May it be that Spring has finally sprung in New England? It didn't look like it yesterday, but today we had a sunny and relatively warm day for ritual. There is still snow on the ground, however, so it was indoors.
We actually did a combination of several Spring rites today, starting with the Diasia for Zeus Melikhios.
As has been our custom, we offered animal crackers as the "cakes in the shapes of animals" and offered a libation of milk as we offered our thanks for His protection through this winter filled with storms.
Once this offering was complete, we processed into the main temple space, where we honored Demeter, Persephone, Gaia, Apollon, Hyakinthos, Artemis, and Pan.
The Eiarinia Spring Festival encompasses Gaia, Demeter, and Persephone. They were offered, respectively, Girl Scout cookies, bread, and peppers (a vegetable that is also a fruit, representing Persephone's role between two worlds).
Pan's Spring festival is the Poimeia, a modern festival in honor of Pan the God of Shepherds. He received an offering of multi-colored cake.
Apollo and Hyakinthos were honored for the Hyakanthia. Apollon was offered ground lamb (to stuff the peppers), and Hyakinthos was offered His flower.
Artemis's festivals are the Elaphabolia and Mounikia, both of which celebrate her with offerings of cakes, either in the shapes of deer for the former or cakes "shining all around" for the latter, which were represented with the candle-lit cupcake in the offering bowl in the foreground.
We used invocations from Hearthstone's In Praise of Olympus: Prayers to the Greek Gods, with each participant reading in turn.
Coming up:
Sunday, March 29, the Aphrodisia
Saturday, April 4, the Delphinia
Sunday, April 19, the Olympieia
Sunday, April 26, the Thargelia
Until next time, may the peace of the Gods be with you.
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