In perusing Natural Magic I have been studying (but not practicing) Hoodoo and came to a thought that may apply here.
It seems we have two systems of Hoodoo, Open and Closed. Now I MUST stress this point every clearly - Open is not superior or inferior to Closed and visa versa. Let me say this again one is not better then the other.
If you forbears practiced a form of spirituality that you are rediscovering and you are very fortunate to have a living mentor or written instructions then you can approach that spiritual discipline with a different slant then someone who has no cultural connection with it.
Now reading about the AFA - I get the sense that we may have two concurrent systems that embody what Buddhist call the "Two Truths". How that would play out would depend upon ones starting point.
For example if you decided to connect with Odin and you had no ethnic connection, no in depth knowledge of the theology and no connection with people who practice then you would need to follow an "Open Odin" path - initiation, cultural study, dialogue and respect for those who practice would be baseline behavior. If in the process you get the hint that this is not for you then be respectful and move on.
If you were born into AFA and know people who practice and have a good, if unrefined idea of it and follow the culture then you can participate in the "Closed Odin" path - I would presume a lot of the formalities would be unnecessary but it would require a different process of study and spiritual dialogue and untimely an evolution of the very meaning of the AFA faith for yourself.
There are a lot of shades of grey in this - I am half Scandinavian by blood but culturally I grew up in multicultural polyglot southern California. I would not presume the "Closed Odin" path at all.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
branchandroot
Re: Asatru Folk Assembly
Date: 2023-06-26 03:44 pm (UTC)It seems we have two systems of Hoodoo, Open and Closed. Now I MUST stress this point every clearly - Open is not superior or inferior to Closed and visa versa. Let me say this again one is not better then the other.
If you forbears practiced a form of spirituality that you are rediscovering and you are very fortunate to have a living mentor or written instructions then you can approach that spiritual discipline with a different slant then someone who has no cultural connection with it.
Now reading about the AFA - I get the sense that we may have two concurrent systems that embody what Buddhist call the "Two Truths". How that would play out would depend upon ones starting point.
For example if you decided to connect with Odin and you had no ethnic connection, no in depth knowledge of the theology and no connection with people who practice then you would need to follow an "Open Odin" path - initiation, cultural study, dialogue and respect for those who practice would be baseline behavior. If in the process you get the hint that this is not for you then be respectful and move on.
If you were born into AFA and know people who practice and have a good, if unrefined idea of it and follow the culture then you can participate in the "Closed Odin" path - I would presume a lot of the formalities would be unnecessary but it would require a different process of study and spiritual dialogue and untimely an evolution of the very meaning of the AFA faith for yourself.
There are a lot of shades of grey in this - I am half Scandinavian by blood but culturally I grew up in multicultural polyglot southern California. I would not presume the "Closed Odin" path at all.