Happiness

A Pagan Perspective on Finding Happiness

Morgan Daimler Feb 11, 2014

What makes you happy?  One thing that religion often does for people, or gives people, is an idea of what should create or nurture happiness.  In the Norse there is the Havamal, a collection of wisdom sayings attributed to the God Odin which outlines advice for right living.  This includes the core idea, I believe, that happiness is found in appreciating what we have and doing the things we can within our circumstances.  We see this in verses such as:

“36. Better a house, though a hut it be, A man is master at home; A pair of goats and a patched-up roof Are better far than begging.” (Bellows translation)

And: “70. It is better to live than to lie a corpse, The live man catches the cow; I saw flames rise for the rich man’s pyre, And before his door he lay dead.

71. The lame rides a horse, the handless is herdsman, The deaf in battle is bold; The blind man is better than one that is burned, No good can come of a corpse.” (Bellows translation)

Similarly in the Irish we see wisdom texts like The Instructions of King Cormac Mac Art and The Testament of Morann which suggest the ideas that happiness is supported by right living and moderation.  Both cultures seem to share the idea that being happy isn’t about what you have – whether possessions or skills – but about making the most of what you have.  This is an idea that is very much at odds with our modern American consumer culture and it can be hard to reconcile the two.  How do we find a sense of happiness with what we have when we are constantly assailed by messages telling us we should want more and better?  How do we feel happy about our skills and abilities when we are constantly surrounded by images of perfection?

In the end our spirituality should support us in finding happiness by nurturing our sense of satisfaction with what we have against the wave of cultural pressure.  While both the Irish and Norse also encourage ambition and striving for excellence, we should never lose sight of the happiness to be found in our current circumstances.  As the Havamal says, better a small house than no house at all; better living than dead.  No matter how difficult or stressful our life may be there is happiness to be found in it as well, even if only in small moments and little pleasures.

So as you go through your day, ask yourself, what makes you happy?  Do you value it enough, or do you take it for granted?

 

http://hartfordfavs.com/2014/02/11/happiness/#sthash.HFAULZiH.dpuf

 

2 Responses to “A Pagan perspective on finding happiness”

Mike the Heathen Feb 12, 2014

Was recently informed that I failed to advance to the final round of candidates for a promising job opening.  The news was crushing, especially since I felt that I had done very well in the interview and was an excellent fit for the position.  Also, financially speaking, unemployment compensation has long since run out and new employment is urgently needed.

Yet I awoke the next morning with a smile on my face.  I’m grateful for the interview experience gained (all interviews are great practice for the one that eventually lands you a job), grateful for the revelation of resume shortcomings (time to update and expand my social media skills), and even grateful for the blunt fact that my best suit has become uncomfortably tight and no longer fits well… which inescapably informs me that I am NOT making a good physical impression and it is high time to get serious about getting healthy.

In the past, I would have easily slipped into a “woe is me” victim mentality.  But my faith has given me the perspective that these circumstances are entirely of my own making… both in deeds done (eating too much comfort food; watching too much TV) and in deeds left undone (not exercising enough; not exploring Twitter, Instagram, etc.).  If I want better future outcomes then that is entirely up to me.

So I agree with your analysis.  Happiness is a natural result of an ongoing process… making good decisions and acting upon them again and again over time.  Meanwhile, it certainly helps to laugh at my own foolishness and to be deeply and daily appreciative of those who love me despite my myriad flaws.

Ann Marie Somma Feb 12, 2014

Thanks for sharing your story, Mike.  Hang in there.  Things will change.  In the meantime, hold on to what Morgan wrote: “better a small house than no house at all; better living than dead.”.

 

Blessed Be!

 

Shielding

A shield is a type of personal armor, meant to intercept attacks, either by stopping projectiles such as arrows or redirecting a hit from a sword, mace, battle axe or similar weapon to the side of the shield-bearer.

 

Shielding is a similar way of protecting yourself.  It can protect you from psychic, mental or magical attack - it's basically a way of creating an energy barrier around yourself that other people can't penetrate.  Think about the Star Trek series, when the Enterprise would activate its cloaking device, the magical shield works much the same way.

You erect these shields with the power of your mind.  Shielding creates an energy barrier which protects you from the negativity and unwanted energy of others.  Your shields will keep others from being too readily able to "read" you.  Additionally, they will prevent anyone from doing anything with your personal energy without your knowledge and permission. 

