emily.rossow Evening, Markos!
Thu, 29
May,
09:13 PM
Markos Morning Emily :D
How has your night been so far?
emily.rossow Not bad. I've done my Noumenia ritual and got to relax a bit. How're you doing?
Markos Recovering from a night of drinking. I work mostly on the weekends so mid week is my
09:14 PM
09:15 PM
09:17 PM
weekend.
emily.rossow Ahhh
Markos Fridays are my recovery days hence why I'm always a bit crappy when I join the chats.
emily.rossow I understand. Good drinks?
Hi, Jack!
Jack Flash Howdy, folks!
09:18 PM
Markos Hey Jack. Good drinks always :)
Jack Flash Oh, yes. I'm breaking out the white whiskey now.
emily.rossow I have a bit of a cold, so it's hot tea for me tonight
Markos I'm having a hair of the dog... actually I'm having a whole dog.
09:19 PM
Jack Flash Hoooot Toddys! BEST OF BOTH WORLDS! (I really like them.)
emily.rossow Oooh. Our house recipe for a hot toddy is apple cider, stick cinnamon, extra spices
(especially more cinnamon), and rum or apple pie moonshine.
09:20 PM
More of an autumn drink for us, though.
Markos sounds brilliant! I'm very tempted to make up some spice wine for winter.
09:21 PM
Jack Flash Noice! We go with orange honey, whiskey or rum, black tea (or ginger tea). I need to add
cinnamon and see how it goes.
I am often quite drunk when sick.
emily.rossow Actually, now I think about it, husband's been favoring a honey-lemon version with local
honey (to combat allergies), lemon- or ginger-flavored black tea, and scotch or rum.
I'll need to try it with orange honey, because that sounds amazing!
09:22 PM
Jack Flash Yeah, we buy all our honey locally. I want to try bee husbandry, eventually.
Especially with the bee... spirit... lady... about constantly.
Markos I've been learning quite a bit about honey lately. It really is an amazing substance.
09:23 PM
Jack Flash No shit.
Food of the gods.
Markos Not only that, I'm trying to grow some ivy clippings.
09:24 PM
My mother tells me to put honey on it to help it grow roots and act as an antiseptic.
emily.rossow I'm allergic to bee stings, so bee husbandry wouldn't be the best idea for me. We have
really nice, nurturing local spirits, though, so our garden's doing well!
I didn't know that about ivy and honey. Neat!
Jessica Good evening!
Whitington
09:25 PM
emily.rossow Also, Hi Jessica! Just saw your name pop up.
Jack Flash Oh, yeah. I offer honey to a lot of the plants I use in my devotions.
Markos it goes with all cuttings, it's as effective as plant haromons apparently.
Jack Flash We end up with like, a forest of a garden every time I libate the Agathos-Daimon, and
then add honey to the plants if I take something.
Markos (meh spelling is not my best quality btw)
09:26 PM
Jack Flash Hey, Jessica!
emily.rossow That's a great idea, Jack. We're just about to start harvesting lettuce from our garden, so
I'll be sure to leave an offering of honey out there when we do.
09:27 PM
Jack Flash Honey and natron!
IMO, you're saluting the 'Daimon' of the plant and thanking it for letting you take what you
have.
emily.rossow Wouldn't the natron too drastically alter the pH of the soil?
09:28 PM
Jack Flash A little bit goes a loooong way. tiny, tiny bit!
Spell for picking a plant: Use it before sunrise. The spell to be spoken: “I am picking you,
09:29 PM
such and such plant, with my five fingered hand, I, NN, and I am bringing you home so
that you may work for me for a certain purpose. I adjure you by the undefiled name of the
god: if you pay no heed to me, the earth which produced you will no longer be watered as
far as you are concerned – ever in life again, if I fail in this operation, MOUTHABAR
NACH BARNACHŌCHA BRAEŌ MENDA LAUBRAASSE PHASPHA BENDEŌ; fulfill for
me the perfect charm.”
- PGM IV. 286-95
emily.rossow Hm. I could probably offer corn meal. I have that in good supply (I use it in place of barley 09:30 PM
groats to cleanse the home altar).
Jack Flash There's another PGM plant spell, where you salute various gods ("as the plant"), to
empower it and offer honey and natron.
