In The Presence of the Gods: The Night That Changed Our Lives Forever

This is an experience I do not normally talk about, because I don't want to come off as a bragger. I always say that you can tell the difference between people who have had legitimate spiritual experience and those who haven't, because those who have will not brag, or try to use it to score religious, social or financial points. Those of us who have had real experiences in these realms, don't go around blowing our own trumpets. The only time I tell this story is when it is necessary to describe why my wife and I became worshipers of the Greek Gods. It's not something someone will usually find me discussing or trying to spread around on a consistent basis, because I don't feel the need to be personally validated or convinced of my experience, nor do I care if others believe me or not. In fact, the only reason I am telling it now on my blog and website here is because I feel I should make a reasonable post about it for my readers. They read my life story in my autobiography, but it doesn't describe this massive change, so I am going to tell one of the greatest stories of my personal life.

Many people in our time talk about experiences with their own deities, especially in the mainstream religious society, giving countless stories about how the Christian, Jewish or Muslims god came to their rescue in their time of greatest need, or showed them a way to enlightenment. We can hardly read mainstream religious material, or watch shows, videos or movies without hearing some story regarding these religions. And yes, some may be false or exaggerated, but they still exist nevertheless. And because there are so many of these stories, they overshadow the minority religions who can and do have stories of personal experience with the old Gods just as fascinating and spectacular if not more so. It is my own story of that genre that I now wish to share. Over the centuries, there have been countless attempts to remove the old religions and the old Gods from our world and the memory of mankind. Even as you read this, there are people continuing that effort.  From the closing of temples to the destruction of statuary and the literal murder and persecution of those who refuse to accept the new religion, there was and continues to be a religious genocide. But they have all ultimately failed, and two such places where they have failed is the United States and Greece, which is where my story comes from, as I talk about how the Greek Gods came to rescue the life of my wife and I one hot summer night in 2009.

The Greek Gods are not merely myths as many consider them to be. They were real before and during ancient times, and they remain real in our own time, immortal and deathless, and the rulers of heaven, Earth, and the worlds and realms beyond those. Nothing escapes their authority or their blessings, for it is theirs, and always has been and will be. If you don't agree with my beliefs, that's fine of course. I do not express my beliefs or tell my stories with the intention of trying to change that of someone else, nor to tell them that they are wrong. But it is certainly what I hold as the sincere truth of my own heart, mind, body and soul.

The event took place shortly after my wife and I, my fiancee at the time, moved into our first apartment together in North Carolina in the summer of 2009. At that time, she was a Wiccan of ten years and leaned more toward a Norse Pagan persuasion, but she also knew of the Greek Gods and considered herself to have a relationship with Athene. I considered myself to be a "Christian Wiccan," or more accurately, a "Christian Witch." Even though I knew of the Greek Gods as the only alternative religion I had heard of through my years in school, I retained the Christian belief system I had been exposed to all my life and combined it with the emerging practices of magick and witchcraft that I so dearly loved. I didn't see any reason why I couldn't practice magic and be a Christian, for to my understanding, the bible and the Christian religion was full of magical practices, just in the name of its own god instead of any other. Now there were Christians back then who told me I wasn't a real Christian, I am sure that many Christians would still say that, and that's fine, but the fact remains that I was extremely loyal to Jesus and the Christian belief system. And there are many Christian denominations out there all telling one another that they are not real Christians either, so I didn't think too much of it when people told me I wasn't one, for I was sure I could find someone to tell them the same thing.

Because we had just moved in together and completely left our old lives, we had little money. I was unemployed and my wife only had a part time retail job. So we had to go to thrift stores to get the things we needed for our apartment, which there's no shame in at all. Many times, thrift stores can have very nice things. Although this particular thrift, which shall remain nameless, was unlike any I had ever entered. When you walked in, you could sense that there was just something very, very negative, even perhaps evil, about the place. It just was not a pleasant feeling at all, but rather a feeling of extreme uneasiness. It's not unreasonable to think that such places could possess negative influences, energies or beings because you never know where the items therein originated. They could have been involved in violence and other bad things, or could be the property of a deceased who is very angry that their stuff is being sold. There are several problems that could come with random belongings of others that have been taken or discarded. Nevertheless, we really didn't give it much thought at the time. We just wanted to get a table and chairs for our kitchen, and after a short time, we found a set and went on our way back home.

