templeof-demeter

[templeof-demeter]

Piristephes’ Masterpost

 Hello, friends! Welcome to my masterpost. If you wanna read about me, please click here.

Please follow my portuguese hellenic Blog / Sigam meu blog Helênico em português -> @hermeneutas  Now a list of my original posts, may you find some of them useful and whatnot.

On Divination

- Gods and Divination 

- Prayer to Apollon for Divination

- About divination and oracles in Hellenic Polytheism

- Hellenic Divination: Ornithomancy

Nymph cult info

- How to connect with nymphai and nature spirits (PT and EN)

- Honouring the Nymphai, the Maidens of Nature

Monthly observances and household worship (Based on Hesiod’s Works and Days, and other sources)

- Noumenia: The New Moon festival

- The Agathos Daimon

- Yet another Agathos Daimon post

- Honouring Athene (and Ares) on Tritogeneia 

- Honouring Hermes on Ermou Tetras

- Making an Herma for Hermes

- The 5th lunar day, to the Eumenides/Kindly Ones

- The 6th and 7th lunar day, to Artemis and Apollon

- Devotional act suggestion for Artemis

- Honouring and approaching Apollon

- You don’t always need to do big rituals (a post for Apollon)

- Dikhomenia, the Full Moon festival to Selene

- Prayer to Selene, Artemis and Hekate on Dikhomenia

- Deipnon, the Dark Moon festival to Hekate

- Mesomedes of Crete’s “Hymn to the Sun”

General worship tips, suggestions for rituals and personal experiences.

- Basic greek for worship 

- General tips and where to go to after initial research

- Suggestions for Haloa

- Suggestions for Olympeia

“Song of Mounykhia” to Artemis

- Honouring the demigods before exercises

- On the nature of blessings

- Quote: Pillars to Apollon

- Hermes, the Ram-Bearer

- Ares, a warrior

- The time Hera helped me

- Quote: Circe and Cheese

- Quote: Ares, a God of Women

- When I was robbed and thanked Hermes

- Honouring Apollon, Artemis and Leto

- A personal rant about Apollon and Helios

 That time when Hermes made me come out of the polytheist closet

The Apotheosis of Diomedes

Posts from @hermeneutas in English, originally in Portuguese.

 Blog introduction

 Differentiating Hellenismos, Hellenic Polytheism and some other stuff

 Why you shouldn’t just mix folklore and polytheism

The plurality and the polytheism

 Regarding deceased pets

 Altars and cult spaces

How do I know if my offering has been accepted or denied?

Worshipping Tips - The Delphic Maxims

About divination on Hellenic Polytheism

The monthly cycle of the household cult

What should I do with the offering after it spoils on my altar?

The afterlife and the Underworld

Regarding the matter of Magic in Hellenic Polytheism

Do you think all gods are just different manifestations of the same energy?

Regarding hero worship

Regarding priesthood in modern times

Food offerings

Where to start with altars

Regarding patron-Gods

Hellenic values

Ethics and morals in a polytheist religion

Regarding daimones

Do not take myths literally

Offerings: Pankarpia and Panspermia

Gods and their epithets series

INDEX

About the Primordials

INDEX

Devotional art and poetry

Devotional texts

Poems

Art in general

Hymns

*turns the mic on* TERFs are not allowed here nor in hellenic polytheism as a whole, as they are in direct opposition to Xenia. Bigotry has no place here. Consider taking your time reading the Xenia Declaration too!

I hope this list was helpful! Errosthe!

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12/22 & 12/29 - Question of the Week

I hope the holidays have been treating you well, What are you doing to honor Demeter with your winter holidays & festivals?

Edit: And for friends on the other side of the earth, what are you doing to honor Demeter during this summer?

[templeof-demeter]

Until the time of Pheidias, poetry is the leading force in all public life; it is the medium which reaches many people at once, and which expresses and shapes general opinions and ideas; until the middle of the sixth century it enjoyed a monopoly in this. Most particularly, speaking about gods is a matter for poets – a highly unusual manner of speaking, in a highly stylized artificial language never spoken at any other time, generally associated with music and dancing and declaimed on special festal occasions. The poetic language does not transmit factual information; it creates a world of its own, a world in which the gods lead their lives. With the loss of this monopoly of poetry, with the rise of prose writing, the problem of theologia suddenly appears in the realm of rational, accountable speaking about gods. That the conflict which arose in this way found no generally accepted solution was due precisely to the ineradicable force of Homer’s influence.

Greek Religion by Walter Burkert

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The time will pass and the Gods will stay by your side.

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i sing of demeter, dark-haired, dark-eyed, she of the earth, bountiful in her riches! you give us warm bread on our tables, the all-provider, you give us black earth under our feet. your name is heard amongst the many grasses, your hand is felt in every hearty meal. and how you give, o beautiful mistress, is rivaled only by how you take. beware, beware the wrathful goddess! beware of her, you — murderer, violator, abuser, colonizer! tremble, you who pollutes, you who conquers, you who betrays trust! the great mother has many teeth as well as she has many claws, and all of them are as swift as a swallow, and all of them are sharp like that of a beast. all glory to demeter furious, justice bringer; may your hand have its grasping presence upon each and every of lying throats.

