When Old Love Finally Closes

While I graduated from Columbia College of Missouri, most of my education took place in my home State of North Carolina, and in 2007, during my first year in higher education at the local community college, I met a Cherokee girl, and I was out of my mind in love with her. 

While we only officially dated for a few months, the sexual attraction was intense. We were still sleeping with each other as late as 2013. I eventually just assumed that I would simply always love her, even if she no longer wanted to actually be with me, and sometimes I would feel like a failure as a man because I was never able to make her happy enough to change her mind.

During my most depressive and challenging times, I would even cry about it all. While, in some ways, I desperately wanted to forever close the door, my love for her and the lamentation of a life I may have had, wouldn't let me. I suppose it was there for a reason, or maybe I just needed to grow more.

Being with her was also an honor in the sense of the human timeline. The reason I met her is because my ancestors came over here to America hundreds of years ago and met the Natives. You never think you're part of history, but you are. 

This, however, did not mean at all that I didn't love my wife. So many people wrongfully assume that love is finite. It is not. It's as plural as anything else. But unfortunately today, we are raised in a world that teaches us to hate that part of our humanity, although they don't do so with any other kind of love. We're told we can love all of our friends and family equally, but only one romantic partner is legitimate. The absurdity of that should be obvious.

But after I had the first total mental and emotional breakdown of my life back in May, it enabled me to close the door, because it was a huge wake up call to the things that are really important and valuable in my life. Not a long lost lover who is never coming back, but my wife and child who love me dearly and will never leave. Sometimes rock bottom puts things into clear perspective. 

I can say I no longer have feelings for her, and that I have moved passed. I'm actually really glad that it's done. I feel free of a heavy burden that's been chained to me for years. It shows that, no matter how hard it may be, you can get over it.

In the Goodness of the Gods, I'll see you at the next Herm down the road,

Chris Aldridge.

Ancient Greek Guide to Cleansing, Banishment and Exorcism - Part 2 - Self Care

As we begin to learn how to deal with these issues, let's start with the basics: cleansing and banishment for our personal selves.

The easiest way to stop Energetics from manifesting and gaining power is to live a positive life. It will accomplish two things. One, a strong build up of positive will push negative out, and two, it will make it harder for negative energy to break in. An inferior force cannot penetrate or contend with a greater one. Walk up to a wall and push as hard as you can. The reason it won't budge is because there is a greater or equal amount of force pushing back. You simply don't have the power to get through. It's the same concept with energy.

The problem is that living a positive life is not easy, especially in our Age. We are constantly bombarded with negative media and politics, not to mention that life can become oppressively stressful if we don't know how to deal with it. Therefore, living a positive life is, I find, a practice. The more you do it, the better you will become at it.

A vital part of living a positive life is to have the Gods in it. The Gods are first and foremost in the life of a Hellenist. A Hellenist never stops living a highly spiritual life, and an extreme benefit of this is happiness and positivity. In the past, I've heard Hellenists say that they worship the Gods simply because it makes like more blissful. This is absolutely true. When the Gods are always kept in our minds, lives and actions, we are elevated to a state above the mundane.

Purification Processes

Being purified or free of impurity (physically, mentally and spiritually), is to banish miasma from our minds, bodies and souls, and elevate ourselves above the reaches of toxicities that so often inhibit human life, progression, and separate us from the Gods. In order to keep yourself guarded against such pollutants, practice daily purification. Not just before rites, but throughout your day, starting in the morning, during the day, and before bed. It may sound painstaking, but it's actually quite simple, and will eventually become second nature.

The Mind

Your mind is of the most value to your physicality, for without the mind, the body is nothing. It's proven science that your thoughts and the state of your brain can and will effect your body and life for the better or worse.

Your brain soaks up everything that it comes into contact with, therefore it's imperative that you only expose it to positive atmospheres as much as possible. Forsake all willful negativity. If you do not have to subject your mind to it, then don't, such as negative media, people, and even your own negative thoughts. Refrain from excessive anger and needless confrontations, striving for peace and productivity whenever possible. Finally, contemplate nothing evil or immoral. We all have bad thoughts that come into our heads at times, but contemplation means to actually conspire with it. Just as keeping bad toxins out of your body is essential to bodily health, so is keeping them out of your mind essential to mental health.

The Body

Keeping your body healthy and purified on the outside and the inside is the purely physical part of continued purification. If you defile yourself, or willingly expose yourself to filth and harmful substances, it will create pollution. Take a shower or bath every day, put on clean clothes, and don't be exposed to unnecessary impurities. The body can be purified of miasma through simple washing and purified water, spring water or sea salt water, or it can be as extreme as using sulfur should you come into contact with a dead body, but the latter is an unorthodox case for most people today.

On a more basic level, regular exercise is exceptionally terrific for maintaining a healthy body, as well as mind, because it betters your mental state and brain functions. I'd recommend starting a simple jogging routine on a daily or regular basis, for a couple of miles each time. You'll be astounded by how much better you feel, especially if you pair it with healthier eating. Not only were the ancient Greeks very athletic people, Games themselves were religious events, and while there was no 2nd or 3rd place, every athlete was strong and benefited from the physicality of the training.

The Soul

Not only are our spiritual selves kept pure by our connections to the Gods, but piety as well maintains this cleanliness, which of course assists in Divine connections. Piety also keeps the physical and mental clean. So what is piety? It is not only acting rightly in ritual but also in thinking and speaking goodly and rightly. That is to say, simply respecting the Gods.

For example, I was once visiting a couple of friends, and while on the topic of Greek religion, they started insulting the Gods. I kindly got up and left, not only because I didn't want to be around hubris and impiety, but because I could feel the pollution and negativity starting to build in the room.

