We're attracted to the primordial, the ancestral, because we seek what's real instead of what's abstract.
What's real is many and a struggle towards our ascension. What's real is your blood, and the countless generations of forefathers and foremothers culminating in you.
What's real are Gods guiding our people from their very beginnings towards honor and glory unparalleled.

We are drawn away from the disenchanted world of the abstract, utterly transcendent and of mechanistic monstrosities of modernity.
For us, we connect to our deep roots so that our branches can grow once more, nourished by the light of Gods, the nutrients of our lands and the waters of life.

Others will laugh at this whilst drowning in the misery of axial modernity, but we smile as we turn away from them and towards what's real.

Recovery, Wyrd, and the Web We Weave

In the Northern Tradition, Wyrd is often understood as the great web woven through action. Every choice, every word, and every deed becomes another thread. The Norns tend the unfolding pattern created by what has come before and what is continually being woven. In Völuspá Stanza 20 the Norns are shown shaping the unfolding pattern of fate. In Gylfaginning chapter 15 -16 they draw water from Urðarbrunnr, the Well of Urðr, and tend to Yggdrasill; reminding us that what is nurtured continues to live, while what is neglected withers.

No one stands outside that web. Every act of discipline strengthens it, while every act of excess strains it. Addiction is never a burden carried by one person alone. Its threads reach into marriages, children, friendships, kindreds, and communities. Broken promises weaken trust, anger spreads fear, and neglect breeds hardship. One person's chaos becomes the weight that many others must bear.

Recovery weaves differently. Each sober day becomes another strong thread, every kept promise repairs what was frayed, every act of honesty strengthens trust, and every moment of self-restraint steadies the family, the folk, and the generations yet to come. Recovery doesn't erase the old pattern, but it begins weaving a better one alongside it until the whole cloth grows stronger.

The Hávamál teaches that reputation outlives wealth and even life itself. "Cattle die, kinsmen die, one dies oneself the same; but reputation never dies for whoever gets himself a good one." -Hávamál 76. Our deeds endure because their effects endure. They continue in the lives we touch, in the children we raise, in the communities we strengthen, and in the examples we leave behind.

To live intoxicated, ruled by impulse and excess, is to weave carelessly. It creates knots that others must struggle to untangle. To live with discipline is to weave with intention. Right action produces harmony, self-command produces stability, and honor produces trust. The web becomes stronger because we choose to strengthen it.

Recovery is more than personal healing, it is an obligation to the web itself. Every sober decision honors those who came before us, supports those who stand beside us, and prepares a firmer foundation for those who will follow. We can't control every strand woven by others, but we are ALWAYS responsible for the one passing through our own hands.

May our deeds strengthen Wyrd rather than burden it. May our choices leave behind a legacy of honor, steadiness, and healing for all who share in the web we weave.

Hail the Norns!
Hail the Gods and Goddesses!
Hail Raven Folk United!!!

-Desirée Alwine
Raven Folk Reborn Recovery
⚡️ ravenfolkunited.org

Mjölnir: The Mythic Weapon
Thor’s hammer, Mjölnir (meaning "that which smashes" or "grinds"), is the primary weapon of Thor, the Norse god of thunder, sky, and agriculture.

Forged by the dwarven brothers Brokkr and Sindri, it possesses an iconic design flaw: a shortened shaft caused by Loki transforming into a fly and biting the blacksmith's eye during the forging process. Despite this defect, it was declared the greatest treasure among the gods.

What It Does & What It Did

Cosmic Smasher: It never fails to strike its target, never breaks upon impact, and always returns to Thor's hand like a boomerang.

Slayer of Giants: Mythologically, Mjölnir was the ultimate deterrent against the Jötnar (giants), cosmic forces of raw chaos that threatened to overrun Asgard and Midgard (humanity's realm).

Instrument of Blessing & Consecration: Beyond destruction, the hammer served a vital sacral purpose. Thor used it to sanctify marriages, bless births, mark boundaries, and even resurrect his two goats after consuming them. It brought order out of chaos and fostered fertility.

Defensive Talisman: Historical pendants like the 10th-century silver Ödeshög/Kabbarp amulet pictured above were worn by Norse people as symbols of faith, protection, and cultural identityparticularly during the Christianization of Scandinavia.
Representation in Today’s Battles
Today, Mjölnir transcends Viking myth to represent several modern struggles:

Chaos vs. Order: Modern life rarely pits people against literal frost giants, but rather economic volatility, personal hardship, and institutional instability. Mjölnir represents the resolve to push back against overwhelming entropy and protect one's home, work, and community.

