Finding Dionysos

“Prepare yourselves for the roaring voice of the God of Joy!"

- Euripides, The Bacchae

What could be found an an ancient Dionysian celebration?
Alcohol
Scantily clad revelers
Men and women on the prowl for a mate
Dancing
Make up
Drugs
Bull riding (well didn't we just talk about him being a bull god? Even True Blood got that right...)


Does this sound familiar? What else has all of these things? Why, a bar! Well, not all of them have a mechanical bull, but still! The cult of Dionysos lives! There's a wonderful quote in The Last Olympian, the final book in the first Percy Jackson series. Dionysos says: "Wherever there is a party, my presence is invoked." My favorite quote? Dionysos is playing Pacman and is eaten by the red ghost. He exclaims: "Erre es korakas, Blinky! I will have your soul!"

I'm keeping this blog short because I don't want to turn this into a brain dump. I'm going to go commune with the God of Joy and continue to read about Sin, the deity, not the slang for doing something wrong. It's also the new moon and time to ritualize! I'm keeping it to a simple devotion, incense and a candle offerings along with bread and purified water and wine. So let's close tonight with the Orphic Hymn to the God of Joy:

Come, blessed Dionysos, various-named, bull-faced, begot from thunder, Bakkhos (Bacchus) famed. Bassaros God, of universal might, whom swords and blood and sacred rage delight: in heaven rejoicing, mad, loud-sounding God, furious inspirer, bearer of the rod: by Gods revered, who dwellest with humankind, propitious come, with much rejoicing mind.

Khaire, Dionysos!

A huge load of Bull!

No, really... actual bull.The bull is involved in nearly every ancient religion:

Marduk is the "bull of Utu."
Inanna, she sends the Bull of Heaven to wreak havok on Gilgamesh's city.
Ereshkigal is wed to Gulugana, also refered to as the Bull of Heaven
In Hinduism, Shiva rides on a bull
Bull leaping was thought to be part of Minoan culture- Their bull imagery is plainly obvious without even having to mention the Minotaur!
The Hitites had two bulls, Seri and Hurru (day and night) who pulled the godof weather along on his chariot.
Hercules' 7th labor: Capture the Cretan Bull which was wreaking havoc on the island? 
Pliny recorded Druid ceremonies where two bulls were sacrificed
Oxen were sacrificed to Hecate and in the Orphic Hymn, she is referred to as "Tauropolos" or "herder of bulls." Might this by a euphemism in relation to deities associated with bulls? Does she control virility and fertility?


Dionysus was also associated with Bulls and invoked as one by his followers:

The god is invoked by his devotees as a raging bull and a panther, both creatures of ferocious strength and aggressiveness. In hymns Dionysos is addressed as 'the thunderer' and 'the roaring one.' The bull is one of the most frequently mentioned epiphanies of Dionysos; he was considered to be a bull-god, as were Zeus and Poseidon. The bull is a widespread and unequivocal symbol of male strength, potency and virility, particularly in the cultures of India, the near east, and the Mediterranean.

The holy wiki tells us a bit about Egypt's bull worship:

In Egypt, the bull was worshiped as Apis, the embodiment of Ptah and later of Osiris. A long series of ritually perfect bulls were identified by the god's priests, housed in the temple for their lifetime, then embalmed and encased in a giant sarcophagus. A long sequence of monolithic stone sarcophagi were housed in the Serapeum, and were rediscovered by Auguste Mariette at Saqqara in 1851. The bull was also worshiped as Mnewer, the embodiment of Atum-Ra, in Heliopolis. Ka in Egyptian is both a religious concept of life-force/power and the word for bull.

Here's a more in-depth link summarizing different bull cults in Egypt! And yet another!


The Tauropolia was a festival held in honor of Artemis! Here is a coin depicting Her riding a bull.


And the Titan of the moon, Selene was associated with the bull as well: "Selene knows not how to put mules to her yokestrap--she drives a team of bulls!" She's also described in the Orphic hymn as "bull-horned, and wandering through the gloom of night." 


And let's not forget The Golden Calf! Perhaps we know why that was picked as an image to represent the antithesis of the religions of the bible: Mithras slaying a bull is one of the main images of his cult. He also rides bulls as well. 

From 160 CE the Roman cult to Magna Mater included a bull sacrifice known as the taurobolium. Initiates supposedly took their place in a pit beneath a slatted wooden floor, to be drenched by the blood of a bull sacrifice above. This, if an accurate description, is an exception to the usual Roman rules of sacrifice. A lesser version of the rite, known as a criobolium, involved the sacrifice of a ram. The first recorded taurobolium took place at Puteoli in AD 134 in honour of Venus Caelestia.


