Hail Dionysos Euprepēs.
As I place this jewelry upon myself,
may it be a sign of devotion and remembrance.
Let it call to mind your gifts, your mysteries,
and your wonder-working grace.
Bless this adornment,
bless the one who made it,
and bless me as I wear it.
Be with me, I pray, throughout the day,
O Dionysos Kallimorphos.

O Dionysos Euesthēs, hail and be gracious.
I wear this jewelry to mark myself as one of yours,
and as I fasten this ornament in place, may I also fasten
my thoughts upon you and your countless blessings
throughout the day. May this adornment be a reminder
of the joy to be found in service, and the liberation
that comes only from devotion to you and your Furious Host.
Grant me strength, courage, cleverness and ferocity, I pray,
and above all walk with me, O Blessed Amphithalēs,
so that my heart may remain mindful of you wherever I go,
and in the face of whatever I encounter.

O gracious Dionysos who loves his people,
as I clothe myself in these sacred garments,
let me also be clothed in reverence.
As I place these symbols upon my body,
let me also bear virtue within my heart.
May this regalia not be worn for vanity,
but for devotion;
not for pride,
but for remembrance of the holy.
Consecrate these vestments to your service.
O blessed and many-named Dionysos,
may they remind me of the joy of your mysteries,
the freedom of your gifts,
and the sacred fellowship of those who honor you.
Let every thread be a sign of dedication,
every ornament a token of gratitude,
and every sacred emblem a witness to the bond
between worshipper and God.
Grant that, while I wear these things,
my words be truthful,
my actions honorable,
and my spirit open to divine inspiration.
Bless these garments,
bless the artists who crafted them,
bless the hands that help place them upon me,
and bless the path upon which I walk this day.

If you’re like me you loathe the endless slurry of formulaic comic book adaptations churned out by the Hollywood machine over the last few years. And I say this as someone who has been off and on a comic book enthusiast since the early 1980s. Some of my fondest memories are of sitting in the park, reading older comics I picked up for a quarter a pop, enjoying the smell of the paper, and ink, and age almost as much as the plot-lines themselves. Almost, as this was the great age of comics storytelling and art. I started writing and illustrating my own comics when I was nine or ten, inspired by the masterful way certain stories and characters were handled. I doubt I’d feel the same way had I been reading contemporary comics as opposed to stuff produced in the 70s and 80s.

I couldn’t figure out how to play the B&W version, but that didn’t matter. The colored version was really well done, showing the vibrancy and almost garish use of color during the interwar years, which almost never comes across on film. And it does a really good job of presenting the casual racism of the time by showing things like the segregated Armed Forces or how performers had to go in through the service entrance rather than the front door, without beating you over the head with it. And the obligatory gender- and race-swapping doesn’t take you out of the story the way that the continuation of the Tolkein mythos or Nolan’s upcoming Odyssey most certainly will.

In addition to the masterful casting of Nicolas Cage as Ben Reily/the Spider some of my favorite characters are his spunky Girl Friday, the intrepid reporter Robbie Robertson, and this world’s Felicia Hardy who is played by Chinese actress Li Jun Li. Although only one of those is cast consistent with their comic iteration the performances are so good you simply don’t care. They also do a superb job explaining how the villains (and possibly the Spider too) acquired their powers through experiments conducted on POWs by German scientists rather than random accidents as in the mainstream comic universe, which lends an air of tragedy to these characters lacking in the originals. (Hollywood could learn a lot from watching this series.) The city is almost a character itself, with grimy run-down tenements contrasting with the giant towers and opulence of the wealthy who seek to remake the city in their image, even if they have to resort to illegal tactics to do so. There are no clear-cut good or evil characters, with everyone painted in shades of grey. The good guys resort to criminal activities to get the job done, and the bad guys are visionaries trying to improve the general state of things after years of neglect and corruption and pointless laws like prohibition. This is best exemplified by Cage’s character who in the pursuit of truth and justice for his clients resorts to some pretty nasty tricks and even nastier underworld informants to get the job done. And that’s just his day job. He’s even worse when necessity requires him to don the Spider costume again after the death of his wife had forced him into a five-year hiatus. And many of the criminals are victims of what happened to them whilst serving their country during the Great War, and the indifference of their government and society upon returning home.

I’m only about half-way through the show, so my opinion may change as we approach the end of the season, but I doubt it. Another thing that I appreciated is that they dropped all the episodes at once, rather than forcing you to wait week by week for new additions, which I hate. Why are we paying so much for these streaming services if they are going to act like conventional cable television, only worse? If I want to binge an entire season over a weekend I damn well ought to be able to.

