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Ritual and Food Allergies
A reader asks, “My coven does a cakes and ale ritual at every Sabbat. I just got diagnosed with Celiac disease, and I’m wondering what I should do. I can’t eat the cakes because they’ll make me sick, and if we use beer for the ale, that could have a negative effect on me as well. I don’t want to miss out on the ritual, though, and be the only one who doesn’t participate. Are you familiar with anyone having a similar problem? Any suggestions on how to deal with this?” Answer: As a matter of fact, I’m familiar with this situation on a first-hand basis – I’ve been gluten-intolerant…
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The Greek Plynteria Festival
The city of Athens, Greece, is named for its protectress, the goddess Athena, and at the top of the hill called the Acropolis, there is a great temple in her honor. This temple, the Parthenon, contained a giant statue of Athena, made of ivory and adorned with gold, as a tribute to her magnificence. The residents of Athens took their relationship with their patron deity quite seriously, and every year held a spring festival in her honor, called the Plynteria. The name comes from a Greek word that means “to wash.” The Plynteria, like many other Greek festivals, spanned two to three days, around May 25th (fun fact: the Greeks…
