Why Hellenismos? A Look From The Inside

Many people know the amazing story about how I officially converted to Hellenic Polytheism, and my notable experiences throughout the years, but if I were to put those aside and focus on why I find Hellenism the most appealing in everyday life, what would I say? Why Hellenismos? Why have I chosen this religion for the rest of my life? What makes it so compelling? What does it all mean to me personally? 

Well, before I start answering these questions, I think it's first important to consider the specific path of Greek religion I follow, Hellenismos, which is the Reconstructionist/Traditional denomination. The reason this is important is because, one, I wasn't always of that persuasion. I spent many years as a Hellenic Neo-Pagan. And two, the core of Hellenismos plays a significant role in why I choose the religion for my life.

For some Neo-Pagans, the idea of a Reconstructionist religion makes them cringe with nightmares of rigidness and dogma, things that some Pagans left monotheism to escape. However, one of the greatest appeals for me in Hellenismos is actually the LACK of dogma and rigidness. For starters, we don't really have a "correct belief system." We are, of course, united by our belief in the Greek Gods and ancient Greek theology, but no one is mandated to adhere to a certain group of myths or the beliefs of a few ancient individuals. It's perfectly legitimate for a Reconstructionist to have their own personal views on things, even when it comes to theology. Reconstructionists are more so united by a certain method of practice, that being the practices of the ancient Greeks. We simply believe that the ancient Greeks best knew how to connect with the ancient Greek Gods, and therefore, we continue their practices, prayers, invocations and ceremonies, not because we want to role play or reenact, but because it makes us feel the most spiritual, and the Gods still speak to us on an individual level. There is a solid backbone in the religion that gives my own life a feeling of structure and foundation. I hate feeling as if I am "going with the wind" so to speak. I love knowing what is before me in my life. I don't enjoy the burden of having to create something brand new every time I want to be religious. Instead, I know much of how to practice my religion already, and I can work on perfecting those practices the more I do them. I never feel alone in any way with Hellenismos. We have a wonderful community and methods, and the teachings of the ancient Greeks are always there to give us continued light and inspiration in our modern movement.

I also very much enjoy the world heritage of the religion. Especially if you live in the Western World and the United States, it's nearly impossible to not see the heritage of ancient Greece everywhere you go, and in mostly everything you do. While so many people refuse to acknowledge said facts, we participate in ancient Greek life every time we vote, elect leaders, debate, hold courts with judges and juries, do math and science, and use a free market to name a mere few. It's actually quite difficult to find something in the West that cannot be traced back to the ancient Greeks in origin. Anyone who tells you that ancient Greece holds no significance to our nation, is either ignorant, or they're hoping you are. Therefore, it's always nice to feel like you're part of something greater than yourself.

The rest is a little more difficult to put into words. It's like trying to describe a feeling that presently has no known title. The immense peace and intrigue that the Greek Gods and ancient Greece give me is intense. Even during my greatest mental breakdowns, when I'm lashing out or about the explode, coming back to the Gods restrains me at least enough to bring me back to a sane state. I don't even have to actively worship to feel it. Just thinking on the Gods and their ancient culture is enough to bring the peace and wonder. It gives me an enormous sense of being grounded and safe in the embrace of a cosmic goodness.

These are a few of the reasons I choose Hellenismos.

In the Goodness of the Gods,
Chris Aldridge.

The Issue of Magic In Modern Hellenism

One of the most controversial issues in the modern Hellenic community is the use of magic, especially among Reconstructionists. Generally, the practice is not accepted as part of the religion. The general belief is that magic is hubris because it's an attempt to manipulate nature and/or usurp the will and power of the Gods. The problem with this statement is that it's extremely rigid, and anyone who practices magic knows that the Art is anything but dogmatic. 

If you read Greek Religion by Walter Burkert, who every Hellenist I know would classify as a scholar on ancient Greek religion, he references numerous practices of magic in ancient Greece. Now it's also true that not all forms of magic would have been accepted by the ancient Greeks, but it is nevertheless dishonest to say, There was no magic in ancient Greece, because there was very distinctly. It's just that many of us in the Hellenic community may not consider it to be magic. Definitions are critical. To some people, you have to cast spells in order to practice magic, while to others, a simple prayer is a spell. So when we pray to the Greek Gods, they would consider that to be spellcraft. To others, they might consider an oracle to be magical or even a witch, whereas Hellenists would probably see them as mystics, but also without realizing that the magical community would also consider mysticism to be magic. Some might even consider us to live in a magical world where everything is magic period. But anytime you choose to equate something with negative things, you're always going to think it's bad. If you recognize the great diversity in magical practices, and understand there are countless ways to do them, it's not rigid to you anymore.

