Shrine

What do I typically put on my shrine?

Well, there's a few things I always include, no matter the deity I work with:

1. Altar Cloth

Oh, how I love my altar cloths.  If it were up to me, I'd have TONS of these in just about any and every color and design.  I tend to go for more simple ones, and I like using scarves and table runners, but I have been known to cut up an old shirt and make an altar cloth out of that.  I've been noticing an increase in cheaper cloth place mats that are sold separately, so I very well may start using those in the near future.  I don't usually have an altar cloth per deity; I tend to reuse the altar cloths I have based on color and the vibe I get from the cloth, since I have so few to actually work with.  I prefer altar cloths over a bare altar.

2. Deity Representation

I love candles.  Always have, always will, lol.  My deity representation is usually in the form of a candle, sometimes colored, sometimes not, on a candle holder.  If I have an appropriate oil, or can make one, I'll try to anoint that candle in the oil, and use it to anoint myself when praying or in ritual with that deity, and when making a non-food/drink offering.  All my tools and objects that are dedicated to the deity (as long as it's not fabric - oil stains!) will also be anointed with this oil.  Deity representations can be flowers (usually fake), crystals (I don't often dedicate crystals to deities since I don't actually have doubles of any crystal other than rose quartz, citrine and clear quartz), symbols of that deity, a statue (I never buy statues of Greek gods; they run too expensive - but I do occasionally make a very simplistic deity representation out of salt dough), or even a printed - or drawn picture, as I am more likely to do - of that deity.

3. Offering Plate & Chalice

I like to have a general offering plate and a cup for liquid and solid offerings.  These are mostly for food and drink, but can work for holding other stuff too.  When it comes to the chalice, I typically do not pour things in there that is not edible; so no anointing oil out of the container or any such thing.  The offering plate gets washed whenever it comes in contact with anything that is not food, dusty, dirty, etc in addition to a monthly ritual washing - and of course, after having food on it.  I like to have a chalice and dish for each deity I'm working with, but most of the time lack of finances prevents this.

4. Incense

There's just something about incense and a lit candle that really gets me calm, focused, and in the zone.  Even if the incense doesn't serve as the offering, I usually have something burning.  I prefer cones for deity offerings, but I'm having trouble finding a good quality cone that stays lit all the way through; I would like to do more research into the art of making homemade cones out of herbs and such and maybe have a general batch for offerings, a general batch for ritual purification, and maybe smaller batches for the specific deity I'm working with.  It would be a good monthly craft for me!  As you can guess, I obviously don't shy away from incense sticks, and actually have a HUGE variety (and by huge, I mean literally hundreds of various scents - and I occasionally add a new box, usually of 100 or so, when I come across it).

5. Various Symbols

Every deity has symbols they are associated with; Dionysus is associated with the vine, Artemis with arrows and the crescent moon, Apollo with the sun, Hestia with the flame, Zeus with thunderbolts, etc.  As you accumulate items for your altar over time, or make them, they will usually be in line with the deity's traditional symbols.  These are added to the shrine, or stored safely until needed.  

Offerings

Appropriate Worship

Appropriate worship comes into play with my idea of offerings really strongly.  Essentially, appropriate worship is a system that encourages you to give offerings to deities and beings in a way appropriate to their energy, archetype, and demesne.

How do you know what to give a specific deity as an offering?  Well, that depends on the deity.  What does their culture say about them?  What are their myths?  Their history?  How were they traditionally worshiped, and what were traditional offerings?  Are they associated with any specific herbs, trees, plants foods - what are their symbols?  And most importantly, what powers do they have, and how do they use them?  This has a lot to do with the deity's general energy and personality.

Let's have an example.  Aphrodite is the goddess of love; she's feminine, connected to the sea and sea shells, had a former lover named Adonis, and is considered very beautiful.  You might seek Aphrodite when you're working on self-esteem issues, self-acceptance, self-love, or just becoming comfortable with yourself, or your sexuality.  She can also help you with finding a lover or a soulmate, can be a good ally for glamour magic, and for helping out relationship troubles.

As a feminine woman who is associated with the sea and matters of the heart, it would be appropriate to make offerings of sea shells, floral scents, make-up, and self-care products.  If you're looking to spice things up, try more dedicating more risque things like a special lubricant, condoms, or lingerie to her - even a toy would work.

You know what you wouldn't offer to Aphrodite?  A sword, bow and arrow, cleaning supplies, or masculine herbs.  These go against her general vibe.

