Innovation

I found a nifty article the other day:  http://www.adf.org/articles/cosmology/norsewy.html

I am impressed by this on so many levels.  Firstly, I think it gives a lovely workable model for exploring the worlds of Norse cosmology through the wheel of the year.  I find these types of models fascinating.  There are so many levels on which we approach our practice, and finding connections between them are always valuable. 

I also appreciate the fact that they explain their thought process.  I love seeing how people's minds work, and reading about how they worked out what went where and why they felt it worked not only makes the end product more understandable, but it helps show how you could apply the same method to other things.  My practice is very much a fusion of different aspects I have found appealing, and finding ways to weave different practices together into a working whole is always valuable to me.

I think it is interesting to note that this was written, not by a Heathen group, but Druid.  Granted, one of the goals of their group is to find ways to connect the different Indo-European practices so that they can communicate with each other and work together, which I find a very admirable goal. 

But it is something I have noticed before, often inspiration comes from outside the circle it influences.  It is as if people on the inside are afraid to mess with their own practices.  Perhaps that is just my eclectic mind speaking, but innovation of my own practices is pretty high up on my priority list.  It seems like a lot of groups tend to work with whatever method they were taught and never question if that is the best way to do things.

I don't think there is any single best way for everyone, but I do think that questioning how and why we do things, even if it doesn't lead to change at all, strengthens our practice.  Seeing the meaning behind the actions and looking for ways that we can deepen that meaning makes our practice a living, breathing thing that grows with us.