The Zevistic Funeral

The Rite of Passage to the Gods

Death is not an ending. It is a passage and a transformation. The soul that departs the body does not cease to exist. It crosses from the world of the living into the world of the Gods, guided by divine powers who have performed this task since the beginning of time. The ancient world did not fear death. It prepared for it.

In the Egyptian tradition, the soul becomes an Akh: a luminous, transfigured being that joins the company of the Gods. In the Greek tradition, the soul is led by Hermes Psychopompos (the Guide of Souls) to the realm of the dead, where the righteous dwell in the Elysian Fields. In the Vedic tradition, the Atman (the eternal self) sheds the body as a person sheds worn-out garments and passes onward. These are not competing doctrines. They are descriptions of the same truth from different vantage points.

The Zevistic Funeral serves three purposes: to sanctify the dead from the errors of their earthly life, to empower the soul for the journey ahead, and to bless the soul's destination, whether in the Elysian Fields or in the next incarnation.

The rite has three forms:

Form I: The Sacred Funeral is the full ceremony, officiated by a Priest or Priestess, performed in the presence of the community. It takes place at the time of death or as soon as possible thereafter.

Form II: The Private Farewell is a simpler ceremony performed by the family alone, without a Priest or Priestess. It takes place at the time of death or as soon as the family is able to gather.

Form III: The Genesia is the memorial rite performed on the fortieth day after death, when the soul completes its departure from the earthly realm and passes fully to the Gods.

Form I: The Sacred Funeral

Officiated by a Priest or Priestess of the Temple of Zeus

What is Required

Preparation

The body or urn is present (or a photograph if the body is not available). The candle is placed near the head. The cypress or laurel branch is placed upon or beside the body. The incense is lit. Those present stand around the deceased. The Officiant stands at the head.

The Opening

The Officiant speaks the Invocation:

ΕΝ ΟΝΟΜΑΤΙ ΤΟΥ ΖΕΒ ΥΨΙΣΤΟΥ, ΠΑΤΡΟΣ ΘΕΩΝ ΤΕ ΚΑΙ ΑΝΘΡΩΠΩΝ
En Onomati tou Zev Hypsistou, Patros Theon te kai Anthropon

ॐ ज़ेव् देवदेवाय सत्याय नमः
Om Zev Devadevaaya Satyaaya Namah

The Officiant continues:

In the presence of Zeus, King of the Gods, Father of Gods and men,
In the presence of Hermes Psychopompos, Guide of Souls, who leads the dead from this world to the next,
In the presence of Anubis, Guardian of the Way, who opens the gates and weighs the heart,
In the presence of Osiris, Lord of the West, who receives the dead into His kingdom,
Before all the Gods and sacred Daemons who watch over the passage of souls:

We gather to honor the life of [name of the deceased] and to commend this soul to the keeping of the Gods.

The Speaking of the Name

The Officiant speaks the name of the deceased. If the family holds a Ren (Amphidromia name) and chooses to speak it for the final time, it is spoken now. If not, the worldly name or spiritual name is spoken.

The name of this soul is [name].

We speak this name so that the Gods may hear it, so that Hermes may know whom to guide, so that Anubis may know whom to receive, and so that the soul itself may remember what it is and where it came from.

As long as a name is spoken, the soul endures. We speak your name, [name], and by this speaking, we carry you forward.

If the Ren is spoken, this is the last time it is ever uttered. It has served its purpose. It protected the person in life and it identifies the soul before the Gods in death. After the funeral, the Ren returns to silence.

The Three Prayers

The Officiant now recites the Three Prayers in sequence, without pause. These prayers accomplish three things: the sanctification of the dead, the empowerment of the soul, and the blessing of the soul's destination.

The First Prayer: Sanctification

For the cleansing of the dead from the errors and burdens of their earthly life

ENGLISH

Zeus, King of the Gods, Lord of Justice and of Mercy,
Ma'at, Goddess of Truth, before whose scales the heart is measured:

This soul, [name], lived upon the earth. This soul walked among mortals, breathed mortal air, and bore the weight of a mortal life. No life is without error. No heart is without stain. We do not claim perfection for the dead. We ask for purification.

Wash this soul of every mistake made in ignorance.
Burn away every impurity gathered in the confusion of earthly life.
Forgive what was done in weakness, for the flesh is weak and the world is full of deception.
Judge this soul not by its worst moment but by the direction of its heart.
Let the errors fall away like ashes, and let what is pure remain.

