To those who followed the Orphic cosmology Phanes was an extremely ancient and important deity. Traditional classical writers mention him less, but it is evident Phanes is a powerful and popular God.

'...A flash of light lit up the temple then I heard his voice, as if it has a slight accent which I could not place.

“I am the mighty God Phanes. Thank you for the homage you pay me. This I appreciate. I bring with me my gifts which I give to you both now. I fill this temple with light, that the light surrounds you all day, bringing you joy. I give you the gift of the light helping to ease pains and aches, and I give you my love and let the light help to protect you.”  
    Then he appeared. He and the light are awesome.
    Phanes chooses to appear as a young-looking God, 25ish at most but possibly as young as 18. He is small-featured and not tall like some other Gods, but slender. Short, very fair curly hair. He was naked but seemed to be covered in tiny lights, as if they were coming from his body, little sparks or tiny shoots of light from all over his body. And he has very strange eyes, fairly large and silver coloured. His eyebrows are glistening silver, not white like hair but really glistening silver. He stood in a pool of light, a pool rather than an aura. He and his light just flooded the temple.

"Yesterday was the start of our great celebration of honouring Goddesses. Each God gave flowers to several Goddesses. Even greater festivities begin in an hour of your time. We were pleased the two of you had a little celebration with food you like and wine. The priests and priestesses of old always celebrated.”

I was gently lifted from the temple and I saw people at a feast. There were four priests and four priestesses from ancient times, as if several temples had got together. They were drinking and eating cheese and what looked like big chunks of bread, not slices, chunks. Looking around I realised I was in a hall, a stone building, though not a temple but not anyone’s home, more like an old stone barn. There were tables, laden with the cheese and some kind of cake covered with cream. There were children running around, and then the vision was gone. Just a brief glimpse but I did notice lots of flowers.

“This is the day when they took flowers to other temples and laid one in the doorway and sometimes on the altar.   Learn more and more about the old traditions and us."

We seemed to be in a country landscape, on a country road though I could not tell which time or even which dimension - whether symbolic or real - then instead of hedges and fields on either side it was a kaleidoscope of colour which kept moving, just like a kaleidoscope does when you turn it. I looked to my right and I could see faces I recognised. Gods and Goddesses, but the fierce ones. I saw the Cyclops, the Erinyes, the Graea and on the other side I saw Hades and his Assessors, Atlas, Hercules and there were other faces further away that I couldn’t see properly. But they were all those Gods I fear most.

Phanes spoke: “They all watch. Not one thing have you done wrong since being dedicated to this faith.” Then I realised I was standing on a small rise of ground, a mound only one metre or so high. I stood on top of it and very slowly it began to revolve clockwise. I wasn’t sure whether I should stay on it or get off. It turned very slowly and I didn’t feel dizzy and as it went round I saw the blueish light revolving with it. Then the mound stopped moving and I walked down the slight slope and it was a hot sunny day. I heard his voice: “Walk in the sunlight. Never in the shade.” 
    Then I stepped back into the temple.  
    "I have been gentle, but I may not always be. I give you the gift of courage, you please me well and I give you my blessings.”

Festival of Phanes - June 30th