Thursday, August 18, 2016

Been a Hellenist for Two Years and So Is This Blog

So I'm going to make this a short blog post. Today marks two years since I return to Hellenism and my blog is also two years old. I would like to thank everyone that has come on here and read my blog entries and taken my ups and downs on this blog. I look forward to another two years blogging and practicing. Next year, I'm hoping, me and my family will be in a different place as this year has just been insane.

Thanks for reading and here's to another year.

Sunday, August 7, 2016

Honoring Zeus during the Summer Olympics

I'm about two days late but I'm going to be spending the whole of the Olympics burning incense and giving offerings to Zeus. The Olympics were created to honor Zeus and I wouldn't be a Hellenist if I didn't do this. The Olympics got started on the 5th and will continue until the 21st of August. Here's some info about the Olympic games. This is from Wikipedia.


 



The Ancient Olympic Games were religious and athletic festivals held every four years at the sanctuary of Zeus in Olympia, Greece. Competition was among representatives of several city-states and kingdoms of Ancient Greece. These Games featured mainly athletic but also combat sports such as wrestling and the pankration, horse and chariot racing events. It has been widely written that during the Games, all conflicts among the participating city-states were postponed until the Games were finished. This cessation of hostilities was known as the Olympic peace or truce.[3] This idea is a modern myth because the Greeks never suspended their wars. The truce did allow those religious pilgrims who were traveling to Olympia to pass through warring territories unmolested because they were protected by Zeus.[4] The origin of the Olympics is shrouded in mystery and legend;[5] one of the most popular myths identifies Heracles and his father Zeus as the progenitors of the Games.[6][7][8] According to legend, it was Heracles who first called the Games "Olympic" and established the custom of holding them every four years.[9] The myth continues that after Heracles completed his twelve labors, he built the Olympic Stadium as an honor to Zeus. Following its completion, he walked in a straight line for 200 steps and called this distance a "stadion" (Greek: στάδιον, Latin: stadium, "stage"), which later became a unit of distance. The most widely accepted inception date for the Ancient Olympics is 776 BC; this is based on inscriptions, found at Olympia, listing the winners of a footrace held every four years starting in 776 BC.[10] The Ancient Games featured running events, a pentathlon (consisting of a jumping event, discus and javelin throws, a foot race, and wrestling), boxing, wrestling, pankration, and equestrian events.[11][12] Tradition has it that Coroebus, a cook from the city of Elis, was the first Olympic champion.[13]
The Olympics were of fundamental religious importance, featuring sporting events alongside ritual sacrifices honoring both Zeus (whose famous statue by Phidias stood in his temple at Olympia) and Pelops, divine hero and mythical king of Olympia. Pelops was famous for his chariot race with King Oenomaus of Pisatis.[14] The winners of the events were admired and immortalized in poems and statues.[15] The Games were held every four years, and this period, known as an Olympiad, was used by Greeks as one of their units of time measurement. The Games were part of a cycle known as the Panhellenic Games, which included the Pythian Games, the Nemean Games, and the Isthmian Games.[16]
The Olympic Games reached their zenith in the 6th and 5th centuries BC, but then gradually declined in importance as the Romans gained power and influence in Greece. While there is no scholarly consensus as to when the Games officially ended, the most commonly held date is 393 AD, when the emperor Theodosius I decreed that all pagan cults and practices be eliminated.[17] Another date commonly cited is 426 AD, when his successor, Theodosius II, ordered the destruction of all Greek temples.

Note: Some historians believe that only the rituals that were part of the games were abolished. However the site had fallen into disrepair and that seem to be the final nail.Here's another blog about this.

https://graecomuse.wordpress.com/2012/02/17/the-fall-of-the-ancient-olympics-the-theodosian-code/

Hellenic Altar for August

So I'm posting my Hellenic altar for August. Even though the altar is for Hermes I added Zeus because the Olympics are going on and I wanted to give him a place on my altar to honor him during this period.


Late Post: The Athenian Month of Metageitniōn

Sorry about this being a late post. I've just been so busy with things. The second of this month was the beginning of the Athenian month of Metageitnion. Here is the holy days and festivals for those that might not know.

