hellenic-hades

[hellenic-hades]

Hades devotion 101

Lately, there has been a surge of newcomers to Hellenic polytheism circles, and there is definitely a vibrant discourse about Hades. It’s hard to tell whether it’s Rachel Smythe’s Lore Olympus webcomics or the SuperGiant Hades game, there are so many new practitioners making their first steps towards Hades nowadays.

Which is amazing.

Surprisingly, I couldn’t find a lot of guides, not on tumblr, not on reddit, tiktok is a dumpster-fire of misinformation, and youtube is a weird rabbit hole you'll easily get lost in.

This series of posts will hopefully help those who are making the first steps in getting to know Hades. We'll cover who he is, a bit about the context of Hellenic polytheism (because some of you might not be coming from that direction, or just starting out with this path as well), and some info about rituals, offerings, and devotional activities. I plan to end this series with a list of sources (not necessarily academic).

So just a few points to remember when reading this series:

There is no one true experience or one way of doing things. If you’re a revivalist Hellenic polytheist your practice will look different than a non Hellenic witch’s practice. You make your own choices, you claim your own titles.

There is a context though. Whether it be a historical context or a modern context, it’s important to know those. Myths are stories connected to actual cultures, what people say on social platforms is heavily affected by modern-day ideas.

Think critically but have faith. I know it sounds contradictory but it isn’t. Think critically about your experiences, what others say, what you read even if it’s academic material, and on what you believe in. But at the same time, allow your logic to rest sometimes. Not everything has to make sense, not everything is evidence-based. That’s the nature of faith. just make sure you walk between those two states and not stay stuck on one side.

It is what you make of it. there are no rulebooks or perfect recipes. Each of us is an individual, a tiny world of its own. One of my UPG’s (unverified personal gnosis) is that Hades appreciates individuality, meaning what you make yourself will probably be more special to him than what you take from someone else’s. It’s also not about elaborate rituals and extra formal prayers. but we’ll get to this.

On the next post: who is Hades

[hellenic-hades]

The Old Gods

You can see Hestia in the owner of a diner that makes the best homemade soup in town. You can see her in an older sister who is always there for you. You can see her in the Girl Scout who lights the fire for the s’mores.

You can see Demeter in the old lady who sells fresh vegetables from a stand on the side of the road. You can see her in a single mom who works two jobs to support her kids. You can see her in the young woman who buys only organic produce.

You can see Hera in a strict mom who is the glue holding her family together. You can see her in a new bride who wants everything out of her marriage. You can see her in a young scientist watching a mother bird and her chicks.

You can see Hades in an old man who doesn’t fear death. You can see him in a lonely, misunderstood teenage boy, crushing on the most popular girl in the school. You can see him in a little kid who doesn’t know why his friends are scared of the dark.

You can see Poseidon in an old fisher who lives on a houseboat and has lived out hurricanes on it. You can see him in a teenager who can calm and ride even the most wild of horses. You can see him in a little boy who talks to his fish tank.

You can see Zeus in the weatherman who never turns down a story, always running straight towards even the most dangerous storms. You can see him in a young man who flirts with everyone. You can see him in a boy who stares out the window at lightning storms when the power is out.

You can see Aphrodite in a woman wearing stilettos and razor sharp eyeliner holding her head high and ignoring haters and cat-callers. You can see her in a teenager smelling a flower from her first love. You can see her in a little girl who believes in true love and wants to be a Disney princess.

You can see Ares in an old war veteran with a million proud stories of battlefields. You can see him in a teenager joining ROTC, eager to join the real military. You can see him in the one boy always too eager to start a fight.

You can see Artemis in a small woman able to take down people five times her size. You can see her in huntresses who never pay attention when people say they can’t hunt as well as men. You can see her in a teenage girl who doesn’t understand why people get crushes when they can just have friends.

You can see Apollo in a famous singer who writes his songs so that they actually mean something. You can see him in young men who drive convertibles under the summer sun. You can see him in an archer who never misses his target.

