A Minoan Sea Shanty for You

To celebrate the Blessing of the Ships

We’re coming up on the beginning of sailing season in the Mediterranean. The ancient Minoans were consummate sailors, traveling and trading all around the Great Green Sea. They understood the seasons of the sea in the same way that farmers understand the seasons of the land. There’s a time to stay in port, to protect the ships from the winter winds by storing them in the huge ship sheds the Minoans built in coastal cities. And there’s a time to set sail again in the spring.

In Ariadne’s Tribe, we celebrate this time in our sacred calendar with a festival we call the Blessing of the Ships. It falls on the third Monday of May every year (yes, it’s a floating holiday — go ahead and groan; I’ll wait). This year it’s on May 19.

This date is around the time when the constellation the Pleiades would have had its heliacal rising in the late Bronze Age. The winter winds have stopped by this point in the year, and the people have had plenty of time to repair their ships over the winter, so it’s time to ask the sea goddess Posidaeja to bless all the boats and ships before they set out on the water once again. In the modern world, we use this time to ask her to bless not just our boats but also our “land boats” — cars, bicycles, motorcycles. We sometimes even do “stealth blessings” of public transportation like ferries, buses, and trains.

In celebration of the Blessing of the Ships, today I have a special sea shanty to share with you. Sky and I wrote it in celebration of this festival and in honor of Posidaeja. I hope you enjoy it.

May you always have fair winds and following seas!

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About Laura Perry

I'm the founder and Temple Mom of Ariadne's Tribe, a worldwide inclusive Minoan spiritual tradition. I'm also an author, artist, and creator who works magic with words, paint, ink, music, textiles, and herbs. My spiritual practice includes spirit work and herbalism through the lens of lifelong animism. I write Pagan / polytheist / magical non-fiction and fiction across several different subjects and genres. My Minoan entry in the Moon Books Pantheons series is now available for pre-order and will be released on 26 August 2025. While that process percolates along, I’m working on an illustrated book of modern Minoan myths, which will be released Summer Solstice 2025. I’m also an avid herb and vegetable gardener and living history demonstrator.