Full disclosure- I am a volunteer in The Troth, the current version of the organization that came from Thorsson's "A Book of Troth" that was recommended earlier. I will give my recommendation first, then my reasoning for doing so.
I would not recommend any of the above authors to anyone in the "100 level of Heathenry". I would recommend going to the local library and finding a translation of the Poetic Edda that you can digest (the vast majority of those I work with find Larrington to be the easiest read) and I would recommend volume 3 of the third edition of Our Troth - available in electronic format for USD 9 at lulu dot com. And then maybe later, Volume 2 (available electronically USD 10) and Volume 1 (same price)
Sadly, it will be nigh onto impossible to find any book that does not bring politics into it. As was suggested above, it is up to you to decide the degree of it you are okay with. I find the more porgressive ones to be easier to mentor with.
For similar reasons, I would not recommend Fire and Ice by Ryan Smith.
Now for the "why nots"- beginning with Nine Doors- I would not recommend this to anyone in the first few years of a path, to begin with it is actually the fourth book in a series. The 3 previous books are necessary to properly do the work of the Nine Doors ( Futhark, Runelore, and At the Well of Wyrd) with "Futhark" being a *must have worked through* and the others a *good familiarity with*.(Introduction of the edition published in 1991).
Krasskova, Kaldera, Stinson, etc- (without getting into the socio-politics ) it is difficult for the reader (again I am discussing someone in the 100-200 level) to know what is UPG and what is drawn from sources. We should have reached a certain level of discernment first.
I admit I have issues with each of these author's stated viewpoints on stuff, but i do not have to agree with everyone and no one has to agree with me. Religion/ spirituality us such a personal thing that I really hesitate to state "you are doing it wrong" in personal practice- if we are discussing public stuff, then there is more room for discussion.
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branchandroot
Heathen Beginner books
Date: 2025-01-14 01:39 am (UTC)I would not recommend any of the above authors to anyone in the "100 level of Heathenry". I would recommend going to the local library and finding a translation of the Poetic Edda that you can digest (the vast majority of those I work with find Larrington to be the easiest read) and I would recommend volume 3 of the third edition of Our Troth - available in electronic format for USD 9 at lulu dot com. And then maybe later, Volume 2 (available electronically USD 10) and Volume 1 (same price)
Sadly, it will be nigh onto impossible to find any book that does not bring politics into it. As was suggested above, it is up to you to decide the degree of it you are okay with. I find the more porgressive ones to be easier to mentor with.
For similar reasons, I would not recommend Fire and Ice by Ryan Smith.
Now for the "why nots"-
beginning with Nine Doors- I would not recommend this to anyone in the first few years of a path, to begin with it is actually the fourth book in a series. The 3 previous books are necessary to properly do the work of the Nine Doors ( Futhark, Runelore, and At the Well of Wyrd) with "Futhark" being a *must have worked through* and the others a *good familiarity with*.(Introduction of the edition published in 1991).
Krasskova, Kaldera, Stinson, etc- (without getting into the socio-politics ) it is difficult for the reader (again I am discussing someone in the 100-200 level) to know what is UPG and what is drawn from sources. We should have reached a certain level of discernment first.
I admit I have issues with each of these author's stated viewpoints on stuff, but i do not have to agree with everyone and no one has to agree with me. Religion/ spirituality us such a personal thing that I really hesitate to state "you are doing it wrong" in personal practice- if we are discussing public stuff, then there is more room for discussion.
In Frith,
Strongbear