#// deities

[vestaignis]

Храм Изумрудного Будды в Бангкоке, Таиланд.

Храм Изумрудного Будды – это одна из главных достопримечательностей Большого Королевского Дворца, некогда бывшая в собственности короля и его семейства, а сегодня ставшая достоянием народа Таиланда. Тайцы называют его Ват Пхра Кео (Wat Phra Kaeo). Храмовый комплекс занимает площадь около 55 га в историческом центре Бангкока. Возведение шедевра тайской архитектуры началось в период правления Рамы I, основателя династии Чакри.Этот храм был построен, как неотъемлемая часть Дворца, и раньше был святая святых королевского семейства. Только самые знатные и приближенные к монарху люди вправе были сюда ходить. И сейчас никто не может зайти с парадного входа, кроме них.

В этом храме находится Изумрудный Будда, перед которым каждый новый тайский король дает клятву верности своему народу, восходя на трон. Эта королевская традиция началась с Рамы I и остается неизменной до настоящего времени. Дотрагиваться до Будды может только король Таиланда. А вытирать пыль с него разрешено исключительно ему или наследному принцу. Всем остальным прикасаться к статуе запрещено, это расценивается как святотатство. Кроме того, трижды в год король одевает Будду в различные, шитые золотом одежды. Считается, что данный ритуал должен принести народу страны процветание и благополучие, а его государству и монарху – могущество. Каменная статуя божества, сидящего в позе лотоса, имеет высоту 66 см и ширину – 48,3 см. Относительно материала, из которого она изготовлена, существуют разные версии: изумруд, нефрит или жадеит. Нет единого мнения и в вопросах об авторстве, о времени и месте изготовления статуи.

Помимо статуи Будды в храме можно увидеть впечатляющие и интересные произведения искусства. В отличие от Изумрудной статуи, другие статуи приглашают посетителей подойти поближе, сделать подношение и даже прикоснуться, чтобы завоевать удачу, успех или любовь. Другие экспонаты на территории включают библиотеку, содержащую сотни древних священных писаний, специальные настенные росписи и модель храма Ангкор-Ват в Камбодже.

Temple of the Emerald Buddha in Bangkok, Thailand.

The Temple of the Emerald Buddha is one of the main attractions of the Grand Royal Palace, once owned by the king and his family, and today has become the property of the people of Thailand. Thais call it Wat Phra Kaeo. The temple complex occupies an area of ​​about 55 hectares in the historical center of Bangkok. The construction of a masterpiece of Thai architecture began during the reign of Rama I, the founder of the Chakri dynasty. This temple was built as an integral part of the Palace, and used to be the holy of holies of the royal family. Only the most noble and close to the monarch people had the right to go here. And now no one can enter through the main entrance except them.

This temple houses the Emerald Buddha, before which each new Thai king takes an oath of allegiance to his people, ascending the throne. This royal tradition began with Rama I and remains unchanged to this day. Only the King of Thailand can touch the Buddha. Only he or the Crown Prince is allowed to wipe the dust off it. Everyone else is forbidden to touch the statue, as this is considered sacrilege. In addition, three times a year the King dresses the Buddha in various gold-embroidered clothes. It is believed that this ritual should bring prosperity and well-being to the people of the country, and power to its state and monarch. The stone statue of the deity, sitting in the lotus position, is 66 cm high and 48.3 cm wide. There are different versions of the material from which it is made: emerald, nephrite or jadeite. There is no consensus on the authorship, time and place of the statue's manufacture.

In addition to the Buddha statue, you can see impressive and interesting works of art in the temple. Unlike the Emerald Statue, other statues invite visitors to come closer, make offerings, and even touch them to gain good luck, success, or love. Other exhibits on the grounds include a library containing hundreds of ancient scriptures, special wall paintings, and a model of Cambodia's Angkor Wat temple.

Источник:/p-thailand.co.il/ru/достопримечательности/Wat-Phra-kaew/, //www.sputnik8.com/ru/bangkok/sights/hram-izumrudnogo-buddy/info, /idei.club/raznoe/9046-dvorec-izumrudnogo-buddy. html, /veryclose.ru/hram-izumrudnogo-budd-v-bangkoke/.

[crazycatsiren]

One thing I can't help but wonder.

Artemis is not the only virgin goddess in the Hellenic pantheon. And yet it appears, among modern pagans, virginity is the first (often times only) thing to come to mind whenever Artemis is mentioned. So much is focused around her being a virgin, it's gotten to a point where who she actually is, how she was worshipped in ancient Greece, and her presence in the lives of the ancient Greeks are completely lost among misinformations and misconceptions stemming from only one aspect of her.