The way I see it, we all have our own energies, given to us by the natural state of being human, that we can use for the betterment of our lives. We are able to use our bodily and mental energies in many ways to improve ourselves, both magical and mundane. And if something can be used for good, it must come from the Gods in that purpose. If we are to condemn the use of our own energies; we are to say that our very existence is an affront to the Gods, and that we are therefore naturally damned, and such is not a Hellenic belief. Obviously, there would be right and wrong ways to practice magic in a Hellenic format. Anytime you try to usurp the will of the Gods, overrule or control them, that would be wrong. But as I have said, magic does not have to entail that, as there are many forms of magic.

I myself would define magic, at least in part, as the following:

Working your energy with help from the Gods, and the humble power of yourself, in a consensual relationship, to achieve a positive goal.

Now, probably a lot of Hellenists would say, That's not magic, that's mysticism, which is perfectly fine in Hellenism. But again, definitions are what make the difference. Different people would classify my definition in numerous ways. There is no one and only meaning of magic. 

In the Goodness of the Gods,

Chris.

Why Greek Heroes Are Not Exclusive To Ancient Greek Local Communities

Some Hellenists believe that praying to ancient Greek Heroes, or worshiping them, outside of their local communities in ancient Greece, is not a valid or authentic practice for a Hellene who lives outside of Greece, that these Heroes are only reserved for the precise places where they were prayed to or worshiped. While it's most certainly true that we can have local Heroes of our time in our own land, and such Heroes do exist, it is an extreme fallacy, and simply illogical, to say that ancient Greek Heroes cannot be universal or invoked outside of their homeland, or that such a practice outside of Greece would somehow be "unhellenic."

The first reason why this is faulty logic is because we Hellenes outside of Greece follow the calendar of Attica, which is the calendar of a specific region of Greece, and we incorporate practices from this calendar in many different places in the world. So to say that local Greek Heroes cannot be legitimately honored, prayed to, or worshiped outside of their local areas, and then follow a local calendar of ancient Greece, is a walking contradiction. Why would it be acceptable and accurate to celebrate the observances and practices of Attica outside of Attica, but not to also honor and pray to the Heroes of Attica, like Theseus? 

Literally speaking, our entire religion comes from a different part of the world. If you live in the United States, no part of the Hellenic religion originated here, but we don't tell Americans they can't be Hellenists. Clearly, there is a system of universalism present within the religion. We're not talking about religion from a place like Egypt where it was explicitly tied to the geography in every way. For example, there is only one Nile, but there are rivers and seas all over the world. Why should that only mean those found in Greece?

We also have to consider that some of the Heroes did not stay in one area during their time of heroism. For example, Theseus was born in Troezen, and traveled to Athens, along the way demonstrating His heroism to the Greek people, and after His death, became a protector of the persecuted and oppressed. So which area would Theseus be more appropriately honored, Troezen or Athens? Or can we say that He is multi-regional? I would say most certainly. Theseus is not just the Hero of the Athenians, because the persecuted and oppressed exist all over the globe, and Athens was not the only place where He liberated such people. As long as one gives Him proper Greek respects, I don't see the issue, because as Plutarch said in his writings, Plutarch's Lives, Theseus always helped those who came to Him for help, He did not turn away those in need. Granted, I don't agree with Plutarch on everything, but this seems to be very much in line with the character of Theseus.

Certain Gods also held different levels of importance in ancient Greek areas. For example, Athene was of great importance in Athens, while Apollon was of dominant importance in Delphi, so which Deity should receive the most honor from us Hellenes? Some of the Greek Gods had origins outside of Greece itself, so which region is accurate and which region in Greece is more accurate than the other? Or shall we say that both of the Gods are of great importance to the lives of Hellenes and the religion of Hellenism? 

This is why locality really has no basis in the argument against the honoring of Greek Heroes, because we honor many Beings and things which were local, while we practice in other parts of the world. The simple fact of the matter is that the Heroes traveled about, doing heroic things. Spheres of influence are not exclusive, and sometimes cannot possibly be to, one area, whether we're talking about Heroes or Gods themselves. For example, Apollon is God of the Sun, Zeus is God of the Sky, and Poseidon is God of the Sea, and these things shine and cover over the entire world, not just in Greece. Essentially, I argue that Hellenism can be a universal system in that the Gods, Spirits, Heroes and practices themselves can extend outside of the Greek regions as long as they retain their Greek identity.

To finish by speaking on a UPG level, for what it's worth in the larger Hellenic community, I have had great experience praying to Greek Heroes, such as Theseus and Bellerophon. I can feel them with me when I ask for their presence, because I believe they hear all Hellenes. The Heroes now exist in a divine or spiritual state, which means they are beyond physical boundaries. 

