In December, We Honour Hephaistos

When it came time for me to decide which of the Olympians should be assigned to which month of our calendar, I tried to incorporate a number of ideas:

1) keeping with modern traditions - example - February for Aphrodite because of Valentine's Day; June for Hera because the month most weddings happen, (and the Roman name for Hera was Juno - bonus)

2) corresponding to natural phenomenon in Manitoba - Artemis as goddess of assisting in Birth and the wild places, so she was placed in the spring; Ares took August for the heat; September is the beginning of wine making hence Dionysos took September.

3) hopes of furthering associations - Hephaistos takes December

And this is what I want to discuss, why Hephaistos took December.

According to the Ancient Athenian Calendar (because every major polis had their own calendar, although we have the most information on the Athenian one, hence it is the one to follow), the month of our modern December falls in line with two ancient months: Hespereon and Poseideon. This is because the ancient Greeks used a lunar calendar instead of the solar one we use.

It is the month of Poseideon that lands towards the end of December, named after the festival of Poseidea, a celebration to Poseidon. Because in today's culture we are so tied into this idea of big end of year celebrations (Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza, Yule), many modern Hellenics have taken to celebrating Poseidea on or near the Winter Solstice. Some groups have even made a big celebration out of honouring Herakles' birth at this time of year. 

For me, in the hopes of furthering associations between the Theoi and our modern lives, I choose to place Hephaistos over Poseidon for December.

While there is no doubt in my mind that the ancient celebration of honouring the God of the Sea had intense meaning at this time of year for a country that's a peninsula, it does not have much meaning for us, a province in the middle of the continent. While the sea may not play a big role for us at this time of year, the cold and snow does. And so I thought about the cold, the snow, and how it feels to be stuck outside in minus 40 degree weather. Naturally when thinking of December my mind went to Christmas and while I tried to stay away from those associations, something kept coming back - the fireplace. 

The fireplace naturally had me thinking of Hestia, Goddess of the Hearth, who is honoured everyday in our homes. But as I thought more about December - staying indoors, knitting or building things to keep our selves busy, creating things with our hands - it lead me quickly to the God of Smith Work - Hephaistos. 

The fireplace is a great representation of Hephaistos' forges, and also a symbolic representation of stoking the solar fire (the Sun) for it's return to power. December is a great month as a Pagan to hunker down and prepare yourself for the new year. The winter months are the right time to replenish supplies, create new tools, do reading a research. All great things to do since the frigid temperatures prevent us from doing many outdoor rituals or celebrations in general.

Honouring Hephaistos is a month long observance. HoM does our monthly libations to the Theos on the first Sunday of December, and the rest of the month is for further contemplation, study, relationship building with Hephaistos. Members of HoM are encouraged to celebrate the winter solstice, however as of yet, the HoM does not have a set celebration for that period.

Mystic Musings: Prometheus

This post was inspired by a quote I found on Facebook. While the actual content of the quote was a bit too "mystic sounding" and seemed to lack any actual substance, I thought I'd explore Prometheus a bit more. (The quote from FB is posted at the end of this blog post.)


Prometheus ("forethought") was the Titan god of forethought and crafty counsel who was entrusted with the task of moulding mankind out of clay. His attempts to better the lives of his creation brought him into direct conflict with Zeus. 

The Prometheus myth first appeared in the late 8th-century BCE Greek epic poet Hesiod's Theogony. He was a son of the Titan Iapetus by Clymene, one of the Oceanids. He was brother to Menoetius, Atlas, and Epimetheus ("hindsight" or "after thinker"). In the Theogony, Hesiod introduces Prometheus a lowly challenger to Zeus's omniscience and omnipotence. In the trick at Mekone, a sacrificial meal marking the "settling of accounts" between mortals and immortals, Prometheus played a trick against Zeus. He placed two sacrificial offerings before the Olympian: a selection of beef hidden inside an ox's stomach (nourishment hidden inside a displeasing exterior), and the bull's bones wrapped completely in "glistening fat" (something inedible hidden inside a pleasing exterior). Zeus chose the latter, setting a precedent for future sacrifices.

Henceforth, humans would keep that meat for themselves and burn the bones wrapped in fat as an offering to the gods. This angered Zeus, who hid fire from humans in retribution. In this version of the myth, the use of fire was already known to humans, but withdrawn by Zeus. Prometheus, however, stole fire back in a giant fennel-stalk and restored it to humanity. This further enraged Zeus, who sent Pandora, the first woman, to live with humanity, Pandora. 

Prometheus, in eternal punishment, is chained to a rock in a mountain range where his liver is eaten daily by an eagle, only to be regenerated by night, due to his immortality. The eagle is a symbol of Zeus himself. Years later, the Greek hero Heracles slays the eagle and frees Prometheus from the eagle's torment.

Hesiod revisits the story of Prometheus in the Works and Days . Here, the poet expands upon Zeus's reaction to Prometheus's deception. Not only does Zeus withhold fire from humanity, but "the means of life," as well. Had Prometheus not provoked Zeus's wrath, "you would easily do work enough in a day to supply you for a full year even without working; soon would you put away your rudder over the smoke, and the fields worked by ox and sturdy mule would run to waste." 

