Our ancestors saw a vision of the arising of the creator from the darkest of beginnings. In the massive and infinite void of Ginnungagap, that sublime and ancient mystery that was the open space of all potential, timelessly charged with the root-powers of Wyrd, consciousness and form, there arose the first giant life-powers, and the shape of the cow Audhumla. From Audhumla's udders flowed the hot streams of life-sustaining milk that nourished the primal life-forms, and from her ceaselessly activity of exploration and motion arose the bright face of the first God.
Light filled the darkness of the beginning from his face and body, and his marriage to maidens who arose from the first living beings brought forth his grandsons: Odin, Vili, and Ve. In that primordial trinity, we see the six eyes and six hands of the creator-spirit, the Allfather; we see the shape of He who was the penultimate embodiment of the creative power of Wyrd.
At the hands of the Allfather and his brothers was the primal mass of living matter divided and arranged into the many worlds; at their will the plants grew, waters flowed, mountains were raised, clouds went to fill the airs, and many wights knew their birth. Their greatest act of creation was in their shaping of mankind: as Wyrd moved them, they bestowed their beauty, hue, vitality, and spirit onto the first men and women, who were given form from the primal forms of two trees which were growing in the first world. From the earth, the primal, giant goddess earth below, did they grow. Into the creative hands of the Allfather and his brothers did they pass, to arise as mankind. From two divine sources do all human beings descend, and this true heritage is central to understanding the dignity of the human being.
This creation, this world, and all others, are acts of majesty, acts of creativity, rooted in the provedential unfolding of Wyrd, established in the Ur-Law, the primordial layers of reality, and executed in manifestation by the six hands of the bright trinity of the Gods.
In this final age of the world, the beauty of the creation, the profound arising of eternal Wyrd, is not dimmed. It is still there for those who understand the sacred dimension of nature and reality. In this age of spiritual dullness, humans witlessly fall into patterns of belief that cause a certain blindness to the sacred. Many have come to accept lesser myths that have long ago lost their power to awaken the human mind to the sacredness of life; others have accepted the mechanical, cold and empirical explanations of scientists who are themselves blind to the sacred. If this final age can be said to be in a state of degeneration, it is only in the minds of humans that this degeneracy is found, in the forgetful and dull condition of mind that reveals the faded vision that people miscall their lives.
For so long we have wandered amid trees and grasses, winds and rains, all without feeling and perceiving the sacredness of those events. For too long we have been taught to look upon the forces of nature as "mundane", "things of the world", and lacking in sacred dimension, when the truth is this: these things manifest the sacred in the most tangible way.
The eyes of human beings have searched the distant heavens seeking a hint of a faraway paradise, without seeing the sacredness spread out before them, and the divine spirit living inside them.
Can we re-awaken this awareness of the sacred? If one person can, surely everyone can- but will they? Has Wyrd the mighty, the weaving of Fate, ordained that we should? While I cannot say for certain, I feel that perhaps the answer is no. In the last age of the world, the vision of sacredness may be only for a few. But I do know what all can do- all can realize that life must be sacred, by reason of their ability to know the value they place on their own lives and the lives of their loved ones. We can still appreciate the regenerative power of nature that we all feel, when we go for long walks amid forests or streams, or when we see a scene that evokes a reaction of awe from deep within, like a burning sunset or a gem-like moon in the night.What humans need more than anything is a sense of companionship and relationship with one another, and with the natural world, such that they comprehend their duties to their fellow man and the common bulk of life, alongside which they forever walk. That sense of relationship can and should extend beyond what can easily be seen, and into the reaches of the other worlds, where our first and greatest ancestors dwell and watch over us- Odin and his brothers, and all the sacred kindreds, are still alive and well, carrying out the timeless work that Wyrd has ordained for them. They still feel care and love for the descendants of the first humans that they bestowed their holy gifts upon, for those gifts have been passed down to each of us.
We must learn to recognize their godly work in Nature, and understand that they are preparing for the consummation of the age. All that they do, all their preparations involve us and all that live. We are partners in this work, whether we intend to be or not. The Gods do care for mankind; they care for all life, for they are not independant of life- their Fate is tied to ours, as ours is tied to theirs. This is the teaching of sacred ecology, and the vision of the Heathens.
The message is a simple one: Do not fear. You have a task, a sacred purpose, and you are not walking alone in the web of Wyrd. You are of Godly ancestry, and you will take your place in this world, and the world that is to come, for Wyrd holds all fast to a purpose. In the interim, before Fate is revealed fully, you are experiencing the numinous life that was passed down to you from the Gods through your ancestors. Enjoy it; recognize it; celebrate it; protect it, and protect others. This is the universal call to sacred participation in Wyrd that is the birthright of each human being.
