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Weekly Purification Ritual (Todd Jackson)
Think of it as a productive collision between two of the ancient texts. First, from the Golden Verses of Pythagoras: Till thou hast examined by thy reason all thy actions of the day. Wherein have I done amiss? What have I done? What have I omitted that I ought to have done? If in this examination thou find that thou hast done amiss, reprimand thyself severely for it; And if thou hast done any good, rejoice." Historically, this both follows one famed dictum in the Apollonian tradition-KNOW THYSELF-and precedes yet another such dictum: Socrates' "The unexamined life is not worth living." Three points, then, describing a single point: That in the worship of Apollo it is crucial not just to give the God His due honors, but to subject ourselves to objective scrutiny. The goal of this scrutiny is to improve; to worship Apollo is, among other things, to desire to make oneself better than one is. At the very least, a ritual to purify oneself should be more than an external show; it should be attended by real effort to shave oneself fine. With Pythagoras, we see a particularly rigorous form of self-examination. The first act of this ritual (should you choose to accept it) precedes the ritual itself: it will be to take out a leaf of paper, or two leaves, or three; the number will depend upon some ratio between your personal naughtiness and your honesty about your naughtiness. [Personally, I don't think I do too much that is bad, but what bad I do, I tend to lie to myself about it. Your mileage may vary.] Write it down. Every day. Or every other day. But often. It was good for the Pythagoreans; it'll be good for you. And at the end of the week, at Delphi's dawn, on Delphi's Sunday, light these sheets afire and burn them. If you think I've getting a little high on my horse, a little pushy, so far, just wait! There's more. Because there's a little something I recommend we utter while setting these sheets on fire. As I stated at the outset, this ritual is the collision between two ancient texts: the Golden Verse of Pythagoras, above, and, now, a passage from the Homeric Hymn to Apollo. The Hymn is really two Hymns. In my own practice, I have taken to reciting one or the other (alternating with a third, still later Hymn, by Callimachus) after performing my own ritual. Here are the Homeric Hymns to Apollo: These Hymns, dating back to the 8th and 7th Centuries BCE, are perhaps the most ancient, most primary texts we have concerning Apollo. You'll notice that on top of the pages, you have the option of translating them into English, but you might want to find other copies for this, since this site can download the translation painfully slowly. As the title suggests, the Delian Hymn concerns Delos, by Hellenic tradition the birthplace of Apollo. Here the poet details the labor of Leto, and Apollo's birth; the God's arrival at Olympus, and the founding of His cult on Delos. It is certainly the older, and, so far as I can tell, the better-regarded Hymn in strict literary terms. But for the purpose of this ritual-again, purification-I believe the Pythian to be the most appropriate. It is in the Pythian Hymn that Apollo chooses Delphi-by Hellenic tradition, the very navel of the world-for His oracular temple. And, most to the point, it is in the Pythian that Apollo slays the dragon which had been "a fell bane to men," and which has come down to us as the Python. So in this Hymn, not only do we read the origin of the temple toward which we orient ourselves during our weekly prayer, we also find the action of Apollo slaying that which is malevolent to humankind, even as we strive to slay that which is malevolent to ourselves when we come for purification. Accordingly, this passage, in particular, is the one I recommend reading at the moment you set your sheets ablaze: ho d' epêuxato Phoibos
Apollôn: This translates as follows: "Then Phoebus Apollo boasted over her: 'Now rot here upon the soil that feeds man' You at least shall live no more to be a fell bane to men who eat the fruit of the all-nourishing earth, and who will bring hither perfect hecatombs. Against cruel death neither Typhoeus shall avail you nor ill-famed Chimera, but here shall the Earth and shining Hyperion make you rot.' Thus said Phoebus, exulting over her: and darkness covered her eyes. And the holy strength of Helios made her rot away there; wherefore the place is now called Pytho, and men call the lord Apollo by another name, Pythian; because on that spot the power of piercing Helios made the monster rot away." As Apollo commands the Sun to rot the carcass of the dragon, we ask Apollo to burn away our ill deeds, which we have made conscious to ourselves, and are committed to struggle against. In short, we ask for purification from the God who is God of purification. I do not claim to be a theurgist or magician, and can only sense, not promise, the power of the ritual here described. If qualifications are at issue, all I can say is that I've conducted two humble Thargelia festivals and a Pyanepsia, serving as Priest of Apollo, and that I've fulfilled that office at an Anthesteria as well. When I speak these words, I feel myself connected to those who worshiped Apollo in the distant past, often singing these very words. It reinforces that I am part of their lineage. Most Saturday nights here in Las Vegas, I will give voice to the entirety of the Pythian Hymn, setting my faults ablaze upon the words ho d' epêuxato Phoibos Apollôn. You may not wish to do so; it's a lot to read. And, of course, you may have a ritual of your own which might precede, follow, or for that matter entirely replace what I've here outlined. In such a case, feel free to submit it to the files. .Ie Paian.
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