I just want to hear stories about when you first converted. Or of you where born that way your earliest memories on the subject.
I had a vision once actually. It was more of an impression but it worked. When I converted to our way I was already having trouble with my family. (which is why I ha vent told them yet) I was having the mother of Bad days and I went to my room and laid down. I curled up and was really bummed out and was thinking very negatively (Like why should i try, etc. etc.) and I had a weird impression just then. I dreamed I was lying next to someone. (A woman) with a child between us. I was big and strong. and the woman was beautiful. I swear I could feel one of the Gods with there hand on my shoulder. (not sure which one. But I am pretty friendly with all of them.)
Not to mention the connection I have with Odin and Tyr.
One of the Two was always giving me a helping hand or encouragement when I was growing up. ( i didn't know what to call them.)
I found the gods through my boyfriend, for the most part. I met him soon after he started his god hi training and the path clicked with me as well as he did.
Then there was the time Thor called me out in a storm to say hi. That was an interesting night. (I was questioning if this was really the path for me at the time.)
I now follow Freya and Thor primarily, though I've been getting closer to Frigga recently.
I feel that I've always been heathen... just didn't have a name for it until the past 5-6 years.
Didn't realize that all the things I felt intuitively about honor and loyalty and truth (i.e. that they are good things and not enough people make them a priority in life) were part and parcel of the Germanic mindset.
Especially embracing life... living it to the full... and not living in fear of death!
When I first became save when I really got tires of my Mesa ND tires of running it had to take tragic and the Lord show me my death so I ran and got ave because it scare me and I need to come in anyway so I ran for along time didn't want to really give my live to god backsliding but as i said before it took something bad for me to come in I wish I will done it ventrally instead.
For me, it was like waking up, like coming home and recognizing old, familiar things. It felt more like remembering something I've forgotten than to learning things anew.
I've always been somewhat pagan deep down, only I didn't know what it was. When I was just old enough I could walk I drew little creatures on a garden wall with a piece of charcoal and I told my mum those were the "spirits" that were guarding the place. When I was some 12 or so, I modeled a green man out of clay, without knowing what it was or ever seeing it before. I still keep that statue.
And so on.
The first conscious encounter I had with a god was quite frightening, though. Not having any education or reference (there's no pagan books here, and back then, the Internet was just developing) I was, silly teenager back then, taking the things rather lightly. Odin showed me there was no poking fun at the gods. I escaped with my life, but it could have ended badly.
I guess I needed the lesson in respect, but at the same time, it was a very direct and frightening proof that the Gods existed.
Hmmm interesting question.
I think part of me was always Heathen. I have always felt honor was important and couldn't understand why no one else used the word or felt it was. I have a streak of pride that you wouldn't believe that would make my Polish/Celtic/German/Danish ancestors proud. I have a temper from heal too. Hehe. I always got into trouble with my "pride" at church and remember thinking those people were crazy. It was just who I was. So I think I was born Heathen, but when I was called is a totally different story.
It actually wasn't that long ago. Feels like forever. I sort of stumbled onto paganism and had no idea where to start. I would read about other tr ads and kept coming back to Asatru, but for some reason it just never totally spoke to me. I just wasn't ready for the worldview I think. Then once on here I read about a viking death rite and suddenly felt this need to learn as much as I could about it. But the info just wasn't there for me at the time. As time went on, I watched a friend of mine on here who is Heathen answer questions and it just started to nag at me. I would think about it more and more and more until I realized the gods weren't just calling me, they were smacking me upside the head.
Frigga called me. When I accepted her I felt like I had come home. I suddenly felt like I had woke up after a life long sleep. I felt more in touch with myself because I was FREE to be myself. I wasn't going to get speeches on my "damn Polish pride" or my "damn Irish temper". Nope, I had a whole community of people just freaking like me! Man it was great. LOL! I met a really good friend of mine on here who is Heathen as well that has helped me wade through the waters of the lore. I'd be lost with out him sometimes.
I can't imagine being anything else then what I am now. I feel free and at peace. I have a strength I didn't have before. My sister head the gods not long after me and then my brother in law. We didn't tell each other until we all blurted it at the same time. It was actually pretty funny. So now we are all devout Asatru.
Like Heathen Daughter I've always been drawn to honor. I tried Christianity from childhood until I was 19 - it never took. What took was being outdoors with nature.
I drifted into paganism at 19 and studied several branches of that and became an Elder. I felt like paganism was close but not quite what I was looking for.
Then I found the book "A Book of Troth" and never looked back. I had two encounters when I was young in Asatru - I was facing major surgery and not allowed to wear any jewelry into surgery - I debated between a Thor's Hammer and a Valknot. I was struggling between wanting Thor to be my close deity and Odin. All-Father can be a hard patron god and the stereotype of head-bashing, misogynist jerk. When I sat down in the chair for the tart, I choose the Valknot and called on Odin, dedicating myself to him.
A year later I was at a gathering in the Marin Headlands above San Francisco. I went up on a hill where the wind was insane and blowing all around. I called on the gods and a hawk flew up the cliff side and stopped, hovering about five feet from me. I still can't remember what my question of the gods was - I was astounded by the hawk as I looked in her eyes.
I have a tart of Freya in my calf (and I have 14 cats) and the Valknot and have felt the touch of the gods in my life ever since.
I guess I've always been leaning towards it. I was on the Celtic Path for years but I never really connected with anything except the imagery of the Morrigan. But it wasn't HER image... it was the idea of honor during battle. And not just physical battle. Visions... well, we don't really need to get into all of that Lil My answers are long enough as it is. But the one who called me (and it was in a vision) was Tyr. He brought me before Odin, kind of like presenting me to the whole clan. It just felt right, so I stuck with all my studies about the history... asked a few questions of Boars Heart on here as, at the time he seemed (and still seems, to me anyway) to be True and Real about it, rather than just playing around. *Not saying any of the other Asatru here are playing around... but Boars Heart was my first contact in here*
Now though, it seems Odin is pushing me on my studies and leading it towards something I didn't think I would really get into like this. *shrug* So, I'm here... but there isn't a Kindred around here so it's just my son and I. Which is fine with us. I did find a group south of us (over an hour away) that we might visit, but overall it looks like it will be just us. =D
I've just began to study Asatru, not sure if this is the right path for me or not. I feel like that lady above me that got called out into the storm. I wish I had signs like that.
Asatru calls me, and I find that when I study it I am looking back at my ancestors, and therefore looking back at myself.
Hmm.
I've always wanted to honor my ancestors. This may be the way.
Asatru early times.?
