Clarifications

Today, I was doing my usual obsessing about my blog here. Honestly, I check the stats and look for new comments about every waking hour. As a military analyst, I've had a great deal of compulsion and paranoia bred into me, so I'm constantly looking for new information to absorb, and I'm always evaluating, judging, and scrutinizing every last detail. Don't worry, I'm not just judging everything you do, I'm also being highly critical of myself; I spend a lot of time evaluating every hypothetical situation that may arise between myself and any potential member of my audience. A casualty of such constant contemplation can be a lack of clarity. Writing on the Internet can be especially difficult in regards to clarity, because the audience may not be clearly defined, or may be co-opted by a group other than the targeted demographic. I want to be perfectly clear and as unambiguous as possible as to my target audience in addition to the purpose and mission of this blog. Please allow this post to serve as a clarification and guide as how I intend to direct this blog. One. I am a hard polytheist Hellenic Reconstructionist who focuses on Ancient Greek religion, specifically those practices from the Archaic period to the Classical period. I choose not to include the Hellenistic period because I feel that foreign cults blended with native cults more than I am scholastically and ritually comfortable with. Yes, I understand that many foreign divinities were adopted into Greek religion, and that many local deities were subsumed into larger cults under more common names.  In regards to historical syncretism, I have no qualms against that, but you will not find that in my blog. This includes my own preference to excluding  Mars as equivalent to Ares when at all possible. I feel they are separate divinities, and to me, to equate the two would be disrespectful. Two. The intent of this blog is to create a corpus of material for those, who like me, worship Ares in what we can hope is a traditional, appropriate way. As a reconstructionist, I understand the importance of innovating and updating ancient material for modern use. This is a special concern where the cult of Ares is involved, as his cult was small and largely unaccounted for. However, this does not mean I condone "making it up as you go along". Any invention must be an extrapolation, not an exercise in pure imagination. You should expect from me to explain any invented ritual, prayer, or theological point with literary and scholarly evidence. I will admit that I offer quite a few original analyses; if you ever need to know where it came from, please ask. Unfortunately with my busy school and work schedule, I can not write every post as a fully cited, MLA/APA-formatted essay. I am also not into tags or embedded links, simply for expediency's sake. That does not excuse me from making invalid or unverifiable claims. Unverified Personal Gnosis will ALWAYS be cited as such. Three. My intended audience, as stated above, are those individuals who wish to worship Ares in as traditional and authentic a manner as possible. I am not writing for the eclectic neopagan crowd. While I can not police the traffic to my blog, and have no intention to, I want to be clear as to what I feel is a matter of integrity regarding my practice and those of my compatriots. Ares is a god, unbeholden to mortal whims and theologies. It is not for me to say who may approach his altars and worship him in a manner of their choosing. However, it personally irks me when my material is re-posted and tagged with words such as "Wicca". I practice Hellenismos, not Wicca. While I have no qualms about inspiring Wiccans and other neopagans to worship Ares in a traditional manner, I am not an evangelist or a missionary, and have no desire to advertise my material to them. Four. A minor yet important aspect of my blog is outreach to Hellenic reconstructionist military members and veterans. Pagan military members and veterans are a small, often neglected demographic within the community at large. Veterans and servicemen have unique experiences which are often untranslatable to their civilian counterparts, thus requiring unique attention. Those who experience war have unique spiritual needs which outsiders may not be able to fulfill, and one of my goals is to offer some sort of support to those individuals. Five, Despite my unwillingness to cater to a broader, more eclectic audience,  I do wish to foster a sense of community among those who worship Ares. I don't wish for every post to be a dry treatise on some academic or theological point. I do want to share mystical accounts, personal anecdotes, poetry, and community news. Ritual is one aspect of a religious community, not the only one. I greatly encourage third party content submissions and collaborations. Want to do a back and forth piece, in the style of an "opposing viewpoints" article? I would love that! Please, feel free to add input on -anything-. To create community, there must be a dynamic exchange of ideas; stagnation is death. I hope this clears up some things regarding the scope and focus of my blog. If this offends you in anyway, feel free to tell me. My intent wasn't to offend, but rather inform, however I can never appease everyone. I felt this was important to write because I feel clarity, integrity, and honesty are paramount. Again, I understand I can not realistically stop anyone from re-posting my material however they wish, but I would appreciate having potential readers keep my intentions in mind when sharing my work and acting appropriately. I do appreciate everyone who does read my blog, comments on a post, and shares it with friends who would be genuinely interested. Especial thanks goes out to friends and acquaintances who have regularly publicized my work by means of social media and ping-backs on their own blogs. I owe you all a great deal of thanks, and I hope I may reciprocate your generosity in the future. Thank you all for your consideration, and hail Ares!

