Author: temenosoikidios

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Gamelia 2019

temenosoikidios

Khairete!

Today we celebrated the Gamelia, the wedding of Zeus and Hera.

Gamelia altar 2019

We spent some time recounting the story of Their courtship and wedding and the tradition of celebrating Their wedding (not anniversary) every year.  As with any state wedding, the representatives of other parts of the world attended, meaning that we had an opportunity to invite any pantheons outside the Greek with which we have a connection, and Hierios Peregrine lit the world candle (centered above between Zeus and Hera) to acknowledge any Deities who chose to accept the invitation.

Gamelia feast 2019

Thusia was, as is our tradition, fresh-baked bread, and theoxenia included ham-and-cheese tortellini, chicken a l’orange, rice, and fruit.  Libations were given of non-alcoholic mimosa and water.

Our next festival will be Khetesia, where we will be honoring Zeus Khetesios and making Khetesios Jars, on September 8.

Until next time, may the blessings of the Gods be with you.

festivals

Panathenaia and Diogennia 2019

temenosoikidios

We’ve had two festivals at Temenos Oikidios since the New Year’s Retreat, the Panathenaia on July 21 and Diogennia today on August 11.

The Panathenaia is a festival for Athena, in which we made Athena a new outfit and played 221B Baker Street in Her honor.

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The Diogennia is Zeus’ birthday.

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As you can see, part of the offerings for Zeus included coloring pages of Him and of symbols (oak leaves) related to Him.  We also made a good bit of noise with sistrums and tambourine in honor of the warriors who clashed their swords against their shields to cover the cries of the infant Zeus to keep Him hidden from His father.

Our next festival will be the Gamelia (also called Theogamia) or wedding of Zeus and Hera, on August 25.

 

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Eiarinia 2019

temenosoikidios

Khairete!

Today, we celebrated the Eiarinia, a modern combination of many Greek festivals surrounding the spring.  One of the primary festivals is of the return of Persephone from the realm of the dead to live as Kore with Demeter for part of the year. We also incorporated the Diasia, the Hyakinthia, the Elaphebolia, and the Poimeia, a modern festival to Pan as the God of animals coming out of hibernation.

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Because this festival includes Persephone’s return,  we began without Persephone represented on the altar.  After lighting Hestia’s hearth, we processed to the altar She shares with Haides, made offerings to Them, and brought Her to join Her Mother, Demeter, as well as the other Deities of the festival.

After completing the invocation of the Deities of the day, we did an oracle bones divination, which came out as Fruit-Bearing Demeter: “Gather an unripe fruit, and it is not useful. After many contests, the laurels will be yours. But strive with deliberation; do not act in haste and violence” (Dervenis, 2004, p. 101).

Thusia was freshly baked bread and strawberry-cranberry mead, and theoxenia included spring rolls with pork, apple pie, animal crackers, and peanut butter squares.

Our next scheduled festival will be the Hermathlon on April 7.

Until the next time, may the blessings of the Gods be with you!

Dervenis, K. (2004.) Oracle bones divination: The Greek I Ching. Rochester, VT: Destiny Books

festivals

Kthonion 2019

temenosoikidios

Khairete!

Today at Temenos Oikidios, we celebrated the Khethonion for the first time.  As with our previous ritual, this is a modern creation that we developed in order to a) ensure that all the Theoi and Theai are given Their due and b) to fill out our ritual schedule.

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The ancient Greeks would not have held a festival such as this due to belief that it would be dangerous to attract the attention of the Kthonoi.  To make clear our intent in worshiping Them, Hiereos Peregrine Ursano wrote an invocation especially for the occasion specifying that we are thanking Them for all They have done for our ancestors.

Offerings were split into traditional (onions, celery, mint, parsley) and modern (sausage stew, mushroom-onion palmiers, pumpkin pie, cupcakes, and fresh vegetables).  The divination was done through reading candle wax dropped into the libation of sparkling cider, and the message was, “That which is hidden will be revealed.”

Our next festival will be the Anthesteria, on February 10.

Until next time, may the blessings of the Gods be with you.

 

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Olympia 2019

temenosoikidios

Khairete and Happy Secular New Year!

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Altar with statues of Hephaistos, Aphrodite, Athena, Dionysos, Demeter, Hera, Zeus, Hestia, Poseidon, Apollon, Hermes, Artemis, Ares, and Pan.

Today was the first time we celebrated the Olympia (not to be confused with the Olympieia), a festival to all the Olympian Gods (and Pan).  When we developed our ritual calendar for the year at Anadikia, we had two festival days remaining, and we decided one would be for the Olympians, and one would be for the Kthonioi.  Pan made it clear that He wanted to be included today as well.

As part of this festival, we offered ribbons for blessings we were requesting and blessings for which we offered thanks.  The divination message from the oracle bones was “Artemis of the Fields: When a Rabbit happens by, then all will go well. Cease your suffering, for happiness awaits you. By honoring the Gods, you will nourish your consciousness” (Dervenis, 2004, p. 99).

We offered bread as thusia during ritual.  For theoxenia, we offered and shared crab tacos with a variety of fixings and an assortment of desserts from brownies to donuts, to wandies, with libations of sparkling cider.

Our next festival will be the Oracle of the Bull, online with Terentios on January 15, and the Kthonion at the main temple space on January 27.

Until then, may the blessings of the Gods be with you!

Dervenis, K. (2004.) Oracle bones divination: The Greek I Ching. Rochester, VT: Destiny Books