Modern spirituality based on ancient religion
Or, what shall we call our Minoan clergy?
As is the case with many projects, creating a modern polytheist spiritual practice inspired by ancient Minoan religion has “birthed” a great many more challenges than any of us expected when we first started out. This includes figuring out how to organize the modern people in our tradition.
Linear A, the script the Minoans used to write their own language, hasn’t been deciphered, and can’t be until we find a lot more texts. So we’re limited in terms of Bronze Age textual sources to the Linear B tablets, written by the Mycenaeans during their occupation of Crete - not exactly a friendly source.
We can add archaeology and comparative religion to the mix, and those are definitely helpful sources for projects like filling out the pantheon and building the sacred calendar. For those projects, we also turned to the garbled fragments of Minoan myth that survived into classical times.
But figuring out how the Minoans structured their clergy in the temples, peak sanctuaries, cave shrines, and villas (small religious communities similar to monasteries) is a challenge all by itself.
Taking that information and using it as a springboard for a modern tradition that doesn’t involve permanent temple buildings and a heavily-layered bureaucracy is another thing entirely.
This is an ongoing activity, building our organization one step (one challenge) at a time. Instead of a physical temple, we have an energetic one that is the spiritual home for all our members and visitors.
Instead of cave shrines, peak sanctuaries, and villas, we have local chapters. Instead of a council of clergy and lay people running each physical temple, we have a Board of Directors. You can read about the chapters and the Board in our Official Policies - because we have given in to the Minoan tendency for bureaucracy at least to some extent!
And after several years of listening to the deities and doing our best to follow their lead, we’ve finally developed a system of titles for the clergy in Ariadne’s Tribe. But it’s not based on what you might think. These aren’t titles for ritual leaders, but for clergy dedicated to specific deities. You can find the details here:
What shall we call a modern Minoan priestex?
We’ll add to the list as we go along, but we’ve got a pretty good start so far. Which probably means it’s time for the deities to throw another challenge at us. But that’s OK. It’s part of the process, learning more about them and ourselves at the same time.
Together we are joy!
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About Laura Perry
I'm an author, artist, and creator who works magic with words, paint, ink, music, textiles, and herbs. I'm the founder and Temple Mom of Ariadne's Tribe, a worldwide inclusive Minoan spiritual tradition. My spiritual practice also includes spirit work and herbalism through the lens of lifelong animism. I write Pagan / polytheist non-fiction and fiction across several different subjects and genres. I'm currently working on an illustrated book of modern Minoan myths and a Minoan entry in the Moon Books Pantheons series. I’m also an avid gardener and living history demonstrator.