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New outlook I’m trying as an animist: “Things are functions, rather than objects.”

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i've i worshiped both, at different times, in their respective pantheons and context, and at the same time, in a more eclectic way.

they're two sides of the same coin to me. i had different feelings about all of the similarly matched up hellenic and roman gods. not all of them are coins like that.

i got different vibes from each of them. venus felt more motherly than aphrodite. aphrodite felt more luxurious than venus. and venus is gardens and dark green growth, and aphrodite is the sea, sparkling as she emerges.

How do you view the similarities and differences between Aphrodite and Venus? Do you view them as completely separate Goddesses? Do you believe they are the same? Different aspects of one Goddess? Only believe in one?

Same goes for other similar Goddesses, such as Innana or Freyja.

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“The Greek-Egyptian god Serapis likewise was thought to afford protection. On one side of a gem functioning as an amulet, the figure of Zeus Serapis is displayed, with the inscription on the reverse reading nika ho Serapis ton phthonon (“Serapis conquers envy/the Evil Eye”). Another glass amulet is inscribed with words, Me[g] a to onoma Sarapis (“Great is the name of Serapis”). The inscription, Eis Zeus Serapis, Baskanosdarêsetô (“Zeus Serapis is unique, let the Evil Eye be flayed”) protected a house. A similar inscription affixed to a house read, Eis Zeus Serapis, Baskanoslakêsetô (“Zeus Serapis is unique, let the Evil Eye be banished”). The gods provided charis, “generous benefaction,” which was the opposite of baskania and phthonos. Charis originally meant “emanation from God, human, or animal bearing blessing” which was the antithesis of an Evil Eye and envy. The gods effected good fortune through their blessing glance of charis. The eyes of Zeus, Apollo, and the Muses brought light and blessing. Minerva in particular, was considered the goddess of the blessing look, which baskania could not endure.”

Beware the Evil Eye: The Evil Eye in the Bible and the Ancient World, Volume 2 by John H. Elliott

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Among the Gods some are [cosmic], others hypercosmic. By [cosmic] I mean the Gods who cause the World; among the hypercosmics some cause the essences of the Gods, others the intellect, others the soul; for this reason, they have three orders that can be found in discourses about these topics. Among the [cosmics], some cause the being of the World, others animate it, others bring harmony between diversities, others finally preserve this harmony: since these are four actions and each has a beginning, a middle point and an end, the Gods who govern them are necessarily twelve.

Those who cause the World are Zeus, Poseidon and Hephaestus; Those who animate it are Demeter, Hera and Artemis; Those who harmonize it are Apollo, Aphrodite and Hermes; Those who preserve it are Hestia, Athena and Ares. One can see these references even in the statues: Apollo tunes the lyre, Athena is armed, Aphrodite is naked, since harmony creates beauty and beauty in what is seen is not hidden. Since these are the divinities that primarily rule the World, we must believe that the other Gods are within Them: just like Dionysus is in Zeus, Asclepius in Apollo, the Charites in Aphrodite.

On the Gods and the World by Salutius, translated by Paolo Bagnato

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DAY TWENTY: Do you have a favourite aspect of Hellenic Polytheism?

i love that our gods were so varied across the city states. there were so many different forms of the gods, so many different aspects given prominence. and then household worship on top of that was even more varied. it all carries forward to now, where everyone's practice is personalized !

31 days of helpol by @/wisdom-devotee

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DAY EIGHTEEN: How can you best describe your relationship with each of your deities?

hermes is Everywhere. he is the god i'm closest to, he is the god closest to me, he is most present in my daily life. he is the guiding force and connective tissue of my practice. i adore him, i will always adore him, and when i die and he comes to take my soul to the afterlife, i will greet him as a friend.

zeus and hera are the ideals that i strive towards. they inspire strength and integrity. they are the ones who i hold in mind when i try to be a better person. treating ppl kindly, being honest and fair, being firm in my principles, these are all things that i do with Them in mind.

hestia is also that. i struggle with energy/motivation to clean/organize, and have some complicated feelings about my house rn, and spending time at my kitchen altar, and keeping her in mind, helps a lot. she helps me find the sacred in things that are otherwise unpleasant.

maia is a source of calm. just being in her presence is soothing. she isn't so present in my daily life rn, but i hope she will be relatively soon.

isis and serapis are my supreme gods, in a cosmological sense. they're the gods i worship as creators, the ones that establish (and are) the cycles of life, death, rebirth. i think i would consider isis and serapis as next after hermes in terms of closeness. they are also ones that i turn to in distress.

