Asatru has what it takes to remove the blinders of societal conformation from our eyes so that we might again see the world and know ourselves. I've always contended that the inscription over the door to the Temple of Apollo at Delphi; "Know Thyself" is a key. Julian the Apostate affirms this belief when he writes of the difference between gods and men. For what does a God understand if not himself and in that knowledge, he has used the power of it to build a world he would wish to live in. We have that same ability. It is outlined in the lore in several places. In the Song of Rig and the Lay of Hyndla, we see gods and goddesses fostering within people the idea that they do indeed have what it takes to accompany them upon their quests. Whatever that may be; it is most assuredly far better than this ego driven world men have created which spends some much time dangling the carrot in front of us, while at the same time hammering into our heads that we cannot do it, or that we must wait on someone else's approval. It is no wonder so many women have led the way back to the worshipping of the goddess. Particularly among the tribes of Northern Europe. Yet in large part the damage has already been done. The expectations of society which are out of context with their very being have worn them out. They are tired from being in control all the time. They are exhausted from the constant complaining that they are not measuring up in some way. It is a delicate balancing act and one wrong step will get you labeled as a whore or a feminazi, or bull-dyke, spinster, control freak, anal, or any other of several monikers which point out in some way that a woman has failed or gone to the extreme to prove who and what she thinks she is. And all they are trying to do is survive in this world. Actions are taken with the sole purpose of protecting the self from further harm. Memories of emotional distress tint the image of each and every interaction until it becomes ingrained within their being. They operate on autopilot, wondering why they make the same mistakes over and over. Building emotional barriers to protect the seed of beauty each woman possesses from the corruption of society does not constitute freedom. But even the attempt to extricate oneself from the complex web a woman must navigate in todays' world results in immense loneliness and pain.