The Festival of Helios Lampontas


This is a modern innovation designed to commemorate the opposite end of the spectrum from Heliogenna which is a festival that commemorates Winter, death, and the hope of rebirth. Lampontas means "The Shining One" and during this day, we celebrate the onset of Summer, the heat of Summer, the light of the Summer Sun, etc. It is meant as a festival of laughter, of feasting, of music and sexuality all under the gaze of the all seeing.

I had thought this could be a multi day festival but in the end decided to simply make it a Holiday of one day to be commemorated on the Summer Solstice.

The Summer Solstice, of course, also reminds us that as of this day the days get shorter and Autumn and eventually Winter are not that far away, but for now, we can rejoice in the blazing heat of the summer and its many pleasures.

There is no prescription for the celebration of this day. Go to a beach, barbecue, play some loud music, make mad passionate love out doors (use common sense, of course) and above all, enjoy yourself.

Remember too those Gods that bring joy to your life. Aphrodite, goddess of laughter and beauty, Artemis, lady of the wild places, Dionysos, god of the drink, Selene, the bright moon, and even Zeus, the thunderer, who is so active in the storms of summer. (Those storms are very exhilarating)

Love, drink, and be merry.

In 2009, I have somewhat widened my scope, while I would still keep the over all focus on Helios, of course, I would also call this a celebration of the Hyperionids, the children of Hyperion and that whole sphere of influence. Thus celebrations involving invocations of Eos, Selene, Helios, even, if you wish, Circe and other figures in the Hellenic Mythos that are part of that Heliocentric world.

Pursuant to this, I would like to suggest the following schedule of prayers for the day.

  1. On June 20th, celebrate the Prometheia. Give thanks and honor to divine Prometheus for the gift of fire (Symbolic for forethought?)
  2. On June 21st, awake before sunrise and light a candle in honor of Nyx and offer here a fond farewell.
  3. As the sky lightens in the East, light incense from the candle of Nyx and call upon Eos, Goddess of the Dawn, for guidance. That she may open the doors to the light for you as well.
  4. At sunrise, light a second candle. This one in honor of Helios, the Sun, and ask his blessings on the world and thank him for the light that bathes the world in glory.
  5. When you have meals during the day, give thanks to the Gods in the normal Hellenic fashion, and make sure not to forget the children of Hyperion and the realm of the turning of the days.
  6. At Noon, light incense from the Helios candle in honor of Helios and Hekate, and if you are so inclined, take a moment to do a reading of poems, myths, or prayers to them. Why Hekate? Because as a moon goddess she is part of the "turning of days" cycle, and because she is said to have a part in all parts of the world, be it sky, earth, or sea.
  7. At dinner, as the final meal of the day, light a third candle in honor of Selene, the Moon, and ask her guidance in the failing day. Light three incense, one for Helios, one for Selene, and one for Eos. This should be focused almost entirely on giving thanks to the three for the day.
  8. At sunset, light incense from the candle of Nyx and offer a moment of silence in remembrance of the night and all the things you may attach to the darkness of night. Many people attach the night to concepts of death and the underworld, but also to dreams, so you may choose to honor underworld deities in their traditional manner, and offer up thanks to the Lord of Dreams.
  9. Before going to bed, offer up some incense in thanks to the Gods of the Day and the Night, and then extinguish all the candles. If you feel comfortable leaving them on, do so, but if you do not have a secure fireproof place to leave them, do extinguish them. Leaving candles on as you sleep is not a good idea.

Candles can be burned in glass cylinders, some which can be bought rather cheaply, but be careful that you do not use small glass containers with tea lights as the glass will break from time to time. My suggestion is nine inch pillars, scented or not depending on your allergies and preferences, in tall glass cylinder vases (like $3 at Wal-Mart or Target) as these tend to be an almost perfect size that allows the candle to burn for days, if needed, without a mess or breakage.