Frequently Asked Questions v. 1.5
1. Who is Iron Wood Kindred?
We are based in the Northeast region of the United States. Not everyone in IWK identifies as Heathen, although some of us do. Our members represent a variety of approaches to Norse/Germanic religion. Generally, however, we use a mixture of primary sources, creative inspiration, and UPG (unverifiable personal gnosis) as the basis of our group practice. We do not strive for historical authenticity, since we are not a reconstructionist organization.
Most of us feel close to or are patronized by Odin, Loki, or Hela, although folks who have other gods as fulltrui (or do not have fulltrui at all) are welcome. Some of IWK’s members have websites on the Links page if you’re curious. Others have less of an online presence.
2. Are you affiliated with the prison group Ironwood Kindred?
No. Nor are we fans of white supremacy, murder, or bad tattoos. Unfortunately, if you do a Google search on “Iron Wood Kindred”, in addition to our webpage, you’ll see a couple of sordid news stories about racist Asatruar (as opposed to the majority of Asatruar) gone wild.
3. Are you an eclectic group? Are you (gasp) Wiccans?
No and no. Although some individuals in our kindred may honor deities from outside the Norse/Germanic pantheon, IWK’s activities and rituals are focused on the Aesir, Vanir, Jotnar, Alfar, and Duergar, as well as ancestors, land-wights, and other spirits of the natural world.
Also, we do not cast circles, call upon a Great Goddess and Horned God, raise a Cone of Power, use athames, or worship skyclad, nor do we have initiatory rites or degree rankings within our group. All of these are characteristics of Wicca, not of IWK’s group practice. Furthermore, we do not condone the use of the term “Wiccan” as a derogatory term for “anything I dislike about the way other people approach Norse religion.” Wicca is a perfectly good religion in and of itself. We just don’t follow it.
4. What’s the deal with this “EtinMoot” I keep hearing about?
EtinMoot is an annual gathering held in central Massachusetts in mid-August. It is centered on honoring the Jotnar — the giant-folk who inhabit the worlds around Yggdrasil, the great World Tree of Norse/Germanic cosmology. The first EtinMoot was held in 2006 and was rather a different affair than it is now; since then, the focus has changed to devotional rituals rather than lectures and workshops.
We feel it is important that the Jotnar receive some recognition. There are plenty of public venues for the worship of the Aesir and Vanir, but none for the etin-folk. We have chosen to sponsor this event so that those who honor Them may do so among like-minded people. This does not mean that we worship the Jotnar exclusively; some people apparently find this difficult to comprehend.
Please see the latest EtinMoot page for information about last year’s gathering and/or announcements for this year.
5. I thought the Jotnar were the enemies of the gods. Why are you worshiping them?
We acknowledge that the primary sources generally portray the etins as enemies of the Aesir; Thor does spend a lot of time fighting giants in His various adventures, after all. However, we also believe that sometimes those who hear the call of the Northern ways are drawn to the Jotnar, for whatever reason — just as some are drawn more firmly to the Aesir and/or Vanir. Furthermore, we feel that because the gods are conscious, free-willed beings with Their own goals, sometimes it is They who call us, and this is no less true of the Jotnar than of the Vanir or Aesir.
We do not believe that there is an automatic ethical or theological conflict in honoring the Jotnar along with the other Northern gods. Various omens, divination, and the quality of our lives all bear this out. Not all of the Jotunfolk are ill-disposed towards mankind, and in our experience, those who are tend not to bother much with human beings without being bothered first. Also, we find it hard to believe that hailing the giant-folk can possibly have any effect on whether Ragnarok comes sooner or later.
Perhaps not all of the Jotnar are deities in the way people tend to think of such things. But if the being in question is larger, older, wiser, more powerful and more far-seeing than a human (in other words, god-like) we tend to err on the side of respect, and treat that being with the same sort of reverence. Therefore, we approach the giant-folk as we do the other gods, as they seem more like the Aesir and Vanir than like other, lesser spirits, or like humans.
6. I’ve heard some pretty weird things about some of you. Aren’t you all just a bunch of sick perverts?
Why yes, some of us are perverts — law-abiding perverts who partake in kinky activities only with other consenting adults, that is. But not all of us are into that; in fact, being into BDSM, polyamory, or anything else of a prurient or unusual nature is not a prerequisite to join the kindred, attend EtinMoot, or hang around with us. Our individual sex lives are irrelevant to the kindred’s activities, and contrary to rumor, we don’t engage in orgies, either with each other or with our guests. Sorry.
Also, while some of our members engage in personal spiritual ordeal work, or facilitate ordeals for others by request, we do not do this as a group, nor are such activities considered an official part of any IWK-sponsored event, even if they happen “after hours” at the same location. Ordeal work is a private matter, best left between the participants and the gods. We do not condone non-consensual physical violence or sexual assault of any kind, and at our events such behavior is grounds for immediate expulsion and possibly a phone call to the local police.
7. Isn’t this just some offshoot of that Cauldron Farm group?
Iron Wood Kindred is a subsidiary of Urdabrunnr Kindred, not of Cauldron Farm or the Pagan Kingdom of Asphodel. We have friends and allies in various communities, and sometimes our membership may overlap with those, but we do not answer to any authority other than our gods.
However, many of our rituals are held at Cauldron Farm due to a current lack of alternative venues. This may or may not change in the future.
8. What else do you do besides holding EtinMoot each year?
So far we have raised several god-poles, a memorial stone for Loki and Sigyn’s sons, and a few other outdoor shrines and harrows. Since raising a pole for Idunna in 2009, we participate in a yearly orchard-clearing in Her honor. We also hold a Mother Night ritual at the start of Yule, in honor of the various mother goddesses, as well as our own female ancestors and disir.
We do perform occasional animal sacrifices (called blót by Heathens) in honor of a god or goddess, where the creature is ritually killed in a humane manner, certain parts are offered to the deity, and the rest is cooked and shared by the attendees as a sacred meal. We consider this a holy act, rather than a lurid form of entertainment or anti-social rebellion, and not something to be done frivolously.
9. I might like to join the kindred. What do I have to do?
You need to contact Galina (see below). Ultimately, she decides who gets to become a member. It isn’t that hard, nor do we demand money, nude photos, terrible oaths, or that you perform three impossible tasks before sunrise. But there are a few things you should consider:
First of all, Angrboda and Loki are our kindred’s patrons, since we did have the temerity to name ourselves after Their home. You need not be a devotee of either, but you should be willing to show Them some respect.
You should also not have a problem with those who are lesbian, bisexual, gay, and/or transgendered practicing Heathenry or Northern Tradition Paganism. We aren’t heterophobic radicals, but neither do we appreciate homophobia, transphobia, or other sorts of bigotry.
We are not a Folkish group. We strongly believe that genetics has little to no bearing on who may rightfully worship the Northern gods. We welcome people of any ethnicity to EtinMoot.
Also, there are a number of what might be called “spooky” people among us — those who practice as shamans or spirit-workers of some kind. However, this sort of thing is not a requirement for membership, nor does being an “ordinary” person mean that you will not be treated as a full member.
At this time, EtinMoot is our only public event, but we commonly invite family, friends, and allies to our rituals. If you are known to someone in the kindred and would like to attend a non-public activity of ours, let us know.
If you have any further questions, you can email Galina.
(Last updated 3/15/12)
