FESTIVALS AND RITUALS

The Liturgical Rhythm of the Ophidian Year

The liturgical life of Ophidism unfolds according to a rhythm that is neither linear nor repetitive, but spiralic. The festivals and rituals of the Ophidian year do not commemorate historical events nor celebrate human figures; they mark the points at which the Divine reveals Its movement—withdrawal, manifestation, rupture, and return.
Each celebration is a moment of encounter with the metamorphic presence of the Divine, a station along the spiral where the faithful pauses to contemplate the passage of the Principle through time and through the self.

A person dressed in dark clothing, seen from the back, holding a sword above black cups and a framed piece of art with a snake on a table, with candles and a mirror in the background.

Ophidian festivals and rituals do not serve to commemorate the past; they open a space in which the faithful may encounter the Divine in Its present movement.
The Serpent reveals a God who acts through metamorphosis, and the liturgical year is the arena in which this metamorphosis becomes audible and visible.
To follow the Ophidian calendar is to enter the Divine rhythm—to learn the courage of shedding, the discipline of descent, and the clarity that accompanies renewal.

The Ophidian year includes several festivals, divided in major and minors. The majors festivities serves to build the skeleton of our liturgical year, while the minors help building its identity and shape. For each festivity the Synodus organizes celebrations, events and ventures according to its meaning and symbolism.

  • The Udenerie are the beginning of the Ophidian liturgical year and, although are not considered to be one of the major festivities of Ophidism, they cover a fundamental role in our system. The Udenerie, being connected to the Farmacon for their own symbology, symbolize the pre-creative state of Nothingness. For this reason, Ophidians from all around the world celebrate this festivity with twelve hours of silence, from 11AM to 11PM. This important moment which marks the beginning of the Ophidian liturgical year, is preceded with eleven days of the Ordo Imminutionis and followed by the eleven Invocationes of the Serpent, celebrated starting from three days after the Udenerie until the first day of the Ofisie.

  • The Ofisie (20-21-22 December) celebrate the descent of the Farmacon into the cosmos. They mark the theological origin of all things, when the Nihil emanates the Serpent as the first being. Observed with solemn rites of silence and invocatory chants, the Ofisie are a time to reflect on the metaphysical foundations of the Ophidian path.

    Color: Gold

  • The Dies Mutationis (Day of Change) is celebrated with the rite of the molt. The black vestments are abandoned to wear white clothes for the day, symbolizing the eternal change of the Serpent. The celebration of the Ierà in this day requires the adoption of white vestments and cloths.

  • The Night of the Fire is celebrated during the ides of March, which in the old roman calendar indicated the end of the agricultural year, the night of the fire is celebrated with the ignition of eleven candles displayed in a spiral-shape by the ophidians. This minor feast is placed 6 days before the Disoterie, symbolizing therefore the condition for which Philia will be shown in the world. 

  • The Lesser day of Love is celebrated in the precise half of Disoterie season, the Dies Minor Amoris is the festivity dedicated to agàpe and charity. In this days the Ophidians organize charity events and ventures, supporting their local communities or other organizations. It can be celebrated with an ordinary liturgy and a communal lunch afterwards. 

  • The Disoterie (20-21-22 March) are dedicated to Philia, the principle of love and aggregation. During these festivities the Ophidian organizes charity events and other ventures aimed to spread the joy of Ophidism among others.

  • The day of Revelation is celebrated in the first day of June, the Dies Revelationis represents the poisoning of the world with knowledge by the Serpent’s teeth. It is the festivity of the Farmacon in act, enlightening and poisoning the universe. It is celebrated with a proper liturgy.

  • The Faidrerie (20-21-22 June) are the feast of knowledge and illumination. They celebrate the light of understanding that dispels confusion and opens the path to transcendence. Marked by communal liturgies and meditative study, the Faidrerie invite each Ophidian to rekindle their inner flame and to serve the Farmacon with renewed wisdom.

  • At the precise half of the month of July, the ritual of the 121 fires is held during the Dies Belli, the day dedicated to knowledge, enlightenment and martial virtues. In this day the Ophidians lights 121 candles around the Polemos’ helm, recalling dialectical fights, the strive towards knowledge, the commitment to a life of study, prayer and contemplation.

  • The Tanasimee (20-21-22 September) are the celebrations of death and desegregation. This feast renews the Ophidian commitment to inner struggle and purification through discipline, knowledge, and ritual devotion. It is a day of preparation and vigilance for the long winter of death.

  • Recollecting the ancient imaginary of Samhain, but also linked to the Ophidian doctrine, being placed eleven days before the Udenerie, the Dies Mortuorum (Day of the Dead) is the Ophidian festivity dedicated to the dear ones, the ancestors and, more in general, our roots. It is celebrated through proper liturgies and traditions. 

The Ophidian Liturgical Year

A lit white candle on a brass candle holder in front of a dark background, with a black cloth or cloak draped behind it. Part of another lit green candle in a brass holder is visible on the left. In the foreground, there is a small wooden bowl filled with pebbles or seeds.

Dies Serpentis

The Weekly Celebration of the Serpent

The Dies Serpentis (Day of the Serpent) stands as the most sacred weekly observance within the Ophidian Community. It is not merely an act of devotion to the Divine , but an essential and joyful time of sharing for what Ophidism terms self-givenness , honoring the autonomous and selfless manifestation of the Serpent. This essential rite honors the profound silence of the Pharmakon and the intentional waiting for the divine event that has not yet taken place.

The celebration is addressed to all Ophidians, including consecrated members of the Synodus, lay people, and novices, and takes place every Saturday morning, before 11:11 AM. It is an hour dedicated to honoring the great mystery that is divine manifestation , beginning with profound preparations on the preceding Friday evening and culminating in concentrated silence and simple offering.

The entire rite culminates precisely at 11:11 AM, the symbolic weekly time of the Serpent’s self-givenness. At this exact moment, Ophidians celebrate the Manifestatio Dei (God’s self-givenness) with the festive sounding of the ritual bell or gong , the uncovering of the icon, and the singing of "O Pater Patris".

Official Indications for the Dies Serpentis

To fully understand the preparatory arrangements, the solemn prayer (Deus qui es et non es), the order of the candle lighting, and the procedural structure of the Day of the Serpent, we invite you to download the official indications from the Synodus.

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