Hesiod also expands upon the Theogony's story of the first woman, now explicitly called Pandora ("all gifts"). After Prometheus' theft of fire, Zeus sent Pandora in retaliation. Pandora was fashioned by Hephaestus out of clay and brought to life by the four winds, with all the goddesses of Olympus assembled to adorn her. "From her is the race of women and female kind," Hesiod writes; "of her is the deadly race and tribe of women who live amongst mortal men to their great trouble, no helpmeets in hateful poverty, but only in wealth."

Despite Prometheus' warning, his brother, Epimetheus accepted this "gift" from the gods. Pandora carried a jar with her, from which were released  "evils, harsh pain and troublesome diseases which give men death". Pandora shut the lid of the jar too late to contain all the evil plights that escaped, but foresight remained in the jar, depriving humanity from hope.

Of Prometheus, Eliphas Levi in his book Magic: A History of Its Rites, Rituals, and Mysteries, writes:

"Prometheus, the Golden Fleece, the Thebaid, the Iliad and the Odyssey - these five great epics, full of the mysteries of Nature and human destinies, constitute the bible of ancient Greece, a cyclopean monument, a Pelion piled upon an Ossa, masterpiece over masterpiece, form on form, beautiful as light itself and throned upon eternal thoughts, sublime in truth. It was, however, at their proper risk and peril that the hierophants of poetry committed to the Greek people these marvellous fictions in which truth was shrined."  

The little bit of exploring I have done on Prometheus online, has lead me to believe that there are great mysteries that can be unlocked by Prometheus and his mythos. What exactly these mysteries are, remain to be discovered. 

Sources: Theoi.com, Wikipedia.com, and Magic: A History of Its Rites, Rituals, and Mysteries by Eliphas Levi

_______________________________________________________________

Quote from Facebook :

This Promethean soul of man come down from heaven can only be freed from the earth-chains and the Time-Vulture by the destruction of Zeus (that is, his transformation—transfiguration into the higher form), the phenomenal world, and by its elevation to a higher power, that of the ideal, the only real.

Prometheus is moreover the revolt of the enlightened Soul against all false—popular—sacerdotal—established—hierarchical forms of religion, those religions which seek for personal salvation, founded on egoism, instead of general universal good and the salvation of all sentient beings.

Prometheus is the Grecian form of the Atman of the Vedanta— the true ego, set free from incarnations in the masks (personae) of personality and the torture wheel of Necessity and Fate, and admitted into its rest and home in the universal—immanent Cosmic Spirit, escaped from the sorrows of the world of Creation. Prometheus is the ideal “Nomos” or Law in the soul itself, the “Conscious law—the King of Kings,” the God “seated in the heaven of the heart.”

In the Agonies of this “Nous Agonistes”—the birth agonies of the race and of each individual there must ever be that Crucifixion of the ideal man represented by Odin—Prometheus—Christ; but after the Cross comes the transfiguration, in which these words of Prometheus are fulfilled,

“By myriad pangs and woes
Bound down, thus shall I ’scape these bonds.” 

-Schelling

http://www.esophoria.org

The Idea of Patron Gods...

A recent discussion on HoM's Facebook page regarding the article on Patheos.com titled "Our Gods Are Not Safe" , has given me an idea for this blog post. 

One of HoM's members, who is also a practicing Heathen of the Norse Tradition, commented on the article: 

"That's why in terms of Heathenry the worship of the gods was and continues to be a group thing. Much easier to enter into a gift-cycle with them as a group. [sic] This is not to say that you can't have your own personal reverence of the gods, or even be drawn to particular ones, but you don't necessarily want to have personal relationships with them. 

For example, in the lore if a god was in a personal relationship with a human, it usually didn't bode well for the human." 

This comment got me thinking about Hellenismos, and whether or not it is appropriate to incorporate the modern Pagan ideas of Patron/ess deities, and personal relationships with the Theoi.

For those of you who are not familiar with the terms 'Patron and Patroness', here is a definition by Elani Temperance on her blog Baring the Aegis:

"Modern patronage, in this context, is the support or encouragement of a patron, where the patron or patroness  is a divine being. In these relationships, the active party is often the deity in question, who claims the passive human. Some will describe a sense of 'being owned' by their patron. The human becomes a conduit for the work and will of the patron in question, and is required to spend large portions of their lives in active service to that deity. The bond between deity and human is personal."

Lets also note that Patron = Male God, Patroness = Female Goddess. 

While the idea of Patron deities is a popular one among Neo-Pagans, it's not exactly a well supported idea in Hellenismos. Here is what Elani has to say on the subject:

"... patronage is not part of Hellenismos, and it was not part of ancient Hellenic life.

Hellenism has its own beautiful system of kharis (religious reciprocity), and because of that, there is no need to bring in a modern concept like patrons. When we, in Hellenismos, petition the Gods for aid, we always do so with an offering. This offering can be incense, a libation, a food offering or anything else. It must be something tangible. Good thoughts and intentions don't count. This offering is given freely, joyfully, with pleasure, out of respect and love for the Gods. We ask what we feel we need--sometimes that's a new job, sometimes just a sentiment like honor and prosperity to the household--and never expect to be granted this request. Petitions aren't bribery. We give to the Gods and should They feel inclined to grand us our request, we thank Them by offering to Them again, to which the Gods might respond, to which we will sacrifice, and so on. This circular practice of voluntary giving is called kharis, and through it, we built relationships with all Theoi.

