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Heathenism
Heathenism is about supporting the right relationships of things one to another so that the world is put into Good Order and life can flourish.
Heathens work to strengthen the good patterns in the world shaping the reality experienced by people. They see the value in starting with themselves and with that which is immediately around them - that which matters most to them and is most easily sensed by them and influenced by them.
In difficult times when the wider social or economic order is under strain then the Heathen virtues of valuing the small community and small economy and their good functioning and resilience can be especially seen in a positive light.
In recent years there has been a breakdown in community so that the rich variety of social intercourse that people often enjoyed in the past is now much rarer and many people suffer from social deprivation - i.e. they are deprived of the social intercourse needed for their happiness and growth. The lack of organised community also means that people are unable to work together to tackle the problems that beset them but instead suffer individually in powerlessness.
A resilient community is grounded in persons bound by mutual trust so that each feels they can rely on the other to fulfil their part of any community endeavour. A resilient community also needs resources of cultural wisdom so that they are helped to take the appropriate path in any particular circumstance. They need some individuals specially gifted to listen and make sense of the workings of their community and its environment. They need a sufficiently shared framework of understanding and habits of activity that they can work together. They need exclusive control of resources which can be used in community activity.
May 2011