I have a somewhat similar take. Until I started reading some of the more recent books on Germanic religion and magic, I didn't know that things had become quite so schismatic and carefully defined. I like the term "heathen" because I have a perhaps overblown fondness for finding Old English, or at least Germanic, derived words for concepts (we can talk about Poul Anderson's "Uncleftish Beholding" and William Barnes sometime for some more extreme examples).
That being said, I have also come to embrace a more freewheeling idea of what Polytheism means, also largely under the influence of John Michael Greer. Now that I see things this way, I can't help but wonder why it was so tough for me to get here, as there's amble historical evidence from the Greek and Roman worlds for not only syncretism, but also flat out accepting Gods and Goddesses of other cultures as real, powerful, and potentially worthwhile objects of worship. I suspect that my own foray into Germanic polytheistic "puritanism" came from some deeply embedded American Protestant Christian ideas that there should be one right answer, it should be traceable to one fairly identifiable source, and anything else is BS.
Enough about me sharing my thoughts, a question: have you found much in the way of fellowship or community from other "heathens"? I'm curious because I see the appeal, but my own path has been largely solitary thus far, and to be frank, I'm not particularly excited about trying to build community with the kinds of folks that stereotypically come to mind for the Neopagan scene (which I know is not wholly the same as "heathens"). Given your interest in occultism and JMG and fairly open-minded approach to heathenry, I'd love to hear your thoughts on the value (or lack thereof) of seeking out coreligionists.
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I have a somewhat similar take. Until I started reading some of the more recent books on Germanic religion and magic, I didn't know that things had become quite so schismatic and carefully defined. I like the term "heathen" because I have a perhaps overblown fondness for finding Old English, or at least Germanic, derived words for concepts (we can talk about Poul Anderson's "Uncleftish Beholding" and William Barnes sometime for some more extreme examples).
That being said, I have also come to embrace a more freewheeling idea of what Polytheism means, also largely under the influence of John Michael Greer. Now that I see things this way, I can't help but wonder why it was so tough for me to get here, as there's amble historical evidence from the Greek and Roman worlds for not only syncretism, but also flat out accepting Gods and Goddesses of other cultures as real, powerful, and potentially worthwhile objects of worship. I suspect that my own foray into Germanic polytheistic "puritanism" came from some deeply embedded American Protestant Christian ideas that there should be one right answer, it should be traceable to one fairly identifiable source, and anything else is BS.
Enough about me sharing my thoughts, a question: have you found much in the way of fellowship or community from other "heathens"? I'm curious because I see the appeal, but my own path has been largely solitary thus far, and to be frank, I'm not particularly excited about trying to build community with the kinds of folks that stereotypically come to mind for the Neopagan scene (which I know is not wholly the same as "heathens"). Given your interest in occultism and JMG and fairly open-minded approach to heathenry, I'd love to hear your thoughts on the value (or lack thereof) of seeking out coreligionists.