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Thessalian Hellenism: A Dynamic New Religion
Thessalian Hellenism can best be described as philosophical in its spiritual orientation, theurgic (mystical) in its religious practices and Neoplatonic in the focus of our philosophy. They are Neoplatonic in that they focus on the wisdom portrayed within the dialogues of Plato and the teachings of Plotinus, Proclus, Iamblichus, and other Neoplatonic philosophers. These philosophical texts and ideas, as well as the literary works of Homer, are considered their holy texts. The knowledge and insights gained through the study of these works creates, for them, a continuum of wisdom and practice reaching back to the very foundations of Western civilization and the Western Mystical Traditions.
Their beliefs and practices were born in the streets of ancient Athens with the teachings of Socrates, continued and elaborated upon by Plato in the first Academy and culminated in the Theurgic school of Iamblichus. This tradition has included names of such repute as Aristotle, Plotinus, Porphyry, Julian Augustus, Maximus of Ephesus, Aedisus, Hypatia of Alexandria, Proclus, Plutarch, Iamblichus and so many more. Men and women whose thoughts and ideas survived their own lives and extended even into our own; a tradition of knowledge and practice that has spanned a time frame of well over 2500 years.
They are a community organized as a religious order - a union of individuals constituting both citizens and clergy, gathered for worship, education, and spiritual development. Their religious calendar honors the Dodekatheon (12 gods) of Ancient Greece (Hellas) as well as other ancient Hellenic deities, heroes, and ancestors.
Their beliefs and practices were born in the streets of ancient Athens with the teachings of Socrates, continued and elaborated upon by Plato in the first Academy and culminated in the Theurgic school of Iamblichus. This tradition has included names of such repute as Aristotle, Plotinus, Porphyry, Julian Augustus, Maximus of Ephesus, Aedisus, Hypatia of Alexandria, Proclus, Plutarch, Iamblichus and so many more. Men and women whose thoughts and ideas survived their own lives and extended even into our own; a tradition of knowledge and practice that has spanned a time frame of well over 2500 years.
They are a community organized as a religious order - a union of individuals constituting both citizens and clergy, gathered for worship, education, and spiritual development. Their religious calendar honors the Dodekatheon (12 gods) of Ancient Greece (Hellas) as well as other ancient Hellenic deities, heroes, and ancestors.
41 pages, Paperback
Published August 20, 2022
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May 9, 2023
The author of this book is the "Church of Thessaly," a pagan group focused on the exploitation of the Aeolian tradition. The book is basically an introduction to their pagan doctrine.
The book starts with a colonial distortion of the targeted tradition, which, of course, is characteristic of Angloamerican paganism. The first chapter in the book (called "The Thessalian Way of Life") tells us that the "true Thessalian is meant to be not merely enrolled in the Religion but confirmed and initiated into it."
We also learn: "When a person becomes a Thessalian, they are already so spiritually motivated through their new philosophy and religion."
Like almost everything paganism says about Hellenism, this is simply not true. This group stole the name of the Thessalians, a Thesprotian tribe, and reduced it to a religious designation. The "true Thessalians" are the inhabitants of Thessaly and their descendants. A Thessalian is a person of Thessalian origin. They are not a pagan cult nor a "religious community." And they are in no way affiliated with the so-called "Church of Thessaly."
As an ethnic Hellene I strongly condemn this appropriation of the Aeolian tribe by paganism.
The book starts with a colonial distortion of the targeted tradition, which, of course, is characteristic of Angloamerican paganism. The first chapter in the book (called "The Thessalian Way of Life") tells us that the "true Thessalian is meant to be not merely enrolled in the Religion but confirmed and initiated into it."
We also learn: "When a person becomes a Thessalian, they are already so spiritually motivated through their new philosophy and religion."
Like almost everything paganism says about Hellenism, this is simply not true. This group stole the name of the Thessalians, a Thesprotian tribe, and reduced it to a religious designation. The "true Thessalians" are the inhabitants of Thessaly and their descendants. A Thessalian is a person of Thessalian origin. They are not a pagan cult nor a "religious community." And they are in no way affiliated with the so-called "Church of Thessaly."
As an ethnic Hellene I strongly condemn this appropriation of the Aeolian tribe by paganism.
Displaying 1 of 1 review