The simple fact of the matter is that you cannot be both devotee and defacer, not even in a humorous way. Yes, there were Greek playwrights who sometimes made fun of the Gods, but these people were not mainstream citizens (most citizens were not playwrights), and men like Euripides of Athens were not only scrutinized for heresy, but spent their final days in exile. It's probably why Plato said, "Wickedness in the soul makes one impure."

Purifying Sickness

We all get sick, whether it be a simple cold or a more serious infection. Once you have recovered, throw away the clothes you wore while you were sick, wash your body in sea water or sea salt water, and then rinse with spring water or purified freshwater, and end with a prayer and sacrifice to Apollon, who is the God of healing and purification. If you have a disease that cannot be cured, maintain it as best you can. Take medication for it as prescribed. In short, listen to your doctors.

In conclusion of this section, I do not want someone to confuse purification with germophobia. It's not about washing your hands until they bleed, for that would also be a pollution. It's about attending to obvious pollutants and toxins in life and preventing them in all their forms.

In the Goodness of the Gods, I'll see you in the next chapter,

Chris Aldridge.

Chapter One here.

The Nymph Oracle of The Oasis

I have decided to start keeping a dream log of my most notable encounters in the sleeping world. In Hellenic belief, dreams can be omens from the Gods. Other times, they are just dreams. So the question is, how do we tell the difference?

The first sign for me that a dream means something is when I don't realize I'm dreaming until I wake up. In other words, it seems as real as the waking world. The second indicator is if there is some profound meaning, something that is obviously meant to be a message or a lesson.

In this most recent dream, I found myself in the Middle East in a desert nation. I want to say Iran, but I'm unsure. The ancient Greeks were certainly no strangers to the region of the East. Not only did they defeat the Persians time and again, but eventually conquered their entire Empire. Alexander spread Hellenism throughout the entire known world in the Hellenistic Era.

In the dream, I located a cave that was the abandoned precinct of a Nymph Oracle from ancient times. It must have been a Greek one, because I restored it to great glory. It was a gorgeous sacred area, with its own spring and clear flowing waters, and the Oracle descended from steps above the main pool. People started coming to consult and show their reverence. 

But this started a war with the Muslim authority in the country, and it turned bloody and deadly really fast. It was only a matter of time, I figured, before the cave was laid to ruin once again, so I spoke with the Nymph Oracle and promised that I would built her a new cave or precinct in America, where people are free.

Some, like my wife, think I was remembering a past life. My wife is the Oracle of my temple and the best I have ever known. I have never known her to be wrong about anything she has given while in consultation. So I trust her divinatory expertise. But some people also believe that the best interpreter for your own dreams is yourself.

Maybe it was indeed something from a past life, a memory of a time before, coming to the surface, where I did kind of the same thing I am doing with my life now, which is to free humanity from the tyranny of mind control. In any case, I am glad that my mind allows me to see such beautiful things.

In the Goodness of the Gods, I'll see you at the next Herm down the road,

Chris Aldridge.

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Ancient Greek Guide to Cleansing, Banishment and Exorcism - Part 1 - Crash Course

Banishment, cleansing and exorcism are things I have been seriously involved with for many years of my life, even before I was a Hellenist. In fact, it was a successful Greek exorcism that officially converted me to Hellenism. It seems to be something I have eventually understood enough to be good at, and being a Greek Priest has only extended my experience and knowledge.

I begin by saying that the world of spirits and banishment isn't as cut and dry as monotheists or even some occultists may think. It's very complicated just like everything else. To a Christian, for example, everything is Satan and you only need Jesus to get rid of him. 

They actually have very little understanding of the spiritual world, which is why some of their most famous exorcisms have also been their greatest failures. We know it's not uncommon for a Christian to fail when trying to banish, cleanse or exorcise. No one is surprised when they go up against a spiritual foe and lose.

While most of existence is good, beautiful and gives most people no real worry, the spiritual world can harbor things that want to do people harm, just as the physical world can.

When the Olympian Gods came to power, they defeated chaos and disorder in the grand picture of things, along with many of the Titans who ruled before them, and even imprisoned some of the forces and beings in the prisons of Tartaros. To nature and civilization, the Gods brought all the good and beautiful that we have now. However, although largely subdued, disorder still exists and can even be created anew. Think of it like a prison in our society. Bad people are jailed, but there can still be bad people in the world. Really, the battle between order and chaos, good and bad, positive and negative, has always been happening in one form or another. It's a constant struggle for humanity and the universe.

There is no Devil or Satan in Hellenism, but we do believe that things can choose their own path. The being that is ailing a person or place may not even be entirely bad themselves, but are just angry at that person, or bound negatively to the location or object for a specific reason. Nothing with free will is absolutely evil, because it can choose to do good and therefore has the capacity for good, but it may not make that choice toward a given person or situation.

Chaos itself isn't inherently negative, but it can still at times disrupt the order of things enough to create problems. For instance, if a dam breaks and floods a town, the water isn't evil, the water is just doing what the water does. Sometimes the water can even create life after it is unleashed, but it can also destroy. Not everything is as simple as good v. evil. By understanding this reality, you will have a far better grasp, insofar as a human can, of the spiritual and physical worlds.

Energy

The most basic form of an invasion that someone can experience in their homes or lives is simple negative energies, or as I like to call them, Energetics. I would say these are far more common than people think. Perhaps they may even be the most common of all, and could explain several cases of hauntings and personal harassment.

Energetic manifestations do not have an independent will or really any form of individual consciousness. Like a battery placed in a car, it is there to perform a certain function and can be the result of many things. The energy could be left over from something of the past, sent by someone else, acquired by the victim, or even created by the victim's own negative emotions, attitude and actions. The ancient Greeks would have probably called this miasma or pollution that needs daily or regular cleansing, especially before a person enters a temple, sanctuary or performs religious rites.

