hypnopastashepherdlight2

[hypnopastashepherdlight2]

Apollo gives me so much hope for the future. I've prayed to him in my darkest moments, and he's always taken my hand gently to pull me back to the light. Like a candle in the distance, I see the hope of things improving, and I continue onward. How can things get better if we're not around to see it? And the entire way there, Apollo is holding my hand, whispering words of encouragement.

Apollo reignites the spark of hope in my heart when I've gotten lost in my own mind. He's reminded me of the beauty in life - the things that make life so worth it. The birds singing in the morning, the butterflies flying across the yard, the small flowers growing between sidewalk cracks, the way my dog looks at me when I greet her in the morning, the joy of dancing in my car at a stoplight, the sound of laughter when I tell a funny joke, the excitement of someone who's gushing about something they love, the sun setting over the horizon and painting the skies with gorgeous colors. There is beauty all around us, and romanticizing it is so necessary.

Thank you, Lord Apollo. Kindly God with a heart of gold. Benevolent Prince of Olympus. The light of, not only my life, but countless lives across the world. Thank you. I love you.

🧡☀️🏹

[hypnopastashepherdlight2]

7 Virtues of Hellenism.

Xenia - This is the pillar that signifies hospitality, generosity and reciprocity. It's typically demonstrated in a guest/host dynamic.

Kharis - This is the pillar that signifies appreciation and gratitude. It entails giving to the gods and and expressing gratitude when you receive something from them.

Eusebia - This is the pillar that signifies reverence and veneration towards the gods. It can be translated to 'piety' or 'reverant conduct' meaning that you show respect for them.

Hagneia - This is the pillar that signifies purifying yourself. It entails having moral, perhaps physical too, purity and avoiding miasma where possible.

Arete - This is the pillar that signifies excellence and brilliance. It entails trying to reach your highest potential and this can be in any field.

Sophia - This is the pillar that signifies the pursuit of knowledge and wisdom.

Sophrosyne - This is the pillar that signifies self-control and prudence. It involves being of sound mind and remaining balanced, which can further lead to other positive qualities to have.

I hope these are right and that I didn't misunderstand their meanings! Hopefully this is useful to anyone, I certainly enjoyed making the post!

[hypnopastashepherdlight2]

Hestia helped me get a house, and it had this alcove, so… only right it be an altar to her.

[hypnopastashepherdlight2]

Fleet-footed Hermes,

Be with me this day as I travel to and fro. Aid me in returning home safely and with all my belongings in tact. Run alongside me as I go on my way, and smile to the tunes I listen to for I play them for you.

Thank you, Ready-helper, for hearing my prayer. May your day be filled with laughter and love. Praised be the name Hermes. 🧡

-

|| A travel prayer for Lord Hermes ||

[hypnopastashepherdlight2]

[hypnopastashepherdlight2]

Buying myself a silly little treat (a new deity statue) for being the bravest soldier (I have a little cold)

[hypnopastashepherdlight2]

This is just a little rant, but maybe some of you can relate...last year has changed me a lot. Well, I've changed myself a lot - hellenism definitely played a huge part in this - and I've never felt as good, I've never been this happy...

...but I sometimes look at myself and I don't recognise the person in front of me. I don't think I know her.

I vividly remember being paralysed by a thought that somewhere in a camp I was working at there was a wild venomous snake, and if I encounter it, it'll likely be my responsibility to deal with it - cause I have to protect the kids -

today a snake happily slithered up my arm and I happily let it do so.

I always thought of myself as of a shy, quiet, infinitely compliant person -

today one of my coworkers said I have Artemis vibes. Artemis. Artemis the goddess of badassery.

I've always been unsure about my future. I still am unsure -

but last week somebody asked me about my career dreams and I blurted out "Oh, I don't dream anymore, I only make plans". Without. Thinking.

That's not who I was a year ago. Definitely not who I was when I moved to this city. It's not the person I thought I am.

And I don't hate it - if anything, I am infinitely grateful to everyone, people and deities, who helped me become this new person.

But it's just... it's a little scary to know so much and so little about yourself. It's a little strange.

Scary and strange are usually not the things that stop me though.

