Question collections post 6

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.

"In a video about Khernipd you talked about that you're supposed to have a shelf. Can i ask you why that is? I'm new to Hellenismos :)"

Ah, yes, the famous shelve. As far as I can tell, the shelve is a much-used item in Hellenismos. In 'Oh My Gods!', a recent documentary on Hellenismos, the shelve makes an appearance, for example. It's reminiscent of the niche in the wall that was used in ancient Hellas and serves to elevate the worship of the Theoi from the ground.

In ancient Hellas, an altar was called a 'bômos' (βωμός)--properly signifying any elevation--with an 'epipuron' (ἐπίπυρον)--a movable pan or brazier--used on top of the bômos so it could serve as an altar for burnt-offerings. The household hearth was used to make sacrifices as well, and thus served as an altar of sorts.

These altars were used for sacrifices to the Ouranic Theoi, but were rarely--if ever--used for sacrifices for the Khthonic Theoi. An 'eschára' (ἐσχάρα) is the term for a low-lying altar used in burnt-offerings for heroes, demi-Gods and (nature) spirits. It was sometimes located under the bômos. For Khthonic Theoi, an offering pit--'bothros' (βόθρος) in Greek texts--sufficed, although They were sometimes worshipped at an eschára as well.

Personally, I think a shelve works fine to worship to the Olympic Gods, but so does a table, chest, or anything else that you have handy. There is traditional and there is practical, and unfortunately when it comes to altars these days, what is practical is not traditional.

So, short answer: you use a shelve to elevate your worship off of the ground. Can you elevate your worship any number of other ways? Yes. This depends on personal preference.

"Would you say the orphic and eleusinian mysteries are a necessary part of hellenic polytheism? Im scared that I dont know anything much about them."

Let me start off by linking you to a very extensive introduction on the Eleusinian Mysteries I wrote a while ago. You can find it here. Orphism--a mystery cult or religious philosophy which claimed descent from the teachings of the mythical hero Orpheus--was mostly connected to Demeter, Persephone, Dionysos, life after death, and reincarnation.

As with all mystery cults, participation was optional. Many people took part because it assured some semblance of safety surrounding the afterlife, but definitely not everyone was initiated in the Eleusinian Mysteries, and while Orphism was widespread as well, it most certainly was not universal.

Personally, I am hesitant about engaging in mystery cults. The whole idea of them was to follow a very strict set of guidelines to achieve a very particular goal. Since huge portions of these guidelines were lost to us, it seems futile to engage in the practice. That said, these cults have brought forth beautiful works of poetry, have introduced concepts that resonate easily with me and many others today, and there is certainly wisdom in them.

You do not have to follow mystery traditions to be a Hellenist. I know people, however, who try to reconstruct them. They do this because they feel drawn to this way of worshipping, and that's wonderful. Personally I believe everyone should feel free to worship in the way they want, and if that includes mystery traditions, then so be it. It's not for me, however, and it doesn't have to be for you either, if you don't want to.

"I'm interested to hear your feelings on using wine in ritual when you or someone in your group has issues with substance abuse. What would you use as a replacement?"

I grew up in a household where substance abuse was a big issue and I have always refused to drink alcohol, do drugs, smoke, or even drink coffee. Wine is the traditional libation liquid; as drinking water was often stagnant, wine was used to purify it, and mask the taste. All men, women and children drank water which had some wine added to it. Wine was believed to be a healer--and it is--so everyone drank it, sometimes more when they were sick. Now, that is the Traditional side of it; what you do as a modern Hellenist is allowed to differ due to the complications of our current society. One part of that is finding substitutes if wine is not something you want to consume--or can't consume.

I would never force anyone to drink wine if they have addiction issues. As wine pretty much was the ancient Hellenic equivalent of water, water is a good replacement. That said, it may feel a little to plain and personally I enjoy the fact that I libate wine because it has ties to the grape vine and Dionysos. So, as a replacement, I would suggest plain grape juice--as pure and sugarless as you can find it. It still has the same ties to the Gods, but without the alcohol. This is also what I used to do in my Eclectic Religious Witchcraft rituals when minors were around, or recovering alcoholics.

• Sunday, February 7, 2021
  ancient Hellenic culture daily practice Hellenismos 101 household worship personal Question Collections Post requested post

Question collections post 2

 "I'm confused... is Baring the Aegis part of Elaion? What are you in all of this? I'm not trying to be rude, I am just confused. Sorry."

No need to be sorry! Okay, let's see. Elaion has been around for a lot longer than I am a Hellenist, but I did join it almost a year ago. Since then I have become a core member and help Robert Clark--my very, very good friend and religious partner--with the day to day of running Elaion. By and large, he is responsible for the Yahoo groups and the mentoring program, and I have set up and take care of the Elaion Facebook Page. I hope it makes better sense now.

"In your post Of Stains and Devotion there are pictures of your gorgeous ritual tools, cups, and so on. Where do you buy it? I really want to buy especially a kylix and a khernibeion, but I don't know where! I have googled but come up empty-handed :("

When I joined Paganism in 2000, I decided I would get my ritual tools from thrift stores and other such places only. I was not allowed to go out and hunt for them, or order them anywhere; I had to walk into them in unlikely places. I let go of a bit of that philosophy once I got into Hellenism, but all the ritual tools I have were either bought myself at thrift stores or given to me by friends who came across them in thrift stores. Only my books and the hand towels I use were bought new.

As for where to buy these items if you were looking for them; my khernibion is simply a bowl; try any cooking shop or fancy home deco store. Same goes for the mortar I use to burn my offerings in. As for the kylix; perhaps one of my readers knows somewhere to order them cheap? I'd be much obliged!