On into that evening was when things turned weird and terrifying for us. A presence began to manifest in our home which can only be described as a serious and aggressive haunting. Some kind of spirit or negative influence had entered our home, probably having followed or latched onto us from the item we came into contact with and then attacked when we took it to our home. Whatever this thing really was, it made itself known by slamming doors and filling us with fear, saying that it was not going to leave until death was brought on us. Not only could we feel and hear its hostility, we could hear its voice and it talked to us as plain as any person would. 

Me being highly Christian, I began an exorcism, calling on Jesus and also Saint Michael, the biggest enemy of Satan, to kick the spirit out. However, not a single prayer of mine worked. In fact, the situation became more and more desperate with each passing minute because the creature grew more and more powerful, or so it seemed. One thing is certain, it laughed at me in everything I did and every prayer I prayed. 

My wife told me that she could tell that the spirit feared the old Gods, and how she knew that I did not know. Perhaps she was closer to the Greek Gods than I was at the time. But at this point, I was willing to try something different because nothing I was doing was working. So I decided to turn my prayers to the Greek Gods, particularly to Athene and Apollon. Athene is the great warrior Goddess and defender and Apollon is the God of Light who averts evil and purifies ill. So I prayed to them, my wife joining me, simply asking for them to please help us. After what seemed like a few seconds of praying to these Greek Gods, my wife described an image of a lady with a spear and a male of light appearing and confronting the spirit. To quote her exactly, "Athene grabbed him by his tail," and stabbed him, then Apollon's light filled the area and cleansed away all the impurities. Then, almost as fast as it had begun, the time of terror came to an end.

Needless to say, my wife and I cuddled closely in the bed for the rest of the night, sometimes fearing the spirit might return, but it never did. It was gone, and so was our former religions. The next day, without even verbally confirming it to ourselves, we became ancient Greek. It was a given after our experience, especially with me, because the god I had spent years serving and defending never showed up, while the Gods I had given nothing to, gladly extended their hands in help in our time of desperate need.

Now, of course, I cannot tell you what this thing actually was beyond all doubt. Was it an actual spirit? Was it just bad energy? Or was it simply the manifestation of negative and stressful emotion and pain? After all, we were under a lot of stress at the time, which can also make a person vulnerable to outside aggression in many forms. Or could it have been a combination of the three? The truth of the matter is that I don't know, but what I do know is that the Greek Gods annihilated it, and we would go on in life to receive ever greater blessings from the Gods, such as when our premature son was expected to die but didn't, and all the great things they have brought to our lives and bad things they have kept from us.

I knew that each time I would tell this story, there would be Christians who would not only tell me I wasn't a real Christian, but that what really happened was not that the Greek Gods came and rescued us, but that it was actually Satan tricking us, that he was the one who removed the demon of his to trick us. The theory of this ultimate conman is reverted to sometimes more than the name of his counterparts. But what I found to be interesting about this claim was the fact that Jesus said the exact opposite in the bible, because Jesus plainly stated that Satan cannot cast out Satan, because it would divide his kingdom (Mark 3:22-27). By the words of their very own religious and spiritual icon, no, it wasn't a trick by this alleged Satan, because Satan would not drive out his own presence. The simplest answer is probably the right one, that the Greek Gods are real, they are authorities of goodness, and they came to restore goodness and order once more as they have done for so many years in Greek religious belief.

In the Goodness of the Dodekatheon,

Chris.

Learning From The Greek Gods: Athene

Athene, spelled in Latin as Athena, is one of the most powerful and influential Goddesses, not just in Greek culture, but ever in the history of the world. She appears on currency and within American states, and Her statues can be seen standing in places around the world, including before the entrance of the University of Athens in Greece. Athene encompasses many attributes and epithets, but some of Her main ones are wisdom, war, and domestic art. She can be prayed to for protection and victory in battle, whatever form that battle may come in, and the wisdom of the heavens and beauty of the arts. Abundantly, I pray to Athene for protection and defense. In the past, I have managed to successfully invoke Her in these regards and the results were beyond any description of amazement. But I also never neglect to recognize Her wisdom as well, for She is great enough to fight, but also wise enough to resolve conflicts without it, and my endless pursuit of wisdom in general doesn't neglect to have Her in mind.

