Neos Alexandria - Pagan Temple

Pagan Shrine: Alternately could be referred to as an Iseum or Pantheon. It is a closet with the door removed, inside divided into three levels representing Above/Heaven, Middle/Earth, and Below/Underworld. Most of the shrine is decorated with faux tree branches, flowers, and ivy. The dark blue/purple tapestry depicts the World Tree or Tree of Life, surrounded by various birds and animals. On either side of the shrine may be found sticks, staves, and stangs of various trees, dried herbs, pelts, feathers, scarves, labyrinth amulets, and framed pictures of other gods, goddesses, heroes, athletes, and beasts.

1. In the middle section, we find at the center a flat round stone representing Gaia. Set on top of this stone, arising from it like a mountain, is a standing stone representing Rhea (Cybele, Ops, Magna Mater). Crowning this stone is a smaller stone from near the actual temple of Cybele on the Palatine Hill in Rome. Behind this stone are two ridged clay pots joined together to form a beehive shape (representing the upper and lower halves of the earth and the universe), which is decorated with a large blue eye amulet (eluding to the titaness Theia, goddess of light, sight, and the blue sky) and crowned with a silver beehive and a piece of volcanic stone from Mt. Etna in Sicily (representing Demeter and/or the pre-Hellenic Goddess of Sicily). This beehive is also related to the Faery Queen or Witch Mother. Above this beehive on the back wall is an image of Demeter-Ceres holding snakes, poppies, and sheaves of wheat, while on each side of the beehive are actual sheaves of wheat. Demeter is also linked to the titaness Themis (natural/divine law, order, justice). To the right of Demeter is a terracotta head-shaped planter representing Persephone. Inside this head is a standing stone from the cemetery that I place in the Underworld at floor level during the time Persephone is said to dwell there with Hades.

To the left of Demeter on a raised box is a statue of the God of Cape Artemision, which some interpret as Zeus and others as Poseidon. Between his legs sits the owl of Athene, and at his feet is a small bronze of the Cretan Snake Goddess and a small branch of dried beech leaves and nuts. This signifies him as representing either Jupiter or Zeus honoured in a grove of beeches or oaks. (Such items as a horse figurine, pine branches/cones, nets, and/or seashells can be used to transform this image from Zeus to Poseidon.) Diagonal from the statue on the altar there is a white quartzite standing stone from a local beech grove (mixed with some oaks) on a hill where lightning frequently strikes that also represents this Jupiter, as well as the nymphs of the grove. I also consider this hill sacred to Mars, due to its large population of woodpeckers.

On the wall above Persephone is a basket “balcony” containing a veiled figure who represents Leto, the mother of Apollo and Artemis, and symbolism (quails, stars) related to her sister Asteria (Hekate's mother), as well as a stone from Lycia (in modern-day Turkey). Leto was a protector of tombs, in addition to her role as a goddess of twilight (light emerging from darkness at dawn, then the veil of night descending again at dusk), mothers, children, and families. She named the land of Lycia for the wolves who led her to water, but she also turned the shepherds who would not share their water source with her into frogs. Along with Artemis and Apollo, she protected both pregnant women and animals, and their young. She was sometimes equated with the Egyptian goddesses Wadjet/Buto or Isis. She is said to have turned into a shrew mouse to escape Typhon. To the right of Persephone, in the background, is an image of Asclepius (behind the larger white stone of Jupiter is a smaller stone from Tiber Island in Rome, sacred to Asclepius).

Higher up, standing on a terracotta pot (serving as a column), is a small bronze of Apollo accompanied by his dolphin, nine bay laurel leaves (representing the nine Muses), frankincense, and a sycamore "fruit". Behind him are the thick ivy tendrils and grapevines representing Dionysos (waiting to take over), as well as a red poppy sacred to Demeter (eluding to the Roman triad of Ceres, Liber, and Libera) and crow feathers. During the months when Apollo is said to leave Delphi (the omphalos/navel oracle inherited from his grandmother Phoibe) to travel to Hyperborea (the realm of his grandfather, the titan Koios), this figure is replaced by a representation of Dionysos (usually a wine goblet). On the wall behind Apollo is an actual roebuck skull from Europe. Emerging from the roebuck skull are branches of dried mistletoe. At the base of Apollo's column is a bronze of two leaping dolphins, which represent twins, either the Dioskouroi/Dioscuri who guide ships or Apollo and Artemis. Beside these dolphins is an incense bowl hanging from a chain.

