Main Index
Index
Previous
Next



                                 THE MYCENEAEN MYSTERIES 
                          A Neo-Pagan Alternative Belief System
                              (C) 1989 By Joseph W. Teller
           * Free to Distribute & Copy in its Entirety For Non-Commercial Use*
            
                        MYCENEAEN MYSTERIES : A QUICK INTRODUCTION              
            
                  Myceneaen Mysteries are an ongoing project to introduce a new
               path of passage and religious belief to the present Neo-Pagan
               community.

                  Like anything within the Neo-Pagan Community, we do not exist
               in a vacuum. I have been trained in several traditions and paths
               of the present community, and have learned much from them, but
               have found that a personal lack of hereditary connection to some
               of the pantheons and belief systems involved have often made my
               practice of Celtic or Shamanistic systems to become clumsy and
                    sometimes ineffective forme personally. Thus, to find my own
          way, I went forth on a combination research project and  personal path
          searching for what path would be best for myself.

                  The Myceneaen Mysteries are based upon a personal interface
               between myself and the aspects of the Early religious system and
               belief of the area now known as Greece, a personal comfortable
               status with many of the gods and goddesses of the pantheon 
          therein which I could not find in the Celtic, Norse or American 
          Indian belief systems. Many hours of painstaking research into   t h e
          true culture, beliefs, gods and means of worship practiced by    t h e
          early Myceneaens have resulted in this ongoing system of    belief. It
          is not for all, but if you feel a true connection      b e t w e e n
          yourself, the mythologies, the social structure and the     beliefs
          involved then perhaps this path is for you.

                          TheMyceneaen beliefsystemis nota total"re-creationist"
          idea, nor the structuring of a system out of whole cloth, but    like
          any belief system stemming from another time and blossoming      into
          a Neo-Pagan tradition it comes from a combination of both.  The   land
          of Myceneae has gone through not one but two dark ages      in     its
          time, and much of the original material was lost or    destroyed    or
          very badly distorted by the people that would pass     through  it  as
          their conquerors, and so I have had to take some  liberty    to    the
          myths, sorting them according to the values and   theology        they
          present as to whether they were of these people and    if so trying to
          prune out the changes made by centuries of   conquest.   This  is   an
          ongoing project, and the belief structure    will be added  to as  new
          material is encountered and adapted, but     the    basic    structure
          outlined in the pages of work already   completed  will  for the  most
          part remain stable, with each person    who takes up the system adding
          their own touch to the system.

               Thus, if you choose this path, you will be forming and helping
               to form the belief system for yourself and for others, making
                    your actions and writingsjust as important as thosethat have
          now been finished.  Few religions or belief paths truly allow the many
          members within it to shape the system to their own needs and     t   o
          bring about change. Myceneaen Mysteries does.

              

                         Last amended June 11, 1989  --  Page NEXTRECORD 



                                                                             365

           If you are reading this file online a BBS or from a printout of
                    such,or on a distributed disk, there should be several other
          text files here for you to read over, so please do so and feel   free
          to distribute it at will among your fellow Neo-Pagans and   all   open
          minded non-pagan friends. Only through the greatest    number       of
          people getting involved can we do the greatest amount  of  improvement
          and gain personal enlightenment on this path.
            
                  * Love, Trust & Community : The key of Myceneae *
            
                         MYCENEAEN MYSTERIES : THEOLOGICAL ANSWERS              
            
               The purpose of this document is to explain some of the positions
               of The Myceneaen Belief system that are considered important and
               controversial to other Religious groups, many times to the point
               where they will place their views not only in public view but to
                    enforce them upon others not of their beliefs 'for their own
          good'.   These positions  are important,  as they  help show  where we
          stand and also explain a bit more of what we are really about.   These
          views are not forced on the membership of the Laos, but are      t h e
          official accepted policies, beliefs and viewpoints of the 
          organization in today's world - based on the overall religion.
            




































