The Nine Muses

Terpsichore Ritual

Τερψιχόρη · Delight of the Sacred Chorus

Ritual written and designed by High Priest Zevios Metathronos

54 vibrations

Repetition level: Normal · ToZ Rituals

The intention of the rite
For dance, choral song and the joining of individual movement to a shared measure.
Terpsichore is honoured in the delight of the chorus. Her later attributes include the lyre and plectrum, while the earliest account of the Heliconian Muses already gives dance a place beside their song. Hesiod opens with their movement around the spring and the altar of Zeus. Hesiod, Theogony 1–115; 135; 915–917 The Muses: traditional literary and artistic attributes
Her sacred chorus joins voice and movement in a shared measure. The circle and lyre of the Shenu honour the many participants gathered into one harmony, while the prayer turns their concord towards its Divine source.
Download the full-resolution Shenu
Vibrate the full Greek name of each letter three times, from left to right. Sound the group wherever it appears before and after a prayer, allowing a brief silence between repetitions.
Reading the Greek aloud
The phonetic spelling follows the Temple’s Modern Greek liturgical reading. Hyphens separate syllables; capitals mark stress. The hymn’s ancient hexameter follows vowel quantity, which this reading does not reconstruct.
ah as in father · eh as in met · ee as in see · oh as in go without the final glide · oo as in moon. th as in thin; dh as in this. kh as in loch; gh is its voiced counterpart. hy is the breathy beginning of Hugh; y as in yes. Sound both consonants in ps and ks. Tap the r lightly.
Speak with an easy voice and let the punctuation guide the pauses. An apostrophe marks a vowel already omitted in the Greek. The sacred letters are sounded by their full Greek names, as named on the cards.

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Golden Book of Zeus Opening · Invocation to Terpsichore

The Golden Book of Zeus · Invocation of the Muses

Ancient Greek

Τερψιχόρη, τὸν ἱερὸν χορὸν περὶ τὰ θεῖα ἱστᾶσα, κύκλωσον τὴν ἡμετέραν ζωὴν τῷ τῆς εὐταξίας ῥυθμῷ.
tehrp-see-KHOH-ree, TOHN ee-eh-ROHN khoh-ROHN peh-REE TAH THEE-ah ee-STAH-sah, KEE-kloh-sohn TEEN ee-meh-TEH-rahn zoh-EEN TOH TEES ehf-tahk-SEE-ahs reeth-MOH.

English translation

Terpsichore, who settest the sacred dance about Divine things, encircle our life with the rhythm of noble order.

Δίδασκε τὰ μέλη συμφωνεῖν τῷ λόγῳ, ὡς ἂν τὸ μὲν ἀναγινωσκόμενον ἐν ἔργοις κινηθῇ, ἡ δὲ πρᾶξις πρὸς τὴν ἱερὰν πηγὴν ἐπιστρέφουσα τὸν χορὸν τελειώσῃ.
DHEE-dhah-skeh TAH MEH-lee seem-foh-NEEN TOH LOH-ghoh, ohs AHN TOH MEHN ah-nah-yee-noh-SKOH-meh-nohn ehn EHR-yees kee-nee-THEE, ee DHEH PRAHK-sees PROHS TEEN ee-eh-RAHN pee-YEEN eh-pee-STREH-foo-sah TOHN khoh-ROHN teh-lee-OH-see.

Teach our limbs to accord with the word, that what is read may move in deeds, and action, returning unto the sacred source, may bring the dance to fulfilment.

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Sacred hymn · Hymn to Terpsichore

Ten verses in dactylic hexameter · High Priest Zevios Metathronos

Ancient Greek

Τερψιχόρη, σὺ δὲ μολπὴν ἐνθάδε πᾶσιν ὀπάζεις.
tehrp-see-KHOH-ree, SEE DHEH mohl-PEEN ehn-THAH-dheh PAH-seen oh-PAH-zees.

English translation

Terpsichore, here you bestow the dancing song upon us all.

κύκλον ἐποιχόμεθ' ἀμφὶ σέθεν βωμὸν περικαλλῆ.
KEE-klohn eh-pee-KHOH-mehth' ahm-FEE SEH-thehn voh-MOHN peh-ree-kah-LEE.

We move in a circle around your beautiful altar.

