#Deity Identification

[jezzzebel]

DEITY IDENTIFICATION SPREAD (remastered!)

Since y'all blew up the last spread i made for deity identification, i made another one 💫✨⭐

[theic-manic]

Tarot Hellenic Deity Communication Post that should probably be a book someday.

Hello, Feeling inspired by some other posts about Deity identification via tarot I wanted to tweak their ideas and add some additional strategies that help me. This is a devotional post to two of my patron Gods, Lord Apollon and Lord Hermes, who are assisting me with my Oracular duties. Praise Apollo and Hermes.

Post index:

My Background

Some notes about this post

The Major Arcana: Intro

The Major Arcana Deities

The Minor Arcana Part 1: How to incorporate the Minor Arcana

The Minor Arcana Part 2: The Suits

The Minor Arcana: Part 3: The Courts Pentacles Swords Wands Cups

The Minor Arcana part 4: Notable Pip Cards

A Note on Gender

A Note on Symbolism

What the Hermes? (important!)

Deity Communication troubleshooting

How to incorporate Shufflemancy as a Tarot reading clarifier (link to another post)

Notable sources (used in addition to my own knowledge & research) My background: I started Tarot at the age of 11 (2001) and own dozens of different tarot and oracle decks, my exposure to various interpretations over almost 2.5 decades has allowed me to appreciate the nuances in interpretations and even assigned deities. As such, while I do know the broader meanings of each card, I also check the interpretation provided by various deck creators as their own divine guidance adds to my work. E.g. The Tower in my Murder of Crows deck has a very different vibe to The Tower in my Gold Lyre tarot deck. I will be covering deck design nuance after the list of card deities. Some notes about this post: Firstly: I will only be listing Hellenic deities as I currently work with the Hellenic Gods and while I have worked with the Kemetic Gods briefly, I have a distant while cordial relationship with them. I had worked with the Norse Gods for 3-4 years prior to moving to my current locale, however I acknowledge that my time with them has passed (at least for now) and I want to limit this to one pantheon. Secondly: In some of the other posts that assign deities to tarot cards, I found it odd that they would assign say, Freyja to some cards but not Aphrodite, arguably Freyja's Greek counterpart. As such, I will be taking care to check that I don't miss any deities due to these overlaps however this means that some deities will be gaining more cards than typically assigned. Note that some of the Gods of other pantheons have multiple equivalents in the Hellenic Pantheon so in the case that occurs, I will do my best to select whichever one already has their Hellenic equivalent listed by other sources and in cases that hasn't occurred, I will select/assign whichever Hellenic God/s best fit the card.

Thirdly: I won't be assigning deities to each of the numbered minor arcana for a couple of reasons; 1. Not all decks have imagery for these cards except for literal pentacles, wands, swords or cups images 2. While I prefer the Rider-Waite approach to providing story images to these minor cards, said images can be distracting to one's intuition or may add to the confusion. However I will explain how to incorporate these cards into your readings to gain clarity, especially if you draw Major Arcana that can be assigned to a couple of potential deities.

Finally: I will be adding the concept of Shufflemancy at the very bottom. This is optional but I find that it can really add to a reading... however as an Apollo and Hermes devotee I am a tad biased.

If you find this post to be useful please share it so that others may find it.

The Tarot Cards:

Major Arcana

The Fool: Pan, Hermes, Dionysus, Apollo, Morpheus

The Magician: Hermes, Apollo, Empusai

The High Priestess: Hekate, Selene, Artemis, Persephone, Aphrodite, Medusa, Melinoe, Lamia, Empusai

The Empress: Aphrodite, Hera, Demeter, Lamia, Empusai The Emperor: Zeus, Ares, Hades, Apollo

The Hierophant: Apollo, Athena, Hermes

The Lovers: Aphrodite & Ares, Eros & Psyche, Dionysus, Pan, Hades & Persephone, Lamia, Empusai The Chariot: Helios, Apollo, Hermes, Ares, Nike, Athena, Lamia Strength: Athena, Artemis, Medusa The Hermit: Kronos, Prometheus, The Muses*, Hades, Hermes, Hekate * The Muses appearing may also be a more subtle Apollo sign, use surrounding cards to guide your interpretation here. Wheel of Fortune: The Moirai*, Zeus, Hermes, Tyche, Morpheus * The Moirai are the triplet daughters of Kronos & Nyx or Zeus & Themis depending on which lore you refer to. They were also on friendly terms with Apollo and worshipped with Apollo at a number of shrines & temples. As such, please check surrounding cards carefully to determine which Hellenic deity/ies this acts as a confirmation card for. I would not rely on this card alone to confirm a deity's presence. Also pay attention to card imagery & any notes from the deck creator in the accompanying booklet if applicable.

Justice: Zeus, Athena, Themis

The Hanged Man: Artemis, Prometheus, Demeter, Poseidon, Hermes, Morpheus

Death: Persephone, Thanatos, Hades, Hekate, Melinoe, Lamia, Empusai

Temperance: Artemis, Iris, Apollo, Hades.

