Weighing In: BOYCOTT MGW

Yes, I have finally decided to step into the conversation that was started by the ridiculous actions of the organizing committee for the Many Gods West conference and the subsequent postings by Rhyd Wildermuth and the rest of his ilk on P&R and Patheos.
I have personally met a number of the people involved in this.  So I will say that I am very disappointed in the negative direction in which Rhyd has taken his life.  Of course a number of his associates are a part of the extreme end of the PC crowd, who I already despise because they do not think and are under-educated people who are too well known for their own good.  They believe that they are the be all and end all -- a little like Halstead.
So, because of this and the fact that they silenced a well-known Dionysian of my acquaintance, I am urging that people of good will and ethics to BOYCOTT the Many Gods West conference.  
In addition, I also do not TRUST the bona fides of the organizers for this conference.  If you already have reservations -- cancel them.  If you are a presenter -- cancel your appearance.  People who are enmired in the amount of miasma that these organizers have perpetuated will imbue the conference with it.  Do Not be a party to it!

A Rant Long Percolating

I believe that there are Ethics; however, you are looking for them in the wrong place if you are looking for them in religion — and I mean ANY religion. This is why so-called “religious” or “spiritual” people can be and are hypocrites. A large part of Ethics concerns respect. Respect is not a part of any universalist creed (one true religion) or non-belief (atheists/humanists making fun of theists). Wars of religion do not show respect. Destruction of antiquities does not show respect. However, respect has not been taught in thousands of years because people believed that religious proscriptions would make good people. This will never happen in a million years. Why? Our ancestors have been forgotten. We are asked to self-exult ourselves, calling each other: Thou Art God, Thou Art Goddess when we are neither. There is emptiness in many souls because they have no values. Yes, I do challenge the valueless society that has been created around us. It is evil. And, it was done by people. It was not done by the Gods. Don’t make excuses. I’ve seen it for over 40 years; yet, it seemed that I felt I was but one voice in the wilderness. It takes more than one person to correct the faulty thinking, the dumbing-down, the let it slide attitude that I see. Meanwhile, I see a bunch of puerile whiners who don’t do anything about their own ignorance and continue to “make things up” as they go along or have a “good drum circle” — my wasn’t that fun. No wonder I don’t want to have anything to do with the greater community. No worship except self-idolatry. No wonder people can’t find Ethics.

Hypocrite Trolls

Yes, I have indeed found out that a Troll can lure a person to comment on his own blog post!  Imagine that.  
I was lured to the blog by an interesting citation in a blog which I normally read, so I had no real warning of what I was to expect.  In the post he was ranting about a lot of garbagey nonsense, especially about us Hellenics and some Heathens (he claims he is Heathen as well as "Luciferian/Demonic").  He was veritably yelling about how our views of piety and miasma had nothing to do with him. The misunderstanding was so rampant that I felt that I would try to answer.
Anyway, after a quick run down of the definitions, which show that the concepts are not "weird" he proceeded to insult me, told me that I had not read his rules for comments (which I must tell you, dear Readers, are quite ridiculous because he only wants yes-people responding).  He does not like at least two people (one of whom is Hellenic, the other Heathen) who I know personally and respect.  I am not sure who else is on his particular s**t list; however, I, for one, would consider anything he says to be untrue. I believe I have been placed on the Persona Non Grata List as well.  **sigh**  Really, though, I am happy because this was really too much drama and too much hate being slung at Hellenics for no reason. 
P.S.  By the way, the reply was so smarmy that he let show his actual knowledge of the subject of the diatribe, thus exhibiting the range of his hypocrisy.  The other more egregious example of hypocrisy, of course, is his so-called interest in the "demonic." Now I know that the Middle East was always a hot-bed for beliefs in demons, so it is difficult to say for certain where exactly it first arose.  However, it is definitely within the "forbidden" religions of J*C*I, especially the named demons.  So, now I know some lovely people who have Marian Cultus along with the rest of their religious practice.  However, somehow this is not OK but his cultus of Lucifer and the demons is?  How do we spell H*Y*P*O*C*R*I*T*E again?