"Where does Neo-Platonism fall in regard to [multideism]"

This question was asked in regards to the 'rules' of Multideism--specifically rule one: 'the gods are many, separate and distinct. Any attempt to reduce the multitude of divinities to a single source or being is not multideism, but monotheism.'

To be honest, I don't know. I was going to answer this question on that blog post itself, but I could use your help. I am not a Neo-Platonist, and I believe strongly that philosophy and religion are not one and the same, although they can influence each other greatly. From what I understand of Neo-Platonism, the One is not so much an entity, but simply a source. It's panentheism, if anything, and while it alludes to one source, this source does not, in fact, stand alone. There are many Gods (etc.) in the Neo-Platonic divine hierarchy so I would classify it as Multideistic, but if you feel uncomfortable with that, a case for monotheism can also be made. As always, that is the problem with labels; there will always be cases where the lines blur.

"I'm curious as to what your take is on polyamory and a modern day Hellenic practice."

While I answered this one a while ago, I wanted to include it today, simply because I was thinking back then that I really should do something with my answer--as others might find it interesting as well--but couldn't figure out how. As such, I'm posting my answer as I gave it for everyone to take from what they wish.

When we look at ancient Hellenic practices, I'd say it depends on your definition [of polyamory]. In general--especially in Attica, etc.--marriage was between one woman and one man, where the man was allowed mistresses. Do you count the relationship with the mistress as a poly relationship? Personally, I don't, because in the hierarchy, the mistress is lower than the wife. For a true polyamorous relationship, the three of them should be equal (or at least the women should be, in this case). 

In a more modern context, I don't think the Gods care much--if at all--about our sexual preference and subsequent sexual behaviour. Marriage vows matter, as does family, but for a poly relationship to work, all parties involved must agree and function well together as a family unit. This leaves the core values of the faith intact--and probably more honest than some non-poly relationships; there is a level of honesty required in poly relationships that goes beyond any requirement in a two person relationship (although it would help!).

• Monday, January 11, 2021
  ancient Hellenic culture daily practice Elaion Hellenismos 101 Pandora's Kharis personal Plato Question Collections Post requested post

Repost: Questions collection post 1

I've had this blog for eight and a half years now, and along the way, I've posted well over 3000 blogs. Among them are Question Collection posts. These are posts built around questions I've been asked to which the answer was short or otherwise didn't warrant a solo post on the blog. The first was from somewhere in 2014, and many new readers never drilled down to there, so I'd like to revive them, scattering them in along the way. Enjoy!

"I was reading your blog posts about libations, and I noticed you said that a sponde to Hestia and the Agathos Daimon only- the kind that is like a toast- is always wine. This is a slight problem for me, as I have a liver problem and cannot drink alcohol. So if I offer wine, I will not be able to drink the remainder. It's generally best for me to not have alcohol around the house at all, so I'm in a situation where I'd need to substitute another liquid. Would that be appropriate?"

Wine is the traditional libation liquid; as drinking water was often stagnant, wine was used to purify it, and mask the taste. All men, women and children drank water which had some wine added to it. Wine was believed to be a healer--and it is--so everyone drank it, sometimes more when they were sick. Now, that is the Traditional side of it; what you do as a modern Hellenist is allowed to differ due to the complications of our current society. One part of that is finding substitutes. As wine pretty much was the ancient Hellenic equivalent of water, water is a good replacement. That said, it may feel a little to plain and personally I enjoy the fact that I libate wine because it has ties to the grape vine and Dionysos. So, as a replacement, I would suggest plain grape juice--as pure and sugarless as you can find it. It still has the same ties to the Gods, but without the alcohol.

"What would you suggest using [as khernips] if you don't have access to sea water?"

Regular tap water will do just fine, possibly with added (sea) salt. It's the water that counts (preferably clean), and the firebrand you add to it that makes it khernips.

"Elani how should a young Hellenist cope with teen anger I ask you cause my family is in disarray of bullshit right now and no one shows any love to each other."

Oh boy... that is a good question. I grew up in a pretty crappy household myself, so I think I can at least somewhat relate. As I have said before, I think there is a clear distinction between philosophy and religion; while Hellenism can incorporate both, it's important to keep track of the difference; if it has to do with the Gods, it's religion, if it has to do with human emotion (especially about the divine) it's philosophy. How we deal with the struggles in our lives in typically philosophical; we turn to Plato or to the Stoics--to name two--and we find a way to deal with the world around us. That said, there is nothing wrong with asking for a bit of help from the Gods on occasion and this sounds like a prime example. 

Personally, I would make sacrifices to Hestia, Hera, and Harmonia--all three reside over the household, family relations, and in some way, they are connected to making family units work. Harmonia especially--who was born the daughter of Ares and Aphrodite--understands the duality in love, and might be willing to help. I would also turn to Hermes with the plea to promote communication. Good luck!

"Would you like to say a few words as to how you decided on what to include [in your daily rituals] (prayers and actions) and in which order? Do you have a single or multiple sources? UPG? (and I DON'T mean that in any way as "second best"). Once again, thank you for all you do! I know I've said that before, and I'll say it again, please the Gods! Khaire!"

My daily rituals are my interpretation of what household rituals could have looked like. After all, we have no idea. To start off, I make use of the basic ritual lay-out: procession, purification, prayers and hymns, sacrifice/offerings, prayers of supplication and thanks, usually followed by a feast, where the 'feast' is partaking in the sacrifice given. There are records that at least in some parts of ancient Hellas, Hestia was always sacrificed to first and last in state festivals, and I have adopted that for my household worship as well; many modern Hellenists have. 

