew. 6. Being a Heathen Parent. Methods for educating and involving your children in your kindred or tribe? How to prepare children for their transition to adulthood? Specific methods for handling specific problems a heathen parent will encounter with heathen children (other children, adults, the messages they get from mass-media, etc.) How and when to handle man-making or woman-making. 7. Regional dynamics. How can strong autonomous tribes come together, work together, and build something greater than the simple sum of their individual parts? How should two tribes approach each other, and treat each other? What boundaries should be maintained between tribes? How do two tribes build bonds between each other? How to resolve problems between two tribes? 8. Heathen Marriage. What works? What is the focus? How to resolve problems in the most successful and least disruptive way? How does a marriage integrate and work within a tight-knit tribe? What are the parenting roles that are shared within a tight-knit tribe? The role of Uncling or Fostering within modern tribes? So, who will write these PRACTICAL books? Hopefully heathens that have had success and Luck in the topics they are writing about. Practical heathens writing books for other practical heathens... Mark Ludwig Stinson |
2009/12/28
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Category: General :
Author: Ludwig (8:01 pm)
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 To download a copy of the Heathen Gods book, just follow this link...http://www.heathengods.com/library/book You can download it from heathengods.com or from lulu.com. There may be additional download options moving forward. And in January of 2010 an affordable print version of the book will also be available. Here's the INTRODUCTION from the book, to give you an idea of what its about and where its coming from. Mark Quote: INTRODUCTION |
2009/08/05
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Category: Being Heathen :
Author: Ludwig (4:24 am)
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Making new friends. Bringing new people into your life. Choosing who will be there alongside you through thick and thin. Just like marriage, friendship takes a certain amount of work. Some friendships are easier than other to form and maintain. But all friendships require a certain amount of reciprocal sacrifice and work, in order to keep them healthy. In a Havamal, an Icelandic poem containing what is said to be the advice or wisdom of Odin, there is some fairly clear advice on how to form and maintain friendships. This wisdom is both age-old and completely relevant today.. ------------------------- 34. Crooked and far is the road to a foe, Though his house on the highway be; But wide and straight is the way to a friend, Though far away he fare. 41. Friends shall gladden each other with arms and garments, As each for himself can see; Gift-givers' friendships are longest found, If fair their fates may be. 44. If a friend thou hast whom thou fully wilt trust, And good from him wouldst get, Thy thoughts with his mingle, and gifts shalt thou make, And fare to find him oft. 52. No great thing needs a man to give, Oft little will purchase praise; With half a loaf and a half-filled cup A friend full fast I made. 119. I rede thee, Loddfafnir! and hear thou my rede,-- Profit thou hast if thou hearest, Great thy gain if thou learnest: If a friend thou hast whom thou fully wilt trust, Then fare to find him oft; For brambles grow and waving grass On the rarely trodden road. ------------------------- Really, the advice is simple. Visit your friends. Seek them out often. Be generous with your friends and accept their generosity in return. Share your thoughts and opinions, and listen to your friend's thoughts and opinions as well. Sometimes is the small things that make the difference...and sometimes its the thought that counts. And if you don't seek out and visit a friend often, this can hurt the friendship. Be generous. Gift-giving forms bonds, regardless the size of the gift. Its not about spending money, its about showing someone you have thought of them enough to give them a gift. And "gifts" are not always physical objects...or things you have bought. Some particularly well thought out advice, can be a gift. Checking in on them when you know they are in a stressful situation, can be a gift. etc. This also tells us that "making a friend" can be a very proactive process. Forming friendships does not have to be an accidental process. If you meet a person of worth, and see potential in forming a friendship with them...there is a clear formula for making that happen. Why leave something as important as who your friends are, purely to chance? There is nothing wrong with purposely working hard to make a new friend, and to form bonds with that person. As long as you are true in that friendship, and committed to maintaining it. If you follow this advice, and your friend reciprocates with visits, attention, gifting, generosity, conversation, thought-sharing...the friendship grows and the bonds are formed. I know this all sounds like common sense, but in today's modern world...many people either have no common sense, or are so caught up in themselves...that they throw away friendships like used tissue. They think the world revolves around them, and fail to understand that with friendships comes work and obligation, as well as all the benefits. Mark Stinson |
