Question Collections post 41

I get a lot of questions from readers, and most of the time, the answers are fairly short. When I feel the question or the reply would be valuable to others as well, I make a post with a collection of them and post them in one go. Today is one of those posts.

"The only real question I have is the meaning behind 'khaire'. I looked everywhere for a solid definition but no one can seem to agree."

'Khaire' and its plural cousin 'Khairete' are greetings. They were used by the likes of Homeros in their writings. They both have the literal meaning 'rejoice,' 'fare well,' and 'hail.' As such they can be used both as a greeting or as a goodbye. This is some interesting reading on the words and their use.

~~~

"Should I construct an Altar to the Gods I want to worship?"

Some definitions you will need: an altar is one of those basic necessities within Hellenismos, and it differs from a shrine. Where an altar is a 'work space', dedicated not so much to a specific deity, but used to do the bulk of the (daily) rituals, a shrine is a devotional area where an altar might be located. In ancient Hellas, the shrine was usually a temple, the altar an actual altar, standing outside of it. Household worship took place at a multitude of shrines. You need an altar for Hellenic sacrifice, and you could build a shrine to the Gods you wish to honour, if you so desire.

~~~

"I want to celebrate the Galaxia, but would Kronos not be offended if I offer to another God?"

The ancient Hellenes (and modern Hellenisist with them) felt strongly all the Gods are connected in some way. Thus you will only very rarely--if ever--sacrifice to just one God. Sacrificing to the Gods in the periphery of the main God you wish to worship establishes kharis and is simply good form. The Gods care about Their family just as we do, so honouring Their mothers, daughters, sons and brothers is very important.

~~~

 

"I would like to adopt the custom of having a kathiskos, but I'm really worried about all of that decomposition and decay that is tied into it all. Would you have any advice for me?"

A kathiskos is an offer jar of foodstuffs used to protect the household's food storage. Typically, it has olive oil and water. The rest is up to the household. The Kathiskos is dedicated to Zeus Ktesios, guardian of the household. The jar is typically emptied into the compost bin or garden and refilled with fresh foodstuffs every month. In generl, kathiskoi have a lid--a lid that tightly screws on. If you have that, then you really need to worry about anything like decomposition and decay.

Below is a picture of an example kathiskos that has not been changed for a little over a year (!) now. It still looks pretty fresh, doesn't it? And this one has fruit! Of course, if I were to open this one know, it would smell foul. My kathiskos always smells foul. That's the point. Think of it like this: all the rotting and fermentation that took place in your kathiskos did not happen to your other foodstuffs. The worse the smell and the worse the status of your content, the better.

~~~

"My sister recently gave birth to a baby girl and I said a prayer of thanks to Hera and Artemis. Now she has two other children, 2 boys, and I was wondering, should I say prayers on their behalf to Artemis as well, or to some other deity?"

Congratulations on your niece (and nephews, of course). Artemis is the protectress of all children, as a Kourotrophos The Kourotrophos are (mostly) female deities who watched over growing children--Gaea, Artemis, Hekate, Eirênê, Aglauros and Pandrosos, especially. They also watched over young boys and were offered to to keep them safe. Zeus, Athena and Hēraklēs were also prayed to by young boys in order to grow big and strong, and these Theoi were also prayed to to guide and protect the boy.

• Sunday, October 24, 2021
  ancient Hellenic culture Hellenic Reconstruction Hellenismos 101 Kathiskos Kourotrophoi Kronos personal Question Collections Post requested post

Question Collections post 12

 "When making our kathiskos, should we limit the food stuffs to less perishable items? I eat a lot of cheese and would rather not have a jar of honey, oil, water, and cheese sitting in my pantry for a month, I'm sure you understand. What do you think of a refrigerator kathiskos?"

The kathiskos is an offer jar of foodstuffs used to protect the household’s food storage. Typically, it has olive oil and water; the rest is up to the household. The kathiskos is dedicated to Zeus Ktesios, guardian of the household. The jar is typically emptied into the compost bin or garden and refilled with fresh foodstuffs every month, on the Noumenia.

The ancient kathiskoi were often unsealed, and I suspect that sometimes they would be tossed earlier than the new Noumenia or ingredients were carefully selected. Personally, I don't know anyone who has an unsealed kathiskos these days, because most Hellenists I know enjoy the tradition of keeping it for a month.

in all my years making a kathiskos, I have never shied away from using anything, and the worst the content of the kathiskos did was that the water turned a little murky. If you seal it up air tight, you won't have much of a problem--until you open it, of course. But I like to think of it like this: all the rotting and fermentation that took place in your kathiskos did not happen to your other foodstuffs. The worse the smell and the worse the status of your content, the better ;-)

"Hello! On your blog is says that the Panathenaia is from the 23rd of hekatombaion to the 30th. Does that mean it ends before the 30th begins or does the festival include the 30th day?"

