00:01:07.380I just wanted to take the time and thank you for all the hard work you have done with the AFA.
00:01:13.100Your articles posted on the AFA website are what convinced me to finally choose the path of my ancestors.
00:01:20.280If it had not been for those articles, I might still be aimlessly wandering on my spiritual path.
00:01:27.160Keep up the outstanding work and know that there are others out there just like me
00:01:32.300that will bump into your website and receive inspiration from your words.
00:01:37.380Chris, thank you for letting us know we have made a difference in your life.
00:01:41.820I hope all our listeners will visit our site at www.runestone.org
00:01:47.280and read some of the articles that made such an impact on Chris.
00:01:51.880The voice of the ancestors is calling you home.
00:01:56.360This is our very first podcast from Alsatru Rising.
00:02:00.400It is important to me that Alsatru Rising develops an audience that includes not just people who are already following Alsatru,
00:02:09.000but ordinary men and women who barely know what we are about.
00:02:13.280I want Mr. and Ms. Middle American to understand that what we have is completely relevant to the issues they face in daily life.
00:02:22.540With that in mind, the first part of tonight's program is a simple introduction to what Alsatru is, a native European religion.
00:02:33.780I'll give a little information on the historical background of our faith and impart at least an idea of the attitude or the spirit that underlies it.
00:02:43.060The second part of tonight's podcast will examine how the values of Asatru affect what our organization, the Asatru Folk Assembly, actually does.
00:02:54.400Without further introduction, then, let's begin.
00:03:33.880We may refer to ourselves as Americans or English, Germans or Canadians, but behind
00:03:40.040these labels lurks an older, more essential identity.
00:03:45.820Our forefathers were Engels and Saxons, Lombards and Heruli, Goths and Vikings, and, as sons
00:03:53.660and daughters of these peoples, we are united by ties of blood and culture, undimmed by
00:04:00.740the centuries. Asatru is our native way. Just as there is Native American
00:04:08.880religion and Native African religion, so there is a Native European religion.
00:04:15.020Asatru is one of its expressions. It gave our ancestors comfort in millennia past
00:04:21.480and it can give us strength and inspiration today. The word Asatru comes
00:04:29.340to us from Old Norse, the tongue of the ancient Scandinavians, where it means those loyal
00:04:34.780to the gods. Since the ancient Scandinavian version of our way is the best documented one,
00:04:41.260it has given us much of Ausatru's terminology and imagery. The soul of Ausatru, however, is not
00:04:48.140confined to the Scandinavian model, but encapsulates the beliefs of all the Germanic peoples.
00:04:54.940Indeed, Asatru reflects the deeper religiosity common to virtually all of the nations of Europe.
00:05:04.080As part of the great European folkway, Asatru has a number of characteristic beliefs.
00:05:10.240Some of these are, number one, the world is good, prosperity is good, life is good, and we should live it with joy and enthusiasm.
00:05:21.920Number two, we are free to shape our lives to the extent allowed by our skill, courage, and might.
00:05:31.780There is no predestination, no fatalism, no limitations imposed by the will of any external deity.
00:05:40.440Number three, we do not need salvation.
00:05:44.300All we need is the freedom to face our destiny with courage and honor.
00:05:49.420number four we are connected to all our ancestors they are a part of us we in turn will be a part
00:06:01.120of our descendants number five we are also linked to all our living kin to our families
00:06:10.780and to every man and woman rooted in the tribes of Europe they are our greater family
00:06:16.920number six we are connected to nature and subject to its laws the holy powers often
00:06:25.800express themselves in nature's beauty and might number seven we believe that morality does not
00:06:33.840depend on commandments but rather arises from the dignity and honor of the noble-minded man
00:06:40.140and woman number eight we do not fear the holy powers or consider ourselves
00:06:47.280their slaves on the contrary we share community and fellowship with the divine
00:06:53.640the holy powers encourage us to grow and advance to higher levels and number nine
00:07:01.980we honor the holy powers under the names given them by our northern Germanic
00:07:07.740ancestors we practice also true by honoring the turning of the seasons the
00:07:16.660ancestors the divine and ourselves in everyday life also true is about roots
00:07:25.360it's about connections it's about coming home in the last few minutes I've given
00:07:35.700you a very quick overview of Asatru. When we resume with part two, after a few
00:07:41.160announcements, I will describe how the Asatru Folk Assembly on the
00:07:45.540organizational level puts some of our beliefs into action.
00:07:51.700Sheila and I, as well as many other AFA members, will be at the Northwest All-Heathen Jambermoot in Scott Mill, Oregon from July the 30th to August the 1st.
00:08:12.780This event is a great opportunity to meet others who share our same traditions, values, and connections to our gods and ancestors.
00:08:21.680Now, the AFA has rented a yurt at the site for socializing and for rituals.
00:08:27.020Other well-known AFA members who will be there include Thorgan and Katie,
00:08:30.860and of course our Northwest Folk Builders, Michael and Kat Burke, among others.
00:08:35.380This is a non-denominational, non-political gathering.
00:08:39.060No matter what branch of Germanic religion you follow,
00:08:42.940regardless of your organizational affiliation or lack of one,
00:08:46.340Jamber Moot is an invitation to get to know one another on a personal basis.
00:08:53.380For more information, contact Bertha Figard.
00:08:56.720Her email address is befigard at yahoo.com.