2009/07/01
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Category: Being Heathen :
Author: Ludwig (3:36 am)
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Who decides if a man has worth? What if a man has done good things and bad things in his life? The question of Worth is an important one, as we'll explore a little bit below. First, the important thing to remember...is that the past is the past. It has already happened...and cannot be changed or erased. It is alreadly "in the well," or already "part of the tapestry." And this is called Orlog. It seems oversimplified to have to point out that the past is the past...but its an important point, because the Germanic mindset is to focus on the now. What are you now? What are you doing now with your life? What is your Worth right now? Your past (Orlog) plays a role in determining your Worth, but when a man has addressed past deficiencies and ill-deeds...and has changed his life for the better, this becomes important in measuring his Worth. For instance, a man leads a bad life for years. He uses drugs, abandons his family, commits crimes, hurts people needlessly, spends time in prison, etc. This man is of little worth. He is a complete mess, and his Orlog is a tangled ugly thing. The man can't change that past. But let's say 10 years ago, the man gets out of prison, and decides to change. He joins a support group or gets counseling for his drug abuse. He gets a job. He works hard to form stable relationships. He rebuilds his family. For 10 years, he has been clean, crime-free, working hard, and building a life for his family. Well, let's look at this "changed" man from a heathen perspective. When he was a criminal drug-addict, his deeds showed him to have little, or no worth. When he was just getting out of prison and had decided to get clean and turn his life around, he still had little, or no worth. Even though his intentions are good...he has not put it into action yet. When he was about 2 months into his new life, he was starting to build worth...but who in their right mind would bet that it would last? Its too recent...and there is too much damaged Orlog for 2 worthy months to wipe clean. But 3 years, 5 years, 10 years into his new life, we can see the life he has built and maintained...and the man clearly has worth. You can't change the past, but you can change the present. You can fix the things you have broken. You can make right the things you have done wrong. You can avoid making those same mistakes again. Everyone has a chance to start over, and build a better life starting right now. But it takes a lot of work to fix damaged Orlog. The past does not go away because you ask forgiveness. The past does not go away because you turn to the Jewish-zombie on a stick. The past does not go way because of newly-made promises, good intentions, or wishful thinking. It takes work...it takes sometimes years of right action, and deeds of worth. That is how one repairs ones Orlog, and becomes a man of Worth. Now, who decides Worth? Heathenry is very community oriented. We do not get to decide our own individual worth. Those around us, watch us, know us, and decide our worth. Based on our deeds, they judge our worth. The people we interact with at work...they measure our worth at work. They know if they can count on us. They know if we are dependable...whether we will be there for the long haul...whether we fix problems or cause problems. At home, our families measure our worth. Are we providing for the family, emotionally and financially? Our families know if we are a rock...if we are nurturing...if we are dependable. Our friends measure our worth. Do we keep our word? Are we there for them when they need us? Do we have their backs, or not? And, within larger communities this is true as well. Over time, as one becomes a known quantity in the greater heathen community, or regionally...other heathens see one's deeds, and decide our Worth. And that brings us to Gefrain. One's reputation. As more and more people measure a man's worth...and learn of his deeds, his Gefrain grows. Gefrain is essentially how many people know of you...and how worthy they judge you to be. Having good Gefrain can affect one's Wyrd, Luck, and other aspects of your life. Christianity is a very Guilt based culture. Heathenry is a Shame based culture. If one's deeds do not measure up...and people know of this, they do not want to mingle Wyrd with you. They see you as an example of "what not to be," and do not want to associate with you. So, how does this all work within a heathen kindred or tribe? Let's say a new person approaches the kindred. We get to know them. If, for example, they have a job and work hard at it. They have a family, and