                         Last amended June 11, 1989  --  Page NEXTRECORD 



                                                                             366


               1. Contraceptive Devices.
                     We realize the importance of life, as most nature-oriented
                  religions do, and have a high respect for it and for the right
                  of all to live. On the other hand we strongly believe in the
                  right to choose one's path and actions in life. Thus, because
                  of these factors, and in consideration of the high risk of
                  disease in today's social circles, we support the use of all
                  non-destructive Contraceptive means to prevent the spread of
                  disease and the possibility of unwanted children being         
                                                                                
                      conceived Wedo notsupport, on theother hand, operative    
                    contraceptionthrough vasectomyor sterilization- sincethese  
                    cause an actual mutilationof the bodyand because theyare    
                  both questionablein recent studies ascauses of increased      
                cancerrates. We have astrong belief in taking responsibility    
                forour actions, and to utilize contraceptivedevices is to       
            take responsibility in ones sexual activities.
            
               2. Homosexuality/Bi-Sexuality.
                     These concepts in Sexuality are not nor ever have been in
                  our beliefs or those of the original Myceneaens anything but
                  Natural. To call such actions and feelings perverse, or worse,
                  is to deny the realities of nature and of the human condition.
                          We areborn bi-sexual and makeour choices based on     
          environmental  enforcement.  We accept  Homosexuality  and            
          Bi-sexuality  as true  parts of  life, not  something to  be          
          encouraged nor discouraged, but accepted as normal.
            
               3. Public Nudity.
                     This one is obvious and simple, throughout most of the
                          Neo-Pagan community it hasalways been :if you feel    
          comfortable and won't be making too many others  uncomfortable        
          then feel welcome to any level  of dress or undress that suits        
          you. It is  suggested that among a Damos that  a full level of        
          acceptance and knowing each  others bodies, at least by sight,        
          be eventually accomplished to improve the ability of  the Damos       
          to  work as a true group bound in the love and  trust they have       
          declared (if  you can't trust to be nude in someone's presence        
          you  probably  can't trust  them  entirely). This  will  be           
          difficult for some, it  is suggested that  if a member  seems         
          uncomfortable with this that they be  introduced to it slowly         
          by the rest of the group  so they become more comfortable. Not        
          only  does this build trust, but  it can also help  in keeping        
          tension levels down and to improve health of the  group overall       
          in some ways.
            













                         Last amended June 11, 1989  --  Page NEXTRECORD 



                                                                             367


               4. Smoking.
                  The smoking of tobacco in today's society is deeply enmeshed,
                  but slowly people are bring the realization of the damage of
                  utilizing this herb as an addictive substance regularly. We
                  also understand the difficulties of eliminating the effects
                  of it upon the body in withdrawal. Considering all this, there
                  shall be no usage of such materials within ritual or within
                  a celebration's public confines (the exception is the use of
                  pure, natural, un-chemically treated indian tobacco for use in
                  American Indian smoking rituals - which are rare and very
                  limited in scope or exposure). If a smoker chooses to do so at
                  a celebration they must go off away from the Damos and Guests
                  to a secluded area where their second-hand smoke cannot affect
                  anyone else in the group. The Damos should join in on trying
                  to help the smoker get past the addiction and back to a sense
                  of personal worth where such is unneeded (all addiction is
                  caused by a sense of personal inferiority and incompleteness).

               5. Ritual Drugs.
                  The use of these substances should only be within certain very
                  controlled circumstances, under extreme supervision by people
                  who are experienced and obviously personally balanced in the
                  matter. The use of illegal or highly controlled drugs is not
                  encouraged and anyone choosing to do so are doing so as an
                  individual, not as a representative of the Laos. Again, the
                          mainword iscaution withalldrugs ifyoudon't understand 
                 all the risks then don't use the substance.

