It's been another busy month at the Hellenic Temple of Apollon, Zeus, and Pan. On the 15th, we celebrated the Diogennia or Zeus' birthday. This included offerings of candles and incense, food (particularly honeyed cakes) and wine, as well as crowns that we had made.
Once offered, the crowns were intended to be placed on our shrines at home. I say intended, however, because I had placed mine spindle-fashion over the hazard-signal button in my car so that it wouldn't get squashed (the modelling medium we'd used hadn't completely set yet), and then forgot to bring it in with me. I've found that this has become a mini-shrine in itself, particularly appropriate when asking Zeus for his protection whilst driving in a snowstorm. Most likely it will be moved indoors to where it was originally intended to go at or just after the Diasia.
This past Sunday, the 29th, we started the in-person Hellenismos 102 class. We began with a review of the Hellenic Virtues of Xenia (hospitality), Kharis (thankfulness), Eusbeia (piety), Nomos (right action), and Arete (living to one's highest potential), which are covered in the Basics of Hellenismos class, and discussed them in more depth. We began looking also at the Delphic Maxims, which led to a very lively discussion of the myth of Pandora's Box, and just why "hope" had been packed in the same box as all the ills of the world in the first place, a very interesting matter to contemplate. The class is going to continue to meet on a monthly basis.Next month's festivals include the Aphrodisia on the 12th and the Gamelia on the 26th.
Peace,
Diane