And I totally drop the threats.
emily.rossow I was about to say, that sounds a bit much if I just need some lettuce for a sandwich
Jack Flash lmao
Yeah, totally.
09:31 PM
Jessica Yeah, that doesn't seem to be working with the spirit of the plant so much as ordering it.
Whitington
emily.rossow I ADJURE YOU IN THE UNDEFILED NAME OF THE GOD, BE THOU DELICIOUS WITH
GRAINY MUSTARD
Jessica yes!
Whitington
Jack Flash hehehe
There's a lot of ordering in the PGM. It really isn't necessary.
emily.rossow Hi, Sannion!
09:32 PM
Jack Flash I prefer the other spell, where you celebrate the plant moar.
SAAAAANNION.
Jessica Hi there!
Whitington
Jeremiah hello!
Lewis
how's everyone doing tonight?
emily.rossow (brb, more tea because I offered half of my original mug to the Theoi. Noumenia =
whoops where did all my tea go)
Jack Flash LOL!
Most excellent, sir.
09:33 PM
Today is the day when I wish the rage of maenads upon assholes.
Jeremiah Lewis added Cole Tucker
COLE!
<- Faust.
Jeremiah I'm sure they deserve it :)
Lewis
Jessica Anything in particular today? Or is that just a Tuesday tradition?
Whitington
*thursday
Jack Flash Just the social climate, I think.
09:34 PM
emily.rossow I figured wishing the rage of maenads upon assholes (dare I say the rage of Prosymnos
upon assholes) was a daily thing
Cole Tucker Woo!
Jack Flash LOL. I can't be enraged EVERY day.
emily.rossow True. Some days are better for ordering lettuce around
09:35 PM
Jack Flash *sobs*
lmao
09:36 PM
emily.rossow I'm so sorry. You can't see my face right now, but I'm grinning (and not in a creepy way,
at least I hope). My tone was meant to be entirely silly :)
Jeremiah heh
Lewis
Jack Flash S'all good. I brought it upon myself by quoting the wrong PGM spell.
emily.rossow We were having a discussion on how to offer to plant spirits if you're harvesting from a
yard or garden, and Jack copy-pasted this spell adjuring the plant in question to fulfill the
09:38 PM
magician's needs or go forevermore unwatered.
Jeremiah niiiiice
Lewis
emily.rossow It wasn't the PGM entry he'd intended to copy-paste, though, so we had a pretty good
laugh.
Jack Flash I thought I was grabbing the one that was: "You are Isis, you are some other cool deities,
here's some natron and some crazy strings of Coptic, Egyptian, and Greek names... and
some honey, because you rock."
So.
09:39 PM
Yeah.
Fail.
emily.rossow I'll see if I can look the other one up, because that sounds really handy!
Jeremiah just read back through ... interesting conversation lol
Lewis
I'm totally going to start adjuring my lettuce
Jack Flash "And lo, did the lettuce repel me."
09:40 PM
"And there was lamenting."
Jessica ahahaha!
Whitington
emily.rossow (I think some of this may actually have happened in Egyptian mythology)
Cole Tucker lol
Jack Flash "Fuck you, necromancer," said the lettuce.
Cole Tucker Yea, the naughty lettuce did speak forth from Set's stomach...
Jeremiah In Egypt lettuce was said to be the semen of the gods
Lewis
Cole Tucker I was watered with the honey of Horus
09:41 PM
Jessica 0.0
Whitington
Jack Flash I need to do more lettuce magic.
Jeremiah lol
Lewis
09:42 PM
emily.rossow Puns starting in 3...2...1...
Jack Flash hehe
I apologize. I ruin all conversations, forever.
emily.rossow Lettuce discuss more of these magical traditions
Jeremiah naw, you make them awesome
Lewis
Markos back again.
09:43 PM
Jeremiah welcome back!
Lewis
Markos ty hello Sannion.
Jeremiah So, we'll be talking about devotional practices and the pithoi in a bit ... anything anyone
Lewis wants to discuss before then?
emily.rossow I can't think of anything right off the top of my head. I have a quick question, though.
09:44 PM
09:46 PM
09:47 PM
What day are we going to be discussing the reading about Heroes you suggested?
Jack Flash (Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeroes!)
emily.rossow I know you mentioned in an earlier chat, I just can't remember off the top of my head.
(I know, I'm excited!)
