Neos Alexandra publishes anthology in honor of Hestia

Neos Alexandria, a community for Greco-Egyptians, Hellenics, Kemetics, Romans, Neopagans and others interested in learning about the Gods, their ancient and contemporary forms of worship, and the Greco-Egyptian culture, has published a new anthology. This time it is about Hestia, and yours truly was roped into contributing:

"Goddess of Little Renown, But Lasting Prominence"

by Elani Temperance (page 154)

Edited by Terence P. Ward
Price: $12.99
Publication Date: 4 April 2017
Place of Publication: Asheville, North Carolina
ISBN: 978-1544055886
Pages: 218 pp
Binding Type: US Trade Paper
Trim Size: 5″ x 8″

"She is the First, and She is the Last. Eldest and Youngest Child of heaven and Earth. The Hearth at the Center of Creation. Few myths and rites for Hestia survive from the classical world. A Goddess primarily of the domestic sphere, She was so central to ancient beliefs and practices that the Greeks actually wrote down very little about Her. She simply Was. And Is."

And so we come to the purpose of this anthology: not just to present ancient material about the Goddess, but, more importantly, to fill in the gaps in belief, practice, and understanding which were not handed down through the intervening millennia. Within these pages, Her devotees recreate Her worship, craft new devotional practices, write new hymns and songs and even myths, develop new recipes, and create new artwork in Her honor.

Hestia remains highly revered and respected, and new devotees are finding their way to Her. As in ancient days, she receives both the least and greatest of offerings. May she never be forgotten.

First and Last can be purchased in paperback format from their online store, and will be available shortly through Amazon, and through Barnes and Noble. If possible, they would ask you to purchase it through Createspace since that will give Bibliotheca Alexandrina a higher portion of the royalties without changing the price for you. Why does that matter? Because all of the proceeds from First and Last – as well as many of the other volumes in the Bibliotheca Alexandrina series – will be used to help promote the revival of the worship of the Greek and Egyptian Gods, with a portion of the proceeds given to a worthy charitable organization in their name.  So, not only will you be getting a wonderful book about the modern worship of Hestia – but your money will be going to do good work and help the revival of ancient polytheistic religions.

ATTENTION Librarians, Teachers and Retailers: First and Last is also available at reduced cost for academic institutions, lending libraries (public and private) and retailers. Check their online store, or email baeditor@gmail.com with any questions.

• Wednesday, April 5, 2017
  current affairs Hestia Neos Alexandria personal

Call for submissions: 'First and Last: A Devotional for Hestia'

Bibliotheca Alexandrina is seeking submissions for a devotional anthology to honor the least and greatest of Olympians, in a volume entitled 'First and Last: A Devotional for Hestia'. Firstborn of Her mother Rhea, and last to be disgorged from the gullet of Her father Kronos, Hestia receives first and last offerings from many Hellenic polytheists, but does not play the kind of public role associated with Her siblings. In antiquity, Her cult was mostly of the household rather than of festivals and temples, and She was not as prominent in the myths of the day. Nevertheless, as accepter of sacrifices Hestia receives Her due, what is sometimes called the least and greatest of offerings. She is the hearth of the Hellenic home, the keeper of the sacred flame of the Gods, guardian of hospitality, and keeper of oaths.

Appropriate submissions will discuss aspects of Hestia in antiquity and/or modern practice, including but not limited to:
- Her role as a virgin Goddess, and the significance of her rejecting two divine offers of marriage from Apollon and Poseidon;
- Her connection with other deities, including
- Hellenic Theoi, especially Hephaestus, Hermes and Hekate; and
- relationships with and syncretic forms with non-Hellenic Gods, such as Taweret, Bes, Frigg, and Brighid;
- and comparisons/contrasts with the Roman Goddess Vesta, and Vesta’s links with the lares and penates;
- explorations and reimaginings of the tales and myths Hestia features in;
- accounts of personal devotional practices such as veiling, maintaining a hearth/flame, offerings, et cetera;
- research into Her cult and sacred sites in antiquity;
- ancient and modern rituals;
- ancient and modern hymns;
- artwork; and
- recipes inspired by or used as offerings to Hestia.

Academic and artistic submissions will also be considered, be it poetry or prose.

All works must be original. Please submit no plagiarized or public domain material. Scholarly articles must provide proper citation for all sources in the form of a bibliography and in-text citations. Previously published submissions are acceptable, as long as the author retains all rights. After publication, the author will continue to retain all rights to any submissions accepted for this anthology. Upon acceptance, the author must complete a permission to publish form, and include a brief author biography to be included in the anthology.

Please send any and all submissions and queries either in the body of the email or as .txt/.doc/.rtf attachments to Terence P Ward at tpw@protonmail.ch.

The editor reserves the right to make minor changes to formatting, spelling, and grammar, if necessary; he also reserves the right to request modifications, or to reject submissions entirely.
No monetary compensation will be provided. Instead, each contributor will be provided with a coupon code which will allow them to purchase three copies at cost. Each contributor will also receive a .pdf copy of the devotional for personal use. Proceeds from all sales will be divided between charitable donations in honour of Hestia and production costs for future publications from Bibliotheca Alexandria.

