When I first became a forum admin on the American Asatru group several years ago, I was invited to do so because the group creator liked my book Asatru For Beginners. I said yes because I had just had a bad online experience in a different group and wanted to help create a space that would be better. I wanted to create a troll free space where heathens could talk about their heathen religious stuff free of mockery by trolls and safe from online harassment and stalking and other internet ills. I wanted to create a group which would be a supportive religious community where people could find friendship and advice about life in addition to religion. I envisioned a space where there would be fun things to do, and which would be especially supportive toward creators such as authors, artists, and musicians. The group became that.
Before I joined the management team, the American Asatru Association group was already a space that screened membership applications to keep out neonazis and white power gang members and other such undesirables, in addition to keeping out trolls. It was also already a group that welcomed heathens of any sect, not just Asatru, and from anywhere in the world, not just the Americas. It welcomed universalist, tribalist, and folkish Asatruars, and was a Loki-friendly group. Those policies stayed the same while I was adminning under the original group owner, and I plan to keep them in place.
Last year I took some time off from group management to deal with family responsibilities, but just before leaving for Southwest Frith Moot last month I became the lead admin and group owner of American Asatru. After I returned from the Moot, I trained the new Trollslayers in how to screen membership applications. I started some threads for creators to post their books, blogs, art, and music and links.
I wanted to start up some fun, too. We used to play Hangman on the old MSN Asatru Group, and I had hosted a few games on the American Asatru (Association, back then) group on Facebook, and I wanted to bring that back. I recruited a host for a game of Hangman in honor of Odin, which she hosted on Wednesday, and which she will host again another time.
I plan to encourage more participation by the members in discussions, more sharing of news, and so forth. As I have been doing for the past few years, I plan to share links to heathen related academic papers I find interesting, and answer questions about Asatru from group members. The group isn't only for discussion and education, though. We're building a community together.
Image: Valknut by By Nyo and Liftarn via Wikimedia Commons