Self Reliance

  Yulmonath 30^th
Eleventh night of Yule
Sacred to the Valkyries and Warriors

 

The Valkyries are warrior-Goddesses who ride winged horses and are known as the 'Choosers of the Slain,' as they fly over battlefields where they pick the best fallen warriors.  They carry enchanted spears with flaming points for weapons and their horses' manes are said to drop dew or hail.  The most well known was Brunnhilde, who allied herself with the Norse hero Sigurd and taught him runic magick.  All Valkyries are led by Freya and are attendants to Odin.

 

On this day we remind ourselves of the virtue of Self Reliance.  Independence, or self reliance is the virtue by which you are self-supporting in the sense that you consume nothing that you haven't earned.  Synonyms: individualism, self-sufficiency, confidence, self-reliance

"We are what we repeatedly do.  Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." ~ Aristotle

Another word for self-reliance is responsibility, especially for yourself.  A wild boar can teach self confidence, self reliance, and avoidance of unnecessary conflict.  As much as you can, you need to be independent of the help of others.  For example, if you’re supposed to go to soccer practice, don’t count on your Mom to remind you.  Notice what time it is, and be ready when it’s time to go.

Another way to be self-reliant is to find ways to get the things you want by earning money or trading things rather than always expecting your parents to get them for you.  It also means things like cleaning up after yourself when you make a mess.  Have a hobby, perhaps one that can make nifty things for your Kindred to use, or for yourself to use.  Who knows, you might even be able to sell things and make some extra money.

Self-Reliance fits in very well with Industriousness.  Don't wait for someone else to do your job for you.  Don't wait for the world to be handed to you on a platter.  Our ancient Gods and Goddesses favor those who do it themselves.  Self-reliance is the key to freedom and freedom is the essence of all joyous life!

This certainly doesn't mean that you have to do something completely alone if you have no idea how, or if you really just can't do it.  It just means that you do what you can for yourself, and only ask others for things you can't do - like drive a car or solve a really difficult math problem.  On the math problem, though, you need to try hard before you give up and ask for help.

The self-reliant person works not for lust of money, but for a wealth of choices inaccessible to the idle.  He loathes debt, and will pay off his credit card bill each month.  She rebels against favor-currying, and would rather do without than go, hat in hand, to trade away his independence for a mess of potage.  Whatever his moral and political convictions, he will not bend them to attract a panderer or appease a bully.

As you grow older, there are more and more things you can do for yourself.  Practicing self-reliance means that you learn to do those things so you don't have to depend on other people so much.  It also means that when other people need help, you give it to them, but you also do what you can to teach them to be able to do for themselves the next time.

Glad Yuletide to Everyone.  Hail!

 

12 Nights of Yule

Industriousness

Temperance

Valkyries

Warrior God

Winter Solstice

 

 

 

 

 

 

Justice

   Yulmonath 29^th
Tenth night of Yule
Sacred to Sunna and Light

 

It is often thought that the Sun Goddess lost importance in the religious cult of the Vikings compared to earlier times, yet a lot of her essential characteristics survived in many Goddesses; such as in Freya's golden eyes.  We may also see a memory of the Sun Goddess in Síf´s hair of gold, and we may see the Sun in Frey´s wife Gerd´s bright arms.  And not the least in the way the Valkyries are described as lightening, and the way their heat create the honey-dew that falls into the valleys.

 

On this day we remind ourselves of the idea of Justice.  In its broadest context, includes both the attainment of that which is just and the philosophical discussion of that which is just.  A concern for justice, peace, and genuine respect for people.  Synonyms: fairness, impartiality, morals.

“Justice, equity, and compassion in human relations points us toward something beyond inherent worth and dignity.  It points us to the larger community. ~ Rev. Emily Gage

When we speak of justice as a virtue, we are usually referring to a trait of individuals, even if we conceive the justice of individuals as having some grounding reference to social justice.  

However, even the idea of individual justice seems ambiguous in regard to scope.  Plato in the Republic treats justice as an overarching virtue of individuals (and of societies), meaning that almost every issue he (or we) would regard as ethical comes in under the notion of justice (dikaosoune).

But in modern usages justice covers only part of individual morality, and we don't readily think of someone as unjust if they lie or neglect their children - other epithets more readily spring to mind.  What individual justice most naturally refers to are moral issues having to do with goods or property.  It is, we say, unjust for someone to steal from people or not to give them what he owes them, and it is also unjust if someone called upon to distribute something good (or bad or both) among members of a group uses an arbitrary or unjustified basis for making the distribution.

Man is a social animal.  Every day we interact with people in different capacities and relationships. In order to ensure that these interactions go smoothly, human beings have developed rights and obligations that each individual and community must recognize.  The virtue of justice guides humans in their quest to respect these boundaries and responsibilities.

To be a just man you must develop knowledge of the rights and responsibilities that govern your family, community, and nation.  Apathy is perhaps the greatest impediment to justice.  There are many unjust things happening in your community, state, nation, and world that fail to produce righteous indignation because men do not care to educate themselves about what is happening.

The bull is a symbol of justice and order.  Justice reminds us that treating people as human beings is not simply something we do one-on-one, but something that has systemic implications and can inform our entire cultural way of being.  We can demonstrate openness, give people respect, and treat people with kindness on our own.  We need one another to achieve equity and justice.

Glad Yuletide to Everyone.  Hail!

 

12 Nights of Yule

Forseti

Justice

Solar Sunna

Sunna

Sunna and Mani

Winter Solstice