Othala-Part 2 Extras

So I was incensed this week and felt driven to write a letter to the editor of the local paper.  I haven't done something like this since college.  And I know my writing skills were not as sharp as they  once were.  But I ran it by the Kindred and I'm doing it under my own name so there shouldn't be any blow back for them.

I got some support and some revisions and managed to get it under 250 words. No telling if it will actually be published.  But I needed to give voice to the rage and set the record straight.  This was written in quite a rush of anger.

Then last night in meditation, I was taken to see one of my ancestors. I had met with her in other journeys but she was very insistent this time that I understand Othala from her perspective as well

I think in my attempts to focus on the positive aspects of this rune, I was not fully accepting of it's connection to ancestry.  I had wanted to focus only on the esoteric and not the mortal pieces of it.  She told me to not lose sight of this part of it's meaning, but to keep in mind that the flow of energy between the inner and outer temple, the flow of energy between the private and public, is not more important than the flow of energy between ancestors, self, and descendants.

This is where my chain of Othala runes comes in.  On my tattoo I have a chain of diamonds on the back of my snake, the ouroboros.  It is meanth to represent a chain of people that make up the strength of our community, each individual working together for the sake of all of us.  She pointed to my tattoo and said that this chain is also a chain through time, from parent to child and onward.

Then another ancestor silently handed me a dandelion flower that had gone to seed.  From this I got the impression that I needed to continue what I was doing and spread my insights like seeds behind me.  We never know where our ideas or our influence is going to take root and germinate.

I'm reminded of a young student I met at when she  was 17, who I lost track of for a few years.  When I met up with her again she told me enthusiastically of how much my palm reading had meant to her and how she made hard choices that helped change her life.  I was really in shock but I think I hid it well.  I didn't realize that such a seemingly small thing had such a strong ripple effect.

We all leave seeds behind us wherever we go and this contributes to the chain of community and wyrd.


The Letter:

I am livid as a Heathen that the Racists are using Othala as a symbol to rebrand themselves. This symbol is an ancient rune that dates back to pre-Christian, Viking/Pagan Europe. The meaning to non-religious simpletons could indeed be "homeland". But it encompasses so much more than that.

This rune contains within it three other runes: Ingwaz, Gebo, and Kenaz. These runes combined mean sacred space or the sanctity of self when shared with the greater community enriches all and lights the fire of community advancement. This in turn is a gift to the individual who can take in this rich and diverse culture to enhance their own spiritual development.

We give of ourselves to our community and our community gives back. Without this flow of empathy and labor, we become stagnant. Like a seed trapped in its shell, we rot and die. That is what racism represents. It is the self cut off from a kinetic community that will eventually cannibalize itself. Othala is the opposite of this, but those godless defilers could never understand this.

Heathenry is a religion of love for the Norse gods. Our gods and our ancestors teach us to stand against hatred. People who embrace the poison of nationalism have no right to our symbols. And it appears they certainly don't understand them.

As a heathen I feel called to defend my faith. Declaration 127: When you see misdeeds, speak out against them, and give your enemies no peace/hospitality.