[hypnopastashepherdlight2]

There are people in the witchcraft and pagan communities that really need to come to terms with the fact that pagan isn't the universal term for everything that isn't Christian (or Jewish, or Islamic). Hinduism isn't pagan. Buddhism isn't pagan. Hoodoo isn't pagan. African traditional religions aren't pagan. Many regional folk practices aren't truly pagan. The list goes on. It's more of an insult than an identity for some of these groups.

[hypnopastashepherdlight2]

“Hekate wanders into the night” - A Deipnon story.

She wanders in the night bearing torches ablaze

The still silence breaks with the barking of dogs

Alongside Her, dark shades mourn and cry

Until the Goddess stays in the crossroads nigh

“Eat well and come, for the night is long”  - says the saffron-cloaked lady.

The dead gather hither, feasting in garlic and eggs

They tell Her their stories and the triple-faced one listens to them all

For She cares for them, no matter how small

Witches and nymphs follow Her path, she smiles soon seeing another altar

“One more stop till we say our goodbyes! Keep yourselves close, for Charon’s time is nigh!” - the dead follow Phosphoros of the watchful eyes, never loosing sight of anyone in the night.

[hypnopastashepherdlight2]

Deipnon Prayer to Hekate*

I call upon Hekate, the night wanderer, 

Cloaked in shadows under the dark moon,

I call upon Enodia, with eyes that cut through darkness, 

Gazing in three ways,

I call upon Brimo, the terror,

With fury that wards off all ne’er-do-wells, 

I call upon the Anassa Eneroi, queen of those below, 

Restless dead in her train. 

Hekate, mother of witches, 

Protect your brood this eve.

Defend the threshold of the home 

From all manner of malefica.

Grant me visions of the unknown and the unseen,

To know the truth and pursue it without fear,

And to uphold your graciousness in all my actions. 

Kharis, this darkened Deipnon night,

Lit only by Asteria’s starry hands,

And guided by Hekate’s glowing torches!

Hail Hekate,

Answer my prayers by the baying of your fearsome hounds!

*These are merely the epithets I use when invoking Hekate during the Deipnon, especially those pertaining to the protection of the home.

[hypnopastashepherdlight2]

Ó Hécate das duplas tochas Que no triplo caminho vagueias Acompanhada de cães umbrais E das sombras dos idos te cercas Vem perto, Guia das Almas, levar O que já não nos pertence E abre com tua chave de todo reino O sacro novo caminho luminescente

engilish:

O Hekate of the twin torches Whom wanders in triple ways Shadow-hounds make you company With the dead, you're surrounded with shades Come hither, O Guide of Souls, to take What is no longer ours And open with thy all-realms' key The sacred and new bright path

[hypnopastashepherdlight2]

"Hekate cleanses the month" - A poem for Hekate on the Dark Moon.

Month anew begins again After Hekate's hearth goes out With her, the Goddess takes The dust of the old and the Ghost of the ashes of previous Hearts on hearths and wails

[hypnopastashepherdlight2]

Day of the Agathos Daimon.

(By modern calendar)

Great guardian of my fortune O good spirit, O agathos daimon Slithering the halls of my home faithfully watchful ensuring the prosperity of my family I thank you for your guidance and your council

[hypnopastashepherdlight2]

Deipnon, Noumenia and Agathos Daimon Prayers

This is a collection of prayers (written mostly by others) I use to celebrate the Deipnon, Noumenia and Agathos Daimon each month.

Hekate’s Deipnon (also Hekataia or Hekatesia) was held on the 29/30th day of the lunar month, the new moon. This date is known as the hene kai nea (“old and new”). [1] The main purpose of this Deipnon, this supper, is to placate Hekate and the apotroaioi (the vengeful dead) [2]. Typical food offerings for the supper included eggs, fish (red mullet [3]), cakes [4], leeks/onions, garlic, and this offering was left at the crossroads which were sacred to Hekate Trioditis. It was also a time to purify the household.

To Hekate, for Protection from Evil

To Hekate at Deipnon

To Hekate, while offering at the crossroads

Noumenia (“new moon day”) is the first day of the lunar month, the first visible slither of the new moon. Plutarch declares it “the holiest day” [5] and there are no festivals conducted on the Noumenia according to the Attic calendar, nor did legislators meet on this day. It is traditional to burn frankincense [6] and hang garlands at the household and city shrines, and to offer cakes and honey [7], as there was a focus on feasting and relaxation. The Noumenia was sacred to many personal gods of the household, most often Hestia, Hermes, Hekate, Apollo and Zeus.

