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Chris Aldridge #magick caldridge.net

Catholic Schoolboy Sees Artemis

The year was 1984 or 1985 when John of Freeport, Illinois saw something that would alter the course of his life. With his permission, this story has been told here, and I thank him greatly for being kind enough to give me such a treasure to share on my blog.

It appeared to be ghostly. As John described, he could see the trees behind it.

Then came the sound of someone running. As the stampeding feet came into view, he saw a beautiful girl in a white tunic-like gown, with long black hair, a quiver of arrows on her back, and a silver bow in her hand. She said to him, "You're not supposed to be out here." In his childhood attitude, he replied, "Yeah, but neither are you." She smiled, "I figured you'd say that." Then, she asked John where the deer went. He pointed her in the right direction and she was off, never to be seen again.

What makes John's story even more interesting for me is the fact that I have also seen Artemis in my dreams, and we both describe the same appearance and features, without ever having disclosed them to one another beforehand. We also had the same feelings in Her presence. Artemis is a Virgin Goddess who doesn't like sex and doesn't want to be sexualized, and both John and I had a revelation together today when we described our encounters that it's actually not possible to sexualize Artemis in Her presence. During the entire time that he and I saw and interacted with Her, we admired Her beauty, but nothing sexual ever ran through our heads at all. We knew we were in the presence of a Divine Virgin at that point.

I have known John for many years. He has absolutely no reason to lie to me about such a story. Never told it publicly until I posted a Facebook thread asking my Pagan friends about childhood encounters with Pagan Gods. I thank him again for allowing me to talk about such magnificent experience with Olympos, and hope that Artemis visits him again.

Chris Aldridge #elitist #fundie #magick caldridge.net

Pendants From Greece Hold More Natural Power

In the modern Greek Polytheistic community, some people may not be too explorative about jewelry or necklaces, even if they are religious.

But I am most certainly someone who loves anything I can carry with me that reminds me of, or connects me with, the Gods and Heroes, especially when its a remake of what once existed.

In the picture above, you can see my own that I recently purchased from Greece herself, Athens specifically. The coin is a replica of the Athena Tetradrachm.

More importantly, the coin is a direct connection to Athena, not just by Her frontal image, but by the AOE on the back,

AOE means Alpha, Theta, and Epsilon, or Of The Athenians. The coin embodies all that is Athena and Athens (the Goddess and Her beloved City).

After I received the pendant, I put a chain on it to wear around my neck during the day, not really giving it that much thought. I didn't even try to put any energy or blessings onto it myself. It was intended for purely cosmetic purposes.

But I noticed that when I wrap my hand around and just hold it, Athena's amazing presence comes over and calms me, no matter how frustrated, angry, sad or hopeless I may be feeling at the time. It's like a cure-all for the mind and emotions.

The only thing I can figure, as to the pendant's natural power, is that it is directly from the land of Athena Herself, and carries on that ancient connection that has existed for thousands of years.

Not even pendants that I have bought of Athena in America and placed blessings upon have had this kind of natural, never-ending spiritual strength. And of course, when you have a pendant with this kind of natural power, adding prayers, hymns or other spiritual significance along with it will only strengthen it further for you, and perhaps others as well.

I would definitely recommend to anyone wanting Hellenic jewelry for religious purpose, to consider Greek sellers. There is just a charm that you cannot get anywhere else.

Chris Aldridge #crackpot #dunning-kruger #fundie caldridge.net

What If Mount Olympos Is The Unknowable Center?

There are certainly mountains named after it, but Homer describes the real Olympos, the home of the Gods, as a place without wind, rain or snow. Such a place cannot be anywhere on Earth, or really, on any other planet either.

Over 13 billion years ago, the Big Bang occurred. What some people don't realize is that there is no point from which we can observe or conclude that it came from. There is no black spot, as it were, that was left over. The universe has been in a constant state of expansion ever since, which can be studied from the exact same position anywhere in the universe. In other words, the center from which all things came and come is nowhere, but it is also right where you're standing. It is nowhere and also everywhere at the same time. This also means we know it's there, but yet we cannot see or touch it.

