UNDERSTANDING HELLENIC MYTHOLOGY, THEOLOGY AND PHILOSOPHY...
ΤΑ ΠΡΟΜΗΘΕΑ
We love the Hellenic National Religion and Honour
ΑΓΑΠΆΜΕ
ΤΗΝ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΉ ΕΘΝΙΚΉ ΘΡΗΣΚΕΊΑ και ΤΙΜΉ
The Prometheus festival is the top event highlighting the ancient Hellenic spirit. Inspired and realized by the Stockholm University Professor of Philosophy, Dr. Tryphon Olympios, it has now gained the status of a pan-Hellenic institution, as it now enters its' 18th year of continuous presence.
A multitude of visitors from Greece and abroad gather every year at the fabulous natural surroundings of the Prometheus site at the foot of “Mount Olympus” to, exchange opinions, honour the ancient Hellenic philosophers, who are the fathers of the Hellenic Nation, to breathe the refreshing air of the countryside, to camp their tents and to spend the night talking and stargazing on the “Symbolic Spiritual Mountain of the Gods”. And of course, to get initiated to our ancestral spirit by watching the events of the Promethean drama and the Promethean fire that have been the cornerstone of the Hellenic worldview and the Hellenic culture. These events (Saturday night, day two of the festival) attract thousands of visitors due to the deep emotional and mystical atmosphere they invoke. Following the main event is a Dionysian celebration until late in the night. On Sunday morning (day three of the festival) cleansing, name-giving and marital ceremonies take place, according to the rituals of the Hellenic National Religion, the pre-Christian tradition.
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GAIA
Mother
Earth, Mother Nature
The first
Greek god was actually a goddess. She is Gaia, or Mother Earth, who created
herself out of primordial chaos. From her fertile womb all life sprang, and
unto Mother Earth all living things must return after their allotted span of
life is over.
Gaia, as
Mother Nature, personifies the entire ecosystem of Planet Earth. Mother Nature
is always working to achieve and maintain harmony, wholeness and balance within
the environment. Mother Nature heals, nurtures and supports all life on this
planet, and ultimately all life and health depend on Her. In time, Nature heals
all ills.
The way of
Mother Gaia is the passive, feminine, Yin way of healing. All we need to do to
regain our health is to return to the bosom of Mother Nature and live in
accordance with Her laws. The Gaia archetype underlies all notions of the
Nature Cure. Mother Nature is a healing goddess.
All life,
and all living things on this planet, are part of a single, all-encompassing
global entity or consciousness which is named Gaia. It is this global
consciousness, Mother Gaia, that makes our planet capable of supporting life,
while our near neighbors in the solar system are barren and lifeless.
Through the
global consciousness of Mother Gaia, all living things on this planet, from
their most primordial instincts, are constantly interacting with their
environment to ensure the harmony, balance and continuity of Life. Live in a
balance with Mother Nature and health and healing are yours; violate Her laws
and get out of balance, and you pay the price in suffering and disease. In this
sense, all medicine and healing can be seen as a system of ecology.
MEDICINE...A
Gift from the Gods
Medicine is
and always has been the Divine Art. To primitive man, the ability to heal and
cure disease seemed to be magical, even miraculous. Every traditional culture
has its gods, demigods, and heroes who are associated with the art of healing.
To the
ancient Greeks, medicine was a gift from the gods. Greek mythology is full of
symbolic legends and allegories explaining the nature and origins of the art of
healing. In these myths and the gods and goddesses associated with them, we can
find the basic, fundamental archetypes that have guided and shaped the art of
healing in Western civilization from its very inception. These archetypes still
guide the physician today, and all those who come to him for healing, whether
they realize it or not.
Greek
mythology is a wonderful source of wisdom and inspiration for the physician. By
studying the Greek myths, we can gain valuable insights into the nature of
health and disease, and the way of the healer.
APOLLO - The
Source of Health and Healing
Apollo, a
solar deity, was the god of archery, music and healing. Apollo personifies the
active, Yang path to healing through self betterment and physical culture. The
solar principle he represents manifests in the body as the Vital Force - that
which the Chinese call Qi and the Hindus call Prana.
