Is A Second Heroic Age Possible?

The ancient Heroic Age of Greece gave us many of the Heroes we pray to and admire today in Hellenic religion. Many think these days to be long gone, and even Hesiod, as far back as he goes, wrote that man has entered an Iron Age that is anything but Heroic. In many ways, this line of thinking is correct. However, Heroes never stopped being made, or at least, the possibility never ceased. The particular Age is not a necessity. The Heroic Age is so named simply because it was the time period when there was a great birth of Heroes known and documented. 

I have said in the past that a Hero or a Heroine is someone who is self-sacrificial, and capable enough to do good things that the common man or woman is unable or unwilling to do. The ability to be a Hero lies within all of us. I think on the cases where someone miraculously lifted a car off of their loved one who was trapped beneath, demonstrating literally superhuman strength in a time of great need. The power of a Hero only needs to be channeled, activated if you will. To be a Hero, we need only pick a noble mission and complete it, whether we free someone from entrapment beneath a 4,000 pound vehicle, or simply give love, compassion and hope to someone who has none. Often times, that mission includes thinking about someone other than ourselves, and through that goodness and nobility, we reach a spiritual level where we are much closer to the Gods, even in the afterlife.

Now it should also be kept in mind that good deeds alone didn't always make a Hero. There were many ways to become one. Simply suffering a spectacular death might make someone a Hero. But there was also nothing exceptional about the deaths of Heroes like Theseus, Odysseus, Achilles and Oedipus. Theseus simply died from a bad fall essentially, and Oedipus, by all accounts I have read, basically died of natural causes. What's exceptional is the life they led. And it's also true that there are no living Heroes. All Heroes of the status have passed on into higher levels of spiritual and Divine existence, but their lives on Earth helped determine that.

The qualifications for Heroism can still be met today and Hero status achieved. In fact, I would argue that there are certainly many Heroes, both of ancient and modern time, who live Divinely powerful and influential in the afterlife, but we don't know of them because they were largely unknown, or their families didn't believe in Hero veneration. With the right achievement, humans could even enter a Second Heroic Age. What keeps us from a second Age of such excellence is our mentality. A great many people today either only care for themselves or don't care about anything at all. In short, few people care about things anymore. When criminals and the tyrannical king of Crete threatened Greece and Athens, Theseus took out His sword and stopped them all. Today, it is likely that no one would do anything. They would simply accept their situation and live under the terror. And people who didn't live in their path would most certainly not care at all. "At least it's not happening to me," is the modern mentality that allows all wrong to flourish," and the idea that, "There's nothing I can do," is the attitude that prevents any and all achievement or betterment in life.

In the Goodness of the Gods,

Chris Aldridge

www.caldridge.net

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 

Can Prayer Be An Offering?

Once when I was doing my weekly rite of Athene, I had to prepare and execute a little more quickly than usual because of some other pressing obligations later that day, and in so doing, I did not have anything to present to Hephaistos, Nike, or the Spirits and Heroes of the day who are associated with Athene. But then I remembered the belief that some Hellenes hold, which is that the Gods love it when we recognize them and their greatness, and since the prayers I used did just that, I thought it would be sufficient. I didn't think about the question until later in the day, but it inevitably surfaced: can prayer be an offering? This could be an important question for people who find themselves in a daily rite or ritual without anything to give for one reason or another, but still need or desire to make that connection with the Gods, Spirits or Heroes.

The answer is absolutely, a prayer can most certainly be an offering, especially if you wrote it entirely yourself for that specific Divinity or Divinities. If the Gods take delight in our recognition, then all things given in those respects are gifts that show our love and devotion. This is what an offering is in its entirety. And the Gods never forget. Athene remembers what happened 5 minutes ago just like She remembers what happened 5,000 years ago. She knows how I prayed last week, and how the Greeks prayed on the shores of Marathon. I believe the Gods remember our devotions in whatever form they take.

A prayer that is written by you can also be a great offering to the Gods in the sense that it aids in rebuilding the Hellenic religion. Anything we build or create in honor of the Gods, Spirits or Heroes is an act of devotion, reverence, gift, offering, etc. So when you create your own prayer and write it down in secure records, like a book or a protected journal, you have brought into existence another delightful piece of Hellenic religion and the recognition of the ancient Gods in our world. It's a wonderful offering or gift, especially if those writings later go on to be largely used in Hellenism, or discovered by historians and archaeologists later on as they try to piece together a past understanding of contemporary ancient Greek religion.