The theory of blackholes is also very interesting to think about when discussing Mount Olympos. The theory states that blackholes have the power to tear open time and space, and in that opening, the laws of nature do not apply. So what exists beyond that opening? What's there? To my mind, there is only one race of beings to which the laws of nature cannot impact; the Gods.

The theory of blackholes would also disprove the belief that even the Gods are subject to fate, because if everything is subjected to fate, that means fate is a law of nature, and as we have discussed, there are places where the laws of nature do not apply. Thus, there must be some things that are not subjected to fate.

And being that the Big Bang was not a single point explosion but a constant unknowable expansion, makes our universe a supernatural place, as one may commonly define as supernatural, in and of itself.

In short, there exists places in the universe in which only Gods could possibly live, and places that we know exist even though we cannot experience them with any of our immediate carnal senses. Yet that same realm can come here. In order for us to contact, it takes quietness, reflection and the perfection of one thing that can certainly transcend realms; our spirit, and in so doing, effect the physical world.

Chris Aldridge #dunning-kruger #fundie caldridge.net

Depression Relief Proves Divinity

Religious people tend to be less depressed than non-religious. This is not an opinion, but the fact of 61% to 67% of studies on the subject. It's been something long thought to be true. While there are always exceptions to every rule, the over all reality is that people who are religious and spiritual tend to have better mental health, which you would think shatters the idea that religion is a "mental illness," as some non-religious people ridiculously claim. The bigger picture is that this is hard evidence that Divinity exists. Why? For the simple fact that depression is a real condition, a chemical imbalance, and thus, it's not something that you can "believe" away. In order for the affliction to be conquered or controlled, order and balance must be restored. So what do religious people have in this case that non-religious do not? The presence of Gods and ascension inside and around them.

All that is Divine can do good for the human condition. Take the Sun for instance, which was and still is a God to certain people and groups. The Sun's light and rays have proven healing powers (Apollon being God of the sun and healing). The light can as well push depression out of the mind and even heal infants of jaundice. The Sun saves the babies from permanent brain damage and death caused by this affliction. Again, jaundice is not something you can "believe" away. The Gods are literally staring us right in the face if we would simply open our eyes and look. Higher Powers are obvious.

Anthropocentrism Award

Chris Aldridge #crackpot #fundie caldridge.net

We Can Sometimes See Where The Gods Threw Monsters

As a philosopher and a Greek mythologist, I do a lot of thinking about the latter with the maps of the former. One area that has always interested me is seeing how the tales of old still prove true today.

The Greek myths and Greek stories often require more than just a surface analysis. Most modern scholars, historians and even mythologists have yet to realize this. I think that some of the things the Gods did, were things that they kept doing as time went on, a progressive action like evolution itself. It wasn't a one and done kind of thing. Just as order has remained a constant, so have the actions of the Gods to maintain that order, balance and preferred universe.

That which was an affront to the Gods, or abhorred, was locked away.

The more we learn about the science of remote places far in the depths or the corners of the Earth, the more we see monstrous creatures even to this day. Let's take a dive into the ocean for instance. At one thousand meters there is nothing but absolute darkness. This means that humans could not reach it in their natural form, nor could anything at this level or onward reach humans or general life above. By the time two thousand to four thousand meters is reached we start to see the monsters of the water, such as the angler fish, dragon fish, viper fish, fang tooth fish, and the giant squid - hideous and deadly creatures kept from the sight and reaches of the world above. And these are just the monsters we know of. Only 5% of the ocean has been explored and mapped.

All over the world, there are still places humans have not been, deep in caves or miles beneath the surface of the crust. What else has been put away in the bowels of the Earth or the universe itself, and for what reasons?

All round us, each and every day, we still live with the ancient Greek stories and beliefs. They are not bound to an ancient past which is alien to us. They still form the realities of our world.

