How Can Reincarnation and Ancestor Worship Coexist?

Many believe in reincarnation, and we also love to venerate, worship and call on our ancestors, the latter is certainly a structural part of not only Hellenism, but several Pagan/Polytheistic religions. Sometimes I even invoke deceased family members I personally knew in life; not many, but a few rare ones on occasion. For example, my grandmother on my dad's side who always loved me. If I pray to her, it's normally for peace (and it works, by the way). But in any case, there are those of us who wonder how the two belief systems can work together. If the soul reincarnates, how are our deceased there to hear us? How does John exist if John is no longer John but someone else entirely?

First, I think we should consider the fact that, at least in Hellenism, reincarnation is not the only form of the afterlife. In fact, I'd venture to say that it's new to Hellenism in terms of widespread community belief. In ancient times, most people believed in the Underworld (Realm of Haides), the Isle of the Blessed, and for serious offenders, Tartaros, as the destinations for human souls. Although Tartaros is probably not considered an eternal punishment, but largely a place of atonement before one can move on. Remember, in The Odyssey, Odysseus travels to the Underworld and interacts with His dead mother (a family member), and she doesn't appear to be going anywhere anytime soon.

However, even if in a small measure, there does exist an ancient source for reincarnation explicitly. At the end of the 10th book of Plato's Republic, we read the fantastic story of a solider named Er, who had a near-death-experience and returned to tell about the spectacular worlds of the afterlife. He spends a significant amount of time discussing the reassignment of human souls into other lives. No two ways about it, that's reincarnation. In my view, there are three possibilities. One, reincarnation is not the only afterlife. Two, reincarnation is the only afterlife. Or three, there is no reincarnation, but I think most would reject the last two. However, what if the second one is true? How then could there possibly be logic and reality behind Ancestor Veneration?

I think that the soul is a universal being and a universal reality, not bound to only one manifestation. Energy cannot be created nor destroyed, so some part of our passed loved ones or ancestors still exists in a notable form. To us, it may appear confusing, but to the vastness of Divinity and existence itself, it's rather non-issue and simple. Just as we cannot comprehend the universe beyond our telescopes and spaceships, but the universe itself sees and holds it all completely. In terms of Ancestor Veneration, I think of the soul in the example of a caterpillar. The caterpillar becomes a butterfly, but still has caterpillar DNA that can be studied. Or you might think of it in terms of growing into different life stages, but still knowing the past. I, for example, am no longer a student at my first college, but I can still tap into that manifestation. I can remember myself, the experiences, the knowledge, and to an extent, return myself to it to help others. The person I used to be, never completely leaves. 

But as always, I have the wisdom to say that I may not know. What I know for certain is that I believe that reincarnation happens and that it's never stopped me from praying to and feeling the presence of those who have passed on before me.

In the Goodness of the Gods,

Chris Aldridge.

Poseidon's Lost Temple PULLED From The Earth!

Even before Hellenism was my official religion, Poseidon was a God of tremendous interest to me. Perhaps partially because He was one of the first Greek Gods I encountered when my high school English class studied The Odyssey, but I have also always loved the water of the world. Growing up in a coastal state where horses run wild on the beaches (North Carolina), tends to put one into contact with the Earth Shaker. In fact, one of my favorite books in my temple's library is Poseidon and The Sea: Myth, Cult and Daily Life, which I have recently been inspired to read once more considering today's wonderful news.

It seems that my beloved history book will now have to be amended a bit, because in Elis, Greece, on the far west of the Peloponnese, archaeologists have verified the writings in Strabo (who was another geographer like Pausanias), by unearthing the lost Temple of Poseidon Samikon. The ruins of this latest discovery of the Hellenic identity have been found to date all the way back to the Archaic Era (700-480BCE). What's more interesting is that Strabo described this particular temple and sanctuary as being a Cult Center for the Delphic League, whose job was to see to the protection of Apollo's Temple at Delphi, a topic I have covered on my blog before when discussing the Sacred Wars.

