Merlyn's Magick: Bacchus~ God of Wine

Friday, January 20, 2012

Bacchus~ God of Wine

My topic today for the letter of the bi-weekly Pagan Blog Project is BACCHUS.

One of my favorite Gods!
The God of WINE...intoxicating beverages and "inspired madness".
Patron deity of Agriculture and Theatre.
(and as a musician and actor...I DO pay homage frequently!)

He is called Dionysius (if you are Greek) and Bacchus (Roman)
so...... depending on if you are Greek or Italian...it depends on which you call upon.
Same God.
Different names.

Same yummy wine and alcoholic beverages.

Dionysius was the son of the God Zeus and Goddess Persephone (or sometimes the Goddess Semele, depending on origin of the folktale).

How'ere, he wasn't a son of Zeus and Hera (Zeus's WIFE) and so became a victim of infanticide, from Hera's wrath. She sent the Titans to rip apart the baby. (oh how festive for a newborn in the family)
The Titans did their worst, but Zeus scared them away at the last minute...and they left nothing but the heart. The heart was saved and used to impregnate the mother once again and Dionysius was born....
or REborn as the case may be.

Yes a God with HEART :)

The worshippers of Dionysius were said to be blood thirsty women named Maenads.

The Maenads were also called "The Raving Ones" (ok, so we've all been there with a few too many drinks a time or two?) Raucous wild frenzied orgies of music and drinks (BACCHANALIAS!)
So when we drink we are imitating the Maenads of old--- we are the nymphs who reared the young God and ran with the grown one.

Powers of Mænads are:

To awaken the God
To run with the God
To share His attributes
To tame wild things by nursing them
To call forth water and wine and milk and honey from the Earth
To fight and not be harmed
To destroy
To prophesy

Bacchus's mission was to join music and bring an end to care and worry and anxiety. (Doesn't having a drink sometimes calm you when you are upset?)

He is also said to preside over communicating between the living and the dead. As a musician, I totally believe that music has a direct link to the soul, communication of the heart and spirit. I've seen the God of Music at WORK when I sing and people feel better or some feeling is evoked from within.

Bacchus also loved having Nymphs around.

(I mean, really...Who doesn't when you are drinking??? :)

Interestingly enough, his festival is celebrated on March 16 & 17.
This makes it easy to remember to "Honor The God of Drink" on Saint Paddy's Day :)

SO.....

The next time you have a goblet of wine, or hoist a glass of intoxicating beverage...
spill a couple of drops for the God Bacchus!!

And try not to turn into a Maenad....
even if the wine is TOO YUMMY to be true....

As you may regret a few things in the morning :)