iamshwee

[iamshwee]

To anyone who happens to see this, Merry Christmas ❤️

[iamshwee]

haven't you heard?

collage inspired by Lucky by Halsey and The Star from the major arcana of the Rider-Waite-Smith tarot deck

[iamshwee]

my favorite stripped songs by halsey

[iamshwee]

But I'm so lucky, I'm a star But I cry, cry, cry in my lonely heart Halsey - Lucky (Stripped)

[iamshwee]

I will never forget the day my Elementary School Best Friend -- a girl who had basically been my eldest sister my whole life -- decided to throw away 29 years of friendship in the name of being "a Born Again Christian who cannot be friends with 'someone Wiccan' anymore" because we are "simply too divided in our beliefs"

She really has the nerve to say, "It never used to bother me but it has been" bitch we ripped on your family for being brainwashed Mormons our entire lives. You married some Conservative Old douchebag and suddenly I never fucking knew you. Everything you were fucking vanished.

It's been two years and honestly still Fuck You for doing that shit to us. At the time I played it off like I didn't care, but I did, because we mattered, at least to fucking Me. I still can't believe YOU threw me away like that. YOU.

Lastly:

#1 - I'm a Hellenic Pagan and a Witch -- I hate nothing more than being called Wiccan, especially in such a belittling way, and I know that's how you meant it

#2 - How Fucking Dare You??

#3 - The fact that your oh so 'loving god' requires this type of shit is disgusting and if it's not even for him that's just fucking pathetic

#4 - See you while we rot in the Hell you're so scared of because I know who you really are

--and for what it's worth? Thank you for the push of proof that Christians are full of shit. Thank you for reminding me how wrong you really are. Thank you for being the reason I dug even further into my spiritually than I ever could have dreamed of.

Okay? Okay.

[iamshwee]

My advice for beginner Hellenic Pagans

I get many questions regarding the how's and why's of a Hellenic Polytheism practice. And I think that's a good thing. As an old dog who's been doing this stuff for a while, I'm still asking questions. Some of them may never be answered, and that's ok. The day we stop asking questions is the day we stop learning, and it's not ok to ever stop learning, in my opinion.

I have a confession to make: many of the how and why questions I get, I actually have to think about. When you've been doing something for long enough, it becomes as natural as breathing. It's like driving a car. The truth is, I don't even remember the exact moment when Artemis came into my life. I don't remember the exact time when I decided to follow the Hellenic gods and embark on the journey of Hellenic Polytheism. And truth be told, I don't think it matters much in the long run. The years before I had the Hellenic gods in my life feel like a lifetime ago now. It was another time, another life, and I was another me.

However, what I do remember, is that more than a decade ago, I was so much younger and less confident. I didn't have close to the amount of knowledge and life experience that I do now. But I followed my instincts, and just went with it all. What I can tell you now, as someone who's read, searched, and figured out a whole bunch on her own, is that there's no such thing as knowing "enough". There are historians, archeologists, and anthropologists who have dedicated decades of their lives to these studies, and even they will tell you that they still don't know enough.

There isn't a threshold of "I've made it past this point and now I'm a true Hellenic Polytheist". Thousands of years ago, the Hellenic gods were worshipped by children and by people who could not read. Many of the myths and practices passed from region to region and generation to generation by oral traditions, songs, and poetry recitations. Even back then, people learned by doing, and worshipped the gods by simply worshipping. It's true that we worshippers of the 21st century are at a disadvantage compared to the people of ancient Greece. We don't have access to the living traditions that those people would grow up in and spend their whole lives immersed in. We don't have people alive today from that time and place to pass any of that down to us. We don't have the elders, oracles, priests, and priestesses like the ancient Greeks had to guide us. We don't have friends and neighbors to share our practices with, like the ancient Greeks did. As much as we wish that more things were written down from the ancient times for us to study today, there is a reason why they weren't. "Research" wasn't much of a thing when it came to the common people and religion in the old days. They were born into it and raised in it. They lived it and breathed it. I suppose, my point with all this is: studying and researching are so very important, and we modern worshippers have to make do with what's available to us in our time. It's up to us individuals to expand our knowledge and learn as much as we can about this ancient religion that has so much to it in order to truly understand it and fully appreciate it. But don't let the fear of not having enough information in the beginning deter you from starting and moving forward in your practice. Even the most seasoned practitioners among us today can only hope to achieve a portion of the knowledge that an average ancient Greek possessed with regards to this religion that had spanned across lands and millennia. We're talking about thousands of years' worth of history here, and sadly, much of it has been lost to time.

As you're just starting out, a lot of the information you come across might not even make sense. Take comfort in the fact that over time, you will grow to understand more and more. And some of them may never make sense. Religions and deities are never going to be 100% open books. There will always be matters that seem beyond our reach and comprehension. Learn to embrace the mysterious. It's part of the beauty of our faith and our gods. You have your whole life ahead of you to explore, discover, and put pieces together.

Worshipping the gods is the most important thing to do for a Hellenic Pagan. Just worship them. Find the gods that you connect with, and start building relationships. The gods are not going to care if you've read this or that book already, or if you know this or that yet. They simply want to be worshipped. They have much love to give, and they want to be loved in return. Get to know them and learn about them as you worship them. When you make a new friend, are you going to know everything about them right away? And are you required to know "enough" about them before starting a friendship? No one is required to become a scholar in order to be a life long practitioner of Hellenic Polytheism. Once you get started, just keep going. With time and experience, more will come. And you will know things, simply by doing them, by gathering experiences, by trial and error as you go. Just keep asking questions, keep learning, keep digging, and keep studying. Do as much as you can, at your own pace, in your own time. It will be a lifelong pursuit of history and knowledge, and it's going to be so worth it the whole time!

[iamshwee]

You lied to me today.

For the most part, this is incredibly new. We tell each other everything because judgment isn't a trait we have towards each other. What makes it worse is simply how unbelievably stupid the lie is, how unnecessary, and how this little lie took a simple situation of misunderstanding to a new level.

You lied.

I don't know if I feel hurt because the lie is coming from you, or if the hurt is mostly hidden in my past trauma. My ex's always lied. They lied straight to my face and told me I was crazy when I knew I wasn't. When I knew I was being lied to and couldn't prove it, when I knew the truth was right in front of my goddamn face but still told it was false.

Why?

I want to let this go, and I most likely will. But now I have a guard up that I didn't need before... because you lied about something so small, so stupid, so unnecessary... so what does that mean for the next lie?

Hopefully I won't find out.

[iamshwee]

“How a person reacts to your sadness says a lot about how long they’re going to be in your life.”

— S. Z.

[iamshwee]

Our wedding video preview by Fullem Films.. I could SOB right now this is amazing!!! 😭💍🥺🖤

[iamshwee]

[iamshwee]

OC PAIRING: Persadney - Lainey Reid, Persephone, and Hades

Persphone: Hades is actually quite the sweetheart.

Lainey: Sure. Hades the sweetheart, it's what you hear in all the myths

TAGGING: @witchofinterest @fiercefray @sweetenemyfire @eddysocs @arrthurpendragon @villanele @bookstorebunny @roseygirl203 @valdrinors

[iamshwee]

me making a love potion to love myself

[iamshwee]

underworld horses <3 <3 <3

[iamshwee]

does this mean we’re gonna get an updated family portrait 🥺

[iamshwee]

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[iamshwee]

MY BOOOOOOOOOOOOY

[iamshwee]

Focus on what you can do rather than what you can’t. Small steps turn into miles.

Unknown (via perfectquote)