Heathenry is sort of an umbrella term for ancient Scandanavian religions and the revivalism/reconstruction of them. Wiccans can honor Odin, of course; He is too great to belong to just one group. The problem I have with most (and I stress most so I don't start any witch wars) Wiccans who also honor Odin and other Heathen gods is that because the current generation of Wiccans see everything as dual (Lord and Lady) and peace, light and happiness. They might, for example, throw Odin and Athena into a ritual together because they are both wise, never mind the cultural background and baggage that comes with both. It insults Heathens and Hellenistic Recons (people reconstructing the Greek pagan religion) and just sees Them as the sum of Their parts and treats Them as interchangeable with another god of wisdom.
While there was humor and frivolity and silliness in the Norse myths, there was also a very serious tone and, above all else, sacrifice. Odin lost an eye to gain knowledge, Tyr lost a hand, Freyja lost her husband (Kinda. Norse mythology could be confusing depending on the time frame and region). A lot of Wiccans forget this darker part of the gods and therefore the darker side of humanity so that it all becomes watered down, flat soda.
So...that's probably way more than you wanted to know. I don't have a problem with Wiccans or non-affiliated pagans honoring Odin or anyone else, but I've read LKH's thoughts on Wicca before and it's pretty fluffy. She seems to treat it like another way that she's special instead of an awe-inspiring gift.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2012-10-16 02:17 am (UTC)While there was humor and frivolity and silliness in the Norse myths, there was also a very serious tone and, above all else, sacrifice. Odin lost an eye to gain knowledge, Tyr lost a hand, Freyja lost her husband (Kinda. Norse mythology could be confusing depending on the time frame and region). A lot of Wiccans forget this darker part of the gods and therefore the darker side of humanity so that it all becomes watered down, flat soda.
So...that's probably way more than you wanted to know. I don't have a problem with Wiccans or non-affiliated pagans honoring Odin or anyone else, but I've read LKH's thoughts on Wicca before and it's pretty fluffy. She seems to treat it like another way that she's special instead of an awe-inspiring gift.