Babalon Rising Festival

I am very happy to say that I am one of the organizers for the Babalon Rising Pan-Thelemic Festival. Thelema, for those who don't know already, is a Greek-derived word that means Will. Specifically, Thelemites are interested in discovering and acting in accordance with their True Will. (This doesn't mean doing what one merely wants or desires, but it is really about being in touch with one's higher nature and working in accordance with Universal Will.)

Though there are several magickal and religious orders within the Thelema, Babalon Rising prides itself on being "Pan-Thelemic" -- a place for All Wills (or all paths of Will). We have several branches of the OTO, Golden Dawn, Neo-Paganism, Sacred Sexuality and even  Hellenic Polytheism who attend, present, and generally play very nicely together for the four days of classes, rituals, discussions and celebrations in the woods of Southern Indiana.

I have presented at the festival since 2008, offering attendees various Aphrodisian encounters. This year, though the timing isn't strictly in accord with the HMEPA calendar, I am leading an Aphrodisia ritual -- the version included in Cult of Aphrodite. (I feel okay in offering the Aphrodisia at a different time than would have been traditional in Athens considering that several other poleis had their own Aphrodisia rites according to their local calendars.)

Since 2009, my part in helping with Babalon Rising has been in scheduling presenters for sacred sexuality and sex magick topics. This year, we have an entire secondary track dedicated to these topics, and we have several amazing presenters.

Mike and Lissa Manor of the Temple of Venus Erycina will be leading workshops on channeling and erotic shadow work. David and Amanda Torrey and the courtesans of Temple Terra Incognita will present several workshops, including discussions of sacred prostitution in today's reality, working with Deities and other beings, and the impact of chaos magick. Lady Lyn will lead a Sacred Touch Ceremony -- a Babalon Rising staple ritual which has been led in the past by its originator, Mike Manor, and by myself -- and she will discuss working with energy in sacred sex work. Maegdlyn Morris will lead a Polyamory discussion, and she will host a Bacchanalia in conjunction with her Babalon Finishing School. And our keynote speaker, Jason Augustus Newcomb, will discuss sex magick for long-term couples.

Last year, my beloved Glaux and I literally stormed the field with a our thyrsoi and wine bottles as the first thunderstorm of summer rolled through -- giving us the chance to run and roar with maenads and satyrs in celebration of the Bromiad (in honor of Dionysos Thunderer).

If you are a magickal practitioner, I cannot begin to stress enough the amazingness of this festival. There are rituals everyday -- both scheduled and impromptu. The classes and workshops are first-rate. If you are at all sensitive to energy, you will feel it as soon as you come through the gate, for indeed the entire festival is a magickal working for those who are open to it.

If you are not a magickal practitioner, there is still so much for you. Many of the rituals are celebratory in nature. And the classes are just so informative!

And the bonfires! Louis Martinie of the New Orleans Voodoo Temple drums practically all night (and will be leading a drum blessing this year). The drummers, the dancers, the fire-spinners, the firetenders all work the alchemy of the fire from sundown until sunrise every night.

I'd love to meet some of you there! The festival runs from June 10 through the 13, and we give you free days on the 9th and 14th for set-up/tear-down. Check out the website for registration information, schedule and directions!

Erotic Awakening Interview

A few nights ago, I had the wonderful opportunity to talk to talk with Dan and dawn on the Erotic Awakening podcast. We chatted about my experience as a priestess of Aphrodite, sacred sexuality, my book Cult of Aphrodite and about the Babalon Rising Festival at which I'll be presenting from June 10-13.

Check it out at www.eroticawakening.com

Hemera Aphrodites

Today, on Aphrodite's honored day within the week, I give Her thanks and praise for allowing me to stand witness at a beautiful wedding at the end of the Beltaine weekend at Our Haven.

A couple who were already legally married wished to exchange spiritual vows before the Gods. The couple are Pagan/Wiccan, and wanted a handfasting -- specifically with the blessings of Aphrodite and Pan. Though I practice Hellenismos for myself, I am actually quite happy to officiate a Pagan handfasting (and am ordained to perform legal marriages). I was and will always be a 3rd Degree HPS within a certain witchcraft tradition, and I am happy to put that training and knowledge into the service of Aphrodite Gameli.

