Sunday, September 23, 2018

Day With The Druids

Autumn is my second favorite season, summer being the first. So yesterday afternoon, in very beautiful weather, I decided to attend a local Druid gathering, part of the ADF, in Rockford, Illinois, to celebrate the turning of the seasons. One thing that interested me in Druidism is that their central idea is simply a love and reverence for Nature, not necessarily a set theology. While they do call on certain Gods, namely Celtic, a Druid, to my understanding, is not made to take a vow to uphold one specific theological idea or worldview. There are, indeed, Hellenic Druids, and probably Druids who are monotheists or don't have any gods at all. I thought, I can jive with that, because I love Nature too and it doesn't conflict with my Hellenic beliefs at all.

The nearby group, called a Grove in Druid terms, much like a group of Hellenists may be called a Temple or a Demos, is ran by a friend of mine who invited me to attend back when the gathering and ritual was first planned. I had never before attended a Druid rite, so when it began, I was intrigued to see some similarities with Druidism and Hellenism. As within Hellenism, a central burning flame is ignited during the rites, although not necessarily for the same reasons. To the Greek, the fire may symbolize Divine presence, while to the Druid, it may represent one's inner spirit and connection to the Divine Ones.

The Druids invoke Gods who are obviously not Greek, but who rule over the same things that Greek Gods do. In other words, it would be very easy for a Hellene to create equivalences, such as when they called on the Earth Mother and their Forge God named Goibhniu, whom I would call Gaia and Hephaistos. They went on to invoke the Spirits of Nature and the Ancestors, which Hellenists do, and they also venerated their local river as a Divinity. This as well was and is done in Hellenism. In ancient Greece, local rivers and even springs received worship from their locals. The giving of sacrifices and libations were done pretty much the same way as a Hellene might do by pouring or placing them on the ground or in a holy container. So I didn't feel like too much of a foreigner religiously. There were, of course, some cultural differences, like the fact that a Druid's holy drink is ale, and for a Hellene it's wine. The rite was very clearly Irish and Celtic. However, I saw it as an opportunity to not only be Pagan with other Pagans around me, but to learn about another way of life. I didn't see the differences as being enough to build a wall of separation.

There was one particular thing the Druids did that I really enjoyed, and that was the concept of The Well. A fairly large bowl of clear water was set up in the middle of the altar to symbolize this cosmic entity, containing universal holy waters made so by the Kindreds, aka the Spirits of the land, the Ancestors, and the Shining Ones (Gods, Goddesses and Heroes). To take from this Well and into yourself is considered a sacred drink, and once ingested, the blessings of the Kindreds reside within you. We also ate of bread as well with our drink, but this was more on the concept of sharing sacrifice with the Gods, which the Greeks also did. You might remember, the Greeks had a rite of holy ingestion too, though far more complicated in cult setting, that I wrote about some time ago concerning Dionysos, and of course, the Christians took these concepts and ran all the way home with them into their holy communion. But The Well just really made me tingle with intrigue. I am very much a naturalistic person, so my deep love is found in very natural concepts.

I found the entire rite to be quite uplifting, and importantly, thorough. Sometimes, Pagan rites are done in a few simple movements or actions, or they continue through to completion entirely with one or two of the same movements or actions. This one, however, took its time and covered all of its very large, diverse theological and naturalistic bases. It actually taught me some things about ritual structure itself and gave me some new ideas in terms of templates that I might could fill in with Greek religion for my own public rites. I was very impressed with how detailed the Druids were, and how they touched the Divine, Nature and the worshiper on every level possible - mind, body and spirit completely. If there was ever a religion besides Greek that could be called a universal system in that it reaches out to everything, it's that of the Druids.

In the Goodness of the Gods,
Chris Aldridge.

Sunday, September 16, 2018

Athens & Sparta ~ A Lesson For Our Time

We are approaching one of the world's defining anniversaries this October 1st, the day that His Majesty Alexander the Great of Macedon along with the Hellenic League crushed the overwhelming Persian forces of Darius III at the Battle of Gaugamela, completely releasing Greece from the threat of Persian tyranny for a conceivable future. Persia not only lost its power and empire to Greece on this day, but would also be ruled by a Greek, Alexander. The Greeks did more than just destroy the Persian army this time. They placed the Greek government on the Persian throne. This was the time when Hellas had its strongest empire and ruled the world.