Jack Flash (I want to dance around at a tombsite, I'm so excited.)
09:48 PM
Jeremiah Next Thursday ... unless folks would prefer we delay it a week?
Lewis
emily.rossow I should be fine with that, I think. I wouldn't say no to a delay, though.
09:49 PM
Jack Flash Either suits me fine. I'll be ready.
Jeremiah Then let's delay it ... gives us time to build more interest. Has everyone read the text?
Lewis
09:50 PM
Jack Flash Cole: http://chs.harvard.edu/wa/pageR?tn=ArticleWrapper&bdc=12&mn=3565
Cole Tucker Which was it?
Jack Flash ;)
Cole Tucker cheers
Jessica Not yet, though I should have some time this weekend.
09:51 PM
Whitington
Thanks for the link!
Jack Flash I live to serve.
Markos haha remember me writing on the fb page about how time goes to fast. Well it certainly
09:52 PM
has for me. I have not read it yet.
Jeremiah It's a hoot - all kind of interesting stories are recounted, including the bones of heroes
Lewis being discovered that nine cubits tall
emily.rossow OH I have seen archaeological studies of those stories--chances are, they were actually
fossils!
09:53 PM
Jeremiah time goes waaaaaay too fast
Lewis
Jack Flash (Snerk.)
Jeremiah yeah, our heroes are dinosaurs :D
Lewis
Cole Tucker :D
emily.rossow <T-Rex in a khiton fighting the Minotaur>
Jeremiah badass
Lewis
Jack Flash Raptor Herakles!
Jessica I would watch that movie.
Whitington
09:54 PM
emily.rossow Yes I can feel the producer offers rolling in
Cole Tucker Was reading Burkert on the heroes yesterday, surprised to see many hero shrines were
never gravesites
Jeremiah I was looking up bad Hercules movies today ... there's one with Hulk Hogan as Zeus
Lewis
Jack Flash Yeah, tombs were often errected in lieau of bodies.
Jeremiah cenotaphs
Lewis
Jack Flash Culture heroes aint got no bones.
emily.rossow "What's Atalanta doing--she's LURING the Boar closer?"
<Raptor Atalanta traps the Calydonian Boar>
"...Clever girl."
(Sorry, I'll be serious now.)
Jeremiah lol I want to see that movie emily
Lewis
09:55 PM
Jack Flash Are you reading Greek Religion, Cole?
Cole Tucker Yeah, had to take a break from Prolegomena
09:56 PM
Jeremiah i was reading a fascinating article on the role that hero-cultus played in greek colonization
Lewis of Italy and their relations with the indigenous populations
Jack Flash Yeah, Sannion?
emily.rossow (I'm working on Harrison's "Themis" at present, Cole. I sympathize.)
09:58 PM
Jack Flash (I liked Themis. Dropped Prol. like burning embers, though.)
(Greek Religion was okay. I should buy it and finish it.
emily.rossow (It's one of those books I have to read with my journal ready for note-taking, so it's slow
going for me.) I'm all ears, Sannion--sounds like I can apply this in my practice.
09:59 PM
Jeremiah yeah, a lot of the hero-shrines weren't in the urban centers, but often the hinterlands
Lewis between poleis or in territory belonging to non-greeks. they'd basically send pioneers out
to tend shrines for the heroes and then those shrines became causes for expansionist
efforts.
Cole Tucker I have trouble deciding how much of her reading is ironic emily, slow going like you say
10:00 PM
though
emily.rossow So, like..."We must defend the shrine of Herakles! Think of our poor colonists!" kind of
thing?
Jeremiah Harrison is awesome. even though a lot of her scholarship has been superceded, i think
Lewis she has a better intuitive sense of the material than a lot of folks today
emily.rossow Yeah--it's filtering the correct intuition from the outdated scholarship that takes up most of 10:01 PM
my notes. I'm trying to epitomize it for a few friends whose time is more limited than mine.
Jack Flash She lied to me about Zeus. I'll not forgive that.
But she has more info on the Agathos-Daimon, trustworthy or not, than I'd expect.
Jeremiah partly. but it was also a way of fostering peace between the communities. because the
Lewis foreign populations took up the legends and were therefore treated differently
emily.rossow Might account for the popularity of Hercules in Italy!
