Hermes Had Something Better In Mind

A few weeks ago, I received a wonderful blessing from Hermes that I would like to share with my readers.

Back in December of 2024, I left my job at the time and came to regret it, because I realized how much I liked it, and the potential it could have had for me. It was the old feeling of not knowing what you have until you don't have it anymore. I spent the next year trying off and on to get it back, even though I knew the chances were slim because I quit without notice, a really bad mistake. But I think I also had a legitimate reason, my mental illness at the time was starting to reach its peak before I had the breakdown and recovery.

I managed to land a very small job over the spring and summer working one day a week because that was all my mind and body could handle at that point, and all that the company was willing to give me at that time. I thought that if I could get my old job back, I would be happy. Last month, I walked out to our family's altar in the outside sanctuary, made a large offering to Hermes, and asked Him to help me get my old job back, as Hermes is the God of business and commerce. 

I did not get it back, but instead, the good Hermes gave me something far better. I was given a full time position at my current job doing something that I actually really enjoy. The position came up out of the blue one day, and was offered to me, even though my performance over the year had been mostly below par because of my illness. Nevertheless, it came to me. Even though I had previously thought that my old job was my way back to happiness in terms of career, Hermes showed me that I could be even happier in something new, that I did not need to look back. 

Over all this year, the Gods brought me back with a vengeance. Midsummer, I was in bed all day, mentally and physically sick, thinking I was going to die, no real job, no money, no hope in me. Today, I am healthy again, strong, have a great job that I actually like, and excelling in my Master's degree program. The Gods can bring anyone back from anything, for they are good and always do good. I have basically started a new life, just like I wanted, but in a way that the Gods knew would be better for me. 

In the Goodness of the Gods,

I'll see you at the next Herm down the road,

Chris Aldridge.

Like Being Back From The Dead

I've told my friends and readers over the summer that I suffered from a severe mental breakdown. It was so bad I could not get out of bed, and it even resulted in physical pain in my stomach for a long time, because as you may know, the brain function can impact gut health. I could barely stand. Quite honestly, the feeling of death was all over me, and I thought it might be the end. But fortunately, it wasn't. I progressively got better, the pain eventually went away, and I was able to resume basic life after a couple of months. But what I want to talk about here today is what I think may have happened to me on a spiritual level.

I have seriously entertained the thought that the Gods knocked me down to teach me some valuable lessons. While I've been extremely devout, I haven't always been a humble person, nor one who is thankful for what he has in life. Sometimes I would even criticize people for not living the same kind of life I was at the time. As Hesiod said, Zeus withers the proud. And not being grateful for the things you have is, I think, also another form of arrogance. No matter what I had, it was never good enough for me. I complained so much.

When the breakdown and extreme fatigue first set in, I went to two sets of doctors. They did blood tests, a urinalysis, and an EKG. There was nothing physically wrong with me. It was my mind, without which the body cannot function. All I knew to do at the time was go home and lie down, wondering if it was ever going to end or if I was mentally disabled from this day forward. I could barely even eat, resulting in noticable weight loss.

It was the worst illness of my life. Everything in my life suffered, and I felt so lost and alone. I even explored other religions for a short time, because of how hopeless I felt, but the Gods were showing me that I am nothing without them, that I might even be able to find help in another deity, but it still won't be enough; I need the Greek Gods. And equally important, that I am no better than anyone else. 

I also think I put too much mental pressure on myself over this year, which led to the ultimate breakdown in the summer. I was trying to take on more than I could handle, trying to be more than human perhaps, which is something I cannot be. In so many ways, I needed to learn my place.

I learned well, and yesterday, I felt like the lesson was over. I was up out of bed, smiling, praising the Gods, loving everyone, and thinking of only good things to come. I felt like I had my life back. One of my friends on social media even commented to me, "Welcome back to the land of the living."

In the Goodness of the Gods,

Chris Aldridge.

