Othala

Ancestral Wisdom in an Age of Amnesia

To be an American is to be lost in a haze of confusion. Foreign people on foreign soil, our Wyrd severed from our Folkdom. The ancestors merely ghosts haunting the desolate corners of memories we forgot that we forgot. If we don't know where we came from, then how can we know where it is we're meant to go?

The western world is in a crisis. The once great empires have grown old, and in their old age, they have become weak, falling headlong into degeneracy and decadency. Rainbows adorned our government buildings, millions of dollars are sent to vanity projects in foreign nations, and our borders are open allowing unchecked immigration. All while the working class is struggling to make a living.

For the west to move forward, before the bombs fall, we must retrace our steps back to the ancient past. We must discover who we are as a folk. To be clear, I don't just mean white people. Regardless of ethnicity, those of us inhabiting the western world have been cut off from our roots, and the resulting spiritual cancer has been allowed to spread and become terminal. Black folks now identify with an image constructed by the marriage of the record labels and the prison system, and white folks have been infected by bigoted ideologies springing from the dregs of the university system and Tumbler. We hold our heads in shame, embarrassed by the color of our skin. We must reconnect with our roots.

The answers to our modern spiritual crisis may lie Among the treasures our ancestors left behind. The Elder Futhark runes, and the Runic tradition more broadly, serve as one such inheritance, with Othala—the final rune in this ancient alphabet—specifically addressing our relationship to homeland, heritage, and ancestral rights.

Anglo-Saxon Rune Poem

"Ēþel byþ oferleof æghwylcum men,

gif hē mōt ðǣr rihtes and gerysena on

brūcan on bolde blǣdum oftast."

"An estate is very dear to every man,

if he can enjoy there in his house

what is right and proper in constant prosperity.”

The poem is rather simple. It lays out the importance of home, and a man's ability to enjoy what is right and proper. In some ways, the simplicity of the poem allows us a window to the past-a window into simpler times. Yet within this simplicity lies profound wisdom. The ancestors understood that prosperity wasn't merely material wealth, but the ability to live rightly within one's own space, connected to land and lineage. They recognized that true contentment comes from alignment with natural order and ancestral ways.

In modern times, even at home, we are bombarded by the digital maelstrom, an algorithmic eldritch one that has spread its tentacles where men lay their tired heads after a long day's work. Our houses have become less homes and more entertainment centers, less sanctuaries and more extensions of the very systems that exhaust us. We scroll endlessly through images of others' lives while neglecting to build our own. The sacred space that Othala represents has been invaded by artificial light and constant noise, severing us from the quiet contemplation that once connected us to our ancestors.

Othala invites us to do more than romanticize the past—it means creating spaces where right and proper living can flourish again. It means establishing boundaries between the Eldritch Algorithm and the sacred hearth. It asks us to consider what inheritance we will leave behind, and whether it will nourish those who come after us as the inheritance of our ancestors once nourished us. Which begs a question: how do we do this?

The path to reclaiming the Othala energy begins, as most projects do, in our immediate sphere of influence–our homes and daily practice. Consider your immediate area. Create spaces, however small, designated for the sacred. This might be a corner with meaningful objects, family heirlooms, or symbols that connect you to your lineage. In this space, practice intentional silence or contemplation daily, even if just for a brief few minutes.

Engage with your local landscape. Learn its native plants, seasonal changes, and historical significance. This bioregional awareness roots you in place, countering the separation from the Real and the Local resulting from the digital experience. Create or join intentional communities built around shared values and mutual support. Establish meaningful rituals that mark life transitions and seasonal shifts. These need not be elaborate but should create coherent narrative through time, connecting past to future.

All this may seem daunting at first, and that's because it is. I've been a Heathen for a few years, and I'm still learning. Fortunately, some authors have created primers for reviving the folkways with ease. If this is something that calls out to you, then Check out Praxis: A Forn Sidr Primer. The author is a fellow Substack nerd by the name Pagan Cyberpunk. He has dedicated his blood, sweat, and tears to creating a book that introduces new folk to easy daily practice that anyone can start today.

The journey back to our roots isn't a rejection of the present but a reclamation of what has been lost. In a world fragmented by digital noise and cultural amnesia, Othala stands as a reminder that we are not merely isolated individuals but links in a chain stretching back through generations. By engaging in daily practice, we begin to heal the severed connection to our folkways. As we rediscover what is "right and proper" in our lives and homes, we lay the foundation for a more rooted, intentional future. The estate that is "very dear to every man" isn't merely physical property but the inheritance of wisdom, practice, and belonging that can sustain us through uncertain times. In reclaiming Othala, we reclaim ourselves.