But a unified front didn't normally last with the Greeks once the threat of Persia had been vanquished. Even though Sparta and Athens, for example, had stood together against Persian invasion before Alexander, they turned on one another in the Peloponnesian War some time after, resulting in brutal devastation across the ancient Greek world. Athenian thirst for power in the Greek world around the times of Socrates also brought Athena's city disaster after the Assembly had basically developed a Manifest Destiny mentality. Apparently, they had forgotten the story of Midas and it eventually came home to roost. 

As an historian and a Hellene, it pains me so greatly to see the great Greek cities harmed not by a foreign enemy, but from within, among each other over their inabilities to live together peacefully. Had the city-states united, and remained that way, focusing on common good and not letting cultural differences break them, Greece may have ruled the known world before Alexander and after. She may have been able to prevent plague, bankruptcy, and unnecessary wars that devastate economies and societies. It's actually surreal to think of the fact that it ended up being the Persians who helped Athens overcome Sparta and restore their city.

The lesson to learn from the times of division is the power of unity. Sometimes it is true that unity cannot be possible. You can't be friends with someone who wants to kill or destroy you. But many other times, our fights are avoidable, especially if we are basically the same people. It's ridiculous, for example, for American states to fight one another. Illinois and North Carolina may have different cultures, but we're more similar than we are different, and we're both the same nationality. Unity helps us far more than division. One of the reasons America is so strong is because she is composed of 50 different states, all united in their common interests, using their individual powers and resources to help obtain and keep those interests for the common good. Peace among us is more profitable than war.

The God of war, to my mind, reminds me that He's there for a reason, and His invocation to ignite an actual battlefield is never to be done on a whim. Sometimes war is necessary. Most of the time, it's not.

In the Goodness of the Gods,
Courage and Honor,
Chris Aldridge.

Tuesday, September 11, 2018

The True Meaning of Socratic Restraint

Today we are often under the misinterpretation that Socrates was a man of abstinence, and that's not technically true. We know that he enjoyed drinking, was married, and had the hots for Alcibaides. While some Christians and Muslims would like to use him as the ancient poster boy for anti-human ideals, Socrates was not a man who hated his humanity. Quite the contrary, he loved being human and dedicated his life to learning how to live the most. His humanity was not something he rejected. Rather, he tried to regulate and conquer it. But what does that mean, exactly? 

The ancient Greeks were well aware of man's sensual side, but that if kept unchecked, it would consume. Think of the last time you were very sexually aroused. Were you thinking about anything else other than the pleasure? Quite likely, you weren't. Even today, people do things without thinking of the consequences, because all they're concerned with is the satisfaction of a given action. Someone cheats on their spouse without ever considering their partner, the partner of their lover, or the damage it could cause to both their families, because the pleasure has overtaken their minds. People eat and drink uncontrollably without wondering how their bodies will be a few decades later, if it is still alive at all, because their minds are only focused on the enjoyment of the substance. People are consumed by greed, determined to make as much money as possible, and never think about who or what they might have to harm in order to do that, because the sensual longing for more and more wealth literally creates a Midas Touch.

Socrates believed that such an inability or inadequacy would render someone unable to tell the difference between right and wrong, virtuous and non-virtuous. When your mind only has room for one thing, nothing else can be thought on or acknowledged. So Socrates wanted to become a man who could enjoy life, but without losing the ability to think in the process, without being unable to weigh virtue. It was not that he thought pleasure had no place, it was the fact that he considered virtue to be more important. Pleasure was not inherently destructive, our inability to reason was.

In the Goodness of the Gods,
Chris Aldridge.

