Why We Should Find Comfort In Fate

Most people probably reject the idea of fate. Some might even get offended. "How dare you presume that I don't have complete control over myself!" But in reality, no one has 100% dictation over their life. Several things are always out of our control, such as how someone we fall in love with will respond, or the family and country we are born into. While much of our life is certainly within our ability to control, it's delusion to think that we are the only ones who guide it. 

We have no dictation over who we come to love, who our children will be, or even where we will go to school or live. We go to the school that accepts us, and live where we can afford or where is practical. Look back at all the decisions you have made, and all the places life has guided you, and ask yourself if those things were really decided by you alone.

In ancient Greek religion, there is belief in the Fates, three Goddesses named Clotho (Spinner), Lachesis (Allotter), and Atropos (Inevitable). When someone is born, the thread of their life is spun out, and their life ends when it is eventually cut. Along the way, that person's destiny is played out through their life. In my own belief, I do not believe that everything is spun out already, but I do believe that pivotal moments are already decided, it's simply up to us what we do with the roads that have been paved before us therein.

But there is one comfort about fate that I have grown to find peace in all of my life, even when I wasn't a Hellenist. Ancient Greeks were not the only ones who believed in a certain form of predestination, and I was thinking about this yesterday as I was driving to get my son from school. A lot had been going through my mind as of late, but the belief in the Fates kind of calmed that chaos. 

Even when I was a younger man before my life as a Hellenist, people around me believed that Deity had already determined when we would die, our ultimate end was nothing to worry about, and so we could live life without that worry of impending doom. This wasn't just a Common Era belief either. Homer Himself said the same, "Nothing can send me into Haides until it is my time, nor stop it when it comes." 

Not only as a Hellenist, but as a general person, that gives me immense comfort, and it should give you peace as well. As a child I would have been terrified of such a notion, but there is a time for all things. Wisdom is knowing this, and peace is knowing that all things happen for a reason, that we are part of something far bigger than ourselves, and that's the beauty of it all. There's no need to worry about our ultimate fates, we only need to worry about enjoying our life in the here and now, and making it the best we can.

In the Goodness of the Gods,

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

Chris Aldridge.

Can Greek Gods Speak Through Clergy?

In ancient Greek religion, clergy do not act as representatives of the Gods, or as people who speak for the Gods. In other words, we let the Gods speak for themselves. We don't presume to know what a God thinks, teaches or desires, because that would be hubris at best.

However, that's not to say that the Gods can't send messages through people, namely their clergy. After all, the Oracle of Delphi was a Priestess who spoke the words sent to her by Apollon. She did not speak for Him, but she did relay His already spoken words to other mortals.

The Gods are above our plane of existence, and thus they use a variety of channels to communicate with us, although of course, nothing stops them from coming and going to and from any realm they so please, and at their own wills. But I also think that the Gods have a vast array of duties and functions, and manifest in different ways, to different people, and for different reasons.

But absolutely, they can speak through their Priests and Priestesses. For all we know, they could be speaking through me now as I write this, so that humanity can know more about them, or about a specific topic.

Clergy spend an exceptional amount of time being devoted to the Gods, and I think most of us in the profession today would choose it as our only job if it paid enough. And people who spend the most time with the Gods, will naturally develop a channel to them, but such a channel can also be reversed. 

I think that's one reason we need clergy in Hellenism. Not to tell people what to believe or how to live, but to be a source of comfort and knowledge. I know that, as a Head Priest, there is no other clergy that outranks me, so I literally have no one to talk to for counsel. I go to my wife who's an Oracle, or the local Seer in the next City. Hellenists today don't have a lot of support to turn to.

Yes, it can absolutely happen, and perhaps more often than not, so the words of a Priest or Priestess should not be automatically discounted. You should definitely consider that you're talking to a unique person, and perhaps even someone that the Gods have put in a clergy role for a reason. In the very least, a studied member of the clergy knows what they're talking about when it comes to Hellenism.

In the Goodness of the Gods,

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

Chris Aldridge.

Managing Stress and Anxiety Through Spirituality

I would be untruthful if I said that this isn't one of my favorite topics to cover, as humans are more stressed, anxious and depressed than ever before. Today we live in a very good world compared to the past, but let's face it, it's still hard to make a living, so we're worried and stressed over finances, to say nothing of the fact that we're concerned about our marriages, relationships, education, children, and healthcare to name a few that can easily become overwhelming.  However, it's also proven that consistent religious and spiritual practice reduces your stress levels.

I know in my own life that I have experienced unique hardships that most people never will, because I have a special needs child, although I do think that being Hellenic has made him stronger than his disabilities, because he doesn't let anything slow him down, or stop him from getting up every day with excitement. That's the Spirits of the Gods in him, my friends.

As a Spiritual Counselor, there are key things that I teach people on how to conquer every day stresses and anxiety, and that's what I want to share with the readers here on this post.

1. Wake up every day with a love for life and a heart grateful to the Gods. On the surface, that might sound like an extraordinary thing to do every single morning, but think about it more deeply. You woke up this morning, and how many people didn't? How many babies that could have been born, never will be? The fact that you made it here against millions upon millions of odds and competitor sperm, is beyond the miraculous. Not only are you clearly here for a reason, but the Gods chose you to live in this beautiful world when they had no obligation to do so. 