^{Frazer talks a bit about this in The Golden Bough, but as has been noted, much of the description of the actual ceremonies comes from possibly hostile christian sources.} 


It goes on and on! This surely deserves at the very least a part two, if not a more in depth exploration of the taurean aspect of each of these deities! If this is food for thought, tonight is merely an appetizer. 

Whip it! Whip it good!

Flogging: It's not just for kinksters. This "risque" practice finds its roots in ancient practice. Honestly, what doesn't. I'm sure I could pull out an analogy for the ancient version of the ipod. But I digress! Flogging! Ritual pain! How did it begin? Who knows. I assume it The first person who took a bad fall had a spiritual experience that everyone has been trying to recreate since.

Enough with the (bad) jokes! Here's a bit of history:

Ritual flogging happens as part of many ancient Pagan festival throughout the year including Lupercalia and Thargelia.

The Villa of the Mysteries in Pompeii depicts flogging on one of its walls.

Greek playwright Menander's quote became famous in its day: "A man who has not been flogged is not trained."

From The gymnasium of virtue: education & culture in ancient Sparta  By Nigel M. Kennell:

"Laconians used to whip themselves in an initiation ritual"

At the biennial festival of Dionysus celebrated in Arcadia, called the Skiereia, women were flogged. This was allegedly in response to an oracle given at Delphi.

At the Feast of Artemis Orthia, Spartans would whip each other in a contest to see who was the last one standing.

What's the point of this? Sacrifice? Punishment? According to several sources, it was a form of purification. It resolved guilt, shame, and was the debt paid for past transgressions.  "A good beating purifies the mind"

What I find especially interesting is that in almost all of the examples I have come across,  the whipping, or purification, is done at the behest or under the auspices of Apollo. Apollon Lykaios is another form of Lupercus as per the above mentioned Lupercalia. The Thargelia is a celebration of His birthday.


I'm pausing here. I know, just after a very tiny introduction! I've been reading Kerenyi's Apollo: The Wind, the Spirit, and the God in my search for more information on Apollo as the God of Purification. I adore Kerenyi's work and highly recommend you read along with me!


More tomorrow!

Manic Panic (adult content)

Everyone has panicked at one time or another; "Oh no! I think I left my homework in my room!" or "I forgot the files for that presentation!" But panic attacks are an entirely different thing. They can come on without warning and without an obvious reason. I've been to the hospital for what was determined to be a panic attack. Thankfully, I have been able to use EFT (emotional freedom technique) to relieve panic when it does happen and to preempt them entirely. I like EFT, it's one size fits all acupressure and it's a good focus. If nothing else, you're directing healing energy to yourself and being positive.

Is there an Italian remedy for panic? Italians don't have panic disorders. That's why it was such a big deal on The Sopranos lol kidding. Anyone can have a panic disorder, doesn't matter what your cultural background it. Herbs help: Chamomile, lavender, wine, garlic. But when faced with Panic, it's not a bad idea to have a relationship established with the God of fear itself, Pan. The word panic comes from his name. The word "pan" might mean "all" now, but at some point, the word meant something more like "rustic."

Who's your daddy?

Pan's father is none other than Hermes. The identity of Pan's mother changes with the folklore. A Dryad? a Naiad? Is this a metaphor? Hermes + woodland = rustic ram deity? Does Pan = Hermes? Is Pan the "pagan" version of Him? Pan is a deity of the fertility of the flocks and herds and of the woods. We've talked here before about Mercury, Hermes, et al as fertility deities (and it is said He is also a deity of herds and herders). Pan and Dionysus are pals, according to the mythology. In the same body of lore, Hermes carries Dionysus to hide him from Hera.

I find it fascinating that Pan is also associated with Priapus, who we have talked about before, specifically as the sexual side of Mercury. 

We like to go back and forth here on the blog between Italic, Roman, and Greek deities and lore, so let's add to the fun (or confusion, whichever you'd like to call it) and talk about the Italian and Roman syncretic versions of Pan: There is Inuus and Faunus and Silvanus. Faunus is most often associated directly with Pan. Inuus might very well be an epithet of Faunus:

...named from his habit of intercourse with animals, based on the etymology of ineundum, "a going in, penetration," from inire, "to enter" in the sexual sense...

 There's actually a pretty nifty article on wiki about how Inuus is the inspiration for Lupercalia!

Faunus is said to be one of the indigenous deities of Italy, as is his counterpart Fauna. She is also said to be Bona Dea. He is thought to have once been a mortal who was consulted as an oracle after he passed. For his continued service, he was apotheosized. Funny, Pan is thought to be a deity of Prophecy too.

I'm going to leave off here as it's getting late. There is more to come! I haven't even gotten to the part about actual panic! Pantastic!

Automatic Writing

Grab a pen. Hold it over a piece of paper. Trance out. Wake up to find the page filled with writing.

