Creating a shrine to Charon?

[Occult Forum Archive]

Original post: Chalis

My major guide/patron god is Charon the Ferryman, and I would like to go about making a shrine to him.

I have an idea of several things I would place on it, such a a gold coin, and a small, wooden boat, and I would probably use a grey cloth to cover the shrine, as every time I have encountered him, he has been clad in grey.

The literature that I have been able to find about Charon, though, is sparse to say the least. I know I could *ask* him myself, but I am having difficulty 'travelling' at the moment and stay bodybound no matter how hard I try.

Can anybody suggest other colours or scents that would be suitable? Or even point me in the direction of some decent information about my patron? This is the first time I have ever worked with a god, so I'm struggling a bit.

Any help would be greatly appreciated

[Occult Forum Archive]

Original post: Mmothra

Charon is, literally, a psychopomp in that he accompanies souls from the realm of the living to the realm of the dead. He would therefore have relationships with Hermes and Thoth (both also psychopomps) and by extension, any of the cthonic deities with liminal roles.

Personally, I think a stationary home shrine to a deity who is by definition in constant motion and most likely originated as a river god is a bit counter-intuitive. Perhaps you could incorporate either naturally or artificially running water?

Below are a few relevant links.


http://www.sxws.com/charis/relics6.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charon_(mythology)

Charon was the son of Erebus and Nyx.

He was depicted as a cranky, skinny old man or a winged demon with a double hammer.

It is often said that he ferried souls across the river Styx. This is suggested by Virgil in his Aeneid (book 6, line 369). However, by most accounts, including Pausanias (x.28) and, later, Dante's Inferno, the river was Acheron.

Dante Alighieri incorperated Charon into Christian mythology in his Divine Comedy. He is the same as his Greek counterpart, being paid an obolus to cross Acheron. He is the first named character Dante meets in hell, in the third Canto of Inferno.

http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery;jse ... sbid=lc04b

[Occult Forum Archive]

Original post: Qryztufre

From: http://www.theoi.com/Khthonios/Kharon.html

CULT OF KHARON

A sanctuary dedicated to Kharon, a so-called Kharonion, usually consisted of a volcanic or thermal cavern associated with the cult of Haides and Persephone.

I) AKHARAKA Town in Karia (Asia Minor)

"On the road between the Tralleians and Nysa is a village of the Nysaians, not far from the city Akharaka, where is the Ploutonion (Sanctuary of Plouton), with a costly sacred precinct and a shrine of Plouton [Haides] and Kore [Persephone], and also the Kharonion (Sanctuary of Kharon), a cave that lies above the sacred precinct, by nature wonderful; for they say that those who are diseased and give heed to the cures prescribed by these gods resort thither and live in the village near the cave among experienced priests, who on their behalf sleep in the cave and through dreams prescribe the cures. These are also the men who invoke the healing power of the gods. And they often bring the sick into the cave and leave them there, to remain in quiet, like animals in their lurking-holes, without food for many days. And sometimes the sick give heed also to their own dreams, but still they use those other men, as priests, to initiate them into the mysteries and to counsel them. To all others the place is forbidden and deadly. A festival is celebrated every year at Akharaka; and at that time in particular those who celebrate the festival can see and hear concerning all these things; and at the festival, too, about noon, the boys and young men of the gymnasium, nude and anointed with oil, take up a bull and with haste carry him up into the cave; and, when let loose, the bull goes forward a short distance, falls, and breathes out his life." - Strabo, Geography 14.1.44

II) THYMBRIA Village in Karia (Asia Minor)

"One comes to a village [in Karia], the Karian Thymbria, near which is Aornon, a sacred cave, which is called Kharonion, since it emits deadly vapors." - Strabo, Geography 14.1.11

Shared mostly for inspiration...as it's not a real shine, only a sanctuary which bears the correct corispondence well, kinda...but either way it's a fun read and has some decent links...It also shows some alternate spellings if you are interested in looking around google fer more ideas.
Q



Sorry...could not resist...

Personally, I think a stationary home shrine to a deity who is by definition in constant motion and most likely originated as a river god is a bit counter-intuitive. Perhaps you could incorporate either naturally or artificially running water?

[Occult Forum Archive]

Original post: Arcangle90



here's my coin. Paddle the boat biatch and wake me up when we get there.

sorry.. I couldn't help myself.

[Occult Forum Archive]

Original post: jack hectic

the river that charon ferrys (styx) circles the greek underworld nine times. perhaps you could make a shrine to the river. you could mediatate on the shrine that you make, therefore traveling (at least mentally) to that plane. also, look up the greek significance of the number 9. also, im much mythology i read there is a way of verifying your word is true. basically, saying that "i swear it by the river styx". if the god (usually its a god) who swore by this was lying or goes back on his word, he has to drink the water from the styx. the water takes his voice away for nine years, so that the god cannot speak for nine years.

just some info.

[Occult Forum Archive]

Original post: jack hectic

i would suggest making a shrine to the river Styx, since charon moves around alot. that way, you can still have a method of contacting him, but you are not restricting your mind or his spirit (being as styx is where he spends most of his time). try looking up old illustrationd of the river. ill post any that i find

[Occult Forum Archive]

Original post: jack hectic

nevermind, he ferrys them across acheron, http://www.pantheon.org/articles/s/styx_river.html, look up some of the links here, it should get you started. good luck!

heres another http://www.pantheon.org/articles/c/charon.html

[Occult Forum Archive]

Original post: edparadise

From thinking that the river(s) doesn't/don't really have "water" in it/them, Ed thought:

The water may not need representation if your relationship with the [insert referent] is based on the idea that what is being "ferried" over are [insert list of referents] which pertain to the world or the magical world(s) in question.

Ed is saying: the shrine may wish to be the boat, not the water the boat passes over; the metaphorical function of the ferryman is not the same as that of a river (or the [insert referent] that personifies such).

Ed always goes for simplicity, but if you feel that rigor is only supplied by details, and that the material in question does not furnish enough (say, for instance, the type of coin preferred - but then again, from the myth I would assume that you should have the coin, not the shrine)... try historically pertinent facts like what sort of skiffs the cultures in question would have built and from what materials, etc.

- ep