Called The
Bright One, Apollo is an eternal youth, and the bringer of enlightenment and
higher consciousness to all mankind. Advocating order, balance, harmony,
personal discretion and conscious living, Apollo's two basic health mottos are:
Know thyself and Nothing in excess.
Apollo's bow
symbolizes the concept of tone and the need for physical conditioning. Tone is
the dynamic tension between opposite yet complementary forces within the human
organism. The higher the level of tone, the greater this dynamic tension is,
and the greater the capacity of the organism to respond with decisiveness,
strength, and vigor. When we exercise, we're toning up our muscles; we also
feel more vital and alive, responsive and energetic.
Stringing
Apollo's bow means bringing these powerful opposing forces into the proper
relationship or alignment. Until this happens, the system is non-functional, or
dysfunctional, and unable to respond properly.
Apollo's
lyre symbolizes the gift of music, which is the harmony of sounds. To have
health and healing, there must be a harmonious ordering of all the vital forces
within the organism; all the strings must be in tune. The lyre is the divine
instrument by which we will heal our wounds by harmonizing our seven energy
centres in the body with its seven strings. He is the God which presides over
harmony and makes all things move together harmoniously both among Gods and
among men. There's a deep therapeutic relationship between music and healing.
In Greek
mythology, Apollo is acknowledged as the original source of health and healing.
He is the first god addressed in the Hippocratic Oath. He was also the father
of Asclepius, the god of medicine.
Apollo was
also known as Ομο-πολων which means that he could move in the opposite poles at
the same time.
In the
Orphic Hymn of Apollo we find the following:
"O,
Delian king, whose light-producing eye
Views all
within, and all beneath the sky.
Balancing
the poles harmoniously, as you keep the living races distinct."..
Apollo the
solar diety and his twin sister Artemis the lunar diety who were both expert
archers were born on the religious sacred island of Delos. For this reason it
is said that it was forbidden for any mortal to be born and die on this sacred
Island.
HERMES
Hermes, the
messenger god on Mount Olympus, had a magic wand called a Caduceus, which was
given to him by Apollo. The Caduceus is a rod or staff framed by two
intertwined snakes; at the top of the staff are two wings.
The Caduceus
symbolizes the spinal column, the central conduit for the Psychic Force, or
nerve energy, which animates all the organs and members of the body. The places
where the snakes cross represent the spinal energy centers or chakras of the
subtle body.
The two
snakes represent the two complementary halves of the nervous system: motor and
sensory, sympathetic and parasympathetic. For optimal functioning of the
nervous system, these complementary halves must be balanced.
Hermes, also
called Mercury by the Romans, is sometimes pictured as a hermaphrodite, or a
person who is half male and half female. So it is with the nervous system; it
is neither emissive/masculine/Yang, nor is it receptive/feminine/Yin, because
it incorporates both principles, or polarities.
The essence
of the nervous system is communication, and Hermes, or Mercury, is the god of
communication, transportation, and commerce. Greek mythology also depicts
Hermes as a clever trickster, sent out on missions by Zeus and other Olympian
gods to do their dirty work. And so, Hermes symbolizes the Mercurial
adaptability of the mind, which must survive by living by its wits and
ingenuity.
Esoterically
speaking, the two intertwining snakes of the Caduceus symbolize the lunar Ida
and solar Pingala channels of yogic philosophy, which must be cleared and
balanced in order for the kundalini energy, or serpent power, to ascend from
the base of the spine to the crown, producing enlightenment. In the Western
esoteric tradition, this is called the Alchemical Marriage.
Snakes also
have a profound symbolic significance in science, medicine and healing. The
snake, which periodically molts, or sheds its skin, is a symbol of healing,
regeneration and renewal. In ancient Greece snakes, which move about without
any visible means of support or locomotion, were considered to be the wisest
and cleverest of all animals.
Asclepius'
staff has only one snake entwined around it, which symbolizes healing,
regeneration, and the consummate skill of the medical art. Hermes' Caduceus has
two intertwined snakes, which, in addition to all the above, also represent the
need for balance, or homeostasis, for optimum health maintenance and disease
prevention.
It seems as
if snakes were also solar symbols. Apollo, who gave the Caduceus to Hermes, is
often pictured with snakes. And the staff of Asclepius, son of Apollo, has a
snake entwined around it. The sun, as the source of all Life and energy in our
universe, is deeply connected with healing and the expression of vitality and
well being in general.
