I want to start this one with a poll. Some of you may have an idea of how you want to be ushered into the hereafter. If you do know already please answer below. We are trying to get a good idea of the breakdown, so vote then share it, the more votes the better.
Please Forgive the limited options, the polls on Substack are limited to only 5 answers. If your answer is “other” please comment.
Now, Let's get to the growing problem I mentioned earlier.
The fact that so many people aren't considering it, or planning their final departure in any way, has been leaving lots of relatives confused in an already terribly hard time. Even if they know what type of beliefs the person held, do they know what type of last rights they wanted within those beliefs. For example, some Christians want cremation, some want burial. Just like some Pagans want a burial at sea, and some want a ceremonial pyre in a sacred grove. Some of these take far more to arrange than the others. It's easy to find a standard cemetery. Getting cremated is cheaper, and is done all over the country. The problem with the pyre, or viking sea burial is the fact that Colorado is currently the only US State that you can legally have a dry land pyre, but it's not in a sacred grove where your family can return regularly, or be buried there themselves. It's only for the residents of Crestone, Colorado and only a handful are permitted per year. The burial at sea, or even boat pyre funerals of the Pagan people are currently considered illegal in every US State. It's easily remedied, at least in most of the states but the initiative has to be taken.
No “Legal” Pagan Funerals in America. .
https://cowboystatedaily.com/2023/01/11/want-a-viking-funeral-only-state-that-allows-it-is-colorado/
Now, I really begin to wonder if the freedom of religion this country claims to give us, is only meant for different denominations of Catholics, Muslims, Jews, and Evangelical Christians.
Either way, an official Sacred Grove is needed. This would be the first step before we can even ask. I myself am an ordained Gothi (Norse Germanic spiritual leader) able to consecrate the land, and preform the final ceremony. That along with marriages, and several other things. I have the credentials, and letter of good standing with my state of residence. It would be much easier for me to just fight one particular state for the rights to have the ceremony done on a piece of family land. Technically any funeral director “could” arrange most of the logistics. The more I have thought about this, the more I realize that this is now my battle. This is where the line gets drawn in the sand, i’ll roll up my sleeves, and fight for this right. I can not in good conscience just leave this issue of our religious rights being violated hanging. Where would that leave my Tribe, and all of our Family members? I will tell you where, it's in the same “boat,” (pun intended) as the other few million American Pagans. Being forced to be buried on the consecrated ground of the same people that spent most of the last 1,200 years trying to fully eradicate them. That just feels wrong in every way, even to many people I know who are Christian. To relate, Imagine being a Christian, and dying in a place where the people hate them, and the Christian dead are laid out in nature and are fed to the insects, and animals, or some other fashion that is sacrilegious to them.
It's just wrong.
There are a few steps that have to be addressed before any Pyres or burials can happen.
Acquire land that is secluded enough, and with certain other key aspects. Primarily having old growth oaks, at an elevation and location that has 4 defined seasons. No tropical zones, deserts, or frozen tundras. (This ☝️ is the easy part)
Consecrate the land.
Find a legally licensed funeral director that will arrange to do an outdoor pyre on dry land.
Then petition the state with all of the aforementioned information.
When approved set up a land trust, to ensure that it exists in perpetuity.
Build more in every state, or locality that there is a reasonable demand for them.
The initiative is mine, with the support of the Tribe of the Greyhorn Pagans I believe it will be achieved. They are the most widespread, diverse, and best equipped pagan group to help handle this type of matter. We have a voice. It's not just me worried about, and fighting against this growing problem. There are other tribal elders who are also Ordained as Gothi, or Vitki, and can legally consecrate the land, and perform the funeral rights in every corner of the world. Once the first Sacred Grove is established, and we know the ins and outs, then we will work on creating one in every US state, and European Province.
These Sacred lands are not just for burial, they are so much more. They have always, and will continue to also serve several other religious, and ceremonial purposes. Any time a person who has family laid to rest there, wants them present for a future event, like a wedding, a holiday gathering, or even a birthday (if they want to) can be done there. There is a common saying among Pagan Folk, Heathens, and Wiccans, that “our church is in the woods” and this is where that saying comes from. These Sacred groves were a Ancient, but long lived Indo-European, and Asian tradition. For thousands, perhaps tens of thousands of years, well before the dawn of Christianity this practice was common. Then during the many centuries of the kill or convert crusades, running between 346 AD - 1800 AD thousands of sacred pagan sites, including ancient sacred groves, were all destroyed. Either they were burnt down, or violated in other ways. The most common was having churches built on them using the lumber from the sacred trees that were cut down.
They called this practice “Christianization” and by 1400 AD the “Church” had acquired roughly two thirds of all of Europe using it. This is the only reason that nearly no sacred groves currently exist. They seem to have forgotten that Pagans are people too, in fact we are very spiritual, and deeply community based people. When they took the ground that our ancestors were laid to rest on, they damned their souls. When America allowed the same thing to happen during the witch hunts, while claiming to be a land of religious freedom, it was obvious that they just wanted to try and wipe us away.. again. They had to know that this day was coming. Our sacred groves were all violated or taken, over and over again. Our ancestors were forced to migrate north deeper into Europe, then eventually blindly out into the Atlantic, risking death just to escape it. We have lost everything, more than once. With some elbow grease, and community support, that will all be changing very soon.
Feel free to contact me via the Substack comments, or DM’s, with any questions, or also on the only social media platform I currently use, Twitter / X - Thane J. Ash Odinsson @ChildOfAsh420
Thank you for reading.
Links and Sources:
Christianization of Pagan Lands
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianized_sites
No Pagan Funeral Rights in America ?
https://cowboystatedaily.com/2023/01/11/want-a-viking-funeral-only-state-that-allows-it-is-colorado/
While the Viking Funeral (being set ablaze on a land-locked boat or sent adrift in the water and set on fire) is popular, we're actually forgetting that a great many more had burial mounds. While I personally would like to be cremated, I wouldn't be averse to a burial mound either at least, in this way, the idea that there is a place to visit me is valid.
Personally, I'm good with being burnt, urned and then set my ashes to the wind. I was born to roam and I really wouldn't want people feeling they have to be in a particular place to talk to me from this plane. I really want people to be able to do that right where they sit.
On the point of religious freedom in this country, that is a good point. It should be entirely possible for anyone to receive the burial or memorial they desire. Hunter S. Thompson being a notable example. I'm not even sure the man had a religion or what it was but he literally went out with a bang at his memorial service.