The Smallest Temples Can Make Big Impacts

When it comes to Greek temples, the gigantic and glorious are well known, but not always commonplace. Most temples were not the size of the Parthenon, for example. Those grand icons were the exception, not the rule. Small country temples were probably far more common than people imagine. 

My own beautifully adorned modern temple, which I have owned and operated for several years now, is also of the small country type. Anyone who has been to or seen it, knows that it measures only about 12 feet long and 10 feet wide. And the Temple of Athena Nike on the Akropolis of Athens, as seen in the picture here, only measures 26 feet in length and 18 feet in width. But it has an amazing, iconic history and cultural impact.

The ancient Greeks were devoted and lovingly religious people; they adored their Gods and loved being spiritual. While the Parthenon became the wonder of the world, the small shrine and Temple of Athena Nike preceded it, and although a very small temple, the builders put their hearts and souls into the design, with wrap around art depicting the Greek Gods and also the Athenian battles and victories over the Persian Empire - the glories of Olympos and Earth. While only a fraction of the size of the Parthenon, a significant part of the Greek identity and history is housed in the Temple of Athena Nike, and would be lost without it. They so desired that victory stay with their City that, even though they didn't build a huge temple to Her, they put all of their devotion into it.

I always tell people who want to build a temple, to do it. No matter how big or small it may have to be. It doesn't matter.

We tend to think that a temple is something that has to be monumentous, but that's simply not the case. A temple is simply a place for religious worship. It's the devotion that matters. I always encourage people, and even post literary content, on how to build temples and temple communities, no matter how limited their means may be, because any kind of Hellenic temple is a blessing upon the world and the community it serves.

I don't know what kind of mark my own humble temple will leave on this world when I'm gone, or if it will even remain beyond simple legacy. I don't know what will happen to the physical structure in centuries to come. But I know I have at least touched and made a difference in the lives of a few people who might not have been touched otherwise.

In the Goodness of the Gods,

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

Chris Aldridge.

Can Humans Agree On Beauty?

I recently came across a very intriguing question about human beauty. It basically asked if there is a definition of beauty that everyone could understand and agree on? Being someone who, of course, worships Aphrodite, that inquiry picked at my brain quite a bit.

When I was a teenager and young adult, I was far more picky about my taste in women. I think that's the case with a lot of young men. In other words, the beauty they see is, one, very distinct, and two, mainly on the surface of the human body.

But today, I look back on all the women I turned down and deeply regret it, because I realize the great beauty and quality of attractiveness that they possessed. As I grew older, my philosophy became, there is beauty in everything if you have the right eyes. But the question is, what are the "right" eyes? I think we grow up in a society that instills in us reactionary traits that tell us certain things are unattractive or degrading, when in actuality they are not, such as body fat or a deviating characteristic. But when you become older and abandon these social norms, your eyes change. 

I missed out on some wonderful beauty in my life, the beauty of personality, character, and uniqueness. But beauty isn't only about sexuality, and this is where a lot of people lose sight of the wonders of life. I normally see the beautiful in everything around me. I think, especially in the modern age, most people fail in this virtue, not because they lack the ability to achieve it, but because they haven't allowed the perception to enter their minds.

People are generally too occupied with daily stresses and so used to daily life, that the beauty of it all never crosses their minds, and this is where I think humans could agree on beauty if they only allowed themselves to see it. The beauty of nature, of life in general, of even the clothes and jewelry that people wear, the languages they use, and the arts they create. Why do most people not stop to see the inherent beauty in all of these things? We could all agree that life is beautiful. 

What's worse is that the failure to see inherent beauty makes our lives dull, and can even lead us down a road of depression and mental and emotional deterioration. The ancient Greek worldview was one that found the world an amazing place, and life one of the greatest blessings ever bestowed in the universe, especially the complexity and possibilities of being human. 

In the Goodness of the Gods,

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

Chris Aldridge.

Why Do The Gods Appear Mostly In Human Form?

I was asked this very intriguing question by someone on social media who had read my post about the Gods having biological genders. I found it fascinating that I had never given the topic a lot of thought before. Nevertheless, I thought it would make an excellent post topic, as it would be far too long for a social media comment section.

I think it's first important to note that the Gods, in the myths, sometimes changed into other lifeforms before returning to their original manifestations. Sometimes they even turned people or objects into different things. This is one reason I believe that the Gods are, at least in one respect, the consciousness of the universe.

But as far as human manifestation is concerned, I have always said and believe that it is we who look like them, not the other way around. We did not create Gods. They created us. But let us say that we are looking at this in terms of the Gods being the consciousness of the universe, at least for a moment. The Gods are actually beyond any comprehension humans can imagine, but we can at least take a theory and speculate on it.

