I walk this path alone

The dust on my boots

It tells me where to go

When trying to find some

Truth and piece of mind

Searching for a devil's pride

In an angels heart and mind

Still I walk this lonely path

Years of dust built up

Underneath these steps

This pain and sorrow

My smiles try to leave behind

Searching for a devil's pride

In an angel's heart and mind

Searching for a devil's pride

In an angel's heart and mind

Searching! Searching!

For a devil's pride

In an angel's heart and mind

This path it goes around

Under these boots

Flowers have been trampled down

I raise my eyes to the bright sun

My thoughts come to a grind!

Searching for a devil's pride

In an angel's heart and mind

By: Shawn Rowland 8/11/2009

Stag's Proposal(poem)

This is a poem I wrote, in honour of Freyr for a dream I had about 3 or 4 years ago in which he visited me.

Stag's Proposal
by: Shawn Rowland

In chill of night, under starry cloak
Walk I did, many miles deep
Fare forth into, Hugr's forest
Until to a grove I came, by glimmering pond

Reflection shimmered, look I dared to
Lake still and deep, saw into mind's eye
Still much to do, yet of how I knew not
Horns I did have, yet antlers none

On dewy grass, I sat and thought
To the heavens, I sought for answers
In Yew dale deep I heard a rumble
A herd, a family, a tribe of beasts

Ran they by, to glimmering pond
The moon, he smiled in fullness bright
Light dancing on pond like flames
In light bathed, and a deer I became

To my right a great antlered beast arose
Like Sunna did he radiate, did he shine
Like Thorr he shook the earth
Kind was his gaze, deep and tranquil

Spoke to me did he, of many things
Guidance gave me, of many things
To walk in his hoof beats he offered
To gift me antlers, he did propose

Tears came forth, into the pond they did flow
Saw I my reflection, mannish form did I regain
Fared I forth, out of Yew Dales deep
Dawn came soon, slumber's end stalking

Sunna's face did not greet me though
In Hugr's well, in Ond's mirror
A presence so bright, so full did I peer
A beating in chest, of acorn's blossoming

Freyr's face, antlered no more
Freyr's face, rising over mountains of Yews
A smile so grand and a look so deep
Full of grace, shining on my path

Through deep forest of Yews I walked
Towards the Golden Grain God
Still do I walk, toward's rainbow's shimmer
Taking the pledge, gift for a gift

Every moment, you can turn it around
Every moment, Freyr calls out
Every moment, antlers will grow
Every moment, a gift is returned

Until Hel road I walk, and so we shall all
Of knowing not, will I of how my antlers are
Or of the stag I have become, from Freyr's mighty gift
This I know, as should all mannish kin

Of mighty deeds, let we be known
Of kindly words, let we be known
Of wisdom's truth, let we be known
Of love's generosity, let we be known

Until Hel road I walk, as shall we all
Until I come to Yew Dales deep
Until I come to memory's lake
Seeds will grow, and deer will run

Seeds will grow, and deer will run
Worlds all nine, dancing in time
To the beat of Freyr's drum
To the dance of his herd

A crown of antlers he did offer
If I but just reached out and grasped
A crown of antlers he did offer
an Oak to rise from a sapling

In Yew Dales deep, his sunny face shown
His path into the forest glowed
Be one with life, and one with honour
Antlers rise from within

Dance this life, and drink its wine
Do all with right good will
Then come again to this shimmering pond
And see what you may see

Deeds done right, and good will also
Gladdens the Ond when body fails
Life's fetters are loosed and to the ancestors we go
To Halls where we know no shame

This is the path of the Stag God
Of the Green Man and Golden Grains
Vanir's prince and Alfar's king
Let we be dressed, in our best, at His Thing.

How we see the divine...

Humanity's creativity is truly a thing of beauty. It is this creativity more than anything else that reflects the spirit of Odhinn within us. My belief is that the Gods helped bring us into being as partners, as co-creators, of the world we live in. Physically, morally, psychically, intellectually, etc., we are here to create. Odhinn, Vili, and Ve shaped us and gave us purpose, meaning, will, and likewise we do the same within our own lives and on our world. Not only that though, but we also do this to the Gods and I think that might be a part of the whole point.

In my opinion, Gods are quite frankly beyond our wild imaginings. Trying to pin down a God is like pinning down love, or honour, or nailing jello to a tree. What we discover about Them when we try this though illumines not only our own understanding of them, but also Their understanding of us and how best to be what we think They are. In my tradition dreams and visions play a big part in man to God relations. This makes perfect sense since my traditions highest ideals laregly revolve around creativity, poetry, the mind, memory, intellect, etc. All of which play large parts in dreams and the dreaming process.

Odhinn, the giver of our soul, or Ond, is a cerebral, strategic, wisdom seeking wizard God(amongst a million other things). The God from whom our souls draw life and essence from is essentially a pure strain of divine creativity and wisdom. Think about that and what that says about how we view ourselves for a moment. We are flawed certainly, we have limits, moods, make bad decisions, etc. None of that though compares to the deep capability we have of imagination, creation, a thirst for knowledge, etc. In this, I see Odhinn, I see the All-Father.

How do you see the divine? In what ways does the divine speak to you? When I see a Yule-Father doll around the holidays I can't help but think about Odhinn under his by-name of Oski(wish-giver). When I see a Green Man I automatically see Freyr and feel his lusty vitality surge in my veins. When I look at a picture of Frigga and contemplate her as being the Earth's spirit, and the All-Mother, Queen of this world, protectoress of children and many other roles I often wonder if a Hindu looks at Durga the same way and what may or may not be different. What cultural cues are they tapping into that I don't and vice versa? When they see Vishnu, do they feel the same awe and spark of creation as I do when I see Odhinn?

Such beautiful plurality, and in this I see a complex web of spiritual fabric that makes up the whole of this world. In this, I think I see the whole point...order from chaos...the attempt to understand that which we really cannot. Some would say it is a cruel joke, and I can't really disagree. However, it isn't that the punchline is bad, it's just that we aren't telling it right. The whole point is to reflect the divine onto the world. This is the mystery of Odhinn being part and parcel of us...we were created within a creation to become creators. We reflect His purpose and share in that vision to make, to create, to imagine.

So, I shall ask again...how do you see the divine? Does your vision uplift you or give you purpose? Do you feel a connection to the divine when you see that vision? What does it say about you and about that part of the divine you worship? How will you reflect?

Set to Burn

Set to Burn
By: Robert Shawn Rowland

Here I sit, with wooden board
Set to draw, set to burn
From eye in mind, to tree hewn down
From vision in well, to Midgard's field
Odhr ablaze, a need to bring
To life a dream, dimly seen
On hewn wood, I stroke the grain
In oaken board, I rist the secret
Of what is to be, that only I have seen
From Odin's Gift, a burden ever
Need on chest, straining of heart
I must set to strike, a flame within steel
Thorr's main, fans that flame
So I may strike, with artist's sword
On wooden board, on hewn full-life
Set to draw, set to burn
Things in dreams, dimly viewed
From atop a tree, Ond's great eye