Considering all of the extensive history now coming to the surface in this lost region of the ancient Greek world, I cannot wait to see all of the amazing artifacts and knowledge we will have the pleasure of as the excavations continue into the coming years. I equally hope that Ethnic Hellenes in Greece will perhaps find their way to the location for worship and sacrifice to the God once again, and also help protect and liberate the temple. 

In the Goodness of Poseidon,

Mighty Earth Shaker and God of the Sea,

Chris Aldridge.

Greek Reporter Article Found Here

Did The Gods Use Evolution To Create Us?

"Oh, there's several different kinds of humans," my late friend replied that day as we stood talking about science and history at the Universalist Church in Stockton, Illinois. It seems like another lifetime ago, probably because my life was quite the opposite of today in terms of living circumstances, and also the fact that my friendly associate has been long dead. But what I loved about our conversation was that we remained theistic in our scientific discussion.

In fact, the topic of evolution does sometimes make me wonder how the Gods did it in terms of making humans as we know them. The process of evolvement is clearly one of intelligence and intent, because there are direct circumstantial responses, beyond the control of the species, all across the world and the animal kingdom. As for us, we are not chimps or apes because chimps and apes still exist. Rather, we are our own brand of the ancestral primates. At some point, we diverged from the chimps and the like, and came into our own. We can see where we came from, but our DNA is still human in the larger picture. Why? Or rather, how?

What if, instead of creating us wholly as we are now, and as some may believe, the Gods split the DNA lines? After all, we were the last of the major animals to be made. What if Zeus said, "All of these beings are wonderful, but we would like one that looks like us?" And Prometheus replied, "In order to do that, we'll have to split the lines, and it will take some time." I imagine Prometheus taking the lines and Zeus or Hephaistos raising their lighting bolt or mallet and smashing them in a thunder that shattered the general course of animal life. It was certainly an extraordinary action and process that changed not only the world, but the universe, as no other mortal being can do the things that we do, nor accomplish the feats we have accomplished. 

Then, once we reached our human form as we know it, the Ages of Man under Zeus began. We might also entertain the idea that it's not over yet. Evolution doesn't actually stop; we're still changing in some ways, but hopefully for the better. It's the intelligent and necessary process that the Gods have put into play, not just for us, but all life. It's never shocked my theistic worldviews. In fact, the more I learn about evolution, the more proof I find of the Gods.

In fact, in his Origin of Species, I think Darwin said it best, "I see no good reason why this volume should shock the religious feelings of anyone."

In the Goodness of Olympos,

Courage and Honor,

Chris Aldridge.

Why Aren't Greek Statues Well-Endowed? A Hellenist Answers

In recent historical discussions around the internet, the topic of male genital size on ancient Greek statues has been notably addressed. I honestly don't see why it matters, but as a Hellenist who has studied since 2009, I'd like to think I could put forth some valid theories. Many ideas, to my knowledge, have been proposed, all the way to the suggestion that the Greeks admired small genitals. But I think there's another facet that we are failing to see.

For starters, it's not true that all Greek statues or depictions have this attribute. The Herm piece or a depiction of Priapos (a fertility God), will show very large penises. While other statues, like the one of Zeus or Poseidon of the Artemision Bronze, do not have large ones. But I think the factor is in the area of focus. With Priapos, the genitals were a focal point because of the immense fertility the God possesses. But in the case of the Artemision Bronze, the sculptor clearly didn't want genitals to be the message of the work. What you see is either Zeus throwing the thunderbolt or Poseidon throwing the trident. The focus is on the God's Divine power, not the genitals. So my theory is that it depended on where the artist wanted the viewer to look.

Male genitals are not always the same size either. When erect or exceptionally aroused, a man can become several times larger, depending on how much blood flow and stretching the penis can hold and exhibit. So it may have been that the sculptor wasn't seeing small genitals, but rather, simply ones that were not erect.

But at the end of the day, I don't see why we have to care so much about how big someone's sexual organs are. I think a human being is worth a lot more than what's between their legs.

