Kheimonia 2013

Khairete!

Today's Festival

Today we celebrated the Kheimonia at HTAZP, a modern festival that combines many festivals that were traditionally held at this time of year. We honored Helios and Selene on the shortest day of the year as the nights begin to grow shorter and the days longer. We honored Zeus for the Pompaia, Pan for the Dendraia, Demeter for the Haloa, Dionysos for the Rural Dionysia, and Poseidon for the Poseidea. 

The Dion Kodion was processed through the temple space and each of the Gods honored in turn. Feast offerings included heart warmer sandwiches (chicken, bacon, and cheese baked into marble rye) and berry pie, with libations of sparkling blueberry-grape juice and root beer.

Due to scheduling issues, the Haloa/Rural Dionysia portion of the festival will be continued next week.

Coming Up

Date	Festival
3 Gamelion/5 January 2014	Diogennia
17 Gamelion/19 January 2014	Gamelia/Theogamia
2 Diasion/2 February 2014	Anthesteria (observed)
16 Diasion/16 February 2014	Aphrodisia

Until next time, may the blessings of the Gods be with you. Peace,
Diane

Dendraia 2013

Khairete!

Today's Festival

Today we celebrated the Dendraia, the festival of Pan's pine tree.

As you can see, many of the ornaments from past years are on the tree again, and several new ones were added, as is our tradition. 

We began with a meditation on Pan, Pitys, and Selene. This meditation focused on the physicality of climbing a pine tree and then experiencing Selene's light once the top was reached, evoking both Pan's longing for Pitys and the fulfillment of His love for Selene.

Our minds well fixed on the purpose of the festival, we processed in and began the ritual. Feast offerings included a stir-fry kielbasa dish and a carrot & parsnip dish with a muscato wine for libation.

The altar, as you can see, was in Pan's colors as it has been since Panaia. The main image of Pan was a statue of Him playing the pipes, a candle lit above Him, with Selene's image beside him and boughs of pine surrounding Them.

Coming Up

Date	Festival
19 Kheimonion/December 22	Kheimonia
3 Gamelion/5 January 2014	Diogennia
17 Gamelion/19 January 2014	Gamelia/Theogamia
2 Diasion/2 February 2014	Anthesteria (observed)
16 Diasion/16 February 2014	Aphrodisia

Until next time, may the blessings of the Gods be with you,
Diane

Panaia 2013

Khairete!

Today's Festival

Today at the Hellenic Temple of Apollon, Zeus, and Pan, we celebrated the Panaia, Pan's birthday.

We started with a meditation on Pan before processing into the main temple space. All present offered prayers to Pan, both traditional Homeric and modern. Thusia included offerings of pork gyros, wine, and mushroom barley with pine nuts. After theoxenia, those who had questions for Pan were given the opportunity for divination work, and at the closing, participants shared in an acknowledgment of receiving Pan's blessings and offering thanks for them.

Coming Up

Date	Festival
5 Kheimonion/December 8	Dendraia
19 Kheimonion/December 22	Kheimonia
3 Gamelion/5 January 2014	Diogennia
17 Gamelion/19 January 2014	Gamelia/Theogamia
2 Diasion/2 February 2014	Anthesteria (observed)
16 Diasion/16 February 2014	Aphrodisia

Until next time, may the blessings of the Gods be with you,
Diane

Genesia 2013

Khairete!

Today's Festival

Today we celebrated the Genesia at HTAZP. As is mentioned on the main festival description page, there are several ways to determine when it makes the most sense to celebrate this festival. This year, we chose the weekend before Veterans' Day.

As this is a festival of the dead, we held it in the section of the temple set aside for the ancestors and used an inverted table to represent Hekate's crossroads. The arms of the crossroads were decorated with yarn in honor of the dead, including personal ancestors, spiritual ancestors, heroes, fallen soldiers, animals, and other beloved dead.

Food offerings included potato soup, chocolate pizzelles, caramel coffee cake muffins, and fruit, with peppermint tea and honey-whisky for libations.

At the base of the altar, to the left, you can see a black binder that was set aside for written or drawn offerings to the dead as well.