               6. Alcohol.
                  The Myceneaens were the inventors of Beer and several other
                  naturally fermented acholic drinks, and so we cannot
                  deny this part of the past nor the religious aspects of it.
                  Any naturally fermented alcohol is acceptable for libation in
                          Ritualand incelebration, butthe takingof distilled    
                        alcoholsshall not bewithin Ritual (itsalright for       
              celebration though).  Unless a ritual is specifically to           
                                                                                
                Dionysus, the taking of enough alcohol to be  considered        
          'Drunk' in circle is to  be frowned upon and  felt offensive.         
          Becoming drunk in a celebration if so  wished is acceptable, so       
          long  as one maintains the  rules of hospitality and  does not        
          attempt to do such morally wrong things as  driving intoxicated       
          (Hosts be warned  that if a guest  is so intoxicated you  are         
          under obligation  to make sure they  either have a  ride home         
          with a non-intoxicated person or that sleeping space, at least        
          upon your floor, is  made available to them). Alcohol in small        
          amounts acts  as a natural remover of  the mental shields that        
          can block ones  ability to perceive the  powers of nature and         
          oneself, thus being useful in this way.

               7. Abortion.
                  This is for many groups one of the most discussed area of
                  personal choice. In Myceneae belief, ones spirit is not found
                  within an embryo until the finish of the third month, and so
                  we support the right of a woman to choose whether or not to
                  take such an action, but do want her to consider all of the
                  available options before doing such. Life is precious, both
                          thatof amother andthat ofa child,but anexisting life  

                         Last amended June 11, 1989  --  Page NEXTRECORD 



                                                                             368

                will hold priority overa yet-to-be born, since ifan abortion    
              doesoccur the spirit of the child will find another bodyto        
            gain re-entranceinto the life-cycle. We do support the use of       
            all natural abortifacient herbs and drugs over physical             
          operations, but again this is the choice of the mother and not        
          for the religion to enforce.

             8. Pornography.
                We believe that the true pornography in the world is depictions
                of humanities cruelties unto itself for the purpose to glorify
                it and encourage it. This means we label books and movies of
                a purely violent nature to be Pornographic (Examples of such
                are 'Faces of Death', 'The Green Berets' or any of the numerous
                'slasher' films). Additionally we feel that films of a sexual
                nature that show women as inferior, mere sex objects or actually
                depict violent rape as something its not to be pornographic
                (ex: The Story of O). We have no objections to sexuality in
                books in films, displays of nudity or love within such. We
                also oppose Child-pornography, bestiality and slavery of any
                kind.

             9. Sexual Responsibility.
                Myceneaen beliefs have nothing in opposition to group sex or
                group marriages, from Menage-a-trois to full multi-faceted
                tribal families. We do have a strong ruling of community to
                regulate ourselves, and to reduce the risks of disease and other
                related problems. Any member of a Damos who has a sexually
                transmutable disease should warn all other members of the Damos.
                When a person enters into a Damos they must expose such info
                to the members, to protect all. If a member of a Damos is in
                      a relationship withsomeone outside theDamos they should   
          refrain  from sexual  contact with  members inside  the Damos,        
          unless  sure  that  they  are  clear  of  such  afflictions.          
          Relationships within the  Damos should be  encouraged, as  this       
          will  prevent an influx of diseases from outside unknown sources.     
          Members of  a Damos who  are sexually active  in any way should       
          seek out a  medical check for such problems routinely and  should     
          share the results  with the members. Keeping everyone within the      
          Damos healthy is of import to all members of the Damos. Remember      
          a Damos is  more than just a group  of friends and acquaintances      
          as is common in  most Neo-Pagan groups, it is an extended family      
          and community.
            
                                   HISTORICAL CONTEXT
                                   -----------------
               The Mycenaean Era is not the Greece of Homer, and has many of
            its own unique differences that set it off from that Era. It is
            sometimes known as the Golden Age or Heroic Age of the ancient
            land we call Greece. Fledgling borne from migrants coming into
            the area from Syria and Persia during the Empire of Crete, the
            Mycenaeans were a willful folk, who accepted the rule of Crete
            until the Minoans fell from power by a complex series of events
            that caused them to abandon the Mainland and Isles of Greece
            and vanish back into the mists of History. Neither The Minoans
            nor the Mycenaeans were remembered, until our own 1840's (AD)
            when the ruins were discovered and slowly excavated (a process
            still uncompleted to this day).


