THE SOUL OF ASATRU (by [email protected]) 
Upon reading Steve McNallen's recent post to a.r.a. 
as well as a lot of the hoopla which surrounds it, I had a 
realization concerning what is really the crux of the 
problem, in my opinion, with these public debates- whether 
they be on the newsgroup, or Asatru-L, or anywhere else. 
It is not specifically the "race issue". Or the 
"Folkish" one. It's not the "Kennewick Man" either. 
The difference is between those who see Asatru as 
something much vaster and pregnant with purpose than merely 
some framework through which to perform archaic rituals in 
honor of this or that deity.  It is a vision of the future, 
a vision rooted in the genetic well of the past which 
formed us, but which inherently gives us the keys to evolve 
into a higher form of being and by extension, a higher and 
more noble clan of people.  
Call it Metagenetic, call it Nietzschean, call it 
Odinian, Evolutionary, or whatever other name. 
But it is much, MUCH more than just dressing up in 
pseudo-Viking garb and invoking old God names, according to 
some reconstructed rites. 
Those who oppose us as the bearers of this noble vision 
are very afraid of what we represent and they would PREFER 
that Asatru remain just an "alternative religion", no more 
or less threatening than any other.  They would prefer it 
nitpickingly focus only on "historically accurate" little 
re-enactments of rituals.  They would prefer it concern 
itself only with information relating to the so-called 
"Viking Age" and not draw parallels too strongly with the 
other obviously closely related strains of Indo-European 
religion- strands which reach back to the common dawn of a 
unique people who have since spread far and wide over the 
planet. 
The easiest way they have found to attack us and try to 
keep any of our visions for Asatru out of public discourse 
is to yell "Racism!" and "Nazi!" at every possible 
opportunity. 
Such pejorative terms as commonly understood are 
ludicrously limiting specifications which do not in the 
least convey what we are really attempting to do. They are 
merely the shrill bleating of the ignorant and reactionary. 
Thus, in any discussions of Asatru we should always keep 
in mind the above untraversable semantic gap ("abyss" might 
be more appropriate) between a grand and tremendous vision 
of Asatru as opposed to a quaint, easily digestible 
postcard version. 
Of course, you are free to stand on either side of the 
debate, but realize it involves vastly more than just the 
petty issue at hand. 
Caveat emptor.

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