In ancient Greece, certain days of the (lunar) month were sacred to particular gods - the fourth for Hermes, the eighth for Poseidon, etc. The god's festival would often be on that day of the month, and even when no festival fell on that day, the god would be honored in other ways, with small devotions. Some modern Hellenic polytheists still keep these holy days, and some have added new ones to account for gods not mentioned. (The choice of day is usually based on some association like a sacred number or a historical sacrificial calendar.) For years, I theoretically included this practice, but never ended up doing much on the allotted days. Then finally I came up with a broader idea of what could be done to honor each god, and more importantly I started to understand the importance of keeping these days within my own personal spiritual practice, especially for the spiritwork aspect.

Because a source of both joy and constant frustration to me is the number of gods and spirits in my "extended family" - I have so many obligations, in addition to just wanting to spend time with all of Them, that it seems I was always on the edge of ignoring one too long, or getting distracted, or Someone demanding deserved attention. However, having a system whereby each major god/spirit in my life is honored with one regular day a month (regardless of festivals or other Work I might be doing for/with Them) means that Everyone is tended to more or less equally, and that I never go too long without having some time set aside for each. I have to remind myself of this wonderful benefit every time the intense schedule threatens to overwhelm me. Because it's not easy, and I'm still working out how to make sure I have the energy to observe all of the days. These days take up thirteen out of every month, almost half. (Most of them happen fall in the first half of the month, so I do get some "time off" in the later part. The flow of days is also important, as well as the proximity of some to others. It's a delicate system that I'm still fine-tuning).

Ideally, I would love to be doing trancework with each god/spirit on Their day, really going deep with each, but as I quickly found out, I am not yet ready for that pace of Work. Each month it will happen with some and not with others (different every time) and that's okay for now. However, all the other little things I can do for Them are very important in their own way, and I no longer make the mistake of underestimating their impact.

Depending of course on the god or spirit, some of the ways I observe a holy day include: wearing a special perfume that reminds me of Them; wearing clothes of Their sacred color, and/or jewelry representing some aspect of Them; making libations at Their shrine, burning incense and candles; playing music that pleases Them; reading books or articles about Them, researching, and writing my own articles; making offerings of flowers, stones, fruit, other small but meaningful things; sharing a drink or a meal with Them; reciting epithets and hymns and poetry; dancing.

Specific examples might include adding a semi-precious stone to the pile around my herm at the door for Hermes, journeying out to the sacred places of the Nymphs; playing classical music for the spirits of my grandparents who enjoyed it, or leaving the deipnon for Hekate. When it's the day set aside for my plant spirits, I often ritually consume one or more of them.

For the few gods and spirits I'm very intimate with, the devotions might include pain sacrifices, sexual encounters, or horsing Them. For one of my spirits, I sometimes stay silent for a whole day. For one group, I feed Them from my own lips.

I keep track of the ideas I have for offerings, activities, songs, etc. for each one in a little booklet I made for myself, so that I don't miss out on anything important or forget a new idea. On some of these days I might only end up lighting a candle and saying a brief prayer (and as always, trying to keep Them in my mind all day long), on other days I am filled with Them inside and out, from the way I am dressed to what I eat for dinner to what all my thoughts revolve around, on other days I might spend three hours with Them in the adyton, do oracles, make close contact. Whatever happens, this has proved to be an excellent way to balance my responsibilities and desires and all the facets of my Work and the beings whom I'm bound to in one way or another - it makes me happy and fulfilled (and overwhelmed and crazy but that's usually part of the deal), and it pleases Them and creates kharis between us.