Passing Through This Place

I turned 40 last year, and as time has passed, I found myself growing increasingly aware of the fact that I'm getting older, and to be frank, it has scared me greatly. It was incredibly interesting because, for years, I struggled with thoughts of suicide. But after reaching 40, I realized how badly I want to live and how much I cherish life. But in so realizing, fear grows as well, because you start to struggle with the concept of your own mortality, that each day is one step closer to the inevitable. When you get older, you start to think about what it will be like when you never wake up again.

I began to remember all the people I have lost throughout my life, such as my grandparents, my dad, and really good friends who died too young. It's hard to lessen the pain. In fact, you might even blame yourself for not being there for them more.

Last week, I took a trip back home to North Carolina to see what remains of my family and friends, in hopes it would better my mood. My grandmother Joyce did give me a bright light of hope when she told me something that I had never thought of before but that was obvious. People in my family tend to live a long time unless they do something to shorten it, such as drinking and smoking and bad eating. But even then, some of my family members lived into their 70s. I imagine they'd still be alive if they had lived healthier.

But even so, no one can live in this current body forever. Everything in this life seems so fragile and temporary. Because it is. So how do we cope with it? Do we just accept it and enjoy life while we have it, not letting it bother us because it's useless to worry about anyway? Perhaps.

I find myself crying for everyone who has passed on these days, because their lives mattered, and they all made some kind of impact on others or the world around them. The people in our lives are one of a kind. The relationships we form will never again exist except in this lifetime. And so, we must love and nurture those relationships and the experiences we have in the world.

Remembering my beliefs also made me realize something else. I have said that I want to live forever, and I have come to realize that that is possible, just not with this body. This old body eventually has to go. So perhaps soon I won't be worried about it anymore. I know the Gods are with my soul.

In the Goodness of the Gods,

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

Chris Aldridge.

Blessings In Your Everyday Life

Throughout our daily lives, we tend to overlook the small, yet influential and meaningful blessings that the Gods, Spirits and Heroes may give us. And thus, we don't notice them in our busy and sometimes stressful lives. But they are important to take note of, because they give us peace, purpose and even enlightenment, and make us realize that even in our worst times, perhaps life isn't so bad. It goes all the way back to the writings of Homer in The Odyssey when we're basically taught to recognize a good omen when we see it.

I'll give you an example from my own life recently. During one of my outings on a regular day, I decided to stop by the local Exxon Mobil and cash in some of my old lottery scratch off tickets, worth about $6. I bought a couple of new ones with it and hit $50. Certainly not a shopping spree, but it was enough for me to enjoy the rest of the day to myself, some time away from home and work. And so, recognizing it as a small blessing of leisure that could only do me good at that point in my life, I took it and enjoyed myself.

To a lot of people, such an event might not seem significant at all, but not if you know how to see everyday blessings. But it's not just immediate things like that. Consider your life, your health, your family, the nice weather, the fact that you have a job, a spouse, children, food, a home and a comfy bed. There are so many everyday blessings that you never take note of, but should.

In the Goodness of the Gods,

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

Chris Aldridge.

Why, Christofors, Do You Worship The Greek Gods? Well, Friend, I Shall Elaborate

First and foremost, the Gods are everything. If we are to believe, as the Orphic Hymns suggest, that they are in everything, even in the air we venerate (Hymn to Hera), then we live and breathe the Gods. Each day, they give us what we need for our survival, success and also enjoyment of life. I worship them in gratitude for all that they give and do for humanity, the world and universe. It's about their due honor. Rarely do I worship the Gods because I want something in return. It's about respecting what is and being grateful for what I have as a human being.

Second, simply the pleasure of it. Praying and offering to the Gods on a daily basis brings bliss into my life. It's not uncommon at all for a Hellenist to feel extremely wonderful each time they pray, pour a libation or perform a ritual, and that's because the presence of the Gods is simply wondrous. It releases of all pain, fear and worry, and lifts you into a higher state. Simply put, I do it because of the bliss. 

Third, I have dedicated my life to the Gods. Not only because I am a priest, but because they have done so much for me and my family during my lifetime, more than I may be worthy of in life, I don't know. But for the blessings they have given thus far, it's the splendor that a man can ask for, and thus, I am grateful. 

