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to be performed daily |
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Before the ritual begins make sure that everything has been set up properly. Nothing can ruin the flow of a ritual like having to run to the kitchen to grab the bottle of wine for your libation or realizing midway through that you set out the wrong kind of incense. At this point clean off any remaining sacrifices that may have been left on the altar from the previous day, and if you are going to be using music, make sure that the tape or CD is at the appropriate track. Take any nonessential items off of the altar and ensure that everything is within easy reach so that you can avoid unfortunate mishaps such as knocking over the candle while reaching for your libation bowl. A quick run down of items needed for the Adoration are as follows:
When you have arranged all of these in a neat and orderly manner, it's time to begin the ritual. Purification was an essential feature in most ancient religions. Before one could approach the Gods, one had to be pure, both inwardly and outwardly. Day-to-day life can potentially bring us into contact with a number of things which can make us ritually impure: blood, death, birth, madness, sex, and bodily fluids, to say nothing of the harmful or depressing influences of the people we encounter during our day. The Christian concept of sin doesn't really apply - there is nothing evil or sinful in giving birth, for instance, but it does produce a state of miasma or ritual impurity, because it's something that disrupts the ordinary, that creates a marginal state, that brings one into direct contact with the violent forces of life and death. It's better to think of purity as being in a harmonious state, while miasma as being in a disharmonious one instead of the morally loaded terms good and evil that we're accustomed to think of in relation to purity. Before starting the ritual, you will need to purify yourself. Since I usually bathe in the morning before work, I've found combining my bath with purification to be an economical use of my time. But not everyone will be performing the Adoration in the morning, or have the time to bathe fully beforehand. In that case, you may simply wish to wash your hands and face, and put on clean clothing before performing the rite. In order to create the holy water or khernips for purification, do the following: Take a bowl and fill it with water. Hold it aloft and say: "Water, be pure! Become like the tears that Ariadne shed when she beheld the beauty of Dionysos on Naxos; become like the streams that flow through the forests on Mount Nysa, where the pure and lovely Nymphs dance; become like the waters that washed off the foolishness of Midas. Water, you are pure! You are pure! You are pure!" Now pick up the bowl of salt. Hold it aloft and say: "Salt, be pure! Become like the bones of Dionysos which are stored in the tripod at Delphi; become like the rich, black soil of Nysa, nourished by the dancing feet of the pure and lovely Nymphs; become like the bran smeared on the face of the Initiate in the Lord's secret, nocturnal rites. Salt, you are pure! You are pure! You are pure!" Pour some of the salt into the bowl of water. Mix it thoroughly, envisioning the two essences uniting. Then wash your hands and face with the holy water, feeling it carry off whatever miasma has attached itself to you. If you are going to bathe, then pour some of the remaining water into the tub, though leave enough to perform your asperging. Then climb into the tub and bathe. While you are bathing - and if you skip this part, take a couple moments to be mindful of this before proceeding - meditate on purity, and what it means to you. Purity is more than just outward cleanliness: it should encompass the totality of your being in relation to the divine. Allow all of the internal muck and emotional grime that may have built up over the day to be washed clean. Fill your spirit with peace and calmness: allow love to well up from the depths of your heart until you don't have room for anything else inside you. Fill your mind with images of Dionysos and reflections on past experiences with him, until you are in a state of readiness and longing for the God. Once you've finished bathing, dress in clean, comfortable clothing, whether it be your ritual attire or your regular street clothes. A fillet is traditionally worn during Hellenic rituals, and this is especially appropriate if it is made out of vine, ivy, or laurel for Dionysos. Take the bowl of khernips, and make a slow circumnavigation around your temple or ritual space. Your steps should be steady and even, and as you process, sprinkle water from the bowl, saying: "Hekas, o hekas, este bebeloi! Let all profane ones depart!" Envision the holy water cleansing or driving out all the negative influences - be they harmful spirits or stress from your daily life - that may have entered your ritual space. Be forceful and authoritative when speaking these words: you're not just reciting poetry, but actually driving off Kers! Make the circumnavigation three times, and then place the bowl of holy water back where you got it from. If you are going to play music throughout the ritual, now is the time to start it. Every ritual should begin with a procession, or pompe. You don't have to make a long process - a few short steps is enough. But it is essential that you approach the altar. As you come near, be mindful of entering the presence of the deity, of leaving the mundane world behind. Your thoughts should be solemn and respectful, focused only on the God and holy matters. When you have reached the altar, pause for a moment, mindful that you are standing before the house of the God. Take in the visual sensations of the altar: focus especially on his icon or representation. Breathe deeply and rhythmically, and then raise your arms, with palms outward towards Dionysos, and say: "Greetings, O Dionysos! You who are hailed by the maenads as the beautiful one, the fertile bull, the dancer on the mountain, mad one, boisterous one, full of life, ecstatic, many-formed and many-named Lord of ineffable mysteries, hear my words, and come! Join me in my rites, and graciously accept the gifts I have to offer you." The first offering to be made to Dionysos is that of incense. Light the incense and then hold the burner up before you. Say: "As fragrant as your skin when you appeared to Ariadne on rocky Naxos, is this (name of incense). May it fill the temple with its pleasing scent, a reminder of the day on which you were born, when the fruit sprouted on the vine, the earth adorned itself with green grass and flowers of every hue, and