To the right of Apollo is a pot-column on which stands a statue of Artemis of Ephesus, along with a stone from the Aventine Hill (Diana later identified with Artemis and represented by the Ephesian Mother). Behind her is a picture of a lion which relates to Artemis as Anahita or Potnia Theron, Lady of the Beasts, and her close connection to Cybele. In front of this column is a large "pregnant" terra cotta urn containing water and a stone from Lake Nemi, which embodies the earthly aspect of Diana as well as the volcanic crater lake itself. The urn is crowned by another roebuck skull. She is a hunter, a healer, and a guardian of young animals in this form. This urn also represents Diana as the Mother of the Witches. Next to the urn is one of Diana's loyal hounds in brass. Behind this urn, hidden from view are stones from the woods (Virbius) and a water trough (Egeria) on the Nemi hillside, as well as a wooden carving of a snake that can be seen in the shade of the ivy (a reference to the Agathodaimon, Asclepius, or the Delphic Python). Virbius was never seen nor recognized (possibly he blended in with the woods or was a sacred tree), and Egeria was consulted by night at her spring. Egeria was considered one of the Camenae, nymphs of springs and inspiration (but not the uttering of prophecy) associated with the Muses. In this role, she was known as Tacita, The Silent, although not so silent as she was said to weep over the death of her husband Numa. Related to this name would be Angerona, who is also known as Dea Tacita (Silent Goddess), the goddess of the winter solstice, secrecy/oaths, and protector of Rome.

In front of Diana’s urn are a ram and a terra cotta plate of coins, both ancient and modern, which represent Hermes or Mercurius as shepherd, traveler, messenger, and merchant.

To the right of Artemis is an area honouring Hercules Victor or Olivarius. In a simple clay pot sits a heavy stone from the Tiber annointed with olive oil, as well as offerings of coins (modern and ancient replicas) for Hercules as a patron of merchants. His other symbols are clubs and lions. The brass elk or stag represents the golden hind (who had antlers like a male) that Hercules received from Artemis as one of his Twelve Labours. Above the area for Hercules is a depiction of the Trinacria, a Gorgon's head with three legs representing the three "corners" of the island of Sicily (related to the nymph of Mt. Etna, Hekate or Trivia, and the three goddesses said to share Sicily with Hephaestos and Demeter -- Athene, Artemis, and Aphrodite/Persephone). In the faux pine branches below her is a black and white beaded spider relating to both Athene and Fate.

Directly across from the Trinacria, on the left side of the shrine is a depiction of Hekate Triformis surrounded by a hanging red fox skin (additional Dionysian symbolism), a wooden snake, faux oak branches, and an oak-leaf green man face (a reference to Virbius or Silvanus). On the front left side of the altar is an oxblood Roman-style urn on top of which is a statue of Mars surrounded by a sprig of wheat, a helmet, a red obsidian spear-tip, the she-wolf of Rome, a woodpecker's feather and pecked wood, a dog's tooth found at the Etruscan necropolis of Cerveteri, and a small trinket box containing a stone from the location of a Mithraeum on the Aventine Hill in Rome (Mithras was a foreign god who became popular with the Roman army). Inside the urn (hidden from view) is a more primitive metal figure of Mars holding a shield which serves as the repository for offerings to his agrarian/earth aspect. On the wall behind Mars, you can see a picture of the Esquiline Venus, the wife of Mars.

Behind the urn of Mars is a larger oxblood urn of the same style in which sits a goat's skull stuffed with herbs and painted with ochre. This houses a spirit of traditional/folk/sabbatic craft that could be equated with the goat-god Pan, but also has associations with Zeus, Hephaestos, and Hermes. Some say there are three Panes, known as Agreus (a hunter), Nomios (a shepherd), and Phorbas (a creature who frightens or causes panic). He is decorated with dried oak leaves, and seasonally with flowers and the fresh branches of various other trees such as ash, alder, or holly. Behind him is a small stang (forked stick) of wild native holly and a terracotta copy of the Mouth of Truth from Rome, which depicts the face of either the titan Okeanos or Father Tiber. Between the oxblood urns is a small bronze of a phallic satyr or seilen (having the features of a horse or mule, not a goat -- which would characterize Pan or the Panes) which represents the rustic god Aristaios, mentor and companion of Dionysos who introduced humanity to shepherding, beekeeping, mead-brewing, cheese-making, olive-growing, and medicinal herbs, all learned from the nymphs. He is variously known as a son of Apollo or the titan Krios, leader of the constellations and regulator of the seasons. As an earthly form of the latter, he is known as Astraios, god of the stars and bringer of the winds (associated with horses) that ease the scorching midsummer heat of the dog-star which is ruled over by Hekate's father, Perses (also a son of the ram-horned titan Krios, who is the constellation Aries).

