Polytheist Devotional Arts Challenge: Week One

I am happily participating in the #DevotionalArts2021 challenge created by Michelle Simkins! I decided to do it one week at a time because I'm a little swamped with things to do. Here's the first week's prompts and what I wrote for each one!

Day 1: “Prayer”

Hestia Polyolvos I call, the firstborn of Kronos and Rhea, beloved Olympian, caretaker of every hearth and altar. Hear me, kind Hestia, shining one, first and foremost among the household Gods! As is your right since time immemorial, I offer to you this first creation, a hymn and prayer in love and reverence. May your gentle gaze continue to bless us and our homes.

Day 2: “Love”

Ὦ, δύναμι ἀμαιμάκετε…

Inscribed in gold and silver

Honeyed and caressed

In everlasting bloom

Resplendent in glorious light

Born of desire and beauty

Matured through bittersweet pain

Walking barefoot through thorny paths

Trembling in blind fear

Of a mind assaulted by storm-clouds

But evermore rejuvenated by a single drop

Of such divine ambrosia

Of such succulent nectar

That truly deathless part of humanity

Nourished by you

O, love, divine and mortal, ever dying and resurrecting

In hearts, souls, and minds,

Ὦ, πολύμορφε, πολυτίμητ’ ἀγάπη.

Day 3: “Offering”

An offering is a precious thing. Even if its material and monetary value is negligible, an offering is precious. A proper offering is a sacrifice, however small. It is a gift and a nourishment for the Gods and Spirits we so honor. I offer my prayers and hymns, my writings and drawings, my rituals and magics. I offer grain and water, wine and honey, bread and olive oil, flowers and stones, blood and fire and pain and time. Never have the Gods rejected an offering given in love and reverence. Giving offerings is among the holiest of practices.

Day 4: “Devotion”

One word

but a myriad,

wondrous layers of meaning.

Devotion.

Divine duty.

Holy purpose.

Devotion.

Heartfelt ἀγάπη.

Commitment.

Devotion.

Soul-transmutative ἔργον.

Transcendent relationship.

Devotion.

Privilege and labor of initiates and priests.

Lifelong journey.

Devotion.

Day 5: “Promise”

I have made many promises in my life as a polytheist. Some I have broken, some I have upheld, others I have honored above and beyond. I will make many more promises in the future. From a devotional polytheist perspective, promises are powerful bonds with our Gods. Promises should not be made lightly (though they aren’t as binding or strict as vows and oaths). Sometimes Gods can let us dissolve a promise, especially if it’s one made in error or if seeing it through would cause more harm than good. However, more often than not, I have experienced the Gods requiring us to honor most promises made, even the “bad” ones. Usually, this results in lessons; painful but important lessons. Responsibility is important and promises are sacred. Be careful what promises you make and to whom you make them.

Day 6: “Transformation”

He danced a slithering dance, swaying back and forth like a serpent before the altar. The only light came from the flames of the candles on the altar, which were arranged in a sacred pattern. He whispered secret names and uttered holy phrases. His serpentine dance became wilder but his mind had long lost contact with his body. In the soft glow of the candles, in the soothing darkness of the shadowy room, under the consecrated veils, unaware of his fervent dance, he saw the mythic cave and the Titan who opened its tartarean gate. Primordial water gushed forth and in the dimly lit room, fresh, cold water poured in a glass chalice. He continued to whisper the secret names and holy phrases. In soul-flight, he sought the obscured light. At last, he found it! The light entered the waters and the world was rejuvenated. Water purified and merged with light wet his parched mouth and throat, and he returned to this world, like a seed bursting in spring with budding life, renewed and reborn, filled with divinely blessed potency.

It was done. It had begun.

Day 7: “Ritual”

A Triskelion-Inspired Rite of Liminality

This ritual is meant to confer a liminal state to a place, as a preliminary step to advanced invocation, for the purposes of theurgic communion and henosis with the divine. I have removed certain Triskelion-specific elements, such as certain consecrated tools so this ritual is actually unfinished and shouldn’t work very well as-is. Instead, it is meant to act as an example for the necessary framework such a ritual would exhibit and it should be thoroughly adapted to the practitioner’s needs and Gods.

Materials:

Three white candles

Incense & censer (frankincense, styrax, or any herbal incense with lavender will suffice)

A key

Preparation & Process:

Have the ritual space be clean and prepare an empty surface, such as a desk, small table or other similar place. Put the key in the middle of the surface and the three candles in a subtle arc behind it, as if they’re surrounding it on the side across from you. Place the censer with the unlit incense in front of the key, on the side closest to you.

Purify yourself and the space in your preferred manner.

