One term most people who have spent time in Pagan spaces has probably heard is UPG or unverified personal gnosis. Tune in for a wander with your host through what this term means, why it is essential to the modern Pagan movement, and the best way to handle UPG.

I'm hitting the conference circuit!  Find out more how you can help get me out to Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Maryland this spring at this link: https://www.spreaker.com/episode/spring-conferences-fundraiser--63344095
Want to support this podcast and my other work?  Check out my Patreon!
You can also help out by scheduling a rune reading with Ryan!

Hey everyone I have some big announcements for the spring 2025 conference season.  I've been accepted to present at Paganicon in the Twin Cities, Sacred Spaces in Baltimore, and will be returning to the Harvard Divinity School this April! 

I'm also going to need everyone's help to make all of that possible.  If you would like to help then please tune in, head on over to my Ko-fi and Patreon, consider booking a rune reading with me, and share this info far and wide.

Ko-fi link: ko-fi.com/ryansmithwfi
Patreon: patreon.com/waywardwanderer
Book a Rune Reading: https://calendly.com/ryan-fireandice/reading-appointment

Hey everyone I'm holding a special live online Q&A with Shane Burley this Thursday, October 31st at 5PM PST!


Join me, the author of "The Way of Fire & Ice" and "Spinning Wyrd", for a live Q&A with Shane Burley, co-author of "Safety Through Solidarity: A Radical Guide to Fighting Antisemitism" and author of "Fascism Today: What it is and How to End It", on antisemitism today, antisemitism in the Pagan community, and how Pagan and Jewish communities can resist the conspiratorial Right and rising Christian Nationalism through unity and solidarity.


If you would like to participate in this live, online event then please register now using the following form:


https://forms.gle/jwPSCqopmp4hCMd69

Many core Pagan and Heathen practices are often described as supernatural, but is that really the right word for what we do?  Join your host for a dive into the origins of the concept of the supernatural, what it implies, and how we could move beyond its logic of separation and isolation.

Click here to schedule a rune reading with Ryan!

Ancestor veneration is a major component of modern Heathen spirituality and many forms of Paganism.  Join your host for an exploration of veneration for the dead, the foundations of ancestor worship in modern Heathen practice, how to deal with awful ancestors, and more!

Click here to schedule a rune reading with Ryan!

I am taking a break from the usual programming to talk about mutual aid, disaster relief, and disinformation in the wake of Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

*Mutual Aid
*It Could Happen Here
*Mutual Aid Disaster Relief
*Appalachian Medical Solidarity
*Appalachian Regional Commission Hurricane Helene Resources
*Is Chimney Rock Being Bulldozed?

It's Spooktober, so let's start the month off right with a little explainer about death, dying, and the dead in Heathenry!  Join Ryan for a journey into the why, how, and what of death, dying, and the afterlife in Heathenry.  Highlights of this episode include a short trip through the Heathen hereafters, attitudes towards life and death, and dispelling any notion that your afterlife is a reward or a punishment for how you lived.

Click here to schedule a rune reading with Ryan!

CW: Extensive discussion of Neo-Nazi ideology and history, terrorism, and other political violence

Joining us today is author and antifascist researcher Spencer Sunshine!  Spencer has a PhD in Sociology, has written extensively on the U.S. Far Right, and has a new book out with Routledge called Neo-Nazi Terrorism and Countercultural Fascism.  We talked all about the central figure of his work, neo-Nazi ideologue James Mason, Mason's influence on the modern far-right and connections to critical figures in the occult, Pagan, and Satanic far-right, and more!

Boyd Rice: Neo-Nazi Collaborator
Spencer's Patreon 
Routledge Discount Code: nntcf30

Want to support this podcast and my other work?  Check out my Patreon!
You can also help out by scheduling a rune reading with Ryan!

These days, it feels like everything is in a state of crisis.  Join your host for a dive into how Nordic myth addresses the question of systemic crisis through the myth of Ragnarok, our present polycrisis, and whether we can avert the horrors of the Wolf Age and the destruction it promises.