Ehh... Yes and no. Automatic writing isn't just meditation, or getting lost in your own thoughts, or trancing out or chatting with your patrons through pen; It's a form of possession. I've heard some teachers say, in reference to trance and possession or assuming the god-form, or whatever you wish to call it, that possession isn't possible unless there is another person there to receive the information. I think it's wise to have someone in the room with you to help you come out or to watch over you in general, especially when starting out or when unfamiliar with what or who will be coming through. I do think it's possible to engage in possession of this sort on your own. To be in control of your faculties, while giving your arm over to someone else for writing isn't beginner's sport, but it is entirely doable with some practice. I also think it's wise to have a firm foundation of communication with your patrons before letting them take over your hand.  Books have been channeled, letters, even a few blogs too. Some call it "The Muse" or will say the Muse is "riding" them. Funny how that's the same language used when talking about trance dancing with/for the Orishas.



I've been reading about the debate surrounding what exactly is coming through, or, who is doing the writing. I saw something about Jung calling it the higher self. I can't find that source. I have found a lot about the works he channeled personally as well as his experiences with entities bothering him until he started writing. Here's an interesting article on his experiences and the resulting works.

I've had interesting experiences with automatic writing. It's not just writing, it can be drawings as well. I guess "automatic doodling" sounds too silly. I've drawn chakras, mandalas, maps, temples, and all manner of interesting things. I've come across some of the things I've drawn, others are waiting to be found and others no longer exist. Speaking of....

There's another addition to the reemerging deities file.

A Bulgarian archaeologist has presented new finds from the Ancient Thracian and medieval fortress of Perperikon proving the existence of an Antiquity period sanctuary that he believes could be the ancient Temple of Dionysus. 

Yeah!

It's exciting to see the old temples and deities being found once again!

Rediscovering Cakes and Wine

In the Scriptures of the Abrahamic traditions, we find a curious verse. Essentially, it describes an “order of service” as would have been used by the worshippers of the old Gods in the land of Israel. It reads:

“And your children gather wood, and your men build a fire thereof. Your women bake cakes for the Queen of Heaven, and the people pour out libations to the other Gods, which causes me to vent my wrath to them.” (Jeremiah 7:18)

Leaving aside the Hebraic deity’s expression of wrath, we find the sharing of food and drink as the basis of this domestic cult. From contemporary sources, we find agreement that the Gods were celebrated throughout many cultures through this means. And, save in certain specific instances (such as to avert plague or beg pardon for a severe misdeed), the bulk of the offering was ingested by the faithful.

At its most basic level, this stems from the concepts of hospitality. Indeed, that was the entire premise behind the ancient sacrifices i.e. the maintenance of reciprocal relationships with the Gods. The Divine Powers had shared food at the table of Humanity, and received myriad gifts for deigning to attend the gathering. Hence, They were obligated to return the giving through abundance, fertility, good fortune, and felicity.

This premise is often unspoken in today’s Pagan and Craft environments. Indeed, the concept of giving in libation a portion of the Cakes and Wine is frequently stated as an after thought. Many books purport that this portion of the ceremony is (variously) a thanksgiving to the Gods, an interlude between the “magical work” versus “social time” of the group, and a grounding or earthing of the rite. If any inkling is mentioned regarding the “give and take” attitude of antiquity, it is frequently brushed aside as superstition.

This flippant attitude naturally arouses an urge to scream at such people on my part. Yes, Cakes and Wine IS an offering of gratitude. However, social time happens AFTER the magical work and ceremonial details are attended to. Likewise, one does NOT ground or earth energy in the MIDDLE of the ritual.

Part of the problem is because of the knee-jerk reaction most in the popular Pagan and watered-down Wiccan communities have with two related concepts. The first is sacrifice. The second is any possible resemblance between their rituals and the Christian Eucharist. (Presumably, the fact that at least 80% of Wiccan ceremony was derived from a Abrahamic framework inspired by such grimoires as the Clavicula Solomonis… is lost on these people).

The Christian Eucharist, especially in the forms practiced by the Roman Catholic Church and Greek Orthodox Church, are directly indebted to both the sacrificial cults that supported the Roman State. They are also directly linked … nay, adopted from… certain features of the Mystery religions. Indeed, the early Church fathers were aghast that these pre-Christian sects had practices and teachings that sounded Christian!