Say a hymn or prayer to the deity you will be invoking afterwards.

Start lighting the candles while saying:

O, holy light, transformative flame, pierce through the obscuring mists and reveal the presence of the Gods.

 

Light the incense and say:

O, smoke, winding like a serpent, made sacred with flame, fill this room and body with the subtle aether of the Gods.

Take the censer and move it clockwise so the smoke propagates throughout the room. Return it to its place and say:

Full is now this hall of the Gods with the blessed scent! They are and walk among us.

Take the key and raise it above the censer and candles so it is entangled in the smoke and reflecting the light of the candleflames. Say:

ASKEI KATASKEI ERON OREON IOR MEGA SAMNYER BAUI (3 times)

PHOBANTIA SEMNE

Keybearing Mistress of the Crossroads, World-Spanning Queen, Initiatrix and Guide, Liminal One, You Who Treads All Realms, Keeper of the Secret Names and Goddess of Mysteries, bless this place! Make it as your sacred Crossroads, make it an in-between space, a place fit to receive the full presence of Gods!

AKTIOPHIS PHERSEPHATTA SELASPHOROS

Open the Gate, Sunder the Veil, Break open the Tartarean Doors!

Rouse the land-daimons and the wind Gods!

Unite the deathless, Elysian Olympus and the fruitful, Chthonic Earth!

In your many Names, O Nameless One,

Protogonos, Titanis, Krataia,

this place is now found nowhere and everywhere.

It is not of Land, Sea, or Sky, yet it dwells in their midst.

Your touch rends space!

Your voice connects all realms!

Your power shapes the center!

I am a vessel, an instrument of your force, O Great One, and through me, with your power, this space is now a Crossroads between the worlds of Mortals and Gods!

So it is, so it is, so it is!

Your working space is now consecrated and transformed into a liminal realm. Continue with whatever theurgic rituals and invocations you have planned. Once you are finished and you want to restore the space to its original state, do this:

Snuff out the candles and say:

The holy light is gone. This Crossroads is darkened.

Remove the censer and incense and say:

The divine aether is gone. This Crossroads is emptied.

Remove the key and cover it with a cloth or inside a box or other safe place. Say:

The sacred omphalos is gone. This Crossroads falls apart.

Close your eyes and say:

ASKEI KATASKEI ERON OREON IOR MEGA SAMNYER BAUI (3 times)

PHOBANTIA SEMNE

O Nameless One, O Great One, You who transformed this place into your Crossroads!

Return it to its former state!

This Crossroads has neither Light nor Aether nor a cornerstone.

It crumbles away.

Your power recedes.

Your voice falls on deaf ears.

Your touch becomes but memory.

And this realm becomes as it was before, a place upon mortal Earth, 

a place upon the Land, under the Sky, by the Sea.

This Crossroads exists no more!

It is done, it is done, it is done!

Perform any additional closings and give any offerings you have. The rite has ended.

 

Patron Gods of Cities: The example of Athena and how I interact with such Gods

This is a well-known concept, at least on a surface level. Throughout history, Gods (and in Christian lands, saints) have been patrons of cities and places, often giving their names to the land they protect and sponsor. One of the most famous examples is that of Athena, the patron Goddess of the city of Athens. Pretty much everyone knows of the mythical contest between Athena and Poseidon to decide the patron God of Athens, and how Athena won by offering the olive tree to the people of the city.

 

What I want to discuss here isn’t the mythical perspective – or even the theological exactly – but the practical, the empirical. What I’ve experienced as a practitioner born and raised in Athens (who still lives here too!) quickly put my worries of the Gods being relics of the past to rest. When I was still in my first couple of years of polytheist exploration and was almost entirely focused on the Hellenic pantheon, I felt guilty. I was drawn to deities like Selene, Artemis, and Gaia, yet I felt no real pull from Athena, the Goddess of the very city and land I lived on! I attempted to cultivate a relationship with Athena and in my teenage naivete I call upon her for help with school. 

 

It worked! While I oversimplified her attributes as a Goddess of wisdom and strategy, she still delivered. I never failed an exam or pop quiz, even without studying, if I had petitioned her beforehand. You’d think this would mean I could worship Athena more intimately than the occasional observance on the Attic calendar or, at least, Athena herself would warm up to me and become more prominent in my life. 

 

Wrong! None of that happened. I still felt practically no connection; I continued to honor her on traditional dates but that was it. I didn’t experience the kind of interaction I enjoyed with Selene for instance. Puzzled, I prayed to Athena, asking why things didn’t work out. The response I got was swift: “I’m only doing what is expected of me towards you, an Athenian.” 