Acceptable length is anywhere from 100-10,000 words, with the exception of poetry. Any artwork submitted should be scanned in or created at 300 dpi and sent as a .jpg or .tif file.

Submissions open 1 January 2016 and close 1 June 2016, with a projected release date of Summer 2016.

• Friday, January 8, 2016
  current affairs Hestia Neos Alexandria Paganism

Neos Alexandra publishes anthology in honor of Poseidon

Neos Alexandria, a community for Greco-Egyptians, Hellenics, Kemetics, Romans, Neopagans and others interested in learning about the Gods, their ancient and contemporary forms of worship, and the Greco-Egyptian culture, has published a new anthology. This time it is about Poseidon.

From the Roaring Deep: A Devotional in Honor of Poseidon and the Spirits of the Sea was edited by Rebecca Buchanan. Next to Poseidon, the focus is on His wife Amphitrite, on Nereus and the Nereids, and on Triton and Tethys. It also includes poetry and divotional texts to Iris, the Graeae, Proteus, Styx and Medusa.

Edited by Rebecca Buchanan
Price: $ 12.99

Publication Date: Aug 09 2015

ISBN/EAN13: 1515274578 / 9781515274575

Page Count: 266

Binding Type: US Trade Paper

Trim Size: 5" x 8"

 

"They are of the sea, and more than the sea. They are the primordial ocean from which life arose, and which continues to sustain the world. They are the saltwater in our blood. They are storm and wind and tide and crashing waves. They are glorious beings of water and salt and light, avengers of injustice and providers of bounty. They are fathers and mothers and lovers. They are wrathful and exuberant, compassionate and wise, quixotic and impulsive and shrewd. They are Powers most worthy of our devotion, our prayers, and our respect. Hail Poseidon and the Spirits of the Sea!"

From the Roaring Deep can be purchased in paperback format from their online store, and will be available shortly through Amazon, and through Barnes and Noble. It will also be available shortly for the Kindle and Kindle app. If possible, they would ask you to purchase it through Createspace since that will give the Bibliotheca Alexandrina a higher portion of the royalties without changing the price. Because all of the proceeds from From the Roaring Deep – as well as many of the other volumes in the Bibliotheca Alexandrina series – will be used to help promote the revival of the worship of the Greek and Egyptian Gods, getting the highest amount of money to its creators is vital. Enjoy!

• Thursday, August 13, 2015
  current affairs Neos Alexandria Poseidon

Neos Alexandra publishes anthology in honor of Demeter

Neos Alexandria, a community for Greco-Egyptians, Hellenics, Kemetics, Romans, Neopagans and others interested in learning about the Gods, their ancient and contemporary forms of worship, and the Greco-Egyptian culture, has published a new anthology. This time it is about Demeter.


Potnia: A Devotional Anthology in Honor of Demeter

Edited by Melitta Benu and Rebecca Buchanan
Price: $ 14.99
Publication Date: 3 November 2014
Place of Publication: Asheville, North Carolina
ISBN: 978-1500673895 / 1500673897
Pages: 334 pp
Binding Type: US Trade Paper
Trim Size: 5″x8″

"Ancient and modern devotees alike know Demeter to be a complex Goddess. As demonstrated by the poetry, essays, short fiction, and artwork collected in this anthology, she is a Goddess of many guises. Some devotees see her as an aspect of the Great Goddess, the source of all creation. For others, She is part of a fluid trinity, encompassing the phases of a woman’s life and the cycles of the year. Some experience Demeter as identical to the Roman Ceres, while still others consider them distinct entities. Some honor her as the Mistress of Good Green Growing Things, Lady of Herbs and Fruit, Queen of Flowers and Bees, She Who Bears the Golden Scythe, The Great Sow who taught us the use and preservation of seeds and who continues to bless our farms and gardens. Others experience her as the Law-Giver, whose gifts not only allowed humans to gather and thrive, but also necessitated the creation of customs and laws to ensure right behavior and the survival of civilization. For still other devotees, She is The Great Mother, The Destroyer, The Black Mare, Dark with Rage, Bringer of the Fallow Season, Mother of the Maiden who holds the world hostage until her daughter is returned. And for still others She is the Giver of the Mysteries, Overseer of Initiations, The Purifying One whose rites reveal secret truths and promise a blessed afterlife.

She is all of these, and so much more.

She is Demeter, Goddess most worthy of our devotion."

Potnia can be purchased in paperback format from their online store, and will be available shortly through Amazon, and through Barnes and Noble. It will also be available shortly for the Kindle and Kindle app. If possible, they would ask you to purchase it through Createspace since that will give the Bibliotheca Alexandrina a higher portion of the royalties without changing the price. Because all of the proceeds from Potnia – as well as many of the other volumes in the Bibliotheca Alexandrina series – will be used to help promote the revival of the worship of the Greek and Egyptian Gods, getting the highest amount of money to its creators is vital. Enjoy!

• Wednesday, November 5, 2014
  current affairs Demeter Neos Alexandria