{"product_id":"wyrd-ecology","title":"Wyrd Ecology","description":"Within contemporary Heathen communities, the Old English term \"wyrd\" is used to refer to the web of relations that connect all threads of existence. Inspired by pre-Christian traditions of Northern Europe, Heathens give gifts, toasts, and offerings to foster a sense of connection with other humans and the more-than-human world. In Wyrd Ecology, author Barbara Jane Davy posits that these ritual activities are not merely isolated exchanges but rather a means of sustaining entire relational systems, in turn inspiring givers and receivers to participate out of a desire for meaningful connection.Davy utilizes research from two years of participant observation in a Heathen community in Ontario, Canada to show how ritual activities deepen practitioners'' sense of appreciation for what they have already received and instil a desire to give back. Davy illustrates how making offerings and giving gifts is important not only because of what people might believe about the gods, but because it gives people a sense of relatedness with their world. Ritual practices may thus play a critical role in instilling an ecological conscience and can encourage ethical relations and pro-environmental behavior.","brand":"MediaPlace","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57192416379262,"sku":"NW9780197804926","price":25.33,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1379\/1261\/files\/9780197804926.jpg?v=1778544837","url":"https:\/\/mediaplace.com\/products\/wyrd-ecology","provider":"MediaPlace","version":"1.0","type":"link"}