Being Too Tired to Do Ritual

Today I’m going to cover being too tired to do ritual. One of the things that I was always taught, when I had been in Wicca, is that your suppose to do ritual and it doesn’t matter if you’ve worked hard and are too tired to do it. The only exception to this rule is if your sick. This one woman made this point clear. She was very nasty to anyone that claimed that they were just too tired to do ritual.

In Hellenism this rule doesn’t exist. If your too tired to do ritual, then your too tired to do ritual. You can’t focus on what your doing if your too tired. We, as Hellenic’s, live in a world where we’re always rushing around. We can’t focus on anything other than what our boss is demanding of us.

While it’s nice to think that we aren’t tired when we get back home, the truth is that we are. To me, in Wicca, it feels as though; if you don’t do ritual then your not a Wiccan. That really makes me shake my head. Yesterday I went out with my family to the fair and the whole event wore me out. I was just too tired to do my sacrifices to ‘the heroines’ and, instead, went to bed and slept most of the night.

Tonight is different, as this is Hera’s day to be honored. Personally I’m glad to be no longer bounded to the rule.

Have a great week.

Hera Thelkhinia

This is going to be a small blog entry, but I got this from Baring the Aegis. This holiday is a small offering to Hera, who was usually giving a solid black lamb as a sacrifice. This connected her to Underworld deities like Hades, Hermes, and Hecate. Since the people didn't really get to enjoy much of the meat. It wasn't a fattened sacrifice, then this holiday had almost little importance. Tonight give a small offering to her. I would advise some wine or grape juice. Hope that you have a good one and leave an offering to Ares.

The End of Eleusinia

Tonight will end Eleusinia and begin the sacrifices to ‘the Heroines.’ What I have been be able to find out is that this deals with the Heroine cults, which started in the 8th century B.C. Below is a bit of info about this holiday, which is pretty interesting.

Heroes and heroines, ancient Greek

From: Handbook to Life in Ancient Greece, Updated Edition.

Dead men and women (real or imaginary) who were worshipped as superhuman. Their cults were usually centered on their actual (or supposed) burial place, although sometimes a cult proliferated because more than one place claimed to possess a particular tomb. Exceptions included heroes such as Heracles, whose worship was widespread, often more like a god than a hero. Methods of worship and sacrifice to heroes and heroines were similar to that for gods of the underworld, so that dark-colored animals were usually chosen for sacrifice, and libations and sacrifices were performed in a pit or on a low altar. Sometimes gods and goddesses whose cults had dwindled came to be regarded as heroes and heroines instead. Not all heroes and heroines appear in myths, and any myths are often irrelevant to their cults. Sacrifices to “the heroines” by the Attic deme Erchia took place on the 19th day of the month Metageitnion, and on the 14th day of the month Pyanopsion.

 You will see that these heroes and heroines were considered underworld deities, which is pretty interesting. I figure that it’s due to the fact that their dead.

Magic In Ancient Greece

Now this is going to be a touchy subject for most and I was compelled to do this due to a group that I saw on Facebook. Magic in Ancient times was very much connected to religion. Yes, we do have examples of cursed tablets but they didn't represent the whole of Greek culture and religion. These were done on the outside of what was considered the 'norm' back then. To try and practice magic in a ritual format is Hubris.

Magic, witchcraft, whatever, is Hubris. And the stuff that they were talking about defies the gods. You are not gods and you don't have their power. The point of following this path is to honor the Greek gods, the values of the Greeks, and to not add witchcraft to it. Now, I know, I'm going off course and I do have a bad habit of doing that. The point that I'm trying to make is that magic in ancient Greece was not done.

The priests did things a certain way because that's how it was done back then. To offer a prayer, then throw incense, isn't witchcraft. Burning a piece of parchment, and focusing your energy to make a god do something, is witchcraft and is wrong. When I need something, and it's something that I know that I need, I will pray to the appropriate god and then offer incense, asking them if it's the will of the gods that I have it, let me receive it. This path has zero magic in it and it will always have zero magic in it.