Sunday, September 9, 2018

Finding Altars In Nature

In the Pagan community, we often talk about building shrines and altars, but have we ever considered that there are natural altars everywhere around us, that nature Herself has built? It is great that these things exist and that we can find them, since Pagan spirituality is often if not entirely connected to Nature and the Natural Universe. There are essentially four main kinds of natural altars that I myself have come to identify in the soils of the world. The first on the right is one of the most common. You may have to click the picture to enlarge it that you may see the structure, but it's an above ground root system that has ascended a significant portion above the soil. Offerings can be left in the narrow spaces of the roots, or if a libation, drenched over the roots themselves. Water or flavored water is recommended for this kind of altar. Alcohol or too much milk may be bad for the plant system. 

Now because the root system is part of a tree, the natural soil, and perhaps a forest, there are certain Gods tied to them, and these would be the best Gods to honor at these places. The Gods include Artemis, Pan, Demeter, Dionysos and Gaia, or generally speaking, the Dryads or Forest Nymphs. If a specific tree like an oak, olive or laurel, very specific Gods such as Zeus, Athena and Apollon can be honored successfully, since those trees are directly sacred to these Deities. You could even honor local Elemental Spirits at these places by pouring libations to Gnomes or Elves for instance, since they are known to be dwellers of roots and trees.

The second place in nature that makes a great altar, although sometimes requires some assembly, is a rock formation, like the picture on the left. As far back as ancient times, and still today, Pagans and Polytheists used/use stacks of natural stones as altars over which they pour libations. In my own religious past, I've also burned incense upon them. Some formations, obviously, are quite larger than others. You may encounter a massive protruding ledge or boulder in a park or forest, or as with the picture, you could simply come upon a few small pebbles that can be stacked or brought together into formation. Some people have even taken stone to craft their own unique altars, likes ones I have seen at Pagan sanctuaries. A raised stone or rock surface is a natural altar. Any God, Spirit, Hero, Deified Mortal or Ancestor can be honored upon these structures.

The third place for a natural altar is one of my favorites, and is probably very easy to locate if you live in an area with forests or a good tree population, and that is a simple tree stump, left over after a tree has fallen or been cut down. The picture on the right will give you a good example. Many may think of stumps as being quite large, but they can be of any mass, big or small. They make great natural altars because of their often flat surfaces and various openings, which can be used to receive libations, or hold offerings or burning incense on their surfaces. Because they are attached to the ground, you could even designate and ordain such a place as your worship area if it rests on your own land. And once again, it's very fluid in spirituality. Anyone can be honored upon them. 

Finally, the last natural area is not so much an altar, but rather a depositing area, and that's a natural hole in the ground, like the picture on the left. Offerings can be left in them and libations poured. Since it's basically the beginning of a tunnel underground, Chthonic or Underworld Gods should be honored through them, such as Haides, Hermes, Persephone, Hekate, and Charon. Spirits of the dead such as Ancestors, Passed Loved Ones, and Heroes can also receive offering here. And Nature Spirits or Elementals can be offered to through underground regions, such as Dwarves. However, there is something very important to remember with these places. Make sure you can see the bottom of the hole, that the floor of it is visible. This probably means that no small animals live in it, and therefore you won't risk drowning a poor creature or being bitten by it. If there is a bottom that is visible, this won't be a problem. Even if the small opening is the home of a creature who is presently not there, the liquid will soak down into the earth and not bother them when they return. It would also be a great place to burn incense in. If you still don't feel comfortable doing it, you can always dig your own small opening in the ground for temporary use.

There is as well something called a tree clearing, a place in a thick forest that has no trees, where trees are noticeably absent. You can see trees around you, but there is perhaps a 15 to 20 foot radius where there are none. These will normally be marked by lush grass, flowers or other natural growths, and are great sanctuaries for Pagan activity. These areas are naturally formed, not man-made, which is an important factor. There are some places in the forest where the trees just didn't grow or grow as much, and this is a proper clearing for the Pagan. An immediate or recent man-made clearing is not natural, and therefore not Pagan. It could even harbor negative energy or angry Spirits. A man-made clearing will usually be identifiable by the presence of freshly cut wood, downed trees, and no vegetation. The ground will usually be covered in mud or straw. While the forest and plants can and will return over time, it's not an immediate place to revere or enter.

