The Soul Complex—Lik and Ek

The Soul Complex, a summary

It's an age-old question. It's taken up many pages in many books, it's been pondered by philosophers, social commentators, and religious leaders for centuries. "What is the soul?" Many cultures across this planet have differing viewpoints on this topic. Recently we had a Goðar meeting on the subject. By the time you read this, Alsherjargoði Flavel and Witan Herul will have had a discussion on Victory Never Sleeps about the Soul and its many parts. (Video link > https://www.youtube.com/live/TZTveGqFPZY?si=wOUuThyz-y_RsPE4)

Webster's Dictionary defines it as such,

: the immaterial essence, animating principle, or actuating cause of an individual life

: the spiritual principle embodied in human beings, all rational and spiritual beings, or the universe

: a person's total self

: an active or essential part

: a moving spirit

: the moral and emotional nature of human beings

: the quality that arouses emotion and sentiment.

: spiritual or moral force

: FERVOR That's the definition, but what do we, as Ásatrúar define as the Soul?

Simply, it's what animates you, makes you unique, it's what makes you...you. It's what

makes you human, it's what separates us from animals.

We, in the Asatru Folk Assembly believe that the soul, is broken down into parts. Here in this edition of The Runestone, we will explore the different parts of the Soul Complex, and how each part of the Soul makes us who we are. This will not be exhaustive, but a summary, pulling from Asatru, A Native Spirituality by Founder Stephen McNallen, and Runelore by Edred Thorsson. Over the coming months, we will break down each component of the Soul, pulling from the different sources. If we were to try to compile all we know here, this will turn into a book. Rather than do that, we’ll spread it out over the coming months.

Now that we have defined what the Soul is, let's break down the Soul, as it is seen in Ásatrú, in a summarized list.

1. Lík, The physical body.

2. Ek, the ego.

3. Hugr, the logical mind.

4. Minní, memory.

5. Önd, Vital Breath.

6. Hamr, The Projected Self.

7. Sál, The Shade Self, that which is hidden.

8. Hamingja, The Luck or Personal Spiritual Might.

9. Fylgja, or the Fetch, The Primal Essence

10. Óðr, or Wode, the Ecstatic State, the combination of Hamr and Sál.

In the coming months, we will do a deeper dive into each component, beginning with the Lik. We will explore exercises for each component, and how to use each for your spiritual journey.

Each component makes up the whole, and we will also explore how each part interplays with some or all of the others.

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The Soul Complex — Part 1, The Lik, The Physical Body

In the previous edition of The Runestone, we talked about what makes up the Aryan soul. The first part of our soul complex is Lik (pronounced "leek"), the physical body.

Paraphrasing from Asatru, A Native European Spirituality, we often view the body as distinct and separate from the soul. This is not how we in the Asatru Folk Assembly view this. It is the vehicle we are given by Óðinn and his brothers (or, if you prefer, Óðinn in his triadic nature) in order to work the will of the Æsir and Folk here in Miðgarðr.

"We habitually think of the body and soul as being two distinct things, or even opposites. We regard our flesh as spiritually insignificant, a mere garment we wear on Earth, and then discard when we leave this world." — Stephen McNallen, Asatru A Native European Spirituality.

The body is a part of the soul, it's the most tangible part of it. As I mentioned above it is the vehicle we are given to work with in this realm. It is the receptacle of magical work, as stated by Edred Thorsson, in Runelore. It is the gift of Lóðurr, or Vé. The name Vé correlates to our word we use for Temple. Kind of harkens back to the cliche, "my body, my temple."

So, let’s talk about the practical part of caring for the Lik. We all know these things, yet we often hire trainers, follow diet plans, some good, some not so good. We hire trainers, not because we don't know how to take care of our bodies, but because it's about accountability. Accountability is vitally important. It's about caring for the children who are, without a doubt, watching everything we do. It's about being accountable to our ancestors and the Æsir. We were given this body, as a gift, to manifest our will upon the world. We are the result of a thousand thousand loves, as our ancestors did enough to make sure we are here, through famine and plague, war and strife. It is of paramount importance that we care for this body.

