Mix-tape to Demeter & Persephone (and a little bit to Hades)

Today, I'm posting a mix-tape for Demeter, Persephone and Hades. This idea is not mine; it's a combination of a wonderful idea by Sannion and Hellenion's monthly libation schedule. Hellenion is a Hellenic organization from America and I've been using 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 Demeter and Persephone's turn. To make the day more special, I have created a mix-tape of songs which either describe or would speak to Them.

Demeter, Goddess of the harvest, and her daughter Kore (named Persephone after her abduction by Hades) are best known for the myth in which Hades abducts Persephone, and Demeter is left to wander the earth in search of Her, neglecting her duties and thus creating winter. For a slightly longer cliff-note version, go here. Unsurprising, many of these mix-tape songs are inspired by that myth.

Alison Krauss and Union Station - My Love Follows You Where You Go

If you ignore the Jesus mention (or change it to Demeter), it's very easy to envision Hades watching Persephone, both before and after her abduction. I do believe Hades loves Persephone very much and it must hurt Him very much that His wife constantly longs for a way out. Some telling lyrics:

"When you wake up and the world is cruel and cold / My love follows you where you go"
"Seeing you stand there, staring at the unknown / I won't pretend that it's not killing me / Watching you walk away slow"

Brooke Fraser - Scarlet

I love this song. I envision this playing over a movie scene where Demeter finally collapses in fear, exhaustion and grief over her daughter as she has searched fruitlessly for her for many days. Some lyrics:

"Your mind is swollen / From months of thought without release / They've taken their toll on you / And this very moment / Of timid and fragile honesty / Is precious and rare and fleeting"

Boy - July

Envision this song as Persephone is finally let go from the underworld to rejoin her mother. This song can function perfectly as Demeter's lament of her daughter's return.

"And the nightmares and monsters / Your biggest fears / Seem lightyears away / No, they won't find you here"

"I'll hold your head my dear / Make sure no one's gonna wake you / Tomorrow you'll still be here / No matter where your dreams will take you"

Ben Howard - The Fear

Finally on the myth, modern UPG often seems to reveal that Persephone might actually like her marriage to Hades very much... or even that She let Herself be stolen away. Listen to this from the standpoint of Demeter, abandoned, worried and alone.

Lee Ann Womack - I Hope You Dance

I'm ending this mix-tape with Lee Ann's ode to her children. This is the song I have wanted to sing to my children since I was a teen. It's one of the purest songs a mother can sing to a child and it seems like a perfect end for this tape.

• Saturday, September 8, 2012
  Demeter Hades mix-tape series Persephone videos

Am I out of the broom closet?

Over at the wonderful Feminist Pagan, Baring the Aegis reader and awesome human being Shadow, posted a blog about being out of the broom closet. She asked if--and if so, how far--her readers are out of the broom closet. Instead of answering her on her blog, I decided to make a post for it because it might be nice for my readers to read as well.

First off, I adore the term 'broom closet'. I know some people hate it, but there is a wonderful lightness and cheekiness to it that I respect in my Paganism. There is imagery surrounding the broom that I appreciate very much. It's very 'witch-oriented' but reclaiming household worship and practice is, for me, also linked to the broom. The broom fits with my Hellenic practice, so I don't mind it being used as a descriptor under the banner.

Now, am I out of the broom closet? Does everyone know I'm pagan? Yeah, I think just about everyone and their grandmother knows I'm Pagan. Because it impacts my life as much as it does, I 'get away with it' very rarely. As for the basics; my parents, my girlfriend's family and my friends know I'm Pagan. Most are aware I'm Hellenic but I'm not sure if all of them know exactly what that means.

A little further out; I'm pretty sure everyone at college knows (or has heard at some point) that I am Pagan. I think I told you all before that I tend to do a presentation or talk about Paganism in front of most of my scholastic classes since high school. This is mostly done from a protective viewpoint. I come out at work if I work there for more than half a year or so, or when it comes up. People I live with, know as well.