After feasting with the ancestors, we shifted focus briefly and distributed the eirisioni we had made on Puanepsia/Oskhophoria by lots.

Coming Up

Date	Festival
20 Panaion/November 24	Panaia
5 Kheimonion/December 8	Dendraia
19 Kheimonion/December 22	Kheimonia

Until next time, may the blessings of the Gods be with you.
Diane

Puanepsia-Oskhophoria 2013

Khairete!

Today's Festival

Today we celebrated the Puanepsia and Oskhophoria at the Hellenic Temple of Apollon, Zeus, and Pan.

As you can see, we made eirisioni, which this year were made from grapevine wreaths, decorated with yarn, bay leaves, and owls. As has been mentioned, this festival has been evolving over the years, and this year it grew to include the tradition of grapes being presented from the temple of Dionysos to Athena Skira.

Typically, the eirisioni are completed and gifted by one means or another amongst the participants. However, several took awhile to dry, and so they will remain until our next festival and be distributed then.

Theoxenia included ham and cheese grinders, lentil-kale-barley soup, grapes, corn bread, and pumpkin cookies.

Coming Up

Date	Festival
6 Panaion/November 10	Genesia
20 Panaion/November 24	Panaia
5 Kheimonion/December 8	Dendraia
19 Kheimonion/December 22	Kheimonia

Until next time, may the blessings of the Gods be with you.
Diane

Fall Festival

Khairete!

May this autumn find you well and celebrating a bountiful harvest.

Today's Festival

Today at HTAZP we observed the Fall Festival which we celebrate in two parts. First, we honored Demeter and Kore, thanking Them for the various things we have harvested this year.

 

This portion of the festival, as you can see, was held in the main Temple space.  The main sacrificial offering was a vegetable harvest soup and apple cider was the libation.

After feasting with the Goddesses of the day and the Gods of the Temple, we moved on to the second portion of the festival, in which we celebrated the wedding of Hades and His Bride, whose name then becomes Persephone.

 Here, Hades awaits the arrival of His Bride.

 

Here, you can see the couple who have received offerings of a halved apple, pumpkin and chocolate Munchkins, and pomegranate juice. The couple are also adorned with a ribbon that essentially represents a wedding gift from Hera.

Upcoming Events

Many of the local members of the Temple will be participating in a retreat during the beginning of October, and so the next festival celebrated at the Temple will be in just about another month.

Date	Festival
22 Pyanepsion/October 27	Puanepsia and Oskhophoria
6 Panaion/November 10	Genesia
20 Panaion/November 24	Panaia
5 Kheimonion/December 8	Dendraia
19 Kheimonion/December 22	Kheimonia

Until then, may the blessings of the Gods be with you.

Peace,
Diane

Installation of the First HTAZP Seminary Graduates and Panagon

Khairete!

September has been a busy month already! So far, we've had our Installation Ceremony and celebrated the Panagon, and we've one more celebration to go before the month is out.

Installation Ceremony

On Friday, September 6, the Noumenia of Panagonion, we celebrated the installation of the first three graduates and ordinees of the HTAZP Seminary.

Pictured above are Hiereus Timotheos, founder of the Hellenic Temple of Apollon, Zeus, and Pan and our three new hiereoi: Peregrine Ursano, Draconis Pyrozale, and Scarlet Rose. These three are the first to complete the HTAZP seminary program, which culminated in their ordination at a retreat over Labor Day weekend. Installation was celebrated, as you can see, back at the Temple. Each was presented with a certificate for completing the training and a symbolic "Key to the Temple."

Timotheos founded the Hellenic Temple of Apollon, Zeus, and Pan in 2005. He has been offering classes in beginning and intermediate Hellenismos studies for several years and has been excited all year about the Temple's first group of seminarians. In thanks for his service and teaching, the graduates presented him with a new ceremonial wreath.

Panagon

On Sunday the 15th of September/9th of Panagonion, we celebrated the Panagon, a festival of games celebrating Pan's assistance on behalf of the Athenians in the Battle of Marathon.