The Devil: Dionysus, Pan, Ares,

The Tower: Ares, Demeter, Eris, Perses.

The Star: Aphrodite, Hermes, Nyx, Astrea

The Moon: Artemis, Hekate, Selene, Morpheus. Medusa, Melinoe, Lamia, Empusai

The Sun: Apollo, Helios, Brigid, Eos

Judgement: Persephone, Hades, Hephaestus, Metatron, Nemisis

The World: Hermes, Nike, Gaia, Kronos, Athena, Demeter, Arachne

The Minor Arcana:

Intro:

As mentioned at the beginning, I won't be assigning deities to every single minor arcana card however I will be assigning deities to the suits, court cards & a few notable numbered cards to assist with deity identification.

Part 1: The Suits

Wands: Ares, Apollo, Eros, Hermes*

Swords: Ares, Athena, Hades, Athena, Hermes* , Poseidon*

Pentacles: Gaia, Demeter, Hephaestus, Athena

Cups: Aphrodite, Hermes* *Refer to Part 2b

Part 2a: The Courts Pentacles:

Pages: Pan, The Muses, Apollo Knights: Athena, Artemis, Demeter Queens: Persephone. Gaia, Demeter Kings: Hades, Chiron, Pan Swords:

Pages: Athena, Nike, Arachne Knights: Athena, Hermes Queens: Hekate. Athena, Themis, Melinoe Kings: Hephaestus, Hermes

Wands:

Pages: Apollo, Artemis, Athena Knights: Apollo, Orpheus Queens: Aphrodite, Hestia Kings: Zeus, Ares, Apollo

Cups:

Pages: Aphrodite, Eros Knights: Aphrodite Queens: Hera Kings: Poseidon, Dionysus

Part 2b: Notable Pip cards (Ace-10) Certain Pip cards of the Minor Arcana have strong deity connections based on their traditional meanings. I will not be covering the meanings as there are enough books covering this.

Aces: Pentacles- Demeter, Gaia, Swords- Athena, Nike Wands- Pan, Aphrodite and/or Ares, Apollo Cups - Aphrodite, The Nesoi, Eros

9 of Pentacles: Persephone 10 of Pentacles: Hephaestus, Arachne

2 of Swords: Hekate 3 of Swords: Hermes 4 of Swords: Arachne 5 of Swords: Ares, Eris, Melinoe 7 of Swords: Hermes 8 of Swords: Athena, Eris, Arachne 10 of Swords: Poseidon

3 of Wands: Hermes 5 of Wands: Hephaestus 8 of Wands: Dionysus 10 of Wands: Hephaestus

2 of Cups: Hermes with the caduceus, this can also clarify a divine partnership (Hades & Persephone, Ares & Aphrodite etc.) 8 of Cups: Nereus, Melinoe 10 of cups: Nike

Part 3: How to incorporate the minor Arcana

Whenever I am reaching out to deities via Tarot I do this in two stages. Stage 1: Deity identification Stage 2: What they want me to know (this is when a structured spread would be appropriate or simply apply traditional interpretations to the cards). Stage 1: With Deity identification stage I am purely interested in identifying who is in my room/orbit/astral right now but as you likely picked up in the Major Arcana list, many deities share cards and this can become confusing, especially if you draw cards that share the same gods. Solution: Look at the minor Arcana cards and which deities they align with to clarify which God is likely reaching out to you either via direct correspondence or relationship. Examples: 1. Sometimes I will draw Major arcana that are typically associated with Hermes & Apollo (makes sense as they're my patron gods) however if I also draw some wands* then I will typically sense that it is more Apollo that is reaching out whereas if swords pop out, or the 2 of cups, then I am getting a Hermes vibe. (*8 of wands is the one wands card I'd assign to Hermes due to its meaning) 2. If I draw some cards assigned to Ares and another God but draw some cups minor Arcana, I will then lean towards this being Ares as cups are associated with Aphrodite. I then consider how the minor arcana + Major Arcana identifiers act as Deity aspect (or vibe) identifiers. E.g. Ares Major Arcana + Cups cards will likely indicate to me that I am getting Ares' softer side. However if I get Ares + Swords, then I am likely being shown his more traditional warlike nature. If I draw Wands cards, then this is typically aligning with some more passionate energy from Ares. And this is when I gather the cards, reshuffle and commence stage 2 where I am seeking what message/s the identified God/s would like me to know. Even when I draw Major arcana in these readings, I will stick to their traditional interpretations rather than deity correspondences. This assists in me receiving a clearer message.

A Note on Gender:

If you are using a gender themed deck (e.g. a Goddess tarot deck) this may make deity identification more challenging for you as you could potentially mistake the identify of a deity depending on the style of the deck. If however you are confident with interpreting tarot or just work with goddesses or gods, that's cool too. Deities sometimes may appear as a gender not typically assigned to them as they find this is an easier way for you to connect with them.