We must conclude that the Gods can be whatever they want, and are therefore not bound to any one body or form. So the Gods come to us in a human form because that's how we, as humans, can best understand and interact with them. Not to mention that humans are the most blessed mortal beings on Earth, because we are the smartest and create the most love and beauty. So why wouldn't the Gods adore us enough to not only prefer the manifestation of the most blessed on the planet, but the ones that they themselves have blessed to be such? After all, as we are told, the Gods love to have relationships with us. Humanity is clearly chosen.

On the other hand, maybe the Gods really do look like that. Perhaps they gave the most blessed beings on Earth their own appearance. As a philosopher, I have always thought that sometimes the wisest thing I can say is, I don't know. But in order to hold onto my belief that it is we who look like the Gods, and not the Gods who look like us, I would have to say that the Gods gave us their most common images.

So perhaps what the Gods appear in is not human form, but their own entirely. 

In the Goodness of the Gods,

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

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 "impious," 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 historically inaccurate. 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.

Source

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. 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.

Ruins Of Theseus' Palace On The Akropolis

In some of my recent studies, I happened across a piece of mysterious information hidden in the pages of an old book from my temple's library, something that few people know about in the grand picture of ancient Greek history and archaeology. All throughout Mycenaean archaeology, we have uncovered all of the palace ruins of the main Trojan War Heroes, with Odysseus being the most recent and final one. 

But atop the Akropolis of Athens, the City that Theseus ruled, loved and defended so much that the Athenian motto became, "Nothing Without Theseus," it has been believed that the remains of Theseus' palace rest there. Sure enough, the modicum ruins of what was most certainly a late Bronze Age Megaron Palace still remain, the time period in which Theseus could have most certainly lived, and long, long before the Parthenon was ever even dreamed of. 

A Greek Megaron is not the grand kind of palace we would think of today that houses the monarchs of England. Rather, it is more of a Great Hall building, built in a rectangle that hosts an open porch, is surrounded by four columns, and in the center houses an open air hearth. There would have also been a throne or throne room for the King to sit. Throughout the life and history of the Athenian Akropolis, buildings rose and fell, and new ones were added, such as the Parthenon, so the only traces of this Megaron we have is basically the foundation. Nevertheless, we do know it existed, when it existed, and what it was used for; royalty. 

If you were a tourist in Athens around 400 BCE, and you had been so inclined to ask, the citizens would have probably told you all about the old Palace of Theseus that once stood on their citadel. To them, it would have been historical fact. You may have even been directed to the City's Sanctuary of Theseus just below the Akropolis, and the burial that they believed to be His. We know where this religious center stood as well. But the Palace of Theseus is an even greater mystery because there is so little of it remaining, due to the passage of time and the evolution of the citadel.

However, the Megaron that could have very well belonged to the legendary Hero still looks at us from the rocky history of the hill. We can walk upon the steps or floor that Theseus Himself may have, and all of the ancestors before us who walked in to consult or ask for His help. Today, there may no longer be a great throne at the end of the Great Hall, but upon those ruins, we can still look up to the heavens, on top of the sacred fortification, and pray to Theseus.

In the Goodness of the Gods,

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

Chris Aldridge.

Ancient Greek Medicine and Healing for Modern Problems

At first notion, people today may assume that the physicians of ancient Greece are not relevant to modern medicine and the healing arts. But such a presumption is gravely incorrect. While some ancient methods such as bloodletting are shelved in the archives of error, mostly everything else the Greeks practiced gave birth to all of the medical fields we have today. And doctors have not forgotten this, because they still recite, at least ideally, the Hippocratic Oath of Physicians. Now it has been altered so much to fit personal preferences that I'd argue the modern recitation can no longer be called the Hippocratic, but the ancient Greek as the mortal father of medicine still holds sway over our minds and actions in the field.

Bringing ancient medicine back into our everyday lives is invaluable, whether one is actually a Hellenist or not. The history of healing in ancient Greece is very wealthy and diverse, and the adoption of it remains beautiful and powerful. 

To the Greeks, everything was religious and spiritual. The physical and spiritual worlds interacted on a daily basis. For this reason, the Greeks believed, one, that the best healing and medicine took place when the mind, body and soul were treated and balanced. Neither was left to neglect. One method through which the physical and spiritual body could be tended to was through the Asklepios Healing Temples. Asklepios is the son of Apollon (the God of healing), and is the God of physicians and medicine. These temples were built to Him for the purpose of healing the sick. Afflicted people would travel to these locations and sleep inside the building, where the God would either heal them or send them messages, signs or omens through dreams that would help them achieve recovery.