We ask this in the Name of Zeus, who is Just.
We ask this under the Law of Ma'at, who weighs all things truly.
We ask this in the light of Satya (सत्य), the Eternal Truth that sees beyond appearances.

Sanctify this soul. Let it pass forward, clean.

Η ΑΡΧΑΙΑ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗ ΠΡΟΣΕΥΧΗ

Ζεῦ, Βασιλεῦ Θεῶν, Κύριε Δικαιοσύνης καὶ Ἐλέους,
Ma'at, Θεὰ τῆς Ἀληθείας, πρὸ τῆς πλάστιγγος Σου μετρεῖται ἡ καρδία:

Αὕτη ἡ ψυχή, [ὄνομα], ἔζησεν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. Ἐβάδισε μεταξὺ θνητῶν, ἀνέπνευσεν ἀέρα θνητόν, καὶ ἔφερε τὸ βάρος βίου θνητοῦ. Οὐδεὶς βίος ἄνευ σφάλματος. Οὐδεμία καρδία ἄνευ κηλῖδος. Οὐκ ἀξιοῦμεν τελειότητα διὰ τὸν νεκρόν. Αἰτούμεθα κάθαρσιν.

Λοῦσον ταύτην τὴν ψυχὴν ἐκ παντὸς σφάλματος γενομένου ἐν ἀγνοίᾳ.
Κατάκαυσον πᾶσαν ἀκαθαρσίαν συλλεγεῖσαν ἐν τῇ συγχύσει τοῦ ἐπιγείου βίου.
Συγχώρησον τὸ πραχθὲν ἐξ ἀσθενείας, ἐπειδὴ ἡ σὰρξ ἀσθενής ἐστι καὶ ὁ κόσμος πλήρης ἀπάτης.
Κρῖνον ταύτην τὴν ψυχὴν οὐ κατὰ τὴν χειρίστην στιγμὴν ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὴν φοράν τῆς καρδίας.
Πεσάτωσαν τὰ σφάλματα ὡς τέφρα, καὶ μεινάτω τὸ καθαρόν.

Αἰτούμεθα τοῦτο ἐν ὀνόματι τοῦ Διός, ὃς δίκαιός ἐστι.
Αἰτούμεθα τοῦτο ὑπὸ τὸν Νόμον τῆς Ma'at, ἥτις πάντα ἀληθῶς σταθμᾷ.
Αἰτούμεθα τοῦτο ἐν τῷ φωτὶ τῆς Satya (सत्य), τῆς Αἰωνίου Ἀληθείας τῆς βλεπούσης πέραν τῶν φαινομένων.

Ἁγίασον ταύτην τὴν ψυχήν. Ἐασάτω παρελθεῖν, καθαρά.

TRANSLITERATION

Zeu, Basileu Theon, Kyrie Dikaiosynes kai Eleous,
Ma'at, Thea tes Aletheias, pro tes plastingos Sou metreitai he kardia:

Haute he psykhe, [onoma], ezesen epi tes ges. Ebadise metaxy thneton, anepneusen aera thneton, kai phere to baros biou thnetou. Oudeis bios aneu sphalmatous. Oudemia kardia aneu kelidos. Ouk axioumen teleioteta dia ton nekron. Aitoumetha katharsin.

Louson tauten ten psykhen ek pantos sphalmatous genomenou en agnoia.
Katakauskon pasan akatharsian syllegeisan en te synkhysei tou epigeiou biou.
Synkhoreson to prakhten ex astheneias, epeide he sarx asthenes esti kai ho kosmos pleres apates.
Krinon tauten ten psykhen ou kata ten kheiristen stigmen alla kata ten phoran tes kardias.
Pesatosan ta sphalmata hos tephra, kai meinato to katharon.

Aitoumetha touto en onomati tou Dios, hos dikaios esti.
Aitoumetha touto hypo ton Nomon tes Ma'at, hetis panta alethos stathma.
Aitoumetha touto en to photi tes Satya (सत्य), tes Aioniou Aletheias tes blepouses peran ton phainomenon.

Hagiason tauten ten psykhen. Easato parelthein, kathara.