Here Hermes
points to above.. The guiding principle of Hermetic Philosophy is AS ABOVE SO
BELOW, AS WITHIN SO WITHOUT.
Till this
day she is the Patron Goddess of the Greek city of Athens and serves as its'
guardian, where the Parthenon still serves as her temple.
Decoding
Athena...
Athena is
one of the 12 Olympian Gods specifically the Goddess of Wisdom and War and was
known for protecting civilized life and having rational thought. She did not
represent violent war, but rather strategic war where she could win with her
use of whit.
She was the
Patron Goddess of the Greek city Athens and served as a guardian of Athens,
where the Parthenon served as her temple.
Athena was
born from ZEUS forehead and she sprang
fully grown and clothed in armor of gold helmet shield and javelin from his
forehead (mind). Her name is composed of two words ΘΕΙΑ (God) and NOH (mind).
Hence She is from Gods mind. She was Zeus' favourite child and he trusted her
to wield the aegis and his thunderbolt. She also tamed the magnificent winged
white steed, Pegasus, where she took him to Olympus and gave him as a gift to
her father, Zeus, who would ride him across the heavens throwing his
Enlightening bolts.
Hermes (see
previous post) and Athena (wisdom) went to the aid of PERSEUS IN HIS QUEST TO
KILL MEDUSA (the lower mind) Looking directly at MEDUSA would turn any man to
stone, so Athena provided PERSEUS with her polished shield. Using it, he was
able to see Medusa as if looking in a mirror. Again, Athena guided his hand as
he cut off Medusa’s head with his sword. Perseus gave the head of Medusa to
Athena which she put on her shield. We are heroic souls like Perseus as we try
to overcome the monsters of our soul and self heal with the help of
reason/Athena.
Only the
wisdom of Athena can guide our logic, limiting the action of Poseidon, that is,
our emotional monsters and storm of passions as water is symbolic of emotions
and the flow of energy.
As the
Goddess of Wisdom THE OWL became Athenas sacred animal as they are known for
being wise animals.
THE OLIVE
BRANCH (Athena's gift to Athens) stands for Peace and Victory.
THE SNAKE
has a profound symbolic significance in science medicine and healing. The snake
which periodically sheds its skin is a symbol of healing regeneration and
renewal. In ancient Greece snakes which move about with no means of support or
locomotion, were considered to be the wisest and cleverest of all animals.
Athenas
ARMOR has the following anti disease properties: As she rarely appears without
HELMETS this protects the mind from external fantasy and fears and at the same
time demands our vigilance . She advises never to give up so that we do not
immerse in the sleep of indifference, personal prosperity and complacency. With
a helmet on the head, sleep is impossible.The helmet symbolizes that wisdom and
strategy is the key to victory in war. The ÆGIS is Athena's shield which
represents her protective power. It protects against emotionalism so that we do
not accept intimidation of any kind and to be deregulated in our sympathetic
nervous system with our phobias causing physical illness in our bodies ( the
Poseidonian monsters of our emotional life). The JAVELIN is used against that
which threatens our health, both physical and psychological declaring we are
ready for war within our intellect and the possibility of killing the monsters
of our desires and lower mind.
Finally the
statue of the WINGED NIKE that she holds in her hand, literally translated as Victory,
is the Goddess of Victory. So Nike drives us to Victory through Wisdom (Athena)
of the war within our intellect.
Ήρθε η ώρα η Περσεφόνη να αποχωριστεί τη μητέρα της
Δήμητρα.. η θεά της Γης χάνει ένα μέρος της που βυθίζεται στο υγρό απαλό χώμα..
η τελετουργία αρχίζει , ο ιερός γάμος τελείται , η ζωή ενώνεται με τον θάνατο
σε μια διαρκή ένωση που θα δώσει και πάλι καρπό προς το φως.
Συνταρακτικές ερωτικές δυνάμεις των αναβλαστικών θεών της
ζωής και του θανάτου συντελούνται..
Στο υγρό χώμα ο σπόρος βυθίζεται και ετοιμάζεται στη
μητρα της Γαίας , οπως ο σπόρος που κυοφορείται στο υγρό βελούδινο σκοτάδι στη
μήτρα κάθε γυναίκας ..
