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!
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