Heathenry and Ásatrú

Domain XIV · Western esoteric, divinatory & new spiritual movements · Sveinbjörn Beinteinsson · 1965 · Iceland

What it is

Heathenry (also Ásatrú, "faith in the Æsir") is a contemporary polytheistic religion that revives the pre-Christian religion of Northern Europe from sources such as the Eddas and sagas. It is not a therapy and has no theory of psychological change. It is a family of religious organisations and…

Format

• This section has two parts: how the organisations are structured as they and reliable sources describe them, and a framework for the therapist's work. No source gives a session count for therapy with Heathen clients; none is stated here.
• Founding: a group around the poet Sveinbjörn Beinteinsson began forming the society in the late 1960s; the Ministry of Religious Affairs granted state recognition in 1972–1973, and Sveinbjörn became the first allsherjargoði (high priest). Founding at Hótel Borg, Reykjavík, on the First Day of…

Who practises it, and how they are trained or regulated

• Structure: a New York non-profit with US 501(c)(3) charity status; an annual gathering (Trothmoot); a chief officer historically called the Steer, now a President; a clergy-training programme; publications including the quarterly Idunna and the handbook Our Troth.

Evidence status, as the guide reports it

• For the psychotherapist, the guide covers: the client's Heathen life as a source of meaning, community and ethics; assessment that does not pathologise belief or ritual; the client's specific community and where it sits on the inclusive–folkish spectrum; awareness of radicalisation and extremist…

Questions to explore with your client

• What drew you to it, and what are you hoping it will change?
• Is there physical contact? Was it explained beforehand, and do you feel free to say no or stop at any point?
• Does it involve any substance, plant preparation, remedy or supplement? Has your doctor or prescriber been told, especially about any medication you take?
• Is it a group, retreat or community? How do they respond if someone wants to leave or raises a concern?
• How do you and the practitioner understand what is happening, in spiritual or cultural terms? Is that a source of comfort, worry, or both?
• Who runs it, and what training or registration do they hold?
• What actually happens in a session or meeting, and how often?
• What does it cost, and is there pressure to commit to more?
• How do you feel afterwards, in the hours and days that follow?
• Does it fit with, or clash with, the work we do here?

What practitioners of it watch for

• client feeling handed off. Working when the client has more support.
• clients seeking spiritual authority from you. Working when roles stay clear.
• families conflating the religion with extremism. Working when family communication is maintained.
• religion used as cover for gang affiliation. Working when the client's religious life supports desistance.
• isolation, fear of leaving, financial pressure. Working when the client makes informed choices about involvement.

When to involve someone else

• New or worsening physical symptoms, or advice to stop or change prescribed medication: involve the client's doctor or prescriber.
• Signs of coercion, isolation from family and friends, escalating costs or secrecy: discuss openly and consider safeguarding.
• A crisis or thoughts of suicide: follow your crisis protocol. In the US, call or text 988; in the UK and Ireland, Samaritans on 116 123.

Drawn automatically from the guide's own sections. Stay curious: neither endorse nor dismiss what the client values, and check anything that matters against the full guide and its sources. Not medical advice.