The Heretical Heathen Podcast

n this episode of The Heretical Heathen Podcast, I turn my attention to Jera, the rune of the harvest, the turning of the year, and the slow cultivation of occult practice. In a world where practitioners often chase extraordinary experiences, what happens when we learn to slow down, develop a relationship with the mysteries, and allow our practice to unfold in its own time?
I begin with a brief discussion of Jera and the importance of patience and cultivation before sharing my experience with a Jera pathworking.

What happens when you sit with the rune of ice? In this episode we explore Isa’s meaning, from its esoteric correspondences to the deeper ancestral knowing carried in the bones of Northern European peoples, whose relationship with snow and ice runs back through countless generations. We look at how the rune holds stillness and freezing, but also the patient kind of knowing that comes from living in cold, long winters. Then I take you through a pathworking session with Isa, and close with some thoughts on what it means to build for the future: what we freeze in place, and what we choose to shape while the ground is still firm.

After meeting serious occultists at a wellness retreat, we document a Nautiz scrying that proves far more complex than expected. The journey: a winter cabin, a figure warning of the wild hunt, tests of offerings, a black-hatted wanderer, a pissed-off giant eye, and a door you can sense but can't reach. Nautiz reveals itself not as simple hardship, but as constraint, hunger, and necessity that demands integration. By the end, a woman places the rune directly inside you. Nautiz isn't something you work with—it works into you.

In this episode of Heretical Heathen Reacts, I take a look at Baced Camp's video, Women Ruined the Occult. Is there truth to the claim, or is the history of occultism more complicated than that? As a heathen, occultist, and philosopher, I react to the video, question some assumptions, and explore what the occult's history can tell us about where modern magical practice came from and where it might be going. It's a reaction and commentary, so expect a mix of disagreement, agreement, and a some heretical thoughts along the way. If you're into occultism, heathenry, paganism, or reaction content, consider subscribing to The Heretical Heathen.

Last year's spiritual retreat felt random—people taking classes, no real connections. This year was different. Ceremonial magicians and serious witches were drawn to the same event, clustering together in ways that couldn't be coincidence. It felt like the Norns themselves were weaving the threads. We also visit Gettysburg, a paranormal capital and historical crossroads, where the monuments themselves carry esoteric imagery. This episode explores the synchronicities that guided us, how serious practitioners find each other, and what happens when fate actively orchestrates convergence.

What are the Norns, really? And if they're weaving fate, do we have any agency? This episode explores the ancient concept of wyrd and destiny through a modern occultist lens. We discuss what the Norns actually are, how to think about fate in contemporary practice, how fate shows up in personal life, and most importantly—the techniques and practices we've developed to influence, redirect, or work consciously with destiny rather than simply submit to it. Fate isn't fixed. It's negotiable.

in this episode I'm reacting to a mixed bag of TikToks that popped up on my FYP — and one topic completely derailed me (in the best way): whether Norse paganism/Asatru was ever actually a unified religion.
 
Spoiler: I don't think it was. A lot of people assume ancient Scandinavians shared one coherent pantheon and belief system, but that picture largely comes from Snorri Sturluson's 13th-century Prose Edda — written centuries after Christianization, by a Christian author compiling material for poets. What we actually see in the archaeological and historical record is way more regional, scattered, and locally specific than the "unified mythology" most people picture.
 
if you like this episode consider checking out my youtube channel : https://youtube.com/@robert-nox?si=FX-VX2swlPw7XnlA

After giving an offering to Hati during a lunar eclipse, we explore what it means to work with chthonic beings—the chaotic, underworld forces that many Western practitioners avoid. Getting into right relation with these powers is possible, but not without risk. This episode covers the genuine dangers: how careless work can create astral egregores that feed off your energy, how these beings can become parasitic attachments, and what "right relation" actually means. Not all sacred work is safe work. We discuss the precautions, the signs of trouble, and why understanding chthonic forces matters for serious practitioners.

Western paganism's reliance on book transmission creates a problem: ego inflation and spiritual orphaning. But other religious traditions—Buddhism, Hinduism—have survived millennia with living initiatory lineages that don't require you to adopt their pantheons. This episode argues that heathen and Platonic practitioners should thoughtfully adopt complementary practices from these traditions: breathing work, body scanning, contemplative disciplines. These aren't cultural appropriation—they're universal human practices that strengthen ritual, reduce suffering, and create genuine community transmission. We explore what a living tradition looks like, and how Western paganism can learn from religions that actually survived the centuries intact.

The county fair mirrors meditation practice. Just as you focus on a single point while navigating internal distractions—discomfort, unwanted memories, seductive pleasures—the fairgrounds pulls your attention in countless directions: food, music, crowds, chaos. Some things push you away, others pull you in. This is Odin's journey through the nine realms: learning to stay centered when everything demands your attention. The fair teaches what meditation teaches: presence amid distraction.