Why Hellenismos? A Look From The Inside

Many people know the amazing story about how I officially converted to Hellenic Polytheism, and my notable experiences throughout the years, but if I were to put those aside and focus on why I find Hellenism the most appealing in everyday life, what would I say? Why Hellenismos? Why have I chosen this religion for the rest of my life? What makes it so compelling? What does it all mean to me personally? 

Well, before I start answering these questions, I think it's first important to consider the specific path of Greek religion I follow, Hellenismos, which is the Reconstructionist/Traditional denomination. The reason this is important is because, one, I wasn't always of that persuasion. I spent many years as a Hellenic Neo-Pagan. And two, the core of Hellenismos plays a significant role in why I choose the religion for my life.

For some Neo-Pagans, the idea of a Reconstructionist religion makes them cringe with nightmares of rigidness and dogma, things that some Pagans left monotheism to escape. However, one of the greatest appeals for me in Hellenismos is actually the LACK of dogma and rigidness. For starters, we don't really have a "correct belief system." We are, of course, united by our belief in the Greek Gods and ancient Greek theology, but no one is mandated to adhere to a certain group of myths or the beliefs of a few ancient individuals. It's perfectly legitimate for a Reconstructionist to have their own personal views on things, even when it comes to theology. Reconstructionists are more so united by a certain method of practice, that being the practices of the ancient Greeks. We simply believe that the ancient Greeks best knew how to connect with the ancient Greek Gods, and therefore, we continue their practices, prayers, invocations and ceremonies, not because we want to role play or reenact, but because it makes us feel the most spiritual, and the Gods still speak to us on an individual level. There is a solid backbone in the religion that gives my own life a feeling of structure and foundation. I hate feeling as if I am "going with the wind" so to speak. I love knowing what is before me in my life. I don't enjoy the burden of having to create something brand new every time I want to be religious. Instead, I know much of how to practice my religion already, and I can work on perfecting those practices the more I do them. I never feel alone in any way with Hellenismos. We have a wonderful community and methods, and the teachings of the ancient Greeks are always there to give us continued light and inspiration in our modern movement.

I also very much enjoy the world heritage of the religion. Especially if you live in the Western World and the United States, it's nearly impossible to not see the heritage of ancient Greece everywhere you go, and in mostly everything you do. While so many people refuse to acknowledge said facts, we participate in ancient Greek life every time we vote, elect leaders, debate, hold courts with judges and juries, do math and science, and use a free market to name a mere few. It's actually quite difficult to find something in the West that cannot be traced back to the ancient Greeks in origin. Anyone who tells you that ancient Greece holds no significance to our nation, is either ignorant, or they're hoping you are. Therefore, it's always nice to feel like you're part of something greater than yourself.

The rest is a little more difficult to put into words. It's like trying to describe a feeling that presently has no known title. The immense peace and intrigue that the Greek Gods and ancient Greece give me is intense. Even during my greatest mental breakdowns, when I'm lashing out or about the explode, coming back to the Gods restrains me at least enough to bring me back to a sane state. I don't even have to actively worship to feel it. Just thinking on the Gods and their ancient culture is enough to bring the peace and wonder. It gives me an enormous sense of being grounded and safe in the embrace of a cosmic goodness.

These are a few of the reasons I choose Hellenismos.

In the Goodness of the Gods,
Chris Aldridge.

How To Build An Outside Sanctuary That Will Withstand The Elements

For 2.5 years, my Sanctuary of Artemis has stood completely unmoved without cement, glue or nails, despite the fact that the area gets heavy snow and ice in the winter, and hard and powerful rain and wind storms in the spring and summer. You too can build these kinds of natural worship areas with little labor and low cost. All you need is a little land and personal drive.

Step One: In ancient Greece, sanctuaries were sometimes built in caves, which no doubt provided amazing protection. This did not go unnoticed by me when I built my own sanctuary. I chose sturdy terrain and surrounding buildings. As you can see from the first picture on the left, the sanctuary is basically in a cave-like area. The only fully open direction is the front, or the entrance where the sunlight mostly penetrates. The back, left and right are all cut off by bigger, stronger structures, like my house on the right, my concrete carport behind, and another building on the left that isn't my own. It sits on other property, but is still close enough to protect the smaller structures around it. The sanctuary has no doubt been spared natural destruction in its past because of these factors. The other nice thing is that it provides you with a good level of privacy when you want to go there to worship, pray, sacrifice, or just be alone for a while. So step one is to surround the sanctuary with naturally stronger things. These can be as complex as buildings, or as simple as large trees. Something that is left completely out in the open, is going to get hit by everything around.

