Wyatt Kaldenberg, author of Odinism: The Religion of Our Germanic Ancestors In the Modern World and Odinism In the Age of Man: The Dark Age Before the Return of Our Gods, has come out with a third book, Perceived Heathenism And Odinic Prayer: A Book of Heathen Prayer and Direct Contact with Our Living Gods. Mr. Kaldenberg writes, "Prayer is spiritual communication with Our Gods. The most crucial detail you can say in a prayer is: "Thank you!" We must thank the Gods for the gifts we have already received: both known and unknown. Look at the earth, the sun, and the moon. Look at the oceans, rivers, lakes, and forests. What wonderful gifts the Gods have already given us. They have given us gifts we will never know of in this lifetime. Don't beg the Gods to help you. Why should they help you even more? They have given you everything, and what have you done for them? Nothing. Thank them for what they have already given you, and if you are lucky and fulfill your Wyrd, perhaps they will do more for you." In this book Kaldenberg deals with Perceived Heathenism, which the author tells us is the act of feeling and experiencing the Living Gods here and now in today's world. A Perceived Heathen uses prayer, blessings, chanting, shamanism, omens, dreams and other tools to make direct contact with our Gods today. A Perceived Heathen is different than a Reconstructionist Heathen, who believes they have to turn to the past to find our Gods. Wyatt Kaldenberg's Perceived Heathenism And Odinic Prayer, contains a theory of Heathen prayer, how not to speak to the Divine, runic chants, 24 runic prayers, sacred tree associations, prayers to the Norse Gods and Goddesses: Odin, Frigga, Thor, Heimdall, Eartha, as well as to Kin-Fetches and House-Wights, thoughts on the CIA's LSD experiments on American university students, the phony War On Drugs, Timothy Leary, Ram Dass, and the 1960s drug culture, Carlos Castaneda and The Teachings of Don Juan, Heathen prison ministry, why certain Heathens are drawn to specified Norse deities, Christian mysticism, and much more. Shamanism is an important part of the Odinist religion. The ancient Mani ceremonies of the Diegueño and Luiseño Indians of San Diego County, where young braves drank jimson weed tea, then were led on a vision quest in order to discover their animal spirits, are examined to show how these cultures have made direct contact to their own Gods and ancestral spirits. The chapter entitled, Drugs, Shamanism, and Experiments in Time Travel Through Genetic Memory Recall, discusses many topics that are fairly taboo in modern Heathenism. What place if any does the shamanic use of alcohol, LSD-25, psilocybin mushrooms, mescaline, marijuana, datura tea, red cap mushrooms, pain, and extreme sleep deprivation have in the Odinic religion. The Jungian idea of using genetic memory to recall our ancestral religion is explored. The difference between genetic memory, racial memory, and cultural memory are explained. The themes of genetic memory in Jack London's novels The Call of the Wild and Before Adam are revealed. Wyatt Kaldenberg tells us, "Shamanism is part of the Odinist religion. Odin was the great shaman. Nevertheless, many Odinists and Asatru people disapprove of shamanism. I don't know why. It's clearly part of the Odinic tradition. I am a Perceived Heathen. I believe you have to have direct contact with the Divine. Shamanism is about as direct as you can get."
About the Author: Wyatt Kaldenberg is the author of Odinism: The Religion of Our Germanic Ancestors In the Modern World and Odinism In the Age of Man: The Dark Age Before the Return of Our Gods. Perceived Heathenism And Odinic Prayer: A Book of Heathen Prayer and Direct Contact with Our Living Gods is his third book. He has been an Odinist since 1978.