When I say I rarely 'get away with it', I don't mean that as a negative thing. It just means that much of my practice is daily--so also when I go away overnight--and I do odd little things throughout the day. A couple of examples; as a daily devotional to Hestia, I save bits of food to give to her during my evening prayers. At home, I simply put the food bits in my burner for safe keeping but when I eat out, I need to save it. This means that I take a bit of food, take out a little container from my bag, put the food in it and put the container back in my bag. I've gotten good at not being obvious about it but people do tend to notice. It just goes much easier when you know that the people around you will understand what you are doing.

Another example; my girlfriend and I went to Berlin a couple of weeks ago and we took two of her friends whom I have seen often but always through my girlfriend. We would all be sharing one hotel room. Both knew in advance that I'm Pagan but they weren't aware of the exact how and what of it. To smooth everything out, both Maaike and I prepared them a bit so they wouldn't find it too odd or uncomfortable when I set up my portable altar on my nightstand, lagged a bit behind in the morning to do my ritual, nor leave a bit early to do my nighttime ritual.

I know I'm very much out of the broom closet but I still get surprised every now and again on how out, exactly, I am. I went to the birthday of a good friend, and student, of mine a little while ago. Her parents were also there. I had met them before, during previous birthdays, but we rarely talk about anything other than the usual chit-chat. During this birthday party, however, my friend's father sat himself down next to me and started chatting about my magazine and Pagan festivals. Mind you, he is not Pagan, and he has had a bit of difficulty in the past about talking about it with his daughter. For him to come right out and ask me about my faith at a birthday party is a pretty big deal and it delighted my friend.

I think coming out is important. Hellenismos is very much unknown but even Paganism isn't very well known in the Netherlands. In my opinion, religious freedom comes only when you claim it. If no one knows your religion, you are safe in obscurity, but it will be harder to fight for your rights when they are taken from you, or when you discover you need them, like when you want to build a temple. Coming out is not for everyone but I would encourage very Pagan to at least consider it.

• Friday, September 7, 2012
  coming out Hellenic Reconstruction Hestia Paganism

"What do you believe in?"

A couple of days ago, a friend asked me what I believe in. I answered with the Hellenic bit and we talked a little and all was good. Still, it didn't sit right with me because I believe in so much more than that; I just don't worship or practice it. Today I'm challenging myself to put down what I believe in, in a coherent, somewhat complete fashion.

I believe that everything comes from the same source; not a Deity but a source. Some call it energy, some stardust, some, something else entirely. It is always around us and in us. This is the foundation upon which we are all made and by which we are all connected; planets, Gods, humans, animals, trees and rocks and everything else. Some entities got a bit more of the stuff (or have more access to the stuff) but we all have some of it. It's because of this, everything influence everything else. The Gods rule us, but we are partially responsible for forming the Gods. The Gods are largely responsible for creating nature, but we are partially responsible as well, and so is nature itself.

I believe that what you put thought in, comes to formation out of the energy spoken about earlier. This means that if enough people believe in a Deity; They will come to form Themselves out of the available energy. If They were already coherently formed and just seeking a form in the energy, I don't know. This is why I believe there are Gods, spirits, Christian angels, other types of angels, demons, leprechauns and any other creature or being you can imagine. I believe there is such a thing as Original Sin, as well as karma, Hades, Hell, the Devil and any other system of punishment out there. I also believe that only those who actively place themselves within that system, are affected by it.

Were I to be Christian, I would be ruled over by the Christian God, I would fear the Devil and I would work tirelessly to insure my way into Heaven because Hell would be my destination upon dying were I not to. Yet, I chose to place myself in a different system. When I was still Neo-Wiccan and Eclectic, I was ruled by the God and Goddess as well as my patron Goddesses. Had I died then, I believe I would have gone to the Summerlands where I would have rested until returning to Earth through reincarnation. Within Hellenismos, I am ruled over by the Theoi, I fear no Devil but have a healthy respect for Hades, Persephone, Hekate and the other Underworld deities. When I die, I go to Hades, and I will work my hardest in life to end up at the good part before reincarnating back to Earth.

Because I'm Hellenic, I don't petition angels, I don't worry about Original Sin and I don't call the elements for a circle. That's another system. That doesn't mean I don't believe they have their merit; you should call a circle when inviting the God and Goddess and when you're Christian, you should very well worry about Original Sin. But I don't, because I'm not Christian, nor (Neo-)Wiccan or Eclectic.

