Obey the Law (Νομω πειθου)

(DISCLAIMER: I do not claim to be an expert on anything. I'm merely giving my opinions and interpretations as I see them as being applicable. We are not an absolutist faith, nor do I personally regard this as "infallible"  hence why I see the need to update things to a modern equivalency)

Maxim: Νομω πειθου or "Obey the Law"

Modern Interpretation: Obey the Law

This one is another one which is pretty dang straight-forward. Obey the law. A simple phrase, a simple concept, but why is it important? Obeying laws results in community cohesion. When no one is stealing from another person, we can trust each other more. When no one is hurting other people, we fear each other less, and trust each other more, and when it comes to human friendships trust is vital. Obeying the law is absolutely vital to being able to trust one another. This also extends to groups that you are a member of. You should obey the laws of the group. If your club has a code of conduct, follow it, if your workplace has dress standards, follow them. Following the rules is overall a good decision, and will save you a lot of strife.

Though, there are times when this falls apart.

Sometimes rules are made to be broken. When the law of your land imposes upon the basic liberties of being able to be who you are, and being able to speak your mind, perhaps it is time to disregard this maxim. In America, we aren't going to have as much opportunity for this, but there are many countries in the world where women can't get an education or speak their mind. There are many countries where being gay will result in a stoning. There are many countries where disagreeing with the government will result in execution. Sometimes the law can be wrong.

Use the gift of reason

Obey the law, but use your head.

Happy Theogamia! (And some good news!)

Today is Theogamia, here is my attempt at making a cake for the celebration

Theogamia Cake. Is supposed to say Zeus and Hera. I am not a good Cakester

I also applied to start up a Proto-Demos for the DFW Area. I'm hoping it gets approved (that's the good news)


Valentine's day is coming up? Don't you wish your guy or gal was this romantic?

Gender Roles in Hellenismsos

I might just be letting the cat out of the bag here (/sarcasm) but even Hellenismos has holidays, festivals, and rites which are only for particular gender roles, as well as having a gendered component in some rituals, like women emitting a shrill cry at the exact moment of the bull/goat/pig being felled (or in the more reformed sense, as the food offerings are cast into the fire). Because of this, sooner or later we have to grapple with gender roles within Hellenismos.

This is a tricky subject because gender is a tricky subject. Lets lay out a bit of groundwork first.

There are (from what I have seen and researched) five different genders. Male, Female, TransMale, TransFemale, and Genderqueer. These exist independently of masculinity, femininity, and sexuality. A biological male can feel male, be feminine, and be attracted to women. Likewise, a biological male can feel female, be masculine, and be attracted to women. I would also like to point out that I "separated" TransMale and TransFemale into their own category to reduce confusion, they both belong to the over-category of Male and Female respectively, but have their own experiences and nuances which I will never be aware of due to my sex and gender matching up. Genderqueer is a confusing mess of things that I don't entirely understand, but which I will try to provide an answer for (as best I can)

I will start out by saying that Traditionalists are going to be a bit more rigid on this topic. I can't speak for them, but from what I have gathered your biological sex will be your role in the rite and will determine what rites you can participate in.

As a Revivalist (which puts me in the "Reformed" category I suppose) I realize that gender roles need to be adapted and changed accordingly yet they do not need to be abolished or done away with.

Men and TransMen should participate in the rites (if they so choose) that were for and participated were participated exclusively in by men. They should not attempt to participate in the rites of women nor should they attempt to peek in or spy on what exactly happens during these rites.

Women and TransWomen should participate in the rites (if they so choose) that were for and that were participated exclusively in by women. Likewise, they should not attempt to participate in the rites of men, nor should they attempt peek in or spy on what exactly happens during these rites.

During rituals that call for men and women to behave in a particular way, you should go with what gender you are living as. If you are a (biological) man who hasn't yet transitioned or begun to transition, do the male roles. Likewise for women. This is an instance where group cohesion takes precedent over individual comfort. I'd also suggest speaking with the priest or priestess who will be leading the ritual about it, they may have some insight or suggestions for you. The last thing most people want is for a member of their Demos to feel excluded or othered. Just look at it as wearing clothes that much your current gender, one day it will change, but until then it is best to stick with your "role" in the ritual/rite for the sake of the entire group.

