Please Read, Oh, Informed Np!

[Spear of Destiny]

I agree with your analysis, Bretagne, though this one seems quite difficult to me:

"The basic tennant of the Wiccan (Pagan) faith is "An It Harm None, Do What Ye Will." or in Layman's terms, "as long as it dosen't hurt anyone, or anything, in any way- then it should be allowed.""

What about fishing, killing animals for consumption, pulling a carrot or a leek out of the ground?

Neo paganism, like Wicca f.e., which often refers to my forefathers, the Celts (ancient Belgae, as Julius Caesar called us, hence "Belgium"), does not know the importance of the ancient Druids. Their task was to sacrifice a human being, because these people believed, that violence which had spread itself within their societies, could be focused upon one victim. By killing this victim, all societal violence was drawn within this victim's death, purged outside society, so by this sacrifice, they preserved their societies from internal violence and vengeance for a while (that's what they believed). This victim was carefully chosen, mostly a prisoner of war, or a child, born from a stolen woman from another tribe. In other words, a victim who's death could not arouse vengeance by the members of the society who killed it (otherwise, the sacrifice would not promote peace, but promote further vengeance, thus the complete opposite of it's intentions).

So, if neo paganists want to play "Druid", please remember that his first and most important task was the sacrifice of a human being.

Actually that's quite incorrect.

Believe it or not, there is actually no historical evidence that Druidry ever actually existed (beyond that of modern Druidry), let alone that such people engaged in acts of ritual sacrifice.  Cultures such as those of South America did regular engage in such practices, but there is no real evidence to suggest that such practices took place in Europe.  Ancient Druidry, if it existed, was a prehistoric belief system with no codefined and recorded systems.  This meant that much like all other such Pagan beliefs at the time, any practices or traditions would have been passed down orally.  As any archeologist, historian or even anthropologist knows, (naughty word) tradition changes greatly with time and in this case 1000 years (give or take) is a long time.  Those few remaining traditions that exist in Europe from that era in no way indicate that Druidic style of belief had any kind of connection to human sacrifice.  In fact, archeological evidence shows us that people were much more likely to sacrifice a weapon or a tool in order to appease gods and spirits, and that such practices would be very personal, certainly involving no more people than a single family, though more commonly just one person.  There is evidence to suggest that some small tribes may have sacrificed animals in the same manner, but this cannot be truly varified.
Though it would be true to say that people have discovered some small amount of evidence of executions on occasion, these appear to be for legal reasons and no religious connection can be made to them.

Indeed, it would be true to say that Christianity would actually hold a much higher level of guilt when it comes to religious persecution and killing, as is seen in the times of the witch hunts throughout Europe (and indeed America too).  In this time many women were killed and persecuted inthe name of these trials and often, in truth, for reasons completely unrelated to "witchcraft".  In fact, hardly any practicioners of witchcraft were actually brough to trial, most of these victims were simply women were who in some way angered a local man or were sought as scapegoats for the woes of the community (much as in the same way you say the ancient "Druids" acted).


Also, your understanding of the "An it harm none, do as though wilt" law is also slightly flawed.  This "law" is not connected to Druidry in any way.  This is what is known as the Wiccan Rede.  Wicca, as a religion, has only been around for a very small number of years, despite the fact that it bases its beliefs on older (and mostly lost) European pagan beliefs.  It should be noted that in these original pagan belief systems, no such law existed.  Indeed, there was no law in these pagan beliefs beyond the understanding of the principals of natural balance.  What goes around, omes around, so to speak.  Circle of life, if you will.
The mistake you have made is to assume that Wicca and Druidry are the same because they are both pagan religions, but this is not the case.


I'm not making any accusations with this post, merely corrcting the historical innacuracies in the name of better education.

[Spear of Destiny]

hehe, apparently   (naughty word)  is a naughty word.  lol

[bengel]

Believe it or not, there is actually no historical evidence that Druidry ever actually existed (beyond that of modern Druidry), let alone that such people engaged in acts of ritual sacrifice.

Caesar, f.e., wrote about the druids in "De Bello Gallico". I don't see why he would have lied about them, since they never were a threat to his legions.

