Thing 2: Absolutely, the thought of Odin collecting folks for a higher purpose strikes me as the valuable interpretation of the "classical" take on Valhalla, while other interpretations maybe allow for some other spiritual takes than the hardline idea that "only warriors get a good afterlife".

As for Nordic Animism, I haven't read that one! I'll have to check it out, as there tends to be a lot of "samey-ness" in interpretations of myths you find in heathen writings of various stripes, and this sounds like a helpful departure.