Calendar of the Moon
3 Coll/Metageitnion
Panathenaea Day 1: Athena's Day
Colors: White and blue
Element: Air
Altar: Upon cloth of white and blue set a great statue of Athena, a spear, a pen, a spindle, a
shield with a Gorgon's head, and a brazier with charcoal that must never be allowed to go out
until the Panathenaea is done.
Offerings: A new peplos for Her statue, which has been embroidered by the entire community,
and is draped around Her statue after the invocation. The old peplos is given away to some other
Pagan group in the community as a gift. Also wine, olives, beef, barley cakes, honeycombs.
Daily Meal: Greek food, including beef, olives, and wine.
(First, all walk in a procession around the property. Four carry the new peplos, four carry the
baskets of wine and olives, four carry plates of honey and cakes, and the rest play musical
instruments or carry oak or olive branches. The procession stops before the door and all call
out: "Hail Athena Polias!" Then it winds inward into the sanctuary, at which point all cry out
"Hail Athena Parthenos!" The offerings are placed before Athena's altar.)
Athena Invocation:
I begin to sing of Pallas Athena,
The dread Protectress of the city,
Who with Ares looks after matters of war,
The plundering of cities, the battle-cry and the fray.
It is She who protects the people,
Wherever they might come or go.
Lady of the olive tree,
Lady of the shield and spear,
Lady of wisdom and strategy,
Cool head which advises the hot ones,
Mentor to princes and heroes,
Gracious grey-eyed daughter of Zeus,
You teach us all due thoughtfulness!
Hail, Goddess, and give us good spirits
And your blessed favor!
(The peplos is draped around her statue. The best of the food and wine is given as libation for
her, and then the rest is taken to the dining room to be feasted on.)
[Pagan Book of Hours]