10:02 PM
Jeremiah yeah. she's really not fond of zeus lol
Lewis
emily.rossow I think she actually outright says that in the preface to Themis.
10:03 PM
Cole Tucker haha
emily.rossow The word "antipathy" got thrown in there if I recall correctly
Jack Flash I must've missed that. I was clearly there for orgiastic and armed badasses, and the
Agathos-Daimon.
Jeremiah it's fascinating article with some really radical reinterpretations of the material ... the only
Lewis thing that gives me pause is that the scholar is an Israeli and there's certain obvious
10:04 PM
parallels there
Cole Tucker never enough on the Agathos-Daimon
emily.rossow No--it was a sense of antipathy towards what she perceived to be a lifeless, emotionless
"Olympian" religion, as opposed to the vibrant cults of the Eniautos Daimon.
That's what it was.
Jeremiah never enough agathos daimon
Lewis
Cole Tucker like snakes in modern ritual
Jack Flash I share the dislike of state religion to a certain degree.
Jeremiah yup. and most of the stuff she says about orphism is complete bunk
Lewis
emily.rossow Well dang. I'll have to keep that in mind for about, oh...just the SECOND HALF of Themis. 10:05 PM
Jeremiah and, frankly, partly responsible for some common misconceptions one encounters today
Lewis
Jack Flash She wasn't exactly alone...
emily.rossow Does she conflate them Orphic and Pythagorean sects?
*the
not them. Grammar, Emily
Teresa M Hey everyone! I'm here now.
10:06 PM
Jessica Hello!
Whitington
Jack Flash *salute*
emily.rossow Hi Teresa!
Cole Tucker hello!
Jeremiah Oh, and then some. Basically she's using the Orphics to work out some of her frustrations
Lewis with Protestantism
emily.rossow Well, yuck.
Jack Flash So, question: was Orphism a reaction to the female dominance of other Dionysian sects,
in your opinion, Sann? I've been really uncomfortable about that for a while.
emily.rossow I should be able to spot that, though, as someone who grew up frustrated with
Protestantism
Jack Flash You'll see it pretty quick.
emily.rossow Thanks for the heads-up!
Jeremiah i'll always have a fondness for her, though, since she was one of the first scholarly books i
Lewis read on dionysos and she also may have been partly responsible for introducing jim
10:08 PM
Morrison to dionysos
emily.rossow I remember you mentioning! Awesome.
Jack Flash I had Otto. Who... is still my favorite.
10:09 PM
Teresa M Who are we talking about? Sorry, I missed the beginning . . .
Jack Flash Harrison.
*E.J. Harrison.
Teresa M ok, thanks
Jeremiah Naw. About two-thirds of the Orphics we know were female.
Lewis
Jack Flash Good.
I've seen a lot of dudebros from Victoriana suggest it, and always go: "no. MOAR
10:10 PM
BACCHANTES."
Jeremiah And that's both literary (Olympias, the mother of Alexander) and archaeological (folks
Lewis buried with lamellae) in fact a couple important female-only cults had Orphic ties - good
10:11 PM
example being Bona Dea in Rome.
emily.rossow One of these days I'll figure out your secrets for how you get so much time to read this
stuff. I suspect the answer is "not being a teacher or having kids"
Jack Flash Note to self: look up Bona Dea.
Jessica Time Tuner.
10:12 PM
Whitington
Jack Flash It helps to not have kids or teach, yeah. lol.
Jessica That's what my money's on.
Whitington
emily.rossow See, Jessica, I KNEW it was something like that
Jessica *turner
Whitington
Jack Flash Well, Dionysos can jack you right out of time...
Which is messed up.
Jessica This is true.
Whitington
Jeremiah lol yeah. there's definitely a strain of misogyny in certain legends of Orpheus but not all.
Lewis and even that i think is a misunderstanding of some Thracian tribal stuff
Jack Flash We need more good info on Thracian shizzle. A.T. needs to write a damn book.
Jeremiah lol yeah. not having children certainly helps.
Lewis
10:13 PM
emily.rossow Like the Hellenic/Roman view of the Scythians being "afflicted with the womanly
sickness" in your post about the Rods of Aphrodite Kastina?
Jeremiah i also only sleep about three or four hours a day
Lewis
Jack Flash lmao.
emily.rossow I wish sleep were an optional recreational activity.
