Sylvana interviewed her long-time friend and wild woman Prudence Priest. She is high priestess of Amaranth Energies, a coven that has existed over 25 years, founder of Freya's Folk and an Elder in Covenant of the Goddess (COG) and Asatru. She's also a former Steerswoman for the Ring of Troth, publisher of Yggdrasil and singer of rowdy and bawdy songs around the fire. In her copious spare time, she deals amber at festivals. Fun is her middle name.
Sylvana SilverWitch: Do you remember when you first became interested in the Craft? What is your background?
Prudence Priest: By the time I was nine, I had read all the folklore and fairy tale books in the local library. I had what I now know was a kobold (a household elf, or gnome) living in my closet, and just like with you, all the neighborhood kids thought I was making it up or had an "imaginary friend" until one day when I called it forth. Boy, were they impressed when it shot out of the chimney, landed on the ground in front of them and then took off, just as quickly as it had come. So did they. I never saw that particular critter again, and from then on, all the kids at school called me a witch, so I thought I ought to learn what I could.
In high school in the tenth grade, in the late '60s, we started a coven called "Ideoplastos," which is Greek for the "power of thought." We really liked traditional Greek magic because it was so readily accessible, and we were studying Greek with one of our professors (until he was busted for "soliciting" at the bus station).
After high school, I moved from Cincinnati to Dayton, Ohio - which was very boring, until I started a coven with some people I'd met working on the local underground paper. That was in 1971. We're still together under the name of Amaranth Energies, and we still practice in a Greek/Norse vein.
S: Have you always practiced magick?
P: Yes. Some people question the Norse/Greek alignment. However, according to The Oera Linda Book (which is a Frisian grimoire of sorts), the Teutonic and Greek peoples were all related as "Frya's Folk."
The first public magical event I can recall attending was Witchmeet '77, which was held at the Americana Hotel in Washington, DC. Sybil Leek, Brad Steiger, Al Manning and others were present and a relatively unknown Mark Russell was playing piano at the hotel's lounge.
In high school, as a result of my magical studies, I became very interested in herbs (I've been to Culpepper's in London) and astrology. I studied with and have a degree from both the Rosicrucians and Carl Payne Tobey. In my early twenties, I taught Astrology Interpretation classes at a Unity church.
S: How did you come to Asatru?
P: I left my coven behind in Ohio and moved to California in 1981. I applied and was accepted as a member of COG. Later that year I attended the first California Althing (a Norse gathering) in Anthony Chabot park. It was there I first met Steve McNallen, and did a sky-clad Moon working with David James.
When Steve asked what I was doing there, I replied "You drink mead, don't you?" After that, I did my first public Winter Nights with McNallen in 1982 and was written up anonymously in Diana Paxson's book Brisingamen.
I continued to work with the Asatru Free Assembly (AFA) and a NROOGD coven "Children of the Raven." I feel I can quote the verse they (NROOGD) wrote about me, without violating any oaths: "Then there's Prudence, She's our Vala, She goes Viking all the time, She doesn't like the killing, But she likes the raping fine."
In 1983, I became a blood-oathed member of the Wotanwald Kindred. which was in Camptonville, CA. Our "Jarl" owned 110 acres, 40 of which were dedicated to the Old Gods. I actually auditioned for the job of priestess of Wotanwald, and was "hired" after I successfully drew down the moon on cue for the suitably astonished assembled multitude. We hosted several AFA Althings until our Jarl and Steve had a falling out over Steve's racist policies and politics. We were "excommunicated" by the AFA, and that's when Freya's Folk and "Yggdrasil" took off in February of 1984.
Meanwhile, my coven sisters from Ohio also moved to California, and I took over as high priestess again, Children of the Raven having disbanded a little while earlier. I moved to Wotanwald in May of '87 to priestess full-time but went back east in the winter to help out my kin.
S: What is the American Vinland Association (AVA), and what is your function in it?
P: I have enclosed our membership information flyer, which tells all about us. Use what suits you. I serve on the Jafnhar (which is our Board of Directors). Jafnhar means "just as high" or "equally high."
S: What is a Hearth as opposed to a Kindred, and how does that differ from a coven?
P: Hearth, Garth, Kindred, Steading, Theod, Hof, Weoh, etc., are names for what various Norse/Teutonic/Anglo-Saxon groups call themselves. Within the Ring of Troth, Hearth meant a family group, Garth meant three or more adult members, and Hof meant you had a building or land dedicated to the gods and held celebrations open to the "public" at least three times a year.
At the time of my resignation from the Ring, I was the only Elder in that organization with a Hof. However, all of these names mean different things to different groups, and any one can call themselves whatever they please within the AVA, since we don't tell anybody what to do.
The term coven has nothing to do with any of these names, as it is my understanding and experience that within a coven all are aspiring to priestcraft. This is not the case with Heathen groups. Most Heathen groups do not get together to work magic but get together to celebrate New and Full Moons and other holy days like Yule and Oestara, and they are lucky if more than one priest or priestess is in attendance.