In ancient Hellas, there were priests; most of them were chosen through hereditary lines and often served short terms in the temple of a deity their family was connected to, either through the family line or by choice. There were also priests who chose to come into the service of a Theos or Theia; they were voluntary priests and they devoted themselves to the God(s) they were drawn to or especially thankful to. Neither type of priest would have worshipped only the deity they were in service to, and all would have attended state festivals, and most likely had a household practice that included a large number of deities. Note that the active party in these relationships is the human, not the deity in question.

There are a few (mythical) exceptions to this rule that could be seen as patronage: Athena was a guide and aid for Odysseus and his son, and many Gods were (temporary) aids of Hēraklēs. These were heroes, chosen by the Theoi to suffer a specific fate and to rise above it as heroes. If you are Hellenistic and you feel you are being divinely aided to make it through such a path then by all means, say you have a patron. If not, it feels like hubris (excessive pride or self-confidence) to me to make that claim. Of course, there is a degree of personal viewpoint here (i.e. we can never judge the lives of others; what feels like an epic quest of hardship to you, may seem like a breeze to me and the other way around), so for safety's sake, I stick with my viewpoint that patronage has no place in Hellenism, because as much as our lives may feel like an epic journey, we are not all Odysseus."

As we can see in the above quote, and Elani is a reliable source, patronage was not a part of ancient Hellenic practice. Also, there is the issue with modern Neo-Pagans whom 'take on' a Patron/ess and do not work with any other members of the pantheon. While there is essentially nothing wrong with this, this is not polytheism, and especially not Hellenismos. 

"Polytheism means that many gods are worshipped not only at the same place and at the same time, but by the same community and by the same individual; only the totality of the gods constitutes the divine world. […] To overlook or despise a god is to curtail the richness of the world and hence the fullness of man. - Walter Burkert

To practice Hellenismos, is to honour all the deities of the pantheon. Our levels of worship may ebb and flow depending on our lives, our personal struggles and situations, (example: if your marriage is struggling, you'll feel a pull to work more with Hera, Goddess of Marriage), but all in all, one must remember to honour all the Olympians, lest one get offended. As the article 'Our Gods Are Not Safe' mentioned, especially when it comes to the Greek Gods, jealously is a common thread that flows through the mythos of our gods. And if you view the Theoi in a slightly Jungian archetypical view point as I do, as expressed in my blog post 'Asteria's Personal Theogony', you will understand that favouring one deity over others for a long period of time will stunt your growth in spiritual development/enlightenment. 

To conclude this post, be wary of the person who claims to work with Hekate (or other Greek deity) and is therefore a practicing Hellenic. Hellenismos is the inclusion of all the Hellenic deities, with special focus on the Olympians, not just a focus on one or two.

A link to Elani Temperance's full blog post can be found here. 

EDIT:  I just wanted to add that a form of patronage did take place in Ancient Greece, but this was in a group setting and formed the basis of the religious cults. Cults sprung up all over Greece and were usually area specific. For example, the Cult of Aphrodite would appear on Cyprus where the Goddess was said to have sprung up from the sea foam (where she was "born"), or the Cult of Demeter and Persephone at Eleusis, which was tied into the myth about Persephone's return from the Underworld. However, even members of these cults still paid their respects to the other Olympians. 

Demeter, Goddess of Agriculture

October happens to be my favourite month. 

Actually, I think it's a popular month for all North American Pagans. After a hot, humid summer, the earth is dry and still a bit warm, but the breeze is cooler. Perfect weather for cozy sweaters, colourful scarves, fashionable boots, and mugs of warm liquid. 

This is also the time of year that most Pagans in the Northern Hemisphere associate with dying. Whether it's the Neo-Pagan celebrations of Samhain, Mexico's Day of the Dead, or just Halloween in general, there is definitely something going on during the cross-quarter period between the Autumnal Equinox and Winter Solstice. 

That is why, for Hellenismos of Manitoba, we celebrate and honour the Goddess Demeter, and her daughter Persephone. Along side the two Goddesses, we also take this time to acknowledge the Khthonioi (Chthonic) deities associated with the Greek Underworld. 

But first, as the first Sunday of the month approaches, lets take a look at Demeter:

Demeter was the daughter of Kronus and Rhea, and sister of Hestia, Hera, Haides, Poseidon, and Zeus. Like the other children of Kronus she was devoured by her father, but he gave her forth again after taking the emetic which Metis had given him. 

Demeter was the goddess of the tilled earth, and more especially of the earth as producing fruit, and consequently of agriculture, whence human food or bread is called by Homer, the gift of Demeter. The notion of her being the author of the earth's fertility was extended to that of fertility in general, and she accordingly was looked upon also as the goddess of marriage (along side Hera), and was worshipped especially by women. Her priestess also initiated young married people into the duties of their new situation.  As the goddess of the earth she was like the other theoi chthonioi, a subterraneous divinity, who worked in the regions inaccessible to the rays of Helios. As agriculture is the basis of a well-regulated social condition, Demeter is represented also as the friend of peace and as a law-giving goddess. 

