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Kheimonia 2018

temenosoikidios

Khairete,

Today at Temenos Oikidios, we celebrated the Kheimonia, our winter festival that combines several ancient and modern Hellenic festivals: the Pompaia, the Maimakteria, the Dendraia, the Rural Dionysia, and the Haloa, as well as incorporating homage to Hera Chera, Hermes Taxidoros, and Apollon Iatros.

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We opened with a grounding meditation centered around where and how we find warmth in the winter months. We invoked Hestia, Hermes, Poseidon, Demeter, Hera, Zeus, Dionysos, Pan, and Apolon using Hearthstone’s In Praise of Olympus.

Thusia was a freshly baked and warm loaf of white bread, and theoxenia was slow-cooked pork with root vegetables and rum balls.

Our divination was Nemesis:

“Concerning that which you intend, make haste; all will be yours afterward. Those things that until now brought you sorrow, will be directed to your advantage, says the god. Be at peace, there is no evil ahead for you” (Dervenis, 2004, p. 125).

In the Haloa tradition of striving to make Demeter laugh, we finished out the festival with a round of the game Rotten Apples.

Our next festival will be the Olympieia on January 13, 2019.  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

 

festivals

Panaia/Dendraia 2018

temenosoikidios

Khairete!

Today, we celebrated the Panaia,

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and part 1 of the Dendraia.

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We each took turns reading prayers to Pan from In Praise of Olympus and sections of the Homeric Hymn to Pan.

As is customary, Hiereos Timotheos did a reading for the Temenos using the oracle bones.  What came up was Dionysus Bassareus:

“One lone six, one three, and three ones fall:
Be in no hurry to harvest the buds of the vine, nor the summer figs,
nor should you prepare your [fishing] weights for the line,
for you will lie heavy in the waves.
Your obligation lies elsewhere, and it eludes you.

Our thusia was freshly-baked bread, and theoxenia was spicy lamb couscous, herbed cheese and olives, carrot salad, kale salad, and cornbread, with desserts of sticky buns and apple pie and libations of retsina, and both hard and soft cider.

We then decorated Pan’s tree while people received individual readings.

Our next festivals will be

Oracle of the Bulls, led by Hiereos Terentios online, 11/16 at noon EST.

Synkomidia, a harvest festival to Demeter and Gaia, 11/25 at 2pm EST.

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

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Fthinoporia 2018

temenosoikidios

Khairete!

Today we celebrated the Fthinokhoria, a fall festival combining the Panagon, Puanepsia, and the marriage of Kore to Hades, and Her transformation to Persephone.

We offered BBQ pork, which is sacred to Demeter (well, pigs in general) as well as citrus-fennel salad, potatoes, apple pie, ice cream, and cookies.

The divination by astragaloi spoke of Hermes the Guide:  “Do not reflect upon evil, nor go against the God, planning calamities, for there is nothing useful in this.  Neither on the path you are taking, will you uncover gain in the end” (Dervenis, 2014).

Our next festival will be the Oskhophoria on October 7, time and place to be determined.  Watch this space and/or our Facebook Events listings for updates!

Reference

Dervenis, K. (2014). Oracle Bones Divination: The Greek I Ching. Rochester, VT: Destiny Books

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Gamelia 2018

temenosoikidios

Gamelia 2018

Today at Temenos Oikidios, we celebrated the Gamelia, the wedding of Hera and Zeus.  We have historically celebrated this festival in late January/early February.  However, Peregrine Ursano found in his studies that Hera was worshiped in a seasonal fashion, so that it would make more sense to hold this festival during the summer months, when She was honored as Hera Teleia or the Fulfilled.  (For those interested in investigating this further, you may be interested in checking out the Hera page on Theoi.com .)

After ritually bathing Their statues, we heard the story of how Zeus wooed Hera and Hera invented marriage to begin with Them and spread as an institution to the rest of the Gods and to humans.  We offered and shared a feast of Italian wedding soup, chicken, bread, watermelon, and wedding cake for theoxenia.

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The oracle reading for the ritual was “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.”

Other rituals we’ve done recently are the Panathenaia (7/29) and Diogennia (8/19).  Here are some photos:

Panathenaia2Panathenaia

Diogennia 2018
Diogennia

Our next festival will be the Fall Festival on 9/23.

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

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Welcome Home

temenosoikidios

Thanks for joining us!

Honor the hearth. – Delphic Maxim

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When the Hellenic Temple of Apollon, Zeus, and Pan was established, it was intended to be a place for worship and ritual in the home of its owner and neokoros (temple keeper) to provide a safe space for Greek Polytheists to worship. As the temple has grown over the years, it has become that safe space. It is because of this that its current temple keepers, Timotheos and Peregrine Kyknandreis decided to rename it as Temenos Oikidios. Temenos Oikidios means “house sanctuary,” and it reflects our current practice of homestyle worship.

One of our main beliefs, and the beliefs of many Hellenic Polytheists is that of Xenia, or “guest-friendship.” Guest friendship means to be open and welcoming to all. In the context of our temenos, this means being open, welcoming, and affirming. All are welcome to join us in the worship of the Gods and Goddesses of Greece. Our celebrants come from all over the country and from all walks of life. We strive to ensure that all feel safe, visible, and included in our worship.

Want to know more about us, check out our “who we are” page!