There are a couple more things I could nit-pick as a comics and film nerd, but the amount of stuff the show gets right dwarfs those minor criticisms and I cannot recommend it highly enough. Cage’s performance alone is worth the price of admission (a subscription to Amazon Prime) and each episode just gets better and better. I don’t normally recommend media unless it has something to do with polytheism generally or the Starry traditions specifically, but Spider-Noir is a notable exception. If you haven’t already, give it a shot.

 Alexis fr. 222, 9–17

εἶναι μανιώδη πάντα τἀνθρώπων ὅλως,
ἀποδημίας δὲ τυγχάνειν ἡμᾶς ἀεὶ τοὺς ζῶντας,
ὥσπερ εἰς πανήγυρίν τινα ἀφειμένους ἐκ τοῦ θανάτου καὶ τοῦ σκότους
εἰς τὴν διατριβὴν εἰς τὸ φῶς τε τοῦθ᾿, ὃ δὴ ὁρῶμεν ὃς δ᾿ἂν πλεῖστα γελάσηι
καὶ πίηι καὶ τῆς Ἀφροδίτης ἀντιλάβηται τὸν χρόνον τοῦτον ὃν ἀφεῖται,
κἂν τύχηι γ᾿, ἐράνου τινός, πανηγυρίσας ἥδιστ᾿ ἀπῆλθεν οἴκαδε.

Human existence is entirely, completely insane,
and as long as we’re alive, we’re enjoying a reprieve,
like going to a festival; we’ve been released from death
and darkness, and allowed to have a party in this light we see.
And whoever laughs the most, and drinks the most, and grabs as much
Aphrodite during the time he’s released, or a dinner party if he gets
the chance— he’s the happiest when he goes home after the festival.

I am really appreciative for the feedback folks gave me concerning the tentative Starry Ram pantheon. I have modified the list so that it more clearly reflects the relationships that these divinities have with Dionysos, removed the entries that reflected their different aspects or epithets, and added some further entries to reflect sources I’ve got concerning their presence in the region. This is still a work in progress but better reflects what the Starry Ram is becoming.

A = Ally
E = Enemy
F = Friends & Family
U = Uncertain

Abaddōn [E]
Agrat bat Maḥalat [U]
Allāt [U]
Amalek [E]
ʿĂnāṯ [A]
The Ancestral Mothers [A]
The Angels [A]
Aphroditē [F]
Apollon [F]
Artemis [F]
ʾĂšērāh [F]
ʾAšmedai [F]
Asklepios [A]
Atargatis [A]
Athenē [F]
ʿAṯtart [A]
Aži Dahâka [E]
Baʿal [A]
Ba’alat Gebal [A]
Baḡdānā [E]
Beliar [E]
Belzebul [E]
The Bene ʾĔlōhīm [A]
Bes [A]
Bethēl [A]
The Charaktēres [A]
Chokmah [F]
Dagon [A]
The Daimōnes [U]
Deber [E]
Dhū-Šarā [A]
The Egrēgoroi [E]
Eišeth Zēnunīm [E]
Ēl ʻElyōn [A]
The ʾĔlōhīm [A]
Enki [A]
The Ephesia Grammata [A]
Gabriēl [A]
The Gigantes [E]
Hathor [F]
The Hebraika Grammata [A]
The Hellēnika Grammata [A]
Hera [F]
Heraklēs [F]
Hermēs [F]
Horus [A]
Hygeia [A]
Khnum [A]
Korē [F]
Lamaštu [E]
Legiōn [E]
The Lilīm [E]
Lilith [E]
Mār [A]
Mārāh [A]
Masṭēmā [E]
The Mazzikin [E]
Melqart [A]
The Mevakkaltas [E]
Michaēl [A]
Mōt [U]
Nabû [A]
Naamah [E]
Nanay [A]
Nemesōth [E]
The Nephilim [E]
Nsyt [E]
The Nymphai [A/F]
Nysa [F]
Pakeidas [A]
The Patriarchs [A]
Qeteb [E]
Qōs [A]
Raphaēl [A]
The Rephaim [E]
Rešep̄ [A]
The Ruḥot [U]
Samaēl [E]
Šamaš [A]
The Se’irim [F]
Sekhmet [A]
The Šedim [U]
Šemyāzā [E]
Seth [A]
Šezbeth [E]
Tammūz [A]
The Theoi Patrōoi [A]
The Theoi Sōtēres [A]
The Titans [E/A]
Tychē [A]
Typhōn [E]
Uriēl [A]
Yarikh [A]
Yahweh [F]
Zarnay [E]
Zeus [F]

Something I have been working on. Usual caveats apply, especially since this is in an incredibly preliminary stage. But I have had enough people ask about it, particularly post- posting this piece on primary sources for the Starry Ram tradition, that I figured it was worth sharing.

It is difficult to decide what the criteria for inclusion should be. Veneration in the lands of Israel/Samaria and Judah, Egypt, Syria, Babylon, etc.? Their relationship to Dionysos? The role they play in the emerging Starry Ram hieros logos, mysteries, cultus, customs and magical practices?

