Wayward Wanderer

The runes are one of the most visible expressions of modern Nordic spirituality. Join your host for a short introduction to what the runes are, their history, how they're used, and more!I am hitting the conference circuit this spring! Please contribute by donating whatever you can afford at my Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/ryansmithwfiWant to support this podcast and my other work?  Check out my Patreon!You can also help out by scheduling a rune reading with me!

The concept of myth is central to many modern Pagan and Heathen forms of spirituality. Join your host for a discussion on what myth is, why it matters, and how it influences modern practice.Episode on Conspiracy Theory and Myth:https://www.spreaker.com/episode/episode-29-myth-and-conspiracy--57549804Source for Jung's Collective Unconscious: https://iaap.org/jung-analytical-psychology/short-articles-on-analytical-psychology/the-collective-unconscious-2/Source for Joseph Campbell's Four Functions of Myth: https://www.jcf.org/learn/joseph-campbell-four-functions-of-mythI'm hitting the conference circuit!  You can help get me out to Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Maryland this spring by donating at this link: https://ko-fi.com/ryansmithwfiWant to support this podcast and my other work?  Check out my Patreon!You can also help out by scheduling a rune reading with me!

Did you know there are Nordic Gods who stand apart from all the rest?  Join Ryan for an exploration of who the Others are and their strong ties to the most primordial of all forces in the Nordic cosmos.  Highlights of this episode include naming some of the more well-known of the Others, what they are associated with, and how the Others represent the forces that even other Gods heed and respect.Click here to schedule a rune reading!Click here for the Jotnar episode

Animism.  For some, it is a shorthand for spiritualities that worship what is in the world around them but there's a lot more to this concept than simply worshipping rocks and trees.  Join your host for a journey into what animism is, why it is relevant to Heathen practice, and what it says to a world facing climate crisis.Click here to schedule a rune reading with Ryan!

Welcome to the Vanir episode!  Join Ryan for a short journey through the Vanir's roles as Gods of the liminal, the mystical, and humanity's relationships with the natural world.  Highlights of this episode include naming some of the more well-known Vanir and what they are associated with, the Vanir and magic, and how the Vanir as best understood as deities of relationship and moving between worlds rather than simply as gods of nature.

In this episode, your host guides you through the twisting paths of Nordic mysticism.  Along the way, you will learn why modern people engage in mysticism and how seiðr and runework, the two main forms of Heathen mysticism, work.

Welcome to the Aesir episode.  Join Ryan for a short journey through the Aesir's roles as Gods of society, humanity, and community.  Highlights of this episode include naming some of the more well-known Aesir and what they are associated with, the Aesir and war, and the Aesir's place in the grand cosmic drama of Ragnarok.

In this explainer, Ryan dives into what makes the Nordic Gods what they are. This explainer will cover how all Gods are not the same, the attributes that unite the Nordic Gods and set them apart from other forms of deity, their main groups better known as the Aesir, Vanir, Jotnar, and Others, how they interact, and what this means for modern Heathen and Pagan practitioners.

Community.  It can be a source of support and joy, a cause of frustration, and often a mix of both.  Join your host for a walk through the advantages offered by organized community, the state of community and organizing within Heathenry, the causes of cults of personality, more sustainable options for community organizing, and more!

On December 1st, ICE launched Operation Metro Surge and dispatched thousands of agents to the Twin Cities, a city which also happens to be the home of one of the largest Pagan communities in the United States. Join your host for a conversation with Minneapolis Heathen Godi Ben and friend of the pod Siri on how the ICE operation has impacted life in Minnesota, the interfaith resistance, and more!Stand With MinnesotaSiri is now enrolling students in their intensive Queering the Runes course of study. You can find more information at their Patreon!Want to support this podcast and my other work?  Sign up for my Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/c/wayw... or contribute to my KoFi here: https://ko-fi.com/ryansmithwfi

This meditation is for helping hone your focus, clearing out any distractions, and providing guidance in attaining your goals despite the forces arrayed against you.  It can be done under any circumstances and utilizes a less altered state than my other meditations usually employ.Want to support this podcast and my other work?  Sign up for my Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/c/wayw... or contribute to my KoFi here: https://ko-fi.com/ryansmithwfiI am teaching classes on Inclusive Nordic Spirituality!  You can find out more and sign up at this link: http://www.onblackwings.com/classes