MEMORIAL DAY 2015 ~~ WE WILL NEVER FORGET

The Wild Hunt Comment and Other Things I Wish I Had Said

I have started to comment on The Wild Hunt.  Why would I do such a thing, you might ask?  And I would have to say that was a fair question.  The reason is that it irritates me the majority of time.  However, that said, when I respond "in the heat of the moment," I always seem to forget to say/write further commentary in explanation.  So, without further ado, this is my original comment to the article on "Leadership."


Time, education, and respect are what make a leader of a particular group. I have no idea who the well-thought people are in Wicca, CR, Asatru, Religio Romana, etc. because I am not a member of any of those groups. I am aware of the people in my community of Hellenic Recons, both solitary and in groups. People who walk the walk and do not just talk out the side of their mouths, these are the people I respect. Personally, I do not think that a very young person has the "chops" yet to be even considered a "leader." Why can I say this? Have you EVER put your LIFE on the line for something bigger than yourself? I am a USAF veteran with one year in South Korea, which is still AT WAR with North Korea. We almost did re-start it in 1976. Have you really educated yourself? The US educational system is pitiful. The amount of ignorance is horrendous and in generic paganism ....(I can't speak the words). Can you speak at least one language other than your birth language? Yes, I do freely admit to being an intellectual. However, that is so much better than being a fool being taken for a ride from these so-called BNPs. Only then can you even hope to come up to snuff 

There were a few druthers I needed to include in this.  The first, most importantly, being the fact that there are natural A** H***s out there who manage to rise to their levels of incompetence (The Peter Principle).  This is valuable reading for everybody.  I know that I am not a leader.  I am the idea-person, standing behind the throne.  Gnothi Sueaton -- Know Thyself.
In addition, the military is just one way of standing up and doing something totally unselfishly for others, even if it could mean that your very life could be on the line.  Doctors Without Borders, the Peace Corps, etc. are organizations which I would recommend. 
Finally, self-educate yourself away from Political Correctness and quarter-truths.  Really look at maps of the world to see where we all are.  I cannot abide self-wallowing ignorance.  Stop it!
That is all.

AND A

BAH HUMBUG, TOO!!

RAISE THE GOBLET HIGH!!

An Upsetting Incident

I had an upsetting incident happen yesterday evening.  As some of my readers are aware my husband and I have been attending (and belong to) a local Unitarian-Universalist Church.  In fact, the minister who was here twenty-nine years ago presided over our marriage ceremony, which I wrote.  The next minister presided over the memorial service for our baby daughter, a much wanted child who died at eight days.  Over the years I served this church on the Programme Committee and on the Board of Directors.  Therefore, what happened was even more bitter, because I was welcomed as a polytheist.
For approximately 14 years we have attended flittingly because of  the massive amounts of sleep deprivation I suffered due to the closure of Norwich Hospital and my having to "take to the road" for daily commutes of up to 200 miles per day in order to maintain medical insurance for my husband, who needed weekly psychiatric appointments.  In addition to the sleep deprivation, I underwent several knee surgeries leading to complete knee replacements.  My Father, also, needed my additional attention as my Mother had died in 2001, so we would meet him at a pre-arranged restaurant on a Sunday morning, which was always inconvenient for attendance.  However, now I treasure those Sundays as my Father died in March of 2013.  
During all this time apparently certain members pushed for banning personal scents in the building.  So, yesterday I get up and do my usual morning ablutions and finish off with a quick spray of Chloe.  The Craft Group isn't meeting until 7:00 P.M.  I remember nada about this "new rule."  However, apparently I "reeked" to two of the so-called ladies.  I was accused of being the source of one's migraine from the previous week, though she is a librarian and works at the local public library.  I don't even remember what I wore!  So, instead of being this "welcoming" group, I am being ganged up on by two untrained pit bulls.  Now, I have a rhetorical question:  I know that scent diminishes throughout the day, so how could I still be "reeking" when another woman said that she could not smell me?  I do believe that some of this has to be a  hypochondriacal response to a small stimuli, exaggerating it beyond its proper proportions.
I know that this is only the tip of a bigger iceberg which has been building.  Another person I know is also upset about the way things are going.  I also did not see another at either at the two meetings which I attended (I used to go frequently as a devotion to Athena Ergane).  Ah, well, the content of the talks has gone down hill horribly.  I really need to put more energy into the Proto-Demos and getting a round-table philosophy discussion group started. 