Once the energy has implanted itself, it will begin its work, which if negative, will be to create dismay and hardship. You may find yourself feeling continuously depressed, angry, scared, frustrated or even sick for no apparent reason. The energy can also cause things to happen or could cause you to make them happen. The good news is that simple energy is the easiest to dispel. Energy cannot be created nor destroyed but it can be moved, redirected and transformed.

Ghosts and Spirits

The second kind of invasion is by a ghost or spirit, which can be human or nonhuman. If we are to believe some of the paranormal reports around the world, animals also have souls and can manifest in a ghostly form. Even evil or infamous people or monsters of the ancient Greek past may have had souls, which means their spiritual self could still exist. 

A ghost or spirit can take possession of a person, place or object, or attach themselves and begin bending things to their own will and causing harm. Unlike Energetics, these beings are self-aware (conscious). They know who you are and will act directly toward you. Because they have this self-power and will, they are harder to get rid of.

The ghost or spirit, if hostile, will normally make itself known in several ways. They can cause all the problems of energies but it will be more severe because there is direct intent through conscious effort. For example, there's a big difference between something falling off the shelf and something being thrown at you from the shelf.

The last thing to remember here is that it's also possible to come into contact with a ghost that is not intending harm but simply wants cohabitation for some reason. Think of a dead doctor who finds a living doctor they admire and wants to live on vicariously. Even though this can be benevolent, the being is still disrupting a natural order and needs to be sent out.

A ghost or spirit that is intending harm can make you feel very uneasy, terrified, throw or slam things, cause horrible smells and sounds, give you nightmares and blackouts, cause you to lash out at people and things, drive you to hurt yourself, give you hallucinations, or all of the above. The problem cannot be ignored. While it's entirely possible that all of these feelings and behaviors could be explained through the nature of one's own life and mental state, such can also be ruled out. If they persist after you have evaluated your home and taken proper medical care, perhaps it wouldn't hurt to see if you are being tormented by an outside force.

Other Beings

Finally, another form of invasion or attack can come from otherworldly beings that cross paths with our own world. You've probably heard them called things like faeries or natural spirits. While most are good, some can be problematic, even taking a dislike toward humans. They may have found and attached to you, been sent or are seeking revenge for some offense you made, like mistakenly or intentionally violating a sacred space. These beings mainly just demand proper respects. You don't normally have to worry about them if you know how to interact.

For example, when you enter natural areas, treat things with respect and be a person of humility. Don't litter the forest floor or throw things in waterways or rivers, don't act like you own the land because the truth is that you don't, and if you feel that you shouldn't enter a place or disturb something, listen to your instinct. We will cover how to deal with all of these issues later in this course.

I will end this chapter by saying that we all have days when bad things happen to us, or we just don't feel good. This generally in itself is not a sign of a problem. But when they are consistently happening, there is clearly a cause. One time may be coincidence, but ten consecutive times is not.

In the Goodness of the Gods, I'll see you in the next section,

Chris Aldridge.

Why The Gods Definitely Have Biological Genders

I've heard people and groups in the past say that the Gods do not have genders, or that they are "genderless." I'm not here today to say that they don't have the right to their beliefs, or that they are somehow "evil," I am simply saying that I disagree, and in this post, I am going to make my case.

The first obviousness of the claim should be readily seen. To say, for example, that Hera (the Supreme Goddess, Mother of the galaxy and Goddess of women themselves) is not female, is absurd - illogical at best. The entire reason we have the words God and Goddess is to make a distinction between male and female. But let's go deeper.

I have found that the belief in genderless Gods mainly stems from the belief that gender is a social construct. But this is not a universally accurate statement.

Gender roles can be a social construct, but biological sex is not. No one gives you that except for nature, and nature is of the Gods, and therefore, defining sex comes from the Gods, not just for humans, but mostly every living thing on the planet. Male and female exist abundantly in the universe, everywhere around us, and also in the Gods as logic would therefore dictate. 

Even if you change your sex, you are still defined by that new sex, otherwise why feel the need to change it to better define yourself? And while it's true that we can possess traits from both sexes, we will still have a central manifestation. Sex is a defining characteristic of who someone is.

The gender roles of human society are not what determine the genders or sexes of the Gods in any case. Often, a God or Goddess did not choose a realm because of their gender. Athena isn't the Patron of Athens because She's female, but because She won it. Poseidon isn't the God of the sea because He's male, but because He chose it. 

And sometimes, the gender roles of Greek society were the opposite of the Gods' stations. For example, men did most of the hunting, yet Artemis is the hunting and wilderness Deity mainly. Yes, She can have a counterpart (Her brother Apollon) but that even more so proves that the Gods have genders, otherwise why is there a distinct male and female here? If gender didn't matter, why the need for the recognition of two opposites? 

Furthermore, the Sex Goddess is female even though men were the dominant sex. The Deity of agriculture is female even though men did most of the field work. It could go on with examples. In a society dominated by men, you would think that the highest stations would go to Gods if gender roles made the determination. But they don't, because Gods are not created by humans. The Gods simply are.

Even if we go back to the gender roles of Greek society alone, we cannot logically argue that those were the only manifestations of biological sex. The Greeks even had certain festivals and religious functions only for women because they were directly tied to being female and not male.

I think the insistence on genderless Gods is really a social construct in and of itself, that desires to remold the Gods to conform with modern social mindsets, but what we have to realize is that such a thing is not necessary, nor do we as humans have any right to redefine a God. 

In the Goodness of the Gods, I'll see you at the next Herm down the road,

Chris Aldridge.

Where Is The Akropolis Well of Poseidon?

