LIVING THE HELLENIC TRADITION
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"...In my soul I know that those that accept the Gods by love, they shall be offered happiness." Anonymous "...a man who is good for anything ought not to calculate the chance of living or dying; he ought only to consider whether in doing anything he is doing right or wrong--acting the part of a good man or of a bad." (Plato's Apology 28a, translated by Benjamin Jowett, 1892; found here in the 1937 Random House edition of The Dialogues of Plato Vol.1, p.411)
 HELLENISMOS FAQ COMMUNITY: Reading books and visiting websites can be very helpful for study, but ultimately you need actual human contact to properly learn the Hellenic tradition. You need to look into the eyes of flesh-and-blood people who love and worship the Gods. You need to hear their voices, to eat food with them, to hear their stories. Without contact with real people, it will be much more difficult to take this tradition from the realm of fantasy into reality. Take a bold step and try to mingle with those who are putting this philosophy into action. Furthermore, the most critical aspects of this teaching are not permitted to be transmitted publicly.
STUDY: We are fortunate to have a vast world of literature available to us, to help us find our way in Hellenismos. By reading ancient texts, we can learn a great deal from real people who had direct experience with deity. We learn about societies where the entire population worshiped our Gods, and we begin to get an idea of how this tradition influenced their societies and the lives of individuals. We learn of the great philosophies of our predecessors. To begin: Homer's Iliad and Odyssey. Plato. As you explore this website, you will find many clues as to what other books may be useful. From Aeschylus to Xenophon, you are very fortunate to have a magnificent journey ahead of you.The study of history, from ancient times to the present, is recommended. We allow ourselves to be influenced by the Muses and become cultured people. ESSENTIAL READING: Not any of the movies, not the musical....ONLY the unabridged book: Les Misérables by Victor Hugo. This book is recommended not only by the author of this website but by his teacher from Greece, without whose advice concerning this book, my life would be much poorer. Victor Hugo is a true Hellenic soul. You can live your life by Les Misérables. It is monumental. It will touch you deep to your heart. Take it seriously and it could change a life.
 Worship and Ritual How do we approach the Gods? With the innocence and imagination of a child. It is said that this attracts the Gods. Through mutual attraction, Eros, we develop a relationship with divinity. Visit this page: Approach the Gods Through Eros ARETE: Virtue, aræti, excellence, is developing one's character. This virtue does not refer to the niceties of society; virtue is the hard path of wisdom, justice, and sacrifice that burns away the hydra of ego. This is the Orphic path. The Orphic journey is a path of evolution of the soul, the inner, Mystic meaning of the Hellenic tradition. How do we accomplish this evolution? Through noble action and through dialectical inquiry. Progress occurs through the 12 Natural Laws of the Olympian Gods. These twelve laws are the ways in which the Gods interact with us as we respond to them and to the world around us. The Orphic path is not one of simply doing rituals in order to "feel holy" or to ask for favors for mundane problems. Nor is the beauty of this way of life to be found in factional philosophical argument. Such ideas have little to do with genuine Mysticism. We interact with the world in ways that help, in ways that are productive, in ways that defeat the selfish aims of destructive people. We take chances and sacrifice for the higher ground. This is the Hellenic path: a path of great nobility of soul and civic action. Eros moves us toward the Gods and the world and the people and animals around us and we respond. We try. If we respond and act, we grow. If not, we become frozen and do not move. The Hellenic path is about action, heroic action, aræti. It involves work on one's own mind and soul, fostering qualities such as patience, control of the tongue, restraint, challenging one's preconceptions, compassion, justice: in brief - the development of genuine character. When you read the stories of the great heroes of our tradition, you are seeing in symbolic form the progress of the soul on a spiritual path. A most obvious example of this are the Twelve Labors of Herakles [1] (Roman: Hercules). In the story, Hera, who appears as though she is his enemy, is in reality pushing Herakles forward, prodding him to develop his aræti, his virtue. The stories of the heroes are not just entertainment. They exist as examples of great truth and inspiration for the followers of Hellenismos.The development of aræti is not simply a personal development, but such progress has a purpose in the world. Hellenismos is the way of life that makes a difference, the way of life that effects change for the better of society. The development of aræti is what is required for a society to produce people with the strength of character who will have the ability, in times of great need, to make enormous heroic sacrifice to effect progress in the world.
CONCLUSION: Hellenismos is not quite like religion with all its forms and rituals, despite what some people may try to claim. The philosophers of ancient Greece...people like Thales, Pythagoras, Socrates, and Plato...developed science. They questioned the world. They opened their eyes and described what they saw...beyond preconceptions. They sought the truth of what really IS. These philosophers and mathematicians are directly in the lineage of our tradition. The scientists are part of our way, not enemies of it as is the case in much religion. The phenomenal world is our path and is sacred. We do not have creeds in Hellenismos. Oh, there are there are fierce opinions, no doubt, but there is no requirement to accept any particular viewpoint. This makes Hellenismos different and quite challenging.
Welcome to our world, a world that is beautiful and colorful and mysterious.....but no other world than the same world that you have always known. The Hellenic path teaches you to address this world in a more complete and compelling way than what you may be familiar with. Welcome! There is a reason you are here. Welcome!
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For answers to many common questions concerning Hellenic polytheism, read the FAQ on this page: PROJECT STATEMENT - HELLENISMOS FAQ NOTES: [1] Although we use Herakles as an example of the development of arete, he, in reality, is no ordinary mortal. Nor is Herakles merely an amusement suitable primarily to children. Herakles is a great God and a very special deity of Hellenismos. PLEASE NOTE: Throughout the pages of this Glossary, you will find fascinating stories about our Gods. These narratives are known as mythology, the traditional stories of the Gods and Heroes. While these tales are great mystical vehicles containing transcendent truth, they are symbolic and should not be taken literally. A literal reading will frequently yield an erroneous result. The meaning of the myths is concealed in code. To understand them requires a key. For instance, when a God kills someone, this usually means a transformation of the soul to a higher level. Similarly, sexual union with a God is a transformation. PHOTO COPYRIGHT INFORMATION: The many pages of this website incorporate images, some created by the author, but many obtained from outside sources. To find out more information about these images and why this website can use them, visit this link: Photo Copyright Information DISCLAIMER: The inclusion of images, quotations, and links from outside sources does not in any way imply agreement (or disagreement), approval (or disapproval) with the views of HellenicGods.org by the external sources from which they were obtained. Further, the inclusion of images, quotations, and links from outside sources does not in any way imply agreement (or disagreement), approval (or disapproval) by HellenicGods.org of the contents or views of any external sources from which they were obtained.  For more information: Inquire.hellenicgods@gmail.com © 2010 by HellenicGods.org. All Rights Reserved. |
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