In the Goodness of the Gods,

Chris Aldridge. 

Becoming An Ancient Greek Priest In The 21st Century

Hellenism is sometimes thought of as a priest-free religion. This claim is both true and false. True in the fact that we do not have priests in the Christian sense. We are not dictators of worshipers or intercessors for Gods. No person needs us to connect with the Higher Powers. Anyone, being so inclined, can approach the Gods in prayer, sacrifice and divination. Anyone can also build or open their own temple or sanctuary. In short, no one needs a priest to be a Hellenist, at all. The Hellenic priest or priestess does not even spiritually own the temple or sanctuary in which they serve. It belongs to the God or Gods it represents. For example, in ancient times, you would not have been called the priestess of the Parthenon, but the priestess of Athena Parthenos. The temple is Her home, and only Her's. And while there was, at one time, an altar to The Dodekatheon (The Twelve Gods) in the Athenian Agora in 522 BCE, there was no temple to all of the Gods. Temples and sanctuaries were dedicated to one God or even one Epithet of that God.

But the claim is false in the idea that ancient Hellenism had no clergy or leaders. There were absolutely priests and priestesses of temples and sanctuaries, and leaders in seership, prophecy and public rites. Priests and priestesses are servants of the Gods, caretakers of temples and sacred areas, protectors, advisors and counselors of their Demos (community), and leaders of rites and sacrifices to see that such functions are properly carried out. And last but not least, we never stop being students of Hellenism. Clergy are very valuable to Hellenism today for several reasons. We are a very small religion, even within Paganism and Polytheism, and therefore Hellenists may find little to no resources, support or education without dedicated and experienced practitioners. I can't list how many times people have called or messaged me throughout the years for help in practicing the religion. And while a practitioner can do anything on their own, it's nice and supportive to have someone to turn to for services instead of having to rely on someone like a Universal Minister who probably has no idea about Hellenism whatsoever.

Walking a little more down the ancient road, the first known record of ancient Greek priesthood comes from the Linear B tablets of the Mycenaean Age (the Homeric civilization that fell by 1199 BCE shortly after the Trojan War). It may be rather fortunate that Mycenae was destroyed by fire, because it preserved the clay tablets instead of decimating them. They tell us that priesthood was already well-rooted in society by this Era. Priests kept guard over temples and maintained the sole power to unlock their doors. In short, they held the only keys. Not just anyone was given responsibility or access, which shows that priests and priestesses were highly valued. Not only were they charged with the typical rites and sacrifices, but they also presided over oath-taking, marriages, and burials. Normally, clerical offices were assigned by sex - priests for Gods and priestesses for Goddesses. Although this wasn't always the case; the Oracle of Delphi is an example of the deviation from that norm.

In The Iliad, Book 1, the Trojan conflict begins with Apollon's Trojan priest, asking Agamemnon and the Achaeans to return his daughter they had captured. The priest made this petition in the most generous and humble terms. When Agamemnon refuses and treats the priest with hostility, Apollon becomes so enraged that He descends from Olympos and starts shooting the Greeks dead with His arrows. Only when Agamemnon returned the child and made proper sacrifice, did the Archer relent. This tells us that not only were priests and priestesses loved by the Gods, but Greek culture potentially paid a heavy price for wronging them.

If one wanted to become a priest in ancient times, there were several ways they could go about it. However, it wasn't a full time job. Clergy were normally chosen for a specific time or event. The first way, and probably the oldest, was by a hereditary line. If your mother or father held a priesthood during their life, the office could be passed down to you, along with the education of the office. The second way was through rulership. If you held an administrative power in the City government, especially as a Head of State, you could be tasked with certain clerical duties of that City. Various other ways to priesthood were elections chosen by lot, appointments, or even purchasing (the latter being the most rare). I would also say that someone is automatically the priest or priestess of a temple or sanctuary they establish.

