Devotion: Not Just For Mystics and Clergy
Engaged devotional practice is not just for clergy or mystics. It's a way of life that is open to every one. It's hard though, demanding. My partner said it best when he pointed out recently that it's not enough to say you're religious; true piety and religion demands action, consistent, continual action. How are you living your faith? What are you doing for your gods?
One of the things that I've noticed both in the recent online argument about offerings and in the Heathen community over the past couple of years is this idea that prayer and devotion are just for "specialists." It's nonsense of course, just another excuse to avoid obligations to the Gods, to avoid doing anything, and to deny oneself a deeply connected spiritual practice. But there it is. Over and over again I hear this idea (most recently when I posted my "cum bove…" article below, that these things, this way of life are only for clergy or mystics. No, it's not. Sadly, within polytheism and paganism there are only a select few doing these things, but that is not how it should be. What I'm talking about when i write or teach about developing an engaged devotional practice, making proper offerings, etc, etc is basic. It's the base line level of competent veneration that anyone can aspire to.
http://krasskova.weebly.com/blog/devotion-not-just-for-mystics-and-clergy
= new reply since forum marked as read
"Specialists" with in certain religious and spiritual contexts was common practice in the Viking Age and in fact I doubt you would find an Academic who would disagree with that statement. Now it is true that yes giving of offerings and other "devotional"
I would be careful with that term) gestures were practiced by lay people. However both the Sagas and the Eddas have plenty of evidence of certain types of Religious Specialists who were probably considered essential to perform certain rites or ceremonies. Not to mention that when it came time for the more significant Sacrificial Ceremonies of a given community it was generally up to the local leader (Such as an Elder or Chieftain) to the lead the sacrifices. So quite frankly I fail to see how this is even an issue seeing as it is fairly obvious that our predecessors seemed to have seen it both ways to some degree or another. Also IcyMist I would advise you to be wary of Krasskova's writing if what you want is an understanding of Heathenry that is based in historical evidence. While I have no personal axe to grind with her the fact is Krasskova represents a school of thought within modern Heathenry that I think does not put enough emphasis on the actual Worldviews and Practices of the Very Peoples and Eras that those of us who call ourselves Heathen claim to believe in.