Rest in the Field of Elysium

Elysian, a word from Greek Mythology relating to Elysium, meaning:  Blissful, blessed, celestial, heavenly, ethereal. It is an adjective describing something peaceful and perfect, something divinely inspired something beautifully creative.  “Being of such surpassing excellence as to suggest inspiration by the gods”
Elysium is the place of paradise for the heroic and the virtuous. The souls of those who had either died a hero's death or led a virtuous life will live in peace in Elysium forever. Elysium seemed to be the only happy part of the Underworld, and beyond its gates, one could see neighborhoods of beautiful houses from every time-period in history.
Originally only heroes whom the gods had made immortal went to Elysium. Eventually, it became the destination of anyone who had lived a righteous life. Chosen by the gods, the souls of mortals and demigods who have been good, righteous, and/or heroic, would remain after death to live a blessed and happy eternal death, and indulge whatever employment they had enjoyed in life.
What does this magical place look like?
To some, it maybe a sunny beach, a carefree place, to others the heights of a solitary mountain, peaceful and still.
To me: Elysium is a valley surrounded by walls, a gated community from which one could hear laughter and smell barbecue cooking. It has neighborhoods of beautiful houses from every time-period in history such as Roman villas, medieval castles, and Victorian mansions. It also has flowers of silver and gold blooming on the lawns, and grass rippling in rainbow colors, and one could hear laughter and smell barbecue cooking even when standing outside the gates.
The most famous of all Elysium (Elysian Fields) in the world, is right at the heart of Paris; we all know it, but maybe by another name, the French version:
 The Champs-Élysées!

The Avenue des Champs-Élysées (French pronunciation: [av(ə).ny de ʃɑ̃z‿e.li.ze] (About this sound listen)) is an avenue in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, 1.9 kilometres (1.2 mi) long and 70 metres (230 ft) wide, running between the Place de la Concorde and the Place Charles de Gaulle, where the Arc de Triomphe is located. It is known for its theatres, cafés, and luxury shops, for the annual Bastille Day military parade, and as the finish of the Tour de France cycle race.
-Wikipedia

Elysium in Neopaganism

Many Neopagans today, particularly Hellenic neopagans in the United States, have what most would consider a new-age view of Elysium. Elysium is seen as a multi-layered paradise, or Heaven, to many modern neopagans. Some believe that the outer layer of Elysium is composed of great and beautiful fields, often envisioned in imaginative descriptions as having green glowing blades of grass and bubbling springs of glowing water and wine, often made from the nectar of Ambrosia. Beyond the fields of Elysium, reserved only for the most righteous and virtuous, is the Golden City where spirits exist in a state of constant euphoria. Whether or not such beliefs are based in actual mythology often seems rather unimportant to many neopagans. Most claim that old myths are simply mortal accounts and interpretations of the divine, but the same could be argued about any current beliefs regarding Elysium. Much of what many modern neopagans believe today regarding Elysium seems to be borrowed from popular Christian imagery of Heaven.

Isles of the Blest

The Isles of the Blest (or the Fortunate Isles) are a group of three paradise islands in the center of Elysium. It is reserved for those who, upon entering the Underworld, are judged and return to Elysium three times in a row after being reborn.
They are thought to be the equivalent of islands on the western edge of the Earth, with continuous sunlight. Very few people make it to the Isles, as many prefer eternal residence in the pleasant Elysium to risking rebirth and ending up in Asphodel or the Fields of Punishment at the end of another life.It is believed that the greatest heroes of Greek mythology, such as Achilles, resided there after their deaths.

Happy  Memorial Day to Everyone



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