One's spirituality and connection to the Divine is proven to have immense healing powers, both for the mind and physical body. That's why religious people are less depressed than non-religious or atheists, and if you tell your psychiatrist that your religion helps you deal with your mental health issues, they will tell you to keep doing it as a form of therapy. The benefit of a balanced mind, body and soul is self-evident. Your bodily health will do little good if your mind and spirit is in tatters, and vice versa. All of the essential properties that make up the human body and experience have to be healthy.

Secondly, the Greeks understood that a person's health relied heavily on proper diet and exercise. Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine, said as much. Moderation, which means to have a healthy balance in all things, was at the center of Greek life. To neither starve nor overindulge, but to reach and practice healthy living consistently. When it comes to diet and exercise specifically, we may find it lamentable that most people today are seriously lacking in either one or the other. Obesity and laziness are epidemics of their own, and they cause the body and mind to decay and make them prone to disease and disorders.

For years, especially when it was summertime or warm enough, I would go on runs every night through my City. At one point, I reached 7 miles nonstop. This was part of my mission to lose the weight I had gained years ago and maintain a healthy body mass. Of course, I also had to combine this with healthy eating. It does little good to exercise if you're just going to put the junk right back inside you when you're done. It's like trying to pump water out of a boat with a giant hole in it. I lost the weight and had never felt better in my life, both physically and mentally. Since then, I have always recommended that people do simple exercise like running. Not only will it keep you healthy, it will give you a great outlook on life.

Third, it was not long before Botany and its medical benefits found its way into the Greek physician's world and that of their patients. In ancient Greek theology, mostly everything was a gift from the Gods, and miraculous plants would have been no exception. In fact, profound ones such as Oregano, were believed to have been planted by Aphrodite Herself, and in humans, the plant can help produce white blood cells that aid in recovery and strengthen immunity. There are so many wonderful benefits to Greek herbology that, if one is interested in adopting it for their life, I have put a link to an information site at the bottom of this post.

The Greeks knew that the answers to the ailments of life were placed in the universe around us by the Gods. They only needed to discover them. Everything the Gods give to humans, is Divinely blessed. The Gods love for us to live, and live to the fullest. Therefore, their gifts and blessings to us will aid in that goal.

Finally, the ancient Greeks began to perfect the practice of surgery. They advanced so well in this art for ancient times that they were able to treat and seal wounds, repair fractured and broken bones, remove bladder stones, and even treat cataracts (a condition that causes impaired vision). Necessity, as Plato would say, is the mother of invention. They had to figure out some way to address life's all too common problems, but what makes the Greeks so exceptional in this was that they rose to these challenges. They never gave up. That's the lesson we should take from them as well. Not just for our careers or education, but for the survival and sustainment of our blessed selves. 

All of us today would grow immensely by adopting most or all of ancient Greek medicine into our lives. The ancient Greeks certainly did not have all of the medical advances and technologies that we do today, but part of the Greek way was to take what was available to you and make it the best you possibly could, to make the best version of yourself and your City.

In the Goodness of the Gods,

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

Chris Aldridge.

Greek Herbology

The Forest Screams - Could It Be Dionysos?

Channels and videos dealing with everything from the paranormal to simple hiking adventures are filled with what we commonly know as "unidentified, non-human sounds or screams" coming from the forests of the world. And I just love myself a good mystery, a good intrigue, something unknown to investigate, so let's take some time today to explore these happenings. 

Take a moment to visit this link to hear one of the videos people have made of unexplained screams and yells in the forest. Then come back to my blog post. Of course, there are scores of other videos and reels that have been made by various individuals, recording many kinds of screams and ravings in the woods. All you have to do is search for the topic on youtube.

In ancient times, Dionysos, the God of wine, revelry, joy, life and rebirth, was known for His loud celebrations in the forests. In fact, His worshipers would gather in these remote areas, such as the female devotees of the God called Maenads, whose name means "to rave" or "raving ones." A specific natural forest location of theirs was in Nysa, where a temple of Dionysos stood.

In the Orphic Hymn to Dionysos, He is called, "loud-roaring, reveling, and howling." In the video posted above of the unknown screams and ravings in the woods, people in ancient times may have very well concluded that it was Dionysos or His Maenads, especially if it was near a known worship center. In the times of old, things we consider paranormal or supernatural were simply daily life and commonplace.