Chris Aldridge #fundie caldridge.net

The Greeks Kept Plague Away Through Piety and Physicians

Plato himself wrote about the success the Athenians once had in keeping infection out of their City through spiritual means in the Dialogue of Symposium.

"I shall try to go through for you the speech about Love I once heard from a woman of Mantinea, Diotima - a woman who was wise about many things besides this: once she even put off the plague for ten years by telling the Athenians what sacrifices to make."

Plato was not a writer of fiction. He recorded the actual events of his society and the people around him. The Greeks, for an ancient people, knew quite a bit about the medical field, but no matter how much knowledge they gained or philosophy they discussed, it never made their Gods irrelevant or unnecessary. In fact, any good thing that happened or was discovered, was naturally followed by thanks to a God or Gods for the success. They did nothing without their Gods. Or, in other words, they knew that without their Gods, they could accomplish nothing.

Therefore, even now as we face another virus or plague, I don't think we should forget the importance of our spirituality and the salvation and care that it can bring to us. A while back, I was talking with a member of my temple who lives out of state. They claimed they contracted Covid19 and that Apollon instructed them on how to get rid of it. They have since made a full recovery. I note in this story that neither this person nor Apollon turned away from the medical field. In fact, Apollon IS the God of medicine. If we examine this person's story carefully, we see the hallmark of a Greek mindset, which is the combination of spirituality and science. Science is the pursuit of truth, and the Gods are the truth.

Chris Aldridge #fundie #pratt caldridge.net

Hellenism Lost Is Honor Lost

During the last few years, part of my Hellenic studies has been the examination of modern Greece and its people (who are predominately Orthodox Christians). In any case, most Greeks today are not Hellenists, and there is no debate whatsoever that ancient Hellas was far stronger, far more prosperous, and far more successful in government and economics. But on a personal level, I have also routinely noticed the decline in human character.

I was talking with a friend and fellow Hellenist who actually lives in Greece today, and I happened to ask if there are any ancient cemeteries still standing.

When my Hellenic friend responded to my question by saying that, yes, indeed there are some ancient burials still visible, but people have littered them because they don't care, it saddened me at how far the culture has fallen. I secondly remembered a few years ago when I saw images of a ruined temple of Aphrodite in between two apartment buildings that was also covered in trash.

In ancient times, people wouldn't have dared to desecrate a temple or a cemetery. Not only because they feared Divine punishment, but because it was simply wretched. People had real honor, character and respect in the old times.

But when humans lost the honor and dignity that Hellenism brought to the Hellenic people, they also lost their sense of sacredness, even of their own personal human life and behavior. It is this loss of the spiritual world and of the physical self that has greatly aided in the decline of Hellas and her people. I'm not saying that only Hellenists are honorable, but it clearly brought a world of difference to the Greeks that they no longer have, and their culture has paid the greatest of prices.

Chris Aldridge #dunning-kruger #fundie caldridge.net

Why Don't The Gods Talk To Us Like People Do?

The Gods spoke to ancient man much in the same way they speak to us today, through signs, omens, dreams, emotions, seers and oracles. If you know anything about the Oracle of Delphi, Apollon spoke through the voice of His Pythia to give advice to mankind, but even then it was very short and often encrypted (He likes to give us things to figure out for ourselves. He doesn't attempt to make our choices or live our lives for us). We may wonder why all this is the case. Certainly the Gods can do whatever they want, yet they do not stand before us and talk to us like our friends and family do on a daily basis.

I would first entertain the idea that the Gods are indeed, or at least can be, directly around us, but we cannot generally see them because our eyes are not adjusted to the plane upon which they live. We know there is a reasonable possibility that other universes exist parallel to our own, yet we cannot see them in our bodily form (although some Gods, such as Helios the Sun and Selene the Moon, are exceptions, but they still don't come down and talk to us).

Additionally, some may even believe that it's not possible for our mortal bodies to stand in the full presence of a God, citing the version of the story of Zeus and Semele when Zeus reluctantly killed Semele because She was unable to withstand His radiance. I don't believe this, because it would be to say that the Gods can't contain themselves.