Cultures such as those of South America did regular engage in such practices

This is true.

but there is no real evidence to suggest that such practices took place in Europe

Again, Julius Caesar:

"All the people of Gaul are completely devoted to religion, and for this reason those who are greatly affected by diseases and in the dangers of battle either sacrifice human victims or vow to do so using the Druids as administrators to these sacrifices, since it is judged that unless for a man's life a man's life is given back, the will of the immortal gods cannot be placated. In public affairs they have instituted the same kind of sacrifice. Others have effigies of great size interwoven with twigs, the limbs of which are filled up with living people which are set on fire from below, and the people are deprived of life surrounded by flames. It is judged that the punishment of those who participated in theft or brigandage or other crimes are more pleasing to the immortal gods; but when the supplies of this kind fail, they even go so low as to inflict punishment on the innocent"

And Strabo wrote:

"The Romans put a stop both to these customs and to the ones connected with sacrifice and divination, as they were in conflict with our own ways: for example, they would strike a man who had been consecrated for sacrifice in the back with a sword, and make prophecies based on his death-spasms; and they would not sacrifice without the presence of the Druids. Other kinds of human sacrifices have been reported as well: some men they would shoot dead with arrows and impale in the temples; or they would construct a huge figure of straw and wood, and having thrown cattle and all manner of wild animals and humans into it, they would make a burnt offering of the whole thing."

As any archeologist, historian or even anthropologist knows, (naughty word) tradition changes greatly with time and in this case 1000 years (give or take) is a long time.

Only 1000 years (give or take) I'm mainly talking here about the ancient celts of which Caesar wrote f.e., like the ancient Belgae who stood up against his regime in 54 BC.

In fact, archeological evidence shows us that people were much more likely to sacrifice a weapon or a tool in order to appease gods and spirits, and that such practices would be very personal, certainly involving no more people than a single family, though more commonly just one person. There is evidence to suggest that some small tribes may have sacrificed animals in the same manner, but this cannot be truly varified.

Of course, but before these substitutes were used (like in "totemism"), human bodies were "used".

"The best archaeological data supporting Celtic human sacrifice is the body of the man placed in Lindow bog in the first or second century C.E. We actually have the body (well, most of it) so well preserved that scientists were able to analyze his stomach contents to discover his last meal (a partially scorched grain cake). Lindow man was almost certainly a ritual sacrifice; he was strangled, hit on the head, and had his throat cut, in quick order, then surrendered to the bog. This pattern fits the "three-fold" death referred to in medieval Irish tales. What's more, the man seems to have been of high social rank, and a willing victim. There are also other bog burials (the Tollund Man bog body in Denmark is very similar) in various places in Europe, as well as in grain storage pits and shafts in Britain, that, once they were no longer used for storage, had human bodies thrown in them, for instance at the Danebury hillfort."

I must admit, there is some debate about this:

"The Romans recorded that they sacrificed humans, specifically condemned criminals. Judicial executions were no different elsewhere in Europe, including Saxony. The Romans wrote that such victims were tied into huge wicker man-shaped effigies and burned alive. The archaeological record does reveal a number of sacrificial deaths, such as "triple-deaths" where the victim was drowned, stoned, and impaled on a spear simultaneously. Some mythologies describe one person's life being sacrificed so that a terminally ill VIP would survive, thus indicating a belief in a cosmic balance of forces. However, there is some debate over this; it may have been anti-Druid propaganda. Julius Caesar had good reason to make the Druids look bad, because, after all, he was trying to conquer them. It would fuel interest in his campaign back home if he could prove that the Celts engaged in such barbaric practices. On the other hand, the Romans would kill people in gladitorial games, for the entertainment of the people. The Druids, if they did sacrifice people, could claim religious sanction. The archaeological record is ambiguous if such sacrifice was judicial or ceremonial, or even if it occurred at all. Rest assured that modern Druids do not sacrifice humans."

I fully disagree with the above claim that Caesar would have lied about the druids, for obvious reasons: druids did not partake in warfare. So he didn't have "to conquer them", nor would Romans have considered these violent practices to be unusual. They knew all about violence, the fact that, during his reign as consul (and that of Pompeius), about 3000 people were crucified every day within the empire, says enough I think. Granted, they could have found it "barbaric" to sacrifice human beings to gods, especially in the way they did this - like Strabo said. But this doesn't mean that Caesar could impress the Roman Senate by saying that "these people are barbaric, because they kill human beings for religious reasons".