For Athena and Hestia, it's always their various roles and domains that people will immediately think about. But for Artemis, it's always her body and marital status, for some reason. It's utterly ridiculous.

Because to the ancient Greeks, Artemis was a perpetually unwed maiden goddess, yes, but she was not the goddess of virginity. According to Stephanie Budin and colleagues, Artemis was the goddess of the hunt and wilderness, and she was responsible for helping women in childbirth, turning children into adults, bringing light, freeing slaves, marking boundaries between territories and periods, bringing and curing plague. Her epithets emphasized her "wild" qualities, expressed her proclivity for the hunt, as well as described her as a "kourotrophos" (child nurturer and protector of the young) and a lunar deity.

It's like, why is it never a problem for everybody to accept that Athena and Hestia had worshippers of all ages, sexes, gender roles, and social statuses throughout ancient times, but it's so hard to wrap minds around this about Artemis.

Artemis, Athena, Hestia, all three goddesses preserve their virginity for important reasons pertaining to their roles in Greek ideology. Artemis's virginity established her position in the divine hierarchy. As the goddess of the wilds and wild animals, she herself could not be tamed (damazo) by sex, as other females in the Greek literature, and especially brides, were said to be (paraphrasing Stephanie Budin, Artemis, 2016).

In a nutshell, these goddesses are virgins and never married because of, as a result of, and due to their personas, functions, their parts in the pantheon and the areas they preside over. They chose the path of virginity because of who they are and what their "jobs" are. It doesn't mean they are rulers of maidenhood and virgins.

[broomsick]

I don’t think we are meant to fear the Gods. Not even Gods of storms, death, or war. To believe in them is to accept them as they are. Don’t let anybody convince you that polytheists should fear the Gods. Be awe-struck, be humble before them if it feels right, but in this modern day and age, spirituality shouldn’t feel unsafe.

[apolloslyrics]

☀️Deities☀️

I see so many people criticizing others over their relationships, or lack thereof, with their deities, so here are some reminders:

Not having deities is okay.

Having just a devotional relationship with your deities is okay.

Having a working relationship with your deities is okay.

Playing games with your deities is okay.

Harmless jokes with your deities are okay.

Doing fun things with your deities is okay.

Doing devotional offerings for your deities is okay.

Giving physical offerings to your deities is okay.

Not being able to do certain offerings for deities is okay.

Having an altar for your deities is okay, no matter the size.

Not having an altar for your deities is okay.

Laughing with your deities is okay.

Crying with your deities is okay.

Having genuine conversations with your deities is okay.

Being unable to hear/see deities is okay.

Being able to hear/see deities is okay.

Not being able to communicate through divination is okay.

Using divination as a key element in communication is okay.

Not calling on deities during spellwork is okay.

Asking deities to help during spellwork is okay.

Asking deities for help in general is okay.

This is your relationship with your deities in your practice. Don't let anyone tell you what you can and can't do. 🫶

It's 2am, please forgive me if there are any mistakes!

[cherrycolaboy]

Casual ways to connect with your deities

-Pray to them or just just talk with them and tell them about your day

-Light a candle and say your thanks

-Offer your meal/snack to them or bake/cook with them or for them

-Watch a movie in their honor

-Offer your morning drink to them or make a cup for them

-Assign them a plant and take care of it as a devotion to them

-Listen to music that reminds you of them

-Say good morning/good night

-Thank them for the things you see that you consider beautiful

[leafaske]

their relationship is . . . complicated 👀💦

[astra-ravana]

Music Magick

Music has long been recognized as a powerful tool for evoking emotions, altering consciousness, and connecting with the divine. In the realm of witchcraft, music can be used to enhance rituals, set intentions, and amplify energy. Here are some ways to incorporate music into your magickal practice:

• Listening to specific songs to help you get in the right mood and mindset for the spell/ritual you're going to perform.

• Creating/charging sigils.

• Magickal choreography (casting spells by dancing).

• Use music to guide a meditation, or meditate on the song itself, its meaning, and what emotion it represents.

• Using beats/rhythms to induce a trance state.

• Sing your incantations.

• Keep music on in the background while doing your craft or studying magick to raise your vibration and improve your results.

• Audiomancy; divination through music (ie: specific lyrics or songs playing at synchronistic times).

• Create playlists for/with the deities and spirits you work with. This can be used as both an offering and an invocation.

• Listen to angry music while doing baneful magick to amplify your rage.