Ares and Aphrodite

Ares is the quintessential male, brooding, powerful, and virile. Aphrodite is the quintessential female, tempestuous, elegant, and sexually resplendent. Two peas in a very passionate pod, the relationship between Ares and Aphrodite speaks directly to the most primal part of the human psyche, piercing even the most stone-like hearts.

The story of Ares and his consort Aphrodite is a passionate one. The two divine entities see in each other their own completion. THough Aphrodite is married to Hephaestos, the two often steal away to make love, and it is said in some fragments of literature that the marriage was officially dissolved, leaving Ares and Aphrodite to produce a multitude of divine offspring, including Fear, Din, and Harmony among others.

The concepts of love and war may seem at first diametrically opposed, thus making the relationship between Ares and Aphrodite seem odd, but I assure you, they are two intimately intertwined forces.

I ask you, what was it that launched 1,000 ships and the greatest war in Greek myth?  It was love. Yes, one can argue that the breach of hospitality on the part of the Trojan Paris towards his Spartan host was the cause of the conflict, but why did Paris breach that essential trust in the first place? Love can be very dangerous. Love, and its counterpart, lust, can have devastating effects on people, tearing apart families and friends, and in the case of the Iliad, starting wars.

Other, real-life examples of love and war have deeply impacted the human race in both the medieval and modern periods. Genghis Khan spread like a plague over the continents of Asia and Europe, destroying kings and commoners alike. Genghis left two lasting legacies in the areas he conquered: literal plague, and a bloodline. The Khan took so many brides (and raped so many women) that some anthropologists suggest one half of a percent (0.5%) of all people on earth can trace their heritage back to Genghis ( Zerjal et al.). Again, following World War II, which caused upwards of 200, 000, 000 casualties worldwide, many countries experienced a “baby boom”, as returning soldiers were encouraged to settle down and start families. This surge in population called for increased economic participation, putting an end to the Depression era and kick-starting a period of prosperity for many.

Speaking of a baby boom, Ares and Aphrodite also speak to another, deeper part of the psyche– pure animal attraction. Ares is the hunk, the bad boy every woman wants. He doesn’t play by the rules. He sweeps you of your feet, ravages you, and still leaves you wanting more. Now Aphrodite, she’s something else. Refined but raw, sensual and seductive yet elegant at the same time. She’s the kind of gal who will play coy even though she knows exactly what you want, and doesn’t hide that she wants it, too. This primal urge drives our whole species. It’s no surprise that today’s pornography industry, where actors are usually sculpted to physical perfection, much as Aphrodite and Ares are depicted,  is estimated to value between $2 and $4 billion dollars. Yes, that’s billion with a “B”.

As a final thought, I want you to meditate on the meaning of Ares’ and Aphrodite’s relationship, and more specifically, a particular child born of that relationship. Love and War come together to create Harmony (Harmonia), and that is a true Mystery.

Hail Ares!

A Day of Infamy

70 years ago, Japan launched a not so surprising surprise attack on the United States’ territory of Hawaii. 2,402 Americans died, most aboard the USS Arizona; 57 civilians also lost their lives. 64 Japanese lost their lives on the most daring attack in American history. Later that day, the United States entered the greatest war the human race had ever seen, amounting in 50 to 70 million dead worldwide, making the war the single most devastating event in human history after the Black Plague (approx. 100 million dead) and the Spanish Flu (approx. 50-100 million dead).