Oi. It’s enough to give one a headache!

And that’s not even factoring in the need to figure out what the relationships between these divine powers is [within the context of the Starry Ram, since that significantly differed depending on region and era], negotiating what they want for inclusion in the Starry Ram pantheon and developing practices that will be most pleasing to them, as well as what they’re offering in exchange for that, not to mention figuring out how all of this fits in with the Starry Bear and Starry Bull traditions, and practical matters like whether I should just list one entity or their distinct manifestations. (The list currently is somewhere in between.)

I am truly blessed to have my beautiful wife as a collaborator, someone who can walk in the worlds of academia and spiritwork with equal skill and grace. Someone who will drop everything to spend hours with me in ritual because of a sacred impulse, have some serious shit dropped on us, and then produce such beautiful and potent work as the Starry Bear and Ram adaptations of the Phaldōr incantation. Truly the Gods have been good to me.

The list has been modified, and can be found here.

And here is the Starry Ram adjuration against Phaldōr. May you and all of your allies, spirit and human alike, be forever powerless.

And here is a Starry Bear or Heathen version of the varðlokka against Phaldōr which is very potent.

While “Zionist” may be an insult to Markos’ friends in the r/dionysus forum, I regard it as a compliment considering the company it puts one in, namely the circle of the Emperor Julian who fought for the restoration and preservation of all traditional faiths, not just his own Hellēnismos:

Julian sent for some of the chiefs of the Jewish people and exhorted them to return to the observance of the laws of Moses and the customs of their fathers. On their replying that because the temple in Jerusalem was overturned, it was neither lawful nor ancestral to do this in another place than the metropolis out of which they had been cast, he gave them public money, commanded them to rebuild the temple, and to practice the cult similar to that of their ancestors, by sacrificing after the ancient way. The Jews entered upon the undertaking, seeking the most skillful artisans, collected materials, cleared the ground, and entered so earnestly upon the task that even the women carried heaps of earth, and brought their necklaces and other female ornaments towards defraying the expense. The Emperor, the other Pagans, and all the Jews, regarded every other undertaking as secondary in importance to this. (Sozomen, Historia Ecclesiastica 5.22.1-2)

May his memory be a blessing.

One of the things I love most about life is its capacity to surprise. Mr. “Bonjour Jon Bon Jovi” from Australia chimed in, and actually provided some thoughtful, critical commentary on the subject for a change. I’m so proud and knew he had it in him. Folks, give our Aussie friend a round of applause! That kind of behavior should be met with positive reinforcement. Everyone can change. Everyone can do better, and be better. Never forget that. And also remember that Dionysos and the other Gods is what matters, not any of this, good or bad as it can be. Them, always them.

The true Orpheotelest is a master bricoleur. Over the last couple days I have adapted material from the Zend Avesta, the Coffin Texts, the Qumran sectarians, some Tamil Śaivite hymns and this, which is based on an Anglo-Saxon prayer to the Cross (itself strongly indebted to a Wodēnic original.) I’ve also been playing around with meter, rhyme, repetition, and some rhetorical tricks with impressive Greek and Latin names which I’m not going to bother listing. If you’ve got a major in Classics, a minor in Lit Crit and a job as a barista I’m sure you spotted them. And damned if it’s not working! The ancients sure knew some shit. (Especially Onomakritos.) I just improved on the originals by making them Bacchic Orphic. All kidding aside, it’s like I’m having a dialogue with all of these great ancient artists, a dance, a choral collaboration with a host of honored deceased in praise of the Lord of Song. Io evoe! Io io Dionysos Dithyrambos! And I think it’s making me a better poet. Because you can’t just steal willy-nilly and stitch the random bits together like Victor Frankenstein on an ether binge. I mean, ok, technically you could, and that does sound pretty fucking cool actually (Note to self…) but the point is, that’s not what I’m doing on these occasions. I’m putting a lot of thought into how everything fits together, why, and what every word and line and symbol is doing in a given text, etc. A lot of the time I’ve gone over it so much, tweaking here and there again and again, rewriting lines or whole quatrains or more, inserting Bakchica that performs the same function as the replaced historiola, or riffing in a totally different direction so that only an echo, a hint of the original remains. But I wouldn’t have gotten there without those who came before, without cannibalizing the dead, which has opened a door in my writing that did not exist before. It’s magic. It’s amazing. Lolo Bromios!