August 3: Nourmia
August 4: Agathos Daemon
August 5: Honoring Athena
August 6: Honoring Aphrodite, Hermes, Heracles, Eros
August 8: Honoring Artemis
August 9: Honoring Apollon
August 10: Honoring Poseidon and Theseus
August 13: (Daylight) Libations to Hermes
August 17-20: Eleusinia: This is a four day celebration of games held every four years on the second year of the Olympiad.
August 18: Full Moon (Honoring Hecate, Selene, and Artemis) and Sacrifices to Kourotrophos, Hecate, and Artemis
August 21: Sacrifices to the Heroines.
August 22: Sacrifices to Hera Thelkhinia
August 27: Sacrifices to Zeus Epoptes.
September 1: Hena Kai Nea

Have a good month.

Tuesday, July 5, 2016

The Athenian Month of Hekatombaion Begins

At sundown we entered the Athenian month of Hekatombaion. This is the first Hellenic month of the new year and a new start for everyone. So I'm including all the Hellenic holiday's, once again, so that readers can follow. Have a good month and may the gods bless you.

July 5: Nourmia
July 6: Agathos Daemon
July 7: Honoring Athena
July 8: Honoring Aphrodite, Hermes, Heracles, Eros
July 9: (During the day) Libations to Athena
July 10: Honoring Artemis
July 11: Honoring Apollo
July 12: Honoring Poseidon and Theseus
July 16: Kronia
July 19: Full Moon (Honoring Hecate, Selene, and Artemis)
July 20: Sunoikia
July 27-August 3: Panthenaia
August 1: Athena's Birth
August 2: Hena Kai Nea (New Moon, Honoring Hecate)


Have a good month.

Monday, July 4, 2016

Celebrating Freedom as an American Hellenist

So, during the day, I will be doing something that I've done many times. And that's celebrating the date that America won it's independence from Great Britain. Even though, today, many people admire the royal family over two hundred years ago this wasn't the case. Great Britain passed a series of taxes against it's colonies and the colonists weren't having any of it. If your were raised in the States then you know all about the American Revolutionary war, the only revolution that was successful, and you know about the Boston Tea Party.

What amazed me was that I use to live in Mass and I went to Salem Mass. On the side of one of the shops there's a sign that states that this is where the 'Sons of the Revolution planned the Boston Tea Party.' To see that history was just amazing. Down here it's mostly the Civil War and historical monuments. So I'm going to be blessing the fire to Hestia today and cooking my food, happy that I have freedom of religion and that I can worship my gods.

I will also be giving an offering to Athena and thanking her for blessing the colonists with victory as well as Ares. I hope that those Hellenists that live here have a good one and lets also pray for the protection of our Hellenist friends in Greece, who don't have the blessing of freedom of religion that we do.

Hena Kai Nea (New Moon, July 2016)

So when the sun comes down the New Moon begins and we honor the goddess Hecate. I'm going to say that I'm really glad that this month is coming to an end. I'm not saying that it was a bad month just filled with too much horror. With what happened in Orlando to all the other nonsense that happened as well. I look forward to doing my ritual and to honor Hecate. May your New Moon be as good for you as it will be for me.

Let's hope that the new month will be better.

Friday, July 1, 2016

Hellenic Altar for July

My altar's location has changed and this is my altar for this month. Enjoy! And, yes, my lighting still sucks.


Tuesday, June 21, 2016

Summer Solstice, Full Moon, and Demeter Arriving





So yesterday was the Summer Solstice. I know that Hellenists in Greece honor the Titan Prometheus on the first day of summer. The documentary 'I Still Worship Zeus' showed that. I think that honoring Prometheus is fitting. As for me I didn't celebrate the Summer Solstice yesterday. I got suckered into adopting a kitten that is a pure monster. Lol! I also didn't observe the Full Moon as said monster made me tired.

Yes, she's a nightmare in itself. Lol! However yesterday my Demeter statue arrived from Greece. I really love how there's detail on this statue. At least I think there's detail.

























I hope that you all had a good Summer Solstice, Full Moon, and that the gods continue to bless you through the remaining of this month.

Thursday, June 16, 2016

My Apollo Bust Came In

My Apollo bust came in, which I'm so excited about. This was from Greece, as well, and came in one piece. So I'm going to show you all what it looks like and the postcard that was included.