Eat well, avoid processed garbage. There are a million diet plans, and a billion workout plans. Whether it’s keto, carnivore, paleo, macro counting, take your pick. All of it works, you just must find what works for you. As for exercise, weight training and cardio are staples of fitness and have been effective since the dawn of time.

I lift weights at least 6 days a week. I’ll often Galdr on the way to the gym, URUZ, the rune of primal strength. I won’t always do this audibly, often it’s in my conscious thought. When I press the barbell off my chest, I think of the bench as the altar on which I sacrifice myself to a higher self, a higher Lik. Every rep, every sore muscle is a sacrifice. We do this because we are good enough to be better.

Imagine you are given one car to drive for the rest of your life. You would do all the basic maintenance, keeping the oil changed, the coolant clean, all the bearings greased. All the belts changed. Your Lik is the only one you have for this life here in Miðgarðr. It’s a gift from Óðinn, do all you can to keep it in optimal condition. It’s your sacrifice to show you are grateful for the gifts given.

I could add all kinds of statistics on obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. We all know these things. Part of what our Founder refers to as the “soul sickness” that our people suffer from manifests in a diseased Lik. Beauty matters as well as overall health. Despite what the world tells us.

Next month we will look into the Ek, the ego. Another part of the soul that can suffer if not cared for and developed properly.

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The Soul Complex, Pt 2 – The Ek

The Ek, or ego, is the second part of the soul complex listed in Founder Stephen McNallen’s book, Asatru, A Native European Spirituality. In many modern religions, the Ego is seen as a bad thing, to be surrendered to God or a higher power in order to transcend. You’ll see it spoken of as a bad thing in the mundane as well. Often bodybuilders and elite athletes will tell you to “leave your ego at the door” or “your ego is holding you back.” In Ásatrú, we reject this notion.

Ek, or Ego comes from the meaning “I” or “I, myself.” The German word for “I” is “Ich” which is also from the Old Norse “ek."

It’s what defines you as an individual, what makes you unique among the collective. It is what drives the desire for personal freedom, a rejection of submission, and encourages us each to stand out amongst the whole of our tribe or kindred or Church. A poorly developed ego is part of the soul sickness that our Founder often speaks of. We are taught in the modern world that the smallest accomplishment should be rewarded, that participation is enough, and that standing out is poorly looked upon. In Ásatrú, what feeds your Ek, your ego, is accomplishment through Victory. That we each share in those victories, and that you should absolutely be proud of all you accomplish. In fact, I often encourage this amongst our Folk, if you boast about any accomplishment, for example, buying your first home, getting a promotion at work, proposing to your sweetheart. All these things can inspire others to take strides toward accomplishing something great. It's not an inflated ego that makes us boast, it is a healthy one.

Boasting about what you “are going to do” is the result of a poorly trained ego. “Planning to win” isn’t the same as winning.

"In the (Asatru) view, the ego or ek is only “bad” if it is limited by our small, superficial notion of who we are. Even then it is not evil, only incomplete- for even a restricted sense of self is better than “becoming one with God,” dissolving into the infinite sea,” or “merging with the Oversoul.”

— Stephen McNallen, Asatru, A Native European Spirituality

In the above passage, Founder McNallen is referring to the need by modern society to just merge, or be consumed by the flowing tide of modernity, that you are not special.

Be exceptional. Stand out among your peers. The pursuit of sameness, of equality, is the destruction of excellence. Train yourself, your ek, to be who you were born to be… a man or woman of exceptional character, with a well trained ego, who looks to climb higher and higher and stand tall among the world. This is your destiny, it is OUR destiny.

"A caution; nothing here should be construed as advocating the narrow, deceptive, and self-satisfied glorification of one’s self. There is all the difference in the world between egoism and egotism. One is puffery, and the other genuine development. Those who have come far are humbled by how far they have to go, and they will not belittle those who have accomplished less."

— Stephen McNallen, Asatru, A Native European Spirituality

Hail the Æsir.

Hail the Folk.

Hail the Asatru Folk Assembly.

Witan Daniel Young

dyoung@runestone.org

*This article was originally published in separate installments.

"The Soul Complex, a summary," The Runestone, May 2023

"The Soul Complex — Part 1, The Lik, The Physical Body," The Runestone, June 2023

"The Soul Complex, Pt 2 – The Ek," The Runestone, July 2023