10:14 PM
Jack Flash I sleep bizarre hours. A couple days will be 10 hours, others around 4.
Jeremiah he does! a lot of the literature on Thracian religion is highly filtered through Bulgarian
Lewis nationalism
Jack Flash Being able to pick my own hours to work has ruined me.
Jeremiah yeah, i couldn't be on a routine schedule. i keep odd hours.
Lewis
10:15 PM
emily.rossow Exact opposite for me. I like schedules.
Jessica I'm with Emily. Schedules. Spreadsheets.
Whitington
Jack Flash lol.
10:16 PM
That's like... anathema to what I do.
Teresa M I'm with you, Jack
Jack Flash Probably a reaction to my fascist Peruvian stepfather, though.
emily.rossow <lonely organization-loving fistbump>
Jack Flash BUT. Pithoi.
Jeremiah bless the type a personalities :)
Lewis
nothing would get done if everyone was like me lol
10:17 PM
emily.rossow That was a jarring segue
Jessica (Emily, I got a label maker for xmas and it was one of the most wonderful days of my life.)
Whitington
Jack Flash LOL
Jeremiah i would have way too much fun with one of them
Lewis
emily.rossow (yes to all of that. good gift!)
Jack Flash Jessica and Emily: you two are awesome.
Jessica First order of buisness was or label which drawer in the fridge was for beer. :P
Whitington
Jack Flash XD
10:18 PM
emily.rossow That's a good start
Jeremiah as it should be!
Lewis
Jack Flash +10 billion points.
10:19 PM
emily.rossow (Also I'm sorry about that horrible jar pun)
Jeremiah lol
Lewis
Jessica Oh I just got it. I'm slow tonight.
Whitington
Cole Tucker off to the crossroads, bbiab
emily.rossow See you!
Jack Flash Say hello to Hekate for me, brother!
10:20 PM
Cole Tucker will do!
Jessica have fun!
Whitington
Cole Tucker have an extra baklava I'll leave in the name of the thiasos
emily.rossow Don't get eaten by hellhounds!
Jeremiah Going to the crossroads is a good devotional act one could put in their pithos
Lewis
10:21 PM
(how was that segue?)
Jack Flash Pft. The Black Dog is your friend.
... What about crossroads dirt?
Jeremiah I hear he's a real son of a bitch
Lewis
emily.rossow (Jack had suddenly said, "But PITHOI" and I called it a jarring segue)
Jack Flash (>.>)
Teresa M ok, now I get it, Emily, lol
10:22 PM
Jeremiah so, do we want to first define what a devotional act is and how that differs from other
Lewis types of ritual?
Jack Flash Sounds good.
emily.rossow Sounds like a good place to start.
Jessica excellent
Whitington
Teresa M yes
10:23 PM
Jeremiah what distinction, if any, do you see between them?
Lewis
Jack Flash It is a sefless act.
10:24 PM
*selfless act.
Jeremiah i like that
Lewis
emily.rossow I don't always draw a distinction, honestly, but a lot of times I see a devotional activity as
10:25 PM
something that doesn't necessarily require a ritual frame. I can study Greek on my own
time as a devotion to Hermes, but I don't necessarily feel a need to libate and say prayers
before and after.
Jessica Well.. I feel like ritual is useful to yourself or the community (or what have you), but the
Whitington devotion is useful only to the god/spirit.
Jack Flash Devotio can also be useful to the community.
emily.rossow Like the suggestion of glamourbombs.
10:26 PM
Maybe not "useful" but certainly thought-provoking and beautifying
Jessica Good point.
Whitington
Teresa M or cleaning a park area
emily.rossow That's one of my favorites, Teresa!
Jack Flash Well,there's also literal examples.
Jessica Maybe it's more of a fluid subject?
Whitington
Jeremiah Emily - nicely expressed. that's pretty much how i see it.
Lewis
Jack Flash Publius Decius Mus declared himself devoted to the underworld gods during a war with
the gods, then rod unarmed and on horseback to their encampment to die. The war was
10:27 PM
promptly lost by the Gauls, due to the wrath of the Gods.
Jeremiah Jessica - If we're going by the original Latin definition, you're absolutely right. But I think a
Lewis lot of folks use devotion in a looser, more fluid way.
Jack Flash Or so a Roman propagandist seems to say.