Pages & Knights are gender neutral, so take their pictorial representation with a grain of salt if that helps.

A note on Symbolism: Some decks may have symbols to help you better discern which deity is reaching out, especially with cards that share numerous gods so please pay attention to the illustrations of the major arcana in addition to the clarifying minor arcana cards. Certain themed decks may make this easier or more difficult however if like me you own many tarot decks then the deck you feel called to use is a sign in itself. E.g. Whenever I feel drawn to my Golden Lyre deck, I know that Apollo and Hermes are going to show up (& they do). If I feel drawn to my Vlad the Dracula, Diablo or another "dark" deck, this to me has Ares energy. Ultimately, much of this depends on your connection with the divine, how you best communicate (e.g. which clair-sense is strongest for you), your physical & mental health and ongoing practice with the Gods and honing your intuition.

What the Hermes?! Hermes wanted me to mention that if you see a lot of his cards (you likely noticed that he is associated with many tarot cards) this means either a) your deity has an urgent message that they need him to deliver to you, b) the deity reaching out does not have very good history with one of your patron gods so he is delivering their message to keep the peace or c) the deity is just not good at communicating via tarot (see below)

Deity communication troubleshooting:

The cards are a real mixed bag and/or nothing makes sense: You might be tired, hungry, dehydrated or just not ready to receive messages.

Some Gods take longer than others to "talk": Oracular deities and deities with a decent history with Oracles & the likes are very vocal through tarot for me whereas other deities aren't very good at communicating through tarot & perhaps another method would be best such as Shufflemancy, meditation, tea leaves, automatic writing or a range of other methods. E.g. Ares takes a while to talk to me through tarot and that's often because 1. Apollo is very loud & Ares likes to... give him space and 2. There appear to be some stories of Ares potentially having poor experiences with oracles, e.g. an Oracle allegedly directing the people of various places in southern Asia Minor or the likes to bind Ares' statue in chains and even an annual rite involving this to force him into being more peaceful...  The oracle promises that "thus will he become a peaceful deity for you, once he has driven the enemy horde far from your country, and he will give rise to prosperity much prayed for." Wikipedia I'll admit my ignorance with much of Greek mythology however upon learning more about Ares' history with Apollo and certain Oracle cults I have learned to be more understanding of him taking longer to communicate this way. Even writing this & feeling my back hurt I can sense Ares' disapproval of Hermes & Apollo guiding me to write this post.

How to incorporate Shufflemancy as a Tarot reading clarifier:

Notable sources (used in addition to my own knowledge & research): https://backyardbanshee.com/tarot/deities-associated-with-tarot-cards/

Updates made July 14 2024:

I have started to add the lesser-known deities such as Medua, Lamia, Empusai, Arachne and Melinoe and will slowly add the others. Please comment or DM any Hellenic deity or spirit requests to be added.

[starfacenix]

FREE + paid tarot and psychic readings!

For reviews or comments from people I’ve read for, go to #my reviews or my buymeacoffee page! Or if you’d like to get a feel for how I read, go to #my tarot readings

[while I primarily work with deities I am not opposed to helping you with any type of spirits, demons or otherwise. I take my own safety precautions as should you.]

FREE Deity identification reading with explanation

FREE short readings on career, romance, personal or otherwise related topics.

$5 channeled message from deity + tarot card pulls

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You’ll get your reading within 24 hours but usually much faster than that.

Just shoot me a dm with what you’d like and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible. 🩶♥️

[peachcraft-authorized]

I’m just out here collecting info and posts on Hermes and Apollo cuz I think they wanna vibe with me☺️

I’m also collecting any devotee advice and tips cuz I’m new but I’m ready to do my part for my boys🫡

Im being super nonchalant and silly about this because im nervous😬 I promise I will work up the nerve to speak about them in a professional-ish manner

[sleepy-baby-witchy1]

selene

"from her immortal head a radiance is shown from heaven and embraces earth" - homeric hymn to selene

·̩̩̥͙＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚　　˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊·̩̩̥͙·̩̩̥͙＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚　　˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊·̩̩̥͙·̩̩̥͙＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚　　˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊·̩̩̥͙

family

selene is the granddaughter of gaia (primordial goddess of earth) and uranus (primordial god of heavens). her parents were the titans hyperion and theia (also known as euryphaessa). hyperion was the titan god of light, and theia was the titaness goddess of sight & mother of the sun. sometimes, helios is referred to as her father.

she has two siblings; helios, god of the sun, and eos, goddess of the dawn.

like most of the greek pantheon, selene had multiple lovers. although she is famous for loving the mortal endymion. selene also had zeus as a lover, and was said to also be a lover of pan and dionysus. additionally, selene and helios were also lovers.

with zeus, selene had three daughters; ersa (also known as herse), goddess of dew, pandeia (also known as pandia), goddess of the full moon, and nemea, (goddess of the town nemea in argos). it is possible that pan could be the actual father of pandeia, but so can endymion. additionally, nemea's parents are up for debate, as some accounts say zeus and selene are her parents, while others say she is the daughter of asopos (river god) and metope (river-nymph daughter of ladon).

