Hail, all!
A number of you who have tried to join the AFA using the online membership application have reported having trouble lately. We think we have the bugs fixed - so please give it another try! If you still have problems, please email us at afa@runestone.org!
We have been making a lot of improvements to the AFA web site over the last few weeks, to include the membership section. As is so often the case, progress comes at the price of glitches that have to be worked out. Thank you for your patience!
Recent changes include new membership levels, and a monthly payment plan - you don't have to come up with your dues in one lump sum! To learn about this new system, and to see where your dues go, visit our front page at http://runestone.org, then to "About the AFA," then to "Join the AFA." Or simply go to http://tinyurl.com/6y9vfgj.
Steve McNallen
Asatru Folk Assembly
http://runestone.org
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Monday, June 27, 2011
Article on "Health, Wholeness, and Heritage" Posted to Asatru Folk Assembly Site
Greetings, all!
We've just added another essay to our ever-expanding collection on the Asatru Folk Assembly web site! In it, we explore the interconnected concepts of of health, wholeness, and heritage - and how we can use them in our lives.
Right now, this article is on our front page. It's also filed in our articles collection at http://tinyurl.com/659wavh, along with many others.
Here are the first two paragraphs...
The source of physical illness is the spirit realm. This has been the contention of learned healers the world over for thousands of years (though it is a way of thinking that has begun to find acceptance in modern medicine only recently). The Old Wisdom asserts: As long as the integrity of the spiritual self remains whole and unbroken, disease cannot gain access to the physical body. Spiritual health is dependent upon certain factors, one of which is described as faith. I use that word in its simplest, most literal sense. To have faith means to trust - in the life process (Wyrd) and one's place in the greater scheme of things (orlog). It means to trust in oneself and in the validity of one's own experience.
It is no shocking revelation to point out that a variety of forces have been set in motion in our society over the course of the preceding generations which have seriously undermined the faith of our people, our sense of continuity and belonging. So it is that we asatruari, we who follow the ancient Gods of our Folk, must be willing, sometimes to act as healers of the Folk Soul. - and you can keep reading at the url above!
Steve McNallen
Asatru Folk Assembly
http://runestone.org
We've just added another essay to our ever-expanding collection on the Asatru Folk Assembly web site! In it, we explore the interconnected concepts of of health, wholeness, and heritage - and how we can use them in our lives.
Right now, this article is on our front page. It's also filed in our articles collection at http://tinyurl.com/659wavh, along with many others.
Here are the first two paragraphs...
The source of physical illness is the spirit realm. This has been the contention of learned healers the world over for thousands of years (though it is a way of thinking that has begun to find acceptance in modern medicine only recently). The Old Wisdom asserts: As long as the integrity of the spiritual self remains whole and unbroken, disease cannot gain access to the physical body. Spiritual health is dependent upon certain factors, one of which is described as faith. I use that word in its simplest, most literal sense. To have faith means to trust - in the life process (Wyrd) and one's place in the greater scheme of things (orlog). It means to trust in oneself and in the validity of one's own experience.
It is no shocking revelation to point out that a variety of forces have been set in motion in our society over the course of the preceding generations which have seriously undermined the faith of our people, our sense of continuity and belonging. So it is that we asatruari, we who follow the ancient Gods of our Folk, must be willing, sometimes to act as healers of the Folk Soul. - and you can keep reading at the url above!
Steve McNallen
Asatru Folk Assembly
http://runestone.org
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Stephen Pollington Confirmed for Asatru Folk Assembly's Summer Event
We received an email from English author Stephen Pollington, our special guest for the Asatru Folk Assembly's "Midsummer in the Sierras." He wrote, "I have bought my travel insurance for the trip and started to prepare the talks and powerpoint shows. They are based on what you saw last time [at the Florida Moot several years ago] but I have revised some of the ideas and had a few new insights..." This is great news, not only because he's definitely "on" but because I've seen the presentations to which he's referring, and you're going to love them!
