Lokeans

A question for the two resident Aratruar's: how do you feel about Lokeans, or more broadly Heathens who choose to incorporate Loki into their worship?

We must all at least create allowances for Loki in our worship.

In the mythic past Loki travels with Odin and Thor, and is instrumental in gaining for the Aesir their tokens of power. Like Hercules, he usually does his heroics as payment of debt for doing a great wrong.

The walls of Asgard, the hammer of Thor, ship of Freyr, Spear of Odin, even the hair of Sif are all owed to him. This does not make him a net boon, this is the plus side of a coin that saw Sif shorn, Idunna kidnapped, nearly wed off Freya to a disguised Jottun. He is chaos; not good, not bad, but equal parts dangerous and necessary.

Lokeans are often people from troubled pasts or backgrounds of persecution to whom Laufey's son is a worthy guide and teacher. When you are weak, surrounded by foes, the ways of honest battle are not winning ones. Guile and Trickery are your friends, and Loki is not the worst teacher in such times.

Loki is dangerous, and some who call upon Loki head to dangerous places with it. That being said, Islam and Christianity manage to follwow the same diety into everything from benevolence to sadism with equal sincerity, so Loki's inherently conflicted nature is not really any different than any other faith.

In many ways, Loki is Odin's mirror. Both began in the same place, used many of the same methods, but while Odin grew into great responsibility through his journey, Loki never grew up.