a child named naxos was either fathered by zeus or endymion. it's hard to say exactly who the father is, or even who the parents actually are, as i've found conflicting sources. other than zeus and endymion, potiential parents are apollo and acacallis, or epeuis and eurycyda.

endymion and selene had lots of children. together, they have fifty daughters. these daughters are known as the menai, or the goddesses of the lunar months; these goddesses represented the months between each set of olympic games. endymion is also the father of narcissus, the man who fell in love with his own reflection and eventually passed from starvation. his other potential parents are cephissus (river god) and liriope (a nymph).

selene is also said to be the mother of the poet musaeus, who was connected to orpheus. no official father was named, though i personally believe endymion is a possible candidate.

helios is the father of the horae (also known as the horai). the horae consisted of three goddesses originally perceived to represent the four seasons, but later changed to goddesses of order and justice. their names are thallo (goddess of spring), auxo (goddess of summer), and carpo (goddess of harvest). the horae had other names as well; eirene (peace, spring), eunomia (good order, good pasture), and dike (justice) - auxesia & damia - euporia, orthosie & pherousa - eiar, theros, kheimon, & phthinoporon -. their other potential parents besides selene and helios are zeus and themis, and zeus and aphrodite.

whilst it's hard to completely say if pan and selene had any children, he gifted her a pair of either white horses or white oxen after sucessfully seducing her. he is suspected of being the father of selene's daughter, pandeia.

the nemean lion is a tricky figure to place. some myths say selene gave birth to it or raised it from a request from hera. others say the lion is a child of selene, but fell off the moon, and others say the lion is a child of echidna with no connection to the moon goddess.

·̩̩̥͙＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚　　˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊·̩̩̥͙·̩̩̥͙＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚　　˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊·̩̩̥͙·̩̩̥͙＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚　　˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊·̩̩̥͙

about the goddess

selene is the first goddess of the moon and is revered as the moon personified. she is also considered a goddess of sorcery and witchcraft. she's heavily associated with artemis and hecate as all three are lunar goddesses. furthermore, selene is considered to be the matron of obsessive love and the mother of vampires - though i haven't found many resources to confirm this. sometimes, the moon goddess was referred to as phoebe. artemis was also occasionally referred to as phoebe. besides being the goddess of sorcery, the moon, and witchcraft, selene is also the goddess of lunacy, dew, childbirth, and the lunar month.

this goddess is connected with moon cycles, the passage of time, mensuration, peaceful dreams/sleep, controlling the tides, and giving sleep.

selene is depicted as riding a chariot (depending on the author, it is either snowy white, gold, or silver) pulled by either horses, bulls, or winged beasts. she wore a crown of a lunar sphere or a crescent moon, or the fold of a raised cloak; the goddess is said to have bull horns as well. she's said to have rich hair with pale skin. selene also has long wings and flowing robes. at dusk, she pulled her chariot across the sky to bring up the moon - and did it again at dawn to lower it, as eos and helios brought forth the sun.

her personality is said to be very gentle, like a mother. selene is very protective and watchful over her followers. she is a calm goddess with a romantic side. she's compassionate as well, and possesses a nurturing air about her.

·̩̩̥͙＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚　　˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊·̩̩̥͙·̩̩̥͙＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚　　˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊·̩̩̥͙·̩̩̥͙＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚　　˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊·̩̩̥͙

festivals

two festivals held for selene were dikhomenia (celebrated during the full moon), and noumenia (celebrated during the new moon). during these celebrations, homes were decorated with laurel and white fabric. wine, honey, and the first fruits of crops were offered to the moon goddess as ways to ask for her blessings and protection.

according to the goddess book of days, selene's day is february 7th.

·̩̩̥͙＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚　　˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊·̩̩̥͙·̩̩̥͙＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚　　˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊·̩̩̥͙·̩̩̥͙＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚　　˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊·̩̩̥͙

symbols

torches, lunar disks, chariots, moon imagery, feathers, bull horns, crescent moons, full moons

flowers/incense/crystals/scents

white roses, moonstone, sage, jasmine, lavender, opal, myrtle, willow, selenite, poppies, roses, mugwort, clear quartz, frankincense, pearl

sacred colors

silver, white, blue, purple

sacred animals

bulls, horses, oxen - especially if they're white

sacred day

monday

tarot cards

the moon, queen of cups, the high priestess, the chariot, temperance, the star

offerings

moon-gazing, reading her myths, writing poetry for her, talking/praying to her, meditating, studying astrology and astronomy, tracking moon phases, night walks, baked goods in the shape of moons, eggs, milk, honey, talking to the moon, moonwater, going to the beach at night, play music for her, donate to organizations for mental health &/or helping new mothers in need, sing to her, light incense, honor her, olive oil, fruits, statues of horses/bulls/oxen, statues of her, imagery of her

epithets

mother of dreams, all-shining, lovely-haired, queen of the night, subtle one, light bearer, bright-tressed, grey-eyed, long winged, the eye of night, all-wise, foe of strife, beautiful haired, all-seeing

