Allow me to properly introduce myself as one of the newer Apprentice Folkbuilders for the Baldrshof district. My name is Victor Palazzolo and I’m from central Illinois. I have been with the Asatru Folk Assembly for a little over a year now and have developed a very close relationship with the members in my area. All the way to the north in the Chicago area and all the way to the south of Illinois. Some of you will probably wonder “what exactly brought me into Asatru?” well, allow me to clear that up for you.!!

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I came to Asatru in search of that critical spiritual piece that every human desires and needs to live a complete and fulfilled life. Like many of you, I was also raised in a Christian home with very Conservative parents. I found myself going through some pretty hard and dark times in my life and like a “Good Christian,” I turned to prayer to attempt to solve my problems. I found that the more that I would pray to the tyrant, the more difficult my life and obstacles would become.

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I felt abandoned and forsaken by my God. It’s almost as if YHWH was laughing at my struggles and enjoyed seeing me suffer. It was then that I decided I was going to turn my back on the foreign doctrine of Christianity and go another way. Soon after, I met a local individual who suggested that I reach out and try to connect with the Gods of my ancestors.

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It was then that I heard about the AFA and what they stand for. I figured, they seem to have the same values and mindset as myself and I figured I would reach out. Ever since I started reaching out and connecting, I have made that personal and spiritual connection I have been longing for. I have developed a close affinity for Forseti and a strong liking for Thor.

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I’ve met many people in this short year that I now consider family. And that’s never happened to me before as I don’t usually clique with people that quickly and am very guarded and cautious of new people that I meet. Since I’ve come home to my ancestral faith, I have not had these issues of needing to hide my thoughts or emotions around other people. Having the ability to openly worship the Aesir with like-minded people is truly one of the most liberating and joyous things one of the European Ancestral bloodlines can experience.

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I would highly recommend all of you who know someone who is in the state of mind that I was in to “reach out and spread the word”. Coming home has been the most liberating thing I’ve experienced in my life and because of that, I have no regrets.

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Be with the Aesir and may they also walk with you.