Finally, I'd say it's possible that the Gods don't usually come to us on our level because, unlike our friends and family, we are not their equals, nor do the Gods exist for our purposes. They answer our prayers, protect us, give us blessings and advice, and keep order in the universe, but they're not our coworkers or office party. Their positions are extremely sacred, royal, and hold responsibilities that we could not even begin to fathom. I delight in the simple fact that the Gods like, love and are intrigued enough by humans to give us as much of their blessings as possible.

Chris Aldridge #fundie #magick caldridge.net

Exorcising Ghosts & Spirits - The Ancient Greek Way

Welcome to my final installment on ancient Greek banishment. It has been my pleasure to use my own personal experiences and studies to counsel people on this practice, as it can become necessary at times.

Dealing with ghosts can be difficult. You can read about one of my own haunted house experiences and how I dealt with it here. You can also refer back to my Hellenic House Cleansing rite, because that has worked wonders on hauntings. A while back, a friend of mine a few towns over called me in hysteria over a human ghost that had been messing around in their apartment and that had finally manifested before them. Their residence was right beside a graveyard, so to me, the explanation was rather simple. Not only did I do the Hellenic House Cleaning rite, but I also invoked Gods like Athena and Heroes like Bellerophon and asked them to do battle for the people who lived there, to make the ghost leave or move on (Hermes being the Psychopomp can also be asked to move ghosts or parts of the human spirit onward). When it was over, my friend reported no more incidences in their home, and that people were even sleeping better. Note that anything trying to scare you, is reliant on feeding off that fear. Therefore, don't show any when you enter a place that may be haunted. Be brave and invoke the Gods and Heroes.

Finally, we come to the worst situation of all, but also one that seems to be a rarity, possession of the body or attachment to the body. A spirit can take possession of a human being or cling so tightly to them that they influence their actions. I have seen it happen first hand, and successfully exorcised it. Fortunately, I have only had to encounter this a couple of times, which is why I say that, in my experience, it is rare. It can be prevented by doing all the things I have talked about here and in the past 2 posts, but normally, when you run into possession, the damage is already done. There's no preventing what has already taken place. The only option then is to cure it. Normally, I would advise someone to be heavily experienced in their spirituality or call a priest or priestess for this kind of situation, but that's not to say you can't exorcise the person or yourself successfully.

First, you must determine if possession is actually taking place. If the person has severe depression, severe anxiety, bipolar disorder, personality disorder, schizophrenia, or severe anger issues, you may simply be looking at mental illness, especially if they are not medicated. However, if the person is not known to have mental problems, there is likely something else at play. In short, acting out of character. Someone who is possessed or claimed by a malevolent spirit, will normally exhibit the following traits or conditions: Hate for self, others and the world, extreme resentment of anyone or anything that symbolizes goodness, order or love, angry verbal or physical outbursts, self-harming, isolation, prolonged unhappiness, suicidal thoughts, plans or attempts, unable to remember bad behavior, scratching, biting, growling or talking in strange voices, finding pleasure in the pain of others, going in and out of consciousness, or exhibiting a split or multiple personalities. Of course, all of the symptoms I described can be medical and not spiritual, but when all mundane explanations have been ruled out and all tactics tried, it's time for spiritual intervention.

In one case I handled a long time ago, the girl would show malevolence unlike herself, but when I looked into her eyes and called her name, she started to cry as she became herself again, begging me for help. She described it as a drowning feeling when the spirit was in control, and that hearing me call her name brought her back each time. But then, she would fall back into the other personality immediately after I stopped. Only after successfully achieving the help of Athena and Apollo was the spirit forced out, never again to return. This was a legitimate case of spiritual possession or attachment.

