When The Knife Becomes Dull

It is my opinion that in the last forty five plus years, feminism and political correctness have dulled masculinity and have taken away a man's right to be himself, a man.  I am not referring to a man who has no manners or class.  I am not referring to a leach or a sexual predator or a dead-beat dad.  All of the lattter need more that just a kick in the ass.  But I am referring to how the application of feminism and political correctness has taken away a man's natural ability to sense danger and immediately react to counter it; they have dulled a man's natural senses.  A man that has been effected by the worst of feminism and political correctness cannot adequately react to protect family, other loved ones and even his country and way of life.  It's like taking a pocket knife to a gun fight. And, we know how that turns out. But I see change coming.  Men once again will use a sharp knife and not a butter fork to cut their steak.  

                                                             

                                                     Copyright@ Terry Unger 2015

Can't Win Them All

Do good and you will be rewarded.  Do the right thing and everything will work out just fine.  These axioms are outdated.  

In our day a man can do one hundred things during his lifetime.  Ninetynine of these things can be downright positive and just plain awesome.  But that one out of a hundred can be a real stinker.  Well, that stinker can be the asterik behind a man's legacy.  

If you are planning an old-fashioned memorial wake, full of food and booze after you pass, there will be at least one asshole in attendence who will gleefully remind others of your one failing.  Maybe these suggestions will help.  

Continue to live honorably.  Be positive, productive, self-reliant, and generous with your gifts and time.  And, cull your personal circle; keep it small by getting rid of the free loaders.  These are the guys that will talk about that one mistake.  Remember, they are on board just for the free booze and food.  So, you may not be able to win them all, but there is no harm in trying to stack the deck in your favor.  

                                                    Copyright @2015 Terry Unger

Family Values

There once was a time when people talked to each other, face to face.  These face to face conversations exchanged thoughts and feelings between family and friends.  It was and still is amazing.  A picture does speak to the viewer with so many words.  Below is a Norman Rockwell painting that best describes this amazing moment.  It is obvious that the people are interacting with each other.   

Then we have, in our modern world, so many modern conveniences that we have grown dependent upon.  Like smart phones.  These things started off as just wireless telephones but have grown to become small, hand held computers.  And, our need to be "connected" to the Internet et.al has grown with them.  This dependency is more then just the smart phone in hand appearing like an artificial appendage; using the phone is preferred to actual person to person, face to face conversation.  Below is a "Rockwell-esque" print that says it all.  To the right you can even see a tablet.  

What does your family do at meal time or for that matter, at anytime that it is together?  Are the smart phones off and tucked away or is your family constantly "online?"  Real conversation and communication does not happen over the Internet and cyber-space is a poor substitute for family and friends.  So, what does your family do?  

                                                    Copyright @2015 Terry Unger

Nothing New Under the Sun - Asa Meditation

Things come and things go but so much remains the same, or at least they are similar.  Meditation is one of these things, something that mankind has done since at least the mastery of fire.  As humanity progressed, methods were exchanged and modified to meet a certain group's needs (and sometimes the claim was made that the method was brand spanking new and original).  The mystery schools of Egypt taught a form of meditation, as did those in Babylon, Greece, and Rome.  These four societies in that order, heavily influenced the Hebrew mystics and through them, Christianity.

Secular history tells us that in the early years of Christianity their numbers were not just miniscule but was composed of many varying sects, all boasting that theirs was the true faith.  One of those sects was known as the Gnostics.  And, the Gnostics embraced the interior life, also known as meditation and contemplation.  After Emperors Constantine and Theodosius I, orthodox Christianity won the crown and eliminated the other sects.  It was at this time that orthodox Christianity really began to hammer out creed, doctrine, and dogma; rigidity set in like a dead man with rigamortis. One of the things that was tossed out was anything remotely similar to meditation and contemplation. But, there was a group of desert monks living in caves who continued the practice.  Somehow over time, this too was lost.  It was lost until in the twentieth century, a fellow by the name of Basil Pennington revived the practice.  

