Sunday, April 10, 2016

Delphinia 2016

Khairete!

Today's Festival

 Today we celebrated the Delphinia, the festival honoring Apollon Delphinios, who sends his dolphins to guide travelers safely home.


We began with a brief centering and visualization of traveling flanked by dolphins as we circumambulated the altar. Thusia was a baguette, and theoxenia included (dolphin-safe) tuna casserole, fresh veggies, popcorn, and jelly beans.  Libations were made from fruit-flavored sparkling water.

Recipe

Dolphin-safe tuna casserole
Ingredients:
2 cans albacore tuna
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
3/4 of a bag of egg noodles, cooked & drained
1 bag of frozen sweet corn
~ 1 cup whole milk
3 handfuls of crushed cheddar cheese & bacon potato chips

Directions:
Throw everything except the chips in a casserole dish. 
Mix well. 
Sprinkle the crushed potato chips across the top. 
Bake at 400F for 20minutes.

Activity/Class

After theoxenia, in honor of the modern tradition that today also marks Apollon's return to Delphi, we learned about tasiomancy using Greek coffee grounds. While this is a more modern practice than ancient, it is currently a common form of divination in Greece.

Notes from class:

·       Origins obscure (Turkish, Greek, Armenian)
·       Plain white cup & saucer
·       Papagolos coffee boiled in briki (βρηκη)
·       Querent drinks coffee down to sediment (never read for yourself)
·       Put saucer on top of cup, flip cup over, give it 5 min
·       Can put relevant items (ring for relationship, coin for money) on the bottom of the cup while you wait
·       Anything by the handle is the present for the querent
·       Beyond that lies the future
·       If sediment doesn’t fall off, you’re holding on to something too much
·       If it falls right off, your problems are leaving quickly
·       Shapes formed by negative space around the grounds are the divinatory message
 
Something learned from today's class:  The coffee had been boiled prior to ritual, and the class was done after theoxenia, so it had been sitting for quite a bit longer than it should have.  This resulted in the sediment not wanting to exit the cup in a timely manner.  The coffee should really be drunk by the querent while hot, and then read right away.
 

Sources:

Hiereios Timotheos' experiences in Greece.

Lyle, J. & Khan, A. (2000). The cup of destiny. London: Eddison Sadd Editions.

Coming up

FestivalHTAZP Date(s)Gregorian Date(s)
Olympieia16 DelphinionApril 24
Adonia23 DelphinionMay 1
Thargelia15 ThargelionMay 22
Panaphobeia29 ThargelionJune 5
Philokhoria21 PhilokorionJune 26
Anadikia & Hephestaia27-29 PhilokhorionJuly 1-3

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