So today I was reading Ancient Greek Religion (2nd ed.) (AGR) by Jon Mikalson. It’s a really great book, especially for its first chapter. It takes one, step-by-step, through the process of founding a new cult, from catalyst to festivals. The example used by Mikalson is that of Poseidon Soter at Sunium, a fortification and village of Athens. Mikalson does a fantastic job capturing the mind of the reader, and for the reconstructionist, he may as well have called it a handbook. Because this is something I planned on addressing in my book, I figured I’d go over the basics for what founding a cult of Ares might look like.
For the purpose of simplicity, I will outline the process as ordered in AGR: Location, Altar, Temenos, Priests and Priestesses, Sacred Days, Dedications, Statue and Temple, and Worship. Like Mikalson, I will be rather generic in my application here, so as not…
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ReBirth: The Pursuit of Porsha 