New Alexandrian Library project fundraiser

I try to keep the blog pretty Hellenic-only, but hey, there are plenty of Pagan and multi-faith initiatives worth the attention of my readers. I'd like to present you with one today: the New Alexandrian Library project is holding a fundraiser for the Gala held at the Between The Worlds Conference on March 7, 2015.

For those unaware, the New Alexandrian Library project aims to serve as a research library, a lending library, a museum, an archive, and as a hub for the preservation and the evolution of pagan culture. Books, periodicals, newsletters, music, media, art works, artifacts, photographs, digital media, etc., are all carefully being cataloged and cross-referenced to ease the work of research and study. The Library--which was completed December 2, 2014--will also work to restore and to preserve rare and damaged documents. They hold periodic fundraisers to finance the project.

Once, the Great Library of Alexandria in Egypt served as the focal point for esoteric knowledge. This project is working to create a library worthy of its namesake. The New Alexandrian Library--once fully up and running--will be a modern, state of the art facility, comparable to the quality of a university library. The New Alexandrian Library will be collecting materials from all religious traditions focusing on their mystical and the spiritual writings. Like the original Alexandrian Library in ancient Egypt, it will be an interfaith crossroads.

Many of the perks of the fundraiser include tickets for the concert, but even if you aren't part of the NAL's Pagan community, supporting this cause is well-worth the effort and money. The NAL is located on 100 acres of Sacred Land at Seelie Court in Georgetown, DE. The facility will be accessible to visiting scholars and is serviced by Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. airports while maintaining a wonderfully secluded atmosphere for serious study.

Should you want to help the project, check out the fundraiser website.

• Sunday, December 7, 2014
  current affairs interfaith Paganism requested post

On being safe in your community

I'm so out of touch with the greater Pagan community--especially the American one--that I might as well have been living under a rock the past few months. Every now and again, however, news seeps down to me, and yesterday I was suddenly confronted with the news of Kenny Klein's arrest on multiple counts of possessing child pornography.

I don't know Klein; I've read some of his posts on PaganSquare, and I've heard others talk about him, but I have never exchanged words with him, not even written ones. I can make no statement to his character beyond his now-tainted image. I don't know anything about Kenny Klein, and yet the news of his arrest and the charges for which he will be brought to court have hit me harder than I would have expected it to.

The Wild Hunt has a relatively complete account of the circumstances, so for anyone wishing to know more about this situation, I would kindly ask you to read up there as I feel no need to repeat Jason's hard work. As of this moment, Klein is not convicted of anything, so I won't comment on his guilt--one way or another--but I do want to comment on the greater ramifications of a Pagan Elder being charged with not only possession of child pornography, but also facing multiple testimonies of people who have felt intimidated and unsafe in his presence during festivals. If you read the article, you will see accounts of many people uncomfortable by his push for physical contact despite being told 'no', and one person even testified to keeping an eye on any kids around Klein long before this turn of events on Wednesday.

This is the part where I warn you about triggers for abuse, rape, rape culture and (male) privilege.

The Pagan community is rather huggy-feely. I haven't visited many festivals, but there is always invariably one person--and yes, I'm sorry, often one man--who will continually touch you. I'm a woman, I've learned to control my natural urges to touch and interact in favour of clarity so I won't send out mixed signals and will stay safe, and yet, I'll always find myself with at least one person at the festival who thinks it's perfectly fine to hug me whenever we meet, to lift me up from the ground, to touch my hair or face, or pull me into their lap. In 99% of the cases, it's a man. It's not just at festivals, it happens everywhere; in college, on the work floor, etc. In some variation, there is almost always one guy who does not get that he is not entitled to my body simply because I've smiled at him and have engaged him in conversation. The chances of these innocent touches--because almost always, they are well-intended--increase tenfold at a Pagan festival, and yes, it's worrying, especially when women (and men) subjected to this kind of behaviour do not feel free to speak out. It's even more worrying that they are not believed when they do.

Rape culture in all its forms is a terrible thing--for men and women alike--but it exists. I'm sorry to say this, men, but it's a daily reality for many women. When I go out to a festival, I dress more modestly than I normally do. I would never wear a corset to a fair, nor some nice, tight, steampunk outfit. I applaud you if you have the guts to do so, fellow women, but I come to fairs and festivals for my enjoyment, not to be made a target for showing skin. Before I move on to the Hellenic community, I must get something off of my chest I have been itching to say to the many men who have made me feel uncomfortable for dressing a certain way, acting a certain way, or speaking a certain way: it was never for your benefit; I dressed, acted, and spoke like that for one reason: because I wanted to have a good time, not with you, but with me. I'm gay, I told you I am gay--because that's my number one attempt at repelling you--so stop thinking that just because I breath and move, and laugh at a joke you made, you are entitled to touch me. You are not. Not now, not ever. If I was straight, you wouldn't be either. If you want to touch me in any way: ask and if I say 'no', do not take it personally. I am sure you're a nice guy, but it's my body, and it's not there for your enjoyment.

I promised a link to the Hellenic community; I'm not part of an off-line one, but I would love to be. As much as I would enjoy saying that the Hellenic community is different from the greater Pagan one, it's still a collection of people, and with that comes certain dangers and triggers. The danger of including and embracing someone with less than noble intentions in your community is always there--not every man or woman is a predator, but they could be, either because of entitlement or preference. It's good to have a reminder that even though you may share religious and ethical views, you may not think alike at all.

Many rites and rituals include touch, even if it's just a kiss on the cheek or a hug at the end of it. It's become a part of the celebration and it's a beautiful part--a part of bonding and companionship. To some, however, it can be highly triggering and highly uncomfortable. If you are part of a group of worshippers that comes together regularly--or even just sporadically--it might be a good idea to dedicate a meeting to the subject of safety and triggers one of these days if you haven't already, and to touch bases with everyone on occasion. It's important to make people aware that there is an Elder, a priest, or an organiser available to talk to if you feel uncomfortable in any way--and that it's okay to feel uncomfortable at all. No one--man or woman--should be made to feel uncomfortable by the behaviour of another. These issues need to be addressed openly and in the spirit of safety with both parties before either something happens that cannot be mended or one of the two leaves the group because they can't deal with their emotions and frustrations anymore.

I must repeat this: it is never okay to make someone feel uncomfortable, and it's never okay to make someone feel bad for telling you that you make them feel uncomfortable. Your proper reaction should be to apologize, back off, and mind your behaviour--and not just with them, but with everyone else as well. In fact, I highly encourage everyone--man or woman--to ask your religious community if you have ever made them feel uncomfortable with your behaviour. Yes, it's scary, and the answers may hurt, but I tell you now, you need to know this about yourself and your behaviour. If you get even a single 'yes', check your privilege and anger at the door and work together to pinpoint how and why you have earned this 'yes'. Perhaps the other person is extra sensitive to touch or close proximity because of past events, perhaps it's because you two have history, but perhaps it's something in your behaviour that you did not know was triggering.

For anyone reading this thinking 'but why should I change who I am because someone else is uncomfortable?', please watch this and this and sit down. And if you think this is just one woman's opinion, think again, because this is the reality of many--if not all--women at one point or another in their lives. In fact, the ghost of these events are what causes me to go running in the morning and not tonight when it would be much more convenient--but also more dangerous--this is what causes me to halt when I want to buy some cute but revealing piece of clothing--because someone might get the idea that I am 'asking for it'--this is partly why I don't go out, and why I don't drink alcohol. This is in the back of the mind of every woman you meet, and it should be in the back of yours--whether you are a man or woman--when you interact with anyone else, especially women.

These are things we need to talk about if we want to prevent the stories that are emerging now in light of the accusations made at the address of Kenny Klein from emerging from our own communities. We need to step up and create a safe religious environment for everyone to practice in and that includes open and honest dialogue and the respect of everyone's boundaries. If that means taking a step back and minding your body language to make someone else feel at ease, then that is what you should be doing. In any group of people, your privilege needs to be checked at the door and left there, in the trash, because you don't need to take it out with you into the wide world either.