[differentsoulsweets]

Aphrodite : Introductory post

Αφροδιτη [Venus] War Goddess of Love, Beauty, and Procreation

Epithets: ⟡ Ourania - Heavenly ⟡ Pandemos - Common to All ⟡ Areia - of ares, Warlike ⟡ Hoplismene - Armed ⟡ Symmakhia - Ally (In Love) ⟡ Kypris - Of Cyprus ⟡ Philomeides - Laughter-Loving ⟡ Aphrogenia - Foam-born ⟡ Khysee - Golden ⟡ Pothon Meter - Mother of Desire

Domains: ⟡ love ⟡ Sex & procreation ⟡ Seduction ⟡ Beauty ⟡ Pleasure ⟡ War

Devotional acts: ⟡ Give compliments! ⟡ Create a skincare and bodycare routine ⟡ Collect pretty things ⟡ listen to music that makes you feel good, dance to it if you are able ⟡ have a dedicated chapstick, gloss, lip tint or lipstick!

Associations

Symbol: ⟡ Dove ; Apple ; Myrtle-wreath ; Flower

Color: ⟡ Pink ✧ Red ✧ Blue ✧ Green ✧ White ✧ Gold

Metal: ⟡ (upg) bronze

Crystals & stones: ⟡ Garnet ✧ Ruby ✧ Rose Quartz ✧ Pearls ✧ Diamond ✧ Sapphire ✧ Aquamarine

Fruits,Vegetables,Flowers,Herbs: ✧ Rose ✧ Anemone ✧ Apple ✧ Daffofil ✧ Myrtle ✧ Myrrh ✧ Lettuce ✧ Pomegranate

Animal: ✧ Hare ✧ Turtle - dove ✧ Sparrow ✧ Goose ✧ Swan

Incense: ✧ Frankincense ⟡ Rose ⟡ Myrrh ⟡ Vanilla ⟡ Cinnamon ⟡ Cypress ⟡ Jasmine

Food & Drinks: ✧ Pink ⟡ Red ⟡ Blue ⟡ Green ⟡ White ⟡ Gold

Day, Season, Time of Day: ✧ Venus ; Friday

Tarot: ✧ The Empress ✧ The Star ✧ The Lovers

[templeofelysium]

worshipping the chthonic gods

first, a note on cthonic vs ouranic: the line between these gods is one that is not really as stark as it can be portrayed. many gods have both ouranic and chthonic aspects, and neither make them any more "good" or "bad" than the other. chthonic gods are not evil gods, at least no more than any ouranic god. all deities have the capability of doing good and evil, but are largely ambivalent in nature. the advice listed below is not set in stone, simply provided as gentle guidance. if you have suggestions, feel free to add them in the comments/reblogs! :)

LIBATIONS/OFFERINGS

In Ancient Greece it was very common for offerings to the chthonic gods to be given in the form of libation--a drink (or any liquid) poured into the ground. Solid offerings, like food, were often burned in their entirety to ash or left to rot, instead of being partially shared by the offeror. Incense was not as commonly used since the smoke travels upwards, towards the heavens.

I suggest disposing of/keeping ashes and rotted food outside or burying them, seeing as chthonic sometimes refers to "-of the earth." This would be similar to how curse tablets were treated in Ancient Greece, as Hermes, messenger of the gods, would deliver them unto their underworld-ly receiver from there.

If you can't do that, consider pouring your libations down the sink or flushing them down the toilet (ONLY do this with water-based liquids, oil and honey will clog up your sink in no time flat). It's not ideal, but it gets the job done.

Common libations include: coffee, blood (animal or your own, we'll get to that at the end), honey (instead of wine), milk

Common offerings include: meat, barley/grain, oil, cheese

PRAYER

In many cases, prayers to ouranic deities are directed upwards, into the sky or delivered unto the wind by voice, song, or some sort of poem. In the case of the chthonic gods, we should be directing them downwards, towards the underworld where they reside. This may include extending your hands with palms facing down, putting your head down, or just imagining your prayers being sent below. The only exceptions to this may be Persephone, who resides in the heavens for half of the year, and Hermes, who can be considered both ouranic and chthonic.

Other recommendations I can make are: light a candle, even if you're not going to use it for pyromancy; light some incense (I do this for focus and cleansing, not so much for the deity); and perform it at night. It's not mandatory, of course, to perform your prayers at night, it's just that in antiquity ouranic activities (festivals, prayer, etc.) were done during the day and often directly enshrouded in sunlight. We can assume, therefore, that a chthonic prayer or festival should occur during the night, especially if being directed towards Hekate or Nyx.

ALTARS/SHRINES

In Ancient Greece, temples to the ouranic gods were constructed so that their doorways would directly face the sun, thus illuminating the inside (and often the main statue(s), too). We can assume, then, that our chthonic altars/shrines should be located somewhere out of the direct sunlight. This can be in a dark spot, like a closet or isolated room--or it can just simply be in a corner furthest from the sun's rays.