If you've decided to become a priest or priestess, you likely feel it as a calling and even a duty. You would have to, because the commitment of dedicated clergy requires it. I've been a priest since 2010, and I can tell you that you have to commit yourself to seeing the best and worst of the world. You will do many other things with your life, but none will likely compare. It's a serious job you have to enjoy and feel responsible for, never taken with a light heart. The good side is that I get to lead rites, run my temple, write books and blogs, and do public speeches. The bad, or less than good side, is that I may have to do a burial for a child, go visit a dying person, or help the extremely ill and disabled. One might even find themselves visiting areas of natural disasters. I imagine that the Pythia didn't always have happy questions or easy advice to give. People had far more troubles in ancient times than they do now. She probably had to hear unpleasant things and counsel people as best she could, and also worry about what happened to people who misinterpreted her. Life at Delphi wasn't always the shining gold, silver and bronze gifts from the City States that decked the grounds. Yet she still did her job. If you're serious about it, it's not always an easy profession. You don't have to put yourself in danger, but there's a lot more that may call you than just the sunshine and roses. It can work on you, and the life itself always requires study and commitment, both to the Gods and your fellow man. That's why I get frustrated when I see people grasping for ordinations for mere prestige or because they want some kind of authority over something. 

However, I will still argue that being a priest is more delightful than anything else. Even though it was not a way of life in ancient Greece, I can think of nowhere else I'd rather be than in my temple, making sacrifices, and caring for all things spiritually dear. 

Along your path to becoming a priest or priestess, you should first consider it a priority to gain at least a basic knowledge of the religion and the clerical duties from credible sources, and understand that such a pursuit never ends; you are always learning. I always tell people that the easiest way to do this all your life is read, read, and read some more. Read every credible source you can get your hands on. Read Greek myth and philosophy as well. In fact, be steeped in it. There is a great wealth of diversity in the myths and the great thinkers of ancient Greece. It will help you realize your own beliefs and worldviews, and I dare say, turn you into a philosopher yourself. Finally, establish your own temple or sanctuary. That will be the most readily available avenue for you to enter the role of a priest or priestess. I did a blog post in the past on how someone can establish their own such community and keep it. To read, follow the link in the sources at the bottom of this post.

In ending this discussion, my goal is to make the reader realize that clergy is a journey, not a destination. Do you have the drive, wonder and love to take it? If so, then may Olympos smile on you. If not, that's okay too. Personally, I think the Pagan and Polytheistic communities have too many leaders and not enough followers. It's fine to just be who you are. 

In the Goodness of the Gods,

Chris Aldridge.

Sources:

Burket, Walter, Greek Religion, Blackwell Publishing, Malden, MA, 1985.     

How To Build Your Own Pagan/Polytheistic Community

In Hellas, Disabled Could Still Be Devotee

Gryphon In The Nashville Parthenon

When I saw that the Greek Reporter had posted an old article recently about disabled people in ancient Greece, it made me think back to a discussion my wife and I have had over the years. The article discussed the archaeological discoveries that ancient Greeks built ramps in buildings and temples for disabled citizens. 

In ancient Hellas, not only do we find depictions of disabled and elderly people, but also that they were not kept exempt from religious activities or public affairs (all of which were religious). The theological and philosophical discussion my wife and I have engaged in on the topic has to do with our son and a part of Greek myth. For those who may not know, our son Gryphon was born in 2010 at 24 weeks, severely premature. But thanks to the Gods, excellent doctors, and loving parents who never gave up on him, he survived. In fact, he started his first day of middle school last week. Of course, he does have some disabilities. He has cerebral palsy, uses very little verbal communication, and has some tightening in his left calf. But he can still walk, run and play, and live as normally as his circumstance can. The additional topic of the discussion is the ancient myth of Hephaistos having disabilities, and yet he was still a highest God and an amazingly beautiful and powerful creator. Of course, I don't think most Hellenists today believe that any God is disabled, but that part of myth shows, I think, that being disabled in the old Greek world was not a spiritual barrier, and could therefore enter the presence of the Gods like anyone else.