A spirit that has possession of a person can be explicit in their presence by coming right out and telling you who they are, or they may try to hide. In a rare case, I've even seen spirits masquerade as deities in order to fool people in a number of ways, but remember the ancient proverb; if something does evil, it is not a God. The spirit might claim to be all kinds of things if they think it will further their ambitions of fear, control and destruction, which is why you really shouldn't listen to the ramblings of evil.

To begin an exorcism of someone else or yourself, cleanse the body with sea water or spring water that has been blessed (the basic prayer to Apollon and Poseidon in the House Cleansing rite will suffice for the blessing).

I ask that Apollon and Poseidon bless this water, to drive out malevolence from all it touches, and shake us free from the bonds of evil.

I have also seen malevolent presence successfully hindered by the burning of sage in the room. It appears to weaken the spirit's grasp. If possible, open the windows and let sunlight come in the room or on the person.

When you begin your prayers, you must focus on Gods and/or Heroes who are specifically geared toward battle and the destruction of evil or monsters, so for example, Athena, Apollon, Ares, Theseus, Bellerophon, and Kadmos. Giving them offerings and sacrifices will increase your chance of successfully gaining their attention. You are to ask them humbly to please fight for you or the person, to expel the spirit and the presence of evil from yourself or another. This is where you may see things really take hold. The spirit will probably hate your prayers deeply, and hate the Gods. Sometimes, this can be the hardest part because you may have to stick it out for a long time and keep up the pressure. In my own experience as a Hellene, I have never gone more than 5 or 10 minutes doing a banishment or exorcism. The Gods and Heroes are very powerful and responsive, but I can't be sure that everyone will have the same experience as me. Stay with it until it's over, and trust me, it will eventually end. It's also possible that it could end several times. In other words, you may have to be a kind of doctor to the afflicted, and return from time to time if their condition arises again. Sometimes, you may find yourself in a continuous fight, the ultimate outcome determined by whose will is stronger.

Before doing an exorcism on someone else, always have their permission and do not harm or allow them to harm themselves. Remember, if it's legitimate, you're not actually dealing with the person. You're fighting that which is not physical itself. I also would not suggest jumping right into one if you're inexperienced. If it's forced on you, that is one thing. You have no choice in the matter. But you should dedicate yourself to deep study, a strong relationship with the Gods, and maybe even some smaller banishing of energies before exorcisms generally speaking, because trust me, they are terrifying and difficult. I sincerely hope that all of my advice and experience in these entries has helped, and will help, all of you.

In the Goodness of the Gods,
Chris.

Chris Aldridge #fundie #magick caldridge.net

When Monsters Live Among Us

There are two things about me that are not secrets. One, I am a lover of the mysterious and paranormal, and two, I have had my fair share of hostile encounters with malevolent spirits and beings. One such encounter actually led to my conversion to Hellenic Polytheism. I am not skeptical of the spiritual and paranormal, or the unusual and extraordinary side of the world because I have seen and experienced it firsthand.

One such incident happened in 2009 or 2010 in North Carolina. I would have to say around this time period because I remember it being a very hot summer, and I was already Hellenic by that time and it was before I moved out of my first apartment, so it had to have been the summer of 09 or 10. Which, if you've lived in North Carolina, you know summer lasts longer than 3 months. So it's an educated guess as to the exact date. However, the details of the event will stay with me forever.

My wife (fiancee at the time) and I were driving in my old Buick around the town we were in at that moment. It was lunchtime and Anastasia wanted Chinese food. I wasn't in the mood but I wanted to make her happy. Besides, I was normally able to find something I could deal with at a buffet. We located a random restaurant and sat down inside. Two Chinese waitresses dressed in blue stood by the entrance to the dining room. After a few minutes, I just felt immense uneasiness, a presence of sheer hostility. It was something that just made me literally want to move. I soon looked at Anastasia and said, "Can we leave? I don't feel so good." She quickly consented.

