There is a new article going around the on-line Reconstructionistic circles, published by Mystera Magazine. It's a list of '5 Revived Religions You Should Know About'. And we are on it!


The article kicks off with a basic introduction on Reconstructive (and revived, which is--at least by my definition--Reconstruction's less strict brother) religions, saying:

"Through the history of mankind, religions have known a constant flux of appearance and disappearance. Some religions were short-lived, while others were practiced for thousands of years before their flame was extinguished. Though,  at times, it happens that a religion reemerges from the old pages of history, after it had been erased by the sands of time. This is the story of ancient Mediterranean and European religions. Today, five ancient religions are slowly making their comeback, with thousands of followers enacting their arcane rituals and praying for gods whose names had long been forgotten."

The first on the list is Hellenismos, which I will admit gave me very happy feelings. It comes with an unsources picture, but if anyone can tell me, I will source it properly (or remove it), thank you very much.


"Hellenismos or Dodekatheism, refers to various religious movements that emerged since the 1990’s aiming to revive and reconstruct the ancient Greek religion. Hellenism is estimated to have between 100,000 and 150,000 followers worldwide, most of them based in Greece and the United States, making it one of the most established and widespread religions among pagan reconstructionist movements. 

The modern day Hellenic religion is a religious devotion revolving around the Greek Pantheon (especially the Twelve Olympian gods like Zeus, Apollo, Athena…etc). It’s also a way of life based on traditional ancient Greek virtues, such as self-control, moderation, hospitality, and reciprocity."

I had never heard of Mystera Magazine, to be completely honest. The magazine describes itself as: "...a comprehensive publication about holistic health; a balance of physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing. It sheds light on how people can take care of themselves, of others, and the planet through informative yet simple and easy to read articles. It also explores different methods and philosophies, ancient and new, that enlighten and guide, through experts and knowledgeable figures in the field."

As far as their article goes; if I ever have to give an accurate summary of our religion, I'm reposting this, but with one minor detail that seems plucked right out of thin air: the estimated number of worshippers. 

To be perfectly clear: we have absolutely no idea how many of us there are out there. None what so ever. The latest somewhat accurate numbers come from 2005 and referred only to modern Hellenists living in Greece. That number was 2,000, with a possible (!) 100,000 adherants worldwide. The request for sources on this estimation was put in the comments, but no answer has been forthcoming. This is a shame for an article that ranked its choices by the number of followers.

The other four that made the list were: Kemetism (Egyptian Reconstruction) with 50,000 to 100,000 followers, Heathenism (Germanic Reconstruction) with 20,000 to 50,000 followers, Religio Romana (Roman Reconstructionism) with 5,000 to 10,000 followers, and Near Eastern Religions without an estimation at all. To me, all of these numbers sound suspect. I expect the number of Heathens to be far greater, for example, as its broad description covers a wide range of religions--including Slavic Revivalism, which is currently growing rapidly. 

I have no idea how widespread we are. I'd love to hope for numbers like this, but I feel they are a bit on the high side; the focus is still mainly on Greece, Italy, and America and while there are quite a few of us around, 150,000 people is a lot; perhaps not in the grand scheme of things, but still a lot. 

Perhaps it's time for a census of our own, like the one that is currently going around for the Heathen community. Until that time, we are stuck not knowing. I am happy this article was posted; I like the tone of voice and the amount of research that went into the descriptions of the religions. I would still like to see some sources or at least a reasoning for the numbers, but if this our current calling card, I am going with it.