·̩̩̥͙＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚　　˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊·̩̩̥͙·̩̩̥͙＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚　　˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊·̩̩̥͙·̩̩̥͙＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚　　˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊·̩̩̥

sources

https://contra.com/p/ZElc6sAL-selene-goddess-of-the-moon

[stormofthesea]

Deity Identification Help

Recently, I’ve been feeling that a deity has been reaching out to me, but I wasn’t quite sure who. I decided to do a deity spread I found and here were the results:

Here is the spread I used:

I think I got wonderful and distinct results, but I need some help identifying which goddess this may be. Are there any pagans that can help me? Any other advice or input on my results would be immensely appreciated! 🫶

[childofflamesandmoonlight]

Help with Deity Dossier?

I did the wonderful Deity Dossier spread by @thiscrookedcrown a few days ago, and while I already have an idea who this entity could be, I would really appreciate a second opinion.

Thank you so much in advance!

Here are the cards I drew (plus some of my notes):

1. The Entity: The Emperor

This represents the spirit, deity, or being in question. The card can be drawn or selected, depending on if you know the nature of the spirit or a card that could represent them.

Leadership

Authority

Reason

Structure

Discipline

Masculine power

Maturity

Responsibility

Stubbornness

Protector

Experience

Knowledge

Confidence

Strength

Dominance

Father figure, boss, older brother, teacher, patriarch

Mind over heart, clear thinking

2. Their History: Temperance

These are past deeds or dealings the spirit has had with either other people or you that you should know about.

Balance

Moderation

Communication

Management of resources

Art

Healing

Testing the water

Patience

Two choices, two people, two sides of a conflict

3. Underlying Influences & Past Experiences: Four of Swords

Similar to Past, this represents influences that could be important to know. This may be an emotional thing rather than a past action. (Example: if previously betrayed by humans, a spirit is less likely to want to deal with humans.)

Inner reflection

Planning

Convalescence

Rest

Recovery

Solid foundations

Solitude

Self-care

Balance

Contemplation

Seclusion

Taking a break

4. Personality, Attitudes & Opinions: Four of Cups

General personality and/or how they think.

Depression

Self-indulgence

Denial

Turning inward

Moodiness

Lack of vision

Self-absorption

Escapism

Not seeing life's blessings and opportunities

Hiding

Discouraged, bored, dissatisfied, apathetic, unmotivated, weary

Having to find new motivation

Breaking the routine

5. Their Current Status: The Moon

Their current status. If a spirit is in trouble, this information would appear here.

Intuition

Deception

Imagination

Emotion

Fear

Illusion

Fantasy

Dreams

Genius

Artistic breakthrough

Confusion

Mystery

Subconscious

Uncertainty

Doubt

Losing your way

Darkness

Creativity

Magic

Inner wisdom

Lack of focus

Confusion

6. Their Health Overall: Page of Swords

The health of the spirit, deity, or being. (Example: A land spirit could be ill or ailing due to pollution.)

Vigilance

Diplomacy

Tact

Intellectual abilities

Talent

Youth

Messenger

Honesty

Truth

Integrity

Fresh outlook

Clarity

Cut to the problem

New phase in your life

New opportunity

Speaking up

Healing from past illness or injuries

Mental clarity to overcome challenges you face

7. Their Mental Health: Six of Pentacles

Their mental health or, possibly, their overall mood.

Generosity

Mentorship

Community giving

Hosting

Involvement

Charity

Sharing what you have with others

Needing help or offering it to others

Reaching out for help

8. What They Like To Do & Have Done For Them: Knight of Pentacles

This could be things they like to do for others, part of their sphere of influence, and/or things that could be used to connect with them or honor them. Think of this like hobbies or likes.

Patience

Long-term plans

Responsibilities

Slow progress

Financially conservative

Serious, dependable, experienced, mature

Parenthood

Love of animals

Financial success

Providing for others

9. Physical Manifestation: Four of Wands

Their physical health or how they could physically manifest. This is especially useful for finding out what deity is contacting you.

Happiness

Family

Unity

Blossoming

New life, new success

Prosperity

Celebration

Harmony

Engagement

Marriage, partnership

Completion of a project

Solidity, stability, security

Grounded

Resting

Recharging

Vacation

Peace

Radiant

Lively

Comforting

Confident

Joyful

Inviting, welcoming, sociable

10. What To Know: The Lovers

Things that are imperative for you to know. This could be used to see how working with this being could affect you in the future.

Love

Commitment

Partnership

Friendship

Attraction

Marriage

Unification

Communication

Trust

11. What To Avoid: King of Wands

Things that are imperative for you to avoid doing. Example: If a spirit hates blood, don’t give blood offerings. This could also be used to see how the spirit could negatively affect you in the future.