As it happens, a long-standing friend of mine (and devotee of Pan) was also there, and we officiated together. Glaux and my sweet, sweet bunny also had important roles. Glaux called the quarters and was the lepus-bearer. The lepus himself, sacred to both Eros and Aphrodite, chose mainly to stand at the bride's feet and offer the couple his fecundity.

Thank you, Nikki and Mike, for letting me bear witness to your love and vows. And thank you, Aphrodite, for continuing to bless me with such amazing testaments to your power.

Aphrodite Shrine Becoming a Reality

This may be one of my last "planning" posts in regards to the Aphrodite shrine that I am helping care for. I believe that I now have most (if not all) of the money together to bring all of the elements together.

We already have the beautiful rock shrine base.

 

I'd already decided on a lovely replica of the Medici Venus:

And now we've selected the actual arbor:

and the species of climbing roses (Blaze):

 

It's going to be so lovely once it's all completed. I'm so happy that I have access to land where this is possible.

All of these pieces will be in place by June 9. That is the set-up day for the Babalon Rising festival at Our Haven, and the shrine must be in order by then.

Exegete of Aphrodite for Neokoroi

I am really happy to announce in this space that my friends and peers at Neokoroi have given me the opportunity to serve in an official capacity as an "Exegete of Aphrodite." :: happy dance ::

Here is the description of an exegete within Neokoroi (copied directly from the this page):


The term exegetai (plural) was used throughout ancient Greece to refer to religious specialists. They gave advice about carrying out cultus to different gods and interpreted religious laws and customs. They also offered legal guidance to other people upon request, sometimes in law cases (particularily in ancient Athens).

Here at Neokoroi, we have a tried and tested group of religious advisors, well educated in the cultus of our gods. We do not call these exegetai "priests" because in Hellenic times, priesthood was tied to a specific temple or cult, and could be an hereditary or purchased position.

Within our organization, the exegete (singular) advises on the practices related to a specific god, or of Hellenic ritual in general. Those who wish to take on this role must be willing to be available to anyone who needs them, within reason. This includes the Hellenic pagan community beyond Neokoroi, potentially.

An exegete is NOT, however, a personal counselor or mouthpiece for the god. They are simply knowledgeable individuals who offer advice on how to recognize and interpret the actions of their deity, information on how to conduct rituals, and so forth. But always, they are simply an individual, someone whose opinion is to be respected because of their experience and contributions - but not an authority in the sense that they are above questioning and critique.

I am so pleased to serve both Aphrodite and my community in this capacity, and I have been thrilled already to talk with some members about questions relating to Aphrodite.

Khairete Neokoroi! And hail sweet Kypris!

Shrine Photos

Humble Offerings

Despite the generosity (and I might even say "grandeur") of the offerings to Aphrodite that have recently passed through my hands, I will admit that most of my own offerings are "humble." As a priestess, other devotees have given me the charge of delivering their votives or sacrifices to Kypris, and I have stood as witness in the temple while others have made their offerings directly. On four occasions, now, I have been able to offer Her a book that I wrote in Her honor. But mainly, I make devotional offerings from myself, and they are modest, according to my means.

Like many of you, I offer incense, flowers, jewelry. I offer the poetry I have written for Her. I offer some small treasure that I think will further beautify Her shrine.

All the Gods enjoy our sacrifices. My own experience, though, tells me that Aphrodite gets pleasure and joy from even our most humble gifts.

She surrounds Herself with grace, charm, joy, beauty, and laughter. She is a doting mother and lover who delights in giving and receiving gifts. I imagine our modest offerings to the Goddess are very much akin to a child's gifts to his mother, as a matter of fact. Oh, and how my heart sings when my own little "Eros" brings me a dandelion because it's pretty and yellow! Or my sweet "Harmonia" has drawn me a picture!

I'm never ashamed when sweet smoke is my usual Friday gift. I know She loves it and is delighted that I gave Her pleasure through scent.