Since the Minoans aren't around anymore and we can't read the things they wrote (Linear A has not been deciphered), we have to build our practice of Modern Minoan Paganism based on whatever kind of inspiration we can find.
It turns out, there are still remnants of ancient rites that cling to life in the folk practices of Crete and other parts of Europe in this Christian era. You probably already knew this: the Christian church took over Pagan practices and renamed them, like the Irish goddess Brigit becoming a Christian saint.
We're modern people, not Bronze Age Minoans. But in Modern Minoan Paganism, we do some things that ancient people would have found familiar. Among those is the presentation of offerings to the gods. We do this quietly on our home altars or a bit more loudly sometimes, in group ritual.
A while back, I wrote about the kinds of offerings we make to the various gods and goddesses - what they like and what they don't. But the way we make offerings, or more specifically, the kinds of containers we use for them, take their inspiration from the Minoans.
Today I'm sharing a guest post from my dear friend Dana Corby (author of The Witches' Runes, which I heartily recommend). She has many years of experience in the Pagan community and has seen all sorts of theories and points of view come and go. Today, she has generously offered to share her knowledge about the way Minoan spirituality has intertwined with Wicca over the years and how that has sometimes led to misunderstandings about the Minoans, their culture, and their religion.
A while back, I wrote a blog post about how there isn't really a rule book in Modern Minoan Paganism in terms of how people have to practice their spirituality. Unlike some named traditions, Modern Minoan Paganism is more a wide pathway than a strict method.
Yes, we have our pantheon full of all kinds of deities, and we do interpret them in specific ways. And we have our preferred activities and focal points: altars, labyrinth walking, offerings and libations, even ecstatic body postures. These are things we all share, though not everyone gets into everything equally.
The labrys is one of the most iconic symbols of Minoan civilization. The two-bladed axe shape evokes ideas ranging from bloody human sacrifice to butterflies in a spiritual garden. I have my own ideas about what the labrys means to me, and may have meant to the Minoans as well.
One thing I've noticed, though, is that a lot of people use the term "double axe" to refer to these artifacts, conflating them with practical tools. But they're not the same thing.
Ian Phanes
Virginia, I don't think the majority of people within the umbrella of paganisms identify primarily as "pagan". For example, I identify primarily as a ...
Aline "Macha" O'Brien
I agree completely with Murph, Ian, and Mark's comments. We are weakened by divisiveness and strengthened by solidarity. In the current [i]zeitgeist...
Murphy Pizza
Thanks for feedback all - and no offense taken, Virginia. And as an Italian American girl myself, I can totally get on board with spaghetti as a reli...
Virginia Carper
I didn't assume anything. Sorry if it came across that way.
I have always identified with other Polytheists. I have never identified as Pagan.
I am ...
Mark Green
I talk of Paganism as "a constellation of religious paths", the sole true commonality of which is self-identification as Pagan. There are atheist Paga...
Ian Phanes
Virginia wrote:
"What usually happens when I do discuss theology with Pagans and Witches is that they assume that I believe some of the things that I ...
Nice post
I'm given to understand that in Venice there's a Great Blessing of the Waters to mark the beginning of sailing season; if Minoan C
That would be a separate rite and would involve Posidaeja, the Minoan sea goddess, rather than the spirits of local streams and la
