Ancient Greek Priest, Spiritual Counselor, Writer, Historian, Mythologist, Philosopher, Speaker, Sexologist
Monday, September 30, 2024
The Time of Typhon Comes With Hurricane Helene
Monday, March 25, 2024
When The Grasshopper Sings To Eos
Wednesday, January 24, 2024
Why So Many Female Villains In Greek Myth?
Thursday, January 18, 2024
Rock & AI - Faces Frozen In Hubris
Saturday, June 3, 2023
When Myths Manifest, The Meaning Maintains
Sunday, April 2, 2023
Why It's Not Illogical To Believe In Mythological Creatures
Thursday, December 2, 2021
We Can Sometimes See Where The Gods Threw Monsters
As a philosopher and a Greek mythologist, I do a lot of thinking about the latter with the maps of the former. One area that has always interested me is seeing how the tales of old still prove true today.
The Greek myths and Greek stories often require more than just a surface analysis. Most modern scholars, historians and even mythologists have yet to realize this. I think that some of the things the Gods did, were things that they kept doing as time went on, a progressive action like evolution itself. It wasn't a one and done kind of thing. Just as order has remained a constant, so have the actions of the Gods to maintain that order, balance and preferred universe. One of the most well known among these actions was the banishment of rebellious Titans and monsters, often imprisoned in the depths of the Earth away from humanity and the light above. In their prisons, they are kept from bringing harm, chaos and disorder to the surface of civilization and the world itself. That which was an affront to the Gods, or abhorred, was locked away. In the event that the monsters were still able to remain a threat to humanity, such as with the Minotaur, the Gods sent Heroes to kill them, such as Theseus.
The more we learn about the science of remote places far in the depths or the corners of the Earth, the more we see monstrous creatures even to this day. Let's take a dive into the ocean for instance. At one thousand meters, light can no longer reach the water, which means there is nothing but absolute darkness from this point onward. This depth also means that humans could not reach it in their natural form, nor could anything at this level or onward reach humans or general life above. By the time two thousand to four thousand meters is reached, which is double and quadruple the depth of when the light ceases, we start to see the monsters of the water, such as the angler fish, dragon fish, viper fish, fang tooth fish, and the giant squid - hideous and deadly creatures kept from the sight and reaches of the world above. And these are just the monsters we know of. Only 5% of the ocean has been explored and mapped.
All over the world, there are still places humans have not been, deep in caves or miles beneath the surface of the crust. What else has been put away in the bowels of the Earth or the universe itself, and for what reasons? All round us, each and every day, we still live with the ancient Greek stories and beliefs. They are not bound to an ancient past which is alien to us. They still form the realities of our world.
In the Goodness of the Gods,
Courage and Honor,
Chris Aldridge.
Thursday, October 3, 2019
Agamemnon, His Daughter, and Abraham's Myth
One thing that's really interesting is how this framework mirrors the old testament story of Abraham, who was going to sacrifice his own son to God, but at the last minute, an angel sends his attention in the direction of a ram, which is sacrificed in his son's place. It is estimated that Genesis, the part of the bible in which the story occurs, was written around 1450 to 1400 BCE. While Agamemnon would have lived later, around 1260 to 1180 BCE, the Jews do not appear to have had contact with the Greeks until much later, around the 4th century. And, if Moses was indeed the author of Genesis, he is estimated to have lived anywhere from 1550 to 1200 BCE, meaning it's possible that Agamemnon predates him. Of course, there were many versions and oral traditions of the bible and Greek religious stories throughout the ages, so it's not possible to tell really which one of these stories may have been told first, and certainly no evidence that one stole from the other.
Agamemnon is one of those Heroes who comes to us through the good and the bad, meaning that sometimes, human Heroes are made through their triumphs and also their tragedies, especially if their tragedies are something they learn from and can be used to teach people valuable lessons. Agamemnon can teach us how to destroy our enemies, but also the importance of living a life with humility and compassion, as He spent a lot of time learning of the hardships of hubris and selfishness.
In the Goodness of the Gods,
Chris Aldridge.
Wednesday, April 17, 2019
Gods As Universal Consciousness
Wednesday, March 20, 2019
Challenge To Champion ~ When Gods Knock Us Down
Friday, March 8, 2019
The Cyclops & His Walls
Friday, August 3, 2018
Why the Gods Aren't Subject to Natural Law or Fate
Wednesday, July 11, 2018
Deluge of Deukalion & The Noah Myth
The story of Deukalion is far more likely; a comparatively small, particular region of the world suffers a massive flood, and its civilization is uprooted by it. We know that ancient civilizations sometimes came to an end by natural disasters, such as the Thera eruption. The flotation device carried only a few passengers, who managed to survive the catastrophe by using it. Once over, the area would have had ample time to repopulate, given that another, already existing civilization didn't just move in and set up shop once the land was dry, which may be a more likely conclusion. We might also conclude from this that the flood destroyed a particular culture or city, and not an entire time period itself. We know that, sometimes in history, one culture came to an abrupt end, while the one next to it kept going. So it's very well possible that this could also be the case. In short, the story of Deukalion is not a massive impossibility like the story of Noah.