 

That terse but honest response changed my point of view and made me realize something extraordinary. Even after centuries upon centuries of people denying Athena worship, honor, and recognition, she still acted as patron Goddess of Athens and, therefore, protected and supported all Athenians. She aided me because she saw it as a duty of her position! This also explained why there was no deepening of the relationship; it was strictly professional, so to speak. 

 

This experience led me to experiment, in a sense, over the years by “checking in” with various deities and spirits known to be patrons of cities, towns, and other areas. One of my findings was that these can overlap and coexist within the same place. For example, while the entirety of Athens is under Athena’s protection, specific areas have their own “sub-patrons”. Athena has the highest and most potent influence but the many regions that make up Athens are autonomously governed by Gods and spirits. The eerie similarity between human governance and divine organization of patronage didn’t escape me. Perhaps this is were we learnt that from? Who can know for certain. Another interesting thing is that there can be, and often are, more than one “big” patrons! This is usually the result of multiple religions existing in the same place, therefore multiple beings influence the same land. Whether this is always peaceful or not is another matter. 

 

Knowing the patron Gods of a location is important to me because my personal practice has a considerable bioregional character: I work with the Land, I practice in harmony with the spiritual ecosystem of my physical environment. When I visit another place, especially outside of Athens, I make it a point to contact the resident patron deity and honor them, ensuring my safety and a welcome stay on their land. This doesn’t necessarily look like much to an external observer, especially if I’m not at a place where I can easily and safely practice openly. My go-to method is as follows: 

 

I do a quick search for info on the location I’m in, if I haven’t already done so before arriving. If the area doesn’t have direct information on a patron deity (whether current or in the past – evidently from Athena’s case, patron Gods don’t really abandon their domains), I look into patron saints and their associations with ancient divinities. In the rare cases where neither option yields the necessary information, I do this: I pray to Hekate and Hermes to either reveal the patron deity to me or contact them and ask them to make themselves known. Once I have established who the patron God of the area is, I give them a simple offering, usually a libation of water and a prayer expressing my respect and reverence. 

 

Usually, things end there. Most patron deities of places I’ve visited welcomed my actions (and I’ve felt a sense of surprise more than once – how sad that most are so used to human ignorance and neglect) but leave it there. Some barely acknowledged me at all and promptly ignored me after I was done. I consider it the spiritual equivalent of going through customs: you don’t really become friends with the airport staff checking your ID and luggage. 

 

I haven’t had any negative experiences with patron Gods of places but I’ve also been careful not to do anything that would offend them. That’s not a particularly hard task and any practitioner worth their salt should be respectful and mindful by default, in my opinion. If one were to be so unlucky as to elicit a hostile reaction from a patron deity, then my recommended solution would be a standard propitiation and appeasement. In other words, give good offerings, apologize sincerely, praise them, and make actual amends (i.e. fix what you broke). 

 

In conclusion, patron Gods and spirits of the land are, in my opinion and experience, an irrevocable and vital part of “spiritual ecology” and we should show our appreciation and reverence to them more often. We’re part of their land, whether temporarily or for life, and we should be aware and courteous towards them.

Days of Hekate III: Labrys Full Moon Ritual and Wildwood Workings

On Sunday, May 22^nd, I attended a public ritual for the Full Moon hosted by Labrys on Philopappou Hill in downtown Athens (it’s a hill next to the Acropolis). It was a very beautiful ritual: we were gathered in a circle around the altar, the only light coming from the illuminated city around the hill, the torches held by some of the women participating and the various candles and oil lamps on and around the altar. 

One of the torchbearers invoked Hekate with a hymn I hadn’t heard before, although parts of it were familiar. I didn’t have the chance to ask afterwards but I think it was a hymn crafted personally by her and included pieces of other hymns as well. It was beautiful, wild, and moving to the point that I couldn’t recall the hymns to the other Goddesses afterwards. The whole ritual was exceptionally pleasing, aesthetically and energetically.

There was a bit of a problem though. It got really cold to the point that I couldn’t stop shivering. Unwilling to break circle to get my jacket or to interrupt the gorgeous ritual in any way, I silently called upon two of the Four Guardian Spirits: Mother Bear of the North and Brother Wolf of the South, two important spirit animals in the Wildwood Druidry. That actually helped a lot! Slowly, I began feeling a sense of warmth emanating from inside me (my “centre”, the point in my body I visualise as my core and centre during centering and meditations, located a little above the solar plexus) which extended to my entire body. It faded somewhat at times during the ritual because my focus was divided but, other than that, it worked better than I expected. 

