The 77 Adorations of Ariadne

I conceived this project over 5 years ago.  I was inspired by Sannion's 99 Adorations of Dionysos, which I am fond of using devotionally, and thought it would be nice to have an accompanying set of adorations for Ariadne.  There's less sources to draw upon for Ariadne's titles and myths, so 77 seemed to be a reasonable and worthy goal.  Most of these lines were written in a couple bursts while contemplating and researching.  Others were revealed later.  The last couple were completed during my most recent celebration of my late summer festival for Ariadne and the Mountain Mother.  During this festival, I camp in a remote place alone in the woods and do ecstatic ritual under the stars.  I took some time to edit and rearrange the lines, and this is the final result.  Many lines reference myth (considering her as both an ancient goddess and also as a mortal princess of Crete), others are more poetic, and a few were revealed either by UPG or by my tradition's understanding and experience of Ariadne, but I don't think any of those latter are too much of a stretch.  

I was asked how I use these...The way I most often use them is repeating the full set as a prayer towards the beginning of a ritual to both praise that divinity and call to mind/focus on their broad nature and various aspects. I love the repetition of "I adore you...", it feels very intimate - naming them as beloved, while also having a rhythm that invites an altered state of consciousness. Sometimes I do it slowly and thoughtfully, sometimes more quickly and theatrically. I have used prayer beads with a set of Adorations, too, sometimes as a daily devotional thing when I'm not feeling spontaneous or don't have something more specific in mind. But one could meditate on one line at a time, if they wished, even using it as a mantra or reciting it a certain number of times.  I have also considered writing them all down on slips of paper or cards and drawing one at random per day for guidance or contemplation.  I'm sure there's other way they could be used. 

1. I adore you most holy one

2. I adore you Lady of the labyrinth

3. I adore you who bids us walk the path

4. I adore you wielding snakes

5. I adore you pure in the underworld

6. I adore you who nurses the chthonic child

7. I adore you who anoints the baetyl stone

8. I adore you priestess of the Mountain Mother

9. I adore you bestower of epiphany

10. I adore you of the ritual sacrifice

11. I adore you swinging among trees

12. I adore you wild and untamed

13. I adore you moon child

14. I adore you daughter of Minos

15. I adore you dwelling in deepest caves

16. I adore you whose voice is like the hum of bees

17. I adore you princess of Crete

18. I adore you light in the dark

19. I adore you leaping over bulls

20. I adore you sister of Asterion and Glaukos

21. I adore you who wields the two-sided axe

22. I adore you alighting on mountain cliffs

23. I adore you with wine dark eyes

24. I adore you muse of Daedalus

25. I adore you who dances gracefully on pavilions

26. I adore you who stands between two worlds

27. I adore you who offers the ball of thread

28. I adore you of the ever-winding wheel

29. I adore you whose lips taste like honey

30. I adore you who guides the hero

31. I adore you of the many-tiered skirt

32. I adore you bare-breasted one

33. I adore you shrouded in dittany smoke

34. I adore you speaking prophecies

35. I adore you who freed the Minotaur

36. I adore you born upon the sea

37. I adore you who surrenders to fate

38. I adore you who is remembered at the center

39. I adore you fractal longing

40. I adore you who delights in roses

41. I adore you who leaves everything safe behind

42. I adore you abandoned on Naxos

43. I adore you who summons the storm

44. I adore you mad with ecstasy

45. I adore you roused by the god who comes

46. I adore you riding a panther

47. I adore you hanging girl

48. I adore you whose nature is untouchable

49. I adore you wife of Dionysos

50. I adore you inviter to bliss

51. I adore you holy vessel

52. I adore you who endures deep sorrow

53. I adore you Ariadne-Aphrodite

54. I adore you wearing a wreath of plany flowers

55. I adore you bound and unbound

56. I adore you mother of paradox

57. I adore you weaver of stories

58. I adore you of the birthing cry

59. I adore you who bears the grape

60. I adore you punished by Artemis

61. I adore you with beautiful braids of hair

62. I adore you who unwinds trauma

63. I adore you who casts a net of dreams

64. I adore you who knows the ways of the spider

65. I adore you queen of the maenads

66. I adore you heart of the Underground

67. I adore you unconditional love

68. I adore you who welcomes the weary initiate

69. I adore you wearing a starry crown

70. I adore you utterly clear in the heavens

71. I adore you protector of tradition

72. I adore you soul of life indestructible

73. I adore you who achieved apotheosis

74. I adore you who meanders through my heart

75. I adore you who holds up a mirror

76. I adore you beloved of Bakkhos

77. I adore you my Goddess

Aletheia in the Well

 I discovered these two captivating pieces of art in the same week.  One is a late 19th century painting by Jean-Léon Gerome, which I found immediately striking.  The other is a recently released song by Esben and the Witch.  So interesting how they seem to pair together well. (No pun intended.) I'm pondering the implications.

      Truth Coming Out of Her Well by Jean-

Léon Gerome

"The Well" by Esben and the Witch

Anthesteria '23 in Medium Format Film

My partner (who has taught himself quite a bit about photography over the years) has been sharing his hobby with me. Happy to rely on his expertise and just point and shoot, I've been admittedly lazy about learning the more technical aspects, but I'm getting there. Recently he gifted me a medium format camera of my own: an old Seagull twin lens reflex camera. Truth be told, I have been a bit enamored of this type of camera since a friend of mine bought a Rolleiflex some years ago. There's something aesthetically and nostalgically alluring about it. I love how you look down into the view finder and you're in a mirror world. It's got weight, and intentionality... which is much the same reason I like vinyl records, I suppose. You think about the media more. You commit to it. And in the process, you treasure it a bit more. This is the first time I've taken this particular camera for a spin, and the result was better than expected. Especially since I was guessing on the aperture and shutter speed settings for the first couple pics, as I was alone and had left my cell phone (with its digital light meter app) in the car by accident. 

 I do hope to blog more about this year's festival in more detail, but in the meantime here's some images.