31 days of helpol by @/wisdom-devotee

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athena as patron of butches and he/him women

(a joke, but also so completely serious)

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DAY SEVENTEEN: Send out some love! Are there any Helpol blogs here on tumblr that you follow and really like?

lmao i don't follow that many helpol blogs anymore. most of the ones i used to follow are inactive or deleted.

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DAY SIXTEEN: If you could give one piece of advice to someone who’s just starting in Helpol, what would it be?

i have a few:

start as small as you want. you don't have to wait until you have an altar to pray, you don't have to have a festival calendar figured out, you can pour out offerings on the ground or in the sink. you can praise the gods with just words, anywhere. seeking the divine, attempting to recognize it in your daily life, is way more important than doing a huge ritual.

don't compare yourself to other ppl. don't compare your worship to anyone else's. your relationship with the gods is personal, and is personalized to you ! no one will follow the exact same path, and that's good.

set your own standards. there is no governing body for this religion. there is no set structure, or hardline rules. as long as your worship is genuine and sincere, and you are approaching the gods with respect, you're doing fine. i think it's better to approach your worship as 'i can adjust it as i learn more' instead of 'i can't risk doing anything wrong'

each of these things are things i have struggled with, and still do struggle with !

a more fun bit of advice: make things for the gods !! anything you make with your own hands is a wonderful gift/offering to them. even if you don't think you're good enough at art or writing or cooking/baking or whatever, taking the effort to make things is infinitely more valuable than making sure your offerings look good.

31 days of helpol by @/wisdom-devotee

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DAY FIFTEEN: How has your worship changed you?

i think if your worship doesnt change you for the better, then you're doing something wrong.

worshiping hermes has helped me accept change, worshiping hestia has made housework something to be done out of love and care instead of a chore, worshiping zeus has helped me recontextualize my relationship with my dad, and hera has challenged my views on children and parenthood.

my practice in general, over the years and through many changes, has changed how i view myself, how i view and interact with other people. they aren't the sole source of that change, but they were the lens that i filtered that change through.

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DAY FOURTEEN: Do you have any hobbies that fit any of your deities’ domains?

i love love love fabric crafts, i did cross stitch for a while an di want to get back into embroidery, which is very athena.

if you count tarot as a hobby, that falls under a lot of deities' domains ! hermes is the deity i most associate with that. i have a handmade greek alphabet oracle that i made for him.

i was working out for a while, which falls under hermes' and herakles' domains.

31 days of helpol by @/wisdom-devotee

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i sing of demeter, dark-haired, dark-eyed, she of the earth, bountiful in her riches! you give us warm bread on our tables, the all-provider, you give us black earth under our feet. your name is heard amongst the many grasses, your hand is felt in every hearty meal. and how you give, o beautiful mistress, is rivaled only by how you take. beware, beware the wrathful goddess! beware of her, you — murderer, violator, abuser, colonizer! tremble, you who pollutes, you who conquers, you who betrays trust! the great mother has many teeth as well as she has many claws, and all of them are as swift as a swallow, and all of them are sharp like that of a beast. all glory to demeter furious, justice bringer; may your hand have its grasping presence upon each and every of lying throats.

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DAY THIRTEEN: Do you write your own prayers?

yes ! i write my own pretty much everything lmao

i do use things written by other ppl, both historical and modern. but writing your own prayers/praise is one of the easiest ways to personalize your practice, and to Create something for the gods !

31 days of helpol by @/wisdom-devotee

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With shuddering breaths

And arching heart

I drop before the altar.

I am tired. I am scared.

I am tired of being alone.

With trembling hands

I strike a match,

Light the candle,

And the incense too.

I breathe in the smoke.

I pour the oil. The water.

Words flow unburdened from my lips.

And I remember--

I am not alone.

For the Theoi are shining and eternal,

I always walk in their light.

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Dionysos, the seen and the unseen 🍇🍷

✧ please do not repost to other sites~

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I have to come to terms with the fact that most people's understanding of Greek religion (even in polytheist spaces) comes through the filter of Victorian-era compartmentalization.

Example: Ouranic vs. Chthonic