Hello there sir, could you tell me a little bit about your relationship with Dionysus? I’ve been feeling really drawn to him lately…

ginandjack:

Well, anon, I suppose that depends on what you want to know, and what is drawing you towards Him.

The theoi are like people in that They are coplex and multifaceted, and no two relationships They have with the other people in their lives are alike. The thoi are not like people in that They are grandiose, and so much mre than we are. So, I could talk to you about the ways in which my relationship with Dionysos has been fatherly, or perhaps like a redeemer, or like a lover, a tribal brother, or… (fill in the blanks ad infinitum) perhaps you can tell me what it is you’re feeling (or perhaps expecting)?

My relationship is… complex. It’s grown and changed over the years. I’ve known Dionysos as the Bringer of Sweetness and Many Joys, and I’ve known Him as the rapacious warlord, the madman who wants to tear down everything, and the healer who repairs you after the destruction, as the bridegroom, as the patron (proper), and as a master over his horse.I have experienced many sides of Dionysos, and all of them have left me in awe and (even when frightened or hurt, and that can be a part of developing kharis, or right relationship, with him) wonder that has only strengthened my love and reverence for Him.

And if you talk to others, you might here about Him as patron of the theatrical arts, and how He may be aloof and above it all, or He may be the possession of actors into their roles, the wearing of the Mask. You might hear about Him as a lover, a father, a Liberator, a Font of Joy, a Sacrificial Savior, an Inflictor of Mania, and the Balm that soothes it. And they would all be true (assuming you were talking to honest people). There are as many paths to Dionysos as there are relationships to develop with Him. If you are drawn to some part of Him, something that stands out when you read this, or sets you on edge, start there.