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Hellenic calendar

EverChanging

EverChanging

Well-Known Member
So, I am much attracted to the calendar in the link below and I've long wanted to work with Hellenic deities and have established a theological framework to do that.

The problem I'm having is finding rituals for each of these months to honor the associated deities and virtues. Do I have to build all that on my own? Could anyone lead me to resources? (Note: I am not interested in Wicca or Wiccan derived spirituality. )

I have found suitable daily rituals. The how to part on observing a calendar is much more daunting. Can anyone help me?
 
G

GoodbyeDave

Well-Known Member
Every Greek city had its own unique calendar! Many modern Hellenists use the Athenian one as it's the only one for which we have reasonable details, but even in Attica the different localities (e.g. Marathon, Eleusis) had their own festivals.

The calendars, like those of the Jews and the Chinese, are based on the lunar months and start after a solstice and equinox. I find this important, as it acknowledges the facts that we are part of the world and that the world is a sacred place.

My festivals, starting after the winter solstice, are for
1 Zeus and Hera
2 Hades and Persephone
3 Dionysos
4 Artemis
5 Apollo
6 Aphrodite
7 Athena
8 Hermes
9 Demeter
10 Hephaistos
11 Ares
12 Poseidon
1, 3, 4, 5, 7, and 12 are taken from the Athenian calendar. The festival of Demeter is a harvest festival and that for Ares is Remembrance Day.

As far as rituals go, I keep things very simple. I make an offering of wine, incense, and flowers. For many, I vow a charitable donation in their honour — e.g. Lifeboat Institution for Poseidon. I also sing one of the Orphic hymns in Thomas Taylor's translation; unfortunately that only gives me a choice of two tunes: "Abide with me" or "All round the world thy children sing their song".
 
EverChanging

EverChanging

Well-Known Member
DavidMcCann said:
Every Greek city had its own unique calendar! Many modern Hellenists use the Athenian one as it's the only one for which we have reasonable details, but even in Attica the different localities (e.g. Marathon, Eleusis) had their own festivals.

The calendars, like those of the Jews and the Chinese, are based on the lunar months and start after a solstice and equinox. I find this important, as it acknowledges the facts that we are part of the world and that the world is a sacred place.

My festivals, starting after the winter solstice, are for
1 Zeus and Hera
2 Hades and Persephone
3 Dionysos
4 Artemis
5 Apollo
6 Aphrodite
7 Athena
8 Hermes
9 Demeter
10 Hephaistos
11 Ares
12 Poseidon
1, 3, 4, 5, 7, and 12 are taken from the Athenian calendar. The festival of Demeter is a harvest festival and that for Ares is Remembrance Day.

As far as rituals go, I keep things very simple. I make an offering of wine, incense, and flowers. For many, I vow a charitable donation in their honour — e.g. Lifeboat Institution for Poseidon. I also sing one of the Orphic hymns in Thomas Taylor's translation; unfortunately that only gives me a choice of two tunes: "Abide with me" or "All round the world thy children sing their song".
Click to expand...
I forgot the link. Here it is.

Hearth of Hellenism: The Greek Wheel of the Year
 
EverChanging

EverChanging

Well-Known Member
DavidMcCann said:
Every Greek city had its own unique calendar! Many modern Hellenists use the Athenian one as it's the only one for which we have reasonable details, but even in Attica the different localities (e.g. Marathon, Eleusis) had their own festivals.

The calendars, like those of the Jews and the Chinese, are based on the lunar months and start after a solstice and equinox. I find this important, as it acknowledges the facts that we are part of the world and that the world is a sacred place.

My festivals, starting after the winter solstice, are for
1 Zeus and Hera
2 Hades and Persephone
3 Dionysos
4 Artemis
5 Apollo
6 Aphrodite
7 Athena
8 Hermes
9 Demeter
10 Hephaistos
11 Ares
12 Poseidon
1, 3, 4, 5, 7, and 12 are taken from the Athenian calendar. The festival of Demeter is a harvest festival and that for Ares is Remembrance Day.

As far as rituals go, I keep things very simple. I make an offering of wine, incense, and flowers. For many, I vow a charitable donation in their honour — e.g. Lifeboat Institution for Poseidon. I also sing one of the Orphic hymns in Thomas Taylor's translation; unfortunately that only gives me a choice of two tunes: "Abide with me" or "All round the world thy children sing their song".
Click to expand...

I actually have a book that lists hymns for each of these days of the month, and there is a simple ritual on the link I sent that I can swap the hymns out on for each day of the month, so that might work to get started. But I have no idea what day of the month each deity is honored in the link I sent. I suppose it doesn't hurt just to do the ceremonies on the first of the month?

I'm not really concerned with having a historically accurate calendar, just a simple one that is workable for me. I'm not trying to reconstruct an old one. I realize there were many calendars in antiquity so I don't see why there shouldn't be today.

Do you observe those festivals on any certain days of the month? I'm just trying to figure out how I'm going to do that part.
 
G

GoodbyeDave

Well-Known Member
Anything that works is right! Pick the first day of the month, or the full moon, or anything else. I generally pick the original day when I follow an Athenian festival because I like the idea that when I'm celebrating the Mounichia, there will be other people doing it around the world. But that's just me.
 
EverChanging

EverChanging

Well-Known Member
DavidMcCann said:
Every Greek city had its own unique calendar! Many modern Hellenists use the Athenian one as it's the only one for which we have reasonable details, but even in Attica the different localities (e.g. Marathon, Eleusis) had their own festivals.

The calendars, like those of the Jews and the Chinese, are based on the lunar months and start after a solstice and equinox. I find this important, as it acknowledges the facts that we are part of the world and that the world is a sacred place.

My festivals, starting after the winter solstice, are for
1 Zeus and Hera
2 Hades and Persephone
3 Dionysos
4 Artemis
5 Apollo
6 Aphrodite
7 Athena
8 Hermes
9 Demeter
10 Hephaistos
11 Ares
12 Poseidon
1, 3, 4, 5, 7, and 12 are taken from the Athenian calendar. The festival of Demeter is a harvest festival and that for Ares is Remembrance Day.

As far as rituals go, I keep things very simple. I make an offering of wine, incense, and flowers. For many, I vow a charitable donation in their honour — e.g. Lifeboat Institution for Poseidon. I also sing one of the Orphic hymns in Thomas Taylor's translation; unfortunately that only gives me a choice of two tunes: "Abide with me" or "All round the world thy children sing their song".
Click to expand...

When you celebrate these festivals do you add anything to the festivals to give them a distinctive character?

Perhaps I'm overthinking this but for example in Anglicanism we would use special readings and hymns to go with the season or holy day.

If your festival has a theme how do you include the theme in your worship?
 
EverChanging

EverChanging

Well-Known Member
Hildeburh said:
Have you tried,

THEOI GREEK MYTHOLOGY - Exploring Mythology in Classical Literature & Art
HMEPA: Hellenic Month Established Per Athens temporary
Click to expand...

Thanks for the linkage.

I have seen both sites. I browse the first for information on the gods.

I am currently building my own seasons and calendar that I think will have more relevance to me within my own cultural and religious context and could work for various Powers.

For ritual itself I will base it on reconstructionist rites perhaps with some tweaking.

I will return and share about the calendar I'm working on. I could possibly use advice, constructive criticism, and learn by what others are doing. I'm going "lite" on the reconstructionist aspect.
 
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