It has been a wonderful pleasure watching our son grow into a Hellenist. The best part is that we have never taught or told him to be. Our children can follow any religion they want, but he began visiting our Athena sanctuary on his own and praying to Her in his own personal ways. Disabled as he may be, he seemingly finds most of his patronage from Athena. The Gods do not exclude him in any way because of his uncontrollable conditions. In fact, they nursed him through the hardest parts. I've never seen a boy as happy as Gryphon, while having so many reasons he could choose to be the opposite. The Gods gave the world a very special gift in Gryphon, and I think they want people to see that.

Please take some time to read the Greek Reporter's article.

In the Goodess of the Gods,

Chris Aldridge. 

Paganism Will Find Rescue Behind The City State Wall

In my life as an ancient Greek priest, it has not been a surprising event to receive news that a national Pagan organization has collapsed or been disbanded. It has never pertained to the Hellenic community, but just today I was given word of a fairly large nationwide organization that fell (I'm not going to say which). I have watched power grabs, bigotry and drama become the graveyard of Pagan groups and leaders over the last 13 years. Why it's so common in Paganism, and why we haven't learned from it yet, I have no idea. I think that's one reason my own temple has stood for so long, because we have a strong structure that is intentionally immune to those antics. But the bigger question, I think, is why do small Pagan organizations do well while national ones face dissolution? I think it's entirely because we are trying to be organized religion, which is not compatible with Paganism at large, nor is it how our ancestors did things, and for good reason.

In ancient Greece, every community was spread out across City States and Cults. Sometimes the cities came together to defend against a common threat, but when the war was over, they all separated and went back to their cities and regions. There is no way that one government or one order could have successfully ruled all of the cities as one. The idea alone would be beyond the realm of the ridiculous. There would have been constant strife, infighting, rebellion and coups, despite the fact that they all believed in the same Gods. My own temple serves Machesney Park, Illinois and nearby towns if needed, but I would have absolutely no business going down to Springfield and inserting myself into someone else's temple or organization, even if they were Hellenists like myself.

When we think about the American system of government, we commonly envision Washington D.C. with the grand temples and chambers, but in reality, that's just the place where all of the states meet. The fact of the matter is that American government is mostly spread out over 50 states, 3,006 counties, 19,495 cities, towns and villages, and 13,800 districts, all with their own local systems of governance and regulation. Here in Illinois, we of course call ourselves Americans, but we are also Illinoians. Our government could not possibly govern the people of Florida (even though they are Americans too) because we are just too different. If Illinois tried to rise and govern all the states with Illinois government, it would be a disaster at best.

With smaller organizations, there is also less temptation for corruption and usurping, which are always hallmarks in the destruction of groups. Think about how many people would love to take President Biden's seat, even people in his own administration. Now think about how many people want to take the seat of the Mayor of Machesney Park, Illinois. You probably don't even know who he is. While there would certainly be some individuals who would like a shot, the pile of gold is far, far smaller, and therefore less attractive to tyrants, thieves and corruption. 

People in the ancient world met and traded, but they did not live under one rule. Now Greece today is ruled by one government, certainly more than in any ancient period, but the present Greece is not even a shadow of what it once was. Most of the people are far more passive, oppressed and less motivated, if they even have any idea as to their ancient identities.

I advocate, not just for my own religious community, but all Pagan and Polytheistic organizations, to exist as numerous independent entities across the country and world. If faced with common threats, we should of course unite, and when good comes from it, we can meet and interact, but we should then return home and not attempt to rule one another. Sometimes we are trying to cover too much ground with too much diversity. The longer you extend a tape measurer, the more flimsy it becomes until it collapses. We should adopt the idea of the City State and the Locality for each community, in that each local area is encouraged to have their own temple or organization which is solely for the people of that area. Not only will it make Paganism stronger and harder to destroy, it will increase support for all Pagans out there.

In the Goodness of the Gods,

Chris Aldridge.