It includes the 30th, unless the month only has 29 days, then the festival includes the 29th day, but doesn't stretch on into Metageitnion. The Greater Panathenaia includes the 30th, the two Lesser Panathenaia in-between include only the 29th.

"Would it be 'allowed' (seen as non-disrespecrful I guess) to make one alter for more than one god/goddess? Or are alters and shelves reserved for one theos only? Thanks :)"

Most shrines in ancient Hellas were, and even during festivals for a particular Theoi others were worshipped, so I don’t see why not!

"Is there a greek god of finding missing things?"

Not as far as I know, but in general, Gods and Goddesses whom you have built kharis with will help you when you are truly in need. From a purely personal perspective, Hermes would most likely be able to find your items, seeing as he’s been known to hide (and steal) items Himself ;-)

• Monday, March 22, 2021
  ancient Hellenic culture Hellenismos 101 household worship Kathiskos Panathenaia Question Collections Post requested post

Question Collections post 60

I get a lot of questions from readers, and most of the time, the answers are fairly short. When I feel the question or the reply would be valuable to others as well, I make a post with a collection of them and post them in one go. Today is one of those posts. Also: this is question collections post number sixty. Sixty! With an average of four answers per posts, that is at least 240 questions answered--say 250 because I like whole numbers. 250 answers. Quite the achievement. Here is to at least 250 more!

"Do you think it would be appropriate to replace Greek words in prayer with the closest equivalent English words? I have a lot of trouble with Greek pronunciation, and I worry that this focus on language ends up distracting me from prayer, and by extension from the Theoi."

A good while back, I wrote a post about the importance of language in ritual. Mostly that was me waxing poetically about an issue I had not yet resolved. I still haven't. I don't speak Greek, let alone ancient Greek. I do promounce the names of the Theoi in Greek as much as possible--which ususally is not quite a huge difference from the English.

Upon reading your question I contemplated how problematic this fact is to me. Upon the aforementioned contemplation, I can say that I don't rightly mind the fact that my worship is practiced in a mixture of Dutch, English and the odd word of Greek. Language is a human thing anyway; I can't imagine the Theoi are hindered in understanding my hymns and prayers because of the language I use.

Practicing in ancient Greek is probably more Traditional--and if I spoke it, I would use it. Perhaps I will learn enough ancient Greek one day to practice in it--who knows--but even in that case, the meaning of the words is more important to me than the words themselves.

I can understand how distraction by language might worry you. You know, at the end of the day, we do the best we can. If (currently) the best you can do is using the English pronounciation of the names of the Theoi, then do that. Just honour Them. Give Them Their proper due. Nothing matters above that.

~~~

"I have lately been having trouble getting myself to do rituals, and this causes me to feel very guilty - I feel sometimes that Hellenismos isn't for me. But - I want it and feel connected to it. What should I do? Thanks."

Some things I can't answer for an individual. Wether Hellenismos is the right religion for them or not is one of them, sadly. There are so many variables at play here--why are you having trouble getting yourself to do rituals, for example? Is it a matter of time? Effort? Money? Embarresment? Devotion? Are there ways to go about it that would alleviate these reasons? Doing it once a day? Doing only festival rituals?

If you have contacted me to alleviate your guilt and get a pass on rituals, well, I am not your priestess. This is not Christianity; there is no pardon for behavior that runs counter to the religion's practice. In Hellenismos, you are responsible for your own behavior and by acting, you accept the subsequent reaction. I can't tell you in the Theoi mind that you do not actively practice or do so only rarely or reluctantly. I would never presume to interpret the minds of the Theoi that way. I also cannot tell you if your issues with active practice mean Hellenismos is for you or not.

My advice to you would be to look inside yourself and try to pinpoint why, exactly, you are feeling this reluctance. I fear that that is the only way you might find an answer to the other question. Best of luck to you!

~~~

"I am looking for the "ancient writers" who used the terms Khryseoi and Agryreoi and gave the description below.

'According to some ancient writers, the spirits of the Silver Age also became daímones: the daímones agryreoi. They were described as earth-dwelling fertility spirits who proferred mankind with rich harvests. They were inferior to the Daimones Khryseoi. The former resided within the earth, while the latter occupied the air.'"