Even neo-paganists themselves admit it:

"Didn’t the Ancient Druids Do Human Sacrifice?

Yes, it’s probably true. But then, so did the clergy of almost every other religion in human history, including the monotheistic ones. In fact, the (Un-)Holy Inquisition probably managed to kill more innocent people in an average year than the Paleopagan Druids did in a century! Nonetheless, Neopagan Druids have never practiced human or animal sacrifice in our rituals. Instead we offer the Goddesses and Gods flowers, fruits, wine, incense, music, song, drama, prayer, and — most important of all — our love and our dedication. The deities seem to find it more than sufficient."

http://www.neopagan.net/NeoDruidismFAQ.html





I'm not sure what you mean by your last paragraph. I guess it was directed at Bretagne?

[anti-conan]

Human sacrifice! This is proof of the utterly anti-christian nature of wicca. They should surely be put to death for such sin . Also Tacitus, a henchman of Julius Caesar, made accounts of human sacfifice and santaic worship in Uppsala and Lejre - thousands of innocent women and children was sacrificed to the heathen horned god.

[Spear of Destiny]

Bengel, Caesar's reference to "Druids" is effectively The reference to Druids and he was extremely adept at using propaganda against these he defeated.  He was a very clever man like that and understood how Rome worked.
Incidentally, the Romans were just as applied with propaganda as anyone you could mention.  They did infact write many exagerated accounts about their enemies in order to exemplify the Roman way of life.  This is very evident in alot of the Roman histories themselves, as they can tend to conflict with more personal accounts.
I never disputed that death was a punishment in a judicial nature.  Indeed, it was and has been in just about all cultures around the world at some time.  Some still do.
As you have admitted, there is debate regarding all the instances you have cited about bodies being found and it cannot be proven that they were sacrifices.  In fact, there is just as much (if not more) evidence to show that such bodies may have been judicially killed or murdered.


My last paragraph about the Wiccan Rede was merely pointing out the innacuracy of attempting to point out the hypocracy of the Rede by using ancient Druidry as an example.  Wicca is not Druidry and so there is no connection.  Wicca has only been around for less than 100 years, whereas if ancient Druidry existed it would be more than 2000 years old at the very least (but obviously more).
The ancient beliefs of the Pagan people of Europe never included the Wiccan Rede.

Human sacrifice! This is proof of the utterly anti-christian nature of wicca.  They should surely be put to death for such sin

Wiccans do not commit human sacrifice.

Wicca is not "anti-Christian" it is non-Christian.

Wouldn't putting them to death for not worshiping your god be hypocricy?

  Also Tacitus, a henchman of Julius Caesar, made accounts of human sacfifice and santaic worship in Uppsala and Lejre

No he didn't.  santaic worship is a Christian idea not given reference to by either the Romans or the Gauls.  The Romans never wrte about santaic worship at all.
In fact, even when the idea of Black Sabbaths and santaic worship was introduced in the middle ages, such things still didnt actually happen.

- thousands of innocent women and children was sacrificed to the heathen horned god.

When you are able to prove that I'll take issue with it.  At the moment it is just an unsubstantiated claim.



Also, what's with the pornographic image in your post?

[bengel]

I agree, the Roman propaganda machine was enormous. Like when Caesar wrote that of all the Gauls, the Belgians are the bravest   . He wrote this after he had silenced their upheaval, which had cost him 1 legion and 10 cohorts, to stress his own superiority. I'm just not so sure why he would have exaggerated the activities of Druids though, but it is a possibility of course.

I'm not so familiar with wicca. But I was amazed by the fact that many wiccans identify themselves as neopagan druids. Some of them even go so far as to trace their origins back to the ancient Celts, like that famous American witch Laurie Cabot. Their activities and ideas have almost nothing in common with what we know about the way of life of the ancient Celtic tribes. That's why I wrote that first post. It seems to me it is some kind of eclectic ragbag of all sorts of ideas and rituals molded together into the "Wiccan Rede", allthough I must admit that it appeals to me.

"Bide within the Law you must, in perfect Love and perfect Trust.
Live you must and let to live, fairly take and fairly give.

For tread the Circle thrice about to keep unwelcome spirits out.
To bind the spell well every time, let the spell be said in rhyme.

