This article is based upon some comments I made in response to a query about my religion.
I follow a Reconstructed Hellenic Path - that is I worship the gods of Ancient Greece in as historically accurate a fashion as I can. I occasionally explore festivals from Roman sources from both a curiosity angle and also because of the strong relationship between the two paths. Many Roman festivals are based upon Greek ones and at times the majority of information we possess on a Greek festival is reconstructed from a Roman account.
But overall I am Greek in faith and practice. I observe festivals, rituals, holy days, and of course the gods. I eat a lot of Greek food, listen to Greek music, and have a very Greek flavor to the decor in my home. How does this work? How do I determine my festivals are right, my rituals historic, and my gods even interested?
Let me start with the festivals. I believe that you can honor a god on any day in whatever fashion you can construct. If your intent is true, how you do it is less important. But if your intent is true then surely you will be interested in getting it as pleasing to your deity as possible? What better way than the methods used by a people who spent hundreds if not thousands of years worshipping that god? The Greeks lived very close to their gods, interacting with them daily. The rites they created were based upon what the gods indicated suitable to their tastes. So I choose to try and recreate those rituals to the best of my abilty. It's not always possible of course. The Mysteries were clouded in secrecy and nothing really remains to tell us what they consisted of. In those cases I rely upon prayer and devotion and listening - from this arises divine inspiration that so far I seem to have interpreted fairly well. Nothing bad has befallen me and indeed I have benefitted greatly at times!
But for the majority of festivals there are remnants of ancient records that enable me to recreate them to a fair extent.
So how do I go about recreating a festival?
I start with a historically-based Hellenic calendar to acertain the Hellenic dates for observations. One containing a correspondence to our calendar makes conversion of dates easy. Armed with this over the years I have spent time hunting through history books and academic sources seeking religious observances (rather than the plethora of "authorative" calendars online that all really just mimic each other and say nothing!) I use both online and paper sources - my criteria is whether it's research and documented. A lack of footnotes or sources for the material given - no matter how desirable - makes me wary. If there are references that I can use to verify the material, then I'm interested in following it up further.
I take the various observations we know occured (through textual, archaeological, and anthropological sources) and cross-reference them with the calendar to determine when (in modern terms) they should be celebrated. Then I mark them on my calendar along with the basic details. I do this for all festivals and abservations regardless of whether I myself observe that particular festival.
I'm a bit obsessive about following the ancient path wherever possible I must admit. If a date can't be determined through academic sources then I use the other references (season, foods, activities, etc) to assign a season and rough date. I avoid just using the dates on those aforementioned online calendars since they are often wrong. Sometimes it's easy to assign a new date. Certain deities have certain days each month held sacred to them, so I simply add the observation to that day's observations. Usually not so easy.
As for festivals/holy days themselves...first I don't observe every single one I can find. This is neither practical nor an authentic practice. The ancient Greeks observed festiavls particular to their city states and a few nationwide ones. Individual Greeks honored specific gods above others although everyone paid tribute to the Olympians and the household Agathos Daimon.
I have a patron deity, Hekate, who I venerate and a number of secondary deities who have played important roles in my life. I observe every day that is sacred to Hekate (there's a regular monthly holy day as well as a few others through the year), and the important festivals of the Olympians. I also offer honour to the Olympic Gods on their holy days (a simple sacrifice on my altar). And I observe the major Greek festivals.
As mentioned there were very few that were nationwide. Greece, being composed of city states, had a fractured religion in some ways. Each city venerated its patron deity and a few others. So most festivals belonged to a region only. But I do not live in Greece. How do I select which regional festivals to observe?
I realised early in my studies that I needed to decide which city-state I most identified with. Athens turned out to be it - partially because I strongly identify with a lot of what we know about Athenian culture, and partially because we know so little about the others!
Right now, as I write this, we are in the month of Mounukhion, honoring Artemis as the Moon deity and god of the wild beasts. I have four festivals to observe this month. It began with the Feast of Eros. Then comes the Delphinia in honor of Apollo. The Mounichia follows - Artemis's festival for which the month is named. Last is the Olympieia, a celebration of Zeus. As well as this I have my monthly observances on the 1-4th, 6-8th, and the last 3 days: The new moon observance of Noumenia opens the month. Then comes the various days of honor for the Agathos Daimon, Athena, Aphrodite, Hermes, Herakles, Eros, Artemis, Apollo, Poseidon, and all the chthonian gods. Some of these days are sacred to a couple of deities making it about ten days in each month. Burning incense and making a small offering at the altar to the specific deity is standard practice in my home.
