KHARIS

HellenicPolytheismExplored

Sarah Kate IstraWinter

é ie rol o
Payee
 KHARIS
HellenicPolytheism
Explored
~ 24 edition ~

Sarah Kate Istra Winter

First edition 2004 printed by Cafepress.com

Copyright © 2008 by Sarah K. I. Winter

“
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced by any
means or in any form whatsoever without written permission from
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or reviews.

Printed by CreateSpace in the United States of America

 “And then there are the gods. Some guy is running back to
report on the outcome of a battle and he’s running and running, and
he sees Pan in a glade. And Pan says, ‘Tell them to build me a temple
here.’ So he says okay, and runs the rest of the way back. And he
reports the battle news, and then says, ‘Oh, and by the way, Pan
wants you to build him a temple.’ It’s really matter-of-fact, you
know?”

“So there are stories with gods in them. What are you trying
to say? That these guys had hallucinations?”....

“Tlike my theory better,” said Shadow.

“What's your theory?”

“That back then people used to run into the gods from time
to time.” :

- American Gods by Neil Gaiman

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Dedication&Acknowledgements.
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CHAPTER
ONE AncientGreekReligion,46:<crcs--
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15
The Myths; Cult Practice; Temples; Religious Roles; Rites of Passage;
Miasma; Oaths; Mixing Wine; Music, Dance and Theatre; Oracles;
Values; Non-Mainstream and Foreign Cults; Patriarchy and “The
Twelve;” Historical “Facts”

CHAPTER TWO, Modetnz Hellenism, oo: iiccsscccccsssse

searsedsenssane
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Introduction; Other Pagans, Other Places; What We Take From the
Past; Scholarship; Language and Clothing; Religious Names; “Hard”
vs “Soft” Polytheism; Citing Sources and UPGs; Community;
Priesthood; Ancient Mindset and Innovation

CHAPTER THREE. Kharis through Ritual,.cecsiciciscssaeseenecseneees 41

Creating Effective Ritual; Tangible Acts; Hellenic Ritual Types;
Festivals and the Calendar; A Personalized Religious Calendar;
Animal Sacrifice; Ritual Structure; Offerings; Disposal of Sacrifices;
Hymns; Libations; Temporary Festival Shrines; A Festival Day
Example; In Conclusion

CHAPTER FOUR. Kharis through Relationships.................06060 63

The Gods; The “Olympians” and Beyond; Ancestors; Heroes; The
Nymphs; Other Spirits; Agathos Daimon; Household Religion;
Shrines; Holy Places; Prayer; Listening to the Gods; Divination
Methods; Omens; Patron Gods; Devotional Acts; Pilgrimage;
Everyday Practice; “Everything is Full of Gods”

CHAPTER FIVE. Mysticism, Magic & Mysteries...............:sseeeeee 97

Meeting the Gods; Ecstatic States; Prophetic Trance; Ancient Mystics;
Acts of Magic; Mystery Cults

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APPENDIX I: The Ancient Athenian Calendar and Major

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APPENDIX II: Plants, Animals, Places, & Activities Sacred to Specific

Gods:and Goddesses...e...00svsener00
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APPENDIXIII: Useful Greek Words and Phrases for Religious

TACTICS
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APPENDIXIV:Resultsfromthe HellenicPaganSurvey.............. 131

Bibliographyii®:
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DEDICATION & ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

First and foremost, this book is dedicated to all the theoi and
daimones of ancient Hellas, with the hope that it helps increase the
breadth and depth of their worship in the future. And of course, to
my own cherished gods and spirits in particular, to whom my life is
devoted.
I would like to thank my partner, co-religionist, and best friend
Sannion, who I first met in the Hellenic polytheist community
online. Dionysos brought us together, and I could not be more
grateful for his friendship, love, inspiration and support over the
years.
I would also like to thank the following people and groups from
the polytheist communities who all at different times and in various
ways influenced my religious development, inspired me, and/or
provided good fellowship: Maureen Reddington-Wilde & Daitales
(for my first large-group Hellenic ritual); John Wells & the Cult of
Dionysos (for an unforgettable Lenaia, among other things);
Apollonius Sophistes; Todd Jackson & Kyklos Apollon; the
Meliophis satyrs and maenads; the Pantheacon crew from 2006-07;
Aristotimos (whose correspondence has been essential to me these
past years); Suz (for some amazing readings); Jolene Dawe & Laure
Lynch (both such good friends and so important to my spiritual life);
my Livejournal friends; and the members of Thiasos Lusios, Neos
Alexandria and Neokoroi. Also I thank my former temple, Kin of the
Old Gods, with which I had many of my formative ritual
experiences, and my first ecstatic rites.
Finally, I want to thank my mother, Barbara Rachel, for first
planting in me the seeds of spiritual exploration and a knowledge of
the numinous. I do not think I would be where I am today if it were
not for her own religious quest, and for her deeply spiritual soul.
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XAPS (transliterated
eitherkharis
orcharis)

I. outward grace or favour

Il. grace or favour felt, whether on the part of the Doer or the
Receiver
V. [in reference to divinities] homage due to them, their worship,
majesty

- definitions from the Liddell & Scott Intermediate Greek-

English Lexicon

“.... the essence of kharis is that the god is offered something

pleasing. The worshipper establishes with the god a relationship not
of strict indebtedness but rather one where the god remembers the
gift and feels well disposed in the future.” (Pulleyn, 12)

“Men live by the hope of reciprocal favour, charis. ‘It is good to give
fitting gifts to the immortals’ - they will show their gratitude.”
(Burkert, GreekReligion,189)
INTRODUCTION

“Traditional polytheisms are subject to constant change; that is one

of their traditions.” (Parker, Athenian Religion, 152)

Hellenic polytheism as it exists today is still in the formative stages.

This book is a discussion of our ancient roots, our modern religion,
and most of all how we can foster a truly deep and personal spiritual
practice, in which the gods are a real part of our everyday lives. Iam
in part a scholar, and therefore will delve into the history of ancient
Greek religion, its rituals and beliefs. But I am foremost a devoted
worshipper of the gods, and as such I can speak on the practice of
this religion from experience.
I think that our everyday spiritual interactions are the heart of
Hellenismos. I believe that through awareness of the gods, acts of
devotion, and the cultivation of personal relationships with them, we
can shape modern polytheism into a powerful religion in our lives,
one which is entirely relevant to our environment, but still has
strong roots in the ancient customs and mindset.
Throughout this book, I will give my own ideas and opinions on
how best to approach the practice of Hellenic paganism. There are
myriad viewpoints on how to revive this religion; mine is only one. I
will also give a more general overview of the many elements of our
religious beliefs and practices, and the issues facing the community. I
hope this will be a useful reference as well as a catalyst for further
exploration.
This is not an introduction to paganism, or to Greek mythology.
This book assumes the reader has a familiarity with the gods of
ancient Greece. If you do not, I suggest turning to my bibliography
at the end and choosing a few of the entries there to start with.
However, I have tried to make this book accessible, without
requiring much previous knowledge of the ancient religion or its
modern revival. This book is for the person new to Hellenismos,
9
unsure of where to begin. It is also for the person who has been
practicing for years, and is interested in making the religion a more
integral part of his or her life. Finally, it is for the person outside of
the religion, who simply wishes to learn about us, our beliefs and
our traditions.
It is an unfortunate fact that most of the information available to
us about ancient Greek religion comes from the limited time and
place of Classical Athens - and therefore, that was a reasonable place
to start our reconstruction, when modern Hellenismos first began.
However, there are many other topics to be explored - the religion of
the rural areas, everyday devotions, mysticism, household cultus,
etc. We are, I believe, in the process of moving beyond basic
reconstructionism and finding a balance between that approach and
innovation, localization, and personal experience. I hope this book
provides some helpful information and discussion on these matters.
I have noticed that modern pagans are particularly devoted to
their religion, probably because we have all chosen our paths
deliberately and sometimes at a cost, and we do not do so lightly.
This is for all of the passionate followers of Hellenic polytheism,
always learning and growing, and finding more ways to show the
gods our love.

10
NOTES ON LANGUAGE

I think the ancient Greek language is an important element of

Hellenismos. I will address the various issues surrounding language
in our religion later on; here I simply want to provide some
assistance for those who may be unfamiliar with the ancient Greek
words and phrases I have used throughout this text. I have opted,
generally, to use a slightly different transliteration of Greek letters
into English than is commonly seen in earlier texts, one which
reflects amore accurate pronunciation. There are instances, however,
where the correct form would be so unfamiliar as to perhaps cause
confusion, in which case I fall back on more common spellings (such
as writing Dionysos instead of Dionusos).
Here are some guidelines: Y/v is rendered. as “u” (instead of the
common “y”’); X/x is rendered as “kh” (instead of “ch”); K/« is
rendered as “k” (instead of “c’); “ae” and “oe” are discarded in
favor of “ai” and “oi;” the common “us” endings are replaced by the
correct “os.” Therefore Oedipus becomes Oidipos, Aeschylus
becomes Aiskhulos, etc.
Of particular importance, in my opinion, is the correct spelling
and pronunciation (to the best of our ability) of the gods’ names. I
believe it is a sign of respect to try as best we can to accurately say
the names of the gods. These are not just any words which may have
changed over time (like most of the pronunciation of the Greek
language has); they are proper names. Just think about how you
would prefer people to at least make an attempt to pronounce your
name correctly.
A common mistake to avoid, if you are strictly reconstructing
Greek religion as opposed to some kind of Graeco-Roman blend, is
the use of the Roman versions of the gods’ names instead of the
Greek ones.

11
 Here are a few that are commonly confused, the Roman
followed by the Greek: Apollo/Apollon; Hecate/Hekate;
Ascelpius/ Asklepios; Hercules /Herakles.
Further information on the gods’ names and their pronunciation
can be found in Appendix III.
A few general notes on ancient Greek pronunciation - first and
foremost, I must stress that this topic is a matter of ongoing debate in
scholarly circles. Different teachers may advocate conflicting
methods of pronunciation. There is no absolute and consensual
form. Additionally, there were many different dialects in ancient
Greece; depending on what region you were in, you might hear the
language spoken in a variety of ways. I believe the majority of
people these days are working with Attic Greek, but just keep in
mind that it was not the only dialect.
The following rules are what I was taught and what I’ve seen
most commonly: Remember that iota [I/1]is an “ee” sound, and that
when viewing a name in the original Greek, there is a difference
between omicron [O/o] and omega [Q/q@](short and long o,
respectively), and epsilon [E/e] and eta [H/n] (“eh” and “ay”,
respectively). Unfortunately, in English these differences are often
overlooked. Gamma [I/y] is always a hard “g” as in the word
“Greek.” Also, there is no “h” in ancient Greek - when a word is
transliterated as beginning with “h” it means the initial vowel is
aspirated, and that is the way it’s expressed in English. “Kh” [X/x] is
a common sound (like in kharis) and is pronounced similarly to the
“ch” in the Scottish word “loch” or the Hebrew word “Channukah”
- it comes from the back of the throat.
A guide for vowel dipthongs (two vowels together) is to voice
one vowel sound and then the next, but quickly so that they meld
into each other ~ therefore, for instance, alpha-iota (ai) is a short “a”
followed by an “ee” sound, creating something like the word “eye”.
Unfortunately, there is no general rule for how to accent nouns
in Greek, it is somewhat complicated. I have given the accents for
some of the gods’ names in Appendix III. If you are concerned about
how to accent other words in Greek, I would suggest buying a copy
of Liddell and Scott's Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon which may
well become a valuable tool in your study and practice.
It is helpful to remember when looking at a word in Greek (or
transliterated into English) that there are no silent letters in Greek
(unlike English) - if it’s there, it’s pronounced in some way. For
example, while we start our word “psyche” with an “s” sound, in

12
ancient Greek it begins with a “p” sound (the whole thing sounds
like “psoo-khay”).
Of course, being grammar, there are quite a few exceptions to
these rules, but they do serve as guidelines and will result in at least
adequate pronunciation. If you wish to know more, a textbook on
ancient Greek language may suffice, although it is far better to take a
class in person (many universities offer ancient Greek classes). There
are also some pronunciation tapes available.
One last word about language - in this book, I use the terms
“Hellenic” and “Greek” pretty much interchangeably. While the
words “Greek” and “Greece” are far more familiar to most English
speakers, they actually come from the word for a single tribe in
ancient times, which was eventually adopted as a word for all
Greeks. In the Greek language, their country is called Hellas, and
therefore we get the adjective Hellenic (you may sometimes see the
word Hellenistic used as a general adjective, but that is incorrect, as
the word refers specifically to an historical period - dating from
Alexander’s death in 323 BCE to the death of Cleopatra and the
Roman annexation of Egypt in 30 BCE). So for variety, and to be both
accurate and familiar, I have chosen to use both of these terms
throughout this book.
For more information on the ancient Greek language, see the
“Language Reference” section under Internet Resources at the end of
this book.

13
 The Greek Alphabet

with approximate equivalents in English

Aa =alpha=a
BB = beta = b
y= gamma = g
Aé = delta =d
Ee = epsilon =e
ZC = zeta =Z
Hn =eta=eé
00 = theta = th
lt = iota =i
Kk = kappa =k
AX = lambda = |
Mu = mu =m
NV nt Sn
BE = xi =x
Oo = omicron = 0
i= p= 1p
Pp =rho=r
Xo (¢ at end of word) = sigma = s
Rie tanizet
Yv = upsilon = u
® = phi = ph
Xx = khi = kh
‘ENS= "psi = Ds
Qw = omega = 0

14
 GHAPTER ONE

Ancient GreekReligion
ANCIENT GREEK RELIGION

Hellenismos is the revival of the religion of ancient Greece. While we

strive to create a practice that is relevant to our modern lives, we
must first study and understand the past. With a thorough
knowledge of the ancient beliefs, rituals and overall mindset, we can
then modify the religion while maintaining an internal consistency.
However, this book is primarily about our current religion, and so an
in-depth discussion of ancient Greek polytheism would not be
appropriate; there are plenty of books in my bibliography that will
give such information. Instead, I will touch upon a few of the
elements of the old religion and culture that are important, relevant,
or misunderstood.

TheMyths
Many of us learned the Greek myths as children; they are common
stories in our culture. In fact, I know many of us first became
interested in Hellenic paganism from a love of the myths. The Greek
myths are beautiful, complex stories that give us a glimpse into the
lives of the gods and heroes. However, it is acommon misconception
that the Greeks based their religion on these myths. In fact, in
practice the myths had rather little bearing on religious beliefs and
rituals.
For example, there are plenty of stories of Pan chasing the
nymphs, even raping some of them, and generally making their lives
unpleasant. From this, one might conclude that Pan and the nymphs
are on bad terms and would never be included in worship together.
However, exactly the opposite is true: there were many sites in
ancient Greece where Pan was honored alongside the nymphs,
including the famous Korykian cave above Delphi which belonged
to all of them. To the worshippers of these divinities, it seemed more
important that they traditionally haunted the same places, and were

Ky
all spirits of nature, than what they did in the myths. So, when
studying Greek religion, it is important to make a distinction
between myth and actual practice, especially when deciding how to
approach the religion and the gods in our own lives.
It should also be remembered that there are many variants of the
myths; one particular story might have half a dozen different
versions, some of which diverge significantly from each other.
Sometimes we can trace a given myth back to the original, but most
of the time it is unclear which version came first, or if instead they all
grew up simultaneously in different areas. This can be frustrating at
times, but also fascinating. It took quite a bit of studying, for
instance, before I found the variation of the famous Theseus and
Ariadne myth in which Ariadne is killed at the end by Artemis, on
orders from Dionysos. That really broadened my understanding of
that story and of Dionysos himself.
Does the fact that myth and religion are not synonymous, and
that there are so many mythic variants, mean that the Greeks did not
really believe in their myths? That is a difficult question, and one
many people have tried to answer. Perhaps, each person believed in
the stories that he or she was told growing up, whichever versions
those happened to be. Certainly in later times, many educated
people declared that the myths were simply allegories. Today, many
Hellenic pagans believe that the myths are metaphors, meant to
explain some aspect of the gods or natural forces. Others, like
myself, think there is more truth in them, and that it is possible that
at some time in the past, the gods did indeed make their actions
more well known to humans, and even interacted with us more
directly. Perhaps some of the stories, for instance, of the gods taking
human form were a way of saying that the gods possessed or
influenced mortals for brief times in order to interact with other
mortals on a physical level. And perhaps other accounts reflect the
experiences of dreams or visions. Of course, some could just be
entirely the product of human invention.
However, no matter what they believed in ancient times, cult
practice (the word “cult” here is used in the older, neutral sense,
meaning a group of worshippers, usually of one or several gods) and
everyday worship had much more to do with local custom and
personal experience than with even the commonly told myths of the
gods. Thus it is often said that ancient Greek religion was an
orthopraxy, rather than an orthodoxy, meaning that it was more
important to do certain things than to believe certain things (which is
the opposite of the emphasis in monotheistic religions). As the

18
scholar Martin Nilsson said, “The piety of the ancients was
expressed chiefly by acts.” (GreekFolkReligion,73)

Cult Practice

Even the rituals, however, varied between cities, as ancient Greece

was less a unified country than a collection of self-governed towns
that all shared certain cultural and religious similarities. “Demes
formed their own religious community and as such celebrated their
own festivals and performed their own sacrifices.” (Price, 29) This is
important to note, as it means that we can keep this diversity in the
religion today, and not feel pressured to agree on one “right way” of
doing things, or one festival calendar. There was also a marked
difference between the religion of the urban areas like Athens, and
that of the rural areas populated by farmers and shepherds. In
Athens there were large, state-sponsored festivals, plenty of temples,
and theatrical competitions that attracted audiences in the
thousands. In contrast, the people in rural areas had a simpler
religious life, smaller shrines, local festivals, and were focused
mostly on the deities that would help them with their livelihoods.
This gives us a wide range of options today in how we approach our
religion, depending on whether we live in an urban or rural
environment, or something in between.
Another important distinction to be aware of is the difference
between polis religion (that of the city or town one belonged to) and
domestic religion, practiced in private in every household. While the
festivals and temples were impressive, the heart of the ancient
religion could be found in the everyday devotions carried out by
ordinary people in their homes and fields, Unfortunately, we do not
have nearly as much information on these rituals, but we have
enough to extrapolate from, and I will discuss them in depth in a
later chapter.

Temples
An ancient naos (temple) was the house of the god or goddess it was
dedicated to (and temples were almost always only for one or
perhaps two gods, not general religious places). The god resided
within, in the form of a cult statue. Therefore, out of respect, the
rituals were actually held in front of the temple, not within it. A
person would only go inside to have a more private, intimate
interaction with the god, such as leaving a small votive offering. The
19
temple usually faced east, and in front of its doors there would be a
bomos, or altar, which was most often a stone block or a pile of
stones. Occasionally, the bomos was made entirely of the ashes of
previous sacrifices. (For sacrifices to chthonic gods or the dead, a
bothros was dug - a pit in which to deposit offerings.) The
worshippers attending a sacrifice would gather around the bomos,
with the leader of the ritual facing east. As a rule, only one big
sacrificial festival was held at each temple ina year. |
At present, we have no large communal temple buildings at
which to hold our rituals. Hopefully, someday that will change (and
already some people are being called to set up small public shrines at
which they welcome visiting worshippers). But for now, since most
of us worship primarily at home, we can treat our shrines or altars
there as temples and stand before them to perform our rituals.

ReligiousRoles
The head of the household (almost always a male) was responsible
for leading the worship and rites of his family. However, any person
could participate in a sacrifice, make a votive offering, or visit a
temple to pray to the god or goddess therein. No intermediary was
needed between a person and a divinity. The concept of priests made
familiar to us by the major monotheistic religions did not exist in
ancient Greece. Rather, ancient priests “were citizens who, besides
their activities in civic life, had the task of seeing to the cult of a god
and looking after his temple.” (Nilsson, Greek Piety, 4) Only rarely
did a priest or priestess’ life revolve entirely around the god he or
she served. A priesthood could be attained by lot, election, heredity,
or even by sale, and was sometimes held for a lifetime, but often
only for a limited time. A priest or priestess was only linked to one
god and usually to one specific temple or shrine - thus there might
be a priest of Delian Apollon, but he wouldn’t be expected to
officiate at rites for Poseidon as well.
In addition to priests (Mereis in ancient Greek), there were a
number of other religious roles. Exegetai were interpreters of
religious law. They were self-appointed and not tied to any one
shrine, but rather advised any person in need on how to conduct
individual or family rituals. Their advice was not binding, and
sought voluntarily. Khresmologoiwere itinerants who kept lists of
famous oracles, like those of Bacis or the Sibyls, and would read
from them to those seeking answers. They were also self-appointed,
and their income was based solely on their reputation. They were
20
not looked upon favorably by many, but were popular enough to
make a consistent living. Manteis were prophets, those who could
foresee the future or interpret the voice of a god. Some were seen as
charlatans, but others were respected and renowned, like the Pythia
at Delphi.

Rites of Passage

Unlike the customs we are used to in our culture, priests did not
preside over the major transition rituals in ancient Greece, such as
birth, marriage and funerals. Those were instead considered family
affairs and were performed mostly in and around the house.
The primary ritual associated with a new baby was called the
amphidromia, in which the baby was officially welcomed into the
family by being carried around the central hearth. It occurred
usually on the fifth or seventh day after birth. Sometimes gifts were
sent by relatives, although generally only those present at the birth
would come to the amphidromia. The doorway of the house might
be decorated - with an olive wreath for a boy, and wool for a girl.
A marriage consisted of three parts. First, the engue or betrothal,
a verbal contract between the fathers of the bride and groom. Next,
the ekdosis, which began what we would call the wedding itself:
sacrifices and offerings were made, followed by a nuptial bath for
both bride and groom. Then the bride would adorn herself and
attend a feast at the family’s home. After the feast, the bride would
be carried by chariot in a torchlit procession to her new home,
accompanied by music and relatives bearing gifts. The bride and
groom would then physically consummate the marriage, which was
called the gamos.
In contrast to the relative simplicity of weddings, funerals were
often elaborate affairs lasting for many days and held at considerable
expense. On the day after death, the body was washed, anointed,
wrapped in a shroud, and crowned with garlands. It was laid out on
a bier in the house for a whole day; this was called prothesis (“laying
out”). On the third day after death, the body was brought in a
procession to the cemetery; this was called ekphora (“carrying out’).
The procession included women who would cry, singe dirges, and
exhibit violent displays of grief. At the cemetery, the body was
interred, libations made, and offerings left in the grave. Then the
family returned home and purified themselves, then sat down to a
funeral feast, called a perideipnon (“supper beside”) because in earlier
times it was held at the graveside itself. On the third day after the
21
funeral, food offerings were left at the grave, and again on the ninth
day, which was commonly the end of the mourning period.

Miasma

However, in all of these funeral rites, no priest could be involved

because of the miasma (pollution, uncleanliness) associated with
death. Death was one of the things forbidden in a holy place. In fact,
even the gods themselves were said to shun the dying and the dead.
“In poetry, Apollo and other Olympians withdraw at the approach
of death and do so to avoid its pollution.” (Mikalson, 27) Miasma is a
complicated subject. It was a very real concern to the ancient Greeks,
and there were many laws about how to avoid it, and how to purify
oneself if miasma was incurred. Along with death, other things
banned in a sanctuary included childbirth and usually sex. At the
entrance to sanctuaries, a vessel filled with pure water was placed so
worshippers could wash their hands and rid themselves of any
incidental miasma before entering. Many Hellenic pagans today do
not feel obligated to follow the ancient rules concerning miasma, at
least to the extent they were followed in ancient times, though most
of us perform at least some kind of small purification before formal
ritual (which I will discuss later).

Oaths

There are, in fact, plenty of aspects of the ancient religion - both

minor and significant - that most of us do not tend to practice today.
One such activity is the taking of oaths. This was much more
common in ancient times, in a variety of circumstances, and it was a
religious matter (much like the custom of swearing on the Bible in
American courts). When taking an oath, a person would swear by
the gods, make libations, and often even sacrifice an animal; it was
not a matter taken lightly or done quickly.

Mixing Wine

Another common practice was the dilution of wine both in ritual and
everyday drinking. They would mix one part wine with two parts
water in a large krater, or mixing bowl, before portioning it out in
cups. The Greeks considered drinking unmixed wine to be barbaric.
Many theories are offered for why the Greeks diluted their wine,
some suggesting that ancient wine was either much stronger in
22
alcohol content or even laced with some other drug; however both of
these ideas are highly unlikely. Wine can only attain a certain
alcoholic content, well below the dangerous level. And it is just not
realistic, in my opinion, to think that every cup of wine was laced
with belladonna or some other potentially deadly drug, without any
direct mention of this in the extant texts. It is more reasonable to note
that the Greeks expected a certain decorum at their rituals and other
gatherings, and so wished to slow down the process of inebriation,
especially at symposia that would last for many hours, and at which
the participants would be drinking steadily.

Music, Dance and Theatre

Music and dance played an important part in many Greek rituals,

although they are not as frequently included in our modern ones (if
only for lack of numerous available musicians and dancers). An
ancient Greek sacrificial procession would include many musicians
such as aulos (double pipe) and lyre players. There might also be
dances - both simple, rhythmical ones, and more structured pieces to
accompany certain songs. There were special types of songs played
for certain gods, such as the dithyramb for Dionysos, and the paian for
Apollon. There were also songs and dances for the harvest, and for
wine-making. Some of the ecstatic cults were especially known for
their groups of frenzied dancers and musicians, such as the followers
of Dionysos and Kybele. Although we rarely have such large groups
to make music with these days, we can still play songs and perform
dances, even if we are celebrating alone, and it would certainly be a
way to span the gap between ancient and modern practice. There are
some resources for ancient Greek music listed at the end of this book,
for those interested.
Legend says that from the usual choruses of boys singing and
dancing, there once stepped forward a man name Thespis, who
added dialogue to the performance, thereby creating theatre. Theatre
as we know it in the Western world comes from ancient Greece, and
the Greeks took their theatre very seriously, and included theatrical
competitions in many of their festivals. Since there was a god of the
theatre, Dionysos, it was naturally a somewhat religious event. Most
of the plays we are familiar with today, such as the famous Theban
cycle of Sophokles, were once entries in the dramatic contests at the
annual Greater Dionysia in Athens, and other large festivals. While
we currently cannot afford the spectacle of putting on theatrical
competitions, we can certainly attend modern dramatic
23
performances as part of celebrating some of the festivals. It is often
possible to find a local troupe performing one of the ancient Greek
plays, since they are still very popular.

Oracles

Another important part of the ancient religion was the institution of

oracles. The most famous, and pan-Hellenic, oracle was that of
Apollon at Delphi, where the aged priestess called the Pythia would
slip into a trance and deliver oracles to those who went through the
proper preliminary rituals. Many important decisions by individuals
and entire cities were made only after consulting the Pythia. But
there were many other oracles across Greece, where different gods
would speak to their worshippers through the medium of a priest or
priestess, or in some cases a natural event, such as in Dodona where
Zeus spoke in the rustling of oak leaves. Today we have no
established oracles to turn to, although there are a few members of
the Hellenic pagan community that are reviving the practice of
prophecy and may eventually become well known and respected
enough to create new oracles.

Values

One of the legacies of the oracle at Delphi is the set of principles

called the Delphic Maxims. These were inscribed for all to see at the
temple, and were a guide to a proper way of life. They include: know
thyself; nothing too much; worship the gods; obey the law; respect
your parents; control yourself, help your friends; and many more.
There were many other values important to the ancient Greeks, but
the key one was eusebeia,or piety. Burkert writes: “Plato has Socrates
define piety as ‘knowledge of sacrificing and praying.” (Greek
Religion, 66) Again, the emphasis is on what is done, rather than
what is believed. Eusebeia is still valued by modern pagans as one of
the most important characteristics a person should cultivate.

Non-Mainstream and Foreign Cults

In addition to the conventional forms of the religion, there were

some non-mainstream cults that diverged from the norm in their
beliefs and practices, but were nonetheless part of ancient Greek
culture. These began as small groups, but often grew to be entire

24
movements. One such cult was Orphism - the Orphics had their own
cosmology, and adopted Dionysos as their foremost god, although
their concept of him differed significantly from the standard. The
Orphics were also vegetarians, which put them immediately outside
the mainstream religion, since they would therefore not participate
in animal sacrifice. The Pythagoreans, also vegetarians, adhered to
the philosophy of Pythagoras and believed in reincarnation, unlike
most Greeks. These examples show that it is entirely authentic for us
to have various cults with different beliefs and practices under the
umbrella of Hellenismos.
Also authentic to the ancient religion is the practice of including
foreign gods within the structure of Hellenic polytheism. There were
plenty of cases in ancient Greece where the deity of another culture
was brought into Greek religion and made a part of it. Kybele was
originally a goddess from Asia Minor who acquired a significant
following within Greece. In the Hellenistic period, many of the gods
from Egypt found Greek followers, especially the great goddess Isis
who became worshipped all over the Roman Empire by many
different peoples (Apuleius’ The Golden Ass includes the Roman’s
account of being initiated into the Mysteries of Isis). This is not an
endorsement of the kind of eclecticism sometimes seen in the neo-
pagan community, such as mixing and matching pantheons and
traditions to suit one’s whims. But there are appropriate ways to
include one or two gods from other pantheons in Hellenic polytheist
practice without compromising its integrity. The key is to really
learn about the system the new god comes from, and how that god
can interact with the Hellenic system.
The foreign pantheon most related to the Hellenic religion is that
of the Romans. When the Roman Empire conquered the Greeks, they
took back with them much of the Greek culture, including the
religion. They altered their ideas about their own gods to look more
like the Greek pantheon. Therefore, Jupiter became another Zeus,
Minerva identical to Athene. Even older pre-Roman gods were
molded to the Greek form, in which Faunus became Pan, for
instance. Because of this, many people think the Roman and Greek
religions are interchangeable. However, there were many differences
as well, in the way they practiced, their outlook on the world, and
their priorities. Today, Religio Romana (the revival of ancient Roman
polytheism) is its own, independent religion, with its own beliefs
and rituals. While some people practice both Religio and
Hellenismos, most tend to stick with one or the other, recognizing
the differences more than the similarities. Nevertheless, one still

25
sometimes sees Greek and Roman gods talked about
interchangeably in the wider community; just remember that these
gods are understood differently within their respective traditions.