As for the deities I include; that is UPG. I strongly feel that your daily rites should be to the Gods who impact your life most, the ones you are drawn to. This is my personal opinion, but I don't see the need to sacrifice to the whole of the pantheon--or even The Twelve--every single day. I follow the Mên kata Theion and the festival calendar for that. So, for me, the household Gods speak for themselves. I include Athena because She has been with me for as long as I can remember. Asklēpiós and His daughters, I have added to ask for good health for me and my family, Zeus and Hera--as King and Queen of the pantheon--are only logical to me, and I include a lot of the Titans linked to the natural part of our world because I am always so aware of them; They influence my life a lot. With all I include, I have a wish to built kharis with. I hope this answers your question.

"[W]hy is it that you use "Hellenic" and not "Greek"?"

I have actually answered this question before. In the beginning of this blog, I used 'Greek' quite a bit. That's what I thought was the proper term for the country, even in olden days. It's not. There is a big pride issue surrounding the word 'Hellas', or 'Hellenic Republic'. It's the preferred term by the Greeks, and the official name of the country. That is why I use it. 'Greek', to me, also sounds like a description of modern day Greece/Hellas. 'Greek Recon' would then be Orthodox Christianity, as that is the major religion in Greece today. The same goes for 'The Hellenic Religion'. Obviously, that is not my religion. That said, I do use 'Greek' and 'Greece' on occasion: when referring to language, and sometimes to indicate I'm talking about the modern country, not the one in antiquity. 

"I have a question for you, that I hope you can answer :) A lot of reconstructionists say that they don't feel apart of the pagan community; that they no longer attend the Pagan Pride day, and I've kind of felt a tension between pagans and recons. I don't really participate in forum chats about paganism, so I don't know when and how this came to be, but maybe you know?"

That is a long and sordid tale, I fear. I think the biggest rub lies in the fact that 'Pagan' has become synonymous with soft polytheism and duotheism, with Wicca and Witchcraft. While these two are perfectly valid ways to explore religion and spirituality, they have very little in common with Reconstructionism and multideism. It can get frustrating really fast to attend a Pagan event and hear your Gods summoned into a circle along with every other God and their brother 'because they are all aspects of the Horned God'. Many of us--and yes, I count myself amongst them out of respect for the Gods--don't deal with that very well. Their method is not wrong, just like ours is not right, but the methods are different and we don't feel comfortable in each other's ritual structures.

That's the core of it, I think. Now comes the moronic part: people, in general, have the ability to turn into disrespectful asshats on a dime, especially in internet forums. Instead of letting others find their own religious and/or spiritual truth, some would rather laugh at, ridicule, and degrade other for not believing the same thing as they do; for 'doing it wrong'. That is bullying, and I have very little patience for it. To calm the waters, many Recons and hard polytheists have distanced themselves from the Pagan community over the years an have begun looking for labels that describe them. Most of us stick with our brand of Recon. Personally, I have found it's easier to just steer clear of situations where I feel religiously uncomfortable in, and there are many who do the same. 

• Tuesday, January 5, 2021
  ancient Hellenic culture daily practice Hellenismos 101 kharis khernips personal Question Collections Post requested post UPG

Repost: Do I have to sacrifice to the Twelve Olympians every day?

I was recently asked if 'one should give liberations to the 12 daily? Or can you rotate depending on the calendar?'. They explained reading on the Theoi pantheon page that 'These twelve gods demanded worship from all their subjects. Those who failed to honour any one of the Twelve with due sacrifice and libation were duly punished.', and now they were slightly worried.

Within Hellenismos, the Gods rule supreme. We are here to serve and honour Them, and in return, They provide us with what we need to survive. This practice of kharis is one of the pillars of Hellenismos. Not complying with the will of the Gods is called hubris. Hubris, in dictionary terms, means excessive pride or arrogance and comes from the Greek (hýbris, ὕβρις). For me, hubris is not an adjective but a verb. It describes the act of wilful or ignorant refusal to comply by the will of the Gods.

Human kind is said to be a step above animals because we have the ability to think about our actions and predict their consequences, but we are below the Gods, because we are mortal. Unlike the Gods, we do not plan centuries ahead; we have only a limited amount of time to live, and our actions reflect that. We are encouraged to use our ability to think logically about our actions and choose wisely.
I have read on some Hellenic websites that the Gods do not intent to harm us in any way. They wish to help us better our lives and would never punish us.

I think there is overwhelming evidence of the contrary in ancient Hellenic practices, in mythology and in modern day UPG. Odysseus spent twenty years simply trying to get home because he had pissed off the Gods with his hubris; hubris killed many mythological people, amongst which all fourteen of Niobe's children, Tántalos, and even Íkaros, who flew too high towards the sun; many festivals included elements of appeasement; and building only on my own UPG experiences, I have definitely been told to remedy a situation in which I was displaying unintentional hubris, or else. Saying that the Gods will never (or always) do something is a clear example of hubris, to
me.

That said, the Gods do wish the best for us. As long as we honour them as we should, they will provide for us abundantly. Does this mean you have to give honours to all the Gods every day--because there are many more Gods than the twelve (or thirteen, depending if you count Dionysos)Olympians? No, I don't thank so.

Literary and artistic evidence from ancient Hellas shows that daily worship centred around the oikos, the household. The courtyard of the home often held a bômos, a free standing, raised, altar where the majority of household worship took place. Some houses also had a wall niche, an indoor worship area, either in a room especially designated for worship, or in the main family room. These altars were used to worship the Ephestioi (Εφεστιοι), the most personal of the household Theoi. These almost always included: Hestia, Zeus Ephestios (Overseer of the Hearth), Zeus Kthesios, and Agathós Daímōn. Worship of these deities was highly personal, and many other Theoi could be added to this worship list. There was no definite list everyone had to follow. The only list there was, was the festival calendar, and through that, most of the 'major' Gods were worshipped throughout the year.