Light of eye and soft of touch, speak you little, listen much.
Honor the Old Ones in deed and name,
let love and light be our guides again.

Deosil go by the waxing moon, chanting out the joyful tune.
Widdershins go when the moon doth wane,
and the werewolf howls by the dread wolfsbane.

When the Lady's moon is new, kiss the hand to Her times two.
When the moon rides at Her peak then your heart's desire seek.

Heed the North winds mighty gale, lock the door and trim the sail.
When the Wind blows from the East, expect the new and set the feast.

When the wind comes from the South, love will kiss you on the mouth.
When the wind whispers from the West, all hearts will find peace and rest.

Nine woods in the Cauldron go, burn them fast and burn them slow.
Birch in the fire goes to represent what the Lady knows.

Oak in the forest towers with might, in the fire it brings the God's
insight.   Rowan is a tree of power causing life and magick to flower.

Willows at the waterside stand ready to help us to the Summerland.
Hawthorn is burned to purify and to draw faerie to your eye.

Hazel-the tree of wisdom and learning adds its strength to the bright fire burning.
White are the flowers of Apple tree that brings us fruits of fertility.

Grapes grow upon the vine giving us both joy and wine.
Fir does mark the evergreen to represent immortality seen.

Elder is the Lady's tree burn it not or cursed you'll be.
Four times the Major Sabbats mark in the light and in the dark.

As the old year starts to wane the new begins, it's now Samhain.
When the time for Imbolc shows watch for flowers through the snows.

When the wheel begins to turn soon the Beltane fires will burn.
As the wheel turns to Lamas night power is brought to magick rite.

Four times the Minor Sabbats fall use the Sun to mark them all.
When the wheel has turned to Yule light the log the Horned One rules.

In the spring, when night equals day time for Ostara to come our way.
When the Sun has reached it's height time for Oak and Holly to fight.

Harvesting comes to one and all when the Autumn Equinox does fall.
Heed the flower, bush, and tree by the Lady blessed you'll be.

Where the rippling waters go cast a stone, the truth you'll know.
When you have and hold a need, harken not to others greed.

With a fool no season spend or be counted as his friend.
Merry Meet and Merry Part bright the cheeks and warm the heart.

Mind the Three-fold Laws you should three times bad and three times good.
When misfortune is enow wear the star upon your brow.

Be true in love this you must do unless your love is false to you.

These Eight words the Rede fulfill:

"An Ye Harm None, Do What Ye Will"

http://www.wicca.com/celtic/wicca/rede.htm

[anti-conan]

When you are able to prove that I'll take issue with it. At the moment it is just an unsubstantiated claim.

Here you go, proof from your own wiccapedia :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germanic_mythology

Wouldn't putting them to death for not worshiping your god be hypocricy?

You make claims about my God, and you did not even read the Bible! - Besides, I never said "[...]not worshipping my God."

__Also, what's with the pornographic image in your post?________________________

Do you mean this ? :

[Spear of Destiny]

When you are able to prove that I'll take issue with it. At the moment it is just an unsubstantiated claim.

Here you go, proof from your own wiccapedia :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germanic_mythology

Wouldn't putting them to death for not worshiping your god be hypocricy?

You make claims about my God, and you did not even read the Bible! - Besides, I never said "[...]not worshipping my God."

__Also, what's with the pornographic image in your post?________________________

Do you mean this ? :

Your link (not mine) is still an unsubstantiated source, as you would see from the conversation I have been having with Bengel.  
1) Human Sacrifice cannot be proven
2) The "Horned God" you gave reference to is Celtic.


I have read the Bible and I will have no qualms about making claims of your religion (not your god), from an educated standpoint.
I never made claims about your God, I made claims about you and the hypocrisy of putting people to death for commiting sacrifices because your religion does not abide them.  In other words, human sacrifice is bad according to your religion, so those who practice it in their religion should be killed???  Y'know, killing is wrong so we should kill people who kill, you say?
Whats that?  An eye for an eye?


And yes, that is the pornographic image I was refering to.

[bengel]

I fully agree, Spear of Destiny  

An eye for an eye?

That's exactly what it is. They keep on confusing the Pentateuch's "eye for an eye" (vengeance) with Jesus' forgiveness (love).

"And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life, Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe" Exodus 21: 23-25.

"Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also." Matthew 5: 38,39

This "turing the other cheek" prevents a possible downward reciprocity of violence between persons.