Patriarchyand “TheTwelve"
There are two other common misconceptions that should be
addressed here. One is that Greek religion, and by extension the
Greek pantheon, was patriarchal. It is true that ancient Greek
culture, like almost all cultures of that time period, was inherently
patriarchal and that women were not considered equal to men. But
the interesting fact is that the one realm where women could be
respected and play an important role was in religion. Priestesses
were as common as priests, just as goddesses were as common as
gods (for a thorough examination of priestesses in ancient Greece, I
recommend Joan Breton Connelly’s Portrait of a Priestess). Even in
everyday life, women participated in sacrifices, visited temples, left
offerings on their hearths. In cult practice and in the myths, the
goddesses and female divinities were respected, feared, and loved as
much as their male counterparts. The concept that the Greek
pantheon was a family “ruled” by the father figure of Zeus is mostly
an invention of 19t century mythographers such as Thomas
Bulfinch. While the Greek gods were indeed all related and thus
comprised a family, it was not so neatly laid out as we are led to
believe, especially since there are so many variants of the myths
which give different genealogies for some of the gods.
This leads to the next misconception, which is that the religion
revolved around “the twelve Olympians.” Even in modern
Hellenismos, one will often see references to the twelve gods. This is
not without some basis in historical practice; for instance there was
an altar to The Twelve Gods in the Agora in Athens. But this does
not mean that there were only twelve gods, or only twelve major
gods, or that every person in ancient Greece would have listed the
same twelve Olympians had they been asked. In fact, which gods
were the “Olympians” varied by region, and in practice the question
didn’t appear to be very important to the ancient Greeks. A person
worshipped the gods they were drawn to or had need of, whether or
not they were part of the twelve. There were plenty of very
important and well-loved gods that were never considered
Olympians, such as Persephone. In some versions, Dionysos is one
of the Olympians (he even brings his dead mother to Olympos and
deifies her), but in others he is omitted, and Hestia is counted among

26
the twelve. However, the popular idea that Hestia abdicated her
place on Mt. Olympos to make room for Dionysos appears to have
been an invention of the writer Robert Graves, as it appears in his
work, but in none of the sources he cites, nor in any ancient work I
have come across.

Historical “Facts”

As the example above shows, our information about ancient Greek

religion is not perfect. Sometimes the facts get garbled, or
misinterpreted by biased parties. Secondary sources written more
than fifty years ago (Farnell, Halliday), by those with pet theories to
uphold (Harrison, Frazer), or by poets rather than scholars (Graves),
should all be double-checked, though not discarded outright (many
certainly have solid information and useful insights, but may also be
outdated, disproven, or better viewed as metaphor than fact).
Sometimes a new archaeological discovery completely changes
our ideas. This can, of course, directly affect those of us trying to
reconstruct the ancient religion. Therefore, we must always be
flexible and open-minded. We must be willing to change our
practices if given a good reason to do so.
A prime example of this is the controversy over the so-called
“Snake Goddesses” of Crete. Much is made of these few little
statuettes, especially by goddess worshippers. They are often cited as
proof of a matriarchal culture in ancient Crete, and certainly have
become the basis for some modern religious practice. However,
unfortunately, evidence has come to light in recent years that shows
that many of these statuettes were fabricated by the 19" century
excavators, and those that were real were often changed in some
way, or the circumstances and location of their discoveries were lied
about (for more information on this specific subject, read Mysteries of
the Snake Goddess by Kenneth Lapatin).
Now, everyone is entitled to believe anything they choose, but
for those of us interested in continuing the religions of the past, it is
important to know the facts about those religions, not just our own
ideas. And so we might have to change some of what we thought
was true. Even some of the things I have written here might
someday be disproved, or our ideas about them might change.
Everything changes, every religion grows and evolves, and this can
be part of that natural process, but we must be prepared for it.

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 CHAPTER TWO

Modern Hellenismos
MODERN HELLENISMOS

There are many names for our religion today. The most popular are
probably Hellenic paganism, Hellenic polytheism, Hellenic
Reconstructionism (though this is more limited) and Hellenismos.
Every person on this path can choose for themselves what to call it,
and what to call themselves. The term Hellenismos has gained
popularity in recent years, as it was the Greek word used by the
Roman Emperor Julian to describe the polytheistic religion of the late
Hellenic world; Julian was advocating a return to that religion after
the official institution of Christianity, as we are doing now.
To use Drew Campbell's definition, “Hellenismos is the
traditional, polytheistic religion of ancient Greece, reconstructed in
and adapted to the modern world.” (Campbell, FAQ posted online)
The approaches to this process are many, but what most of us have
in common is a love for the gods. Since we are all essentially
converts, we tend to be more passionate about our religion than
people who have religion taught to them or forced upon them.
People often find Hellenismos after taking part in other pagan paths
(most commonly Wicca) and finding themselves dissatisfied.
Sometimes, they come from a direct experience of a particular god or
goddess. Others begin with an interest in the Classics and Greek
mythology, which leads them to discover that there are people who
are actually worshipping the gods of these stories.
As a group, we have some areas of great commonality, and other
areas of great diversity. Including every person who might identify
as Hellenic pagan in some way, we will find staunch
Reconstructionists, eclectic witches, philosophers, mystics, poets,
those with a burning devotion to one god/dess, those who are
content to perform simple forms of worship every day for all the
gods, and everything in between. For more information on our
variety of religious beliefs and practices, as well as more mundane

31]
demographics, see Appendix IV: Results from the Hellenic Polytheist
Survey.

Other Pagans, Other Places

There is still debate within Hellenismos on whether or not to take

part in what is termed the larger “pagan community” which would
include other Reconstructionist religions, as well as Wicca in all its
forms. Some feel that we are so different from neo-pagans (those that
do not confine themselves primarily to one tradition, or practice an
entirely modern form of paganism) that there is no reason to
communicate at all. Others feel that it is important as a minority
group to create a unity across all paths. In the end, it is up to the
individual to decide how much or little to interact with other pagans.
Personally, I feel we would be greatly enriched by opening
conversation with paths that are similarly reviving ancient
polytheistic traditions, such as Asatru and Kemeticism (Norse and
Egyptian paganisms, respectively), because we might be able to
learn a lot from each other.
Another topic that is frequently discussed these days is the
revival of paganism within Greece itself. There are, by their own
count, thousands of Greeks who are fighting to legalize the worship
of the ancient gods in the country in which it first began. The Greek
government has been denying them the right to build temples and
pursue other expressions of their religion, due to the heavy influence
of the Greek Orthodox Church. Of course, those of us in the rest of
the world support their efforts. The only conflict arises from a few of
these groups (not by any means all of them) who believe that
Hellenismos is a religion that should only be practiced by those with
Greek blood. It is an unfortunately divisive position to take in such a
small religion still in its infancy. They might do well to remember
that as far back as the 4th century BCE, the Athenian orator Isocrates
said, “The name Greek is no longer a mark of a race, but of an
outlook, and is accorded to those who share our culture rather than
our blood.” a
Most of us, with or without Greek ancestry, believe that anyone
can love the gods and worship them, regardless of race, ethnicity,
gender, sexuality, or any other characteristic.

32
What We Take From the Past

Some of our beliefs today actually contradict those held in ancient

Greece. We may be reconstructing the Greek religion, but we are not
reviving the entire culture. Certain ancient assumptions are now
rejected for being prejudicial, and this is widely accepted as being a
wise balance to the process of Reconstructionism. Therefore, for
instance, we do not advocate the ancient practice of slavery, and we
believe that women are equal to men. Practicing an ancient religion
does not make us ancient Greeks.
Along those lines, there are many gray areas within
Reconstructionism, where there is disagreement as to how much to
borrow from the ancient practices. As Drew Campbell writes,
Reconstructionism “is a methodology for developing and practicing
ancient religions in the modern world. Reconstructionists believe
that the religious expressions of the ancients were valid and have
remained so across time and space. We believe that it is both possible
and desirable to practice ancient religions—albeit in modified
form—in the modern world.” (Campbell, FAQ posted online) That
caveat, “modified form,” is where much of the confusion and debate
lies. How closely must we follow the ancient ways? How much can
we change or add to the tradition while still keeping it authentic?
These are difficult questions; I propose that the best way to go
about it is to thoroughly immerse oneself in the lore of ancient Greek
religion, and then begin to extrapolate from there, once a solid
foundation has been established. At times, one must simply go with
one’s gut as to what makes sense in the religious practice. However,
because this should not be a religion for scholars only, and because
not everyone has the desire or time to educate themselves on the
minutiae of ancient practices, some of us are beginning to condense
this knowledge into something useful to others, This book is my
attempt, after years of study and practice, to discuss my own ideas
for how to craft a meaningful religious life that is both consistent
with ancient Greek paganism and has room for change and growth.

Scholarship
A note, first, for those who are interested in reading the academic
works on ancient Greek religion. It is crucial to develop a sense of
what constitutes solid research, as opposed to one scholar’s biases or
personal opinions. Unfortunately, to do this you really have to read a
wide array of writing on the subject, and eventually you pick up on
33
which ideas are common and which are unique, what is based on
fact versus opinion. To help in this task, it is useful to be a member
of an online forum or study group where you can ask others their
opinions about certain authors or books.
Also, keep in mind that anything written prior to the last few
decades may have flaws and should be weighed against more recent
scholarship before being taken at face value. Not only has some of
the archaeological evidence discovered since then changed what we
know, but older authors tend to have some pretty strong biases.
Often you'll find paganism discussed as if it were a primitive notion
that was thankfully set straight with the advent of monotheism. Or
the author will try to connect disparate practices into one unified
theory, like the members of the “Cambridge School” including James
Frazer and Jane Ellen Harrison. On the other hand, some of the more
recent works have their own problems, like an overemphasis on
feminist theory to the detriment of objectivity. Of course, everyone
has their biases, and they can still produce quality work, but you just
have to take everything with a bit of salt, at least until you can
confirm it with other sources.

Languageand Clothing
One of the current issues in Reconstructionism is whether or not one
should learn the ancient Greek language, and use it in ritual and
prayer instead of one’s mother tongue. There are, I think, good
arguments on either side. Speaking the ancient language creates a
link to our spiritual ancestry. It is the language in which our gods
were first spoken to. Perhaps the gods themselves even prefer it (as
they often prefer other things of Greek origin, like certain foods or
types of music). On the other hand, the ancient Greeks were merely
speaking their natural language, not some special ritual tongue. And
it is difficult to pray extemporaneously in a language other than
one’s first, especially one as complicated as ancient Greek.
My own solution thus far has been to use some ancient Greek
words or phrases, especially in formal prayers I use often, but to use
English in most of my interactions with the gods.
One exception is for the ancient hymns, such as the Orphic or
Homeric Hymns - hymns are traditionally considered offerings in
themselves, not merely fancy prayers. In my opinion, it seems a
more elegant and beautiful offering to use the original language (if
possible) rather than a mediocre translation of such. There is a
sound, a rhythm, that just can’t be matched otherwise. Going to the

34
effort to at least learn the pronunciation and practice reading it (or
even better, memorizing it and fully understanding it) is an extra
level to the offering. But again, this is regarding hymns, not personal
prayer.
I also feel it is important to try to pronounce the gods’ names
properly. It seems logical to me that any being would like to have
their name said correctly, and again, these are the names, the sounds,
by which they were called for millennia.
Aside from religious practice, it would be a good idea to learn
some ancient Greek because Greek terms are used frequently in
academic works (and even by modern polytheists), especially when
there is just no real equivalent in English. Also, as any linguist will
confirm, learning a language gives you a unique insight into that
culture’s mindset, something all of us would benefit from as we
revive an ancient religion. One who wanted to go further into the
study of the language might even one day be able to read primary
source material in the original Greek!
Another decision that must be made is whether or not to dress in
ancient clothing styles when performing ritual. I think this used to be
more common than it is today. My survey (Appendix IV) indicated
only a small percentage of people are frequently dressing in clothing
like a khiton or peplos for their prayers and rituals. While it is another
thing that reminds us of our spiritual heritage, it is not considered
necessary by most. The ancient Greeks certainly didn’t dress in
costume for their festivals, they simply dressed in their nicest
clothing, which we can do today with modern clothes. Especially in
our daily devotionals, it makes no sense to change into something
unusual just to make a libation. However, if one wants to wear
Greek style clothing for some rituals, there doesn’t seem to be much
harm in that, either.
One nice compromise is to wear a crown of leaves and/or
flowers (called a stephanos) with one’s regular (or formal) clothes for
festivals or big rituals. The ancient Greeks loved to wear these
crowns, and it’s a way to have that connection to the past and still be
rooted in the present (especially if you make your stephanos from
locally picked foliage and flowers).

ReligiousNames
Many Hellenic pagans these days have taken special, religious
names and use them instead of their given names when doing ritual,
communicating to other pagans, etc. Occasionally, they are just

35
screen names in the online world, or nicknames, but often the
bearers feel a deep connection to their new names. Some have
questioned this practice, wondering if perhaps we are simply
mimicking other modern pagan paths such as Wicca, where the
majority of practitioners take new names upon joining. However, I
think there is a better reason behind it. In many religions, converts
will take a new name to symbolize their new faith (sometimes even
changing it legally). Since we are all essentially converts (almost
none of us have been raised in a Hellenic pagan household) it makes
sense that we might feel drawn to take a new name as a badge of our
new path. Especially as we live in a society where our religion is not
the norm, therefore our names can mark us as members of a different
group.
I am not advocating that we all take new names just to do so; it’s
a very personal choice. But I think it is a valid one too. A religious
name can show one’s connection to Greece, to a patron god/dess, or
something similar. The name I use in the Hellenic pagan community,
Oinokhoe (changed slightly from my original spelling, “Oenochoe,”
to better reflect the Greek), means “wine-pourer” and thus refers to
my relationship with my patron god Dionysos. I also have a more
private name that I only use in personal ritual. I find these names
remind me of my role, my god, and my religion whenever I use
them. However, plenty of people seem perfectly satisfied using their
given names and feel no need for special ones, which is fine too.

“Hard”vs“Soft”Polytheism

Judging by my survey, a large percentage (though less than a few

years ago) of Hellenic pagans believe that the gods are real, distinct,
individual beings with their own histories and personalities. This
viewpoint is called “hard polytheism.”
In contrast, some prefer a sort of “soft polytheism” which could
include beliefs that the gods are interchangeable with those of other
cultures (syncretism), or that they are all facets of one (monism) or
more greater beings (an example of this is the common Wiccan tenet
that all gods are the God, all goddesses are the Goddess), or even
that they are archetypes or symbols.
To be clear about my own beliefs and biases, I am a hard
polytheist, and therefore all my practices and philosophies emanate
from that core belief. I respect anyone’s right to believe differently,
but I cannot say I agree.

36
 Which viewpoint is closer to the ancient Greeks’ is often
debated. From my reading, I would say that it seems that most
ancient people truly believed in the gods as distinct beings, but as
the culture developed some people, most notably the philosophers,
began to form other ideas about divinity. It also seems clear that at
least some people had no trouble equating the gods of other
pantheons with their own, believing them to be the same god if they
shared some characteristics. For instance, an ancient Greek person
who learned of the Norse god Thor might infer that it was just
another name for their own god Zeus, both being in control of
lightning. A strict hard polytheist would disagree, and say that all of
these gods, from all the pantheons, are separate beings. Each person
must decide on their own what they believe.

Citing Sources and UPGs

There are times, however, when it becomes necessary to distinguish

between what was done or believed in the past, and what is a
modern (especially a personal) innovation. For the sake of clarity
and honesty, Hellenic Reconstructionists are encouraged to cite
sources if they are claiming something to be of ancient origin. This is
often interpreted by those outside of the Recon movement as
snobbery, or at least too much bookishness. But there is a good
reason for this rule of thumb. We are trying to make something
living, but we are using the ancient religion as a foundation. In order
to adequately judge the ancient mindset, and extrapolate from there,
we must know what is old and what is new. It does not mean that
only ancient things are valid, simply that there is a difference. (And
the difference is due not necessarily to the antiquity of the origin, but
to the longevity of the practice or belief, the number of people who
subscribed to it, etc.)
This is especially true when it comes to changes or additions that
are the result of one person’s ideas, rather than a general consensus
of the community. The former are called UPGs, which stands for
Unusual (or Unverified) Personal Gnosis (whereas some call the
latter PCPG, which means Peer-Corroborated Personal Gnosis). The
term seems to have originated in the Asatru community, but has
been adopted by many pagan paths to describe anything from
random thoughts to revelations concerning the gods or ways of
worship.
For instance, if you have a dream or vision in which you see a
god associated with an animal with which he was never associated

37
in myth or ancient practice, you have had a UPG. You might very
well feel moved to include this new concept in your worship of the
god. You might also want to tell others of your revelation; however
it is considered proper form to identify your belief as a UPG, thus
distinguishing it from ancient lore. Then people can make up their
own minds as to how valid they think your UPG was; they may even
take it up and it may become part of the modern tradition, or it may
stay your own private idea.
I believe UPG is an essential element of any reconstructed
religion; it keeps us from being merely a re-enactment, but rather a
living tradition whose followers interact with their gods and thus
will inevitably learn new things about them. However, I do still
prefer to distinguish between ancient tradition and modern, and to
be able to knowledgeably judge the validity of any new idea.

Community

The ways in which our modern tradition is developing are

interesting. Because we are all so spread out geographically, the only
point of connection with other Hellenic polytheists for most people
is the internet. We have created a community, or one might say
many communities, completely virtually. Therefore, ideas can be
discussed, practices adopted, all while the participants remain
solitary in “real life.” It is good that we have any community at all,
but many lament the lack of physical meeting with other Hellenic
pagans. Community, and group rituals, were a large part of ancient
religion. Even at the most basic level, most people had their families
to practice with. These days, many of us lack even that.
I think that a good place to start building community now is ona
small level, by creating religious groups focused around one god or
specific path (even if they are only online for the moment), or which
gather worshippers from one area to meet face to face. We can still
have a sense of larger, general community on the big discussion lists
and forums online, but the more meaningful interactions, I think,
come in smaller groups. b
A group of Hellenic polytheists that do ritual together regularly
is called a demos in the organization Hellenion (after the word for a
district in ancient Greece) and an eranos in the group Neokoroi
(which has connotations of a shared meal, a kindness or favor, and a
club). A group that is devoted to one particular god is often called a
thiasos, a word that originally was mostly restricted to Dionysian
groups but has since been expanded.

38
 There are quite a few demoi/eranoi and thiasoi currently in
operation at least online, and some which physically meet. There
have also been some larger “real-life” gatherings of Hellenic
polytheists over the past few years, and more interest has been
accumulating in meeting each other, all of which I think is a good
sign for our future.

Priesthood

One issue facing these groups, and the community in general, is the
issue of priesthood. Some feel that we need priests for a variety of
reasons: to lead ritual, to oversee legal events like marriage, to
present a good face to the rest of the world which expects a religion
to have priests. Some feel that priests are only appropriate in the
ancient sense - to be keepers of the temples, and to lead large
sacrifices at festivals, neither of which are applicable to our religion
yet. Some people believe that priesthood is a personal vocation,
something between a worshipper and their god/dess. Some see it as
a communal role.
In any case, if we do wish to have priests, the problem becomes
how to certify them, and by what criteria we could judge a person.
So far the whole issue is sort of taking care of itself - some people
simply self-identify as priests of their gods, some are not interested
in the role, and some wish to go through a training program to
become priests, such as the one offered by Hellenion (which is just
one organization within Hellenismos, not representative of the
whole religion). There are also plenty of other ways one can serve
one’s gods and community: through becoming an exegete (such as
those in the group Neokoroi), being a mantis or diviner of some sort,
keeping a public shrine, writing books or devotional poetry, running
a group, etc.

Ancient Mindset and Innovation

Whatever choice is made on these issues, it is important to

understand the ancient mindset before proceeding, if we are to claim
any relation at all to the beautiful religion of ancient Greece. It goes
beyond just the facts of what was done in each circumstance. It’s not
just about ritual form or myth variants. For instance, in ancient
Greece a libation was always poured out for the gods, even if it was
also shared by the worshippers - it appears that the underlying
belief was that the liquid must actually be surrendered to be an

a9
offering. However, in the Norse tradition, they toast to the gods
instead of libating, and drink all the liquid themselves - they believe
the gods can still benefit from the act. That may seem like a small
difference, but it’s those small things that make the various cultural
traditions different, that make Hellenismos what it is. This extends
past ritual and even to theology: the Greeks, for instance, saw the
spirits of ponds, streams, trees, etc., as all female (the nymphs),
whereas some other cultures believed they could be male or female.
Once we are familiar with the ancient mindset, I believe it is
appropriate to innovate. After all, we have an incomplete record of
ancient religion, and much of what we do know is difficult or
impossible to do today. I just think such innovation must be done
carefully, and always with the ancient tradition in mind. Otherwise,
we might as well be creating a religion from scratch, and while that
may be a valid type of spiritual path in itself, it is not what we're
looking for if we’ve come to Hellenismos.
For those who balk at the idea of diverging from the ancient
tradition, I propose that it is entirely within the context of that
tradition to innovate. “The Athenian state turned to the oracles of
Zeus at Dodona and of Apollo at Delphi especially on religious
questions, for approval of the founding of a new cult, for introducing
or changing sacrifices,or for change of statues in sacred lands or other
sacred property.” (Mikalson, 88; emphasis mine) While we may not
currently have state oracles to ask, we can still do divinations, and
ask the gods for guidance in our efforts to revive this religion. At
least we know that even in ancient times, additions and changes
were made, as they must be to any religion that is not stagnant.

40
 GHAPTER THREE

Kharisthrough Ritual
 liu
“etnait

nye
sicraket

—
ny
KHARIS THROUGH RITUAL

Ritual is the primary way that humans interact with the gods, across
cultures. It is the language of our communication with them. Ancient
Greek ritual can almost always be classified as an expression of
kharis, or reciprocity. “The bond between man and the sacred is
consummated in the continuous exchange of gift for gift.” (Burkert,
Greek Religion, 35) Therefore our formal rituals are primarily about
beseeching and thanking. Some might mistake this process as a
crude form of essentially paying for good fortune; but it is more
subtle, and more long-term, than that. “Like other systems of gifts
and counter-gifts, the Greek ritual system assumed choice on both
sides. Gifts to the gods were not a way of buying the gods, but of
creating goodwill from which humans might hope to benefit in the
future.” (Price, 39) Just like you might sometimes buy your spouse
flowers for no reason, and that act creates a more loving and
charitable bond between you both, so do we give to the gods,
knowing they will also give to us when it is right.

Creating Effective Ritual

Before I discuss the various aspects of Hellenic ritual specifically, I

want to address some points about ritual in a general sense. Just
knowing the external details of our rituals isn’t enough, in my
opinion - we must first consider what makes good ritual, both for us
and for the gods.
First one must identify the purpose of ritual. Ritual is how we
communicate, not only with the divine, but in our other interactions
as well - “by ritualizing we make contact with animals, foreigners
and gods.” (Driver, 15) Only, with the gods we must first figure out
how to dwell in the same space together, before communication can
occur. Therefore in a spiritual context, ritual provides the means to

43
do these things, as well as the substance of the communication itself
(e.g., asking, giving, praising, etc.).
So good ritual needs to bring a person closer to the gods. Which
means that it must take into account certain psychological and even
physiological factors involved in being human. Even those of us who
are deeply spiritual people cannot usually simply flip a switch in our
minds and be in the right mental and emotional state to perceive the
gods. A ritual therefore must be structured in a way that helps us
move from our normal state of mind to what is generally called an
altered state of consciousness. This doesn't necessarily mean we
must attain a full trance state or anything of the sort - but ideally our
awareness of the spiritual world should be enhanced. Effective ritual
“not only presents the invisible but also offers conditions that make
the perception possible.” (Shorter, 108)
A certain type of atmosphere is therefore required for a ritual to
reach full power. This is in some ways superficial - it may for
instance include darkness, candles, music, incense, special clothes,
etc. - but the point is that it signifies to the people involved that this
is not ordinary experience, this is something special, removed from
the mundane worries, joys, and cares of the everyday. Now, of
course it is possible to put too much emphasis on this atmosphere
and create a ‘ritual-ish’ feel without any real substance. So along
with everything I say, one must not forget that the gods are at the
heart of this, and these things are done only to facilitate a meeting
with them.
“[Mircea Eliade] called sacramental rituals....\doors to the
sacred.’ Every sacramental ritual, he said, is an invitation to a
religious or sacred experience. An invitation, which you may accept
or not.” (Mike Nichols, online discussion at ecauldron.com) I believe
it is not only we who must accept or decline this invitation, but the
gods as well. Our hope, of course, is that the gods will attend our
rituals, accept our thanks, grant our prayers for assistance, and in
general just grace us with their presence. Here are a few things that,
in my opinion and experience, make a ritual more effective towards
that end. *
Holy silence. “Koimeson stoma” is the Greek call for silence at the
beginning of the sacrificial rite. There's a good reason for this even
today, especially in large groups. Having people chit-chatting before
and even during a ritual is distracting and often ruins the devotional
atmosphere and intent. There should be a short period of time
between setup and actual start of the ritual for everyone to stop

44
talking and get ready both mentally and spiritually for what's about
to happen.
Preparation. In addition to the period of silence, there should be
other preparations made stretching back as much as 24 hours before
the ritual, depending on how important it is. For instance, fasting for
even half a day beforehand will cleanse the body and clear the mind.
Bathing (and dressing in clean clothes) just before the ritual is
appropriate both for purification and to indicate the formality of the
event. At least an hour before you even begin the setup for the ritual,
turn off the television, stereo or computer and turn your mind to
religious things. Perhaps read some of the hymns to yourself, or
think about your last experience with the god in question. One
should also endeavor to keep one's mind lightly on the subject of the
ritual all day long, from the time one wakes up. These things will
mentally and physically prepare you to truly focus within the ritual
itself.
Sensory triggers. Using the same lighting, music, incense, etc.
each time you do ritual creates patterns that your subconscious will
begin to recognize quickly, making the entrance into the proper state
of mind easier with each recurrence.
Repetition of acts/words. The word ritual usually implies
repetition; a ritual done often should use the same set of acts/ words,
at least to an extent, to build up associations. So that eventually, all
you have to do is X and you're in the right ritual mindset instantly.
Rituals should make internal sense, and follow a basic form each
time. “Like language, rituals have a certain grammar, a certain
syntax that it needs [sic] to follow, a certain order.” (Nichols)
Repetition within the ritual itself is good too (such as a simple chant,
call-and-answer, etc.).
Spontaneity. Repetition does not preclude spontaneity. There
should be room for both tradition and for personal experience of the
divine, which is naturally going to change somewhat each time. One
should be able to add to or even change the ritual if it seems
appropriate at the time, within reason (i.e., without compromising
the goal or meaning of the ritual).
Emotional poignancy. “In many rituals strong emotions are
engendered and consciousness altered. Not infrequently there is a
feeling of ‘loss of self’....and a feeling of union with the other
members of the congregation and even more embracing entities.”
(Driver, 152) We are human beings and we relate to things
emotionally as well as intellectually, spiritually, etc. Ritual has the
power to bring joy, sorrow, fear, hope, and to entirely transform a

45
person’s heart. Add elements that have emotional resonance with
you personally, or with your group, and encourage an emotional
response to the gods’ presence.
Familiarity. While respect should always be maintained, a certain
level of informality may be appropriate when doing ritual for gods
you are on close terms with. For instance, having a meal to which the
god is invited, and conversing with him/her in a casual manner
(even if it concerns very serious topics) can enhance one's feeling of
intimacy with the god.
Comprehension of participants. Everyone should know what's
going to happen, and why, beforehand. Explanations should not be
part of the ritual itself; the meanings of words and actions can be
discussed before and even after, but not during. Again, this detracts
from the focus and makes it more of a performance than a ritual.
Which leads me to...
No spectators. Everyone should be involved - even if it’s just
throwing a handful of barley, or repeating a prayer, everyone should
have some way of participating.
No scripts (with the possible exception of reading long passages
or hymns that would be very difficult to memorize). Again, this is
not a play, it is a sacred act. How can you be fully in the moment of
contact with the divine if you're looking down at the paper in your
hand every two seconds? If this means that the ritual is simplified
more so that everyone can remember what they need to do and say,
so be it. Personally, I think many things can be spoken
extemporaneously anyway, and there is rarely need for fancy words.
Simplicity. There are certainly appropriate times for the
pageantry of complex ritual, but for most things simple works best -
less room for mistakes, more mental space to actually pay attention
to the gods instead of the ritual itself. Brings into focus the real
purpose of the ritual.
I truly believe that paying attention to these points will greatly
increase the likelihood that the participants of any ritual will reach
that state of “ritual consciousness” necessary for a real experience of
the divine. Which will then make their offerings, prayers and all
other communication that much more powerful and meaningful.

