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i have some thoughts on the posts i see about worship and selfcare that people may not like but i feel the need to say it anyway bc this has been bothering me for a long time.

i see a lot of posts about worship or devotional activities that center very much on the individual. doing things for oneself while thinking about the gods, usually its some kind of selfcare routine. i dont want to downplay this style of worship, or accuse anyone of worshipping "incorrectly" (i dont rly believe thats possible tbh) but i do want to point out that this kind of worship is very.... hmm capitalistic shall we say?

let me explain; capitalism seeks to make us believe that society is full of individuals living seperate lives. this is blatently not true, and engaging in worship/devotionals that only focus on the self worries me, esp when every post i see about subtle worship is all about selfcare, with a single mention or two of community care or giving to charity.

the gods are the world, therefore we should strive to serve and care for the world- u feel me? worship cannot and should not be all about self care or doing things for yourself. it NEEDS to include people other than yourself, people you do not know and may never see again. we wanna talk about xenia and kharis without extending that love and care to strangers? remember the old stories of zeus and hermes disguising themselves as poor homeless travelers begging for food and shelter? if a homeless person aaked you for shelter would you help them?

i really truly believe a HUGE part of worship means doing things for others, whether they know why or not. you dont need to bless them or explain to them about xenia and kharis or get into the 9 pillars- we arent here to proselytize- but inviting ppl over and cooking for them, meeting your neighbors, talking kindly to strangers, organizing, celebrating and grieving together- things like these are extremely important parts of worship. even the delphic maxims talk about this (015, 037, 067, 071, 075, 091, 093).

not every part of being a religious person is going to be fun and easy. esp for us, a religious minority in a monotheistic aberhamic dominated world. dont stop doing selfcare devotionals, just dont stop there.

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Books for Hellenic polytheists! 📚

For an easy overview of ancient Greek religion, read Jon D. Mikalson’s Ancient Greek Religion and Ancient Greek Cults: A Guide by Jennifer Larson.

For a complete overview of the key concepts of ancient Greek religion, read The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Greek Religion and A Companion to Greek Religion.

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About the Greek Gods doing shitty things in myths

First of all I have to say that I see the gods as representations of something bigger that we cannot comprehend otherwise. I believe they shape themselves in a way that we need.

Hera is the Goddess of marriage. Of course women who were cheated on would tell their stories through her. Ancient Greece was patriarchal. Of course the stories portrayed her as overly jealous, punishing other women instead of her husband. Zeus is a high male authority figure. Of course he is going to sleep with lots of women and boys in myths. Getting away with rape? Cheating on his wife? Doesn't sound that surprising to me.

The abduction of Persephone is about the changing of the seasons and how mothers feel when they are separated from their mothers through marriage. How common was it to get the girl's consent when she's getting married? Probably just an arrangement between fathers. Hell, how old were the girls?

The myths are reflections of the Greeks, not the gods. Gods are the characters of the stories. I do believe that the Greeks communicated with them through divination. I do believe that their religions were real. But we shouldn't forget that written texts can be messed with for political or social reasons. These are not holy books. We need to consider them carefully.

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the dichotomy of girlhood

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Writing in my head; Beautiful flowing sentences full of powerful phrases and witty dialogue.

Writing on my page: They did a thing and said some stuff. There was snark.

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I know adverbs are controversial, but "said softly" means something different than "whispered" and this is the hill I will die on.

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Writing Tips Master Post

Character writing/development:

Character Arcs

Making Character Profiles

Character Development

Comic Relief Arc

Internal Conflict

Creating Distinct Characters

Suicidal Urges/Martyr Complex

Creating Likeable Characters

Writing Strong Female Characters

Writing POC Characters

Character Voices

Plot devices/development:

Intrigue in Storytelling

Enemies to Lovers

Alternatives to Killing Characters

Worldbuilding

Misdirection

Consider Before Killing Characters

Foreshadowing

Narrative:

Emphasising the Stakes

Avoid Info-Dumping

Writing Without Dialogue

1st vs. 2nd vs. 3rd Perspective

Fight Scenes (More)

Transitions

Pacing

Dialogue Tips

Book writing:

Connected vs. Stand-Alone Series

A & B Stories

Writer resources:

Writing YouTube Channels, Podcasts, & Blogs

Outlining/Writing/Editing Software

Miscellaneous:

Overcoming Writer's Block

1000 Follower Special

Writing Fantasy

Character Ask Game

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daydreaming about writing: 🥰😍🥹❤️😊🌺✨😘

the act of actually writing: 😭😰😵‍💫😭😰😭☹️😖

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WHO NEEDS MIDDLE BITS WHEN YOU CAN HAVE ✨ 𝒔 𝒄 𝒆 𝒏 𝒆 𝒔 ✨

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Me about 100 times a day.

Later, when I read my notes.

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