The practice of hospitality is not just sharing a meal. It is opening oneself to others, it is vulnerability and a willingness to be injured in the quest for the community you are endorsing. We too often over complicate the process and miss the blessing.
The mistake many seem to make today is that winter has just begun, but brother it’s been this way throughout all the 20th century. Winter is passing, but it will pass as we come together, break bread, and build our communities in that cold winter darkness that our Lord was born in.
We will see the spring, but we can, if we’d like, already see it in the eyes of our brothers and sisters who share our fire on these long nights.
I pray you're right, what a blessing it would be to see the shoots of spring. There's a dignity in being the stewards of winter though, and if that's our lot, I can embrace it
Winter is not the time of blizzards, it is the time of hearth fires. Not only is there immense dignity, but if you keep your fire fed it’ll bring in all sorts in from the cold. We need to be ready for strangers we might typically think unwelcome around our fire to need the hospitality, to meet people on the road to Emmaus.
We can’t endanger the rest of our guests, but with the blessing of the Lord our hearths can melt even the iciest hearts of bandits.
Is this really about our own personal dignity, or is it about bringing in enemies from the cold to make them friends around the fire?
If the US has seasons, then: 1775 -1860 was Spring, 1860 - 1915 was Summer, 1915 - 1965 was Fall, and 1965 - (ongoing) is Winter. This is a rough estimate, but I think this fits our history -- it begins with the Revolution, with the Civil War as a turning point; the Wild West would've happened during Summer; the World Wars, Great Depression,and signs of trouble to come were in Fall, with Civil Rights as the turning point; and we've been living in Winter since the 60s. I was tempted to make the seasons the same length, but real history has no need for perfect symmetry. This could also mean that our Winter may drag on, much like our unusually long Spring.
Winter is a harsh time, but it has its own beauty, a time of death & renewal, culling the unfit and making way for new life.
Well alright, I guess it's a common habit of burgers to put ourselves at the center of the world. I'll leave that comment up anyway, since the pattern kinda sorta works. I guess you're referring to Western history as a whole.
How would you prevent the e-girl fighting and status games? You can have a few women involved, but once you get past a certain point things start to devolve into "trad wife" influencers who parrot dissident talking points for clout without understanding any of the ideas. They recycle groyper memes from 2015, but everyone is happy because they've met their gender diversity quota. It's a much smaller field to compete in than these women are used to, so they can easily get the most thirsty of men to play along, subverting the entire thing and making it another facet of liberalism. I'm just looking for people I can have real conversations with.
This isn't a call for women to become online influencers, but to support their husbands and local communities in building the social fabric essential for strength
Of course, but you’re talking about them having an essential role in dissident movements. Once they view themselves that way it devolves into a status competition. The reason I like the other women on here, as opposed to the women on X, is because they are actually trad rather than “trad” influencers. This is partially because they don’t see themselves as a part of any movement.
In this specific case, one woman is the hostess. It is her party. The competition between women will exist, and it may be over who has the best parties, with the best food and drink, the most pleasant surroundings, and most importantly, the most desirable guests. But each such party will have one and only one woman who is the mistress of the event. The other women are her guests. Influential female hosted parties occurred in Georgian and Victorian England, before women had explicit rather than implicit political power, one example I have read about. And political society hostesses had significant influence. Some of this still goes on, of course, but not nearly as much as it once did. The idea proposed here seems to be for a revival of such in-person hospitality to strengthen social and political bonds. That may be possible. It's worth a try.
I think you’re right Rachel. It’s like churches where the men are in charge and lead, vs where the men “do it for the women”. The change in focus towards women is off putting to women. Strong churches are male focused with male leadership.
I like the Catholic tradition of praying for your future spouse, even before you have met them or know who they are. It allow you to bring them comfort and support even now.
No, that's silly. It degrades the quality of the discussions. I'm just an old philosopher type. Also, how trad are you if you're an influencer? Come on now.
I absolutely love and desperately need this sense of security and safety and inspiring and wholesome conversations in the fellowship of kin and friends around a large dinner table. I wish I could experience it again. I had it in my childhood and have not stopped craving it.