With all that being said, it's also entirely possible to build a natural altar yourself from natural material, such as digging your own burrow like I said, arranging stones, or even stacking loose roots or sticks themselves. When I lived in Thomasville, North Carolina and was just starting to get into Paganism, I actually built an altar to Artemis in the forest beside my home, which I still have records of in an old Witch Almanac I had at the time. It was a collection of three massive and hollow branches that had somehow ended up twisted together on the forest floor. I creatively propped them up against a nearby tree near its base, and from there, I declared it to be an altar of the Forest Goddess Herself. As far as I know, it is still there 10 years later.

Don't forget that you can use the locations of the structures, and the structures themselves, to focus on Deity. You have the examples above in the 2nd and 5th paragraphs, but there can also be a number of other things to consider. For example, if next to a well, spring, river or ocean, invoke Poseidon, Aphrodite, Amphitrite, and/or the number of fresh and saltwater Spirits and Nymphs, such as the Nereids (saltwater) or the Naiads (freshwater). If near a place of forge, workmen or craftsmen, honor Hephaistos or the Creation Forces known as the Kabeiroi. If on or near a place where battles took place, Ares or the Spirit of courage Alke. If certain animals inhabit the area, like female cows who have not yet given birth, focus on Hera. There are a number of identifications all around a given place if you look.

There are a few notes to remember about natural altar areas. For one, root systems, trees, groves and burrows can be dwelling places or sanctuaries of Nature Spirits or Elementals. It's important to show proper respect when approaching these places and doing things in or around them. Be hospitable not presumptuous. In ancient Greek times, not only were the Gods everywhere, but also Spirits at every corner. Finally, use common sense safety measures. Although highly unlikely to cause a spreading fire, make sure you don't leave burning incense unattended, or try to roast something upon dry wood. Keep the offerings simple and manageable, staying always respectful, and it will remain a wonderful place to engage the Pagan Universe.

In the Goodness of the Gods,
Chris Aldridge.

Thursday, August 30, 2018

Good & Affordable Daily Libations

Since ancient times, the Gods, Spirits, Heroes and Deified Mortals have been given a vast array of libation offerings, as it is one of the simplest and easiest forms of religious practice, and also one that can be done in abundance. Everything from pure water to the best wines, beers and milks have been splashed upon rocky altars and modern shrine blocks and bowls. However, many of us in the Hellenic and Pagan community today don't normally find ourselves able to buy extravagant wines every other day or to release most of the milk in our refrigerator, and yet, we also wish to give something a little nicer than clean water all the time. We want something that tastes good, that can be made in abundance for each day, and that will not break our banks. This is not an illegitimate concern. By getting the most out of something, we will be able to do more of it.

As a priest, I myself am always on the lookout for the many diverse ways possible to honor the Gods. I have found that Crystal Light is one of my favorite materials to create libations with. They are sold in various flavors, and a container can be bought at the dollar store or Walmart for two to three dollars, not expensive at all. Each container holds 6 packets, and one packet alone can create a 2 to 2.6 liter jug of sweet drink. In short, a large abundance of sweet libation supply can be easily and affordably created. Once made in a jug, carton, pitcher or container of some sort, place it in the refrigerator for cooling (it will taste the best this way). Depending on how much you pour out at one time, you will have a long lasting supply for religious practice. You don't have to pour out an entire glass for one Deity. I actually put my libation into a smaller container, like the one you see on the right. From there, a small stream is released for each offering. In doing it this way, I am able, for example, to give an offering to all 12 Olympians plus Hestia without running out. This one small container holds enough for the entire job. If using Crystal Light, or something similar, it will be a very long time before I have to replenish my central supply, and when that times does come, I will be easily able to do so because of how affordable the substance is.

When faced with financial costs in your religious practice, or a limited number of supplies, there are always barriers you can break, and places where you can meet yourself in the middle, if you look hard enough.

In the Goodness of the Gods,
Chris Aldridge.

