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Learn a bit about the religion and declare yourself TRU.
Get books and study. Hit websites and compare information. Asatru/Heathenism is known as the religion with the homework (word of warning - LOL)
I would suggest picking up the books: Essential Asatru by Diana Paxson (a good primer), Exploring the Northern Tradition (can't remember author at hand), Teutonic Religion by Kveldulf Gundarsson (excellent book), A Book of Troth (a bit lean but also a great primer - it was mine) by Edred Thorsson, or Our Troth with editor K. Gundarsson
Then the classics: The Prose Edda, the Poetic Edda, Grimm's Germanic History
(others will add to the classics list)
http://home.earthlink.net/~jordsvin/index.htm
http://www.asatru-u.org/beginner/asau-beginner-outline.htm
http://www.irminsul.org/aw/aw.html
Also - going in: there are 4 types/groups within Heathenism. The first Universalist means the followers are willing to explore other religions and possibly integrate things learned outside of the Asatru religion. They welcome anyone regardless of race, orientation, age, gender, etc. Sometimes the followers are VERY liberal to the point where others call them Wicca-tru and it's not a positive term. Some of the most loving and welcoming people are Universalists.
Next are the Tribalist - they strive to make their Kindreds (groups) as extended families. Each group determines how open and accepting they are concerning race and orientation. Most are welcoming and have strict anti-racist stances. They are more conservative about letting outside influence into the religion and their practices.
Next are the Folkish. Most feel that one should explore their ethnic religions before settling on Asatru if someone isn't of Anglo-Saxon, Northern European descent. They are the more conservative bunch and the extremists go as far as to being described as Nazi-Tru and accept no one unless they're of appropriate descent, straight and that women know their proper place. Just saying, those are the extremists, not the norm.
Universalists - liberal, totally welcoming. The extremes would be Norse Witches/Norse Wiccans, Wicca-Tru.
Tribalist - middle of the road, welcoming but stricter in the practice of the religion
Folkish - conservative, some groups are accepting in regards of race and orientation, some border on extreme conservative. Extremists - Nazi-Tru, Neo-Nazis, Skinheads (hiding behind our religion to justify their hatred - people work to drive them out of the community).
I and my Kindred are tribalists with a bit of folkish leanings.
I'm always up for questions and my email is open.
Hailsa!
Hail the Aesir and Vanir
Hail the Folk!
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I would like to join the asatru religion, how do I do this?