Another treat - Stephen is having limited copies of his very latest (as in, "not out until later this summer") book printed here in the United States, to save the weight and risk of bringing them across the Atlantic. As an attendee, you'll be able to purchase them at Midsummer and get them autographed by Stephen himself. The book title is Elder Gods: The Otherworld of Early England - just the sort of thing to interest AFA members.
You can visit Stephen's site at http://www.stevepollington.com to learn more about him and his books.
If you're an AFA member or a friend of the AFA, and haven't yet signed up for Midsummer in the Sierras 2011, go to the AFA web site and fill out the application. You won't want to miss this year!
Steve McNallen
Asatru Folk Assembly
http://runestone.org
Another treat - Stephen is having limited copies of his very latest (as in, "not out until later this summer") book printed here in the United States, to save the weight and risk of bringing them across the Atlantic. As an attendee, you'll be able to purchase them at Midsummer and get them autographed by Stephen himself. The book title is Elder Gods: The Otherworld of Early England - just the sort of thing to interest AFA members.
You can visit Stephen's site at http://www.stevepollington.com to learn more about him and his books.
If you're an AFA member or a friend of the AFA, and haven't yet signed up for Midsummer in the Sierras 2011, go to the AFA web site and fill out the application. You won't want to miss this year!
Steve McNallen
Asatru Folk Assembly
http://runestone.org
Saturday, June 18, 2011
New Facebook Page for Asatru Folk Assembly's Midsummer Gathering!
Hail, all!
We've set up a new Facebook page for the AFA Midsummer event, and it's already getting a lot of traffic! You can get in on the excitement by going to Facebook and searching for "AFA Midsummer in the Sierras." (You may find the old site still up, as well; we migrated it to the new "groups" format and the latter is the one you want.)
Check this new page for the latest on who's coming, what's happening, and of course more on why you should be there, yourself!
Steve McNallen
Asatru Folk Assembly
http://runestone.org
We've set up a new Facebook page for the AFA Midsummer event, and it's already getting a lot of traffic! You can get in on the excitement by going to Facebook and searching for "AFA Midsummer in the Sierras." (You may find the old site still up, as well; we migrated it to the new "groups" format and the latter is the one you want.)
Check this new page for the latest on who's coming, what's happening, and of course more on why you should be there, yourself!
Steve McNallen
Asatru Folk Assembly
http://runestone.org
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Asatru Evolving - Midsummer in the Sierras 2011!
AFA members and folkish friends who come to Midsummer in the Sierras (July 28-August 1) will be reminded that Asatru is an evolving religion!
There was a time, decades ago, when being Asatru meant adopting a "Viking wannabee" attitude, drinking too much mead, and reveling in a (largely male-dominated) atmosphere of swords and derring-do. That has changed. Oh, we still drink mead and enjoy fellowship with each other around the campfire, but we've become increasingly sophisticated, ever better-adapted for the challenges of the twenty-first century.
We've come a long way in the last forty years or so. This summer we will take the next steps in the evolution of our organization, and of Asatru itself. You'll want to be here!
Go to our web site today at http://runestone.org and sign up for the AFA's premier event!
Steve McNallen
Asatru Folk Assembly
http://runestone.org
There was a time, decades ago, when being Asatru meant adopting a "Viking wannabee" attitude, drinking too much mead, and reveling in a (largely male-dominated) atmosphere of swords and derring-do. That has changed. Oh, we still drink mead and enjoy fellowship with each other around the campfire, but we've become increasingly sophisticated, ever better-adapted for the challenges of the twenty-first century.
We've come a long way in the last forty years or so. This summer we will take the next steps in the evolution of our organization, and of Asatru itself. You'll want to be here!
Go to our web site today at http://runestone.org and sign up for the AFA's premier event!
Steve McNallen
Asatru Folk Assembly
http://runestone.org
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Visit the Asatru Folk Assembly's Cafe Press Shop!
The Asatru Folk Assembly now has a Cafe Press shop!
For a long time, members have been requesting more AFA merchandise such as mugs and shirts. To expand our offerings, we now have a Cafe Press shop - Runestone at Cafe Press - featuring five designs and product lines. We've come up with a delightful Midsummer graphic (Thank you, Lars, for the inspiration!) but there are other classic designs that would be perfect for Father's Day. Go take a look!.