Η Γαια ζωντανή θεά αναδιπλώνεται στους κρύους μήνες του
χειμώνα για να προετοιμαστει για αλλη μία φορά για τη νέα κύηση.
Η Περσεφόνη ενώνεται με τα Ιερά δεσμά του γάμου με τον
Πλούτωνα .. Η ζωή και ο θανατος.
"Πλούτων, ὃς κατέχεις γαίης κληῖδας ἁπάσης,
πλουτοδοτῶν γενεὴν βροτέην καρποῖς ἐνιαυτῶν· ὃς τριτάτης μοίρης ἔλαχες χθόνα
παμβασίλειαν, ἕδρανον ἀθανάτων, θνητῶν στήριγμα κραταιόν"
Ω Πλούτωνα που κρατείς τα κλειδιά όλης της γης και
παρέχεις πλούτο στο γένος των ανθρώπων, η έδρα των θεών, το στήριγμα των
ανθρώπων,..
Το μεγάλο μήνυμα των Μυστηρίων είναι οτι θάνατος δεν
ειναι το τέλος ,ειναι στήριγμα κραταιόν, όπου πατάει γερά η ζωή .
Ο κύκλος κλείνει και ανοίγει αέναα,για να γεννηθεί μια
καινούρια ζωή και πάλι προς το ζεστό φως ...
It is time
for Persephone to separate from her mother Demetra .. the goddess of the Earth
loses a part of her that sinks into the wet soft soil .. the ritual begins, the
sacred marriage is done, life is joined by the death to a lasting union that
will give fruit again to the light.
Syntactic
love powers of the revivalist gods of life and death take place ..
In the damp
soil, the seed sinks and prepares itself in the womb of Gaia, like the seed
that is grazed in the fluid velvet darkness in the womb of every woman.
The goddess
of live goddess wraps in the cold months of winter to prepare for once again
for the new pregnancy.
Persephone
is united with the sacred bonds of marriage to Pluto. Life and death.
"Wealth,
you possess a land of grain, rich in generations of walnuts, a third degree, of
a passion, of immortals, of a mortal beast"
Oh Pluto who
keeps the keys of all the earth and you provide wealth to the people's genes,
the seat of the gods, the support of the people, ..
The great
message of the Mysteries is that death is not the end, it is a keen support,
where life endures.
The circle
closes and opens infinitely to give birth to a new life again to the warm
light.
PRAYER IN
HELLENISMOS
EFHOMAI-
ΕΥΧΟΜΑΙ -ΕΥΧΗ
What is the
Meaning of Prayer in the Hellenic Polytheistic Tradition?
OPENING REMARKS
The philosopher Æpíkouros (Epicurus, Ἐπίκουρος) believed that the Gods are so far removed from the human sphere that they neither harm us nor take any action to help us. If this were true, to pray to Gods would be a waste of time. Plátôn (Plato, Πλάτων), however, strongly disagrees with this view. In Nómi (The Laws, Νόμοι) he goes so far as to say that thinking that the Gods do not care for mankind is a form of impiety and should be avoided (Νόμοι Πλάτωνος 10.885b). The tradition held by the author of this essay falls on the side of Plátôn regarding this issue.
Praying to Gods is a revered act in Ællinismόs (Hellenismos, Ἑλληνισμός), the ancient Greek religion. It is sacred and intimate. Prayer is direct communication with Gods, whether it be supplication, thanksgiving, praise, or simple conversation. We can express our love and awe of a God or Gods, or we can beseech, asking for assistance in our lives, for whatever we feel we need. The Gods answer our prayers in ways which at times may be obscure, but always as the best possible solution to our difficulties, although we may not perceive it that way.
Ritual (Theurgy, Θεουργία) [1] is the worship of the Gods. It is also communication with the divine and it incorporates prayer, but ritual is formalized and prayer is placed in a particular part of the rite. Prayer may be performed in this ceremonial manner, but it can also occur outside of ritual very simply. One may pray whenever and however one wishes; it is an act of freedom. We can recite beautiful prayers written either by ourselves or others, but for most people, prayer emerges spontaneously, from the depths of the soul.