Hatian Community Support and Help Center:

https://www.haitiansupportcenterspringfield.org/

Sources and links:
*https://www.spreaker.com/episode/episode-22-ragnarok--53067190
*https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/04/160419083247.htm
*https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2023/03/polycrisis-adam-tooze-historian-explains/
*https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2019/12/extreme-weather-climate-change-displaced/
*https://www.forbes.com/advisor/banking/living-paycheck-to-paycheck-statistics-2024/
*https://redgreenandblue.org/2024/09/03/klamath-dams-finally-come-freeing-salmon-liberating-indigenous-peoples/
*https://www.sonomacountygazette.com/sonoma-county-news/dillon-ranch-graton-rancheria-land-back/

Joining us today is author Tim Rayborn!  Tim is a highly prolific author with a PhD from the University of Leeds who has published in history, mythology, and many other topics and has recently published a new book, Northern Mythology: Tales from Norse, Finnish, and Sami Traditions.   We talked all about it, what makes myth true and relevant today, and more!

Want to support this podcast and my other work?  Check out my Patreon!
You can also help out by scheduling a rune reading with Ryan!

Want to know how Heathens celebrate holidays and why?  Then join Ryan for a journey into the why, how, and what of Heathenry's biggest holidays.  Highlights of this episode include a short trip through the Heathen calendar, some practice tips on doing feasting right, and giving a deeper understanding of the reason for the celebration of the seasons.

Click here to schedule a rune reading with Ryan!https://calendly.com/ryan-fireandice/reading-appointment
Click here for the Yule episode

Joining us today is author, Nordic witch, and folk magic practitioner Siri Vincent Plouff (they/them).  Siri is the author of the upcoming Queering the Runes published by Weiser, co-author of Lessons of the Empress with Cassandra Snow, and host of The Heathen's Journey podcast.  We talked about their new book, gender in Nordic myth, runelore, and more!

Want to support this podcast and my other work?  Check out my Patreon!
You can also help out by scheduling a rune reading with Ryan!

Elizabeth Sandifer is an author, the creator of Eruditorum Press, and is a practicing Pagan. She currently writes Last War in Albion, a history of the magical war between Alan Moore and Grant Morrison. She used to write TARDIS Eruditorum, a history of Britain told through the lens of a ropey sci-fi series. She also wrote Neoreaction a Basilisk, writes comics, and presented the workshop "Heretical Heathenry" at Northeast Thing this past summer.  We talked about that workshop, her questions for the workshop, and more!

Links:https://www.eruditorumpress.com/blog/author/elizabeth
https://www.eruditorumpress.com/blog/author/elizabethhttps://www.patreon.com/elizabethsandifer
https://www.patreon.com/elizabethsandiferhttps://www.eruditorumpress.com/blog/heretical-heathenry
https://www.eruditorumpress.com/blog/heretical-heathenryhttps://www.eruditorumpress.com/blog/exiting-the-draugr-castle
https://www.eruditorumpress.com/blog/exiting-the-draugr-castle

The Pagan, Heathen, and Witch movements are very much products of a protest against the modern world.  Join your host for a journey through what modernity is, the place of the Pagan and Heathen movements in our present times, and what we can do to help sew the seeds of new possibility.

Click here to schedule a rune reading with Ryan!

Joining us today is Witch, author and teacher Fio Gede Parma (she/they).  Fio is the author of the newly-released The Witch Belongs to the World, and a teacher in the Reclaiming tradition of Witchcraft.  We talked about her new book, The Witch Belongs to the World, the upcoming Ecstatic Witchcraft, the relationship between Witchcraft and colonialism, and so much more!

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

The words Pagan and Heathen mean a lot of different things.  In the mouths of modern Pagans & Heathens, they are badges of honor.  For Christians and religious conservatives, they are a shorthand for everything they see as sinful, degenerate, and unholy.  Join your host for a journey into their history, why they matter, and what they say in these times of increasingly aggressive Christian nationalism, Project 2025, and more!

Click here to schedule a rune reading with Ryan!

Sources:

https://wildhunt.org/2024/04/editorial-new-book-is-ripe-with-dangerous-anti-pagan-rhetoric.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/29/opinion/christianity-paganism-woke.html
https://www.ncregister.com/in2:21 PM 7/30/2024terview/post-christendom-and-the-return-of-paganism-in-the-west
https://www.npr.org/2024/02/29/1234843874/tracing-the-rise-of-christian-nationalism-from-trump-to-the-ala-supreme-court
https://globalextremism.org/post/project-2025-a-heightened-threat-of-christian-nationalism-and-authoritarianism/
https://www.au.org/the-latest/church-and-state/articles/destroying-life-and-liberty-a-christian-nationalist-playbook-outlines-a-broad-scheme-to-overthrow-american-democracy-and-install-a-theocracy/

Joining us today is author and musician David Bramwell.  Bramwell is a co-creator and producer of The Wicker Man sing-along, the host of the podcast Adventures in Nutopia, author of The Cult of Water, and a member of the Order of Bards, Ovate, and Druids.  We talked about The Wicker Man and its enduring appeal, ecological spirituality, and more!

