On
The Importance of Personal Revelation
by Lars Ynvesson
You have
just finished reading. It is late, so you turn out the lights
and fall into sleep. But not dreamless sleep. You awake with an
understanding.
You understand - truly understand - the words you read the night
before. And it is a truth you have never heard expressed before.
You search every tome in your hoard, but nowhere is your
insight mentioned. Maybe it even seems to be contradicted by
some of the secondary sources. But you still feel (know!) that
your insight is true!
Is it a message from the Gods? Or just the chalupa from Taco
Palace you ate last night?
The "Edda-thumpers" would have you believe that it is
nothing more than a figment of your imagination. That
"unsubstantiated" personal Revelations are
worthless...no, worse than worthless. Personal Revelations are
the ranting of self-important, self-indulgent individuals!
My answer? Good!
We are an individualistic folk! Is that not what brought most,
if not all, modern Trú folk to the Aesir and Vanir?
A revealed religion, one with an unchanging "word" is
static. By definition it cannot change. To do so would be to
tear at the very underpinnings of belief itself.
But an organic, "tribal" religion must grow. Without
growth the religion stagnates, becomes dogmatic and eventually
loses its "holistic" nature - the very nature that
brought it forth in the first place.
But how does a religion grow?
The word "dynamic" brings to mind certain
characteristics: action, force, movement, change.
"Static" means at rest, not moving, unchanging. But
also "in equilibrium". And therein lies the key.
Staticism is not "bad". But, in and of itself, it will
lead to decay. Motion ceases and the fire that fueled the belief
is put out. But when combined with Dynamism, growth occurs. Not
just movement, but growth!
No system - be it biological, social or spiritual - can exist
for long without the presence of both the Static and Dynamic
forces. The Dynamic force is what causes change in any system.
It is the drive of movement, the impulse of action. But Dynamism
alone leads to chaos. With no "base" from
which each new innovation can spring, motion becomes
meaningless. It is only through the "latching" of the
Static force that growth can occur.
Some innovations will gain wide acceptance and will cease to
work as Dynamic influence. They become the new Static
"base". Newtonian Dynamism led to Newtonian Staticism
that was followed by Einsteinian Dynamism.
The Eddas form a Static base. They give us a common ground as a
people. They form the basis of what we know, what we believe.
But by themselves, a Trú life would be a dead life. It would
hardly qualify as a Living Religion.
It is only through the constant influence of the Dynamic - in
the form of individuals - that Heathenism can change ... and
grow! Personal Revelation - whether through seidr, rune-work,
dreaming or just plain old simple intuition - is the only way
that our religion can continue to grow.
The Nine Noble Virtues is the perfect case in point. The
codification as it is generally accepted - Courage, Truth,
Honor, Fidelity, Discipline, Industriousness, Hospitality, Self
Reliance and Perseverance - began as a Personal Revelation. But
many, if not a majority, of Heathens accept the Virtues as a
Static, unchanging base. Had the "traditionalists"
shouted the Virtues down as "unsubstantiated" and
"unverified" we would have lost this point of common
ground as a people.
Was it the chalupa? Or was it a Trú vision?
Time will perhaps tell. But in the end, what "works"
for you, as an individual, is most important. Do not listen to
those who decry your Revelation. It is your spirituality, your
relationship with the Gods. But do not keep it to yourself,
either. For Dynamism to latch as Staticism, communication is
necessary.
Share your ideas. Keep the lines of communication open.
And we as a people will grow.