Some went so far as to preach a curious doctrine of diabolic imitation i.e. their quaint Devil-figure became aware of the importance of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice, so presumably went BACK IN TIME and sowed counterfeits to confuse and seduce people. While some Christian cults, notably the Seventh Day Adventist, Assembly of God, and Jehovah’s Witnesses, as well as several independent churches, teach this still …most intelligent individuals will see how ridiculous this is. But I digress…

The State Cults of our Pagan past (of which the Roman Empire’s is one example) sought to maintain a collective relationship with the Divine. On the immediate level, if the Gods were happy, the community would prosper. However, on a more sublime level, it also sought to maintain the whole cosmos. This divine order was phrased by the Latins as the Pax Deorum (the Peace of the Gods). The ancient Egyptians knew it as Maat. The Norse saw in it the postponing of Ragnarok. In the Americas, the Aztecs practiced their sacrifices to feed the Earth and keep it alive. To the Celts, each sacrifice recreated – whether of human, animal, food, or material goods – on some level, the primal sacrifice which created the worlds.

Our English word, blessing, derives from the old German word bletsian. Bletsian can be translated as smeared or sprinkled in blood. As Bram Stoker’s Reinfeild notes in Dracula “the blood is the life.”

No, I am not advocating we return to butchering animals (or people) in our recreations of our mythic past. But we should recapture the mindset of giving our best to receive the best. And, if we join that mindset to our simple feast of bread and drink, they become equivalents of the same.

To avoid charges of “black masses”, many in the Wiccan Revival made unclarified statements that their rites have NO resemblances to Christian rites. Had they clarified that they were drawing upon the Pagan roots which also happened to inform the modern Christian liturgy… I do not think the mindless hordes of McWiccans and PopPagans would be able to do cultural violence against their own ancestors!

THANKFULLY, representatives of the Traditionalist Craft outside of the Wiccan Revival have refused to white wash the virtues and vices of their forebears. (And, thankfully, many of the older lineages of British Traditional Wicca are now embracing that mindset.)

If we simultaneously offer up food (or any item) and bless it to our Gods… and THEN either ingest or put it to use in our service of Them… that rite is one of communion. The practice of “God-eating” is incredibly ancient, and the sacred meal of the Mysteries has always been shared amongst the Elect.

But there is another aspect that many don’t recognize. Not even the Lord’s Supper of the Christian Churches recognize this. The eucharist also becomes a theurgic talisman and an aid to all treading the Path of Return. Before the Gods pour their essence into the Gifts, we must become aware that the Gifts represent our Selves. Bread of our Body, Wine of our Blood, Mead (or Cider) of our Spirit, Incense of our Highest Ideals, Salt of our Worth, and so on (depending on what the offering is).

We offer our Selves with the meal to the most high, that all be put to the service thereof. And, once that freely-given gift is accepted, and the reversion of the offerings to the use of the people offers a seal of sanctity.

In closing, I would like to share some ancient words, found carved upon a shrine to Dionysos recently (i.e. 10 past years) in catacombs underneath Saint Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican. These words are:

“Those who eat of my Body and drink of my Blood,
they shall be my brothers, and they shall not taste Death.”

Resources for Further Research and Contemplation

Anderson, Cora. 50 Years in the Feri Tradition.
Anderson, Victor. Thorns of the Blood Rose.
Artisson, Robin. Witching Way of the Hollow Hill.
Artisson, Robin. The Resurrection of the Meadow.
D’Este, Sorita & Rankine, David. Wicca Magickal Beginnings.
Evans, John. Roebuck in the Thicket.
Fortune, Dion. The Winged Bull.
Foxwood, Orion. The Faery Teachings.
Frazer, Sir James. The Golden Bough.
Gray, William. By Standing Stone & Elder Tree (AKA Rollright Ritual)
Gray, William. Western Inner Workings.
Gray, William. The Sangreal Sacrament.
Greer, Jonathan Michael. The New Encyclopedia of the Occult.
Gwynn. Light From the Shadows: A Mythos of Modern Traditional Witchcraft.
Jackson, Nigel. Masks of Misrule.
Kingsley, Peter. Ancient Philosophy, Mysticism, and Magic.
Kirsche, Jonathan. God Against the Gods.
Kondetreiv, Alexei. The Apple Branch.
Leek, Sybil. The Complete Art of Witchcraft.
Leland, Charles Godfrey. Aradia, or the Gospel of the Witches of Italy.
Martello, Leo. Black Magic, Satanism, and Voodoo.
Paddon, Peter. The Crooked Path (transcripts of show).
Reed, Ellen Cannon. Heart of Wicca.
Regardie, Israel. Ceremonial Magic.
Sanders, Maxine. Firechild.
Shadwynn. The Crafted Cup.
Thorrson, Edred. The Book of Troth.
Valiente, Doreen. ABC of Witchcraft Past and Present
Valiente, Doreen. The Rebirth of Witchcraft.

Nemesis (Jonathan Sousa) is a devotee of the Goddess Diana, whom he serves primarily through the initiatory framework of the Sicilian-Continental Traditionalist Craft. An artist and author, some of his works are available through www.lulu.com/silverroseofdea .