When you shield, you envelope yourself with energy.  Focus on your energy core, and expand it outward so that it covers your entire body.  Ideally, you'll want it to extend past the surface of your body, so that it's almost as though you're walking around in a bubble.  People who can see auras often recognize shielding in others - attend a metaphysical event and you may hear someone say, "Your aura is huge!"  It's because people who attend these events have often learned how to shield themselves from those would drain them of energy.

When you're forming your energy shield, it's a good idea to visualize the surface of it as being reflective.  This not only protects you from negative influences and energy, it can repel them back to the original sender.  Another way of looking at it is like the tinted windows on your car - it's just enough to let in sunlight and good things, but keeps all the negative away.

Try also to surround yourself with colored light as a shielding technique.  White is often associated with the sun, the moon and in some traditions as death.  A white light can push anything else out of the way, yet it is sometimes too harsh (think of a police spotlight).  Blue is the color of the sky and it’s less astringent than white light.  An infusion of blue light can offer protection without being overwhelming.  Soft yellow light can be healing.  Statues of Buddha are usually painted metallic gold, are made of the metal gold or have gold plating.  It is the light of the sun and spiritual light shining from the sun, the force of the universe and a symbol of honor, reputation and power in all realms.

Certain stones and symbols have the ability to enhance protection power above and beyond what your personal energies can raise.  You should not use these items if they don't 'speak' to you; the power of magic has as much to do with you as with the items you use.  When choosing stones, symbols or other magical enhancements, you should always trust your own intuition about whether or not it will work.  There are hundreds of things you can use.  Feel free to experiment if you like.

Some examples could be: Citrine is the most powerful crystals for enhancing happiness and banishing depression.  It will help you get to a more productive mindset for grounding and shielding.  Or: The Chokurei is a symbol used in Reiki healing.  This symbol can be used to enhance the power of any other magical tool.  Or: Norse believed that you could absorb the power of bears.  The bear is the symbol of maternal protection, strength, healing and solitude.  Try a few things and use what works.  A basic start is...

 

Bear in mind that shielding without grounding may allow negative energy to "cling" to the shield.  You should ground energy so that it cannot harm you.

Begin drawing energy into your body.  Let it begin to build in your abdominal area.  This is where your energy and strength begin to build.  Visualize (picture in your mind) a ball of pure light, energy and strength at the core of your body.

Slowly let the ball expand, with your abdominal at its center.  As the ball expands, begin to see it as a bubble or hollow sphere with you on the inside.  Make the bubble any material or color you want.  It can be solid like a wall or it can constantly flow like water.  Let the energy from the Earth flow through you and into the shield as it expands.

Let the sphere penetrate the ground beneath you, cover the air above and to all sides of you.  You are protected in the center of this bubble.  The bubble is incredibly strong.

You can keep your shield up as long as you like without much effort.  The positive energy will rise up into your body to replace the energies you are putting into your shield.  Relax and let yourself come back to normal awareness.   You are protected and safe. 

 

With practice, when you feel the need to raise your shields, you will be able to do so almost instantly.  Sometimes it can also be used to shield a car, bed or entire living space.  This can take some people months and some people years to master.  Shields are always getting better if they are worked with and there are always new ways to improve on them.

 

The breath of life
And the light of my mind
Creates an enchantment
Of protection and comfort
As the air I breathe is purified
I surround myself with an orb of gold
This golden haze
Is constantly purified
And separated from any negativity
May my space be protected.

 

Centering

Grounding

Meditation

Prayer

Visualization

 

Odin and the Asatruar

Odin and the Asatruar

One mild day in a small city in Midgard two men sat by a bus stop.  Both were nondescript to the casual observer.  One wore a grey buttoned shirt with no tie, the top two buttons open, revealing the black t-shirt underneath.  A pair of khaki trousers, a bit dirty at the knees, and a pair of smart black sneakers attired his lower half.  He wore a watch and had a small silver pendant in the shape of a hammer highlighted against the black field of his undershirt.  He glanced around furtively looking for the bus, knowing it would not arrive for some time, but something was making him feel uneasy.

His companion looked anything but uneasy.  He leaned back casually on the bench, the cuffs of his worn blue jeans wavered slightly in the breeze.  He wore a Minnesota Vikings football sweatshirt, which likewise looked somewhat worn, and the shadow cast by his large hat came down over his grey beard to the tips of the horns of the figure depicted on his sweatshirt.  His shoes looked like a cross between sneakers and boots, with a thin layer of mud caked on them.  He seemed to be slightly enjoying the other man's apparent discomfort as he toyed with the walking stick that he held close by his side.