She was often represented in works of art, though scarcely one entire statue of her is preserved. Her representations appear to have been brought to ideal perfection by Praxiteles. Her image resembled that of Hera, in its maternal character, but had a softer expression, and her eyes were less widely opened. She was represented sometimes in a sitting attitude, sometimes walking, and sometimes riding in a chariot drawn by horses or dragons, but always in full attire. Around her head she wore a garland of corn-ears or a simple ribband, and in her hand she held a sceptre, cornears or a poppy, sometimes also a torch and the mystic basket. 

The Abduction of Persephone

By her brother Zeus, Demeter became the mother of Persephone. The most prominent part in the mythos of Demeter is the rape of her daughter Persephone by Haides, and this story not only suggests the main idea embodied in Demeter, but also directs our attention to the principal seats of her worship. 

Zeus, without the knowledge of Demeter, had promised Persephone to Haides, and while the unsuspecting maiden was gathering flowers which Zeus had caused to grow in order to tempt her and to favour Haides' scheme, the earth suddenly opened and she was carried off by Haides. Her cries of anguish were heard only by Hecate and Helios. Her mother, who heard only the echo of her voice, immediately set out in search of her daughter.

Demeter wandered about in search of her daughter for nine days, without taking any nectar or ambrosia, and without bathing. On the tenth she met Hecate, who told her that she had heard the cries of Persephone, but did not know who had carried her off. Both then hastened to Helios, who revealed to them that Haides had been the ravisher, and with the consent of Zeus. Demeter in her anger at this news avoided Olympus, and dwelt upon earth among men, conferring presents and blessings wherever she was kindly received, and severely punishing those who repulsed her or did not receive her gifts with proper reverence. In this manner she came to Celeus at Eleusis. As the goddess still continued in her anger, and produced famine on the earth by not allowing the fields to produce any fruit, Zeus, anxious that the race of mortals should not become extinct, sent Iris to induce Demeter to return to Olympus.  But in vain.

At length Zeus sent out all the gods of Olympus to conciliate her by entreaties and presents; but she vowed not to return to Olympus, nor to restore the fertility of the earth, till she had seen her daughter again. Zeus accordingly sent Hermes into Erebus to fetch back Persephone. Haides consented, indeed, to Persephone returning, but gave her a part of a pomegranate to eat, in order that she might not always remain with Demeter. Hermes then took her in Haides' chariot to Eleusis to her mother, to whom, after a hearty welcome, she related her fate. At Eleusis both were joined by Hecate, who henceforth remained the attendant and companion of Persephone. Zeus now sent Rhea to persuade Demeter to return to Olympus, and also granted that Persephone should spend only a part of the year (i. e. the winter) in subterraneous darkness, and that during the rest of the year she should remain with her mother. 

Rhea accordingly descended to the Rharian plain near Eleusis, and conciliated Demeter, who now again allowed the fruits of the fields to grow. But before she parted from Eleusis, she instructed Triptolemus, Diocles, Eumolpus, and Celeus in the mode of her worship and in the mysteries. These are the main features of the mythus about Demeter, as it is contained in the Homeric hymn; in later traditions it is variously modified.

The mythos of Demeter and her daughter embodies the idea, that the productive powers of the earth or nature rest or are concealed during the winter season; the goddess (Demeter and Persephone, are here identified) then rules in the depth of the earth mournful, but striving upwards to the all-animating light. Persephone, who has eaten of the pomegranate, is the fructified flower that returns in spring, dwells in the region of light during a portion of the year, and nourishes men and animals with her fruits.

Later philosophical writers, and perhaps the mysteries also, referred the disappearance and return of Persephone to the burial of the body of man and the immortality of his soul.

Source: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology; via theoi.com

Poem: The Satyrs Dance

The Satyrs Dance

Listen. 

Can you hear it?

The sweet music softly rustles through the leaves.

The Bacchae women are wailing.

The madness is coming. 

The Satyrs are prancing, phalluses erect and standing proud.

Stop.

Can you feel it?

The ecstasy is taking over.

The mind is becoming dizzy.

The throat is becoming thirsty.

And the world begins to spin as the God of Wine steps forth.

-- Written by T.Sousa

Dionysos, God of the Vine

Welcome to September in Manitoba!

The weather is beginning to cool off, and the wasps are in full frenzy with the impending shippment of grapes that are heading into the province. If you're a wine maker, this is the busy time of year. And what better time than now to honour Dionysos, God of Grapes, Wine, Pleasure, Festivity, Madness and Ecstasy.

Dionysos is an interesting diety. He was depicted as either an older bearded god or a pretty effeminate, long-haired youth. His attributes included the thyrsos (a pine-cone tipped staff), drinking cup, leopard and fruiting vine. He was usually accompanied by a troop of Satyrs and Mainades (female devotees or nymphs).

