We're adding a new festival to our PAT line-up: the Demokratia. This festival celebrates the blessings of democratic government, constitutional law and freedom of speech. Because of our current political climate, we thought it was time to bring it back. We will hold the ritual on 12 Boedromion, which is 22 September, at the usual 10 am EDT.


The festival included sacrifices to Zeus Agoraios, Athena Agoraia (literally "Zeus and Athene of the low place") and to the Goddess Themis.  Images of Zeus and Athena were paraded in the agora, the lower city below the Acropolis ("High Place"). Themis, one of the Titans, is Goddess of divine law--the primal, unwritten laws governing human conduct which were first established by the gods of heaven. She was believed to have issued these edicts to mankind through the great oracle of Delphoi over which she presided alongside the God Apollon.  Clearly, the establishment of democracy in Athens was seen as a divine gift of Themis, especially, as well as Zeus (her father) and Athena.

Today, we use the term demokratia to mean a direct democracy, as opposed to our more familiar modern invention, representative democracy. The demokratia was first begun in Athens around 500 BCE. In such a government, citizens’ (no women or slaves) votes were counted directly. By the same token, in a true demokratia, each citizen is also directly responsible for the various duties of keeping the society running. That is, every voting citizen is expected to participate in some way, in the functioning of the necessary social services, governance, and so on.

Will you join us in honoring the Gods who guard our democracy? You can find the ritual here and join the community page here.