In my opinion, offering a libation to the Gods on their special days is enough to appease Them; what matters is that They are at the forefront of your mind, and that you speak of them with pride and respect. The Theoi need to be a part of your life--an important part. Think of Them whenever you act, whenever you speak, whenever you think, and you will honour Them simply by being a good human being. Ethics is a huge part of Hellenismos, and along with regular active worship, you will built kharis just fine with the Theoi, even if you don't pour libations to the Olympians every day.

• Sunday, July 26, 2020
  ancient Hellenic culture daily practice Hellenismos 101 household worship personal requested post

Finding faith in the Gods

A repost of a reader question today. This post is written especially for people new to the faith, but heck, most of you might find something in there that you connect with. The question(s) is/are as follows:

"Hello Elani! I'm having some trouble with my faith in the Gods... how do you incorporate them every day in your life at the beginning of your path? How do you work as HP and recon while living in a Christian household? How do you feel the Gods on a daily basis? Does any of this make sense?! Thank you very much."

So, let's break these down. Let's talk about incorporating the Gods into your (daily) life first. I have a tendency to go adopt new things in a very specific way: in general, I dive in without any restraint, give it my all, and spent every waking moment in it until the obsession normalizes. I don’t believe in the slow build, in the careful exploration. I tend to go in full force and always believe I can do it. It was the same with adopting Hellenism. I started my new practice, read up as much as I could in a day or two, and started morning and evening libations, as well as a blog so I could share my new obsession with the world. I'm the type of person who would rather correct the course of the train than drive slow until I'm sure of the course.

I am aware not everyone is like me, and honestly, I would not recommend my approach to religious practice to everyone. That said, what I would recommend is knowing the way you are wired. Starting and maintaining a religious practice--especially a Hellenic one where traditional sources place emphasis on at least twice-daily religious observance--is always an undertaking. When you're still in the infancy of your practice, it can be the most overwhelming thing: there is so much you don't know, so much you know you will still have to learn before you'll have a grip on all of it.

That first period is both the most exciting as the most frustrating and the scariest. On the one hand, you feel exhilarated because you've found something you feel really at home with, but you're scared to do it wrong, scared of not being good enough, and you're still missing the terminology to even Google for the things you should be doing. How you make it through this first period is dependent upon only yourself, I fear. My advice is to read as much as you can, ask questions to anyone willing to answer them, and find a community to help you out.

Once you get a handle on your practice comes phase two, and this is also the final phase: shaping your practice. You will never have a practice that you are fully satisfied with, that's fully perfect--not if you keep investing time and effort into your studies, into your rituals, into developing yourself. A religion is more than the rites you perform; religion is a lifestyle and it seeps into the food you eat, the clothes you wear, the people you meet, the person you become and everything else there is to you. No one is defined by a single aspect in their life, but your religion does say something about you as a person.

Developing your practice can be a hard thing to do, and it requires you to have an intimate knowledge of yourself, of your needs and desires. What do you want to get out of your religion? Why did you get into it? What religious baggage do you take with you? And most of all, perhaps, what are you willing to do for it? Are you willing to turn your life around if the Gods desire it of you, or would you rather just have a religion as a hobby? Both are fine, but you need to figure out the answer going in.

I have found that the way only religion becomes a part of your daily life is to live it. Perform rituals, talk about it, read, research, and live the ethics and philosophies. I don't have a direct connection to the Gods. No one talks to me, nor makes Their presence known in any other way. I don't have chats with Aphrodite, nor does Hypnos visit me in my dreams. I'm just a person who gives Them their daily due, and in return, I trust They steer my life towards a place of quiet comfort. I love believing in the Gods, though. It gives me something to hold on to during the dark days, someone to thank during the good, and it gives me a purpose in life. Including the Gods in all these moments will make it feel like They are always there. The key word? Repetition, repetition, repetition. Do it until it sticks, because then, when you stop, you'll miss it. That's the point where your religion becomes integrated into your life. Here are a few thing to do on a daily basis that will help greatly.

As for practicing under the care of naysayers, I wrote a post partly about that a while ago. Hopefully that will help you out. Thank you for your question(s) and good luck! Gods bless!

• Sunday, February 2, 2020
  daily practice Hellenismos 101 personal requested post

Repost: The rings of household protection

There are many household Gods in the Hellenic religion and without some background knowledge about how ancient Hellenic houses are built up, it can become a bit of a conglomerated mess when trying to worship all in modern times.  Which God watches out over which area? And where should you place your shrines in a perfect world? And in a realistic world? Why don't we try to suss things out today, hm?

Ancient Hellenic homes were simple structures, made from clay, wood, and stone. The roofs were covered with tiles, or reeds, and the houses had one or two stories. Most houses were small, just a few rooms, with a walled garden or yard in the middle. Others, like the house above, were much larger. They were not solely homes, but often doubled as offices, shops, entertainment areas, and as a place of worship. In many cases, a large wall with a single door connected the house to the street, while insuring maximum privacy tot he occupants of the house. Rooms at the front of the house often served as store rooms or work shops. Other rooms in the house served as bedrooms, as a kitchen, bathroom, and smaller store rooms. Symposia were held in special rooms, reserved only for men. The only women who entered the male-only rooms were serfs. These rooms were called 'andron' (ανδρών). Female-only rooms were called 'gynaikon' (γυναικῶν).

