On December 8 of this year, a new practical guide to Hellenismos is coming out. It's written by Tony Mierzwicki and his wife Jo-Ann Byers-Mierzwicki, and will contain information about ancient Hellenic history and culture, information on Hellenic mythology, simple daily observances and personal practice, and the lunar cycle and monthly, yearly, and festival observances. It'll go into detail about incorporating reconstruction and magick into a Pagan or Wiccan practice, and will cover controversial issues regarding Hellenic reconstruction. It will be titled 'Hellenismos: Practicing Greek Polytheism Today'.

The book has taken four years to write, on and off, and was mostly written by Mierzwicki himself. Jo-Ann Byers-Mierzwicki contributed an appendix, research on contemporary practices, and reworked the text for readability. The description of the book reads as follows, as taken from Amazon where the book can already be pre-ordered:

"The religion of the ancient Greeks has lain dormant for too long. In Hellenismos, Tony Mierzwicki shows how to bring it back in all of its primal glory. Learn how to forge personal relationships with the ancient Greek deities. Recreate the practices of the Greeks and enjoy the richness of their spiritual practice. Explore this accessible introduction to Greek reconstruction."

According to Mierzwicki's own description, the book is 'aimed at people drawn to reviving authentic ancient Greek religion, true to the spirit of the original by revealing how the ancient Greeks thought and how they venerated their deities. There are even ideas on how to incorporate veneration of the Greek gods and goddesses into other spiritual modalities. A lot of research has gone into this book, as evidenced by roughly 470 footnotes, most of which are from scholarly texts'.

I do not know Mierzwicki personally, but I do know that Cara Schulz of Hellenion fame has contributed to the project. No word yet on wether there will be an e-book version, but I'll be ordering my copy, regardless. Admittedly, the book doesn't look very Traditional--with its links to the Wiccan practice and magic--but even the support is important when it comes to books on a subject I love. Will you be buying a copy?