Clearchus said that he performed his religious rites and sacrificed earnestly at the appropriate times. Each month at the new moon he cleaned and crowned his Hermes and his Hekate and all the rest of the sacred objects (or “shrines,” hiera) that his ancestors left behind, and he honored them with offerings of incense, barley cakes (psaistoi) and roundcakes (popanoi). And each year he performed for himself the public sacrifices (thusiai demoteleis), and neglected none of the festivals . . . selecting the gods’ portions (aparchas) from the available fruits and vegetables, which he got from the land.
– Porphyry, de abstinentia 2.16 –
Our Goals and Mission Expanded
The Goeteic Cult of Hekate Trioditis Apotropaia and Hermes Dotor Eaon (GCHH) is a religious organization dedicated to honoring the ancient Greek gods, specifically Hekate Trioditis Apotropaia (Protector and of the Three-Ways and Three Forms) and Hermes Dotor Eaon (Giver of Good Things), through authentic, inclusive, and scholarly-informed practice. We seek to revive and reconstruct the mystical and chthonic traditions of Hellenic religion, particularly those rooted in Goēteia, to create a living tradition that brings measurable and quantifiable change in the world.
As a cultic body, we are committed to:
- Honoring the Ancient Gods and Mysteries: We revere Hekate, Hermes, and the broader Hellenic pantheon, engaging in religious practice inspired by historical sources, while also recognizing the need for thoughtful adaptation in modern contexts. With regards for the Mysteries of Eleusis, we recognize that it is impossible to fully reconstruct any mystery cult or initiation, so the Mt. Nysa Mystery School Eleusinion, the “Mother Eleusinion,” faithfully reconstructs and adapts to make a whole system of belief and initiation that is historically based and influenced without diving into revivalist ideologies.
- Ancestral Veneration and Community: We uphold the sanctity of oikos (home and kinship), honoring our ancestors and the hearth, with Hestia as a central figure in household and communal devotion. Further, as Hekate and Hermes are both Oikoi Theoi (Household gods), they hold a furthered special place in this cult, doubling in their primary epithets of Trioditis Apotropaia and Dotor Eaon, but also as Propylaia and Propylaios (Hekate and Hermes, Protectors of the Threshold). We recognize that kinship extends beyond blood, embracing those bound by spirit, friendship, and shared devotion.
- Academic Rigor and Integrity: We incorporate research from anthropology, archaeology, epistemology, and classical studies to reconstruct Hellenic religious practices as accurately as possible. Where historical gaps exist, we ensure that any modern adaptations are transparent and respectful of the tradition rather than falsely marketed as ancient.
- Balanced Approach: We value both scholarly research and spiritual insight, ensuring that poetic inspiration and mystical experiences are guided by historical precedent rather than arbitrary eclecticism.
- Inclusive and Ethical Practice: Our tradition is open to all who seek to honor the Greek gods sincerely. We do not impose barriers based on ethnicity, geography, or lineage, but instead, focus on cultivating religious piety and knowledge.
- Moral and Spiritual Development: We align with the Delphic Maxims, emphasizing worship of the gods, pursuit of wisdom, reverence for ancestors, and striving toward a life of virtue, free from unnecessary sorrow and malice.
- Producing Clergy: Our cult puts high regards on Hiereis, Ritual-Expert priests that can lead ritual, rites of passage, and educate on the religion and the cult. See more information here.
Furthermore, we reject misrepresentations of Hellenic religious traditions, including:
- New Age distortions of Goēteia, such as Renaissance-influenced Hermeticism or modern magical syncretism not rooted in historical Greek sources. The largest body of information of curse-tablets (Κατάδεσμοι/Defixiones) comes from the late Classical period and on, especially in Roman times, but boomed particularly in the Hellenistic era and in Coptic Thebes. We analyze hundreds of these katadesmoi to properly get an understanding of the localized traditions and make reconstructions based on the similarities, especially in terms of techniques like Registering (utilizing particular syntax and vocabulary to assign something to a god, often a person or stolen item (καταγράφω) and Oath curses. Kolossoi are another common form of Goeteic practice using similia similibus, but not linear in development from the Classical to Hellenistic era. Classical Kolossoi were crude and basic, whereas Hellenistic became more adaptable and ceramonial. The Roman period (And Coptic Egyptian) found the most applications from love to war.
