Life's Altar Blocks Are Always Drenched In Blood

When people hear that word, sacrifice, especially in an ancient Greek or Pagan context, their first thoughts are the common forms of said practice, whether it be a sacrifice in terms of something of great value given to a God or Gods, or the ritual sacrifice of a prized animal such as livestock, to those Deities. Normally, we conjure up an image of the goat or lamb being laid upon the altar, or at least led up to it, and their throats cut open as prayers are cried out to the Higher Powers, and the blood of the victim drenches the ground. Then perhaps some wonderful libations follow. It might even end with a Seer inspecting the entrails for a sign or omen from above.

Generally speaking, sacrifices of this kind are to gain the attention of the Gods for reciprocity, but I also think that something the ancients understood, and that we should still realize to this day, is that there is no blessing that doesn't require a sacrifice. Everything we do in life, we have to give our best. Nothing comes easy or falls into our lap. Anything good or valuable you want out of life takes blood, sweat and tears, pain, hard work, and giving up certain things for others so that you can attain said goal. Sacrifice is what makes life itself move forward for everyone and everything. Just because it's not an animal's head on a blade, doesn't mean it's any less of a dedication and devotion, or a loss of something you might prize in order to hope for something more or better.

People seem to make the concept of sacrifice into such a taboo topic, or at least, they certainly used to. But when I think about all of the things I have willingly given up over the last 14 years to be where I am now, it amounts to far more than a farm animal. In order to get my wife, son, a new home and a new life, I've had to go through over a decade of sacrificing everything I knew from my life prior, giving up my homeland and everything that might have been any inheritance, and enduring a thousand mile trip across the nation. I've had to give immeasurable time, energy and stress to raising a special needs child so that he could be the best man possible. I spent years doing everything I could, hard or easy, to finish my college degree, and finally have done it just this year. Not to mention periods that were stationary and, at times, seemed like they were never going to progress, which caused a lot of depression and anxiety issues. 

But there's also an additional question you must ask yourself, Is it all worth it? I would say that, deep down, I always knew it was. With each sacrifice I made, hardship I endured, or obstacle I faced, the Gods put that vibrating spirit in my heart that always had the hope that, one day, it would all come to fruition. And so it has. Life, of course, is not over, and hopefully won't be for a great many years to come. As we continue to drive the chariot that the Gods have given us, there will be more bumps and broken axles, more potholes and perils, and more rainy days to accompany the sunny ones. Life is ever changing. More sacrifices, in whatever form, will probably be made. But again, sacrifice drives the chariot on.

In the Goodness of the Gods,

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

Chris Aldridge.

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Solid Gifts - Eternal Offerings of the Gods

Modern Hellenists and general Pagans give general offerings and sacrifices to the Gods, among them being things such as libations, incense, and various foods such as meats, sweets and portions of daily meals. It's traditional to burn these kinds of offerings in the first place, even libations are poured into the altar flame, which means they burn up and ascend to the Gods. These kinds of offerings are the most common because they are easier to give and extremely affordable. Even I myself mostly offer to the Gods on these levels. My daily rite includes proper incense and libation, as I am sure many Hellenists practice in their own daily rites.

However, I have found that solid offerings also help me greatly fulfill my spirituality and delight the Gods. What I mean by “solid offerings” is things which are not burnable, edible, or drinkable. These are gifts given to the Gods to be housed in their temples, sanctuaries and/or worship spaces. This was also not an uncommon practice in ancient Greek culture.

For example, many of you may have seen the post I made on my Facebook page when I added two solid, golden brass swans to my shrine of Apollon, being that swans are His symbol and pull His chariot. I did not only place these as such symbols on His shrine, I also offered them to Him, and they now stand in His worship space as such a gift. Recently, I also offered an iron bull's head to Theseus as reverence for His victory over the Minotaur and a symbol of His most notable triumph. This also stands in the small shrine of Theseus that I constructed in my home.

Both of these solid gifts were purchased at my local antique store for very low prices. This is one of the main reasons I like to visit these places. I have purchased about 5% of my religious materials at antique and thrift stores, even statues of Greek Gods, because these places carry rare and unique items that are not normally carried in general department stores. Of course, what you purchase for the Gods must be properly purified before use, but these places can offer us a variety of materials for our worship.

The thing I really love about solid gifts is that they never go away, and in many ways, they are a far more beautiful and unique expression of your personal devotion to the Gods, and I believe they will recognize such uniqueness as coming directly from you.

Now, of course, this does present a problem if done without moderation. If someone does this at their personal shrine on a daily or even monthly basis, it will eventually become cluttered and tacky-looking. Even a large temple would eventually run out of room, which is why one should choose only the most beautiful and appropriate solid gifts for the Gods. For example, it's not everyday you come across solid, golden brass swans or an iron bull's head. These things were very uniquely beautiful and fitting for the spaces in which they were going to be placed. They were not purchased merely for the sake of adding something, and in some ways, they called to me to be used for their present purposes.

With that being said, even if one does follow that criteria, there may still come a time when they run out of room or it is no longer suitable to add to their shrine/sanctuary/worship space and/or temple. In such a case, take the lesser offerings and bury them beneath the area or in a spot specifically designated and sanctioned for that purpose and for that God or Gods. By “lesser” I mean smaller. Start with the smaller, less valuable ones and work your way up until your space is clear enough to add newer ones. It's also important to remember that, once offered, these things become sacred and the actual property of the God or Gods, and therefore, one should care for them the same as they would care for anything else belonging to or representing the God or Gods. Keep them cleaned when needed and housed and protected from dangers and intrusions.

In the Goodness of the Dodekatheon,

Chris.