On another subject: ritual clothing or let me say this, clothing that's worn that looks like Greek clothing that's done in ritual. This was another thing that came up on that group for those that use magick in their path. When I stared at this I wondered, does this woman even understand what these Greeks are going through? The answer would be 'NO.' She probably lives in the States and has no clue what their going through. Don't confuse what the Hellenists are doing to what the Roman Recons are doing.

Yes, they both wear clothes that the ancient Greeks wore, but the Hellenists believe in the gods and they all don't dress in Greek clothing. To attack them because, and I call a comment about what their doing an attack, is wrong and just being stupid. Leave them alone and let them have their togas. And, yes, wearing them is reconstructionism.

Greece says vast, significant ancient tomb unearthed in north

ATHENS (Reuters) - Archaeologists have unearthed a vast ancient tomb in Greece, distinguished by two sphinxes and frescoed walls and dating to 300-325 B.C., in the country's northeast Macedonian region, the government said on Tuesday.

It marks a significant discovery from the early Hellenistic era, although a Culture Ministry official said there was no evidence yet to suggest a link to Alexander the Great, who died in 323 B.C. after an unprecedented military campaign through the Middle East, Asia and northeast Africa, or his family.

The official said the Amphipolis site, situated about 100 km (65 miles) northeast of Greece's second-biggest city Thessaloniki, appeared to be the largest ancient tomb to have been discovered in Greece.

Archaeologists, who began excavating the site in 2012, expect to enter the tomb by the end of the month to determine out who was buried there.

"It looks like the tomb of a prominent Macedonian of that era," said a second culture ministry official, declining to be named. Alexander the Great died in Babylonia, in what is modern Iraq, and his actual burial place is not known.

Archaeologists have found two sphinxes, thought to have guarded its entrance, a 4.5-metre-(yard)-wide road leading into it, with walls on both sides covered by frescoes. It is circled by a 497-metre-long marble outer wall.

Experts believe a five-meter-tall lion sculpture previously discovered nearby once stood atop the tomb.

"It is certain that we stand before an especially significant finding. The land of Macedonia continues to move and surprise us, revealing its unique treasures," Prime Minister Antonis Samaras said on Tuesday during a visit to the site.

(Reporting by Lefteris Papadimas writing by George Georgiopoulos; editing by Mark Heinrich)

Why Do Hellenists Take Percy Jackson So Seriously?

So this is an opinion piece as I do like to do pieces like this. Why do Hellenists take Percy Jackson so seriously? It started as a story for Rick Riordan to tell his son and then it turned into a book, then a movie. Two movies have been made, "The Lightening Thief" and "The Sea of Monsters." The actor that plays Percy said that the third movie wouldn't be made, but later on we were told that it would be made since the second one did so well.

A couple of years ago, when Tim had his forum, the subject of Percy Jackson came up. People responded so badly to it that it made me wonder why we even consider this to be a problem. The movie, along with the book, is very pagan. It shows pagan gods, it shows their children, the monsters, and so on. It gives us a understanding of how a modern writer views the gods. They no longer have temples, yet people still remember them.

My personal opinion is that we really need to stop worrying about how others see the gods and look at how we see the gods. They are more than just a blockbuster movie or a best selling book series, they are the gods that have chosen us, or we have chosen them. We honor them daily, we say our prayers to them, we even pray to them when we are in trouble. They are screamed to in places where the gods were never at, they give us comfort, and we even claim that they have come to our aid.

Percy Jackson is a story! A story that has brought many readers back to the world of the ancient myths and allowed them to understand it in a way that's wonderful and beautiful. We should always remember that.

Sorry About Not Being On

I know that it's been nearly a month since I was last on and I'm truly sorry about it. The strange things about life is that sometimes things just get a little strange. I had a bully attack me because I use to be Wiccan and a couple of other things. I've totally given up talking to any Heathens on-line and I have no desire to return to the on-line Heathen community. We need to respect everyone unless they no longer respect us.

So I'm hoping to be on many more times. The net is coming back on today, which I'm happy about, and so I'll be blogging more. I've been reading Greek books, halfway through one that I'll be blogging about soon enough. Well I hope that you enjoy more of my blog and I'll be around more often.