The Second Prayer: Empowerment

For the strengthening of the soul on its journey through the gates

ENGLISH

Hermes Psychopompos, Guide of Souls, who walks between the worlds,
Who led the dead before You led the living, who knows every gate and every path:

Take this soul by the hand. Lead [name] through the darkness between the worlds. Let no gate be closed to this soul. Let no guardian turn this soul away. Open the way, as You have opened it for all the dead since the beginning.

Anubis, Opener of the Way, Guardian of the Scales,
Who stands at the threshold between the living and the dead:
Receive this soul. Weigh the heart with fairness, for this soul was faithful to the Gods. Let the heart be lighter than the feather. Let the passage be granted.

Empower this soul with the knowledge it needs to pass the gates.
Let it know the Names that must be spoken.
Let it remember what it learned in life.
Let its voice be strong when it declares itself before the Judges.
Let its light be bright when it crosses into the realm of the blessed.

Hermes, guide this soul. Anubis, receive this soul. The way is open.

Η ΑΡΧΑΙΑ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗ ΠΡΟΣΕΥΧΗ

Ἑρμῆ Ψυχοπομπέ, Ὁδηγὲ Ψυχῶν, ὁ βαίνων μεταξὺ τῶν κόσμων,
ὁ ἀγαγὼν τοὺς νεκροὺς πρὸ τῶν ζώντων, ὁ γνωρίζων πᾶσαν πύλην καὶ πᾶσαν ὁδόν:

Λάβε ταύτην τὴν ψυχὴν χειρός. Ὁδήγησον τὸν/τὴν [ὄνομα] διὰ τοῦ σκότους μεταξὺ τῶν κόσμων. Μηδεμία πύλη κλεισθήτω τῇδε τῇ ψυχῇ. Μηδεὶς φύλαξ ἀποστρεψάτω ταύτην. Ἄνοιξον τὴν ὁδόν, ὡς ἤνοιξας αὐτὴν πᾶσι τοῖς νεκροῖς ἀπ' ἀρχῆς.

Ἄνουβι, Ἀνοιγεῦ τῆς Ὁδοῦ, Φύλαξ τῶν Πλαστίγγων,
ὁ ἱστάμενος ἐπὶ τοῦ κατωφλίου μεταξὺ ζώντων καὶ νεκρῶν:
Δέξαι ταύτην τὴν ψυχήν. Στάθμησον τὴν καρδίαν δικαίως, ἐπειδὴ αὕτη ἡ ψυχὴ πιστὴ ἦν τοῖς Θεοῖς. Ἔστω ἡ καρδία ἐλαφροτέρα τοῦ πτεροῦ. Δοθήτω ἡ δίοδος.

Ἐνδυνάμωσον ταύτην τὴν ψυχὴν τῇ γνώσει ἧς χρῄζει πρὸς διάβασιν τῶν πυλῶν.
Γνώτω τὰ Ὀνόματα ἃ δεῖ ἐκφωνηθῆναι.
Μνησθήτω ὧν ἔμαθεν ἐν τῷ βίῳ.
Ἔστω ἡ φωνὴ αὐτῆς ἰσχυρὰ ὅταν δηλοῖ ἑαυτὴν ἐνώπιον τῶν Κριτῶν.
Ἔστω τὸ φῶς αὐτῆς λαμπρὸν ὅταν διαβαίνῃ εἰς τὸ βασίλειον τῶν μακάρων.

Ἑρμῆ, ὁδήγησον ταύτην τὴν ψυχήν. Ἄνουβι, δέξαι ταύτην τὴν ψυχήν. Ἡ ὁδὸς ἀνεῴχθη.

TRANSLITERATION

Herme Psykhopompe, Hodege Psykhon, ho bainon metaxy ton kosmon,
ho agagon tous nekrous pro ton zonton, ho gnorizon pasan pylen kai pasan hodon:

Labe tauten ten psykhen kheiros. Hodegeson ton/ten [onoma] dia tou skotous metaxy ton kosmon. Medemia pyle kleistheto tede te psykhe. Medeis phylax apostrepato tauten. Anoixon ten hodon, hos enoixas auten pasi tois nekrois ap' arkhes.

Anoubi, Anoigeu tes Hodou, Phylax ton Plastingon,
ho histamenos epi tou katophliou metaxy zonton kai nekron:
Dexai tauten ten psykhen. Stathmeson ten kardian dikaios, epeide haute he psykhe piste en tois Theois. Esto he kardia elaphrotera tou pterou. Dotheto he diodos.