We can learn many great things from Athene, one of them being the necessary components of battle. When Athene fights, She does not hold back. She fights with all of Her might and does not give up. She accepts nothing but victory, and She has always achieved it. When we are involved in our own battles in life, we too should understand that the time for war, or the time to fight, has arrived, and when there is no other choice, we must commit ourselves fully to the defense of ourselves, family and all that we love and hold dear. We too must only accept victory when we have been given no other choice but to achieve it as an outcome.

Athene is also the Goddess of Wisdom. While She is a fierce fighter, She would rather have peace. If She can avoid the conflict, She will. In other words, when a conflict arises, if peace is possible, She will try for it. She only fights when She must. This can also be our own inspiration for how to settle conflicts. Sometimes, fighting is unavoidable, but we should make sure that, before we engage in it, we have tried all other solutions. We too should prefer peace to war, and try our best to make that the outcome instead of jumping right into throwing punches.

Athene's wonderful beauty is also expressed in art, particularly the domestic. When I pray to Her in these regards, I ask Her to, "mold and weave my home into a place of beauty," and in fact, a statue of Her honoring this epithet stands in my home. Domestic art can include anything from weaving and sewing, to the homemade culinary arts (food-making). In this, She comes to provide comfort and happiness in our homes, whether we find that in our beautiful creations for the home, or in the meals we prepare and enjoy with our families. These times and things are very valuable in terms of our satisfaction in life and the contributions and growth to our families.

Athene is strong enough to do battle, wise enough to create peace, and beautiful enough to enrich lives.

In the Goodness of the Dodekatheon,
Chris.

Solid Gifts - Eternal Offerings of the Gods

Modern Hellenists and general Pagans give general offerings and sacrifices to the Gods, among them being things such as libations, incense, and various foods such as meats, sweets and portions of daily meals. It's traditional to burn these kinds of offerings in the first place, even libations are poured into the altar flame, which means they burn up and ascend to the Gods. These kinds of offerings are the most common because they are easier to give and extremely affordable. Even I myself mostly offer to the Gods on these levels. My daily rite includes proper incense and libation, as I am sure many Hellenists practice in their own daily rites.

However, I have found that solid offerings also help me greatly fulfill my spirituality and delight the Gods. What I mean by “solid offerings” is things which are not burnable, edible, or drinkable. These are gifts given to the Gods to be housed in their temples, sanctuaries and/or worship spaces. This was also not an uncommon practice in ancient Greek culture.

For example, many of you may have seen the post I made on my Facebook page when I added two solid, golden brass swans to my shrine of Apollon, being that swans are His symbol and pull His chariot. I did not only place these as such symbols on His shrine, I also offered them to Him, and they now stand in His worship space as such a gift. Recently, I also offered an iron bull's head to Theseus as reverence for His victory over the Minotaur and a symbol of His most notable triumph. This also stands in the small shrine of Theseus that I constructed in my home.

Both of these solid gifts were purchased at my local antique store for very low prices. This is one of the main reasons I like to visit these places. I have purchased about 5% of my religious materials at antique and thrift stores, even statues of Greek Gods, because these places carry rare and unique items that are not normally carried in general department stores. Of course, what you purchase for the Gods must be properly purified before use, but these places can offer us a variety of materials for our worship.

The thing I really love about solid gifts is that they never go away, and in many ways, they are a far more beautiful and unique expression of your personal devotion to the Gods, and I believe they will recognize such uniqueness as coming directly from you.

Now, of course, this does present a problem if done without moderation. If someone does this at their personal shrine on a daily or even monthly basis, it will eventually become cluttered and tacky-looking. Even a large temple would eventually run out of room, which is why one should choose only the most beautiful and appropriate solid gifts for the Gods. For example, it's not everyday you come across solid, golden brass swans or an iron bull's head. These things were very uniquely beautiful and fitting for the spaces in which they were going to be placed. They were not purchased merely for the sake of adding something, and in some ways, they called to me to be used for their present purposes.

