Sara Axtell, Ph.D.
Sara grew up in a Norwegian-American family with a strong sense of cultural identity. As with many families of Scandinavian descent, she retained the remnants of ancient practices in many of her family traditions.
Her conscious study of Germanic cultural principles and practices was, in part, inspired by her work in racial justice movements, and from an understanding that, in order to do solid cross-cultural work, she would have to have a firm foundation in her own culture.
Sara's studies have been guided and enriched by the many elders and scholars within Minnesota and across the world who are working to reconstruct beliefs and practices of the ancient Germanic world in ways that give foundation to our lives today. She has had the great fortune to be nurtured by the wise and honorable folk of the Runehof Asatru Kindred, as well as by the elders and community at the Powderhorn Phillips Cultural Wellness Center.
Her own teaching takes place on the university campus, within a state correctional facility, in people's homes, and in community centers. She teaches on wyrd, on the structure of the soul, and how an understanding of these concepts provides us with a sense of obligation and connection to each other, to our ancestors, to the Gods, and to the wights of the natural world.