Firstly, let's talk about the fact that Dionysos is not always considered to be a part of the Twelve Olympians. Some people substitute Hestia, Lady of the Hearth and Home in place of Dionysos. However, HoM believes that although Hestia's powers are unquestionably important to the strength of the family, home and community, she cannot easily be distinguished as an archetype of the human condition, while Dionysos, Lord of Firenze and Ecstasy most certainly can. 

Birth and Childhood

When discussing Dionysos' history and background, we find many conflicting stories, more so than any other Olympian. He has been credited as being the son of Zeus and Semele, the most popular, or by Zeus and either Demeter, Io, Dione, Arge, Persephone, or Iris. There are also diverse opinions regarding the birthplace of the God. Common tradition mentions Thebes, yet India, Libya, Crete, Naxos, and many more are also mentioned. It is because of this diversity in traditions that ancient writers were driven to the theory that there were originally several divinities which were afterwards identified under the one name of Dionysos. 

For sake of consistency, HoM uses the most popular story, which makes Dionysos a son of Semele by Zeus. As the tale goes, Hera, who was jealous of all of Zeus' mistresses, visited the pregnant Semele in the disguise of a friend, or an old woman, and persuaded her to request Zeus to appear to her in the same glory and majesty in which he was accustomed to approach his own wife Hera. After much pestering by Semele, Zeus finally complied, and appeared to her in thunder and lightning. Semele was terrified and overpowered by the sight, and being seized by the fire, she gave premature birth to a child, Dionysos. Zeus, or according to others, Hermes saved the child from the flames: it was sewed up in the thigh of Zeus, and thus came to maturity. Various epithets which are given to the god refer to that occurrence, such as purigenês, mêrorraphês, mêrotraphês and ianigena.

 

After the birth of Dionysos, Zeus entrusted him to Hermes, or, according to others, who took the child to Ino and Athamas at Orchomenos, and persuaded them to bring him up as a girl. Hera was now urged on by her jealousy to throw Ino and Athamas into a state of madness, and Zeus, in order to save his child, changed him into a ram, and carried him to the nymphs of mount Nysa, who brought him up in a cave, and were afterwards rewarded for it by Zeus, by being placed as Hyades among the stars. 

The traditions about the education of Dionysos, as well as about the personages who undertook it, differ as much as those about his parentage and birthplace. 

Mount Nysa, from which the god was believed to have derived his name, was not only in Thrace and Libya, but mountains of the same name are found in different parts of the ancient world where he was worshipped, and where he was believed to have introduced the cultivation of the vine. Hermes, however, is mixed up with most of the stories about the infancy of Dionysos, and he was often represented in works of art, in connexion with the infant god. 

Adulthood

When Dionysos had grown up, Hera threw him also into a state of madness, in which he wandered about through many countries of the earth. A tradition in Hyginus makes him go first to the oracle of Dodona, but on his way thither he came to a lake, which prevented his proceeding any further. One of two asses he met there carried him across the water, and the grateful god placed both animals among the stars, and asses henceforth remained sacred to Dionysus.

According to the common tradition, Dionysos first wandered through Egypt, where he was hospitably received by King Proteus. He thence proceeded through Syria, where he flayed Damascus alive, for opposing the introduction of the vine, which Dionysos was believed to have discovered. He now traversed all Asia. When he arrived at the Euphrates, he built a bridge to cross the river, but a tiger sent to him by Zeus carried him across the river Tigris. The most famous part of his wanderings in Asia is his expedition to India, which is said to have lasted three, or, according to some, even 52 years. Dionysus also visited Phrygia and the goddess Cybele or Rhea, who purified him and taught him the mysteries, which according to Apollodorus, took place before he went to India. 

Proving His Divinity

One of the most interesting aspects of Dionysos is that he seems to be the only Olympian that has had to prove his divinity. While the other Olympians are able to transform and hid their divinity, take Zeus and all of his disguises in order to seduce mortal women, there is no question that they are gods. However, Dionysos it seems is constantly being questioned, and having to prove himself.

On his worldly travels, he did not in those distant regions meet with a kindly reception everywhere, for Myrrhanus and Deriades, with his three chiefs, fought against him. But Dionysos and the host of Pans, Satyrs, and Bacchic women, by whom he was accompanied, conquered his enemies, taught the Indians the cultivation of the vine and of various fruits, and the worship of the gods; he also founded towns among them, gave them laws, and left behind him pillars and monuments in the happy land which he had thus conquered and civilized, and the inhabitants worshipped him as a god.

After then proceeding through Thrace without meeting with any further resistance, he returned to Thebes, where he compelled the women to quit their houses, and to celebrate Bacchic festivals on mount Cithaeron, or Parnassus. Pentheus, who then ruled at Thebes, endeavoured to check the riotous proceedings, and went out to the mountains to seek the Bacchic women; but his own mother, Agave, in her Bacchic fury, mistook him for an animal, and tore him to pieces. 

After Dionysos had thus proved to the Thebans that he was a god, he went to Argos. As the people there also refused to acknowledge him, he made the women mad to such a degree, that they killed their own babes and devoured their flesh. According to another statement, Dionysos with a host of women came from the islands of the Aegean to Argos, but was conquered by Perseus, who slew many of the women. Afterwards, however, Dionysus and Perseus  reconciled, and the Argives adopted the worship of the god, and built temples to him. One of these was called the temple of Dionysus Cresius, because the god was believed to have buried on that spot Ariadne, his beloved, who was a Cretan. 

