This was really, really hard. Even though the decision was completely in the hands of Zeus, I was still scared (!) when I reached my hand into the bowl of names to withdraw a folded slip of paper. Each and every submission was lovely and worthy of honor. I certainly want to thank everyone who made such a public offering to Zeus. 🙂
To select the winner, I left it entirely in His hands. At 9pm EST, I closed the Agon. I wrote the title of each piece and the name of its author on a small slip of paper, folded that up and put it in a bowl. I made offerings and prayers. I asked Zeus to consider each offering and after midnight, I would return to have Him select the victor.
A little after midnight, I came back to the shrine, made another prayer, took the bowl and, again praying for Him to guide my hand, selected a piece of paper. The winner: Melia Brokaw “Zeus, First and Last.” Congratulations, Melia!
I got the definite feeling that each submission was accepted with pleasure.
May He be hailed.
Congratulations, you deserved to win! I also thought that the hymn that was chosen was the best of the ones you submitted, and will look perfect on the prayer card.
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Thank you! Coming from you, well that means a lot to me!
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Where can we read this Prayer?
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Orange “my prayer” is the link, near the bottom of the post. 🙂
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i love it so that one of zeus’s most dedicated and lovely priestesses was chosen (and validated) by divination!
congratulations, melia.
🙂 khairete
suz
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Ah Thank you, but I don’t consider myself his priestess, only his messenger.
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oh, interesting. thanks for letting me know the distinction.
khairete
suz
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OH, I hope I didn’t come across rude or brusque. It is just my opinion that until HE tells me that I’m something other than his messenger, I don’t want to claim or infer something other than that. 🙂 Insomnia and mad packing for a 10 day trip may leave me less than polite.
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you? rude? i have never encountered that. no, i’m genuinely intrigued and pleased by your distinction. you ARE a priestess the way that i define it- performing worship rites on behalf of a certain god, and being a resource for others who may not have the close relationship you do. but i’m aware that there are a ton of different ways of defining ‘theoros’ and have much respect for the fact that you don’t define it or claim it lightly.
i’ve never known you to be impolite.
khairete
suz
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Oh Suz…Thank you for the chuckle. For the most part, on the ‘net, I do try for diplomacy… I’m known in real life to be blunt and sometimes that IS rude…so thank you for the compliment.
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Congratulations! It is a beautiful prayer. I also liked your prayer “Hymn of Zeus”. I love Hestia, so the line “Defender of the hearth” has special meaning for me. 🙂
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Thanks! Hestia has a special place in my home and have several works which praise her. 🙂
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