All months are similarly filled. These festivals range from vast feasts filled with eating, drinking, merrymaking, sacrifices, and worship (the Greater Dionysia) to small private affairs of the family alone (the honoring of the Agathos Daimon). The last day of every month is Hekate's Holy Day and I always hold a ritual, offer a sacrifice, and pay honor to Her.
The Mysteries are a bit more difficult. They basically are impossible to recreate accurately and what we do create we must hope we are doing right. We have no idea what they really were in ancient Greece or what was said and done because it wasn't written down. We have tantalizing hints. However, knowing what the Greeks did is not - to me - the point of the Mysteries. They are about the relationship of the Initiate with the Gods and where that relationship takes one. They are about the development of our spiritual self in a very close relationship with the divine and the lessons, knowledge, and power that teaches us. We see Initiates in almost every religion today. The Dali Lama is probably the best example.
The information may have been lost - in its original form. But the divinity to which it connected us has gone nowhere. Today's Initiates take the fragments of history, and through meditation, communion, trance, and other techniques, connect to the divine and reinterpret/remember/relearn. We know it works simply because Initiates bear tangible power and knowledge. You can feel it when you are with one. As it has always been, so is it now - a Mystery known only to those who have crossed the liminal boundary between this world and the world of the gods.
I have mentioned 'honor', 'veneration', 'sacrifice', etc. What do these things mean to me (and this is my perspective)?
To me honoring a deity means ensuring that you call upon that deity for the appropriate purposes and not other things. For example I would never call to Hekate for purification from immorality - that is Apollo's arena. That Hekate is my patron doesn't mean I should call to Her for everything. She is my patron because She guides me in certain areas that are dominant in my life. Not because She's a Jill-of-all-Trades goddess. It is disrespectful to bother a deity for something that another, perfectly good god from the same pantheon is responsible for.
To venerate a deity involves spending some time in prayer to that deity on his/her specific days and offering incense, food, and drinks at the altar. It means taking care to cleanse body and mind before such acts and to treat the act with respect (even if it is a fun activity such as the Dionysia!)
Certain festivals, such as the Orphic and Eleusinian Mysteries, involve periods of dance and music that go beyond simply jumping and, dancing a few minutes, and sitting down. These are festivals that aim to dig down past our superficial civilized veneer to our primal selves. To connect to the gods through loss of 21st century homo sapiens sapiens and go back to the ancient past. Drums, pipes, strings, and percussive instruments are used to create a rhythm that matches the pulse and then speeds up drawing the dancers after it until a frenzied state is achieved. I have participated in these periodically - it's too intense for me to do too often and still function as a writer and mother!
The trance dance parties of modern days are very much what a ritual festival dance is like. Darkness lit by firelight. Partially clothed bodies. Loud pounding music. Dancing. And immense joy - often too other primal emotions. I have danced out my voiceless, unnamed, unknown rage during festival. Most of the Greek 'trance-style' festival dancing I have read of and been involved in is unisex. It may involve passion but it rarely involves the opposite gender. Interestingly I have attended too styles - those with alcohol, etc and those without. I find that for the Orphic festivals the alcohol is an important element. I believe this is tied to the involvement of Bacchus. But for others it seems wrong.
Some observations are historically 'clean' and others involved drugs and/or alcohol. From personal preference I avoid anything beyond alcohol - and that only when the festival is right. I always drink during the Dionysia for example, but never during the Stenia.
When it comes to festivals I am very particular about the food and drink. As much as possible I turn to the old foods, only substituting where absolutely necessary. I do this primarily because I believe that food - flavor, scent, texture, and appearance - is a primary player in forming our mental state. A festival is about something very ancient yet completely present. By serving the food and dishes of the ancients I create a link across time that helps to transport us outside of here and now to the timeless moment of worship. Certain foods are also sacred to the gods. For example for the Elaphebolia I baked honey cakes in the shapes of stag-heads sprinkled with sesame seeds. This was the traditional offering to Artemis for that festival.
