junoswitchery

[junoswitchery]

Thanks to Lady Hera, I’m officially engaged!! Idk I just want to shout it from the rooftops yk?

[junoswitchery]

Ostara is the Germanic goddess of spring, and the holiday is in her honor. The story goes, Ostara found a dying bird in the snow and turned it into a hare to save its life. To repay her, the hare laid colorful eggs for her and to honor her festival. Bunnies are also just associated with fertility hence their connection to spring festivals!

I hate to say it but I do fear we need to take Christmas away from non-Christians.

‘Secular Christmas’ babes that’s just capitalism…

[junoswitchery]

That example is cracking me up bc literally Ostara. The festivities you are describing are in fact those of Ostara, and multiple spring fertility festivals.

I hate to say it but I do fear we need to take Christmas away from non-Christians.

‘Secular Christmas’ babes that’s just capitalism…

[junoswitchery]

Created such a cool digital altar option through this picrew

[junoswitchery]

just a reminder that being a pagan doesn't mean you can call other religions evil and inherently the source of all problems

intolerance to people who just believe something else is still wrong

[junoswitchery]

Honestly getting interested in filianism and deanism again but I can’t find any trans people in those circles so if you’re trans PLEASE reply or follow and I’ll follow back!!!

[junoswitchery]

Ways to Honour Khione, Goddess of Snow ❄

What would you like to add to the list? 🌬💙

[junoswitchery]

Khione/Chione

Small devotional acts.

Wear whites, grays, or blues

Make paper snowflakes

Go on a walk in the snow

Make cold or icy drinks

Wear clear quartz/crystal jewelry

Stock up on supplies for winter

Knit cozy layers

Look at snowy photography or wintery videos

Have snowball fights

Drink peppermint tea

Make designs in frost on the windows (if no frost, use condensation!)

Go sledding

Burn winter/holiday scented candles

Listen to classical music

Eat ice cream or sorbet

Get or make a snow globe

Donate extra layers to homeless shelters, charities, etc.

Decorate your home with whatever plants remain the same in winter, or when harvested (evergreen trees, certain flowers, berries, etc.)

Play around with freezing various fruits (berries, grapes, pears, etc.)

Take a cold bath or shower

If you live someplace hot, wake up before sunrise and enjoy the nip in the air.

PRACTICE LOVING YOURSELF

Many, many, many other things not said here

With contributions from an anon! I hope this list gives you some ideas even if you don’t live in a cold/snowy area!

[junoswitchery]

I’ve literally never seen a phone devotee blog, and I’m having the strongest calling to her humanely possible so this blog may become the first lol

[junoswitchery]

A Guide to Aphrodite’s Epithets

Aphrodite is a goddess of many forms. She is one of the older goddesses, born from Ouranos. She is the sister to the Titans, the Furies, the Meliae, and the Giants.

She is the mother of Harmonia and Eros, the Graces and Peitho, but also of Anteros, of Phobos and Deimos and Adestria. She is vengeful and chaotic, existing in the passion that drives wars and artists, in the lust that fuels affairs and assaults, in the love that fuels suicides and marriage.

In my experience, the epithet you worship is insanely important. Aphrodite Ourania is much more lighthearted than Aphrodite Skotia, or Aphrodite Tymborychos.

Aphrodite Ourania is a Lady of the Heavens. She is lipstick marks on softly written poetry, she is pink roses in a pearl encrusted vase.

Aphrodite Ambologera is children braiding each others hair at kindergarten, teenagers whispering about boys and girls, twenty one year olds partying hard and living life.

Aphrodite Anadyomene is the feeling of ocean water over your feet. She is collecting seashells on the shore, collecting sand and water for spells and rituals.

Aphrodite Apaturia is teenage drama, that seems life ending at first but silly as you grow older. She is the gossip and drama that weaves its way into youth, and she smiles as you live your own movie.

Aphrodite Apotrophia is the mother standing over her child, watchful for creeps. She is the older sister clinging to the younger, she is the one you pray to after being assaulted, the one that will hold you close and take revenge for you.

Aphrodite Areia stands beside her lover in battle. She sees the passion that drove these young men to war, sees the fight in their eyes. She fights alongside them, whispering reminders in their ears about who they are fighting for, for their wives and daughters at home.

Aphrodite Despoina is seen in femme fatales, the click of black stilettos and women that know their worth. She stands beside women with fire in their eyes, by hardworking women that know they are meant for more, by CEOS that know their place, and that their place is at the top.

Aphrodite Gameloi walks you down the aisle alongside your father, watches as you say your vows. She stands beside Hera and blesses your marriage, crying and wishing you the best as your own mother would.