In the forests, away from the civilization and the common ailments of human life, it's easy to see how someone could release, and why they might enjoy the ability to leave their old world behind as much as possible for a time. Dionysos lifts us to life, brings us to life, breaks us free of death. 

I myself grew up in the middle of a forest, down in a small, remote valley in central North Carolina, and especially during my childhood, the depths of the woodland provided me with a much needed retreat on a regular basis. In fact, anything could happen in them. Nothing was impossible, meaning was everywhere, adventure lured at every turn, and everything was beautiful. There is something about the haunts of the forest that make them otherworldly.

The importance of Dionysos to Hellenic life is, like all the Gods, vastly important and crucial, but like all Gods as well, Dionysos also retains His own uniqueness. As the God of life, the youngest of The Dodekatheon, and Twice Born, He is known as the "Savior God" of Greek religion, although He is certainly not the only God who carries the Savior Epithet.

Dionysos is salvation from death, depression, sadness, and anything else that hinders life and its enjoyment. I developed my own temple rite to the God in this respect. There is historical record of some of His worshipers in ancient times eating a live bull in a ritualistic setting (the bull being a symbol of Dionysos), and in so doing, they believed they were taking the God into themselves. Wine is also known as the blood of the vine just as far back.

If this sounds familiar, you're right, but the concept of ingesting communion with a God was not originally Christian; it's very ancient and very polytheistic. In my own rite, I include a drink of wine or grape juice and a small bite of rich chocolate (should I ever find chocolate in the shape of a bull, that'll be spectacular). The chocolate, being an ecstatic food, is the body of the God, while His wine is, of course, His blood.

Before consuming, I recite this simple prayer, I pray to Dionysos, Twice Born God of everlasting life, to descend His blessings upon the food of joy and the drink of the vine, to bless my mind, body and soul with His wonderful Godhood. Spirit of Dionysos dwell within me, blood of Dionysos flow through me."

If there has been no general offering to Him in return, some of the wine or chocolate can be given. But it's also important to remember the objective and reality of Dionysos and this rite. It is not Christian. He is not a God of abstinence or one who teaches us to resist and hate our humanity. There is no "cross to bear." You don't invite Him to save you from your humanity because your humanity is not evil or damned. It is blessed. Therefore, Dionysos blesses us with all it takes to live a happy and joyful life, and drives out whatever threatens that. Dionysos reminds us that it's okay to live.

What are the screams and ravings that people keep hearing deep in the forests of the world? Dionysos? The ghosts of His Maenads? New worshipers? Or maybe all of the above? The ancients most certainly knew of these same kinds of sounds. They wrote about them in their hymns to the God and stories about those who followed Him throughout their lives. Perhaps there is always that natural calling out there, reminding us that there is freedom from the dismal things that may plague us.

In the Goodness of the Gods,

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

Chris Aldridge.

When Religion Was What It Should Be

Crusades, terrorism, and oppressive theocratic dictatorships. These are the things that commonly come to mind today when people think of widespread religion, mainly because we are so used to seeing the dominant religions, which are based on oppression, wreak havoc on the world. A fringe element of radical Muslims committed the worst terrorist attack on American soil, and only our Constitution stops radical Christians from using the government to force everyone into their way of life.

It's almost as if you have to rally against religion if you want to be a freedom fighter, or at least stand against the militant elements of it. However, religion was not always like this, which is something that Pagans and Polytheists like myself are trying to teach and bring back to humanity. Religion was not about imposition in ancient times, nor did it possess so much insecurity that one culture couldn't stand another simply because they had a different religion. Ancient man found himself more than able to live harmoniously in a diverse world. Of course his own culture had its own theology and customs, but there was never any reason conceived to force the entire world into the same way of life. When a Greek visited Egypt, for example, they didn't demand that the Egyptians worship the Greek Gods instead, and abandon their own culture. 

When I was in my first year of college in 2008 back in North Carolina, my philosophy and writing class held a discussion on the history of religion and spirituality. At one point, a girl across from me said that ancient religion was the way religion was supposed to be. It was about a man, woman, or community worshiping their Gods, so that the City, sea, fields, etc, would produce the good and productive things of life for them. 

Only later when I became a Hellenist did I fully understand where she was coming from. Hellenists worship the Gods because it brings bliss to our lives, and shows our proper reverence for the Higher Powers. We simply love and also respect our Gods. Even to this day, we are perfectly content in our own skin, and do not concern ourselves with the fact that other people may have a different theology. 