10:28 PM
*war with the Gauls. Not gods.
emily.rossow This story gets ten times better when you realize his cognomen means "Mouse"
Jack Flash hehe
10:29 PM
I like that he was LITERALLY the sacrifice.
Jeremiah I wish more people practiced devotio. *g*
Lewis
10:30 PM
Jack Flash I'll march over to Patheos right now, and... wait, no.
Jeremiah lol
Lewis
Jessica So... maybe more like squares and rectangles? All devotions are rituals (in some sense),
Whitington but not all rituals are devotions?
emily.rossow Ooh.
10:31 PM
Jack Flash I think so, yeah.
Jeremiah Yeah. I consider devotional acts (in the modern sense) to be an element or component of
Lewis ritual. One that can also be dislodged from a ceremonial framework.
i also think of it as something nice we do for the gods, just because or something we do
10:32 PM
to bring ourselves within their sphere of influence
almost like an active meditation.
emily.rossow Yeah.
10:34 PM
That's how I view it, too.
Jack Flash I think of it as the best expression of reverence.
Jeremiah i think so too. '
Lewis
10:35 PM
Jack Flash Which I guess is 'something nice we do'. LOL
Markos gtg friends. Sorry about my lack of input but my life is chaotic. I look forward to reading
the logs.
emily.rossow See you, Markos!
Jessica Good night!
Whitington
Jeremiah take care markos!
Lewis
Teresa M bye, Markos
Jack Flash Take care, Markos!
Jeremiah so, what are some general devotional acts? the kind of things that would be appropriate
Lewis for most divinities
10:36 PM
Jack Flash Hymns! Dances! Offerings of the bounties of the earth!
emily.rossow Creating poetry, works of art, singing, dancing
Jeremiah yes!
Lewis
those are good too :)
Jessica Burning Incense, oils, candles
10:37 PM
Whitington
Jack Flash Oooh. Yes, creating poetry, definitely. (Although I suck at it.)
emily.rossow Cleaning the shrine, bathing and anointing any image of the god(s) on the shrine
Jack Flash Mos' def.
Jessica yes
Whitington
Jeremiah that's a big one.
Lewis
10:38 PM
Jack Flash Yeah, definitely.
I love cleaning my Dionysos altar.
It just... lights up the whole house.
emily.rossow I like doing things like random acts of kindness in the name of such-and-such deity. Not
that I announce "hey have a cupcake in the name of Hestia" but beforehand, I'll say in
10:39 PM
front of the altar that I'm dedicating this act to such-and-such a god, and then go out and
do it and just have fun with the random stuff that happens.
Jeremiah i like that
Lewis
Jack Flash Oh, yeah! I leave items for Hermes at the crossroads. ("For the lucky to find, in the name
of Hermes!")
emily.rossow Yes!
Jeremiah donating one's time and energy is a great thing to ... back in Eugene I'd go and tend the
Lewis land of the nymphs i honored, cleaning up all the trash and dead vegetation
Jack Flash I recently did it with a carved scarab charged up doing an opening of the mouth ritual a
10:40 PM
10:41 PM
friend did. It was left at a random Eye of Horus stencil. We now have Eye of Horus
stencils appearing all over the neighborhood.
Teresa M yes, I do that a lot too, particularly at the park down the road
Jack Flash *stone carved in the shape of a scarab.
Jeremiah niiiice
Lewis
so what are some more divinity-specific devotional acts?
10:43 PM
Jack Flash Hekate's Supper.
Hmmm.
Jeremiah want to explain what that is in case folks aren't aware?
Lewis
Jessica Please do!
Whitington
10:44 PM
emily.rossow Hekate's Supper is a Hellenic tradition that takes place on the night the moon is not
10:45 PM
visible in the sky (i.e. before the new crescent is visible).
It was traditional to leave a meal for Hekate at the crossroads that night, since the dark
moon was associated with the travels of Hekate and the wandering dead.
Jack Flash Yep.
10:46 PM
Although, it can be given outside that time if you find yourself under attack.
Jeremiah good description :)
Lewis
Jessica Lovely!
Whitington
emily.rossow I didn't know that, Jack. Good to know!
Teresa M the new moon, that was last night
Jessica Yep
Whitington
10:47 PM
emily.rossow Yeah. Hekate got curry
Jack Flash Honey-coated fish.