That quote is from this post of the Beginner's Guide to Hellenismos. The ancient writer is Hesiod, in his Works and Days:

"First of all the deathless gods who dwell on Olympos made a Golden (khryseoi, Ἁγνοι) Race of mortal men who lived in the time of Kronos when he was reigning in heaven. " [109 ff (trans. Evelyn-White)]

"They [the gods] who dwell on Olympos made a second generation [of men after the Golden Race] which was of Silver (Argyreoi, Αργυρεοι) and less noble by far. It was like the golden race neither in body nor in spirit." [121 ff (trans. Evelyn-White)]

~~~

"When emptying the kathiskos each month, what do you do with the contents? I know better than to throw them away because they are offerings and are marked as sacred, but do you bury it in a flowerbed or...?"

I used to add the contents of my kathiskos to our compost pile, now I have moved and we have not yet installed a compost heap, they get buried (deep) in the yard to basically fulfil the same purpose. It seems only right to do something with it that will provide life.

• Thursday, September 29, 2016
  ancient Hellenic culture Hellenismos 101 Hesiod Kathiskos personal Question Collections Post requested post Works and Days

Question Collections post 41

I get a lot of questions from readers, and most of the time, the answers are fairly short. When I feel the question or the reply would be valuable to others as well, I make a post with a collection of them and post them in one go. Today is one of those posts.

"The only real question I have is the meaning behind 'khaire'. I looked everywhere for a solid definition but no one can seem to agree."

'Khaire' and its plural cousin 'Khairete' are greetings. They were used by the likes of Homeros in their writings. They both have the literal meaning 'rejoice,' 'fare well,' and 'hail.' As such they can be used both as a greeting or as a goodbye. This is some interesting reading on the words and their use.

~~~

"Should I construct an Altar to the Gods I want to worship?"

Some definitions you will need: an altar is one of those basic necessities within Hellenismos, and it differs from a shrine. Where an altar is a 'work space', dedicated not so much to a specific deity, but used to do the bulk of the (daily) rituals, a shrine is a devotional area where an altar might be located. In ancient Hellas, the shrine was usually a temple, the altar an actual altar, standing outside of it. Household worship took place at a multitude of shrines. You need an altar for Hellenic sacrifice, and you could build a shrine to the Gods you wish to honour, if you so desire.

~~~

"I want to celebrate the Galaxia, but would Kronos not be offended if I offer to another God?"

The ancient Hellenes (and modern Hellenisist with them) felt strongly all the Gods are connected in some way. Thus you will only very rarely--if ever--sacrifice to just one God. Sacrificing to the Gods in the periphery of the main God you wish to worship establishes kharis and is simply good form. The Gods care about Their family just as we do, so honouring Their mothers, daughters, sons and brothers is very important.

~~~

 

"I would like to adopt the custom of having a kathiskos, but I'm really worried about all of that decomposition and decay that is tied into it all. Would you have any advice for me?"

A kathiskos is an offer jar of foodstuffs used to protect the household's food storage. Typically, it has olive oil and water. The rest is up to the household. The Kathiskos is dedicated to Zeus Ktesios, guardian of the household. The jar is typically emptied into the compost bin or garden and refilled with fresh foodstuffs every month. In generl, kathiskoi have a lid--a lid that tightly screws on. If you have that, then you really need to worry about anything like decomposition and decay.