Religion is as much about respect, love, and safety as it is about the Gods, and if you are not actively working to meet these requirement, you are part of the problem. No one is entitled to my body. No one is entitled to expect anything from me I am not willing to give--be it a touch, a hug, a kiss, or sex. No one is obligated to let their boundaries get pushed. If you do not agree with this, we have a problem, and I will not abide having you in my personal life, let alone my religious community because I am never more vulnerable than when I am in ritual. Don't abuse the good faith of another, mind your privilege and your actions, and listen when someone reaches out to you. Don't dismiss them because you don't like their story. We may be Hellenic, we may be Pagan, but we are also human, and sometimes humanity sucks. That is reality, and we have to deal with it before it dissolves our foundation.

• Saturday, March 29, 2014
  Hellenic Reconstruction interfaith Paganism personal

On interfaith and privilege

Oh how I try to avoid the general blogosphere these days. It's become an active pursuit not to know what's going on in the online Pagan community. I know it's bad blogger behaviour of me, but I don't have the spoons for it right now. For the last few weeks--months--I've just been hanging out on my own little island, and while I've started to branch out some, I was hoping to avoid the greater Pagan community for a while yet. It's not so much them as it is me. Sometimes, I just need a break. Well, the break is over, it seems. Totally by accident, I stumbled upon two blog posts on the same topics, one a reaction to the other--and now I have opinions. Bear with me here.

Wiccan elder Don Frew--in a guest spot on Gus diZerega's blog 'Pointedly Pagan'--had a few words to say 'on saving Pagan lives, ‘Wiccan privilege’ and interfaith'. Some of those words, it seems, were aimed at Reconstructionists who are not getting with the program:

"I have heard some Reconstructionists and “hard polytheists” complain they constantly have to explain that they are not Witches. Some complain about what they describe as “Wiccan privilege.” [...] All of the Witches involved in interfaith (and CoG has been doing interfaith work since 1975) have ALWAYS explained that there are other Neopagans out there.  We have usually specifically mentioned Druids and Heathens. [...] You do the best you can, but people come away with an impression, more than any specific information.  As long as the people doing the work are Witches, the impression is going to be of Witches, not of any other groups mentioned.

 

I am sorry about that.  I genuinely am.  However after decades of Witches sticking their necks out to explain that we weren’t Devil-worshippers or baby-murderers, the comparatively small amount of re-education and explanation that newer groups have to go through should be seen as a blessing rather than a curse.  The plain fact is that the interfaith community – and by extension, the public that all of those ministers, priests, rabbis, and imams educate – will continue to equate Pagans and Wiccans until more non-Wiccan groups step up and do both interfaith work and public relations. Pagans of all types are more welcome than we had initially ever been in interfaith circles, but non-Witch Pagans and Heathens (and anyone else) still must explain who they are and how they are different from Witches."

Now let me say before I continue that this is a good, solid, post. Frew seems like a wonderful man who does a lot of interfaith work. He seems to do it well, respectfully, and I believe him when he says he's doing the best he can in representing the full scope of Paganism. Paganism itself is s broad a term that to represent it fully takes time, a lot of effort, and a big vocabulary--not to mention an attentive and willing audience.

Sadly enough, however, the article makes clear once more that privilege is incredibly hard to distinguish when you are in the group who has it. For us Multideists/Hard Polytheists/Recons, it's not easy to go along with Pagan Interfaith talks. Our views tend to clash, and we rarely get invited. I understand the latter--the general reaction is that 'it would be confusing to so such different Traditions within the same path'--and also realize it feeds into the first. More importantly, it keeps the circle going, and it screams 'privilege'. If you reasons for not having us there, or minimizing our influence is that it might confuse the audience, you are privileged, and you are holding it over our heads. If we are not allowed to speak, or our words get undone with 'all Gods are one'-talk, we will never be acknowledged for our contribution, and we will never be invited in on the conversation. You are basically saying 'because your path is confusing (and maybe a little embarrassing) to me/us, we will just be talking about the path I/we are on. It's easier'. Yes, it is... but that right there, is privilege.

Galina Krasskova replied to the article on her blog, and I want to quote two passages:

"We show up. We show up and are confronted not only with Wiccan privilege, but with an interfaith setting in which the default paradigm to which we are all expected to bow our heads in tacit compliance is a monotheistic one, or at best monist or pantheistic. This may be fine for many Wiccans. I've noticed that many Wiccans and Pagans don't seem to believe in the Gods anyway as independent beings, but it's not for us. For us, that is impiety. For us to comply even by our silence with such an attitude of "all gods are one" is to collaborate in the further destruction of our traditions.

 

[...] It's far easier after all to believe everyone is the same as you, but the real test of interfaith values is how you treat people with whom you have nothing in common but a supposed commitment to your faith."

Now, I do far too little interfaith work, but I live in The Netherlands where this whole idea of interfaith seems to be largely non-existent. People either don't know or don't care, and under the law, all our religions are equal. I'm sure I could get approval if I wanted to build a temple--as long as I could fork up the money, no one would care. We don't really have panels to discuss religion, we don't have conventions to bring religious folk together. We live, and let live, and if we know in advance that we won't feel welcome somewhere, we don't show up. No hard feelings. No one is, or feels, obligated to cater to the greater Pagan community, and while that leaves some things to be desired as well, it's at least peaceful.

Interfaith matters where it matters, and I know plenty of Recons who di the work. They show up, they do the talks, but their work needs to be acknowledged to matter in the long run. Read both articles, please, and read the comments. Form your own opinions... and please, check your privilege at the door, because it does exist, and yes, it is hurtful. Even to people like me, who only deal with it in an online setting.

• Wednesday, February 12, 2014
  bloggers I admire Eclectic Witchcraft Hellenic Reconstruction interfaith Neo-Wicca Paganism personal Wicca

PBP: Believe for a reason

A while ago, I attended a church service for a friend. It was such a confusing experience for me that I wrote about it on Baring the Aegis, trying to sort out my feelings. I did, a little, and the comments helped a lot... but the experience has stuck with me, and I have found myself contemplating Christianity and why it feels so hollow to me on many occasions since then. Last night I watched a news item about the Sunday Assembly, an atheist church that is quickly gaining popularity in the world. In their own words, the Sunday Assembly describes themselves as:

"[...] a godless congregation that celebrate life. Our motto: live better, help often, wonder more. Our mission: to help everyone find and fulfil their full potential. Our vision: a godless congregation in every town, city and village that wants one. [...] Just by being with us you should be energised, vitalised, restored, repaired, refreshed and recharged. No matter what the subject of the Assembly, it will solace worries, provoke kindness and inject a touch of transcendence into the everyday. But life can be tough… It is. Sometimes bad things happen to good people, we have moments of weakness or life just isn’t fair. We want The Sunday Assembly to be a house of love and compassion, where, no matter what your situation, you are welcomed, accepted and loved."

I found myself watching recordings of their service and thought: 'that is what I witnessed when I went to church. This is church, everything is the same: there are pop songs, everyone is happy, they celebrate being together, and they ask for blessings for their own lives--the only difference is that there is no God that they pray to'. Then I realized where the problem lay: the service I attended could be made Godless and still summon the exact same feelings in its participants; you could leave God out.

As a Hellenist, I can't imagine a ritual ever giving me that idea, nor can I envision that for my religious ancestors. Every single thing in Hellenic ritual is focussed on the Gods; the goal of any rite may be to make a request for yourself or someone else, but the purpose of it is to honour the Gods. That is why there are sacrifices, that is why we recite long hymns, and make flowery prayers. That is why we pray our sacrifices are enough to appease the Gods and built our kharis with Them: the goal is not for us to feel good, the goal is to ask the Gods to keep us in mind in a way that might eventually lead to a better life for us--if we are pious, and live up to the ethical guidelines of our faith. If we work for it.

Just as a not, I still take absolutely no issue with Christianity; I am all in favour of pursuing something that makes you happy. If you have faith in the Christian God, then go for it! This is a personal observation, and I make it as respectfully as I can.

I believe in the Gods. I am a religious person at heart; believing comes easy for me. My girlfriend is fine with my religion, but it still spooks her that I actually believe--she is an atheist, after all. She is hardwired not to believe, I am hardwired to believe. It has caused some tension in the past, but you know, you make it work for love. Interestingly enough, my girlfriend--who was also at the service--thought the Sunday Assembly gathering looked 'too religious'. After a short discussion about definitions, she agreed it looked too Christian, but not religious at all--that's the point, after all: Sunday Assembly gives atheists a chance to find the community, the help, and the sense of belonging of a church without the addition of God. It won't be for everyone, but I could imagine feeling drawn to the concept if you were raised in church, or are simply missing this type of community in life.

