As we now look back on 2025, we can conclude that it has been a year of historic victories, deeper roots, and a community that has grown stronger than it has been in a very long time. It has been the year when a long struggle finally bore fruit, and when we quite literally put the spade into the ground for the future. A year in which perseverance, unity, and long-term commitment proved their true worth. We have demonstrated that \u00c1satr\u00fa is not a relic of the past \u2013 it is a living reality for thousands of people here and now. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n It is often said that perseverance wins, and never has this been clearer than in the spring of 2025. For eight years, the Nordic Asa-community has pursued the issue of the Pope Stone in Old Uppsala. We have written petitions, maintained dialogue with authorities, and clearly emphasized that a foreign religious symbol does not belong at one of the most important pre-Christian sacred sites in the Nordic world. <\/p>\n\n Many claimed the struggle was futile. But we knew why we stood there \u2013 and we did not give up. In April 2025, the announcement came: the Pope Stone had been removed. This was not merely the relocation of a stone block, but a principled acknowledgment that pre-Christian sacred sites also deserve respect. A victory for cultural heritage, religious freedom, and for all those who refused to accept the marginalization of our legacy. When the cranes lifted the 3,5-ton stone, it was a victory for everyone who honors Nordic cultural heritage. Related links \u2013 The Pope Stone:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n 2025 was not only the year when we corrected the past \u2013 it was the year when we built for the future. The work on Sweden\u2019s first burial ground for \u00c1satr\u00fa practitioners, located in Nyhed outside Molkom, reached its decisive milestone. After years of archaeological investigations, bureaucratic processes, and dialogue with authorities, the building permit was granted. The historic first groundbreaking took place, and construction is now underway, with completion estimated for 2026. <\/p>\n\n This is Sweden\u2019s first official burial ground for \u00c1satr\u00fa practitioners in modern times. Here, followers of \u00c1satr\u00fa will be able to rest beneath burial mounds, in an environment not dominated by Christian crosses but by the natural order itself. This project is the ultimate proof that NAS\/NAC takes responsibility for the future of \u00c1satr\u00fa \u2013 from cradle to grave. <\/p>\n\n Related links \u2013 The Burial Ground in Molkom:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n The community\u2019s own texts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n Newspapers & news websites:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n The Church of Sweden:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n International:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n During 2025, the community conducted a large number of bl\u00f3ts, name-givings, and weddings across the country. The absolute spiritual highlight of the year was the Summer Bl\u00f3t of 2025. At the historic R\u00f6k Stone in \u00d6sterg\u00f6tland \u2013 a place where the runes themselves speak of ancient heroes and gods \u2013 hundreds of \u00c1satr\u00fa followers gathered in July. <\/p>\n\n The bl\u00f3t was led by our national bl\u00f3t responsible, Thommy V\u00e4h\u00e4salo, and deputy national bl\u00f3t responsible Lena Salomonsson, together with NAS\/NAC bl\u00f3t officiants. To see hundreds of kinsmen and kinswomen raise their horns in shared reverence to the powers was a reminder of our collective strength. The sense of community at the Summer Bl\u00f3t is unique; here everyone meets regardless of profession \u2013 from young families and youth to retirees. The event has resonated far beyond Sweden\u2019s borders, and we are seeing a growing number of international guests traveling to Sweden to experience how we steward our faith in a modern and organized way. <\/p>\n\n The Summer Bl\u00f3t \u2013 Media Coverage:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n After a natural decline during the pandemic, the curve has steadily pointed upward, and during 2025 the community grew by around 150 new members. This is an impressive figure that shows the growing desire for fellowship and authentic spirituality. Your membership is part of the force that truly makes a difference and gives us weight in dialogue with authorities and in the work for religious freedom. <\/p>\n\n It is thanks to our members that projects such as Sweden\u2019s first burial ground have become possible. The members are the foundation that ensures \u00c1satr\u00fa not only survives \u2013 but takes its rightful place. We also see a gratifying trend of more families with children joining, giving children a natural relationship to nature and history. During the year, the community\u2019s bl\u00f3t kindreds have continued to develop and grow across large parts of Sweden, strengthening local activity and \u00c1satr\u00fa as a living tradition. <\/p>\n\n During 2025, the Nordic Asa-community (NAS\/NAC) cemented its role as a natural participant in public discourse. We have gone from being a curiosity to being an authority. Media coverage has been broader than ever: from national Public Service news to local reports and specialist press. <\/p>\n\n In total, the community\u2019s work and representatives have appeared in approximately 34 articles, news segments, and interviews<\/strong> during the year. This is proof that when we act \u2013 Sweden listens. Here is a selection: <\/p>\n\n We leave 2025 with heads held high, but we do not pause. According to our nine-year ritual cycle, we now enter the Year of Freyja, 2026<\/strong>. Freyja is both a goddess of war and fertility \u2013 a powerful figure who unites struggle, responsibility, and the continuation of life. To enter Freyja\u2019s year is to direct our gaze toward strength, renewal, action, and the future. <\/p>\n\n During 2026, we will place special emphasis on the Vanir goddess Freyja. At the same time, work in Molkom continues with the goal of inaugurating the burial ground in a dignified manner. In parallel, efforts to establish additional burial grounds across the country will intensify. Applications have been submitted previously, and during 2026 these processes will be resumed with increased focus. <\/p>\n\n Our national bl\u00f3t responsible, Thommy V\u00e4h\u00e4salo, has explained in a newly recorded video what the Year of Freyja means and her role in \u00c1satr\u00fa \u2013 an invitation to both reflection and action.<\/p>\n\n Watch Thommy V\u00e4h\u00e4salo speak about Freyja:<\/strong> https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=U2a3Z2RIWek<\/a><\/p>\n\nThe Pope Stone in Old Uppsala \u2013 When Endurance Became Victory<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n
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A Place for Final Rest \u2013 The Burial Ground in Molkom.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n
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Bl\u00f3t, Weddings, and Lived Faith \u2013 The Ceremonial Core.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n
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We Are Growing \u2013 And Thus \u00c1satr\u00fa Is Strengthened<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n
The Community in the Media \u2013 Setting the Agenda<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n
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Looking Toward 2026 \u2013 The Year of Freyja<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n