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
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