I believe for the Gods. My own well-being is an afterthought to that. This has gotten me some flack before from the greater Pagan community, but I honestly don't care about that. My reason for being religious is that I think there are beings out there, who are greater than me, and even if they did not have the power to shape my life, I would still honour Them, simply for being who They are. I think that for the people in the service I attended--which is not reflective at all of the whole of Christianity!--this concept would be completely foreign. Not because they do not believe God exists, or that he should be honoured, but because I would still do it twice a day and extra on festival days if I got nothing at all out of it.

I could have titled this post 'believe for the right reason', but just as I feel I was wired for Hellenism, I am sure many Christians feel they were wired for Christianity, and many atheists feel they were wired for atheism. There is no 'right' way when it comes to religion--but it is important to debate (even if it's just with yourself) why you are in the religion you are in. Why do you do what you do, and does it make you happy? Does it feel truthful to you? If the answer is 'yes', then that is wonderful... but if the answer is 'no', then it may be time to examine your religious needs and the way you want them shaped in your life.

This post is a reminder, to never loose sight of why you believe. Just believing is not enough for most--it certainly isn't for me--because you lose not only your focus, but your purpose. Without a reason, why do it? Why make the libations, why form the prayers, why recite the hymns? For me, what I get out of it is not enough to do it, although a good, stable, life is always a plus. What I love about Hellenismos is that it allows me to feel close to the Gods, to know I have drawn Their attention, and in those few moments, I have an opportunity to show Them my devotion. This, at the end of the day, is my reason for performing the rites, and because of this connection, I believe.

• Sunday, January 26, 2014
  Christianity daily practice Hellenismos 101 interfaith kharis Pagan Blog Project personal

Pagan? Polytheist? Multideist?

There are plenty of labels I identify with religiously--polytheist, Pagan, Hellenist--and I have found that the labels I identify with are linked closer to the experiences of others than my own. I label myself in a way that is understandable for others; I know who and what I am, I have no need to label myself just for me. When I am in the company of people who will have most likely never heard anything about Hellenism or even Paganism, I stick to 'Hellenist'. At least that way, I can explain right away what I believe in. With other Pagans, I identify as 'Pagan, Hard Polytheist--subset: Hellenist'. With other Recons, I identify myself solely as 'Hellenist'. Heck, with my parents, I'm just 'Religious', that's hard enough for them to agree with.

Labels, in my opinion, have their value placed upon them by those outside of the label; as much as a group might feel they have claimed and formed the meaning of a label, in truth it will always be defined by those outside of it. This is why labels change, and why we sometimes need new ones; the group doesn't outgrow the label--neither the original meaning of the label, nor the believes of the group have changed, after all--but through misuse or adoption by other groups, the label has become undefined, has expanded to include a broader group of people, or has had its meaning mangled beyond the point of recognition by the group. At this point, all of the labels I use identify me just as well as they have in the past, but they have also become muddled and messy. 'Hellenist' still works, and it will always work because it's the name of my faith, but especially in regards to the label 'polytheist', I am not sure I readily identify with it anymore.

Polytheism is defined as 'the doctrine of or belief in more than one God or in many Gods', and herein lies the rub; it includes everything from duotheism (Wicca), to soft polytheism (Neo-Wicca, mostly), and my brand of polytheism; hard polytheism, where all Gods are seen as separate entities, worthy of respect if not worship. 'Polytheism' today comes with subsets of its own these days, and it can make identifying with the label a frustrating experience when you just want to say 'I believe in and worship multiple Gods'.

It seems I am not the only one who has been mulling this over--although I have to admit the instances of this subject coming up are few and far between; I mostly interact with Hellenists, and we understand each other just fine--because Star Foster recently posted a manifesto to this extend, hoping hard polytheists are willing to adopt a new label: 'Multideist', defined by seven characteristics (which are still being updated and defined, but the basics are set):

1. 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.
2. While the ultimate reality of each and every individual deity is beyond the scope of any human being to discover and articulate, every deity is treated as an individual worthy of hospitality and respect.
3. Ecumenical efforts must include an attitude of respect towards the gods and the role of belief in religion. No community can be built on dismissive disrespect.
4. Practice stems from belief, and there should be harmony between these two foundations of religion.
5. The beliefs and practices of the ancients have value and purpose. While they may in some cases no longer be relevant or appropriate, their wisdom can still serve us well if we don’t look down our nose at them.
6. Religious culture and community is built on shared values, not political ideals, imposed shame, or superficial similarities.
7. Free will is tempered by fate, and these forces held in tension shape our lives. While we may not always be free to do exactly as we would wish, neither are we helpless pawns of the gods. There is no ultimate good or evil to negate our personal responsibility, but our religious convictions are also not borne of whims or a matter of style.
As a Hellenist, I find myself drawn to this new label easily, and from what I can see, many Recons are drawn towards it with me. As Star says:

"So here we have an opportunity. To redefine ourselves, to bring clarity to our dialogues, and to increase understanding. I consider this concept, this identity, and I see hope. I feel a sense of relief in it, a burden lifted. Is it it divisive? Absolutely. All labels are. Is it a complete sundering of ties with paganism and polytheism? Not necessarily, it simply brings greater clarity to the conversations with those communities."

I am going to try out the label, use it for myself and in conversations with others to see how it defines in the long run. It's good to cut ties with the problematic labels that plague us and start as fresh as possible where others will always be reminded of similar labels and fill in this one as well by those definitions. Still, for now, the label is blissfully defined and familiar. Would this label be one you feel like adopting? It doesn't even have to replace any other the others you use, but perhaps there are circles in your life within which an identification of 'multideist' brings more clarity than 'polytheist', or any of our other labels. I would like your thoughts.

• Friday, January 24, 2014
  bloggers I admire current affairs interfaith labels multideism Paganism personal

What religion would you have if you weren't Hellenic?

I received a reader question yesterday (yes, I'm still open to those, even though I have a backlog--so sorry, especially for Facebook people!) from someone who'd rather remain anonymous. Their questions were rather personal in nature (for them, not for me) so I won't post those up, but one of them was:

"If you had not become Hellenic, what would you have become?"

I wanted to give an easy answer and found I couldn't. I have spoken before about how I think some of us were destined to follow the religion or tradition they are. From that post: [a] person [can find] themselves naturally suited to live up to the standards placed upon you by the religion. I have that with Hellenismos; I fit its ethical standard, its belief system, its way of looking at the world. I understand instinctively the how's and why's of the religion and walking a Recon path is therefor pretty easy most days; I am just me and it is enough. I think this 'wiring', as I have taken to call it, was done by the Gods, on purpose.
That said, I feel a fluxuating religious draw to the Kemetic belief system--reconstruction of the old Egyptian religious practices. It's not always there, but when I was looking to commit myself to Hellenismsos, it played through my mind quite heavily. Most of the Egyptian religion is not for me, and while the ancient Hellenes made it work somehow, I can't imagine mixing the two. There is one concept, however, in Kemeticism, that I am drawn to so much: Ma'at. Ma'at, to me, means the active endeavour to promote order (as opposed to Isfet--chaos). This means living to the letter of the law, fostering stability within yourself so you are not swayed by Isfet, and actively removing chaos from the world when possible (the famous shopping cart example comes to mind here). There are philosophical equivalents in Hellenismos, but Ma'at is the Kemetic kharis, or xenia, or any other core value. It's inseparable from the Kemetic religion, where it would be possible for us to simply not adhere to this.

Solely for the beautiful lifestyle that Ma'at dictates, I considered the Egyptian Gods--who, I admit, speak to me as well. I have never truly worshipped Them--They have never seemed like the forgiving sort, and where the Hellenic Gods accommodated the Neo-Wiccan style rituals of days past, I never felt like the Kemetic Gods would do so. The mythology and the rituals are beautiful, though, and I have often mused about how incredibly easy it is here in the Netherlands to get statues of the Egyptian Gods while I have to mail order statues of the Hellenic Gods. That always seemed unfair to me.