The last feat of Dionysus was performed on a voyage from Icaria to Naxos. He hired a ship which belonged to Tyrrhenian pirates; but the men, instead of landing at Naxos, passed by and steered towards Asia to sell him there. The god, however, on perceiving this, changed the mast and oars into serpents, and himself into a lion; he filled the vessel with ivy and the sound of flutes, so that the sailors, who were seized with madness, leaped into the sea, where they were metamorphosed into dolphins. In all his wanderings and travels the god had rewarded those who had received him kindly and adopted his worship : he gave them vines and wine.

A God of the Mysteries

After he had thus gradually established his divine nature throughout the world, he led his mother out of Hades, called her Thyone, and rose with her into Olympus. There are also tales that Dionysos ventured into Hades to retrieve his bride, Araidne. As well, there is a mystical story, that the body of Dionysos was cut up and thrown into a cauldron by the Titans, and that he was restored and cured by Rhea or Demeter. 

Herodotus, a Greek historian from the 5th century BCE, wrote:

"The Egyptians say that Demeter [Isis] and Dionysos [Osiris] are the rulers of the lower world. The Egyptians were the first who maintained the following doctrine, too, that the human soul is immortal, and at the death of the body enters into some other living thing then coming to birth; and after passing through all creatures of land, sea, and air, it enters once more into a human body at birth, a cycle which it completes in three thousand years. There are Greeks who have used this doctrine [the Orphics], some earlier and some later, as if it were their own; I know their names, but do not record them."

More questions than answers appear as one dives into the mythos of Dionysos. In the modern age, it is easy to see similarities between Dionysos and Christ, what with stories of wandering through Asia, teaching and learning, proving his divinity, and associations with death and rebirth.


More will be posted about this fascinating God as the month progresses. 

Source: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, via Theoi.com

Bringing Ares into Hellenismos...

When researching Ancient sources regarding Ares, a few things become clear:

1) Ares was not very liked by his family and fellow Olympians: His father, Zeus, is said to have made some harsh remarks about his son, calling out his blood and battle lust as disgusting. 

2) Worship of Ares seems very general and no large cult following really stands out: Ares can be difficult to identify in Classical art. Whether he was left out intentionally or for lack of distinctive physical attributes, is debated. Ares was called upon in times when the nation needed defending, but not generally at any other time. 

3) He had a great love affair with the Goddess of Love herself, Aphrodite: They had at least five confirmed children together. Even after Aphrodite was wed to Hephaistos, the two continued their love affair. 


Now, let's look at things from a modern approach:

Ares, as a male god of war, was definitely needed in Ancient Culture. We're talking about a time period when human migration was happening on a large scale. New lands were beginning discovered and people were fighting constantly. War may not have been a well liked event, but it was necessary. 

At this time in history, only men were really allowed to fight in wars. You have legends of the female warriors training in Sparta and the Amazon women, but your average Ancient Greek woman stayed at home and tended to the house and community while the men went off and fought. 

Between Ares and Athena, Athena is definitely held to a higher level and is more liked than Ares.  Athena embodies the thought, strategy, and planning of war. Ares embodies the rage, blood lust and pounding adrenaline of the fight. Athena looks at the bigger picture; Ares goes in for the kill, blinded by excitement. Athena can be related to the General, Ares the Soldier. While Athena was given a seat in the main temple in Athens, the Acropolis, Ares was in some ways, pushed aside. But no matter how you view it, war would not happen with out the soldiers. 

It's easy to classify Ares as the God of War and leave it at that. But Ares is so much more. 

Ares is also the embodiment of masculine energy, power and strength. He is the Man's Man, the great symbol of what men should look like. Unlike Apollon who is also credited for being viewed as divine male, Ares is rarely ever pictured as a youth, and never androgynous.  Almost always Ares is described as being an adult male, bearded, and muscular. There are the odd times he is pictured in his youth, with spear and shield, but this is taken as a young Ares, and not as an aspect of himself. 

Then, there is also the important fact of his love affair with Aphrodite, Goddess of Love, Lust, and Sex. What would it take to capture the heart of the Love Goddess? What would Ares look like today? The jokes of women always wanting the bad boys are endless. 

There is something alluring and tantalizing about the thought of the tall, dark, and handsome man who will pick you up off your feet, throw you over his shoulder, and ravish you in bed... 

A physically strong man with a tender heart. A deep, penetrating gaze...

Who is this God who brought the Love Goddess on her knees?

I've been working with Aphrodite for a while now, and the deeper our relationship grows, the more I find myself being pulled towards Ares. Many modern magical practitioners tend to view Ares with fear and avoid him. They focus only on the aspect of war and battle. No one wants more stress in their lives, and they seem to think that working with Ares will do just that. 

As much as Ares delights in these sorts of things, he can also teach us to acknowledge our stressors and stand up and fight them, instead of trying to "love and light" them away, as is the popular New Age notion. Ares doesn't sit back and wish things to get better; He putts on his battle gear, goes out and makes things better. 