In prayer we reach for the divine, to Gods who are far greater than us and who are endowed with a superior capacity beyond our means. They possess enormous facility to affect our lives both in the ordinary world and supernally, inspiring the soul to lofty ambitions, greater than we may presently be capable. This is possible, of course, only if we allow them to, for we are free and must be willing.
RECIPROCITY, PRAYER, AND ÆLLINISMÓS
There is a common belief in the modern Hellenic community, that in our religion, Gods and mortals are in a reciprocal relationship. In other words, a God will not bestow a benefit without an appropriate gift. There is some truth in this idea in that if you are not willing to give, if you are not willing to participate, to do your part in society, both Gods and men will lose interest in you, whether you pray or not. Even the souls of creatures of low progress, both human and otherwise, are pushed forward by the Gods, despite our selfishness, for the Gods are the masters of Nature and its laws, laws which govern this process. Opportunities are given to us and the Gods are patient, yet we are free and can choose. As human beings, social creatures of high intelligence, our choices determine much in our lives. Those who choose to engage the world have enormous potential to advance; those who do not, are left behind. This is a type of reciprocity in that both Gods and men respond to our engagement with them. If the gift accompanying a prayer is symbolic of this type of reciprocity, it is appropriate; otherwise, it is a type of magic and improper.
For the most part, however, the common idea of reciprocity, quid pro quo, is quite incorrect and (rather innocently) offensive, as it should be obvious, for the Gods could not possibly be trivial. If they were petty they could not be Gods, because, by definition, Gods are beings of surpassing majesty, power, and enlightenment. Nonetheless, there is some truth to the idea of reciprocity, but not in the way it is usually understood. There is indeed a reciprocal relationship between Gods and men, but this interchange is of a much higher nature. The reciprocity of the Gods is based on Ǽrôs (Eros, Ἔρως), the power of attraction to the beautiful. When we move closer to the Gods, by our attraction to their beauty and goodness, they respond and move closer to us, naturally. There then ensues a glorious interaction in which Ǽrôs flows back and forth between Gods and mortals, and this exchange is based on freedom and love, not barter. This is one reason, if not the primary reason we have such maxims as "Follow God" [2] and "Worship the Gods" [3], not in order to obtain presents from them, but rather because we love them. In ancient literature you will often find phrases about various personages who were said to "love the Gods." Thus, our prayers are first and foremost an expression of our love of the Gods. It is because of our love for them that we approach them, as we would approach our dearest friend, and even more so, for the Gods are our greatest confidants and advisers. Without Ǽrôs towards the Gods, prayers are meaningless and ineffectual. If prayers are accompanied by an offering, this offering should not be thought of as barter, but, rather, symbolic of our love for the Gods.
THE SUPERFICIAL VIEW OF PRAYER
The superficial view of prayer is a major source of atheism, and an expression of childishness and superstition. In some cases, this can even be a form of magic, which is impure. We utter an incantation (the prayer), make an offering, and force a God to act. This idea is offensive, but in our naïveté, we do not realize it. The Gods live in freedom and our prayers cannot coerce them to act, even if we "bribe" them with an offering. Expecting a gift or a favor in return for prayers and offerings violates a God’s freedom because such a transaction would create an obligation which need not be honored by any God. Such a transaction would be a sort of contract in which both parties would need agree to terms, but such an agreement is generally not available to mortals. The Christians seem to believe it true, but even children discover that it is false:
“And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.” (New Testament John 14:13-14, King James translation)
The commentators try to explain the verse for without commentary it cannot stand up to scrutiny.
Therefore, it is best to abandon the superficial view, for if we embrace it, when prayers are not answered to our specifications, if forces one to question whether the Gods care for us and if they actually exist. Such a view is, in truth, the attitude of a child. The Gods desire to help us, to truly help us, but they are not simply vending machines. Of course, we can petition the Gods for help with genuine piety, but this is very different from demanding gifts in exchange for offerings.
PRAYER AND EFFORT
The Gods will help you; they support you; they have an interest in your well-being and in your progress. Yet you yourself must first try and be willing to exert effort to achieve the things you want. Then, if you petition their support, the Gods will work by your side and help you, if what you desire is truly for the good.