So, for about two seconds, there was a chance I would take a detour into Kemeticism first... but it would always have been a detour. I belong here, in Hellenismos, and while I acknowledge all the Gods exist, I am solely called to worship the Theoi. I want to thank my Anon, though, for their thought-provoking question. I had a few very pleasant moments to walk down memory lane.

• Sunday, January 12, 2014
  interfaith Paganism personal requested post

$186,- raised for the Coats For Kids Foundation by Pandora's Kharis

 

Elaion is proud to announce that the third Pandora's Kharis donation run has raised $186,- for the democratically decided upon cause Coats For Kids Foundation. Once more, it is an astounding amount for a small but ever-expanding giving circle, and we are so proud of the generous spirit of the Hellenistic community.

PayPal takes its standard fees from the transactions--in this case about $10,-, which was covered by Elaion, making sure every cent of your donation went to the Foundation to buy coats for kids who are struggling in this winter weather. The average amount paid by the contributors was around $15,-, with donations coming in as high as $30,-.

Giving a child a new coat positively impacts that child’s self-esteem and self-worth. Coats For Kids believes that the impact on kids that receive coats from CFK is dramatic, as evidenced by heads held high, smiles, and fewer missed days of school because of illness. Most kids that receive a coat from CFK either have never had a winter coat or, at best, have had a hand-me-down from a parent, sibling, or clothing box.

On average, a new coat costs the Foundation fifteen dollars, meaning that together, we have been able to provide good, sturdy, warm coats to twelve kids who are in desperate need of them this winter.

As always, we encourage members who have given so generously to dedicate this gift to the Gods, especially the Kourotrophos; (mostly) female deities who watched over growing children--Gaea, Artemis, Hekate, Eirênê, Aglauros and Pandrosos, especially. A pre-made ritual can be found here, on the Elaion Facebook page.

From this moment on, the Pandora's Kharis Facebook page is open to pitches. If you do not have Facebook, feel free to pitch your cause in the comments. We will relay the message to the community.

On to another month of pitching, voting, and giving. Thank you for your generosity!

• Monday, January 6, 2014
  Elaion interfaith Pandora's Kharis personal

PBP: Ancient religion, why?

I am not sure if you expected any differently, but of course I am doing the Pagan Blog Project again this year, which means I am starting all over again, with the A's. Welcome to cycle three! That said, I am totally hijacking today's PBP in favour of answering a question I was asked recently: why did you chose an ancient religion? Why not just go with a modern one?

The short answer is obviously: I did not chose my religion; the Gods chose me for it. I believe that with my entire being. I talked about being wired for a certain religion before, where a certain person finds themselves naturally suited for live up to the standards placed upon you by the religion. I have that with Hellenismos; I fit its ethical standard, its belief system, its way of looking at the world. I understand instinctively the how's and why's of the religion and walking a Recon path is therefor pretty easy most days; I am just me and it is enough. I think this 'wiring', as I have taken to call it, was done by the Gods, on purpose.

Hellenismos believes in free will of humanity; not even the Gods can end the will of a human being, but they can certainly influence the lives we live and instil in us through our environment a need to serve, a need to find Them, a need to honour Them. They might have been doing that since the reign of the ancient Hellenes, but we have only restored the ancient practices a few decades ago, and before that, I doubt anyone really knew what to do with that wiring and just channelled it into Christianity, or in beautiful poetry like from those who were later remarked on as being 'pagan' because they related so well to the societies of years past.

I am polytheistic, and hard polytheistic at that. I believe that every God and every Goddess (unless specified in the lore) is alive and well, and that somehow they have found a beautiful balance to run the world. Yes, perhaps every similar God or Goddess is the same entity at its core, or maybe there is only one divine entity, perhaps posing as multiple Gods throughout the ages, I am fine with that. As long as the Gods have individual names and personalities, I will treat Them as such. To make a very irreverent example: I'm not going to assume that all construction workers are the same person just because they perform a singular job, and I am most certainly not thanking their supervisor for a job they did admirably well.

Unfortunately this attitude cancels out most modern religions; I'm not wired for the Big Three, and I tried Paganism in its many forms, but although Hellenismos is technically part of the umbrella, I am not drawn to any of the other religions and traditions under it (except for maybe the other Recon religions; Kemeticism still looks like such a beautiful religion as well). Hinduism is beautiful, but from what I can tell, it's not something I am naturally cut out for, plus I'd feel bad for overtaking something that is so tied into a racial culture. I get how that sounds, by the way, considering I practice Greek Reconstructionism, but because the Age of Hellas is so long in the past, I do not feel like I am appropriating anything. The Hellenic Gods are universal, abide based in Greece. Consider the copyright laws for Their worship expired.

With all this said, I chose Hellenismos because I believe in the Gods and I wished to honour Them in a way that was not only convenient for me, but recognisable to Them. That was the reason I eventually transitioned from an Eclectic Pagan ritual structure to Hellenismos; I was always honouring the Theoi, but eventually I begun to feel like I was doing Them a disservice by blowing past the ritual structure that we already know They enjoyed. that is not to say I do not think They enjoy a more modern style of worship either; it simply means that I can no longer give Them that.

Reconstructionism works for me; it was tried and perfected over hundreds of years, and at its core, it is very clear-cut. There are a few basic tenets and everything else is just living those tenets to the fullest and delving into ritual structures and holidays. I feel comfortable being in a religion that needs to be thought about and researched, because I am a thoughtful person and i adore research. I understand that not everyone is, and that not even everyone who joined Hellenismos is--that's alright. Partly for those people, I started Baring the Aegis, so the research I do does not go to waste by being applied to just my household. That would be a shame, I think, because knowledge should never be a barrier to practicing faith, so if you get some of your from me, then perhaps it will become more appealing to honor the Theoi in a Reconstructionistic manner. And yes, I want that; I want more Hellenists in the wold, because the ones I have met have been wonderful, almost without exception.

I think that is my last reason for choosing an ancient religion: the community is fantastic.Sure, we have our nationalistic a-holes, and our entitled whiners, but you can find those everywhere. In general, I have found the Hellenistic community to be welcoming, helpful, and above all kind and very in tune with those previously mentioned core tenets. These are people I relate to because they are at least partially jut like me; I get along with them naturally.

I need religion in my life; I am religious person and I desire the stability of a spiritual safety net and daily routine. I also feel the need to thank the Gods I believe in every day for guiding me through life. I will always be religions. Hellenismos fits my needs; it's an ancient religion by accident, not choice. If I was wired for Christianity, I'd be in church every Sunday. I'm not, thought, so I had to strike out and find what did fit me, and that is this, the worship of the ancient Hellenic Gods. Hellenismos makes me happy, it enriches my life and it makes me a better person. It helps me to make sense of life, accept the hard parts, and move on from them. It helps me to make sense of myself. In the end, I belong nowhere else but here, in Traditonal Hellenismos, along with all these other people who I thank the Gods for every day.

• Friday, January 3, 2014
  Christianity Hellenic Reconstruction Hellenismos 101 interfaith Pagan Blog Project Paganism personal

Chinese terracotta warriors were possibly inspired by ancient Hellenic art

I tiny break from answering questions today because an article titled 'Terracotta Warriors inspired by Ancient Greek Art' caught my eye. If this is true--and right now it's certainly a theory that holds some water, then consider my mind blown, even though the thought isn't preposterous to entertain to begin with.

For those of you unfamiliar with the statues; the Terracotta Army is a collection of terracotta sculptures depicting the armies of Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China. They were burried with the emperor upon his death in 210–209 BC to safeguard him in the afterlife.

The figures were discovered in 1974 by local farmers in the Lintong District in the Shaanxi province. They vary in height according to their roles, with the tallest being the generals. Found in three long pits near the tomb of the emperor, the collection includes warriors, chariots and horses. Current estimates are that there were over 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses, the majority of which are still buried in the pits near by Qin Shi Huang's mausoleum. Other terracotta non-military figures were also found in other pits and they include officials, acrobats, strongmen and musicians.