On the way home, my wife informed me that the two waitresses had been staring intently at me from behind the entire time. Then, I recalled their eyes as I passed them on the way out. They were as black as night, or at least shadowed to give off such an appearance. I didn't know these people at all, nor had any idea why they would hate me so much. Especially to the point that their energy would impact my feelings. I love the Gods dearly, and I can only conclude that I encountered someone or something in or around them who didn't like the Gods or their people. In ancient Greece, people found monsters in the deepest confines, but today, they have left their prisons and live among us in many forms. This I truly believe.

In the Goodness of the Gods,
Chris Aldridge.

Chris Aldridge #fundie caldridge.net

Validating Ancient Greek Creation Stories

The ancient Greeks believed that, in the beginning, there was simply chaos, immense disorder. Then, after a significant passing of time, the chaos stopped and the Earth or Gaia came into Being. If we apply this to what science thinks the beginning of the universe was like, we find a perfect match. There was nothing but chaos and disorder in the beginning. Not only did we have the Big Bang, but the Earth itself went through collisions, impacts, separations, and eruptions. However, eventually, the chaos stopped and there was order in the universe.

According to the ancient Greeks, once the Earth came into Being, She first gave birth to monsters. Today, we know this to be true because, at least when it comes to large forms of life, dinosaurs and other prehistoric giants roamed and swam upon the Earth. Now the myth does not directly describe a dinosaur itself as far as I can recall, but nevertheless, the ancient Greeks knew that a world of monstrous beings predated us.

Ancient Greek myth also began to advance our understanding of anatomy. It was said that when Prometheus stole fire from Zeus and gave it to man, Zeus punished the Titan by chaining Him to a mountain, and each day, a liver-eating bird could come and peck out the organ, only for it to grow back the next day so that the punishment may be inflicted again. Today, we know that the liver is the only organ that has the ability to regenerate itself.

It's no wonder that so much of our modern science derives from that which was started by the ancient Greeks, and it's proof that theology and science can exist together, because for the ancient Greeks, there was no separation of religion and everything else in life. It was all rolled into one, and still, their sciences advanced because the Gods encourage the pursuit of knowledge. They do not like ignorance, especially willful ignorance.

Chris Aldridge #crackpot #magick caldridge.net

Humanity Is Not Born Atheist

I've heard time and again atheists make the argument that everyone is born an atheist, that no one comes into life with any knowledge or realization of divinity, and I just have to say, that is utterly false. Now as far as the argument itself, humans are not born with the knowledge of any particular deity or doctrine, but it's absolutely not true that humans are born atheists, and I'll tell you why.

When we first came into being, there were no churches, priests, books, schools, or even established religions or spirituality. Yet we felt the belief in higher powers within ourselves. Secondly, the human brain develops something called schema. This is the organizational system of the brain for external information, and we are born with this ability which enables us to recognize and interpret patterns in the universe and make conclusions based on those patterns. We are born looking for larger meanings, things bigger than ourselves, and are therefore born looking for divinity and deity. If humans were born atheists, we would have evolved as atheists.

Personally, I could not care less what someone believes. But the simple fact of the matter is that Atheism has never been the consensus of the human mind. In actuality, Atheism is a learned mentality. You have to learn to ignore the larger meanings, patterns and intelligence, and you have to focus on the belief that everything is an accident with no purpose and we're all floating aimlessly.

In conclusion, it's simply false that the human race is born atheist. We never were such a thing as a species.

Chris Aldridge #magick #psycho caldridge.net

From Apollon: Why Is Covid-19 Here?

The question on my mind, is probably the same one that's on the minds of all theists, and that is simply, "Why is this happening?" There were times when I would go out to my sanctuary at night to pray to Apollon, and basically plead with Him for an answer.

"O' Apollon, son of Zeus and Leto, God of the sun, mighty Healer, enemy of evil, please hear my prayer, and free us of this plague. Tell me what to do. What do I tell people?"

This time, I used something called an oracle book, in which you ask a question in a meditative state and then open it. The page you turn to is your answer. Although, at first, I didn't put too much stock in the book itself until I asked Apollon to tell me something about the plague, and flipped to a page with a story so compelling that I could not deny it was from the God. On 157, I read a story about a man who survived a Nazi death camp. The moral of the story was that human beings, sometimes, need challenges to strengthen their will to live, to generate, as the page describes, "aliveness." Do we have something to live for? The answer is up to us, basically.

