Blabbermouth for the Gods

People often ask me why I write about my relationship with Odin, why I lecture about devotional work, why I feel the need to write about ordeal work and other practices that are either part of my spiritual work or part of my shamanic work.  For many years I wondered the same thing. I only knew that I was pushed very directly by the Old Man (as Odin is sometimes called) to be very public about experiences that I personally would much rather keep quite private.  It wasn’t until I started hearing from folks who were having similar experiences, or being pulled to similar practices but who had no guidance, no training, and no one to turn to for support that I realized some small part of the reason Odin uses me in this way.

Each one of us is a resource for the Gods that we love and hopefully serve.  If we’re doing what we’re meant to be doing –whatever that work may be (and one of the things that both our Gods and ancestors can help us discover is just what that is), we are giving those Gods doorways into our world. Whether we realize it or not, we may also be serving as lifelines to those may be stumbling along in our footsteps. We may be mentors, guides, teachers even when we’re just going about our daily business. It is one of those things that makes a deeply passionate faith an every day, every moment thing: we’re always walking the long, winding, sometimes difficult path toward our Gods.

I discovered this when I received an email from a young man who had been called to ordeal work as a teen by his Goddess. He didn’t understand. He had no one to guide him. He tried to do what he felt She wanted of him, and he got hurt. It took many years before he was able to come back from that and even longer before he found people who could teach and guide him. He told me that had there been a blog like mine, or my books it would have saved him immense pain and suffering. The light went on. I write and lecture because it’s not just my way of serving Odin, but my way of giving something back, of providing what I myself did not have: a map.

So, I write on various topics, all of them centering in some way on devotional work and the Gods. I did graduate work in religious studies so I could better understand the historical context in which my religion evolved. I maintain a blog, expanding upon my published work, and I lecture whenever I travel.

I enjoy lecturing immensely. One: I ‘m a teacher both by profession and inclination. I enjoy the sharing of knowledge and I learn as much as I teach by these excursions. Also, there are so many misconceptions about both Heathenry and Paganism; if I can do even one small thing to educate, to undo some of those misconceptions, then I consider it my obligation to do so.  Thankfully, this is one part of my spiritual work that I consider fun!

I think it’s important for all of us engaged in spiritual practice to strive always to grow in receptivity and openness to our Gods. No one is born immediately understanding everything that the Gods might want us to be doing. We learn that through mindful practice, ongoing devotion, and good, old fashioned hard spiritual work. It changes as we change, as we become more fully aware of who we are and more secure in our relationship to the Gods. As much as I hate to say it, it is a process, but a worthy one to follow, perhaps the worthiest one of all.

(For those interested, I’ll be presenting July 4, at 11am at the Sacred Journey Fellowship in Garland, Texas. I’ll be giving a presentation on Heathen ritual and devotion. Feel free to contact me at krasskova at gmail.com if you would like more info.)