Aphrodite Gentyllis sits with you as you birth your first child, and every child after that. She holds your hand and kisses you on the forehead, wishing you the best as she leaves for the next.

Aphrodite Melainis looks in shadows at night, watching you as you walk home. She will take revenge for you if you need, and it will be delivered brutally.

Aphrodite Nikephoros stands beside olympians and generals alike, celebrating in their victory. She stands beside soldiers as they rejoice, by athletes as they cry, and by children as they win their first tournament. She is there for the small and the big victories, from making your first successful dinner to winning a war.

Aphrodite Pandemos sees no difference between a while child or a black child. You are all her children, and she will kiss you on the forehead and tell you she is proud. She stands with you, whether you can afford fancy offerings or altars, she is of the people, for the people.

Aphrodite Peitho stands beside you as you seduce your first lover. She is there as you beg your parents for a dog, as you persuade your mother to let you sleepover at your friends house for the first time.

Aphrodite Skotia stands beside you as you insult. She stands with you as you cover yourself in the ruins of your purity, and she cradles you when you weep for your innocence. When you cry over your sins, she is there, reminding you that she too, is Unholy, and it is okay.

Aphrodite Tymborychos stands with the survivors community, with rape victims and domestic abuse survivors. She stands with women that have slaughtered their abusers, with daughters and sons that have stood up to abusive parents. She stands in the middle of riots for freedom, because if her children cannot stand free then their oppressors should not stand at all.

She is all of these at once, and she is there. You can find her wherever you look, in poetry books or romance novels. You can find her in the laughter of young girls and the tears of victims. You can find her in graveyards, whispering her revenge to abusers and murderers, reminding them that she is a gravedigger and a mother, and harm that befalls her children is a slight to her.

DISCLAIMER: You do not have to choose an epithet. This is here to remind you that Aphrodite comes in many forms, and the Aphrodite you worship sometimes won’t line up with someone else’s. <3

[junoswitchery]

Day Four: are there any deities you don’t currently worship that you want to know more about?

Honestly, not helpol related, but I’ve been learning more about Norse paganism due to my roots and I want to delve into that more! Oh and Kuan Yin/Quan Yin due to my experience with her (I’ll tell that story in a later date!). I’ve also been deeply drawn to the ocean and water lately so I’ve been studying up on ocean deities!

[junoswitchery]

I want to add as someone who cannot go out much due to being disabled; doing things for others can not only be small but doesn’t even have to be in person. Hell it doesn’t even have to directly contact the person.

Buying a new authors debut to honor Athena? That also helps support that authors livelihood!

Ordering a beautiful home craft from Etsy to offer to Hestia or Athena? Again, Supporting someone’s livelihood.

Sometimes non-self focused devotion is just interacting with your favorite creators to help them with their hobbies or work! And sometimes it’s volunteering with good organizations.

Find what works for your abilities and needs, and provide what you can.

(This was written at 1 AM so apologies if it’s not super coherent)

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.

[junoswitchery]

Repeat after me:

AI art is NOT devotional art

AI is not witchcraft

[junoswitchery]

DAY TWO: Which deity did you most recently start worshipping? Were you called to them or did you reach out first? Do you think there were specific reasons behind why you were drawn to them?

Honestly I have not been very active in deity worship lately (mostly due to my lack of altar space…). However, I’ve had a recent calling to Gaea/Gaia and Hermes so we’ll see how this goes!

[junoswitchery]

For @wisdom-devotee 31 days of helpol event!

DAY ONE: Who was the first deity you began worshipping? Do you still worship them now?

I can’t exactly remember but I believe it was Athena. I still honor her from time to time but she is not a primary aspect of my worship now!

[junoswitchery]

You know what, I'm just going to say it: I don't like the joking-not-joking about men being awful. About men being inherently less trustworthy and kind and good and making worse partners and friends and colleagues.

Like, no, it's obviously not the same as long-standing systemic, social, and legal discrimination (although I must point out that many men do face these things for other intersecting identities), but you know what it is? Cruel. Cruel for the sake of half-a-second of amusement.

And before someone says I'm taking lighthearted jokes too seriously, I'm not talking about the actually lighthearted jokes that aren't about putting men down. I'm talking about the "me being bisexual proves attraction isn't a choice, because who would choose to be attracted to men?" and the "If you're a man you should stfu in queer spaces nobody wants your opinion" type "jokes". They're not funny. They're not even punching "up" a lot of the time (I'm looking at anyone who uses someone's status as a man to ignore their experiences of being queer/bipoc/disabled/etc.) And they're certainty not helpful--especially when they lean into rebranded gender-essentialist bs.

[junoswitchery]

Destroy the myth that libraries are no longer relevant. If you use your library, please reblog.