Below is a picture of an example kathiskos that has not been changed for a little over a year (!) now. It still looks pretty fresh, doesn't it? And this one has fruit! Of course, if I were to open this one know, it would smell foul. My kathiskos always smells foul. That's the point. Think of it like this: all the rotting and fermentation that took place in your kathiskos did not happen to your other foodstuffs. The worse the smell and the worse the status of your content, the better.

~~~

"My sister recently gave birth to a baby girl and I said a prayer of thanks to Hera and Artemis. Now she has two other children, 2 boys, and I was wondering, should I say prayers on their behalf to Artemis as well, or to some other deity?"

Congratulations on your niece (and nephews, of course). Artemis is the protectress of all children, as a Kourotrophos The Kourotrophos are (mostly) female deities who watched over growing children--Gaea, Artemis, Hekate, Eirênê, Aglauros and Pandrosos, especially. They also watched over young boys and were offered to to keep them safe. Zeus, Athena and Hēraklēs were also prayed to by young boys in order to grow big and strong, and these Theoi were also prayed to to guide and protect the boy.

• Thursday, March 17, 2016
  ancient Hellenic culture Hellenic Reconstruction Hellenismos 101 Kathiskos Kourotrophoi Kronos personal Question Collections Post requested post

Question Collections post 12

"When making our kathiskos, should we limit the food stuffs to less perishable items? I eat a lot of cheese and would rather not have a jar of honey, oil, water, and cheese sitting in my pantry for a month, I'm sure you understand. What do you think of a refrigerator kathiskos?"

The kathiskos is an offer jar of foodstuffs used to protect the household’s food storage. Typically, it has olive oil and water; the rest is up to the household. The kathiskos is dedicated to Zeus Ktesios, guardian of the household. The jar is typically emptied into the compost bin or garden and refilled with fresh foodstuffs every month, on the Noumenia.

The ancient kathiskoi were often unsealed, and I suspect that sometimes they would be tossed earlier than the new Noumenia or ingredients were carefully selected. Personally, I don't know anyone who has an unsealed kathiskos these days, because most Hellenists I know enjoy the tradition of keeping it for a month.

in all my years making a kathiskos, I have never shied away from using anything, and the worst the content of the kathiskos did was that the water turned a little murky. If you seal it up air tight, you wont have much of a problem--until you open it, of course. But I like to think of it like this: all the rotting and fermentation that took place in your kathiskos did not happen to your other foodstuffs. The worse the smell and the worse the status of your content, the better ;-)

"Hello! On your blog is says that the Panathenaia is from the 23rd of hekatombaion to the 30th. Does that mean it ends before the 30th begins or does the festival include the 30th day?"

It includes the 30th, unless the month only has 29 days, then the festival includes the 29th day, but doesn't stretch on into Metageitnion. The Greater Panathenaia includes the 30th, the two Lesser Panathenaia in-between include only the 29th.

"Would it be 'allowed' (seen as non-disrespecrful I guess) to make one alter for more than one god/goddess? Or are alters and shelves reserved for one theos only? Thanks :)"

Most shrines in ancient Hellas were, and even during festivals for a particular Theoi others were worshipped, so I don’t see why not!

"Is there a greek god of finding missing things?"

Not as far as I know, but in general, Gods and Goddesses whom you have built kharis with will help you when you are truly in need. From a purely personal perspective, Hermes would most likely be able to find your items, seeing as he’s been known to hide (and steal) items Himself ;-)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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• Thursday, March 26, 2015
  ancient Hellenic culture Hellenismos 101 household worship Kathiskos Panathenaia Question Collections Post requested post

PBP: Intuition and knowledge

Yesterday, I got  reader question about the kathiskos; an offer jar of foodstuffs used to protect the household’s food storage. Typically, it has olive oil and water; the rest is up to the household. The kathiskos is dedicated to Zeus Ktesios, guardian of the household. The jar is typically emptied into the compost bin or garden and refilled with fresh foodstuffs every month. The question was:

 

"Why the contents of the kathiskos isn't a part of the offerings to Hekate on the Deipnon like all other 'left overs' of previous offerings are?"

When I the question, I had to think about the answer for a while, because it is largely a matter of the heart, not the mind. We don’t have a description on what to do with the contents of the kathiskos, after all. It got me thinking on how much of reconstruction depends on our well-informed intuition; on inferring courses of action simply because they just feel right and logical in line of everything we know.