I believe in daily worship. I believe in making religion a part of your life and not just a thing to do for the holidays. I believe with all my heart that knowledge and guidance should be free. I create Little Witch magazine for free, I write this blog without the reader having to pay for it, I even teach people without them paying for it. Of course, none of them are without their rewards, but money is not one of them. I believe that, because we are all connected, we are all responsible for each other.

I believe in an ethical life, as dictated by the Gods. I don't think you should practice a religion only when it's convenient. I believe in striving for excellence in yourself and your practice. I feel that people who think they know everything already, have missed the point of education and I think that you should keep educating yourself until the day you die. I believe in kindness, in hospitality and in friendship. I believe in forgiving indiscretions committed upon you in the name of friendship and love but also believe in standing up for yourself when others cross you limits. I believe in knowing where your limits are and warning those who come too close to them.

I believe everyone has a right to his or her opinion, belief and practice, and has that right without taking me or anyone else into account. This does not mean I think everyone is allowed to shove this opinion, believe or practice down everyone's throat. I believe in halting yourself when your opinion, religion or practice threatens to drown out the opinion of someone else.

I realize that this account is not complete; it can never be complete. Yet, it is the basis of my life, my faith and my practice. From this place of honesty, I ask you to consider what you believe in. If you want to share this with me in the comments, I would be grateful, but I would understand you might not want to. Thank you for reading.

• Thursday, September 6, 2012
  daily practice

Michael Clarke Duncan dies at 54

Michael Clarke Duncan, Green Mile, Daredevil and Armageddon actor, passed away yesterday as the result of heart failure. Duncan and I had nothing in common; he was a black, strong, male, actor. He was not Pagan as far as I am aware. He spent his entire life making different choices than I did. We had nothing in common and yet, his passing has struck me like a lightning bolt.

Duncan seemed to me like one of those people who you would always welcome in your corner. The kind of man who would do anything for you if you were his friend. He seemed to have a kind and proud heart and I enjoyed watching him in every movie he ever made and every T.V. interview he ever did. He was one of those people who I watched and realized that we, as humans, can be inherently good.

Duncan may have been completely different than he seems to be in my mind. But he was--and always will be--a role model. He is part of my honored dead and last night, I mourned his passing during my evening prayers. I offered libations and coins to pay Kharon, should he have need of them. I burned incense and cried for him. I may not have known him, but I mourned him. Because he touched my life, and I want to pay my respects.

May he rest where he wished to rest. May his name forever live on in the collective memory of men. May his family recover from this crushing blow to their lives and, above all, may the Gods watch over his passing.

You will be missed.

Badly.

• Wednesday, September 5, 2012
  ancient Hellenic culture Kharon Michael Clarke Duncan

Hubris, Recon and Hellenismos

Of all the differences between Recon paths and other (Neo-)Pagan paths, I think the notion of hubris is the most controversial. Sure, everyone who works with Them, respects the Gods but there is a big difference in the respect--and fear--level between Recons and non-Recons.

I'm not exactly sure how this is for other Recon paths but for Hellenismos, avoiding hubris is the foundation of faith. Hubris, in dictionary terms, means excessive pride or arrogance and comes from the Greek (hýbris, ὕβρις). For me, hubris is not an adjective but a verb. It describes the act of willful or ignorant refusal to comply by the will of the Gods.

Within Hellenismos, the Gods rule supreme. We are here to serve and honor Them, and in return, They provide us with what we need to survive. This practice of kharis is one of the pillars of Hellenismos. But it's there in all other pillars as well.

Ethike Arete - living an ethical life, as proclaimed by the Gods in, for example, the Delphic Maxims
Eusebia - the actual practice of honoring the Gods, a huge part of which is piety
Hagneia - being ritually pure, out of respect to the Gods
Nomos Arkhaios - bringing back the old practices and customs out of respect for the Gods
Sophia - bettering yourself so as to better serve the Gods and not offend them through ignorance
Sophrosune - controlling yourself and your actions so as never to cross any of the other pillars or the Gods
Xenia - being inviting to guests under the protection of Zeus Xenios, as it is the Gods' prerogative to send us whoever they want. As Euripides describes in Medea: "What God or Deity listens to you when you are a perjurer and deceive Xenoi [foreigner or city-guest]?"