Hugh of Asgard Studios will be tweaking the site, but for right now, click on an image and you'll get the product list that goes with it. If you want an item that's not listed, just let us know.
If you have a graphic that you'd like to "donate" to the AFA, we invite you to send it to us for our consideration.
www.cafepress.com/AsatruFolkAssembly
Steve McNallen
Asatru Folk Assembly
http://runestone.org
For a long time, members have been requesting more AFA merchandise such as mugs and shirts. To expand our offerings, we now have a Cafe Press shop - Runestone at Cafe Press - featuring five designs and product lines. We've come up with a delightful Midsummer graphic (Thank you, Lars, for the inspiration!) but there are other classic designs that would be perfect for Father's Day. Go take a look!.
Hugh of Asgard Studios will be tweaking the site, but for right now, click on an image and you'll get the product list that goes with it. If you want an item that's not listed, just let us know.
If you have a graphic that you'd like to "donate" to the AFA, we invite you to send it to us for our consideration.
www.cafepress.com/AsatruFolkAssembly
Steve McNallen
Asatru Folk Assembly
http://runestone.org
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Now I Can Do What Matters - Asatru!
At last, my "weekend" is here! Now I can get down to what really matters - working for Asatru! So far today I've written blog/Twitter/Facebook posts, prepared another article for the AFA web site, worked on refining our short term goals, talked to one of our Board members and our web meister, and spent about four hours working on various management issues. Sheila's put in at least as much time.
Now, it's time for Sheila and I to sit on the deck with a glass of wine and admire the Sierras on the horizon!
Hail the Gods! Hail the AFA!
Steve McNallen
Asatru Folk Assembly
http://runestone.org
Now, it's time for Sheila and I to sit on the deck with a glass of wine and admire the Sierras on the horizon!
Hail the Gods! Hail the AFA!
Steve McNallen
Asatru Folk Assembly
http://runestone.org
Asatru Serves Life!
The spirituality of Asatru demands a dedication to Life as a principle in the universe. We are enriched when we deliberately experience this principle in our daily lives.
Living as I do in rural northern California, I am blessed with wildlife. A couple of days ago Sheila and I had three young bucks resting in the front yard. A few feet away, "our" stray cat was sleeping blissfully on the porch. A few minutes later, two turkeys strutted into the yard. Out on the deck on the other side of the house, finches were hungrily feasting on niger seed. On the early-morning drive into work yesterday, bats maneuvered above my car, escorting me down the hairpin curves to the valley floor.
Best of all was seeing a new-born fawn, stumbling after its mother. Patiently, she watched as it learned to negotiate the deep grass and scamper off a log. She licked it often, transferring scent to her baby. After a few minutes, she paused and fed it.
Writer Collin Cleary, in his soon-to-be-released book Summoning the Gods, tells us of the importance of being in nature if we are to know the presence of the Gods. I agree. Seek nature! Let it speak to you in its own language. Feel the rightness of the world - and accept your role as a guardian of the natural world around you.
We of Asatru serve life...most obviously, the life of our families and our Folk. But in a larger sense, we serve the principle of Life itself, and the continuation of life on this planet. It is for this that we stand alongside the Aesir and Vanir, and against those who would transform Earth into a desert of devastation.
Steve McNallen
Asatru Folk Assembly
http://runestone.org
Living as I do in rural northern California, I am blessed with wildlife. A couple of days ago Sheila and I had three young bucks resting in the front yard. A few feet away, "our" stray cat was sleeping blissfully on the porch. A few minutes later, two turkeys strutted into the yard. Out on the deck on the other side of the house, finches were hungrily feasting on niger seed. On the early-morning drive into work yesterday, bats maneuvered above my car, escorting me down the hairpin curves to the valley floor.
Best of all was seeing a new-born fawn, stumbling after its mother. Patiently, she watched as it learned to negotiate the deep grass and scamper off a log. She licked it often, transferring scent to her baby. After a few minutes, she paused and fed it.