The admission of monotheism was really the time when religion became globally weaponized, especially when governments realized the great ability that religions like Christianity had to control massive amounts of people. Even though religion had changed, mostly by force, it still retained an ultimate place of importance in people's lives, especially as time went on and the newer generations could be lied to about how their ancestors were converted, and governments were not ignorant of this. They found that they were able to use the new religions and their orthodoxies to produce any kind of obedience, war or wealth they so desired.

However, theology itself was, and is, about the Divine and the human experience of it. It's not about a system of oppression. I don't normally think about it when I walk through my temple doors, but it should be a revelation that I don't walk through them for the same reason I did church doors when I was a Christian. It's not my hope that the world bows to me, but that I find the Gods in my life. If we as the human race could but understand the simple truth that this is the goal of human religion and spirituality, we would never again fall.

In the Goodness of the Gods,

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

Chris Aldridge.

Difference Between A Sacrifice and An Offering

In Hellenism and contemporary Pagan and Polytheism, we are familiar with the terms sacrifice and offering. 

Some people use them interchangeably, and I suppose on the surface it's not really a big deal, as some consider sacrifice to be anything made scared, but I think it's worth discussing that the two are not historically the same thing generally speaking.

A sacrifice is normally something of exceptional cost or worth to you, that you give up to the Gods, and in so doing, make sacred. 

In ancient Greek times, this would have encompassed livestock a lot, because they met the above criteria. Giving up sheep, goats, and cattle was, or could be, very costly to the livelihood of the average person.

Yet that willingness to still risk the loss in order to show love, admiration, and request favor from, the Gods, is what made it a sacrifice and a sacred act. The willingness to go long was believed to have grabbed the Gods' attention more.

Today, of course, it doesn't have to pertain to livestock because most people don't live that kind of life anymore. Now our costly sacrifices would be things like money, valuable properties, and our physical time and labor. Even large portions of food and drink, things that take a lot of effort to put together, would be sacrificial.

An offering, however, is a general gift, such as a votive statue, libation, a valuable, or some appropriate foods. They are things that are more readily available and not as costly; easy for pretty much anyone to obtain.

If I give a fresh bar of soap to Aphrodite for Her baths, a libation of olive oil for Athena, or burn incense to Zeus, those would be offerings. This is a bit contradictory to me, because I have normally called all of my burned offerings sacrifices, but to be more accurate, I should use the term offering: my burned offering.

Then again, if it were a huge portion of incense, it may be able to be called sacrifice, but that would take an almost comical pile. Not something normally done. 

Often these days, I find myself paying more attention to how I term things, especially publicly. In many cases, I felt the term offering had been used in the religious communities almost to the point of being cliche or monotonous, so I didn't really like using it a lot.

But as a Reconstructionist Hellenist, I find myself more and more concerned with historical accuracy and appropriate piety on a regular basis. It's a lifelong learning experience. Do I think the Gods are petty and care about which term you use? Absolutely not. But the properness sets the human mind correctly. 

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

Chris Aldridge.

Pendants From Greece Hold More Natural Power

In the modern Greek Polytheistic community, some people may not be too explorative about jewelry or necklaces, even if they are religious. 

In fact, with the exception of my own works, I haven't read a book on the topic that really puts any significance on it. I'm not being critical; it's just an observation.

But I am most certainly someone who loves anything I can carry with me that reminds me of, or connects me with, the Gods and Heroes, especially when its a remake of what once existed.

In the picture above, you can see my own that I recently purchased from Greece herself, Athens specifically. The coin is a replica of the Athena Tetradrachm, meaning it was worth the value of four drachmas in the ancient world, eventually working its way up to a standard form of currency. 

The silver mines were located probably in Laurium in the Athenian countryside. This particular coin originally came into being in the late 6th Century BCE. More importantly, the coin is a direct connection to Athena, not just by Her frontal image, but by the AOE on the back, 

AOE means Alpha, Theta, and Epsilon, or Of The Athenians. The coin embodies all that is Athena and Athens (the Goddess and Her beloved City).

After I received the pendant, I put a chain on it to wear around my neck during the day, not really giving it that much thought. I didn't even try to put any energy or blessings onto it myself. It was intended for purely cosmetic purposes.

But I noticed that when I wrap my hand around and just hold it, Athena's amazing presence comes over and calms me, no matter how frustrated, angry, sad or hopeless I may be feeling at the time. It's like a cure-all for the mind and emotions.

The only thing I can figure, as to the pendant's natural power, is that it is directly from the land of Athena Herself, and carries on that ancient connection that has existed for thousands of years. 