The famous fable of Aisôpos (Aesop, Αἴσωπος), Herakles and the Wagoner (292 Βοηλάτης καὶ Ἡρακλῆς Αἰσώπου), illustrates this point of Hellenic religion. It is the tale of a man whose cart was stuck in the mud. He prayed to Iraklís (Herakles or Hercules, Ἡρακλῆς) to help him. The God appeared and insisted that the man get up and push the cart with his own effort in which case he would work beside him.
There is a similar fable, The shipwrecked and Athîná (30 Ναυαγὸς καὶ Ἀθηνᾶ Αἰσώπου), telling the story of a rich Athenian sailing with other travelers, but the boat was overcome by a tempest and capsized. The traveler prayed to Athîná (Athena, Ἀθηνᾶ) and offered her great sacrifices if she should save him. One of the other travelers swam near and told him, “Indeed, pray to Athîná, but start swimming!” hence the proverb known to everyone in Greece:
Σύν Ἀθηνᾷ καί χεῖρα κίνει.
“Together with Athîná, move your own hand.”
Of course this is not so unfamiliar to us who have heard the familiar phrase, “God helps those who help themselves.” And we agree. In other words, the approach in Ællinismόs is not passive: we do not simply receive, but our action is a major constituent in the fruition of a prayer. Perhaps we are unwilling to take the action required to improve our situation. In such a case, the assistance of Gods is limited by our own inertia, making one's progress much slower than desired.
PRAYER AND NATURE
In nature there are both personal and impersonal deities. The personal Gods can hear and respond to one's prayers. The impersonal deities are fundamental forces, sacred by nature, but difficult to approach, because such divinities do not have consciousness. These impersonal deities are mighty principles and powers inherent in our lives, principals such as Justice (Díkî, Δίκη) or Equity (Dikaiosýnî, Δικαιοσύνη); or they can be phenomena of the Kózmos (Cosmos, Κόσμος) such as the Natural Laws. On one level, when we pray to an Olympian deity, we are praying to the Natural Law over which this God has sovereignty. These laws are deities in themselves, but impersonal. The Olympian Gods, however, are personal deities who can hear our prayers and respond, and they have dominion over the Natural Laws, each of the Twelve Gods having sovereignty over one law. From this perspective, for example, when we pray to Apóllôn (Apollo, Ἀπόλλων), we pray to Freedom; when we pray to Aphrodítî (Ἀφροδίτη), we pray to Harmony; and so forth. With the exception of the most primordial of Gods, the myriad hosts of deities are the sons and daughters of the Olympians; they also hear our prayers and have interest in the domain of their respective progenitors.
Since, at present, our discussion is of the Natural Laws, it should be noted that a prayer request that violates these laws presents a dilemma, for while the Olympian Gods, and their many minions, have dominion over the Natural Laws, they cannot and never do violate them. Therefore, miracles, as something beyond the Laws of Nature, are not a logical expectation. There is a type of miracle, but such a miracle is always within the laws of nature. One of the Delphic Maxims exhorts us to honor this principle:
"Pray for things possible." [4]
In a similar vein, the philosopher Plôtínos (Plotinus, Πλωτῖνος) suggests that by nature, some prayers are ineffectual:
"The Divinity must not fight for the cowardly; for the (cosmic) law decrees that in war life is saved by valor, and not by prayers. Nor is it by prayers that the fruits of the earth are obtained; they are produced only by labor. Nor can one have good health without taking care of it." [5]
Of course one can pray to any God for whatever reason…please do not be misled. It is a common misunderstanding: many people feel that prayers must be directed only to the deity who is known to have an interest in something for which we pray. The conventional fields of interest of the Gods, which tradition tells us they love, do not limit their ability to assist mortals in other areas. For example, you may pray to any God for help in learning music, not only Apóllôn (Apollo, Ἀπόλλων).