In my life as a Hellenic writer, I have myself composed numerous new prayers, around 250 to be close to exact, and those writings are published in book form so they can be distributed to Hellenists and Pagans. Of course, it wasn't an easy process. All the prayers of mine that people now see have been in the making since 2009. It's taken me 7 years to assemble them all. In my advice, if you want to give a continuous, custom offering to the Gods, then custom prayers are a good way to do that, if it's all you can present for any given reason. Furthermore, publish them if you can and wish. Create your own website or blog and post them as your contributions to the worship of the old Gods. Pray often.

In the Goodness of Olympos,
Chris Aldridge.

Learning From The Greek Gods ~ Hephaistos

Perhaps one of the most forgotten Olympians by general society today, Hephaistos is an extremely beautiful and important Deity. He's the Divine Blacksmith, the God of Fire and Forge, and the Creator of things beautiful, both in heaven and on Earth. Perhaps one of the best ways that I, a mortal, can describe His incredible beauty and worth is in a prayer I wrote to Him some time ago.

Blessed Hephaistos,

Engineer of the Universe,

making things beautiful and eternal,

magnificent Creator!

Slam your divine hammer upon the anvil,

and send to us the creations of heaven,

those that house in their wonder the love of the Gods,

and the good things for my life.

Hephaistos is far more than just a maker of simple armor and weapons. There's a lot more to it than that. He is a Creator of existence itself, even of celestial bodies, and the great structures of Earth. In the Orphic Hymn to Hephaistos, He is attributed to the moon, sun, stars and cities - even countries, as the Creator Force behind them. Even though the sun and moon are ruled by Apollon and Artemis, for example, it still makes sense because Hephaistos was believed to craft things for the other Gods at times. When you look at it in those terms, you cannot deny His extreme relevance, and how our modern world has failed to understand His wide role in the Olympian Pantheon. To receive a gift or blessing from this God, forged out of His own flames, would be in value and power beyond anything a mortal could ever even wish to create or obtain on their own. In fact, proof of His wonderful perfection can be seen in the fact that His ancient temple is the best-preserved one in Athens, Greece still today. What else could we expect from the Divine Workman other than expert craftsmanship?

When we look to Hephaistos, we can learn the value of hard work and that we can create many wonderful things in our lives and world if we are but willing to put forth the effort necessary in all ways that are required. In short, we can make hard work pay off, and if we work intensely and dedicate ourselves to its perfection, then success is our inevitable course. 

In the Goodness of The Dodekatheon,

Chris.

The Transcendental Gods

Many religious and spiritual people look at their God or Gods from only one angle, instead of a transparent or a transcendental one. For example, some people may say that they believe Deity to be within humanity and not nature, or completely outside this universe, whereas others would say that Deity is nature or is part of nature itself, and not in modern, mundane things. But I disagree with the extremes of both of these theologies, as I believe the Gods transcend into everything.

For example, Dionysos, in a simple perspective, is the God of Trees, but He's also the God of the Theatre. Now I would say that Dionysos is in the stage made from His trees, just as much as He is within the trees themselves in their original habitat. Poseidon rules the waters, and I would say He is present in the city or town pools or water parks as much as He is in the natural rivers and seas that surround them. Hermes, being the God of Communication and therefore a God of Writing, is in the book I am reading just as He flies about the world on messages for the Gods. And Athene is in the city council just as She is in the beautiful owl that stands on the tree branch outside the window.

Some may say that I am still a Pantheist in some respects, believing that everything is Deity. But it's actually the other way around, I believe that the Gods are in everything, at least everything that is good. Nothing upon this Earth came from anything other than the natural resources that formed it, and the Gods rule over nature. The simplest fence to the most advanced technologies came from nature, and we know that our ancient ancestors used natural resources in abundance, probably more than we do today because we have technology to replace older necessities. Yet the ancients still retained belief in their Gods. The Gods don't leave just because things take on new shapes. In fact, the Gods can take on any form they choose. I am actually what one would call a Panentheist, if anything.