The two incredibly powerful Deities faced off, Athena and Poseidon, battling it out for Patronage of the glorious City that would become Athens. 

The contest was simple, provide the greatest gift to the Athenians. We all know Athena won with the gift of the olive tree, and that Poseidon's saltwater spring, while great for sea navigation, was not chosen. The mark of His trident, where He struck the ground on the Akropolis and produced the water source, can still be seen today. But what of the spring itself? 

It existed well after the battle had concluded, and was documented late into Athenian history. Modern scholars and scientists have also admitted its reality in the Temple of Erechtheion on the Akropolis. The well was called The Sea of Erechtheus. In his chronicles of Greece, Paunsanias attests to the salty water of the well, which is astounding considering how far from the sea, and how high the Akropolis rises above sea level.

The Erechtheion temple rests on the north of the Akropolis, and still today can be visited and toured. The well lies abandoned as it is not used for any purpose today.

How did a saltwater well end up in this location? People can always find an alternative narrative they like in anything, if they look long and hard enough. But for me, its origins are obvious. Poseidon's mark is there and so is the spring. For me personally as a Hellenist, I find it fascinating each day that our religion is found everywhere. And the things left behind by the Gods are not only reminders of them, but also of human history.

Some might argue that water from the nearby sea eventually somehow pushed its way into the well, while leaving all the other wells in Athens alone for some reason. But entertaining that idea, could it be plausible that the contest was not a one day event? 

Maybe it was drawn out over a period of time, using the natural world as a means by which to accomplish the objective. Perhaps Poseidon's trident shook and began the process of this part of the earth becoming integrated with seawater so that His gift upon the Akropolis could come to fruition. Who knows these things? What I am confident of is the truth of it all.

I came up with this topic today after reading a portion of one of my history books on Athenian worship the other night. I find that few people go after the historical truth of these things, and even fewer realize they exist. But I suppose we all have our own callings in whatever it is that we do.

In the Goodness of the Gods, I'll see you at the next Herm down the road,

Chris Aldridge.

A Greek Sphinx Speaks In 2024

Archaeologists and scholars spent countless years trying to decipher the Greek writing on a Sphinx that originated from 3rd Century BCE Romania. In 1848, the statue was stolen and never recovered. However, a drawing remained, and today, the writing on it has finally been translated.

The Greek Sphinx was considered to be a fierce guardian and a creature of immense wisdom. Its wings represent heaven, its body the earth, and the mortal head a pathway by which to speak to mankind.

The writing on the statue simply says, Lo, behold, worship; here is the holy lion.

It first pretty much destroys the modern idea by some that the ancient Greeks didn't believe in worshipping, and that they were not highly religious people. To real historians and Hellenists, such a claim is beyond ridiculous, but there are some who actually believe and teach it.

In my own personal Hellenic life, I have put statues of Greek Sphinxes on my porch to guard the entrances to my home, and sometimes in the past, have even considered asking the Gods to send one to protect me or the ones I love. In ancient Greece, they were sometimes guardians of temples and cemeteries. They were not "bad creatures," as much as they simply had the capacity for wrath and weren't afraid to use it.

The Sphinx was a holy messenger to mankind, and endowed with the ability and desire to protect and guard even to the point of killing the passerby. How can a being of holy wisdom be so deadly, or why? Because ultimate knowledge is dangerous, and in some respects, isn't meant for mankind.

Perhaps the Sphinx in question is telling us to revere the Higher Powers, and never think that we are above, equal to, or don't need them in our lives. Because none of that is true, and to think otherwise will lead to our ultimate demise. I think that's a message that humanity DEFINITELY needs in 2024.

In the Goodness of the Gods,

I'll see you at the next Herm down the road,

Chris Aldridge.

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The Heart and Brain Think Differently. Why?

You'll find a lot of memes and jokes on social media about the struggle between the mind and heart, two forces that can find themselves at war, but only one wins out, sometimes the heart, sometimes the mind. But have we ever asked ourselves why that is? Why did the Gods give us a brain and a heart that think differently?

Generally speaking, the mind is logic, the heart is emotion, and for the most powerful mortal beings on Earth, the latter is extremely important to have. Sometimes what is carnal, isn't always humane or ethical. That's where the heart comes in. It gives us an essential part of our humanity, and lifts us out of the barbarism of simple Darwinism.

The carnal part of our brain tells us things like, "Eat this so you won't be hungry," or "Get that money so you can buy the things you want." It's instinct, although that's not to say that the entire brain is carnal. On the other hand, when it comes to the heart, we find ourselves having empathy. 

Let's start with an example from my own life, so that the reader may better understand this universal truth. I have a very cute cat named Rosie, who we adopted from a local animal shelter a year or so ago. She is a valuable asset to our family at times, but she also has her many problems. The trouble she gets into will sometimes make me incredibly angry to the point that I want to get rid of her, but here's the thing, I can't. No matter how much I want to pick her up and toss her out my door, my emotions create empathy and love, and make me realize that such an action is not only cruel, but very wrong and dishonorable. 

More so, the Gods are able to appeal that ethical side to me because of the fact that they enabled me with the emotional capacity for empathy and compassion. If I had no emotion, I could do whatever I wanted to other living creatures and indeed the world around me. No matter what the Gods or humans told me, I would be unable to feel or understand it, and that would be a recipe for disaster.

The same goes for other people. The reason we don't abandon our children, spouses or loved ones is because our emotional states will not allow it. Our ability to love and feel keeps us moral and honorable. 

If we didn't have that capacity, our species would de-evolve into extinction. The Gods gave it to us because it was necessary for our survival and the prosperity of everything around us. And if we encounter someone who fails to show emotion, such as a sociopath, we consider them to be mentally ill, not a natural production. Realizing this about ourselves is crucial to beginning to understand the genius of the Gods and the intelligence behind our natural existence. 