Teresa M and I forgot about it :(
Jack Flash IMO, you have a three day span to give it. She'll understand.
10:48 PM
emily.rossow Totally.
Jack Flash But on the day is best.
Teresa M Oh good!
Jack Flash Note: when you leave you CANNOT LOOK BACK.
Jeremiah i think you were on the list - once your Starry Bull wall calendar arrives you'll have the
Lewis noumenias jotted down til the end of the year
Teresa M Me?
10:49 PM
Jeremiah yeah. i seem to recall your name on the list
Lewis
10:50 PM
Teresa M Great!
Jack Flash Mine isn't. lmao. I should... bother you about that.
Jeremiah so, what are divinity-specific devotional acts are there?
Lewis
10:52 PM
emily.rossow Labyrinth meditations for Ariadne--I really like walkable labyrinths.
Jeremiah oh yeah. do you go to specific place for that or bring the labyrinth with you?
Lewis
Jack Flash I do regular recitations of the Orphic hymns while dancing to specific deities.
10:53 PM
Jeremiah niiiiiiice
Lewis
emily.rossow I also like MG's recommendation of visually tracing the path of individual fibers in string.
Oh, uh--there aren't any labyrinths in the area, unfortunately.
I'd love to put one in the back yard, but most of the back yard is taken up by garden.
10:54 PM
Jeremiah lettuces?
Lewis
Jack Flash (I feel that, Emily. Ours is all garden.)
emily.rossow Yep
I should adjure the lettuce to grow in a labyrinth shahpe
*shape
Jeremiah lol totally
Lewis
Jack Flash *fistshake*
emily.rossow I also really enjoy dedicating my language studies to Hermes, but I've always liked
10:56 PM
studying languages.
Jeremiah (this is a great chat btw - really loving your ideas. i think they'll help folks with the pithoi
Lewis challenge.)
Jack Flash Hm. Okay, I also give meals to hekate, regularly (in season) add grapeleaves from our
grapes to the altar-mask I have set up.
Jeremiah have you found that doing so helps you with your studies?
Lewis
emily.rossow It helps motivate me. "No, I can't just NOT do a synopsis of this irregular verb, I'm
10:57 PM
dedicating this work"
Jack Flash Nice!
Jeremiah oh, that's a nice component
Lewis
Jessica Slightly off, but in regards to Hermes: I've been collecting marbles for him for years now.
Whitington Somehow it made sense in my brain. Is there anything about orbs or marbles being
significant to him? Or is that just me?
emily.rossow And since I'm currently studying ancient Greek, EVERY verb is irregular except lyein :L
Jessica I like that, that's some good motivation.
Whitington
emily.rossow I've always had this notion that Hermes likes small shiny objects, so I agree with you
there. Not sure I can come up with a reason why, though.
Jeremiah he was associated with pebble and stone divination and they were also left at mileLewis markers like jews leave pebbles on graves today
10:58 PM
Jack Flash Oh, cool.
10:59 PM
Jessica Ok, cool. :)
Whitington
Jack Flash UPG confirmed!
Teresa M Hey, that IS cool
Jeremiah i think the greek for it is sephos or spiphos ... something like that
Lewis
emily.rossow That reminds me of a really neat idea I saw floating around the internet. If you get a jar
11:00 PM
and fill it with sand, then put divination markings on small objects like shells or rocks or
marbles and toss those in, you have a divination too.
*tool.
(psephos, Sannion)
Jeremiah that's it!
Lewis
and that is a neat idea
emily.rossow You seal the lid on the jar and when you want to divine, hold the jar horizontally and
rotate it until markings become visible.
Jessica Pintrest right?
Whitington
11:01 PM
emily.rossow Yep!
Jeremiah brb keep up with the great ideas :)
Lewis
11:02 PM
Teresa M that's like a magic 8 ball kinda
emily.rossow Deity-specific...hm. I really like cleaning up local areas as a devotion specifically to the
Nymphai.
Jack Flash Do the Muses count as divinities? I make crazed potions to offer them.
11:03 PM
Cole Tucker Thank goodness for the transcript, looked like I missed a lot!
Jack Flash (WB, Cole!)
Teresa M hello again!
emily.rossow They totally do. WB, Cole!