                         Last amended June 11, 1989  --  Page NEXTRECORD 



                                                                             369

               Egypt, it has been said, introduced government to the world
            (and Bureaucracy and all that goes with it). Minos introduced the
            concept of Laws governing all equally (which Homer's Greece would
            rediscover in its own era) and the value of colonization & trade.
            Each had its religions and cults, but it was in Mycenaean that did
            rise truly human gods and goddesses - those who could weep or
            laugh, who did not simply hold themselves aloof from the majority
            of the population but who were close and intricately associated
            with their people.

               In concept, and in Mycenaean Myth, we are all descended from
            the gods. We are all their children, and we are all working
            towards learning what we must to take our proper places beside
            them one day in a future existence. We all have within us the
            ability to perform feats of wonder, magic as we call it, through our
            own ability of will and perception.

               As children of the gods and goddesses, we are imperfect only
            in that we have not yet learned the ways to best utilize our own
            abilities and to work with nature thoroughly - as Neo-Pagans we
            can work towards this goal, unlike those who refuse to open their
            eyes to their own ability and instead falsely believe that nature
            is a force to be battled and conquered instead of one that we are
            part of and must work with in order to survive. We are not in
            any way perfect, we do not have 'the one true path' or the 'one
            way to enlightenment', we have simply chosen a path in this belief
            system and religion that serves our personal growth (some may even
            walk this path and then later chose another closer to their own
            hearts in some way). We ask that others accept the fact that we
            have chosen this path of our own free will, if they ask for any
            information we shall give it freely, and that we ask that they be
            tolerant of us in our every day lives and not show bigotry against
            us for our belief path.

               The Mycenaean Era, historically lasted from approx. 1700 BC, as
            the Minoan Empire collapsed inward, and prospered through till 1120
            BC when the last shreds of it fell beneath the onslaught of the
            invading Dorians, who were the ancestors of Homer's Greece. The
            fall of Mycenaea brought with it a terrible 400 years of what has
            been called the 'Greek Dark Age' for the invaders destroyed all
            the knowledge of writing, and much of the culture and technology
            of the people of the land that was then Greece. They had come down
            out of the Northern parts of Central Europe, outnumbering the
            Mycenaeans and being experts at large scale war, still it took
            them from 1190 BCE to 1120 BCE to fully conquer the Mycenaeans.

               When the Dorians invaded and conquered the people, they
            destroyed what was then the most advanced civilized people in
            Europe. Mycenae had the benefits of the technology of the Minoans
            and the advantages of a widespread sea-trade with Syria, Italy,
            Sicily, Spain, Egypt, Rhodes, Persia and even possibly the Isles
            of Britain. This widespread trade made them one of the richest
            people, and their willingness to exchange knowledge and goods
            made them welcome in many ports. Mycenae had colonized villages
            in many lands, to serve as trading posts with native peoples.
            Their only major war was, that which we know now as the Trojan
            War, in 1200 BC (approx), was a successful enterprise supposedly
            based on principle instead of greed.

                         Last amended June 11, 1989  --  Page NEXTRECORD 



                                                                             370

               Mycenae, like the native peoples of the Americas, were slowly
            worn down and defeated by an enemy they had sought to not war
            with but to trade with. The Dorians came first as raiders, then
            in larger numbers as they fled south from either hostile weather
            conditions or an unknown northern invader, and were not to be
            appeased with simply the lands of the neighbors of the Mycenaeans,
            such as the Hittites, but wanted the rich trade of the Black and
            Mediterranean Seas. They did not have a written language, but
            were evidently of similar stock of that which the Mycenaeans had
            once come from centuries before and spoke a similar tongue. They
            destroyed the citadels, palaces and shrines, burning many to the
            ground in their fury. They slew the learned and enslaved the
            poor and agricultural people to serve their own economy - they were
            not the peaceful folk that Homer first tries to show them to
            be, in Homer's day, after the ages, Mycenae was forgotten and
            Minoan Empire a wispy memory of long ago.