Making An Offering

I haven't really changed the way I make an offering since I started looking into Hellenism, so I'm not a hundred percent sure if it's accurate for Hellenic Reconstructionists.  For the most part, I select an offering (usually incense), hold it up, with my eyes closed (sometimes my head is bowed), facing the lit deity candle.  For a moment, I'll pour my own energy - my intention - into the incense stick.  Then I'll say something like:

O Blessed/Great [Deity], I, your humble servant, ask you to accept this offering of [item].  May it please you and serve you well.

I'll light it from the deity candle, waft the smoke around the altar a bit (sometimes in a specific shape or symbol associated with the deity), and put it in the incense holder.  I'll then take a moment to close my eyes and meditate on the deity.

My offerings are generally short, not because of my attention span so much as my cat having a morbid fascination with fire.  I just don't get the same kind of satisfaction and connection when I use battery-operated candles, so I do prefer to use actual wax candles and incense; but if I get too deep in a meditation, I won't notice my cat sneaking onto the altar, batting at the candle/incense and knocking it over.  That, of course, is a major fire hazard.

Disposing Offerings

Not all offerings need disposing, obviously.  Objects that are crafted or bought for this specific deity should be on the shrine at all times; when the shrine is not up, or there is no more room to display specific objects, they should be stored away safely.

Offerings of liquids and food should be disposed of daily.  These can be burned in a ritual fire, poured out onto the ground, left for wild animals, or buried.

Ash from incense should be disposed of immediately, or as soon as possible after burning.  This is mostly to prevent knocking over, spilling or otherwise scattering the ashes all over the shrine if the incense is knocked over or nudged.  Physical cleanliness of space is as important as the energetic cleanliness of a space; treat the shrine with the same respect you treat the deity.

Petition

In general, I don't petition a deity unless they're one that I have already spent some time working with (and feel we are on good terms).  I don't like the idea of working with a god specifically to get something; like, working with Aphrodite just to get the attention of a hot guy, and then going back to ignoring her after I get what I want.  My goal is to build a relationship with the theoi, not to use them whenever I see fit.  I look at it this way: if an acquaintance asked me to hang out just to get the number of my hot roommate (who they're crushing on), and once they get it (if they get it), they're rude, ignore me, and pretty much show me the door, I would be highly insulted.  If I saw them again, or if they asked me to hang out with them or do something for them, I would probably ignore them or just say flat-out "No."

Why should I expect the gods to do anything different?

So yes, while I do use petitions, I have some rules associated.  The petition needs to be for something that I need help with (and can't reasonably expect to get the desired outcome on my own); needs to be for a god I am currently working with or have worked with before and are still on good terms with; and it needs to be clear and precise.

1.  Preparation

I typically do this at a shrine dedicated to the deity, or at my working altar.  At the very least, there is a candle and a physical representation of that deity in place (this can be their symbol, a rune associated with them, or a picture of a statue, an actual statue, or some other crafted item to help give me a visual of that deity).  I purify myself, ground, and center.

2.  Invocation

I call upon the deity by stating their name out loud while lighting their candle.  This is followed by an appropriate epithet, so that the deity knows which aspect I am calling upon.  The epithet needs to be relevant; it doesn't make sense to ask Hestia to aid me in matters of competition, for example.  A song or traditional (or custom-made, if I created one) invocation follows, which can - and often will - incorporate the deity's name and epithet.

3.  Past Honors

Now would be a good time to remind the deity of what I have done for them in recent times, and how I have been a loyal and worthy servant in my practice.  Naming specifics is a good one; "If you have ever enjoyed the incense I have left for you," or "If you approve of the blood I donated in your name," type of things.  The point here is to point out that I have been consistent and dedicated follower, that I have worked to have a good bond with the deity already, and that a pattern of worship has been established.

4.  Request

State what it is that I want very specifically.  The gods often have a sense of humor, so I like to be very clear about what I want, why I want it, and how I want it; I avoid using euphemisms, and am quite blunt with this.  I typically like to include a concrete idea or plan of what I plan to do in return for this granted request.  To commemorate the occasion, I like to write my petition down on a piece of paper, hold it in my hands, visualize it coming true, and place it beneath the candle until the petition has been fulfilled.

5.  Gratitude

I say thank you to the deity, usually with an offering and a closing prayer.  With the closing prayer, I gut the deity candle.  If incense is used (it almost always is), I let it burn out completely.  If food or perishables were offered, they are disposed of after the ritual.


This system was derived from this tumblr question and answer.  The way that the practitioner approached petitions seemed pretty realistic to me, and was already close to the way I approached deity to begin with; it just got me to think about specifics.

Approaching Deity

Whenever I decide to work with a deity, there are a few steps I tend to take.