For the kathiskos, for example, I strongly feel that the offerings to Hekate are the remnants of offerings given to the Gods, consumed by fire in Traditional Hellenismos, and after that no longer of value. These offerings become left-overs, ashes and dirt. They have served their purpose. The offerings to Zeus Ktesios, however, remain offerings, despite having served their purpose. They aren’t sacrificed through fire but through burial, through the recycling of the nutrients in them. They add to the cycle that feeds the family by becoming compost. They belong to Zeus, and because of that, they can’t be offered to Hekate.

Reconstruction thrives on research, on understanding why certain people did certain things so when we encounter a problem in our modern worship, we can say: 'okay, we don't have a source for what to do in this exact situation, but we do know what they would have done in this situation that is at least a little similar, and so we can infer that they would most likely have done this'. It's not an exact science, but it allows us to get through the basics without too much fuss and second-guessing.

Repetition is one of the greatest goods of re-creating an ancient practice; here were a people who did things the same way over and over again with only minor differences to account for the large variety of Gods and circumstances that was engrained in their society. The ancient Hellenes believed that the Gods had to be drawn towards the ritual, so they always performed the same basic steps; they had a logic to the animals they sacrificed, the rituals of purification they did, and the way they wrote their hymns and prayers. They were very much a people of predictable action when it comes to their religion and culture. Finding out these patters and undercurrents means you can apply them to anything and anywhere in the now.

I believe in study, in finding out as much as you can, and then letting go of the details until the inconsistencies smooth out into a generalized red thread to follow. Like with the kathiskos, I have inferred a lot to get my answer, but all of it is based upon pre-existing knowledge. I feel my answer is correct, although there is a chance that--applying the same method--someone else comes to a different conclusion, or we one day come across evidence that the kathiskos was, in fact, emptied out along with the offerings to Hekate. That is a risk you always run with reconstruction, but if you let that stop you from trusting your gut, I promise you, you will never get any worshipping done at all.

• Friday, April 25, 2014
  ancient Hellenic culture Hellenismos 101 Kathiskos Pagan Blog Project requested post

Noumenia musings

The three days surrounding the turning of the month are my favorite sacred days within the Hellenic calendar and lifestyle. An evening and night of cleaning, paying bills, doing the tasks I've been putting off and then--with a big sigh of relief--stepping into the new month with fresh flowers and a positive attitude, cleansed of miasma by Hekate, and blessed by Zeus.

While I observe the festivals, it's usually a more formal and slightly longer version of my daily rituals. Somehow, I find I don't do anything truly outlandish when it's just me and the Theoi. On the Deipnon, though, I perform outdoor ritual, I cycle to the forest to give offerings to Hekate at a beautiful crossroads, I clean out my kathiskos, and then clean all my ritual tools as well as scrub down my altar and shrines. On the Noumenia, I perform outdoor ritual again, I fill my kathiskos, give libations at my door-shrine, I buy beautiful flowers, prepare for the month ahead and finish the cleaning. Agathós Daímōn, I give libations at His shrine, finish preparations for the month and settle into the month itself. It's a beautiful trilogy that gives me great peace of mind.

Today, I'm out to celebrate Noumenia, and thus you're getting an update about me and this blog, as put together on the Deipnon. Enjoy these beautiful sacred days, and I'll see you again tomorrow.

• work on the labeling is moving along nicely. You may have also spotted that I'm going back to change the spelling of some of the names of the Theoi to reflect the Greek spelling. It's a bit of a process, but I'm getting there
• I have started the second year of the Pagan Blog Project, and so far I have been on time every week; go me!
• the blog will reach 30.000 hits today, which means that you guys rock!
• if any of you are looking for a very nice, Traditional Hellenismos, online organization, Elaion--which I joined a little while ago and will soon be a full member of--is accepting members; Bob, the most active of the founding members, and I are putting our heads together for a round of improvements and a pooling of resources for seekers; it's exciting work, and I will keep you informed about it
• the new 'Flora Series' has gotten its own link on the left sidebar, in the series box
• the festival page has been updated to include links to the festivals I have written about
• the terminology page has been updated as well
• did you catch the new videos?
• the Pagan blogroll on the left hand side has been updated with more Hellenic links
• a few days ago, someone found this blog by searching for my name! Yes, this is a big deal in my world

Thank you, all for reading, for commenting, or even for simply stopping by. More Hellenism tomorrow, now go out, and enjoy today. I'm relieved this month has ended. Have a blessed new month, everyone. See you tomorrow.

