Great is Artemis of the cheese!

Sorita d'Este has found a reference to an ancient Greek cheese-stealing ritual:

In Lakedaimonion Politeia (2.9) we find a reference to this cheese stealing ritual in which two opposing groups of young men would contest some cheese, which would be stored on the altar of Artemis. The first group would defend the cheese with whips and the second group would try to steal it.

I definitely think this ritual should be revived; it sounds excellent. I'm sure it would benefit the cheese-makers (who are, as is well-known, blessèd, along with other manufacturers of dairy products).

San people performed world's oldest ritual

Apollon: World’s oldest ritual discovered. Worshipped the python 70,000 years ago
A startling archaeological discovery this summer changes our understanding of human history. While, up until now, scholars have largely held that man’s first rituals were carried out over 40, 000 years ago in Europe, it now appears that they were wrong about both the time and place.

Associate Professor Sheila Coulson, from the University of Oslo, can now show that modern humans, Homo sapiens, have performed advanced rituals in Africa for 70,000 years. She has, in other words, discovered mankind’s oldest known ritual.

The San (a branch of the Bushmen) are persecuted in their homelands. Hopefully this news might draw attention to their plight, and how you can help.

Apotropaic marks

Apotropaic marks and objects are often found in old houses. They were intended to turn away harm by distracting malevolent spirits. Examples include inscribed circles, sometimes with a daisy-wheel in them; double Vs (for Virgin of Virgins), random-looking scratches, and sometimes even runes. They are not a pagan custom, though they do indicate a belief in magic. Objects that have been found include dead cats (one hopes they had died of natural causes before being placed in the wall cavity), shoes, bottles and pots.

There are some apotropaic daisy-wheel marks in the doorway of the tithe-barn at Bradford-on-Avon.

Such marks are related to, but not the same as, mason's marks (which often had magical associations but were not put there to turn away harm).

Contemporary Pagans sometimes make spirit bottles (bottles containing coloured threads). Of course you can also carve or paint runes or other marks in your own house but you should never ever do it on old buildings or ancient monuments (and 99.99% of Pagans would never do this anyway).

There is a lot of information on the use of spirit patterns and objects in Nigel Pennick's excellent book, Practical Magic in the Northern Tradition.