Wednesday, June 15, 2016

GreekReporter.com Article

So I saw this article about two days ago and I'm going to say this; 'what the heck did I just read?' The article was about the Greeks coming back to their roots. What the article ended up being is a piece that claims something when it's not what it claims to be. First of all their called temples, not 'churches.' Churches is a Christian term. Another thing is why would Hellenist smear waste products on icons? I don't really get that.

And, yes, churches were built on sites where the gods had been worshiped. Sometimes those temples were turned into churches. I wish that journalism was getting better but it's only getting worst. And the amount of articles that I've seen, including the one that I mentioned about the Orlando shooting and how anti-LGBT people are somehow cold blooded murderers and all that is another example. Keep things classy, or, at least, accurate, stop posting nonsense, and get your facts straight.

Tuesday, June 14, 2016

Offerings

So I checked all the topics that I've covered and this one hasn't been done. So lets talk about offerings to the gods. In the past offerings were based on what kind of god you were honoring, if it was a festival, and where the altar/shrine was located. The most prime example was Zeus at Olympus. His altar was actually the ashes of sacrificed animals and he got a lot of them. Since it's been discovered that Priests of Hecate, or followers of Hecate, didn't eat meat then grains was most likely given or vegetables.

Thankfully we don't have to give animal sacrifice to the gods. Times have changed and we don't feel the need to do it. However what do we give the gods if we can't give animals? Well I give them what I'm having for breakfast and I give any gods that didn't normal get meat offerings grain. Like barley for example.

Note: I got a new thing of Barley and a container to hold it, made of glass. Take that you mouse.

Another thing that I've noticed is that, during the Full Moon, Hecate receives sweets. So I go out and make sure that I buy some candy. I give grape juice to the gods along with water, milk, and different other liquid offerings. But the most important offering that I give is my time. Time to honor the gods and time to spend time with them.

Monday, June 13, 2016

My Hermes Came In

Well time to get back to the Hellenist things and that includes the delivery of my Hermes mini statue. I'll post the video so that you can see. And, yes, my hair doesn't look good.


How One Man can Put Religion in a Bad Light

Yesterday a evil, vile, man walked into a gay nightclub and open fired on those inside, killing 50 and injuring dozens more. The number has most likely gone up as I write this. His retarded father claims that it was due to him seeing two men kissing. I don't believe that for one moment. What I believe is that he was raised to believe something and he followed through with what he believed.

The reason that I've titled this blog 'How One Man can Put Religion in a Bad Light' is because those that follow radical forms of religion can hurt it for those that don't. He was radicalized and he hated those that were different. And, of course, the backlash has now hit the fan. A article came out stating that everyone that doesn't support the LGBT community has blood on their hands. The blood of those that died.

That their murderers and treating them as though they were there, with a gun. All this is going to do is make people hate gays because this writer just had to put the blame on anti-gay supporters and not on the person that actually pulled the trigger. The blame game has got to stop or nothing will be done. Now I will admit that some of the anti-gay supporters make me sick and makes me glad that I'm no longer a Christian. They scream at the top of their lungs while doing all sorts of horrible things and believing that their holy.  However the writer ignores the fact that IS and those that support them do target Christians along with gays, bisexuals, transgenders, members of other tribes, and those that can't stand them.

There are mass graves of Christians, and others, that have been discovered. When I told my mother about those out there that support what the shooter did she made it very clear that no one has the right to any form of judgement and that they better be careful. Because there are other lone wolves out there and they will target malls, movie theaters, and many other places. So don't think that what this man did was great. Of course Muslims aren't the only ones that have to put up with this nonsense.

Last year three men, who claimed to be followers of Asatru, tried to shoot up black churches and burn down Jewish houses of worship. Heathens had to put up with another wave of people thinking that just because you wear Thor's hammer that you want to kill black people. We have to fight against evil in all forms and we can't just blame people because they don't support another group of people. In-fact there are people out there that have put aside their personal belief to help those that are affected. And I think that is the greatest thing ever.

When you see lines of people wanting to donate blood and that includes Christians and Muslims then maybe, just maybe, there's hope in this world.