For thusia and theoxenia, we had kielbasa with tomatoes and rice and donuts for dessert. (All thematically appropriate, if you think about it.) And for this year's game, we played cribbage, with a package of Pan Incense as the prize.

Upcoming Events

Date	Festival
23 Panagonion/September 29	Fall Festival
22 Pyanepsion/October 27	Puanepsia and Oskhophoria
6 Panaion/November 10	Genesia
20 Panaion/November 24	Panaia
5 Kheimonion/December 8	Dendraia
19 Kheimonion/December 22	Kheimonia

Founders Festival 2013

Khairete!

This Week's Festival

On Sunday, 11 Therapeion/August 18 we celebrated the HTAZP Founders Festival, the Temple's 8th birthday since its founding in 2005.

The Patrons of the Temple were honored specifically with offerings and prayers.

And the Goddess of the month, Artemis, was honored as well. Her message, "It is necessary to labor; change will be admirable," seems fitting in the context of reviewing the Temple's history and planning its future.

After thusia and during theoxenia, we took a trip down memory lane, viewing pictures of the Temple going back to its start as a portion of a room to a dedicated but small room to its current location and size.  

We also discussed the ways the Temple group has grown over the years, particularly the exciting seminary group that will be ordained at the beginning of September and installed at the Temple on the Noumenia of Panagonion. We acknowledged also the connections the Temple has been making in the larger Pagan community, symbolized by the offering ribbons still adorning Hestia and Her shrine from Rhode Island Pagan Pride.

Upcoming Events

Date	Festival
1 Panagonion/September 6 (eve)	Installation of the Newly Ordained Priests and Priestess
9 Panagonion/September 15	Panagon
23 Panagonion/September 29	Fall Festival
22 Pyanepsion/October 27	Puanepsia and Oskhophoria

That's it for now. Have a wonderful rest of August, and see you in September!

Peace,
Diane

Rhode Island Pagan Pride 2013

Khairete!

This past weekend, HTAZP had our first booth at Rhode Island Pagan Pride.

As you can see, we offered Reiki sessions with a table in back of the booth for readings, and a variety of ritual supplies from incenses and oils to soaps and jewelry. We had quite a few people stop by. Some were people who worship the Theoi and were unaware there was a group in the area, others were simply curious about a form of Paganism they hadn't encountered before. We had loads of interesting conversations and made quite a few new friends.

We also did the main ritual for the festival. Given that the theme of Pagan Pride is community, our ritual was to Hestia, Goddess of hearth, home, hospitality, and community.

Offerings for theoxenia were oranges and bananas. Also offered, as you can see, were ribbons. All participants received a candle blessed by Hestia to bring home. It was a treat to worship with so many others, some of whom were learning of Hestia for the first time but all of whom seemed moved by the experience.

Coming Events

Date	Festival
11 Therapeion/August 18	Founders' Festival
9 Panagonion/September 15	Panagon
23 Panagonion/September 29	Fall Festival
22 Pyanepsion/October 27	Puanepsia and Oskhophoria

That's all for now.

Be well,
Diane

Therapeia 2013

Khairete!

First, we would like to note that we had no idea Apollon was intending quite so literal a "message for the month" with "There is sweat, it excels more than anything." The heat is a tad less today in Southern New England than it's been for the last week and a half or so, and yet it is still quite hot and humid. Possibly a tad closer to what our spiritual ancestors might have been experiencing in Hellas.

Onward to today's festival! 

Today we celebrated the Therapeia, a modern healing festival that has evolved over the years. Originally focused on Apollon and His son Asklepios, Pan soon joined as the God of wild herbs and remedies. This year we also honored Hygeia, Asklepios' daughter and Goddess of health, Artemis, Goddess of childbirth, and Gaia.

Offerings included images of snakes for Apollon, Asklepios, and Hygeia, a sheep for Pan, and candles for all. Food offerings for theoxenia included salmon burgers, veggie sticks with guacamole, farm-fresh salad and peaches. After the feast, we held a Reiki share in which everyone had a turn giving and receiving healing energy.

We also started a new practice of creating a shrine to honor the Deity of the year (from the Anadikia divination) and each month, to be shifted each Noumenia.