Power

Fire

Warmth

Charisma

Charm

Strength

Manipulation

Megalomania

Visionary

Rivalry

Spice

Popularity

Ambition

Greed

Selfishness

Tyranny

Being a bad leader

12. Positive Influences, Friends or Experiences: Six of Wands

What is helpful? What will help your relationship with them? This can be something that is not in the spirit or deity’s sphere of influence but still influences them. A deity might be one of fertility but their sibling could be a deity of war. That will somewhat play into how the spirit acts. Another example would be a spirit becoming powerful because a nearby coven is worshiping it.

Accomplishment

Recognition

Acknowledgement

Praise

Pride

Rewards

Being noticed

Achievements

Affirmation

13. Negative Influences, Enemies or Experiences: Five of Cups

Exactly as above, but the more negative side of things. What isn’t helping this spirit? What will not help your relationship with them? Do they feel used or not appreciated? The examples above also apply.

Negative thinking

Grief

Loss

Inclination to focus on the bad

Difficulty

Trouble letting go of the past

Former hardship, pain or heartbreak

14. Conscious Desires & Thoughts: The Hanged Man

What they want. This could be offerings or a general goal. This may be what they want from you. If they have an agenda they’ll admit to, it will be here.

Crossroads

Decisions

Potential growth

Discernment

Change

Letting go

Waiting

Sacrifice

15. Unconscious Desires & Thoughts: Nine of Cups

This is what they want but won’t admit to or what they don’t know they want. If they have a hidden agenda, it will be here.

Prosperity

Fulfillment

Good luck

Rewards

Bonuses and promotions

Happiness

Attainment of things they desire

Celebration

Wishes

Victory

16. Hopes: Nine of Swords

This can be a general list of hopes, a overall hope for the future, or what they hope to get from you.

Anxiety

Sleeplessness

Depression

Worry

Self-torment

Despair

Nightmares

Haunted

Guilt

Old wounds that have not healed

Stress

17. Fears: The Devil

This can be a general list of fears, what they fear for the future, or what they’re concerned about in regards to you or your life. 

Bondage

Failure

Obsession

Addiction

Depression

Materialism

Lust

Illusion

Temptation

Constraints

Harmful attachments, bonds and impulses

Bad habits

Codependency

[lazyagender]

A little doodle of Lady Eris and I. I feel so grateful for her since she has pulled me from a very dark time in my life and all of the times i have relapsed. Everytime i feel that i'm not enough, i feel as if i'm wrapped in a warm hug, even if i'm alone in a cold night, i always know that she's with me. <3

[god-blog]

So I’m relatively new at tarot and I need some help checking my work here

Three weeks ago, I started a new job a museum and I am loving it. But every. single. day. I spend the whole time thinking about Athena. Drawing her, thinking about her, and, more recently, feeling like she's with me at my desk (but not when I go into the park for lunch, only inside the museum). It's the same feeling that I get about Artemis when I walk through the woods.

So, this afternoon, I decided to do a tarot reading to see if it was Athena reaching out to me. I first used @starsthewitch deity identification method then did a second one using @theic-manic Hellenic tarot notes (I did one major arcana for identification and two minor arcana for what they want me to know). This is what I got:

In both readings there's a theme of domesticity, stability, and nature but besides the Mother of Swords card in the association spot of @starsthewitch 's spread, I'm not really sure if that would describe Athena as well as it would other gods (I was thinking Demeter but I've never felt any sort of connection to Demeter).

Can anyone help me read this better?

[suilinbride]

ASKLEPIOS and and Roosters

If Anyone reading this might know the answer to this or not, does Anyone have any information regarding ASKLEPIOS and Roosters? To make a long story short, I got a major omen today that involved a Rooster Crowing right before dusk while I was taking care of some stuff at My local Demartment of health and Human Resources. I asked around in the Roman Polytheist community, and most of the answers got back was regarding Murcury. I did a little bit of divination to see if it was Murcury or not, and the answer I got was no. I did a little bit of reading on both the Roman and Greek sides of things, and I came up with the possibility of ASKLEPIOS being connected to Rooster, but can Anyone confirm or debunk that idea? It would help Me out a lot, far more than I can express in text right now.

[jezzzebel]

DEITY IDENTIFICATION SPREAD by Jagoda

Card 1: a card that represents the deity.

Card 2: a positive trait of that deity

Card 3: a negative trait of that deity (darker, bad, ""evil"" , or just a trait that is seemingly negative by humans)

Card 4: domain, what the deity rules over

Card 5: minor domain, what a deity rules over but isn't talked a lot about

Card 6: that deity's mythology

Card 7: what a deity is associated with

Card 8: what the deity wants to work on with you

[theic-manic]

Deity Discernment: Trickster Deities

For today's Apollo + Hermes Tumblr devotional act I will be covering trickster deity discernment as best as possible! I would like to acknowledge the Gadigal of the Eora Nation, the traditional custodians of this land and pay my respects to the Elders past, present and emerging. I acknowledge that Aboriginal sovereignty has not been ceded.