Tuesday, June 7, 2016

Sacrifices to Kourotrophus, Athena Polias, Aglaurus, Zeus Polieus, Poseidon

So I checked all the posts that I made in the nearly three years that I've had this blog and I noticed that I didn't do a blog post for these festivals. So tonight we will be honoring the Kourotrophus, which I've covered before. It's Hecate and the other two goddess that you see in the triple headed statues that are usually on Wiccan altars. We also honor Poseidon, Aglaurus, who jumped off a cliff, this is the daughter of the mother that had the same name, for not heading the warning of the goddess Athena. Athena Polias, who's temple is known as the Erechtheion. and Zeus Polieus, who was the protector of the city.

Of course his temple hasn't been found.

So we honor them, along with our general offering to Athena, and we pour libation, burn incense, and give offerings. I hope that you all have a good one and may the gods bless you. 

Sunday, June 5, 2016

The Athenian month of Skirophorion Begins (2016)

Tonight, at sundown, starts the last month of the Athenian year, Skirophorion. This has been a very interesting year and I'm glad that it's ending. So here are the holidays and festivals.

June 5: Nourmia
June 6: Agathos Daemon
June 7: Honoring Athena and Sacrifices to Kourotrophus, Athena Polias, Aglaurus, Zeus Polieus, and Poseidon.
June 8: Honoring Eros, Heracles, Hermes, Aphrodite
June 10: Honoring Artemis
June 11: Honoring Apollo/Libations to Zeus.
June 12: Honoring Poseidon and Theseus
June 16: Skira
June 18: Bouphonia
June 20: Full Moon (Honoring Hecate, Selene, and Artemis)
July 4: New Moon: Hena Kai Nea (Honoring Hecate)

Have a good month.

Saturday, June 4, 2016

Hena Kai Nea (June 2016)

Once again the New Moon is upon us and it's time to honor Hecate and clean our homes up. Since I'm still recovering from shopping I will be making my ritual a short one. And this blog as well. I hope that you all will have a good New Moon and may Hecate bless all of you.

Wednesday, June 1, 2016

My Hellenic Altar for June

So I'm getting this out for the month of June. My completed June altar. The only thing that's changing is the Athena mini statue that I have on there. I was doing my ritual to her last night.


Attack of Mice

So this is going to be a short blog post as I have a busy day and don't have much time to really do anything that's not what has to be done today. I use to have barley, use to use it for offerings. Well, guess what? A little thing called a mouse discovered that I had barley and decided to eat through the bag and get into it. I'm going to get a tiny metal box on the third, along with two Greek mini statues, and I'm going to buy a new bag of barley and keep it in there.

And, yes, I've seen the little replica of Steward Little. And guess what, he isn't cute! And the freaky part, he looks right at me with those greedy little eyes and that twitchy little nose, saying, "I'm coming for your barley." I had to throw the whole bag out and I haven't even attempted to buy another bag. He's going to get his someday, I swear he will.

Tuesday, May 31, 2016

Heat and Hellenic Practices

I'm going to make this a short post as I'm dead tired and I don't really have time. So a couple of years ago I asked about LED candles during the hot months when all you want to do is get next to a AC and not leave. The people on the blog made it clear that LED candles weren't Hellenic and that they weren't allowed in Hellenic practices. Burning candles were the only acceptable thing for the gods. Can you imagine someone burning candles in 90 degree heat with no AC on, sweat dripping from your face.

And sometimes that sweat going right into the food that your offering, which you will most likely eat. My stomach just rolls at that thought. So what have I learned from that one mention of LED candles? The thing is that we don't live in a country where there's such a thing as mild weather. We live in a country, and world, that's going through Climate Change and rising temps. So should you have an LED candle on. Yes, you should.

I've seen photo's of people's altars with LED candles on. They seem very happy with the idea of having these little miracles of modern invention, something that is under the domain of Hephaestus, twinkling merrily away. And while we are reconstructionist, I don't believe that we should do everything 'like the Greeks did.' I believe there is room for change. The heat is something that always leaves me with a heat headache. Or worst, a migraine!

Do I need to put myself in that position of getting one, and later on getting sick, just so that I can do things 'like the Greeks did?' LED candles is a great way to have a candle burning without burning up yourself. On the topic of offerings during the hot months. If you don't want to burn incense, because it just makes your room hotter, then just go outside and pour a liquid libation to the gods. They will understand and I believe have no problem with it.