You're Worthy of Happiness and Love from Above

A lot of people feel sad, depressed, and like the worst of life is meant for them, because they don't believe they are deserving of love and kindness. The worst part is that we don't even realize we feel that way because it's ingrained in our subconscious, normally because of our experiences growing up through childhood and young adulthood, and I'll start by giving you some examples from my own life.

I grew up in a fairly rough environment. Not only was I poor, but I didn't really know what familial love was, mainly because I could never remember having gotten any. The people around me, even my parents, were standoffish at best and physically, mentally and emotionally abusive at worst. As I grew older and I began to experience the opposite sex, everyone broke my heart except for the woman who would become my wife. So as you might be able to imagine, I never felt I was worthy of love, or thought that I deserved any happiness.

My issues with severe depression and severe anxiety disorder did not help with the problem either in my later years leading up to my life at present. But one thing that started to turn this mentality around was my belief in the Greek Gods and becoming a more dedicated Hellenist as my life progressed. The Gods love you more than you'll ever know, and affirming this, I realized, gave me a much better mental state. In short, knowing that I am deserving of that love.

There was a time in my life, I can remember, when I knew this confidently, but I suppose I allowed my past trauma and mental anguishes to darken my spirit and pollute my mind. So finally, I decided to dedicate myself to that realization of that love and trust. I would no longer let my mind or feelings convince me otherwise. You and I were sculpted in the images of the greatest and most powerful Gods in all the universe, and that factor alone will give you the confidence you need to succeed in life. They want us to become the greatest that we can, and they do not put up unnecessary barriers to that path. Human life might, but the Gods do not.

We are all worthy of that love and light. It doesn't matter if other humans don't love you, the Gods do, and always will. They think you're amazing, and they'll always be there for you. The Gods never leave you. You can leave them, but they won't leave you. 

In the Goodness of the Gods,

I'll see you at the next Herm down the road,

Chris Aldridge.

Something The Ancient Greeks Knew Would Save You

Perhaps in a bit of an experiment for myself, I went several weeks without any exercise, especially since my unfortunate incident back in May that left me at a rock bottom place in life (but I have since rebounded greatly, as the Gods were again there for me in my worst times).

During this time period, I also wasn't the healthiest eater. While I stayed at 3 meals a day, it wasn't a champion diet either. I did not consciously make this decision to avoid good diet and exercise, I largely just didn't care until it reached a critical point recently. I suppose I also thought that I could live without it and not really experience that much of a difference.

One morning, I got up feeling sick. Not with like a cold or flu, just physically ill and tired, even though I had slept all night. Sitting at my desk that evening, I can only describe my state of feeling as infected, like my body was filled with toxins, and perhaps my internal organs, like the liver which acts as a filter, needed a boost of some kind.

I didn't want to go to the gym at all, but I pushed myself. Jumping onto the elliptical (one of my favorite machines), I set myself to burn 500 calories, and worked out for around 2 hours. I do not exaggerate when I say that I felt like I had been given a new body. All of the previous weeks of feeling sluggish, tired and sick, were completely gone, and my mental health and outlook on life were positive and optimistic. The exercise worked the sickness out of me, and restored my energy, despite the fact that it was in the evening when I should have been tired naturally. I mean, it was so amazing that I decided to write a blog post about it.

Exercise will restore your health completely, and work the toxins and sickness out of your body, in addition to the filtering that your organs provide. And it does not matter where you are in fitness at the present time. If you go into the gym today and burn an extra 500 calories on the treadmill, you're going to feel better than when you went in. If you then eat reasonably and repeat the activity on a regular basis, you're going to lose weight and become the healthiest version of yourself.

The ancient Greeks were some of the most athletic people in all of history. Especially those who competed in the Games, they were fit and built like a stone tower. Even though there was no 2nd or 3rd place back then, and they knew that 99% of them were going to lose the event, they still perfected their bodies. They knew the benefits of the fitness would make them winners regardless. 

"It's a disgrace to grow old through sheer carelessness before seeing what manner of man you may become by developing your bodily strength and beauty to their highest limit." - Sokrates.