PRAYER AND DESTINY
An issue that is not often considered in respect to prayer is that of Destiny. According to Hellenic tradition, our birth, length of life, and death are measured out before we are born, this being our basic situation. This is called Destiny and it is under the dominion of mighty Zefs (Ζεύς) and his minions, the Mírai (Moirae, Μοῖραι), who are called the Fates. It is said that other Gods confer as well. We are presented with a life which is, in part, the result of pæprômǽno (pepromeno, πεπρωμένο), things which have already occurred in the past and in previous lives which have bearing on our present life, something like the Eastern idea of karma. The manner in which we lead our life, eimarmǽnî (heimarmene, εἱμαρμένη), can affect our fate in a positive or negative way, now and in the future, so we are not completely at the mercy of destiny at all. But when we consider all this, if a prayer-request goes contrary to the destiny which we have been given, if it goes contrary to the result of our actions in the past, we are actually asking a God to intervene on our behalf to Zefs himself to alter our fate, which is, of course, extraordinary. Zefs has the ability to do so, but he would have to have a compelling reason to want to, and who of us knows the minds of a God, especially such a God as Zefs.
HOW SHOULD WE PRAY?
Supplication
Despite the various warnings concerning what may be inappropriate concerning prayer, we should feel free to petition the Gods for things we feel we need. In doing so, we become a humble suppliant (ἱκέτης), for it is a pious thing to pray. Just as a child asks for things of his parents, we ask the Gods to assist us in our difficulties and for our health, and adequate wealth. Nonetheless, you should be realistic in your expectations and be prepared to do everything in your ability to improve your situation. It is a great thing to trust the Gods. Of course, you have the freedom to pray as you wish, however you wish, and whenever you desire to; it is a highly personal matter. Nonetheless, if we assume that the Gods will answer our prayers to our exact specifications, we will be very disappointed and in reality we are acting with great ývris (hubris, ὕβρις). The Gods have far greater expertise than ourselves and do not simply give us everything we prayer for, just as parents, knowing what is best, always act on behalf of their child, regardless of the youth's demands. At times a toddler or even a teenager may fancy that his parents do not care for him at all, when, in reality, their refusal to grant a request is the expression of a deep and wise love, yielding benefits which may give fruit over a lifetime. The Gods would never make the mistake of the mother in this fable of Aisôpos (Aesop, Αἴσωπος):
“THE THIEF AND HIS MOTHER (200 Παῖς κλέπτης καὶ μήτηρ Αἰσώπου): A BOY stole a lesson-book from one of his schoolfellows and took it home to his Mother. She not only abstained from beating him, but encouraged him. He next time stole a cloak and brought it to her, and she again commended him. The Youth, advanced to adulthood, proceeded to steal things of still greater value. At last he was caught in the very act, and having his hands bound behind him, was led away to the place of public execution. His Mother followed in the crowd and violently beat her breast in sorrow, whereupon the young man said, ‘I wish to say something to my Mother in her ear.’ She came close to him, and he quickly seized her ear with his teeth and bit it off. The Mother upbraided him as an unnatural child, whereon he replied, ‘Ah! if you had beaten me when I first stole and brought to you that lesson-book, I should not have come to this, nor have been thus led to a disgraceful death.’ ” [6]
The fable illustrates that what we desire is not necessarily in our best interest. The Gods do not give us everything we ask for, because they do not wish to harm us, as their nature is inclined to our benefit. Traditionally, it is said that the Gods are "a million times wiser" than us. This means that their understanding and ability is vastly superior to ours, and, because of that fact, their actions are beyond our comprehension; we cannot fathom the minds of the Gods. Our view of a solution to a problem may be incorrect or incomplete. The Gods are concerned about our well-being, our development of virtue, our progress. This ascending evolution occurs over many lifetimes. When we pray for favors of a mundane nature, it is like a child asking for candy. But even if the thing we request in prayer is of a higher nature, it is naïve to think that we could be certain of the solution to problems of the progress of our soul. It may appear to us that we are not receiving help from the Gods, but that is because we are too close to our problems to clearly understand the solution to them.
Truly heartfelt and pious prayers are heard by the Gods and such prayers are always answered. They are answered at the most opportune moment and in the most efficient manner. Some prayers may not be answered for years...and this is always for good reason...but the Gods do not ignore the pious and good-hearted. Nonetheless, it may be difficult for us to understand this, for the ways of the Gods are inscrutable. They know us much better than we know ourselves and have cryptic and masterful means of influencing our lives.
Ultimately, the best way to pray is to avoid asking for specific things and to simply petition the Gods to give you what they know to be best for you, in other words, to put yourself in the hands of the Gods. Trusting the Gods in this way is liberating. It will relieve you of a great burden.
Praying for Others...