I have read on some Hellenic websites that the Gods do not intent to harm us in any way. They wish to help us better our lives and would never punish us. I think there is overwhelming evidence of the contrary in ancient Hellenic practices, in mythology and in modern day UPG. Odysseus spent twenty years simply trying to get home because he had pissed off the Gods with his hubris; hubris killed many mythological people, amongst which all fourteen of Niobe's children, Tántalos, and even Íkaros, who flew too high towards the sun; many festivals included elements of appeasement; and building only on my own UPG experiences, I have definitely been told to remedy a situation in which I was displaying unintentional hubris, or else. Saying that the Gods will never (or always) do something is a clear example of hubris, to me.

Being aware of hubris comes with a certain fear of the Gods. When talking about this to non-Recon practitioners (even when I wasn't Recon myself, yet), I often encounter either a knee-jerk reaction as this reminds them too much of the Christian faith or I'm told that the Gods are beings of pure love and light. Every time someone says the latter, I feel Hades' head exploding and can practically envision Ares punching someone, just to prove them wrong.

To me, the Gods are their own beings, far more powerful than we are. We are not divine, we are mortal. One finger snap from Them, and we're toast. I know others see this differently, but it is the foundation of my faith and practice. It is why I offer to the Gods, why I practice the pillars, why I go through my days in the way that I do. I go out of my way to avoid hubris, judging by the ancient sources and mythology. I keep my mortality firmly in my mind. It's not the (religious) life for everyone, but it is mine.

• Tuesday, September 4, 2012
  Ares Ethike Arete Euripides eusebia Hades hagneia Hellenismos 101 hubris Íkaros kharis miasma Niobe nomos arkhaios Odysseia Odysseus sophia sophrosune Tántalos Xenia

Be weary of the Evil Eye

We have already established that certain doom is sent by the Gods and should be suffered through. But there is another kind of doom, sent not by the Gods, but by fellow men. And against this, one is absolutely encouraged to fight. 

As human beings, our anger, envy and spite can result in what is known as the Evil Eye; a curse upon another usually transferred by a look. We might not even intend to harm the other person but we will, regardless. In ancient Hellas, this occurrence was as real as the sheep that grazed the fields and the slaves that worked the house. Interestingly enough, the belief in the Evil Eye--or 'bad eye', as it's translated into Greek--is still upheld in modern Greece.

When you suddenly feel dizzy, lightheaded, nauseous or every muscle in your body starts hurting for no apparent reason, it is most likely that someone wished you ill, either consciously or subconsciously. It is then prudent to think back and find the exact moment the bad eye was given. It could be a compliment given, a present received or it could really be just a glance from across the street. Children and women are considered especially susceptible to the bad eye.

As for the givers of the bad eye; blue-eyed (or sometimes dark-eyed) people are considered a primary sources of the Evil Eye curse as well as old women. One way to prevent the curse from coming out is to spit on the ground three times after giving a compliment. That way, any jealousy or spite should never reach the person the compliment is paid upon. Back in ancient times, I assume there was actual spit involved but nowadays, it's customary to imitate the process of spitting and saying 'phtou' three times.

Although I have been unable to find a solid connection to this, I suspect the Evil Eye is linked to miasma. It is a form of spiritual pollution and something that is expected to occur in day-to-day life. The giver of the bad eye is therefor not a bad person, although it may be proper xenia to refrain from complimenting someone too much or to, at least, keep your eyes from lingering. 

Miasma can occur through hubris and nemesis. Both also seem to be the primary causes of the transference of the bad eye. Hubris, in this instance, means presumptuous conduct while nemesis is the ill will or indignation (of the Gods or others) which such conduct arouses. Both definitions by Nilsson.

There are ancient ways to test if you have been cursed by the bad eye. The primary method is to take a dish or cup and pour some water into it. Then, you drop a few drops of olive oil into the cup. If the oil floats, you are not cursed; you may simply have a stomach flu. But if the oil dissolves, you have been given the bad eye and you should cleanse yourself of it.