To the right of the urns is a space on the altar from front to back dedicated to Venus in her various aspects across the lands of the old Roman empire. A glass bowl of water sits on a white scallop shell dish decorated with brass and silver cobra arm bands, eluding to Aphrodite (scallop) and Isis (cobras) respectively. In front of the dish is a sistrum also connected to Isis-Hathor. In the glass bowl is a floating faux pink waterlily and a stone from the Tiber river representing the original Venus who rules the gardens and waters (sewers as well as fountains and baths) of Rome, and who is the Genetrix of the Roman people and the ancestress of the Caesars. (I am waiting for a stone from Cyprus as well.) An Etruscan figure with serpentine or root-like legs that represents a nymph or Lasa (who accompany the Etruscan Venus known as Turan) stands beside this. Behind the glass bowl is a copper pot from which sprouts a pair of polished cow horns, representing the goddess Hathor (also associated with Asherah/Astarte) and eluding to the Apis Bull or Serapis. Within the copper pot is a small golden statue of Isis-Hathor, a mirror, and various stones from Sinai, the Nile, and Ostia, as well as semi-precious stones such as lapis lazuli, turquoise, and malachite, and myrrh sacred to Hathor. Between the copper pot and the scallop dish is a small glass with a fossil brain coral from the North Sea that represents Nehallenia, the Isis-Venus of the Northern Seas also linked to Fortuna, Cybele, and the Matronae. Like Isis guarding sailors in the Mediterranean (with the Dioskouroi/Dioscuri) travelling from Alexandria to Rome, Nehallenia would allow Roman ships to pass safely across the North Sea from the Germanic/Frisian coast to Britain. Another Germanic/Teutonic goddess linked to Venus was Frea (or Frija), wife of Godan (or Wotan, associated with Mercurius), considered a form of the Norse Frigg, a goddess of the home, birth, marshlands, and clouds closely associated with Fate, Mother Earth, and the Wild Hunt. There is not a space on the altar for her, but she is represented elsewhere in a basket with her attributes, including a key, a nest, feathers, birch-wood runes, and a stone from a ploughed field in Germany. Some link her more closely to Juno as the All-Mother (although Venus Genetrix also fulfilled this role). Friday was named after her, though some say it is Freyja’s day instead.

At the middle of the altar (in front of Rhea's stone) is a candle holder flanked by two large pine cones, which relate to Cybele and Attis (as well as Silvanus, Dionysos, and Poseidon). The flame itself (when lit) represents Vesta or Hestia. She is associated (along with Minerva and Salus/Hygeia) with Brigid and similar Gallic/Celtic goddesses who rule over cattle/sheep/grain (earth), smithcraft/home (fire), poetry (air), and healing springs (water). Nearby, my fireplace/hearth serves as an area to honor the Three Brigids, represented by three stones from Galway Bay, reed crosses, and other attributes in a basket. Inside the fireplace is a cauldron in which a candle can be placed for Brigid. I honor other Celto-British deities with her, such as Cailleach (Blue-Black Hag of Winter), Danu (The Mound, Mother of the Faery), and Herne (Wild Hunt). Around the candle in the main pagan shrine there are also some small stones or pebbles collected from various roads (such as the Via Sacra in Rome) and hills (Aventine, Capitoline) that also relate to Hermes or Mercurius.

2. On the upper section is a ceramic covered bowl with eye designs and a hole at the center of its lid. Within is a second stone from Lake Nemi, a mirror, feathers, and various objects representing Diana's heavenly and light-bringing aspects (including Lucina, the midwife, a title shared with Juno). Diana Trivia rules not only on Earth but in Heaven and in the Underworld as well.

In front of this vessel is a bejeweled peacock flanked by small golden statues of Bast and Sekhmet who represent the Eyes of the Sun/Sky. The sparkling jewels represent the stars and the light of the sky. Behind the peacock (also a reference to Juno or Hera, the Queen of Heaven) is a colorful fan that adds to the grandeur of its tail, and evokes the presence of the rainbow (Iris). The eyes of the peacock's tail feathers (the ever-watchful Argos) link back to the eye symbolism in the middle section of the shrine.

To the left and right of the peacock are crystal balls of various sizes representing (in general) the planets or heavenly spheres, including the moon, and crystal vessels representing the celestial waters. Also to the right of the peacock is a large brass horse, and to the left is a large brass ram. These animals represent the constellations and the winds respectively, but also relate to various gods and goddesses portrayed in the middle section of the shrine.

There is also an area on this shelf where I keep a crystalline stone from the Himalayas, a lingam from the Ganges, and a doll from India representing the manifestation of the Great Mother in the East (Durga/Parvati/Kali), who is connected to the journeys of Alexander the Great and Dionysos.

3. The lower section is just a small area on the floor in front of the shrine. In the middle is a small metal garden table with an ivy design on its top, which can be draped with colored scarves. This is used as an area for offerings, for a bowl of holy water, as a stand for a stang (forked branch staff) or as an additional altar space (decorated for specific feast days, workings, or divination).

On the floor to the side of the pagan shrine is a clay dish on which sits a thin Etruscan shadow figure, a red stone skull, a stone from the Etruscan necropolis of Cerveteri, and a glass for libations to the dead (pagan ancestors forgotten by time) and household spirits.

Nearby on the floor (not shown) is a large blue-green glazed pot covered with black pelts, representing the hidden underworld of Hades. Inside is an iron cauldron (the vessel of below) dedicated to Hekate or Trivia with her attributes and tools/symbolism related to necromancy, the underworld, and fate. On top of this cauldron is a black hooded goddess whose face is but a skull. A third stone from Lake Nemi sits on the lap of this skeletal goddess, along with crossed bones and a leather scourge (representing Nemesis and the Furies).