Hellenistic family time

Today, I want to talk about getting your family to share in your Hellenistic activities even if they don't follow your Tradition. My girlfriend is totally supportive of me and my religion, and will encouragingly ask me what's going on when I'm obviously doing something religious in nature. She doesn't get it, but she loves me, so all is good. Unfortunately, there are some parts of Hellenistic worship you really can't do alone. My 'dog sacrifice' during the Deipnon for example (and for those of you who now wonder if this includes an actual dog, please click that link). It only works if all members of the household touch it. The solution is to hand it to my girlfriend to admire my handiwork. Miasma absorbed, house cleaned. Mission accomplished.

Another one is a Noumenia dinner, which is supposed to be festive, special, and communal as a family. It's supposed to be a feast. The communal is usually not a problem, but as I do the groceries and cook, my girlfriend might enjoy what I cook, but it's not exactly a special occasion. Now I mention it's Noumenia, and I buy flowers for the house. I also encourage her to pick what she wants to eat that day, and while it's totally non-religious for her, we have a great meal which she thoroughly enjoys, wether it be frozen pizza, or pesto pasta, or--like two days ago--home made chicken shawarma with a crazy assortment of toppings.

I don't want these moments to feel heavy, or to force them upon her. As such, we have begun finding ways to share these events--which are very important to me--in a family manner. Non-religious for her, and religious for me. We have our little moments, and I practice my rites separately from these moments. As such, neither of us are forced into an event that we can't fully stand behind, and we still manage to bridge a divide.

I've accepted long ago, that my girlfriend will not stand at the altar with me for daily ritual, and that she won't celebrate the festivals with me, but she still enjoys watching a movie with me for a festival of Dionysos, and she's always up for getting crafty if the occasion warrants it. All in all, these things bring us closer as a couple, and while we don't really discuss the religious aspect, there is an awareness that works for both of us. We both compromise to make it work, and we still get to share wonderful moments that we both thoroughly enjoy.

• Sunday, April 14, 2013
  daily practice faith household worship personal

Mix-tape to Artemis

Today, I'm posting a mix-tape for Artemis. This idea is not mine; it's a combination of a wonderful idea by Sannion and Hellenion's monthly libation schedule. Hellenion is a Hellenistic organization from America and I used their wonderful calender and the great store of information they have gathered to start my own practice. Every month, Hellenion members pour a libation to a different Hellenic God or Goddess. This month, it's Artemis' turn, and while I will not be continuing this practice in the next Hellenic year, I will most certainly keep up the practice until then. To make the day more special, I have created a mix-tape of songs which either describe or would speak to Her.

Artemis is one of the few Hellenic Gods I'm fearful of. Artemis deals harshly with those who oppose Her, or anyone She loves. Picking songs for Her was slightly nerve-wrecking, I must admit. Artemis is most closely connected to women, and often enters their lives on the cusp of change: during their transition from girl to woman, during childbirth, and at the moment of their deaths. These are emotionally turbulent times, connected to a wild variety of pain, and while Artemis' connection to woodlands and animals is soothing, I'm always aware of the danger that belies Her touch upon humanity.

While Her brother Apollon has a similar connection to men as Artemis has to women, Artemis' connection to the dark of night--even if She's connected to its only source of light--always reminds me of the imminent danger Artemis' touch might bestow. As such, picking songs became a challenge, as the last thing I want to do is piss off a powerful deity like Artemis. On the other hand, I also didn't want to go full 'colors of the wind' on this. The result is what follows, and I hope it appeals to Her, and to you.

Björk - Hunter

A mix-tape to Artemis needs to include at least one Björk song. This must be a rule somewhere. As the eternally youthful hunter, the Far-Shooter--like her brother, Apollon--the mystery and subject matter must speak to a Theia as Artemis. Also, bonus points for the bear, an animal Artemis is highly associated with.

"I'm going hunting / I'm the hunter, I'm the hunter / I'm going hunting."

