In the current time there is a major crisis among European men. Due to various factors in western society the European male is largely maligned if not outright ostracized by polite society. It's not necessary to get into the hows and whys, but only to know that the problem exists. The soft-hearted universalism of modern Christianity espoused by Pope Francis I as well as similar teachings espoused by those of the Protestant persuasions have robbed European men of what we once thought was a proud and worthy heritage. Because of this and various other factors men have left the Church in very large numbers. This has also led to a spiritual crisis among European men because for most Christianity is the only spiritual path they have ever known. Fortunately, there is a small but growing spiritual path more suited to the spiritual needs of European men. Unfortunately, the vast majority of European men are unaware of this birthright they have inherited merely by the blood that courses through their veins.
On a personal level Christianity just didn't do it for me. No matter how committed or faithful I tried to be I always came away feeling empty. Wielding the Gospel like a Crusader's sword was now seen as too aggressive and un-Christ-like, yet "do unto others" seemed futile and at times masochistic. It was then that I found Wicca and the various forms of Neo-Paganism, which was nice on a certain level the spiritual heart I was looking for was certainly there, but the hyper-femininity of the Goddess traditions led to alienation. The deep spirituality of the Old Ones that I longed for was there, but the emphasis on women, motherhood, and passive spirituality; the woman with voluptuous breasts nursing her child, the pregnant "earth mother" etc. were forms of divinity that I just couldn't identify with. Once again I found myself in a spiritual desert. Atheistic science and materialism was hardly anymore satisfying. In my desperation for something more fulfilling I finally found Heathenry which emphasized warriors and hunters; still earth-based with a deep spiritual tradition in the ancient European Gods but also embraced masculinity as well.
Heathenry, I found embraced the old Gods of Europe and again the warrior spirit, the hunter's spirit, the spirit that most men feel instinctively on some level that I didn't find with the Goddess-based Pagan religions. Odin, Thor, and a host of other Gods like Freyr and Tyr were suddenly at the forefront.
I don't think I'm that much different from most other European men. I think most of us would rather embrace who we are and celebrate it rather than try to repress it due to current social pressures. A place where it's ok the wield the sword of a warrior or even Mjölnir (Thor's hammer). Yet it is also true that most men also have a softer side, not a feminine side, but just a softer side in comparison to the obvious masculine traits. Frigga the Earth Mother and Freya the Goddess of love are there for us as well if and when we need a break from the war (actual war, or more broadly our jobs/work) or the hunt, when we need to focus more on our home, family, or the women in our lives, or those we hope will come to be a part of our lives. These tendencies are not are nothing shameful or "effeminate" they are every bit as natural as the more obvious ones, they are merely less abundant in us. This side should be embraced as much as the obvious masculine side. If we were warriors and hunters all the time most women would be petrified of us and we don't want that now do we?
One final word on this particular path... While I encourage men to embrace this path just as I have it is important to note that it is not anti-woman, or anti-feminine. Many male-centric paths as well as female-centric paths tend to wage war on the opposite sex. This is the highest form of stupidity I can imagine. Above all Heathen men (and women for that matter) should of course embrace their traditional roles as this is what is best for the family and the community. However, it is not about the superiority of the male sex over the female sex or visa versa. The battle of the sexes is pure and utter foolishness. I think it was Ronald Reagan who once said nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought. This was a very wise thing for him to say and it extends to the battle of the sexes as well. A true battle of the sexes cannot be won and must never be fought. Whether we like it or not we need women and women need us in order to survive and a wedge driven between the two is a stake driven into the heart of humanity. Men and women both need each other in all of our glorious differences in order to survive. A woman cannot produce a sperm, and man cannot produce an egg. A man cannot be a mother, and a woman cannot be a father. Women are not warriors, men don't tend the hearth and home. We should both love and compliment each other, we should not (as modern society suggests) compete with one another. So embrace your manhood, but don't get too cocky, we need the women as much as they need us.
Brother Thor Hammer