Step Two: I employed the soil of Earth Herself to help me stand the structures of the sanctuary. The column in the center that holds the statue of Artemis is actually nothing but a hard and hollow plastic, very light weight. So how does it stay in place without cement or something extremely heavy on top? Answer: soil. In the picture on the right, you will notice the base of the column. The very bottom platform of the column is completely buried by dirt and mud. When the soil was loose and wet, I dug a hole big enough to place the base of the column in, then I packed it extremely with the surrounding mud. Once it dried and hardened, the column basically became part of the ground itself. It's hard to move the ground unless there's an earthquake.

Step Three: Simply put, make sure the vital structures are made for outside, or can at least hold up in such natural conditions. My statue of Artemis is made of pure bronze, and while that may sound expensive and toilsome to carry, it's not at all. I believe the statue was a little over $100 when I bought it, and it's not anymore than 5 or 6 pounds, I'm certain. Yet it's heavy enough to not be moved easily, and strong enough to not be broken down by natural weather. Combine this with the natural footings and the protections of a cave, and you have an amazingly strong sanctuary. 

In the Goodness of the Gods,
and Blessings to you all, my friends,

Chris Aldridge.

When The Gods Hear You, You Know It

Moving is highly stressful, not to mention all of the financial dealings you have to go through. But, here I am again, about to move an hour and a half away from my present home to the region of Rockton and South Beloit, Illinois. Since my wife and I have been together, we have moved every year since 2009 up until 2015, when we settled in Elizabeth, IL up to this present date. Why are we moving again, you might ask? Well, human migration really hasn't changed that much since the old days. We used to move where the herds went. Now, we move where the jobs are, such as in my case. I have really enjoyed Elizabeth and the surrounding region, but when it comes down to it, there are just no prosperous jobs here. So my wife landed one out to the east of the state. There's also far more opportunity in our new area for the temple that I run. The hardest part, however, is that you know that moving a house is Tartaros on Earth; no one in the right mind wants to, or enjoys it. The last time, I moved the entire apartment alone, with nothing more than a hand truck and a moving van. Perhaps after I die, I will be the Hero of Movers, or the Patron of Toilsome Endeavors, or something like that.

Some time ago, I was lounging in my car at the park in Stockton, Illinois, thinking about all my stresses, worries and fears. Sometimes, life becomes too hard to deal with on our own, and that's when the Gods are there. My wife told me in the past, "Sometimes, you have to just give it up to the Gods." I tilted my head back, closed my eyes, and began to pray to Athene for strength, and Hermes for success in the move. When the Gods hear you, you know it, because a smothering blanket of peace and love came over me, complete calmness and delight. My troubles troubled me no more. I knew things were going to be ok one way or another, there was nothing to fear. There is nothing that can hold rule over me so long as the Gods are by my side.

The peace simply came in knowing that they heard me. Absolutely nothing had happened yet in regards to the move. We had not even found a new home. But I knew the Gods heard my words, a simple common man, and that alone was enough. Their power and presence is beyond amazing. There are no words which a human mouth or hand can use to describe it. The best I can say is that, when you're in the presence of the Gods, goodness is all that exists there.

In the Goodness of the Gods.
Chris Aldridge.

Are The Gods Perfect?

Sometimes, I get the question, Do you think the Gods are perfect? The problem with this question first and foremost, is that humans have no idea what perfection is. Not a single mortal on this planet can look at a forest and tell me which tree is perfect, or look at the sky and tell me which cloud doesn't have any imperfections. No one can tell me which blade of grass is better, the tall or short one. No human can even tell me which human being is perfect and which one isn't, and more so, explain why. Which color of hair, eyes or skin is perfect? What height is perfect? Which sex is perfect? If you get where I'm going with this, good.