In the Goodness of The Dodekatheon,

Chris.

To Delight In Splendid Eternity Is Enlightenment

I began a philosophy today after my weekly ritual of Aphrodite that I perform as Her devotee every Friday - the day of the Love Goddess. Below is my statement concerning this new thought of mine, and I think it can speak true to a number of different people for different reasons, even if they may not share the same religious beliefs as me. 

If you can find joy and happiness in the simplest beauties in life - to delight in splendid bliss at the sight of your own shrine and altar as it burns sweet fragrance to the Gods, while others are lamenting unhappily at mansions they cannot afford; or to be peacefully content with a lovely book whose words you adore, while many people elsewhere are angry over mere money, then you have reached enlightenment, released from the chains of this world that only offer fragile temporaries, and all the things that can bring out the worst in a man.

This revelation, if you will, came to me today after I closed my ritual of Aphrodite. Prior to it starting, I had been worrying myself with the typical plagues of the human mind that people constantly let bother them, and I thought I would never find happiness completely. Then, after doing my ritual of the day, I realized how beautiful it was, and how happy it made me, to be here at this shrine, in this place in my home, doing what I loved and making the best connections that a human can make; with the Gods. When I looked at the beauty of my shrine and altar burning sweet fragrance to Aphrodite, I realized how happy and blessed I am, and that I can find joy in the simple things in life. Happiness is where we make it. Now, I figured that some people would interpret this as me making a philosophy out of not having some of the things I want in life, that I become satisfied with not being satisfied, or trying to make myself feel better about a lack of achievement. But this is not the case because I believe that everyone should better themselves where necessary. Instead, my philosophy is quite the opposite of a contentment with a lack of gain. It's about realizing that you already are satisfied at some point, and everything else is just a shiny stone that you merely think you have to have.

If we base our happiness and fulfillment on mere material gain, then we are setting ourselves up to never actually be happy, because no matter what we get, there is always going to be something better. There's always going to be a bigger house, a nicer car, a better career, etc. Something, somewhere and someone is always going to outdo us. Even a very wealthy man will find someone richer. Therefore, when we base our happiness and self-worth on these things, we are always going to want more and more, and will eventually always find unhappiness or disappointment somewhere. My philosophy is about realizing where a true happiness lies that can never be broken, taken or outdone, and that's the happiness within you, and in the things that are an inherent part of yourself. These levels can never be outdone or outmatched, because they are only you forever. When you can find happiness in your eternal being, and in the greater picture of things (the Gods), all else seems small because it is. I suppose it relates a little bit to what Socrates once taught, which was to care more for your soul than gold and silver. 

You'll notice these things immediately in your life, and identify them quickly, because when they come, they always bring a smile to your face, peace to your mind, and bring out the absolute best that resides within you. In my younger days, all I thought about was material gain, whether it was through a desire to have a nicer car or more money, and when I look back, I realize that I was never happy. The reason I was always discontent is because my happiness was based on all things temporary or that can be bested by someone else. I had fallen in love with everything that is changeable.

In the Goodness of The Dodekatheon,

Chris.

Learning From The Greek Gods: Aphrodite

Most certainly, Aphrodite's name is as common to people as Her epithet of Pandemos. She's the great Olympian Goddess of love; who rules the realm of beauty, sexuality, pleasure, lust, and the life that it can and does bring. Born of the sea off the coast of Kypros through the remains of Ouranos, She existed before the rise of Olympos, which technically makes Her the first Olympian. While She is the Goddess of wonderful and joyous sexuality in general, She is also involved in the sexuality of marital unions and relationships themselves. She encompasses sexuality itself, whether it be married, unmarried, or simply friends with benefits. The joy, passion, eroticism, excitement and loveliness of sex is all Her. She is also a Goddess who prevents unscrupulousness, which means She is also not a Goddess without standards. Stories about Her are also rooted in a love and affection for humanity, such as with the tale of Pygmalion, the sculptor who created a statue of his ideal woman, and was turned into a real person by Aphrodite as an answer to his prayer to find true love. He named this woman Galatea, and they both lived happily ever after.