Writer Collin Cleary, in his soon-to-be-released book Summoning the Gods, tells us of the importance of being in nature if we are to know the presence of the Gods. I agree. Seek nature! Let it speak to you in its own language. Feel the rightness of the world - and accept your role as a guardian of the natural world around you.
We of Asatru serve life...most obviously, the life of our families and our Folk. But in a larger sense, we serve the principle of Life itself, and the continuation of life on this planet. It is for this that we stand alongside the Aesir and Vanir, and against those who would transform Earth into a desert of devastation.
Steve McNallen
Asatru Folk Assembly
http://runestone.org
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Article on the Disir Posted to Asatru Folk Assembly Site
Greetings, all -
We posted an article about the disir on the Asatru Folk Assembly web site this afternoon. You can find our small but growing collection of articles and essays at http://tinyurl.com/659wavh.
Here's how it starts...
The disir are those ancient tribal mothers who have departed this life for the Otherworld. These powerful female ancestors, traditionally led by the Goddess we call Freya, look on with loving interest in the affairs of their descendants. Nurturing, advising, helping out from time to time on the borders of perception, they remain an active, though normally hidden, part of the family. As Fall comes upon us, our minds turn to these holy mothers and we prepare to celebrate their special time of year, Winter Nights, which traditionally falls on the Saturday between October 11th and 17th.
The disir serve many functions, but one of these is to remind us that we are more than we appear to be... - and you can continue reading at the URL above!
Steve McNallen
Asatru Folk Assembly
http://runestone.org
We posted an article about the disir on the Asatru Folk Assembly web site this afternoon. You can find our small but growing collection of articles and essays at http://tinyurl.com/659wavh.
Here's how it starts...
The disir are those ancient tribal mothers who have departed this life for the Otherworld. These powerful female ancestors, traditionally led by the Goddess we call Freya, look on with loving interest in the affairs of their descendants. Nurturing, advising, helping out from time to time on the borders of perception, they remain an active, though normally hidden, part of the family. As Fall comes upon us, our minds turn to these holy mothers and we prepare to celebrate their special time of year, Winter Nights, which traditionally falls on the Saturday between October 11th and 17th.
The disir serve many functions, but one of these is to remind us that we are more than we appear to be... - and you can continue reading at the URL above!
Steve McNallen
Asatru Folk Assembly
http://runestone.org
Monday, June 6, 2011
AFA Membership - A way to take part!
Maybe you "follow" the AFA on Twitter (AsatruAFA), or have "liked" the Asatru Folk Assembly's Facebook page. Perhaps you wandered into our web site and saw our announcements about the upcoming "Midsummer in the Sierras" gathering, or watched our video of the 2010 event. Or it might have been our page on "The Real Thor" (http://the-real-thor.info) that got your attention...
If you liked what you saw there, why not apply to join the AFA?
We're here to make a difference. We're here to practice our faith, serve our Folk, build community, and influence the world around us.
We need your help to make that happen. The more of us who stand together, the stronger and more successful we will be.
Please visit the AFA site at http://runestone.org. Read our Declaration of Purpose. If we are what you've been looking for, we welcome your application.
Hail the Gods!
Hail the AFA!
Steve McNallen
If you liked what you saw there, why not apply to join the AFA?
We're here to make a difference. We're here to practice our faith, serve our Folk, build community, and influence the world around us.
We need your help to make that happen. The more of us who stand together, the stronger and more successful we will be.
Please visit the AFA site at http://runestone.org. Read our Declaration of Purpose. If we are what you've been looking for, we welcome your application.
Hail the Gods!
Hail the AFA!
Steve McNallen
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Hootesuite Test - Hope you see this message!
This is a little for test for our Hootsuite Social Media Integration. Hopefully our friends will see this on:
1) Facebook - main page
2) Facebook - Real Thor Page
3) Twitter
4) MySpace
5) BLOG of course
6) and our www.runestone.org feed of this BLOG
1) Facebook - main page
2) Facebook - Real Thor Page
3) Twitter
4) MySpace
5) BLOG of course
6) and our www.runestone.org feed of this BLOG
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