Are the Gods perfect? The plain answer is, I couldn't say, because as a human, and like every other human around me, I have no idea what perfection is. There are, however, a few ideas we might entertain. One, perhaps everything is indeed perfect because everything is exactly the way it's supposed to be. And/or two, if there is no perfection, perhaps there doesn't even need to be. Do the Gods have to be perfect? No, they don't. But they are undoubtedly the highest level of perfection that could possibly exist. In other words, if they're not perfect, they are certainly as close to it as you can get, completely unmatched in the universe. When I praise the Gods, or invoke them for something, what I am literally doing is praising or asking for that highest level of something. Their power doesn't have to be perfect in order to be unsurpassed. The idea that a God must be perfect really more so comes from the Judeo-Christian mythos than anything else. In order for the early Christians to claim theological superiority over everyone, they had to create a perfect deity. It's not really something that existed a lot in Pagan culture, and yet the Pagans still loved their Gods all the same. It does not, by any means, indicate that the Gods are not excellent.

Then the final question begs, if the Gods aren't perfect, why worship them? The answer is simple, because they are the Gods. Your parents may not be perfect, but you still love them. Your boss may not be perfect, but you still respect him or her. Your spouse may not be perfect, but you're still devoted to them until the end. Why should the Gods, who are far greater than anything else, not be given the same respect, obedience, and loyalty? It makes no sense to be devoted to imperfect humans, but refuse to worship a God on the grounds that they may not be perfect. A human is far weaker and less wise than a God, whereas a God will exceed the human in all things. To adore the human and reject the God isn't logical. 

So, are the Gods perfect? My answer is, it doesn't matter.

In the Goodness of the Gods,

Chris Aldridge.

Christian Pastor Threatens Nashville Parthenon

It's April Fools Day, so here's a fool, was my initial response when I came across a facebook video posted by Hellenic Awakening of a Christian Pastor named Pastor Dowell, walking into the main chambers of the magnificent Nashville Parthenon. There he gets on video, calling Athene ugly names, calling Her a "false God," and threatening to "take a sledgehammer" and destroy it. He also makes a reference to the Goddess Nike who is in the hand of Athene's statue, equating it with the popular shoe brand. He's apparently too ignorant to realize that it's not the Goddess who is named after the shoe, but the shoe that was named after the Goddess far later in human history. I'm willing to bet he doesn't even know what the name Nike means without looking it up. The video was posted on his own youtube channel last summer, but was uploaded to the Hellenic facebook page this year. For those who wish to see this magnificent display of human idiocy, I will put a link at the end of this post, but for now, I want to talk about my thoughts on the matter in full.

One of the first thoughts that ran through my mind was the fact that he's clearly a radical Christian and monotheist who hates the old Gods, yet he pays money to enter Athene's temple, money that will be used to help maintain the facility and the things inside it, including the statue. Maybe he didn't think of that initially, but it's amazing to me how he would be so dedicated to his hate that he would actually help support what he hates just so he could film it for one minute and fifteen seconds.

I'm not really concerned with his personal religious opinions about Athene or the Greek religion. For two thousand years, we've heard these rants about "false Gods" and the host of other insults the anti-Polytheism crowd throws. The Greek Gods have been more real in my life than Jesus ever dared to, that's for sure. But whatever he personally believes, I could not care less about. It's what he threatened to do next that has me upset. He said he wanted to take a sledgehammer and destroy it, meaning presumably the statue of Athene.

The fact that he would somehow think he has a right to destroy something that other people spent a lot of money building and maintaining, really shows not only how crazy he is, but how little he regards other human beings. It shows what he thinks of the human right to freedom of religion, expression, and private property. Everyone who built, maintains and admires that temple is completely willing to give this pastor his religious freedom, but he's not willing to give it back to them in return. What's notable is how comparable his words are to that of the Islamic State, who also goes around taking hammers to statues and other ancient relics.

I also find it equally disturbing that no Christians have come out to condemn his words. 

There are some things I think we need to consider here. One, the Nashville Parthenon should be notified of this man issuing public threats against their establishment. I do plan to contact the facility soon and inform them of my concerns. I will also be sending a copy of the video along with it. Two, it should remind Hellenists and Pagans that the threats to our rights and the things we hold dear are still, unfortunately, very real in our time. We've been facing it for centuries, and sadly, it still hasn't ended. And three, consider donating to and/or being a patron of the Nashville Parthenon so they can remain strong and growing. I've been there twice to give reverence to the Goddess, and it truly is a wonderful place.

The man ends his video stating that our nation doesn't fear his god. Well, that's one of the best things about the United States. No one is obligated to fear his god, or worship his god, or do anything that supports his religion or worldviews. Rest assured, our founders had people like him in mind when they wrote the first amendment, guaranteeing freedom of religion and protection to all human beings. It's still extremely vital that we don't forget that, and are always prepared to stand and defend it against tyrants, fascists and terrorists.

