The Nemesia

The 23rd of August marks the Ancient Greek holiday of Nemesia, - the festival of the Goddess Nemesis - the Goddess of Fate, Revenge, and Divine Retribution. Blood sacrifices were traditional on this day.

This purpose of this festival was to 'avert the nemesis of the dead' in order that they could steer away the suffering or punishment of the living....

... I am so sorry to do this to you, but this post has been moved to my new website, The Pagan Calendar, and can be found in its entirety here: The Nemesia

The Bendideia of Bendis

At the outbreak of the Peloponnesian War, the Athenians allowed the founding of a sanctuary for the Goddess Bendis and shortly afterward created a state festival, the Bendideia, for her.The first celebration was held on the 19th of Thargelion (May–June), 429 bc, at the Piraeus, the seaport of Athens. Many pagan calendars list June 6th as the modern equivalent date for this festival honoring the Moon Goddess of Thrace. Other sources give that her festivals were held on the full moon preceeding or coinciding with the solstice - and if so, the dates would vary from year to year.

For a description of the festival we have this excerpt of a conversation between Socrates and a friend describing that festival (from Plato's Republic)...

... I am so sorry to do this to you, but this post has been moved to my new website, The Pagan Calendar, and can be found in its entirety here: The Bendideia of Bendis

Spiritual Spring Cleaning

From May 19-28 is the time of the Greek festival of Kallyntaria and Plynteria, a time that is also known as a time for "spring cleaning". Most of us have already started our spring cleaning in various forms, but this particular time of the Sacred Year is dedicated to spiritual cleaning - the cleaning and nurturance of the sacred places.

The Greeks were good at that, and they called this festival Kallyntaria and Plynteria, by which they meant making a special effort to clean the sacred statues of the goddess and god. With all that incense burning and dust gathering, the sacred images get pretty dirty...

... I am so sorry to do this to you, but this post has been moved to my new website, The Pagan Calendar, and can be found in its entirety here: Spiritual Spring Cleaning

Happy Birthday Apollo!

According to some pagan calendars, May 14 is listed as the Birthday of Apollo. However, according to the mythology, Apollo was born on the seventh day of the month Thargelion. Wikipedia goes on to say that this was according to Delian tradition, and that according to Delphian tradition, it was the seventh day of the month of Bysios. The seventh and twentieth, the days of the new and full moon, were also held sacred to him.

If the exact date is important you you, I'd suggest you take a look at the Wikipedia article on the Attic Calendar which gives the names of the months and their approximate times in the year....

... I am so sorry to do this to you, but this post has been moved to my new website, The Pagan Calendar, and can be found in its entirety here: Happy Birthday Apollo

The Daedala

This is the name given to two festivals held in ancient Boeotia, which was a part of Greece, in honor of the reconciliation of Hera and Zeus. According to the myth, Hera and Zeus quarreled and Hera went away to Euboea and refused to return to his bed. To trick her into coming back and on the advice of Cithaeron, Zeus dressed up a carved oak-trunk to resemble a bride and let it be known that he planned to marry Plataea, the daughter of Asopus. Hera was so angry she tore the clothes from the statue, discovered the deception, and was so pleased that the two were reconciled.

The Lesser Daedala (Δαίδαλα μικρά) was held every four to six years. The people of Plataea went to an ancient oak grove and exposed pieces of cooked meat to ravens, attentively watching upon which tree any of the birds, after taking a piece of meat, would settle. Out of this tree they carved an image, and having it dressed as a bride, they set it on a bullock cart with a bridesmaid beside it. The image seems then to have been drawn to the bank of the river Asopus and back to the town, attended by a cheering crowd....

... I am so sorry to do this to you, but this post has been moved to my new website, The Pagan Calendar, and can be found in its entirety here: The Daedala

Birthday of the Muse

Themes: Creativity; Knowledge; History; Art
Symbols: Fountains; Springs; the Number Nine
Presiding Goddess: Mnemosyne

About Mnemosyne:

Mnemosyne means "memory." Remembrance is this goddess's gift to us, memories of all the wonderful moments of our lives. In Greek tradition Mnemosyne also gave birth to the Muses today (June 14) - the nine creative spirit children that give our lives so much beauty, song, stories, tradition, humor, dance, and sacred music. Greeks sometimes....

... I am so sorry to do this to you, but this post has been moved to my new website, The Pagan Calendar, and can be found in its entirety here: Birthday of the Muse