"It is perfectly possible and actually likely that the sculptures of the First Emperor are the result of early contact between Greece and China," writes Lukas Nickel, a reader with the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London, in the most recent edition of the journal Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies. According to the Archaeology News Network,

"Nickel's evidence includes newly translated ancient records that tell a fantastic tale of giant statues that "appeared" in the far west, inspiring the first emperor of China to duplicate them in front of his palace. This story offers evidence of early contact between China and the West, contacts that Nickel says inspired the First Emperor (which is what Qin Shi Huangdi called himself) to not only duplicate the 12 giant statues but to build the massive Terracotta Army along with other life-size sculptures."

It foes on to say that:

"Before the First Emperor's time, life-size sculptures were not built in China, and Nickel argues the idea to build so many of them, so suddenly, came from kingdoms in Asia that had been created and influenced by Alexander the Great's campaigns."

The entire article is a very interesting read and I greatly encourage you to take a few minutes to read it. It's not odd to consider the possibilities of cross-contamination between these two great cultures. In the time of ancient Hellas, the Chinese empire was already blooming and written historical records of the ancient Chinese empire date back to at least 1700 BC. It was a strong culture, and would have been considered utterly barbaric by the ancient Hellenes, that said, examples like these show there could have been a lot more contact between the two than might have been assumed prior. Plus, it's rather awesome that one of China's greatest cultural treasures has Hellenic origins.

What do you think of this theory? Is your mind blown like mine?

Image credit: Wikipedia Commons

• Sunday, December 15, 2013
  ancient Hellenic culture archeology China current affairs interfaith

How do you feel about Hellenismos in modern Neo-Paganism?

You guys... you really are the best readers a blogger like me could ever have. I am sure every writer on the planet feels that way about the people who read their work but it is surely true in my case. You guys came through yesterday in the sweetest, most forgiving and supportive way possible. I have gotten a lot of questions from you guys, some I can answer right away, some that are going to need some time and research and some which I have answered before but which could admittedly use a bit more love. In the coming days, I am going to try to go through all of them as the mood strikes me, and I want to thank you for giving me so many prompts to write about. It's wonderful! If you missed yesterday's blog post, still feel free to ask me questions; it makes everything so much easier. Yesterday was a very good day in general, and it has worked wonders in restoring my desire to write, so thank you so much if you were one of the many people who wrote me yesterday; it really means a lot.

I got a lot of wonderful questions yesterday, but I am going to start off with something personal, simply because it's easier to wrap my head around today. Jacen Versailles, a long time reader of my blog asked me yesterday:

"How do you feel about Hellenismos in modern neo paganism? As loathing as I am to identify this way if anyone took a look at me and my circles practices it would be easy to see that we sort of have to teeter the line between the two. We always take khernips before we make libations or sacrifice and Hestia is always honored first and last before we give libations to the other Gods. However we also still cast circle, call elements, call the Theoi to witness our magickal rites and ask them for aid (when it's appropriate.) I know that those were not Hellenic practices and I wonder a lot about the Greek thoughts on Magic and Witchcraft. Is it all bad? And mostly at the end of the day, do the Theoi really mind how we practice as long as they are being honored and cherished?"

I have gone on record before saying that I think Hellenismos is part of the Pagan banner, not so much because we define as such, but because the outside world sees us as part of it. There are many ways to look at our inclusion in Neo-Paganism, however: one could make a case for being outside of it but also within it. Neo-Paganism is so undefined that it can encompass any religion or tradition looking to be a part of it; as long as it is at its core non-Abrahamic, it can qualify--even though that line is muddled and not very useful to begin with. I think Hellenismos is moving away from Neo-Paganism slowly but surely; we're growing as a religion, and we are unifying in a way that was previously unheard of. I feel this has a lot to do with the rupture that went through the Neo-Pagan movement as a whole a while back with the whole 'Pagan vs. Polytheists'-thing. While that debate seems to have mostly died down now, it did leave a desire in many Reconstructionists to focus more on practices and traditions similar to ours instead of the more nature-based other half of Neo-Paganism. I see more calls for Recon events now, or for Recons to have more (or a separate) say in events already hosted. Recon blogs are more vocal now, and we are becoming far more mainstream.

That said, the line between the 'classical' Neo-Pagan traditions like Wicca, Neo-Wicca, shamanism and even Druidism and the Recon faiths is thin; it's far more likely these days that modern Recons came from one of these traditions than straight into Reconstructionism itself. Many of us--myself included--wandered through many forms of Neo-Paganism before ending up here and for some the ability and/or desire to shake those previous practices was greater than others. The same holds true if you came here from Christianity or any of the other religions known to man.

How much we are looking to preserve from our previous practice is a personal question only you can answer, and it defines the level of reconstruction you put in your Reconstructionism. I'm a Traditionalist and have shed the practice of my previous traditions as much as I possibly could. Jacen, for example, and many with him, falls somewhere to the left on that curve, incorporating many practices from the 'other' side of Neo-Paganism in his practice.

I have no opinion on this besides 'rock on!'; I am in no position to dictate, correct, or otherwise influence the religion of others. I am a Traditionalist because that is what works for me; I try to reconstruct a practice as close to the ancient Hellenes as I possibly can because I feel that it's the most truthful way to honour the Gods. Just because I feel this way, however, does not make it true.

I feel I should also address witchcraft and magic again, if only to link to a few post that discusses my thoughts on its inclusion in Traditional Hellenismos (take note of the Traditional part!). I would like to first link to my blog post on katadesmoi, which was about as close to 'magic' as the common ancient Hellen came, and secondly to my post about magic in the Odysseia where I sum up my ambivalent feelings about the inclusion of modern magical practices. From that latter post:

"[T]here was 'magic' and 'witchcraft' in ancient Hellas and its mythology, but not in the way we know it now; this was divine magic; a manifestation of a trait major Gods manifest with a thought. These lesser deities require a medium to manifest their powers, but their powers are still the powers of a God. This is exactly why I feel we, as Hellenists, should pray to the Gods for any aid we might require, and blessings we would wish upon our lives; to practice magic ourselves would be to equate ourselves with the (minor) Gods, and Hellenismos is clear upon the status of humans: we are human, not divine. To practice magic, is to practice hubris, and that is decidedly dangerous in a Hellenistic context."

Again, I want to stress that this concerns Traditional Hellenismos--as everything on this blog does. That is my practice, and it is what I understand best.

I don't know if the Gods appreciate me going back to the old ways; who knows, it could be incredibly boring to them. Perhaps they are sitting on snowy Olympos yawning at my rituals but sending some kharis my way for good effort. It's entirely possible that the Gods gleefully attend modern Neo-Pagan rituals, happy to finally something different after years upon years of receiving the same type of worship. I don't have a direct line to Zeus, so I have no idea. All I can tell you is to ask yourself the age old Dr. Phil question: how's that working for ya? Are you happy in your practice? Do you get things done? Do you feel safe and protected by the Gods and does your practice enrich your life? If the answer is 'yes', you are doing religion right, no matter what you are actually doing. If the answer is 'no', it might be time to revaluate some religious choices.

I am afraid that religion is often considered universal within itself, and that is decidedly untrue. Especially within a fractured tradition like Hellenismos--which grew to maturity in many different parts of the world and was affected not only by its practitioners but also its location--there are major differences to consider. In Greece, Hellenismos has an entirely different identity than in the US, and my practice differs from both because I had to construct most of it on my own. I use a few labels--like Traditional--to at least narrow the scope but the truth is that the ancient Hellenic ideal of being able to join in with any Hellenic religious ritual no matter the town you visited is long lost. I'd be lost if I joined Jacen in one of his rituals, just as I would be if I visited one in Greece. I would not mind either way, though, because I'd be giving honour to the Gods we share and at the end of the day that it what matters to me, not the details of our worship.

• Thursday, December 12, 2013
  ancient Hellenic culture Christianity Hellenismos 101 interfaith Neo-Wicca Paganism personal requested post Wicca

PBP: "You get what you pay for"

The 'Y' is one of those letters that makes me want to drop the Pagan Blog Project, just because there is simply nothing that relates completely to Hellenism. As such, I have to branch out a little and I will write a post I have been meaning to write for a while but never really found the spoons to write.