I never thought of it this way, and indeed, most people don't. But what if the reason for this disease is to strengthen our will? What if, from time to time, humans need to be asked, "How bad do you want to live?" in order for them to keep living? Is it possible that we need to be toughened like an immune system? Apollon gave me the same answer He did in the sanctuary that night, resilience. I suppose this can mean many different things to many different people hearing it.

Chris Aldridge #magick caldridge.net

True Ghost Experiences: Part 1

There are a number of Americans with stories to tell about their experiences with the paranormal and ghost encounters, and I am no different. Now I'm not someone who can't tell the difference between a haunting and the wind blowing through the trees. I look for very reasonable explanations for things before I start thinking that perhaps it could be something out of the ordinary. Unlike some enthusiasts, I do not long for such things to happen.

The last time a haunting happened that I experienced for myself, and not just someone telling me they themselves experienced it, was when my wife, son and I lived in our home in Thomasville, North Carolina. The events began taking place shortly after we moved in during the year of 2011. My wife also confirms these happenings. Even though the house had been remodeled, it was built during the early 1900s, and as many of us know, such rejuvenating of properties can cause spirits to stir up if they are actually there.

It began when my son would wake up every morning at or close to 3am, the time when spirits are said to be most active. It's also called the "Witching Hour." Each morning, he would wake up crying for no apparent reason. We were always able to soothe him back to sleep, but the awakenings kept happening. It made us wonder what was waking him up and why. Another event that took place happened during the daytime, and this happened more than once. I remember sitting at my desk and hearing something slam onto the floor, like someone dropped a book flat. It just slapped the floor in the kitchen. Upon inspection, nothing was there. This is a classic sign of a haunting. The final confirmation came when my wife heard a woman's voice while she was in the shower one day. We did not live unusually close anyone, there were no windows up, and no television or radio running. Although these were eerie, the presence in the house did not feel hateful or hostile toward us, but we didn't want to take any chances of that changing.

One night, my wife and I stood in different parts of the house and began to commence a banishing, calling on Hestia, Goddess of the Home, and some other Greek Gods to dispel the spirit(s). From that point on, we never again heard noises, voices, and my son was never again awakened at 3am. Whatever eerie thing it was that resided there, it left.

In the Goodness of the Gods,
Chris.

Chris Aldridge #magick caldridge.net

In The Presence of the Gods: The Night That Changed Our Lives Forever

This is an experience I do not normally talk about, because I don't want to come off as a bragger. I always say that you can tell the difference between people who have had legitimate spiritual experience and those who haven't, because those who have will not brag, or try to use it to score religious, social or financial points. Those of us who have had real experiences in these realms, don't go around blowing our own trumpets. The only time I tell this story is when it is necessary to describe why my wife and I became worshipers of the Greek Gods. It's not something someone will usually find me discussing or trying to spread around on a consistent basis, because I don't feel the need to be personally validated or convinced of my experience, nor do I care if others believe me or not. In fact, the only reason I am telling it now on my blog and website here is because I feel I should make a reasonable post about it for my readers. They read my life story in my autobiography, but it doesn't describe this massive change, so I am going to tell one of the greatest stories of my personal life.

The Greek Gods are not merely myths as many consider them to be. They were real before and during ancient times, and they remain real in our own time, immortal and deathless, and the rulers of heaven, Earth, and the worlds and realms beyond those. Nothing escapes their authority or their blessings, for it is theirs, and always has been and will be.

The event took place shortly after my wife and I, my fiancee at the time, moved into our first apartment together in North Carolina in the summer of 2009. At that time, she was a Wiccan of ten years and leaned more toward a Norse Pagan persuasion, but she also knew of the Greek Gods and considered herself to have a relationship with Athene. I considered myself to be a "Christian Wiccan," or more accurately, a "Christian Witch." Even though I knew of the Greek Gods as the only alternative religion I had heard of through my years in school, I retained the Christian belief system I had been exposed to all my life and combined it with the emerging practices of magick and witchcraft that I so dearly loved.