If nothing else, I would do it simply because of how amazing the Gods are. Their history, religion, myths, mysteries, temples, all of the things that make them intriguing and wonderful. There is a common human need to have something higher than ourselves. We are born looking for the Gods. It gives us purpose beyond the mundane, if you want to call it that. When we know there's more to this life than just the basics, we tend to become happier and more enlightened.

In the Goodness of the Gods,

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

Chris Aldridge.

Body and Blood of a God - To Drive Out Depression

There is a Hellenic ritual that I believe so very strongly in because it has worked for me countless times over. I call it The Dionysian Rite, and it does, in fact, have ancient Greek origins.

The belief in wine being the blood of the vine is very ancient, and the concept of ingesting the body and blood of a God is not unique to the Christian religion. It, also, is very ancient. Christianity is also not the first religion to have a Savior God. That, too, is ancient, and while more than one Greek God carried the Epithet of Savior, Dionysos is known as the God of life who returned from death.

This rite was probably done in a Cult setting with specific instructions, but we can also adopt cultic practices in modern Hellenism. Dionysos had worshipers who would attack, kill and eat a bull (the sacred animal of Dionysos), and in so doing, considered themselves to be eating the God's body and drinking His blood. I adopted this concept for my own temple, using chocolate (an ecstatic food) along with wine or grape juice to be the body and blood of Dionysos, since Dionysos is also the God of ecstasy and wine and grapes. Now, if you can find pieces of chocolate shaped like a bull, that would be of the most ideal, but if not, a typical piece will do. The richer the better, and the more pure and fresh the wine or grape juice, the better.

While this is a practice I have adopted for my temple's general activity, it also has many benefits for the personal human body. It's important to remember that while this ritual mirrors others in modern time, it's not about salvation from our humanity, because our humanity is not damned, it's blessed. There is no "cross to bear." Dionysos reminds us that it's alright to live.

Whenever I am feeling depressed or anxious, I have found that the ritual does wonders for freeing me from it and returning me to the lively world. Depression and anxiety is a form of death for the human system, and thus when life is fused back into you, it pushes the death out. I don't even have to do it in a formal setting. I just hold the chocolate in my hand, and before eating it, I say, "Body or Spirit of Dionysos." And if I drink wine or grape juice, "Blood of Dionysos." The depression, and any other ailment of the mind and spirit I may be feeling, is then dissolved. Of course, it may be beneficial beforehand to ask Dionysos to bless the food and drink as His blessings upon the "food of joy and the drink of the vine."

I'm not saying that someone should give up medical treatment for their depression or other mental illnesses. I'm simply saying that adding spirituality to it, might be the completion to the cure you need. Again, I believe so strongly in the power of this rite that I encourage fellow Hellenists and Pagans to give it a try.

In the Goodness of the Gods,

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

Chris Aldridge.

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

The Wine of Bacchos-Dionysus, Hellenic Gods, 2010, accessed Nov. 10th,

2025, https://www.hellenicgods.org/the-wine-of-bacchus-dionysus.

Hekataios, Oracle, Dionysus and The Sacred Bull, The Cave of Oracle, 2010, accessed Nov. 10th, 2025, https://oraclehekataios.com/2014/02/10/dionysus-and-the-sacred-bull/.

Hellenic Ideas: Low Cost Shrines

The more I practice my daily rites at my personal shrine and altar, the more I realize that you don't need massive temples or worship space to be a good practicing Hellenist. The large temples of course have their immense value, but you don't have to have one. 

In the picture on the left, I have put together a prayer space that I don't think has been shown before in modern Hellenism, at least not on my site. But I came up with the idea this past Saturday after visiting a new Pagan supplier in Freeport, Illinois.

This style of shrine combines some of Minoan, ancient Doric Greece, and some modern Spiritualism. The Minoan comes from the tree sanctuary, where a single pillar was set up in the precinct of the tree and surrounded by a wall. The column is from the Doric era of ancient Greece. And at the bottom are precious spiritual stones. One is Pink Mangano Calcite (which aids in a connection to Divine love) and Opalite (which helps improve spiritual communication).

And just to verify, the stones do work very well. Just by holding them, I felt immense peace and love flowing through me. In fact, it may encourage me to do more stone work in a Hellenic format in the future. There was most certainly such a thing as sacred stones in ancient Greek culture, religion and mythology, such as the Baetylus, which was a sacred stone pillar that was used as a specific cultic symbol of a God. Or my personal favorite, the Navel of the Earth stone at Delphi.