Not even pendants that I have bought of Athena in America and placed blessings upon have had this kind of natural, never-ending spiritual strength. And of course, when you have a pendant with this kind of natural power, adding prayers, hymns or other spiritual significance along with it will only strengthen it further for you, and perhaps others as well. 

I would definitely recommend to anyone wanting Hellenic jewelry for religious purpose, to consider Greek sellers. There is just a charm that you cannot get anywhere else.

In the Goodness of the Gods,

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

Chris Aldridge. 

Mythology/Theology: To The Greeks, There Was A Difference

If you've been a Hellenic Polytheist for at least five minutes, you've no doubt heard others equate the Gods with the myths entirely. 

The first things to realize is that the ancient Greeks did not have a "holy book" of religion and myth.

Not only was ancient Greece a collection of City States completely independent from one another in government and beliefs, but there was no law dictating how someone could view the Gods or what stories they could accept or not.

In fact, it's kind of inaccurate to call it "The Ancient Greek Religion" because there were, in fact, many forms of ancient Greek religion and Cult. Sparta and Athens, for example, believed in the same Gods but did not have the same religion or culture. Not to mention the fact that there were cults everywhere that adhered to their own identities. 

So for instance, someone today might say that my beliefs on Artemis being gracious and kind to people is contradicted considering the myth of Actaeon, but there's literally nothing in Hellenic religion which says I have to accept that story as literal fact or accept it at all.

We do know that we believe in Artemis as She is, of course. But I don't have to believe everything that everyone tells me about Her. I have the right to my own experiences and perspectives, and it does not denote me as a Hellenist. 

It's also true that not only could a given myth vary in detail from City to City, but many of them were handed down by word of mouth, which can change and modify with each teller, especially as the time and culture changes. 

In fact, some of the myths we accept today as Greek, were not even composed by the Greeks. The story of raped Medusa that people commonly call Greek in our time, was actually written by a Roman. The original story, which says nothing of rape or punishment, was written by the Greek Hesiod.

This is also not a modern change to Hellenism either. Greeks were not forced to accept a given story. Historically, it's accepted that around the time of the Hellenistic Era, the myths as literal facts began to waiver as a concept. 

But considering people like Plato and Sokrates, I think it began much sooner than that. Those men clearly believed in the Greek Gods but were also philosophers and not necessarily mythologists. They wrote about people's experiences with the Gods instead of taking written myths and saying, "Here's the 100% truth."

Hellenic religion can be hard to understand, but once you manage to grasp the core, it'll make perfect sense to you.

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

Chris Aldridge.

Have City Loyalty; Your Greek Ancestors Would Be Proud

There was no mortal establishment more important to an ancient Greek than their City State (Polis). It was not only their place of residence, but their nationality and the identity of their particular part of Hellenic religion. 

Someone from Athens or Sparta would have called themselves Athenian or Spartan, not Greek in the sense of an all in one national people. In fact, Athenians and Spartans would have probably taken grave offense if you had called them the same people.

To an ancient Greek, cities also didn't have to be highly populated. In modern America, we call locations with only a few thousand people villages, but the Greeks would have considered them cities still. While places like Athens eventually boasted huge numbers, many cities had at, under or a little over 5,o00 people. And so my location (Machesney Park, Illinois), which houses well over 20,000, would certainly meet the definition.

Yesterday as I was driving home through Rockford and back into the Park, I thought on things I wanted to buy, and although I was several miles from home, I wanted to try there first, because I like keeping as much of my commerce as possible in the place where I reside. So I took the extra miles for my City, because that's what a Hellenist should do.

Since I set up my temple in Machesney, I've become increasingly involved in the City's politics and services. I've even considered running for office, but never actually have. The national identity, and even state identity stage, is of course very important, but your City literally hits home. It's where you spend most of your time, where you experience your love life, home, career and where you pray to your Gods.

You may not realize, but your City is of the most importance, because whatever happens there, has the greatest chance of happening to you as well. If the economy tanks, you will feel the bankruptcy. If crime spikes, you may need a few more locks. If the environment isn't kept clean, it could come out of your faucet or garden. 

If something, good or bad, happens in a City or State 2,000 miles away, you wouldn't even know it if not for the news. But if it happens where you live, the ripples are on their way to you. 

Therefore, make your City good and protect it from the bad. Stand up for her and her people. Run for office, go to the Council meetings, voice your concerns, write your representatives, get involved in community projects, spend your money at City businesses, and something else you may not consider, be kind to your fellow citizens. The more supported and happier a people are, the better their City will do.

You don't have to be the federal President or join the Marine Corps to serve. The opportunity to be of invaluable service is before each and every one of us right now, by the simple fact that we live there.