With that being said, even if one does follow that criteria, there may still come a time when they run out of room or it is no longer suitable to add to their shrine/sanctuary/worship space and/or temple. In such a case, take the lesser offerings and bury them beneath the area or in a spot specifically designated and sanctioned for that purpose and for that God or Gods. By “lesser” I mean smaller. Start with the smaller, less valuable ones and work your way up until your space is clear enough to add newer ones. It's also important to remember that, once offered, these things become sacred and the actual property of the God or Gods, and therefore, one should care for them the same as they would care for anything else belonging to or representing the God or Gods. Keep them cleaned when needed and housed and protected from dangers and intrusions.

In the Goodness of the Dodekatheon,

Chris.

How Do I Begin Practicing Hellenism? Beginner's Course

In the past, I have written about practices for beginners of Hellenism, as some people who are new to the religion have absolutely no idea how to even begin the practice because of the lack of information. When it comes to a mainstream religion, information on it is extremely abundant. With a mere click of a mouse or a quick trip to the library or bookstore, one can uncover centuries of detailed information. But as for a minority religion, there is little to none, especially when you consider the religion of ancient Greece because so much of the history has been lost, misrepresented or remains hidden. So, in the post, I will lead the beginner through basic steps to begin their journey into Hellenism.

One good thing about Hellenism is that it does not require a special rite or passage, unless of course you are part of a specific organization or temple who might have their own methods of initiation. But generally speaking, there is no such thing. You merely have to decide that you want to worship the Greek Gods in accordance with Hellenism, which I assume you already have if you are reading and considering this entry.

Shrine and Altar
The first step in Hellenic worship is to establish a place for such activity. To begin this section, one should take into account the difference between a shrine and an altar. To put it simply, a shrine is a place for divine representations. In other words, statues, pictures, and sacred objects. Consider the shrine to be the house of the image or images of the Gods. The altar, usually being part of the shrine in some way, is where offerings are given and other ritual work carried out. For example, my altar exists to receive offerings for the Gods and to hold the flame of the entire shrine and altar structure itself.

A shrine can be constructed to all the Gods, or to a specific one, which is more of a Henotheistic approach to Hellenism if a singular representation of one God is all that exists in a Hellenist's worship, whereas most of us worship numerous Gods. Some Hellenists may have a specific shrine to Hestia in their home, but another shrine for general Hellenic worship. In constructing a shrine or shrines, it can be easy for a Hellenist to be carried away with the projects. Hellenists are called hard polytheists, and not without good cause, because we are extremely polytheistic people. We believe in numerous Gods, Spirits and Heroes, too many to reasonably list here. Therefore, one could find themselves wanting to build numerous shrines around their home. My wife use to joke that I turned every available space into a shrine, and it was true, I was always looking for ways to build things for the Gods. While this is perfectly fine if that's what you want to do, I found it exhausting to go from one to another, so I made one large structure to hold all of my statues and the altar beneath it, as you can see in the picture above. The central shrine compartment holds a statue of every Olympian, while the top is for Gods without a throne on Olympos, Hestia's statue being in the center of the entire structure because She is first and last in general worship.

I also have a small shrine/altar to my patron Hero, Theseus, set up as a small sanctuary to Him that you can see on the right as well, which brings me to my final point about shrines and altars. Although they are two separate structures, if one is pressed for space and has to use one surface or structure for both, that's fine, just make sure the areas are specifically designated and not crossed over with each other.

For YOUR shrine set up, assuming that you don't have the money or materials to construct something hugely elaborate yet, start with a simple construction. Of course, it can grow overtime at your own pace, but to begin, I would say start by having a statue or image of an Olympian God or Goddess of your choice. You could also start with an Olympian, along with the Agathos Daimon (the Good Spirit), and a Greek Hero, as this moves to encompass the three levels of worship and prayer; God, Spirit and Hero. Of course, as time goes on, you will likely find yourself adding more things and decorations to your shrine and general worship area. Lastly, keep your shrine clean and protected. It's not a place that should be allowed to gather extreme amounts of dust or dirt, and it's not a place for keys and clothes or for house pets to walk. Keep it sacred.