Endynamoson tauten ten psykhen te gnosei hes khrezei pros diabasin ton pylon.
Gnoto ta Onomata ha dei ekphonethenai.
Mnestheto hon emathen en to bio.
Esto he phone autes iskhyra hotan deloi heauten enopion ton Kriton.
Esto to phos autes lampron hotan diabaine eis to basileion ton makaron.

Herme, hodegeson tauten ten psykhen. Anoubi, dexai tauten ten psykhen. He hodos aneokhthe.

The Third Prayer: Blessing

For the soul's rest in the Elysian Fields and blessing upon its next incarnation

ENGLISH

Zeus, Father of Gods and men, who holds the destiny of every soul,
Osiris, Lord of the West, who receives the righteous dead into Your kingdom,
Ma'at, whose feather is the measure of all things:

This soul has been sanctified. This soul has been empowered. Now we commend it to its destination.

If the scales are favorable, grant this soul rest in the Elysian Fields, among the blessed, in the company of heroes, sages, and the righteous dead of all ages. Let [name] dwell in light, in peace, and in the presence of the Gods. Let the meadows of the blessed receive this soul. Let the waters of memory restore what was forgotten.

And when the time comes for this soul to return, when the wheel of incarnation turns again, bless the life that is to come. Let the next life be born under favorable stars. Let the soul carry forward what it earned. Let the mistakes of the past be dissolved by the fire of purification, and let the wisdom of the past be retained.

Grant this soul mercy in its judgement.
Grant this soul peace in its resting.
Grant this soul strength in its return.

In the Name of Zeus, King of the Gods, who holds all destinies.
In the Name of Osiris, Lord of the West, who opens the gates of the blessed.
Under the Law of Ma'at, who judges all things truly.
In the light of Satya (सत्य), the Eternal Truth that endures beyond death.

[name], go to the Gods. The way is open. The light is before you. We who remain will speak your name, and as long as your name is spoken, you endure.

So it is declared. So it is done.

Η ΑΡΧΑΙΑ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗ ΠΡΟΣΕΥΧΗ

Ζεῦ, Πάτερ Θεῶν καὶ ἀνθρώπων, ὁ κρατῶν τὴν μοῖραν πάσης ψυχῆς,
Ὄσιρι, Κύριε τῆς Δύσεως, ὁ δεχόμενος τοὺς δικαίους νεκροὺς εἰς τὴν Σὴν βασιλείαν,
Ma'at, ἧς τὸ πτερὸν μέτρον πάντων ἐστίν:

Αὕτη ἡ ψυχὴ ἡγιάσθη. Αὕτη ἡ ψυχὴ ἐνεδυναμώθη. Νῦν παραδίδομεν αὐτὴν τῷ προορισμῷ αὐτῆς.

Ἐὰν αἱ πλάστιγγες εὐνοῶσι, δὸς ταύτῃ τῇ ψυχῇ ἀνάπαυσιν ἐν τοῖς Ἠλυσίοις Πεδίοις, μεταξὺ τῶν μακάρων, ἐν τῇ συνοδείᾳ ἡρώων, σοφῶν, καὶ τῶν δικαίων νεκρῶν πασῶν τῶν ἐποχῶν. Κατοικησάτω ὁ/ἡ [ὄνομα] ἐν φωτί, ἐν εἰρήνῃ, καὶ ἐν τῇ παρουσίᾳ τῶν Θεῶν. Δεξάσθωσαν οἱ λειμῶνες τῶν μακάρων ταύτην τὴν ψυχήν. Ἀποκαταστησάτωσαν τὰ ὕδατα τῆς μνήμης τὸ λησμονηθέν.

Καὶ ὅταν ἔλθῃ ὁ καιρὸς τῆς ἐπιστροφῆς ταύτης τῆς ψυχῆς, ὅταν ὁ τροχὸς τῆς μετενσαρκώσεως στραφῇ πάλιν, εὐλόγησον τὸν βίον τὸν ἐρχόμενον. Γεννηθήτω ὁ ἑπόμενος βίος ὑπὸ εὐνοϊκοὺς ἀστέρας. Φερέτω ἡ ψυχὴ μεθ' ἑαυτῆς ὃ ἐκέρδισε. Λυθήτωσαν τὰ σφάλματα τοῦ παρελθόντος ὑπὸ τοῦ πυρὸς τῆς καθάρσεως, καὶ κρατηθήτω ἡ σοφία τοῦ παρελθόντος.