In the Pacific Northwest, you can contact the Havamal Alliance, or Tyra in Oregon. (See the AVA Networking Guide for addresses.).
S: I'm sort of confused now. Is your group a witch coven or an Asatru hearth, or both at once? You are a high priestess - why did you become one?
P: Amaranth Energies is my witch coven. Freya's Folk Hof (or Troth West) is my Asatru group. I am high priestess of my coven and a priestess of my Hof. I am also the founder of "Wiccatru" and hope to have a book out soon on Teutonic Craft. I also serve as Coordinator for the California Utlandr Alliance.
I became a priestess because it is my avocation. I was born on the Summer Solstice, the year the witchcraft laws were repealed in England, so I guess you could call it my destiny. I'm also pretty good at it after 20-something years.
S: I understand that you have one of the oldest covens in existence. Can you tell us about it and how you've maintained it for so long?
P: Well, we've been together for over 25 years, and we've never had a member leave in anger. Our probation period can last up to seven years, so we tend to weed people out before they become a problem. We are a benevolent hierarchical dictatorship, and every second degree member may veto a probationer or guest. We feel that it is much more important for us to be able to work together in perfect love and perfect trust than have people at circle who might disrupt that gestalt.
We are a neo-Pythagorean coven with a five degree system. Our fourth degree entails starting your own coven or hiving off, and although several of our members qualify, few have taken that degree because they would have to leave. Our fifth degree requires working in another field in public, and when I became the first Steerswoman of the Troth (after Edred Thorsson and James Chisholm), I claimed that degree. I also helped start several covens in Ohio and elsewhere.
S: Do you think Asatru is just for people with Northern European heritage, or can anyone worship the Old Norse gods?
P: Anyone who feels a kinship to the gods of their ancestors or is drawn to the Old Norse gods is welcome, but those with modern Northern European ancestors may find some of it much easier or more familiar. Your cultural heritage may make Asatru easier to work with, but it is not a prerequisite to practice Asatru.
S: Do you use other traditions, or is it mainly just Norse you work with?
P: In a coven, one often uses more than one pantheon of gods. And sometimes, one or more members may prefer to work with Norse or Celtic or Egyptian, or whomever, and many covens do not have a focus on a single pantheon. My coven focuses mainly on Greek and Norse but has been known to work with other gods on occasion. A Heathen group is almost exclusively into Norse/Teutonic gods and may allow gods from Finno-Ugric or related traditions but would look askance upon "alien" gods. However, most Heathens are great respecters of diversity, even if they don't practice it.
S: How do you perceive the gods? Do you think of them as living beings, or as archetypes or some other description? Do you think they have influence over our lives and us?
P: I personally perceive the gods as all of the above and more. The first Norse god I spoke with was Ing (Njord) and that was at Starwood, and no, I wasn't on drugs, although Mescalito is a very powerful deity.
Like my ancestors, I worship Nature as both a goddess and a force and an archetype. I feel the influence of the Sun and the Moon all around me, and I talk to and with them, and sometimes they answer me. So what does all this mean? I don't know, but I wouldn't have it any other way. How does a duck experience or know deity? How about a mole? I believe all subjective experiences are just that and valid as such. Even if you and I both believe in Thor, we have different perceptions and understanding of Him.
S: How much of modern Asatru practice do you think is based on historical facts, and how much is made up?
P: Depends on whom you ask. Actually, a lot of Asatru practice is found and can be gleaned from the Eddas. Modern practice tends to be based on modern interpretation of what our ancestors did. Most disagreement stems from disagreement over modern interpretation, but there is no doubt that our ancestors did celebrate and write down what was done at Yule, or Oestara, or Winter Nights, as well as New or Full Moons, and various magical and runic practices. The problem is that most of it hasn't been translated, because why would god-fearing Christians want to know these things? Matters have improved over the last 10 years, with many books and new translations available.
S: Have you read the Michael Crichton book Eaters of the Dead? If so, what you think of it? How true do you think the comparisons were?
P: Don't know about the comparisons, but I'm sure our ancestors did things that would turn our stomachs today. But, yes, I highly recommend this book as well as the Eddas, The Nibelungelied, and Grimm's Fairy Tales and Grimm's Teutonic Mythology for historical information.
S: What about the Ring of Troth (ROT)? You were Steerswoman for a number of years, and the ROT thrived under your direction. What happened to that? Are they still in existence?
P: As far as I know, they still exist. However, they have suffered tremendous attrition since I resigned and they changed all the bylaws to suit the High Rede instead of the Folk. There were many who left the Ring either out of loyalty to me, which I appreciate, or in disgust at the political turns and self-aggrandizing machinations that were happening at the time.
I became Steerswoman to serve the Folk, and when that was no longer possible to do - I resigned and started the AVA, which has been functioning for over two years now with no politics, no problems and probably more members than any other American Asatru group.
S: Is there a structure of degrees in Asatru, if you can reveal that, and is it true that you have to accumulate college degrees before you can move up?
P: There is no degree structure in Asatru as there is in the Craft.
