So having recently embraced Hecate and Dionysus into my heart and life as a Witch, I am presented with the dilemma of how to integrate them into my recently renewed liturgical life; and how to integrate honoring them with my duties to the Horned God and Moon Goddess of the Witches – who I have given myself to oh so many years ago…

I am still sorting the second issue out for myself, but as for the first I had thought I had settled it for myself but I am beginning to realize that the Gods are not easily fit into ones life or schedule. (You’d think I would have grasped this already, after 17 or so years of study and practice, but we can all be a little slow sometimes…)

I have signed up onto some Hellenistic (Greek Recon Pagan) Lists and have been having a few good conversations with folks and trying to learn all I can about the ways in which Dionysus and Hecate, and the rest of the Gods, were honored in the ancient days. This has been helpful not only in figuring out HOW to honor the Gods, but also WHEN to do so. At the same time though I am a modern Pagan, and I don’t know if adopting an ancient Greco-Roman Calendar makes sense for me.

After all, I am neither an Ancient Greek, nor an Ancient Celt or Norseman; I am a modern Pagan! (if your confused as to where the Celts and Norse come into it, those cultures are the ones that contributed the most to the modern Pagan Wheel of the Year) For Me, for now, I think keeping to the Gregorian Calendar and adopting some of the modern ways of thinking to my Pagan theo/thea-logy will work. As a modern Pagan I will Honor the Gods as appropriate and in line with how they are rightly approached and the times and tides of the world around me.

For example…

Hecate was traditionally honored on the New Moon, which is something I can definitely work with.

Dionysus, as appropriate to His nature, will not be so easily fit into a regularly scheduled program… (why is it I am attracted to challenging men and gods?) I will strive to honor and celebrate him at Sabbats, especially in the Spring and Harvest times… and whenever I feel led to.

The Lord and Lady of Neo-Pagan Witchcraft, to whom I dedicated myself so many years ago, will of course be honored on the Full Moon.

Then we have things like February and April… April was the month of Venus to the Romans, and February is associated in the Modern mind with “Valentine’s” day and celebrations of Love. Do I honor Aphrodite in February, April, both?!? Still sorting some of this out. I suppose February makes some sense since the minds of more than a few million folks will be turned to thoughts of Love… and then perhaps something in April for Dionysus and Aphrodite?

(While not especially involved with the Goddess Aphrodite, She IS {imho} one Goddess whom I think all Pagans could afford to familiarize themselves with!)

Then of course there’s the Wheel of the Year… fitting 2 Gods and 2 Goddesses into the Sabbats… some of this is really easy… Beltaine really seems like an especially good time to Honor Dionysus. At Samhain..well, Hecate IS the Queen of Phantoms… but what about Imbolg?

If your reading this please feel free to post about how you’ve dealt with this sort of question…