It is a new year and a fresh start as the Sun Wheel continues to turn. Time stands for no man, and it is finite. Even if we live in politically turbulent times, creating a Wolf Age for our Folk. Midgard on a meta-level is in an information age. Our values and virtues are timeless, and the spirit of Folk is unchanging. We are what we are. This is often why considering our fullest potential; it has been stated our Folk suffers from a soulsickness. As the Asatru Folk Assembly is on the precipice of founding its fifth temple, and private community for our Folk, we no longer have the luxury of clinging or skulking in said illness. As a Folk, we have achieved too great a Victory for securing the future of our ways, strong relationships with our gods, and the mending of our folk soul, to identify as "victim", "oppressed", "hunted", or "shamed". Our ancestors were pioneers, innovators, and conquerors. Quite often excelling at each, with very little beyond a will to power, and a heartful of wonder. In the Bronze Age, we likely traveled far out of Europe and across North America, In the Iron Ages, we built wooden boats that traversed seas in which steel ships vanished or sank. In the Dark Ages, we managed to hold off & greatly influenced the Christian church into something barely recognizable to ancient Christianity. The lore is overflowing with heroic tales of men who mastered and conquered the frontiers of their time. So where are heroes in the information age? We invented the means and paved the way for it. Where are our champions? Where are our conquerors in the 21st Century?! We have the power simmering in our blood to do so. Wotan has blessed us with knowledge at our fingertips, and the capacity to will our desires into reality. Fostering the wealth of the Fehu rune is now a matter of Discipline (a Noble Virtue), rather than grueling work, and a daily struggle between life & death. Businesses are now systems founded on Hospitality, Honor, & Frith (again Noble Virtues), and streams of wealth can be made from simply sharing thoughts in a book or a single song that speaks to the soul. We live in good times when strong-willed men can ascend to unimaginable heights in society if they stay focused. So why are we "slumming it" arguing with weak men on internet forums who have no ambition other than to put down and keep down anyone who happens to pass by? Especially when they're as easy to escape as the press of a button or the closing of a laptop screen. The possibilities are so many, it is easy to be overwhelmed by the possibilities. However, there is no need to hide. Instead, we need to take the time to become laser-focused, and like a magnifying glass under the sun, set the world on fire. Sculpted and molded to best serve the needs of our Folk, our families, and ourselves. Take time to assess yourself this year. Meditation is a great tool, as well as journaling. Ask yourself what you truly need vs. what makes you comfortable. Then strike a compromise between the two, and cast your ship off. Look into ways to create the life you desire for your family or how you can generate the success and tools to build up your Folk. After all, wealth and power is worthless without friends & family to share it with. Set goals, make plans, and stick to them! Start out small and compound on them a little more each day. Turn the need fire into a wildfire, to clear your way towards Victory. With four Hofs dedicated to the Asa, we are now champions and a light in the dark for folk. As such we now have a responsibility to become successful as individuals and seize Victory at every corner in the frontiers of the information age, so we can come home and be excessively generous, in deeds & wisdom.
Gothi Jason Plourde
January 2023
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