In the Goodness of the Gods,

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

Chris Aldridge.

The Riace Bronzes: A Hellenist On The Unsolved Mystery

Most people have probably already seen these two statues, but know them by sight only, because there are no other details, not even that modern archaeologists can tell. No one knows who the statues depict or how they even ended up where they were found. 

For those who may not know, The Riace Bronzes refers to two magnificent bronze statues, believed to have been made in Attika or Argolis in the 5th Century BCE, and somehow ended up at the bottom of Italian waters in a place called Calabria. The pieces are not only notable because of their mystery, but because of their amazing precision and detail to the, apparently, human makeup. 

When the Greek Reporter released a recent article on the topic, it grabbed my interest because I love historical mysteries, not to mention that I am a devoted Hellenic Polytheist.

The first question would be, if the statues were made in Attika or Argolis, how or why did they submerge off the coast of Italy? Let us consider that the 5th Century BCE was the era in which the Parthenon was built. So there were magnificently well known artists in that area during that period, who could have been commissioned by people outside the region to make statues or buildings for them. 

We must remember that the most famous artist of the Parthenon was formerly the artist of the statue of Zeus at Olympia, which was one of the Wonders of the Ancient World. He had been called on, or hired, by Pericles for the Athenian Akropolis.

Even today, the best way for an artist to make a living is to find patrons. Without people who admire and are willing to buy your work, you travel the road of the starving artist. It's very well possible that these statues could have been made in Attika to be shipped to people or cities in other parts of the Greek world, and either fell overboard or went down with a sinking ship. 

They were obviously foundered while on the way to their location. People don't normally order expensive bronze statues only to throw them in the ocean. So although they were found near Calabria, we can't confirm that's where they were headed. Nevertheless, somewhere in the Western Greek World around that region is a safe bet.

Ancient Greeks began settling in this Italian area as far back as the 8th Century, which means the patrons, or whoever ordered the statues, were likely of Greek descent or at least had an admiration for Greek culture.

But who are the individuals depicted? I would theorize Greek Heroes. While Greeks settled in this area much later than the Heroic Age, Heroes of Greece were believed to have traveled to the area long before. Odysseus, and very notably Diomedes who commanded at least 80 ships in the Trojan War. 

After the war, He exiled Himself into Italy for fear of his life and even founded cities there, one of which is called Arpi, which is only around 3 hours away from Calabria's region itself. Who's to say that at least one of the statues didn't depict Diomedes and wasn't going to Arpi? Two perfectly depicted human images traveling together, I'd say there's a good chances we are looking at Heroes. Which ones, though, sadly remains unknown. But let's look upon the genius of the ancient Greek mind and marvel at what we do know about them.

In the Goodness of the Gods,

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

Chris Aldridge.

Christianity Trembles Before The Pythia

For over a thousand years, the Oracle of Delphi gave the counsel of Apollon to the ancient Hellenic world. She was not, by any means, the only Oracle around. But she was, without a doubt, the most loved and revered. Fortunately today, centuries after she vanished, we still have records of the amazingly accurate words and sound advice she gave to mortals.

When her time came to an end during the rising Christian era takeover, allegations and legends came to surround the event. Some claim she was murdered by the Christian invasion. This could be a likely case, as we know that the Christian Emperor Theodosius the First ordered the temples closed, Games stopped, and the old religions outlawed. Considering that we know for a fact that the early Christians spilled seas of Pagan blood, it's not a farfetched idea that the Pythia (Oracle of Delphi) defended her temple and was killed. We know the murders happened and that Christian leaders and emperors ordered the attacks. Specifically considering people like the Pythia and Hypatia of Alexandria, we as well know the early Christians hated nothing more than a powerful woman. What remained of Delphi's wealth and treasures then faced certain destruction and looting. Another mystery is where her body, and those of the past Oracles, were buried. But if the last Oracle faced a mob of zealots, they destroyed her body, and if they knew the location of the graves or tombs of the women who preceded her, they destroyed and looted them.

If this account of the final Pythia is true, so could be her alleged final prophecy that she gave to her killers before they took her life, saying that the Christians would lose in the end. Specifically, "One day Apollon will return and He will stay." More broadly, we might interpret this to mean that the old religion cannot be kept oppressed for long, nor can the Gods be defeated, and that it's only a matter of time before they regain their rightful places. If she did make such a prediction, it needs to be added to her list of accuracies.