Fruitful Branch of Bacchus be with me.
Fruitful Branch of Bacchus is what I ever adore.
Fruitful Branch of Bacchus is true health.
Fruitful Branch of Bacchus is frenzy, ecstasy,
inspiration, and the chanting of sacred verse.
Fruitful Branch of Bacchus is deliverance,
loosening of bonds, and the shattering of chains.
May the Fruitful Branch of Bacchus banish all evil.
Fruitful Branch of Bacchus be ever over me,
and before me, and behind me,
because the ancient enemy flees
whenever he sees you.
Flee from me, a servant of triumphant Liber Pater,
O vengeful demon, by the sign of the Fruitful Branch.
Behold the Branch of the Dominus Fufluns Pachie.
Begone, you enemies of Aventius
and his Fruitful Branch! Begone!
Dionysos Zagreus
deals death and gives life,
casts his foes down into the Pit,
and ransomed from Haides
the souls of his blesséd.
He is the God who makes mad,
and who frees,
and by his Fruitful Branch,
he has conquered thee.

O Phaldōr, foe of diviners, who sows
confusion, false interpretations, and
holy words misheard; why are you
harassing us here at the mat?
Has it slipped your mind what happened,
son of Eikelos, sender of nightmares,
and Eris, disrupter of divine order,
when you challenged Dionysos,
the deliverer of oracles, before?
Have you so easily forgotten the torments
he inflicted upon you, and the oath he got
from you never again to interfere with his prophets,
mantic priests, madwomen, and Orpheotelests
just to get the pain to stop?
Shall I remind you?

Angry that mankind should be given guidance
through the hardships of life, and knowledge
of future events you traveled through Thrake
and Makedonia scattering the knucklebones,
chasing the madwomen from their underground sanctuaries,
and snuffing out the everburning fire on his altar,
until you met the God on the road to the temple
where his giant mantic snake dwelt.

Before you had a chance to insult the son of Zeus
who rules from on high and his fiery wife Thyōnē,
Dionysos hailed you mockingly, and said:

Behold, it is Phaldōr, the confounder of man,
who has a head but no reason,
who has eyes but no sight,
who has a tongue but only speaks gibberish,
who has hands but no deeds,
who has a heart but no strength,
who has legs but cannot walk.

Then he took from his belt a pouch
in which were kept 24 stones,
each marked with a letter from α to ω.
He drew the stones from the pouch
one by one, and cast them at your feet
asking the spirits that resided in each
to assist him. And this is what he said:

The Seven became Four,
and the Four became Twenty-Four,
in which all things
that can be spoken of
are contained.

The Seven are the Charaktēres
which constitute the Superlative Name
of the first-born God, αεηιουω.
They also represent the Pleiades,
the Seven Stars who crown
the Heavenly Bull, and once
were the Seven Sisters
who nursed my infant self,
and when I reached manhood
bore me Four mighty sons.

The Four are called Guardians,
great allies of the Kingdom of Nysa,
and the Hymnōdai chant their names
for enlightenment and protection.

ZBCHXKS is in the East,
has the face of a dragon,
is surrounded by white,
rules over the waters,
and cures all ailments
pertaining to the torso.

LOGTĒPS is in the South,
has the face of a spider,
is surrounded by red,
rules over the air,
and cures all ailments
pertaining to the arms.

REPHNAI is in the North,
has the face of a Wolf,
is surrounded by black,
rules over the earth,
and cures all ailments
pertaining to the legs.

PŌDTHYM is in the West,
has the face of a bull,
is surrounded by gold,
rules over fire,
and cures all ailments
pertaining to the head.

Each of the Four
have Six Warriors
of which the Chorus
of Twenty-Four Powers
is made.

As he spoke their name each of the
Guardians and their Warriors materialized,
armed with maces, swords and axes,
eager for a fight. They took turns
playing with you, Phaldōr, until each had
had a turn. Then Dionysos the Merciful
offered you a way to end your torment,
the oath that you are now breaking.

Depart, Phaldōr, and do not disturb
these sacred proceedings,
or you will face the Guardians
and their Warriors, the Twenty-Four
who have surrounded you
while I made this utterance.

Did you know that each of the seven last words that Christ spoke on the cross became a magical formula, overseen by its own Power or Angel? My favorite is Τετέλεσται, meaning “It is completed/consummated/accomplished.” The Word’s root is important within the Bacchic Orphic mysteries:

When the soul comes to the point of death, it suffers something like those who participate in the great initiations (teletai). Therefore the word teleutan closely resembles the word teleisthai just as the act of dying resembles the act of being initiated. At first there are wanderings and toilsome running about in circles and journeys through the dark over uncertain roads and cul de sacs; then, just before the end, there are all kinds of terrors, with shivering, trembling, sweating, and utter amazement. After this, a strange and wonderful light meets the wanderer; he is admitted into clean and verdant meadows, where he discerns gentle voices, and choric dances, and the majesty of holy sounds and sacred visions. Here the now fully initiated is free, and walks at liberty like a crowned and dedicated victim, joining in the revelry. (Plutarch, De Anima fragment preserved in Stobaios Florigelium 120)

Do you know the Angel of this Word, and his Power?