After the ritual, we had a simple feast of sorts, sharing salty foods and red wine and having fun as a community (it looks a lot like an outdoors party, in fact!). As always, I only took a few sips and offered the rest as a libation. Even so, I felt a bit “tipsy” and unstable on my feet and I was positively buzzing with the energy of the ritual, despite being dead-tired from the hours of standing. When I got home, I was too charged up to rest so I performed an ecstatic rite for the Wildwood Spirits, a working that brings me in communion with them through the use of a veil, ecstatic dance, and “spirit-talk”*. I thanked them for their aid with the cold and then decided on the spot to use this as a chance to do something I had in mind for a while: request entrance to the Wildwood Realm under their auspices**. I uttered my request and, while still in trance, drew a card from the Wildwood Tarot deck to serve as the answer from the Spirits. It was an overwhelmingly positive and reassuring card, essentially the Spirits screaming “YES!” to me in regards to my request. Deeply moved, I thrice blessed and thanked the Spirits and slowly finished the rite.

Thus concluded the Three Days of Hekate, which began with Her Sacred Fires, continued with the Nomen Rite, and finished with a public Full Moon ritual and a private Wildwood rite. Those three days were filled with potent energies and presences, moving and powerful experiences, and a lot of hope and determination for the future.

__________________________________________________

*Spirit-talk: Speaking while in trance and communion with Gods or Spirits, with minimal control over my speech, allowing the inspiration of the Spirits and the words of my soul to come forth, unhindered by the conscious mind. It is essentially a type of oral automatic writing, as well as a type of channeling and mediumship. The Gods and Spirits don’t possess me or talk through me per se – rather, it is a way for me to open up to their guidance and inspiration completely as well as speak what is True and what comes directly from my soul (thus all speech during spirit-talk is Words of Power and can be considered the same as spell utterances and incantations). It is an important tool in my spirit-work as it allows me to remember what transpires but also to gain insight and gnosis that would otherwise be hidden from me. It also allows me to express my true will, intent and feelings without relying on scripted prayer or invocations or stumbling to find the proper words.

**Entering the Wildwood Realm: This is part of a bigger subject that I will discuss on this blog at some point. Long story short, it is part of a process for working with and experiencing the Wildwood Realm and all its Spirits, and it refers to getting the permission of specific Spirits before entering the Wildwood, for a host of reasons, such as protection and guidance. While it is entirely possible to enter the Wildwood without permission (it’s not a closed-off realm) and even experience it in different ways (“enter it from different gates”, if you will), requesting permission is a necessary step for entering the Wildwood in a specific manner and being able to fulfill specific conditions and workings in the future, as per Triskelion and Wildwood Druidry practice.

Days of Hekate I: Her Sacred Fires

Every year, during the days close to the Full Moon of May (usually the three days before and after it), an international event takes place in many shapes and forms. I’m talking about the Rite of Her Sacred Fires, a rite in honour of Hekate, and a really good example of devotional ceremony for this particular Goddess. I owe a great deal regarding my own relationship with Hekate to the anthology and Rite of Her Sacred Fires since they acted as the necessary catalyst for me to explore my patron Goddess further. She taught and continues to teach me many things through the experiences and wisdom of fellow devotees.

I have been performing the Rite for 5 years now, the past four as a solitary. This year, however, I was blessed with being invited by good friends – devotees and priestesses of Hekate themselves – to celebrate together. We were seven people participating in the rite in total, and we gathered at night. The energy was vibrant and everything just felt right. The ritual itself was potent. The leading priestess added some parts to the rite as instructed by Hekate Herself. Here’s a rough summary of what we did:

We began with the ritual opening used by Labrys, the community we are all familiar with (some of the people present at the Rite are long-standing members). Then, two women invoked the elements in the four directions and created a magical space for us to work in. Following that, the leading priestess, the women that performed the elemental invocations and another woman – who is dedicated to Artemis – invoked Hekate in a manner revealed by the Goddess Herself: the priestess stood in the middle of a triangle of sorts, with each of the other women standing on what would be its points. The three women drew the energies of Hekate Ourania, Chthonia, and Einalia, while the priestess invoked Her with the Orphic hymn. Afterwards, the priestess – with help from one of the women – led us in meditation to commune with Hekate. While we were in the meditation, she would bring each person individually in front of the altar and guide them through the actual Rite of Her Sacred Fires, which takes the form of a ceremonial pledge of devotion to the Goddess and Her mysteries. After that, one of the participants recited a prayer requesting protection and aid from Hekate for the refugees in Greece. We did the Labrys ritual closing, although the women decided to not bid farewell to the elements and to leave the ritual “open” for further work in the following days. The priestess passed the sacred flame to all of us one last time, we vibrated Hekate’s name three times and the ritual ended. We had a small feast/meal afterwards, made with foods sacred to Hekate.