Pennington was a Trappist monk, priest, and scholar who did not win any praises from the Vatican for his efforts (Pennington was a contemporary of Thomas Merton).  He called his modified meditation process Centering prayer and this process, when modified for today's Asatruar, can work quite well.  Below is the Asatru method I've developed.

The first step is by far the most personal; your personal Word.  This Word can come from the Eddas, Sagas, the Havamal, the Voluspa, or the name of a God or Goddess.  The important thing is that this Word is holy and sacred to YOU.  This Word will help you keep your mind quite and focused. Obviously, this Word will take some time to find but it should not keep you from starting the process. Here is a hint that you may find useful:  how many names does Allfather have?  Another:  what are Thor's sources of Power?  And one more:  what of Frigga and her handmaiden Goddesses?  

The second step is to find a comfortable place that is quiet and free from distractions.  A fire, if possible would be a good thing (but not necessary), along with an adult beverage or two.  As you sip your beverage, relax and quiet your mind, and silently say your Word a few times to yourself.  Armed with your Word, you can add a brief reading, a passage or two from any of the above mentioned texts (this may  be a good idea if you still do not have your Word - remember this Word is YOURS).

The third step is to close your eyes and let the silence overtake you.  If you feel your mind slipping away, silently repeat your Word; this will help you to focus.  The time and frequency that you spend in this Asatru meditation is up to you.  But over time, it can help you to live a fuller life as an Asatruar, and possibly bring you even closer to living the Nine Noble Virtues.

At this time there is something that must be said.  There are those so-called purists out there who will say, "That stuff is Christian and I ain't gonna do it."  These folks need to get over this attitude.  I modified Pennington's method for Asatruars to use.  Pennington modified a many centuries old method to use by people of all stripes in the twentieth century.  His source, those ancient monks, got the method from some other older guys, and those guys got it from even older guys.  And I can tell you, that those really old guys were not Christian.  So give it a rest; there is nothing new under the Sun.  

                                                    Copyright @2015 Terry Unger  











          

The Great Race

Anyone familiar with Germanic/Norse mythology knows the tale of Sunna and her brother Mani.  Sunna in her horse drawn chariot pulls the sun across the sky while her brother follows her and does the same with the moon.  But there is a sad note to this story.  Sunna is pursued by a wolf that goes by the name of Skoll; Mani is chased by the wolf Hati.  At the end of the world, Ragnarok, these wolves will finally overtake Sunna and Mani.  And they will consume both sun and moon, plunging the world into darkness.  According to the mythology, their fate is sealed.  But what of yours?  

What kind of Great Race are you running?  There certainly is nothing wrong with success and obtaining wealth.  These questions, however, one should ask of himself:  how are you going about your quest?  What sacrifices are you making and did you make - granted, there is no gain without sacrifice. But, have you alienated your spouse, children, and family?  What have you given back in the ways of generosity and hospitality to your family and community?  It is written in The Havamal, a very old and wise text that a generous man is looked upon with favor but a miser is not.  In our modern world there is one more question that should be asked:  is running the rat race really worth it? The answer is that it can be if you properly set your moral and ethical compass in a positive light. One way to do this is to weigh your goals against the Nine Nobel Virtues of Asatru.  Check out the Nobel Nine.  You will be glad that you did.    

  

  

Thundering Silence

The black clouds gather suddenly, sending their ominous message to those below.  Stillness envelops the earth's surface, a precursor of what is to come.  One drop and then two, turns into a heavy drizzle.  The winds pick up, and thunder rolls just over the next hill.  Now the rain falls, like it is coming from billions of buckets.  The wind speed increases, and whips the rain so it flows sideways.  That thunder is no longer over the next hill, but is here, making itself known.  It's explosive crack sounds like artillery fire and it shakes the ground.  Lightning now accompanies the thunder and illuminates not just the sky above but the ground below, leaving some with the feeling that they are living in a black and white horror movie.  The fierce wind, thunder, and lightning make a few folk think that Wodan is off on his Wild Hunt and Thor is slaying giants.  Young children cling to their mother's breast while the family hound refuses to go outside to relieve himself; it is enough to make the "great Charlemagne" tremble with fear.  It seems like it will never end but it is over as quickly as it began. And then, there is nothing but the stillness of silence.   