Update: my public Google festival calendar has been updated to the end of the year. Yes, that means that Elaphebolion, Mounukhion, Thargelion and Skirophorion have been added.

• Tuesday, February 12, 2013
  Agathós Daímōn blogging festivals Hekate's Deipnon Kathiskos monthly update Noumenia this is not a real post

Deipnon, Noumenia and Agathós Daímōn; monthly festivals

One of the most important and confusing of the many Hellenic festivals is the three-day transition from month to month. Although unlinked, the Deipnon, the Noumenia and Agathós Daímōn are held on consecutive days, around the new moon. Especially the placement of the days is hard to get right; at least, it was for me.

The Deipnon (Hene kai Nea)--or Hekate's Deipnon--is celebrated any time before the first sliver of the new moon is visible. In practice, this is the day after the new moon. The Noumenia is held the day after that, when the moon has become visible again, and Agathós Daímōn the day after that. It is important to note that the ancient Hellens started a new day at sundown the day before. Instead of starting a new day at midnight--or in the morning--like we do today, they started it at sundown of the previous day. This means that--when applied to modern practice--the Deipnon starts on the day of the suspected new moon, and the rest follows after, to the total of four days. Confused yet? How about a schematic. In this example, we'll assume that the sun goes down at six P.M. on all days.

Day 1: 
All day - (suspected) new moon
6 P.M. - start of the Deipnon (Deipnon night)

Day 2:
All day - day after the new moon
6 P.M. day 1 to 6 P.M. day 2 - Deipnon (Deipnon day)
6 P.M. - start of the Noumenia (Noumenia night)

Day 3:
All day - second day after the new moon
6 P.M. day 2 to 6 P.M. day 3 - Noumenia (Noumenia day)
6 P.M. - start of  Agathós Daímōn (Agathós Daímōn night)

Day 4:
All day - third day after the new moon
6 P.M. day 3 to 6 P.M. day 4 - Agathós Daímōn (Agathós Daímōn day)

This difference in perception is especially prudent when you--like I--feel the need to celebrate the ritualistic part of the Deipnon and Noumenia at night. It means that I can't hold my night time celebration of the Deipnon on the day of the Deipnon (day 2 in the schematic), but need to do it the day before the day of the Deipnon (so on day one, after 6 P.M. in the schematic).

Hekate’s Deipnon is the traditional time to end the old month and prepare for the new one. In ancient Hellas, the Deipnon was celebrated with a Supper for the Titan Hekate--made up of leek, egg, cakes, fish, unions and garlic--and set out at the outside shrine to Hekate, and then placed at a crossroads as an offering to Her--Hekate Trioditis, Goddess of Crossroads--and the vengeful spirits who were in her following. In addition to placation, the Deipnon is also a time of purification; in ancient times, a dog was taken in, touched by all members of the oikos so any lingering miasma was transfered to the dog. The dog was then sacrificed in a holókaustos. This was most likely not a monthly thing, but only performed when the household was troubled. As Hekate's sacred animal is a dog, the sacrifice also served to regain, or keep, Hekate's favor upon the household. The house was also thoroughly cleaned so the new month could start fresh the day after. Debts were repaid on this day.

Of course, I'm not going to sacrifice a dog. For one, it is against the law to do so, and my girlfriend would leave me the second I tried. She still won't watch Beethoven because--apparently--the dog gets mistreated somewhere along the way. Anyway... my Deipnon celebration is as follows: at sundown (as per a wonderful Google Calendar), I gather the Supper and place it at the shrine to Hekate with Her Hymn (Orphic Hymn 1 (or 0)). I then go about collecting the remnants of sacrifices I have made in the month past--most of which I have already collected in an urn under my main shrine at the start of every new day--from my various shrines. Then, I set the bowl on the ground in front of my main shrine, throw barley into it, purify myself with khernips and add ethanol to the offering. While reciting the Orphic hymn to Hekate, I place a previously fabricated wax dog figurine onto the pile of left-over offerings, and light the sacrifice with fire from Hestia's candle. I then take the offering outside where I leave it to burn itself out. The dog will have melted away--taking the impurity of the household with it--and I let the offerings cool down before collecting them in a jar.

With the last daylight, I take the burned offerings, the Supper, wine, a banana-leaf plate (because it degrades very easily, a requirement because you don't get to take the plate home), and a special sacrifice (usually incense or lavender) to the 'crossroads' outside my house, where the garden meets with the street. I recite Hekate's hymn again, and add prayers to take the old, the shame-filled, the impure out of the home, as I have taken these offerings out of the home. Then I pour a hansom libation of undiluted wine on the ground near my offering and turn around, walk away, and do not--I repeat, do not--look back, as it is said we will take the impurity--as well as a slew of vengeful spirits--back home if we do. I make sure to be inside before dark, and try not to go out again if I can help it.