You can find out more at www.drbramwell.com

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!

The shadow, in Jungian psychology, is all of the things about ourselves that we have repressed and refuse to acknowledge as being a part of who we are.  In the case of Heathenry, the core of our collective shadow is our movement's troubled, messy relationship with authority and how it is built.  Join your host for a journey into our shadow, what makes it tick, and how we can resolve these deep problems to build a better, more sustainable Heathenry for all.

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.

Abuse and the toleration of abusive practices in spiritual communities is a significant problem in Paganism and Heathenry, as has been especially shown with Diana Paxson's recent removal from the Troth.  Join your host for a journey through what enables abusive systems, their structures, and what brings about the institutionalization of abuse in communities. 

https://wildhunt.org/2024/05/the-troth-removes-diana-paxson-from-all-positions-in-unanimous-decision.html
http://glassewitchcottage.com/2024/05/13/breaking-the-pedestal/

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. 

Divination is probably one of the most commonly used spiritual tools in the world.  Join your host for a discussion of why divination is worth doing, some key dos and don'ts while using it, and a short introduction into Heathen divination methods.

Want to support this podcast and my other work?  Check out my Patreon!
You can also help out by scheduling a rune reading with Ryan!

Laura Cohen's Presentation: https://www.hds.harvard.edu/publications/diasporic-mysticism-psychology-tarot-path-decolonizing-intuitive-development
Episode on the Supernatural: https://www.spreaker.com/episode/episode-41-supernatural--62492392
Episode on Nordic Mysticism: https://www.spreaker.com/episode/explainer-4-nordic-mysticism--59924324
Queering the Runes: https://www.lore-books.com/shop/p/queering-the-runes-by-siri-vincent-plouff?rq=Runes

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!

Hey folks I'm pleased to announce that I will be presenting on confronting white supremacy at the Harvard Divinity School this April!  The event is free to attend, both in-person and online, so please register and find out more at the following link:

https://hds.harvard.edu/faculty-research/programs-and-centers/program-evolution-spirituality

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 explores ritual and sacrifice in modern Heathenry. This explainer will cover why ritual is important, what the words sacrifice and offerings tend to mean in modern Pagan and Heathen practices, and the core Heathen rituals and blot and oathmaking.

How is the world made and shaped?  By co-creation, of course!  Join your host for a deep dive into what co-creation is, how it is founded in Wyrd, why it empowers people, and more.

The Wayward Wanderer welcomes Shane Burley back to the pod for a dive into how Richard Spencer of AltRight fame is rebranding by stealing from Dune and Greek myth, fascists ditching Heathenry and the Eddas for highly antisemitic reasons, the infighting plaguing the non-Christian far-right, the Asatru Folk Assembly cannibalizing the Ku Klux Klan, and what Heathens, Pagans, and antifascists can do to fight fascism in 2024.

What could spirituality look like if you remove the concept of ultimate evil? Join your host for an exploration of what a spirituality without ultimate evil might look like, how the concept of the Devil emerged, and why Nordic myth and spirituality have no devils of their own.

*https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/belief/2010/aug/02/book-job-religion-judaism
*https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zhsjscw/revision/6
*https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/history-magazine/article/history-devil-medieval-art-middle-ages
*https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2008/06/02/return-to-paradise
*https://www.onblackwings.com/post/christian-bias-in-the-prose-edda

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.

2024 has definitely started with the world in a messy place. Join your host for a walk through how our increasingly tumultuous world may impact Heathens and Pagans and, despite all appearances to the contrary, why our movement's may have a brighter future than you think.

Notes:

*Growth of Paganism
https://www.newsweek.com/witchcraft-wiccans-mysticism-astrology-witches-millennials-pagans-religion-1221019
https://www.christianpost.com/news/witches-outnumber-presbyterians-in-the-us-wicca-paganism-growing-astronomically.html

*Growth of Charismatic Christianity
https://www.csmonitor.com/1987/1223/zheal2.html
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2396939320966220?Tag=security
https://www.gordonconwell.edu/blog/pentecostal-charismatic-christianity/

*Gaza
https://www.businessinsider.com/israel-dropped-as-many-bombs-in-gaza-us-afghanistan-2019-2023-11
*https://www.newsweek.com/gaza-strip-size-us-cities-maps-1833863

Polytheism. It is easily one of the most well-known defining characteristics of Heathen and Pagan spirituality. So what is it and why do modern people find it to be so appealing? Join your host for a deep dive into what polytheism is and why it holds meaning for modern practitioners.

