Day 4 of the lunar month is dedicated to Hermes, this November it begins on the evening of the 22nd and continues into the day of the 23rd.\u00a0 Mention of the 4th being for Hermes is not on all of the Men Kata Theion calendars that people share around the internet.\u00a0 Some calendars mark it as being sacred to Aphrodite, Herakles, Poseidon and others, but not Hermes. But the number four is sacred to Hermes for numerous reasons.\u00a0 He is a God of the fourway crossroads.\u00a0 The 4th day, Wednesday, is dedicated to Him and according to the Homeric Hymn 4 He was born on the 4th day of the month.<\/p>\n I probably don\u2019t need to say much here about Hermes Himself, He is a fairly well known God being one of the 12 main Olympians.\u00a0 Still I can add a quick little rundown for reference.<\/p>\n Hermes is the messenger of the Gods, and rules over writing and eloquence \u2013 in modern views this extends to Him being the God of the internet, especially email and social networking, but probably blogging too.\u00a0 He is a trickster and has a wicked sense of humour \u2013 ask any of devotees and they will tell you.\u00a0 I find Him to be one of the more engaging of the Gods I communicate with.<\/p>\n Hermes is a thief and thus patron of thieves, and further He also can help protect people and homes from thieves.\u00a0 He is a guardian of the home, especially the entry ways and boundaries.\u00a0 He is a liminal deity, and rules over four way crossroads, He is the patron of travellers.\u00a0 He is also an underworld deity, a psychopomp, it is Hermes who leads the dead to the underworld and in some myths He is also the one who leads Persephone to the underworld each year (while Hekate leads Her out).<\/p>\n There are a lot of myths and stories about Hermes.\u00a0 He steals the cattle of Apollon, He tries to get Prometheus to reveal His secrets, He even lays with Hekate as Brimo (one of the few who gets past Her independence, however briefly).\u00a0 Hermes and Hekate have a fairly good relationship otherwise, and are quite well matched in various areas of interest \u2013 both liminal, both ouranic and chthonic, both crossroads deities, both household Gods.\u00a0 A lot of Hekateans, such as myself, end up being relatively close to Hermes as well, in the beginning because of Hekate but He becomes pretty endearing by Himself as well.<\/p>\n All of that is but a very small slice of who and what Hermes is, but it is enough for this post I think.\u00a0 For offerings I personally find that He enjoys pretty much anything sweet, and most types of alcoholic beverages for libations.\u00a0 That isn\u2019t very specific is it? But it is honest.\u00a0 I think these are things He enjoys because He is a highly active being \u2013 how could He be otherwise as a messenger, guide, thief and trickster?\u00a0 Sugar and alcohol are staples for such activity I guess.<\/p>\n My go to for Hermes rituals is usually chocolate and whatever alcohol I happen to have available, usually vodka.\u00a0 For this particular ritual I offered white chocolate, some caramel chocolates and the libation was actually a strawberry liqueur.<\/p>\n We begin with the usual\u00a0Hellenic ritual forms<\/a>, preparation, procession and\u00a0cleansing with Khernips<\/a>.\u00a0 This is followed by the lighting of a ritual fire or candle\/s, and the tossing of barley if you happen to do that.\u00a0 Then we call on the Gods to attend the ritual.\u00a0 Our first hymn and libation is to Hestia, which is then followed by the hymn, libation, offerings etc to Hermes.\u00a0 We finish with another libation to Hestia.<\/p>\n I call on the Gods of the Hellenes, Hail to Hestia, First and Last Mercurial Hermes, Maias lively thieving son, Pour libation.\u00a0 Light incense.\u00a0 Say any prayers you have, and give any offerings.<\/p>\n Glory to the Theoi,\u00a0<\/i>I offer my thanks to you.<\/i>\u00a0 Pour libation.<\/p>\n And to Hestia, first and last.<\/i>\u00a0 Pour libation.<\/p>\n Drink whatever remains of the libation offering (if it is potable) and eat what is left of the offerings, it\u2019s good to share a meal or drink with the Gods.\u00a0\u00a0Spend some time in after ritual practice<\/a>,\u00a0for Hermes this might include exercise or other physical activities, playing games, some divinatory work, writing or travel planning.<\/p>\n I have been doing a ritual to Hermes on the 4th day for over a year now, so this is not really all that new to me.\u00a0 The hymn for this one is new though, I only recently wrote it out, so it is a new aspect to this ritual at least.\u00a0 But, along with the Noumenia<\/a>, Agathos Daimon<\/a> and Deipnon, this day and ritual has been an established part of my practice for a fair while now.<\/p>\n It is not the same every month though.\u00a0 This one has a more generalised hymn to use, but some months I will focus on a more specific aspect of Hermes.\u00a0 Some months the hymn will be to His underworld\/Chthonic aspect, other months to His good luck aspect and many a time I have done it with a hymn focusing specifically on His role in communication, writing, eloquence and the like \u2013 because blogging and writing and politics.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Day 4 of the lunar month is dedicated to Hermes, this November it begins on the evening of the 22nd and continues into the day of the 23rd. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2764,"featured_media":1360,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,46,61],"tags":[53,22,33,9,83,32,19,102,29,138,25,23],"class_list":["post-1359","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hellenism","category-personal","category-practice","tag-calendar","tag-deities","tag-festivals","tag-hellenismos","tag-men-kata-theion","tag-paganism","tag-personal","tag-personal-practice","tag-polytheism","tag-practice","tag-religion","tag-rituals"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"On](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/690\/2017\/11\/hermes-day-title-card.png\")
Hermes<\/h2>\n
Hermes Ritual<\/h2>\n
\n<\/i>Deathless Ones, most glorious,
\n<\/i>Chthonic, Oceanic, Ouranic,
\n<\/i>Protogenoi, Titanic and Olympian.
\n<\/i>Attend this rite and bear witness<\/i><\/p>\n
\n<\/i>Hearth Keeper, Guardian of the Home,
\n<\/i>Accept this our first libation.<\/i>\u00a0 Pour libation.<\/p>\n
\n<\/i>Luck bringing trickster, fortunate eloquent one,
\n<\/i>Protector of the home, guardian of the gates,
\n<\/i>Courageous enough to take on even the fates,
\n<\/i>Hail liminal God, of crossroads of four ways,
\n<\/i>Vibrant and active, who can move for days,
\n<\/i>Glory to you Hermes, splendid and bright
\n<\/i>Accept our offerings, come to us this night,
\n<\/i>Bless our endeavours, help us in all we do,
\n<\/i>Bring us good fortune, in our works old and new.<\/i><\/p>\nMy Day 4<\/h2>\n