Hellenismos and Neopaganism
Nov. 8th, 2006 05:58 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kyreneI see about as much knee-jerking against Neopaganism in the Hellenic
community as I do Christianity, I think from way too many people who
joined Hellenism as a rebellion against those religions. Every time
someone brings up something in Hellenism that is similar to something
used in Neopaganism, people go up in arms and refuse to support
it--even if that was what was done in ancient times. I've seen
supposedly hardcore reconstructionists exhibit this behavior as well.
Here's the 411 on recent history: the Golden Dawn was greatly
influenced by Greek mysticism as well as other mystical traditions,
and their officer names were even the same as in the Eleusinian
Mysteries. This was not by accident. Wicca and other Neopaganism
traditions are and have been greatly influenced by both the Golden
Dawn and the OTO as we know of it today, which was revamped by Crowley
after he left the Golden Dawn. Here's a rundown on the similarities:
1) The elements and their properties. The Greeks are to blame for
this, specifically a guy named Empedocles in 5th century BC.
2) Casting a circle also done during Greek circumambulation. People
like to knee-jerk and poke holes and claim that they're not the same
thing, but in reality they are. Deal.
3) Syncretism in Neopagan faiths stems from ancient Greek thought,
albeit misinterpreted. This really comes from Dion Fortune's line
about "All gods being one god and one goddesses being one goddess."
She wasn't saying that Thor is the same as Lugh is the same as Zeus;
she was saying that everything emanates from a single source which
Neoplatonists refer to as "the One" but doing it in a Qabalistic way.
The Qabalah is really to blame for the popularized polarity between
God and Goddess, as the union of the One is expressed in sexual
alchemical terms between a masculine and a feminine principle.
As far as syncretism in Greek culture was concerned, they didn't have
a term for it. It was more like "Oh, cool! You call Dionysos Osiris
and have Mysteries for him too? Wow! Can we participate? We love
Dionysos!" It didn't mean "converting" to someone else's religion; it
was more of an expansive viewing of the gods.
In short, hard polytheism is a modern philosophy. It doesn't make it
WRONG any more than syncretism or any other view of the divine is
wrong; it just means that it's not in line with ancient tradition.
4) Mystery schools existed in ancient Greece and much of their thought
has been transmuted and has inspired modern day Mystery schools,
including the initiatory religion of Wicca, Golden Dawn, and OTO.
Some of these groups even put on their modern take of the Eleusinian
Mysteries!
I'm sure others can babble further. I've long given up on the idea of
establishing "recon" mystery schools or whatever and have just gone
and joined up with their modern day equivalents, provided of course
that they are non-denominational.
community as I do Christianity, I think from way too many people who
joined Hellenism as a rebellion against those religions. Every time
someone brings up something in Hellenism that is similar to something
used in Neopaganism, people go up in arms and refuse to support
it--even if that was what was done in ancient times. I've seen
supposedly hardcore reconstructionists exhibit this behavior as well.
Here's the 411 on recent history: the Golden Dawn was greatly
influenced by Greek mysticism as well as other mystical traditions,
and their officer names were even the same as in the Eleusinian
Mysteries. This was not by accident. Wicca and other Neopaganism
traditions are and have been greatly influenced by both the Golden
Dawn and the OTO as we know of it today, which was revamped by Crowley
after he left the Golden Dawn. Here's a rundown on the similarities:
1) The elements and their properties. The Greeks are to blame for
this, specifically a guy named Empedocles in 5th century BC.
2) Casting a circle also done during Greek circumambulation. People
like to knee-jerk and poke holes and claim that they're not the same
thing, but in reality they are. Deal.
3) Syncretism in Neopagan faiths stems from ancient Greek thought,
albeit misinterpreted. This really comes from Dion Fortune's line
about "All gods being one god and one goddesses being one goddess."
She wasn't saying that Thor is the same as Lugh is the same as Zeus;
she was saying that everything emanates from a single source which
Neoplatonists refer to as "the One" but doing it in a Qabalistic way.
The Qabalah is really to blame for the popularized polarity between
God and Goddess, as the union of the One is expressed in sexual
alchemical terms between a masculine and a feminine principle.
As far as syncretism in Greek culture was concerned, they didn't have
a term for it. It was more like "Oh, cool! You call Dionysos Osiris
and have Mysteries for him too? Wow! Can we participate? We love
Dionysos!" It didn't mean "converting" to someone else's religion; it
was more of an expansive viewing of the gods.
In short, hard polytheism is a modern philosophy. It doesn't make it
WRONG any more than syncretism or any other view of the divine is
wrong; it just means that it's not in line with ancient tradition.
4) Mystery schools existed in ancient Greece and much of their thought
has been transmuted and has inspired modern day Mystery schools,
including the initiatory religion of Wicca, Golden Dawn, and OTO.
Some of these groups even put on their modern take of the Eleusinian
Mysteries!
I'm sure others can babble further. I've long given up on the idea of
establishing "recon" mystery schools or whatever and have just gone
and joined up with their modern day equivalents, provided of course
that they are non-denominational.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2006-11-09 07:53 am (UTC)WRONG any more than syncretism or any other view of the divine is
wrong; it just means that it's not in line with ancient tradition.
I loved this statement!!!!
*does happy dance*
Joe
(no subject)
Date: 2006-11-10 07:59 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-11-10 07:57 pm (UTC)influenced by Greek mysticism as well as other mystical traditions,
and their officer names were even the same as in the Eleusinian
Mysteries. This was not by accident. Wicca and other Neopaganism
traditions are and have been greatly influenced by both the Golden Dawn and the OTO as we know of it today, which was revamped by Crowley after he left the Golden Dawn. Here's a rundown on the similarities:
Lets not forget that Crowley also did his best with the info available at the time to recreate the Eleusinian Mysteries.
She wasn't saying that Thor is the same as Lugh is the same as Zeus; she was saying that everything emanates from a single source which Neoplatonists refer to as "the One" but doing it in a Qabalistic way. The Qabalah is really to blame for the popularized polarity between God and Goddess, as the union of the One is expressed in sexual alchemical terms between a masculine and a feminine principle.
Heh. Neoplatonism is also pretty much known to have influenced the early Kabbalists. Or put in another way, Kabbalah can be seen as a fusion of Neoplatonism and Judaism. So is there really much of a difference?
The Hermetics likewise developed an idea of the One from Plato, and mixed it up with Egyptian ideas, and then these ideas were influential on several modern Mystery groups, such as the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. Shocked, I tell you, shocked! ;)
In short, hard polytheism is a modern philosophy. It doesn't make it WRONG any more than syncretism or any other view of the divine is wrong; it just means that it's not in line with ancient tradition.
Bingo! Here's your baked pita chip. ;)
I've never understood how anyone can study the ancient Hellenes and Romans and figure that syncretism was in any way considered inappropriate. Even if you go back to the Dark Ages and beyond, there is clear evidence of wholesale importations of foreign Gods into the Pantheon. Including such "Greek" deities as Apollon, and Dionysos, even Aphrodite. Feh, I say, Feh!
An excellent post!
(no subject)
Date: 2006-11-10 07:58 pm (UTC)The knee-jerking against modern religions and faiths makes baby Dionysos-Zagreus cry.
(no subject)
Date: 2006-11-10 08:26 pm (UTC)I just don't get some Recons.
As a friend's LJ icon says:
Please stop being on my side; you make my side look stupid.
(no subject)
Date: 2006-11-10 08:27 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-11-10 08:39 pm (UTC)