Wyrd Designs – Finding Others

Finding other heathens can always be a bit of a challenge. Unlike your local newspaper that has a printed directory published in it advertising all the churches, synagogues and the mosques servicing the local community finding Heathen groups can be a bit trickier.

For starters while we are a growing religion, we are definitely a minority religion. This means that sometimes the only Heathen individual let alone group close to you depending on where you’re located could be HOURS away by car. This isn’t always ideal. But beggars shouldn’t be choosers. If you want fellowship and you don’t find it immediately in your vicinity, you need to be open to occasionally enduring a long drive to meet up with others, or to perhaps start a more local meetup of some sort yourself.

So the question remains, how do you find local groups?

A great resource can sometimes be to check with your local New Age / Pagan / Occult shops. Many such stores have an area where community events or groups can leave information. If you don’t see a place for that, ask store personnel directly if they know of any.

Try doing a web engine search of: Asatru, and the state you’re in to see if anything pops up. Also, going to meetup.com and searching for “Asatru” can help generate leads for Asatru meetups in your neck of the woods. Usually activities shared on the Meetup site at this time is for more social gatherings. Meet and Greets at coffee shops, pubs, parks, book stores, or even grocery stores with eating areas are not uncommon for the type of events coordinated through this website. These can help you find others in your area, but also act as a getting to know you phase before you may meet with others for ritual at other times.

You can also conduct searches for mailings lists on Yahoo Groups: there are regional U.S. lists for Texas, the mid-Atlantic, the North East, the South East, the Pacific West Coast, etc. In addition to several ML’s devoted to Heathens in other countries, or for other themed or overarching lists beyond specific regions. Joining a group regionally specific to you is a great place to ask for local resources.

You can also try these individual & kindred contract map directories:

National Organizations in the U.S.

Things to keep in mind when looking for groups, is even groups in the same ‘umbrella’ organization, may have very different personalities from one another. The membership and personalities unique to each member, knowledge base and focuses of individual kindreds can vary tremendously.

Some groups can be very family friendly and have numerous families with kids in a range of ages at gatherings, and other groups can be comprised primarily of adults. Because individual kindreds have a small number of members, most kindreds opt to run rituals from their homes. For this reason don’t be surprised if before extending an invitation for you to attend a ritual, that they don’t want you first vetted by one of their members. So it may not be unheard of to be screened in a casual setting like a public coffee shop first. This screening process is there because you are a stranger being invited into someone’s home, and around their kids. Don’t be offended if a prospective group wants to screen you.

While some groups may screen for safety, don’t be afraid to take a few safety measures yourself. It’s always a good idea when visiting a group you don’t know much about to bring someone with you in the beginning: whether it’s a significant other, a sibling, a friend, etc. I did hear along the rumor mill of an incident several years ago, where an Asatru-curious woman had been excited to find a kindred close to her. Upon arriving to an event in someone’s residence she found herself the sole female among a bunch of men who were drinking… and was unfortunately gang-raped.

There are unfortunately a few groups out there, which use the name Asatru but are little more than Neo-Nazis wanting an excuse to both party & hate. If there’s any doubt in your mind about a group, or if a group’s beliefs is align with your own don’t be afraid to ask lots of questions before you meet with them. Some good questions to ask before you go:

What’s the membership like? (total number of members and the gender and age demographics thereof, and approximately how many people show up at gatherings)
Are people of other ethnicities welcome?
Are their any ritual taboos for the group? May weapons be worn or are they banned? May Loki be hailed? Etc.
Could you describe a typical gathering for me?

If you go to one group and find it’s not quite your cup of tea, try going to another group if that’s a possibility where you live. In my area alone there are 5 groups spread across the metropolitan area, and yet each one has a very different personality. Setting aside the time and funds to attend one of the national gatherings like East Coast Thing, Althing, Lightning Across the Plains, etc. can also be a good way to meet others.