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