In the Goodness of the Gods,

I'll see you at the next Herm down the road,

Chris Aldridge.

None Are Without Opportunity In Hellenism

Life is hard, and sometimes, downright unfair. In my view, no culture understood how this plays into human life more than the ancient Greeks. But they also realized that said factor does not have to take away from life's grandeur. 

A week ago, I was walking out of a convenient store, and on my way to the gas pump, I noticed a man who was probably about 5' 5", bald on top, and a pot belly, or at least what we would consider to be oversized. He was not fat, he just had a husky midsection. In short, he's probably not going to be making a magazine cover for the Sexiest Man Alive series, ever.

I'm not at all trying to talk down on him for something he mostly can't help, I am simply trying to make the following point. I thought to myself in the moment, that, even if I were like him, Hellenism would still be able to make my life purposeful. 

One thing Hellenism has taught me is that every life has value and a destiny of their own. No one is here for nothing, and no one is worthless. It would not matter my circumstances. I could still be a Hellenist or a Hellenic Priest and live a beautiful life in service to the Gods. I might be encouraged to lose weight and get a better job for my own health, but the Gods can still be delighted in me.

Far too many people don't realize how wonderful it is just to be alive, and to be able to fully experience all of that beauty as a human being. When I first came to know the Gods way back in 2005, I was so poor I didn't even have a bank account, living with my parents or grandparents, and working dead end minimum wage jobs. But the Gods still opened my mind up to the immense wonder of the cosmos and the everyday things around me. They gave me a love that I would have not had otherwise.

One may not have the most beautiful or expensive things, but what Hellenism makes us realize is that we can take what we do have and make it beautiful. I've never had a palace, but I've always made my home gorgeous and comfortable. I've never had a million dollars, but I've always lived strongly. And I've never been the most attractive man, but I've always found loving partners. Success is not always found in being the best, but in taking what you've been given and making the best of it.

In the Goodness of the Gods,

I'll see you at the next Herm down the road,

Chris Aldridge.

You'll Feel Like You Die A Little

When you become a highly spiritual person, especially for a long period of time, you start to ascend above the mundane chains that hold so many other people down, and one of those is hate. I'm not only talking about its worst forms, such as hate groups. I mean generally a heavy resentment toward someone. You'll eventually notice that every time you say, "I hate you," you feel as though you die a little inside.

Once you have connected your life with service to the Gods, hate begins to break that connection, because the Gods are not part of hate, and that's why you feel a death inside you. The greatest life in all the universe is starting to separate from you. I realized this a long time ago, which is why I stop myself and refuse the emotion. No matter how hard it may be, or how deserving the target may be of my wrath, it's not worth the weight on my soul.

Even just speaking of the purely mundane physical, hate will still end up destroying you, and perhaps even those you love. A bitter and vengeful person will never find any peace, happiness, or anyone who wants to be around them, which is a grim forecast for our society, since hate is taught in so many forms by modern media, politics and educational systems. Hate between genders, orientations, races, religions, political parties, you name it, it's there; constantly being injected into the human psyche to the point that we think we can't live and be successful without it. There always has to be an enemy.

In the past, I've heard it said that the best revenge is living well. To show someone deserving of your hate that you can be happy no matter what they've tried to throw at you, or have done to you, might just make them feel like the clowns they are. To make an ass out of someone who thinks they're a stallion, to show that they have been absolutely powerless in your life, will twist their insides the most.

Hate, whether it be unjustified or warranted, is not rational, because only you hurt. Throw it all away and keep your ascension going. 

In the Goodness of the Gods,

I'll see you at the next Herm down the road,

Chris Aldridge.

Have You Really Thought About How Wonderful Life Is?

The longer we live with something as a routine, the more we either tend to take it for granted or not give it a second thought. I think that's the primary cause of taking things for granted, even of getting bored. It's the same with the simple fact of being alive. We've been doing it for decades every single day, and so we end up going through the days as if they were mere motions, not realizing the wonderful blessing the Gods have given us.

When I was a young man, especially as a teenager and young adult, I was overtly in love with life, and for so long over the past few years, I have wondered how I could get back to that mindset. It was the time when I was the poorest and most unaccomplished, but I still loved the world, life, and the Gods once I came to know them.

Why? I think it was because I simply understood how much of a blessing it was to be able to experience life every day. To see the beauty of nature, eat amazing food, wear colorful clothes, travel to new places, meet interesting people, feel the love of those who loved me, learn new things, read a new book; to kiss a new girl. It was all wonderful, and brought a smile to my face. That's not to say I never experienced sadness. We all do. But I somehow did not let it define me.

However, the older we grow, the more we tend to fall in love and obsession with all the things that rob us of our smile when we fail to achieve them. We even fall in love with things that destroy us. And eventually, we find ourselves in a situation of never-ending strife. It's no wonder than our nation is depressed and anxious.

Each day, I try instead to get up with a love for life and a heart grateful to the Gods, because that's what truly matters. Instead of saying, "I have to go to work," say, "I get to go to work." Instead of saying, "I hate this house, " say, "I have a comfortable place to live. That's not to say you can't have goals of improvement if you want, it's simply the practice of realizing what a wonder it is to be alive each day. Of all the people who could have been born instead of you, the Gods chose you.

In the Goodness of the Gods,

I'll see you at the next Herm down the road,

Chris Aldridge.

Can Heroes Pray For Mortals?

In ancient Greek religion, Heroes form a wonderful and unique part of our spirituality, whether they be Heroes from ancient times or Heroes from one's own personal family who met the criteria. While Heroes do provide a bridge between humans and Gods, they are not merely intercessors, like saints would be to Christians.