care about them greatly, and provide well for them. They read about heathenry, learn, and become knowledgable. They come to kindred events, and when they commit to something...they always follow through. They are good to be around, and act with Right Good Will. They gift their friends, and show hospitality as a host....and know how to be a good guest. They have a stable life, and are working to improve their family's lot in life. If all these best-case-scenarios are in place...then over time, we come to see they have great Worth. They are a person we would want to closely mingle Wyrd with. Adding their Orlog and their Luck to the tribe's collective Orlog and Luck, would assist and grow the tribe. This is the best-case-scenario person to oath into the kindred. But, let's take a different new person approaching our kindred. if over the time we are getting to know a person, they can't seem to keep a job, have constant drama in their life they can't seem to get a handle on, won't read the Lore and expect to be spoon-fed. Their attendance at kindred events is spotty or infrequent, and often they fall short on their commitments. They are a problematic to be around, and seem very political and divisive. They are selfish and fail to show hospitality, and are an example of a bad guest. Their life is chaos, and they seem to almost wallow in it. This is the worst-case scenario...and over time, we would conclude this person has very little Worth. They are a person we would not want to mingle Wyrd with at all, and we would push them away. Adding their Orlog and their Luck to the tribe's collective Orlog and Luck, would hurt and burden the tribe. This is the last person on earth we would oath into the kindred. And in-between the best-case-scenario and the worst-case-scenario person, is where all other's fall. To some degree its a calculation. No one is perfect. But our tribe needs to be strong...not big in numbers. We protect our Orlog and Luck, and do not want to see it damaged or lessened. So, we carefully weigh things when we are getting to know new people. Sometimes, we conclude that someone makes a good friend...but would not be a very good oathed member of our kindred. Sometimes we tell people, come to open events...get to know us better...work on your problems, get your life together, and we'll talk about this in the future. I bring this up, because our modern mainstream culture pushes us to accept everyone, faults and all. Often apologies are allowed to wipe clean years of misdeeds. Good intentions are judged more important than the actual consequences of our deeds. But that is a modern culture that is upside down from our Germanic heritage. Growing heathen kindreds and tribes must look for people of Worth to add to their ranks. They will be stronger for it. They will endure better. They will get more done. Quality over Quantity. Just one person of little worth allowed into the inner circle (Innangarth) of a kindred, can cause great damage to their collective Orlog and Luck, and stifle their growth and distract them from their goals. Mark |
2009/06/16
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Category: Being Heathen :
Author: Ludwig (3:00 am)
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On March 19th, I was exercising at work...and my Achilles Tendon ruptured. It went "pop" (I actually hear the sound) as I was running, and I hit the floor, rolled up in a ball. At first, I didn't know how badly I was hurt, and continued to work for the next week. It became clear pretty quickly, that it wasn't getting better, and went to my doctor. He told me I ruptured my Achilles Tendon, and that surgery would be required. He added, "And I want you to be prepared for 2 to 3 months of immensely painful physical therapy. But you have to do the therapy, or you won't ever run or jump again."  I had a my plane tickets and everything for a week-long trip to Iceland, so after consulting with a surgeon, I scheduled my surgery for after my trip, and went to Iceland. Will and I spent a week there, walking, climbing, and seeing all the sites. I was very careful with each step, but I didn't really hold back on what we chose to visit, or do there. How many times am I going to get to go to Iceland? Upon my return, I had the surgery...and went into a cast. I wore the cast and walked on crutches for 5 weeks. The cast had its toe pointed downwards, so that all the pressure was off the tendon. So that I could still get around in a car, I taught myself to drive with my left foot, with my injured right foot on the passenger side of the car. I worked hard practicing with my crutches, so I could be as mobile as possible. And I tried to just keep living my life, despite the cast, and crutches, and pain.  