Hammerhof

  I believe there is a guilt complex going about in Pagan/Heathen circles. Let’s face it the vast majority of Norse Pagan/Heathens or Germanic pagans are whit. This is not a lie but a fact. In my thirty-seven years of practice I have met, in person or on the internet, one person who practiced Germanic Paganism or Asatru that was not a white Norther European. One. Let that sink in. We are not a culturally or racially diverse group. I did a bit of research when I started writing this. I looked at the member makeup of Asatru groups on Facebook, groups that consider themselves inclusive or universalist. I looked at profile pictures, names, and even reviewed some of the profiles. I found there are a whole lot of white people in these groups and that’s about it. So, why is that? Historically, what many call Asatru today started as a white thing. I am not saying that people of color were excluded, I am just saying white people were interested in the platform. I am guessing this is because

That’s right I said it, Asatru is not for everyone. Asatru is an organized religion much like Christianity, Judaism, or Islam. The modern Asatru movement is comprised of a lot of different national groups all who have acquired their 303c papers from the government establishing them as an official religious organization. They then set up their own rules and regulations, theological ideas about how they want their members to worship and practice and create dogmas. Some of you might be saying, “Wait a minute here. That not how it is!”. Sorry, yes, it is. I have been around tis national Asatru group scene for thirty-seven years. In my early years coming out of the organized Christian church I thought that this is the way. You Leave one organized church for another. I could not have been more wrong. Most of these groups are run by a select few, usually founding members who intentionally or not create a template for membership and worship. This template is a one size fits all method. The p