FoR: I was a Loki devotee for a few years or so prior to relocating to a Greek community & drawing the attention of Hellenic gods, after a period of worshipping Hermes I became a Hermes Devotee and so I am blessed to have had some experience with Trickster deities in a devotional way. I am also a Neopagan, not a reconstructionist so I won't be covering pagan reconstructionist approaches here.

This does not mean that I have been immune to trickster fuckery as I had Hermes admit to me that he "cosplayed" as other deities a while ago however his reasoning as follows: "As a messenger god I am often tasked with delivering messages between gods and mortals and sometimes the messages from the gods are best received with the wrapping of the god who has sent the message rather than from me. People will occasionally think it's directly from the god who sent the message, which I'm fine with so long as the message is being received as effectively as possible. However I'm not responsible for people's discernment skill-issue making them think that I'm another god." - Hermes when I asked about him coming across as other deities. Note that this is really a thing with people who casually worship gods rather than devotees since devotees actually have a strong relationship with their god/s.

So, how does one ID a deity?

Rule out mundane causes such as lack of sleep, interrupted sleep etc.

Deity identification tarot readings (I'll link a post below)

Pay someone with a good reputation for deity identification to do this for you if possible (I am wary of "free" services) to gain an external perspective

Pay attention to signs, omens & synchronicities (log them somewhere)

Research the deity you think it is: How have they traditionally appeared to others? How do modern pagans perceive them? Are there signs or synchronicities that seem "off" or not aligned with the deity you think is reaching out?

Spiritually cleanse your home in whichever way aligns with your practice.

Ask a messenger or oracular deity from your pantheon to help guide your discernment.

Work with your strongest clairsense and maintain your clairs. E.g. I am claircognizant so I maintain that with exercises when possible to strengthen my discernment.

Work on improving your connection with your Higher Self as that is essentially the antenna between your mundane-self and the spiritual realm. The stronger your connection with your Higher Self the less likely a trickster deity may pull one on you and/or the less likely you'll encounter miscommunication issues due to a "fuzzy" connection (Hermes' term).

Optional: Perform an egg cleanse to remove any bad mojo from others.

Bonus tip: I am being reminded by Apollo to create my dark/trickster Book of Shadows (on my growing devotional to-do list) but even dedicating a section of your regular BoS to trickster deities from your pantheon can help. Now I did tell anon in the linked ask that I'd do the following:

- Adequately addressing Dionysus specific aspects

- Addressing common traits among some of the various trickster deities

- Research various tips to strengthen discernment skills.

- Reasons why deity identification can be confusing, especially with trickster gods. However, Apollo is guiding me to create a more general post that can be used with almost any Pantheon, to better help a wider audience so I apologise to Anon for not addressing the points that I said I would.

I hope this helps.

Deity identification tarot post:

[sunn-shinne]

Idk if anyone needs to know this butThere's a difference between working with a god and worshipping them.

Worshipping is devoting many parts of your life's to a deity. You can worship multiple,it's typical to have a few worshipped. It's like when you have always had a calling to Athena,and are attached to her.

Working with a deity

You work with them when needed most. You need love in your life so you may work with Aphrodite. It may be short or long term,and typically you work with many deity's in your life.

[peachcraft-authorized]

HELP ME! I NEED A SECOND OPINION!

Do you guys think Apollo has been reaching out to me?

I haven’t had a cold or been sick since 2018 but the day after I misinterpreted a reading thinking it was from Hermes I get a cold. I’ve also had a really easy time remembering to take my medication for quite a while now. I’ve always wanted to be a writer and recently I was inspired to finally start writing a novel and the occasional fanfiction.

I also did this deity confirmation that I think might make sense for Apollo????

Card One is the deity — this is the equivalent to the first card in the Deity Communication Spread.

Card Two is one of the qualities/traits associated with them we’re meant to read this as a “negative” trait. Something that might seem scary or intimidating.

Card Three is another personality trait, but this one is usually read as being seen as more positive.

Card Four is what this deity rules over, or has power over.

Card Five will be for something that the deity is associated with, like a symbol or animal or something.