I came to Paganism through Eclectic Religious Witchcraft (in one form or another). It eventually lost its appeal in favor of something that was more truthful to me, more fitting, but I learned much in my ten+ odd years in the religion and one of them is that I really, really, cannot stand people charging exhorbitant prices for religious teachings. I feel that if there is one thing that should be 'open source', it should be religion. There is nothing wrong with asking for a donation or charging a small fee to cover costs, but as soon as you start charging $15,- for an hour long ritual that cost you nothing to put together but an hour of your time, I break out in hyves.

There is nothing wrong with selling art or books, or doing anything of the sort, especially if your prices are reasonable; this is a wonderful service to the community and something that can add to your practice once you have the funds. I'm talking more about information here, which is hard to be without if you want to practice.

Money makes the world go 'round these days, and it truly sickens me. Money should have no place in the pursuit of truth, faith, and happiness. Again, I have no issue with covering costs or even a little more than that, but I have seen a lot of fuckery (pardon the term) when it comes to money, and I have seen how some people who really want to participate and practice in the way they feel they are told to are left in the cold because they can't cough up the fee.

All of the religions under our banner are small when compared to the mainstream faiths, and as such getting quality information on it is rediculously hard. Some religions and traditions under our banner have a bit more information overturn and talented writers than other, but in general, it is very, very, hard to get your questions answers and if you are just starting out, you are far more likely to be told to do 'your own damn research' than get an answer at all from mroe experienced members of the religion.

What is this, people? Why do we do this? Why do we downlook those who come into the faith eagerly, willing to learn? Have we forgotten how badly we struggled in the beginning, how just figuring out basic ritual structures took a month? How we didn't know what to buy, what to say, how to look at the world? Why make someone else go through that when all it takes is a sentence or two to say: 'look up the word 'khernips', it's the lustral water used for purification. Come talk to me when you have and we'll get you started'.

I believe information is the greatest gift we can give our fellow human beings and fellow religionists. I don't believe in 'you get what you pay for'; I believe in 'you get what you need if you ask me nicely'. Be a decent human being to me, don't treat me like a Magic 8-Ball, and I will spent hours researching your question if I don't know the answer from the top of my head. I do this because I do remember being in your shoes; I remember being stuck with Google only and not having access to any of the books that Google ended up referring to. I remember my frustration.

As someone who gets (and answers) questions about Hellenismos quite often, I have found there are two types of questions: 'please help me because I just can't find any more information and I'm stuck', and 'please help me because I am too lazy to open Google'. In the latter case, I will always reffer you to Google with a few search terms concerning your query. In the first case, you get essays worth of material from me; free of charge, no strings attached, no questions asked (unless I need the answers to properly help you along).

I think I have pledged this before, but I will never charge you for anything. I might ask for donations or eventually put up a donate button, but the information I have, I will always share freely. I will also always be available for questions and I will never judge you for your query. Contact me through e-mail (baring.the.aegis at gmail), or Facebook, or on the Baring the Aegis Facebook page or in any of the groups I frequent. I have Google+, Twitter, and a Youtube channel. I am pretty much everywhere so if you have something to ask, just ask; free of charge, because I love our Gods, and I treasure my tradition. I would love to gift you that gift as well.

• Sunday, December 8, 2013
  community Hellenic Reconstruction interfaith Money Pagan Blog Project personal

Mystera Magazine article and our numbers

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Friday, November 29, 2013
  current affairs Hellenic Reconstruction interfaith

Update on the Canadian chaplain situation

Remember back in October of last year, when I reported that Canada's Public Safety Minister let part-time non-Christian chaplains go? In a stunning display of inclusivity, the federal government cancelled the contracts of non-Christian chaplains at federal prisons across the country because Public Safety Minister Vic Toews isn't convinced part-time chaplains from other religions are an appropriate use of taxpayer money. As a solution to letting the part-time non-Christian chaplains go, the remaining full-time chaplains in prisons would now provide interfaith services and counselling to all inmates. Needless to say, that sounded like a bad plan to me.

By April, the situation was restored to much of its previous state in the face of a lawsuit reported on by The Wild Hunt. In a press statement, the government expressed that they were still looking to change the system:

"The federal government is restoring religious counselling services to some non-Christian federal prisoners in British Columbia, but officials deny they are reversing cuts made last year. [...] Instead, media relations adviser Sara Parkes said, the government is taking interim measures to meet the needs of inmates until they can roll out a revised plan for spiritual services."

Plans were then revealed that the entire chaplain service program would be out-sourced to a single provider, a decicion now decided upon. Canada.com reports that the system is getting a significant overhaul:

"The federal government has awarded a private company a $2-million contract to deliver religious counseling to prisoners, including minority faith services, as part of a system overhaul quietly rolled out over the last six months.

[...] Kairos Pneuma Chaplaincy Inc., a company started by a handful of current and former federal prison chaplains in direct response to the request for proposals issued in May, won the bid. Since October, about 30 full and part-time chaplains of all denominations, including Wicca and including many who worked in the federal prison system perviously, have been serving prisoners across the country, according to company president John Tonks.

There are still about 81 chaplains working in the federal prison system and those employed by Kairos only account for about 22 per cent of the total. Most, he said, are still operating under multiple individual contracts signed between various faith communities and the government. But as those contracts expire, he explained, their positions will be replaced under the single contractor. Kairos, which was among at least three bidders, has the contract for a year and will have to bid again as the changes roll out over three years."

On the backlash from the decisions made by Public Safety minister Vic Toews, Tonks said:

"[I]t became clear that the government “had to recant” on its plan to slash all part-time chaplains. It wasn’t just about Wiccans, he said, adding the move created a “crisis” within the prison system. There was “restlessness” among offenders over access to the faith leaders of their choice, he said, including among Quebec’s Protestant minority that was also serviced by part-time chaplains."

The new system affords more equity among chaplains across the country in terms of pay, benefits and pension, and according ot the article, there’s also more flexibility to balance the workforce in terms of the ratio of men to women and the various religious denominations.

Last year, the prison chaplain program was said to cost about $6.4 million, $1.3 million of which covered part-time chaplains. The new contract is $2-million worth, making this new decision a strong one in the name of savings, but perhaps a questionable one in terms of uniformity. We will have to see how this scenario plays out, and I will--of course--keep you updated.

• Saturday, November 16, 2013
  Christianity current affairs interfaith Paganism

The God Graveyard, revisited

A little short of two weeks ago, the AHA Wisconsin put up a display of (paper) tombstones with names, images, year of birth, year of death, and a short description of many popular Pagan and Non-Pagan Gods. Needless to say, this did not go over well in the Pagan community. Many Pagan blogs, including many in the Hellenistic community, have picked up the story, and the blog post has been commented up 170 times at the time of writing, which is about 170 times more than most of the other blog posts. Most of these comments are from Pagans and range from respective disagreement to all-out attack. The few voices in favor of this display were easily drowned out. I wrote my thoughts on the display here.

I have been keeping my eye on the blog, hoping for a reaction from the AHA members themselves. I am still really interested in hearing about the how's and why's of this display, because while I think I understand the fundaments of it, it was still a badly thought out plan. Yesterday, Sam Erickson, who holds the Outreach Chair in AHA, posted a comment on the reaction the display garnered as part of a larger update:

"This display was placed on Bascom Hill last Wednesday, October 30th. The halloween-themed graveyard featured hundreds of "gravestones" of gods that are no longer worshiped in large numbers as they once were. We then posed the simple question: how long will the gods of today last?

The response to this display was stunning. For more than a day, we were the top link on the subreddit r/atheism. We were also picked up on the popular blog The Friendly Atheist, and many other news sources. These sites combined led to nearly 150,000 views on our blog post and a 26,000% increase in activity on our Facebook page.

Our display even grew angry responses from many pagans around the world! Because it's not a proper atheism display unless you piss a lot of people off..."

Well, if I didn't feel insulted before--which I didn't, by the way, because the display wasn't meant as a dig towards Pagans--I sure feel that way now. From what I gather, atheism refers to the rejection of belief in the existence of deities. I think that's a valid view; it's not mine, but I understand it. As far as I am aware, being an atheist does not give you license to belittle and make fun of those who have faith, and this reaction reeks of both.

In my opinion, 'pissing a lot of people off' should never be a goal of an action you partake in, and even less should it be a goal of your organization. To state proudly that you have seen your numbers go up and then downplay the reason why these numbers went up so much is not only immature, but also unethical. You see, it's fantastic that you have seen a 26,000% increase in activity, but most of it was due to annoyance, outrage, and even anger. So how, exactly, is this a good thing?