The courtyard of the home often held a bômos, a free standing, raised, altar where the majority of household worship took place. Some houses also had a wall niche, an indoor worship area, either in a room especially designated for worship, or in the main family room. These altars were used to worship the Ephestioi (Εφεστιοι), the most personal of the household Theoi. These almost always included: Hestia, Zeus Ephestios (Overseer of the Hearth), Zeus Kthesios, and Agathós Daímōn. Worship of these deities was highly personal, and many other Theoi could be added to this worship list.

Hestia was represented by the hearth fire that was always kept burning. If it went out, the male head of household would go to the prytaneion (Πρυτανεῖον), the structure where state officials met and where the city kept a fire for Hestia burning day and night, for a new flame. All fires in the house were lit from this one fire, so Hestia would watch over everything and everyone inside the house. Zeus Ephestios was and is a more active defender of the home. He shields the actual structure of the house. Where Hestia watches over the occupants, Zeus Ephestios guards the very walls, the roof, the floor, and any possessions inside the structure. He was worshipped at the main altar.

Zeus Kthesios guards the pantry, and was honored there as well, where he had his own shrine, often adorned with a kathiskos. Agathós Daímōn and the ancestors were also worshipped at the main altar, although they may have had small shrines to themselves, especially in the case of wall niches.

In the courtyard of the house, the Herkeioi (Ἑρκειοι) were honored: those of the herkos or front court. Most notably, this was Zeus Herkeios (Ἑρκειος), protector of the enclosure of the house.

Just outside the house, and especially near the gate to the street, small shrines and altars were placed in honor of the less personal protectors: Apollon (sometimes in his epithet of 'Aguieus' (Ἀγυιεύς), protector of the streets, public places, and the entrances to homes), Hermes Propylaios, Hekate, and especially in Sparta, the Dioskouroi. Hēraklēs sometimes took the place of Apollon.

Zeus Herkeios' altar stood in the courtyard and He, from the inside of the house, protected against anyone wanting to harm the house or the family living in it. These altars were most often pillars, on or around which the offerings could be placed. Hermes, Apollon, and Hekate were represented by a pointy four-sided post. The top was reserved for Apollon, the bottom often held a niche where Deipnon offerings could be placed to Hekate, and Hermes' face (and sometimes his genitalia) was sometimes carved into the post. Hermes sometimes got his own post, called a 'herm', which was a rectangular post, with His face carved on top, and his genitalia carved out on the front.

So how does this translate to modern worship? The structure of houses has changed--many people don't even live in a house but in an apartment without a garden. So, how are the areas divided then? Let's start with a picture of a house with a garden, leading to the street:

The house itself is 'circle' one. It's the realm of the Ephestioi. Their influences reaches right up to the walls. If you live in an apartment, this circle encompasses your entire home. This is where your bômos is, where you might have a pantry shrine to Zeus Kthesios, where you might have a shrine for Hestia if you don't have a fireplace, and so on. This is the main circle of worship.

Then we move out to the garden: anything from the house onward that still belongs to you. In an apartment, this would be the balcony if you have one and arguable also the elevator or staircase and hallway leading to your apartment door. This is the domain of the Herkeioi. You could set up a small shrine near the front door to pour out some libations into. Do you live in an apartment? A flowerpot or plant is a perfect way to hide your little shrine. Do you want to bring things together even more? Zeus is whom is honored here most, and his sacred tree is the oak. Why not plant some acorns and water them with libations of water? This second 'circle' spans the area from the house to the street.

The third 'circle' is not a circle at all: it's a barrier. Just like ancient Hellenic cities often had gated walls, so does the home. There where the driveway, garden fence or building door meets the street, Hekate, Apollon and Hermes (amongst others)  stand tall to guard against any harmful influence from outside. It thus stands to reason that your shrine for Them belongs at that spot.

This third is of course the most tricky of shrines. It's a very visible spot and if you live in an apartment complex, you might not even have the option to put anything of yourself there. I have a friend who lives in an apartment in New York. She has a little mailbox in the entry hall, close to the outer door. At the back of it, she'd put a little bowl and leaves small offerings there whenever she goes to collect her mail. Inventive, hm? Another option would be to 'pull back' this barrier to the door of your house and make a shrine just inside or outside of it. That's what I did when I still lived in an apartment.

I hope this makes things a little clearer and you have a few more handholds to base your worship on.

• Monday, December 16, 2019
  ancient Hellenic culture Apollon daily practice Hekate Hermes household worship personal requested post Zeus

Repost: The many hymns of Hellenic antiquity

For those of you who, like me, are not blessed with the ability to write poetry beyond the level of an eight-grader, or for those who simply wish to draw they eyes of the Theoi by reciting poetry--or actually singing the hymns if your mastery of the Greek language allows it--which is familiar to Them, hymns form a wonderful addition to your practice. The oldest, and most well know, of the hymns are undoubtedly the Homeric ones, with the Orphic ones a close second, but there are many more out there.