When Bloggers Don't Permit Replies When Having Problems

It has been a long time since I have posted -- and there have been many things on which I have wanted to post.  However, I have been a bit depressed recently, so I do not want to jump into any flame wars or to create any by mistake.  I realize that our individual egos can be tender things.
This leads me to the subject of this particular blog post:  bloggers who do not permit replies to their posts.  Now, I am sure that there may be a few Yahoos out there who willingly put both their feet into their mouth up to their hips in idiocy and make fun of the blogger and worse.  On you may the Furies be released to cause everlasting confusion and pain.  These DO NOT need to be re-posted by the blog owner except to keep other readers amused that such rudeness and stupidity exists.  There are many people who read a person's blog and start to know them a bit through their writing.  This is not quite the old-fashioned type of friendship that all of us wish that we could have; however, some of us do reach out over the radio waves with virtual support and suggestions.  By cutting these things off, the blogger creates a self-fulfilling prophecy that they have no community with which to cling.
Some of you can possibly guess the blogger to whom I am referring (Star Foster).  She had left the Hellenic organizations to which she had belonged for unknown reasons while still claiming Hellenism.  Now, she is blogging as a re-converted Christian.  I do not understand her thought processes as she has not made them very clear.  I knew that All the Gods existed when I was still a child over 50 years ago (I will be 64 come November).  The Gods tell you to worship them -- you don't leave because there might not be "enough" people yet in your town because you have closeted yourself off from the groups who would be able to help you.      

An Open Question to BTWs: Does Not There Ever Come a Time When You Have to Say No?

This has been a question which has been bothering me for close to two weeks.  I am specifically asking it of BTWs -- and Blue Stars in particular -- in light of what has finally come to public knowledge:  the immoral sexual peccadillos of Kenny Klein which include the confessed crimes of possession of child pornography, which may be just the top of an iceberg.  Apparently it was open knowledge among people to keep their children away from him at pagan festivals.  The type of manipulative person he is comes straight out of psychiatric/psychological textbooks describing the psychopathic personality.  {Note: Yes, I do have experience with the psychiatric literature as I am a retired medical/psychiatric librarian from a teaching hospital and attended the same lectures that the residents did.}  Did not the first coven notice or did he manipulate the HP?  What sort of CV did he even have before "creating" his tradition of BTW?  Why now are these followers not burning their so-called degrees and all the paperwork associated with it?  I say it is GREED, that you don't want to give up your supposed status, and I suggest that you really look within your hearts and pray to the Gods and not that flimsy rag of ethical advice (Wiccan Rede) for the selfish advice that it gives.

Nihilism: The Infection, The Sickness Unto Death, The Problem of Neo-Paganism (It Isn't a Religion)

Yes, readers, they are flailing about again in a quagmire of their own making because they cannot abide to acknowledge that there are standards in living a virtuous life.  When all moorings are cut away the only thing left are the reefs, which will eat up the boat you are trying to sail, casting you to the bottom of the sea.  It is positively sickening to hear these people wail over that psychopath Kenny Klein, who has used the veil of Wicca or whatever in the perpetuation of how many crimes we may never know.  They BLAME the VICTIMS of these crimes!!!!  They absolutely have NO SHAME whatsoever.  The BS over language was small-stuff compared to this.  They never understood that -- or the use of rhetorical language, either ;-).  
Some of you may recognize the reference to Kierkegaard in the title of the post.  He was a theologian who was writing in the time period of the original nihilists.  You know them:  Lenin and those types.  Monsters.  Now, don't try to excuse them because then I will really be angry with you.  As I have been seeing it, society over the past century has become sick.  Maybe it has always been this way; but, in some ways nihilism has highlighted it more.  Sick because it questions virtue.  Sick because it allows the psychopath to thrive (Wall Street, etc.).  Sick because it gives excuses to those who perpetrate the worst behaviours and crimes.  
Finally, I have come to the realization that neo-paganism is not a religion at all.  It has tried to amalgamate various folkways; however, it has failed.  The folkways exist separately for those who are truly interested in developing relationships with the deities of those traditions.  Worship happens more than 8 times a year.  Its synthetic roots in Wicca are showing.  There may be a few who have a truly religious bone in their bodies; but, they are rare.  Anyway, they have no traditions of sages and philosophers from whom to draw.  They just do not want to be told what to do.  Well, isn't that just special.  This is antisocial to the extreme.  I definitely do NOT want them playing in my sandbox.