TangibleActs

An important aspect of ancient Greek ritual is that it involved

tangible expressions of the worshippers’ purpose. Good intentions,
thoughts, and feelings were not considered to be enough on their
46
own. Sometimes pagans these days feel that since the gods know
what is in our hearts, we do not need to show it outwardly, but that
is a thoroughly modern idea, and one that is in my opinion
influenced by the philosophy of Christianity. The ancient pagan
mindset was geared toward actual actions and gifts. One of the
dangers of the modern attitude is that it is then too easy to not do
anything much in the way of worship. After all, if the gods just want
you to have the right feelings, then you don't have to do anything, it
doesn't matter if you're too busy to do a festival or don't want to
spend your money on an offering instead of something for yourself.
I'm not saying that people who believe this do so in order to
escape responsibility, but I do think that it can lead to a more laissez-
faire attitude than the gods deserve from us. As Todd Jackson said
on the HellenicPagan internet discussion group, “The tangibility of
Hellenic worship is one of the things I find most appealing about our
faith. To my thinking, it simply makes it real, rather than merely
sentimental. After all, the Gods' gifts to us aren't just sentiment. Why
should they accept mere sentiment in return?”
Do the gods actually require sacrifice, or benefit in some way
from what we give them? There are some pagans who will say with
surety that the gods no longer require sacrifice, that it is outdated,
and that it is preposterous to think that they need anything from us.
However, that seems to me a result of modern sensibilities rather
than an understanding of the gods and our interaction with them. A
quick study of polytheistic cultures around the world will show that
most, if not all, believe that their gods require certain tangible things
from them. I do not believe that somehow all these cultures are
wrong, and only now do we realize what the gods really want, or
don’t want. At the very least, who doesn’t like to receive an external
expression of someone’s love and gratitude? On your best friend’s
birthday, do you just think of them fondly, or do you throw them a
party, cook their favorite foods, give them gifts? I believe that the
gods have given us fairly clear instructions on the types of things
they find pleasing (for whatever reason), and it would be negligent
of us to ignore that.

Hellenic Ritual Types

So, having said all that, how does one go about performing Greek
ritual? Well, there are many ways, ranging from the smallest libation
to the largest festival. Because the ancient Greeks were so fond of
festivals and big sacrifices, I will begin with these; however they are

47
not the only way to properly worship the gods, and there are plenty
of options for the solitary Hellenic pagan, which I will discuss later
on. Also keep in mind that most of the festivals can be pared down
to the essential parts and simplified for solitary practice. A theatrical
contest can become watching a play, carrying a statue in procession
to the river can become washing it at home in front of your altar.
You might also wonder what circumstances warrant ritual for
the gods, in other words, when and why do we do this?
Theophrastus gives three reasons sacrifices should be made: “in
order to honour the gods, or to thank them, or to ask them for
something good.” (Versnel, 46) So not only is it appropriate to
ritualize when we need something or when we are grateful for a gift
given, but also simply to show the gods our love, devotion and
respect.
Some of us who are not staunch Reconstructionists wonder how
important it is to keep to the ancient ways, to do rituals the way they
were done two thousand years ago. While I think there is plenty of
room for change and innovation, I also believe that keeping at least
some of the ancient traditions is important, and it is what makes us
Hellenic pagans as opposed to anything else. After all, in ancient
Greece “it was above all the observance of rituals rather than fidelity
to a dogma or belief that ensured the permanence of tradition and
communal cohesiveness.” (Zaidman, 27) To revive those same acts,
those same rites, is to take up the torch of the ancient tradition, from
those who first worshipped our gods.

Festivals and the Calendar

Large, state-sponsored festivals were a prominent part of ancient

Greek religion, especially in the cities. Each region had its own
festival calendar, its own list of favored gods, its own traditions.
Today, most of what we know of the ancient festivals comes from
Athens. We have a fairly complete ritual calendar from ancient
Athens, and only some hints of the festivals of other regions.
Therefore some people wish to follow the Athenian calendar
entirely, since it exists, and others think it less authentic to do so
since in ancient times each area would have had its own. On the
other hand, it’s difficult to start from scratch, and create entirely new
festivals while keeping none of the old.
I propose a middle ground, where we learn from the Athenian
calendar and retain some of the basic ideas, but also begin to create
new festivals that are more relevant to our own religious lives. For

48
instance, if you have Hermes as a patron you will notice that he is
almost entirely absent from the Athenian calendar; so you may wish
to create a festival in his honor. Or you might find that the alignment
of the ancient calendar would require you to celebrate a harvest
festival at the wrong time for your climate, in which case you might
want to shift the date.
The ancient calendar was based on a lunar system - the month
began at the first sighting of the new lunar crescent, and the days
were counted from then until the dark moon. Some Hellenic pagans
find it difficult to follow this lunar system when our modern
calendar is solar-based. They might wish, for instance, to switch
Apollon’s holy day from the 7" of each lunar month to the 7 of our
solar month. However, I will point out one advantage of the lunar
system - it has a real astronomical meaning. In other words, the 7
of the lunar month is always the same thing: the 7 day of the
waxing moon. Whereas the solar month is more arbitrary. Seeing as
modern calendars that show the phases of the moon are fairly easy
to obtain, I think holding on to this custom of the lunar days (at least
in some circumstances) is a good way to keep some of the ancient
tradition that is meaningful.
One way to add additional festivals that have modern relevance
is to modify existing civic holidays to a religious purpose. For
instance, in America we have Memorial Day, on which we honor
those who have died in battle. That is remarkably similar to the
ancient Genesia festival, and certainly a concept the ancients would
have understood. So if you wanted to feel more aligned with the rest
of your culture without neglecting your religious duties and beliefs,
you could honor the dead in a Hellenic manner, but do so on the
civic Memorial Day.
Creating new festivals entirely from scratch is a difficult process,
especially if you want to keep within the ancient mindset. The best
way, I believe, to do this is to thoroughly study the festivals we do
know of, understand the underlying concepts, recognize the key
elements, and then incorporate all of those things into our new
festivals. For those interested in this process, and for those who
simply wish to carry out the ancient Athenian festival calendar, I
have provided a list of the heortai (seasonal festivals) and when they
occurred, along with some basic information about how the calendar
worked, in Appendix I.
Notice that many of the Athenian festivals fall into some basic
categories, which might help guide you in creating your own festival
calendar: there were festivals of the agricultural cycle, of the human

49
life cycle, for purification, and for specific gods (or one aspect of a
god, or even specific cult images or statues in specific temples). It
was also common for a festival to arise in commemoration of a past
event - for instance, a polis that had been saved from a plague after
making prayers to Apollon might create a festival in his honor. This
is one of the best reasons for creating new festivals, that roots them
to our modern time and place - if you have had some powerful
experience with a god/dess in the past, you might mark the
anniversary of the event with a festival that revolves around it.
Keep in mind, as well, that such a full and busy festival calendar
does not have to overwhelm you. In ancient times, the average
person would not necessarily have attended every single festival in
the area. You can choose to only celebrate those festivals that have
the most meaning to you. However, I will add that I think it is
important to make some commitments and not leave it all up to your
mood on a given day. Meaning that once you decide to celebrate a
certain festival on a certain date, you should keep that commitment
to the gods.
Along with the basic ritual structure which I will discuss shortly,
most festivals had additional activities which we can still perform
today (at least given a large enough group). For instance, some
festivals culminated in theatrical contests, where various plays were
presented. Obviously most of us do not have access to a number of
playwrights, actors, and a theatre - but at the very least we could go
view a few plays or even movies. Sometimes there would be a
musical competition instead, or an athletic one (the original Olympic
games were a festival at which the athletic contests eventually
gained greater prominence than everything else). The ancient Greeks
were very fond of agon: a contest in competition for a prize. With
some creativity this concept can still be expressed at our festivals
today.

A PersonalizedReligiousCalendar
After years of experimenting and researching and ritualizing, I
decided to set down a festival calendar for myself. Of course, I had
been celebrating festivals before then, but it was a somewhat
haphazard process. I tried to follow the ancient Athenian calendar,
but felt uninterested in many of the festivals, or some were timed
completely wrong for the climate where I live. There were gods I
wanted to do ritual for that had no extant festivals. And on top of all
of that, I have a very personal spiritual life which includes a few

50
non-Hellenic gods and spirits, and I wanted to include them as well.
So once I was at a point where I felt that I knew enough about the
ancient tradition to take it a step further and make a festival calendar
relevant to my own life, I began that process (one which is still in the
stages of refinement today, after several years). I am discussing it
here to give an example of how one might go about this, rather than
to suggest that anyone else adopt any particular ideas.
First, I set down a pattern of monthly observances. In ancient
Greece, certain days of the month were always set aside for certain
gods. Following this tradition (including the use of the lunar
calendar, which I prefer), I created some of my own holy days for the
gods I worship most. So I kept the 4 for Hermes and the 7 for
Apollon, and then I added the 9 for Dionysos (in this case because I
found a reference to a Dionysian group in ancient times meeting on
the ninth of each month). I decided upon the 27 for the nymphs,
loosely based on a sacrifice from Erchia. I kept the 2"4 for my agathos
daimon, and added the 5" for another daimon I am close to (because
it was on the fifth of a month that I first encountered him). I tried to
make each innovation have at least some meaning behind it so it
wasn't completely random.
I cannot possibly describe all the festivals in my personalized
calendar here, because there are over thirty of them. It is not
necessary to have so many, but I love ritual, and this seemed like a
reasonable amount to me. Enough to keep me in active worship,
without being overwhelming. Enough to honor all the gods I hold
most dear, in their many aspects, to note the changing of seasons, to
commemorate important events in my spiritual life, etc. Anyway, I
will choose several to discuss here that should give an idea of what
the overall calendar is like.
Since I am foremost a Dionysian, many of my festivals are for
Dionysos. Some are ancient, some are from the collection of new
festivals created by the Thiasos Dionysos a few years ago, and some
are entirely my own invention, or a combination thereof. So for
instance, instead of the ancient Oskhophoria, I celebrate the grape
harvest when it is accurate for my local area, as part of a new
autumn festival called Skenia which also commemorates Dionysos’
travels in India. And I celebrate the modern Meilikhia (feast of
gentleness) but at a warmer time of year to correspond with the
atmosphere of the festival.
I had to create all the festivals for Hermes from scratch, since he
is only mentioned once in the Athenian calendar, within the
Dionysian festival of the Anthesteria. I created three days for

51
Hermes scattered throughout the autumn and winter (on the fourth
of various months), celebrating my favorite aspects of his: Enodios
(on the road), Eriounios (luck bringer) and Psukhopompos (guide of
the dead). I also created a couple of festivals for Apollon (even
though he has Athenian ones) which focus on his oracular role, since
that is how I relate to him most prominently.
Some of the new festivals are entirely personal. Others are
actually ancient festivals with no known date. I have also
incorporated a few festivals with pagan roots but entirely modern
expressions - Mardi Gras could be a Dionysian revel (of course) and
Halloween is a day of the dead not unlike the day of Khutroi during
the Anthesteria.
Finding activities to do during all of these festivals isn’t very
hard. In some cases, we even know what was done in ancient times.
But when that’s not an option, it just takes a little creativity to match
the ritual to the spirit of the festival. For the Meilikhia, for instance, I
do things that express the soothing aspect of Dionysos’ nature -
listen to beautiful music, share grapes and figs with the god, drink
wine slowly throughout the day, have a long bath, etc. For the
Hermaia Eriounia, I celebrate Hermes’ luck-bringing traits by doing
a little gambling and praying for good luck in general. On the
festivals for the nymphs (I’ve created four, each focusing on one
type) I go to wild areas and build shrines for them. This is all, of
course, in addition to the traditional prayers, sacrifices, etc.
I have seen more and more individuals and groups creating
similar personalized and/or localized festival calendars recently -
which is, after all, the way it really was in ancient Greece - and I
think this may become the norm in years to come.

Animal Sacrifice

The most common and widespread form of ancient Greek ritual was
animal sacrifice, called thusia (a word which is usually just translated
as “sacrifice” and often misunderstood). Today, this is a very
controversial topic. Some feel it is outdated, or at the least that it will
reflect badly on us as a group. However, I maintain that it is an
entirely valid form of worship, as long as it is done appropriately. As
loaded as the term “animal sacrifice” is these days, we may forget
what it really entails. It is in reality not much different than the laws
of kosher slaughter in Judaism (a rabbi must bless the facility, and
ensure that the animal is killed in a certain manner, and then the
animal is consumed as food). Likewise, a Hellenic sacrifice is

52
performed in a religious context, the animal is killed quickly, and the
meat is consumed by the participants. In fact, in ancient times,
attending a sacrifice and receiving a portion of the meat was the only
way some poorer citizens were able to eat meat at all; in essence it
was a form of social welfare, since the animals were provided by the
richer citizens or the state.
Now, most of us today do not even have this option, as we do
not live on farms or know how to humanely sacrifice an animal. But
should the opportunity arise, I do not believe it is antiquated or
unjust to perform this ritual. For those of us who want to continue
this tradition but do not have access to farm animals, a common
substitution is to buy meat at the supermarket, and then at the
appropriate time in the ritual, cook it and offer a portion to the gods,
eating the rest yourself.
If you are a vegetarian, that is a perfectly valid path within
Hellenismos as well, since as I mentioned before some major cults
like the Orphics were vegetarians. In that case, you could perform
most of the ritual and substitute an offering of first fruits or
something similar instead of an animal. Feasting with the gods is
important, no matter what is served.
Traditionally, when an animal was sacrificed, only the bones
wrapped in fat were offered to the gods, and the meat was eaten by
the worshippers. The explanation for this practice lies in an ancient
myth: the Titan Prometheus (who often sided with humans instead
of the gods) attended a communal feast between men and gods. He
convinced the men to divide the animal into two piles - one with
bones and fat, and the other with the savory meat. The inedible pile
was then presented in a way that made it more attractive, and Zeus
was thereby tricked into choosing that as the gods’ portion.
Outraged, Zeus declared that men and gods would no longer come
together for such feasts, and from then on humans sacrificed animals
on their own and offered a portion to the distant gods - the same
portion that Zeus chose.
The gods reportedly appreciate the fragrant smell of the burning
flesh, and do not need the meat itself since they do not live on food.
Occasionally, mostly in rituals for chthonic deities, the entire animal
was burned in the fire - this is called a holocaust sacrifice. It may
have been done this way because the chthonic gods were thought to
have different needs than the others, or because it was more of a
sacrifice in our modern sense of the word, meaning that something
of value is given, since an animal was certainly very valuable in
ancient times. The animals that were most frequently sacrificed, in

53
either manner, were cattle, sheep, and goats - very rarely pigs, as in
the cult of Demeter and Persephone, and also rarely birds or fowl.

Ritual Structure

The preparation for any festival or ritual is simple but also

important. First, one should wash in pure water; I think for a formal
ritual it is best to fully bathe or shower beforehand, but at least
washing your hands is necessary (more on this practice below).
Second, one should dress in clean clothes; whether these are dressy
modern clothes or ancient Greek clothing styles is up to the
individual. And third, one may don a crown of flowers or leaves.
This last thing is not strictly necessary, but is a simple and
understated way to remember our history without feeling too much
like we are in costume or putting on a show.
The basic form of a traditional thusia, or sacrifice, is thus: The
participants move in a pompe (procession) to the temple, then circle
around the bomos. Everyone washes their hands in the khernips,
which is pure water. The priest or officiant speaks a prayer (more on
prayer in the next chapter) out loud to the gods or specifically to the
god involved in the ritual. Everyone throws a handful of barley on
the altar as a first offering. Incense is also placed in the fire on the
bomos, thereby sending sweet smelling smoke up to the gods (like
the scent of the roasting meat, this is what they enjoy).
The animal is brought to the priest, and a bit of hair is clipped
from it and also fed to the fire. Then the animal is slaughtered by a
professional - the splankhna, or inner organs, are roasted, a few
pieces are burned for the gods, and the rest of the meat is cooked
and eaten by the worshippers. Sometimes cakes, broth and wine are
also offered. The priest receives the skin of the animal as payment. It
is believed that a burst of flame on the altar during the sacrifice is a
sign of divine presence, which is of course a goal of the ritual. As
Plutarch said in the Moralia, “It's not the abundance of wine or the
roasting of meat that makes the joy of sharing a table in a temple, but
the good hope and belief that the god is present in his kindness and
graciously accepts what is offered.”
A note on khernips (pure water): purification was very
important to the ancient Greeks. The gods were not to be
approached with any stain of miasma. This meant, at the very least,
washing the hands in clean, pure water beforehand. It could be
obtained naturally, from a spring, the ocean, or rainwater, or it could
be made pure. The latter can be accomplished a few different ways -

54
by plunging a burning branch into the water, by adding sea salt
(which appears to be a modern tradition, intending to make it akin to
ocean water), or some sources say by adding rosemary. Perhaps a
good combination of these methods would be to put a burning
branch of rosemary into the water, accompanied by a pinch of sea
salt. A simpler but acceptable solution would be to use bottled
spring water (as long as it’s not processed with chlorine or other
chemicals like some brands are).
Obviously, if the worshippers’ hands are put directly in this
water, it will eventually become unclean. A solution, if you want to
keep a large amount of pure water on hand indefinitely, is to only
pour some of it out onto the hands, thereby keeping the reserve
pure.
One final note - you may see in modern Hellenismos the use of
the phrase “hekas, hekas, este bebeloi” (let all profane ones depart)
at the start of rituals. From what I can tell, there is no precedence for
using this as a ‘banishing’ phrase in general Hellenic ritual. It
appears to have its origins within the Eleusinian Mysteries, where it
was used as a directive for anyone harboring miasma to leave (rather
than applying to spirits or anything of the like). It was popularized
by Drew Campbell in his 2000 book, and since then can be heard at
many Hellenic rituals. Personally, I do not feel it is really appropriate
for a Hellenic ritual, as it seems to be trying to fill the place of a
circle-casting or warding from neo-pagan ritual, which has nothing
to do with the Greek religious mindset (speaking here only of
sacrificial-type rituals, rather than magical ones). In any case, one
should be aware of its original context before deciding whether to
accept the modern usage.

Offerings
There are plenty of other types of offerings besides meat, all of which
are important and meaningful, either on their own or in addition to
animal sacrifice. One major category of offering is ‘first fruits,’ which
is traditionally a selection of the first harvested plants, but can also
include other food, flowers, wreaths, money, locks of hair, and
models of perishable items (which can therefore be placed in a
sanctuary indefinitely). Incense is a common offering in ancient and
modern times. As Burkert says, “to strew a granule of frankincense
in the flames is the most widespread....act of offering. (Greek
Religion, 62)

55
 Another large category of offering is votive, which means
offerings in fulfillment of a vow, but often is used to describe any
devotional gift. These can include statuettes of the gods and of
animals, tripods, vases, rings, clothes, armor, masks, oil flasks, cups,
reliefs and almost anything else you can think of. “Neither is there
anything in the world which cannot become a votive offering.”
(Rouse, 352) A special type of offering is to give the god an unusual
object. An example of such might be a beautiful stone or shell you
find on the beach, that seems naturally fit to be a gift to a god. Or
something which is not often found, like a snakeskin, or is entirely
unique, like a piece of wood that seems to be in the shape of an
animal.
Some offerings are specific to certain gods or even particular
festivals. The thargelos, for instance, is a stew made of harvested
vegetables and offered to Apollon at the Thargelia festival. Similar
mixtures are actually rather common offerings, and are called
panspermia in general, meaning all-grains. A similar concoction is
offered to Hermes at the end of the Anthesteria. And even today in
the Greek Orthodox Church one can sometimes find panspermia
called kollyva being made to honor the dead and the ancestors.
Another specialized offering is the eiresione - a branch of olive or
sometimes laurel, hung with wool fillets, ribbons, and other objects.
Originally the eiresione was the mark of a supplicant, but it became
part of the Puanepsia festival and was carried in procession by
children. (For more about these festivals, see Appendix I.)
It is not necessary to spend a lot of money in order to offer
something special and worthy to the gods. While expensive gifts are
nice if you are able to afford them, the cost is not as important as the
sincerity, dedication, and consistency of your offerings. A story is
told that there was a man who had made many costly and lavish
offerings to Apollon, but was told by the Pythia that the truest
worshipper of the gods was instead a man in Arcadia who
garlanded his household statues each month and made modest
offerings at all the festivals. “

Disposalof Sacrifices

A problem facing modern Hellenic pagans is how to dispose of

sacrifices. In ancient times, perishable items were usually either
burned or buried. Today, we could either bury our sacrifices in the
backyard if possible, or burn them on the stove, in a small fireproof
dish on the altar, or even outside on a barbecue grill. If no other
56
choice exists, they can be thrown away, but I recommend wrapping
them in something to keep them from entirely mingling with the rest
of the garbage. Obviously, the last thing you want to have is an
offering rotting on the altar, so it is important to dispose of it in a
timely manner, however you do it.
Permanent offerings were often left in the sanctuary.
Periodically, the more humble of these (such as clay figures and
crude votive objects) were collected and buried nearby, and broken
objects made of metals like gold were melted down and reshaped in
a manner still used for the god. Now, if we choose, we can leave
some of our non-perishable offerings as permanent gifts to the gods
by keeping them on our altars or shrines, or even by leaving them
somewhere special such as at the base of a tree or in the ocean
(assuming this wouldn't be polluting to the natural area).

Hymns

Many people are not aware that hymns were considered to be

offerings in themselves in ancient times. Both the writing and
reciting of a hymn are gifts to the god involved. For those not
inclined or able to write their own hymns, plenty of ancient hymns
exist in translation, and are perfectly suitable to use both as offerings
and as prayers. The most popular are the Homeric Hymns and the
Orphic Hymns, but there are plenty of others, such as the works of
Callimachus or Pindar’s Odes.
It is likely that in ancient times these hymns (as well as epic
poetry and other types of composition) were actually chanted or
sung, possibly in the way a Jewish cantor recites the Torah.
However, I think that speaking, chanting or singing the hymns
would all be acceptable. If you can find them (and read them) in
ancient Greek, that would be a special offering (as I mentioned in my
discussion of language in ritual), but again it is entirely appropriate
to address the gods in our native language as well.

Libations

The last common type of offering I will discuss here is the libation. It
is one of the simplest and easiest offerings to make. There are two
basic types of libation: the sponde and the khoe. The sponde, from
what we understand, is first poured out in part for the god, and then
sipped by the worshipper. In this way it is shared, much the same
way as the sacrificial meat is shared between god and worshipper.
57
The khoe on the other hand is poured out entirely, similar to a
holocaust offering, and likewise is usually made in honor of the dead
or other khthonioi.
When making a large number of libations successively, it is
considered traditional for the first (and sometimes last) one to be
given to Hestia, to honor her place of importance as the hearth
(whether that be the hearth of one’s home, of the community, or
even of the realm of the gods). Though there is only limited evidence
for this practice in ancient times, and it may have been a custom in
only a few areas, it is commonly practiced today.
Common liquids used as libations include wine, water, milk,
olive oil (although this is not, I believe, drunk by the person) and
honey, but others such as juice, beer, hard liquor, and even soda
would not, I think, be inappropriate, depending on who was the
recipient of the drink. Libations are generally poured directly on the
ground (or in the case of river or ocean deities, into the water),
although modern worshippers often find it more practical to pour
libations into a cup or other receptacle on the altar, and then later
dispose of the accumulated liquid outside. I’ve also heard of people
who keep a small container of soil in which to pour libations
(wishing to feel a more immediate connection to the original
practice), and then occasionally replace it with fresh soil and leave
the old outside somewhere.

Temporary Festival Shrines

Sometimes it is difficult to practice our religion as a solitary, without

a community, without temples, etc. Festivals can sometimes feel
lacking in activities when one is alone, even though there are many
things to do (which Ill address shortly). Years ago, I found myself
looking for something I could do alone that would symbolize each
individual festival and satisfy my sense of ritual and my obligations
to the gods. What I came upon is the practice of building small,
temporary shrines for each festival. I did not invent this, but rather I
noticed other Hellenic pagans doing it, and I have been doing it
occasionally for festivals for years, without really pausing to
consider why; it just felt right.
Analyzing the practice in context, it still makes sense to me.
Ancient Greeks would go to a god’s temple to celebrate that god’s
festival, but we do not currently have temples available, and our
regular home shrines may not work well as the focus of a festival for
a specific god or event. So why not create a small bit of sacred space
58
which honors that god and gives them a place to inhabit for the
duration of the festival, in much the same way as they were believed
to inhabit their temples in ancient times. This shrine can become the
home base for the ritual, the place to set up offerings and pour
libations.
Creating the shrine is also a devotional act in itself. Carefully
choosing which objects will be part of it causes you to really think
about the god in question and all of his or her attributes, as well as
the reason for the festival. For instance, on the Oskhophoria - which
celebrates the vine harvest and Dionysos - the shrine could include
grapes, a bottle of wine, a statue or mask of Dionysos if you have
one, silk ivy or grape leaf garlands (which are readily available at
every craft store), a glass or bowl in which to pour libations to
Dionysos, as well as the items needed for basic Hellenic ritual
(purified water, barley, etc.). It can be as simple or ornate as you
wish. You don't even have to have a space specially set aside for
such a shrine - a small folding tray table can be covered with a cloth
and erected anywhere for that one day, or even only for a couple of
hours while you celebrate the festival.
You may wish to leave the temporary shrine in place for at least
a few days, to remind you of the festival and the god(s) involved.
But you should respectfully dismantle it before the next festival (at
the very latest), and in the meantime clear away any perishable items
such as food offerings so that the shrine remains clean and fresh (as
you would with any other shrine).

A Festival
DayExample
If you are still having trouble visualizing what a festival day might
consist of, here is an example. Since most of us are currently solitary,
I will talk about only one worshipper, but it would be even better
with many.
Let’s look at the Thargelia festival, which commemorates the
birthdays of Apollon and Artemis. This festival was originally two
days long, but we could collapse it into one day to suit our purposes.
The Thargelia tends to fall in May - if you were going by the ancient
lunar calendar, you would figure out exactly what days correspond
to the 6t and 7* (or just the 7, for a one day festival) of the month
Thargelion, but if you are working with a modern calendar only, you
might choose May 7*, since that still has some meaning.
Before starting the day, you might choose to bathe specially in
order to purify yourself, and put on nice, clean clothes. You could
59
also adorn your head with a wreath - of laurel if possible, but any
flowers or leaves would suffice. You could build a small shrine for
the festival, as described above, including images of Artemis and
Apollon, places to set the offerings, libation drinks, etc. The shrine
can also function as the place to keep the objects that belong
especially to this festival.
The first element of the ritual is the expulsion of the pharmakoi.
Since we do not have the ability (nor necessarily the desire) to choose
two people to literally drive out of the city, we can instead make
dolls or drawings of a man and a woman, declare them the
scapegoats, and treat them symbolically as the ancient pharmakoi
were treated. They can rest on the altar, be offered food and drink,
and then when the time comes, either be thrown out of the house or
destroyed in some way, with a prayer made to send all pollution
with them. I tend to personalize this ritual, especially since I'm not
doing it as part of a large community - I attach to the pharmakoi
symbols or words indicating things I would like to be purified from
myself, and pray that these things are consumed in the fire that
burns up the pharmakoi.
After your home is cleansed by this act, you can proceed to the
basic sacrificial ritual. The procession to the shrine, washing your
hands with khernips, saying a prayer to Artemis and Apollon,
throwing barley on the altar, burning some incense. Assuming you
cannot actually make an animal sacrifice but wish to do something
symbolic, you might cook a piece of meat and offer it to the gods.
This is the time to feast in the company of the gods, so having
enough food prepared (and wine, if you can) for a proper meal is a
good idea. You might also supplement or substitute the animal
sacrifice with the vegetarian thargelos, or you could choose to leave
that for later.
The thargelos is really a simple dish and can be made from any
number of different ingredients; it’s best if they represent the types
of grains, legumes, and vegetables that grow in your area at that
time, but any combination of those types of foods will do. I just make
a simple stew or porridge, adding laurel leaves in honor of Apollon,
some olive oil and perhaps some honey. Then I leave a bow! of this
stew on the shrine (later disposing of it properly, as discussed
above). You could make extra and eat it as the ritual feast, but make
sure that Apollon’s share remains untouched.
Now we arrive at the agon aspect of the festival. Traditionally on
this day, there were hymn-singing contests. If you do not have
enough people for a competition, you could at least recite or sing a

60
hymn to Apollon and/or Artemis yourself, and let the gods judge its
merit. I think a nice selection can be found in the Orphic Hymns - if
you can find the original (which is given in the Athanassakis
translation) and know enough of the language, you could even recite
them in Greek.
That is the end of the celebration. If you wanted to draw it out
longer, you might find some other appropriate activities, such as
attending a choral concert, or you could at least spend the rest of the
night in quiet contemplation, enjoying the presence of the gods.