Once home, I empty my kathiskos, and clean my ritual tools and shrines. The next day is all about cleaning. I do laundry, dishes, vacuuming, mopping, etc. I also pay any bills left unpaid, as well as get all those odd jobs and chores done I've been avoiding this month. I try to get one major cleaning or sorting project done on the Deipnon; clean the oven, the cupboards, etc. I offer a hymn (Orphic Hymn 8 or Homeric Hymn 32), something sweet like cakes and/or honey and libations to Selene after dark, because--in the cycle--this is the only night of the Noumenia and I feel Selene, the personification of the moon, is best worshipped at night, especially because we celebrate the first sliver of the new moon.

The next day (day 3, Noumenia day), in the morning, I offer the same type of sacrifice to Apollon Noumenios (Orphic Hymn 33, (parts of) Homeric Hymn 3, or Homeric Hymn 21), Hestia (Orphic Hymn 83, Homeric Hymn 24, or Homeric Hymn 29) and Hermes (Orphic Hymn 27, (parts of) Homeric Hymn 4, or Homeric Hymn 18). I also refill my kathiskos and offer a hymn (I tend to choose Orphic Hymn 14) to Zeus Kthesios, as well as incense. The goal of the Noumenia is to start fresh, and to honor the household deities. It is a day of family, family meals, and the celebration of the new month. Part of that celebration can be to prepare for the new month by planning out important events--religious or secular--and writing them down, preferably with the whole family present.

Either that night after sunset, or the day after, day four (Agathós Daímōn day), I offer incense, libations of unmixed wine and a hymn (I am partial to Orphic Hymn 72) to the Agathós Daímōn, the serpent household spirit, who brings good fortune, honor and wealth to the oikos, and ask it to watch over my family, keep honor in our family line and to let our family name be forever remembered through their deeds, and mine. I may also read out the list of events and goals for the new month to the spirit, so they may help me with it. After that, I'm ready for a new month.

This is how I perform these very important festivals. Others do it differently, I'm sure. A modern invention is to give either food or money to a charity, or a food bank on the Deipnon. This practice is based on a quote from Aristophanes' comic play, 'Plutus'. In a debate between Poverty and the character Chremylus, Chremylus says:

"Ask Hekate whether it is better to be rich or starving; she will tell you that the rich send her a meal every month and that the poor make it disappear before it is even served."

It's not the most... clear of statements. Some take it to mean that Hekate is fine with the poor eating Her offering, others assume those who took Her Supper were hungry enough to brave even the dread Goddess Hekate and Her spirit entourage. I'm partial to the latter, so I do not donate food or money to charity on the Deipnon. There are a lot of other days to do that on which will not potentially piss off Hekate.

All in all, the Deipnon is probably my favorite Hellenistic holiday. I love the sense of closure it brings, and the way I get things done I would otherwise avoid indefinitely. I can be very good at putting my head in the sand some days. My respect for Hekate most certainly blows that out of the window when the Deipnon comes around. How do you celebrate the ending of the old month and the transition into the new one?

• Sunday, November 18, 2012
  Agathós Daímōn Apollon festivals Hekate Hekate's Deipnon Hermes Hestia holókaustos Homeric Hymns Kathiskos moon Noumenia Orphic Hymns Selene Zeus Kthesios

[VIDEO TUTORIAL] How to make a kathiskos

Alright, there is good news, and bad news. The good news is that I figured out how to kill the weird zoom thing the camera did. The bad news is that I only discovered this on the second day of shooting this video. Also, the first day, it was this sunny-but-cloudy day, so the camera had a bit of trouble with the light. Therefor, the first minute is a bit rough but after that, it gets lots and lots better. Next time will be perfect (and also better lit).

Alright, so on to the video tutorial. In the spirit of the Deipnon and Noumenia we have just celebrated, I am going to show you what to do with, and how to prepare, a kathiskos. As I will explain in the video, the kathiskos is a small jar filled with foodstuffs which is stored from the Noumenia (first day of the lunar month) until the Deipnon (last day of the lunar month) in a shrine to Zeus Kthesios. It's purpose is to protect the pantry.

The ancient Hellenic scholar I refer to in the video is Anticleides, and he wrote:

"It is necessary to make the symbol of Zeus Ktesios (Protector of the Household goods or He who cares for the prosperity of the Household). We take a new Kathisko with two ears (handles) through which we thread white wool and yellow thread which we take over the right shoulder so that it hangs in front. We put anything we find and ambrosia in it. Ambrosia is pure water and oil and all-fruit. This we put inside."

Enjoy! And remember, if you have requests, let me know. I'll gladly make another video.

• Thursday, October 18, 2012
  ancient Hellenic culture daily practice Hekate's Deipnon Hellenismos 101 Kathiskos Noumenia video tutorials videos Zeus Kthesios

It's a new month. Thank the Gods!

Although nothing really happened over the course of the month to have me so happy for its end, I can't wait to get started on the Deipnon and wish the old month farewell. Just the thought of cleaning out the old and starting fresh is something I'm desperately craving.