So what can we as adults learn from Aphrodite? Firstly, we should realize and accept the fact that sex is a part of nature and the human makeup. Our sexuality should not be something to be ashamed of, for it is blessed, not damned. Nothing which brings so much pleasure, happiness, satisfaction, and life can be anything other than a Divine blessing. Sex is Godly. It is not Her desire that we put ourselves in sexual misery, or fight against our natural states and instincts. She wants us to enjoy life, and therefore it's alright to be sexual, to enjoy it, and to be attractive and attracted to others. Science has proven time and again that a regular sex life is healthy for the mind and body, and of course it is, because it comes from heaven. Now does that mean we should sleep with everyone we meet? No, because as I said earlier, Aphrodite is also a Goddess of standards, and those are partially found in being safe and healthy with your sexuality. But within those bounds, sex is immensely healthy and beneficial to us as human beings. That's not simply my own personal belief, but scientific fact. 

I think Aphrodite also encompasses love for ourselves. In other words, She doesn't want us to be self-loathing, but to love ourselves in that we realize we are loved and worthy human beings. I also think She wants us to spread love itself to others, in that we treat our fellow human being with compassion and care, not coldness and hatred. We are loved by ourselves if no one else among mortals, and we should help others realize that they are loved as well through our actions. I learn many great things from Aphrodite as Her devotee, two of the most important being that sex is natural and good, and that we are not living in a universe where there's no love. It's abundant.

In the Goodness of The Dodekatheon,

Chris.

Learning From The Greek Gods: Ares

Today, I received a beautiful new statue of Ares for my family's shrine that I very much love and treasure as I love and treasure Ares, and I think that He is one of the most misunderstood Gods of the Greek pantheon. He appears nowhere on the calendar of Attica, at least none that I have seen. Even Greeks themselves seem to have been wary of Him, probably because of the bloodletting and destruction that war brought, especially in those days when you had to use common weapons and kill someone face to face. War was a dread and a horrific sight. He still, though, occupies a throne on Olympos, which shows that the Greek Gods were not merely put into their places by the Greek mind. Ares was an Olympian by fact, regardless of how much the Greeks liked Him. However, I do think He's largely looked at in the wrong way, which is why I want to discuss Him in this next part of my series on learning from the Greek Gods.

Ares is the God of War and that's about it. He encompasses the physical fighting and strife between armies and mortals and all that is associated with it. But when we think about all that war itself encompasses, and how it has a place in our lives as human beings from time to time, in many forms, we can understand the great importance of Ares and how He plays an influential and decisive role in the universe and the lives of those within. Things are not always completely cut and dry. Sometimes, something is not inherently good or bad. There are times when war can be a good thing. Our own nation, where we are free to worship the Gods free of persecution, and live our lives as Hellenists, was created by war. We had to fight off the British before we could build the United States, and over the years, other enemies have tried to take our freedom as well. We have often waged war to bring about a greater good, which is a free and safe people. War, therefore, can bring good things when war is necessary. We even fight among ourselves as individuals, when we have to wage a battle against someone else to protect ourselves, family or properties. We may desire peace, but that doesn't mean that others will. War is not something we invented. It is part of the human structure of life because it is sometimes necessary for self-preservation.

There are also what I call "metaphorical wars" that we, as humans, wage all the time. These are not fought physically, but are carried out through verbal and other non-physically combative means. For example, sometimes we debate serious issues with other people that we are passionate about, and we feel the need to win that argument for a good, and like Ares, we can sometimes become furious and wrathful in these arguments. We are verbally warring against someone when we do that. And that could encompass Athene as well, but Ares does not have to be excluded. Fighting for what we believe can take on many forms of war, not just physical assaults. If there ever comes a time when mankind no longer wages physical war, Ares will remain important and influential for these reasons.

And lastly, when we are waging our necessary and good wars, we must also remember the part of war that Ares encompasses. He destroys the enemy. He does not show mercy and He does not play around. He comes to annihilate the enemy and claim the victory completely. When we need to save our nation, or protect ourselves and families in one form or another, we should be prepared to go the length necessary that the law will allow to ensure our freedom, safety and preservation. Sometimes, the enemy does not deserve mercy, and it is necessary to make sure they can't make good on future aggression. From Ares, we learn the value of fighting with all of our might for what is dear and valuable, and accepting nothing but the surrender of the enemy of those good things.

