Miasma

Pre Ritual Practice and Miasma

In Hellenism and the Religio Romana (Ancient Roman Religion) there was a belief in ritual impurity known as miasma. Things that could cause you miasma include:

-contact with dead animals or people

-sex

-menstrual blood

-negative thoughts or feelings

-dishonesty

-giving birth

There are a few other minor causes but those are the main ones.

It is believed that entering a ritual with miasma is offensive to the Gods and could compel Them to ignore your prayer. Now obviously not every god looks upon miasma the same way. For example many rites of Venus (Aphrodite) and Dionysus involve sex but this isn't your usual run of the mill barn house quickie. Worshipers regardless of what the rite involves has to cleanse themselves of miasma. This cleansing essentially removes the uncleanliness and prepares your mind body and soul for the ritual and whatever it entails. Essentially everything that occurs as a result of a ritual does not cause miasma. So sex and death from sacrifices and what not does not cause the worshiper to become unclean in the eyes of the Gods.

Ways to Cleanse Miasma

To cleanse yourself of miasma you would prepare some lustrial water by filling a small dish with regular water add salt to it. Then wave incense over the water and plunge a lit stick into the water. All the while you would recite a prayer asking the Gods to purify this water.

After the lustrial water is prepared you would recite the Purgation Prayer and put some of the water on your hands face chest and hair. Lastly take some incense and allow it to roll over your body and wash away the finial bits of impurity and negativity. It isn't necessary to do the final incense purification but the lustrial water is a must to all serious Hellenes.

Purgation Prayer

HAEC AQUA A CORPORE IMPURITAS MODO SIMILE PLUMBO AD AURUM ELLUAT

PURGA CARNEM

PURGA MENTEM

PURGA ANIMUM

Translation

Here is a very rough tanslation

May this water wash away the impurities like lead to gold

Cleanse my body

Cleanse my mind

Cleanse my spirit