Joining us today is author and podcaster Sif Brookes!  Sif is a reconstructionist Nordic Heathen writer and artist who is the Marketing Officer for the Committee of Asatru UK, the National LGBTQIA+ manager for the Pagan Federation, co-wrote and illustrated The Wyrd Less Woven, an Alternative Heathen Prayer Book with Dan Coultas, was a founding host of the Heathen Wyrdos podcast, is currently creating content as Valsif on Youtube, and has a new book coming out called, Valkyrjur, Servant or Master: An Exploration of the Valkyries throughout the Medieval Period.   We talked all about her book, the history and myth of the Valkyries, how the Choosers of the Slain are relevant today, and more!

Want to support this podcast and my other work?  Check out my Patreon!
You can also help out by scheduling a rune reading with Ryan!

CW: This episode deals with conspiracy theory, the origins of racism and whiteness, colonialism, genocide, anti-Semitism, and other related topics. Listener discrection is advised.

Can myth, as it is understood in Heathenry and Paganism, help us better tackle the problem of conspiracy theory? Join your host and find out as we explore how myth can help us better understand conspiracy theories, why conspiracy theories are so appealing, and how they twist reality to reinforce themselves as shown by the history of the white genocide myth.

Sources:

Online:
https://theintercept.com/2016/06/06/in-1971-muhammad-ali-helped-undermine-the-fbis-illegal-spying-on-americans/
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/exxon-knew-about-climate-change-almost-40-years-ago/
https://knowledgefight.libsyn.com/865-chatting-with-anna-merlan
https://www.adl.org/resources/blog/racist-obsession-south-african-white-genocide https://www.adl.org/resources/report/hate-beyond-borders-internationalization-white-supremacy#canadian-influencers
https://www.adl.org/resources/report/hate-beyond-borders-internationalization-white-supremacy#canadian-influencers
https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/05/13/conservatisms-wunderkind-is-getting-swallowed-by-the-far-right/ https://theconversation.com/politiques-identitaires-et-mythe-du-grand-remplacement-117471 https://www.adl.org/resources/blog/white-supremacists-praise-rep-steve-kings-racist-tweet https://twitter.com/RepMattGaetz/status/1282320656500174848
https://www.mediamatters.org/laura-ingraham/laura-ingraham-vote-republican-or-you-will-be-replaced-immigrants https://www.mediamatters.org/jeanine-pirro/fox-host-jeanine-pirro-pushes-white-supremacist-great-replacement-conspiracy-theory https://www.businessinsider.com/tucker-carlson-endorses-white-supremacist-replacement-conspiracy-theory-2021-4
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/13548565221091983
https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/erik-wemple/wp/2018/11/29/tucker-carlson-neo-nazi-favorite/ https://www.kcl.ac.uk/policy-institute/assets/conspiracy-belief-among-the-uk-public.pdf
https://www.cato.org/blog/new-research-illegal-immigration-crime-0
https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2014704117

Books:
Black Sun: Aryan Cults, Esoteric Nazism, and Politics of Identity by Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke
An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
Gods of the Blood: The Pagan Revival and White Separatism by Mattias Gardell
How the Irish Became White by Noel Ignatiev
White Trash: The 400-Year Untold History of Class in America by Nancy Isenberg
Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by Ibram X. Kendi

Welcome to a spooky season offering on some of the creepier creatures in Nordic myth. Join your host for a little visit with trolls, huldra, nokken, nattmara, cryptids, and more!

Welcome to the episode where we talk about the elephant in the room: what is Paganism? Join your host for a conversation about the new religious movement that Heathenry is a part of, the factors behind its emergence, why people are attracted to it, and more!

https://thefederalist.com/2019/09/26/climate-worship-is-nothing-more-than-rebranded-paganism/

The Havamal is the most important of the surviving primary source texts for understanding Heathen ethical philosophy, morality, and practice. This episode dives into this saga, its form, contents, and what we can learn from it today. What you will find may surprise you.

