I am a somewhat intelligent person, and I have always loved animals. So when my Sunday School teacher told us that animals didn't have souls, it 1) didn't ring true (how can a creature as loving and caring as a pet dog not have a soul?) and 2) was scary (if my pet dog can walk around, interact and have feelings without having a soul, how do I know that I have one?)

I got over being scared and decided to find another religion. This was around the time the Beatles were meeting with the Maharishi, so I decided to try Hinduism. I liked the philosophy of it and I liked meditation, but after a while I got bored with it (I was only 12). Then I found a book on Witchcraft in a thrift shop and gave that a try. The book said that Wicca was based on the pre-Christian religion of Europe. I found that idea very appealing. I bounced back and forth between Hinduism and Wicca for many years, but neither gave me what I was looking for. Hinduism (and Buddhism which I tried for a very brief time) are basically monastic traditions and not really suited to the busy life of a wife and mother. I found Wicca to be too unstructured, kind of a make-your-own religion. I wanted the real thing - the real religion of my ancestors.

Then I found Asatru. Asatru is a real religion, not a magical system or "spiritual path". It has a set pantheon and basic rituals that all groups have in common. It also has a code of conduct, which I found to be lacking in the Wicca groups I have seen. It has magic and divination, but it's not required that everyone learn it. And while it's not an unbroken tradition, modern Asatru is a pretty good reconstruction of ancient European religious practices. I'm drawn to it because I am of Northern European heritage, but the branch of Asatru I follow is not "folkish", it is open to people of all backgrounds. I'm glad I finally found my religious home!

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