In Conclusion

Here we have the most basic elements of Hellenic pagan ritual. You
may be wondering why I have not included, like so many other
pagan authors do, ritual scripts in my text. The reason is that I do not
think they are necessary, and I want to de-emphasize the idea of
dramatic-type scripts within our ritual structure. Ritual in
Hellenismos is simple and can be done without a lot of special words
and props and roles. A procession to the altar, the washing of hands,
a toss of barley, a hymn read, an offering made. These acts speak for
themselves, we do not need fancy speeches to accompany them.
If you want to write words to go with a rite, that is perfectly
acceptable, but not necessary. If you want to delegate certain things
to various participants, that is also fine (in fact, there were plenty of
roles in a big ancient sacrificial ritual, down to basket-carrier), but
these rituals work just as well for the solitary worshipper. I think the
focus should be on a religious practice that can be done anywhere,
with minimal preparation or special items. In fact, meaningful
worship can be practiced even without an altar, without a hymn
ready, etc.
In the next chapter I will speak on the importance of personal
relationships with deities, how to go about fostering these, and how
to build a meaningful spiritual life every day within the context of
Hellenismos.

61
 ers
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CHAPTER FOUR

Kharisthrough
Relationships
KHARIS THROUGH RELATIONSHIPS

“Greek belief incorporated everything that was due to the

gods: sacrifices, prayers, hymns, dances, purifications, that is
to say, all the ‘rites’ - the recognized practices, which were
in conformity with what it was seemly to say and to
do.....But “belief in the gods’ also meant that one lived with
them, had dealings with them, sought out their company.
Socializing with the gods, cultivating them, in both senses of
the expression - both devoting a cult to them and
maintaining amicable relations with them - frequenting their
altars, getting along with the divine powers: all were
commonsensical ways of saying that one believed in the
gods, that one dealt with them socially....” (Detienne and
Sissa, 168)

“Hellenism, like other religions, is and always has been the

response of human beings to what they perceive as the
actions of the divine in their lives and in the world. It is easy
to forget that all we know and can ever know about the gods
comes through the immediate and subjective experiences of
people like you and me. These experiences are not well
served by expository prose, which is why people use the
language of ritual, of art, of poetry and song and dance to
express their wonder and gratitude. Our first-fruit offerings,
our libations, are our own way of saying what Hellenes have
always said to the gods: ‘Please’ and “Thank you.”
(Campbell, 24)

I believe that the heart of this religion is not the ritual forms or the
historical reconstruction (although those are important) but rather
the gods themselves. Being a hard polytheist, I believe in the
existence of the gods of all religions, but I have chosen these gods,
65
the Greek gods, because they have touched me personally. Who can
really explain why we gravitate towards one pantheon, or one
specific god, over another? It is not a logical process most of the time
- it is more akin to falling in love. If you have chosen these gods, or if
they have chosen you, a priority should be learning more about them
- not just from books, but through personal experience. Developing
a relationship with the gods is putting kharis into action on a
personal level. This relationship (or relationships) can be as close or
distant as you want or feel comfortable with, but however it is
expressed it is crucial to the practice of Hellenic paganism.

The Gods

So now it is necessary to discuss the gods and other divine beings of

Greek religion. Remember that this is not a mythology book, and I
am not going to go down a list of gods and their attributes and
stories. There are plenty of fine books on that subject, my favorite
probably being Kerenyi’s Gods of the Greeks. But I do think there are
some important points to touch on here.
We often slip into the mistake of thinking of the gods by their
most well-known functions: so-and-so is the goddess of ___. This is
wrong on two levels. First, the gods are much more complex and
nuanced than a simple title will imply; each god and goddess has
many functions, many attributes, many stories that show their
myriad facets. Secondly, it is important to understand that the
“Greek gods are persons, not abstractions, ideas, or concepts....We
may say that the experience of a storm is Zeus, or that the experience
of sexuality is Aphrodite, but what the Greek says is that Zeus
thunders and that Aphrodite bestows her gifts.” (Burkert, Greek
Religion, 182) This is, I believe, a crucial aspect of the ancient
mindset. The gods are in everything, not just as a metaphor, but in
reality. Beginning to see that in the world around you is a good first
step towards greater closeness with the gods; but more on that later.
It is often asked if the Greek gods are omnipotent, omnipresent
and omniscient, the way the monotheistic god is supposed to be. My
answer to all of these is no ~ in fact, I think that one of the things that
sets polytheism apart from other religions is that our gods are not
these things. As for omnipotence, I should point out that if the gods
are all real individual beings, they are likely to have conflicting
opinions and wishes at times; this is confirmed by the myths. If they
were all omnipotent, how could they all get their way at once? How
could they take different sides in a war, or all vie for the same thing

66
(like Paris and the golden apple)? As for omnipresence, there is a
difference between being everywhere all at once (omnipresent) and
being able to go anywhere immediately, or possibly even appear at
more than one place simultaneously. The latter is how I believe it
works for the gods. In fact, I submit that the ancient Greeks
themselves didn't believe the gods were everywhere all the time,
since most prayers and hymns started with a call to the god to come
from wherever they were at present to be there with the worshipper.
As for omniscience, I think it is clear that the Greek gods were never
thought to know everything. Even Apollon at Delphi was said to be
conveying (through the prophetess) the wisdom of his father Zeus,
and Zeus in turn was still bound by the weaving of the Fates.
So how can we know anything of these gods? Well, honestiy we
can never be certain, and it would be hubris to think we understood
the nature of the gods entirely. But we can at least learn something
from the wisdom of countless generations of Greeks who
worshipped these gods, and the gnoses of our own times. We might
not really grasp how they relate to our world, how they function
within it and yet sometimes seem outside of it. We might debate on
how much, if any, the gods truly interact with us, or even care about
us. But at least we are trying to understand, making the effort to
know these incredible beings we call gods. As C. Derick Varn said on
the HellenicPagan internet discussion group, “If anything,
Hellenismos seems about reciprocity and as the Gods witness our
lives, they allow us to witness theirs, even if it goes beyond our
understanding or even the limitations of our view of the physical
world.”

The“Olympians”and Beyond
The divine world of the ancient Greeks was not limited to the twelve
gods we hear about most often today, but rather populated with a
diverse collection of theoi (gods), daimones (spirits), and other entities.
I will try to cover all the major figures of Greek religion, but there are
always more to learn about.
So first the gods we are most familiar with: Zeus, Hera, Ares,
Poseidon, Apollon, Artemis, Demeter, Hephaistos, Athene,
Aphrodite, Hermes and Dionysos. This is probably the most
common list of “Olympians” although sometimes there are changes
in the roll call, most notably Hestia present instead of Dionysos. We
might think we know these gods from our childhood mythology
books, but we would be wrong. Those books tend to portray the

67
gods as almost caricatures, like the jealous wife Hera or the
humiliated Hephaistos. But that is no more accurate than saying that
I am an artist, period - it is only one aspect of myself.
To learn about the full complexity of a god, I suggest starting by
reading all of their myths, and finding their various epithets.
Epithets are cult titles that refer to the god’s nature, traits, history,
etc. They can often reveal an unexpected face of the god; for instance,
Aphrodite has an epithet that means “bearing weapons,” not
something you might expect from the so-called “goddess of love.”
Some believe that epithets refer to different aspects of each god, but
others (even in ancient times) treat those aspects as separate entities
entirely. It is interesting to ponder, is Zeus Horkios (of oaths)
absolutely the same being as Zeus Lukaios (of the wolf) or Zeus
Meilikhios (gentle)?
It is also useful to learn all of the animals, plants, etc. that are
associated with each god, or the gods in which you are interested (a
list of some of these correspondences can be found in Appendix Il).
And even that would not be the end of it. In ancient times, offerings
were left to gods for a variety of things, not always in keeping with
their supposed “functions.” Especially if the devotee had a previous
relationship established with the god or goddess in question, they
could be petitioned for almost anything.
Beyond the familiar Olympians, there are a few other gods and
goddesses that are commonly worshipped, most notably (in my
experience) but in no way limited to: Hekate, Asklepios, Helios,
Selene, Pan and Eros.
A note about Hekate - this goddess is widely misunderstood by
modern pagans (the same could be said about many of the Greek
gods, but it is most common, I think, with Hekate). Because of her
absorption into Wiccan practice and theology, many think she is
either a “crone goddess” or even that she is a “maiden-mother-
crone” archetype. However, in ancient Greek mythology, she is most
often portrayed as a young woman, and her attributes and common
devotions have little to do with the neo-pagan conception of her.
Eros, too, is often misunderstood, mistaken for the Victorian winged
cherub rather than the mature sexual force that he is. Let these
examples remind you to take note of the background and bias of the
sources you read, and always search for accurate depictions of the
gods.
Hellenic religion is also full of groupings of gods and goddesses,
usually in threes or multiples of three. There are the three Moirai, or
Fates: Klotho, Lakhesis and Atropos. There are the three Horai, or

68
Seasons, and the three (sometimes four) Eumenides, or Kindly Ones,
also known as the Furies (these latter are not really worshipped so
much as they are stridently avoided). There are the nine Mousai, or
Muses: Kalliope, Kleio, Euterpe, Terpsikhora, Erato, Melpomene,
Thaleia, Poluhumnia, and Ourania, each with their own artistic
specialty. And there are groups of male gods as well, such as the
Kabeiroi, the Kouretes, etc. There are in fact so many of these
groupings, sometimes of rather minor deities, that I couldn't list
them all here. Only some of them are actively worshipped today,
and this was true even in ancient times.
An important group of gods and spirits are called khthonioi,
meaning of the underworld. These include Haides, Persephone, a
few other chthonic divinities, and the souls of the dead (Hekate
could also belong on this list, depending on your view of her, as
could aspects of other gods such as Hermes Psychopompos). Haides
is a god that is paid little cult, either today or in the past, mostly
because he is dreaded, feared and respected more than he is loved.
Persephone, on the other hand, was the center of the largest Mystery
rites in ancient Greece, at Eleusis. Although she is only Queen of the
Underworld for part of the year, it seems to be the aspect most
attractive to worshippers.
The khthonioi are given rites somewhat differently than the
other gods: they are offered black animals instead of white ones,
they are worshipped primarily at night instead of during the day,
sacrifices are made to them in a bothros (pit) instead of a raised
bomos, their libations (khoai) are poured out in entirety, prayers are
made to them with hands lowered instead of raised, and their holy
places are caves and other underground places instead of temples.

Ancestors

Like most polytheistic cultures, the ancient Greeks had rituals for
honoring their ancestors. A family member who had died was still
important, and deserved attention. These practices are beginning to
grow again today, but since so many things have changed (funeral
customs, the religions of our relatives), we must adapt without
simply forgetting those who have come before us.
After the funerary rites (described in Chapter One) are over, the
deceased relative is treated in much the same way as other chthonic
beings. Food offerings and libations can be left at the gravesite, not
only at the time of interment, but traditionally on certain days
afterwards: the third, ninth and sometimes thirtieth days after the
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funeral, the deceased’s birthday, the anniversary of the person's
death, and community festivals honoring the dead (such as the
ancient Athenian Genesia). In addition to food and drink left on the
ground, ribbons and flowers can be left by the tomb. In ancient
times, the oldest son of the family was the most obligated to pay
respect to the ancestor, but everyone could be involved and in
modern times it seems appropriate to share the responsibility
equally among family members.
Ancestors were believed to give fertility of all kinds, and were
often sacrificed to and prayed to for good crops and fertile wombs.
However, the dead were also feared, and people would pass by
graves silently, so as to avoid attracting the attention of the soul
within. This custom, as well as the prevalence of rites performed at
the graves themselves, shows that many people believed at least
some aspect of the psyche remained in the grave site. When a person
died away from home, their soul had to be called back somehow to
an empty grave called a cenotaph, where the person was represented
by a stone. Cenotaphs were tended by relatives in the same manner
as real graves.
If you have deceased relatives who are buried nearby, of course
the easiest way to continue these traditions would be to visit their
graves at certain times and leave offerings. However, for those of us
living further away, it seems appropriate to erect a small shrine in
their honor, similar to the idea of a cenotaph, which can be the focus
of our rituals. This shrine could include photographs of the
deceased, objects once belonging to them, and other basic shrine
elements such as an offering dish or incense (more on shrines later).
I think it is also appropriate to visit one’s local cemetery and
leave some libations to all the dead buried there. While I do not
know of a precedent for this in ancient Greek custom (except for the
Genesia, at which all the city’s dead were honored), it seems
appropriate to me to establish ties with the area you live in by
honoring those who have lived there before, whose spirits (in some
people’s beliefs) would at least partially be linked to that.part of the
earth.

Heroes

Another group often included in the khthonioi are the heroes. In

ancient times, the heroes were men who had been (or were believed
to have been) actual living people, worshipped after death as semi-
divine. The cult of heroes was directly tied to their tombs (although

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sometimes many places would boast the tomb of the same hero), and
their worship was closer to that of the dead than of the gods. They
were offered the same types of foods and libations, and their shrines
were passed in silence. A hero did not have to be of divine
parentage, but was instead often honored for some exceptional
quality or feat.
There were also cults of heroines in ancient Greece. Generally,
the heroines were figures from mythology or poetry - such as Helen
and Ariadne - rather than (supposedly) historical women.
Sometimes, as is true with male heroes, it is difficult to draw the line
between heroine and goddess, and some figures like Ino Leukothea
were treated like one or the other in different locations.
While there were a few “pan-Hellenic” heroes (Herakles being
the primary example of such), mostly this was a local phenomenon,
each area having its own heroes. Therefore, when attempting to
revive the worship of heroes in modern times, it seems less authentic
to turn immediately to ancient Greek heroes, instead of identifying
the heroes of our own culture and specific area. Such modern heroes
are often the subjects of local folk songs and ballads (like the heroes
of the Iliad), and are to some degree mythologized even when they
began as real people - much in the way, I’m sure, that some ancient
heroes were. There are sometimes even local variants of these
modern hero legends, as there were in ancient times.
So how do we now pay cult to our local heroes? We can leave
offerings at their graves (when possible) or at places associated with
them. We can, as in ancient times, hold feasts in their honor. We can
set aside a special day each year for them, or modify an existing civic
holiday in their honor. We are not even committing much of an
innovation in this, since as Burkert states, “Great gods are no longer
born, but new heroes can always be raised up from the army of the
dead whenever a family, cult association, or city passes an
appropriate resolution to accord heroic honours.” (Greek Religion,
206) Thus, recognizing new heroes and paying them cult is actually
entirely within the structure of ancient Greek religion. And it is yet
another way to bring the religion of the past fully into the present.

TheNymphs
Worship of the nymphs - the divinities of the natural features of the
landscape - was very important in ancient Greek religion, especially
in the rural areas, and is now being slowly rediscovered. A shepherd
or farmer in ancient Greece might have paid more regular cult to the

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nymphs than he would to the Olympians, because the nymphs
impacted his daily life. They lived all around him in the woods, in
his pastures, they guarded the spring water his goats drank, they
lived in the same caves that gave him occasional shelter. Greek
pastoral poetry even speaks of shepherds meeting and sometimes
falling in love with nymphs, during the long hours they spent with
their flocks on mountainsides.
There are many different names for the nymphs, depending on
what type they are. The word nymph (numphe in Greek) itself means
“bride,” although nymphs are rarely married; however they are
always female - their male counterparts are the satyrs, silens, and
kentaurs. Dryads are nymphs of the trees, especially oaks, who are
so bound together that they are born and die with their trees. (In
general, nymphs are said to live extremely long lives, but are not
actually immortal.) Oreads are nymphs of the mountains. Naiads
belong to springs and other bodies of water, whereas nereids are
nymphs of the ocean, and limnades live in lakes, marshes and
swamps. Epimeliades protect sheep flocks, and leimoniades reside in
flowery meadows. There are many more.
Some individual nymphs figure prominently in mythology:
Thetis (a nereid), the mother of Akhilles; Echo who fled from Pan;
Daphne who was chased by Apollon and became his beloved laurel
tree; and Maia, the mother of Hermes. In myths, the nymphs are
most often in the company of (or being chased by) Pan, Hermes,
Apollon and Dionysos - the rural or pastoral gods. Whereas
mythology tends to portray these relationships as rather unwelcome
or hostile, in cult it seems these gods were worshipped side by side
with the nymphs, with no animosity suggested. An example of such
were the nymphs of the Korykian Cave on Mount Parnassos, above
sacred Delphi. This cave was particularly holy, not just to the
nymphs but to Pan, Hermes and perhaps Dionysos as well. The
nymphs there are mentioned in the Homeric Hymn to Hermes, when
Apollon tells Hermes to find them, for they will teach him the skills
of divination. They are portrayed as bees, and in fact the nymphs
were often associated with bees elsewhere, and honey is known as
an especially appropriate gift for them.
Almost everywhere, the nymphs were known for their healing
abilities (also often present in the waters they protect) and for their
prophetic powers. Religious rites for them often included some form
of simple divination, like the use of astragaloi (sheep knucklebones).
Thousands of knucklebones were found in the archaeological
excavation of the Korykian Cave, and of many other nymph caves in

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Greece. The nymphs can also bestow this gift of prophecy on certain
mortals; such a person might then become a nympholept.
The word nympholepsy has a number of connotations. One
refers to an overall heightened awareness and increased verbal skills,
also a gift from the nymphs, which makes a man into a poet. A more
negative version of nympholepsy views possession by the nymphs
as an unwanted illness. Sometimes the word describes a physical
rapture, an actual abduction of a person by the nymphs. Finally, a
nympholept can mean a person who is exceptionally devoted in a
religious sense to the nymphs, one who keeps a sanctuary for them
and is inspired to prophesize. Historically, these nympholepts
occupied a marginalized role in society like many other visionary
types, and yet they often created and maintained important cult sites
for the nymphs that were visited by pilgrims. The nympholept
sometimes had a special relationship with one particular nymph, a
relationship that may have been romantic and/or sexual in nature.
The love of the nymphs was so strong in the Greek people that it
survived the conversion to Christianity, and is the one major feature
of ancient religion still practiced up to recent times. In modern rural
Greece, all nymphs are now called nereids, but the myths and
practices have stayed relatively unchanged over the centuries. Tales
are still told of boys or men being captured by a nymph, and
offerings are still made at wells and rivers and such. As Nilsson
writes, the worship of local nature spirits “was the most
persistent....form of Greek religion.” (GreekFolk Religion, 18)
However, modern Hellenic paganism has, up until recently,
largely overlooked this important aspect of ancient practice; we have
focused overly much on the “major” gods and the cult of the city. Yet
the nymphs are present everywhere, even in cities. In Athens there
were still places to worship the nymphs, usually around wells. And
so there are fountains, and trees, and parks in our modern cities,
plenty of places to feel the presence of the nymphs and pay them
cult. It is easy to begin, just leave offerings in your area at a
prominent river or stream, a beautiful tree, cave, or any other natural
feature. You might also consider the spirits of natural features that
share a name with the town or county you live in to be the patron
nymphs of your area, in the way that Athens was named after
Athene (for instance, the Great Salt Lake’s nymph would be special
to Salt Lake City residents).
Another way to find remarkable nymphs is to research the
places that were traditionally considered sacred by the indigenous
peoples of your area and visit them with the intention of creating
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bonds with the spirits that reside there. The polytheists that
originally lived in the United States were the Native American tribes,
so it makes sense to find out what places they believed to be sacred,
what gods they had, etc. After all, when the Greeks went to Egypt,
they didn't just make up a whole new set of religious places and
figures there, they adopted the Egyptian ones, and combined some
of them with their own. They would have listened to an Egyptian
who told them a particular place was sacred, or that such-and-such
river had a strong deity present. I'm not suggesting that we take up
Native American religion, but why start from scratch if you can find
a local pagan history to begin with?
Appropriate offerings to the nymphs include libations (some
will say that only wineless libations are appropriate, but Van Straten
makes a good argument that wine was indeed offered to the nymphs
in some areas), astragaloi, honey, jewelry, shells, and votive female
figurines. You could also build a shrine in the wilds, to honor them.
One of my favorite ways to interact with the nymphs is to hold a
theoxenia for them. A theoxenia is a feast held in honor of a god or
gods, to which the deity is invited and served as a special guest -
essentially a divine dinner party (for more information on this ritual,
I recommend Michael Jameson’s article in Ancient Greek Cult Practice
From the Epigraphical Evidence). A formal invitation is made for the
god. Tables are set opulently, food and drink served, music played.
Sometimes there is an object, such as a small statue, at one seat to
represent the god. The god's plate is heaped high with good food,
his/her cup filled with wine, and the god’s presence is felt
throughout the meal.
Adapting a theoxenia festival for the nymphs would not be
breaking new ground. We know that there was one held for
Dionysos and the nymphs at Mytilene, called the Theodaisia. And
banquets in general were considered appropriate offerings for them.
But I suggest that a particularly appropriate format for a nymph
theoxenia would be as an outdoor picnic.
The first step is to find a nymph-haunted place in your area. This
might be an especially beautiful spot, or one where you feel inspired.
It might be a prominent natural feature, such as the largest river or
mountain nearby. If hosting a theoxenia for a particular type of
nymph, you would need to search out their specific home - for
instance, a marshy place for the limnades, a riverbank for the naiads.
Before the meal (or even a couple days before) it might be a good
idea to clean up the area if there is litter - not only is this a good
gesture towards the nymphs of the place, but beautifying natural

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areas was actually a form of devotional activity for the nymphs in
ancient times too.
I like to make physical invitations, such as handmade cards for
the nymphs for my theoxenia. Afterwards, they can be burnt as
offerings, left on my indoor shrine, or saved with other mementos. A
beautiful space can be created for the meal on the spot chosen, using
a nice picnic blanket, actual plates and cups (rather than paper or
plastic), flowers, and other decorations. A full place setting should
be laid out for the nymphs, including silverware, napkin, etc., and
obviously also a full portion of the food and drink that is served. The
menu should include something they might particularly like, such as
honeybuns or strawberry shortcake. Pure spring water would make
both a good drink and libation liquid, as might mead (honey-wine).
I begin the festival with a libation and the reading of a hymn or
prayer; my favorite is the Orphic Hymn to the Nymphs, which
mentions several different types. Reading the invitation out loud is a
nice gesture as well. I would also suggest that during the meal,
irrelevant conversation be kept to a minimum, and the guests should
be aware of the presence of the nymphs around them, and act
accordingly. Poetry could be read, songs sung, instruments played.
Music and dance are especially pleasing to the nymphs. When
everyone is ready to go home, a final libation should be poured, and
the nymphs should be thanked for being guests. Make sure not to
leave any litter behind; the spot should look just as good or better
than when you came. Finally, coming back to the same place
repeatedly for future nymph picnics would be a good way to
establish kharis with the local nymphs.
I think that some people, having endeavored to meet and spend
time with the nymphs in their area, might even develop a more
personal and intimate relationship with a specific nymph, along the
lines of the ancient nympholepts (more on them in the next chapter).

Other Spirits

There are other nature spirits besides the nymphs. As I mentioned

before, the male counterparts to the nymphs were such beings as the
satyrs (part man, part horse or goat) and kentaurs (half man, half
horse), although there is little evidence of them being paid cult in
ancient times. However, the god Pan, also half goat, was widely
worshipped, especially in his homeland of Arkadia, but also
everywhere in forests and other wild places. He can be worshipped

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today both in the same manner as other gods, and/or as the nymphs
are.
Another group of figures that are both gods and directly tied to
the natural landscape are the river gods. Often depicted as bulls with
human heads, or as having bull’s horns, the river gods are the
fathers of the river nymphs (sometimes called potamiads or
okeanids), and control the flow of the river itself.
The spirits of the winds are called the Anemoi; the most well-
known are Boreas (north), Notos (south), Apheliotes (east) and
Zephuros (west). Some evidence has been found that the Anemoi
were worshipped with regular cult, but little detail is known.
Most of these figures could be called daimones, a word which
usually refers to a type of spiritual being that is a little less powerful
and wide-reaching than a god (although sometimes daimon and theos
are used interchangeably). Over the centuries, this word gained an
entirely negative connotation (later morphing into our word demon),
but it was originally a more neutral term that could encompass both
beneficent and malevolent spirits.

AgathosDaimon
One of the most important concepts in Greek religion is the Agathos
Daimon (also called agathodaimon), which translates roughly as
“good spirit.” The Agathos Daimon is a spirit of fortune and good
luck. It can belong to and protect an entire household, and as such it
receives libations of wine after meals. It can sometimes be seen
around the house in the form of a snake.
Originally an androgynous being, in Hellenistic times the
Agathos Daimon became decidedly male, and was even said to be
the consort of Agathe Tukhe, the goddess of fortune. It was
portrayed as a young man holding a cornucopia. Yet it still retained
its serpentine form, for when a huge snake appeared to Alexander at
the future site of Alexandria and then was killed, he erected a hero
shrine for it as the Agathos Daimon.
The tradition of the Agathos Daimon seems to exist on a more
individual level than the rites of the gods or even heroes. There were
no large festivals for this spirit, no hymns that I know of. In Boiotia,
the opening of new wine jars was dedicated to the Agathos Daimon,
but that is the only reference to it in the realm of public festival.
While the second day of each month was set aside for worship of the
Agathos Daimon (in the ancient Athenian calendar), it seems that

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was a more private affair, the actions of a household or individual
rather than a community.
One could almost call the Agathos Daimon a sort of guardian
angel, attached to a person at birth to protect and guide him or her
throughout life. It also affects an individual's luck. Sokrates said that
his told him when to stop or keep quiet. It was thought that one
needed to appease one’s Agathos Daimon so that it would respond
favorably. Pindar wrote, “The daimon active about me I will always
consciously put to rights with me by cultivating him according to my
means.”
The daimones stand between gods and men, they are as Plato
said the “interpreters and ferrymen.” Much in the way Vodounists
believe in the Christian god but prefer to have interactions with the
wa, the daimones are in some ways closer, more accessible than the
gods. A relationship with a daimon can be very personal and
intimate; it is also a bridge to relationships with the gods. As Pindar
said, “The great mind of Zeus steers the daimon of the men whom
he loves.”
The Agathos Daimon is part of a widespread history of personal
spirits in polytheistic religions around the world. The Romans called
it a Genius, and in Slavic folklore it was a Dola (a personal fate and
protective spirit). It is very similar to the fylgja of Norse tradition.
And yet, many Hellenic polytheists largely ignore daimones in
general, and few acknowledge their own Agathos Daimon. I think
adopting this ancient tradition will add something to our religion. I
think it will encourage the possibility of intimate spiritual
relationships with divine entities, and even bring us closer to the
gods. I also see it as an opportunity to integrate our practice with the
world in which we live. The actual spirit who belongs to you (and to
whom you belong) will probably be tied to your family, and/or the
land around you, and relating to it in the context of Greek religious
practice brings our religion fully into the present time and place.
You can begin a relationship with your Agathos Daimon by
saving out the second day of the month for it, leaving libations, and
spending some time trying to get a feel for it. When you have an
extraordinary piece of luck, you might thank your Agathos Daimon
in some way. When you need guidance, you might turn first to it
before asking the gods. Your Agathos Daimon can be an invaluable
teacher, protector and guide, and I also believe that the tradition can
encompass a romantic and/or sexual way of relating to this spirit,
much in the same vein as the nympholepts.

VT
HouseholdReligion
The Agathos Daimon is also a part of the private household cult -
those daily practices centered in and around the house - which was
and is an important aspect of Greek religion. After meals, a few
drops of unmixed wine would be poured out onto the floor for the
Agathos Daimon, often perceived here as a snake. While we no
longer have earthen floors to absorb libations, we can still pour out
this drink into a small dish, and periodically dispose of the offerings
outside on the ground.
First and foremost in the household is Hestia. She is less
anthropomorphized than the rest of the Greek gods, rather she is the
hearth itself. In an ancient house, the hearth occupied a central place,
and was the focus of virtually all private sacrifices and offerings.
Meals were eaten around the hearth, and at the beginning of any
meal a portion would be dropped in the fire for Hestia. She was also
the first to receive a piece of a sacrifice made in the home. There is
evidence that this led to Hestia being recognized first in larger public
sacrifices as well. Any new member of the family was first brought
to the hearth, people even swore oaths on the hearth.
Of course, modern homes rarely have a fireplace; we certainly
do not tend to use them for daily cooking. Hellenic pagans have
come up with a variety of solutions to this. Some consider their
kitchen stove to be their hearth, especially if it is gas powered and
therefore has a flame. In this case, a piece of the meal might be put
into the oven or burned on the stovetop. Others opt to have a candle
or oil lamp lit for Hestia in the kitchen, (although it is unsafe to leave
it burning while asleep or away).
The storeroom, or pantry, is protected by Zeus Ktesios
(acquirer). In fact, many of Zeus’ lesser-known aspects are involved
in the household cult. Traditionally, a jar or amphora is dedicated to
Zeus Ktesios and placed in the storeroom; it is filled with fresh
water, oil, and various fruits (a panspermia type of offering) and the
handles are decorated with wool fillets. This Zeus, like the Agathos
Daimon, often takes the form of a snake. (In fact, not ‘only is the
belief in a snake house-spirit prevalent across European paganism, it
could even still be found in rural areas of Greece well into the last
century.) The jar for Zeus Ktesios is a fairly simple offering to
assemble, and can be placed in modern pantries or just on the
shelves you use for foodstuffs.
The rest of the household religion could be found immediately
outside the doors of any ancient Greek person’s house. Here again

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we find Zeus; an altar to Zeus Herkeios (fence) stood in the
courtyard and received sacrifices and libations. Some houses also
erected an altar to Zeus Kataibates (who descends) in front of their
houses to protect them from lightning strikes. Further, where the
courtyard met the street, might stand a high, conical stone in honor
of Apollon Aguieos (of the street). Oil was poured on it, and it was
decorated with fillets; it stood to protect the house against harm. In
front of the house one might also find Hermes Propulaios (before the
gates) in the shape of a pillar, or a triple image of Hekate. Prayers
would be made to these for protection and to avert evil.
Aside from replicating these altars and stones exactly, which
many of us cannot do, there are ways to carry on these traditions
even in an apartment. An image of one or all of these protecting gods
could be hung on the front door (inside, if outside is not possible), or
perhaps a pile of stones placed by the front step where one could
pour libations. Considering what a large part of the average person's
religious life these small rituals would have occupied in ancient
Greece, it seems only proper that we continue to perform them
today, if slightly modified. And it is always a good idea to incur the
good-will of the gods when it comes to your family and home.