1. Research

This includes digging into theoi.com and googling just about anything I can find about that deity.  I also look through my books to find any relevant holy days - Grandmother of Time is a pretty good one, but is not an authentic Hellenic source, so I usually take everything with a grain of salt and do independent research based on the things mentioned there.  I take time to learn about the cultural influences to the deity (whether they were part of an even more ancient civilization, imported from another civilization, and whether they are equated with any other deities of other cultures) and how they have changed through history and by interpretation of modern pagans.  Learning about their epiteths, names, and general demesnes is a big one, as well as becoming familiar with their place in the pantheon and mythos associated with them.  I make note of traditional offerings and worship, as well as symbols, colors, scents, flowers, incense, and any tools or acts that may be associated with them.

2. Book of Shadows Entry

Yes, I do have a BoS despite exploring Hellenismos.  I don't plan to change this; it's my working manual, a snapshot of my practice in time, and a wonderfully useful tool to have at my service.  Once I've started the researching process, I take all that I've learned and start up a page - or section - in my BoS dedicated to that deity.  It includes basic correspondences, references to historical books, myths, the deities role, power and demesne, as well as any historical invocations, songs, and poems.

3. Shrine/Altar

My shrines/altars tend to be very simplistic.  I try to incorporate colors, herbs, flowers, crystals, and symbols of the deity I am attempting to work with, but this cannot always be as ideal as I'd prefer based on my income and availability of some items.  They should always have a candle that is dedicated to them, an offering bowl and incense.  If I continue to work with them for longer than a few days, more things will slowly be added to this shrine, including but not limited to satchets, potpourri blends, custom oil blends, hand-made statuary, purchased items, and dedicated tools.   You can even create a prayer book to be laid on the shrine at all times holding only prayers, invocations songs and chants related to the deity (and only that deity), decorated appropriately.  The shrine/altar should always be dedicated and physically and energetically cleaned before use (and should be re-cleaned at the end of each lunar cycle, and energetically cleaned and physically cleaned whenever taking a particular shrine/altar down and/or erecting a new one in its place).

4. Formal Introduction

Now is the time to ritually invoke the deity, introduce myself to them, state why I want to work with them - what I hope to gain - and what I plan to offer them in exchange for this.  I view this very much like a contract; I outline what I want, what I'm willing to do to get it, and hope that the deity will consider this a fair exchange.  I am very specific during this exchange to outline exactly what the deity can expect from me - I set up specific days for offerings, for singing praises, for working with them.  I ask that if this proposal is acceptable, the deity send me an obvious undeniable sign of their assent.  I always leave an offering at the end of this ritual, and take some time to meditate on why I want to work with this deity.

5. Regular Offerings

In my introduction, I promise specific days of offering for a specific length of time (usually a lunar month).  This doesn't mean that it's the only day I make an offering, or that I ignore the deity every other day; it's a core minimum.  If nothing else, that deity can always expect me to pay respect on that specific day.  My goal is to devote a few minutes of each day to the deity, if not more.  The offerings themselves can be incense, food, flowers, herbs, crystals, tools, statuary, custom created crafts, dedicated tools, custom chants, poems, invocations, songs, or even gifts of raised energy.  It can also be in the form of doing things that the deity would approve of - volunteering at a dog kennel if working with Artemis, making my daily cleaning a ritual if working with Hestia, donating blood at a blood drive if I'm working with Apollo, etc.

6. Meditation

Most of my communication with the deities, and getting to know them, at least along a UPG vein, is done through meditation.  I have a shamanic viewpoint of the spiritual world consisting of the Upper World, Middle World and Lower World, which houses all lands included in all cultures; in Hellenic mythos, Olympus would be in the Upper World, Hades in the Lower World, and nature deities would be in the Middle World. Depending on the deity I'm working with, I would have a journey to that world on occasion and commune with them directly, if they so let me. Otherwise, it would be a few moments of silent meditation on the deity themselves.

7. Farewell

When I feel that the time I have spent with a deity has come to an end, I have a final ritual to show my gratitude to that deity for all that I have learned.  I give a final offering to show my appreciation and explain to them that I feel I have learned all I can for now, but would like to work with them again in the future, if they are so willing to allow it.  I treat this as more of a celebration than a solemn rite; food is cooked or baked, I bring out a drink or two, and I toast to that deity.  Music is played, or a movie is watched that falls under their demesne, or I'll otherwise do something that is aligned to the powers and energy of that deity.  When the celebration is over, I ritually and solemnly take down their shrine, clean it, and store their items safely away in a labeled box or container.


I figure that if, at some point, I feel a powerful connection to a deity to the point where I want to work with them long-term or permanently, I may consider having a dedication ritual and putting them in place as my matron or patron.  I have not yet worked with a deity that I have felt so strongly about, but I am open to the possibility.

So far, the above steps have worked well for me!  I will post if I experience any changes in my system.