A lot of people can find it hard to believe that they're blessed by the Gods, but really we all are in many ways. The Gods owe us nothing, and yet, we have everything in terms of being alive and conscious. I used to be excited even when I would wake up in the middle of the night. I was happy to get up and be able to do something, especially if it had purpose. In short, there's no reason that you should not be in love with life, and not be grateful to the Gods for every breath and every ray of sunshine.

2. Construct a daily prayer and offering to the Gods. It doesn't have to be an hour long. I have found that my temple's simple daily devotional prayer, which maybe takes 2 minutes, uplifts me tremendously. I light the incense offering, begin with a prayer to Hestia, then to The Dodekatheon, Zeus of the Fence and the Home's Wealth, my temple's Patron Hero and Philosopher, and end again with Hestia as First and Last. The prayers you choose should be significant and relevant to your own personal life and beliefs. Write them out until you are able to commit them to memory, and perform them along with the offering each morning after you have showered and gotten dressed.

3. Finally, create a peaceful environment that you can retreat to for peace of mind. Now we could spend all day talking about how to create a peaceful place for yourself, but the basic things I want you to do is turn off negative news and media, tame your temper, stop worrying, and finally, take at least 10 minutes a day to meditate; it can be about anything. Take more time if you can, but at least the basic timeframe given, because the more you calm your mind and connect with peace, the healthier your mind and brain processes will be. You can also burn good incense, or play calming music, during this time.

In the Goodness of the Gods,

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

Chris Aldridge.

Can Humans Agree On Beauty?

I recently came across a very intriguing question about human beauty. It basically asked if there is a definition of beauty that everyone could understand and agree on? Being someone who, of course, worships Aphrodite, that inquiry picked at my brain quite a bit.

When I was a teenager and young adult, I was far more picky about my taste in women. I think that's the case with a lot of young men. In other words, the beauty they see is, one, very distinct, and two, mainly on the surface of the human body.

But today, I look back on all the women I turned down and deeply regret it, because I realize the great beauty and quality of attractiveness that they possessed. As I grew older, my philosophy became, there is beauty in everything if you have the right eyes. But the question is, what are the "right" eyes? I think we grow up in a society that instills in us reactionary traits that tell us certain things are unattractive or degrading, when in actuality they are not, such as body fat or a deviating characteristic. But when you become older and abandon these social norms, your eyes change. 

I missed out on some wonderful beauty in my life, the beauty of personality, character, and uniqueness. But beauty isn't only about sexuality, and this is where a lot of people lose sight of the wonders of life. I normally see the beautiful in everything around me. I think, especially in the modern age, most people fail in this virtue, not because they lack the ability to achieve it, but because they haven't allowed the perception to enter their minds.

People are generally too occupied with daily stresses and so used to daily life, that the beauty of it all never crosses their minds, and this is where I think humans could agree on beauty if they only allowed themselves to see it. The beauty of nature, of life in general, of even the clothes and jewelry that people wear, the languages they use, and the arts they create. Why do most people not stop to see the inherent beauty in all of these things? We could all agree that life is beautiful. 

What's worse is that the failure to see inherent beauty makes our lives dull, and can even lead us down a road of depression and mental and emotional deterioration. The ancient Greek worldview was one that found the world an amazing place, and life one of the greatest blessings ever bestowed in the universe, especially the complexity and possibilities of being human. 

In the Goodness of the Gods,

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

Chris Aldridge.

The One Day I Left Without My Hermes Talisman, I Broke Down

Part of my regular blogging is to discuss my daily life as a Hellenist, and the experiences that happen therein, whether big or small. And I felt that this one was noteworthy for a profound reason.

Being the God of roads and the Patron of travelers, I have come to realize how deeply Hermes is involved with humankind, because people are always on the move. We are not stationary beings. We are always going somewhere, whether it be down the road to the store or work, or on a long vacation or journey. So I recently got into the habit of carrying or wearing a Hermes talisman every time I left my house, seen in the picture above.

In prayer, I asked for the piece to be endowed with the holiness of the God and His protection and favor on all of my travels when it is with me, and I made it a priority to always have it, and for two or three weeks, I always did, especially when I went to work.

But yesterday, October 9th, for some reason I did not take it with me, but left it on my podium in my office. As I pulled out onto the main road that runs by my house, the car stopped. I drifted it to the middle turning lane out of the heavy traffic, but nevertheless still within its dangerous grasp, as I realized the car was out of gas. Which made no sense because the gauge said I still had 35 miles, and the gas station was only three blocks down. There should have been no reason for my current situation.

But there I was. I knew the car was out of gas because it had happened before when I either didn't notice or didn't bother to gas it up when I should have, but never with 35 miles left. There should have been more than enough to get down to the station. I was luckily able to call a friend close by, who came with her gas can and got me down to the station.