We live in a time where we presume our society to be advanced, but in many ways, it's really not. People are more depressed and sickly than ever, and in my view, it is in large thanks to the rise in physical unhealthiness. Obesity and simple laziness are more of a problem than at any time in human civilization. If we were more like the ancient Greeks, we could definitely reach a new level of advanced.

In the Goodness of the Gods,

I'll see you at the next Herm down the road,

Chris Aldridge.

Ancient Greek Guide to Cleansing, Banishment and Exorcism - Part 2 - Self Care

As we begin to learn how to deal with these issues, let's start with the basics: cleansing and banishment for our personal selves.

The easiest way to stop Energetics from manifesting and gaining power is to live a positive life. It will accomplish two things. One, a strong build up of positive will push negative out, and two, it will make it harder for negative energy to break in. An inferior force cannot penetrate or contend with a greater one. Walk up to a wall and push as hard as you can. The reason it won't budge is because there is a greater or equal amount of force pushing back. You simply don't have the power to get through. It's the same concept with energy.

The problem is that living a positive life is not easy, especially in our Age. We are constantly bombarded with negative media and politics, not to mention that life can become oppressively stressful if we don't know how to deal with it. Therefore, living a positive life is, I find, a practice. The more you do it, the better you will become at it.

A vital part of living a positive life is to have the Gods in it. The Gods are first and foremost in the life of a Hellenist. A Hellenist never stops living a highly spiritual life, and an extreme benefit of this is happiness and positivity. In the past, I've heard Hellenists say that they worship the Gods simply because it makes like more blissful. This is absolutely true. When the Gods are always kept in our minds, lives and actions, we are elevated to a state above the mundane.

Purification Processes

Being purified or free of impurity (physically, mentally and spiritually), is to banish miasma from our minds, bodies and souls, and elevate ourselves above the reaches of toxicities that so often inhibit human life, progression, and separate us from the Gods. In order to keep yourself guarded against such pollutants, practice daily purification. Not just before rites, but throughout your day, starting in the morning, during the day, and before bed. It may sound painstaking, but it's actually quite simple, and will eventually become second nature.

The Mind

Your mind is of the most value to your physicality, for without the mind, the body is nothing. It's proven science that your thoughts and the state of your brain can and will effect your body and life for the better or worse.

Your brain soaks up everything that it comes into contact with, therefore it's imperative that you only expose it to positive atmospheres as much as possible. Forsake all willful negativity. If you do not have to subject your mind to it, then don't, such as negative media, people, and even your own negative thoughts. Refrain from excessive anger and needless confrontations, striving for peace and productivity whenever possible. Finally, contemplate nothing evil or immoral. We all have bad thoughts that come into our heads at times, but contemplation means to actually conspire with it. Just as keeping bad toxins out of your body is essential to bodily health, so is keeping them out of your mind essential to mental health.

The Body

Keeping your body healthy and purified on the outside and the inside is the purely physical part of continued purification. If you defile yourself, or willingly expose yourself to filth and harmful substances, it will create pollution. Take a shower or bath every day, put on clean clothes, and don't be exposed to unnecessary impurities. The body can be purified of miasma through simple washing and purified water, spring water or sea salt water, or it can be as extreme as using sulfur should you come into contact with a dead body, but the latter is an unorthodox case for most people today.

On a more basic level, regular exercise is exceptionally terrific for maintaining a healthy body, as well as mind, because it betters your mental state and brain functions. I'd recommend starting a simple jogging routine on a daily or regular basis, for a couple of miles each time. You'll be astounded by how much better you feel, especially if you pair it with healthier eating. Not only were the ancient Greeks very athletic people, Games themselves were religious events, and while there was no 2nd or 3rd place, every athlete was strong and benefited from the physicality of the training.

The Soul

Not only are our spiritual selves kept pure by our connections to the Gods, but piety as well maintains this cleanliness, which of course assists in Divine connections. Piety also keeps the physical and mental clean. So what is piety? It is not only acting rightly in ritual but also in thinking and speaking goodly and rightly. That is to say, simply respecting the Gods.