In our time, Christianity continues to significantly decline, both in America and around the world. In fact, it's always had trouble keeping power, largely relying on the force of government for most of its existence. But the more freedom of religion has spread, the greater their loss in numbers. In the United States, Christians make up 65% of the population, which is a 13% drop from just ten years ago. In truth, this is nothing new, as Christian numbers in America have been continuously falling for the last three decades. Catholicism, the largest Christian religion, has suffered a worldwide drop of two million in just the last three years. If the trend continues, American Christians will be a minority by the year 2042 at the latest, with Christianity itself becoming one of the fastest declining religions on the planet. In short, Christianity is losing power amazingly fast.

Meanwhile, non-Christians religions continue to grow. The old religions, Hellenism among them, even gaining enough foot in Greece again that the Christian government recognized them as an official religion once more. Polytheism and Paganism are among the fastest growing, or more accurately, fastest returning religions in the world. The last prophecy of the Pythia has come true.

In the Goodness of the Gods,

Chris Aldridge.

The Shotgun Wedding That Started A Holy War

In the name of liberty, to Apollon's temple once again! 

The bones of the first two sacred wars were now lying still in the soil, but as has been said, only the dead have seen the end of war. 

Historians would more than likely conclude that the conflict had been brewing for a while, but this part of the story starts on the day of a wedding at the sanctuary. A father by the name of Crates became outraged, to say the least, perhaps even insane when his soon-to-be son in law Orsilaus got cold feet and cancelled the marriage. Not only did the father have the groom executed, he also murdered the groom's family members right in the sacred areas of Delphi itself, which was the worst religious offense. The fact that the father supported Theban domination at Delphi and Orsilaus supported Phocis, probably did not aid in resolving tension between the families either. Some say the execution and murders likely had political ends as well as revenge. We will remember that in the last Sacred War, Phocis remained in control of Delphi, and the power struggles between the Cities were far from over.

As punishment for the pollution of murder in a sacred area, Crates and his family were faced with heavy fines, and the feud between Thebes and Phocis over Delphi would only intensify from this point. It all came to a head when the League of Delphi, who has been victorious in the past wars, came to support Theban power, and Phocis, unlike in the last Sacred War, was losing strength and support fast. 

At a meeting between the League and Phocis, which no doubt included talks about the actions of Crates against Osrilaus, the Phocians found themselves to be charged with basically the same thing Crates had been convicted of, impiety, blasphemy, sacrilege, etc. Phocis faced heavy fines as a result. Phocis, however, refused to bow to the League or the emerging Theban power, but at the same time, knew that defiance would inevitably lead to physical confrontation. Therefore, they attempted to end another war before it began. In 356 BCE they conquered Delphi. However, they surely knew that this was not the beginning of the end, but merely the end of the beginning. If they had expected Greece to remain passive, they were wishful thinkers.

That summer, the League forces reunified, retook Delphi, and dethroned Phocis from its position of supremacy. Because of their eventual defeat, and probably their desire to remain important at Delphi, they began to comply with the original demands of the League. But the Third Sacred War was far from even a remote close.

In 355 BCE, the League decided to punish Phocis even more for their actions one year prior and attacked them with military force. The conflict was apparently too much for some of the Phocian leaders to handle, as their General committed suicide and even his replacement was killed in action. Nevertheless, Phocis was determined to take the war to whatever ends necessary to win. They robbed the temple's treasury and broke down valuable metal objects they could find in the sanctuary. This resulted in the immense loss of much of Delphi's history, story and economic stability. The theft was, in large part, to fund their army, but it probably also struck a blow to the spirit of the City, or so they might have thought. Religious work and consultations of the Oracle went on uninhibited.

As the fourth year of the war came in, it was clear that it was only a matter of time before Phocis collapsed, both from bankruptcy and military setbacks. However, a friend of Delphi to the far north would be the one to put the final nail in the coffin: Philip of Macedon, father of Alexander the Great. He had received word from the League and was asked to intervene on their behalf, which he did because of his dealings with and great respect for Delphi. By 346, Phocis was not only thrown completely out of the temple and sanctuary, but banned from having anymore influence over it. Even what remained of the Phocian City State was divided up into small neighborhoods, probably an effort by the League and Philip to ensure they could never again unify in power. Finally, Phocis was forced to pay monetary compensation for all they had destroyed and defiled. 

Delphi emerged the victor once again, although they could never get back the originality of their geographical glory. What had been destroyed, was destroyed. But if there's one thing to always remember about ancient Greeks, it is that they will press on despite any obstacles. 

In the Goodness of the Gods,

Chris Aldridge.

First Sacred War 

Second Sacred War

Source: Scott, Michael, Delphi: A History of the Center of the Ancient World, Princeton Publishing, 2014.