I'm craving it so desperately, in fact, that since I started practecing Hellenismos, my period has become spot on, on the Deipnon. And this from the girl who has never had a set period in her life. Lets see if it holds. I hope so, because it adds to the experience--if by 'add to' I mean that I'm very cranky, the work is harder due to cramps and ridding myself of miasma is about ten times harder.

Today, I will be scrubbing the house, doing yesterday's dishes, making the bed and, most importantly, I will thoroughly clean all my ritual tools. I will clean out my jar with leftovers from this month and clean out my Kathiskos. Tonight, at dusk, I will ride out with the contents of the jar of leftovers, a key and a raw egg and leave all of it on a crossroad for Hekate. With it, I will leave all the frustration, pain and worry from this month.

It's likely due to my period, but I'm so happy about all of this, I could cry. I'm so ready to leave the old behind and it's shocking to me how quickly my mind and body have adapted to having a set day for this event. Tomorrow, I will start fresh. I will fill my Kathiskos with new foodstuffs, I'll add the first ritual leftovers to my jar, I'll light the first incense on one of my household shrines.

But today, it's a new moon, and a new month, and it is about time.

• Friday, July 20, 2012
  Hekate's Deipnon Kathiskos this is not a real post

PBP: Household shrines

Hellenismos is a practice of the home. Daily ritual, family and piety to the Gods are fundamental. The home has a very special place in Hellenic practice; much more than the actual temples to the Gods, the home is the main worship area. Focal points are the main shrine, a shrine to Zeus in the pantry, a shrine to Hestia near the hearth, a shrine to Apollon, Hekate and Hermes near the door and a shrine to the ancestors and the family's Agathós Daímōn.

In a previous post I wrote that I don't honor my ancestors. This isn't completely true, much to my surprise. Looking around my home I realized I have had a small shrine up for them for years. All I did to validate it is to acknowledge it and add a toy snake to it that has been with my family for years and years, a favored item. It's on top of a soundbox that doesn't work. I've made a some pictures so it's a little clearer for those of you far away who take this journey with me.

My Ancestral shrine with my representation of the Agathós Daímōn I'm not sure is there yet

The hourglass and binoculars were heirlooms from my deceased grandmother and grandfather, respectively. They have always meant a lot to me. I have another item of my grandmothers but it has its own place and I do not want to move it. This will have to be enough for now. I'll attempt to implement worship at this shrine in my day to day life. This will mean an inclusion of my deceased and alive family members and it's not something I'm relishing. But it's good to feel connected to them, even a little.

My main altar has been adapted from my Pagan altar and currently houses a flame to Hestia, an offering jar, a bit of green I got as a present and the small wooden pot I use to burn incense and food on. 

Two images of my main household altar.

My shrine to Zeus is a little affair as it only holds a Kathiskos and an offer place for incense. A Kathiskos is an offer jar of foodstuffs used to protect the household's food storage. Typically, it has olive oil and water. The rest is up to the household. Mine has some honey, spaghetti, couscous, chocolate and a strawberry. The Kathiskos is dedicated to Zeus Ktesios, guardian of the household. The jar is typically emptied into the compost bin or garden and refilled with fresh foodstuffs every month. 

My Kathiskos

Then all that remains is the shrine dedicated to Apollon, Hekate and Hermes. This shrine tends to be an outdoor shrine but as that is not an option for me, mine is indoor. It's used to petition the Gods for safe travel or to keep a traveling family member safe. By offering, the shrine remains active and simply touching it with a prayer for protection as one leaves the house provides the blessing.

My travel shrine to Apollon, Hekate and Hermes

As you can probably tell, the disk represents Apollon, the keys are for Hekate and the feather is for Hermes. The bowl below it is used to offer libations and offerings of incense. 

I apologize for the quality of the images. I took these with my mobile phone on a grey and rainy day. I might replace them eventually but for now they serve the purpose they were created for. 

These shrines are quite new, as one might imagine, so I'm still figuring out if this is what works. I am still looking for a small oven pot to burn food offerings in, which will be placed near the main altar. Besides that, I am pretty happy with the set-up. Are these the best shrines there have ever been? Probably not. But I'm still fledgeling and I'm simply making every effort to please and honor my Gods in a way They expect.

If you feel drawn to share yours, I'd be very happy to see them. I'm always looking for inspiration. Now if you'll excuse me, I'll be over there, offering at my shiny shrines.

• Monday, June 11, 2012
  Agathós Daímōn Apollon daily practice genealogy Hekate Hellenic Reconstruction Hellenismos 101 Hermes Hestia Kathiskos Pagan Blog Project Shrine Zeus