Thargelia
Birthday of the Twins
The objective of this ritual of
Thargelia is for each to purify oneself and symbolic rid oneself of
one's negative self and at the same time clean miasma from community.
On the other hand, it is also a
festival of new beginnings and harvest, with and offering to Apollon
of that which we hope to obtain soon, of the Thargelos, and also the
construction of the Eiresiome.
Finally, it is also the festival of
Artemis and Apollon.
1 week up to 1 day before the
ritual
The first part of the ritual begins
even before the festival it self and consists of the building of the
pharmakos. Each participant must choose one day up to one week
before the ritual to build his, or hers, pharmakos.
During the building of the
pharmakos, which must be flammable, he should focus on the negative
aspects of his self and hate the pharmakos itself, which symbolises
them, and at the same time he should accept his full being and
recognise the pharmakos as a part of himself which needs to be
removed so that his full being becomes more noble.
During this time the participant
should meditate every day with his pharmakos about aspects we
wishes to remove and charge the pharmakos with them.
The priest himself also makes, the
day before, a pharmakos that symbolises the community as a whole.
Ritual
Before going to the ritual, each
participant will go with his own pharmakos around his house,
printing all miasma of the surroundings in it. If he wishes he may
beat the pharmakos with onion.
The ritual follows the general
guidelines, and here are only indicated what is different about this
ritual in particular.
In the pompe each carries one's
eiresiome and we sing joyfully of Apolo and Artemis. Each carries his
own pharmakos.
In the first action each beats his
own pharmakos with onion and then everyone beats the community
pharmakos. After this, everyone is given a stone to throw to the
community pharmakos which is then burned with the others while
everyone beats his or her own hands with the onions. After this the
onions themselves are burnt. The ashes will be later left in a river
or the sea.
Later we sing birthday songs to the
Divine Twins, offer them gifts and food, among which the Thargelos
is given to Apollon, to whom we ask help in new beginnings. From now
own the ritual is similar to the others, with a feast, songs and
maybe an agon.
Materials and Decoration
The eiresiome is made in Pyanepsia.
The pharmakos has already been
described: it should be made with flameable material, such as paper
or paper maché. Some may want to include parts of themselves, such
as hair or nails, and there are several ways to charge it with
miasma, such as meditation, exposing it, songs, affirmations... It
was traditional to place a fig necklace around the pharmakos' neck,
white figs for the pharmakos representing the women and dark figs
for the pharmakos representing the men. Some people may wish to
dress the pharmakos.
About the Thargelos, it is both a
stew and bread. For the stew we boil water and place all cereals we
wish, a bit of salt and honey. The bread may be bought or made with
flour of several cereals. I always like bread with sprinkled cereals
on top.
The altar is decorated with images
of Artemis and Apollon. The ritual place may be decorated with
anniversary objects, birthday cakes may be used, candles (seven for
Apollon, six for Artemis), ribbons, etc. Images of cereals or real
cereals are also appropriate.
~Miguel
For your [Apollon's]
power to do good is assured - Aeschylus
|