I spoke with my surgeon at one of my appointments, and asked him what percentage my tendon had ruptured? He looked at me like I was an idiot, and asked what I meant. I asked again, "Was it 10% ruptured, 50%...just how much of it ruptured?" He laughed at me, and said...it wasn't ruptured...it was completely torn. Straight through. I asked the surgeon why my muscle hadn't crawled up inside my leg, like I had heard they do with completely torn Achilles Tendons. The surgeon said that sometimes other smaller tendons and other tissues will hold the calf muscle in place, even when the Achilles has been torn all the way...and that I was one of those lucky cases. They cut the cast off after 5 weeks, and then I wore a cam-boot for 4 weeks. At first, I had to stay on my crutches, because my Achilles Tendon had shrunk, and was not stretched out yet. I couldn't even flatten my foot on the floor, let alone walk in a cam-boot. But over time, I took my first steps in the boot...and was able to eventually abandon the crutches altogether. With both the cast and the boot, I didn't let the injury slow me down. I went back to work on limited duty after only 2 weeks. I took my daughter to dance classes. I built a stone alter in my backyard and carved a large odin statue. I went camping several times, including a 5 night camping festival called the Heartland Pagan Festival. And, since Jennifer had to mow the lawn...I took over doing the laundry. I even walked in the Spring KC Zombiewalk for Hunger.  So, today I went for a check-up with my surgeon. He examined his repair, and poked and prodded my foot, ankle, and leg. He said the repair was very good. He was happy with how much my tendon had stretched back out so far, and he told me to stop wearing the boot, and to start walking on it. "The best exercise you can do right now, is to simply walk on it. Don't overdo it...but no more boot. I want you walking on your injured leg and getting your strength back." And he told me to come back in 4 weeks so he could check on my progress. I asked him about Physical Therapy. I had never forgotten the warning the doctor had given me that I would need to do 2 to 3 months of "immensely painful" physical therapy. The surgeon said it wasn't time for physical therapy yet. So I asked him, "At my appointment in 4 weeks...is that when you'll start me on the Physical Therapy?" The surgeon said that I might not need physical therapy. The repair had taken very well, I was healing fine, and the tendon was stretching out on its own...and that he might just assign me some stretching exercises to do at home. "You might not need physical therapy." So, at this point...I'm thrilled to be walking on my repaired leg again without a cast or boot. My leg is very weak, so I walk with a pronounce limp...but hey...its my first day out of the boot! I drove with my right foot for the first time today, in 9 weeks. Actually, I kind of sucked at it...and feel more comfortable driving with my left (though I'm sure I'll transition back to right-foot driving fairly quickly). And while nothing is certain, I'm holding out hope that I will completely avoid the "immensely painful" physical therapy altogether. Time will tell.  Mark Ludwig Stinson |
2009/04/23
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Category: Being Heathen :
Author: Ludwig (5:18 pm)
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We can all agree that our children are our most important treasure. We would protect them at all costs. We would destroy anyone that would threaten them. They are our future. And we wish to pass good Orlog to them...so their lives can be Lucky and of Worth. Well, did you realize that one of the most destructive things that can happen to a child is divorce? Our choices about marriage and relationships, can either benefit our children...or threaten them with dire consequences. It turns out that, we as parents, if we don't work hard at our marriages, can be one of the most destructive forces in our children's lives. And like many threats, we're the only ones that can protect them from this threat. Quote: “When it comes to educational achievement,” the study says, “children living with their own married parents do significantly better than other children.” Quote: Children growing up in single-parent families are twice as likely as their counterparts to develop serious psychiatric illnesses and addictions later in life, according to an important new study.... Quote: Karl Zinsmeister of the American Enterprise Institute has said, "There is a mountain of scientific evidence showing that when families disintegrate, children often end up with intellectual, physical and emotional scars that persist for life." He continues, "We talk about the drug crisis, the education crisis, and the problem of teen pregnancy and juvenile crime. But all these ills trace back predominantly to one source: broken families." Quote: Children from broken homes are twice as likely to smoke as those whose parents remain together, according to a major survey of 15- year-olds... Quote: Children from broken families are nearly five times more likely to suffer damaging mental troubles than those whose parents stay together, Government research has found. It also showed that two parents are much better than one if children are to avoid slipping into emotional distress and anti-social behaviour. Quote: Some statistics specifically about the effects of