I Am Oak - On Trees and Birds and Fire

I adore 'I Am Oak', but I chose this song not for my love for them, but for the longing to be close to nature, and the memories of our youth that this song raises in me. It is a longing I could ascribe to Artemis as well, in Her epithets relating to nature and the wilds.

"Trees, oh trees / do you remember me / from before? / And birds, oh birds / can you recall my songs / from before? Fire, oh fire / I can still feel your warmth / like before."

Idina Menzel - Brave

Idina is always a bit... melodramatic, but I love the inclusion of rites of passage, the bravery it takes to get through the trials in life Artemis watches over. As I mentioned before, these points in our lives that Artemis touches, these are some of the most final. It goes with a bit of pain. Doing it right, however, means moving on to new challenges, and greater opportunities.

If this is the moment I stand here on my own / If this is my right of passage / That somehow leads me home / I might be afraid but it's my turn to be brave."

The Cardigans - My Favourite Game

As someone who got her first taste of music in the nineties, It's no surprise I chose The Cardigans to relate to the aspect of Her that does not tolerate disrespect by men. The other options were Garbage's 'When I Grow Up', and 'Open Your Eyes' by Guano Apes. Whatever the case, mythology is clear: crushes on Artemis, or accidentally running into Her while bathing, is lethal. As Apollodorus relates:

"To Autonoe and Aristaios was born a son Aktaion, who was reared by Kheiron and trained as a huntsman, but was later eaten up on Kithairon by his own dogs [because] . . . he saw Artemis bathing. They say that the goddess changed him on the spot into a deer, and drove his fifty hunting dogs into a frenzy so that they unintentionally ate him. When he was no more, they looked for their master with great howls and bays, coming in the course of their search to Kheiron’s cave. He made a likeness of Aktaion, which assuaged their grief."

"And this is not a case of lust, you see / it's not a matter of you versus of me. / It's fine the way you want me on your own / but in the end it's always me alone."

Nina Simone - Feeling Good

Artemis is a virgin Goddess, a Goddess who does not need a male to define Her, who rules over femininity without necessarily linking it to masculinity. The power to live your own life, independently, is a promise to those who revere Artemis. And Nina Simone? Perhaps one of the most independent women to have ever graced the planet. I don't hate the link to nature either.

"Stars when you shine you know how I feel / Scent of the pine you know how I feel / Oh freedom is mine / And I know how I feel."

• Saturday, April 13, 2013
  Artemis mix-tape series

PBP: Places of worship: the household

Last year, I wrote my second 'H'-post about my household shrines. Many of them are still pretty much the same as on the pictures there, save for my main altar. I touched upon the household Gods in that post, but I would like to go deeper into them today, and describe the house--or oikos--as a place of worship.

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 women of the household--grandmothers, wives, and children, assisted by female serfs--would spend most of their time here, weaving, spinning, entertaining female friends and relatives, and taking care of the children. Men were not allowed to enter these rooms, and a visiting male guest would be punished most severely if he entered the gynaikon. Female serfs slept near the gynaikon in small, lightly furnished, rooms. Male slaves slept in similar rooms, near the andron.

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, I have spoken about before. He 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. And 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.

As I noted in last year's post about household shrines, it's not always possible to reconstruct these altars and shrines. The lay-out of our houses are often different from that in ancient Hellas--and even in ancient Hellas, there were many different types of houses--and the culture has changed. We don't have herms on our front lawns anymore, nor an altar for burnt offerings. Modern Hellenists have had to adapt to the changing times. There is nothing wrong with this. Many amongst us have moved the worship of the Herkeioi inside our homes, to shrines near the front door. Here we pray for the same things as we would do outside, and we can still place our Deipnon offerings here. Most of us can find some space for a kathiskos in the kitchen, and many of us have a shrine to the Theoi where we can burn a candle to invite Hestia, and give burnt sacrifice to the other household deities. Shelves now often replace wall niches.

No matter how you practice household worship, the actual practice is more important than the way you do it: a structured, preferably daily, routine of sacrifice, that follows the Mên kata Theion, the sacred month. worship of the Theoi whom have had a profound influence in your life can be added to these daily rites, as the ancient Hellenes would have done as well. Worship of the Theoi is a cornerstone of Hellenismos, and it all starts at your house.