[templeof-demeter]

Demeter and Persephone

Greek; Late 5th–4th century BC

Terracotta

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[templeof-demeter]

Celebrating Haloa

Haloa is a midwinter festival, this festival honored Demeter and Dionysus. There is some evidence of a secondary festival honoring Poseidon as well. Generally, it seems to be that women celebrated with honoring Demeter and Dionysus, while men celebrated with honoring Poseidon- though there is some debate about this.

This festival was likely to give thanks for good crops and the first fruits of the season and ask for fertile ground for the crops to come.

This holiday was considerably erotic, likely including things like phallic shaped cakes, dancing around a giant phallus object, and vulgar jokes and language or ritual obscenities.

In modernity, we can do various activities to celebrate.

• Offer in season fruits to Demeter and Dionysus

• A large feast

• And/or bake some desserts

• Have a bonfire

• Or light candles

• Read the Orphic Hymns 30 or 45, or Homeric Hymns to Demeter and Dionysus.

If age appropriate:

• Bake genitalia shaped pastries

• Watch an erotic comedy

[templeof-demeter]

For We Are Only Mortal - By Aön Re of @Hyakinthou-Naos

And who among us knows

How this world came to be

When the budding cosmos ventured out

Into a never ending darkness

Even now, its edge cannot be found

For our universe is endless

-

But who of us can say

How the Gods came into being

Perhaps the sky came down

To gently kiss the earth

Maybe that’s how (it)began

Divinity found through love

Through the most gentle embrace

-

And maybe it was known once

How this world came to be

But knowledge lost to time

In a language no longer spoken

Maybe one day it will return

The story we once knew

But for now it sits among the stars

Waiting for us to find it

-

And who among us knows

How we came to know The Gods

Did they whisper in our sleeping ears

Did they walk into our dreams

Did we find them in the morning dew

In the countless shining stars

Did we used to be like them

Like the endless sea of space

Did we toss away the cosmos

To understand what it’s like

To live - to love

To dream - to die

And are we ready for the answer

Are we ready for the truth

Of who They are

Of who We are

Or is it impossible to know

For we

Are only

Mortal

[templeof-demeter]

Kala Haloa! Praise Demeter, Dionysos, and Poseidon Phytalmios for their many blessings!

[templeof-demeter]

Celebrating Haloa

Haloa is a midwinter festival, this festival honored Demeter and Dionysus. There is some evidence of a secondary festival honoring Poseidon as well. Generally, it seems to be that women celebrated with honoring Demeter and Dionysus, while men celebrated with honoring Poseidon- though there is some debate about this.

This festival was likely to give thanks for good crops and the first fruits of the season and ask for fertile ground for the crops to come.

This holiday was considerably erotic, likely including things like phallic shaped cakes, dancing around a giant phallus object, and vulgar jokes and language or ritual obscenities.

In modernity, we can do various activities to celebrate.

• Offer in season fruits to Demeter and Dionysus

• A large feast

• And/or bake some desserts

• Have a bonfire

• Or light candles

• Read the Orphic Hymns 30 or 45, or Homeric Hymns to Demeter and Dionysus.

If age appropriate:

• Bake genitalia shaped pastries

• Watch an erotic comedy

[templeof-demeter]

Baths of Diocletian - A Sanctuary of Ariccia

A sanctuary dedicated to Demeter and Kore, divine personifications of the generative forces of the earth. Demeter (middle) has a chitone and cloak sitting on a wide and decorated throne. The goddess is richly ornated with a diadem and with ears of corn crown and jewellery. She is holding in her hand some ears of corn which is a typical attribute of the divinity.

(museum info card)

Rome, June 2015

[templeof-demeter]

hi!! I had a dream that involved Demeter the other day and I'm pretty sure it was a calling, sort of. The problem is I'm not sure why?? I'm not really connected with agriculture, grains or anything like that. I'm a mere granola enjoyer, at best. But I saw your post about working with Demeter regarding your emotions and was really interested, since I can't handle my feelings very well. So I was wondering if maybe you could make a post about Demeter's areas that aren't necessarily related to agriculture. Thanks in advance 💚

Hello!

Firstly, you do not have to relate to every aspect of a deity to work with them, I have very limited experience with agriculture and farm work due to health conditions and just a lack of resource. However- we all have a strong connection with agriculture because it creates all the food we eat! Do not belittle that connection my friend.

I can certainly do more posts about Demeters areas of work that are not agricultural! I am currently working on my Demeter Beneath the Earth series of posts that are for this reason. A short list of her confirmed associations (via theoi.com, there is more with more research, but I sometimes mix up UPG and historical and do not want to misinform!)