When Edred founded the Troth, he felt that it was very important that Elders in the Troth be educated (preferably with a degree in an Asatru-related field). However, since Kveldulf is no longer working with the Elder Training program in the Troth, there is some question of whether any academic standards can be enforced.
In the AVA, we are unable at this time to train priests or priestesses, but we do license them and test their knowledge and beliefs and ask that they subscribe to a Heathen Code of Ethics. Since in days of yore, any head of household was considered competent to priest for their folk, there were no real educational requirements. The problem today is with people claiming titles or positions who lack knowledge or even ability to practice the Old Religion.
The lack of a degree structure in Asatru only compounds the problem, but I do not feel a degree structure is necessary to practice and profess Asatru. For more information, please see A Book of Troth, by Edred Thorsson.
S: So the million-dollar question seems to be - what about the skinheads? A lot of people describe themselves as Northern European traditionalists, or Odinists - and they are really racists, trying to further their agenda. How do you deal with them?
P: This is a very tricky area. Most Odinist groups and publications who are not racist usually say so somewhere in their literature. If you fail to see some kind of disclaimer, then it is likely that they are racist or racial.
Our literature in the AVA states that we are not racist and that any group or individual who supports this position may join. This keeps most closet racists out. As to the skinheads, we are no more responsible for them than the Christians are for their oddball cults or the KKK. We have never had a problem at any AVA gathering.
S: And... there seem to be all kinds of strange people in Asatru, at least some stranger than the ones I know in the Craft (and some of them are pretty out there!) What is that about? Why do you think Asatru seems to attract the skinhead types?
P: I don't know. I've only seen skinheads on Geraldo. I've never spoken with one. All new or pagan religions attract some oddballs due to their newness. I believe that the greatest challenge to the neo-pagan movement is "asshole management." The Masons or Elks just make 'em host the pancake breakfasts.
S: What types of people are drawn to your branch of Asatru?
P: Rugged individualists who are familiar and comfortable with their cultural heritage or want to learn or share or network with it. The AVA welcomes Heathen co-religionists.
S: What is the oddest thing that's ever happened to you dealing with the Craft?
P: When I served as Ethics Officer for the Covenant of the Goddess, we would receive the most amazing accusations. Although I am not at liberty to violate a confidence, suffice it to say that the oddest case to me was the one where someone accused another of "cursing their familiar."
S: I see runes, Tarot cards and spell candles in the grocery and drug stores these days, along with many other items usually associated with witches or magick. How do you feel about the mainstreaming of the Craft?
P: Great! There's a seeker born every minute. Who would know of the holy runes outside the Gild if Ralph Blum hadn't popularized them? How many women have come to the Craft through documentaries on PBS? As Oliver Stone once said, "Religion is for those who are afraid of Hell. Spirituality is for those who have been there."
S: What would you say is the main difference between witches and Norse pagans? How about witchcraft and Asatru as a system?
P: Heathens tend to be uncomfortable around magic workers, just like most mundanes, but accept Seidr (which is classically considered a form of Black Magic because it is possessory) and some other practices that coincide with or are found in the Eddas and other historic literature.
Once again, I must emphasize that all witches are pagan, but most pagans are not Wiccan. Witchcraft as a system practices their Craft, whereas Asatru as a system is celebratory and concerns rites of passage and perhaps some ancestor worship. People do not seek out Asatru as a magical system. Nonetheless there are Asatruar who are witches as well.
S: I find that the men drawn to witchcraft seem to be more open to the feminine type of energy, Goddess energy. It also seems to me that they are probably somewhat gentler or have more of a feminine side than your typical male - what about Viking men?
P: Well, as a friend of mine once uncharitably put it, "Male witches are computer nerds, and male Vikings are Klingons." True Viking men endeavor to be as their ancestors were. Women in the Viking Age were treated better and with more respect than they are now.
S: Have you ever felt "discriminated against" in Asatru, as a woman?
P: Yes, by insecure men who have alcohol problems as well.
S: What do you think is the most important thing a person might want to know about Asatru?
P: That it is more than a religion: It is a way of life.
S: What is your fondest ambition?
P: To celebrate Walpurgisnacht (Beltaine) on the Brocken.
S: What do you consider your biggest accomplishment to this date?
P: To have been a Folkmother to our tribe and to have nurtured and nourished our religion to the millennium and hopefully through it. I am very satisfied to have helped found an organization where the Folk can thrive and grow regardless of politics and casualties.
S: Do you have any advice for people who are interested in getting into the Asatru?
P: Read the Eddas and Sagas. Know your friends and your sources.
S: How may people reach you and your organization, or are there any public avenues that are open to seekers?
P: Dues in the AVA are $20 per year. Information is available from the American Vinland Association, 537 Jones Street, #2154, San Francisco, CA 94102-2007, or e-mail: vinland@pobox.com
Some of the local organizations sponsor open celebrations or rune classes. At this time, we are less than 10 percent of the pagan movement. We are a very young sapling aspiring to become a very old tree. Our roots are already deep, but like any growing thing, to thrive we need nourishment and support.
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