Ariadne's Tribe: Minoan Spirituality for the Modern World

Walk the sacred labyrinth with Ariadne, the Minotaur, the Great Mothers, Dionysus, and the rest of the Minoan family of deities. Ariadne's Tribe is an independent spiritual tradition that brings the deities of the ancient Minoans alive in the modern world. We're a revivalist tradition, not a reconstructionist one. We rely heavily on shared gnosis and the practical realities of Paganism in the modern world. Ariadne's thread reaches across the millennia to connect us with the divine. Will you follow where it leads?

Find out all about Ariadne's Tribe at ariadnestribe.com. We're an inclusive, welcoming tradition, open to all who share our love for the Minoan deities and respect for our fellow human beings.

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It takes a village, but what do you call the villagers?

Posted by on in Paths Blogs

One of the more challenging aspects of developing a new spiritual tradition is having to figure out what you need terms for and what those terms should be.

I was in the middle of writing a child blessing ritual for the upcoming second edition of Ariadne's Thread (release date: May 15) and realized I needed a term for Modern Minoan Paganism folx to use, a word for the kind of person Christians call godparents: the close family friend who will have a special place in the life of a child as they grow up.

A number of traditions and cultures have their own term for this special person in a child's life. Some Pagans have "polytheisized" the Christian term to godsparents. Humanists use the word guideparents. Native Americans and some Asian cultures have aunties

But I didn't want to appropriate a marginalized culture's term. And the variants on "godparent" felt a little awkward, like they didn't really fit the "extended family" vibe we want for this kind of relationship in Ariadne's Tribe. After some poking around online and in dictionaries and some helpful discussion with Tribe folx, we now have a term that we'll be using.

The word? Amia.

It's the Latin-alphabet spelling of the Greek word άμια, pronounced AH-mee-ah. In Greek tradition, the word is used for grannies, aunts, and any beloved elderly woman, relative or not.

The word has an interesting history. It was borrowed into Greek from Venetian (an Italian dialect), where it was used the same way. Ultimately, it derives from the Latin word amicus, meaning "friend."

In the same way that we consider our pantheon to be a family of deities, we also consider our extended families - blood relatives and chosen family - to be important parts of our spiritual lives. So we'll be using the term amia to refer to our dear friends (of any gender) who will play an important role in a child's life as they grow up. And we'll acknowledge them at our child blessing ceremonies so everyone knows how much we value their presence.

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Laura Perry is a priestess and creator who works magic with words, paint, ink, music, textiles, and herbs. She's the founder and Temple Mom of Ariadne's Tribe, an inclusive Minoan spiritual tradition. When she's not busy drawing and writing, you can find her in the garden or giving living history demonstrations at local historic sites.

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