divorce on children… So, when things get a little rough in a marriage, and your mind wanders to the idea of "escaping" from it through divorce, think about who is threatening your kids' welfare now? Who's going to protect your kids from your decision-making? Also consider the Oath that you took, when you chose your spouse. You took an oath to that person, and many times you took that oath in front of family and friends. Is this oath any less important than the oaths we take on our oath rings? Is this oath, if broken any less damaging to our own Luck and Wyrd? Is this oath if broken, any less damaging to our heathen communities, our kindreds, our tribes? No, clearly its one of the most important oaths that we take. But some will say that a "bad marriage" will damage children. In the case of child or spousal abuse, severe drug and alcohol addiction, I would agree with you. But these are extreme situations, and the vast majority of marital problems are NOT this severe. I found this interesting, while looking into this topic: Quote: A long term study released in 2002 by the Institute for American Values found that “unhappily married adults who divorced were no more likely to report emotional or psychological improvements than those who stayed married. So, honor your Oaths. Protect your Wyrd. Preserve your Luck. Pass good Orlog onto your children. If you find yourself having marital problems, tackle the challenge like heathens tackle any challenge...intelligently, fearlessly, generously, honorably, and with lots of hard work. Doing so, will benefit you...your famiily...and your tribe. Mark |
2009/04/17
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Category: Being Heathen :
Author: Ludwig (11:25 pm)
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There are whole books on group dynamics, how to structure a group, decision-making, etc. But, I wanted to address a particular style of decision-making and leadership in a heathen context. LOYALTY, COLLECTIVE LUCK, AND TRIBES We've discussed in the past, how much one determined heathen can accomplish, if he is willing to stay focused, work hard, and make things happen. One heathen can spark the formation of a kindred. One heathen can gather together a heathen community. Teach a class on Asatru. Write books. Set an example. Shape the world, essentially. And that is just one determined heathen. If you have two heathens, who like each other, trust each other, and are completely willing to work together and show absolute loyalty to each other, this absolutely becomes more than the sum of their two parts of the equation. Two heathens willing to face anything together, can accomplish almost anything. They drive each other forward. They inspire each other. They offer each other support in all things, and it multiplies the effect of them imposing their Will upon the world. Two loyal heathens mingle and share Wyrd. They begin to build collective Orlog...and collective Luck. And it improves what they can accomplish together...and even individually in their own lives. Imagine the power of having three heathens...four heathens...eight heathens...bound together by heartfelt oaths. Completely loyal to one another. Combining and multiplying their Luck, through working together and supporting each other in all things. Willing to brainstorm together, work together, and work towards a collective goal or goals. Imagine what that sort of group can accomplish. This is why Jotun's Bane Kindred believes that local kindreds and tribes are the future of heathenry. Not heathen "clubs," meeting in basements one a month, where the people never really know full loyalty or bonds to one another. Not heathen e-lists, where the people know each other as "pixels on a screen," and they constantly bicker over small details and never truly know each other. Not National Organizations, where people pay $25 a year for a membership card, and there are only occasional gatherings attended by a small percentage of the membership. The future of heathenry rests on the success of small oathed tribes and communities...essentially chosen extended familes, where the best interests of family and community come before all else. DECISION-MAKING WITHIN A TRIBE There are various forms of decision-making within a group, or in our case a tribe: OPTION 1 - A group could have one or two strong members that make most of the decisions, and then the rest of the tribe is meant to follow the course of action set by the one or two assertive members. This form of decision-making has its strengths. It can be fairly focused, organized, and decision-making is normally very quick. After all, there is not much discussion needed in this form of decision-making. One or two people make a decision, let the other members of the group know about it, and the decision-making is done. But there are great flaws to this form of decision-making. Since there is very little in the form of discussions or input, you do not draw on the knowledge, ideas, and intelligence of all the members of the group. The largest problem with this form of decision-making, is