Coincidentally

Coincidentally it is also the second day (out of seven) of the Hudson Valley Bakcheion’s observance of the Dionysia, and the start of the Gold Season (April through June) during which the face that the God shows to us is that of the Sacred King, and we honor him alongside the Fairies & Goblins of his Retinue. Check that first link for movie recommendations and other tips on how to celebrate the Dionysia, our festival of the ars dramatica. In addition to the Dionysian Artists and legendary figures of the stage, this is also a good time to pay your respects to the Heroes and Heroines of the Bakcheion by reflecting on their stories, and works, and the virtues (and vices) that they embodied as well as making offerings (particularly libations) to them. You can either venerate them collectively or pick a different recipient for each day of the festival. In particular reflect on their association with Dionysos and how they, consciously or subconsciously, acted out his myths, drives and (often contradictory) traits through their lives in both positive and negative ways. Remember, an hero isn’t necessarily a salutary model to emulate but rather is honored for being exceptional. And the exceptional is often dangerous and destructive, especially when Dionysos is involved. Finally, you can organize your movie-watching thematically, devoting one day to tragedies, one day to comedies and since Satyr-plays are not generally produced anymore (especially not in Hollywood) you can swap them out with another appropriate Dionysian genre such as horror, dark fantasy or rom-coms. If you have any questions about any of this please do not hesitate to ask your humble ἱεροποιός.