• Homeric Hymns - a collection of thirty-three Hellenic hexameter poems in epic style well known from Hómēros' Iliad and Odysseia. They range in length from three to five-hundred lines, and were composed in various time periods, by a variety of--now largely anonymous--authors. Hómēros might have actually written some of them, Pamphos might have penned the 'Hymn to Demeter', and Cynaethus of Chios might have penned the 'Hymn to Apollon'. Most of the poems were written between 800 and 300 BC, a few of the shorter poems are clearly from the Hellenistic (third or second century BC) period, and the Hymn to Ares was probably added to the whole in Roman times. Who actually combined the thirty-three is unclear. The first and second hymns ('To Dionysos', and 'To Demeter') were lost for a long time, until a chance discovery in Moscow in 1777 unearthed a fifteenth century manuscript with the two poems largely intact. The 'Hymn to Apollon' was noted down on the walls of Artemis' temple at Delos, and was most likely a large part of the festivals held there for Apollon. For all Homeric Hymns, go here.
• Orphic Hymns - a collection of eighty-seven short religious poems composed in either the late Hellenistic or early Roman (first or second century AD) era. They are based on the beliefs of Orphism, a mystery cult or religious philosophy which claimed descent from the teachings of the mythical hero Orpheus. The Mysteries were mostly connected to Demeter, Persephone, life after death and reincarnation. From the Orphic Hymns also comes a list of which incenses to offer to which deity. For all Orphic Hymns, go here.
• Hymns of Kallimachos (Καλλίμαχος) - a lesser known collection of poems, written by Kallimachos of Kyrēnē (Κυρήνη, Cyrene), who was a Hellenic poet and scholar of the Library of Alexandria. He rose to greatness around the third century BC and was the author of a large number of works. Unfortunately, only six hymns and sixty-three epigrams have survived to this day. Kallimachos despised the 'outdated' poetry type of Hómēros and wrote many testimonials against it. His hymns are, therefor, different to the eye than the Homeric and Orphic ones. For the complete hymns, go here.
• Delphic Hymns - two musical compositions from ancient Hellas, dating back to 128 BC. They were recovered from the walls of the treasury of Apollon at Delphi, and were most likely performed in His worship at the Pythian festival. The first of the hymns was written and composed by Athenios, son of Athenios, the second by Limenios, son of Thoinos. For the first hymn, go here, for the second, go here.
• Hymns of Proklos - Proclus (Πρόκλος) was a Greek Neoplatonist philosopher, one of the last major Classical philosophers. He was alive from 8 February 412 AD to 17 April 485 AD), and while a very late addition to this list, he wrote five beatiful hymns about the Roman Gods, which can be interpreted for the Hellenic ones as well. The surviving works consist of two hymns to Venus (Aphrodite), one to the Sun (Helios), one to the Muses, and one to Minerva (Athena). The surviving hymns can be found here, in both Greek and English.
• Hymns of Mesomedes - Mesomedes of Krete (Μεσομήδης ὁ Κρής) was a Roman-era Hellenic lyric poet and composer of the early second century AD.  He was a freedman and court musician to the emperor Hadrian (reigned 117-138 CE), and created  three hymns and fifteen poems which have survived to this day. The hymns to Nemesis, the muse Calliope, and the Sun can be read here and listened to here. I am partial to this translation of the 'Hymn to Nemesis'.
• Hymn to Aphrodite - This most wonderful hymn was written by Sappho (Σαπφώ) as she was struggling with love. It's unique in that it shows both petitioner and Aphrodite Herself. I am partial to this translation.

• Thursday, October 24, 2019
  Aphrodite Apollon daily practice Delos Delphi Hēlios Homeric Hymns Hómēros hymns Kallimachos Mesomedes Muses Nemesis Orphic Hymns Sappho Temples

Do you hear the voices of the Gods?

I've never heard the voices of the Gods and Goddesses I worship, but I have been in contact with them on numerous occasions. I know people whom the Gods actually, literally, speak to. I have never been that girl, and that is just fine by me. That way, I'm sure it's not just the inner sock puppets--a term gratefully borrowed--I'm dealing with. See, I talk to myself all the time. I talk out loud--to my dinner, my computer, my cat, my books, anything--but I also talk to myself a lot in my head. I have entire internal dialogues, especially when I'm in bed. Adding a Divine voice to that would freak me out.

This, however, does not mean that I'm never in contact with the Gods. I have come to rely on a certain gut feeling that is impossible to describe. It feels a little like someone puts a hand on your neck and lower back at the same time and pinches. I spoke about the feeling in my post about synchronicity, and those times, I definitely feel that presence. Due to that feeling, I also know exactly which of my divinations and meditations are Divinely inspired. Then there is another thing by which I know I'm on the right path in life: déjà vu's.

I haven't figured out exactly how it works, but I am absolute rubbish at remembering my dreams. I just can not remember them. I tried training my memory to remember them for a while, trying to keep a dream diary, but as soon as I wake up, the dreams fade into my subconscious. Unlike my girlfriend, they also don't come back to me when I go to bed at night. Yet, when I get one of those Divinely inspired déjà vu's, I simply know that the situation was already shown to me in a dream.

Sometimes, these situations are situations in which I could use some help. The déjà vu shows me what to do, say or where to go. Sometimes, I get a feeling that I need to go somewhere and I get rewarded with a déjà vu on the way there, letting me know I'll experience or find something that will aid me. And I always do. Sometimes, I do, buy or try something and I get rewarded very shortly after with a déjà vu. These déjà vu's usually don't have anything to do with the situation at hand; they are simply scenes to show me that I took the right fork in the road and ended up in the right place at the right time for the Divine plan to come to fruition.

I realize this may sound very New-Agey. In fact, I don't really like talking about these things. I'm better at talking about my practice. But this is part of the kharis between me and the Theoi, and that is important to me. It's all UPG, of course, but it has been--and still is--one of the foundations of my daily religious life.

Do you interact with the Gods you worship? If so, how? If you don't, is this something that bothers you? I look forward to hearing your stories.

• Sunday, March 10, 2019
  daily practice Paganism personal UPG

Repost: The Ages of Hellas

Today's post is a repost of a blog I posted near the start of Baring the Aegis. I do this occasionally when I think the post deserves to be read by more people, like this one. 

The reign of the Hellenes lasted for roughly 650 years. During that time, several major changes took place within the culture and religion of these people. Trying to reconstruct all these practices is not only impractical but also impossible. As a Hellenic Recon, it therefor becomes important to find out which classical, Hellenic, period speaks to us.