O Hestia

To Hestia at Noumenia

To Hestia

To Zeus

To Zeus Ktesios

To Hermes, for Protection of the Home

O Golden Apollon

To Household Gods

The second day of the lunar month is sacred to the Agathos Daimon, the Good Spirit [8], a guardian of the house and family represented by a snake or sometimes a young man with a cornucopia. Traditional offering to the Agathos Daimon was a libation of unmixed wine.

To Agathos Daimon

[1] Plutarch’s Lives Vol 1 “Solon” 25.3

[2] Plutarch Moralia 709A

[3] Athenaeus Deipnosophistae Book 7

[4] Aristophanes Plutus 596

[5] Plutarch Moralia 828A

[6] Aristophanes Vespae 94-96

[7] The Noumenia and Epimenia in Athens by Mikalson

[8] Sacred and Civil Calendar of the Athenian Year by Mikalson pg 15

Deipnon further reading

Noumenia further reading

* Updated version of this old post 2015

[hypnopastashepherdlight2]

Devotional Masterlist

Agathos Daimon:

Coiled Comfort

A Prayer for Protection

Ancestors:

Ancestral Prayer

Aphrodite:

Don’t Hide

Masterpiece

O’ Golden Aphrodite

The Language of Beauty

Love

Grace

You’re Safe Here

Love and Rebirth

Multifaceted: Beauty and Ferocity

Blossoming Mother, Grant Me Your Aid!

An Ode to Aphrodite

A Message of Love and Beauty

Be Free, My Child

My Prayer to Aphrodite

Prayer to Aphrodite

Apollo:

Life After Heartbreak

Blessed

Radiance

Hold On

Light

Walk With Me

A Nurturing Song

By His Side

Ares:

O’ Indestructible Ares

Open Your Eyes

Backup

Proud

Rest

Open Your Heart

Wage War

Facing Defeat

Unleash Your Fury

Fall Apart

The Eyes of a Fierce Protector

Strike True, Fierce Father

The Portrait of a Father

A Portrait of War

Untitled

My Prayer for Ares

Artemis:

The Hunt Is On

Wild & Free

Long May She Reign

Asklepios:

Hand of a Healer

Athena:

Battle Armor

A Prayer to the Wise

Chin Up

Prayer for Clarity and Sound Intuition

Demeter:

The First Step

Dionysus:

Critic

Set Me Free!

O’ Liberator

Alive

Drink Up

Together

Take My Hand

Oh Liberator, Please Deliver Me From Myself!

Deliverer of Revelry

The Journey

Gaia:

Heat

You Can

Cherish Her Gifts

Prayer for Mother Gaia

Hades:

Lifetime

Doors

Job Search Prayer

Pride

Peace

Weight

Where I Belong

Let Me In

Steady

I Am Here

Let It Go

To My Divine Father, Hades

Hail to the King

Grant me aid, Father Hades

My Prayer to Hades

Prayer to Hades

Hekate:

Credit

New Moon

A New Year

Breathe

Worthy

Come Home

Never Alone

You Can Always Come to Me

Magic at Nightfall

Nightly Prayer

Prayer for Guidance

Prayer for Protection

My Prayer for Hekate

Prayer to Hekate

Helios:

Sunshine

Hephaestus:

The Forge

Answer Your Call

The Sounds of Dedication

Famed Worker, Please Hear Me!

Broken Prayer to Hephaestus

Prayer for Hephaestus

Hera:

Divinely Protected

She Who Holds A Hand Above

Hermes:

Proud

Prayer for Our Beloved

Again

Just Listen

Let’s Fly

Flying on Wings of Luck

My Prayer for Hermes

Hestia:

Your Home

The Hearth Goddess

Home

Hail to the Home and Hearth!