Link to Video - Click Here

In the Goodness of the Gods,

Chris Aldridge.

The Poor Man's Offering

Even as far back as ancient times, people have thought the Gods to be impressed, perhaps even to require, extravagant offerings and gifts for their favor. But one of my favorite stories of ancient Greece comes from the Oracle of Delphi herself. It is unknown when this occurred, as in an exact date or century, at least according to my own records. Nevertheless, the moral of the event teaches us a very strong lesson, especially if we are followers of ancient Greek religion.

The story has no title I have seen, so I shall name it The Poor Man's Offering. While we may not have a lot of official information, we do have the name of the man in question, Hermioneus. Surely by now, even the fragments of his bones have withered away as his soul rests hopefully in Elysium, but his story remains with us for all time.

A very rich man of Thessaly once went to offer to Apollon at the Delphic temple. Hermioneus was there as well. The rich man showered the God with splendid gifts that only the fullest of pockets and bank accounts could accrue, thinking that surely he now possessed the favor of the God. When Hermioneus came forth to present his gifts, he merely took from his pouch a small portion of barely and placed it upon the altar.  No doubt, the rich man nearly died laughing, at least in his own mind. But through the Delphic Oracle, Apollon spoke, and said that He liked the offering of Hermioneus more.

You see, the rich man was concerned with vanity, whereas Hermioneus was concerned with sincere devotion. It was nothing for the rich man to give Apollon the best money could buy, because he had all the money. However, it was a very telling act of character for the poor man to give what he could, to do his best, in the face of the Gods. The fact of the matter is that the Gods do not need anything we can give them. Apollon could have gotten all of the gifts the rich man gave him entirely on his own. What the Gods enjoy seeing is devotion and supplication, that we humble ourselves and realize who the Gods are. It doesn't matter if you offer one slice of bread from the Dollar Store, or the finest gold in all of America. The gift itself means nothing to the God or Goddess because they already own it. All of the universe is theirs. What they don't own is your devotion, your worship, and your love. For you to give that freely, means the most of all. 

In the Goodness of the Gods,

Chris.

Source - Stagman, Myron, 100 Prophecies of the Delphic Oracle, City-State Press, 1999.

Prayer Works ~ A Pagan Perspective

Some people, even religious ones, think that prayer doesn't work, that it changes nothing about you or the world. That at best, it's just for personal reflection and nothing more. I can say from experience that this is utterly untrue. Prayer may not always give us the results we want if the Gods wish a different course, or if something is just not meant to be now or ever, but it's not true to say that prayer has no benefits.

I actually became Hellenic officially because of a prayer that the Gods answered right in front of me within a few seconds of the petition. So for someone, even a high religious leader, to stand there and tell me prayer doesn't work, makes me yawn and slowly blink at best.

Let's begin this discussion about prayer on a personal level, then we will move to the outside world. As someone who has suffered from real and severe mental issues like depression and anxiety, I can say prayer has been better than medication and therapy. I can wake up in the morning feeling awful, but when I am in, and complete, my daily rites and I put my necklace around my neck and say, "I go forth in the Gods today," my physical life completely changes 100%. I am happy and at peace through the Gods. I feel fulfilled and purposeful. My doctors have even told me to institute prayer time as a treatment since it works for me. Literally, it solves my personal problems. When you are in the presence of the Gods, all things evil and harmful flee. You don't experience them anymore because they simply don't exist in Their presence.

Now, let's talk about prayer in terms of the outside world. I too have seen prayer change things in these regards before. My family was recently involved in an ugly lawsuit with a former employer. We were not in the wrong in the matter, but they compiled loads of claims and "witnesses" against us. We thought for sure that we were going to lose and owe them about $3,000. I cannot tell you how many times I prayed to Athene for victory in the matter, the Goddess of Law and justice. Not only did we win completely as our foe exhausted all of their appeals, but they ended up having to pay us over $1,000 at ruling. That same week, after more prayer to the Gods for successful employment, my wife got the job she had been wanting for a while. Before our supplication to the Gods, all was in fearful question. Our very livelihoods were in doubt. But once the Gods heard our prayers, and saw that we were the ones on the side of justice, victory was ours 100%.

Don't tell me prayer doesn't work. It can make the worst things go away, and the most dismal of fortunes take a turn for the best.

In the Goodness of the Gods,

Chris.