You can see Athena in a feminist writing poems about the struggles of her fellow women. You can see her in a math teacher who patiently explains the problems to her students. You can see her in a girl who never loses a game of Battleships.

You can see Hephaestus in a man who could make a toy sword or a table from the same piece of wood. You can see him in a guy with a disability who can absolutely kick your butt, anyway. You can see him in a little boy who can build anything with legos.

You can see Hermes in a mailman who will drive through storms to get people their stuff as soon as possible. You can see him in the track runner who’s feet move faster than his team mates. You can see him in the boy with eyes a little too mischievous who always seems to get into trouble.

You can see Dionysus in the DJ of a club who knows each song to the right party playlist. You can see him in a man who owns a vineyard and walks through his grapes every morning. You can see him in a boy playing a female lead in the school play.

The old gods might not answer prayers anymore, but little bits of their influence can still be seen in people.

[hellenic-hades]

just a reminder,

Aphrodite loves all women: cis, nb and trans women.

She also loves all of her devotees: no matter their gender and sexual orientation.

❕ terfs do not interact ❕

[hellenic-hades]

Finally got my Aphrodite altar ready

How do you guys think it looks?

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Gods as things that happened at my school

Zeus: Senior pouring Mtn Dew (banned in my school) into a coffee (also banned) in the middle of finals, raving about becoming one with the rain, flipping off his girlfriend

Poseidon: The guy who came to “Future job dress up day” as a lobster

Hades: The kid who used to follow his troublemaker brothers around to try and get them to stay out of trouble in middle school, getting caught with his girlfriend summoning demons in the bathroom

Hera: The prom queen in the 2001 yearbook who had her photo taken right as she caught her boyfriend cheating

Demeter: the girl in a biology experiment whose plant grew even though the entire experiment was about how plants can’t grow without water or sunlight

Aphrodite: That one girl who’s so popular and nice yet complains all the time about her boyfriends, both she’s cheating on, yet is actually a very nice person

Ares: the basketball game that was out Physical Education test that got widely out of hand and ended up with 1 broken finger and 2 nose bleeds

Hephaestus: *the one kid in the class that’s good with technology*, (teacher) why isn’t my laptop working???? (Entire class) hePHAESTUS!!!

Athena: The A+ girl in our class that is somehow passing even though she can and has picked fights with the teacher and students over facts that we are learning

Apollo: *some kid in my Spanish class reading out a typo on our final* Tocar el sol? TOCAR EL SOL??? No. Fuck this imma fail. *starts crying*

Artemis: The freshman girl who has kicked a senior for being sexist and managed to not get detention for it

Hermes: That one kid who has blackmail on everyone in his class and has multiple pictures of teachers making weird faces to use as memes

Dionysus: *After accidentally taking his friends to the wrong building after misreading his schedule* THE ‘K’ LOOKED LIKE AN ‘R’, FUCK OFF

Hesita: The girl that ignores the crazy classroom, has neat notes, color codes them, and then shares it with the entire class, and the only reason half the class is passing

[hellenic-hades]

Friendly Reminder:

Anyone can worship Aphrodite! Man, woman, She loves you all the same! And yes, this absolutely includes trans men and women. And nonbinary folks too! TERFs can stay mad about it!

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Rose Quartz hearts for our Candy Quartz Body Butter and Bath Bombs 💗

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Some tiddies before the 17th, I guess.

[hellenic-hades]

As much as Aphrodite devotees should talk about Aphrodite herself, we should also talk about her retinue - the minor goddesses that she surrounded herself with. 

The Horai - hours - were her attendants. They clothed her and brought her to Olympus after her birth. 

The Kharites - charities - were very commonly seen attending her. They’re good things, all good feelings in company of people. This includes Aglaia (beauty), Euphrosyne (merriment), Thalia (good cheer), and later Paidia (play), Eudaimonia (happiness), Pandaisia (banquets), Pannyakhis (night parties and revels), Antheia (floral decorations), Harmonia (harmony), and numerous others. 