I encourage everyone to explore all these different aspects of Ares. Whether you evoke or invoke the God, meditate, trance, or study him, try to look beyond the brutal aspects of this war god and see how he connects with you. 

Hail Ares!

Asteria's Personal Theogony

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The following is a post I wrote for another, more personal, blog of mine. I have reread the post, and while it does come off a bit 'ranty', my feelings on the subject have not changed. So here I present to you the original entry that was published January 28th, 2015.
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"We are not human beings having a spiritual experience; we are spiritual beings having a human experience." - Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

I've wanted to write this post for a while so my readers can understand where I come from when I work with divinity. This is my own personal Theology. I didn't "create it"; it is and always has been my own Truth.

When one studies the Qabalah, they read about the four worlds: Atziluth, the World of Emanation, of pure divinity; Briah, the World of Creation, where the archetypes do dwell; Yetzirah, the World of Formation, ("Yetsirah" as in "making" is as opposed to "Beriah" as in "Creating": actually taking whatever matter that was created in the "Beriah" and shaping it into the basic elements); and finally Assiah, the World of Action.

According to Carl Jung, human beings have collective unconscious. It is through this collective unconscious that humans throughout the ages have accessed the same archetypes of Briah and brought them into the world of Yetzirah, for use in Assiah. 

Think about it: we all have access to the same Briatic world. "Briah is a level above that at which most people operate but – a very important point! – it is the natural level of the awakened or fulfilled human being. Awakening unto Briah is the spiritual destiny of every person, the Next Step of humanity, and the goal of spiritual initiation. One who has attained this is called an Adept." - source unknown.

Through observing the natural world, through ritual, meditation, prayer, and petitions, ancient peoples tapped into the Briatic World and found the archetypes: The Mother, The Wise Old Man, The Crafts Person, The Warrior, etc. Depending on the needs, desires, experiences, geographical locations, struggles, etc., shaped how these ancient people brought these archetypes down from the Briatic World, the World of Creation, to Yetzirah, the World of Formation. 

This explains why when one looks across cultures, similar deities appear. The Wise Man appears as Odin, Zeus, Christ, Thoth, and others. The Mother appears as Frigg, Demeter, The Virgin Mary, Mut, and others. However, as any Pagan knows, things are not so simple. 

We humans are complicated creatures. The archetypes appear in our selves in varying forms and intensities. 

A childless woman will never fully understand the Mother archetype; that archetype plays a smaller role in her life. A woman may have been pregnant yet never been able to carry one to full term, or have experienced still birth. Or, a woman may have adopted another woman's children as her own, unable to get pregnant herself. These are the complexities of human life, and our gods, the Theoi especially, have been shaped to reflect this. 

To continue on with the Mother archetype, Demeter searched Heaven and Earth, and then the Underworld for Kore (Persephone) when she was abducted by Hades. She is the personification of the loving Mother, endlessly devoted to her child, where as Hera on the other hand, although she is a mother to many gods and wife to Zeus (Father of the Gods), she is maternally indifferent. Artemis is a virgin goddess and yet she assists women in childbirth. 

Therefore, in connecting with the archetypes in Briah, and reflecting our own human tendencies, struggles, and experiences from Assiah onto these archetypes, humans created/formed the egregores of the deities in Yetzirah. They were given names, realms of power, characteristics, and stories/myths. Through regular worship, devotion and working with these egregores they took on a "life" of their own. We fed them energy and they were able to grow and take form. As time went on, they strengthened. They became independently active astral beings. 

The power of the Theoi is very real. The myths tell us they they have been known to get involved in mortal life. They take sides, have preferences, and show favouritism. They are interested in our lives because we ultimately created them, and without our continued worship, devotion and active involvement, the gods sort of slip into an inactive state. The egregores are well established and can be tapped into again, however. That is why once "dead religions" can be brought back to life. This is also the reason why I am such a stickler for tradition: 

When one works with a Pantheon, it is imperative to take into account the original practitioners. These are the people who created these gods and goddesses and they did so very specifically. No deity was created haphazardly. There was a deep purpose and meaning; each God filled a void or explained the human condition. It irritates me to no end when modern pagans grab a god or goddess at random and try to attach attributes which do not fit into the creation of said deity. If you want to do such a thing - then create your own, new deity! Do not undo and disrespect the work, the time, the energy, the worship, the prayers, the petitions, the rituals, the ceremonies, and the sacrifices of the ancient peoples. These gods were a reflection of themselves and their lives. 

Because we are all human beings living the human condition, deities can be called on to assist us in modern times. Zeus is still a wise man, full of lust, life and male sexual desire. Yet, the human species has evolved and it is no longer acceptable to have a God who goes around disguising himself and sleeping with a million mortals. This needs to be addressed with Zeus. It should be made clear in our works with Zeus that this type of behaviour is unacceptable and if he wants your devotion, which they do, he needs to take into account modern life and changes. 

A friend of mine believes that the gods have changed along side humans. That she cannot imagine working with a "stagnant" deity. In my mind, the Theoi are not stagnant, per se; they represent archetypes which are "set in stone", yet they are the Yetziraic creations of said archetypes so they can be manipulated. It is up to us to communicate with the Theoi and let them know what we need them for.

