Anthesteria 2009: Khytroi
by Blayze 

Roles:
Priest of Dionysos / Priestess of Hestia / Cup/Wine bearer / Priest Of Hermes		

Set-up
The altar is decorated with flowers, jugs and a statue of Hermes. There is a jug of milk, a jug of honey, the bowl of unmixed panspermia as well as a bowl of honey and grain incense.

Ritual

Priest of Dionysos: Come ye gathered friends let us make our way to the Anthesteria!

All: To the Anthesteria

Priest leads the way to the main ritual site followed the rest of the group.  He will playing tunes on the recorder whilst others play drums and other percussion instruments. 

Once the procession reaches the main ritual site, each person will wash their hands in Khenips with the words:

Hekos O hekos este bebeloi!

They then enter the ritual space and form a circle around the altar and fire pit.

Priest of Dionysos: let us prepare our temple!

He takes the salt water and walks the perimeter of the space with the words:

Hekos O hekos este bebeloi!

He then lights the incense and takes it around the perimeter of the circle with the words;

Hekos O hekos este bebeloi!

He takes up the wheat and scatters it around perimeter with the words

Hekos O hekos este bebeloi!

Priestess of Hestia moves to altar and lights the Hestia flame.  She then takes a candle and lights it and moves to the fire pit and ignites it as she does so she says:

Priestess of Hestia: Fire the sacred gift from the Gods above!!! Hail Mighty Immortals

All:  Hail Mighty Immortals!

Priest of Dionysos throws an offering of incense into the flame saying:

Priest of Dionysos: Hail Hestia, the first and the last!

All: Hail Hestia

Priest of Dionysos throws incense into the fire saying:

Priest of Dionysos: Hail Dionysos!

All: Hail Dionysos!

Priest of Hermes: The new wine has been poured upon the ground, heralding the celebration of life and love that has been our pleasure. But darkness has fallen, the night wraps around us and from the bones of the earth the spirits awake.

Priest of Hermes reads the Hymn to Hermes Chthonios

Priest of Hermes:
Hermes, I call, whom fate decrees to dwell near to Kokytos,  the famed stream of Hades, 
You guide the souls of mortals to the nether gloom.
Hermes, off-spring of Dionysos who revels in dance,
And Aphrodite, Paphian queen, 
dark-eyelashed Goddess, of a lovely mien
You frequent the sacred house of Persephone,
As guide throughout the earth of ill-fated souls,
Which you bring to their haven when their time has come,
Yours is the wand which causes sleep to fly, or lulls to slumberous rest the weary eye; 
for Persephone, through Tartaros dark and wide, gave you for ever flowing souls to guide.
Come, blessed power, the sacrifice attend, and grant thy mystics’ works a happy end."

Priest of Hermes takes up the balls of grain and honey and throws some into the fire. 

Priest of Hermes: 	Hail Hermes

The bowl is passed around for each person to take some of the grain incense and throw into the fire saying:

All:	Hail Hermes.

He picks up wine vessel and raises it above his head saying:

Priest of Hermes:	O Great Hermes Chthonis, you who are the messenger of the Gods. Psychopompus, winged and fleet of foot, bearer of the sacred staff and magic wand. Be thou our guide this night. Here we give you homage.

POH  pours libation onto fire

Priest of Hermes: Sponde Hermes

All: Sponde Hermes

The cup bearer takes the jug and moves around the circle and fills each person’s cup. He then returns the jug to the PoH

Priest of Hermes: From the depths of the broken earth the spirits of our ancestors rise and tonight we pay homage to them also. 

He picks up wine vessel and raises it above his head saying:

Priest Of Hermes: Hail Spirits of the Ancestors!

POH  pours libation onto fire

Priest Of Hermes: Sponde Spirits of the Ancestors!

All: Sponde Spirits of the Ancestors!

The cup bearer takes the jug and moves around the circle and fills each person’s cup. He then returns the jug to the PoH

Priestess of Hestia takes up bowl of grain and seeds.  Priest of Dionysus takes up oil. He pours the oil into the bowl.

Priest of Hermes takes up spoon (or wand) and stirs the oil into the grain. 

Priest of Hermes:  All who are gathered here may help prepare the sacred feast for the dead.  

There is a jug of honey (sitting in hot water) and a jug of milk.

Each person comes to the altar and pours a little honey and milk into the bowl. They say something in honour of their dead and stir the mixture. They then return to their place.

At the end the Priest of Hermes holds up the mix and says:

Priest Of Hermes:  O Spirits of the Dead, see, we have mixed the Panspermia for you. O Great Hermes Chthonis, this sacrifice is for you also, that you may lead the Spirits to the Underworld realms, when  the Anthesteria has passed. For we have drunk of the fruit of the vine, we have been fed from the earth, and so now we feed the earth in return.

Priest Of Hermes: Sponde Hermes, Sponde spirits of the dead!

All: Sponde Hermes, Sponde spirits of the dead!

The bowl of Panspermia is then placed back upon the altar.

Priest of Dionysus: For those who wish to see beyond the veil of night, come forward and receive the herbs of sight.

People come foreward to receive the herbs.

Priestess of Hestia: Drink in celebration of the Vine, and then dance. Dance as the leaves of the vine, dance as the flame and send your messages between the worlds, for tonight we celebrate death in life and life in death. 

Drumming begins, all form circle and dance slowly and trancelike.

People can drop out when they feel trance take them. Close up the gaps.

Cup bearer fills everyone's cups again.

Priest of Dionysos: the rite of Khytroi has ended, let us libate one last time to the holy Immortals! Hail Holy Immortals of Earth, sea and sky! Hail the Immortals of Hades! Hail to our ancestors and hail to the Spirits of this place and this land! SPONDE 

(pours libation into fire)

All: SPONDE! 

(Pour libation and have a drink)

Priest of Dionysos: Hail Dionysos, God of the vine! SPONDE! 

(pours libation)

All: SPONDE! 

(Pour libation and have a drink)

Priest of Dionysos: Hail Hermes, Psychopompus! SPONDE! 

(pours libation)

All: SPONDE! 

(Pour libation and have a drink)

Priest of Dionysos: Hail Hestia, the first and the last! SPONDE! 

(pours libation)

All: SPONDE! 

(Pour libation and have a drink)

The rite is ended and all process back to camp!!!