Thanks for your time Lokabrenna. It’s really appreciated.
Two more questions I want to ask for now is:
- Do you openly profess to be a Pagan?
No, there is no “Profession of Faith” that applies to all Pagans. If you want to join a particular Pagan religion, they might have something like it. In Asatru, some Kindreds require you to “profess” a belief in the deities (forsaking all other deities) but students are strongly discouraged from taking this step, as oaths are taken
very seriously (not just in Asatru, but in Heathenry as a whole). Here’s an example of an oath (a “gothi” is basically a priest):
The Gothi stands in front of the altar and says “Will [insert name here] please come forward.” After he or she does so “Are you here of your own free will? Is it your intention to solemnly swear allegiance and kinship to the Gods of Asgard, the Aesir and Vanir?” If the answer to both these questions is in the affirmative the Gothi takes up the oath ring (or some other holy object upon which oaths are sworn) and holds it out to the person professing and says “Repeat after me. I swear to ever uphold the Raven Banner of Asgard, to follow the way of the North, to always act with honor and bravery, and to be ever true to the Aesir and Vanir and to Asatru. By the Gods I so swear. By my honor I so swear. On this Holy Ring I so swear. Hail the Gods.” The kindred then replies “Hail the Gods!” and the Gothi finishes “Then be welcome to the service of Asgard and the community of Asatru.”
From here:
ravenkindred.com/RBRituals.html
It’s a bit like how calling oneself a “Christian” is fine but if someone wants to be “Catholic”, they go through RCIA, only not quite. Many members of the community are “eclectic” Pagans, who draw elements from many different belief systems, some are solitary (by choice or not), so these people wouldn’t necessarily have the option or desire to formally profess a belief in a particular deity. Individual Pagans might dedicate themselves to the service of a particular deity, but not everyone does this. It’s not a decision anyone should take lightly. It’s kind of like deciding to marry someone when you’ve only known them for a day.
For me personally, I didn’t go through a process in which I formally renounced Catholicism and adopted Paganism, I just decided I was Pagan and that was that. I looked into specific groups, but I’m not really a group person, to be honest, and there are only a few groups of Vanatruar in existence at this time. If I were to take an oath, it would be to one of the gods, but, as I said, it’s a big step and not one I feel comfortable taking at this time.
- Have you ever faced discrimination because of your beliefs?
I’m basically “in the closet” at the moment (except for certain places on the Internet), so it’s not something I bring out in public. If someone asks, I’ll usually say that I’m “unsure”. I’ve heard accounts of people losing their jobs, custody of their children, and having their houses and businesses vandalized (or burnt to the ground, in one woman’s case) because they were Pagan, and while I’d like to believe that the people around me are good people who would never do such a thing to someone else because they’re different, you never know. I think here in Canada we tend to be a little more private regarding religion in general, so it hasn’t come up a lot. I do plan on telling any significant others though, because it’s kind of important, but my family thinks it’s a big joke (my mom thinks I’m an atheist, actually)
) to be a part of the organisation. However, they have sister-organisations in other Scandinavian countries.