Because we had just moved in together and completely left our old lives, we had little money. I was unemployed and my wife only had a part time retail job. So we had to go to thrift stores to get the things we needed for our apartment, which there's no shame in at all. Many times, thrift stores can have very nice things. Although this particular thrift, which shall remain nameless, was unlike any I had ever entered. When you walked in, you could sense that there was just something very, very negative, even perhaps evil, about the place. It just was not a pleasant feeling at all, but rather a feeling of extreme uneasiness. It's not unreasonable to think that such places could possess negative influences, energies or beings because you never know where the items therein originated. They could have been involved in violence and other bad things, or could be the property of a deceased who is very angry that their stuff is being sold. There are several problems that could come with random belongings of others that have been taken or discarded. Nevertheless, we really didn't give it much thought at the time. We just wanted to get a table and chairs for our kitchen, and after a short time, we found a set and went on our way back home.

On into that evening was when things turned weird and terrifying for us. A presence began to manifest in our home which can only be described as a serious and aggressive haunting. Some kind of spirit or negative influence had entered our home, probably having followed or latched onto us from the item we came into contact with and then attacked when we took it to our home. Whatever this thing really was, it made itself known by slamming doors and filling us with fear, saying that it was not going to leave until death was brought on us. Not only could we feel and hear its hostility, we could hear its voice and it talked to us as plain as any person would.

Me being highly Christian, I began an exorcism, calling on Jesus and also Saint Michael, the biggest enemy of Satan, to kick the spirit out. However, not a single prayer of mine worked. In fact, the situation became more and more desperate with each passing minute because the creature grew more and more powerful, or so it seemed. One thing is certain, it laughed at me in everything I did and every prayer I prayed.

My wife told me that she could tell that the spirit feared the old Gods, and how she knew that I did not know. Perhaps she was closer to the Greek Gods than I was at the time. But at this point, I was willing to try something different because nothing I was doing was working. So I decided to turn my prayers to the Greek Gods, particularly to Athene and Apollon. Athene is the great warrior Goddess and defender and Apollon is the God of Light who averts evil and purifies ill. So I prayed to them, my wife joining me, simply asking for them to please help us. After what seemed like a few seconds of praying to these Greek Gods, my wife described an image of a lady with a spear and a male of light appearing and confronting the spirit. To quote her exactly, "Athene grabbed him by his tail," and stabbed him, then Apollon's light filled the area and cleansed away all the impurities. Then, almost as fast as it had begun, the time of terror came to an end.

Needless to say, my wife and I cuddled closely in the bed for the rest of the night, sometimes fearing the spirit might return, but it never did. It was gone, and so was our former religions. The next day, without even verbally confirming it to ourselves, we became ancient Greek. It was a given after our experience, especially with me, because the god I had spent years serving and defending never showed up, while the Gods I had given nothing to, gladly extended their hands in help in our time of desperate need.

I knew that each time I would tell this story, there would be Christians who would not only tell me I wasn't a real Christian, but that what really happened was not that the Greek Gods came and rescued us, but that it was actually Satan tricking us, that he was the one who removed the demon of his to trick us. The theory of this ultimate conman is reverted to sometimes more than the name of his counterparts. But what I found to be interesting about this claim was the fact that Jesus said the exact opposite in the bible, because Jesus plainly stated that Satan cannot cast out Satan, because it would divide his kingdom (Mark 3:22-27). By the words of their very own religious and spiritual icon, no, it wasn't a trick by this alleged Satan, because Satan would not drive out his own presence. The simplest answer is probably the right one, that the Greek Gods are real, they are authorities of goodness, and they came to restore goodness and order once more as they have done for so many years in Greek religious belief.

In the Goodness of the Dodekatheon,
Chris.