Heroes have their own individual wills, personalities, powers and can act entirely of their own accord. Whereas saints do not. They have no ability to act on their own powers. We can worship a Hero and ask for their help entirely as the individual that they are, whereas a saint simply relays one's prayer to deity as their one and only function. Secondly, Heroes do not have to have lived perfect lives. Their Heroism just has to outweigh anything else.

However, the fact that Heroes can have their own functions also means they can do what they are able, and praying is one of those. They no doubt prayed and sacrificed to Gods during their human life, and quite possibly know a said God or Goddess far better than we might at the present time. Most certainly, the Heroes are very practiced in ancient Greek worship and therefore know how to connect with the Gods. It's wise, in my view, to ask a Hero to pray for you. It's certainly not foreign to ancient Greek belief to think that the Gods can act through Beings below them, as it were.

In my personal life, I have 3 main Heroes (which is not to say that I don't pray to others). Those 3 are Theseus, Bellerophon and Ajax (my temple's Patron Hero). I find Ajax to be the one for my interceding specifically, probably because of the nature of His Patronage in my life. But sometimes, when I'm in a very difficult or scary situation, I'll simply say, "Ajax, please pray for me." I might also include, "remember my past sacrifices to you and please pray for me."

And as always, immediately after I finish that one short sentence, calmness and a strong sense of love and assurance descends upon me, as if from the heavens themselves. It's an incredibly unique and beautiful feeling. Of course, asking a Hero for this kind of assistance is all about increasing your chances of gaining the attention of the Gods. Apparently, Ajax can do that extremely well for me, because it never fails to be immediately helpful in changing how I feel or interact with a situation.

Equally important, it's also about devotion, piety and humility, which will always get you a long way with the Gods and Heroes. Some people think they can order Gods around, coerce Gods, and some people even think that they are Gods. But when I say, "Ajax, remember my past sacrifices to you, and please pray for me," I am saying also that I am mortal and there are things which the Higher Powers can do better than me. I am humble in your presence and trust in you. I realize your place above me and accept it as a wise person would.

So in short, I enjoy this as part of my own personal practice. Of course, that's not saying that anyone else has to adopt it for their own. 

In the Goodness of the Gods,

I'll see you at the next Herm down the road,

Chris Aldridge.

Has The Labyrinth of Minos and The Minotaur Finally Been Found?

I'm sure you've heard many stories, legends and myths. Theseus slaying the infamous Minotaur, which means, "Bull of Minos," is one of those religious stories that has stayed with mankind since it was told thousands of years ago. When Sir Arthur Evans unearthed the remains of the Knossos Palace on the island of Crete in 1878, he named the civilization Minoan, after King Minos. Because of the grandeur of the palace, it was thought that Minos must have surely lived there, and a search for the famous labyrinth beneath it began, but was never found. Because of the many hallways of the palace, it was theorized that perhaps the building itself was the labyrinth, but this was never proven.

However, Greek archaeologists have recently unearthed a groundbreaking find, standing atop a ceremonial hill on the island. Upon clearing the ground for a new airport radar station, they discovered an eight walled labyrinth, dating back to about 4,000 years, which roughly places its youngest days in the Greek Heroic Age, when Theseus was thought to have lived. Could this have been where Minos eventually imprisoned his monster and where one of the greatest battles of human civilization took place to free humanity from tyranny and human sacrifice?

In the very early days of the structure, it was definitely used for worship and sacrifice, as smaller findings have revealed, although at this point, the sacrificial victims discovered have all been animals, but who knows what else they might uncover as the excavation continues? And the fact that it was built atop a very high point overlooking the populations below, makes me think it may have been Minos' way of reminding the people around of his dominating power and the fate of those who opposed him. That was, until Theseus came along. Minos could have also placed the structure at such a remote location as to keep the monster away from civilization.

Theseus has always been my Patron Hero in my life as a Greek worshiper. Like Heinrich Schliemann, I know the old stories are true, it's simply a matter of looking until we find them. In fact, my love for Theseus has been so vast over the years, and my fascination with His research so prevalent, that I wrote a wonderful book about Him back in 2016 called Theseus: His Life, Mysteries and Virtues, where I find evidence of the Hero's life and relate him to people in our own time. I even had the pleasure of doing a public speaking event on the book at a Freeport, Illinois July 4th event in 2016 about Theseus as the Father of Western Democracy. A link to the book can be found HERE. 

It's my hope that this new archaeological find will bring more interest, research and validation to ancient Greece and the realities that the people in it lived with and defined their lives by. A link to the article can be found HERE.

In the Goodness of the Gods,

I'll see you at the next Herm down the road,

Chris Aldridge.

You're Never Done, It's Never Over

A few nights ago, I found myself sitting outside in the dark, no wind blowing and very few cars passing by. Recently, I have entered into some new difficulties and problems in my personal life. In fact, it's no secret that I haven't had a generally easy life all together, and some things which have plagued me, are unique and will never impact most other people. I'm sure that some would have even given up all together by now, but my spirituality and love for life have always been the salvation.

On this night in discussion, a million thoughts, worries and scenarios bolted and played out through my mind. Sometimes I can be a worry wort because of my anxiety issues. It causes one to overthink dramatically. If it gets bad enough, the episode can even cause me to cry. But that night, I simply looked up at the starry heavens and told the Gods how grateful I was for all the blessings and good things in my life, especially those that had happened recently. Even in my worst times, I will do this, building my life on positivity and trust in the Gods instead of all the things that destroy people.

If you think about it, everything in your life, even your life itself, is a practice. Nothing is ever actually complete. You work to perfect your job, education, relationships, family, and even physical property like home improvement and maintenance work. Nothing is ever universally "done" when it comes to human life. We're here to always be the best version of ourselves, or to at least strive to that end.