The use of the altar is for offerings and ritual work. The altar itself will usually consist of a central flame. If you use a flame, make sure it's done safely. Simply put, a flame is the central fire of the ritual. It is a symbol of the Gods, and a place to consume offerings given. Often times, I use a nicely-sized candle that burns tall and hot. Usually, the offerings I throw in are small pieces of barely. One must be careful, however, to reasonably toss the offerings into the flame so you don't get too close and burn your hand. While an altar flame is a nice addition, keep in mind that fire is nothing to play with, so practice safety on every level. Also add an incense burner and a small bowl for libations. For solid offerings, you may want to also include a basic plate.

Once you have completed your shrine and altar construction, you are ready to start practicing Hellenism. However, do not mistake the shrine and altar for being the only window to the Gods. It is but a house or a structure in honor of them. The Gods are everywhere in nature, all around us, and they can be contacted whether you are at your shrine or not. Lastly, before beginning any Hellenic ritual or religious activity, make sure you are properly cleansed. This can be done through a shower or a ritual bath, and put on clean clothes, all white if possible. Now I would be dishonest if I said that I always put on all whites every time I do a prayer or give an offering, because sometimes I don't, but I do wear whites often, as well as at every religious observance, festival and offering on the Hellenic calendar, aka the Calendar of Attica.

First Offering and Libation
Generally speaking, common offerings to the Gods consist of an offering and a libation. The offering itself can be things like incense, food, or valuables, while the libation is a liquid offering, usually being something like juice or wine (if you're 21), or any other libation of good taste. Begin by giving your libation to Hestia, Goddess of the Hearth, while asking Her to be present in your home and help bring you into the presence of the Gods. Now burn your incense or place your offering to the Dodekatheon (Twelve Gods aka the Olympians), with the most going to Zeus the King.

First Prayer
Your first spoken prayer at your first ritual does not have to be an elaborate one that rivals the hymns of Orpheus. You can simply dedicate yourself to the Gods, as in a dedication ceremony of your own. Upon bringing your ritual to a close, thank the Gods for hearing your prayers and accepting your offerings, and pray once more to Hestia, for She is first and last, accompanied by a small offering of some kind. I usually use barely for this. 

Suggested Readings for Beginners
In my view, Hellenic religion exists in three forms, those being spiritual, physical and mental, or theology, practice and philosophy. Hellenic culture has given to us some of the most influential philosophy in the history of humanity, and many of those works are available today. I generally focus more on history and philosophy than mythology, because myth does not stand as literal fact or necessarily history. However, I will recommend a good mixture of some philosophical and mythological works here, all of which are easy to obtain. Start off with these readings:

• Euthyphro and Apology by Plato (Philosophy).
• The Iliad and The Odyssey (Mythology).

I hope you have found this helpful, and if you have any questions, simply post them in the comment section of this entry and I will respond.

In the Goodness of the Gods,

Chris

The Gods Might Be Different

There are different beliefs, and much debate, surrounding who the Gods are and how they work, operate and exist. I have philosophized about this as well, and have even been at war with myself at times trying to figure out how one belief can be compatible with another that is equally true in my view. But now, I have arrived at my conclusion, and I think it's very important that each of us who worship the old Gods come to peace with ourselves in the assurance and logic of our own beliefs. Before reading on, please keep in mind that these are my own personal beliefs, and they do not exist to challenge, change or disprove the beliefs of anyone else. 

I think the important thing to remember is that the Gods, while we commonly see them in their common images, are not bound to one body. They can move through space, time and existence at their own will in any form they choose. As evidence of this, we need only look at some of the Greek myths. We see that the Gods were able to change themselves into other forms, such as animals, and for this point I am about to make, it's also important to remember that the Gods turned things into other forms. For example, Athene turned Arachne into a spider, and this is the myth as to the creation and life path of the spider. So we have established here that the Gods, one, do not have one body, that they can move through space, time and existence as they choose and become what they want, and that they can also transform the very existence they see before them. To that end, it seems to me that the only reasonable conclusion is that the Gods exist, at least in one of the many forms, as the consciousness of the Universe and existence.