That's why Jesus said that "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil." Matthew 5:17. His unique insights in how violence works, its mechanisms and so on (as I have said already tens of times on this guestbook) enabled him to give a better interpretation of the ancient laws, a new viewpoint, which brings these old laws unto "a higher plane" so to speak, to their complete and right understanding, to their fulfilment. Unfortunately, "true christians" do not want to hear about this. They prefer the old concept of God as a vengeful God, and reserve the "love thy neighbour" only to those who are inside their inner circle, who agree with their ideas, or to those people they sympathize with. Everybody who does not share their ideas, gets smitten down beforehand into the pits of afterlife hell. Hypocrisy? That's just an understatement. One characteristic they definetely inherited from Catholicism...

[anti-conan]

Your link (not mine) is still an unsubstantiated source, as you would see from the conversation I have been having with Bengel.

How about Adam von Bremen? We now have three independent sources, that says, that there have been human sacrifice in heathen Europe. :crak: You atheists readily belives that black holes exist, while you question such hard facts as this aforementioned.

That's exactly what it is. They keep on confusing the Pentateuch's "eye for an eye" (vengeance) with Jesus' forgiveness (love). "And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life, Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe" Exodus 21: 23-25. "Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also." Matthew 5: 38,39

This is truem what Jesus says. Jesus Corrected us, on how we should understand the Law, an eye-for-an-eye does not mean that we should satisfy anger with revenge - we must love our neighbour as a brother.

2) The "Horned God" you gave reference to is Celtic.

Since all idolworship is devil worship, and devil has horns,  devil-worship is horned god-worship.
Btw, funny that you firmly belive in the actuality of a term like horned-god, when you are so critical about the sources of the other stuff.

[bengel]

A little sidenote:

Above, I quoted the Wiccan Rede, and I liked it. But, there is one word inside of it which kept disturbing me: "Ostara".

Like the Swastika, this "goddess of spring etc." has nothing to do with nazism. But, unfortunately, after doing some thinking, I realized and remembered that nazism had identified itself with those symbols, especially with "Ostara". Lanz Von Liebenfels I think was the editor and main writer of the pan-Germanic and anti-Semitic magazine "Ostara" (since 1905 I think). Meister Eckhart, a founding, leading figure within the NSDAP, and even Hitler, have read these magazines, and were influenced by them. They wrote these influences down in "der völkische Beobachter" (the "spy of the people"), first published I think in the early twenties.

As Spear of Destiny said, Wicca is less than 100 years old (young). So I think that this "movement" should still be flexible enough to allow change within itself. So, out of respect for the victims between 1933 and 1945, I would like to see them change the word "ostara" into another word which symbolizes spring, like Inanna f.e. (Sumerian godess of spring, fertility, life itself, perhaps better known as Isjtar in Babylonian terms). They can only gain credibility by doing that among European intellectuals.    

[bengel]

This is truem what Jesus says. Jesus Corrected us, on how we should understand the Law, an eye-for-an-eye does not mean that we should satisfy anger with revenge - we must love our neighbour as a brother.

After so many debates, we finally agree . May love enter your heart, and may your heart sow this love inside many other hearts. We will harvest mutual respect, we have put the first steps towards it already   .  

[Spear of Destiny]

A little sidenote:

Above, I quoted the Wiccan Rede, and I liked it. But, there is one word inside of it which kept disturbing me: "Ostara".

Like the Swastika, this "goddess of spring etc." has nothing to do with nazism. But, unfortunately, after doing some thinking, I realized and remembered that nazism had identified itself with those symbols, especially with "Ostara". Lanz Von Liebenfels I think was the editor and main writer of the pan-Germanic and anti-Semitic magazine "Ostara" (since 1905 I think). Meister Eckhart, a founding, leading figure within the NSDAP, and even Hitler, have read these magazines, and were influenced by them. They wrote these influences down in "der völkische Beobachter" (the "spy of the people"), first published I think in the early twenties.

As Spear of Destiny said, Wicca is less than 100 years old (young). So I think that this "movement" should still be flexible enough to allow change within itself. So, out of respect for the victims between 1933 and 1945, I would like to see them change the word "ostara" into another word which symbolizes spring, like Inanna f.e. (Sumerian godess of spring, fertility, life itself, perhaps better known as Isjtar in Babylonian terms). They can only gain credibility by doing that among European intellectuals.