In the Goodness of the Dodekatheon,

Chris.

Learning From The Greek Gods: Artemis

Continuing my series on learning from the Greek Gods, today's entry is about Artemis. Without any doubt whatsoever, Artemis is one of the most popular, worshiped and revered Goddesses ever in the history of the world, and remains so in the hearts and practices of modern Hellenists and many general Pagans. As with the other Gods of the Dodekatheon (the Olympians and highest-ruling Gods), She encompasses numerous epithets, but some of Her most popular have to do with the natural wild world. She's Goddess of the Hunt and the Mistress of Animals. She presides over forests and general wild lands and comes to humans personally as a Goddess of Childbirth and a protector of infants and children. She loves dearly Earth's animals and young ones. Some also call Her Goddess of the Moon, while some sources disagree with that epithet. However, She is a Light Goddess beyond all doubt, and the moon is the largest form of natural light on the Earth beside of the sun, which is ruled by Apollon, Her Brother and fellow member of the Dodekatheon, who is also a Light God. So it's very reasonable, to my mind, to worship Her as the supreme Goddess of the Moon while Apollon stands as the supreme God of the Sun.

However, there is more to Hellenism than just worshiping the Gods. There is also a great emphasis on their teachings and learning from them, so what can we learn from Artemis? Being the Goddess of the Hunt and Mistress of Animals, She adores nature, while also understanding the need for survival that it provides for all living creatures. She's the Huntress, and therefore, She hunts down the stag and slays it. Hunting encompasses the act of killing for food, in the case of humans. Nature provides us what we need to live, but I also think Artemis wishes us to be caring and compassionate with nature, using only what we need, respecting the animals we must kill, and giving them proper respect by using all of their parts instead of just killing for sport. I believe killing for sport would be a high offense against Her, and in my personal belief, I believe deer to be exclusively sacred to Her, and therefore I don't kill or eat them at all myself. But some do, and that's fine within reason. So as She loves and cares for nature, so should we, for how can we honor the Gods without loving and respecting what they also love and respect? And this is true in every case. 

Artemis is also the protector of children, and very few things hold more virtue than being a good parent and treating the weakest and most vulnerable among us with love, care, compassion and protection. As She gives these things to children, so should we if we are to call ourselves Her followers and worshipers.We don't serve Artemis best in this field by giving fancy speeches on how something needs to be done to help children. We serve Her best when we actually get out there and do it, making the difference ourselves and being the change, by helping to feed, house, educate and care for children in all the ways they must be. And also, by treating them with love and care and never causing them physical or emotional harm or torment.

There are many great things we can learn from Artemis to help us live better lives and make our world a better place, and these are among the ways we can begin that wonderful journey in our Hellenic lives.

In the Goodness of the Dodekatheon,
Chris.

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.

Can Anyone Be A Greek Hero?

This is a question I have thought on quite a lot. The Greek Heroes, who can now be prayed to for help and connection with the Gods, once lived with mortals and were at least half mortal themselves. However, being part divine was not something that was essential in order to achieve Hero status.

"Divine parentage is not a necessary precondition, however much the sons of gods are regarded as heroes. Even a criminal who has met with a spectacular end may become a hero, and an enemy of the state may become its champion and protector after his death" (Burkert, 207).

So, in accordance with historical Greek religion, and my own personal belief and opinion on the matter, yes, anyone can become a Greek Hero. But this presents an even deeper, more detailed question. How does one reach this and under what conditions and attributes would one exist in this after their death? This, to my mind, is the more ultimate question that we can examine here, but perhaps never fully grasp as mortals.

I would first begin by saying that, in order to reach Hero status, one must naturally do things or at least one thing, heroic in their life, perhaps in accordance with ancient Greek standards as well. Fortunately, these standards can expand easily into our own time and world, such as overcoming great challenges, saving lives, defeating great enemies, and/or bringing positive revolutionary change(s). In short, anything that lifts us above what the general population is unable or not willing to do themselves. Those such as Theseus, Bellerophon, Jason, they all fell into these categories.