It is most appropriate to put aside our troubles and consider the hardships of others. It is natural to first think of those people who are dear to us, our parents, extended family and friends, but we should extend ourselves and consider the sufferings and difficulties of all creatures. By praying for others we are forced to consider how our behavior may help or harm those we love and, therefore, to do a better job with ourselves. It is good to pray for the world and to pray for one’s country. It is said that it is good to imitate the Gods. What are the Gods doing? They are participating in the providence of Zefs (Ζεὺς), who has sent his son Diónysos (Διόνυσος) to free us. Therefore, since Zefs is compassionate, we should try to imitate him and act with warmth towards all our fellows and pray for them.
A LITTLE GREEK
If you would like to incorporate some ancient Greek into your devotions, you may begin your prayer with one of these phrases.
First, when addressing more than one God:
Greek: Ἔλθετε, Θεοὶ μάκαρες, ἀθάνατοι! Εἰσακούσατε προσευχήν ἐμοῦ!
Transliteration: Ǽlthætæ, Thæí mákaræs, athánati! EisaKOUsatæ prosefkhín æMOU!
English: Come, happy, deathless Gods! Hearken to my prayer!
The following is from the Orphic hymn to Apóllôn (Apollo, Ἀπόλλων), but is very nice addressed to all the Gods:
Greek: κλῦτε μευ εὐχομένου λαῶν ὕπερ εὔφρονι θυμῷ
Transliteration: klýtæ mef efkhomǽnou laóhn ýpær éfphroni thymóh
English: Hear me with gracious soul as I pray on behalf of mankind!
When addressing a single deity:
Greek: Ἐλθέ! Κλῦθί μευ εὐχομένου!
Transliteration: Ælthǽ! Klýthi (KLEE-thee) mef efkhomǽnou!
English: Come! Hear my prayer!
ANCIENT OPINIONS REGARDING PRAYER
Pythagóras (Πυθαγόρας) suggests:
"He forbids men to pray for anything in particular for themselves, because they do not know what is good for them." [7]
The beginning statements of the Ἐγχειρίδιον Ἐπικτήτου lay the foundation for ease of mind, a foundation which gives us clues as to how to pray:
"Of things some are in our power, and others are not. In our power are opinion, movement toward a thing, desire, aversion (turning from a thing), and, in a word, whatever are our own acts; not in our power are the body, property, reputation, offices (magisterial power), and, in a word, whatever are not our own acts. And the things in our power are by nature free, not subject to restraint nor hindrance; but the things not in our power are weak, slavish, subject to restraint, in the power of others. Remember then that if you think the things which are by nature slavish to be free, and the things which are in the power of others to be your own, you will be hindered, you will lament, you will be disturbed, you will blame both Gods and men; but if you think that only which is your own to be your own, and if you think that what is another's, as it really is, belongs to another, no man will ever compel you, no man will hinder you, you will never blame any man, you will accuse no man, you will do nothing involuntarily (against your will), no man will harm you, you will have no enemy, for you will not suffer any harm." [8]
In the prayer of Æpíctitos (Epictetus, Ἐπίκτητος), the philosopher places himself entirely in the hands of the Gods:
"Do with me what thou wilt: my will is thy will: I appeal not against thy judgments." [9]
At the end of the Ængkheirídion (Handbook, Ἐγχειρίδιον), we find the prayer of Klæánthîs (Cleanthes, Κλεάνθης):
"Lead me, O Zeus, and thou O Destiny,
The way that I am bid by you to go:
To follow I am ready. If I choose not,
I make myself a wretch, and still must follow." [10]
Aisôpos (Aesop, Αἴσωπος) regarding Prayer:
“HERCULES AND THE WAGONER (292 Βοηλάτης καὶ Ἡρακλῆς Αἰσώπου): A CARTER was driving a wagon along a country lane, when the wheels sank down deep into a rut. The rustic driver, stupefied and aghast, stood looking at the wagon, and did nothing but utter loud cries to Hercules to come and help him. Hercules, it is said, appeared and thus addressed him: ‘Put your shoulders to the wheels, my man. Goad on your bullocks, and never more pray to me for help, until you have done your best to help yourself, or depend upon it you will henceforth pray in vain.’ ” [11]
Patrick Cann
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