Finding a creation-focused image for Prometheus (aside from the card used in the divination) proved challenging. It's a work in progress, but we found a few that featured Prometheus as Creator of humans with Athena giving the soul. One was selected to be a backdrop to the shrine, and as you can see, for the moment we're utilizing the divination cards as well.

Coming Events

The temple's first seminary class is progressing and ordination/installation is planned for the end of the summer. The upcoming festival schedule so far is:

Date	Festival
3 Therapeion/August 10	RI Pagan Pride
11 Therapeion/August 18	Founders' Festival
9 Panagonion/September 15	Panagon
23 Panagonion/September 29	Fall Festival
22 Pyanepsion/October 27	Puanepsia and Oskhophoria

That's it for now.

Be well,
Diane

Anadikia 2013

Happy New Year!

With the first Noumenia following the Summer Solstice, which we celebrate as Philokhoria, we are beginning a new year at HTAZP. While our months are named a bit differently than the Hellenic Month Established Per Athens, we do keep to the same start/end point of the year. (Yes, we're a couple of days early, but modern work schedules don't tend to accommodate the Hellenic calendar.)

As is traditional, we celebrated with a retreat at the temple.

Participants gathered on Friday evening to observe the Diisoteria, a sort of a combination of Hekate's Deipnon with New Year's Eve. Offerings were made to both Gods and Ancestors to close out the year.

Playing cards has also become a New Year's Eve tradition, although due to scheduling, this year it preceded ritual rather than going from the end of ritual until midnight.

Bright and early Saturday morning (or possibly a bit closer to noon), we held the first part of our Anadikia ritual. Thusia and theoxenia included brunch items such as Finnish pancakes, muffins, watermelon, and scrambled eggs.

After theoxenia came the annual cleaning of the temple, complete with washing statues and images and ironing the wax out of the occasional altar cloth. The water used for cleansing the statues and images also had bay oil and sea salt, for their purifying qualities.

This was followed by the second theoxenia of the day, this time a dinner of chicken and zucchini with New Year's Cake or vaselopita for dessert. Interestingly, Hieros Timotheos later realized that the name of this cake translates into "king's bread." There is a coin baked into the cake that is intended to bring luck for the year ahead to the person in whose piece it is found. As it turned out, this year it fell between two slices, so two participants were declared the recipients of a lucky year and the coin was offered to the temple's Agathos Daimon.

The final component of the day was a divination for the year ahead in which cards were drawn to see which Deity would be "ruler" of each month and what messages They might have for us. The divination tools used were the Olympian Oracle Cards and the Greek Alphabet Oracle. The overall God for the year is Prometheus, with the saying "To fight with the waves is difficult - endure, friend." The theme for the year is creation.

Month	Common Calendar	Deity	Themes
Anadikion 2013	Jul/Aug 2013	Apollon	There is sweat; it excels more than anything.
Therapeion 2013	Aug/Sept 2013	Artemis	It is necessary to labor; change will be admirable.
Panagonion 2013	Sept/Oct 2013	Hestia	You desire to see the offspring of rightful marriage
Pyanepsion 2013	Oct/Nov 2013	Themis	You have the helping Gods of this path.
Panaion 2013	Nov/Dec 2013	Ganymede	Make offerings and wait.
Kheimonion 2013	Dec 2013	Asklepios	Phoibos speaks plainly: stay friend.
Gamelion 2014	Jan 2014	Selene	Phoibos speaks plainly: stay friend.
Diasion 2014	Feb 2014	Hephaistos	Completing many contests, you will achieve the crown.
Eiarinion 2014	March 2014	Dionysos	The strife-bearing gift fulfills the oracle.
Delphinion 2014	April 2014	Hera	There are no crops to be reaped that were not sown.
Thargelion 2014	May 2014	Pan	There is sweat; it excels more than anything.
Philokorion 2014	June 2014	Demeter	You have the helping Gods of this path.

And that's it for now. Have a great year!

Peace,
Diane

Panaphobeia 2013

Xairete!

The summer is upon us, despite not officially being here yet! Hope this newsletter finds you well and enjoying the longer days.