P.S. How You Use Language DOES Count (Even Though You Were Not Taught, You Are Still Responsible to Learn)

Yes, I know, I cannot let it go.  I was lucky -- I missed the Great Dumbing Down in American education. (This started a few years after the Apollo programme put our astronauts on the moon in 1969.  We did it -- now we don't need to do anything anymore mentality.)  Teachers knew when you read Cliff's Notes instead of the novel -- and, there was no internet to buy a term paper.  It was hard to get away with things.  I am sure it happened; but, most of it got caught.  Anyway, within 5 years of my graduating from college (9 from high school), secondary prep had so eroded that high ranking universities were having to teach new students how to read, write and cipher.  So the Fact that Mr. Halstead is just generally ignorant to the first degree in the humanities should really come as no surprise.  However, it is unethical to allow him to continue to let him slather his ignorance over minds as equally ignorant as his own.  There have been enough so-called pagan crises of faith over the years with the dreck being published from Llewellyn (ya know -- the crescent moon logo).  My particular favourite (looks around to make sure there are no rabid fluff bunnies on patrol) has the so-called "reference" to an "Irish Potato Goddess."  (Need to go to the barf, sorry, bathroom now.)  The bloggers on Patheos are above this, I would like to believe; but, you, sir, make things up like that woman did, out of whole cloth.  Obviously you did not use a dictionary of the English language or ask a former English teacher how your essay would read.  I am a former English teacher.  As a gift, I would grade it a D-.  You whine, trying to make your faults the world's.  Poor, poor, pitiful you.  Wrong!  I do not like whiners.  Whiners are lazy.  You probably did not take Philosophy or Religion (yes, it is studied generically, you may hit yourself on your head now) when you were in college, thus decreasing your knowledge base exponentially.  Instead, you are the well-squared off orange and are only now seeing that you have lost something.  However, rules are rules for a reason.  You need to go back to square one and take or retake those intro courses to logic, philosophy, religion, and maybe even art and music. ---- And, don't let me ever see you stealing again.  

Mr. Halstead, Part 2 (a few needed added touches!)

So, yesterday, after wrapping up my post, I said to myself, "Yikes!  There are still so many other things that I wish to discuss." 
The most important things which struck me on his blog over on Patheos are first, the title of the Blog itself:  The Allergic Pagan; the second thing was within the recent posting itself which I pointed out in my first posting, where Mr. Halstead was comparing himself to almost every form of spirituality and non-spirituality available, including the kitchen sink, there-by erasing from history good and pious people's understandings of themselves.  Way to go, Mr. Halstead.  You are probably one if not THE MOST ARROGANT "insert expletive of choice here" under your gee-whizz exterior (no one can say that such a cute fellow as you are could possibly be certainly one of the most VISIBLY IGNORANT FAUX MENTORS of the community).  Yet, there it is.  Your main identification is as an atheist.  You have stated so yourself.  There is nothing wrong in being an atheist.  However, to then cloak yourself in the language of the spiritual and/or religious is specious.  It is bait-and-switch, it is fraud.  I know that it is possible to stand in awe before Nature without having to call upon or pray to the deities and spirits.  You should try it -- at least you would not be a hypocrite. Carl Sagan was an atheist -- buy the DVDs of the original Cosmos if you want to see how it is done.  Stay with your New Atheist friends, including Dawkins, laughing up your sleeves at the poor polytheists (oh, we're now multi-deists because of your troublesome meddling).  Sometimes I wish that metal edged rulers hitting certain fingers are called for at this point.  I do not call myself a pagan -- and my religion does not start with the letter "P", either.  Obviously, you are not really educated in the how or why of developing a relationship with the divine.  However, that's just the thing.  You are an atheist, so you cannot develop a relationship to the divine -- or with Nature, because of the spirits.  You cannot develop a relationship to a group of cells or molecules. You really are rather pathetic, yet, you have so many eyes and ears turned to what you say.  Eventually people will see you for the hollowman you are.  Go Away Now.

