Hellenic Greeks have ideas about purity that are not present in most pagan practices. It is of the utmost importance for Hellenic practitioners to purify themselves previous to going before the gods, as the theoi are considered pure beings and worthy of the utmost respect - and to go before a pure being so utterly impure is a sign of disrespect, and warrants retribution from that deity.
Miasma
As far as I can tell, miasma is a sort of impure energy that permeates the things around it, turning pure thoughts impure, and encouraging immoral and irrational behavior. It could get bad enough that ancient Greeks considered miasma to be the way that contagious diseases like cholera, the plague, and chlamydia was spread (something scientists believed as fact until the 1800s). The name miasma literally means pollution.People are not the only ones who become infected by miasma - places can be considered unclean, as well as items. A high importance is placed in Hellenic ritual to ritually purify the space, items, and the self before ritual. Think of it this way: if you go to a temple, how can you truly pray and meditate in that temple if it is filthy, unkempt, and shown utter disregard? You can't; there are too many distractions, and the aura of the place will be one of miasma rather than cleanliness.
Miasma comes from a variety of sources:
- Death
- Sickness
- Birth
- Sex
- Excessive negative emotions
- Contact with bodily fluids (sweat, blood, semen, menstrual blood, urine, etc)
- Lack of contact with the Hellenic gods
That is not to say that the above acts are impure; they're not. Everyone has been to a funeral before, have cared for a sick relative or friend, has had sex, many have experienced birth, and we all are overcome with negative thoughts like jealousy and anger from time to time. Who hasn't babysat and wiped a small child's runny nose, or bandaged a small cut on your hand?
These are perfectly natural responses and situations that we all come across. The situations themselves are not impure, but leave the door open for miasma to creep into your life. For example, the process of birth and death are completely natural, but since they are both doorways to the afterlife, each act leaves an opening for miasma to ooze through. Everyone attracts miasma through living; it's just part of life. Miasma is a force that has no judgment, no thought; it simply is, and by nature, it spreads wherever it can, regardless of how pious you are or how obsessively clean and pure you try to be.
The Hellenic deities are sometimes called the Deathless Gods. It is considered every Hellenic follower's duty to not expose them (psychopomps not included) to death through miasma.
Honestly, this all sounds great to me and everything, but I have a feeling this belief came into practice as a way to prevent disease. Therefore, it may be an outdated concept by modern standards, since we know that the theory of miasma has been debunked and the spread of disease comes through other means. But this doesn't mean that it's not a good spiritual practice to uphold. All systems of worship have some element of self-purification involved in coming before you gods; so does Hellenismos.
Katharmos
Before approaching the gods, ritual purification must be done to remove all miasma. Katharmos is considered a devotional act, and should be treated as such.
Katharmos can be done in a few simple steps, or through a long and rigorous process.
- Bathe. Get rid of all traces of dirt, toxins and bodily fluids. Historically speaking, men were expected to bathe in cold water, and women in hot, steamy water, which is good for me - I do love a hot, steamy shower and/or bath. The act of bathing not only physically cleans your body, but it tends to make us feel clean emotionally and mentally. Cleanliness is next to godliness!
- Brush your teeth. How can you in good conscience speak to the gods if your mouth is not purified, as well? Think about it... what have you put in there recently? Did you wake up with bad breath, or a funky taste in your mouth? If you want to speak truth and commune with the gods with purity, clean your mouth - and by extension - your teeth! This is not a traditional step in most Hellenic practice, but one that makes sense to me.
- Avoid deodorant, lotions, oils, and makeup. Go before your gods clean and without anything covering who you are or altering your appearance. After the ritual, you can always put that stuff on if you feel called to do so. Again, this is not a step that most Hellenics concern themselves with, but one that makes sense to me. I see makeup as a sort of glamour; it is unnecessary to go before theoi as anything but our true selves. To go before them with layers of paint on our face is the same, in my opinion, as trying to hide our identity when speaking to the gods. I want the theoi to know who I am - and I go before them completely bare.
- Khernips. This is the ritual process of purification, and the final step. Most practitioners incorporate khernips at the start of their worship, and include all their ingredients at their altar or shrine, but it is perfectly acceptable to do this in, say, a bathroom as part of your ritual purification, especially if you don't have much space to work with at your shrine or altar.
The whole point of katharmos, like any ritual purification, is to prepare yourself mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually. During your bathing process, you should be focused at the task at hand; maybe have some purification visualization going on, or use a special bar of soap that has purification properties. If music helps you get into the mood, then play something soothing. If you need scent for this, then burn incense or use a room spray or light a scented candle. Take a few moments to come to center, to ground your energy, and maybe even meditate before you go to your shrine.
Katharmos can be applied daily, whenever you prepare for study of the gods, want to give them prayers, enter a temple, prepare for divination, or want to delve into any sort of ritual or magical endeavor (if you incorporate magic into your practice). I know that in my personal experience, if I am not at least physically clean, grounded and centered, then my divination workings are murky and unclear at best. Since divination is opening up a channel to the divine consciousness, allowing you to relay messages from the gods, it makes sense to have a purification ritual attached.
This isn't to say that you need to shower four times a day if you intend to offer morning prayers, meditate, do some divination, and then close your day with some evening prayers; but you should take the time to really consider whether you are fit to go before the gods as you are. At the very least, wash your hands and face before any act involving prayer, religious study, divination, etc, and you should have at least one shower a day in general (for hygiene purposes, especially if you have had sex recently, are menstruating, or came into contact with other bodily fluids, death, birth, sickness, or are plagued with negative thoughts). This is not justification to dry out your skin or indulge in unhealthy germophobic obsessions, but to consider an important element of Hellenic practice and a practical one to incorporate into your life right now.
Other Methods of Purification
The above is your typical purification process before going to your gods, but there are other ways that you can demonstrate your purity and prevent miasma from entering your life. These are devotional acts, and should be taken seriously.
- Fasting
- Meditation
- Abstinence
- Sacrifice*
* It should be noted that sacrifice in the historical sense is illegal in the US and highly discouraged. However, there are ways around sacrifice - like making an offering of your food by taking a portion for the gods, throwing wax figurines into a sacrificial fire, giving the first fruits of your garden to the gods, or use a fruit in place of an actual animal. What is important here is your intent and the reason behind the sacrifice. In the sense of purification, it was believed that by making a sacrifice, you were lifting all the miasma from your entire household.
It should be noted that the Deipnon, a lunar celebration in honor of Hekate, was considered a purification rite in and of itself.
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