Image source: herm.

• Friday, April 12, 2013
  ancient Hellenic culture Apollon daily practice Hekate Hellenismos 101 Hēraklēs Hermes Hestia household worship Pagan Blog Project Places of worship series Zeus Zeus Ephestios Zeus Kthesios

Elaphebolion updates

Well, I can keep pretending that the day of the Hene Kai Nea will have a post about anything other than the updates I made to the blog (as part of my Deipnon clean-up), but that's not often the case, now is it? So from now on, I'll just come right out and say it: the day of the Deipnon, I'll post a monthly update about things that happened on the blog. The format might change, but the idea will be the same every month.

Changes to the blog:

• The Introduction Series, and the Places of Worship series have been added to the 'Series' sidebar on the left.
• The quest to clean up my insane amount of labels continues...
• Some new blogs were added to the 'Pagan Blogroll' on the left
• The Hellenic Terminology Page was updated with the latest terms
• The festivals of Elaphebolia, Asklepieia, and Greater (City) Dionysia got linked in the Hellenic Festival Year page
• This month's Pagan Blog Project Posts were on: fish and fishery in ancient Hellas, festival theatrics and the Dionysia ta en Astei, gift-giving in ancient Hellas, and groves as places of worship

Statistics:

• In this month, the blog hit 40.000 views, not counting the views on PaganSquare
• A little over 6.600 of those happened in the last month
• The Baring the Aegis Facebook page hit 100 likes (!)
• The top five most popular posts were: symbols of Hellenismos (137), the dangers of smartphones in ancient Hellas (91), places of worship: groves (75), mine is not a nature religion (71), on the washing of feet (70)

Anything else?

Not really. You guys are awesome. Hitting a hundred likes on Facebook was quite the achievement for me. I''m grateful for every single one of you who visits, likes, comments, or engages me in any other way, including e-mails and personal messages. Again, if you have a question you would like to ask about Hellenismos, ancient Hellas, Hellenic mythology, or anything else this blog covers, you can always contact me. If you would like me to write about a specific topic because you wonder about it, feel free as well. I would love to hear what's going on in your heads, and if I can help answer your questions in any way, it would be my pleasure. For now, thank you for the visit and until tomorrow, when we discuss household worship in ancient Hellas, modern times, and the Theoi that preside over it. 

• Thursday, April 11, 2013
  blogging Hekate's Deipnon monthly update Pagan Square personal this is not a real post

Live an honest life

I don't relate to a good bit of Socrates' philosophies, but I greatly agree with this one. It was written down by Plato, in Phaedo, as part of his dialogues. The actual quote is longer. Socrates has been put on trial for disrespecting the Gods and corrupting the youth. He's been tried and sentenced to die, by way of poison hemlock, which he will have to drink himself. He converses with Plato and his other pupils in this knowledge and speaks the following:

"I would not have him [Krito] sorrow at my hard lot, or say at the burial, Thus we lay out Socrates, or, Thus we follow him to the grave or bury him; for false words are not only evil in themselves, but they infect the soul with evil. Be of good cheer, then, my dear Krito, and say that you are burying my body only, and do with that as is usual, and as you think best."

Krito of Alopeke (Κρίτων Άλωπεχῆθεν) was a life-long friend of Socrates, and one of his most trusted. Krito is also the person who Socrates speaks his final words to. In this quote, Socrates warns his pupils that they must not make empty promises upon his grave--because claiming to die with a fallen friend (and often fellow soldier) was a noble thing to do, and honored the dead. Socrates' words have a much broader implication, however: that speaking falsehoods corrupts the heart.