Oh, Dear, the Neos Are Causing Trouble, Again

Has it really come down to this?  We now have to use Latin instead of Greek to identify our type of religiosity because some nitwit who calls himself both a "pagan" and an "atheist" has also decided that the adjectival form of polytheist sounds just fine to describe himself with as he wishes with no regard as to it's definition (Halstead).  How can someone be both an atheist and a polytheist -- or even a monist, as he claims?  That is really a feat of imagination -- and offensive.  He is not the one who should be "using" our words and definitions, words which have had centuries of use and understanding, and creating his own out of them.  He should have the brains to articulate what he means with his own words.   
Already on the internets (HuffPost) I have come out in favour of bringing back public humiliation punishments, ie. placing the offender in stocks for a period of time.  This is especially good for forms of  egregious stupidity.   
I think that it would be just better if religious/pious people of the new religions split away from these people who are just as ignorant of Christianity or whatever religion they are running away from.  We who are attempting authentic worship already know most of this.  Some of us have stepped away.  I include myself here, though I really do leave myself open to the sincere seeker.  All religions have forms -- in Greek, threskia -- of worship.  These have been handed down through time.  This it to MAKE IT EASIER!!!!   DUH!!!!  Religion is the Gods.  The  philosophers speak of ethics, which I really wish that every one possesses.  I still think I need to keep my virtual baseball bat at the ready for -- has it been 50 years of stupid already? Sigh......

Theodosius I: A Most Evil Man

Reblogged from The Edithorial: The Man Who Abolished Classics

Everyone interested in history or Classics needs to be able to drop the name ‘Theodosius I.’   It’s the 1,667th anniversary of his birth today, but I’ve been meaning to share my grudge against him for a while. If we want to identify an individual responsible for abolishing pagan antiquity, Theodosius is a prime candidate. His portrait needs to glower at the reader from the last page of any history of the classical world.  .   .   .    .     .     .

http://edithorial.blogspot.com/2014/01/the-man-who-abolished-classics.html  

The Oracular Experience

I am not a person who is into grandiosity of any sort.  However, from a fairly young age (early teen-age and possibly earlier) I was given the gift of second sight in my dreams.  This was quite frightening at the time because when I would tell my Mother of those dreams she would give me a shocked look and was able to interpret them.  My Grandmother, who had emigrated to America from imperial Russia before World War I and the Revolution, was also able to do this and she and my Mother could also see the Blessed Dead.
As the years have gone on these abilities have increased in such ways that I no longer have to sleep in order to "know" things.  In addition, the Gods have again "gifted" me with a medical condition, bi-lateral frontal lobe epilepsy, which has been said to help open the portals between the dimensions we inhabit and the dimensions of the Gods, Olympus.
So, what can I report at this time?  I can say that I am experiencing closer relationships with my Gods.  However, something very, very strange is also occurring:  other divinities are stopping by for a conversation as well.  They are not asking me to abandon the Hellenic pantheon -- they just want a little time.  I never know when this is going to happen.  It is the same with the Hellenic Gods.
Now, I am planning to develop my own ritual for these meetings.  I do not know if they will turn into something oracular; however, I do have a co-religionist who lives about 45 minutes away whom I wish to ask for help. 
At this present time I am NOT taking any questions.  Depending on how the Gods feel, I may never take questions until they say I am ready.  This is really, really scary for me and I need to be sure that each step is taken with reverence.      