Shrines

It is also appropriate to have other shrines set up in addition to those

for the household. It is true that “Greek houses had no separate
room for a household shrine and rarely had special permanent
altars.” (Price, 89) However, it is also true that in ancient Greece
there were large temples everywhere, and statues in the streets, and
a person didn’t usually have to go far to reach some sort of shrine. I
think that considering our present circumstances, with most of us
spread out across the country and even the world, it makes sense to
tend to small shrines in our houses if we choose.
Hellenic pagan shrines (I often avoid the word altar as it has too
many connotations not applicable to this context) can be simple or
extravagant. There are not many rules, there is no common layout
like Wiccan altars have. Generally, a shrine is dedicated to a single
god, goddess or daimon, but it is still in keeping with tradition to
have more than one god honored at the same place, especially if
there are space concerns. You can build a shrine as big or small as
you want, or as your living space allows. Bureau tops, end tables,
nightstands, bookshelves, coffee tables, plaster pillars from the craft

79
store, all of these will suffice. You can have one big shrine, a bunch
of smaller ones, or anything in between.
An average Hellenic shrine might have a cult image (statue,
painting, etc) of the god/dess, an offering bowl, a candle (the ancient
Greeks used oil lamps, and we can do that today, but most people
find candles easier to find and to manage), incense, and small
libation jugs for water, wine, etc. It might also be home to permanent
offerings made by the worshipper (perhaps a small ceramic dolphin
for Apollon, for instance). The most important things to have are
implements of basic ritual, and items that remind you of the god(s)
involved. Those who do not confine their worship primarily to one
or several deities might wish to set up a shrine to all the gods, or the
Olympian gods, or something like that. Considering that there was a
shrine to “the Twelve Gods” in the ancient Agora of Athens, this
seems appropriate too.
When you first build your shrine, you should start by sprinkling
khernips (pure water) over the base and every object that will be on
it. Then I recommend lighting a candle or oil lamp and perhaps some
incense, and making an initial sacrifice to ask the gods’ blessing for
the shrine. Especially if it is dedicated to one particular god, you
might want to invite the god to reside (partially, of course) within
that space, in the same way that an ancient temple was the home of
the god.
Make sure that your shrines are in a safe place where nothing
will be knocked over. And be sure to keep them clean - regularly
clear away old offerings, wash out bowls and cups used for libations,
and dust everything off once in awhile too. I personally think it’s a
good idea to completely disassemble, clean, and reassemble your
shrines at least once a year (perhaps for the ancient, or modern, new
year). Tending a shrine, performing ritual there and putting work
into it, adding objects and clearing away old ones, is a very
satisfying ongoing devotional act. It is not necessary, but I think the
effort is appreciated by the gods, and it also gives one a special place
at which to connect to the gods.
It is also possible to make small, portable shrines to carry with
you while traveling (or to keep primarily at your house if you don’t
have much space). A small box can be decorated and filled with
miniature versions of all the normal shrine objects. However,
remember that Hellenic practice can be carried out anywhere
without special items. If you are away from your residence, you can
still make libations, pray, and perform other acts of devotion. A
bottle of juice bought at a convenience store and poured out on a

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patch of ground is a sufficient libation. Leaving a coin at a crossroads
in the middle of a city is an offering to Hermes. You can say a
morning prayer no matter where you wake up. Reminders of the
gods are everywhere.
You can also create shrines in natural places, in the woods or
fields or parks. Even if you do not own land, there are ways to make
unobtrusive gifts to the gods, or to create a temenos (a place set apart,
dedicated to the gods). These can be temporary or even made
permanent. In ancient times, “one could hardly have taken a step out
of doors without meeting a little shrine, a sacred enclosure, an
image, a sacred stone, or a sacred tree.” (Nilsson, Greek Folk Religion,
18) You can start to build such a network of sacred places in your
own area slowly: a heap of stones for Hermes, a stream at which you
regularly leave flowers for the nymphs, a lightning-struck tree on
which you carve a prayer to Zeus.

Holy Places
“In antiquity sanctity was inherent in the place. The place was not
made holy by building a house for a god on it, but a house for a god
was built on a certain place because the place was holy.” (Nilsson,
Greek Folk Religion, 76) So how do you identify especially sacred
places? There are a few ways. One is to notice prominent natural
features, such as the tallest mountain or largest river around, or
particularly breathtaking ones. “Anything which gave the
impression of singular beauty and strength appeared at once to the
Greeks to be impregnated with the divine.” (Festugiere, 9) Or, as I
mentioned in the discussion on nymphs, anything sharing a name
with the town/county/area you live in, as well as areas considered
sacred by indigenous peoples, or otherwise possessing a history of
being valued spiritually.
The gods are said to favor certain places in Greece - Aphrodite
has Kupros, Apollon has Delos, Athene of course has Athens, etc.
We do not know if the gods will begin to develop ties to any special
areas where we currently worship them, but I would not rule out the
possibility. It might be worthwhile as our religion develops to
occasionally perform divinations or look for omens regarding this
matter. It would be wonderful to have places of pilgrimage in our
own countries.

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Prayer

I’ve spoken of sacred places, created both by nature and by our own
hands, and of the offerings made there, but what words are spoken
to accompany these actions? Well, the most basic acts of worship can
be carried out without words, and certainly without any fancy
formulae or ritual scripts. If you wish to say something, it can merely
be “for Hera” as a libation is poured, or the greeting “khaire”
(“khairete” if you are addressing more than one deity) to the image(s)
on your shrine as you pass. A more eloquent dedication might be “to
the beautiful nymphs who reside in these waters, may this gift please
you” or something of the sort. These small gestures can be expressed
in extemporaneous words. However, for formal ritual, or for
important requests or thanksgivings, a traditional prayer is
appropriate.
“{P]rayer for aGreek meant asking the gods for something. One
had to give as well as take. One did not customarily approach the
gods empty handed. Prayer was not of itself an autonomous mode
of religious action. It relied on sacrifice.” (Pulleyn, 15) This is crucial:
an offering must be made or at least promised if you are asking for
something (and never neglect to fulfill your promises to the gods!)
and often also if you are giving thanks. If you wish merely to voice
your praise and love for the god/dess, a hymn is more appropriate,
which is after all an offering in itself.
It is customary when praying to the “heavenly” gods to stand
with arms stretched upwards. For the gods of the sea, the arms are
stretched out ahead of you, and for the khthonioi the arms are
pointed downward (though in particularly emotional prayers to the
khthonioi sometimes the person would fall to the ground and beat
their hands upon it). Prayers are spoken out loud, unless this is
impossible for some reason. “The gods, of course, can also hear soft
entreaties; and in exceptional cases, in the cult of the uncanny,
subterranean gods, silent prayer is prescribed.” (Burkert, 73)
Generally, a prayer (like a hymn) is addressed to only one god or
goddess at a time, although there can be exceptions to this rule.
First, the worshipper calls to the god: “hear me” or “come” are
common openings. (For words and prayers in Greek, see Appendix
III.) Then the god is addressed by name; in Greek this takes the
vocative case. It is also customary to name a few of the god’s epithets
(these can even replace the proper name entirely), and sometimes the
formula “or by whatever name it pleases you to be called” is added.
One might then speak of the places they are known to dwell, their
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birth place or famous temple sites; often the god is asked to come
from whatever place he or she currently is. If the worshipper has
previously sacrificed to this god, or the god has assisted them in the
past, these instances are mentioned. Then finally a request is made,
accompanied by a vow to sacrifice to the god if the prayer is
answered (if the sacrifice has not already been made as an
encouragement for the desired outcome).
One of the most famous prayers from ancient literature is that of
Khruses, a priest of Apollon, in the opening stanzas of the Iliad.
“Hear me,’ he cried, ‘O god of the silver bow, you who protect
Khruse and holy Killa and rule Tenedos with your might, hear me
Sminthian god. If ever I have decked your temple with garlands, or
burned for you thigh-bones in fat of bulls or goats, grant my prayer,
and let your arrows avenge these my tears upon the Danaans.’” This
example includes most of the elements I have outlined, and should
give you an idea of how a complete prayer sounds.
With some practice and repetition, this format will become fairly
easy to apply to any type of prayer you wish to make, to any god.
You can add to it, make it more elaborate, or keep it to the bare
bones. In time you can find a style, while still keeping within the
tradition, that feels right to you and complements the relationships
you have with the gods. }
You might wish to forget about this formulaic type of prayer and
simply speak from your heart. I cannot say that it is altogether bad or
wrong to talk to the gods informally at times, or to communicate
with them intuitively; that can be fruitful. However, there is also a
place for formal entreaty. These are still gods, after all. It is wise to
take the warning offered by C.S. Lewis in The Screwtape Letters
(although this was directed at Christians, it can still apply to us): “In
reaction against [formal, institutionalized prayer], he may be
persuaded to aim at something entirely spontaneous, inward,
informal, and unregularised; and what this will actually mean to a
beginner will be an effort to produce in himself a vaguely devotional
mood in which real concentration of will and intelligence have no
part.” The gods deserve our best efforts, and a true outreaching, not
simply a satisfied feeling on our parts.
Some people are concerned that their prayers may be seen as too
superficial or unimportant by the gods. Is it okay to pray for a new
job or a girlfriend or to win your baseball game? I certainly think so.
I don't see why it should be considered superficial to ask the gods for
things we need, or even just things we want. As long as the proper
form is followed, as long as we make offerings along with our
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requests, and as long as we don't start expecting things from them, it
seems perfectly appropriate to me. And certainly in keeping with
tradition, since the ancient Greeks had no problems praying for
whatever they wanted, even the destruction of their enemies! I once
prayed to Hermes quite strongly for a financial windfall - I was
barely scraping by - and he delivered. I spent a lot of that money on
offerings, of course, and a pilgrimage to Greece. I didn't get the sense
from him that he was offended by the secular nature of my request -
I am after all a physical person with physical wants and needs.
One final thought regarding prayers - it has become popular in
pagan circles recently to create prayer beads for various gods,
themes, or needs. While there is no tradition of prayer beads within
Hellenismos, I see no reason why they shouldn't be included either.
A string of prayer beads could include representations of each god
you are involved with, or even various aspects of a single god. You
can design formal prayers to be spoken with the beads, or use them
as a vehicle or inspiration to talking with your gods more personally,
pausing at each bead to acknowledge the deity it represents in some
way - with a request, gratitude, praise, etc. Prayer beads can also
become a sort of portable shrine, and a way to take your religious
practice with you whenever you travel. And they are an excellent
way to begin, or enhance, a daily spiritual practice.

Listening to the Gods

Prayer is how we speak to the gods. But how do they speak to us?
Some might say that it is hubris to think the gods speak to us at all,
but in my opinion the most rewarding part of Hellenic polytheism is
establishing a reciprocal relationship with the gods - and reciprocal
means both ways. Letting the gods communicate to you can be an
active or passive process, but it always means paying attention to
how they might be interacting with you in your life. Just like getting
that new job you wanted should prompt you to thank Hermes, other
more subtle things in your life might be at least partly due to the
gods. This doesn’t mean that every little thing, good or bad, is cause
to think a god is involved, but you should be open to the possibility.
The most common way of ascertaining the will of the gods,
asking them questions, or just generally trying to get a grasp on a
situation, is divination. “Divination was a primary means of
bridging the gap between the known and the unknown, the visible
and the invisible, the past and the future, and the human and the
divine....Divination was so vitally important to the Greeks that it
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was included, second only to medicine, among the technai (arts,
skills, or crafts) that Prometheus gave to humankind.” (Flower, 8)
Divination does not necessarily mean fortune-telling; despite the
common misconception, it is not primarily used for seeing the
future. Rather, it gives one insight into the inner mechanism of life
itself, of fate, it shows us where we are, what is going on around us.
It is also a tool to help us understand what the gods might want to
tell us. As such, remember that it should be treated respectfully, that
the process should be undertaken - when possible - in a spiritual
manner, after making offerings and prayers, and with an open mind.
I also think that it is best if divination is performed in a light
meditative state. The actual mechanism of divination is not really the
cards or dice or whatever, but a communication from the divine
world to ours. The tools make it easier, but so does the right state of
mind. Emptying your thoughts and making your mind receptive to
that communication will increase your chances of performing a
useful divination. Insights and epiphanies do not usually come to a
cluttered and distracted mind.

Divination Methods

According to my survey, and my own experience, many Hellenic

polytheists use non-Hellenic methods of divination at least some of
the time, and often more than they use ancient Greek ones. This is, I
think, perfectly acceptable - after all, if the ancient Greeks were still
around today, they certainly might adopt some new forms of
divination as they became exposed to them, in the same way as they
did occasionally in ancient times. Therefore Tarot, scrying, and other
methods from various cultures and even our modern society can all
be used in a Hellenic context, although I recommend really
becoming familiar with a divination system and learning about its
own context before applying it to Hellenic practice. (The only
exception J might make here is the Norse runes, which are more than
just a divination tool and are often misunderstood by people outside
of that religious and magical system.)
That being said, there are also quite a few ancient Greek
divinatory methods that can still be used today. At most ancient
sacrifices, the animal was examined after it was cut open, and certain
aspects of its anatomy were viewed as divinatory objects, most often
the liver. There is a whole complicated method to this procedure,
called haruspicy, but since most people are not in the position to
perform it today, it is largely ignored.
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 Something we can do today, and rather easily, is ornithomancy,
or divination by birds. There were probably more rules to this
practice in ancient times than we know of today, but some basics are
as follows: a bird from the West (or left) is seen as negative or bad, a
bird from the East (or right) is positive or good. Generally birds of
prey are much more significant than other birds. Anything unusual
or noticeable can be a sign - their flight speed, noises they make,
sudden changes in direction, etc. You can also set up a system
whereby you define certain activities as meaning certain things, and
then see which happen. Overall, this is a divinatory system that is
wide open to interpretation and personal intuition.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, there are some systems
that are fairly straightforward, or at least give you some words on
which to base your interpretation. The Homeric Oracle is one
example; it can be found in the Greek Magical Papyri which is a set of
magical and religious documents dating primarily to the Hellenistic
period in Egypt, when Greek and Egyptian cultures blended to a
degree. It is used by rolling three dice, and the three-number
combination that results is used to look up a particular line from
either the Iliad or Odyssey. If you cannot find the original text for this,
you should note that this is basically a form of bibliomancy, and
could just as easily be performed by randomly opening one of these
books and pointing to a line, which then becomes your oracle. It is
important when using this type of system to ask a clear, simple
question before divining, since otherwise the answer will not be as
easy to apply.
Another ancient system that some Hellenic polytheists use is
called the Limyran Oracle - it consists of twenty-four sentences, each
connected to a letter of the Greek alphabet. A group of stones or
potsherds is each inscribed with one letter, and then one is chosen -
the corresponding sentence is your oracle. More information on this
oracle can be found on a website listed under Internet Resources at
the end of this book.
One of the simplest and most common forms of ancient Greek
divination was kleromancy, or divination by lots. This could take
many forms, using knucklebones, stones, or any other small object.
The lots were thrown on the ground, and the resulting patterns were
examined and interpreted to find an answer to the question or
problem. While we don’t know much specific information on how
this was done, any system of meanings attributed to the patterns can
work, as long as you stick to it - otherwise the divination is
meaningless.

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 The same is true for oneiromancy, or divination through dreams.
There are plenty of modern books on dream symbolism available,
but most generalize a bit too much - dreams are personal, and even
if sometimes you might tap into what Jung called the “collective
unconscious” and dream of symbols that are universally meaningful,
a lot of what happens in your dreams will have special significance
to you that it wouldn't have to anyone else. So develop a knowledge
of both universal and personal systems and then stick with it when
you examine your dreams.
In ancient times, dreams were used especially for healing, and
there were multiple sanctuaries where people could go to do ritual
and make sacrifice, then sleep in a special piace and wait for a dream
wherein the god would either heal them or give them information
that would lead to a cure in waking life - this is called dream
incubation, and the most famous of these sites was Epidauros. It is
entirely possible to do something similar today, using the basic
forms of ritual and prayer, provided you have a private, quiet place
to sleep afterwards. Remember that if you are cured, you must leave
a thanks-offering to the god (or goddess, technically any god might
choose to help you, although traditionally it was Asklepios who was
petitioned in these matters) - frequently this took the form of a
plaque or other image of the body part that was healed, but other
offerings are appropriate as well.
A whole separate category of divination is direct inspiration -
this differs from deductive divination in that it does not utilize tools
(at least as its main method) but relies on the contact between human
and god. Usually an intense working relationship has to be
developed between mantis and god for this to be effective. It is not
something done lightly, or by everyone. I will discuss this further,
particularly the tradition of the Pythia, in the next chapter.
When performing divination, it can sometimes be difficult to
discern how much one’s own interests are affecting one’s
interpretations. In other words, do the cards appear to say what they
do because they are truly revealing the gods’ communication, or are
you just seeing what you want to see? A good way to insure against
too much bias on your part is to check for confirmatory omens
afterwards. This means keeping an eye out for signs that might
confirm (or deny) what you read in your divination - not just
repeating a divination for the same question. So, for instance, if your
divination indicated that you should be making sacrifices to
Poseidon more often, and the next day you meet a sailor for the first
time, that’s a helpful confirmation.

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Omens

Omens are another way of discovering what the gods wish to tell
you; they can also be warnings, or even just indications of a divine
presence around you. “The Athenians, like most peoples, felt the
presence of their deities in significant events they found to be
mysterious and inexplicable.” (Mikalson, 17) Omens are also found
in what might seem to be rather mundane occurrences.
“The god-sent sign is the instrument of mediation between the
knowledge of the gods and the more limited knowledge of
humans....it was also essential first to recognize the sign as a sign. A
chance event becomes an omen when the circumstances require it,
‘when the underlying tension of a personal situation kindles the
signifying power of an omen.’ The meaning of some omens and
portents was obvious once they were recognized as such, of others
less so; but in either case there could be no interpretation until the
act of recognition had taken place.” (Flower, 73)
Some people are skeptical about interpreting anything as an
omen, especially if it seems to make a person look egotistical, like
they believe everything that happens is a sign meant for them.
Certainly, one doesn’t want to over-interpret every single thing; but
that doesn’t mean that omens can’t exist. Events can have material
and divine explanations at the same time. For instance, if you ask
Zeus for a response to something, and a lightning storm happens
shortly afterwards, that can be taken as an omen - but it does not
mean that the storm happened only for you, or would not have
happened otherwise. Perhaps it came a little sooner or closer to you
than it would have in order to serve as your sign. Perhaps it was
Zeus who put it into your head to ask for a sign in the first place,
knowing that the storm was coming.
Some of the most common categories of omen are rather
mundane and simple - what makes them omens is the context in
which they happen and how they are viewed by the person
involved. Even sneezes and twitches were seen as potential omens in
ancient Greece. As for how to interpret these, while sometimes they
can just be a call to pay attention or a confirmation of something just
said, “the primary significance attached to involuntary motions of
the body [follows] the natural associations of the part affected,” e.g.,
a tingling of the hand signifies money coming, something involving
the ear portends hearing news, etc. (Halliday, 177)
One form of omen, called the kledon, can happen anywhere - it is
a snatch of overheard conversation, even a single word, that seems

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to answer a question or problem you were having when you heard
it. In ancient times this was even turned into a more elaborate type of
divination sacred to Hermes: the querent goes to a marketplace,
lights a lamp at a statue of Hermes, leaves a coin, presents his or her
question, then walks into the crowd with ears covered. Once in the
middle of the marketplace, the querent uncovers his or her ears and
takes the first words heard as the omen. This can easily be done
today at any supermarket, shopping mall, or ideally an outdoors
farmers or crafts market. While we do not have statues of Hermes
present in these places today, you can either bring an image of
Hermes, or perform the ritual at a crossroads which is sacred to him.
Leave a coin, light incense or a candle if you can, even for amoment,
and then ask your question and leave the rest to Hermes.
Another type of omen also related to Hermes are the enodioi
sumboloi: chance meetings on the road. Traveling, especially by foot,
was an exhausting and sometimes even dangerous activity in ancient
times. Portents were often looked for along the way. One such sign
would be an encounter with another person, who might by his
appearance, occupation, words, or some other aspect become
meaningful to the traveler. We embark on journeys all the time even
today, and especially on important travels one should be aware of
possible omens like this. At home, one could still receive messages
from the gods through an oikoskopikon- an incident of domestic life
with import for the person involved. I have not found any examples
of what this might entail, but if you keep an open mind and open
eye, one might present itself to you if the gods wish it.

Patron Gods

Many Hellenic polytheists direct their practice toward the gods in

general, a large group of gods, or whatever deity seems appropriate
at the time (e.g. leaving an offering one week for Aphrodite to thank
her for a new relationship, the next week pouring a libation to
Hermes to ask for protection on a journey). However, some people
are drawn to one god or goddess (or a few) more than the rest, and
feel called to devote themselves to that deity in a special way - not
forsaking the other gods, but not worshipping them as frequently or
as passionately. This relationship is commonly called having a
patron god. “The god to whom a man entrusts himself is his god by
choice; and the very fact of his choice is proof of a personal religion,
which can lead to a more intimate bond than would otherwise exist
between the chosen god and his worshipper.” (Festugiere, 40)

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 There has been some debate on whether or not the concept of a
patron god is a modern innovation. Some see it as mere mimicry of
Wicca and other neopagan paths. Others compare it to the patron
saint relationship in Catholicism. However, I think this concept was
present in ancient Greece, although perhaps not as common as in
modern times. It is said, for instance, that the famous playwright
Aiskhulos had a dream of Dionysos as a boy, while lying in a
vineyard, in which the god told him to write tragedies (Pausanias I,
59). Aiskhulos indeed spent the rest of his life in service to the god of
theatre. In the Odyssey, it is clear that Odysseus has a special
relationship with Athene; she counsels him and favors him above
others, and he returns her devotion. The poet Sappho was a servant
of Aphrodite. Certain priests volunteered for their positions, and it is
reasonable to assume that some of them did so out of special love for
the god or goddess of that temple. A perusal of the votive
inscriptions we have from antiquity will show the depth of love,
gratitude and even friendship possible on the part of the giver -
some even allude to an established relationship between worshipper
and god.
I would also venture to say that even if the patron relationship
was extremely rare in ancient Greece, it is a worthwhile pursuit
today, when so many of us feel called by a certain god. Perhaps with
so few worshippers these days, the gods are more likely to pay
individual attention to us. Perhaps, since we are all essentially
converts, we are more likely to develop a passionate love for a god
or gods than in the days when it was the established religion.
Whatever the reasons behind it, Iwould think it foolish to ignore the
attention of any of the gods. Now, some people have no interest in
having a patron or simply never develop that relationship, which is
perfectly acceptable too. It is not necessary for a meaningful Hellenic
polytheist practice. But for those who do have a patron or patrons, it
is an experience unlike any other.
In general, Iwould caution against just picking a god or goddess
and calling them your patron. There are gods that are patrons of
certain professions, roles, groups (even families and cities in ancient
times), so for example if you are a blacksmith you could say your
professional patron is Hephaistos. But that is not the same thing as a
personal patron. Even if you do choose a god because you like what
you know of their myths, attributes, etc., you might find that a
deeper relationship never develops -~after all, if you chose your mate
based on his or her appearance or job, it might not work out.
Developing a real relationship with a god is like falling in love, it

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transcends all the superficial ideas and desires and gets to the heart
of things. You might even be surprised at who your patron turns out
to be, if you indeed have one.
A patron relationship can take many forms. Some people relate
to their patron as mother or father, sister or brother, friend, guide or
counselor, even lover or husband or wife - sometimes even a
combination of them all. Whatever the case, it is a bond as strong as
any of those human relationships, and often even deeper.
“Regularity of custom brings familiarity. AGreek can address a god
as his dear god, philos. ‘Dearest Apollo’ cries the master of the house
in excitement while looking at the statue which stands in front of his
house door.” (Burkert, Greek Religion, 274) It is hard to describe the
feeling one has for one’s patron(s), it truly transcends words. They
are a constant presence in your life. And the kharis between you and
your patron is personal, even intimate. Anyte wrote: “To Pan the
bristly-haired and the Nymphs of the farm-yard, Theodotus the
shepherd laid this gift under the crag, because they stayed him when
very weary under the parching summer, stretching out to him
honey-sweet water in their hands.”

Devotional Acts

When you have such a love for a god or goddess (whether they be
your patron or just close to your heart in other ways), you will want
to do special devotions for them. A good place to start is to research
them thoroughly, through both primary and secondary sources. Find
all the variants of their myths, any festivals or ritual practices we
know of, all their attributes and associations. (Pausanias is a good
source for a lot of this information; he details some practices and
shrines that are otherwise unknown.) Even if you have been
worshipping a particular god for years, you will still find new things
and gain new insights into that god if you go back and re-read the
myths, hymns, and the scholarly writings on him or her.
Build a shrine for them, even a temporary one, and make regular
devotions there. Write a hymn, or memorize an ancient hymn to
recite frequently. If you are artistic, consider making artwork
specifically for and about your god/dess. You might want to make a
mix of songs that remind you of that god/dess and play it frequently
to put yourself in mind of him or her. Dedicate appropriate activities
to the god(s) - for instance, if you are devoted to Poseidon you could
learn how to sail, or for Artemis you could take up archery. Do the
gods’ work in the world - for instance, if you are dedicated to

M1
Hermes, help to care for the homeless or volunteer in a soup kitchen
(in ancient Greece food would be left at herms set up at crossroads,
which would often be eaten by hungry travelers on their way).
Whenever you pass a statue of your god/dess, or anything that
reminds you of them, greet it (traditionally by saying “khaire”) or
blow it a kiss. Make your devotion public - put up a website or post
an offering online, or make a contribution to a relevant cause in your
god’s name (in ancient Greece, major offerings were left at temples
with votive inscriptions detailing who left them and why). Hold a
theoxenia, a feast in honor of the god, at which the deity is present
with you while you eat and drink.
Some gods have traditional devotions particular to them alone.
For Hekate, it is customary to leave out a deipnon, or dinner, at her
statue or a crossroads on the night of the dark moon (the last day of
the lunar month). For Hermes, it would be appropriate to scatter
some coins at a crossroads or even directly give money to a
panhandler - both are echoes of the herm custom I mentioned
previously. For Dionysos, a pannukhia can be held, an all-night revel.
Then of course there are the festivals (ancient and newly created)
and smaller devotions based on items special to the gods (burning
laurel for Apollon, buying roses for Aphrodite, etc.)
If you are especially dedicated to one or more gods and have
been for a long time, you might want to consider some bigger steps.
You could begin wearing a piece of jewelry all the time that reminds
you of them - such as an owl pendant for Athene. You could devote
an entire week, month or even year to them, where you celebrate all
their festivals and holy days without fail, do specific rituals every
day, and whatever else you can think of to keep your mind and heart
with them at all times.
You might decide to take a new name that is related to them in
some way - either for use in the Hellenic community, privately, or
even for the world at large. For instance, I have all three of these - a
maenad name I use privately with Dionysos, a religious name I use
in the community that refers to my role as his devotee, and my last
name, which I changed legally many years ago and also alludes to
him, albeit subtly. If you are absolutely sure of your dedication to
your god, you might also consider getting a devotional tattoo; I
know of a number of Hellenic polytheists who have done this,
including myself (I am actually working towards making my entire
body a walking shrine to my gods by getting numerous devotional
tattoos). While tattooing was not common in ancient Greece, it was

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not completely unheard of either. It is a permanent display of your
love for the god, and not to be taken lightly.
Some Hellenic pagans who have patrons choose to formally
dedicate themselves as a devotee, priest/ess, etc. (usually in a
personalized, solitary ritual, although occasionally as part of a larger
group). A few take a different (or additional) route, and ritually
marry their patron. The ceremony for marrying a god must be
created, because we have no ancient rituals in this case, but the
concept is not entirely new. On one night of the Athenian festival
called the Anthesteria, the queen was ritually married to Dionysos
and was said to then privately consummate that marriage (although
we don’t know how that was done, since it was kept a secret).
Marriage to a god/dess should be taken at least as seriously as
marriage between mortals, if not more so. It is an expression of
lifelong love, devotion, and partnership. It is also one way to
formalize an intimate and even sexual union with a god. There are
also Hellenic pagans who enjoy this latter type of relationship but do
not feel called to a marriage; rather they consider their patron a
lover. Not everyone even wishes to relate to their god(s) in this
manner, but I believe it is a valid path for some.

