Agricultura: Today was planting day for me – tomatoes, corn, cucumbers, carrots, peas, beans, peppers, et cetera. I set up a small shrine at the base of the large “burning tree” (as I call it, because it has scars from lightning) in the center of the garden area and lit candles there for Zeus, Demeter, Dionysos, and Apollon as well as for the local land spirits.
Linguagem: I have been thinking a lot lately of language’s role in Hellenismos. Typically, I think that we tend to want to use ancient Greek for everything, and I’m not so sure that I find this agreeable. I do not feel that just because one practices the religion of a culture that the said culture needs to be embraced in everyway. Hellenismos is a new religion, in this form it has not existed until very recently, and as such there aren’t any real ties to speaking a specific language in order to fulfill certain religious goals unless we invent them. That being said, I have no problem reciting ancient hymns in the language that they were originally composed in. I just do not think that our entire religious life needs to be enveloped by a language that is not spoken outside of role-playing groups and university classrooms or one that we do not have a very good understanding of at the present time. To me it is comparable to walking through New York City speaking Old English. I am all for the language of the people, as are most religions (besides Islam and Orthodox Judaism of course).