I don't make fun of atheists. I don't judge them, I don't look down on them, I don't try to convert them into believers. Why would I? All I would appreciate in return is the exact same courtecy. This is something that seems beyond the AHA at this time.

I must make a note of many of the wonderful atheists who commented on the God Graveyard post made by the AHA. While some of them agreed with the initial display, they mostly spoke up against the condemnation that appeared in said comments by fellow atheists.

The AHA makes note of their Facebook page, which has even more posts along the lines of the one on the blog. It also has a few more lines of explination about the display itself, hidden away in the comments. This one, for example, in response to critisism about the display itself:

"The object of this exhibition was certainly not to insult anyone, and we're sorry if you felt that it was insulting to you. If anything, we wanted to bring to light the many, many alternative gods and goddesses that have been worshiped over the years. Some people forget that Jesus, Allah, and Yahweh aren't the only options, and that what you believe is certainly not universal. I hope you see where we're coming from, and of course we support everyone's right to believe in whatever deity they chose. 

In our culture, we talk about Greek and Roman myths, but not as an attempt to disparage or insult the people of those cultures. What is myth to someone can of course be considered true by someone else, and we absolutely don't judge anyone by that. Our only goal here was to make people think, and come to their own conclusion. If you've done that, and are happy with your beliefs, then more power to you."

And this one, for example, in reply to the question of 'what constitutes a 'dead god', especially if people still actually worship them?' :

"While we admit that, due to time constraints, we didn't really talk about how to define a 'dead' god before making all of our gravestones, we still believe we were justified in including the gods that we did.

Our sign said "Once worshipped by entire civilizations, now only myths." Perhaps we should have said "now considered myths". The fact is that every god that we included was once worshipped by an entire civilization, but those civilizations have since died, and their gods are now no longer worshipped at all, or by nowhere near as many people as before.

As atheists, we believe ALL gods are myths, but we chose to only include the gods that are now considered myths by the majority of human beings. The Judeo-Christian, Hindu, Islamic, etc gods are undoubtedly at the height of their worship, and thus can be considered "the gods of today". We then posed a simple question: looking at all these gods that were once worshiped widely, but have since ceased being worshiped altogether or at least lost a significant amount of followers, how much longer will the current gods 'live' or remain in the mainstream?

Thank you for your concern. We did not mean to offend anyone, and will take a decidedly different approach when it comes to wording our signs next time we put on this event in an attempt to not offend anyone."

The AHA is entirely unapologetic, downplaying the impact of their display and placing blame on those of faith for taking offense to something the AHA should have realized in advance would cause offense. The last comment on there about the God Graveyard dates back to November 1, when many Pagans had not discovered the news of the display yet. Once the negative comments started pouring in, the AHA became silent. It might have just been unfortunate timing on their part, but perhaps even they realized it would be a sad move to brush off the outrage of various faith groups over a badly thought-out display. Until yesterday, of course.

So, by now, I am a little pissed off; I still feel they had the right to put up those grave markers, but at least own up to unwittingly insulting the believes of many. Don't take a stab at them after the fact. I don't say this often, but I mean it today: dick move, AHA, dick move. Lets hope this sudden claim to fame does not lead to more provoking displays just for the sake of hits. Ethical behavior is not religious, but social, and the AHA would do well to remember that.

• Tuesday, November 12, 2013
  current affairs Hellenic Reconstruction interfaith Paganism personal

On Theo Bishop and progression

While I am no longer involved in the greater Pagan community, I still keep tabs on it through those who are. I still consider myself Pagan, after all. Through the grapevine, I heard about Theo Bishop's flirtation with Christianity and the subsequent outpour of feedback--both positive and negative.

Now, I have never met Theo, I hardly keep up with his blog, and I doubt we have actually exchanged words, written or otherwise. I like him, though. He's good people; eloquent, passionate, religious, and kind--as far as I can tell, anyway. I applaud him for following his desire for a closer connection to the divine.

I have struggled with my religious identity for years. I was never Christian, only varieties of Pagan, and msotly because I was searching for something that fit me well enough to call home. I have explained before that I don't like the term 'conversion'; it is too final, too painful. I prefer 'progression', indicating you take with you what you have practiced before and that that path will always be a part of you. For Theo, that past includes Christianity, and it has called out to him once more.

There are a lot of ways to feel about this; I can understand when people who joined Paganism through Theo, or who found their voice reflected in his, struggle with the loss. After all, his path is no longer yours, and that is difficult to deal with. On the other hand, no one has a claim to another person's life and religion. Just because Theo is a public figure as well as a practitioner does not mean he is obligated to remain changeless in his views and practice.

I have heard through the grapevine that some of the negative reactions to Theo's current religious truth are quite severe. It is always an emotional turn of events when we 'loose' one of our own; it leaves open the way for nay-sayers to Paganism to make this example a posterchild ("See? That Paganism thing is just temporary and [insert religion/path, especially Christianity] is much better: even one of their public figures came back to us"), and perhaps it even gets us to doubt our own decisions. That is something very few of us like to do, especially if you have been struggling with the same fears and doubts.

I want to say, though, that I often feel us Pagans, in general, put our public figures on too high a pedestal. While I have nowhere near the same pull as Theo has, this is the reason I keep telling people I'm just a girl with a pile of books: I'm just a person, I make mistakes and sometimes things change. To be clear: I have no intention of leaving Hellenismos; I am very secure in my faith and I have never felt so at home in a religion as I feel in Hellenismos. This is my faith, the Theoi are my Gods. That said, I believe all other Gods exist and are equally worthy of worship--I just won't be the one doing it.

The Delphic Maxims state: Know Yourself (Σαυτον ισθι). It's one of the best known maxims, and I think it's a valueable ideal to live up to. In the case of Theo, his attempts at getting to know himself better currently involve God and Jesus. I have no problem with that what so ever and wish him the best of his road to self-discovery and the discovery of the divine.

For all who oppose him--and please don't think the Hellenic community is without its share of similar events; Drew Campbell  comes to mind--I would like to offer another few maxim: Restrain the tongue (Γλωτταν ισχε), Make just judgements (Κρινε δικαια), and Deal kindly with everyone (Φιλοφρονει πασιν).

• Thursday, November 7, 2013
  bloggers I admire Christianity current affairs Delphic Maxims interfaith Paganism

On the God graveyard

There is nothing that can light a fire under the Pagan community faster than someone non-Pagan saying or doing something that puts our beloved Gods in a negative light. In general, it's a huge overreaction on our part, coupled with a some stupidity and/or ignorance on the part of the offending party and I can brush off the affair without comment. For the last few days a stunt pulled by the AHA Wisconsin has been going viral. The group has created a graveyard filled with (paper) tombstones with names, images, year of birth, year of death, and a short description of many popular Pagan and Non-Pagan Gods. This time, I am starting to think that some of the indignation is warranted.

I've been trying to decide what I think about this. In general, I don't get offended by the misconceptions of others; it is the right of this group of non-believers to put that opinion out there. In the way that this park might be used for a nice Mabon celebration or a Pagan study group gathering, it is now being used to promote the views of another student group. That said, these are--at least in part--my Gods. I worship or used to worship these Gods on a regular basis. The religiously proud part of me is screaming it's head off inside my chest, hoping to take a shovel to these irreverent displays. Not that I will--or could--but still; I feel protective of the deities displayed here, even though They are very capable of taking care of something like this Themselves, should They feel so inclined.

I've been trying to retrace the thought process behind this campaign for the better part of 48 hours. The accompanying signs of the AHA read: "JOIN US. Question everything." and "GOD GRAVEYARD. Here lie the graves of thousands of dead gods. Once worshiped by entire civilizations, now only myths. How much longer will the gods of today last?"

There is a fair point in there if you skip over modern reconstructive, revivalist, and Neo-Pagan movements entirely: while a good portion of the Gods remembered in that graveyard can't actually die, their civilizations did. While we still worship the Gods and They are most certainly not dead, Their worship has changed to the point of a fringe religion. A religion none the less, but nowhere near the religion it was.