Δὸς ταύτῃ τῇ ψυχῇ ἔλεος ἐν τῇ κρίσει.
Δὸς ταύτῃ τῇ ψυχῇ εἰρήνην ἐν τῇ ἀναπαύσει.
Δὸς ταύτῃ τῇ ψυχῇ ἰσχὺν ἐν τῇ ἐπιστροφῇ.

Ἐν ὀνόματι τοῦ Διός, Βασιλέως τῶν Θεῶν, τοῦ κρατοῦντος πάσας τὰς μοίρας.
Ἐν ὀνόματι τοῦ Ὀσίριδος, Κυρίου τῆς Δύσεως, τοῦ ἀνοίγοντος τὰς πύλας τῶν μακάρων.
Ὑπὸ τὸν Νόμον τῆς Ma'at, ἥτις πάντα ἀληθῶς κρίνει.
Ἐν τῷ φωτὶ τῆς Satya (सत्य), τῆς Αἰωνίου Ἀληθείας τῆς ὑπερβαινούσης τὸν θάνατον.

[ὄνομα], πορεύου πρὸς τοὺς Θεούς. Ἡ ὁδὸς ἀνεῴχθη. Τὸ φῶς πρὸ σοῦ ἐστιν. Ἡμεῖς οἱ μένοντες λαλήσομεν τὸ ὄνομά σου, καὶ ἕως ἂν τὸ ὄνομά σου λαλῆται, σὺ διαμένεις.

Οὕτως ἐκηρύχθη. Οὕτως ἐγένετο.

TRANSLITERATION

Zeu, Pater Theon kai anthropon, ho kraton ten moiran pases psykhes,
Osiri, Kyrie tes Dyseos, ho dekhomenos tous dikaious nekrous eis ten Sen basileian,
Ma'at, hes to pteron metron panton estin:

Haute he psykhe hegiasthe. Haute he psykhe enedynamothe. Nyn paradidomen auten to proorismo autes.

Ean hai plastinges eunoosi, dos taute te psykhe anapausin en tois Elysiois Pediois, metaxy ton makaron, en te synodeia heroon, sophon, kai ton dikaion nekron pason ton epokhon. Katoikesato ho/he [onoma] en photi, en eirene, kai en te parousia ton Theon. Dexasthosan hoi leimones ton makaron tauten ten psykhen. Apokatastesatosan ta hydata tes mnemes to lesmonnethen.

Kai hotan elthe ho kairos tes epistrophes tautes tes psykhes, hotan ho trokhos tes metensarkoseos straphe palin, eulogeson ton bion ton erkhomenon. Gennethetho ho hepomenos bios hypo eunoikous asteras. Phereto he psykhe meth' heautes ho ekerdise. Lythetosan ta sphalmata tou parelthontos hypo tou pyros tes katharseos, kai kratethetho he sophia tou parelthontos.

Dos taute te psykhe eleos en te krisei.
Dos taute te psykhe eirenen en te anapausei.
Dos taute te psykhe iskhyn en te epistrophe.

En onomati tou Dios, Basileos ton Theon, tou kratountos pasas tas moiras.
En onomati tou Osiridos, Kyriou tes Dyseos, tou anoigontos tas pylas ton makaron.
Hypo ton Nomon tes Ma'at, hetis panta alethos krinei.
En to photi tes Satya (सत्य), tes Aioniou Aletheias tes hyperbainouses ton thanaton.

[onoma], poreuou pros tous Theous. He hodos aneokhthe. To phos pro sou estin. Hemeis hoi menontes lalesomen to onoma sou, kai heos an to onoma sou laletai, sy diameneis.

Houtos ekerykthe. Houtos egeneto.

The Closing

The Officiant pours the libation (wine, milk, or honey) upon the earth beside the body or urn, speaking:

This libation is for you, [name]. Drink from the offering of the living. The earth receives what the living give, and the dead receive what the earth carries downward.

The cypress or laurel branch is placed upon the body or urn (or laid beside the grave).

All present respond:

Praised be Zeus, the God of Gods, the Unconquered and Greatest, Father of Gods and Men, King of the Immortals!

The Officiant speaks the final words:

Go in peace, [name]. The Gods receive you. We who remain carry your name forward. Until we meet again, in this life or the next, you are not forgotten.

The rite is concluded.