Force Paired with Consecration: Pure brute force destroys without purpose. The duality of Mjölnir being both a weapon that slays and a tool that blesses and restores serves as a reminder that strength is only virtuous when it builds, sustains, and protects what matters.

Endurance Under Flaws: Built with a compromised handle, Mjölnir still delivered unmatched power. It mirrors human resilience: functioning at peak capability and carrying heavy burdens despite visible defects or scars.

Most people think Valhalla is just "Viking heaven."

According to the elder Norse verses (Grímnismál and the Eddas), it was actually an endless military barracks built for one purpose: assembling an army to fight at Ragnarök.

Here are the hard facts behind the myth:

The Architecture of War:
It wasn't built from wood and thatch. The roof was thatched with golden shields, the rafters were spear-shafts, and the benches were padded with chainmail armor.

The Scale: It had 540 massive doors. When the final battle comes, 800 warriors will march out of each door side-by-side (an army of 432,000 Einherjar).

Not the Only Hall: Dying in combat didn't guarantee a seat with Odin. The goddess Freyja actually got the first pick, taking half of all fallen warriors to her own meadow, Fólkvangr.

The Daily Routine: Every morning, the fallen warriors march out into the courtyard and slaughter each other to the death in full-contact battle. Every evening, their wounds magically knit shut, and they sit down together to feast.

The Feast: They survive on the regenerative beast Sæhrímnir (boiled fresh every day in a giant cauldron) and endless mead flowing from the udder of the cosmic goat Heiðrún. Odin himself touches none of the meat he feeds it to his wolves and drinks only wine.

Valhalla wasn’t a reward for living a good life; it was a holding pen for the fiercest fighters until the end of the world.

True honour isn’t an abstract thought its forged in the daily choices you make for your household, your work, and your kin.

Walk with your head high, act with integrity, and let your actions speak louder than words. ⚡

Dagaz (ᛞ), the 24th rune of the Elder Futhark, resembles an "X" or hourglass shape and represents the "d" sound. It means "day" or "dawn."

Symbolizing breakthroug, enlightenment, awakening, hope, and positive transformation, it marks the transition from darkness to light—clarity after confusion, epiphany, harmony, and new beginnings. This rune embodies balance between opposites, sudden insight, and the triumph of awareness over ignorance.

Highly auspicious, Dagaz has no reversed position; its energy always brings illumination and forward movement.

Most people believe gaining wisdom is about seeing more.
In the old Northern world, real clarity began with what you were willing to cut away. 👁️⚡

Beneath the central root of Yggdrasil lies Mímisbrunnr the Well of Mímir. Within its water rests primal memory, cosmic law, and unvarnished truth.

Odin came seeking a single draught from that horn. But Mímir was no merchant dealing in silver, flattery, or hollow oaths.

The toll for absolute insight was an eye.

Odin did not hesitate. He plucked it out and cast it into the black water, where it remains staring out from the deep for eternity.

"Full well I know, Odin, where you hid your eye: deep in that famed well of Mímir!

Each morning Mímir drinks mead from the All-Father’s pledge.

Do you know yet, or what?"

Völuspá (Stanza 28)

Consider the architecture of that bargain.

One eye remained outward, navigating the harsh, physical realm of spears, ravens, and kings. The other sank into the dark well of memory and consequence.

Depth demands a sacrifice of breadth.

You cannot hold deep, hard-won wisdom while clinging to the comforting illusions of your youth. Insight carries a permanent price:

The death of naive optimism.

The quiet burden of seeing through people’s motives.

The loss of the easy peace that ignorance grants.

Odin bought sight by blinding himself to half the world.

Day of Remembrance for Herman of the Cherusci

Today we take a moment to honour a man whose leadership allowed the Germanic tribes to defeat 3 Roman legions in the dark forests of Germany.

Herman, known at times as Arminius, was that man. The son of a German nobleman, Herman served in the Roman army and learned their tactics and capabilities firsthand.

In the fall of 9 AD Herman (only 25 years old) led a confederation of German tribes that defeated three Roman legions in a three day long battle that decisively stopped the Roman takeover of all of Germany. Over 20,000 Roman soldiers perished there in the Teutoburg Forest. Rome would from then onward stay out of Germany proper.

Herman's tale is one that should still inspire us today....... A hero's tale for the ages. A young lad responsible for keeping the Roman Empire out of Germany proper for another generation or two and letting the German folk, his folk, keep their freedom for just a little while longer.