that those not in on the decision-making (everyone except the one or two strong decision-makers) have no investment in the decisions being made. They may or may not agree with those decisions. This leads to members of the group not fully agreeing with or supporting the decisions being made, and this can lead to rebellion or dissatisfaction within the group. At the very least, it diminishes the impact of having a group of heathens working together towards something in which they all believe. OPTION 2 - Another form of decision-making, is compromise and majority rule. Essentially, this form of decision-making involves discussion of decisions to be made, and when there are disagreements, members of the group attempt to reach a compromise position that a majority of the group will support. This form of decision-making, does at least involve every member of the group in discussions of the decisions to be made. It is not quite as fast as Option #1, because of this. And, at least this form of decision making does result in a course of action that a majority of the group will support. But there are flaws here as well. At times, in order to build majority support for a decision, compromise is used as a tool. If there are 3 minority positions, 2 of those positions may join their ideas in order to impose a majority over the remaining minority. This can lead to a decision, that literally NO ONE in the group fully supports. And one of the major flaws with this form of decision-making, is the fact that there is almost always a minority of people in the group that end up having little or no input in the course of action decided upon. This can also lead to rebellion or dissatisfaction within the group. And this option can also diminish the impact of having a group of heathens working together towards something in which they all believe. OPTION 3 - A third form of decision-making, and one that Jotun's Bane Kindred follows, is decision-making by consensus. Essentially, before a decision is made on an important matter, everyone in the group must support that decision. Every single member of the group. This can take time. It can take a lot of patience and long discussions. But the benefit of this form of decision-making, is that once a decision has been made...every single member of the group has had input into the decision, and every single member of the group supports the course of action that has been decided upon. In addition, the decisions are naturally better...because they include the vision, ideas, knowledge, and intelligence of all of the groups members. The act of reaching consensus within a group, forces everyone to examine and test their own ideas...and to reconsider them in light of what other group members are bringing to the table. This is an incredibly strong form of decision-making, and it fully supports the impact of having a group of heathens working together towards something in which they all believe. LEADERSHIP BY CONSENSUS There are different kinds of leaders, and there are many tools that a leader can use to exercise his leadership. But I believe the most successful leaders lead by consensus. A successful leader is a consensus-builder among his people. A leader could dictate decisions (Option #1), but this has all the flaws mentioned under this form of decision-making. A leader could push for compromise and build majorities (Option #2), but this has all the flaws mentioned under this form of decision-making. But if a leader knows his group well, is able to listen to them, and help them combine their collective ideas, knowledge, insights, and intelligence into a consensus that all within the group can support...then that leader will have a very successful group. Some see leadership as exercising "power," or in commanding men to do their bidding. But this can only take a leader and his group so far. And at some point, he is likely to face dissatisfaction and rebellion among portions of this group. But leadership by command and through the use of "power" should be reserved for times of dire need, when a decision is needed immediately. There is a place and time for this sort of exercise of "power" by a leader, but even in those cases...the leader should know his group well enough to make a decision that is both in the best interests of his group, and that will be supported by his people. Over time, the relationship between a leader and his people develops into a relationship of mutual trust. The leader knows the consensus of the group, without necessarily even needing to consult with them. This is especially try of day-to-day decisions...minor decisions...or decisions that are similar to decisions the group has made in the past. But on important issues...ones with a long-lasting impact on the direction of the group, the group's resources, or what the group will be working towards in the future...consensus building is the strongest form of leadership. Again, some may see leadership by consensus as a sign of weakness, or a lack of leadership. But those that feel this way, fail to understand that there is absolutely