Notes: This ritual was held by 4
people, with one other participating.
Because of this there were 3 officiates along with Matt, an officiate’s
partner, who was kind enough to drum for us right before and throughout the
procession as well as lighting the hearth fire in the fire place/hearth for
us. Despite this, I feel the ritual
should be easily changed to fit anything from one to many participants and
officiates.
It is
also our first large ritual as a group, so we found a few things we may change
next time we do a large ritual.
Also, a
few things we had as part of the festival which may not be obvious from the
ritual script are:
1)
Aphrodite Morpho. We wanted to focus on
an aspect of Aphrodite for our Aphrodisia and decided on focusing on her beauty
aspect. The epithets chosen in her
ritual are related to the in some way.
Feel free to choose any other aspect(s) of Aphrodite to honor in your
ritual/festival. Just because we only
have the most detail from the Athenian Aphrodisia held in the Summer, doesn’t
mean that you can’t hold it at other times of the year or with themes other
than how the Athenians worshiped Her.
For example, we chose 02/10/06 because that was the same day as Hellenion’s
Aphrodite libation. So, we did the
libation ritual in the early afternoon, all had lunch together, and then all
gathered for the Aphrodisia ritual in the evening. We found it filled out the day nicely. So, remember, an Aphrodisia is simply a festival and ritual to
honor Aphrodite. Find what days are
best for you!
2)
Ribbons. People were encouraged to
bring ribbons for Aphrodite and during the appropriate time of the ritual (the
ritual adornment of the statue), each person would approach the altar and tie
the ribbon to Her with a request in mind and/or a personal offering of a poem,
song, etc. We also provided ribbons for
anyone who needed one.
3) At the
end of the ritual, we had a feast of foodstuffs that were pink, red or evoked
feelings of Love/Aphrodisiacs. For
example, we had red Italian meats (salami, pepperoni, etc), pasta with red
sauce (we used pasta shells as an Aphrodite nod), chocolate fondue with
strawberries, pink cupcakes, etc.
4) During
the feast we set up a theoxenia altar for Aphrodite
by the feast table and fixed a plate of all of the food for her so that we may
feast along with Her. This was offered
to the earth outside later in the evening once the festivities were over.
5) After
the feast, we invited people to share some solitary time with Aphrodite and
make any private offerings to her. We
did this by designating a room in the house as an Aphrodite shrine where we set
up a small altar to Aphrodite and had some incense burning. You could do also this by designating a small
area in the room where you are holding the ritual or outside, if you’d
like. Be creative! At the door of the shrine were seashells and
we asked that the participants offer a seashell to the altar with their
requests from or praise of Aphrodite in mind.
We did this because we wanted to make sure to practice kharis and offer something when we asked for something. We do not live near an ocean, but one of
the officiates was going on a cruise within a week or two of the ritual and
offered to give the seashells to the ocean for Aphrodite. If you do live near the ocean, feel free to
give those seashell offerings to the ocean on your own.
Feel free
to email me with any questions or comments: radiantbaby@sehellenes.org
Aphrodisia 2007: Aphrodisia for Aphrodite Morpho
Sponsored
by the Artemis Mounykhia Proto-demos and Eranos
The ritual
begins downstairs in the darkened room with a drumming meditation presented by Matt.
After the meditation, a procession is formed lead by the drumming upstairs to the ritual space. At this time, the person at the head of the procession will take the Aphrodite statue from the unadorned shrine in the darkened room and place her on the altar in the ritual space.
Once everyone
has gathered at the ritual space the announcement is made:
Officiate
1: “Koimeson
stoma!"
Officiate
2: “Silence your
lips!”
Officiate
1: “Hekas o hekas este
bebeloi!”
Officiate
2: “Let the profane ones
depart!”
Two volunteers
and/or Officiate 2, Officiate 1 and Officiate 3:
Using a bowl and pitcher of purified water, take this to each participant and
pour the water over his or her hands.
Accompany
this action with the words: “Be Purified”
Another
follows with a cloth to dry everyone’s hands.
The
sprinkling of the same water also purifies the altar, offerings and fire area.
Small
amount of barley will be tossed on the altar.
Matt lights the
fire in the hearth
Officiate
3:
“Hestia, in
the lofty homes of all immortal gods
and humans
who walk the ground,
you won the
eternal seat, the most ancient honor
with great
rewards and respect. Mortals have no
feasts
without you – they being by pouring
honey-sweet
wine first and last to Hestia.”
(from
Homeric Hymn 29: Hymn to Hestia and
Hermes)
Herbed Oil
is poured for Hestia
Officiate
2:
“Ornate-throned
immortal Aphrodite, wile-weaving daughter of Zeus, I
entreat
you: do not overpower my heart, mistress, with ache and anguish,
but come here,
if ever in the past you heard my voice from afar and
acquiesced
and came, leaving your father's golden house, with chariot
yoked:
beautiful swift sparrows whirring fast-beating wings brought you
above the
dark earth down from heaven through the mid-air, and soon they
arrived:
and you, blessed one, with a smile on your immortal face asked
what was
the matter with me this time and why I was calling this time
and what in
my maddened heart I most wished to happen for myself: 'Whom
am I to
persuade this time to lead you back to her love? Who wrongs you,
Sappho? If
she runs away, soon she shall pursue; if she does not accept
gifts, why,
she shall give them instead; and if she does not love, soon
she shall
love even against her will.' Come to me now again and deliver
me from
oppressive anxieties; fulfill all that my heart longs to fulfill,
and you
yourself be my fellow-fighter.”