Well there's a little confusion here.  Ostara or Ostra as it is also sometimes spelt is not a reference to a Goddess, it is the name of one of the Sabbats.  Like Bealtaine, Samhain, Yule, etc. the name of Ostra actually does predate Wicca and can be traced back to pre-Christian Europe in one form or another.
It just kinda comes down to how Wicca is a young religion that utilises lots of old practices even though in most cases not all the information of those practices has survived.
However, it s true to say that alot of these beliefs and ways have survived in some small places and bloodlines.  

In regards to the Wiccan Rede though, the poem you posted up (which is very nice by the way) isnt actually the Rede.  The "An it harm none, do as thou wilt" is the actual Rede, the rest is just flavouring that has been added from whichever source you aquired it from.  Some Wiccans have their own additions to the Rede in a similar way, but most simply follow the Rede without all the aditional bits.
I believe it was actually brought into popularity by the famous occultist Alestair Crowley.

How about Adam von Bremen? We now have three independent sources, that says, that there have been human sacrifice in heathen Europe. crack.gif You atheists readily belives that black holes exist, while you question such hard facts as this aforementioned.

Three independant sources, eh?  As has been said, Roman claims can neither be substantiated nor necessarily credited as true or accurate.  
It is, however, true that some historians believe that human sacrifices may have taken place, but there are just as many who would argue that they didnt.  Either way, it still stands as fact that there is actually no arceological evidence to prove that religious human sacrifices were definately made and (getting back to the point this came from) even less evidence (as in none) that proves there were ever druids.

And, black holes?  What is so hard to believe about that?  A star collapses under the weight of its own super gravity, forming a gravity well that warps time and space to such a degree that it even pull light into it.  I dont see anything hard to grasp.  We know that gravity affects space and time, that is proven, so why should black holes (a recordable phenomenon) be hard to believe?

And incidentally.  You dont know me.  Done make assumptions about my spiritual beliefs.  I am not an atheist.

[anti-conan]

Three independant sources, eh? As has been said, Roman claims can neither be substantiated nor necessarily credited as true or accurate.

What are these three "unindependent" roman sources of wich you speak?

I believe it was actually brought into popularity by the famous occultist Alestair Crowley.

In fact, General Gardner was a pupil of Aleister Crowley - from whom he learned his rites of sodomy, blasphemy, santaism, errection,  voodoo, wicca, tarot cards, astrology, numerology, meditation, yoga-tantra, murder etc.

And, black holes? What is so hard to believe about that? A star collapses under the weight of its own super gravity, forming a gravity well that warps time and space to such a degree that it even pull light into it. I dont see anything hard to grasp. We know that gravity affects space and time, that is proven, so why should black holes (a recordable phenomenon) be hard to believe?

That is some really odd things to :crak: belive in - and I happen to be aware that "gravity affects space and time". Unfortunatly, no one will ever be able to prove that your imaginary "invisible-matter-singularities" does not exist.

And incidentally. You dont know me. Done make assumptions about my spiritual beliefs. I am not an atheist.

And you come here, to mock the belief of christians, while you, yourself, demands a special respect for your secular "beliefs."

After so many debates, we finally agree . May love enter your heart, and may your heart sow this love inside many other hearts. We will harvest mutual respect, we have put the first steps towards it already

We must always strive for more love . One day all sinners will conform under the Laws of Bible, and no more hatred.

[Spathever]

Like the Swastika, this "goddess of spring etc." has nothing to do with nazism. But, unfortunately, after doing some thinking, I realized and remembered that nazism had identified itself with those symbols, especially with "Ostara". Lanz Von Liebenfels I think was the editor and main writer of the pan-Germanic and anti-Semitic magazine "Ostara" (since 1905 I think). Meister Eckhart, a founding, leading figure within the NSDAP, and even Hitler, have read these magazines, and were influenced by them. They wrote these influences down in "der völkische Beobachter" (the "spy of the people"), first published I think in the early twenties.

Swastika was indeed not a mark created by nazis. I don't have any deeper insight into the matter except that I know that the swastika was the symbol of Finnish airforce (or possibly one of its squadrons). I don't know anything else on that matter. Could someone shed some light into the matter?