Pilgrimage
A devotional act that will benefit both the gods and yourself is the
adventure of a pilgrimage. There are probably some places even
within your own country that would make suitable goals for a
pilgrimage - such as the replica of the Parthenon in Nashville, or a
particularly stunning statue of a Greek god (not uncommon to find
in the U.S.), or even Mardi Gras if you're a Dionysian. (There is some
debate as to whether these places that were not intentionally created
for the gods themselves qualify as holy. I believe that when a person
models something and/or names it after a god, it becomes sacred to
that god, at least to a degree.) You could also make a pilgrimage to
meet and do ritual with a Hellenic group if you don’t have one
nearby.
But the biggest and most rewarding pilgrimage, in my opinion,
is one to Greece. Yes, we are practicing a living religion that can be
meaningful anywhere and doesn’t rely on ties to Greece anymore.
However, Greece is where our religion began, where our gods were
first worshipped - where the gods themselves have favorite haunts
and long-established relationships. I can say from experience that
traveling through Greece is something which will impact you
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profoundly, in ways you might not expect. There is information on
both domestic holy sites and traveling to Greece on the Neokoroi
website; the address is listed at the end of this book.

EverydayPractice

Plutarch said: “No visits delight us more than those to shrines, no

occasions are more pleasant than festivals, nothing we do or see is
sweeter than our actions and sights before the gods, when we take
part in ceremonies or dances, when we are present at sacrifices or
initiations.” So how can we have those experiences every day, how
do we live with the gods in our lives always? One can start along
this path by making a personalized system of sacred days and
festivals, as I described in the section about my own festival
calendar. While keeping within the traditional framework, you can
tailor it to your own life, the gods you hold most dear, etc. You
might, for instance, celebrate the anniversary of a significant event in
your life (especially one in which you think the gods played a part)
every year with a religious festival of your own design - it can still
have a Hellenic structure without having an ancient origin.
You could pray upon waking and going to sleep, or at some
other specified time during the day (not just formal prayers, but
extemporaneous, intimate prayers to the gods you are closest with,
so that you begin to develop an ongoing conversation, if you will).
This is where the aforementioned prayer beads could come in
handy. You could make a habit of stopping in front of your shrine(s)
every day and just spending a few moments in silence with the gods.
You could start libating a little of every drink you have.
You can mark the sacred days of each month; in Appendix I the
holy days of ancient Athens are listed, and you can change or add to
this list, as long as you stay consistent in your own practice. So you
might always honor Athene on the third day of the month as in
ancient times, and honor Dionysos on the thirteenth because he is
often called “the thirteenth Olympian” (this is actually practiced by
some Dionysians).
Again, it is acceptable to essentially “make it up” as long as it
makes sense and keeps in the general tradition of Hellenismos.
While your religious life will inevitably change and evolve to some
extent over time, it is also important to try to stick to what you’ve
planned (unless it is no longer working at all), to establish a personal
tradition, and to give to the gods everything you have promised.

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 One of my favorite things to do is to just spend time with the
gods casually - not as part of formal ritual, not for festivals, but just
“hang out” while in the proper state of mind (what I called “ritual
consciousness” earlier), where you are aware of the gods, talk to
them, share your space with them, maybe listen to music or read
poetry, but mostly just exist in the same time and place with them
for an hour or two. I think this is just as important as all the more
“official” forms of religious practice, because it brings your
interaction with them into your everyday life, where you can start to
feel them as a constant presence.

“Everythingis Fullof Gods”

We must also endeavor to notice the gods all around us, wherever
we are, all the time. In part this can take the form of recognizing the
gods’ messages for us in omens and the like. But it goes beyond that.
Once you start actually feeling the presence of the gods in everything
around you, it will change your whole perception of the world, and
add a new dimension to your religious practice as well. “With this
mindset, the chasm between the sacred and the profane, the divine
and the commonplace narrows - and perhaps even disappears
altogether. Participation in life becomes a constant holy task when
one keeps their mind fixed upon the Gods who permeate the world.”
(Lewis, A Temple of Words, 65)
How do you attain such a state? How do perceive the gods in the
world around you? Todd Jackson suggested the following method
on the HellenicPagan internet discussion group: “I see it like this:
imagine for a moment all the Gods wearing cloaks, those cloaks
cover literally everything. No aspect of the world remains
untouched. But the God, the Goddess, who wears the cloak, could be
anywhere, even very distant. It might be worthwhile to tell someone
who cannot see the God, and who wishes to do so - ‘Try to perceive
the cloak.’ This anyone ought to be able to do.” This is certainly a
good beginning; and you can even take it further.
One practice that I have found to be surprisingly transformative
is this: stop, wherever you are, and look around you, and try to
identify things that are special to any one of the gods. For instance,
that gate over there is sacred to Hermes as god of boundaries; that
pigeon on the ground is from the dove family and therefore sacred
to Aphrodite; that water fountain is sacred to the nymphs; that
statue reminds me of Artemis, that oak tree nearby belongs to Zeus.
Do this practice as often as you can, whenever it occurs to you. At
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first, it is just an intellectual exercise, although still a useful one as it
strengthens your knowledge of the gods and their associations. But
over time (or perhaps all at once someday, as it happened to me) you
will cross over from intellectual understanding to spiritual and
emotional understanding: that oak is Zeus, that gate is Hermes. And
then suddenly, as Thales said, “Everything is full of gods.” You
don’t just know it in your head, you feel it in your heart, in your
soul. Your perception is forever altered (although you might find it
helpful to keep doing the practice to hold onto that insight).
Taking these steps brings Hellenismos from a dry reconstruction
of an ancient practice into a full and vibrant living religion, a bridge
between yourself and the gods. However, this is not the end of the
possibilities; for some people, there is a strong desire to get even
closer to the gods, to experience their mysteries directly. For this, we
must move on to the next chapter.

96
 Sree TERiV E

Mysticism,Magic&
Mysteries
 ) ee '

; tipsont Pan
2 aad
MYSTICISM, MAGIC & MYSTERIES

Through the millennia, in cultures all over the world, some people
have sought direct contact with their gods. It is rarely the
mainstream aspect of any religion, but it is often a part of it in some
way. We usually call this mysticism today, but a mystic is not always
a hermit living in seclusion, nor a nun lying enraptured in a convent.
In ancient Greece, there were various ways one could encounter the
gods directly - some fall under the category of mysticism, others
might be called magic (a loaded term these days, but unfortunately
there is no other adequate word), and there were also the rituals
known as the Mysteries. Hellenismos can be practiced without
delving into any of these things. However, it is untrue that they do
not have any place in our religion at all. It is possible, within the
context of traditional Hellenic polytheism, to achieve an intimate
communion with deity. “What is characteristic of the Greek religion
is not the place relationship of its gods with men but the fact that it
could be entirely suspended, so as to make their meeting possible.”
(Kerenyi, Religion of the Greeksand Romans, 189)

Meetingthe Gods
What do we mean when we say “direct contact” with the gods?
Well, usually a spiritual context is being referred to - a meeting
between our spiritual selves and the deity. Or perhaps even a semi-
physical event, where a person has a literal vision of a god. But
occasionally this meeting can take a physical form. We read in the
myths of the gods walking the earth and interacting with mortals.
We assume that either this is a total fabrication, or belongs to a long-
ago time and never happens anymore. I think, however, there might
be another explanation.
“Olympians adopt all manner of incognitos for their
appearances before Homeric heroes, sometimes cloaking themselves

99
in a fog, sometimes assuming the likeness of a mortal familiar to the
character whom they visit, sometimes transforming themselves into
the birds that descend effortlessly from their lofty perches.” (Steiner,
80)
When picturing the stories from mythology in our heads, I think
many of us tend to see them with Hollywood-type glamour and
special effects. There is Zeus, magically morphing into a shower of
gold to rain upon Danae. Or Aphrodite, approaching Anchises as a
mortal woman but with her beautiful robe practically glowing,
revealing her true self. Or Apollon, leading his priests to Delphi in
the form of a dolphin. These things belong to the realm of
mythology, not our modern reality. If they ever did happen, they
certainly don’t happen now.
But what if we take a different view? What if the people who
lived those stories experienced them in a much more natural and
tangible way than we have imagined - perhaps not as ordinary
events, but not supernatural either? What if, what we would see as
an amazing but purely physical event - say, coming upon a deer in
the woods, who then looks into your eyes for several moments
before running away - they would have seen as meeting Artemis in
the woods, looking right into her eyes.
Take the previous example of Apollon - instead of the god
miraculously changing from an anthropomorphic physical form into
that of a dolphin, and then leading the Cretan priests to land, what if
a dolphin simply appeared at the side of their boat (as is not
uncommon, the same thing happened to a friend of mine in the
waters near Delphi), but they knew it to be Apollon and followed it
because they were smart enough to follow a god? What if they didn’t
need to see the recognizable god actually change into the dolphin, to
understand (through experience, through faith, through gut instinct)
that the dolphin was nonetheless the god himself?
I mentioned that this happened to a friend - she was vacationing
in Greece, took a boat ride to the bay near Delphi, and as she
approached that sacred place, a dolphin appeared alongside the boat
as if it were guiding her there. She certainly noted that this was a
special occurrence, and that it might even be a “sign” (from the gods,
or the universe, I’m not sure of her precise spiritual beliefs), but she
never entertained the notion that it could be something even greater.
And I doubt that many of us would - it seems hubristic or even
crazy to believe that a god could be present in such a physical, real
form, especially in order to communicate with us. But I think we
might be missing out on something by dismissing the possibility.

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 “Odysseus, one of the few heroes who succeeds in making his
tutelary goddess reveal herself, knows that he stands as exception to
the common rule: ‘It is difficult for a mortal encountering you to
recognize you, goddess,’ he remarks to Athena, ‘for you are able to
liken yourself to everything.” (Steiner, 80)
I first had this idea many years ago while reading the beginning
of Marion Zimmer Bradley’s The Firebrand. She re-imagines the story
of Leda and Zeus - instead of a swan, Zeus comes to Leda in the
body of her husband. She sees Tyndareus walking to her as lightning
sparks in the sky above, and she knows that she is looking at Zeus,
that he has essentially possessed Tyndareus and is using that form to
make contact with her. Through that physical incarnation (and yet,
not some unbelievable manifestation out of thin air, but simply the
temporary possession of an already physical form), he is even able to
impregnate her. I believe that this type of experience is how many of
the encounters between mortals and gods took place, how they
appeared to the people involved, and how they can still happen
today.
I know that many people believe that the gods send omens and
signs, and I do too. I know that sometimes, when a hawk appears at
a poignant moment, that hawk is a sign from Hermes, sending me a
message. What I am suggesting here is that sometimes, the hawk
might be Hermes himself in hawk form, come for some purpose for
which a messenger wouldn't suffice. This might even seem like a
subtle difference, but I think it is important. Because it opens up the
possibility that the gods are indeed speaking to us, even coming to
us, actually, immanently, right now. That it is not only mystics who
have direct experiences with the gods, but perhaps merely only them
who recognize those experiences as such. And also that we might be
praying for our gods to appear before us, and then turning a blind
eye to them when they do.
So, if all this is true (and that is a matter of faith, and one that
each person must decide for themselves), how do we take off the
blinders? Well, for one thing, the next time you pray and receive
something you see as a “sign,” take a closer look. Test the experience
(I once had a crow follow me for quite a ways, stopping and starting
again when I did, after I asked it to show me if it was more than just
a crow). Especially if the thing in question directly approaches you
in some way, or is doing something totally out of the ordinary. If you
pray to Hermes and encounter a homeless man just afterwards, it
may be a sign. If that man tells you something he should not have

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known, appears to know you, and gives you pertinent advice, he
may not be just a man (this happened to another friend of mine).
Of course, sometimes a crow is just a crow. And yes, there is a
danger here of losing touch with reality, seeing gods everywhere
even when there are none, believing everything is directed at you.
There are methods to counteract this - share your experience with a
trusted friend and get their objective opinion; confirm or deny it
through divination or look for a follow-up omen; consult a seer;
review your dreams afterwards; keep a healthy dose of humor and
skepticism within you at all times; etc. But I think it is still worth a
deeper look, despite the risks. Because just consider the possibility
that the gods are right in front of us, and we don’t even recognize
them! That the kinds of things that happen between gods and
mortals in the myths could happen now, to us, if we open ourselves
up to the experience!

Ecstatic States

Now on to the topic of spiritual communion with deity. This is

usually achieved in what is called an altered state of consciousness,
or an ecstatic state (from the Greek word ekstasis, outside oneself).
While in this altered state, the lines between our world and the
world of the gods become blurred. One experiences the presence of
the gods more closely than when in a normal frame of mind. With
practice, one can even learn to communicate with the gods in this
trance state, to receive visions, hear their voices, speak prophecies,
etc. One might even be so open that one can be possessed by a
god/dess (this can cross gender boundaries as well, i.e., a woman
may be possessed by a male god and vice versa), though this can be
frightening if the person is not prepared.
Ecstatic states can be entered into with many different
techniques. We do not know much about the ancient ways in this
matter - one of the most well-known example of ekstasis in ancient
Greece, the cult of the maenads, is shrouded in myth and specific
only to one god, although we can take some ideas ‘from their
practices - but we can also draw on the knowledge of other cultures
around the world. Techniques include rhythmic chanting and
drumming, wild dance, fasting, sensory deprivation, intense prayer
and focus, controlled infliction of pain (not recommended unless you
know what you are doing) and intoxication or ingestion of
psychoactive drugs.

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 A note about the latter - certain plants have been used for
millennia to achieve altered states of consciousness for spiritual
purposes. They were always consumed in the proper context, with
respect for the plant and its effects; they were not abused and rarely
used recreationally. Today many of these plants, commonly called
entheogens (“that which generates god within”) are illegal in the
U.S. and other countries. Some however are still legal and available:
amanita muscaria (fly agaric) mushroom, salvia divinorum (not legal
in all states), blue lotus, syrian rue, and more (even alcohol can be
considered an entheogen if used in that context). If you decide to
utilize any of these tools in your ecstatic work, be careful; learn the
proper dosages and possible side effects. Pay respect to the plant and
do not use it lightly. These are sacred gifts from the gods, which we
can use to get closer to them, they are not toys.
Learning how to achieve altered states of consciousness is a
process and will probably not happen on your first try. Even when
you are experienced in these matters, you will find that there are
always new levels to be explored. If you want to begin learning this
art, | suggest you start with small rituals with a particular god/dess
as a focus. Choose a day where you will have time and space to
yourself. Fast for at least half a day beforehand to cleanse your
system and focus your mind. Purify yourself with khernips. Then
find a good spot, preferably near your shrine if you have one.
It is good to begin with a formal ritual, prayer and offering, both
to get you “in the mood” and to ask the god/dess for their help. You
may want to light candles, darken the room, and even put a veil over
your face to further distort your perception of the outside world
(although you can also choose to keep your eyes closed). It might
also be helpful at first to play some kind of background music
especially if you live in a place with lots of outside noise
(appropriate music can be fast or slow, but should be instrumental if
possible since words will likely distract you). I find it powerful to
burn a lot of incense, herbs or other plants associated with the god or
that remind me of his or her presence; for instance, when doing
prophetic trance for Apollon, I fill the room with the smoke of
burning bay (laurel) leaves. Not only is this psychologically effective,
but the overwhelming sensation of the heavy, clouded air I’m
breathing enhances the experience physiologically. Of course, you
have to be careful not to smoke yourself out of the room, or set off
the fire alarm, which would certainly ruin the mood.
Then you can go from there, with whatever methods seem most
natural to you - chanting the god’s epithets, for instance, or dancing
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in front of a fire. I found in my experience that at first it was helpful
to have at least a little taste of intoxicants (even just a glass of wine
would do) to get me into a slightly “fuzzy” state, from which it was
easier to slip into ekstasis. After more experience, that was no longer
always necessary. You will find your own way - experiment, but
remember to be careful.
How do you know when you've made that contact with the
gods? Georg Misch (A History of Autobiography in Antiquity, 1951)
quotes Aristides as saying: “It was a sort of sense of contact and a
clear realization that the god himself had come; an intermediate state
between sleeping and waking, a desire to look and at the same time
a fear that he would go away first; a listening and hearing half in
dream, half awake; the hair on end and tears of joy and an inward
swelling with delight - what human beings could find words to
describe it? Those who are of the initiated will understand a
recognize it.”
Once you are in the proper state of mind, there are a few options.
You can simply enjoy the feeling of closeness with the god(s). You
can let it inspire you to make art or music or write a hymn, if you are
so inclined. You can perform divination. Or you can attempt more
direct communication with the gods, through a process sometimes
called prophetic trance, which can include having visions, hearing
their voices, receiving insights, etc. (more on that below).
It is hard to describe how it feels to really be in an ecstatic state.
All I can say is that you will know when you are there - and that as
you progress, you will keep finding deeper states that make the first
times seem pale by comparison. If you do this long enough and often
enough, it may start to bleed into your “normal” life - you may find
yourself feeling altered during your everyday activities. This might
be disconcerting, but it is in fact what many mystics aspire to. Being
able to exist in the gods’ direct presence at any time is truly living
with the gods - a step beyond the types of exercises I mentioned at
the end of the last chapter.
You might also feel called to set aside certain periods of time in
which you completely devote yourself to some kind*of ascetic
practice, in order to break down your own internal barriers and
therefore be closer to the gods. Examples of such include extended
fasting, periods of complete silence, celibacy, and personal sacrifices
(akin to the kind made by devout Christians for Lent). These are
difficult but rewarding hardships. They show you, and the gods,
what you're really made of, and what you're willing to endure to get
closer to them.

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PropheticTrance

Seers were an important part of ancient Greek religion. “The vast

majority of Greeks believed that the gods desired to communicate
with mortals, that they did so through signs of various kinds, and
that there were religious experts who could correctly interpret those
signs.” (Flower, 8) While some seers specialized in interpreting
omens and signs, others revealed the gods’ messages through direct
inspiration. Not all seers were universally accepted, but some were
extremely respected.
In modern Hellenismos, this is a tricky issue. Some people wish
for a return of such seers in our religion (after all, we still have
questions for the gods, need help or guidance, and most people have
trouble contacting the gods directly at will), but many are cautious
or downright skeptical of such an ability even existing, much less in
the person of some modern worshipper of the gods. Some question
the ability of anyone to have such power.
Having actually been doing divination for a long time myself,
and prophetic trance for the past several years, I'm coming to see it
much less as an issue of the person having power. It is more like a
combination of natural talent and hard work. Learning how to
achieve that kind of openness, to let enough of yourself fall away to
actually be able to receive communication directly from a deity, is
extremely hard. I think it's a rare case that someone has really strong
abilities in that area without having to work at it. Now, it's certainly
easier if you have a basic knack for it to begin with (maybe
impossible without that?) but it's still work.
The metaphor I often use is of an artist - you may have natural
drawing ability, but you will still have to train for many years before
you become an artist of any caliber. But you wouldn't think of an
accomplished artist as claiming to have any special powers. So if the
gods do indeed exist, and have the power to communicate with us,
what's so crazy about a person training themselves to be, essentially,
a good listener? To me, that's no more “powerful” than being able to
track an animal in the woods, or bench press 300 pounds. They all
take patience, hard work, and some natural ability to begin with, but
might seem almost magical to a person who could never dream of
doing those things.
If you feel called to the work of prophetic trance, there is not
much I can convey in words (at least, not within the scope of this
book) to help you begin, other than to recommend that you do a lot
of reading on cross-cultural means of attaining trance (since little
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exists from ancient Greece), and mostly practice getting into (and
maintaining) altered states of consciousness. Also, it is important to
build strong relationships with the gods, especially with a god
related to prophecy (the obvious choice being Apollon). Knowledge
of mechanical forms of divination is helpful, but for this work it is
necessary to put the cards down, and open the mind directly to the
voice of the gods.
To begin this process, empty your mind, the way I suggested in
my section on divination and listening to the gods. Ask the god(s) to
guide you, or ask a specific question. Let whatever images or words
form in your mind come, but don’t cling to them. It’s kind of like a
focused train of thought, but in this case the thoughts should ideally
be coming from outside yourself. Eventually, with the right
combination of openness and focus, these images and/or words will
coalesce into something meaningful. With some experience, it will be
clear to you when you're getting a true response, instead of your
own mental debris.
It is a long and difficult process if done correctly, but I hope
more people are willing to take it up, so that we might have a
collection of seers in the future who can be conduits between mortal
questions and the divine answers.

Ancient Mystics

There are plenty of examples from ancient Greece of people who had
intimate relationships with deities, who achieved ecstatic states and
otherwise delved into mysticism. As I mentioned before, a familiar
example is the cult of the maenads, the frenzied female devotees of
Dionysos. There is some confusion between the maenads portrayed
in myth and the “real”, historical maenads. Some believe therefore
that the miraculous and sometimes supernatural acts attributed to
the maenads - tearing apart a live bull and eating it raw, for instance
- are all the stuff of myth, and that the historical maenads performed
fairly standard rituals for their god. I think, however, that the stories
may well have represented actual practices, and that the line
between mythical and historical maenadism is blurry at best.
The maenads were said to have supernatural strength, and be
impervious to weapons and fire. They charmed snakes and wore
them in their hair. These accounts might seem unbelievable until one
begins finding similar examples of such phenomena from cultures
world-wide, including more well-documented events in recent
times. Rituals are often performed in India, for instance, where
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worshippers pierce themselves with large spikes and walk on fire, all
without showing any pain. They do this partly by inducing an
altered state of consciousness through dance, music, and worship of
their gods. I believe this is exactly what was happening for the
maenads (or at least some of them). Through frenzied dance,
intoxication by wine, and love of Dionysos, they achieved a state of
direct contact with the god, who could then enable them to do
almost anything.
An example of a different type of altered state (that of prophetic
trance, as discussed above) is that of the Pythia. An older woman
who lived in the temple complex of Apollon at Delphi, the Pythia
was called upon to deliver oracles from the god’s mouth. Her
methods for achieving contact with the god are not known. Old
stories attribute the ability to the fumes rising up from a crack in the
earth’s surface beneath the Pythia’s seat - while possible evidence
for these gases has recently been discovered (I recommend The Oracle
by William J. Broad for a current and fascinating discussion of this
topic), it still seems unlikely that they were the sole reason behind
the Pythia’s trance state. Some say she inhaled the burning laurel
leaves - while laurel is not hallucinogenic, the connection it has with
Apollon might have helped fuel her trance psychologically. Perhaps
she was just adept at entering an ecstatic state on her own, through
her devotion to Apollon. :
Whatever the case, she was able to speak his words to those who
sought his advice or prophecy. It is certainly possible that, as some
have asserted, the priests in the temple changed what she said or
even fabricated it entirely at times. But I do believe that at least some
of the time, the Pythia was able to achieve a trance state and contact
Apollon directly; and I believe it can still be done today, as I
discussed above.
Another example of a close relationship between a human and a
deity is that of the nympholepts. Some of these men lived in caves
sacred to the nymphs and tended them as shrines, which other
people could visit. These nympholepts sometimes spent their whole
lives in service to the nymph or nymphs of that specific area, and
their inscriptions show that they loved them dearly, even intimately.
“Onesagoras, another nympholept who filled a cave in third-century
Cyprus with dedications to an individual nymph, referred to her as
sister, daughter, and possibly as lover.” (Larson, 16) The
nympholepts also often possessed the gift of prophecy, a gift that
was believed to be given by the nymphs - and a type of ecstatic state
as well. Nympholepts were marginalized by society to an extent
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(some of which was self-imposed), like many mystics, but they were
still a part of it.
Other marginalized figures in ancient Greece are sometimes
called the Greek “shamans.” They were said to be able to detach and
transport their souls (a practice known in modern paganism as
“astral travel”), speak prophecies, remember their reincarnations,
bilocate, heal sickness, and even suspend their lifespans (enabling
them to appear almost immortal). A famous example is Aristeas, a
man who traveled to the fabled land of the Hyperboreans, could take
the shape of a raven, and spread the cult of his god everywhere he
went. Another is Epimenides, who slept for 57 years in a cave, and
who subsisted entirely on magical food given to him by the nymphs.
It is probable that many tales of these men were exaggerated, but I
think it is also possible that some of the stories are true, and they did
indeed master certain “supernatural” abilities due to their spiritual
focus and power - skills similar to those of the sadhus of India.

Acts of Magic

Magic has occupied a sometimes controversial place in modern

Hellenismos, as some people still insist that it doesn’t belong within
the religion proper, or that it is simply a mimicry of Wicca or other
neo-paganisms. This bias against magic in Greek polytheism is
present in the scholarly communities as well.
“In the past, scholars have denigrated magical activities as the
domain of the superstitious, and therefore not worth the attention of
serious students of religion....It is true that philosophers developed
rarefied notions of religion, but they were not at all typical. The
universal and commonplace acceptance of magic, among all classes,
is easily proved from the evidence. In such a world it is on general
grounds not likely that magic was compartmentalized, and its
mentality abandoned when the people partook in rituals more
readily recognized as ‘religious’ by the modern scholar. The
phenomenon of magic, in fact, cannot be separated from any serious
understanding of ancient religion. That it tends to be separated in the
minds of students is the results of the historical development of the
discipline rather than any inherent necessity.” (Robert L. Fowler,
“Greek Magic, Greek Religion,” in Oxford Readings in Greek Religion
ed. Buxton)
Today everyone has a different idea of what constitutes “magic”
- it’s certainly not an essential part of Greek paganism, ancient or
modern, and the religion can be practiced devoutly and properly
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without it, on a personal level. But if you are attracted to magic in
some way, you might wish to learn more from some of the books I
have listed in the bibliography.
Aside from the special individuals I mentioned above, there
were some types of “magic” that anyone could perform, in the right
circumstances. Divination, discussed earlier, can fall into this
category, as can healing through dream incubation. There are other
types of folk healing as well, involving certain herbs or talismans.
One of the most complicated forms of magic is necromancy. This
does not mean bringing the dead back to life literally, but rather
raising the spirit of a dead person in order to get information or
make it do something for you. In some ways, the rites of necromancy
were similar to other Greek rituals - a purification, libations, animal
sacrifice, prayer, etc. But there were differences too - the rite took
place between sunset and dawn, the offerings were made in a pit
with a fire burning in it, and the prayers were addressed to the
khthonioi and the ghosts of the dead themselves. Sometimes threats
and curses were used as well, including kolossoi, human-shaped dolls
that were abused in various ways in order to enact some hold over
the person they represented. Often a blood offering of some kind
was made, as that was thought to “feed” the dead and make it
possible to interact with them ~ like when Odysseus pours blood out
for the spirits in the Odyssey, and those who drink it regain their
memory and awareness for a brief time. While necromancy is often
considered “evil,” it can be done respectfully (minus the curses and
such) and is not inherently wrong. Making offerings to the dead
spirits in exchange for their help isn’t really any different from other
forms of kharis.

Mystery Cults

The final topic that needs to be discussed here is the Mysteries. There
were a few major Mystery cults in ancient Greece - the most famous
are the Eleusinian Mysteries (dedicated to Demeter and Persephone),
but there were also similar rites for Dionysos, the Kabeiroi, and
others that we know little about. Although many thousands of
people attended the Mystery rites, they were kept strictly secret, and
as such we do not have many details about them, but we do know
that the purported goal of being initiated into most of them was to
achieve a favored afterlife. Hades was believed to be a dismal place,
and the souls of the dead mere shades of their past selves, with no
memory or consciousness - to bypass that existence and instead

109
enter the blessed Elysian Fields, to keep one’s memory and enjoy
one’s afterlife, these were surely powerful promises.
We do know that the Eleusinian Mysteries culminated in some
kind of epiphany, perhaps of Persephone herself. Whatever it was, it
was considered both aporrheton (forbidden to speak of to the
uninitiated) and arrheton (beyond words, unable to be expressed at
all). A lot of attention is paid to what precisely was revealed during
those rites - an image of the goddess, an ear of corn, there are many
theories. I think, however, that these speculations are missing the
point.
I believe that the Mystery rites were carefully engineered by
experienced priests and priestesses to give people an ecstatic
experience, to put the initiates into an altered state of consciousness
in which they could encounter the goddess on their own. Aristotle,
when referring to the Mysteries, said: “The candidate did not have to
learn, but to experience something, and to come to be in a certain
state of mind.”
Taking that a step further, I think that the reason the Mysteries
were supposed to ensure a blessed afterlife for the initiate was that
they broached the veil between the worlds, they gave the person a
direct experience of the gods, something that would stay with them
even after death, and would give them the ability to retain their
consciousness and not slip into the shadows of Hades with everyone
else. If you strengthen your spirit, and experience a real closeness to
and familiarity with the gods, perhaps you can keep your awareness,
your self, intact through the process of dying, and reach the other
side whole.
So when we speak of reviving the Mysteries (as some do), I think
the focus should not be on reconstructing whatever details we do
know, but on crafting a similar experience, an initiation that brings
the person before the gods themselves. It is an intimidating task, to
be sure, but one which could potentially benefit us all.