               Parts of the culture and its gods and goddesses were still so
            strongly enmeshed in the people that remained that the Dorians
            adapted it into their own rather than try to fight its existence,
            changing it to fit their own values and warlike natures. Thus the
            Mycenaean Age faded away in history and memory until the 1840's AD
            when the ruins of Mycenae were discovered and the Archaeological
            Society of Greece began to recover its forgotten past.

               Much of what we have to work with in our beliefs are based on
            the records of archaeological findings, the eventual deciphering
            of the few tablets and inscriptions in the ancient language of
            the people (Many of which were simply old accounting records)
            and the myths that have survived even the purging and nature of
            the Homeric era. Vocal records always change tales with the
            telling, and thus it has been painstakingly difficult to produce
            what these pages attempt to do. Much has had to been assumed in
            my research as the information is not available, and some has been
            modified to suit our modern times and needs. Thus this is not a
            recreation,no more than Ar nDracht Fan can claim an absolute
            reconstruction of Celtic Druidism, but a new view for the present
            and hopefully the future.

                  Each Wanax is responsible for seeing that their Damos sits
               down and somehow develops a name for their Damos, and it is by
                    this name that they will be known to other Damosi. It is    
          suggested that Greek names or ones related to the places they 
          choose to name sacred or to the local Native American Indian     names
          be used (We, as members of the Myceneaen belief must   realize     the
          rights of the natives of the lands we presently live   in   and   also
          respect and honor their gods, goddesses and local      nature  spirits
          and beliefs, for like the original Myceneaens we  accept  the validity
          of local deities as much as our own, some    being  our  own known  by
          other names and some being local powers      like the  dozens of river
          gods and nature spirits found in ancient     Greece). If a name is not
          to be in Greek or in line with a Native      American  group  then  it
          should in some way reflect the nature of     the  people involved  and
          their own goals together. Names,   preferably, should not be more than
          ten words in length and not   less than  two. At the end  of each name
          shall be added the word  Damos, to identify it as a part of the Laos.



                         Last amended June 11, 1989  --  Page NEXTRECORD 



                                                                             371


                  For the present I have chosen to act as the Basileus of the
               'organization', that is I wish to be a personage who will be the
               arbitrator (if requested by all sides) in disputes between any
               two or more Wanaxi or Damosi dealing with the material in my
               structure or in a gathering of Damosi. I will also, for the
               moment, hold the position of a communications point between any
               of the further spread Damosi. I hold this position only until
               we have someone who can serve better for either position and who
               is willing to take on the duties - the position holds no true
               power over other Wanaxi or the greater Damosi unless they choose
               to have me arbitrate. This position I will hold no longer than
               ten years, and preferably much less. Once a hundred Wanax are
               established they will have the power, by a majority decision,
               to decide when to replace the Basileus and with who (the who
               must be willing to take the office).

                  I also ask that all Wanaxi record their record of activities
               (which we will call, for lack of better terminology your Damosi's
               Book of Records) in photocopy, ASCII text file or to be
               Handwritten/typed/carboned and pass this duplicate on to me to
               keep  and utilize for communicating with all the members of the
               Laos (the people, in greek) of the Mycenaea faith, either within
               newsletters, computer files or whatever - based on the needs of
               each individual of the faith. This is a matter of choice of the
               Wanax personally, if they feel they need secrecy for some reason
               that is their choice and they may choose not to send such to me.
               I am not in a position of power in this path, simply a guide for
               part of the way and then it is up to your own selves to decide
               where you will go dealing with the path, your Wanax, your damos
               and your life-cycles.

               Many of the ancient titles and positions within Mycenae are
            no longer of great import in today's society, but might one day
            become of import. The E-qe-tai (ee-kay-tie) were the liaison
            between the temples and the military, I suggest that this be a
            position given by each Wanax to a member of their Damos when
            they feel the need for someone to act as a Liaison between the
            Damos and any other Damos, a messenger of sorts between groups,
            and also to serve as such if the group comes into contact with
            the press or other public media. This position need not be a
            permanent one, and several may be bestowed this title at one
            time if more than one series of liaisons are necessary. The
            Ko-Re-te (kowe-ray-tay) were military commanders within a Damos,
            we have no need of such at present, unless the Wanax of a group
            chooses that members of their Damos should learn a martial art
            or weapon skill for personal growth - then the Ko-Re-te will be
            the title given to a teacher within the group (You should not
            expect members of your Damos to be taught in such things by a
            person outside the Laos, nor can teaching be forced or required,
            only requested or suggested).