There were a number of interesting experiences during all that. First, I perceived – with my eyes closed and while still in meditation – every person around me as possessing an inner flame that burned white, almost translucent in its lack of colour. Every individual that completed the actual Rite of Her Sacred Fires had their flame dyed a colour unique to them (I saw purple, red, light blue, and greenish blue before the demands of the ritual and the meditation made me lose focus of this vision). Second, I had the curious experience of perceiving the ritual in the physical realm and at the same time Hekate and the meditational space in the spiritual realm. While this didn’t have physical visual effects, I was simultaneously experiencing the Rite of Her Sacred Fires physically and Hekate’s private work with me spiritually/mentally. It was a bit disorienting but exceptionally powerful. I was also whispering all sorts of “mini” invocations and prayers throughout the whole ritual. Third, the pet dog of the leading priestess and her wife became agitated and active at select portions of the ritual, such as when the priestess described Hekate’s animal retinue during the meditation (especially when she mentioned the dogs) and when we vibrated Hekate’s name all together at the end of the ritual.

This ritual was important to me for a number of reasons. First of all, it was an additional confirmation that my getting involved with these wonderful people is right and guided by Hekate. Furthermore, it helped me open spiritual channels and prepare myself for the very intense and demanding work that awaited me the following day. Finally, it allowed me to experience the Goddess in a mystical way together with fellow devotees and celebrate Her wondrous gifts and presence.

I am deeply thankful to my friends for granting me all this and even more thankful to Hekate for bringing us all together. Here’s to more and greater work in the future!

A Communal Celebration

The other day, I had the pleasure to participate and experience a Noumenia ritual with Labrys, an Athens-based Hellenic polytheist group. We gathered on Filopappou Hill, at midday, around the stone altar Labrys has erected near the Heroon of Mousaios. The ritual, following Labrys’ format, was powerful and beautiful. The khernips passed around for pre-ritual purification had rosewater mixed in it, granting it a divine fragrance that instantly placed you in ritual mood. During the hymn to Hestia, the small fire one of the members leading the ritual had lit grew haunting and intense. The many libations poured upon the altar seemed to be thirstily absorbed by the stones warmed by the Sun and by the dry earth. The many different kinds of incense burnt heartily released blessed smoke, which swirled in spirals and columns and naturally fumigated the large circle of participants. The Orphic hymn to Mousaios was especially potent; many participants commented on the power of the hymn and its beauty afterwards. I felt that the numerous deities invoked with that hymn made their presence known to varying degrees, something that was especially moving and impressive, given the sheer volume of Gods and spirits called. At one point during the libations, a rogue bee approached the altar, sat on a libation oinokhoe (wine jug) for a bit, and then took flight again, circled the altar and disappeared. I took that to be an auspicious sign from the Gods that the ritual was well-received, something that improved my already great mood further.

After the ritual was completed, we had a small feast all together, partaking of wine and various foods, in honour of the Deathless Ones that graced us with their presence and blessings. That was one of my favourite parts of the ritual, and something I much like about Labrys in general: they really do make you experience the feeling of a community, even if you don’t fit 100% with everyone present. Before, during, and after ritual, we’re all part of the same community, co-religionists worshipping the same Gods, and that’s the most important thing in my eyes. This is also one of the biggest reasons why I always recommend Labrys, even if I don’t (yet, perhaps?) feel I can become a full member or fit in completely. They provide an indispensable service to all local Hellenic polytheists, that of a tangible and true expression of the polis religion, as it should be in modern times.

Following the celebration, I was invited by some friends in Labrys to watch their rehearsal for the Attika Dionysia, a modern celebration in honour of Dionysos, organized and performed by the group. The – long! – rehearsal at Tritsis park in an open theatre was beautiful and inspiring. I will definitely try my best to attend the Attika Dionysia and I am certain I will see quite the spectacle if the rehearsal was any indication! I got back home, nearly 12 hours later (I was out from 10 am to 9 pm!), sun-burnt, hungry, thirsty, and exhausted but excited, satisfied, content, and filled with hope, spiritual “buzz”, and a desire for more.

It was a wonderful experience and one I plan on repeating many times in the future. The people at Labrys are exceedingly hospitable and kind, going out of their way to accommodate and help anyone and you’re immediately made to feel welcome. I don’t know if my involvement with Labrys will be beyond that of a “religious acquaintance” or if it will develop into something deeper and more complex but, either way, it will definitely benefit me greatly.