The American ideal of strong individualism seems to clash with the need for community, at least in the way the sense of individualism is manifesting in our lives in the US for the last 30 years. Where I live now, a large metropolitan city, forming bonds is a challenge because people appear to be nomadic. They move where the next good job opportunity presents itself. If the only way careers can be built (and a decent retirement account) is through being a nomad, then we are a long way from achieving fellowship around the dinner table. My point is that companies need to offer incentives for people to stay in one place.
Nice comment, thank you. I think also we need to find ways to avoid the normalization and necessity of sending our kids off hundreds of miles away from their families for college - particularly girls. That single step immediately dissolves families and unties our young people from the locations of their people
Another good piece. Just today I posted my first substack attempt which by happenstance dovetails well with your theme I think, if you don't mind me referencing it. By hook or crook we've got to win women back to the place of their special genius. In the run up to Christmas it strikes me how much the jolliness, comfort and sanctity of the Yule tide is predicated almost entirely on women giving a damn and exerting many esoteric skills.
I thoroughly enjoy reading this piece. We must organise ourselves in such a way, we must replicate traditions that our ancestors practiced, we have a thousand tried and tested rituals that can be implement whenever we wish, they're working practices that will help rebuild new societies for our people.
It's nice that you think a woman's proper role is in the kitchen or cheerleading the troops. In my experience in the past 3 years of fighting the global genocide and enslavement, about 80%+ of the true leaders have been women. I am a conservative at heart and I frankly would prefer to not be on the front lines so much, but the reality is that few men are willing to step up when it really matters and be a true leader, and too many of them are seeking publicity and fame more than they are willing to roll up their sleeves and do the work that's required.
The practice of hospitality is not just sharing a meal. It is opening oneself to others, it is vulnerability and a willingness to be injured in the quest for the community you are endorsing. We too often over complicate the process and miss the blessing.
Yes, beautifully put
The mistake many seem to make today is that winter has just begun, but brother it’s been this way throughout all the 20th century. Winter is passing, but it will pass as we come together, break bread, and build our communities in that cold winter darkness that our Lord was born in.
We will see the spring, but we can, if we’d like, already see it in the eyes of our brothers and sisters who share our fire on these long nights.
I pray you're right, what a blessing it would be to see the shoots of spring. There's a dignity in being the stewards of winter though, and if that's our lot, I can embrace it
Winter is not the time of blizzards, it is the time of hearth fires. Not only is there immense dignity, but if you keep your fire fed it’ll bring in all sorts in from the cold. We need to be ready for strangers we might typically think unwelcome around our fire to need the hospitality, to meet people on the road to Emmaus.
We can’t endanger the rest of our guests, but with the blessing of the Lord our hearths can melt even the iciest hearts of bandits.
Is this really about our own personal dignity, or is it about bringing in enemies from the cold to make them friends around the fire?
If the US has seasons, then: 1775 -1860 was Spring, 1860 - 1915 was Summer, 1915 - 1965 was Fall, and 1965 - (ongoing) is Winter. This is a rough estimate, but I think this fits our history -- it begins with the Revolution, with the Civil War as a turning point; the Wild West would've happened during Summer; the World Wars, Great Depression,and signs of trouble to come were in Fall, with Civil Rights as the turning point; and we've been living in Winter since the 60s. I was tempted to make the seasons the same length, but real history has no need for perfect symmetry. This could also mean that our Winter may drag on, much like our unusually long Spring.
Winter is a harsh time, but it has its own beauty, a time of death & renewal, culling the unfit and making way for new life.
I wasn’t saying these seasons had anything to do with America specifically.
Well alright, I guess it's a common habit of burgers to put ourselves at the center of the world. I'll leave that comment up anyway, since the pattern kinda sorta works. I guess you're referring to Western history as a whole.
How would you prevent the e-girl fighting and status games? You can have a few women involved, but once you get past a certain point things start to devolve into "trad wife" influencers who parrot dissident talking points for clout without understanding any of the ideas. They recycle groyper memes from 2015, but everyone is happy because they've met their gender diversity quota. It's a much smaller field to compete in than these women are used to, so they can easily get the most thirsty of men to play along, subverting the entire thing and making it another facet of liberalism. I'm just looking for people I can have real conversations with.
https://treeofwoe.substack.com/p/nietzsches-last-dance
This isn't a call for women to become online influencers, but to support their husbands and local communities in building the social fabric essential for strength
Of course, but you’re talking about them having an essential role in dissident movements. Once they view themselves that way it devolves into a status competition. The reason I like the other women on here, as opposed to the women on X, is because they are actually trad rather than “trad” influencers. This is partially because they don’t see themselves as a part of any movement.