Men and women from many nations fought and died valiantly for their countries. The seeds of the modern world were planted in WWII, and many call the generation which endured such suffering the Greatest generation. Advances in aviation, rocketry, physics, radio technology, food preservation and production, and many other industries jumped light years from the primitive to the modern. We split the fundamental pieces of the universe to create the most devastating weapon imaginable.

* * *

I wanted to take the time to comment on the men who dedicated their lives to destroying my countrymen. Few realize how important the behavior and ethos of the enemy shapes how soldiers behave, develop, and fight. I want to acknowledge a couple of mythic and epic personalities that helped shape the United States into one of the most powerful nations on earth.

First, I raise my glass to General Erwin Rommel. Probably one of the most respectable Germans ever to serve in the Nazi regime, General Rommel distinguished himself through his constant disregard of Hitler’s orders to exterminate POW’s, Jews, and civilians. A brutally efficient officer, Rommel’s speed and aggressiveness often contributed to lower casualties, earning him the begrudged respect of his enemies. Rommel committed suicide to save his family from the ramifications of a plot to depose Hitler in attempt to save the German people from a fate worse than the Versailles Treaty.

Second, a toast to the brutal General Korechika Anami, War Minister to his imperial highness Emperor Hirohito of Japan. General Anami was responsible for helping to instill the fanatic drive behind the Japanese war machine, and decried the idea of surrender, ordering the arrest and even execution of those who did so. Devoted to the Emperor to the last, General Anami vowed to win the war even if he had to sacrifice every Japanese man, woman, and child to do it. When Emperor Hirohito sued for peace, General Anami refused to take part in a coup against the man he thought a god, and instead chose to preserve his remaining honor by committing seppuku, without the traditional Kaikashunin to ease his suffering by removing his head.

One may wonder at the respect I have for such brutal men who went along with some of the most horrific regimes in history. I respect them as I would respect the hero Hektor; all three men faced doom for the home they loved in the face of overwhelming violence. All three brought honor to their enemies, even if they were denied it themselves.

* * *

Please join me in pouring a libation to all the blessed dead, be they the enemy or the ally. Remember the terrors and joys this war brought to our planet. Reflect on the heroism of the millions of soldiers who lost their lives, and those who came back hollow. Salute the valor of those that served. Show sorrow for the horrors we have inflicted upon our enemies, and forgive the horrors of our enemies.

Ares, Dike, and Themis

I wanted to take some time today to comment on Ares’ relationship with Themis and his role as an arbiter of justice as well as both an instigator and bastion against civil strife.

Many of you may have followed coverage of the Occupy protest movement, as I have. With much of the heavy protesting over (for now), it is interesting to meditate and speculate on the role the gods may play in our civil affairs. Regardless of which side of the issue you find yourself upon, it is reasonable to believe that Ares certainly had his hand in the matter, and very possibly played both sides of the field.

In Homer’s hymn to Ares, he says,

 ”O defender of Olympos, father of warlike Nike (Victory), ally of Themis, stern governor of the rebellious… hear me, helper of men, … that I may be able to drive away bitter cowardice from my head and crush down the deceitful impulses of my soul. Restrain also the keen fury of my heart which provokes me to tread the ways of blood-curdling strife.”

It is interesting for Homer to write like this for Ares, considering the mostly unfavorable manner in which he is depicted in the Iliad. However, it does shed light on what the common man, not just the soldier, may sacrifice and pray to Ares for.

First, Ares is a defender of the heavens, and an ally of the divine order, Themis. This is extremely important given that though War is detestable and horrific, it stands as a partner to the highest Divine schema, thus encouraging us not to shun Ares for our own hang-ups.