the air was sweet with the scent of fine Arabian incenses: the whole world rejoiced at that time, as I rejoice now in you." Set the incense burner down, and then light the candle. Raise one hand towards Dionysos in adoration, while waving the other hand slowly over the candle's open flame, so that you can feel its warmth on your palm. Say: "This flame is lit as a reminder of you, O Lord, for you are the one who leads the torch-song on the Holy Way from Eleusis. You appear out of the dark, when we most need you, to guide us into the light. You show us the way to live more fully, to embrace the heat of passion, to ignite the molten core within us until it burns as brightly as the shining stars in heaven, who dance forever in your train!" Hold the bottle of wine up for Dionysos and say: "This, O Lord, is your greatest gift to care-worn mortals, for it eases our suffering, and when we are drunk from it, we are filled with joy and a lively spirit. Without wine, there would be no festivals, no fine banquets, no sacrifices for the Gods, and love would completely disappear from the world. But wine is even more precious than that, for this wine is your blood, first poured out upon the black earth when the Titans set upon you with their murderous knives. A part of you dwells in each sip of wine, and dwells within us when we drink it." Pour out Dionysos' libation, crying "Sponde! A drink offering!" as you do so, and then pour yourself a glass of wine as well. Hold your glass up, bow your head, and thank the God, then drink it. At this point, you should read a hymn for Dionysos. This may be one of the Orphic or Homeric hymns, something from an ancient poet like Archilochus or Ovid, or even something by modern poets such as Emerson, Holderlin, or Shelly. One shouldn't discount modern rock musicians, either, for they are very much inspired by the God. Serj Tankian of System of a Down and Jim Morrison of The Doors have written some stunningly beautiful pieces that could easily be adapted for devotional use. Of course, the most appropriate thing to be read at this time would be a work of one's own composition. When the hymn has been read, make your offering to Dionysos. This can be anything you sincerely wish to give to the God. Suggestions include, flowers, grain, pine-cones, fruit - especially grapes, figs, apples, or pomegranates - plants - especially vines or evergreen leaves, votive statues - especially of bulls, snakes, goats, pine-cones, phalluses, or the human figure generally, drawings, paintings, poetry, and short literary pieces, especially if these are works of your own. You may also sing a song to him, or perform a dance for him. What matters most in making your offering is the spirit from which it is given: it should be one of love and deep reverence, not necessarily trying to bribe the God or curry his favor with pretty baubles. Before you place it on his altar, hold it up to him, and explain a little bit about it: how you chose it, what it means to you, why you're giving it to him. Now you should pray. This can be a formal thing, following the traditional Hellenic prayer structure, or it can be an impromptu, personal conversation with your God. If you have anything on your mind - concerns, fears, frustrating situations you're dealing with in life, etc - share it with him. Sometimes just articulating these thoughts - speaking them aloud instead of incessantly going over them in your head - can be very rewarding. And the Gods do listen to prayer, and will help those who earnestly pray to them. Alternately, this would be a good time to share things that you are thankful for, recent successes you've had in your life, or hopes for the day to come. But don't think that prayer necessarily has to be about something. Sometimes it's good just to talk with our Gods, even if we don't have a lot to say. And that can be an important part of prayer, too: simply listening, enjoying a quiet moment where our mind is focused entirely on divinity. After the prayer is an excellent time for divination work, if you choose to include it as part of your practice. You may ask specific questions, and wait for the answer to come to you, or you may use one of the following forms of divination. The Homer Oracle, which is a method of bibliomancy that uses verses from Homer. I have found it very effective. Another method is the Oracle of Hermes-Thoth, which also comes from the PGM. A third method is the Limyran Alphabet Oracle, which uses astragali. Ideally you would create astragali or palm leaves of your own, as using the computer as part of a devotional ritual probably isn't a good idea. Additionally, you may choose to use methods of divination that are not traditionally Hellenic, such as the Tarot, Runes, I Ching, pendulum, or any other method that you are comfortable with. Divination at this time is merely a suggestion. You may wish to keep this strictly devotional. When you have completed your divination, and thanked Dionysos appropriately for his guidance, it is time to close the ritual with the following prayer: "I thank you, O Dionysos, kindly Lord whom my heart adores, for coming and accepting these gifts, offered in gratitude for the multitude of gifts and blessings that you have given me. May the memory of your beauty and greatness remain with me throughout the day, a constant source of joy and strength for me." Extinguish the flame of the candle and clean up any clutter that may have occurred during the course of your rite. You may wish to leave the offerings on the altar, as it is a way of showing respect, giving Dionysos the chance to enjoy his offerings at his leisure. Plus an altar full of sacrifices is much prettier than one that is bare. But if your circumstances are such that you can't leave the offerings up - curious pets, cramped living space, nosey roommates or family members - it is appropriate to take them down at this time. And that's the daily rite of Adoration. Not too difficult. It can be done in under five minutes, if one wished, or stretched out to half an hour. What matters, however, isn't how long it takes one to perform it - but rather that it is performed each day, or at least on a regular routine. Performing the same ritual regularly helps build up a sacred rhythm, helps keep one's connection to the God strong, helps focus one's mind and keep one's awareness on the God in the day to come. It is very easy to get caught up in little things, distracted by the hectic pace of modern life, and even the most pious person has moments when they feel lost and alone. Keeping up a regular routine of prayer and sacrifice won't completely element those times - but it will lessen their impact and diminish their frequency. |