no lack of leadership in this model. If decisions need to be made on the spot, the leader will make those decisions...and make them well. But whenever possible, a good leader-by-consensus anticipates problems and upcoming decisions, and builds consensus on these problems and decisions prior to them becoming "emergency" decisions. Leadership by consensus-building, also reflects the reciprocal relationship between a leader and his people. A leader without people, is not a leader. And a people without a leader, can accomplish very little. They are both important parts of any successful group. EGIL'S SAGA I recently read Egil's Saga, and I was surprised by the number of times that very strong leaders were described going to their men, and building a consensus among them for a certain course of action. Prior to raids, before supporting someone in a war, etc...leaders within Egil's Saga are described going to their men, proposing the course of action, explaining the hardships, promising rewards, and then moving forward with the consensus of their men. The idea of leadership by consensus-building, is not some new-age, psycho-babble method of leadership. When consensus-building is possible, it is an age-old form of leadership that works. And in Egil's Saga, it is most often used when a leader is wanting to take his men on a raid or mission that they might not normally be expected to perform. By building that consensus, the heathen leader is able to accomplish extraordinary things...with the full support of his men. THINKING IN A TRIBAL FASHION I think we still have a lot to learn and discover about existing as a tribe. We're working hard on this, and we'll have much to say about it in the future. Suffice it to say, that a loose group of individuals, with their own selfish interests in mind, will have difficulty working within a consensus model of decision-making or leadership. When egos rule, and people are looking out for themselves, rather than the the tribe...they fail to see the value of reaching consensus. They want to "win the argument," rather than finding an answer better than any one individual's approach to the decision. If we are to build successful tribes, and benefit from the incredible power of collective Orlog and combined Luck, then we need to rediscover our tribal ways...and put them to work in our modern world. Mark |
2009/03/19
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Category: Jotun's Bane Kindred :
Author: Ludwig (5:22 am)
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Jotun's Bane Kindred has been forming plans to build a Hof for many months now, but we've talked about it very little publically. We wanted to be more sure of our plans, before we began discussing them publically. Some people take the "Hof=Church" idea too far, in my mind. They want their own heathen church building, somewhere on a street corner or in the suburbs. They want a "congregation" of heathens to come to the Hof, "tithe" to the church, etc. Jotun's Bane Kindred's Hof will not be a Christian Church with a big hammer on the front of it. Our Hof will have land. Land to grow food and land to eventually keep livestock/animals. Land that kindred members will have the opportunity to move onto...and live in closer proximity to each other. This will support and reinforce our current tribal structure, and take it further along the road we wish to travel. Our Hof building will have a Hall, as well as a Hof. It will also serve as a cultural center, where we will offer classes on heathen, traditional crafts, etc. We will also likely run a small business out of our Hof-building, though that has not been fully discussed. We're following a tribal model, and we wish to live more like a tribe. We won't be withdrawing from the world, or abandoning all technology, or living in some sort of commune-experiment. Our goal is to establish a place where our Kindred can live. A place that heathens in our area and in the region can gather. A place that fulfills the goals of our kindred. Making this happen, is going to be a lot of work. When it happens, it will have been worth the work. My thought on Hofs is simple. Thirty years of Asatru in the United States, and where are we at? Kansas City is 2,000,000 people when you include everyone on the outskirts. In June 2007 when I dedicated myself to our gods, I could not find another heathen in Kansas City. And believe me I looked. It took me two months to eventually find Rod, and from there we grew. Thirty years of heathenry, and where are our tribes? Where are our Hofs? A California AFA member was telling me that a Sufi cultural center was built in his city. The Sufi's moved there, they picked a spot, they all moved to homes within blocks of that spot, they all worked their butts off and saved and pooled their money, and within 5 years they had built a large Sufi cultural center, a place of worship, and a school for their children. And that's with California land and building prices! Thirty years of heathenry, and where are our Hofs? If Sufi's can move into neighborhood, and make this happen...then what stands in our way? I think we tend to stand in our way. Jotun's Bane Kindred seeks to create something long-lasting, sustainable, useful, and something that meets our needs and goals as a tribe. This post is more about our Hof plans than we have posted anywhere. And I hope it shines some light on why we are willing to dedicate so much of our time, energy, and money towards this goal. If other heathens have different goals, that's up to them. That's their tribe...and they should do what they want. I'm just expressing what Jotun's Bane Kindred wants, and the form it will take. Mark |