The Erotes -  these personifications of love, beauty, and desire were her closest and most common attendants. Eros (love), Himeros (desire), Pothos (lust), and sometimes Peitho (persuasion). Peitho was known as her messenger, seen in Sappho’s hymn to Aphrodite “…and whom should Persuasion summon me here…”

These deities tell us a lot about Aphrodite! Though she has some “darker” aspects, she’s not a dark or bloody deity primarily, and I think people forget that. She’s about love and happiness and parties and potlucks and flowers and playing. That’s who she invokes with her presence. That doesn’t negate her power! 

If you’re looking at who Aphrodite is and what she values, look at who she hangs out with. She might be the mother of fear and panic, but she’s friends with the goddesses of flower crowns and clubbing and harmony.

[hellenic-hades]

As much as Aphrodite devotees should talk about Aphrodite herself, we should also talk about her retinue - the minor goddesses that she surrounded herself with. 

The Horai - hours - were her attendants. They clothed her and brought her to Olympus after her birth. 

The Kharites - charities - were very commonly seen attending her. They’re good things, all good feelings in company of people. This includes Aglaia (beauty), Euphrosyne (merriment), Thalia (good cheer), and later Paidia (play), Eudaimonia (happiness), Pandaisia (banquets), Pannyakhis (night parties and revels), Antheia (floral decorations), Harmonia (harmony), and numerous others. 

The Erotes -  these personifications of love, beauty, and desire were her closest and most common attendants. Eros (love), Himeros (desire), Pothos (lust), and sometimes Peitho (persuasion). Peitho was known as her messenger, seen in Sappho’s hymn to Aphrodite “…and whom should Persuasion summon me here…”

These deities tell us a lot about Aphrodite! Though she has some “darker” aspects, she’s not a dark or bloody deity primarily, and I think people forget that. She’s about love and happiness and parties and potlucks and flowers and playing. That’s who she invokes with her presence. That doesn’t negate her power! 

If you’re looking at who Aphrodite is and what she values, look at who she hangs out with. She might be the mother of fear and panic, but she’s friends with the goddesses of flower crowns and clubbing and harmony.

[hellenic-hades]

greek mythology!!! the 70s!!! why not combine the 2 best aesthetics!!!

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[hellenic-hades]

aphrodite loves trans women pass it on

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Tarot

What non-witches think it is: “You will meet the love of your life and have two kids, your great grand father was murdered, and your uncle is a demon”

What it actually is: being called out at 3am because your cards tell you to stop procrastinating

[hellenic-hades]

Let me clear this up

Love spells that are GOOD AND WHOLESOME

-Spells to learn to love yourself

-Spells to strengthen the bond between partners

-Spells to clear the air and allow everyone to speak their piece

-Spells that increase lust between CONSENTING partners

Love spells that are NOT OKAY AT ALL NO MATTER YOUR PATH

-Spells to return your ex to you

-Spells to make someone you barely know love you

-Spells that take away a person’s free will to love whoever they want

[hellenic-hades]

blocking terfs is a self-care devotion to aphrodite

[hellenic-hades]

♡ little things to honor aphrodite this valentine’s day ♡

- do a self love ritual and bath yourself in rose petals

- put your favourite lovestruck 60’s music and float with the melody

- do a face mask, watch your favourite sappy romance movies as you do so

- go to a park, close your eyes and tune with the energies

- carry your dear rose quartz everywhere for the day

- eat strawberries with chocolate and treat yourself to a sweet snack

- write her a letter, express to her how much she means to you. she will listen, i promise you

- go to the coast (if you live near one) and entertain yourself picking shells. put them close to your ear and listen to the sound carefully

- dance, dance, dance. dance like no one’s watching

- paint your nails a soft color

- bake some cookies and left some for aphrodite, as an offering