Sunday, October 22, 2017
Learning From The Greek Heroes: Bellerophon
Bellerophon's story begins with a tragedy, but also one that gave Him Heroism. After being found guilty of manslaughter (accidental killing of another human being), He was banished from the land until He could seek and achieve purification from the offense, murder being considered a high pollutant. When He came into the presence of the king who could grant Him the release, the king's wife fell in love with the Hero who refused her advances for reasons of honor. Being angered at this, she falsely accused Bellerophon of trying to rape her. The king, believing his wife over a stranger, sent Bellerophon to another leader with a note to have Him sent to fight the Chimera. The former king didn't want to kill a guest for fear of pollution upon his own house, so He sent the Hero to meet a bloody end at the hands of the fire-breathing monster that was ravaging the countryside. But the Gods were on His side. After Athene showed Him how to harness and use the winged horse of the Gods (Pegasos), He flew overhead where the Chimera couldn't reach Him. When the right moment presented itself, He ran His lance or spear down the creature's throat and killed it. He returned an exonerated Hero.
Bellerophon is the Patron of men who are falsely accused of sexual misconduct, and can be prayed to for help against overwhelming challenges, enemies, and evil and negativity in general. His alleged tomb still stands today in modern Turkey. ( Tomb of Bellerophon )
What can we learn from Bellerophon? First, honor is of the highest importance. If you don't have your honor, you don't have anything. No one will trust or admire a dishonorable individual. He also teaches us to never be scared of the challenges or monsters that face us. We can, through the favor of the Gods, overcome anything if we are willing to fight and never give up. Any hurdle or obstacle can be flown over.
In the Goodness of the Gods,
Chris.
Sunday, October 15, 2017
Learning From The Greek Heroes: Achilles
There are times when you come across something you just have to have, and this was the case with me a couple of weeks ago when I purchased my first ever statue of the Hero Achilles from Crete, Greece. As you can see in the picture on the left, it's a very beautiful and detailed piece.
Achilles is a Hero who can be prayed to for strength, courage, and victory in battle. As the greatest mortal warrior of His Age, one can find all the values of said person in Him. But what else does Achilles represent besides the obvious? What can we learn from Him?
Achilles represents the utmost of human strength, bravery and strategy. If there ever existed a man who knew how good he was and didn't give up, it's Achilles. He knows His strengths, and He knows what can and cannot be accomplished. He also knew His value to others around Him. When He withdrew from battle amid His quarrel with Agamemnon, Achilles knew the Greeks would notably hurt in His absence. Achilles teaches us to know our strengths, our worth, and to win when possible; even to use leverage when necessary. Being an advocate of truth when He protected the soothsayer from Agamemnon, Achilles also expresses the greatest of virtue and lives it by example, as we all should. It did not do Him any profit to stand against the richest and most powerful king of the ancient Greek world at the time, but knowing the right thing to do was far more important. It's like one of the Tenets of Solon, which says to do what's right instead of what's popular.
In our own lives, we may never be a great warrior on the battlefield like Achilles was, but His core values and ethics can shape even the most mundane of lives into Heroic ones.
In the Goodness of the Gods,
Chris.
Friday, September 1, 2017
Learning From The Greek Gods: Zeus
There's a lot to learn from Zeus. He's the ultimate leader in any given situation, fearless and resilient. He never gives up and is never dictated by anything other than His own mind. He's the ultimate individualist who knows He's powerful, knows what He wants, and makes it happen. In our own ways in human life, we too have our own powers and ability to be a leader, an individual and attain what we desire or deserve. The only twist is that we are mortals, and if we do not practice this with moderation, we can go from confident to very arrogant and boastful.
Zeus is also the God of Hospitality. He very much believes in treating guests, suppliants and strangers with kindness and generosity, which is the hallmark of being hospitable. To our fellow man and woman, we are taught the truth that we are all human beings and worthy of human dignity. To treat a fellow human as a subhuman, especially in your own home or establishment, would be among the most dishonorable of human offenses. By Zeus, we are taught the universal value of honor and human worth.
In the Goodness of the Gods, and our Father Zeus,
Chris Aldridge.
Sources:
Picture of Zeus is in the public domain, because it was published in the United States before 1923.
Thursday, June 8, 2017
The Jews & Christians Forgot To Add Water
According to at least one of the ancient Greek creation stories, Prometheus made man from mud. Now this is still the surface of the ground, but it adds a key element that the Jews and Christians forgot; water. Most of our body is composed of water. When you add water to dust or dirt, what do you get? You get mud. Therefore, the ancient Greek version of creation is the more accurate.