Part of that is keeping ourselves healthy and strong, and our mental and spiritual health is just as important and vital as any other form of healthcare. When you find yourself even in the worst situations, thank the Higher Powers for all good things in your life. This is not a "could be worse" mentality. Rather, it builds upon healthiness and gives you a great outlook on life. For example, you may have lost your job, but you still have a home and family, and that means you still have great things to work for, and a reason to find another career.

Chaos of the world disrupts order, and so by putting your daily life into perspective, you'll not only come out of depression and anxiety, but also find purpose, heal wounds, close old doors, and build upon your unique self.

In the Goodness of the Gods,

I'll see you at the next Herm down the road,

Chris Aldridge.

My Special Boy: Poetry and A True Story

Last year, I wrote this poem for my son. If you don't know his amazing story, search through my blog for Gryphon, you'll find it all. I had originally submitted this poem to publishers across the country, but none of them wanted it, so I decided to post it here on my blog so that it could be read and remembered forever.

__________________________________

The incubator is empty now, 

but still the relics, 

pictures of Gods wrapped in hospital bags, 

and taped to the windows of the crib, 

now rest in our temple's treasury, 

a link to both our past and present. 

But it would sometimes be a fallacy to romanticize our family, 

for there was little poetry about the C-Section, 

the constant and daily fear of finding an empty bed, 

the dark struggles through the labyrinths of a premature birth, 

and a life of obstacles ahead, 

but you, my little Theseus, braved the Minotaur always.

With each passing day, the terrors of goodbye faded into heaven's brightening light.

Only a few drops of milk, they said, but you drank the whole bottle.

You would need help breathing, they predicted, but you threw off the ventilator.

Not even a brain bleed could outdo the Gods,

or shake the resilience of a boy determined to live.

The worst chances the doctors gave you,

but the Gods overruled.

You were not simply another newborn, 

for your life has defined and changed those of everyone around you.

We were so happy when we were able to take you home.

Then, a new set of hardships.

I had to learn to be an exceptional father for a special needs son,

it was a new set of Labours all their own.

Each day I gave all my strength to support you,

strapping your oxygen tank and heart monitor to my back,

and hanging you and your car seat over my arm,

as I took you to the doctor on a regular basis,

to give you the best possible chances of growing stronger.

Something few fathers will endure,

but my love for you, 

and the Gods' love for us,

was the muscle of my heart,

and of mind and body, 

that made me determined to never ever give up on you.

By the year, you excelled,

you did everything the doctors said you wouldn't,

you let nothing stand in your way, 

the strongest person I have ever known,

my trust in a bright future for our family,

and all the proof I need of Higher Powers.

I saw you from the beginning,

a tiny, 24-week baby flailing about,

now I attend your rites of puberty,

as you laugh at the sun on your face,

run and play with your dogs and classmates,

and dive into the banquet tables. 

You may not talk a lot,

or read the books that most children do in school,

your disabilities may be evident,

yet, they are not defining.

Even after your surgery on both legs,

you stood up out of the wheelchair the next day and climbed the stairs.

You have nothing but strength and an undying love for life,

though you could find so many reasons to hate it.

You are a lesson to all the world.

How could I not be overprotective of you, as so many accuse?

You're my little boy who I could have once lost,

and now I can make sure never again.

The world does not get you down,

and yet, I will protect you from it.

You're my first choice for a friend at breakfast, lunch or dinner,

the one I like to travel with and talk about my day to.

I know you love me so much,

for you walk the halls, calling my name when I'm not there.

I held you first when you came out of the hospital,

we spent each day on the couch, getting to know one another,

and yet, the more time that passed, the more we realized we are alike.

You once wore a very tiny shirt that read, "Daddy Is My Hero,"

and yet it now hangs on my office wall, too small for you.

But there was always one thing I could never save us all from,

and that is the unyielding passing of time.

There will come a day when daddy ages, passes, and can't come for you anymore.

I won't be there for kisses, cuddles, and playtime.

You will have to go without your favorite person in the world.

But the relics will still be in the treasury to remind you of your destiny,

and that you are never alone.

Mystery of The Wood From The Sky

One of the original shrines of Athena on the Akropolis, held as Her statue or representation, a distinctive piece of tall wood, unknown to specific time, that was regularly washed and robed and placed in the shrine for veneration. It is a fact that this existed as stated. Completely lost to history at this point, but the story behind this wood was that it fell from the sky during a storm. Presumably, it landed on or near the Akropolis, but the story and the myth is far more fascinating than just that.

Athena is the daughter of Zeus, King of all Gods and God of the sky and storms. As the story is told, She emerged from His head, and some myths say, it happened after Hephaistos used an axe to split his head open for a time, so that She could escape. The storm and the falling wood may have very well been seen as the rage of Zeus, and the splintering of the axe handle, as Athena burst forth into the universe. What if it truly was? Or what if She gave it to the Athenians later?

Pausanias, in his wonderful and timeless volumes concerning the descriptions of Greece, describes the shrine as existing even during his own time, which was far later in history, as he lived from 110 to 180 CE, a good while after the ancient world is officially considered to be "over" by modern historians. He says that the wood and shrine went all the way back to before the unification of Attika, which would have predated even Theseus. Therefore, this sacred image was housed and in use for well over a millennium, over a thousand years of history just in this one small area. 

However, we do not know the time that the wood itself fell to Earth. Human activity in Greece is, at least, 1 million years old, with modern human presence being over 200,000 years old. Of course, over time, far greater, beautiful and more elaborate statues and temples were built to the Goddess, but this original image always remained, considered by some to have been the most holy of them all, or so Pausanias says. 