The Winter Solstice is sacred in many of the cultures that inspire modern Pagans.  Join your host for a brief journey through the significance of this time of year, the importance of sacred time, and more!Want to support this podcast and my other work?  Sign up for my Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/c/wayw... or contribute to my KoFi here: https://ko-fi.com/ryansmithwfiI am teaching classes on Inclusive Nordic Spirituality!  You can find out more and sign up at this link: http://www.onblackwings.com/classes

Runecasting is one of the best known forms of Heathen, Nordic, and Germanic divination. Join your host for a short walk through the whys and hows of runic divination.Explainer - DivinationWant to support this podcast and my other work?  Sign up for my Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/c/wayw... or contribute to my KoFi here: https://ko-fi.com/ryansmithwfiI am teaching classes on Inclusive Nordic Spirituality!  You can find out more and sign up at this link: http://www.onblackwings.com/classes

This meditation creates an anchor with a moment in your life where you felt especially fulfilled, happy, joyful, and otherwise in a state of bliss & safety.  These images can be called up later when you especially need to refresh & restore your sense of self.Calming the Sea & Sky MeditationWant to support this podcast and my other work?  Sign up for my Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/c/wayw... or contribute to my KoFi here: https://ko-fi.com/ryansmithwfiI am teaching classes on Inclusive Nordic Spirituality!  You can find out more and sign up at this link: http://www.onblackwings.com/classes

This meditation is meant to bolster and empower you in the face of great challenges. it works by calling on the aid of the Nordic Powers to grant you the tools, wisdom, & protection needed to accomplish the task ahead.Want to support this podcast and my other work?  Sign up for my Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/c/wayw... or contribute to my KoFi here: https://ko-fi.com/ryansmithwfiI am teaching classes on Nordic Ritual and Inclusive Spirituality!  You can find out more and sign up at this link: http://www.onblackwings.com/classes

As above, so below is a common phrase in many Pagan & Witch spaces and can be seen as an assertion of inherent connection.  Join your host for a walk through its deeper significance, how it applies in a Heathen context, & more!Want to support this podcast and my other work?  Sign up for my Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/c/wayw... or contribute to my KoFi here: https://ko-fi.com/ryansmithwfiI am teaching classes on Nordic Ritual and Inclusive Spirituality!  You can find out more and sign up at this link: http://www.onblackwings.com/classes

And we're back with more of "The Pagan Threat." In this segment, Ryan and El wade through Lucas Miles' takes on UFOs, trans people, how Pagans are taking over Christianity, and more! Listen to Part 1 https://www.spreaker.com/episo... /> You can help support Cassandra Snow, one of the authors singled out by Lucas Miles, by going to their Patreon and signing up https://www.patreon.com/cassan... /> Want to support this podcast and my other work?  Sign up for my Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/c/wayw... or contribute to my KoFi here: https://ko-fi.com/ryansmithwfi

A new Evangelical hate screed called The Pagan Threat dropped last month with a foreword by the late Charlie Kirk. Joining the pod is author Elizabeth Sandifer for a dive into Lucas Miles' hot takes on Paganism, Christianity, Hazbin Hotel, and more!Listen to Part 2 here.You can help support Cassandra Snow, one of the authors singled out by Lucas Miles, by going to their Patreon and signing up here.Want to support this podcast and my other work?  Sign up for my Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/c/wayw... or contribute to my KoFi here: https://ko-fi.com/ryansmithwfi

For Spooktober, we will be doing a meditation which helps you commune with the dead.  It helps for this meditation to have a picture or possession of the dead you are seeking to connect with.Lifting the VeilI am teaching classes on Nordic Ritual and Inclusive Spirituality!  You can find out more and sign up at this link: http://www.onblackwings.com/classesWant to support this podcast and my other work?  Sign up for my Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/c/wayw... or contribute to my KoFi here: https://ko-fi.com/ryansmithwfi

Valhalla is the most well-known of all the Nordic death realms.  For most of popular culture, it is a Viking Heaven that inspires violent, heroic deeds.  Join your host for a dive into Valhalla, what it is, what it isn't, and more!In Their Own Words - Kash Patel & Valhalla feat. Heather GreeneI am teaching classes on Nordic Ritual and Inclusive Spirituality!  You can find out more and sign up at this link: http://www.onblackwings.com/classesWant to support this podcast and my other work?  Sign up for my Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/c/wayw... or contribute to my KoFi here: https://ko-fi.com/ryansmithwfi