The Theoi can "change" or "grow" in a sense. Take Hekate: she has become a popular go-to goddess for most modern Pagans. Because of Euripides' play Medea, in which Medea is portrayed as a witch whom is a priestess of Hekate, and Hekate being Persephone's companion in the underworld, modern Pagans have taken the Maiden Goddess of the  Crossroads and transformed her into a Crone (sometimes Triple Aspect) Goddess of Witchcraft, Magic, Necromancy, and the After Life. 

So many people have done just this, for so long, that Hekate has begun to take on that role. No doubt, there is some truth behind the stories. Hekate did have associations with the underworld, although not to the extent that modern Pagans now attribute. The question is: is this wrong?

I personally believe that for the Theoi to remain relevant today that some adjustments need to be made. It is not a far stretch to attach Hekate to Necromancy since she did escort Demeter into Hades in search for Kore, and was Persephone's companion. The problem I have is when someone asks Hekate for help with matters involving love. There is no evidence that the ancient Hellenics associated Hekate with love; that was Aphordite's turf. So why, oh why, do modern Pagans try to place associations where they do not exist? 

As I mentioned in a previous post, the Hellenic Pantheon is a unit, like a puzzle, and each deity is a puzzle piece. You cannot work with one or a few and get the whole picture. They are each aspects of different archetypes of the human condition. To become a full human being, we must acknowledge all aspects of ourselves, and not favour a few.

This, once again, is my own Theology. This is how I make sense of things, how I believe them to be. If I can think of anything else to add to this theory I will add it at another time as a *note*. As we evolve our ideas change. Nothing is really set in stone.

Deconstructing the Monthly Libations

During the opening of the Libation to Ares this month, there were a lot of questions regarding what exactly is done during the Open Libations. This post will hopefully answer some of the common questions people have.

As I mentioned in a previous blog, the purpose of the Monthly Libations is to get everyone together to celebrate the Theoi (Gods). If you cannot attend an Open Libation, it is still encouraged that you try to do your own personal libation to the selected god or goddess on the first weekend of every month.  This act of "celebrating together, while apart" helps to strengthen the egregore of Hellenismos of Manitoba. 

The Monthly Libation rituals are written by me, HoM's Magus, Asteria Onyx. Currently the rituals are not publicly shared (printed copies are not handed out) and remain as property of the HoM.  The reason why this is done is two fold: firstly, a lot of time, research, and energy is placed into these rituals, not to mention ceremonial magic practices. Every ritual is a labour of love and I do not feel like sharing my work with the whole world, as rituals can easily be copied and posted online. Secondly, when people show up to a Monthly Libation, I don't want them to be concerned with flipping through papers and "keeping up" with the ritual. I want them to stand back, watch, and take in the experience and energy of the ritual. If anything is asked of the attendants, I will pause during the ritual and explain what is going on. Simple as that. 

So, what does a Monthly Ritual look like?  Well, the structure of the ritual has been adapted by Greek recon sources, with a few modern magical additions: 

- Firstly, katharmos is preformed with the use of khernips to remove miasma
- Sacred space is created with the use of CM techniques 
- Hestia, goddess of the hearth is called upon and given offerings, as it is customary to give offerings to her both first and last.
- Apollon is called and given offerings in return for katharmos
- Then, the selected Theos is evoked

This is the point that seems to cause the highest level of concern. What does it mean to evoke the Theos (God/dess)?  

Firstly, let me point out that rituals that are labeled as "Open Monthly Libations", are in fact open to the public. Anyone can show up. It is very rare that someone will be turned away. It is for this reason that the Monthly Libations are written in a matter that is very safe and basic. 

Therefore, whenever I evoke a deity during these Open Rituals, my goal is to open "The Gates to Ancient Hellas" and have the Theos step forward and into our sacred space. The Theos in question arrives alone and is there to witness our libations, receive our offerings, and in return, bless us. Once the ritual is complete, the gates are closed and the Theos departs.  

Later on, once we have a committed group of members, and the Inner Order of HoM is established, there will be a lot more energy working and energy transfer with deity. But for right now, my goal is to get people to approach the Theoi in a "traditional" and respectful manner, get a feel for the deity's energy, and begin to create a relationship. 

Monthly Libations are done at the beginning of the month so that the rest of the month can be spent on learning about the selected deity and furthering the relationship with them. 

Not surprisingly, questions arose when it came time to evoke Ares. Yes, Ares is a god of war and bloodlust, however he is also a god of courage and strength. The way of Hellenismos is to celebrate and acknowledge all of the Greek Gods. It is my personal belief that the Theos were created in part by humans to explain and express archetypes of humanity. Therefore, aspects of each deity can be found within ourselves to varying degrees. It is important, to acknowledge and celebrate each deity. To deny one is to deny a part of ourselves. 

This is a key point of Hellenismos: one god is not to be held higher than another. One who chooses to worship only one or a few Greek gods is not practicing Hellenismos.  


Well, I hope that I have answered some of the questions surrounding the Monthly Libations. If there are any aspects I missed, or if you have any questions, please post them in the comment section and I will answer them.

I look forward to seeing you at the next Open Monthly Libation!