Hypnos:

Dream

Prayer for Healing Sleep

Glory to Hypnos

Mousai:

A Prayer for Inspiration

Nyx:

A Beauty Unknown

Orpheus:

Your Song

I Hear You, Orpheus

The Song of Sorrow

An Inspired Artist

Persephone:

Bloom Brilliantly

The Return of Spring

Bloom

Hail to the Queen

The New Life of Spring

Summer’s Lament; Fall’s Embrace

Phobos & Deimos: 

Love

Poseidon:

Admire the Sea, Respect Its Wrath

Thanatos:

Memories

Goodbyes

Now

Our Lives in Your Hands

Rest Peacefully in the Arms of Death

The Wings of Death and Grace

Zeus:

Any Reason

A Hero’s Welcome

Rainfall

He Who Descends in Lightning

Hailed is Your Name, Zeus!

Untitled

Miscellaneous:

Your Divine Light

With All My Heart

Raise Me Up

Her Embrace

To All the Divine Fathers

To All the Divine Mothers

Hail the Theoi!

A Khthonic Prayer

Their Love

Final Goodbyes

Divine Hands

A Calming Presence

The Gods

UPDATED: 01 DECEMBER 2023

[hypnopastashepherdlight2]

Understanding Hellenic Polytheism: The Orthos

There are three big theological "orthos" that typically define religions. They are orthopraxy, orthodoxy, and orthopathy. Orthos is a Greek word that means "straight" and is often interpreted as "right" or "correct."

Orthopraxy means "right action" and emphasizes correct actions over belief or feeling. Hellenic Polytheism is orthopraxic - essentially holding that one's personal beliefs and feelings are irrelevant, but that performing the correct actions, both ritual and ethical, are integral to securing the blessings of the Gods and having a strong society.

Orthodoxy means "right belief" and emphasizes having the correct beliefs over feelings or actions. The Abrahamic religions are all orthodox. They require certain beliefs in order to be a practitioner: belief in one singular divinity, belief in one particular savior, belief in one particular prophet, etc. However, many orthodox religions also have orthopraxic elements. For example, a Torah-observant Jew believes in the orthopraxy of the halacha, while a Catholic believes in the orthopraxy of confession, and a Muslim must uphold the five pillars of Islam.

Orthopathy means "right feeling" and emphasizes correct feeling over actions or beliefs. Orthopathy is uncommon on its own, but is a common feature of evangelical religions, as well as new age spirituality. In many evangelical sects, you have to feel the "Holy Spirit" or you just aren't doing it right. In new age spirituality, beliefs and actions are ignored or warped to suit whatever makes the individual feel good.

This is something that can be challenging to wrap your head around as a practitioner. For me, growing up Christian, everything was orthodox. Ultimately the only thing that really mattered was a belief in Jesus Christ as the son of God and savior of the world. Prayer and adherence to orthopraxy were just a way of expressing that belief. However, the right feeling was how I knew that I was believing correctly, so that was a big feature too. The emphasis was on a "personal relationship" with Jesus, and that involved feelings and belief.

I still struggle sometimes, more with orthopathy than anything else. I find great comfort, when I'm struggling with faith, in the fact that the Gods don't give a single rat's ass if I believe in Them or not. Despite that, I frequently struggle with the idea of not being in the right mindset to "approach" the Gods. Growing up, if my mind wandered during prayer, that meant I wasn't actually focused on God, and I was being disrespectful. That leads to me not doing the right actions now, because I don't feel good enough. For example, I'll skip Hekate's Deipnon-Noumenia-Agathos Daimon because I'm not in the right mindset, even though I know that all the Gods care about is that I do the rituals, correctly, and on time.

[hypnopastashepherdlight2]

Daily Meal Offerings

In ancient Greece/Rome, it was common, almost a no-brainer, to offer morsels of your meal and libations to the gods. Here's what they did:

Short version

Used for daily offerings, each meal.

Before the meal:

Set aside a morsel of food for Hestia while focusing on her energy or saying a prayer/hymn

After the meal:

Pour libation for Agathos Daimon and ask for blessings of protection, luck, etc

Longer Version

Used during formal festivals or sacred days

Before meal:

Morsel to Hestia (focus or prayer/hymn)

Morsel to Apollon (focus or prayer/hymn)

Morsel to Zeus, to protect the outside [of your home]

Morsel to Zeus, to protect the inside [of your home]

After meal

Libation to Agathos Daimon for luck, protection, etc.

If you eat out, obviously, this may not be able to be done. Do it as you can.