I really can't believe I lived this long as a Hellenist without realizing such a fact in the mythologies. I bet there are even others in my religion who have never come to it, but as a deep-thinking Mythologist, I suppose it was only inevitable that it eventually occurred to my mind. Ancient Greek religion, belief and myth is so elaborate that one could endlessly think of interpretations and rationalizations with them. I think it's time people started realizing that the ancient Greeks were brilliant in religion and theology as well as everything else. To conclude that they were advanced and intelligent geniuses in everything but religion, is just silly.
In the Goodness of the Gods,
Chris.
Sunday, January 1, 2017
Pegasus ~ Heaven's Horse and His Relevance To Our Time
I want to start by wishing everyone a happy new year, and begin 2017 by discussing one of my favorite topics concerning ancient Greek religion and mythology.
Of the many wonders that entered our world in the times of old, one of the greatest was Pegasos (Pegasus in Latin). The winged stallion helped Hellenes like Bellerophon complete their quests into Heroism and to conquer evil within the universe. Pegasus, whose name means "sprung forth," was born from the blood of the infamous Medusa when Perseus severed her head off. Said to be a child of Poseidon, which would make sense seeing that Poseidon is the Creator and God of Horses, the great steed came forth as the horse of the Gods, and has since been a favorite of Zeus, King of all Gods. Originally, Pegasus was all-wild and only Gods could control him, until men like Bellerophon came, and even He had to have Divine assistance in some form. Without Pegasus, Bellerophon would not have been able to defeat the Chimera.
Pegasus was born immortal, which means he can never die, and thus, the glorious creature is still alive today, and it is said that the horse now holds the thunderbolt of Zeus, and it was also believed that Pegasus was the horse of thunder and lightning directed by Zeus Himself. Others say that Pegasus is one of the horses of Eos, the Dawn Goddess. He appears many times in ancient Greek mythology and religion, and also in modern governments. The present city of Corinth, Greece has him on their official seal, obviously in homage to their local, ancient Hero Bellerophon. In fact, Pegasus is their city's official emblem, perhaps proof that the many centuries of persecution that tried to remove the old religion and the old Immortals from Greek society have failed.
Pegasus greatly aided in the destruction of evil and chaos, so it may not be a surprise that his image has also been adopted by certain armies, such as the British Paratroopers in World War II. Britain stood alongside us in the war to fight and defeat the evil Axis Powers, those being Nazi Germany, Imperial Japan and Fascist Italy, and we did beat them too. Pegasus has always been harnessed by those of goodness, and commonly, those favored by the Gods, to ride forth and vanquish that which is not good, orderly, civilized, etc.
More than being a Divinely-favored, immortal horse, Pegasus also possesses great personal powers of his own, some even being abilities of creation. At the mere stomp of his feet, it was said that he was able to create water sources, such as the Spring of Hippocrene on Mount Helicon. One might, therefore, look to him as a protector of waters, specifically springs and wells. Someone may not even be outlandish, if they get their home water from a well or small stream, to place a statue of Pegasus there for its purity and protection, and/or do an invocation for his favor upon them on a regular basis. Generally speaking, Pegasus holds the power of flight, creation, and quite literally, of life itself. One might say that he is untamed universal power that, when properly channeled, results in tremendous goodness. His relevance to our world, and in the spirituality of a Greek practitioner, is abundant even now.
To call on Pegasus for the waters, one might say something like this,
By the favor of Zeus,
which I now humbly request,
I lovingly invoke the presence of great Pegasos,
that by his noble and powerful feet,
blessings will be brought to the waters now before me,
that they may give life and vigor to the body,
make fertile the ground,
and run forever pure.
The spirit and presence of Pegasus is alive, and will be so forever. Still today in our modern world in general, statues are made of the glorious being, as if somewhere inside of us, we are still hoping that hope itself hasn't been lost, and that the glorious favor of Divinity will once again come upon his back. He awaits in the stables of Zeus, ready for the chance to fly again.
Invocation of the Gods' Favor Through Pegasus, by Chris Aldridge
O' Gods of Olympos,
send to me your favor as the great stallion and steed,
winged-Pegasos who soars about the skies,
for I humbly invoke you, the great Dodekatheon.
I pray he carry me upon his back,
in your power and might,
virtue and valor, wisdom and wellness,
and also that of his own glorious being,
for with him I can triumph over all troubles,
soar over all obstacles,
and stomp over all monsters,
as they are crushed beneath the hooves of heaven's horse.
Come, noble and valiant Pegasos,
spread your wings over me,
that the favor of all that is Divine shield me from evil.
Lift me to your back, that we may take flight in the Olympian name,
conquering the ailments that plague my life,
and that which hinders the goodness of mankind.
In the Goodness of the Gods,
Chris Aldridge.
Sources:
http://www.theoi.com/Ther/HipposPegasos.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pegasus#/media/File:British_Airborne_Units.svg