2009/03/18
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Category: Being Heathen :
Author: Ludwig (4:12 am)
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Today, March 18th is my Dad's Birthday. He was born during the Depression. His father was a professional musician, and left the family when my dad was very young. This left his mother to raise the six kids by herself, during the worst economic conditions our nation has seen. All the kids took jobs, as soon as they were old enough to get a job. Which was pretty young back then. Dad volunteered for the Navy during WW2, and then volunteered for Submarine Service. If I'm remembering correctly, a 1/3 of the Submariners were lost at sea...and my dad was among the lucky 2/3 that returned. He worked hard. Over the years he was a successful business owner, corporate executive, salesman, self-employed entrepreneur, and started several successful businesses. He was born into poverty, but he was not satisfied with that. Never satisfied with that. He raised three children with his first wife, but she died a slow death of lung cancer when some of the kids were still fairly young. He started over, and married my mother...and when he was 43 years old, I was born...and 4 years later, my brother. My dad took good care of our family. He was always involved with us in baseball, boy scouts, and he always had the right advice for any situation. He set an excellent example of what it was to be a man, and he had high expectations for his children. In every business or organization he was involved with, he was a leader and an innovator. He was a member of mensa, and extremely intelligent. He never turned away from necessary confrontation, and he relished a just fight. He was someone, that everyone he knew went to for advice. When someone he cared about was in need, he was the first one there to help...and stayed until the problem was solved. Dad liked a big glass of whiskey over ice, with a splash of coke in it. He knew a 1000 dirty jokes, and his timing when telling a joke or a story was spot-on every time. He enjoyed cooking on the grill, and actually taught my mother how to cook (she was 19 years younger than him when they married). He liked war movies, and the history channel. Dad made furniture with his own hands. He was an excellent wood-carver. He was an amazing dancer. He was naturally talented at drawing, playing pool, and golfing. He could fix almost anything. I was the first Stinson to graduate from College, and that was the fulfillment of a dream for him. He was disappointed when I left Law School, but I have never seen him prouder than when I graduated from the Police Academy. He bragged on me often, to almost everyone he spoke with...whether they wanted to hear about it or not. "My son, the cop." He was the Best Man at my wedding. He had heart problems for years, and fought them with dignity and determination, trying to get every quality moment he could out of life. He feared that old age would make him helpless, or a burden...and I can only imagine he was happy to die on his feet, out of the hospital, still living a life that was his own. Dad was the person that friends and family always turned to for eulogies at funerals. He was an excellent speaker, and he believed that everyone deserved a proper eulogy, as a send off and a closure to the life they lived. His eulogies made people remember, made them laugh, made them cry. I had the honor of giving my father's eulogy at his funeral...and I did my best to live up to his standard. He was the most important person in forming and influencing who I am today. He taught me everything I know about being a man. And he has inspired numerous posts by me on this message board: Sea Stories by Glen Stinson Elizabeth Getting to Know Her Grandfather Fearing a Straw Death Dreams of our Ancestors Why Society is Decaying - Wisdom from my Father Glen Stinson was a war veteran, an amazing father, a leader, a successful businessman, a man of principle, and an ancestor that I feel present with my children almost constantly. I know, that in the Hall of my Ancestors Dad is sitting at the head of the table. He has a big tumbler full of ice and whiskey (with a splash of coke "for color"). And there are many ancestors gathered around him, listening to his stories and laughing at his jokes until their eyes water. And someday, I will see join him there, and we will have a lot to talk about. Happy Birthday, Dad. You are immensely missed. Mark Stinson |