Today's Festival

Today we celebrated the Panaphobeia, also known as the Feast of Fear, in which we honor Pan as the God of Fear who both uses fear as a tool and helps us confront our fears. 

We offered Pan ribbons as representations of fears we have for which we were asking His help and received divinatory messages in response utilizing the Greek Olympian Alphabet Oracle. Food offerings included a sausage pasta dish (the color red is associated with Pan's fear aspect and it's conventional to include phallic foods in offerings to Him) and a dessert of "dirt with worms" that can be taken a number of ways in regards to dealing with (or digging through) fears. The libation was iced chai tea, in the interest of continuing the theme of something red/warm/spicy.


Coming Events

Date	Festival
June 23	Philokhoria
July 6-7	Anadikia/Athenian New Year
July 21	Therapeia/Healing Festival
August 10	RI Pagan Pride
August 18	Founders' Festival

For the Philokhoria, we will be creating new puppets and props for The Philokhoria Puppet Show. Attendees are asked to bring socks and buttons that will be used in making the puppets. Other materials will be provided.

Until next time, have a great couple of weeks!

Peace,
Diane

Bouphonia 2013

Xairete!

Hoping you've all had a great couple of weeks. It's been great seeing the spring come into bloom around here.

Today's Festival

Today we celebrated the Bouphonia, a festival that goes back so far that the Athenians apparently were known to wonder just why they were celebrating it. Our modern understanding is a celebration of Zeus as the Protector of Justice and of Law.

As you can see, rather that slaughtering an ox and then stuffing it to pretend it was alive again, we be-ribboned one that had never been alive in the first place.

There is also some evidence that this was also a time for recognizing the city's honored dead. Given that we are celebrating Memorial Day in the United States, it made sense to include this aspect with offerings to our heroes and ancestors.

Coming Events

Date	Festival
June 9	Panaphobeia
June 23	Philokhoria
July 6-7	Anadikia/Athenian New Year
July 21	Therapeia/Healing Festival
August 10	RI Pagan Pride
August 18	Founders' Festival

Until next time, have a great couple of weeks!

Peace,
Diane

Thargelia 2013

Xairete!

After a quiet month, we've had a busy couple of weekends at HTAZP, with the Delphinia last Sunday, a naming yesterday, and the Thargelia today.

Decorations on the birthday cake include a sun, a silvery crescent moon that is more visible IRL than in the photo, two arrows, and two bows. Also, apparently Apollon was more interested in having lots of gold sprinkles on His side of the cake, as that was so not planned.

Today's Festival

We started the afternoon with a cleansing ritual utilizing a pharmakos made of raffia. This was followed by a break to ice the cake, which had been cooling during the cleansing, and also to wait for the thargeloi (aka calzones with vegetable filling, our modern interpretation) to be delivered. This led to some amusing speculation as to whether any enterprising Hermes followers might have developed a fast food/delivery equivalent to make a few dinars back in ancient Hellas. Meanwhile, the ritual space was set up and ready to go.

We offered the thargeloi, birthday cake, and wine for thusia and theoxenia, feasted, and then had a rousing game of Hi-Low-Jack aka Pitch.

We had some discussion around plans for future years, including the possibility of incorporating some form of archery, though probably (given our collective lack of experience and skill in this area) using some type of foam "arrows."

Thoughts on Thargelia from the editor

When I try to explain the import the Thargelia has for me as a festival, I sometimes find myself describing it as "Christmas and Easter all wrapped up in one."  Now, in terms of the surface rituals, there is little in common to be seen. There are no trees (that's the Dendraia) or gifts for children (that's the Diasia) or rabbits and eggs (that's the Eiarinia). But theologically and mystically, I find some resonance there that helps me explain what this festival means to me.

At the most obvious level, it's the birthday of not just one but two Deities, Apollon and Artemis. On a more mystical level, there is the purification aspect, which correlates to the period of fast and sacrifice leading up to Easter, followed by celebration, circling back round to the birthday and also encompassing that Spring is now in full bloom, where it was just starting at the Eiarinia. These are the reasons I find this a helpful comparison to make when I start explaining to someone outside Hellenismos what this festival means to me.