While we know it existed, we do not know the fate of this relic. We know it survived the Persian and Roman invasions because Pausanias lived well after these time periods. But these were also not religious wars, unlike the time of Christian occupation. The Christians turned even the Parthenon into a church for a time, and no doubt destroyed everything that represented any Gods but their own. All of the gold, silver and bronze, the extreme wealth of the treasuries, and the majesty of the statues and temples on the Akropolis, met their demise and looting during this time period.

But importantly, to my mind, it shows us something about the Greeks, or at least the Athenians, when it came to their theological beliefs and life. Pausanias said the Athenians were more religious than any other man, at least that he knew. While they eventually had glorious statues and temples, some unsurpassed in all of Greece, they also found the Gods in everything around them. There was no separation from their religious life and ordinary life; they were one in the same. The Gods spoke to them, helped them, and elevated them in all things.

In the Goodness of the Gods, I'll see you at the next Herm down the road, Chris Aldridge.

Humans Did Not Create Gods, and Here's How You Know

One of the most common arguments, even from some philosophers as far back as ancient times, is that humans created the Gods of their cultures. It's basically an argument that attempts to invalidate the Gods themselves. Now certainly, I'm not saying that there were never any myths ascribed to the Gods that came, at least in part, from human understanding. But it's not true that the Gods are creations of humans. The Gods are real, and I will tell you why.

Let us think about it logically, or perhaps, in a way that most people never have before. And for this, let's of course refer to ancient Greek times, since that's where my religious and spiritual focus resides in life. In ancient Athens, a City ruled by men, a Goddess was the Patron. In a culture where men did most of the hunting, Artemis was the main Hunting Deity. In a society where sex was primarily ruled by men, a female Deity (Aphrodite), was the presiding Divinity. So the question begs, if humans create Gods, why were all of these Gods not male instead of female? Shouldn't a society ruled by men create male Gods to be their leaders?

The simple answer is that humans do not create Gods. Athena, Artemis and Aphrodite, for example, are who they are, regardless of the society we create, or the preferences we may have as human beings. When Athena claimed Athens, it did not matter which humans ruled it, or how the society was structured. She overruled them all. The same for Artemis and Aphrodite. The wild and the love of the universe belong to them, and no mortal social structure can change that. 

As a man, I might be a good martial artist, but when I need strength, it's Athena I pray to. When I need protection for my children, Artemis is who I sacrifice to. And for the power and passion of sexuality and sexual success, Aphrodite's my counsel. Furthermore, I see no reason that this should be a threat to my masculinity. The wonderful powers and Divinities of the masculine and feminine swirl all around us, in the Heavens, upon the Earth, and in the Underworld.

In the Goodness of the Gods,

I'll see you at the next Herm down the road,

Chris Aldridge.

Death Was A Pollutant, and For Good Reason

Even today as a priest, I am hesitant to attend or lead funeral functions, even though the body has already been properly cleaned and preserved. I am not saying I would not lead such a service for someone if they had asked me, but I would still be taking a bath with soap that contains antibacterial sulfur afterwards so that the strength of sulfur could purify me. Like ancient Greeks, I still believe death is a general pollutant on the living. Not because they are some kind of an affront, but simply because of the state of the body and the process.

Ancient times was not like the modern era, where you have Christian churches who fill themselves up with the tombs of dead bodies. Burials in ancient times may have sometimes taken place in the vicinity of a temple, but the Greeks would have never filled their temples with corpses. 

The first obvious reason is blood. Sometimes when a person is killed by something, they bleed. We know that blood can carry infectious pathogens, and the Greeks obviously knew as well that blood could carry contaminants because a bleeding body and other excrements coming from it could pollute someone who came into contact with it. Now after the corpse had been cleaned, purified and properly presented for funeral rites, the pollution may have been less of a concern. The undertaker, as it were, would have taken most of the burden.

However, the situation still did not become 100% foolproof. Death is a disruption of life itself. That's one of the reasons we become so sad and morbid when thinking about death or entering a funeral home, because there are two contradictory forces at play. The presence of death affects the ability to experience life for the living. Keep in mind, death does not pollute the dead. The person is already gone from the body. It's just their decaying physical presence that has remained here with us. This interference is an impediment on the natural order of the living around it, and thus, it can pollute the living.

This belief, on the other hand, was not to show any kind of hate or disrespect toward the dead. In fact, the Greeks believed firmly and fearfully the opposite, that if the body was not handled and buried properly, with the correct rites, it could make the Gods angry or cause retribution upon the entire community by the Gods or the dead themselves, as the Greeks believed the spirit of the deceased could end up trapped between the two worlds or be at unrest until they were properly buried. And once the funeral is over and the body is in the ground, the grave itself becomes a place for offerings to that deceased person, such as libations poured out upon the burial spot. Some believed the grave itself was a direct portal into the Underworld where the dead person resided, or simply to the dead individual themselves.

Therefore, I take special care when involving myself with the dead. I have never come into contact with a freshly dead body, the last time I remember attending a funeral with a body was in 1995 at my great grandmother's, and when I pass by a cemetery or a funeral home that is having a funeral at that time, I turn off my radio and place my hand over my heart to show respect to the deceased and their family. When I pass a funeral procession, I immediately pull my car over on the side of the road until it passes. Once again, to show respect. I would additionally encourage that painstaking effort take place to ensure proper rites and respect for that person.

In our time, I would say that cremation is probably the best way to have the least contact with the body as possible (if that was the wish of the dead). In fact, I have greatly entertained that option for myself when I pass on. I still want a tomb and a place of respect for my resting place, but I also don't want my body to slowly decay and rot, or be any kind of burden.

In the Goodness of the Gods, I'll see you at the next Herm down the road, Chris Aldridge.

Sources:

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