However, I think it's also important to remember that these categories can take on way more than a singular form. In other words, one doesn't have to save lives by beating a Minotaur. They can save lives by rescuing people from danger or giving aid to a homeless, sick or destitute person who might otherwise perish. They can overcome their own great challenges that have been placed before them, and they can cause great change by doing good things for their society, state, country and/or world. It is one's abilities, courage, willingness and drive to do what is right that creates a Hero. And all or any of those great things achieved, will be what the Hero is called on for my mortals. What the Hero does best, or what they wish to be recognized for, is what they continue to do. So, if someone rescues a person from a burning building, firefighters might pray to them for assistance in that pursuit, or people may pray to them for protection from fires. If someone defends a child or woman from abuse, they might later be prayed to for protection for children and women against aggressors. If one drafts legislation to bring, for example, freedom and equality for an oppressed people, and they get their government to pass it, people could pray to them for assistance in liberating those in any kind of unjust societal bondage. Or, if someone simply has a great enough challenge themselves to overcome and they conquer it, people could pray to them for victory in the same or similar challenges.

I think it's also great to remember, as Walter Burkert points out and as I have believed for a long time, that we can always change and become better than we were the previous days. In Hellenism, we can decide to be better and achieve greatness, despite our past. Someone could go their entire lives being nothing or being less than admirable, and still have the ability to reach for greatness should they choose. We always have the ability to do better. We can even become a Hero.

In Memory of Walter Burkert. 

In the Goodness of the Dodekatheon,
Chris.

Work Cited:

Burkert, Walter, Greek Religion, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts. 1985.

Learning From The Greek Gods: Apollon

For a long time, I have started and tried to finish this series of mine, "Learning From The Greek Gods." It was not intended to be a series of the many Greek Gods, just the Dodekatheon, but I was never able to complete it. However, this time, I intend to finish it out. Let's begin with one of the most popular of the Dodekatheon.

Apollon is the God of Light. Other attributes of His include the sun, truth, prophecy, music, healing, oracles, poetry, and archery, and with His silver or golden bow, one of His most popular epithets is the Archer and one who drives away evil or negativity.

Apollon is a God who brings enlightenment, so what does it mean to be enlightened, and what does it mean to strive toward enlightenment in life? Enlightenment means to have or seek a greater understanding of things that the average human mind does. This does not mean you think of yourself as knowing more than other people, but rather elevating your mind above the basic mundane of human consciousness and awareness. For example, humans generally have a desire to be greedy, so being generous would be enlightened above the normality of humanity. When so many people in the world resort to violence to settle a mere verbal dispute, it is enlightened to not let the words of another control you and walk away. In other words, you become greater than yourself instead of greater than someone else. This is what it means to be enlightened and to seek enlightenment. Learning from Apollon in these respects is to look toward the heavens. And what I mean by that is to look above general humanity and toward greater meaning for yourself and how you live. Each of us will find our own personal truths and that's perfectly fine, but the important thing is that we find them, and that they drive us to be greater than we were previously. And Apollon, being a God of Truth, lifts us to that universal wisdom, the universal wisdom that enlightenment is possible.

In the Goodness of the Gods,
Chris.

Humanity Is Not Born Atheist

I've heard time and again atheists make the argument that everyone is born an atheist, that no one comes into life with any knowledge or realization of divinity, and this is just not the case.

The argument is, no one is born with the knowledge of God.

I would first like to point out that no one is born with the knowledge of anything, other than basic instincts, and no one knows where those come from in the first place. But humans are also not born with the knowledge of science, math, architecture, mechanics, computers, or even how to go to the bathroom. So just because something is taught to you, does not necessarily mean that it's false or invalid to your humanity. Now as far as the argument itself, humans are not born with the knowledge of any particular deity or doctrine, but it's absolutely not true that humans are born atheists, and I'll tell you why.

When we first came into being, there were no churches, priests, books, schools, or even established religions or spirituality. Yet we felt the belief in higher powers within ourselves. This was a belief that developed as part of our mental and physical makeup, not something that was forced into us from the outside because there were no outside forces to push it. We felt spiritual ourselves, and we developed our own belief systems and established our own religious practices. If humans were born atheists, we would have evolved as atheists. We would have never felt or thought of any such thing as deity, spirituality or religion, certainly not by majority. It simply would not have existed to us. But human beings are naturally spiritual and religious creatures.