110
AFTERWORD

It is often asked, did the gods allow the ancient worship to die out? I
cannot answer this question, but I do believe that either way, they
are behind the current revival. So many people are being called to
this path, it seems that every day there is anew member. And we are
such a passionate group, sc filled with love for the gods, a desire to
do right by them (although how this should be accomplished is
frequently debated), and a wish to see our religion evolve and thrive.
I hope with this book to do my small part to encourage the progress
of Hellenic polytheism.
To every person who has felt the call of the gods of ancient
Hellas, who pours a libation or recites a hymn, who strives to be ever
closer to them - you are not alone. Even separated by many miles,
we are all here, worshipping the same gods, in our own ways. With
us, the tradition of Hellenismos continues to live, even in this
modern world. We stand at an exciting point in history: the rebirth
of the ancient pagan religions only a few decades old, all of us
working to build strong and meaningful pagan faiths today. I look
forward to what the future holds for us all.

111
et |
APPENDIX I.
The Ancient Athenian Calendar and Major Festivals

The ancient Greek year began on the new moon after the summer
solstice. The beginning of each month was fixed by the observation
of the lunar crescent after the dark moon (called the "new moon’). It
is believed that each "day" began at sunset, lasting until the next
sunset (although there is evidence that this was not the case in every
area). Due to the irregularities of a twelve-month lunar calendar, the
month of Poseideon was occasionally repeated when necessary to
maintain the integrity of the calendar year.
Certain days of every month were devoted to particular deities.
They are as follows -
First day: Noumenia - the new moon festival
Second: Agathos Daimon
Third: Athene and the Graces
Fourth: Aphrodite, Hermes, Herakles and Eros
Sixth: Artemis ;
Seventh: Apollon
Eighth: Poseidon
Last three days: all chthonic deities
Last day (dark moon): Hekate

Here follows a list of the months in order (beginning with the new
year). Each month is named, with an explanation of the origin of the
name in parentheses. Then the major festivals are listed by the day
they begin, with a short description of ritual and/or purpose.
Remember that this is only the festival calendar of Athens. Many
demoi had different names for the months and celebrated different
festivals.

HEKATOMBAION (an epithet of Apollon, alluding to his role as

accepter of sacrifices)
4: Aphrodisia - The bathing festival of Aphrodite and Peitho
(Persuasion). The temple was purified with dove's blood, then the
altars were anointed and the two statues were carried in a procession
to the washing place.
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12: Kronia - A festival in honor of Kronos as god of the harvest,
portrayed with a reaping scythe. A huge harvest feast was held,
where slaves were invited to dine with their masters.
28: Panathenaia - The celebration of Athene's birthday. A vigil was
held the night before the Panathenaic procession. At sunrise a
sacrifice was made to Eros and Athene at the altar of Eros in the
Academy, then a torch race brought the sacred fire to the altar of
Athene. Every fourth year, the Greater Panathenaia was held, when
a new robe was given to the goddess. A huge procession brought the
robe to her statue in her temple, where it was placed on Athene’s
knees, and later stored in the treasury; she was officially re-robed
during the Plunteria. Sacrifices were also made to Athene Hugieia
(Health) and Nike. The three or four days following the procession
featured contests of sport and art.

METAGEITNION (an epithet of Apollon, “changing neighbors”)

Unspecified: Metageitnios - Named after Apollon's epithet, it may

have beena festival of the neighborhood.
Unspecified: Herakles' Day - A celebration of Herakles by athletes in
the gymnasium in Kunosarges.

BOIDROMION (an epithet of Apollon, meaning to help in response

to a shout)

5: Genesia - The Athenian state festival in honor of the dead,

especially those who died in wars.
6: Kharisteria - The feast of Artemis Agrotera (the huntress). After
the victory at Marathon, this became a commemoration of that battle,
and was known as Kharisteria, “Thanksgiving.”
7: Boidromia - A festival of thanksgiving for Apollon as a god who
rescued people in war.
15-21: Eleusinian Mysteries - The mystery rites of Demeter and
Persephone, held at Eleusis.
“

PUANEPSION
(“boiledbeans,”a ritualfood)
5: Proerosia - An agricultural festival of Demeter held at Eleusis, the
name means “preliminary to ploughing.” Offerings of first fruits
(mostly grain) were given to Demeter to ask for her blessing at the
beginning of the sowing season.

114
7: Puanepsia - Apollon was offered a sacrifice of a he-goat and a
lamb, and a meal was held for the god. During the procession, each
boy carried an eiresione, the traditional sign of a suppliant.
However, on this day, the eiresione (normally a bough of olive
wreathed with wool) was made of laurel, and was decorated with
pastries shaped like wines, harps and cups, along with real fruit. The
boys carried the boughs from house to house, begging for food, and
singing. If the occupant gave them something, they would give him
an eiresione to bless his house. The ritual food that gave its name to
this festival and this month consisted of a mixture of boiled legumes.
According to myth, Theseus and his crew returned to Athens on this
day, and offered Apollon this dish, made from the remains of their
provisions.
7: Oskhophoria - The celebration of the vine harvest, when men
carried vine branches with the grapes still clinging to them through
the town in a procession. Hymns about the harvest and wine-making
were sung. A ritual meal was held, where legends were told and
acted out.
8: Theseia - A festival honoring Theseus, the son of Poseidon. There
was a procession, sacrifices, athletic contests, and a feast of meat and
a porridge of wheat and milk.
9: Stenia - A nocturnal women's festival for Demeter and
Persephone in preparation for the Thesmophoria. The women
insulted each other light-heartedly to commemorate the way Iambe
made the grieving Demeter laugh. Fertility objects were thrown into
pits in the sanctuary of Demeter, including bread in the shape of
snakes and phalluses, and sacrificed pigs.
11-13: Thesmophoria - An all-female agricultural festival in honor of
Demeter and Persephone, held in Demeter’s hillside sanctuary. On
the first day, the women climbed the hill and made camp, sleeping
on the ground in huts. On the second day, the women sat on the
ground and fasted from all solid food (except pomegranate seeds) in
sympathy for Demeter’s mourning. They taunted each other in
iambic verse, in imitation of Iambe and Demeter. On the third day,
there was a_ torch-light ceremony, because Demeter sought
Persephone by torch-light. This may have been when the objects
were removed from the earth by purified priestesses, and placed on
the altars of the goddesses. Later this “compost” was mixed with the
grain to be sown the following month. Then the rest of the day was
spent in joyous celebration.

yi5
30: Khalkeia - A festival of smiths, associated with Hephaistos and
Athene. It was a day of rest from work, and a procession of workers
moved through the town carrying baskets of corn. Later, a feast was
held.

MAIMAKTERION (“blustering,” epithet of Zeus)

Unspecified: Maimakteria - This month begins the winter season, so

people prayed to Zeus Maimaktes (Blustering) to be gentle.
Last third of month: Pompaia - A procession dedicated to Zeus
Meilikhios (Kindly), a chthonic aspect of Zeus who appears as a
snake. A sheep was sacrificed, and its fleece considered magical. A
person could purify himself by standing on the wool with his left
foot. The fleece, along with a kadukeos, was carried in the
procession.

POSEIDEON (Poseidon)

8: Poseidea - There was probably a festival in honor of Poseidon

during this month, most likely on the eighth day, since that day was
sacred to him, but nothing more is known.
Last half of month: Rural Dionysia - A simpler and rustic version of
the City Dionysia. It included a procession with men carrying a
phallus, cake-bearers, revelers and singing. The image of the god
was carried into the city to represent Dionysos’ arrival. A bull may
have been sacrificed, and there were many localized rites, different
in every region.
26: Haloa - A festival in honor of Demeter and Dionysos, named
after the halos, or threshing floor. There was a feast including
phallus- and pudenda-shaped cakes, but without the foods
forbidden in the Eleusinian Mysteries. Women danced around a
giant phallus, leaving it offerings. Later in the night, men were
admitted, and there was a great revel or orgy for the rest of the night.

GAMELION (month of marriage) ry

12-15: Lenaia - The name of this Dionysian festival may have come
from the word for wine-press, or from another name for the
maenads. It was celebrated to arouse the slumbering vegetation and
bring springtime. There was a representation of Dionysos, probably
a wooden pillar, for it was Dionysos Orthos (“the erect”) who

116
invented mixing wine and water. There were also dramatic contests,
like in so many other Dionysian festivals.
26: Gamelia - The anniversary of the sacred marriage of Zeus and
Hera, this festival gave its name to the month of marriage. This is a
time of spring and new beginnings.

ANTHESTERION (flowers)

11-13: Anthesteria - The Festival of Flowers, as well as a feast of the

dead, and a drinking festival centered around Dionysos Limnaios
(“of the marshes”). The first day, Pithoigia, was the Opening of the
Jars, and the broaching of new wine. Celebrants gathered near the
temple and opened wine-jars, pouring libations to Dionysos and
drinking the rest. The second day, Khoes, was the Day of Cups.
There were drinking matches (where the prize was a skin of wine),
and an erotic atmosphere. The next evening, when it was almost the
beginning of the next ritual “day,” a sacred marriage between the
queen and the god was performed in the inner chamber of the
temple (which was only open for that night). The last day, Khutroi,
was the Day of Pots, devoted to the cult of the dead. Pots containing
cooked vegetables and seeds (traditional food for the dead) were left
out for the wandering spirits. However, precautions were taken to
prevent the spirits from coming too close: people chewed hawthorn,
smeared their doors with pitch, and tied ropes around the temples.
At the end of the festival, they drove out the spirits, saying, “Out
you Keres, it is no longer Anthesteria!”
23 or 28: Diasia - The festival of Zeus Meilikhios (Kindly), the
chthonic Zeus who appears as a snake. Offerings were made of cakes
shaped like animals, grains, and other fertility foods. The whole
offering was burnt.
Unspecified: Lesser Eleusinian Mysteries - These were the
preparations for the next year’s Mysteries, held at Agrai on the banks
of the Illissos.

ELAPHEBOLION (an epithet of Artemis, “shooter of deer”)

6: Elaphebolia - Festival of Artemis, where she was offered cakes

shaped like stags, made from dough, honey and sesame-seeds.
8 or 9: Asklepieia - Festival of Asklepios, including a large sacrifice
and common meal with the god.
9-13: Greater (or City) Dionysia - The largest of the Dionysian
festivals, held in Athens, where Dionysos had a theatre and where

117
dithyrambs and plays were performed. Before the festival began, a
statue representing the god was placed on the road to the city,
offered a sacrifice, and escorted back to the temple, thereby bringing
in the god to the festival. On the first day, there was a procession
with various offerings, which led into the komos, or revel, a night-
long feast and celebration. The next few days were set aside for the
famous dramatic contests of Athens.
14 or 17: Pandia - A festival of Zeus.

MOUNIKHION (festival of Artemis)

4: Feast of Eros - This may have been held on the fourth due to the
god's connection with Aphrodite; no more is known.
6 or 16: Mounikhia - Festival of Artemis as the moon goddess and
mistress of the animals. A procession of girls carrying boughs came
to the shrine of Apollon and Artemis. A she-goat was sacrificed to
the goddess, along with other offerings. Another procession
consisted of people carrying amphiphontes (shining-all-around),
round cakes containing lit candles arranged in a circle.
19: Olympieia - Festival of Olympian Zeus, including a huge
sacrifice, possibly of a bull.

THARGELION (festival of Apollon)

6-7: Thargelia - This festival marked the birthdays of Apollon and

Artemis. The first day was devoted to purification. Two poor people
were chosen as pliarmakoi (scapegoats), each representing the women
or the men; they were fed well, then beaten in order to purify the
city. The second day was devoted to offerings of first fruits, called
the thargelos (a vegetable and grain stew or possibly bread). Hymn-
singing contests were held for the men’s and boy’s choirs.
Last Week (25?): Plunteria - This festival was dedicated to washing
the ancient statue of Athene Polias (Guardian of the City). The
temple had been cleaned, and Athene’s eternal flame relit, by her
priestesses a few days before. Women removed the robe and jewelry
from the statue, which was then wrapped and carried in a procession
to the washing place. Figs were offered to the goddess on the shore.
After washing, the statue was taken by torchlight procession back to
the temple and clothed with a new, clean robe (from the
Panathenaia) and adorned with jewelry. This day was considered
inauspicious because Athene was absent from the city.

118
SKIROPHORION (festival of Demeter)

Beginning (3?): Arrhephoria - A hidden rite revolving around two

young priestesses of Athene, called the Arrhephoroi (“Carriers of
Unspoken Things”). After living in Athene’s temple for two years,
they performed various secret rituals, including carrying a package
by a secret path to the sanctuary of Aphrodite in the Gardens, and
bringing back another secret package. Then they were replaced by
two new girls.
12: Skiraphoria - Also called the Skira, the festival of the cutting and
threshing of the grain. Priests and priestesses went in procession to
the Skiron, the sacred sanctuary of Demeter and Kore, where the first
sowing took place. The festival was celebrated mostly by women,
who abstained from sex on this day in order to bring fertility to the
land. They threw cakes shaped like snakes and phalluses as well as
pigs into the sacred caverns of Demeter. The men had a race carrying
vine-branches from the sanctuary of Dionysos to the temple of
Athene Skiras. The winner was given the Fivefold Cup, which
contained wine, honey, cheese, corn and olive oil. He shared this
drink with the goddess, pouring her a libation to request her
blessing on the fruits of the season.
14: Dipolieia - This was a festival of Zeus as god of the city. Barley
and wheat were placed on an altar. When the sacrificial bull ate the
grain, he was killed by a priest, who immediately threw down his
axe and fled. The axe was later tried formally for murder. (This
festival was considered antiquated by the fourth century.)
Last Day: Sacrifice to Zeus the Savior and Athene the Savior - A
sacrifice (possibly a bull) was made on the last day of the old year to
ensure good health and well-being for the coming year.

119
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APPENDIX II.

Plants, Animals, Places, & Activities Sacred to

SpecificGods and Goddesses

Animals
bear - Artemis
bees - Nymphs
boar - Ares
bull - Poseidon, Dionysos, Zeus, River Gods
cock - Hermes
cow - Hera

crane - Hephaistos
cuckoo - Hera
deer - Artemis
dog - Artemis, Hekate
dolphin - Apollon, Poseidon
donkey - Hephaistos
dove - Aphrodite
eagle - Zeus
fish - Poseidon
fox ~ Dionysos
goat - Dionysos, Pan
hawk - Hermes
horse - Poseidon, Haides, The Anemoi
lion - Kybele
mouse - Apollon
owl - Athene
panther - Dionysos
peacock - Hera
pig - Demeter, Persephone
rabbit - Aphrodite, Eros
ram - Hermes
raven - Apollon
snake - Hermes, Zeus, Dionysos, Apollon, Asklepios,
Agathos Daimon
swan - Apollon
turtle - Hermes

121
vulture - Ares
weasel - Hekate
wolf - Zeus, Apollon

Plants
anemone - Adonis
apple - Aphrodite
ash tree - Meliads
barley - Demeter
corn - Demeter
crocus - Hermes
fennel - Dionysos, Hephaistos
fig - Dionysos
grapevine - Dionysos
ivy - Dionysos
laurel (bay) - Apollon
mint - Haides
myrtle - Aphrodite, Haides, Persephone
narcissus - Persephone
oak tree - Zeus, Dryads
olive tree - Athene
palm tree - Artemis
pine tree - Dionysos
pomegranate - Persephone, Hera
poplar tree - Persephone, Haides
poppy - Demeter
rose - Aphrodite
rosemary - Haides
wheat - Demeter
willow tree - Hera, Persephone

Places
battlefield - Ares, Athene
boundaries - Hermes
caves - Nymphs, Pan
city - Zeus, Athene
crossroads - Hermes, Hekate
fens - Heliads
home - Hestia, Agathos Daimon
hospital - Asklepios, Apollon
marketplace - Hermes
meadows - Leimoniades

122
mountains - Oreads
ocean - Poseidon, Aphrodite, Nereids
rivers - Potamiads, River Gods
springs -Naiads
streets - Apollon
theatre - Dionysos
woods - Artemis, Pan

Vocations / Types of People

archer - Apollon
actor - Dionysos
blacksmith - Hephaistos
father - Zeus
fisherman - Poseidon
healer, doctor - Asklepios, Apollon
homemaker - Hestia
hunter - Artemis, Dionysos (Zagreus)
king - Zeus
lovers - Aphrodite
magician - Hermes, Hekate
merchant - Hermes
messenger - Hermes, Iris
mother - Demeter
poet, musician - Apollon, The Muses
potter - Athene
prophet - Apollon
prostitute - Aphrodite
queen - Hera
sailor - Poseidon
shepherd - Pan, Hermes
smith - Hephaistos
stranger - Zeus
thief - Hermes
transgendered - Dionysos, Hermaphrodite
traveler - Hermes
veterinarian - Artemis
warrior, soldier - Ares, Athene
weaver ~ Athene

Misc. Things, Activities, Concepts & Events

amber - Apollon
art, music, poetry - The Muses, Apollon
123
battle - Athene, Ares
bow & arrows - Apollon, Artemis, Eros
chariot - Ares
childbirth - Artemis, Eileithuia
crops - Demeter
dawn - Eos
death - Thanatos, Haides
divination - Hermes, Apollon
drama - Dionysos
dreams - Morpheus
drums - Kybele
earthquakes - Poseidon
ecstasy - Dionysos
fate - The Moirai, Tukhe
fire - Hestia, Hephaistos
forge & anvil - Hephaistos
health - Apollon, Asklepios, Hugeia
hearth - Hestia
hunting - Artemis, Pan
justice - Zeus, Dike, Themis
kadukeus - Hermes
keys - Hekate
laughter - Aphrodite
love - Aphrodite
luck - Hermes
lyre - Apollon
magic - Hekate, Hermes
marriage - Hera
martial arts - Ares
mask - Dionysos
medicine - Asklepios
memory - Mnemosune
moon - Selene, Artemis, Hekate
night - Nux, Hekate
oaths - Zeus
panic - Pan
panpipes - Pan
perfume - Aphrodite
phallos - Priapos, Dionysos, Pan, Hermes
prophecy - Apollon
rainbow - Iris
seashells - Aphrodite, Poseidon

124
seasons - The Horai
sex - Aphrodite, Eros
sceptre - Hera
sickness - Apollon, Asklepios
sky, clouds - Zeus
sleep - Hupnos
spring - Persephone
spear - Ares, Athene
stones - Hermes
strength - Herakles
sun - Helios, Apollon
thunder & lightning ~ Zeus
torches - Demeter, Hekate, Artemis
tripod - Apollon
victory - Nike
volcano - Hephaistos
war ~ Ares
wealth - Ploutos
winds - The Anemoi
wine - Dionysos

125
Paved
Pi!
APPENDIX III.

Useful Greek Words and Phrases for Religious

Practice

Glossary of words

aduton: the “holy of holies,” the innermost room of a temple,

reserved for special priests, and often where mysteries are revealed
amphiphontes: “shining all around” cakes, decorated with a circle of
candles, offered to Artemis
agon (pl. agones): contest, competition, an important element of
most festivals
aporrheton: something that it is forbidden to speak of, a religious
secret
arrheton: something that it is impossible to speak of, a religious
experience or wisdom that is beyond words, inexpressible
astragaloi: knucklebones, usually from a sheep, used in divination
and games
bomos (pl. bomoi): an altar on which sacrifices are made, usually a
large stone slab or pile of stones
bothros (pl. bothroi): a pit that functions as the “altar” for chthonic
deities
daimon (pl. daimones): a spirit
deipnon (pl. deipna) : a banquet, dinner, often used to describe
offerings to Hekate on the dark moon
demos: an area of land, and/or the people of that land, used by some
in Hellenismos to denote a religious group that gathers to worship
together
eiresione: an olive branch decorated with woolen fillets, used as a
mark of supplication and in certain festivals
ekstasis: “outside oneself,” ecstasy, frenzy, rapture
enthusiasmos: “a god is within,” possession by a deity
eranos: a type of modern ritual group, from the word for a
communal meal, a club, a favor
eukhe: a prayer
euphemia: sacred silence, no ill-omened speech
eusebeia: piety, right action
127
exegetai: interpreters of religious law
hagnos: holy, pure
heortai: seasonal festivals
hermaion: a lucky windfall, a gift of Hermes
herme (pl. hermai): boundary marker, herm, a pillar of stone with a
carved head of Hermes, and usually a phallos as well
heros: a hero
hestia: the hearth and the fire it contains
hieros: holy, sacred
hiereus: a priest, sacrificer
hubris: pride, arrogance, putting oneself above the gods
kharisterion: a thanks offering
khernips: pure water in which hands are washed before ritual
khoe (pl. khoai): a libation made to the khthonioi
khresmologos: an “oracle-monger,” someone who keeps records of
famous oracles
khthonioi: underworld (chthonic) deities and spirits
kledon (pl. kledones): an overheard piece of conversation, taken as
an omen
komos: revel, usually a nocturnal celebration
mantis (pl. manteis): prophet, one who speaks the gods’ will
miasma: pollution
mustes: an initiate into the Mysteries
naos: temple
nomos: custom, tradition
noumenia: the “new moon,” the first lunar crescent observable after
the dark moon, the beginning of the ancient month
numphai: the nymphs, literally “brides”
pannukhia: a revel or festival that lasts all night long
panspermia: “all-grain,” a mixture of grains and/or vegetables, a
common offerings especially in agricultural festivals
pharmakoi: scapegoats, which are believed to carry the miasma of a
town away with them when they are beaten or expelled from the
community.
“

polis: town, city

pompe: procession, the beginning of each festival
psukhopompos: a god or spirit who leads the spirits of the dead to
the afterlife, psychopomp
sponde (pl. spondai): a libation that is sipped by the worshipper and
then poured out for the god(s)
stephanos: a wreath of flowers and/or leaves worn for ritual
occasions

128
symposia: dinner parties at which men met to eat, drink wine,
discuss philosophy and other topics, and enjoy entertainment such
as singing and dancing
temenos: “set apart,” a sacred enclosure, marked out in some way as
separate from the landscape around it
thargelos: the panspermia stew or bread offered to Apollon at the
Thargelia festival in Athens
theoxenia: a banquet held in a god’s honor, at which the gods and
humans are thought to be feasting together
thiasos (pl. thiasoi): a group of worshippers of one particular god,
originally in reference to Dionysos but now applicable to any
god/dess
thusia: sacrifice, usually animal sacrifice
xenia: hospitality, kindness to strangers and foreigners

Phrases for ritual

Khaire/Khairete [sing./pl.]: Greetings, hello (literally: rejoice)

Elthe deuro: Come here (using the imperative with the gods is not,
as it might seem to some people, inappropriate or overly
demanding, it is in fact the traditional form for prayer)
Klue/Kluete [sing./pl.] mou: Hear me
Hiketeuo: I supplicate
Eukhomai: I pray
Eukhomai pasi tois theois: I pray to all the gods
Euxamenos agalma to theo anatithesi [past tense: anetheke]: I
dedicate [dedicated] this as a votive offering to the god (or replace
“to theo” with “tois theois” for more than one god).
Ei boulei: Please (literally, “if you wish”)
Kharin ekho: Thank you (literally, “I have gratitude”)

Examples of simple prayer:

O Zeu, dos moi hugieian: Zeus, give me good health.
Nun d/aute soter isthi kai paionios, anax Apollon: Now be my
savior and my healer, lord Apollon.

129
Gods’ names

Below are the ancient Greek, then the English transliterations of the
nominative cases (where the god is the subject of a sentence)
followed by the vocative cases (where the god is being addressed
directly) for some of the major deities (with accented syllables
marked).

[Zevc] Zéus : Zéu

[Hpa] Héra : Héra
[A8nvn] Athéne : Athéne
[AnoAA.wv]Apollon : Apollon
[Apteptc] Artemis : Artemis
[Mooe1dmv]Poseidon : Péseidon
[Adpoditm] Aphrodite : Aphrodite
[Epuncs]Hermés : Hermé
[Hooauotoc]Héphaistos : Héphaiste
[Apnc] Ares : Ares
[Anuntnp] Deméter : Deméter
[Atovvo0c] Didnusos : Didnuse
[Eot.a] Hestia : Hestia
[AoxAnmoc] Asklepids : Asklepié
[A1dnc]Haides : Haide
[Exatn] Hekate : Hekate
[lav] Pan : Pan
[Ilepoedovn] Persephone : Persephone

Pronunciation notes: The e’s in Hera, Athene, Aphrodite,

Hephaistos, Ares, Haides and Demeter, and the last e in Hermes,
Persephone and Hekate, are all etas, meaning they make a long “ay”
sound. The second o’s in Poseidon and Apollon are omegas (only in
the nominative case), meaning they sound like the o in “grow.”

>

130
APPENDIX IV.
Results from the Hellenic Polytheist Survey

This survey was conducted online during the month of December,

2007, publicized on various Hellenic polytheist e-lists, forums, and
by word of mouth. It was open to anyone who considers him/herself
a Hellenic polytheist or who primarily worships gods from the
Greek pantheon. Thus, it is a snapshot of a self-defined community,
rather than one defined by myself or anyone else.
This survey was launched as an update of the 2004 survey from
the first edition of this book, though some questions were changed
or added. Although it has only been a few years, it appears that the
Hellenic polytheist community is still in a period of growth and
change. Where relevant, I have included notes on significant changes
from the 2004 survey.
Not everyone answered every question, so percentages are based
on the number of respondents for each question. For the open-ended
questions, I tried to group the responses into general statements, and
follow those with the number of people whose responses fit. Some of
the unique responses follow, with no number next to them. Not all
responses are verbatim, some I have summarized. For the open-
ended questions, I did not print every response, but a varied
selection.

Total Respondents: 166

Age:
under 18: 1%
18-24: 20%
25-29: 17%
30-39: 30%
40-49: 19%
50-59: 10%
60 or over: 4%

131
Gender:
female: 54%
male: 43%
transgendered: 2%

Race (multiple selections allowed):

Caucasian / White: 92%
African-American/ Black: 4%
Native American: 3%
Hispanic/Latino: 2%
Asian: 1%
Other: 4%

Sexual Orientation:
heterosexual: 55%
homosexual: 18%
bisexual: 23%
other: 4%

Marital Status:
single: 35%
married (legally): 37%
married (spiritually but not legally): 5%
live with partner: 5%
long term relationship: 10%
polyamorous relationship: 5%
other: 3%
[Therewas a significant increase since 2004 in those married legally, and a
decreasein thoseliving with a partner.]

Religion of partner(s), if applicable (multiple selections allowed):

Christianity: 21%
Judaism: 5%
Islam: 0%
Buddhism: 3% hy
Hellenic Polytheism: 25%
Other Paganism: 22%
No Religion: 18%
Atheist: 8%
Other: 20% (included several answering Unitarian Universalist,
Deist, and Agnostic, among others)

132
Do you have children?
Yes: 29%
No: 71%

If you have children, are you raising them in your religion?

Yes: 52%
No: 48%
[This even split is a significant changefrom 2004, when over two-thirds of
people answered yes.]

What state do you live in? (numbers in parentheses represent actual

respondents, not percentages)
Arizona (1); Arkansas (2); California (10); Colorado (1); Connecticut
(2); Delaware (1); Florida (8); Georgia (3); Illinois (4); Indiana (5);
Kansas (1); Kentucky (3); Louisiana (5); Maryland (7); Massachusetts
(9); Michigan (6); Minnesota (5); Missouri (2); Nevada (2); New
Hampshire (2); New Jersey (3); New Mexico (2); New York (3); North
Carolina (3); Ohio (5); Oklahoma (2); Oregon (5); Pennsylvania (8);
Rhode Island (2); South Dakota (2); Tennessee (3); Texas (9); Utah (1);
Virginia (5); Washington (2); Wisconsin (2)

If you live outside the United States, which country?

Canada (9); United Kingdom (7); Australia (4); Spain (2); France (1);
Ireland (1); New Zealand (1); Belgium (1); Greece (1); Turkey (1);
Germany (1); Netherlands (1)

What type of area do you live in?

rural: 8%
small/medium town: 25%
medium/ large city: 29%
suburb: 16%
large metropolitan area: 22%

What is the highest level of education you have completed?

some high school: 2%
high school diploma/GED: 7%
some college: 33%
bachelor's degree: 33%
master's degree: 10%
professional/technical degree: 7%
some postgraduate work: 5%
doctorate: 5%

133
If you have a college degree, was it in a field related to Hellenic
paganism?
Yes: 9%
No: 72%
Somewhat: 20%

What is your occupation? (Write-in)

student (20)
computers (17)
retail / food service (12)
artist/craftsperson/writer/ musician (10)
professor/teacher (9)
administrative, misc. professional (9)
health/ wellbeing (6)
manager (6)
minister / counselor (5)
homemaker (5)
office worker / receptionist (4)
sciences (4)
civil servant (4)
customer service (3)
sales / marketing (3)
human resources (3)
retired (3)
editor (3)
unemployed (2)
accountant (2)
librarian (2)
social services (2)
consultant (2)
other responses included:
grantwriter, nanny, tarot reader, chef, political campaign intern,
disabled veteran, pension analyst, machinist, graphic designer,
landscape architect, international trade analyst, police officer,
attorney

What is your annual household income?

less than $10,000: 9%
$10,001-$20,000: 17%
$20,001-$40,000: 22%
$40,001-$60,000: 21%
$60,001-$100,000: 22%

134
$100,001-$200,000: 9%
more than $200,000: 1%
[It appears that respondents have slightly higher incomes than in 2004.]

