Quote:The one small test I'd made at first, other than the stated purpose, was the MP3 player...and that was just using the dregs from the culture container that was going to be cleaned, so it would've been wasted otherwise. As for using the strain after that...I'd ask. Fix up a herb sachet of laurel, marigold and rosemary, meditate before bedtime, then pray and ask for guidance. Sleep with that under my pillow, and see what, if any, types of dreams I get from it. Assuming I didn't get any dreams that seemed to indicate negativity/displeasure, I'd assume it was OK to go ahead with it. The next night, I'd ask permission for my next idea, just to make sure it was OK as well.
Personally I would be worried the gods might be offended that I am using their strain for things besides the designated purpose agreed upon when the ritual was done. Sure the memory strain is usefull but considering you belive it caused a godess to take up residence do you really want to risk using it for other stuff?
I have an idea of how to give thanks for the new strain, you see. I mentioned something in the writeup of the ritual - the primary power I wanted to invoke was Mnemosyne, and she is almost forgotten. Very little is known about her, compared to the rest of the Greek mythos. My own name for the strain would be Mnemosyne's honey, and I'd refer to it by that name to others. Passing samples on to others (especially if to other pagans), I'd tell them which gods were invoked, and ask people to give thanks to them if they use it. I'd also ask that any pagans who use it give a prayer and an offering (probably rosemary, or whatever else feels right to them) to Mnemosyne. Finally, I'd request that if they pass the strain on, they pass the information on as well. I figure that one of the best thanks I could give a Goddess of Memory who's been forgotten is to get as many people as possible to use her name/remember her and give her prayers/thanks/offerings. Even if only a small percentage of the users do so...it should still be more attention and remembrance than she's had since ancient Greece.