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Ritual Honoring Athena
11 June 2005
The space in which the ritual is to be conducted should be cleansed with sulfur several hours before the rite begins. The altar should also be set up before-hand, and it must face East. A cult statue or images of Athena are set upon the altar. One might also include owls, as that is her sacred animal. A bowl of khernips (perirrantéria) should also be set up just outside the ritual space. This is where the participants will wash their hands before entering the sacred space.
Everyone participating in the ritual will gather away from the ritual space. We will form a procession, carrying the items to be used in the ritual. Music will be playing during the ritual. The order for the procession will be as follows: the maiden carrying the barley and knife, the hydrophóros (water-carrier), thumiamaphóros (incense-carrier), participants carrying the sacrifices, offerings, and food for the meal, and lastly the spondephóros (libation-carrier). Participants who are not carrying anything will follow the spondephóros.
As each participant comes to the bowl of khernips, they stop to wash their hands before entering the ritual space. Anyone who is not ritually clean from miasma will not be permitted to enter.
Participants then enter the space, and moving in a counter-clockwise direction, circle the ritual area one time. This serves as an additional purification of the space. In ancient times, this would have been a dance, and we will do a simple circle-dance step, leading with the right foot. All ritual items will then be placed on a table next to the altar, and each person is then free to stand where ever they choose. It is not necessary to stand in a circular formation.
The priest takes the khérnips and sprinkles the participants, sacrifice, offerings, and altar with the water. He says, “As the khernips is pure, so you are pure. May you be cleansed of all míasma.”
The priestess then passes the basket of barley to each participant so they can take a small amount of barley. (Be careful when reaching into the basket as the ritual knife is buried underneath the barley!) She then steps to the altar and offers the following prayer.
[Note: Athena is an Olympian deity, and thus one or both palms should be lifted up during prayer.]
“Hear me, Athena Parthénos [maiden], Athena Glaukôpis [owl-eyed], Pallás Athena [young woman], Athena Poliás [of the city], Athena Sotéria [savior], or by which ever name you wish to be called. You were born from the head of your mighty father Zeus. When you sprung forth, with shining helmet and spear, great Olympos began to reel horribly at your might, bright-eyed goddess. Round Earth cried fearfully, and the sea was moved and tossed with dark waves, while foam burst forth suddenly. But once you, maiden Pallás Athene, had stripped the heavenly armor from your immortal shoulders, wise Zeus was glad. Hail, goddess, and give us strength, good fortune and happiness!
She then steps back, and all participants throw a small amount of barley at the altar, sacrifices, and offerings. The priestess takes the ritual knife from the basket and cuts off a small portion of the meat offering and puts it in the altar fire. That is allowed to burn for a moment. The fragrance and smoke should be allowed to rise freely. Then, the rest of the sacrifice/food offerings are lifted up for Athena to see, and then it is divided up. The first portion is given to the goddess by placing it in the altar fire. (If that is not possible, it can simply be placed on the altar, and may be deposited in a wooded area after the ritual.) The rest is set aside as the human portion.
Next, the spondephóros steps forward with the wine for the libation. Lifting the jug up for the goddess to see, he says, “Athena, we offer this spondé in your honor.” He then pours a little into the bowl that is held over the fire (which will be deposited with the food after the ritual). The goddess may signal that she has accepted the offerings by making the fire flare up. (This usually only happens when the wine is poured directly into a burning fire.)
As this point, the incense carrier steps forward with the incense, and holds it up for the goddess to see. S/He says, “Athena, we offer this incense in your honor.” The incense is then placed on the altar.
After the incense has risen for a few minutes, another participant declares, “The offerings have been made; call the goddess!”
The priestess again steps forward to offer hymns to Athena. She recites the Orphic Hymn to Athena.
Only Begotten Daughter of Mnemosyne,
Blessed and fierce, explorer of the caverns,
Oh warlike Pallás, Spirit and Form,
Magnanimous and Famed, the rocky height and cool grove sand shady mountains are
Thy joy,
In strength of arms and with the wild Furies, the souls of mortals Thou
inspires,
Agile Virgin, All-Wise, Unmarried,
Blessed and Kind, Mother of Arts, Impetuous,
Let Thy wrath descend upon the wicked, and grant Thy wisdom to the good,
The arts of strategy are Thine, Zealous Dragon, Mistress of Forms,
Destroyer of the Phlegrean Giants,
Purger of Evils, All-Victorious Queen,
Hear us, Oh Goddess, whenever we call to Thee,
Oh Much-Implored Mother of the Arts, Gray-Eyed Athena,
Give us peace and health,
Grant aid to thy votaries,
And send us necessary wealth and prosperity always.
At this point, other participants may step forward to offer libations (wine, water, oil), incense, flowers, etc. They may say one of the following:
An offering to you, Athena Poliás, “of the city”Participants may also choose to say a few words from the heart while making their offering. This is especially appropriate when referring to past offerings or to special requests.
Lastly, the spondephóros once again steps forward and makes a final libation. He says, “Hail to you, Athena, the child of Zeus. We shall assemble in your honor again!”
This signals the end of the ritual.
Thank you for participating!
Don’t forget to sign the form giving permission for your photo to be taken.