Secondly, the human brain develops something called schema. This is the organizational system of the brain for external information, and we are born with this ability which enables us to recognize and interpret patterns in the universe and make conclusions based on those patterns. Patterns = larger intelligence. We are born looking for larger meanings, things bigger than ourselves, and are therefore born looking for divinity and deity. 

Point being, such a construct or mindset is there by the very nature of being human, and it's extremely hard to change or even to convince yourself of something outside of it, which is why human beings have not accepted Atheism by and large throughout their existence as a species. Now, I'm not suggesting that someone does not have the right to believe or not believe whatever they want, and each person is as human as another. Personally, I could not care less what someone believes. It does me no harm at all for someone to say they don't believe in any deity or divinity. But the simple fact of the matter is that Atheism has never been the consensus of the human mind. Atheism simply ignores the larger meanings, patterns and intelligence.

In the Goodness of the Gods,

Chris.

Are We to Pray for People?

In Hellenic religion, are we to recite prayers in the favor of other human beings, places and causes? I would certainly say there's a basis for it, as there are ancient Hellenic prayers that encompass such a concept. Even Pagan leaders and influential Pagan people these days are saying that we should pray for people and for the world. But in what context? In what way should we pray for others? Obviously, the concept brings to mind mainstream religious practices, because we are so used to seeing the mainstream take part in all the aspects of religion. For this reason, those of the old religions may shy away from it, and it's certainly not something that is required. However, if one wanted to pray for another person, place, situation, etc, I don't see a problem with it as long as it's done within the morals and principles of our religion, or the religion that you yourself follow.

For example, it's perfectly fine to pray for someone's well-being, to pray that they be strong enough to overcome a disease or some other great obstacle, or that they be well and succeed in life in general. On a fairly regular basis, I pray for my family in general (not just my wife and son, but my extended family), and I pray for the safety and wellness of the world in general. These practices are not immoral in terms of old religion and modern Paganism, and it's certainly not unethical if the individual in question actually asks you to pray for them.

Now, with that being said, praying for others can become an offense to the old religion if done in inappropriate ways. Praying for someone to convert religions, to accept your way of thinking or a mindset outside their own, or for them to encounter any kind of harm, would be severely unethical and, in my view, a high offense. It's no one's place to decide what religion they follow other than them. It's no one's place to dictate their mind and beliefs other than them. And, of course, doing harm toward others just for meanness is not ethical. I would even go so far as to say that such prayers as these are an attack on a person's mind, body and soul.

In conclusion, as long as we keep it within the moral standards of our religion, I certainly don't see a problem with praying for goodness and wellness.

In the Goodness of the Gods,
Chris.

Choosing A Hero In Your Hellenic Practice

There is certainly no lacking of Heroes in the ancient Greek religion, although some are certainly focused on more than others. For example, in no particular order, Theseus, Bellerophon, Herakles and Jason are probably at the top of the list among the most popular. When people ask me, I do say that Heroes are a valuable part of Greek religion, and certainly not absent from my own practice, even though I usually direct my focus to one particularly, and that concept is the topic of this post; choosing a Hero in your Greek religious practice and life. But first, let's talk about some of the functions of Heroes in Greek spirituality.

The Heroes once lived among mortals in the flesh, and aided them with their services and feats. For example, Theseus saved an entire civilization when He defeated the Minotaur and defied the power of Minos. And Heroes such as Theseus were part mortal as well, although it is not impossible in Greek religion for a full mortal to obtain Hero status. In Hellenic belief, the Heroes are between the Gods and mankind, and can therefore act as a connection between the two, as Walter Burkert explains in his famous historical and scholarly work "Greek Religion." Now, of course, the Gods can be reached by mortals as well. We are not cut off from our Gods. In fact, they exist everywhere, all around us, and enjoy taking part in our lives. But a Hero has the potential to gain more attention from the Gods on one's behalf simply because of how they exist in between. Think of it as an ascension to the first level of divinity and then progressing to the top, as you send your prayers. Obviously, we can't ascend to the Gods in mortal bodies, but the Heroes are in spiritual and divine form, and therefore, they can. For example, when I pray to Theseus, I ask Him to speak to the Gods in favor of my family and I. So one of their functions is to assist that connection. But one can also pray to a Hero for connection to a single God or Goddess as well. For example, I may ask Theseus to send my prayers to Hephaistos for fruitfulness in my labors.

