Kthonian 2020

Khairete!

Today was another first as we celebrated the Kthonic Gods with a modern just-invented festival called the Kthonian.

Since we were honoring the Kthonic Gods, this ritual took a somewhat different format.  We began with processing to and around the altar and lit Hestia’s hearth, then offered barley to the Gods of the Temple, the Gods of the year, the God of the month, and the Gods of the festival.  You might notice at this point, there has been no purification.  That part came later.

We invoked and made offerings to the Gods and then held our feasting apart from Them, as one does not dine with these Gods while physically incarnate. The prayers used for invocation were written by Hiereios Peregrine Ursano.

We did divination, using both the Oracle Bones and the Delphic Maxim cards.  The group Oracle Bones reading was:

“Concerning that which you strive for, be patient, it is not yet time.  And should the Gods present you with sadness, They will redeem you willingly.  He who is in foreign lands will complete his journey, says the God” (Dervenis, 2014, p. 87).

We then had a lively discussion about how our individual divinations (the Delphic Maxims each of us drew) related to or individualized that reading for each of us.

Then we made final libations to the Gods, to Hestia, and to the Daimon, and purified.

Our next festival will be the Anthesteriaon Sunday, February 9.