              The Lawagetas was in ancient times the 'Leader of the Host',
            a military leader for a collection of the Laos from more than
            one Damos for a particular purpose. Obviously this is not a
            needed position within our present structure. The Pa-si-re-u
            was the official responsible within a Damos responsible for the
            bronze smiths, again a title I cannot see the need to restore

                         Last amended June 11, 1989  --  Page NEXTRECORD 



                                                                             372

            (If anyone is skilled at this art and wishes to offer it as a
            teaching to members of your Damos, then grant them the title).

              The klawiphoroi were the key-bearers, always female, of the
            temple. Since our temples, shrines, groves and altars will be
            most likely within other buildings or outside and there is no
            plan to purchase buildings at present for this purpose (for we
            are a poor folk) this title will remain among the unused.

              Each individual of the Laos, including those not of a Damos,
            may consider themselves Mycenaean Priests and Priestesses as long
            as they choose to follow this path of Neo-Paganism. There are no
            paian (non-clerical followers), though there may be members of
            other faiths present at a ritual, celebration or gathering -
            so long as they are willing to accept the rules of hospitality.
            Due to legalities, children are brought into ritual rarely -
            they are not yet on this path and should not be forced upon it
            like some religions do. We must not make the mistakes that many
            mainstream religions have before. They can be present at an open
            celebration, but should not be brought into ritual until they
            are old enough to understand the beliefs and concepts, say
            not before their 16th birthday (this will be an arbitrary
            choice between the Wanax and the parents).

               Finances are the choice of the to deal with, and whether they
            will handle the finances of the Damos or have a separate person
            appointed treasurer or choose to keep no finances for the group
            but run the group as a 'donate anything but money' operation. I
            would like to hear from the Wanaxi on how they are handling their
            finances and the operations herein, especially any who set up
            their Damos as a physical communal household or farm site.




























                         Last amended June 11, 1989  --  Page NEXTRECORD 



                                                                             373


                       THE LAWS OF HOSPITALITY FOR MYCENEAENS
                       ---------------------------------------
            1) A Guest always has the right to leave a Host's home, lands,
               celebration or gathering when they wish (this is not possible
               always in the middle of a ritual and can only be done when the
               officiary of the ritual grants it magically etc), without
               harm or threat of harm, with all that they brought with them
               into the locale.

            2) A Host always has the right to ask a Guest to leave their home,
               lands, celebration, gathering or ritual without conflict of
               a physical or verbal nature, and to take with them all they
               brought with them into the locale.

            3) A Host has the right to request an armed guest to peace-bond,
               remove from the locale or to take a weapon of any obvious
               nature, unless necessary for a ritual taking place, until it
               the guest is ready to leave without argument or conflict.

            4) A Host has the right to request a guest not utilize or even
               bring into their home, lands, celebration, gathering or ritual
               any substance or device that may be legally questionable or
               outlawed or physically harmful to the Hosts health or that of
               other guests or members of the Damos. (this may be anything
               from drugs, alcohol, poisons, cigarettes, flamethrowers etc.
               all by the Host's discretion).

            5) A Host may ask the following of a personal rule of hygiene or
               social concept be followed by a guest while within the home,
               celebration, ritual, lands etc (EX: the removal of shoes before
               entering the house, the washing of hands, maintaining a low
               level of noise due to someone else sleeping, sharing in the
               breaking of bread, etc by the host's discretion).

            6) Both Host and Guest are bound by a rule of trust - none shall
               carry out violence of a physical or psychic nature against
               those present or they shall be in violation of the rules of
               Hospitality and nullify all such rules at that point.

            7) Neither Host nor guest shall steal from the other - either
               doing such shall be in violation of the rules of Hospitality
               and they shall be annulled at that point.
















