Words from the Allsherjargoði
- Aug 13
- 3 min read
The Æsir are real.
The Æsir have agency.
The Æsir know us.
The Æsir judge us.
The Æsir bless us.
We know this to be true, but all too often we do not fully internalize these truths. When asked about the gods, many of us talk about Aryan myth themes and lore. Many will talk about the gods as "our most ancient ancestors." When asked about Óðinn, folks will talk about the role of sky-father or explain what a psychopomp is. Some will talk about magic or how Óðinn is “the god of wisdom"... All these things are true. Unfortunately, all these things are also very impersonal. One can be an expert on Ásatrú without ever fully BEING Ásatrú. In contrast, one can BE Ásatrú without having to be particularly well-schooled in the lore.
When someone is devoutly religious, they tend to answer these sorts of questions differently. If a devout Christian is asked about Jesus, they don't talk about the Hebrew concept of the messiah or talk about the political strife of first century Judea. No, they tell you about their personal lord and savior and how much Jesus loves them. When a devout Hindu is asked about Krishna, they don't give you a dissertation in Vedic tradition or talk about the Aryan migration. A devout Hindu talks about how he gives worship to Lord Krishna's lotus feet. Yet, deeply pious practitioners of Ásatrú too often don't feel comfortable talking about the Æsir in a personal, devotional way.
We should remedy this.
When Steve McNallen talks about Óðinn, he talks about how devoted he is to him, Steve talks about how Óðinn is his dryghten, his ring-giver, the god who rode across his soul and awakened him.
If we hesitate to talk about the Æsir devotionally because it's uncomfortable or not something we are used to, we need to push past the discomfort and be willing to say how much we love our gods and how much we hope they love us. If the reason for a lack of personal language reflects a lack of personal connection, we should do all we can to fix that because, I can tell you, that a personal relationship with the holy Æsir is life-altering in the very best way!
So how can one begin to build a closer personal relationship with the Æsir? I have some suggestions that I would like to share:
Open yourself! Have an open mind and an open heart. Don't pretend you have a level of faith or devotion that you do not genuinely have but do be honest about where you are in your faith and do genuinely want to build connection with the gods.
Participate in the Gift Cycle. Make offerings to the gods regularly. These do not need to be elaborate; I often burn some incense or pour out a shot. Exchanging gifts is something that has always been foundational to building friendships and relationships generally. "With half a loaf and a half-filled cup, a friend full fast I made." - Hávamál 52
Perhaps most important of all, speak to them! I cannot stress how important it is to go before your altar or to take a quiet moment and pray. Tell the gods how you feel, make your intentions known. Affirm your devotion to the Æsir, reaffirm things you have vowed to do. Invite the gods into your life, into your home, and into your family. Ask the gods to bless you and those you care about. Give thanks for the blessings you receive and the opportunities presented to you.
It is my mission and the mission of the AFA to bring us all closer to the holy Æsir, and to help facilitate the very best relationship between our folk and our gods. The Æsir are working great deeds in this moment and are generous with blessings for their folk. May we all build the best relationship we can with our gods and may we always make them proud!
Heill the Æsir!
Heill the Folk!
Heill the AFA!
Allsherjargoði Matt Flavel
~ From The Runestone, August 2026 ~