χρύσεα νεῦρα λύρης θνητῶν εὖ θυμὸν ἰαίνει.
KHREE-seh-ah NEH-vrah LEE-rees thnee-TOHN EHV thee-MOHN ee-EH-nee.

The lyre's golden strings gently warm the mortal heart.

δεξιτερὸν πόδα πᾶς κατὰ κόσμον ἐν ἄνθεσι θείη.
dhehk-see-teh-ROHN POH-dhah PAHS kah-TAH KOH-zmohn ehn AHN-theh-see THEE-ee.

Let each set the right foot in order among the blossoms.

χεῖρα δὲ χειρὶ δίδωμι, χορὸς δ' ἀρετὴν ἀναφαίνει.
HYEE-rah DHEH hyee-REE DHEE-dhoh-mee, khoh-ROHS dh' ah-reh-TEEN ah-nah-FEH-nee.

I offer hand to hand, and the chorus brings excellence to light.

σῶμα δὲ πᾶν κατὰ κόσμον ἑλίσσεται, ἄμβροτε Μοῦσα.
SOH-mah DHEH PAHN kah-TAH KOH-zmohn eh-LEE-seh-teh, AHM-vroh-teh MOO-sah.

The whole body turns in order, immortal Muse.

γαῖα δὲ πόσσιν ὑπ' ἡμετέροις μέγα δῶρον ὀπάζει.
YEH-ah DHEH POH-seen eep' ee-meh-TEH-rees MEH-ghah DHOH-rohn oh-PAH-zee.

The earth beneath our feet bestows a mighty gift.

τέρψις ἀγαυὴ πάντα πόνον γλυκερὸν κατατεύχει.
TEHRP-sees ah-ghah-VEE PAHN-dah POH-nohn ghlee-keh-ROHN kah-tah-TEHF-hyee.

Radiant delight makes every labour sweet.

σοὶ δὲ χορὸν πλέκομεν, στεφάνους καὶ δῶρα φέροντες.
SEE DHEH khoh-ROHN PLEH-koh-mehn, steh-FAH-noos KEH DHOH-rah FEH-rohn-dehs.

For you we weave the chorus, bearing wreaths and gifts.

χαῖρε, θεά, σύ γε μολπῆς ἡγεμόνευε χοροῖο.
HYEH-reh, theh-AH, SEE yeh mohl-PEES ee-yeh-MOH-neh-veh khoh-REE-oh.

Hail, Goddess; lead the dancing song of the chorus.

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Closing praise · Glory to Terpsichore and Zeus

Terpsichore, leader of the sacred chorus, receive the praise of the circle gathered in your honour. Through your rhythm the many movements become one graceful concord. Glory to Zeus, whose order sustains the dance of the heavens and the fellowship of the Gods. Hail to the Muse who gives harmony its living motion; hail to the Father whose divine measure brings the chorus to fulfilment.

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FINAL STEP

After you are done with this, you can meditate on Terpsichore's Sigil in the Temple of Zeus. Let yourself be immersed and to receive energy from Terpsichore.

It's important to meditate on yourself after the Ritual calmly for a few minutes.

RITUAL NOTES

The dance upon Helicon

At the beginning of Hesiod’s Theogony, the Muses dance around the spring and the altar of Kronos’ mighty son. Water, movement and divine honour appear together at the origin of the poet’s account. Their chorus supplies an ancient image for Terpsichore’s circle and for the praise of Zeus. Hesiod, Theogony 1–115; 135; 915–917

The chorus and its sacred source

The Golden Book places Terpsichore’s dance about the Divine. Its invocation joins the limbs to the word and the rhythm of life to noble order, until the movement returns to its sacred source. The circle of her Shenu is contemplated in this fellowship of motion, harmony and divine measure. The Golden Book of Zeus, Invocation of the Muses · Terpsichore

Reading the Shenu

The central lyre and plectrum bear the musical office. Laurel, ribbons and an arc of gold beads extend that office into movement. The diamond sets a stable orientation behind the lyre, while the ribbons cross and return beneath it. The composition joins a clear centre to a flowing circumference. The Muses: traditional literary and artistic attributes

The sacred letters

Τ · Χ · Ρ gathers Τερψιχόρη, χορός and ῥυθμός: Terpsichore, the chorus and rhythm. Her letters accompany the joining of distinct movements into one sacred measure, as the circle returns to its Divine source. Temple of Zeus: sacred-letter recitation