In modern day Greece, there are people--usually older women--who know the Christian prayers to recite. They will look something like this:

"O Lord, our God, King of the ages, who holds all creation and is all powerful, Who made all things and wrought all things by a single command; who changed the seven-fold furnace and flame in Babylon into a cool rain and Who protected the three holy children unharmed; the physician and healer of our souls; a bulwark of all those who believe in You; we pray to You and we beseech You, remove and cast away every diabolical energy, every satanic assault and every attack, every harmful and wicked curiosity and the evil eye of the wicked and sinful persons from your sevant name ; and whatsoever has happened, either by beauty, or by courage or prosperity of jealousy or envy or by the evil eye, do You, O loving Master, stretch forth Your strong hand and Your mighty arm, and visit this, Your creation, and send to him an angel of peace, a strong guardian of soul and body, who will cast out and drive away every evil will and every poison and the evil eye of the envious and evil people; so that Your servant, who is guarded by You, may sing with praises; "thee

Lord is my help and I will not fear what man may do to me;" and again, "I shall not fear evil, for You are with me; for You are the Lord, my strength, the Prince of peace, and the Father of the age to come. Yea, O Lord, our God, save Your servant from every evil thing keeping him above all evil; by the intercessions of Your all-holy and glorious. Lady, Theotokos and all-virgin Mary, of the Archangels of light, and of all Your Saints. Amen."

Of course, the ancient practice looked a lot different. Artemis and (presumably) Hekate were prayed to, to remove the bad eye from the inflicted party. The oil-in-water test would still have been used. A common ancient practice seems to have been to spit on the middle finger and then rub the spit onto the forehead of the afflicted. This practice was mostly executed by elderly women upon infants. 

Interestingly enough there is a Delphic Maxim that reads: 'Control the eye' (Οφθαλμοθ κρατει). While, in modern times, this would most likely be interpreted in terms of fidelity to your spouse, I would wager a fair amount that, in ancient Greece, this maxim was almost entirely linked to the bad eye and nemesis. By 'controlling your eye', you stopped yourself from checking if the grass was greener at the neighbor's house and, inadvertently, transferring your greed and/or envy upon them. 

To this day, you can buy charms and amulets against the Evil Eye on every street corner in Greece. The blue disks reflect back the gaze and keep you safe. Blue is, and was, also considered a protective color. These eyes were found on pottery dating back at least two thousand years, showing that the belief is, indeed, very old.

The Evil Eye, may be just a myth but those practicing Hellenismos would be wise to heed its warning, regardless. As we operate in a system that believes in the power of the bad eye, it might be prudent to keep your eyes to the ground when you feel the green-eyed monster come upon you. And if you suddenly feel ill, don't hesitate to whip out the olive oil.

• Monday, September 3, 2012
  ancient Hellenic culture Evil Eye Hellenismos 101 miasma Star Foster's Delphic Maxims Xenia

Poetry blogging: The Woman Who Dwells

Today is one of those days where I have absolutely no time to write so... err... here, have a truly beautiful poem. Please come back tomorrow for lines of coherent words on a specific topic. Sorry.

The Woman Who Dwells

The woman who dwells at the place of healing by the river

sits singing and sings the shape of the gods from the four directions;

sings onto the horizon the four mountains where the gods dwell;

sings into the bare sky the small cloud moving in brightness;

sings into the bare earth the growing tip of the corn;

sings the river into a singing curve around her;

sings herself into the center of herself, alive and listening.

The woman who dwells in the place of healing by the river

stirs not from her place, goes not to the far mountains,

soars not into the high sky, enters not the deep earth;

sings as she draws into the sand the circle of healing;

sings the gods from the four directions into that circle;

sings the growing cloud into the reach of her own heart;

sings herself into the spear of the green corn growing.

Peggy Pond Church (1939)

Peggy Pond Church was not Pagan. She simply lived in nature and discovered some beautiful truths. I hope you have enjoyed this poem as much as I always have.

• Sunday, September 2, 2012
  Peggy Pond Church poetry blogging this is not a real post