In a way, the display tries to raise questions about the validity of faith if Traditions within it are allowed to die out and question if--if religion is tied to civilizations--we will reach a point where faith is no longer an inherent part of our civilization. Sad to say, I am guessing if this was the true thought train that led to this display, because unlike blog posts about other events like a 'heathen' (non-Christian, not Asatru specifically) stoning-by-waterballoons for a good cause, this one was not accompanied by text explaining why the group undertook this type of action. I'm wondering if this is because the group thought no one would be offended? From that heathen stoning blog post, written by Amanda Supak, AHA Co-Volunteer Officer:

"It's always hard to tell how people will receive your message before you do an event.  I was concerned that people would be mad that we were "taking the bible out of context" or that our "blasphemy awareness was too blasphemous." Of course it was all in good fun, but I can't help but be worried that I will offend people when we make events like this."

Honestly, I am more annoyed by the dating on nearly all of those headstones and the inclusion of deities from still-thriving religions like Voudoun. Those are fringe as well, but modern. There was no need to include these.

The Atheist, Humanists & Agnostics is a student group linked to the UW-Madison. Their mission, in their words, is to:

"...promote the discussion of faith and religion on the UW-Madison campus. Through our services and programs AHA seeks to educate students on issues important to the secular community, and encourage the personal development of one’s religious identity. The activities of AHA include, but are not limited to:

1) Establishing a Secular Support Group for the secular student community and those seeking to learn about secular issues.
2) Facilitate the personal development of individuals’ religious beliefs through the Faith Questioning service.
3) Sponsoring educational events, inviting engaging speakers, and fostering constructive student dialogue on topics relating to religion through the Freethought Speaker Series and Freethought Festival.
4) Collaborating with fellow religious student organizations on campus to foster a greater degree of mutual understanding between atheists and people of faith, through the Freethought Forum.
5) To raise public awareness about the misconceptions surrounding nonbelievers, and to educate the campus community about our values, through Ask An Atheist Tabling.
6) Participating in volunteering and service projects in order to do our part to make the UW campus and the world a better place."

 I've gone back through their blog and in general, they look to be a small but thoughtful group of young people. I doubt any malintent was intended by the display. That said, I do want to question if points four and five were best served by basically dismissing the faiths of millions of people around the globe out of hand through declaring their Gods dead. Personally, I don't feel very welcome to discuss my faith with any of the members of AHA, even though I think the situation would be served by doing so. The comments on the blog post--before the Pagans spammed it, of course--only made matters worse.

All in all, it mostly amuses me that an atheist group spent hours photoshopping gravemarkers for Gods they do not believe in and then probably paid to have these printed and put up. I still have my little pride-monster skulking about in my chest, but overall, I am not annoyed; I understand not believing. Is it entirely respectful? Again, no, but I simply can't be bothered by these types of evangelistic displays. Freedom of (non-)religion is a beautiful thing and should be enforced; it's the very thing that allowes us to practice our faith while many, many, many, others would rather we do not. We can't say 'we want our freedom of religion, but those people can't have it because it offends me'; that's not how it works--because we are 'those people' for many groups.

I want to end my thoughts on this affair with a shout-out to whomever left the offering below at the marker of Freya; trust me, if I lived anywhere near the campus, I would have done the same thing. Faith in humanity: restored. Thank you.

Update: This blog post is revisited here, and includes reactions to the display by the AHA.

• Saturday, November 2, 2013
  current affairs Hellenic Reconstruction interfaith Paganism personal

How the Gods influence our lives through kharis

Star Foster's latest blog post has been stuck in my head again. In a miraculous show of foresight, she already predicted that that post was going to get a lot of tongues wagging, and I will most certainly admit that it has. I'm sad to read that most of it is negative, but you know, that's what the blogosphere will do, it seems. I've never understood the how's and why's of that but lets leave that for another day. I'm not here to speak for Star but let me assure you that I am on her side should the need for sides arise. What I would like to do is explain what I took from the post and why it's positive.

The blog post has a simple message: the Gods you invite into your home will impact your life. Period. So if you are looking to shift your life, focus on the Gods that oversee the desired outcome of that change. 'Stable' Gods bring a stable life, 'chaotic' Gods bring a chaotic life, especially in the case of devotional practices to a singular deity. I'm putting it very black-and-white here but will nuance this later, bear with me.

Where Star left herself open to critisims, I fear, is when she crosses Traditions; the view put forth by her and that I--in essence--agree with works in Hellenismos, I feel, but not in Neo-Wicca or even some other Recon Traditions. Many in the greater Pagan community have patron Gods, were chosen by deities, or interact with deity in an entirely different way as Hellenismos fosters; the worship of an entire pantheon, with special sacrifices to Gods with whom you are looking to built kharis. For them, Star's post could read as an all-out attack: Star seems to be blaming the victim of a chaotic life, after all, because they were chosen by a 'chaotic' God. In essence, they are being blamed for something outside of the control of the worshipper, who is suffering through the side-effects of that worship or even the direct results.

I'm not here to speak for Star, so let me give you my view: to me, Star's view on 'square Gods' applies only to Hellenismos, and Traditional Hellenismos at that. Some people in other Traditions may identify, but in general, I would apply this view only to Traditional Hellenismos. There is no victim blaming here; Traditional Hellenismos encourages you to worship an entire pantheon, in general there are no patrons, and deities don't pick you. It might happen, obviously, but it's not the leading view. I'm not saying this to de-value the experiences of anyone, and I'm generalizing, but within Traditional Hellenism, this is the leading view--it is my view, at least.

Another bit of critisism may have emerged from the lack of specificity in that post concerning Gods; there are major differences between Zeus Labrandeus ('Raging') and Zeus Ktêsios ('Of The House'), for example, and within this example it will impact your life if you pray to either epithet daily. My household worship solely focuses on Gods who bring stability, prosperity, and protection to the household; Gods like Hestia, Asklēpiós, Zeus in His epithets of Ktêsios, Herkeios ('Of the Courtyard'), Ephestios ('Of The Hearth'), Athena in her epithets of Ageleia ('Protectress') and Eryma ('Defender'), etc. By building kharis with these deities, I bring these good things into my life and home.

Within this view, it makes a lot of sense not to pray to Eris and Ares in His war-epithets on a daily basis, because eventually, They will bring chaos and war into your home. This doesn't mean you should not pray to Them when a festival comes up or to an epithet of Them that brings forth positives for your life (Ares Aphneios, for example, is an excellent epithet of the God Ares to invite into your home on a daily basis: He is the Giver Of Plenty, after all). Again, this is all in the 'standard' view of Traditional Hellenismos, and does not nessesarily translate well to personal devotional practices. That is beyond the scope of this theory, I feel.

I also don't think bad things in your life nessesarily happen because of the Gods. Sometimes, things just happen and they suck. Hellenismos is very clear about that; the Gods don't oversee every aspect of our lives, They are merely willing to interfere on behalf of those who pray to Them regularly should things really go wrong. Yet, some things you can control and they might relate to your devotional practices. If you drink yourself into a stupor every night as a devotional act to Dionysos and you end up with a shot liver... well, that relates directly to the God you chose to follow/who chose you to follow Him. Again, black-and-white, because I'm ignoring a boatload of other (medical) reasons why your liver might have given out, but all the binge drinking most likely did not help matters any. This is also not to say that you mind in any way that your liver is shot or that there is a value judgement in this; we all worship in our own way, and if this is the way hypothetical you chose to worship than by all means!

What Star describes is the practice of kharis, and the sense it makes in Traditional Hellenismos to built that kharis with Gods who bring you the things in life you seek. For Star and me, that is stability. It might be something completely different for you. I think taking a critical look at the Gods you worship on a daily basis makes sense in a Traditional Hellenistic view; I don't really believe in doing things without thinking it through, and kharis influences your life considerably.

I found a lot of value in Star's post because it relates to my life. If it doesn't to yours than that is just fine to me as well; we all have our own way of making sense of life and experiencing the Gods. I simply wanted to share this with you because I feel these is an important lesson about the effect of kharis in Star's post that I think more in the Traditional Hellenistic community should hear--and preferably in a positive light.

• Thursday, October 31, 2013
  Ares Asklēpiós Athena bloggers I admire Eris Hellenismos 101 Hestia interfaith kharis Neo-Wicca Paganism personal Zeus