The Plan...

Building something old, but with a new twist.

Family, Community, and Tradition.

This is where it all starts. The family unit is the foundation of any long lasting community. There are many definitions of “family” and community. For the sake of clarity, let's define how they will be used in this article. Family is used here almost exactly how it would be imagined in the minds of the masses. Relations, by either blood, marriage, or birth. Simple enough right? Community is a bit more vague, but in this article we will use it particularly to describe a religious community could be a local church congregation, a native American tribe, or in our case, a Tribal community that is a blend of both Tribe, and Congregation. The traditions are vast array of things, they could be either religious, or community based gatherings. Things ranging from holidays, to basic seasonal festivals, and even voting by the community on certain topics are all traditions.

Building…

For us, It's a bit more than just a piece of land in the Smokey Mountains that we desire. Although, that is the first step, it's far from the end goal vision we have. The next step is some basic cabins, and a Great Hall. Immediately following this, will be the building of a Temple to Odin, and Freya.

We are a church, by all legal definitions, and a Not for Profit. This gives us an opportunity to use our land to generate income for the building of the latter parts of the infrastructure. You see, we only gather there “on the sacred grounds” a handful of times throughout the year. So the remaining 305 days per year that it is vacant, the cabins will be generating income. This will allow us to grow at a much faster rate, and open up our range of possibilities. Once we have our land paid off, and the building is complete, this same model will be applied in Europe, probably bordering the Netherlands, and Germany.

This will give our American, and European brothers and sisters a migration point to gather during the major holidays. The next Yule, Thingtide, Midsummer, and Beltane, along with a few other holidays will be celebrated together. The Property will have a full time Grove Tender, who must be a Gothi, or Vitki. This person will maintain the property, and host any weddings or other types of Tribal events that pop up. They will also have to prep the rental cabins through the empty parts of the year.

I hope in the future that the Grove Keepers position, and cabin will be filled by a U.S. Army veteran. There are thousands of US soldiers who are Odinist, and when they leave the service they deserve to have a quiet place off the grid. This will be a safe place where all of their basic community needs can be fulfilled, they can self sustain, and help lead others to Odin.

The Tribe of the Greyhorn Pagans.

It's a community, family, and purpose that I personally wish I had discovered, at a much younger age. I hope that after our Sacred Grove is fully built, our tribal members begin buying the land around it, and building their very own Homesteads, Ranches, and Farms. Creating in essence, our very own Tribal reservation.

It all started here, with the creation of the Tribe by our Jarl Stijn Fawkes, an Odinist whom I had previously met in T.A.C. and other Pagan Related groups. We watched them form and grow, then get addled with cult like rules and propaganda, or in the case of some of them just getting far too bureaucratic.

He formed an online community of his own, with the express goal of it not becoming the same as all the others. The difference, is the Greyhorn Pagans Tribe operates like a family. This is how we are different. This is also why we are here, 5 years later as a legally recognized religious group. Our goal is still community building, and it has never waivered.

If we build it, They will come.

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Well folks, there you have it. ..

The long and short version of who and what we actually are.

I hope you enjoyed this brief intro.

Gothi, Author, and Thane, Rev. J. Ash Odinsson.