But beyond that I also try to serve traditional (as in Hellenic and Classical) Greek foods and dishes during our daily life. I want my family to have a strong sense of identification with the culture from which the Hellenic religion rose. This extends to literature, art, music, and home decor. I'm not obsessive, but I try to consider the Hellenic option before deciding on things. So my house is painted to resemble those from Mykonos along with some immitative bull dancing art from Crete. We have Greek statuary in the garden and home. But we also have a couple of very neat masks from Africa and my eldest daughter's room is done in pinks and yellows because she loves those colors.
Talking of my children, they are being raised in my path. When my eldest turned 13 she was given the option to begin exploring other paths if she wished. But I strongly believe that children need the security of a strong, non-discriminatory foundation. So they were raised purely along my path with some generic exposure to other faiths and beliefs. No dedications or initiations - while it's certainly an authentic option since many ancient Greeks were dedicated in childhood, I don't believe it is suitable in our multi-faceted society. However my children were both introduced formally to the gods after their birth and protection was requested. I chose a childhood patron for them - Artemis who is the guardian of pregnant mothers and children - and they have grown up venerating her.
I told both that should they desire it I was willing (and delighted) to arrange an initiation into the faith and formal dedication to a deity on their 15th birthdays. My eldest took me up on it (and my youngest is eagerly awaiting her turn). We began with a purification ceremony and then she dedicated herself at the altar and I 'initiated' her into the faith as an adult.
Now, Hellenismos is not considered an initiatory religion in that we don't 'initiate' new comers per se as does Wicca for example. Turning up, showing a strong interest, and taking time to learn the ways are all that most Hellenics require. However there are stages of personal dedication (as with any path) and there is certainly an initiative quality to embarking formally upon a Hellenic path or take on a formal priesthood. As well, history shows that there were those whose lives consisted of service to various gods, set apart from the other Greeks. They certainly progressed along a course of levels of achievement and knowledge. Because of this when I realized my connection to Hekate and my deisre to venerate her I decided to formally dedicate myself to her as well as to the Hellenic gods in general. I also decided to work on a simple initiatory rite that I and later my daughters if they were so inclined could use in professing and commiting to a more formal relationship with a deity. This is what I am referring to when I say I initiated my daughter.
My eldest chose to be initiated - at this point she sees Artemis as still being her guiding light and so it is to Artemis that she has dedicated herself for now. In a way I suppose you could describe this as an apprenticeship. She is studying and learning all things Artemis, honors Artemis especially, observes all her festivals, and is working hard to awaken and develop within herself that which we associate with Artemis. She has joined a wilderness club to get lots of hiking and camping experience (beyond our regular family outings). She volunteers at a local humane society as a way to work with animals and develop her abilities there. In my understanding, being dedicated to a deity involves a lot of personal development. It is not a lifetime commitment but certainly one based upon individual need and growth. Her chosen initiatory name is Kharis, a word meaning 'favor returned'. This symbolizes what she is doing and what she must always remember. Faith is a two-way street with communication and action between humanity and divinity.
For those concerned I have revealed my daughter's sacred name, fear not. In my group we each choose a public name when we dedicate ourselves to a deity. This we call our 'initiatory' name - it represents a public acknowledgement of the paths we choose.
Kharis led us all (her family) to our family altar where I sprinkled her and her offerings (honey cakes in the shape of beehives with marzipan bees. Very cute and appropriate!) with khernips. She then recited a hymn she'd composed in Orphic style in Artemis' honor, prayed to Artemis to accept and guide her on this path, and placed her formal prayer for the goddess in the offering jar. The prayer included a formal commitment of time. Kharis will reconsider her path at 18 and thereafter at major passage-points in her life. Each of these reconsiderations means assessing whether she needs to stay a dedicant of her current deity or dissolve the bond with gratitude and seek to follow another. Just as my husband and I have done over the years. After pouring out the libation for us all Kharis closed the ritual and shared the honey cake around.
It was a very simple ritual as most of my family ones are - and most of the ancients' ones too I think. But the strength and beauty in the ritual and in my daughter remains with me as evidence of how right this path is for us.
I myself have not completed a formal priesthood and indeed although I know of a few priest/esses who've spent years studying their paths and have trained others, I don't actually know any in real life. I and my husband are the clergy in our family and extended family rituals - although Kharis is beginning to take on that role too. In group work we have a somewhat rotating role although for specific festivals there is a tendency to call upon specific people because of their experience. I tend to be the one to handle festivals in honor of Hekate. We have a dedicant to Apollon who usually runs those rituals. Often we have attendants who are interested in forming a stronger relationship with a specific god and so they assist at those festivals.
