We're about halfway through the month of Panagonion, and the secular September has been a busy month!
On the 2nd, we celebrated Therapeia, a healing festival for Apollon, Asklepios, and Pan.
As has become customary at HTAZP, we held a Reiki share as part of the festival.
Today, September 30, we celebrated the Fall Festival, which was a two-parter. For the first part of the day, we offered thusia and shared theoxenia with Demeter and Kore in thanks for the bounty of the growing season that is growing to a close. Offerings included pork, tricolor couscous, apple cider, and a rice dish with various harvest veggies and apples.
We also spent some time talking about how this time of transition is not only about the changing seasons but also about life changes as Kore matures and Demeter has to learn to let Her go, at least some of the time, and Demeter's anger that it did not happen on Her terms. Kore's name change is part of that transition.
The second part of the feast is Persephone's wedding to Hades. The altar for that portion of the day started off with Hades awaiting His bride. Some discussion arose around the various different interpretations of the tale of Kore's abduction.
A procession was made from the main temple space with Persephone's image to the place awaiting her by Hades.
Offerings included a wedding cake (top layer seen above in the offering dish), flowers, chocolate cake that arrived later, and a cocktail called peacock that included pomegranate liqueur.
That's it for this month. Next month's festivals include Puanepsia/Oskhophoria on the 14th and Genesia on the 28th. Down the road, November's two festivals are anticipated to be Panaia and Pompaia.
Diane