The Jötnar are one of the most controversial groups of the Nordic Gods. Treated as demons by some and often maligned in many discussions of Nordic myth, these Powers of the wilderness are more than meets the eye. Join your host for an introduction to these beings and how Heathen practice benefits from integrating them into your spirituality.

Welcome to the episode where we really get the ball rolling on why social justice ideas should be incorporated in your Heathen spirituality and the ways that existing Heathen concepts gel really well with them. It will also discuss why the whole, "don't get political" argument has nothing to stand on, especially in these times.


https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/politics-and-religion/article/abs/political-profile-of-us-pagans/5EBF4A0BCFCB4B96FDC235505F5A9A16

https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/houston-mayor-food-not-bombs-17839562.php

https://www.vice.com/en/article/7bmwgq/jesus-christ-king-of-poland-876

https://thefederalist.com/2019/09/26/climate-worship-is-nothing-more-than-rebranded-paganism/

https://www.crisismagazine.com/opinion/child-sacrifice-is-nothing-new

https://www.nbcnews.com/video/montana-lawmaker-suggests-she-d-rather-risk-child-s-suicide-than-allow-her-to-transition-171661893607

Developing relationships with Gods is a major element of Pagan and Heathen spirituality. Join your host for a dive into some dos and don'ts, the possibility of holding to no Gods at all, why having a relationship with a God does not grant anyone special power or authority, and more!

Welcome to a special episode on how trans identity and Heathenry. Joining your host are three trans practitioners describing their reasons why they Heathen spirituality appeals to them, how they feel Heathen lore is trans-positive, and what allies can do in these times of growing danger for trans people everywhere.

GoFundMe for Dee Shull: https://www.gofundme.com/f/dqhtp-raise-money-for-rent-and-bills?utm_source=customer&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_campaign=p_cf+share-flow-1

Ragnarok is, without a doubt, one of the most well-known of the Nordic Myths. Join your host for a dive into why it matters, what it signifies, its possible influences, and more!

Welcome to Part 7 of Streams of Resistance, a Wayward Wanderer special limited series. In this episode, I sit back down with Scott Earnest, founder of Hands of Eir and a former white nationalist, to talk about dogwhistles, a rhetorical tactic that is very commonly used by the Right and Far Right.

The US election has happened and fascism won at the ballot box.  It's time to get to work on what can best sustain the Pagan, Heathen, and Witch movements in the days ahead and help build a better world for all.  Join your host for a walk through what can be done and where we can go from here.

Want to support this podcast and my other work?  Check out my Patreon!
You can also help out by scheduling a rune reading with Ryan!

COVID-19
*https://www.who.int/data/stories/the-true-death-toll-of-covid-19-estimating-global-excess-mortality
*https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(23)00493-2/fulltext
*https://www.weforum.org/stories/2020/10/the-rich-got-richer-during-the-pandemic-and-that-s-a-daunting-sign-for-our-recovery/

Discourse Forum Software
*https://www.discourse.org/

Margaret Killjoy
*https://margaretkilljoy.substack.com/p/the-sky-is-falling-weve-got-this

Sunrise Movement
*https://www.commondreams.org/news/trump-on-climate-change

Never Again Action
*https://www.neveragainaction.com/

Welcome to Part 6 of Streams of Resistance, a Wayward Wanderer special limited series. In this episode, we will be discussing the far right in the US armed forces featuring Dreya Taylor, a long-term active duty US Navy sailor and anti-racist Heathen.

Welcome to Part 5 of Streams of Resistance, a Wayward Wanderer special limited series. In this episode, we will be finding out more about the relationship between the far right and elements of law enforcement featuring Austin Lawrence, criminologist and co-founder and Steward of Raven's Knoll.

Welcome to Part 4 of Streams of Resistance, a Wayward Wanderer special limited series. In this episode, we find out more about eco-fascism, fossil fuel fascism, what these are, how they are connected to climate change, and what we can do about them featuring Steve Ongerth, co-founder of the IWW Environmental Unionism Caucus and long-time environmental activist.

Welcome to Part 3 of Streams of Resistance, a Wayward Wanderer special limited series. In this episode, we dive into Christian Nationalism, their favored methods and recent successes, the exvangelical movement, what to expect, and how we can fight back featuring Blake Chastain, writer of the Post-Exvangelical Post newsletter and host of the Exvangelical and Powers & Principalities podcasts.