Do you have any thoughts on this festival? What are its meanings for you? How do you observe it, or if you do not, what is the reason behind that choice?


Coming Events

The next festival will be the Bouphonia on May 26th. Looking further ahead, June 9th will be the Panaphobeia or Feast of Fear and June 23 the Philokhoria. Then the year will turn and we'll have our annual Anadikia/Athenian New Year Retreat on the weekend of July 6-7.

Until next time, have a great month!

Peace,
Diane

Delphinia 2013

Xairete!

It has been a quiet month in some ways, as various life events have impacted scheduling, but there is still plenty happening and more coming up.

Today's Festival

Today, we celebrated the Delphinia at HTAZP. There are actually some different schools of thought on this festival, due to limited historical information. At HTAZP, we observe this festival as a time to honor Apollon for His protection of seafaring travelers either in the guise of or by sending His dolphins.

Offerings include a staff decorated with wool and ribbons (an iketiria), an ocean-scented candle, tuna salad sandwiches and apple pie, and a "dolphin adoption." It has also become a temple tradition to bring divinatory items to be blessed at this time, due to the association with Apollo's return to Delphi as well.

The iketiria is reminiscent of Theseus' offering in supplication for smooth sailing. There is some thought that this was also a time of transition for the youth of Athens, particularly the maidens who brought these offerings, and so we make this offering with supplications of our own for metaphoric "smooth sailing" in any areas in which we are experiencing transitions.

 About the Delphinia

As mentioned above, there is very little historical information on this festival. Wikipedia actually summarizes what there is fairly well in a very short entry. There is a school of thought that this is actually an Artemisian festival. There is a case to be made, considering the dating would place it on the 6th, a day traditionally associated with Artemis, rather than the 7th, which is Apollon's day. The tale of Theseus' offering and the name of the festival, however, lend weight to the Apollonian interpretation. Some Hellenists choose to honor both twins to cover all the possibilities.

In so far as the return of Apollon to Delphi, there is no clear date for this, but HTAZP chooses this festival to commemorate that event as well. As is often the case, when there is little "hard evidence" to work with, sometimes it becomes necessary to make a logical or intuitive leap to settle on a practice or the timing of an observance.

Coming Events

There is a naming approaching (quickly!), and the next festivals will be the Thargelia on May 5 and the Bouphonia on May 26th. Looking further ahead, June 9th will be the Panaphobeia or Feast of Fear and June 23 the Philokhoria. Then the year will turn and we'll have our annual Anadikia/Athenian New Year Retreat on the weekend of July 6-7.

That's it for now. As always, if you have thoughts or comments you'd like to share, you are invited to do so!

Peace,
Diane

Diasia and Eiarinia 2013

Xairete,

As always, there is lots going on!

Recent Rituals

I missed this year's Diasia, but the altar to Zeus Melikhios is still up. Between one thing and another, we didn't manage to pull together a teddy bear/stuffed animal drive for the festival as has been our tradition, but it's something we hope to return to next year.

Today, we had the Eiarinia/Spring Festival, in which we honor all the Gods and Goddesses who have festivals in the Spring, such as Apollon, Artemis, Demeter, Gaia, Persephone/Kore, Dionysos,  Pan, and Zeus. As you can see, we included a hyacinth plant to honor Apollon's love for Hyakinthos, something we tend to include in whichever Spring festival falls when hyacinths are accessible.

I can't seem to quite make that go in a straight line, but that is, essentially, the left-to-right of the main altar space, which was placed for the first time in the hearth outdoors. It was a bit chilly to stay outdoors for the feasting, but it was a great experience being able to hold ritual outside.

We also had a new area set up to honor Hades and Persephone, which is where Persephone started out before bringing Her to Her mother in the main space. This is the opposite of what we had done at the Fall Festival, when She left Demeter to join Hades.

Basic Ritual Structure 

We had a guest today, from the Druidic tradition, which was an excellent reminder of how different our rituals are from those of other Pagan groups, as she observed with some amusement that this was the first time she'd ever thrown barley at Deity statues. With that in mind, I'm including some reference info for those who may be wondering what to expect when attending a Hellenic ritual.

