This is the festival calendar of the Eranos Agriotheios in Eugene, Oregon. Some are ancient and some are part of our new tradition. Some are set on the lunar calendar, and others on the modern, solar-based calendar. For the former, modern dates are also given - these will change slightly each year.

2009 January 8 (Gamelion 12): Lenaia - Reawakens the vegetation, and Dionysos, after the long months of winter. Presentation of liknon with phallus, procession through town, singing, hymns. Feast, dancing. February 2 (Anthesterion 7): Manteia – Begin high-seat oracular sessions again, welcoming of Apollon back to Delphi. Flowers. Lavish breakfast theoxenia. February 6-8 (Anthesterion 11-13): Anthesteria – Festival of Flowers. First day is Pithoigia, "Opening of the Jars". To open festival, walk around town making libations of local wine, collecting flowers as offering. Shared feast in the evening.  Second day is Khoes, “Cups”. Swinging. Go to a liminal place and drink silently in honor of Orestes. Basilinna is wedded to Dionysos at night. Third day, Khutroi, “Pots”. Go to cemetery, kolyva offering left for Hermes Pyschopompos and the dead. February 18 (Anthesterion 23): Diasia -- The festival of Zeus Meilikhios, the chthonic Zeus who appears as a snake. Offerings made of cakes shaped like animals. The whole offering is burnt to propitiate him. Purification after Anthesteria. Renew contents of Ktesios jar. February 22 (Anthesterion 27): Limnad Numphaia – At a liminal time of year, ritual in the wetlands, create/tend shrine, spend time in their presence. March 3 (Elaphebolion 7): Theoxenia Delphinia – In the Delphic month of Theoxenios, a Greek-themed banquet with invitations, table settings, Greek libations, etc. All the gods/daimones of Delphi: Apollon, Hermes, Dionysos, Athene, Poseidon, Pan, Korykian Nymphs, Zeus, Ge, Trophonios. Watch movies about Greece, other Greek games/activities. Oracles. March 20 (Spring Equinox): Anabaseia – Persephone ascends. Spring cleaning, freshen the altars. Flowers. Paint eggs, hide them, make wishes.  April 19 (Orthodox Easter): Kriophoria - "Ram-bearing festival": honor Hermes' role as protector of flocks and fields and his influence over economies. Make votive clay sheep and offer these along with mutton/lamb, wool, figs, and other produce of the fields. Share a shepherd’s meal in the afternoon. At night, carry an image of Hermes around home in a torchlit procession in order to frighten off negative influences much as the shepherd frightened off wolves and other predators. April 22 (Mounikhion 27): Dryad Numphaia –Ritual in the woods on Skinner Butte, create/tend shrine, spend time in their presence. Also make elaphoi for Artemis. May 1 (Thargelion 7): Thargelia – Purification by means of pharmakoi. Write on them the things to be rid of, bring them to the periphery and burn them. Offering of the thargelos porridge with bay leaves. Oracles. June 6 (Skiraphorion 13): Meilikhia - A day of gentleness, sweetness, peaceful pleasure; figs and wine featured as the distinctive ingredients in the feast. Also a day of healing from anxieties and distress and emotional problems, as Dionysos Meilikhios is a God who heals from dysmania, unhealthy madness. June 20 (Summer Solstice): Daimoneia – For all local daimones. Daytime ecstatic rites. June 20 (Skiraphorion 27): Naiad Numphaia – Leave offerings at Amazon, Mill Race, etc. then end at the river, create/tend shrine. Spend time in their presence. Floating candles. July 5 (Hekatombaion 13): Bebakkheumenia - a day given entirely to drunkeness, madness, ecstacy, prophecy, and living totally in his world for 24 hours. No other commitments, obligations, or concerns. Pannukhia at night, votively run amok in the darkness. August 6: Anelisseia (Scrolls of Hermes) - Trip to bookstore. Symposium in honor of Hermes and Dionysos – wine, food and intellectual conversation among friends. Mark out passages from your favorite books and read and discuss them. August 19: Ampelia - Day of the Vine – for Dionysos’ vegetative epiphanies. Only eat vegetables/fruits all day. Decorate with vines, flowers, and all kinds of plants. Entheogens. September 15 (approx.): Thalusia – Thank Demeter (and Dionysos) for harvest, especially grain harvest. Bake loaf of bread, make meal from farmer’s market produce. Set on the date of the Eugene Celebration. September 16 (Boedromion 27): Oread Numphaia: Go to the mountains, oreibasia, create/tend shrine, spend time in their presence. Also offerings for Pan – retsina, pine boughs, goat meat and cheese. September 22 (Autumn Equinox): Katabaseia - Persephone descends. Ritual for her as Queen of the Underworld. Pomegranates and wine. September 22 (Puanepsion 4): Hermaia Propulaia – “Before the gate” - a time of boundaries between life and death as we go into autumn. A day of introspection when one searches out their soul and life for things that have become stagnant and outgrown. On journey to boundary (cemetery), collect stones, then set up herm there, along with offerings and items embodying those things we want to leave behind "before the gates" as well as a gift of mutton for Hermes and the spirits. September 25 (Puanepsion 7): Puanepsia – A meal of goat or lamb for Apollon. Eiresione made of laurel, decorated with ribbons, bells, etc. Offering of the puanepsion. Oracles. October 4 (Sukkot): Skenia – Build skias and have harvest meal under it. Celebrate vine harvest with first grapes of the season and new wine. Visit vineyard or go to wine tasting. October 31: Thanateia – for the gods of the Underworld from various pantheons. Dumb supper in silence and candlelight, black table settings, turnip lanterns, each with own offering. Followed by masked revel outside. Horror movies, ghost stories.  October 31 (Maimakterion 13): Lampteria - Feast of Torches. The beginning of Dionysos’ three month reign at Delphi. Theodaisia for Dionysos and the Korykian Nymphs (includes meal – lamb stew, wine, decorations, invitations). Torches call the god, light candles all around and set up bowls of wine throughout the house. November 12 (late Maimakterion): Pompaia – Purification with black fleece (Dios Kodion). Renew contents of Ktesios jar. November 20 (Poseideon 4): Hermaia Eriounia – Festival of Hermes as Luck-bringer, games, role-reversal, gambling. Sacrifices for good luck for the coming year. Marketplace oracle. December 21 (Winter Solstice): Yule/Rural Dionysia – Merriment and feasting, plays/movies, phallus-cakes, revels music/singing, presents, games, decorate greenery, storytelling. All night vigil with candle. Divination for year ahead.

skias surrounding new Dionysos statue Skenia festival, October 2006       permanent outdoor shrine for the tree nymphs, Dryad Nymphaia, May 2007       table set for a theoxenia feast on the Theodaisia festival, October 2006       temporary shrine for the Anthesteria festival, February 2007