That is one of the things about being part of a group, occasionally you may have to do something that isn't ideal for you for the purpose of group unity and cohesion. Also realize that it won't be forever.

As for people who are genderqueer, consult the Hier (Priest) leading the ritual and ask them where they would like you. They will make a judgement call on that.

I hope whoever read this enjoyed it. As always, I'm eager to have comments on this, and discussion. It is still an issue I'm trying to sort out, and if I go the direction I want, will likely have to face head-on.

Source: http://www.theoi.com/image/img_hermaphroditos.jpg

Follow God (Επου θεω)

(DISCLAIMER: I do not claim to be an expert on anything. I'm merely giving my opinions and interpretations as I see them as being applicable. We are not an absolutist faith, nor do I personally regard this as "infallible"  hence why I see the need to update things to a modern equivalency)

Maxim: Επου θεω or "Follow God" alternate: "Follow what is godly"

My Modern Interpretation: Follow the Gods/Follow what is godly

That phrase seems quite intense at first, yet it forms the foundation of any variant of Hellenismos. We are following the Gods as best we can. We avoid hubris, impiety. We purify ourselves of miasma, we perform devotional rites and full celebrations. Every new moon many of us clean our houses and donate to charities, and the list of what many Hellenistai do can go on and on and on. We do all this, simply because we want to follow the Gods and strive towards Godly ideals. This is the soil from which all the other plants that make up the garden of Hellenismos must be planted. 

Now, what does it mean to "Follow God" or "Follow what is godly". It is a tough question that we must sit down and ask ourselves, but I suspect that the core of it has three components. The first is
ἀρετή (arete) or roughly "virtue". This is behaving ethically, virtuously, and responsibly.What
ἀρετή is exactly varies upon where you are at in your life, who you are in your community, and is something that can (and does) vary from person to person. I will get into it deeper later, but if you have εὐδαιμονία (eudaimonia) then it is likely that you also have ἀρετή. The next is ξενία which is simply observing good guest/host relationships. Most of it is fairly common to us but you can read a Wikipedia article here if you are interested in learning more. The last is εὐσέβεια which roughly means "piety" which is also another subject in of itself, but a simple, short, and sweet version is treating the Gods as you ought to treat the Gods.

Now, I like to try to think of an exception for each maxim, but this is one of the ones which I cannot think of one. If you practice Hellenismos, follow what is godly. We all make mistakes, but it is something for us to strive for.

Source: http://library.saintpeters.edu/sp/subjects/guide.php?submitted_by=index&subject=CLASSICS

Revised Review Schedule

As it turns out, it is really hard to review something sufficiently every week and do all my school work and other "higher priority" projects, so as such I'm making reviews a "as it happens" basis. Wednesdays will still be my "serious" posts and Fridays will still be my "Fun/Silly/Whatever I want" posts. My Delphic Maxim series posts will happen as I find the time. 

Yes, this is me

Fireplace (poetry)

I shall be the fire
Not destructive, destroying
Wild, unrelenting, and uncontrolled.
For fire kept behind a grate
Has a different purpose

Contained
Warming the hands and feet
Of those who sit around me
Huddling, whispering
Telling secrets and stories
That they will remember
(And with it, remember the smell of
Burning pecan wood)

Contained
Winding down as the night wears on
Burning down to embers
But the house is warm
And the people, they laughed and smiled

How happy is a fire burned out?

 

Source:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Fireplace_Burning.jpg

 

Fun Day: Project announcement, a funny comic, and a pretty song

So basically that just means on Friday's post I post whatever I want.

First, an announcement! I've decided that I'm going to be starting a series on the Delphic Maxims soon. I personally feel that every Hellenist should (at some point) examine the Delphic Maxims and apply them to our own life. I intend to give a "modern equivalency", what it means, and where it might be misapplied.

Second, this. This reminds me of my Dad a lot. When I was in high school he always assumed I was trying to get with a girl anytime I mentioned one. Now that he knows I'm gay, he awkwardly waddles around the topic of my boyfriend. Ah, parental involvement!

Third, I'm absolutely crazy about Rejazz by Regina Spektor. I've had a few nasty break-ups like this, and if you are going through one right now, don't get too down. One day, you'll forget him or her.