As I was talking to my wife on the phone about it, I will never forget saying, "The one day I go out without my Hermes talisman." I have thought on what Hermes may have been trying to tell me in this. I think it's two things. One, humans should always remember that they need the Gods. I myself have never thought otherwise, but it was a general reminder. And two, the Gods are always with me, because clearly bad things can happen to me when their presence is absent. Hermes may have taken the opportunity to stop that car to show me this. 

Always take the Gods with you on all your journeys. 

In the Goodness of the Gods,

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

Chris Aldridge.

No, The Gods Didn't Used To Be Humans

The more I learn about Orphism, the more I distance myself from it. Of course, in ancient times, Orphism was not a major movement. No City declared it as their State religion. In fact, it was only one of the many cults out there, and there is no historical evidence to even construct a coherent Orphic religion. It was a minority movement at best, based on the teachings of Orpheus. 

Nevertheless, there are still people in modern Hellenism and Paganism who subscribe to it. Which, at the end of the day, is their own choice and right. I'm not here to tell them that their beliefs are invalid. So one should not take this post as an attack on Orphism. My only point of opposition is a disagreement, and an explanation as to why, as I enjoy discussing different beliefs and philosophies. If you believe in Orphism, that's fine! I just don't agree with this significant theology of it.

One of the most disagreeable things about Orphism is their belief in general and inherent infinite ascension. In other words, they believed that the soul starts at the most basic level, such as animals, and evolves to humans, then to levels of Divinity, even to the Olympian Gods themselves. In short, they believe the Gods used to be humans who have now completed their journeys. 

We must first look at the fact that Gods were here before humans, because Greek religion says that Gods created them. Prometheus shaped the human body and Athena breathed life into the human. Even if you don't believe the Gods directly created humans, there's no denying that the Gods preceded them. Ouranos and Gaia came first, and gave birth to Titans, who then gave birth to the Olympian Gods. There's no way the Gods, therefore, can be the reincarnation of humans because humans did not exist when they did.

Second, The Olympian Gods are the highest of all Gods, you can't go any higher. So if humans evolved into Olympians, don't you think there would be trillions of Olympians by now? Even in ancient times, wouldn't there have eventually been at least thousands? But there has always been 12 in the theology of Greek religion. And there is logically nothing beyond Olympos because it's the sum of all the universe. How could there be anything higher than the universe itself?

Some people will point to Gods like Psyche who used to be human before they became Gods, but what you have to understand is that they were granted Godhood by other Gods. They didn't become one on their own. Secondly, humans who became Gods did so after accomplishing near impossible tasks, things that made them more than the average human, before the Gods would grant them ascension. In other words, a human doesn't become a God simply by existing. It has to be extraordinarily earned. It's not inherent. And it's something that happens to the exception, not the rule. 

In my view, logically everything has its own individual course of direction. The course of Immortal Life is Immortal, while that of mortality is mortality. The Gods were, are, and always will be, and therefore they cannot be changed by humans. Gods are Gods and that is all.

In the Goodness of the Gods,

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

Chris Aldridge. 

The Time of Typhon Comes With Hurricane Helene

With the recent news of several states being slammed by the latest Hurricane Helene (which might be a fitting name for this post), it got me thinking about a wonderful topic of mythology, which I always love talking about as I am a Greek mythologist. 

Great storms from the sea have been hitting and influencing human civilization and societies since before written history, and this time, the hurricane struck not only Florida, but several others, including my home State of North Carolina. It's certainly not the first time that a hurricane has devastated American land, and it won't be the last, and my prayers are with those who have been impacted.

To my memory, when I was a child, the worst we ever faced in North Carolina was Hurricane Hugo. Even though we lived in the central part of the State, and the storm hit the coast about 4 hours away, it still left us without power for a long time. Fortunately, we didn't get flooded out, but I image the coastal regions suffered greatly.

Greek religion always gives us something intriguing and mysterious to think about, though. In the religion and mythology of the Hellenes, hurricanes are caused by Typhon (a monster whom Zeus defeated and banished into the depths of Tartaros). It's where we get the name typhoon. So, O' blessed Muses, let me tell the story with wonderful elegance.

Gaia and Tartaros bore the monstrous giant named Typhon, after the Gods of Olympos had overthrown the Titans and destroyed the Giants. He was the youngest of the children, and so chaotic and horrible he was, with one hundred snakes about him that breathed fire and shrieked noises both known and unknown. Typhon challenged Zeus for His throne, and all shook and resounded, for it was a battle of cataclysm. 

Zeus rumbled the heavens and exploded throughout the sky, and all of Earth responded, even down into the bowels of the world itself, gloomy Tartaros, where Titans and enemies of the Gods lay imprisoned, and even did they tremble as fear gripped all of the universe. The lightning of Zeus killed all the heads of the monster, and beaten and mangled as he was, Typhon was hurled down into the depths of Tartaros along with the others.

What a battle that must have been to witness! And I think, in some ways, the ancient battle between chaos and order, law and lawlessness, good and evil, still continues today across the world, whether it be among civilizations or nature itself. The good news is that the Gods always win, and good will always overcome.

In the Goodness of the Gods,

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

Chris Aldridge.

Photo of Zeus and Typhon is in the public domain because the copyright condition of the life of the author plus one hundred years has expired in its country of origin and in the United States of America.