11:04 PM
Cole Tucker :)
time to go wash down, but thank you for all the wonderful conversation! looking forward to 11:05 PM
next week
emily.rossow I really like the idea of infusing. Imagine having your own cinnamon-infused vodka to offer
Hermes, or pomegranate vinegar for Persephone
See you!
Jack Flash *grin*
Jessica Ooooo that's dangerous.
Whitington
I love it.
Jack Flash Yes, you're right on the money, Emily.
"Spirits for Spirits" I call it.
11:06 PM
emily.rossow Heeee
I just made a batch of rosewater, I should libate some of that to Aphrodite.
Teresa M Hermes likes cinnamon?
emily.rossow It's not a traditional association.
Jessica That's what I usually burn for him too.
Whitington
emily.rossow I associate it with Him because cinnamon used to be THE MOST EXPENSIVE spice in
the western world
Jack Flash Cinnamon = Mars (just using the doctrine of the sympathies)
AH!
Fair do.
emily.rossow Because of the fire, right?
Jack Flash And the color.
11:07 PM
emily.rossow Good point.
That sort of rusty red-brown
Jessica Did it? I'm trying to remember where I read that it was an offering for Hermes.... but he
Whitington seems to like it.
Jack Flash But imo, you can offer anything to a god as long as they'll take it.
emily.rossow Our Agathos Daimon goes nuts for apple pie moonshine.
11:08 PM
Jessica Doesn't everyone. :P
Whitington
Jack Flash I can see that, too.
Jeremiah sorry folks, I'm suddenly feeling rather ill and got to bail. it was a wonderful chat!
Lewis
take care guys!
emily.rossow Feel better, Sannion!
Jack Flash Take care, brother!
11:09 PM
Teresa M I hope you feel better, Sannion!
Jessica Good night! Feel better!
Whitington
Jack Flash So, uh...
11:10 PM
emily.rossow I'm trying to think of deity-specific devotional acts. This is a LOT more difficult than
general ones
Teresa M Yes, I've had trouble with that too
11:11 PM
emily.rossow Ooh. For Aphrodite--taking time to focus on beauty in the home, or one's own appearance
Jack Flash Nice.
Jessica I like to make jewelry with a particular god in mind, dedicate it to them, and then wear it
Whitington when I feel drawn to. Or if I feel like I need them around that day.
11:12 PM
emily.rossow Like, offering Her flowers, but put them in a place that will brighten up a room instead of
at the altar
I like that, Jessica!
Jack Flash I like the idea of making jewelry!
Well, I've been experimenting with "living altars" - growing plants revered by the deities
11:13 PM
next to the altar, periodically feeding them libations and fumigating them, plus daily
watering.
emily.rossow Something I've been toying around with is a divination system that helps you with selfimprovement (sounds cheesy but I can't think of another way to phrase it). It involves
11:14 PM
questions associated with specific deities or aspects of those deities--for example, the
question for Dionysos Omadios ("The Consumer of Raw Flesh") would be, "What do you
allow to consume you?"
And you choose one of those questions at random and meditate on it for as long as you
feel a need to
Jack Flash Interesting!
Teresa M I like that idea, Emily
11:15 PM
emily.rossow I could see it as a form of "hey what should I think about today" meditation, but also as a
divination system to help people approach problems using lateral thinking
Jessica Ooo that's nice. And I really love the living altar thing. Mind if I share that with a friend of
Whitington mine? I think she'll love it too.
11:16 PM
Jack Flash No problem!
emily.rossow What living altars do you have set up, Jack?
11:17 PM
Jack Flash Vervain for Zeus, a secondary mini-altar for Dionysos outside. It's still expirimental for me.
(With the grapes, of course!)
Hekate will have hers soon, with the Mandrakes.
11:19 PM
emily.rossow quick brb
All right, I'm actually about to conk out. I'll keep this chat window open--if you guys have
any other ideas, post them, and I'll post the transcript sometime tomorrow.
Jack Flash Fair do. Have a good night, Emily!
11:20 PM
11:23 PM
11:24 PM
Jessica I think I might join ya. Getting kinda sleepy....
Whitington
Jack Flash Well then, I shall retire as well. hahaha.
Teresa M Yeah, same here.
Jack Flash Night all!
emily.rossow Good night!
Jessica Goodnight everyone! Thanks for letting me absorb tidbits of your brains!
Whitington
Teresa M Have a good night!
11:25 PM