2014-08-25T03:39:03Z http://realpagan.net/profiles/comment/feed?attachedTo=6330711%3ABlogPost%3A25226&xn_auth=no tag:realpagan.net,2010-12-16:6330711:Comment:27206 2010-12-16T12:40:04.206Z Gabrielle Cleary http://realpagan.net/profile/GabrielleCleary

<p>Hi Alorer,</p> <p>Great info on the Anthesteria. Our circle has a few members who delve into Hellenic re-con and so for the past couple of years we have been running small Hellenic based pagan gatherings. 2 years ago we ran a ritual weekend focused on the Anthesteria. We even made our own Panspermia as an offering in the 3rd rite of the weekend. Everyone made their own chitons, the hall was decorated with beautiful wall hangings featuring each of the Gods and the ritual site was amazing. A…</p>

<p>Hi Alorer,</p> <p>Great info on the Anthesteria. Our circle has a few members who delve into Hellenic re-con and so for the past couple of years we have been running small Hellenic based pagan gatherings. 2 years ago we ran a ritual weekend focused on the Anthesteria. We even made our own Panspermia as an offering in the 3rd rite of the weekend. Everyone made their own chitons, the hall was decorated with beautiful wall hangings featuring each of the Gods and the ritual site was amazing. A walk through the bush, across a wooden bridge to the foot of a huge cliff. During the ritual, part of the play was enacted on the stairs in the cliff and everyone then climbed the stairs individually to visit Ariadne.</p> <p>The rituals were written and adapted to be a bit more participatory than just a Priest and Priestess doing everything. Copies of them can be viewed here <a href="http://www.applegroveonline.com/rituals.asp" target="_blank">http://www.applegroveonline.com/rituals.asp</a> scroll down to Hellenic.</p> <p>We also had an Hellenic battle recon group come and show us various types of Greek armour and weaponry as well as a lecture and demonstration by them. They were all professors of Ancient History so it was brilliant.</p> <p> </p> <p>Previously we have run a Panathenia ,where weeks before, we hand dyed mountains of cloth with herbs and spices, sewed chitons and himations and created a beautiful peplos as a gift to Athene. We performed the ritual and then headed into the city where there is a beautiful statue of Athene that was gifted to Sydney from Athens for the 2000 Olympics. We made offerings at the statue, draped her with the purple peplos, and laid branches of olive and oak around her. The statue stands in a plaza in front of a wonderful Greek restaurant. We had booked the restaurant and warned them that a bunch of people would be turning up in ancient Greek costumes and doing things at the statue before feasting. The restaurant staff were wonderful, they knew about the Panathenia and took photos of us. One of the owners even sat with us to read our coffee cups at the end of the night. It was wonderful.</p> <p>Last year we ran a Rural Dionysia weekend, complete with fantastic ritual, amazing food, a Greek inspired play with a cast of attendees and chorus and a fire circus. All set within a beautiful amphitheatre in the middle of bushland.</p> <p> </p> <p>Bright blessings</p> <p>Blayze</p> <p> </p>