So in a way, once you have taken up your place as an adult in the religious community our group tends to see you as a Priest or Priestess. Over time your level of commitment determines how seriously we take you!
Reading back over this I realize I use 'altar' a lot but I haven't explained what I mean by it. And I mean a number of things. An altar can be a shrine - a place where I set up my ikons and offerings and burn incense. A place to pray at. An altar can be the place of sacrifice - a kitchen bench or a BBQ grill at the park. It can be the communal table upon which we have set up our feast and representations of the gods.
I have a small shrine-altar in my bedroom as do my girls and my husband. We also have a family altar in our living area where we keep our household Agathos Daimon - the serpent deity who is the household guardian - along with a small ikon representing our patrons.
My day begins with a small observation at my personal altar where I take a moment to connect to my Patron. However, since the Hellenic 'day' commences at sunset, any further observations to do with holy days don't start until then. And they continue the next morning. To illustrate this, the Asklepieia began at sunset on the 7th of March for me. We had a sacrfice to the Healer and then a big dinner (that I spent quite some time preparing) and afterwards we spent time honoring him and requesting healing intervention for some friends. The following morning my husband and I, after our morning ritual, spent time in prayer at the family altar and reiterated our prayers.
Before we leave the house we often pause at the family altar and ask a blessing. When we have a trial approaching we pray at the altar to the appropriate deity. At meals we offer thanks to Demeter for the food we eat and to Dionysus for the wine. Not rigidly at every meal - but I'd guess probably 3 out of every 5.
We do it this way since from what we have been able to ascertain this is how it was done by the ancient Greeks. And we wish to honor the gods the way they revealed to the Greeks they desired to be honored.
In honoring the gods I had to carefully think about certain things - such as sacrifice.
Sacrifice - the most problematic of words. The ancients engaged in blood and flesh sacrifices. The act of slaughtering the sacrifice itself was a part of the veneration offered to the god. I have no issue with blood sacrifices, by the way. I have issues with needless death and cruelty. If someone wants to offer a rabbit up and does so in a humane and respectful fashion and then partakes of the flesh afterwards, I don't see anything wrong with that.
Was it something I myself wished to participate in? Could I, as a product of my times, really ethically get involved? I spent a lot of time pondering this and decided that it really depended upon the festival and the god and the definition of sacrifice. Anything involving Zeus involved a bull getting slaughtered. However Demeter is a lot less partial (most of the time) to blood and guts. She wants the first fruits and grains. The unblemished produce.
Both are sacrifices.
I found my median ground. I do offer flesh sacrifices at certain festivals and holy days - a nice cut from the butcher, cleansed and purified, and dedicated to the appropriate deity. And for the rituals I perform for Hekate, especially ones requesting aid, I always offer appropriately. Hekate is a wonderous goddess, but she is one of the Elder, Chthonic deities. Those from before recorded history. She predates such things as 'good' and 'evil' and simply is. So any worship of must needs realise that she is light and dark combined.
It is important to note that sacrifices (as mentioned) doesn't just mean blood and flesh. As with any path it may be a personal offering. It can also be other foods - Dememter and Kore welcome grains, fruits, and flowers for example. It can also be items - anything black and perfect is suitable as an offering to Hekate. A raven's feather, a piece of jet, or even a sheet of black paper folded, origami style, into an animal. What is important is that the sacrifice suit the observation. My monthly observation to Hekate involves grain and a pottery shard. A flesh sacrifice would be inappropriate as I am honoring her as a deity of the earth.
Also, it's not so much the act of killing that is important. It is the choice of the best animal, the most perfect, and the offering of that animal to the gods. To go to the butcher's and select the best piece of steak at $20/lb and to offer that to the gods on the BBQ (so they can feast on the smoke) is a very acceptable modern version. The spirit and form of the sacrifice has been followed. Now if you are talking divination through animal guts, that's a different matter - not all of the old methods can be altered. At such times one needs to make a personal choice to follow the old ways or not. I personally do not do divinations involving slaughtered animals.
For each of us it is different. Faith is always different. We each must choose our comfort zone while making sure it is acceptable to our gods. And I believe it is important not to choose too comfortably - the gods tend to upset the cart when you get too settled!
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