Form II: The Private Farewell

Performed by the family or by an individual, without a Priest or Priestess

Not every death occurs within reach of a Priest or Priestess. The Gods do not require institutional mediation to receive a soul. If you have lost someone and wish to commend their soul to the Gods in the privacy of your home, this simpler form is provided.

All you need is a candle, a quiet space, and your voice. Light the candle. Sit or stand in stillness before a photograph or object belonging to the deceased.

The Rite

Speak the name of the deceased three times:

[name]. [name]. [name].

I speak your name so that the Gods may hear it and so that you may remember who you are.

IMPORTANT: The Three Prayers (Sanctification, Empowerment, and Blessing) from Form I must be recited in full during the Private Farewell as well. They are the same prayers, spoken by the family member instead of the Priest. Read them from this page in English, in Ancient Greek, or both. These prayers are what sanctify the dead, empower the soul, and bless its destination. They are not optional. They are the core of the rite.

If grief makes the full recitation impossible, speak at minimum the following, and return to recite the full prayers when you are able:

Zeus, receive this soul.
Hermes, guide this soul.
Anubis, open the way.
Ma'at, judge with mercy.
[name], go to the Gods. The way is open. I will speak your name.

After the prayers, sit in silence with the candle burning. Speak to the deceased if you wish. The soul lingers for forty days. It can hear you.

Close with:

Praised be Zeus, the God of Gods, the Unconquered and Greatest, Father of Gods and Men, King of the Immortals!

The Forty Days

In the Zevistic tradition, the soul does not depart the earthly realm immediately at the moment of death. For forty days, the soul lingers between the worlds: present at the places it loved, near the people it knew, gradually loosening its bonds to the life it lived. During these forty days, the prayers of the living reach the soul and strengthen it. The incense burned in its name rises to the Gods on its behalf. The speaking of its name sustains it.

On the fortieth day, the passage is complete. The soul departs fully from the earthly realm and enters the domain of the Gods. It is for this reason that the Genesia (the 40-day memorial) is performed: it is the final farewell, the moment at which the living release the dead and the dead enter fully into the next phase of their existence.

This doctrine is attested across ancient civilizations. The Egyptian embalming process lasted forty days. The Greek Tessarakostē (fortieth-day observance) was practiced throughout the ancient Mediterranean. The number forty appears in funerary contexts across Egypt, Greece, Rome, and the Vedic world. It is not arbitrary. It reflects an observed spiritual reality: the soul requires forty days to complete its separation from the body and the earthly world.

Form III: The Genesia

The Fortieth-Day Memorial

Performed on the fortieth day after death

On the fortieth day after death, the soul completes its passage from the earthly realm. For thirty-nine days it has lingered: visiting the places it loved, hearing the prayers of the living, receiving the incense and the libations offered in its name. On the fortieth day, it departs fully and enters the domain of the Gods.

The Genesia is the final farewell. After this day, the soul is no longer between the worlds. It has arrived.

What is Required

The Rite

Light the candle and the incense. Those present gather around the table or at the gravesite.

The eldest family member or the Officiant speaks:

Forty days have passed since [name] departed from this world. For forty days the soul has lingered between the living and the dead, hearing our prayers, receiving our offerings, and preparing for the final passage.

Today, the passage is complete. Today, [name] crosses fully into the realm of the Gods. We gather to speak the name one final time, to pour the final libation, and to release this soul into the keeping of the immortals.

The name is spoken for the final time in this context:

[name].

We have spoken your name for forty days. We have kept you in our prayers, in our incense, and in our hearts. Now we release you. Go to the Elysian Fields. Go to the company of the blessed. Go to the Gods who made you, who guided you, and who now receive you.

You are no longer between. You have arrived.

The Third Prayer (Blessing) is recited once more, in full.

The libation is poured upon the earth:

This is the final offering of the living to the dead. Receive it, [name], and carry with you the love of those who remain.

All present close:

Praised be Zeus, the God of Gods, the Unconquered and Greatest, Father of Gods and Men, King of the Immortals!

The rite is concluded. The meal is shared. The living eat together in honor of the dead, as the ancients did. Stories are told. The deceased is remembered with love, with laughter, and with gratitude for the life that was lived.

After the Genesia, the mourning period ends. The soul is with the Gods. The living return to life, carrying the name of the dead in their memory and speaking it on the anniversaries, at the festivals, and whenever the heart calls it forth.

As long as the name is spoken, the soul endures.

Sigil in Gold

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