Within modern Hellenic Recon, three periods in the history of ancient Hellas stand out and in this blog post, I take on the basics of each and try to explain their differences on practice:

• Archaic Period (800 BC - 480 BC)
• Classical Period (480 BC - 323 BC)
• Hellenistic Period (323 BC - 146 BC)

The Archaic Period

Before the Archaic period, there was no Hellas. As the Mycenaean civilization fell, it signaled the end of the Dark Ages. The founders of ancient Hellas founded their own script, based off of the Phoenician alphabet and small social hubs began to emerge. Because the land they lived on was divided into islands, or intercut with mountains, many of these hubs were self-governed. Many wars were fought over the next 300 years or so, as the cities Athens, Sparta, Corinth, and Thebes tried to expand their land, work force and supply of raw materials.

As the population grew, the territory was expanded and colonies were set up as far as Magna Graecia (Southern Italy and Sicily) and Asia Minor. This expansion reigned in an age of tentative stability and economic prosperity. There was a lot of trade between the core cities and the settlements on the edges of the domain. It was during this time, democracy was created to arrange the rule of the city of Athens.

For Hellenic religion, this age was a formative age. Gilbert Murray in his 'Five Stages of Greek Religion' describes how the various tribes of the Dark Ages brought their Gods with them as they traveled the land and settled in different places. Various Gods with overlapping domains were worshipped in different parts of the region, forming a cohesive but unstructured whole. There are varying incarnations of Gods and Goddesses and their abilities and strength vary greatly across the land.

Hellenics who operate mostly from sources within this time period have the difficult (and often ungrateful) task of reconstructing a period which was largely unformed and ever-evolving. There is a smorgasbord of religious choices to make, all of which will greatly influence their practice. Specifying a region or at least a tribe, may hep forming a daily practice greatly.

The Classical Period

The Classical period is the best know period. Most of what we know about ancient Hellas is from this period. The Classical period was the foundation of modern Western politics, architecture, scientific thought, literature, and philosophy. It was also the age of Athens; most of what we still know about ancient Hellas comes from records from this city who was at its greatest during the two centuries of the Classical period.

Many wars were also fought during this age, the most famous being the Persian war. Although Athens struggled through the wars and a temporary rule under Sparta, many issues settled and solidified during these two centuries. Democracy became well-defined and the major temples were built. This is the age of Herodotos, Euripides, Socrates and Plato. This is also the age in which Alexander the Great came to power.

This was also the Age of the Olympians. Many of the old Gods got merged into single personas with different epithets to accommodate local worship. This more unified faith was introduced to many of the city states and although it was never a unified whole, this was the closest the ancient Hellenic religion ever got to being a solidified faith.

For the modern Hellenic, operating in this time period is relatively easy. There wasn't a completely unified faith to draw from but there are many records from Athens that date back to this period, giving us precious clues about procedures, daily worship, life with the Gods and this high time of Hellas.

The Hellenistic Period

At the start of the Hellenic period, ancient Hellas was at its largest. Alexander the Great had conquered lands as far as Asia Minor, Assyria, the Levant, Egypt, Mesopotamia, Media, Persia, and parts of modern Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the steppes of central Asia. The term 'Hellenistic', as applied to this time period is a modern invention, dating back to the mid-19th century. It is defined by the 'Hellenisation' of the conquered lands, something that succeeded only partially, although all areas fell under the Hellenic nation. It is offset by 'Hellenic', which describes Greek culture in its native form.

After Alexander the Great died, there was no logical successor. He left his empire to 'the strongest' and thus his generals fought a forty year battle which resulted in four major domains. Next to those four, much of mainland Hellas and the Hellenic islands remained at least nominally independent, although often dominated by Macedon. the four domains, called dynasties, were:

• The Antigonid dynasty in Macedon and central Hellas;
• The Ptolemaic dynasty in Egypt based at Alexandria;
• The Seleucid dynasty in Syria and Mesopotamia based at Antioch;
• The Attalid dynasty in Anatolia based at Pergam

For modern Hellenics, this is important because all four dynasties developed differently from this point on. Most reconstruction based in this period is focussed on the Antigonid dynasty, but those who feel a draw to both the Hellenic and Kemetic pantheons might find a suitable home in the Ptolemaic dynasty.

The Hellenistic period ended with the rule of Rome over many former Hellenic territories. Both the lands and Gods were integrated into the Roman dynasty. It signaled the end of the Hellenic world as it had stood for centuries.

It may be obvious from this write-up, as well as the general tone of this blog, that I'm a follower of the Classical period. It's the age of Gods, an age where the philosophers held sway, but not as much as the poets. It's the most 'romantic' of the periods, the age in which the power of the Olympians was fragmented but universal none the less. The age of epithets and  unquenchable potential. I have love for the other periods as well, but not as deep as for the Classical period. Where does your heart lie?

• Monday, February 25, 2019
  ancient Hellenic culture daily practice Hellenismos 101

Repost: Would you wash a stranger's feet?

Today's post is a repost of a blog I posted near the start of Baring the Aegis. I do this occasionally when I think the post deserves to be read by more people, like this one. It's about the practice of the washing of feet within the context of xenia. It's something I have been curious about ever since I first read the Odysseia. 

When I first read the Odysseia, I was struck by a two of the later passages, where Odysseus is home, but in disguise, waiting to take his revenge on the suiters of his wife Penelope. During these passages, Penelope offers xenia to Odysseus, disguised as beggar.