At this point, all one needs in addition is incense and an incense burner as a way to do daily offerings, and they can offer and pray here to any of the Greek Gods they so desire or need to; that's the first best part about it. The second best part is that it costs very little to construct. This column is held up by a wall niche, and is only a foot or a little over tall, and can be painted any color(s), and the stones were 90 cents a piece, which means you could probably buy as many or as diverse of a collection as you want, depending on your spiritual needs and focus.

Finally, it takes up very little room. I set this up next to my bedside for the photo, in the far corner of the room. It does not impose on anything at all. Literally, anyone can build a consecrate one.

In the Goodness of the Gods,

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

Chris Aldridge.

All The Reasons To Give Offerings and Sacrifices to The Gods

Many of us give offerings to the Gods on a daily basis, but have we ever really stopped to examine why we do so, beyond the simple fact that it's in our religious customs? Some people may not even see the need for such expressions and actions, but they are very important. 

I want to begin by saying that I do not worship and offer to the Gods merely because I want them to give me something. I do it because I love them and enjoy their presence. They make life more blissful. 

1, We give offerings to the Gods because it is their due honor. After all, they are the Gods. As the rulers of all the universe, they deserve reverence.

2, To show gratitude for what has been given, and what may be given in the future - reciprocity. It's basic decency that when someone gives you something, you give them something in return.

3, To ensure continued relationship. The more we connect with the Gods in good and positive ways, showing the first two realities listed above, the more we ensure their favor in our lives. 

4, Finally, to simply show how much you love the Gods. When it comes to those you love, like your family and friends, you show them expressions of that love. The Gods are no different. Through all that we do, from simple prayers to complex hymns, offerings, sacrifices, dances, and other religious services, we show the Gods how much we love and adore them. For me personally, I think people would notice that I am normally always doing something for the Gods. Even if it's just restoring and painting a statue, writing a new prayer, building a new sanctuary, or upkeeping the older ones. I am always trying to think of something new I can do today, and if you are in the same boat, here's a list of things you can do for the Gods on a daily basis,

• Paint/restore a statue.
• Paint a statue.
• Write a new prayer or hymn.
• Build a sanctuary.
• Build a new shrine.
• Learn something new about the Gods or ancient Greece.
• Care for places sacred to the Gods.
• Journal your experiences with the Gods or Heroes.
• Start a temple or an online group dedicated to the Gods in some way.

In the Goodness of the Gods,

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

Chris Aldridge.

Will You Go To The Asphodel Meadows?

The ancient Greek Underworld is a fascinating place. In fact, the entire afterlife of ancient Greece is profound and capitavating because there are so many possibilities. A lot of Hellenists believe in reincarnation because it's talked about in Plato. But I'm more traditional; I believe in the Underworld and the many roads that proceed from it. I do not deny the possibility of reincarnation, but I do believe that most of us will go to some place that the Underworld leads us to. There are three main realms, two of them being extremes. Elysium/Isle of the Blessed is where the most virtuous souls go, and Tartaros is where exceptionally wicked people are sent to be punished. Tartaros is our version of Hell, except one could argue that it's not an eternal sentence. Once the price has been paid, the soul can leave. 

Then there's the Asphodel Meadows. This is where "ordinary" people go, those who are neither good nor evil. It's considered the destination of most souls. The name, Asphodel, means flowery and fertile. The flowers that cover it are ghostly looking in color, and the atmosphere is like overcast. Which, I must confess, I initially do not find pleasant because I love sunshine, but then again, we don't know everything about the afterlife until we have actually ventured there. Asphodel flowers actually do the best in sunlight, so who knows? There may indeed be sun there.

Do you consider yourself "ordinary?" Do you think you are more likely to go to Asphodel? I asked my wife this question, and she said she does plenty of extraordinary things that common people are either unable or unwilling to do, especially for poor and homeless people. I think I am more than ordinary as well, because I've started a lot of people on their path to Hellenism with my works. I have helped to rebuild ancient Greek religion in the modern world, even though it's a small contribution. So I cannot say where I will go. But we will all go to one of these 3 places. Unless you become a Hero, then you will ascend.

But there is one thing that I am indeed certain of. Unless you live an evil life, there is nothing to fear.

Picture Attribution: By SuperJew - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=56861127