Death (not just with her epithet of Khthonia, since this also just means "Of the Earth", but also because of the Eleusinian Mysteries cult. I'll be adding this clarification to my first Demeter Beneath the Earth post)

Justice & Law

Birth

Fertility

The Afterlife

And, to speak briefly on my experience with Demeter and emotions- when I wanted to work closer with her I did some divination and personal practices with her that led me to understand she could help me with my people pleasing behavior and emotional outbursts. I used to be someone who let people walk all over me and then eventually explode in tears and rage at someone often undeserving- though sometimes very deserving, either way it was not healthy for me or my loved ones to deal with. Demeter has helped me with guidance and patience to work on these traits and others. Right now, we are working on consistency and patience in childcare work. In my experience, she's a great deity to reach out to for understanding your natural but difficult (for lack of better wording) emotions.

[templeof-demeter]

Gods represent duality. Following any deity means embracing this duality both with them and within yourself. Think of each aspect of a god and their domain as beautiful, even things we often fear.

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Thankful for Demeter today, I have been so busy with work and experiencing executive dysfunction at home; but she is still with me and her nourishment provides for me everyday.

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O Rest, lovely Goddess, nest me into thy arms. I pray, may Sleep come from afar and bring me respite as I close my eyes.

[templeof-demeter]

How do I know which deity I’m talking to, or if it’s just my own inner voice?

Silas’s guide to Deity Communication 101:

Okay, so the absolute first step is to get to know yourself. You need to be able to identify what it feels like to be alone in your head/body, in order to identify when something else is there with you. So step away from your altar, don’t call upon any deities, and just spend a few days alone. Things to pay attention to:

what does your inner voice sound like? does it change or is it always the same?

do you think in a monologue, or have conversations with yourself? do you play different voices?

have some imaginary conversations, with your mom or best friend or a celebrity even. what does that feel like, sound like, etc?

how often do you hear your own voice? are you monologuing constantly? do you have to convert your thoughts into words?

is it usually quiet in your head, or pretty loud with lots happening? what do each feel like to you?

how often do you visualize? what does that look like? do you pick what you’re seeing or does it pop up randomly?

Talk to yourself out loud. does your inner voice respond?

Talk to someone else out loud. what happens in your head during that conversation?

Really pay attention to these things and getting a solid grasp on how your own brain works and responds to all sorts of situations.

Ready to move on? Now you can start learning to identify your deities. Depending on how your brain works and how your relationship with each specific deity works, communication could look any number of ways. Be open to learning what that is, rather than trying to force a certain communication style!

Start out by just trying to get time with your deity:

pray or talk to them, out loud or in your head!

spend time at your altar, gather things that remind you of them or that are associated with them.

write them letters

meditate while focusing on them & your connection to them

Hold crystals you associate with them, light them a candle, so a spell for them with herbs they like, etc

give an offering, invite them to join you for a meal

read their stories and myths, get to know them, learn how their worshipers usually get in touch with them

go out in nature, find a spot that reminds you of them. Could be a tree, a body of water, a clearing in the woods, a patch of wildflowers or mushrooms, a big rock, etc. Make that your place, meditate there and invite them to join you.

use tarot, a pendulum, etc. (pay attention to the energy you feel, if the same cards come up frequently, etc.)

Look for art, music, etc that reminds you of them. or make some!

Now WHILE you are doing all of the above, pay very close attention: does it ever feel different than when you’re alone? what does it feel like? Pay attention to all your senses!

How does it sound in your head? is it louder or quieter? does your inner voice respond the same as usual? does it take on a different tone or pace sometimes? do you hear a different voice altogether?

do certain things pop into your head, like you don’t hear a voice but knowledge or answers are just kinda… air-dropped to your brain?

How do you feel emotionally? is there a sense of calm/peace? is there a rush of excitement? does your energy feel different?

what do you see visually? is anything different about your visualizations? do you picture certain animals, imagery of your deity or things associated with them (plants, the sun/moon, water, etc)?

do you taste or smell anything specific?

do you have any bodily sensations, like butterflies in your stomach, a tingle down your spine, hair standing on end, goosebumps, a warm feeling in your chest, a sudden burst of energy, or a suddenly so calm you’re almost sleepy?

does music play in your head?

do you recognize an energy or “vibe” when you’re interacting with them? what does it feel like?

Be patient with yourself, it may take time to really tune into these things and feel the connection. But eventually you might see a pattern of how you feel when you interact with your deity. I recommend trying to start with just one, and really master how it feels when you’re together.

Once you know what they sounds like or feel like to you, it will be easier to tell when they’re around or communicating with you. You’ll learn to recognize them even when you’re not at your “spot” or specifically praying to them.

[templeof-demeter]

Celebrations of the Haloa, the bawdy midwinter festival in honour of Demeter and Dionysus mentioned earlier, may not always have excluded men. A fictive hetaira in one of Lucian's Dialogues of Courtesans identifies someone by recalling that he drank with her at last year's Haloa festival. The incidental nature of her remark suggests that, as in the case of the Adonia, males may not have been excluded from all festivities associated with the Haloa (at least by the second century A.D.). Also, mixed thiasoi (groups of Dionysiac worshippers) that involved initiation were including males by the fifth century B.C., and the group activities doubtless included eating and drinking rites.

Women's Commensality In The Ancient Greek World by Joan Burton