- Eclecticism that distorts historical context, particularly when unrelated traditions are merged in ways unsupported by historical evidence. Whilst we adapt Greco-Egyptian syncretic practices, we do not pull from any other traditions, especially modern. The Greeks did not believe in the Celtic or Asian pantheons, for example, so mixing them would distort the historical contexts. Many regions did have local pantheons and gods and heroes, so those may be considered, but are not the focus or bredth of this cult. As a cult, we do not comingle with beliefs from other forms of polytheism, like Norse, Celtic, Irish, Scandinavian, ATR, etcetera. We do, as stated previously, syncretize with Coptic Egyptian practices of magic (Goeteia), but do not practice the religion of Kemeticism.
Our Founding Tenets and Delphic Maxims
Tenets of Hellenic Recon
Ευσέβεια, Efsevia. Piety. Showing honor and veneration to the gods and daimones, praising them and thanking them for what they do. Living a pious life.
Συγγένεια. Syngeneia. Kinship. It is through the city gods and gods of the Oikos (home, community) that we have friends, family, and neighbors. Honor the good men amongst them, bring protection and support to them, and be good to them.
Δικαιοσύνη. Dikaiosyne. Justice. Ruled by mighty Titan Themis, Justice is respecting the laws of nature, the gods, and the land. Without Justice, Law, and Order, we have Injustice, Impiety, and Chaos.
Ευδαιμονία. Evdaimonia. Happiness. Happiness is the gift of the bacchic gods Dionysos and many others, the kindly gods. Through good health and practices and piety and Justice and kinship, we find joy in our lives.
Αρετή. Aretē. Excellence and Virtue. To neglect the potential of excellence is to neglect the theurgical sciences the gods have given us. Do your best to self-better and become stronger and healthy as to be excellent for the gods.
Ξένια. Xenia. Hospitality. The highest and most honored tenet of our religion and the forefathers and he Zeus Xenios the hospitable. Welcoming Xenos, foreigners, in culture, tongue, religion, affiliation, into our life and practices and cities is the highest honor of Zeus Xenios and Athena Pallas of the City.
Χάρης. Kharis. Reciprocity and Favor. The gods and daimones give when we give and we give so they give. Honor the gods and cal to them in times of want and need, give good offerings and libations and praise them so they may speak your name and wishes.
Μέτρον. Metron. Moderation. No things In excess for they poison the mind, body, and soul. Practice moderation in exercise, consumption, alcohol, health, sciences, and arts and all other things.
Delphic Maxims
Θεοὺς σέβου, Worship the Gods
In all things, one should strive to praise the Gods and their good dealings and understand that they dispense action of the Moirai. Be without blasphemy, disgrace, impurity, or hubris.
Ἑστίαν τίμα, Honor Hestia
No one is anything without their Oikos, home of Hestia and her flame that purifies and protects. Honor her, and honor the Oikos of all others.
Σοφίαν ζήλου, Long for Wisdom
Never settle with the mind you have now: search for wisdom in all situations, that you may live with Arete. The gods dispense situations in which we are challenged to do the most pious and wise thing: whether it be an act of selfishness or selflessness, an act of righteousness or malice, or any other situation: approach with the wisdom you have and ensure that you learn from the situation itself to be wiser the next time.
Προγόνους στεφάνου, Crown your Ancestors
Without one’s roots, there is no stem to flower, no fruit to keep the line going. Honor those who came before you with reverence.
Ἀλύπως βίου, Live without Sorrow
Dispel hatred in your life and happiness will fill the void; Fill your life with positive influence, purity, and the gods, and sorrow will have no room.
It is with these tenets and Delphic Maxims that this cult pushes for a world of Piety, Kinship, Justice, Happiness, Excellence, Hospitality, Reciprocity and Favor of the Gods, Moderation, and the Delphic Maxims that exist to give us a life that is happy, healthy, and functional in the name of the Theoi. We represent many Delphic Maxims (excluding a couple due to their sociocultural implications and reasons for existing not aligning with our beliefs, such as “rule your wife,” which is obviously inappropriate modern day) in our functions and, so, we honor the gods in many ways. We do not stand for hate, oppression, racism, homophobia, transphobia, xenophobia, or any other systematic oppressive forces, and take part in efforts against them. As undersigners of the Xenia Declaration, we push for an open-door policy to our religion and we push for the world to show hospitality to all. The Eleusinion of Eleusis welcomed ALL who spoke Greek, from slaves to kings, Greeks to foreigners (Xenoi), so we do too.