We are all capable of many lies and deeds that may or may not include the white lies we tell in order to appear socially acceptable, but they do include the big ones. Speaking them, or acting upon these deeds, marks us. Borrowing an image from ABC's 'Once Upon A Time', quite literally, in fact. Lies lead to more lies, which leads to increasingly corrupt deeds. I must comment on the use of 'evil', however, as this was not a term the ancient Hellenes would have used. This 'evil' is miasma, spiritual corruption, and remove us from the Gods, ourselves and our loved ones.

The call for honesty, and honest living is a staple of the Delphic Maxims. You can find it in:

• Be overcome by justice (Ηττω υπο δικαιου)
• Cling to discipline (Παιδειας αντεχου)
• Practice what is just (Πραττε δικαια)
• Exercise nobility of character (Ευγενειαν ασκει)
• Shun evil (Κακιας απεχου)
• Despise a slanderer (Διαβολην μισει)
• Speak plainly (Αμλως διαλεγου)
• Make just judgements (Κρινε δικαια)
• Do not abandon honor (Δοξαν μη λειπε)
• Despise evil (Κακιαν μισει)

But is also linked to many others like:

• Do not use an oath (Ορκω μη χρω)
• Be impartial (Κοινος γινου)
• Fear deceit (Δολον φοβου)
• Test the character (Ηθος δοκιμαζε)
• Be jealous of no one (Φθονει μηδενι)
• Rever a sense of shame (Αισχυνην σεβου)
• Despise strife (Εριν μισει)
• Judge incorruptibly (Αδωροδοκητος δικαζε)
• Tell when you know (Λεγε ειδως)
• Act without repenting (Πραττε αμετανοητως)
• Acquire wealth justly (Πλουτει δικιως)
• Respect yourself (Σεαυτον αιδου)
• Gratify without harming (Χαριζου αβλαβως)
• Make promises to no one (Επαγγελου μηδενι)

When I was about sixteen or seventeen, I made a vow to the Gods to never speak a concious lie ever again. I have had to break that vow on occasion, especially when younger, and I paid my dues for that. Overall, I have managed to hold myself to this vow. I remember it being very difficult in the beginning: it was hard work, it got me in trouble sometimes, and I had to learn to be silent when I knew I would have to lie if I opened my mouth. I had to learn how to practice temperance (which became another vow very soon after). I had to learn how to avoid situations where I would be forced to lie. Even a small lie. It wasn't easy, but it has led me to an honest, pure, and conscious life, influenced heavily by ethics and an awareness of self.

I admire Socrates for inspiring honesty in others, although that might never have been his intention when he spoke these words. A honest life benefits a Hellenist. It keeps the mind and heart pure, and gentile, and if this way of life is something you think you can benefit from, I would most certainly encourage it.

• Wednesday, April 10, 2013
  ancient Hellenic culture ethics Hellenismos 101 Plato Socrates Star Foster's Delphic Maxims temperance

Ritual of thanks giving

I mentioned in my post about giving thanks that I was going to hold a rite of thanks to the Theoi. As I was writing the rite down for another reason, I figured some of the readers of this blog might also appreciate reading how I perform this rite. For privacy reasons, I have omitted the actual words of thanks.

• Procession to the shrine
• Strewing of barley groats on the altar
• Preparation of khernips
• Ritual washing with invocation to Okeanos

"Okeanos whose nature ever flows, from whom at first both Gods and men arose; sire incorruptible, whose waves surround, and earth’s all-terminating circle bound: hence every river, hence the spreading sea, and earth’s pure bubbling fountains spring from thee. Hear, mighty sire, for boundless bliss is thine, greatest cathartic of the powers divine : earth’s friendly limit, fountain of the pole, whose waves wide spreading and circumfluent roll. Approach benevolent, with placid mind, and be forever to thy mystics kind."

• Purification – water sprinkled from a bay branch

"Blessed Okeanos, may your bright waters purify this space, and prepare both me, and it, for the rites that are about to unfold."

• Lighting of Hestia's candle (if not yet burning), as well as the ethanol to burn sacrifices in
• Homeric Hymn 24 to Hestia

"Blessed Goddess Hestia, you who tend the holy house of the lord Apollo, the Far-shooter at goodly Pytho, with soft oil dripping ever from your locks, come now into this house, come, having one mind with Zeus the all-wise—draw near, and withal bestow grace upon my song."