"But, come, my maids, wash the strangers’ feet and make his bed, with blankets and bright rugs over the bedstead, so he may rest till golden-throned Dawn in warmth and comfort. In the morning early, bathe and oil him, so he is ready to breakfast in the hall, sitting by Telemachus’ side. And if any man vexes him and pains his spirit, so much the worse for that man’s prospects: he’ll gain nothing here, rage as he might."

A little later on, Odysseus has refused the washing of his feet by anyone but Eurykleia, his nursemaid whom is still alive, and living at the house. Penelope agrees to have the old woman wash Odysseus' feet, which she does while she laments the fate of Odysseus:

"Perhaps the women of some great house mocked at him in a far-off foreign land, just as these shameless hussies here mock you, sir.  You will not let them wash your feet, for fear of their insults, but wise Penelope, Icarius’ daughter, knowing my willingness, has asked me to wash them. So I shall wash your feet for Penelope’s sake and yours, while my heart is stirred with sadness. But listen to one thing I must say. Many a long-suffering traveller have we welcomed here, but never a man resembling another as you resemble Odysseus in looks and voice – even your feet.’

Then resourceful Odysseus answered her, saying: ‘That is what everyone says who has met us both, old woman, that we are very alike, as you remark.’

With this, the old woman, preparing to wash his feet, poured cold water into the shining basin then added hot. Odysseus swiftly sat down by the hearth, and turned towards the shadows, though he had a sudden premonition that as she handled him she would notice his scar and the truth would be out. As she approached and began to wash him, so it was: she immediately knew the scar Odysseus had received from a white-tusked boar, while hunting on Parnassus, when visiting his mother’s father, noble Autolycus, the greatest of all in thievery and oath-making.

[...]

It was this scar the old woman felt as she passed her hands over his leg, and recognising it she let his leg fall. The bronze rang as his foot struck the basin, upsetting it, and spilling the water on the ground. Joy and pain filled her heart at the same moment, her eyes filled with tears and her voice caught in her throat. She touched Odysseus’ face and said: ‘It is Odysseus, it must be. Child, I did not know you, until my hands had touched my master’s limbs."

Ancient evidence suggests there were three major contexts in which foot-washing was important: body hygiene, xenia, and religion. The first is easy to grasp: the ancient Hellenes rarely wore shoes. They tended to travel barefoot, or with light, open sandals. Boots were only for the rich. As roads were unpaved, and often dusty in the dry and hot climate, a traveler's feet tended to get dusty and dirty. Upon arrival at their destination, it was customary--and part of xenia--to offer the traveler a chance to wash their feet. Those with female serfs could offer the service of one of them to have their guest wash the guest's feet for them. In cases where no serfs were present, in case of very special guests--especially those above the host in standing--or between great friends, the host could offer to wash the feet of his guest for them.

Foot-washing was often the chore of female serfs, and was considered lowly work. For the ancient Hellenes, honor was very important. To wash the feet of those below themselves in standing was a breach of societal rules and would most likely be looked upon negatively, or even outright refused. I have found no ancient texts to support this, but I suspect that washing the feet of one of equal standing would be done only between dear friends, perhaps between those who had fought together and saved each other's lives. I suspect that, if this is true, this would extend also to the son(s) of one of the men: the son of the deceased host would extend these honors to the family guest to whom the father was indebted.

At home, washing the feet of elderly family members was considered a form of respect. Aristophanes, in The Wasps (Sphēkes/Σφῆκες ), mentions the pride and joy felt by a rich man when his daughter washes and anoints his feet upon his return from a day of hard work:

"But I am forgetting the most pleasing thing of all. When I return home with my pay, everyone runs to greet me because of my money. First my daughter bathes me, anoints my feet, stoops to kiss me and, while she is calling me "her dearest father," fishes out my triobolus with her tongue; then my little wife comes to wheedle me and brings a nice light cake; she sits beside me and entreats me in a thousand ways, "Do take this now; do have some more." All this delights me hugely." 

Women rarely traveled--if at all--so as far as I can tell, no record of the washing of feet of women, or between women, has survived. I also suspect that this has to do with modesty: in an age where women often went around baring one or two breasts, the ankles and feet were almost always covered up. To bare one's feet--to a man--might have been a sign of seduction. In the rare event of a woman traveling, she would travel with her husband, father, brothers, and/or female serfs. Once arriving at her destination, she would undoubtedly have been allowed and encouraged to wash up and change her clothing. If she had serfs, she would be assisted by them. Else, serfs of the hosting household might have lend a hand, or even the wife of the host. I do wonder if they would ever was the feet of one another.

It seems it was also considered unclean and disrespectful to the Theoi to enter a temple with unwashed feet. Some temples, therefor, offered special basins which a traveler could make use of. It's difficult to find proper information about this, however, because the washing of feet in a religious context is now considered a near-solely Abrahamic thing, and bible quotes are far easier to find than ancient Hellenic texts on the subject. I'm still picking apart Christian and Jewish writings for clues about the Hellenic practice.

I am not sure why this subject interests me so. There is something so very intimate and humbling in the practice; it speaks to me in a way that goes beyond the intellectual. I imagine that having your feet washed upon arrival would make you feel both welcome and respected--as that was what it was, a sign of respect. I would also imagine it would be wonderful to bestow a honor like this to a valued guest. If shared between host and guest--or simply very good friends, or even lovers--it would strengthen the bond between them, and be a wonderful way to practice strong xenia. I think it's a beautiful practice, although not very applicable in modern Hellenismos. Agreements could be made about this, though, like the giving of gifts--another vital part of xenia.

• Friday, January 18, 2019
  ancient Hellenic culture daily practice Eurykleia Hellenismos 101 Odysseia Odysseus Penelope slavery slaves Xenia