Sappho's
Hymn to Aphrodite
Officiate 1:To honor Love and Beauty, we gather in your name, Aphrodite.
Aphrodite Morpho! Shapely Aphrodite,most beautiful of the Goddesses.Aphrodite Morpho, All: we praise you! We honor you! Officiate 1: Aphrodite Kuprogenes! Aphrodite of Cyprus,
yours is that fair isle -- Cyprian you are called.Aphrodite Kuprogenes, All: we praise you! We honor you! Officiate 1: Aphrodite Haligenes! Sea-Born Aphrodite,
who arose from foam upon the waves.Aphrodite Haligenes, All: we praise you! We honor you! Officiate 1: Aphrodite Euploia! Fair-Sailing Aphrodite,
friend and guardian of sailors and seafarers.Aphrodite Euploia, All: we praise you! We honor you!
Officiate 1: Khruse Aphrodite! Golden Aphrodite,
fairer by far than all the treasures of the earth.Khruse Aphrodite, All: we praise you! We honor you! Officiate 1: Aphrodite Philommeides! Laughter-Loving Aphrodite,
bringer of joy, mirth, and all sweet pleasures.Aphrodite Philommeides, All: we praise you! We honor you! Officiate 1: Aphrodite Areia! Aphrodite of Ares,
beloved of the war-god, you share his nature, hold his might.Aphrodite Areia, All: we praise you! We honor you! Officiate 1: Aphrodite Hetaira! Aphrodite of Courtesans,
all loves and passions are within your realm.Aphrodite Hetaira, All: we praise you! We honor you! Officiate 1: Aphrodite Eleemon! Merciful Aphrodite,
with kindness you look upon us.Aphrodite Eleemon, All: we praise you! We honor you! Officiate 1: Aphrodite Ourania! Heavenly Aphrodite,
as you were called of old, in distant lands.Aphrodite Ourania, All: we praise you! We honor you! Officiate 1: Aphrodite Pandemos! Aphrodite of All People,
all of us whom you bind together in love.Aphrodite Pandemos, All: we praise you! We honor you!
Officiate 1: We call you by
your many names and honor you as you honor us with your gifts.
Officiate
3:
Beloved
Aphrodite,
dearest goddess, most worthy of praise,
I thank you for your blessings.
For love and for passion,
for loss and for longing,
for desire and for fulfillment,
for these I thank you,
for these I adore you,
for these I honor you.
Each participant is asked to approach the altar to
tie or place a ribbon on the statue of Aphrodite. Each is requested to tie this purposefully with a prayer or
verbal offering (hymn, song, poetry, etc.).
An offering
of Apples, Roses and Myrrh is then thrown on the ritual fire.
Officiate
1:
“Aphrodite,
kind one, fair one,
companion
in joy, comfort in despair,
if ever I
have praised you,
if ever I
have honored you,
if ever I
have poured libations
or lauded
you with hymns,
bless me
now.”
After the
offerings are made, participants may make requests of Aphrodite for the
upcoming year.
A ritual
drink is blessed for Aphrodite with the following prayer:
Officiate
2: “Come, Cypris, pouring
gracefully into golden cups nectar that is mingled with our festivities.” (while Officiate 3 pours drink into
vessel) Some of the drink is given to
the libation bowl for Aphrodite herself.
The cup is
then passed among the participants. The
phrase “Aphrodite’s Blessings” is spoken as the cup is passed.
Officiate
3:
A Sailor
Dancing
...
a prayer to Aphrodite
Oh, my dear
goddess, I love the way this sailor moves
lightly upon the earth, as if he were dancing
to the deep and silent rhythm of the seas.
I love the way this sailor looks up, takes in the sky,
always feeling, knowing
which way blows the wind and where clouds gather.
And
I greatly love the way you, my Lady, have gathered
us closer to each other. We were moving
on separate courses, both of us not even knowing
we were rapidly converging. Now, we are dancing,
Officiate 1eath the lucent sky,
Eros stately sarabande amidst these rising seas.
I
love the way this sailor's eyes can see
the pattern in our lives as we each have slowly gathered
sage Poseidon's deep sea treasures. Under far-off skies
your great Powers took us where you willed, and now move
us inexorably together. You brings us laughing, dancing
to each other. And only you know
where
you lead us now. It is not for us to know
what the portents tell of vast, unfolding seas,
surprising in their glory. We are simply dancing -
turning on the water lightly as we gather
sweet momentum, as the winds move
us on the ocean from which Aphrodite rose into the sky.
You
know! Oh, my Lady, first light in the darkening sky,
yours is the star I wish upon. Watch you over us, knowing
as you must, the perils of the course we move
upon. I pray you, guide us steady on our way when seas
grow wild. Help us gently gather
your sweet wisdom - deep, profound, yet blithely dancing.
Oh,
my Lady, I adore this sailor, love to feel him dancing
with me, love the taste of salt upon him. Under an electric sky
in him the god is rising. It's too late for us to gather
the tender rose of May - what we have is deeper, older, knowing
sorrow, knowing pain, rising up to love once more - and in this sea
we are not lost. Over these waters, spirit guides and moves.
Lady,
as through us your spirit moves, I adore my sailor dancing.
Thank you for bringing us to this tender touching over sea and under sky.
Though we are only partly knowing, still joy and love we gather.
Copyright
© 2001 by Jessica Macbeth.
Closing
libation to Hestia
Another
offering is poured to Hestia and the following words are spoken:
Officiate
3: “As long as
hearth fires burn, the blessing of Hestia is upon us. Praise Hestia!”
Eat
Drink and Be Merry!
(Participants are invited to bring food that is either pink, red or evokes feelings
of Love)