Along with the Year of Epic Crafting, which will have some religious undertones (notably the xiphos), I do have some even more religiously important goals for 2013.
My first two most ambitious goals are woven together intimately. The first part is finishing my book. The launch of the book, I have decided, will also launch my formal creation of a local Aresian cult. Now that I finally have what I feel is an acceptable cult image (my finished statue), I think I feel comfortable becoming a more formal dedicant, possibly even a (gasp) priest. Of course, almost 99% of the cultic material will be printed in my book, so no worries there, you can join me (cue “one of us” chanting).
I also plan on expanding my art projects. I may even begin selling some, especially of Ares, because if y’all are anything like me, those on the market just aren’t good enough (seriously, Ares is a war-god, put some armor on him!). I also want to expand my offerings to other gods. I think the most important ones, to me, would be Aphrodite (because I so neglect her, and it shows), Hephaestos (all the metal projects). and possibly Artemis (with the hunting and all). The other gods are important, and I give a nod to them every once in a while, but for now, I’m going to start out small and slow until things become more routine.
Speaking of routines, I really want to get into the rhythm of being more devotional. Pouring more wine, lighting more incense, and most importantly for you all, writing more. I’m a pretty spontaneous guy, so routines have never been my strong point, but I want to cultivate a little more discipline, especially religiously. It’s not that I don’t have the time; I just don’t have the mindfulness.
My final goal, at least for now, is to hunker down and finish reading the rest of the Greek classics, and make more progress actually learning Ancient Greek. The last part will be toughest, especially because I would rather learn manly Greek (Dorian) as opposed to wuss Greek (Attic) [just teasing, for those of you who couldn’t catch that], and most of the sources are in Attic. I can already read the letters and words, and have a pretty good handle on some religious and war-related vocabulary. I’ve also got a basic understanding of how to make plurals and identify masculine, feminine, and neuter words. I really need to work on verbs and sentence structure. I think focusing on the Maxims should help me begin to grasp the grammar, as that’s part of their purpose.
Well, that’s all I have for now. I’ll let you know if I come with anything else (I know I will). Until then, Hail Ares!
Aspis of Ares 