This is a Gulf Coast Texas spring storm.  Fortunate are those who can appreciate this Thundering Silence, what it brings, what it means, and what it can become.    

                                                   copyright @2015 Terry Unger     

The Power of a Word

Some time ago I wrote an essay, When Words Weigh More Than Bricks and published it on this blog, 10-14-2012.  Even though it was a short piece, it was well received.  The essay hammered away at how negative words between spouses and parents to kids can have a gross negative impact.  The message was to think before you speak and if need be, run around the block to blow off  steam before you opened your mouth.  Truly, I believe that I gave some sage advice.  But, there are a few words that still exist within our English language that continue to create a problem for a growing number of people.  And, they need to be put into their proper place.  These words are Heathen and Pagan.  

Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Eleventh Edition defines the word Pagan as:  

1: HEATHEN  1: exp : a follower of a polytheistic religion (as in ancient Rome).  2: one who has little or no religion and who delights in sensual pleasures and material goods : an irreligious or hedonistic person. 

The same source describes Heathen as;  

1: an unconverted member of a people or nation that does not acknowledge the God of the Bible  2 : an uncivilized or irreligious person.  

As I understand it, Merriam-Webster ties in locality (geography) as a source for these names.  Heath refers to a wild, expansive, and uncultivated land with poor soil.  This word has old German and old English root sources.  Pagan references a country dweller, a suburbanite country bumpkin.  The word has it origins in the Latin, paganus, originally meaning a civilian.  Roman Legionaries, at times, used the word paganus to refer to some civilians as"slackers," or useless people.  Both words existed before the beginning of the Christian era.  Unfortunately, as time passes, things change, including the meaning of words.  

The three Abrahamic, monotheistic religions quickly latched on to these ancient words and used them to describe anyone who did not adhere to their vision of the one true God; one god, not just above all others but the only real god - all others being not just false but devils in disguise.  In short order, it did not matter where you lived, if you did not embrace their god, you were in biblical terms, an abomination and had to be dealt with, either through rigorous conversion, or execution.  The use of these words in such a derogatory manner continues into our modern times. 

The Pagans and Heathens of the past, like those in our modern era, certainly were not godless.  Today just as in the past, Pagans and Heathens have more Gods than the fingers to count them on.  And dear reader, whether you like it or not, six out of the seven days of the week are named after Germanic Gods and Goddesses - I do not believe this to be an accident.  Pagans and Heathens today, as in the past, certainly are not and were not hedonistic: all of that wild and goofy sex stuff comes from sexually repressed monks and the biblical authors that came before them.  On the contrary, the word best suited is altruistic. Pagans and Heathens in the past as well as in the present feel a connection not just to the  Earth, but to all life in general.  So, life is good, worthy, and wholesome.  To the Monotheists this was then, as it is now, a threat to their unfounded belief, and thus their very existence.  Here is a tasty tidbit: the word ain't can be found in the same Merriam-Webster Dictionary. It is included as a valid word based on its vigorous usage over a period of time by the populace, just as the words Pagan and Heathen are still defined by their false, monotheistic definitions. There was a time not that long ago when the word ain't was vigorously discouraged. It was considered to be something verbally used by the ignorant, and not a real word.  The words Pagan and Heathen today are still used in a negative and derogatory manner and it is time for attitudes and definitions about the words Pagan and Heathen to change into a more positive light.  A reading of my old essay, When Words Weigh More Than Bricks could be a start.  You could say, boy, ain't that the truth!   

                                                       copyright @2015 Terry Unger