What political party do you affiliate yourself with?

Democrat: 32%
Republican: 9%
Green: 11%
Libertarian: 6%
Independent: 25%
Other: 18% (mostly non-U.S. parties, several Socialists)

Are you active in politics/social reform?

Yes: 44%
No: 56%

What religion were you raised in? (multiple selections allowed)

Christianity: 76%
Judaism: 2%
Islam: 0%
Buddhism: 3%
Hellenic Polytheism: 1%
Other Paganism: 1%
No religion: 19%
Atheism: 5%
Other: 8%

How many years have you been a pagan (any type)?

under 1: 1%
1-2: 8%
3-5: 13%
5-10: 28%
10-20: 30%
more than 20: 19%

How many years have you been a Greek-focused pagan?

under 1: 12%
1-2: 21%
3-5; 29%
5-10: 19%
10-20: 12%
more than 20: 7%
[Thesenumbers reflectmorerespondentswho havebeenHelleniclonger.]
£35
How did you originally come to Hellenic polytheism? (multiple
selections allowed)
grew froma love of Greek mythology: 57%
grew from an interest in ancient history /archaeology / Classics: 40%
had a direct experience of a deity or deities: 49%
was Wiccan or neo-pagan and gradually became focused on the
Greek pantheon: 37%
was practicing another Recon-type tradition but got called by the
Greek gods: 4%
followed a love of one Greek god to the rest of the pantheon: 37%
other: 14% (including philosophy, ceremonial magic, having a Greek
ethnic heritage)

What do you prefer to call yourself?

Hellenic/ Greek polytheist: 27%
Hellenic/Greek pagan: 14%
Hellenic/Greek Reconstructionist: 7%
Pagan: 15%
Neo-pagan: 4%
Hellene: 1%
Hellenist: 7%
Hellenista: 0%
Dodecatheist: 2%
Hellenic/Greek Wiccan: 1%
Hellenic/Greek Witch: 2%
Wiccan: 1%
Witch: 5%
Other: 13% (including Helleniste, Greco-Egyptian syncretist,
Ekklesia Antinoou, Thessalian Hellenist, Kemetic Wiccan Buddhist,
Hellenic Pantheist, Olympian, Neo-Hellen, Hellenistos, Thessalian
Strix Witch, Hellenic Alexandrian Witch, hard polytheistic pagan,
Greco-Roman Reconstructionist, UU Hellenist, Heathen)
[Hellenic polytheist has greatly increased in popularity, becoming the
number one choice; fewer people are referring to themselves as
Reconstructionists.] z

If you consider yourself fully dual-trad or multi-trad (participating

in more than one religious path simultaneously, rather than just
including a god or two from another pantheon in your practice),
what is the other religious path? (multiple selections allowed)
Religio Romana: 11%
Kemeticism (Egyptian): 15%
136
Celtic Recon: 11%
Asatru/Heathenism: 16%
Slavic/Baltic polytheism: 1%
Wicca: 23%
Christianity: 4%
Judaism: 0%
Unitarian Universalist: 7%
Buddhism: 8%
Hinduism: 3%
Other: 31% (including ADF/Druidry (6), Religious Society of
Friends; Santeria, Taoism (2), Animism, Sumerian Recon, Sufism,
Vedism, Reclaiming Witchcraft)

Do you consider yourself a Reconstructionist (i.e, is it your

primary spiritual methodology)?
yes: 12%
no: 23%
my practice relies on both reconstructionism and modern
innovation: 65%
[I did not give the last choice in the first survey. However, the number
choosing “yes” dropped drastically from 64% to 12%, indicating a
dwindlingfocus on Reconstructionism.]

Which theological stance best describes your beliefs? (Of course

you can believe more than one of these tenets, but which is the
most important to your spiritual worldview?)
Hard polytheism (all gods are distinct entities): 40%
Soft polytheism (some gods may be faces of the same gods, e.g.
syncreticism): 31%
Monism (all gods are emanations of one spiritual force): 8%
Duotheism (all gods are faces of one Goddess and one God): 1%
Pantheism (everything in the world has its own god or spirit): 10%
Other: 10% (including panentheism, emanationism, animism)
[Significantlyfewer hard polytheists than in 2004.]

How do you mainly practice? (multiple selections allowed)

alone: 89%
with partner: 16%
with small group: 28%
with large group (more than 10): 14%
with various groups: 8%
[Morepeopleare practicing with their partner or a smallgroup.]

137
If you often practice with a group, are the other members mainly:
Hellenic polytheists: 37%
other Recon-type polytheists: 16%
Wiccans: 33%
neo-pagans: 34%
ceremonial magicians: 4%
Unitarians: 7%
other: 22% (including Spira, Strix, Druids, agnostic, Vodou, Chaos
magicians)

Where do you mainly practice? (multiple selections allowed)

home (including home altars or temple space): 93%
public indoor space: 10%
temple (not in your own home): 2%
other people’s house(s): 17%
outdoors (your own property): 30%
outdoors (public parks, forests, etc.): 34%
other, please specify: 6%
[Home is still the primary place people worship, but more people are using
public spacesas well.]

How often do you do small devotional practices (lighting a candle

or incense, a brief prayer, a libation)?
every day: 36%
2-5 times a week: 24%
weekly: 15%
several times a month: 13%
monthly: 4%
special occasions only: 7%
never: 1%
[Thereare somewhatmorepeopledoingfrequent practices.]

How often do you do longer rituals (at least one hour) or festival
days?
every day: 0% 25
2-5 times a week: 4%
weekly: 5%
several times a month: 9%
monthly: 23%
special occasions only: 46%
never: 12%

138
Do you ever do rituals with other Hellenic polytheists?
frequently: 8%
sometimes: 13%
rarely: 18%
never: 62%
comments: don’t know any/aren’t any in my area; no one has been
interested despite my efforts; belong to a local demos/eranos; at
Pantheacon; with online group; at local temple; with Spira; prefer
solitary practice; with partner

Do you ever do rituals with other non-Hellenic culture-specific

polytheists (Asatru, CR, Kemetic, etc.)?
frequently: 6%
sometimes: 14%
rarely: 17%
never: 63%
comments: Celtic; Norse; Druid; don’t know any; at large
conventions and festivals; partner is another Recon faith; feel like a
stranger with them

Do you ever do rituals with other general pagans or Wiccans?

frequently: 21%
sometimes: 24%
rarely: 20%
never: 35%
comments: not interested; Druid grove; am Wiccan initiate /incoven;
at festivals; they are the only group I work with regularly; too
different from my own practice; at Pagan Pride Day; not comfortable
with them; they are my friends; active in pagan community; enjoy
any well-done ritual; beliefs and practices are too different; go with
what you've got; will attend but not participate; with Unitarians;
celebrate the major holidays

Do you have a patron deity?

yes, one: 30%
yes, more than one: 53%
no: 16%

Do you mainly do rituals/devotions for all the gods or just a few?

all: 15%
few: 48%
both: 37%

£39
Do you do rituals/devotions for any of the following? (% of
respondents marking yes)
nymphs: 35%
pan-Hellenic heroes (Herakles, Theseus, etc.): 29%
local heroes from your area or country: 22%
ancestors: 61%
agathos daimon: 30%
the dead (non-relations): 45%
Hestia: 71%
Titans: 14%
the Muses: 36%
[Hestia and ancestors are still the most popular selections.]

Do you have an altar or shrine?

yes, one: 34%
yes, several: 53%
no: 13%
[More peoplewith several shrines rather than just one.]

Do you follow the ancient Athenian festival calendar?

yes, entirely: 2%
some of the festivals: 55%
no: 43%
[Hardly anyonefollowing it entirely, downfrom a quarter of respondents in
2004, which suggests more people are innovating and creating new
festivals.]

Do you celebrate any non-Athenian ancient Greek festivals from

other areas?
yes: 41%
no: 59%

Have you created any new festivals?

yes: 22%
no: 54% o
in the process: 19%
my group did: 5%

Do you have a religious name (not just a screen name, but one that
you use in real-world worship)?
yes, a Greek name: 22%
yes, anon-Greek name: 19%

140
no, haven't found the right one yet: 19%
no, don’t intend to take one: 40%

Do you dress in ancient style clothing for rituals?

always: 2%
sometimes: 22%
major festivals only: 6%
only when leading public rituals: 7%
never: 63%

Do you know the ancient Greek language?

know a little: 29%
familiar: 10%
fluent: 4%
no, not interested: 25%
no, but want to learn: 33%

Do you use ancient Greek in ritual?

always: 2%
sometimes: 11%
a few ritual phrases: 30%
no, but I would if I knew it: 28%
no, I prefer to only use my native language: 30%

Do you usually observe customs concerned with miasma and ritual

purity?
yes, as if every ritual was in a temple: 7%
yes, I use khernips before every major ritual: 24%
sometimes, depending on the nature of the ritual: 28%
only when purity is a significant aspect of the ritual: 21%
no, it isn’t practical in my life: 14%
no, I don’t believe those rules are relevant anymore: 6%

Do you practice any forms of divination?

yes: 82%
no: 18%

If so, what types do you use? (multiple selections allowed)

[options re-ordered to show most popular answersfirst]
Tarot: 77%
dreams: 56%
oracular trance/ direct inspiration: 35%

141
runes: 34%
astrology: 28%
pendulum: 28%
scrying: 21%
Limyran oracle: 20%
cleromancy (dice/lots/etc.): 18%
divinatory cards (other than Tarot): 18%
bibliomancy: 16%
Homeric oracle: 15%
augury (bird flights): 14%
tea leaves/coffee grounds: 12%
I Ching: 11%
system I invented myself: 7%
dowsing: 5%
gematria: 5%
palmistry: 5%
other: 9% (including obi, ogham, astragali, numerology, Tibetan
divination, druid sticks)

Do you practice any other kinds of ‘magic’ (however you define

that word)? (multiple selections allowed)
yes, ancient Greek methods: 16%
yes, other systems: 54%
no, not interested: 28%
no, don't know how: 14%

How do you feel about mysticism?

I practice it: 60%
fine for others but not interested personally: 37%
don’t feel comfortable with it: 2%
strongly disagree with its inclusion in Hellenismos: 1%
[Afew morepeoplepracticing it, and afew less against it.]

Do you think Hellenismos should have priests?

yes: 35% -
no: 4%
not sure: 26%
only if we have temples: 20%
exegetai (advisors) are enough: 15%
[Fewer people think we should have priests than did in 2004.]

142
What are your thoughts on reviving the practice of animal
sacrifice, assuming it’s done humanely as possible and most of the
animal is eaten, as it was done in ancient times?
totally support it: 28%
fine as long as you live on a farm or the animals were already going
to be slaughtered: 27%
not sure: 13%
somewhat uncomfortable with the idea: 14%
totally against it: 9%
against killing animals in any context: 8%

Have you ever made a pilgrimage to Greece to visit the sacred

sites?
yes, once: 11%
yes, more than once: 5%
no, but hope to someday: 81%
no, not interested: 3%

Are you on any Hellenic polytheist online mailing lists or forums?

yes: 90%
no: 10%

Do you belong to any online-only thiasoi, demoi, eranoi, etc.?

yes: 39%
no: 61%

Do you have your own website (or blog) dedicated primarily to

Hellenic polytheism?
yes: 20%
no: 76%
my group does: 8%

What are your favorite primary sources on Hellenic religion?

(Primary sources are those written in ancient times, such as
Plutarch, Euripides and Plato.)
[re-ordered to show popularity of answers, showing number of responses
rather than percentages]
Homer (Iliad, Odyssey): 71
Hesiod: 43
Plato: 32
Homeric Hymns: 21
Euripides: 19

143
Plutarch: 17
Orphic Hymns: 16
Pausanias: 14
Aeschylus: 10
Sophocles: 7
Sallustius: 6
Aristotle: 6
Herodotus: 6
Apollodoros: 5
Iamblichus: 5
Julian: 4
Callimachus: 3
Ovid: 3
Sappho: 3
Proclus: 3
Plotinus: 2
Aristophanes: 2
Giceroy2
Pindar: 2
Celsus: 2
Apuleius: 2
Greek magical papyri: 2
Single mentions include: Xenophon; Athenaeus; Parmenides;
Pythagoras; Herakleitos; Aesop; Porphyry; Marcus Aurelius;
inscriptions

What are your favorite secondary sources on Hellenic religion?

(Secondary sources are written by scholars studying ancient
religion, such as Burkert, Nilsson, etc. Also includes authors
writing about the modern practice of Hellenismos.)
[re-ordered to show popularity of answers, showing number of responses
rather than percentages]
Walter Burkert: 68
Karl Kerenyi: 33
Sarah Kate Istra Winter (Oinokhoe): 20 nt
Walter Otto: 14
Martin Nilsson: 12
H. Jeremiah Lewis (Sannion): 11
Drew Campbell: 8
Jennifer Larson: 6
Jon D. Mikalson: 5
Sarah Iles Johnston: 5

144
Timothy J. Alexander: 5
Jane Ellen Harrison: 4
Robert Parker: 3
Ginette Paris: 3
Mary Lefkowitz: 3
Thomas Bulfinch: 3
Peter Kingsley: 3
Lewis Richard Farnell: 2
Sue Blundell: 2
Ken Dowden: 2
Roberto Calasso: 2
Robert Graves: 2
Ross Shepherd Kraemer: 2
Marvin Meyer: 2
Robert Von Rudloff: 2
Susan Cole: 2
Jean Pierre Vernant: 2
Robin Lane Fox: 2
Single mentions include: Hearthstone; Kallistos; Philippe Borgeaud;
Giulia Sissa; M. L. West; P. M. Fraser; Royston Lambert; Christine
Downing; Charles Stein; Pierre Hadot; Ramsay MacMullen; Barry
Strauss; Victor Hanson; Robert Turcan; Erika Simon; Robert
Flaceliere; H.W. Parke; Christopher Faraone; Joan Breton Connelly;
Fritz Graf; Robert Garland; Thomas Taylor; Stephanie Budin
[Burkert and Kerenyjiare still on top, Campbellhas moved down the list to
make wayfor more current authors.]

What are your favorite Hellenic polytheist websites?

[re-ordered to show popularity of answers, showing number of responses
rather than percentages]
Theoi.com: 31
Sannion’s Sanctuary: 29
Neokoroi: 20
Sponde: 17
Wildivine: 14
Hellenion: 14
Neos Alexandria: 12
Ta Hiera/ECauldron: 12
Kyklos Apollon: 7
Temenos Theon: 5
Winterscapes: 4
Temenos Olympicos/Shadow of Olympus: 3
145
Thiasos Lusios: 2
Cataleos: 2
Shrine of the Goddess Athena: 2
TempleA
pollo:2
Biblioteca Arcana: 2
Sacred-Texts: 2
HTAZPs2
Single mentions include: Julian Society; Prometheus Trust;
Dadoukhoi; Elaion; HMEPA; Hekate.nu; Omphalos; Hercules
Invictus; Antinopolis; SpiraCanada.com; HellenicRecons
yahoogroup; HellenicPagan yahoogroup; Encyclopedia Mythica;
Perseus Project; Eocto; Mind-n-Magick; WarGoddess; Hyperborean
Proto-Demos; AOTSC.TDC Hellenic Fellowships

What do you think is the most important challenge facing our

religion today?
building real-life community: 19
others taking us seriously: 14
visibility: 9
building temples or public places to worship: 8
factions, arguing, infighting: 8
monotheistic religions: 8
that we live so far apart from each other: 7
we need higher numbers: 7
adapting ancient practices to amodern setting: 6
clergy/ priests:4
personality issues, egos, elitism: 4
New Agers/neo-paganism/ eclecticism: 4
help for newcomers: 3
integrating religion into our daily lives: 3
“overcoming two millennia of misinformation”
“developing long-lasting rites and rituals for the next
generation”
“to overcome dogmatic or condescending attitudes towards
those who aren’t practicing the ‘right way’; to be more
accepting of differences within our own tradition, as well as
other pagan paths”
“getting more of us into a truly deep spiritual practice”
“information that has become lost over the millennia”
“Reconstructionist religions need to grow to appeal to
people who aren’t scholars”

146
 “throwing off the image that we are a group of old
academics who dress up at the weekends, and show people
that we are a vibrant, modern and relevant religion”

What are your hopes for the future of Hellenismos?

temples: 26
to be widely known/accepted: 21
strong community: 10
large festivals/ group rituals: 10
continued growth: 14
people becoming united: 6
more books, resources: 5
clergy / priests /advisors: 4
that it will become legal in Greece: 4
rebuild temples and/or worship at holy sites: 4
more people close together: 3
to have guidance for beginners: 2
“that we create something strong enough to be passed
down to future generations, and that people come to know
the gods”
“that Hellenismos will take its place as a fully respected
religion and begin to again assume ‘its role as the major
influence on the culture and wisdom of the world”
“with the Gods with us, who can be against us?”
“Jegal rites of passage carried out by the priest/ priestesses of
the religion”
“that it remain true to what it is and avoids the new age and
fluff”
“Swarms of joyous celebrants marching through the city
streets to honor the gods on their special day of festival...
that’s what I want to see.”
“develop a relationship with other recon and non-recon
pagan traditions”
“I hope to see the rise of the syncretic Hellenismos
expanding and forming the many branches of Hellenismos”
“that it grows and relaxes a little in the process, becoming a
little more open and tolerant of modern approaches to old
practices or of mysticism”
“a large, mainstream religion. ‘Merry Panathenaia’ cards at
gift shops”

147
 “an emphasis on ‘feeling’ your religion. I made the mistake
of getting very into the scholarly works in the beginning,
and my time was spent studying, but not feeling a
connection with my deities. When I began my ritual of twice
daily libations and prayers, I got so much more from that
than from any book!”
“that we can come to a place where we are informed by the
successes of our ancestors but free to re-discover that which
is relevant and meaningful to our modern culture”

Any additional comments:

“T wish there were more concise and useful websites online
that are set up clearly and explain how to perform different
rituals and celebrate different festivals. I feel often as if | am
stumbling through it.”
“T want the Elgin Marbles repatriated to the Acropolis
museum! Praise Athene!”
“The animal sacrifice issue is interesting. In general, under
the conditions proposed, I would fully support it. What
makes me hesitate is the perception people both within and
outside of Hellenic Paganism would have of this practice.”
“Although I am not opposed to priests in Hellenismos, I
personally do not need a priesthood to give my practice
validation. In general, I’m suspicious of religions that are
organized to look more like corporations than frameworks
of spiritual practice.”
“I think people have a big problem with the amount of
internet email lists the community has... I really do think
they serve a very important purpose. No one exists in a
vacuum, and when people are as scattered as we are as a
group, it’s vitally important to have a support center there to
learn and grow from, especially when you're first starting
down this path.” X\

148
BIBLIOGRAPHY

*recommendedasfoundational reading
ftHellenic polytheist author

Adkins, Lesley, and Roy A. Adkins. Handbook to Lifein Ancient

Greece.Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1997.
Albinus, Lars. The House of Hades: Studies in Ancient GreekEschatology.
Denmark: Aarhus University Press, 2000.
Anderson, Warren D. Music and Musicians in Ancient Greece.
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tBibliotheca Alexandrina, eds. Written in Wine: A Devotional
Anthologyfor Dionysos. Bibliotheca Alexandrina, 2008.
Broad, William J. The Oracle: The Lost Secrets and Hidden Message of
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*Burkert, Walter. Greek Religion. Translated by John Raffan.
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. Ancient Mystery Cults. Cambridge, MA: Harvard
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Calasso, Roberto. The Marriage of Cadmus and Harmony. New York:
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tCampbell, Drew. Old Stones, New Temples.Xlibris, 2000.
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Cosmopoulos, Michael B., ed. GreekMysteries: TheArchaeologyand
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tDiotima. The Goat Foot God. Bibliotheca Alexandrina, 2008.

149
*Dodds, E.R. The Greeksand the Irrational. Berkeley: University of
California Press, 1951.
Driver, Tom. Liberating Rites: Understanding the Transformative Power
of Ritual. Boulder: Westview Press, 1998.
Erskine, Helen, ed. To the Gods of Hellas: Lyrics of the GreekGamesat
Barnard College.New York: Columbia University Press, 1930.
Evelyn-White, Hugh G., trans. Hesiod,Homeric Hymns, Epic Cycleand
Homerica.Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1936.
Faraone, Christopher, ed. Initiation in Ancient Greek Rituals and
Narratives. New York: Routledge, 2003.
*Farnell, Lewis Richard. Cults of the Greek States. Oxford: Clarendon
Press, 1896.
Festugiere, Andre-Jean. Personal ReligionAmong the Greeks.
University of California Press: 1960.
Flaceliere, Robert. Greek Oracles. Translated by Douglas Garman.
New York: W.W. Norton & Co., 1965.
*Flower, Michael. The Seer in Ancient Greece. University of California
Press, 2008.
tFrye, Samantha. The Golden Lyre and The Flaming Phoenix, Lulu.com,
2007.
Furley, William D. and Jan Maarten Bremer. GreekHymns: Selected
Cult Songsfrom the Archaic to the Hellenistic period.Tubingen:
Mohr Siebeck, 2001
*Garland, Robert. The GreekWay of Death. Ithaca, NY: Cornell
University Press, 2001.
: . TheGreekWay of Life.Ithaca, NY: Cornell University
Press, 1992.
Graf, Fritz. Magic in the Ancient World. Cambridge, MA: Harvard
University Press, 1999.
Grimal, Pierre. TheDictionary of ClassicalMythology. Translated by
A.R. Maxwell-Hyslop. New York: Basil Blackwell Publisher,
1986,
Guthrie, W.K.C. Orpheus and Greek Religion. New York: Norton, 1966.
- . The Greeks and Their Gods. Boston: Beacon Press, 1950.
Hagg, Robin, ed. Ancient Greek Cult Practice From the Epigraphical
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. Ancient Greek Hero Cult. Stockholm : Svenska Institutet i
Athen, 1999.
Halliday, W.R. GreekDivination: a study ofits methodsand principles.
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 - Themis:A Study of the Social Origins of GreekReligion.
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Homer. The Iliad and The Odyssey. Translated by Robert Fagles. New
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*Kerenyi, Karl. Gods of the Greeks.London: Thames and Hudson,
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. Dionysus: Archetypal Image of Indestructible Life.Translated by
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. Eleusis: Archetypal Image ofMother and Daughter. Translated
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. Hermes: Guide of Souls. Translated by Murray Stein.
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*Larson, Jennifer. GreekNymphs. Oxford: Oxford University Press,
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il
*Nilsson, Martin. GreekFolk Religion. Philadelphia: University of
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_A History of Greek Religion.Translated by F.J. Fielden. New
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Pollard, John. Seers, Shrines and Sirens. New York: A.S. Barnes and
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Among the Greeks.New York: Harcourt & Brace, 1925.
Rouse, William H.D. Greek VotiveOfferings. Cambridge: Cambridge
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Scully, Vincent. The Earth, the Templeand the Gods: Greek Sacred
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Shorter, Bani. Susceptibleto the Sacred: The Psychological Experienceof
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152
Steiner, Deborah Tarn. Images in Mind: Statues in Archaic and Classical
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tSzabo, Allyson. Longingfor Wisdom:TheMessageof the Maxims.
Bibliotheca Alexandrina, 2008.
Van Straten, F.T. Hiera Kala: Images ofAnimal Sacrificein Archaic and
Classical Greece.Brill Academic Publishers, 1995.
Vernant, Jean-Pierre, and Pierre Vidal-Naquet. Myth and Tragedy in
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Versnel, H.S., ed. Faith Hope and Worship: Aspects of Religious
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Cambridge University Press, 1999

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 Stee
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INTERNET RESOURCES

Hellenic Polytheism Websites

oO Kharis - winterscapes.com/kharis/ - the website for this book,

includes links to many other resources. Also check out my
homepage, winterscapes.com, for a list of all my websites.
o Sannion’s Sanctuary - winterscapes.com/sannion/- includes
essays, poetry, hymns, retelling of myths, etc.
o Neokoroi - neokorot.org- organization for Hellenic polytheists,
they publish the quarterly newsletter He Epistole (back issues
available online for free)
o Hands-On Hellenism (Sponde.com) - sponde.suneagle.info- great
resource, lots of advice
o HMEPA - numachi.com/~ccount/hmepa/ - a very useful resource
that aligns the ancient festival calendar with our modern one
o Hellenion - hellenion.org - a non-profit organization for Hellenic
pagans, parent of a few demoi and proto-demoi, has clergy
training program
o Thiasoi Directory - winterscapes.com/thiasot.htm- listings for
most Hellenic pagan organizations, regional groups, god-based
mailing lists, etc.
o Neos Alexandria - neosalexandria.org - Graeco-Egyptian
syncretic group, includes online temples, extensive essays,
Bibliotheca Alexandrina publishing imprint
o Kyklos Apollon - kyklosapollon.org- centered around weekly
Apollon purification ritual, discussion group
o The Dionysion - hermeticfellowship.org/Dionysion/ - filled with the
fruits of extensive research into topics like the maenads, ecstasy,
theatre and more.
o Cataleos - cataleos.org- website for a physical temple space for
Artemis - articles, events, etc. Also see HTAZP -
worship.htazp.org - a temple site for Apollon, Zeus and Pan.
o Greek Alphabet Oracle - cs.utk.edu/~Mclennan/BA/LAO.html -
formerly called the Limyran Oracle, an ancient divination
system translated and interpreted. Part of the larger Biblioteca
Arcana website.

1s)
Other Websites of Interest

Perseus Project - perseus.tufts.edu - online collection of ancient

texts from Greece and Rome, shown bilingually, includes
dictionary and other resources
Theoi Greek Mythology - theoi.com- extensive reference site on
Greek mythology and religion
The Ancient Library - ancientlibrary.com - scanned books on
topics relating to ancient history
Women in Greek Myths - paleothea.com- an encyclopedia of
female figures in Greek mythology
Ancient Greek Religion - greekreligion.org - a vast collection of
links to sites covering all aspects of ancient Hellenic polytheism
The Oracle of Delphi and Ancient Oracles - isidore-of-
seville.com/oracles- information on important ancient oracles
Internet Sacred Text Archive - sacred-texts.com - collection of
online books about religion, mythology, folklore, the esoteric
Greece Travel - greecetravel.com - a guide to visiting Greece

Ritual Supplies

Art from Greece (statues, pottery, reliefs, etc.) - artfromgreece.com

Os
OR
O50 Hellenic Art (same as above) - hellenic-art.com
Sacred Source (replica statues) - sacredsource.com
Magical Omaha (modern statues) - magicalomaha.com/
Greekgodgoddessstatury.htm
Mid-East Instruments - mid-east.com
OOProjekt (music label, home to Daemonia Nymphe) - projekt.com

Language Reference and Used/Out-of-Print Books

Ancient Greek Tutorials - socrates.berkeley.edu/~ancgreek/

Anamathetes: Hellenic polytheists learning ancient Greek -
groups.yahoo.com/group/anamathetes/
Schoenhof’s Foreign Books - schoenhofs.com
Advanced Book Exchange (used books) - abebooks.com
Kessinger Publishing (reprints of old books) - kessinger.net

156
ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sarah Kate Istra Winter, also known by her religious name

Oinokhoe, has been practicing Hellenic polytheism for over ten
years; she is devoted to Dionysos, Hermes, Apollon and the
Nymphs. Ms. Winter has written for a number of pagan
publications, and was the editor of the Neokoroi newsletter He
Epistole for several years. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Myth and
Ritual from Goddard College.
Ms. Winter is the founder of Thiasos Lusios (an online Dionysian
group), co-founder of the Eranos Agriotheios (Wildivine), and the
owner of several polytheist websites which can be found at her
homepage, winterscapes.com. She grew up in New England, and
now lives in beautiful Eugene, Oregon, where nymphs can be found
around every corner.

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CPSIA information can be obtained
at www.ICGtesting.com
Printed in the USA
LVOW04s1829131116
512798LV00011B/437/P
Kharis: Hellenic Polytheism Explored delves into the
many aspects of the revival of Greek paganism, from
its ancient roots to its modern practice. It 1swritten for
the person new to Hellenismos, and for the person who
has been practicing for years, as well as for people
outside of the religion who are interested in learning
more. It covers not only the basics of worship, but also
how make the ancient religion relevant to modern times,
cultivate relationships with the gods and other divinities,
and create a deeply satisfying spiritual life.

I. outward grace or favour

XAPISG Ti. grace or favour felt, whether on the
part of the Doer or the Receiver
(keris) Vv. [in reference to divinities] homage
due to them, their worship, majesty

The emphasis of this book is on the concept of kharis -

the reciprocity so implicit in the practice of Hellenic
polytheism. From the simplest devotional act, to prayer.
to divination, to mysticism, the principle of recip
favor governs the heart of this religion and lets e
worshipper encounter the gods on a real and pro
run
M
U
level. ||Mb