This weekend, we celebrated the end of one year and the beginning of another. As has become our tradition, this was a three-day retreat at the Temple space.
Friday - Diisoteria & Deipnon
On Friday evening, we gathered at the Temple and lit Hestia's hearth, each "bringing our fire" from our homes. We had a dinner of lamb to celebrate the outgoing year. We shared our accomplishments from the past year and our hopes for the year ahead.
Once dinner was done, we did some "Pagan Arts and Crafts," decorating paper maché skulls with the names of deceased ancestors, to be used in another ritual later. (Some of us may possibly have gone slightly overboard with the paint, with the result that not all were dry in time for the Deipnon.)
Diisoteria
The focus of this ritual was to give thanks to the Gods for their help in achieving all that we've accomplished over the past year. Thusia was sunflower-honey bread and libations of wine.Deipnon
We then extinguished the hearth and processed to Hekate's altar.
Here, we wrote down things we had intended to accomplish but did not for one reason or another. These were burned and the ashes swept away with the old year.
Saturday - Anadikia & Hephaestia Part I
Saturday morning, we started the day with a breakfast of smoothies and muffins before our first ritual, in which we greeted the new year. 
We returned the fire from Hekate's torch to Hestia's hearth and wrote down our goals for the coming year. These were placed in a mason jar to be stored until next year, so that we can either give thanks to the Gods for helping us achieve them or else, if they become goals that are set aside, sweep them away with the old year.
Thusia was a loaf of olive oil/rosemary bread with libations of lemonade.
Scarlet Rose offered a workshop on connecting with Pan through the Labyrinth.
Lunch was pizza, followed by a table-tipping workshop that involved communing with the Temple Patrons.
Late afternoon saw a Hellenismos class in Household Ritual. There was a walk scheduled for after dinner but other events intervened, so dinner was followed by the first part of Hephaestia, and a movie which ran parallel with a second table-tipping session. The last event of the evening was a brief meditation in preparation for doing dreamwork overnight.
Sunday - Hephaestia Part II and Agathos Daimon
This morning started with a trip to Hannaway Blacksmith Shop to complete our Hephaestia celebration. Upon returning to the Temple, we offered a final libation to the Agathos Daimon and Hestia to close the retreat followed by a celebratory brunch.New Year Divination
As is our tradition, we did a divination to determine the God who will rule the year and each month, as well as what message from the Lemurian Alphabet Oracle each God has for us.|
Month
|
Deity
|
Message
|
|
Anadikion
|
Hephaistos
|
The strife-bearing gift fulfills the oracle.
|
|
Therapaion
|
Dionysos
|
The affair upholds a noble undertaking.
|
|
Panagonion
|
Hermes
|
Phoibos speaks plainly, “Stay, friend.”
|
|
Pyanepsion
|
Poseidon
|
There is sweat, it excels more than anything.
|
|
Panaion
|
Athene
|
If you wait a short time, you will go on more easily.
|
|
Kheimonion
|
Eros
|
There is no fruit to be taken from a withered shoot.
|
|
Gamelion
|
Hera
|
We desire to see the offspring of righteous marriages.
|
|
Diasion
|
Demeter
|
There are no crops to be reaped that were not sown.
|
|
Eiarinion
|
Ares
|
You will have a parting from the companions now around you.
|
|
Delphinion
|
Hekate
|
Gaia will give you the ripe fruits of your labors.
|
|
Thargelion
|
Aphrodite
|
Apollo says you shall do all things successfully.
|
|
Philokhoria
|
Artemis
|
The work is hard but change will be admirable.
|
|
13th month
|
Persephone
|
In customs, inopportune strength is weak.
|