Next I want to look at “stern governor of the rebellious.” This may seem antithetical to the chaotic portrayal of Ares in most of his mythology. However, it behooves us to note both the stories of Ares’ conduct following the rape of his daughter,Alkippe, and the punishment of the mortal Sisyphos. In the first, he executes the rapist of his daughter, a son of Poseidon, and is sent to trial in Athens upon what became known as the Areopagus. In the latter, Ares rescues the kidnapped Thanatos from the criminal Sisyphos, sending his soul to Tartaros. It is interesting to observe that in Plato’s “Laws”, agents of Ares act as a police force in Athens, rather than what may intuitively be the realm of Athena.

Following this, there is a plea for aid, to banish cowardice and vice from one’s soul. Warren Buffet, an extremely wealthy business mogul, spoke up on behalf of Occupy supporters when he revealed he had paid a smaller percentage of taxes than his secretary, a move thought by many to be refreshingly straight-forward and honest for a businessman. In a world where corporatism is increasingly demonized as amoral at best, and downright evil at worst, such honesty from the “1%” as they are called is nothing short of miraculous, and I feel this sort of reflection and self-evaluation is exactly what Homer is asking of Ares.

The last bit, in my opinion, was one of the most important points missed by either side of the issue, and I’ll be the first to admit I’m included in that. Both the “99%” and the “1%”, the left and the right, the people and the Man villified each other, which got us absolutely nowhere. People protesting were understandably upset with the system, but did little to change anything and simply railed against the Machine, whereas many in the establishment ranged between open contempt and being downright provocative. In the end, not many reined in their fury, and Eris and Ares had a field day. In the end, everyone was to blame.

As I wrap this up, I want to encourage all of you to take a moment to reflect upon Ares’ role as an arbiter of justice in the cosmic order, a companion of Dike and Themis. Reflect on your place in the scheme of the world, where you stand in terms of your own values, and whether or not you’ve been courageous enough to live those values in a manner befitting yourself and the gods. If you’re one of us who falters on occasion, pray to Ares for that courage. I’ll close with a little prayer you’re free to use anytime you find yourself slipping.

Hear me, O Brazen Ares!

You who walk with lovely Themis and righteous Dike,

who lends men strength in their time of need,

who destroys cowards and criminals,

I pray, banish from me the cowardice in my heart,

teach me to walk in Justice along the Divine Order,

destroy in me that which keeps me from the path of Virtue.

Glories and Laments

I apologize if this comes off as a bit of a rant, but I’m frustrated today.

Why am I frustrated and thus whining to you all? I am frustrated because there’s just not enough about Ares out there. I spent about two hours or so searching for any kind of depiction of the statue of Ares at Sparta, where he is shown in chains that his favor would never be able to leave the city. But no, nothing. Nothing but the same thing over and over, that and screen shots from either Xena or God of War. This bothers me. Oh, and half the websites out there about Ares have decayed or shut down (Geocities anyone?). Thus, I am grumpy.

I wish there was a little more interest in Ares. I’ve been trying to drum up interest for an Ares anthology over at NA, but no luck. Ares just isn’t very popular. If he is, it always seems to come from the self-help angle that just seems to rub me the wrong way. What I wouldn’t give to have an active, committed community of Ares worshipers to worship with. Maybe I’m just being impatient. After all, there has been some stirring in the Aresian community as of late.

Maybe, if I want to create that community, I’m going to have to break the biggest taboo of the polytheistic community- I’ll have to evangelize! Scary stuff, right. Advertising like a media whore may also have to be an option. I tell you, drumming up interest isn’t easy, especially when you’re trying to avoid being overly controversial. Who knows though, that could be part of the problem. Am I playing to far to the PC side of Ares? The survey was probably overly-ambitious, and my failure to produce  was probably a turn-off to a few folks.

On the positive side of things, my last post, For Ares Enyalios, will be published in the Neokoroi newsletter, He Epistole, in their up-coming winter issue. Maybe that will spark a little interest. I suppose the lack of artwork depicting Ares is simply an opportunity to create some and possibly inject some much-needed variety into the system. That being said, I could even go around and create my own anthology and self-publish.

Here’s to being grumpy! Hail Ares!