Of course, Heroes not only exist to help us connect with the Gods, but also to aid us in our lives themselves, which is why I pray to Theseus for victory in my daily battles and to help me overcome all that seeks to oppress me. Heroes can also be prayed to in order to dispel negativity or a negative presence, especially in the case of someone like Theseus whose crowning achievement was the defeat of a great monster. In short, a Hero can bring the presence of goodness, positiveness and light to an otherwise bad, negative and dark situation. On a side note, it should be recorded that one does not have to specifically be a Hellenist in order to have a connection with a Greek Hero. In other words, you can be a different religion. For example, I've known general Pagans and Wiccans who pray to Greek Gods. I see no reason why they could not also pray to Heroes. 

Choosing A Hero

Choosing a Hero to focus on, if you wish to practice with such a focus, is not one that is complicated or difficult. The first thing one can do is to research and find which Hero they admire and/or feel connected to the most. However, don't focus so much on their myths as you do on their qualities, attributes and crowning achievements. People of extraordinary status tend to pick up myths, rumors and legends in their stories along the way. For example, there are many that accompany Theseus. But Plutarch can't even tell us how Theseus got His name. Once you have decided, pray and offer to that Hero and see the response you receive. Eventually, you will find which Hero you are connected to the most. Once you do, write out your own common prayer to them. This is the one you will recite the most in general prayer, to bring the Hero into your life and attain their presence. A continuous prayer and/or hymn of your own will give you a personal, unique connection, and the Hero may even recognize you only and specifically in that particular recitation.

Once you have reached these levels, where you are certain of who your Hero is, build them a shrine/altar. Place upon it representations of them and let that be a central place for them in your practice. In the picture above, you can see my shrine and small sanctuary to Theseus. It doesn't have to be as elaborate as mine, it can be a simple design. However, over time, you will no doubt come across more decorations and additions to place on it, which is great. Lastly, create a personal ritual that you use consistently when praying at your Hero shrine. As with all of your personal and private rituals, keep them secret, only practiced by you, so that the Gods and Heroes will recognize you specifically through them. I know that I sometimes give details as to some of my personal practices, but for the most part, I keep them secluded within the walls of my family's shrines and sanctuaries.

In the Goodness of the Gods,
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.

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.

Anger of the Gods?

Back in my younger days as a Greek worshiper, I used to worry a lot about if I had possibly angered the Gods, so I am not so naive as to think that I am the only one. Thankfully, my mind is at peace with this, due to my realization that the immense goodness and highness of the Gods, makes it impossible for them to be subjected to human actions. In other words, beings which are inferior to the Gods (humans), cannot possibly possess the power to change the mood of those who are not inferior (Gods). In fact, some might consider it to be disrespectful to suggest that we can, in fact, control the mood of the Gods.

When you are talking about Gods, you are speaking of beings who are above anything humans can do. This also means they are above our minds and emotions. Simply put, you can't make a God mad because you don't have the power to change them. Angering the Gods is a concept most appropriate for myth and people who are paranoid of being punished (superstitious). That is not, however, to say that the Gods do not send justice. They most certainly do, and that varies from situation to situation, but this is not the same as anger. Also, being that the Gods have known us for centuries, I would say that it would only seem logical to me that they understand us. They know how we think, they know our emotions, and they know why we do the things we do. Knowing this, the Gods understand that it is only to be expected that we will falter and make mistakes. And yet, they remain, wanting to take part in our lives, and help us along the way. Compassion, understanding, and obviously, extreme patience do the Gods have, and when one has these things, anger and the determination to harm cannot be present, because such things are the opposite.

In conclusion, we can't anger the Gods because, one, we can't change them. And two, because they expect us to make mistakes because that's our nature. One does not get angry at someone or something for doing what it does naturally. You don't get mad at a lion for roaring, or at a bird for flying, and you don't get mad at humans for making mistakes. By not running and hiding, but instead acknowledging them when they happen in our lives, we can purify ourselves of the error and do better in the future. Always remember that each day is a chance to be better than the previous.

In the Goodness of the Gods,

Chris.