Our temple rituals have evolved over the years while keeping some core Hellenic traditions: Procession, purification, thusia, and theoxenia.

• First, we gather outside the ritual space and process in with someone bearing a basket that holds the ritual tools and some of the offerings, someone bearing a torch to light the way, someone bearing incense, and everyone else bearing various offerings of food, drink, etc.  
• We process around the working altar (unlike in some traditions, direction does not matter other than how the space best seems to work). 
• We purify ourselves, each person pouring khernips over the hands of the next.
• We light Hestia's hearth, which (and this is very much an HTAZP-specific approach) is done in two rounds. First we each light a candle representing bringing our fires from our home hearths to the temple hearth. Next, we light candles for those who would wish to be present but cannot, ending with the hieros (priest) lighting a candle for any others in the Hellenic community and the larger Pagan community who might wish to be included but have not been named.
• The hieros invokes the Deities of the festival, and we offer Them barley which is thrown or strewn on the altar before Them.
• Any food, libations, and other offerings are presented.
• Then we feast in the Gods' presence, maybe play games or watch a movie, as feasting, games, and drama were part of many festivals.
• When it comes time to disperse, we close with a final libation to Hestia and the Agathos Daimon.

Not all Hellenics do things quite the same way, so here are some other sites to check out if you are interested. 

Sponde

ECauldron's Greek Reconstructionism

Hellenion

Do you have any thoughts or ritual ideas you'd like to share? Please do so in the comments!

Coming Events

Our schedule has been shifted around a bit due to circumstances in various people's lives, and so the next festival, Delphinia, is likely to be towards the end of April. Our first group of students in training for priesthood continue with their work, and there is another naming coming up soon as well. Also, it's early, but people are already making plans for this year's Rhode Island Pagan Pride.

That's it for now.

Peace,
Diane

Aprhodisia 2013

Khairete!

So, our schedule was slightly rearranged by local weather, and the Aphrodisia, which we generally celebrate close to Valentine's Day (since our society or polis is celebrating love, it only makes sense to celebrate Aphrodite), ended up postponed until today.

As you can see, there were several offerings of roses, and Her statue is adorned with floral ribbons.  A pink peep sits at Her feet masquerading as a turtle-dove.

In honor of the myth of Her birth, seafood was a theme among many food offerings, such as stuffed clams and cocktail shrimp.

Other food offerings were stuffed shells, grapes and strawberries, and a fruit pizza.

Prayers to Aphrodite in Her various forms were offered, though the focus was primarily on Her aspects of love and beauty.

Our next festival, then, will be the Diasia on March 17/5 Eiarinion, followed by the Eiarinia on March 31/19 Eiarinion. Until then, be safe and well!

Peace,
Diane

Gamelia 2013

Xairete!

Today we celebrated the Gamelia, also known as the Theogamia, the wedding of Zeus and Hera.

The new space made it possible to do a more elaborate setup of the processional area with a receiving line of sorts.

As is often done in modern weddings, there was a Bride's side, featuring (left to right) Demeter, Persephone, Athena, Artemis, Gaia, Hekate, Aphrodite, Ariadne, Eileithyia, and Hygeia,

and a Groom's side, featuring (left to right) Asklepios, Herakles, Hermes, Dionysos, Apollon, Pan, Hephaistos, Ares, Poseidon, and Haides.

The Groom awaited in the entryway,

and the Bride made Her entrance.

Ritual was then held in the main space.  A sample ritual written by Timotheos can be found here.

In this instance, we also libated all the Goddesses and Gods in attendance and then symbolically lit the Newlyweds' new hearth.  Feasting included rotisserie chicken, spaghetti, lavender mead, and the wedding cake shown above as well as a chocolate truffle cake and pecan twirls.

Next up will be the Aphrodisia on 6 Diasion/17 February.  Anthesteria is observed on 11-13 Diasion/21-24 February, and tends to be a more private festival.  Then on 20 Diasion/3 March will be Asklepia, similar to the Therapeia but being observed at this time in light of research indicating this would have been the time of year Asklepios was honored in ancient times.

Until next time.

Peace,

Diane