In this specific case, one woman is the hostess. It is her party. The competition between women will exist, and it may be over who has the best parties, with the best food and drink, the most pleasant surroundings, and most importantly, the most desirable guests. But each such party will have one and only one woman who is the mistress of the event. The other women are her guests. Influential female hosted parties occurred in Georgian and Victorian England, before women had explicit rather than implicit political power, one example I have read about. And political society hostesses had significant influence. Some of this still goes on, of course, but not nearly as much as it once did. The idea proposed here seems to be for a revival of such in-person hospitality to strengthen social and political bonds. That may be possible. It's worth a try.
This seems reasonable to me.
I think you’re right Rachel. It’s like churches where the men are in charge and lead, vs where the men “do it for the women”. The change in focus towards women is off putting to women. Strong churches are male focused with male leadership.
Done. God bless Leah.
I like the Catholic tradition of praying for your future spouse, even before you have met them or know who they are. It allow you to bring them comfort and support even now.
> things start to devolve into "trad wife" influencers
Jealous?
No, that's silly. It degrades the quality of the discussions. I'm just an old philosopher type. Also, how trad are you if you're an influencer? Come on now.
I absolutely love and desperately need this sense of security and safety and inspiring and wholesome conversations in the fellowship of kin and friends around a large dinner table. I wish I could experience it again. I had it in my childhood and have not stopped craving it.
The American ideal of strong individualism seems to clash with the need for community, at least in the way the sense of individualism is manifesting in our lives in the US for the last 30 years. Where I live now, a large metropolitan city, forming bonds is a challenge because people appear to be nomadic. They move where the next good job opportunity presents itself. If the only way careers can be built (and a decent retirement account) is through being a nomad, then we are a long way from achieving fellowship around the dinner table. My point is that companies need to offer incentives for people to stay in one place.
Nice comment, thank you. I think also we need to find ways to avoid the normalization and necessity of sending our kids off hundreds of miles away from their families for college - particularly girls. That single step immediately dissolves families and unties our young people from the locations of their people
Johann, have you read The Supper of the Lamb?
No, but it looks interesting. Worth reading?
One of my favorites. Lovely Christian ode to the feast, the dinner party, and hospitality in general.
Added to my list!
Another good piece. Just today I posted my first substack attempt which by happenstance dovetails well with your theme I think, if you don't mind me referencing it. By hook or crook we've got to win women back to the place of their special genius. In the run up to Christmas it strikes me how much the jolliness, comfort and sanctity of the Yule tide is predicated almost entirely on women giving a damn and exerting many esoteric skills.
https://thejourneymansalmanac.substack.com/p/gorgons-trash-bags-and-western-zen?utm_source=profile&utm_medium=reader2
Thank you for sharing, will read
I thoroughly enjoy reading this piece. We must organise ourselves in such a way, we must replicate traditions that our ancestors practiced, we have a thousand tried and tested rituals that can be implement whenever we wish, they're working practices that will help rebuild new societies for our people.
Very true
Is anyone as consistently high quality as Johann right now?
Ha, appreciate it. I'm enjoying myself, so hopefully can keep this pace going
Well written and said.
Thank you
It's nice that you think a woman's proper role is in the kitchen or cheerleading the troops. In my experience in the past 3 years of fighting the global genocide and enslavement, about 80%+ of the true leaders have been women. I am a conservative at heart and I frankly would prefer to not be on the front lines so much, but the reality is that few men are willing to step up when it really matters and be a true leader, and too many of them are seeking publicity and fame more than they are willing to roll up their sleeves and do the work that's required.
Good luck with that. For what it's worth, I don't disagree about the lack of strong and capable male leaders.
Did Martha, G Washington’s wife, cooked all those dinners by herself or she just wished it and it was so?
Appreciate it