• Libation of honey sweet wine to Hestia
• Lighting of the incense burner with Frankincense and Storax
• Invocation to Zeus, King of the Theoi
• Homeric Hymn 23 + part of Callimachus hymn 1

"Of Zeus, best and greatest of the gods, I will sing, the wide-sounding ruler, the one that brings to fulfillment, who consults closely with Themis as she sits leaning against him. Be favorable, wide-sounding son of Kronos, greatest and most glorious."

"Hail! Greatly hail! Most high Son of Kronus, giver of good things, giver of safety. Thy works who could sing? There hath not been, there shall not be, who shall sing the works of Zeus. Hail! Father, hail again! And grant us goodness and prosperity. Without goodness wealth cannot bless men, nor goodness without prosperity. Give us goodness and wealth."

• Libation of honey sweet wine
• Prayers of thanks

"Blessed Zeus, King of the Gods, accept my prayer, and if it was not to You, I should address my prayer, carry these words forth onto snowy Olympos, and let not my prayers and sacrifice fall upon deaf ears."

[Actual words of thanks]

• Offerings of wine, incense, and a pankarpia of dried fruits
• Invocation to Hestia

"Blessed Goddess Hestia, Goddess of home and hearth. To you, I offer last of all, as a pious mortal should. Tend to those whom I love, and guard the houses of the pious. As the Gods will it, so shall it be."

• Extinguishing of the candle (if so desired)

• Tuesday, April 9, 2013
  daily practice Hellenismos 101 Hestia khernips Okeanos pankarpia sacrifice Shrine Zeus

On Aspergers, structure, and shrines

Yesterday, I received a personal message on youtube, tied to the video of my main shrine. The author wondered why I don't have a set-up as elaborate as some other prominent on-line Hellenists, and I realized I had, indeed, not explained that all too well. For one, I don't have an overabundance of cash lying about. Writing really doesn't pay the bills and I still have a few short months to go on my college education. Still, even if I had the money, I wouldn't go all out.

I don't think I mentioned before that my dad has Aspergers syndrome. He was diagnosed late in life, and it came as a shock to everyone in the family. Still, it fits. Looking back, we could all see the signs. My father is a great dad. He tucked me into bed for many, many years. He read me science fiction books long before I could understand them. Through his books, I learned to view the world as a marvelous place, a place of wonder and possibilities. This was his greatest gift to me.

My father has always liked structure. Before his diagnosis, we did not know why, afterwards, it became a way for us to relate to him, and for him to relate to my mom and I. We helped my dad relate to us cognitively: "if I do [this], I want you to do [that]." It was awkward at first, but it has become easier and easier. My dad loves in his own way, and for me, it has always been a beautiful thing--because my father and I figured out long ago how he could be a dad to me.

I'm not on the spectrum, but growing up, I was heavily influenced by my father. He was always the stable one. He was the one who was at home to take care of me until I was six or seven. Afterwards, it was still my dad who took me to bed. He might not have been a perfect father, but we had a lot of fun. Because of his need for structure, and his firm belief that everything should be in its place, I still order my DVD's by title, and organize my bookshelf by height. Because of his influence, I enjoy a nice, clean, living space. I enjoy the same for my shrines and other worship areas.

In all fairness, I think my father's influence has made me a better--a natural--Hellenist. I keep a clean home, I enjoy the structure of ritual and twice-daily prayers, I believe in finding the basis of any practice and sticking with it. My shrines are very minimalist because of this: they consist of the bare necessities for worship, plus the bare minimum of embellishments, added as gifts to the Theoi.

This is the way that works for me, because of my upbringing and personality. I greatly enjoy looking at the shrines of others, especially the elaborate ones with lots of statues. They're a true treasure trove, and I can see how worshipping at these shrines is a beautiful thing. It's not my 'thing', however, and now you might understand better why that is.

• Monday, April 8, 2013
  daily practice personal Shrine