Modern Atheists: A Case of Putting the Cart before the Horse

I can personally attest to the ancient view of monotheism/atheism.  As I was attempting to be a "good Lutheran girl" for my beloved Grandmother, I was rapidly becoming an atheist as I was going through two years of Confirmation classes.  Before this, I basically ignored the dogmas and other stuff.  I just knew all the Gods existed.  Now, this intensive Christianity 101 was really in my face (remember, this was the early 1960s).  I got into debates with my Sunday School teachers -- and won (ie. why there should be no missionaries -- there is no such thing as Original Sin).  Every religion is equal -- none is better than any other.  Wow, was I unique for my age.  I really, really tried to believe for the sake of my Grandmother; however, I just could not.  Talk about guilt!  Anyway, without the other Gods it suddenly became a very empty universe because the Christian God was just not interested in me.  I was supposed to feel this sudden Grace which was His gift to me because of the vicarious atonement of Jesus.  {Face screwed up here -- okay -- don't feel it -- maybe I didn't need to be atoned?}  It was not until over ten years later that I finally stepped off the Christian merry-go-round for the last time.  ALL of the presumptions from Christianity fell away as I again could welcome all the Gods -- including the Christian and Judean Gods -- back again.
Looking at modern atheists and their leaders (yes, they do have leaders), one has to feel at least a bit sorry at their stupidity.  This is especially so since there are quite a number of PhDs among them (biologists, historians, philosophers, physicists, etc.).  I do not make fun of anyone's religion, except those people who insist on putting themselves and others in harm's way either mentally or physically.  Why are they so rabid (and that is a correct adjective for them) against religion.  But, is it religion?  No, it is not.  Nine times out of ten it is Christianity that they are railing against.  They ignore all our pantheons (except for a few college students who have mistakenly erected headstones for them).  Occasionally, They will include Islam.  However, I have hardly heard a word against the cults in Hinduism, Shinto, the varieties of Buddhism. etc.  Thus they do prove their own stupidity.  Like the mythicists, who thought that the people who wrote some of the texts that later became the New Testament knew that they were using myth (the cart before the horse) to manufacture a new God, they gaze at their own navel lint and belittle.  I wish to be respected in my religious community and my greater secular community.  To get respect I must give respect.  My cart must be securely hitched behind my horse.

New Books in My Library

Well, as some of my readers already know, I do consider myself to be a scholar.  I've always been a well-read person since I was a child.  In college, as a History/English/Humanities major, I was on reading and writing overload, especially with the Honors Programme.  So, when I realized that I was actually a polytheist, I tried to find things to read.  There wasn't anything in the 1960s and 1970s in regular book stores.  It is still difficult unless you are close to a college or university book store. Back then there was no Amazon. What little there was could be cataloged under the heading of DRECK.  It took a while to find those first books, which were almost all published by university presses.
Anyway, I am having to replace some titles (too tattered etc.) and I am getting into the early philosophers (the Atomists and pre-Socratics).  There is also a lot of newer scholarship out there, so I need to keep up if I decide to become a priestess and neokoroi.

Connelly, Joan Breton.  Portrait of a Priestess: Women and Ritual in Ancient Greece

Patton, Kimberley Christina.  Religion of the Gods: Ritual, Paradox, and Reflexivity

MacIntyre, Alasdair.  Dependent Rational Animals: Why Human Beings Need the Virtues (The Paul Lectures)

Deacy, Susan.  Athena.

Waterfield, Robin. The First Philosophers: The Pre-Socratics and Sophists

Epicurus.  The Art of Happiness.

Porphyry.  Porphyry's Against the Christians.

Celsus.  On the True Doctrine: A Discourse Against the Christians

Mikalson, Jon D. Ancient Greek Religion

Pagden, Anthony. The Enlightenment: And Why It Still Matters

Mills, Stephanie.  Epicurean Simplicity.

Guthrie, William.  Greeks and Their Gods (Ariadne Series)

Johnston, Sarah Iles. Ancient Greek Divination.