For example, I was once visiting a couple of friends, and while on the topic of Greek religion, they started insulting the Gods. I kindly got up and left, not only because I didn't want to be around hubris and impiety, but because I could feel the pollution and negativity starting to build in the room.

The simple fact of the matter is that you cannot be both devotee and defacer, not even in a humorous way. Yes, there were Greek playwrights who sometimes made fun of the Gods, but these people were not mainstream citizens (most citizens were not playwrights), and men like Euripides of Athens were not only scrutinized for heresy, but spent their final days in exile. It's probably why Plato said, "Wickedness in the soul makes one impure."

Purifying Sickness

We all get sick, whether it be a simple cold or a more serious infection. Once you have recovered, throw away the clothes you wore while you were sick, wash your body in sea water or sea salt water, and then rinse with spring water or purified freshwater, and end with a prayer and sacrifice to Apollon, who is the God of healing and purification. If you have a disease that cannot be cured, maintain it as best you can. Take medication for it as prescribed. In short, listen to your doctors.

In conclusion of this section, I do not want someone to confuse purification with germophobia. It's not about washing your hands until they bleed, for that would also be a pollution. It's about attending to obvious pollutants and toxins in life and preventing them in all their forms.

In the Goodness of the Gods, I'll see you in the next chapter,

Chris Aldridge.

Chapter One here.

Plagues Are Part Of Life

No one needs to explain to anyone reading what the coronavirus is at this point. It's been blasted all over television and the internet as the latest of serious viruses to enter the United States. 

When people, especially in today's First World, hear of a new virus, or anything that disrupts daily life, it tends to send them into a panic, not realizing that our ancestors often dealt with far worse. Humans certainly didn't invent sickness. From the earliest writings of Homer, plagues and epidemics have been a part of human life. In The Iliad, Apollon (whom some may believe is a God who heals as well as sends plagues for whatever reasons), comes down from Olympos and strikes many of the Greeks with illness. In later history, the infamous Plague of Athens that took place during the Peloponnesian War and likely contributed to the loss of the city, killed anywhere from 75,000 to 100,000 people. As Sparta razed the crops and fields of the Athenians, they had to rely on foreign food imports from other areas, some of which came with bacteria that their bodies were not used to, and this is probably a most likely cause of the illness.

Things have certainly changed in our own time, especially concerning our mentalities toward plagues and epidemics. However, of course, there is a new illness among us no matter how you slice it, and we should always be on guard to never let any kind of sickness into our bodies. Not only so that we will stay healthy, but so that we don't transmit it to people with compromised immune systems, because for them, the virus is deadly like any other would be.

But the truth of the matter is that we humans have always lived with plagues and illnesses among us. We work through them and move on. So what can we today do productively about the latest coronavirus? Well, we have one big advantage and understanding that many of the ancients did not, and that is daily sanitation and medical care, which is probably why our survival rates have dramatically improved. There are many things we can do that will help and keep us safe, and also many things that will do nothing but create more problems.

Things To Do

1- Get regular checkups with your doctor.

2- Take a good bath or shower every day.

3- Wear clean clothes every day.

4- Eat and drink foods and drinks that boost your immune system.

5- Wash your hands thoroughly and routinely through the day, and every time before you eat, with warm water and antibacterial soap.

6- Use hand sanitizer throughout the day.

7- Stay away from people who you know have weak immune systems if you're sick.

8- Stay home when you're sick with any illness that is contagious. 

9- Don't go into large crowds where there have been cases of the virus.

10- Wash and sanitize your foods, house and vehicle(s).

11- Of course, don't interact with someone who may be ill.

12- Wear a mask in public.

Things Not To Do

1- Panic.

2- Hoard health products from retailers so others can't be healthy.

3- Spread fear and alarm.

4- Be constantly negative (pessimistic people die sooner than optimistic).

5- Make enemies out of other human beings.

We need to realize that being negative isn't going to change anything, but being positive and productive will strengthen us.

In the Goodness of the Gods,

Chris Aldridge.