However, we should not allow this belief to bind us solely to the view of strict Pantheism, as in that we think the Gods are simply nature and that is it. They are far more. We must conclude that the Gods can separate themselves from nature and the realms over which they rule, for if they are not bound to a single body, then no single body can force them to remain in one place, as we have just discussed. Therefore, the Gods cannot be just nature, because to say that they are only nature, is to say they are bound to one form and one body. Poseidon is not merely the sea, nor Artemis the forest, or Zeus the sky. They rule over these, they move through them, manifest in them, and change them at their own will, and in those ways, they are part of those. But, at any second, they can leave these places, because they are not bound to them and are not the places themselves. As an example, Artemis is the Goddess of Forests, and while She can exist within and hold a connection with them, the forest does not hold Her in place. She is not trapped. She can leave and still be present within the universe. Another way to see that the Gods are not merely nature itself, nor merely the things over which they rule, we only need to ask ourselves, "If a river dried up, would Poseidon dry up as well? If a forest burned down, would Artemis also burn? Etc." The logical answer would be "no," because the Gods are immortal, deathless, and living forever. 

In conclusion, the Gods are everything, they are existence itself and maintain the ruling and divine powers over it, which extend into our world and even far beyond it into other worlds and realms that we will probably never see, such as other planets, solar systems, and time and space everywhere and anywhere. In all truth, the existence and being of the Gods is probably something that we, as mortals, will never fully comprehend. Throughout history, we have established groups and people devoted to the Gods, and still continue such establishments, yet even today, we consider ourselves to be wise to admit that we know nothing. 

In the Goodness of the Gods,

Chris.

Why I Believe The Gods Have Personalities

Not everyone within the Hellenic community believes that the Gods have personalities, which is fine, everyone has the right to their beliefs. I can respectfully disagree with my fellow Hellenists. However, I am among those who believe otherwise, and in this entry I will explain my position in detail, as the Gods have many forms of personality. 

For one, let's look at the obvious, which is the fact that each Deity has specific attributes and epithets, and they are able to be distinguished because of these. We don't pray to a Goddess of Marriage for divorce advice. We don't pray for success in battle to a Deity of Peace. If the Gods did not have personalities, they would not have these distinctions. But, because they do indeed have them, because they indeed have attributes, epithets, and characteristics, they possess personality.

Another thing that makes the presence of their personalities self-evident is piety, which is a big, big focus in modern Hellenism. If piety and impiety exist, and the Gods smile upon piety as opposed to frowning on impiety, that means the Gods can show preference, they can show likes and dislikes. Showing favor to the pious and disfavor to the impious constitutes an existence of their personality. Someone who lacks it cannot express preferences. Personality is based on reactions, which the Gods clearly have if they can react differently to piety and impiety. To say they have no personalities would be to say that they do not react, which they clearly do if they can judge, rule over, be an active presence in the universe, and recognize what they think is pious and what is not.

Thirdly, I believe the Gods have personalities because they can clearly disagree among themselves. Let's speculate for a moment. If Demeter raises a field and Zeus refuses to let it rain there, thus causing the field to eventually cease to exist, can we say that Zeus did not favor that field? If so, then we must say that the Gods do not always work in harmony, and if they do not always work in harmony, that means they have the power to disagree, make their own decisions, draw their own conclusions, and determine their own destinies, and therefore have personalities. If the opposite were true, if they did not have these powers to disagree and so forth, that would mean that they are constantly in the same state, which they are in terms of their existence, but not in terms of their actions and reactions. These can vary from time to time, place to place, God to God, and circumstance to circumstance. In short, independent thought do the Gods have.

Lastly, the Gods are self-aware, and can therefore tell themselves apart from other selves, and therefore have personality because they can make those distinctions. They can say, "This is who I am, and this is who you are!" They can say, "I am a God and you are a mortal." The act of such distinguishing constitutes an existence of personality. Personality must be present for this distinguishing to take place because recognizing differences is what defines it.

Feel free to comment and leave your own beliefs and thoughts on the matter.

In the Goodness of the Gods,
Chris.