Tuesday, August 28, 2018

Dualism In Heroism

Readers may look upon my work concerning Heroes and wonder, "Wasn't that Hero actually worshiped as a God?" Indeed, some Heroes did become Deities, such as Theseus and Herakles. Alexander the Great was also worshiped as a God after His death. So why then do we still refer to these men as Heroes? How can one be both a Hero and a God? 

In ancient Greece, Heroes who became Gods could find themselves being revered as both, a theological dualism. For example, there were religious establishments for Herakles as a Hero, and other establishments for Herakles as a God. He was worshiped as both. Likewise, Heroes like Theseus and Alexander can be worshiped as both.

The question then begs, how can they manifest as both? If you ascend from one level to a higher one, you are no longer on that lower level. So how, then, is one both a Hero and a God at the same time or at different times? A God, or even simply someone who has Ascended to a higher level than that of ordinary mortals, is not subject to the same laws or limitations that we are in the flesh. Within the Ascended Ones lies the power to manifest everything that composes their Being. Just as a God or Hero has different epithets, so they can also have various manifestations at their choosing, and do so for many different reasons. For example, Theseus is a Hero, King, Avenger, Sailor, and a Democrat (meaning the founder and supporter of democracy). He turns His head in many different directions to complete Himself. Sometimes, we need a Hero to protect us, other times a God to lead us, although both can do either. Everyone who approaches the altar/shrine of a Hero or God, will be an individual. The Higher Ones know this fact, and therefore, come to each person as they can best understand and communicate, and in the way that can best address the supplications of the worshiper(s). 

We tend to place mortal questions of limitation upon immortal Beings, which is entirely unrealistic. Even after all of these centuries, there are still those among us who think the Gods are simply mortals with some super powers. This is not so, and I think that we will only begin to understand the true being of Divinity when we start realizing that Divinity is not mortal. Ancient Greek Divinity is so immensely vast and powerful, ever-reaching into any part of the universe it wishes, breaking any and all limitations, and transcending any barrier or border.

In the Goodness of the Gods,
Chris Aldridge.

The Enduring Faith of an Ancient Greek

Last night, I was going through new background art for my website. I enjoy bright and positive images for my religion and life, so I was very much drawn to the ruins of ancient Greek temples in the daytime. Although I found some worth using, at first I didn't really grow to like them on my background. I thought I should use something that shows more of the active Hellenic religion of today, instead of the ruins of the past. However, I came to realize that the ruined temples make a huge statement that I don't think many people think about.

In the past, there have been times when I've posted pictures of completely ruined sanctuaries or temple grounds on Facebook, often consisting of nothing more than a few scattered stones, and said, I would rather worship here than at the biggest cathedrals. In other words, I'd rather be here among these ruins, praying to the Gods with a few of my brothers and sisters of Hellas, than to be in a giant Christian church supported by millions of followers. Ancient Greek religious followers in Greece today still idealize worshiping at old temple sites, although from what I have heard, the state wants to charge them a significant fee to do so. This, of course, is absurd. They wouldn't charge Christians to go to church, so why charge the Hellenes to worship at their own temples that their ancestors built for that specific purpose?

Worshiping at, or displaying ruined sites, as a Hellene, has a profound message and realization for Hellenes and the world. No matter how much ruin their temple is in, the Hellene will still go there willingly and lovingly, and pray to the God it represents. Whether there are a hundred shining columns or a few rugged ones leaning over in the loose soil, the presence of heaven still radiates there for the Hellene. The faith of an ancient Greek is unconquerable. For us, it doesn't matter what the temple looks like now, or how many worshipers still choose to come there. The Gods never die, and we know this. They are still as real and glorious today as when their temples were the wonders of the world; humans and time don't change this factor.

I came to realize that the ancient ruins are not symbols of something which is dead, but rather, something which can never be killed; the Gods and the spirit that resides within every one of their followers. The ruins do not represent something which has passed, but rather, they stand as a reminder that the ancient Greek spirit shall never leave the Earth.

In the Goodness of the Gods,
Chris Aldridge.