The Consolations of Philosophy: A New Series of Posts

Now, I am a realist and not a pie-in-the-sky romantic.  This is a result of my own personal experience as well as personality.  The Classical world generally was a world of realism.  The great philosophical schools of Epicureanism, Stoicism, Platonism and Aristotelianism each tried to deal with the great question of human happiness:  what was it?  of what did it consist? 
However, even human happiness was/is a fleeting thing, at best.  Yes, boys and girls, you have to put on your adult underwear and learn to carry on with gaping wounds as well as the smaller scratches which will never heal.  And they WILL not. Most all POP Psychology self-help is a crock as is vicarious atonement.  Philosophy is not navel-gazing.

The Theogony -- The Gods Created Themselves

One of the major reasons why I love this religion is Hesiod.  The beginning cosmology myth is so satisfying, I just breath in and know in my heart the truth of it.  The Gods created themselves as the Universe started to create itself.  There was no pre-existent divine being creating out of nothing.  Nothing existed -- then, there was something.  It is beautiful because no negative dogmas can be created out of it.  There is no good or evil.  It just is.  Thales also opined that the number of Gods must be more than all the grains of sand.  Of course, that must be true, as they were being born along with the Universe.  However, as billions of years expanded onward, more creatures continued to be created/evolved in this Universe.  Eventually, one of these creatures developed the ability to think and to recognize the Gods.  It took a long time for these first people to develop pantheons.  The Gods had been alone since the beginning of time and thought that they were alone.  Many horrible things were done at first (human sacrifice).  Eventually, it became known through the Oracles that the Gods were displeased with this type of sacrifice.  Sacrifice then became the offering of the purest of the animal stock and that was sufficient.
As time went on, problems within the human community arose and we saw the rise of the philosophers.  We wanted to know how to a good and wise life.  Great sages such as Solon and the 7 Sages of Delphi left their marks on the temple walls of our cultural ancestors.  We owe to them the beginning of Western civilization.  They are as much a part of us now in the 21st century.  Let us honour them as heroes along with our Gods, for they will help us put to rights a civilization that is but a dust-bin. 

The Liturgy of Sacrifice

There have been recent postings on Hellenic Pagan and on Hellenion_Chat which have led me down various trails of thought on ritual and its liturgy.
The major part of an Hellenic festival ritual liturgy is the time of sacrifice.  This is the prime focus.  Most modern people will claim to know nothing about this.  Of course, this is not true.  It is a case of bad religious education, as most Hellenistos and modern "pagans" were former Christians.  This is especially so for Roman Catholics, the Orthodox and members of "High" Protestant churches: Episcopalian, Anglican, and Lutheran.  It was especially clear in the Roman Church before Vatican II (yes, I do remember that far back) that the Mass was far more of a mystical mystery to enter than it has since become.  Anyway, the replication of Jesus' sacrifice is central to those services along with all the other theological understandings which come with it.
Our understanding of sacrifice is, of course, quite different.  It is the community offering to develop and further the reciprocal relationship with a group of the Gods from the pantheon.  These are the Gods of whom the stories are told of what they did for the community in days long ago.
Now, I will never be a main-stream "Politically Correct" individual."  The only reason I use fat and bone scraps cut from my meat is because I do not know how to butcher a chicken.  My Grandmother knew how, though, because she came from Russia.  Even my Grandfather had to ask neighbours to butcher his hogs and an occasional cow.  It is not something most of us know how to do anymore.  I know several Asatru groups who do have access to a co-religionist who is a butcher who will ritually slay a lamb or goat.  That may be a good way to go.  Ritual purity is usually equal across the lines; however, if you are acting as priest or priestess I would say that you should be there for the event, otherwise you are a hypocrite.  Of course, the Pythagoreans did not give meat sacrifice; but, IMHO, they were weird.  For those of us in the Northeast, I plan on sacrificing lobsters to Poseidon.  So far so good this hurricane season -- the steam will please him, YUM!.  Finally,  ask the Gods involved what they would like.  No one has even broached that most obvious of answers.