lyre-and-laurel

[lyre-and-laurel]

heading home to the land of my people aka the lower east side

[lyre-and-laurel]

THE LOVE WITCH (2016) | dir. Anna Biller

[lyre-and-laurel]

Two snakes wrap around my hands: my soul and my lover.

In the moonlight.

Julia de Burgos, Song of the Simple Truth: Poems; Lover

[lyre-and-laurel]

I'm going to start making witches and occultists put a quarter in the antisemitism jar every time I see them using Hebrew or elements of Kabbalah

Yall should know better ESPECIALLY if you say you support Jews and speak out against antisemitism

[lyre-and-laurel]

"wow you blocked me just cuz i disagreed with you???"

yes. yes, exactly. this is a social media site. i come here to look at pictures of birds and shitpost with my friends. this is not a town hall meeting; i am not your elected official. i do not owe you my energy, my space, or my time. you and i are strangers that use the same website. i can block you for literally any reason and that's okay. take a deep breath. block me too. you'll feel better.

[lyre-and-laurel]

Who said God never visits us?

Call them like the people of Delos did.

Who said God never eats?

Feed them the way the priests offered them.

Who said God never sings?

Sing along with him the way the Muses did.

Who said God never hunts?

Accompany her the way the Nymphs did.

Who said God never gets angry?

Offend them like the Queen of Thebes did.

Who said God doesn't love us?

Feel the love radiating from the moon and sun.

Who said God never sleeps?

Sing a lullaby to them just like Mother Leto did.

Who said the old Gods are dead?

They are in us.

[lyre-and-laurel]

Zlaijerh/Malachiah - Apollonian/Dionisiac

Digital work and traditional work on the same piece. A few alternates over on patreon of course. I am cajoling myself to post here more frequently, but my energy is at a low, painful ebb. This year has been very good in some ways, and excruciatingly painful in others. Thank you for your patience, and your interest in my work, if that's still something that applies.

SHOP / KO-FI / PATREON / INSTAGRAM

[lyre-and-laurel]

I’m sorry to be this personal on main but I just need to vent for a sec. The state of my mental health is beginning to be quite concerning, although I’m in continuous treatment. If any of you might say a prayer for me, I sure would appreciate it. 💕

[lyre-and-laurel]

Apollo at the request of @my-name-is-apollo 

I’m thinking Athene next?

Ares, Hermes, Thanatos, Apollo, Athene, Hestia, Dionysos, Hades

[lyre-and-laurel]

this is one of the most gorgeous lines ever written about the gods but i can’t take it seriously when it’s preceded by menelaus calling apollo a useless bitch

[lyre-and-laurel]

"Could [sign] be [god] trying to get my attention??"

YES! Now stop asking people on Tumblr and start asking the gods!

[lyre-and-laurel]

Walk With Me: A Message from Apollo

“You must be the friend That Hermes told me about. The darkness that surrounds you Is as he described, Incredibly thick and powerful. You are practically drowning in it! I can see how it has Stolen the air from your lungs!

“All that you have seen And all that you have experienced… Little one, you sure are resilient! That mind of yours Is stronger than you think! We have much to discuss, But first, grab hold. I won’t let you drown anymore!”

The voice that speaks to you Is powerful, yet melodic; And that hand that reaches for you Is gloriously sun-kissed With the calloused fingers Of a talented musician. You trust in the voice And accept His hand.

“Helios, my friend, Please send this poor soul A glorious ray of light!” And suddenly you see the sun, Feel the warmth on your skin. It is new and refreshing. You drink it in As you are pulled upward.

Then there is more light, Brilliant and colorful. The darkness dissipates Beneath your feet, Hissing and snarling As it cowers away. You feel lighter and, finally, You can take in a breath.

“There! Look at you! I can see the color Returning to your cheeks. How does it feel, young one, To breathe in fresh air? To see the sun after so long? You have so many more Beautiful things to experience!”

He takes a seat and gestures For you to sit beside Him. “Lately, things have been Particularly difficult for you. Hermes has shared your struggles And I sympathize, I do. I have seen many mortals Struggle and fall.

“Hermes says that you Once had an incredible Passion for the arts… But you’ve forgotten how to smile And you no longer sing or dance. That, my mortal friend, Breaks my heart And I feel compelled to help you.

"Whatever you are carrying, I know it must be heavy. But please, dear one, Share that weight with me. Whatever you are holding on to, Tell it to me here And I will help you Let go of it for good.

"I know you feel alone, But there are many people, Divine and mortal, Who are willing to help you. Keeping this to yourself Will only make things worse. The darkness will keep coming back If you try to face it alone.

"You deserve to smile and dance, To laugh and sing again! I want to see the passion Return to your beautiful eyes. I want to see you breathe This fresh air every day, No longer trapped in the darkness, But happily walking under the Sun.

"Every day will not be grand You will still have struggles, But you won’t be weighed down By all the hardships of your past. If you accept my help, I will make sure you can handle Any obstacle that gets in your way And help you overcome it.

"Will you let me reignite your passion And help you face the darkness That has consumed you for so long? Will you let me strum my lyre And sing of your victory When you finally overcome your past? You’ve got nothing to lose And so much to gain!

"I know this is a leap of faith But you trusted me enough To take my hand the first time. The path ahead won’t be easy, I will make you work hard, But you will not be alone. So what do you say, my friend, Will you walk with me?”

[lyre-and-laurel]

☼ · Many faces of Apollo: Apollo Akersekomes, or Apollo of Unshorn Hair · ☼

His beautiful long hair, never cut or shorn, symbolizes Apollo’s youthful aspect: he is an ephebe, a young and lively man about to leave his adolescence behind. As an ever-young God, he is a guardian of young boys from the moment of birth and into them performing the ritual of maturity. Traditionally, men let their hair grow out and then, upon coming of age, cut it near the river banks in Apollo’s company, offering the cut locks to him after it’s done. 

Some call Apollo’s uncut hair a sign of his femininity as well. Alongside with his beardless face, soft features and generally dainty, elegant self, his long hair is sometimes said to represent his effeminate aspect. 

Different parts of the Ancient world saw Apollo’s hair differently. Ever curly or wavy, it was portrayed as both brown and blond, dark and golden, loose over his shoulders or pulled up in intricate hairstyles. 

Apollo Akersekomes, the young God, is a patron of youth and protector of boys. 

[lyre-and-laurel]

~ Statuette of Apollo. Culture: Roman Date: 100–1 B.C. Medium: Bronze

[lyre-and-laurel]

Hermes and the laughs

He loves the sound people do when they are happy. He loves every laugh - The little giggles, the soft laughs along with sighs, and those laughs where people fall to the ground, crying and grabbing their tummies. He loves the movement of their chests going up and down, breathing heavily. He loves the sound of a laugh in a place full of silence, where the birds stop singing just to listen the sound the god enjoys so much. He loves when people’s eyes shine with joy. He loves when they rest their head on his shoulder to calm down. People say there’s nothing better than singing along with the person you love. But for Hermes, they are wrong. The thing he enjoys the most is to laugh along. Just two voices cracking, two people crying, and their lungs asking for air.

Laugh, he’s hearing.

[lyre-and-laurel]

Artemis, goddess of the hunt.

[lyre-and-laurel]

Rob Woodcox artist Here for the queer, BIPOC and Mother Nature México | NYC | LA