Daily Devotional: November 5th
Nones
Hymn for Nones
Bacchus, Liberator, on Nones day,
In thy revelry, our spirits pray.
With the grape's nectar, and the dance's trance,
Thy joyous influence, in every glance.
On Nones, when the moon's glow is bright,
Bacchus, we honor in the soft moonlight.
In the vineyard's bounty, thy blessings flow,
Liberator of souls, in thy ecstatic glow.
Thy presence unbinds the chains of the soul,
In Nones' celebration, where passion unfolds.
Bacchus, on this day, with a festive cheer,
Liberate our hearts, draw us near.
As the month unfurls, in Bacchus' embrace,
In the sacred dance, we find our place.
Bacchus, Liberator, thy spirit we invoke,
In the revelry of life, in each Nones stroke.
Daily Meditation
"For our individual natures are parts of the nature of the whole universe. And this is why the end may be defined as life in accordance with nature, or, in other words, in accordance with our own human nature as well as that of the universe, a life in which we refrain from every action forbidden by the law common to all things, that is to say, the right reason which pervades all things, and is identical with this Jove, lord and ruler of all that is. And this very thing constitutes the virtue of the happy man and the smooth current of life, when all actions promote the harmony of the spirit dwelling in the individual man with the will of him who orders the universe.”
—Chrysippus
De Finibus Book I
We are not separate from the universe, which is ruled by the lord and ruler of all, King Jove. To live rightly is to live by his laws and bring individual selves into harmony with the cosmic whole.
Monthly Ascesis: Simple Rituals
“There is a simple formula to follow to begin making offerings to the gods. Since there are many gods, I recommend beginners direct all prayers to Mercury, who is the messenger of the gods. With this simple prayer, you can begin making offerings to all of divinity and know Mercury will deliver your prayers to the proper place.
Begin with this invocation:
Lord Mercury, messenger of heaven, swift-footed guide of mortals, hear my prayer and deliver it to the proper divinity:
[speak your prayer]
After your prayer, present your offering of food or incense and say:
Lord Mercury, be honored by this offering of [incense, food]
When you are finished, end with
Lord Mercury, be blessed. Fiat.
Fiat is pronounced Fee-aht and means 'Let it be done' in Latin.
If you are unable to make a material offering, that is okay. It is a gesture of honor and respect to the gods but is not necessary. Merely offering your thoughts and prayers is enough. The gods do not need our offerings to hear prayers. We offer these things out of gratitude and respect for them, not as a bribe or exchange of goods between us and the gods.”
-Excerpts from, Ascesis: the Handbook of Platonic Practice
Making simple offerings like this regularly sets our minds on the divine and places us in a giving posture toward the gods. The purpose of our rituals is not to ask for material goods but to give thanks to the gods and allow gratitude to fill our hearts. If we ask for anything from them in our prayers, we should ask for things that are like them such as virtues.
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