Hmm...Hellenic religion did seem to have a division between religion for the people (the festivals and other aspects of polis religion) and religion for the individual (mystery cults and individual worship--after all, new gods had to come from somewhere!) and the purpose of each was quite different. Most of the Hellenic recons who keep away from mysticism are focusing primarily or solely on a recreation of polis religion.
One definition of piety used by the ancient Athenians says that it has to do with keeping as closely as possible to the ways established by the ancestors; whether that was the sole definition or even the primary one, I'm not sure (and of course I can't remember the specific source right now).
But do we need to ward blót space? To me that's the most serious indictment of the thing.
Another hmm...are we warding it or are we making it sacred somehow? If the former, it may indeed be pointless--if the latter, well, maybe not. I know that the ancient heathens had the notion of a place held sacred but as far as I can remember that was marked by what you could not do in the space rather than what you must do to it. And we lack, for the most part, places to worship which are already made sacred--so I do perceive the need, at least potentially.
several of us have been talking for a while about forming a totally accepting heathen organization. Somewhere where the degree of one's reconstructionist accuracy, for example, would not be judged as to adequacy or pointed to as freaky, but would simply be an interesting difference to discuss with other heathens. Interested?
Yes, definitely--joined the group and will try to catch up on the archives although it may take a while :).
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branchandroot
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Date: 2004-09-01 10:17 pm (UTC)One definition of piety used by the ancient Athenians says that it has to do with keeping as closely as possible to the ways established by the ancestors; whether that was the sole definition or even the primary one, I'm not sure (and of course I can't remember the specific source right now).
But do we need to ward blót space? To me that's the most serious indictment of the thing.
Another hmm...are we warding it or are we making it sacred somehow? If the former, it may indeed be pointless--if the latter, well, maybe not. I know that the ancient heathens had the notion of a place held sacred but as far as I can remember that was marked by what you could not do in the space rather than what you must do to it. And we lack, for the most part, places to worship which are already made sacred--so I do perceive the need, at least potentially.
several of us have been talking for a while about forming a totally accepting heathen organization. Somewhere where the degree of one's reconstructionist accuracy, for example, would not be judged as to adequacy or pointed to as freaky, but would simply be an interesting difference to discuss with other heathens. Interested?
Yes, definitely--joined the group and will try to catch up on the archives although it may take a while :).