Again, there may be some exceptions to this: Hermes, under his ouranic epithet(s), Persephone, for her time in the heavens, and Hekate, for her association with the moon.

DIVINATION

For the most part divination with the chthonic gods is conducted in much the same way as with the ouranic. Of course, when calling upon these deities you'll want to face towards the ground, and perhaps even conduct these sessions in partial darkness. Again, maybe you could light a candle or even pour a libation before a really big reading.

I mostly use pendulums and tarot, but I've been experimenting with meditation and have had some luck. What works for ouranic deities should work just as good for chthonic, you just might have to shift your approach a little.

Some good tarot spreads for working with chthonic deities:

"Fork in the Road" spread-- for Hermes or Hekate

"The Tower" spread-- for Hermes or Hades

"The Self Exploration" spread-- for any

"The Bat" spread-- for Hades or Persephone or Nyx

EXTRAS

--Consider offering blood if you're able! Animal blood that is sourced from ethical farms is neither morally reprehensible or illegal and can be sourced from a variety of places. Offering your own blood is also a possibility, but for this I would not recommend more than a pinprick. There are limits to how much pain you should be incurring on yourself for your deities. If you have to check your blood sugar often, maybe you can soak up excess blood with some cotton and bury it outside. Make sure to always clean your wounds properly and do not engage in this behavior for the purpose of self-mutilation. That, I can assure you, your deities would not appreciate. Don't be stupid.

--Snakes are commonly associated with almost all chthonic deities, or just the Underworld in general. We see this the most with Hermes, who is pictured with two snakes wrapped around his caduceus. The god Asclepius is also pictured with a staff with a single snake on it. Asclepius is the god of medicine, and (before being deified) was killed by Zeus for making people practically immortal.

--Chthonic deities are the best places to turn to for spirit work, protective, and baneful magic. You're looking to contact a spirit? Turn to Hades. You're looking for protection against spirits/demons? Turn to Hekate or Hermes. You're looking to cast a curse? Turn to Persephone or Hekate.

dividers by @vibeswithrenai

[succulentsiren]

[starsthewitch]

had already sent this to a mutual of mine but i thought this might be helpful for anyone else who may need it

it’s a tarot spread on how to know what deities are trying to reach out with you and why, works like a charm i swear

have a good night everyone!

-star <3

[moonlightcycle571]

More of Good Cook Billy. The gods probably bag him for food offerings. It’s how he got so good in the first place. It started small, but then found out the Rock of Eternity has a kitchen (it can canonically has a cafe, having a kitchen is not far fetched).

Little kid with a fixation on magic and wants to learn essential life skills hopped on the chance to learn with the help of the Rocks Books and Solomon (the king may not know how to cook, but he has the theoretical knowledge). Once last lives gets unlocked, he gets an encyclopaedia of different cuisines, most being no longer made through out the ages and forgotten.

He starts giving his Patrons offerings. Then it gets good so the gods ask for more (while also giving him extra favours cause why not).

But then it gets too good. Different Gods from different Pantheons ask for these offerings, to the point that his food becomes a coveted delicacy among the deities.

At some point, Caps cooking gets so good, he manages to win over a fae court by making them a fucking tart.

Whenever he makes pies, nearby people will smell it like in one of those cartoons where the scent literally caries them to it (bro works on looney toones logic).

When a villain, say Arson Fiend, smashes a cake that Marvel has been working on for hours (it was supposed to be a peace cake for the doigtent gods to share so that he can have some peace and quiet), many deities from many pantheons make it their personal mission to drive this me to insanity

[crazycatsiren]

Sometimes I think about Zeus and his siblings, and it's like, yeah, I see it: he's their little brother. He may be the king, but he's still, and will always be, the little brother. They love him and indulge him and put up with him and sometimes want to pick him up and throw him, but at the end of the day, he's their little brother.

[broomsick]

Never let anybody ridicule your beliefs. It’s human to find divinity in the mundane. It’s human to turn to the divine for answers. It’s not a matter of intelligence, like some would like to think. It’s a matter of human nature and instinct.

So leave some honey out for the fae, find omens in the patterns of the clouds, or hang wind chimes outside like your grandma used to do. Don’t let anybody call you anything other than human.

[yanny09]

gang can we please normalize not doing massive things as worship, good for you: you can do massive fesitvals, cook great meals for your gods, devote days and days to them. im sorry i literally cant do that i get tired from simple readings and i barely manage to play music for apollo on a good day how about i take a deep breath for my gods instead, drink a juice for them (because if i put it on my alter TRUST i will forget), find quotes on Pinterest instead of making poetry for my gods because i silently cringe while making them and say the quotes like a prayer. if its humane, you can do it for your gods regardless on extravagance. if they accept you they accept your actions too