                         Last amended June 11, 1989  --  Page NEXTRECORD 



                                                                             374


            8) The Host may ask one service of the guest if they are to
               share meal, sleep within the hosts area, or in other words
               impose on the host in any manner. This service cannot require
               the leaving of the hosts area, nor be of an illegal, personally
               distasteful or harmful way, but will most probably be of a
               simple manner (and not the tasks set out historically in legend)
               such as assisting with the setting of the table, chopping of
               wood for the fire, etc. This is not mandatory, simply suggested
               in conceptual context of the original Mycenaean Society.

            9) The Host and guest, if of different religions, will not seek to
               force their beliefs upon the other - discussion is allowed, but
               not obvious attempts to convert or proselytize.

            10) The Host and guest (and members of the Hosts Damos) will not
               seek to force their affections on each other sexually - this
               does not rule out flirtation, involvement or seduction, but
               does rule out harassment, forced sex and rape. If a person
               says they are not interested then their word is final and any
               further consideration should be personally curbed. Violation of
               this rule invalidates the rules of hospitality in the
               situation.

            11) The Host may request of a Guest reimbursement for any supplies
               that have been used in the feeding or entertainment of the guest
               that are considered excessive. Additionally a guest is expected
               to repay any bills of an excessive nature (such as those of
               long distance telephone calls) that they are responsible for.

            12) A Guest at Ritual is expected to accept the Authority of the
               officiaries within the ritual area as absolute, and shall not
               question their authority or actions while within the ritual area.
               Nor shall a Guest seek to disrupt a ritual from within or from
               outside of it while it is being carried out.

            13) A Guest is expected to provide a gift for a host or the hosts
               Damos when visiting for ritual (A food dish or libation is the
               common practice) or celebration. This is waved if not more than
               one days notice has been given or if the Guest claims a truly
               impoverish condition in their own life.


















                         Last amended June 11, 1989  --  Page NEXTRECORD 



                                                                             375

             
              The above may seem simplistic, obvious or unnecessary, but I feel
            it is important that we have a set of rules for those who cannot
            see the obvious and to protect all involved. Further, I'd like to
            request that any member of the Laos who has had the Rules violated
            by a Host or Guest (especially those rules dealing with violence,
            Forced affection, theft etc) to report them by name to me, anyone
            who has been found in such violation with witnesses by members of
            any three Damosi will be reported as such and publicized by us
            internally to be avoided as Guest or Host (and of course, if a
            legal violation occurs any Host is welcome to report them as such
            to the authorities).

               Remember that a Guest or host cannot be considered held by the
            rules of Hospitality if they have not seen them and agreed to them
            beforehand. Feel free to suggest that other Neo-pagan groups
            accept these rules themselves - this does not have to be just a
            Myceneaen only concept.
                              ETHICS & CONCEPTS OF CONDUCT
                              ----------------------------
               You take, by using this work and collection of beliefs and the
            title of Myceneaen Priest or Priestess, the responsibility for
            your own life and actions in it. Every time you make a decision
            in life you are exercising your freedom and are responsible for
            your actions. With knowledge and power come great responsibility,
            to yourself, your Damos, your Waxan, the Laos, your homeland,
            your birth family, the human race and that of the entire planet.
            There are no 'evil' forces manipulating you or your actions, no
            devils or demons exist save in the minds of others (and if any do
            exist in your own mind then you must cast them out). No amount of
            alcohol, drugs or influence shall change the fact that you are
            still responsible for what you choose to do and not to do.

               Yes, we recognize that there are forces beyond our ability to
            fully conceive in this reality, that at times the gods and the
            goddesses might interfere with our lives, remember that there is
            something to be learned from each success and every failure, that
            they do not wish you to suffer - they simply wish you to learn
            and advance to one day rise above the need for the state of being
            what you are at present - bound within a limiting fleshly body
            for this cycle and for each you have and will have given to you
            until you have learned all this existence can teach and advance
            to a level where you may enjoin with the gods and see beyond our
            present.















                         Last amended June 11, 1989  --  Page NEXTRECORD 



                                                                             376