Probably every age goes looking for a hero to rally around. A King Arthur, a Beowulf or Sigurd, a Widukind or a von Richthofen. Today we are a people again in need of a hero, a man among men who can rally our folk and unite us together as Herman once did against the onslaught of modernity. Let his example, and that of other heroes of our folk, inspire us to always strive to be more as individuals and to do more to aid our Gods and folk.

Raise a horn today in honor of Prince Herman of the Cherusci.

Hail Herman!

-Goði Blaine Qualls, RFU

⚡️ ravenfolkunited.org

ᚷ Grave Goods ᚷ

One of the things that is semingly ubiquitous among pre-axial faiths is grave goods. Not only does it help us analyze the culture in the present, but they give us insight into the nature of the afterlife, as well as having a rare view of this particular person's life.

If you were going to move to live somewhere new, what would you take with you? Grave goods shows what was important and necessary to go on this journey into the hereafter. Food & drink, as well as clothes, textiles, tools, even weapons and personal care implements, i.e. combs, makeup for ladies & so on. The things people were buried with are often the things they used regularly in this life, which reveals a little bit about the afterlife, or at least what they thought it was like.

Something to consider in our revival is bringing back grave goods. In axial faiths, grave goods are not necessary because it is of "this world" which is often seen as temporary or evil. Our forefathers didnt view it this way, and neither should we.

Our early ancestors knew the key to survival and passing on our heritage: a people must have unity & a strong will to grow and advance.

Myths, heroes, and gods, like the powerful Germanic god Wotan (Odin) bind us together. They give us deep roots, a proud identity, and real strength as a group.

Wotanism trains your mind to rise above your weaker side and connect with your higher, stronger self. This builds personal growth and power for our whole people.

The universe moves in cycles of creation and destruction. Those rooted in their own ethnic gods don’t hesitate, they say “I will!” and seize their destiny.

Without our myths and a faith tied to our blood, any group drifts and weakens. Wotanism awakens the soul of European-descended people, linking our ancient past to a strong future. It calls us to unite, act heroically, and protect who we are.

Deep, strong roots make us hard to defeat and together we can achieve truly great things!

The boundary between the living and what lies beyond is rarely a wall. More often it is a ridge like this, quiet, cold, and stripped of anything unnecessary.

A lone rider pauses where the earth drops away into fog. Death is not an ending here, but a continuation of the road. The stones stand as quiet markers of that passage. Raido carved into the rock marks the journey itself, the relentless movement of all things through time and space. Tiwaz stands beside it, pointing upward, the mark of honor, sacrifice, and the resolve to face whatever waits in the mist without flinching.

Above them, a solitary raven perches on the bare wood of a dead branch. It does not speak, but it does not need to. It is the eye that remembers, watching the traveler ready their spear and shield for the descent.

In the old worldview, the world is fragile, fate is woven, and the final crossing comes for everyone. What matters is not avoiding the mist, but riding toward it with an upright spine, answering the call of destiny, and trusting the quiet sentinels who guard the threshold.

Forgotten Customs of the Germanic Peoples: The Årsgång

Among the documented customs of the Swedes, one particular tradition stands out. Known as Årsgång, or the “yearly walk,” it involved undertaking a ritual walk at certain times of the year as a form of divination. Records dating back to the 1690s describe the practice and how it was used to gain knowledge of what the coming year might bring.

In 1774, Petrus Gaslander recorded how Årsgång was practiced in Västbo, Småland. Those seeking to know their future would abstain from food and drink, remain silent, avoid seeing fire, and never look back before setting out on their walk.

The Årsgång was commonly associated with particular times of the year, especially Christmas and New Year’s, though accounts also place the custom at Midsummer and other important dates. The journey could lead along roads, through the countryside, and toward churches or churchyards, where what was seen or heard along the way was interpreted as an omen. Some accounts even tell of encounters with the dead and other supernatural beings.

How far back the Årsgång itself goes is difficult to say. Petter Rudebeck regarded the custom as a survival from heathen times, but no surviving pre-Christian source allows us to confirm this. Divination, however, was already an important custom among the pre-Christian Germanic peoples, who sought knowledge of the future through prophecy, lots, signs, and other means. The Årsgång may be another surviving piece of that older tradition, carried on in Sweden until it too eventually faded from practice.

Image: A Moonlit Landscape, James Arthur O’Connor.