"So," said the man in the Vikings sweatshirt, "nice day, huh?"

"Uh, yeah," said the other man, looking for all the world like someone had just shaken him abruptly from a sound sleep.

"So what's your name?" inquired the grey bearded man.

"Knott...," said the other man, hoping this last verbal exchange would satisfy his oddly disquieting companion, "Reilly Knott."

"Interesting name," said the other man, "I couldn't help but notice your necklace there.  It mean anything special or you just get it for its looks?"

Reilly stammered, he hated being asked this question, though it wasn't the first time it had been fielded, "Well... it's..uh... kind of a spiritual thing."

"Ah," said the other man, "sorta.. new age, that sort of thing?"

"Yeah," said Knott, noticing for the first time that one of the other man's eyes did not track properly, probably a glass eye, "kinda like that, it's... it's based on the old Scandinavian religion."

"Ah," said the other man, "you mean like with Thor and Freyr and all of those Old Gods?"

"Yeah," said Reilly, somewhat relieved that he might not need to explain his beliefs to another wide eyed, slack jawed face which regarded him as if he had a fish growing out of his head, "you know about them?"

"Oh, I think I took a course on them back in college," said the other man, he winked with his good eye, the other staring at Reilly implacably and intractably.  "So I bet you know all about their history and everything."

"Oh yeah," flushed Reilly, this was a conversation he could have.  He'd spent months studying the Old Lore and reading Sagas, longer still cruising the net and snapping up any tidbits of opinion he could lay his mind on.  He was a great bursting bag of lore, study and academia.  "I know quite a bit about the mythology and history."

The other man seemed bemused.  "Well..." he said pulling out a brown paper bag from where Reilly could not see, "So you'd know the name of Freyr's boat then, would you?"  He opened the bag and from it cast some cracked corn on the ground as he waited for his answer.

"Oh yeah," beamed Reilly, as two large black birds drifted down and began pecking at the proffered corn on the pavement, "Skidbladnir is Freyr's boat."

The other man frowned slightly as if he had been expecting a more embellished answer, but then he grunted and continued, "and I suppose you'd know the name of Thor's hammer?"

"Mjollnir" punctuated Knott.

"And who made it?"

"The dwarf smiths Brokk and Eitri."

"And I suppose you know the name of the World which burns like fire?" mused the glass eyed man.

"Oh yeah, that's Muspellheim", said Reilly he was getting into this, it was cool to talk to someone who actually knew a thing or two about the lore.

"And the world of freezing mist?" asked the other man, the brevity and quick pace of the replies he was getting still seeming to grate on him.  One of the black birds croaked.

"Niflheim", said Reilly

"So what's the name of the place where the last battle will take place?"

"Vigrid plain."

"And the name of Njord's wife?"

"Skadi."

"And you know what I mean if I say the Sayings of Har?"

Reilly thought for a moment, "The Havamal."

"Well you really do know your stuff," said the grey bearded man, "My old teacher Mr. Wellman would really have been put to shame if you'd been in his class.  So you into the actual Gods as well as the mythology?"

"Yeah," replied Reilly, suddenly uncomfortable that the conversation had switched from a simple quoting of knowledge and back to his beliefs, "it's a faith called Asatru based on the Old Gods and such."

"Well that sounds pretty cool, son," said the grey bearded man, "so I've got one last question for you."  Reilly looked at the grey bearded man and as he did both ravens below glanced up expectantly.  Reilly's vision went a little off and he seemed to see the glass eye go black as pitch until it looked like it wasn't even there.  The tip of the man's walking stick shimmered like bright metal and the glare made the sweatshirt seem for all the world like a vaguely blue travelling cloak.  "Who am I?"

Reilly shook his head and blinked several times "Sorry," he said, "spaced out there for a few moments. I, uh... don't know you, we've only just met."

The grey bearded man in the Vikings sweatshirt frowned and looked disappointed.  "I guess not, kid," said the man standing up and picking up his walking stick.  "Well, I gotta go.  Watch out for all those books and articles, kid, you read into all the scholastic stuff too long and you'll go blind."

"Yeah, maybe," Reilly Knott said with a few fake chuckles, as the one eyed man walked away.  He did not even notice as the two ravens took wing and followed him into the distance.

by Matthias Wilson

http://www.odins-gift.com/poth/2stories/odinandtheasatruar.htm

 

Odin

Odin Taught Me

Odin's Day

Odin's Wisdom

Divine Friends