For Ares Enyalios

Ares Enyalios, Brazen god of the spear, Rallier of men to battle,

We offer unto you our victories at the end of this season that you have ensured

And for your glory offer many more to come with the next.

Drive us, oh Obrimos, that we may accept only victory in the company of your companions,

That we may accept victory or death and nothing more

Victory from Golden Aphrodite

Victory from Deimos

Victory from Phobos

Victory from Agon

Victory from Harmonia

Let men sing your praises from the gore of the fallen

Let men sing your praises from the high walls of their homes

Let us dance as the Spartoi for your amusement

As you have brought us victory in war, we pray you bring us strength in peace

Let us bear strong and sharp children

Let us bear order upon our disordered land

Let us exchange arms for the labors of the field;

Encourage peace, to gentle works inclined,

And give abundance, with benignant mind.

Festivals to Ares, though rare in Greece, occurred during autumn, as Ares was said to rule during the time of Scorpio. In addition, the Spartan and Macedonian New Year would fall in October, which is the end of the year’s campaign season. This is a most fitting time to sacrifice to Ares. Ares’ festivals were often attended by either sex, but not together- men and women sacrificed to Ares separately. It was more common for men to sacrifice to Ares, but there was a women’s only festival celebrating the victory of the women of Tegea over Spartan invasion.

Incorporated in the above prayer are many allusions to the cult and poetic titles of Ares, which highlight both his violent and non-violent natures, for he was worshipped as both a war-like god and a giver of order and bounty. Ares was often worshipped alongside Aphrodite. The last four lines of the poem come from the Orphic Hymn to Ares, which I included in my poem to highlight the style which is common to Aresian poetry and literature- a supplication to the god for peace, for that is the ultimate goal and reward of war.

My Shrine to Ares

On all of the many sites dedicated to Hellenic Polytheism out there, I often see threads from newbies on how to set up a shrine, what to put there, and whether or not they’re doing anything wrong. Now, I consider myself a newbie to Hellenismos, what with only been involved in the religion for about three years now, and wouldn’t really feel myself qualified to comment on what is “right” or “wrong” in shrine construction. That being said, I do feel appropriate sharing a picture of my own shrine to Ares (which is only marginally separate from my other shrines) so you can get a feeling for how you might set up your own.

First off, the statue is a copy of what is probably the most commonly available image of Ares out there right now. There’s another one out there, of Ares on a horse, but I prefer this one because to me, Ares needs a spear. Now, ideally, I’d want to find a miniature copy of Ares’ statue that once sat outside of Sparta, where Ares is chained down to ensure his favor never left the city. If anyone can find one, I personally grant you reprieve from my bid to take over the world.

Then there’s a basic set of candles, which I never light. They’re really just there for decoration- the only thing I burn indoors is incense, and I leave all other burning to the firepit outside (I’m a big fan of psuedo-living sacrifices, i.e. throwing the bones and fat from a meal into the fire.). They are crimson, a color traditionally associated with both Ares and his children, the Spartoi.

Next is my incense burner. I picked it because it reminded me of Greek pottery, with the orangish brass highlighted by the black. It’s filled with sand to help diffuse heat, and I use it for burning Myrrh and Frankencense, both of which are traditional offerings. That little stone jar holds my frankencense resin.

The next few peices are a little more personal. You may recognize the wooden spear point with the spear and helmet motif, which is repeated on the canvas to the left; these are votive offerings. If I ever started a group dedicated to Ares, that spear and helmet motif would be the emblem. The last little thing there is a challenge coin. Back when I was in the Air Force, I served as the sergeant-at-arms, public relations chief, and vice president of the post Chaplain’s student program. When it was time for me to leave, the chaplain gave me that coin, and I consider it the crowning achievement of my military career. It’s even more significant due to the fact that about the time I was given the coin, I made up my mind to be a Hellenic Polytheist, and one dedicated first and foremost to Ares.

Well, I hope this helps out anyone who thinks following my example is actually a good idea. I think it’s nice and simple without being aesthetically displeasing. Let me know what you think, or even better, share photos of your shrines to Ares below!

Hail Ares!