In the Goodness of the Dodekatheon,

Chris.

Learning From The Greek Gods: Ares

Today, I received a beautiful new statue of Ares for my family's shrine that I very much love and treasure as I love and treasure Ares, and I think that He is one of the most misunderstood Gods of the Greek pantheon. He appears nowhere on the calendar of Attica, at least none that I have seen. Even Greeks themselves seem to have been wary of Him, probably because of the bloodletting and destruction that war brought, especially in those days when you had to use common weapons and kill someone face to face. War was a dread and a horrific sight. He still, though, occupies a throne on Olympos, which shows that the Greek Gods were not merely put into their places by the Greek mind. Ares was an Olympian by fact, regardless of how much the Greeks liked Him. However, I do think He's largely looked at in the wrong way, which is why I want to discuss Him in this next part of my series on learning from the Greek Gods.

Ares is the God of War and that's about it. He encompasses the physical fighting and strife between armies and mortals and all that is associated with it. But when we think about all that war itself encompasses, and how it has a place in our lives as human beings from time to time, in many forms, we can understand the great importance of Ares and how He plays an influential and decisive role in the universe and the lives of those within. Things are not always completely cut and dry. Sometimes, something is not inherently good or bad. There are times when war can be a good thing. Our own nation, where we are free to worship the Gods free of persecution, and live our lives as Hellenists, was created by war. We had to fight off the British before we could build the United States, and over the years, other enemies have tried to take our freedom as well. We have often waged war to bring about a greater good, which is a free and safe people. War, therefore, can bring good things when war is necessary. We even fight among ourselves as individuals, when we have to wage a battle against someone else to protect ourselves, family or properties. We may desire peace, but that doesn't mean that others will. War is not something we invented. It is part of the human structure of life because it is sometimes necessary for self-preservation.

There are also what I call "metaphorical wars" that we, as humans, wage all the time. These are not fought physically, but are carried out through verbal and other non-physically combative means. For example, sometimes we debate serious issues with other people that we are passionate about, and we feel the need to win that argument for a good, and like Ares, we can sometimes become furious and wrathful in these arguments. We are verbally warring against someone when we do that. And that could encompass Athene as well, but Ares does not have to be excluded. Fighting for what we believe can take on many forms of war, not just physical assaults. If there ever comes a time when mankind no longer wages physical war, Ares will remain important and influential for these reasons.

And lastly, when we are waging our necessary and good wars, we must also remember the part of war that Ares encompasses. He destroys the enemy. He does not show mercy and He does not play around. He comes to annihilate the enemy and claim the victory completely. When we need to save our nation, or protect ourselves and families in one form or another, we should be prepared to go the length necessary that the law will allow to ensure our freedom, safety and preservation. Sometimes, the enemy does not deserve mercy, and it is necessary to make sure they can't make good on future aggression. From Ares, we learn the value of fighting with all of our might for what is dear and valuable, and accepting nothing but the surrender of the enemy of those good things.

In the Goodness of the Dodekatheon,

Chris.

Learning From The Greek Gods: Apollon

For a long time, I have started and tried to finish this series of mine, "Learning From The Greek Gods." It was not intended to be a series of the many Greek Gods, just the Dodekatheon, but I was never able to complete it. However, this time, I intend to finish it out. Let's begin with one of the most popular of the Dodekatheon.

Apollon is the God of Light. Other attributes of His include the sun, truth, prophecy, music, healing, oracles, poetry, and archery, and with His silver or golden bow, one of His most popular epithets is the Archer and one who drives away evil or negativity.

Apollon is a God who brings enlightenment, so what does it mean to be enlightened, and what does it mean to strive toward enlightenment in life? Enlightenment means to have or seek a greater understanding of things that the average human mind does. This does not mean you think of yourself as knowing more than other people, but rather elevating your mind above the basic mundane of human consciousness and awareness. For example, humans generally have a desire to be greedy, so being generous would be enlightened above the normality of humanity. When so many people in the world resort to violence to settle a mere verbal dispute, it is enlightened to not let the words of another control you and walk away. In other words, you become greater than yourself instead of greater than someone else. This is what it means to be enlightened and to seek enlightenment. Learning from Apollon in these respects is to look toward the heavens. And what I mean by that is to look above general humanity and toward greater meaning for yourself and how you live. Each of us will find our own personal truths and that's perfectly fine, but the important thing is that we find them, and that they drive us to be greater than we were previously. And Apollon, being a God of Truth, lifts us to that universal wisdom, the universal wisdom that enlightenment is possible.

In the Goodness of the Gods,
Chris.