[sleepy-baby-witchy1]

iris

"but ceaseless war's upon us! time and again i've gone to battle, fought with men but i've never seen an army great as this. too much - like piling leaves or sand, and on and on they come, advancing across the plain to fight before our gates." - the iliad, book 2

︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵

family

iris was the daughter of thaumas (the personification of the wonders of the sea & an old sea god) & elektra (also known as ozomene, oceanid nymph & possibly a cloud nymph of storm clouds illuminated by the sun). she is the granddaughter of pontos (also known as pontus, primordial god of the sea), & gaia (also known as gaea, primordial goddess of earth); & also the granddaughter of tethys (primordial titan goddess of fresh water nourishing the earth) & oceanus (also known as okeanos, primordial titan god of the great river okeanos, all fresh water - wells, springs, rivers, rain clouds -, & regulated which divine beings rose & set from his waters).

her siblings include the harpies (also known as the harpyiai & personifications of strong gusts of wind), arke (also known as arce), & hydaspes (a river god of northwestern india). the harpies have quite a few names; aello, okypete, podarge, okypete-okythoe-okypode, aellopos-nikothoe, kelaino, & podarke-aellopos. the harpies were depicted as either winged women sometimes depicted with ugly faces, or winged women with the lower bodies of birds. arke was the messenger of the titans (before being replaced by ithax) & took the side of the titans in the gods vs titans war & got her wings cut off by zeus as a punishment. she was sent to tartarus. often, a faded rainbow is a sign of arke.

unlike many other gods, iris only had one lover; zephyros (also known as zephyrus). zephyros was one of the four seasonal wind gods (also known as the anemoi), the god of the west wind, & the god of spring. together, they had pothos (also known as pothus), the god of sexual longing, desire, & yearning. pothos was considered one of the erotes. the erotes (winged love gods) were a trio comprised of eros, himeros, & pothos. additionally, some sources say iris & zephyros are also the parents to eros; however, eros' parents were also said to be aphrodite & either zeus, hermes, ares, or hephaestus.

while iris only had zephyros as a lover, he on the other hand had quite of few lovers and children with them. in addition to fathering pothos & possibly eros, he is the father of xanthos (also known as xanthus) & balios (also known as balius), arion (also known as areion), karpos (also known as carpos), & the tigers. xanthos & balios were a pair of immortal horses gifted to peleus from poseidon, their mother was podarge, one of the harpies & iris' sister. arion was also an immortal horse who was said to be the fastest (or one of the fastest) horses; he had several people who owned him, such as onicus the arkadian, heracles, & adrastus. his parents were debated as either being poseidon & demeter, gaia, or zephyros & one of the harpies (suspected of being podarge). karpos was the goddess of fruits on the earth, her parents are zephyros & chloris (also known as khloris). some people say that karpos is actualy karpo (also known as carpo), same role but a god instead of a goddess.

︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵

about the goddess

iris was the first messenger for the gods & the goddess of rainbows. after hermes assumed her former messenger duties, iris became a servant of hera. according to the iliad, though, iris was the main one to relay messages from zeus & hera to people - not hermes. besides being a messenger & the goddess of rainbows, iris is said to assist those with grieving & death as well. she is also present whenever the gods would make oaths, a pitcher in her hands filled with water from the river styx. whenever a god or goddess lied, they'd fall into a deep slumber for a year - this was all, of course, due to iris. besides being a messenger, iris would serve the gods nectar from her golden pitcher as well. nectar was seen as a delicacy, i'm assuming.

oftentimes in art, iris is indistinguishable from hebe. whilst both goddesses were very, very different from each other, they were identical in artistic depictions of them. iris was thought to be shown as a gorgeous young woman with golden wings, a water pitcher in hand, & a herald's rod. sometimes her pitcher was depicted with nectar in it, other times it was water from the river styx. iris was often shown to be by zeus or hera's side, further affirming her role as a messenger.

this goddess is connected to rainbows, communication, truth, grieving, rain, the sea, messages, and new journeys. she is one of a handful of gods that were allowed to travel between the underworld & the depths of the sea. much like hermes, if you pray but don't know who to pray to, iris likely will.

she is described as being incredibly fast. iris delivers messages & disappears just as fast as she appeared. whilst she isn't in charge of any domain in particular, iris is loyal to the 12 olympians - namely hera. due to her quick nature, usually you can see where she's been from rainbows. she's very colorful (obviously). i personally don't think she enjoys conflict very much. i feel she's a very soft-natured goddess as well.

︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵

festivals

little is known about how iris was worshipped. there are no valid sources i've found discussing festivals dedicated to her, though i imagine people would invoke her for various reasons. although, the island of delos was known to offer her basymiae (type of cheescake made from wheat-flour, suet, & honey).

while i can't find a festival for her, nor a sacred day, belgium has a holiday called iris day on may 8, which is celebrated to mark the victory over the germans in world war II. additionally, people celebrate this day as a victory for democracy & a loss for facism. may 8 is significant to them as it's the feast day of their patron saint, saint michael.

fun fact: france's national flower is the iris, & tennessee picked the iris to be their state flower.

there is no known day for this goddess, unfortunately :(.

︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵

symbols

postage stamps/cards, rainbows, feathers, water, prisms

flowers/incense/crystals/scents

frankincense, aura quartz, violet, moonstone, iris, sunstone, rainbow obsidian, myrrh, labradorite

sacred colors

all of them!

sacred animals

hummingbirds, other brightly colored creatures (especially birds)

sacred day

unknown

tarot cards

ten of cups, page of swords, temperance

offerings

wine, fig cakes, learning about her, spending time in nature, milk, honoring her & her family, using color theory, cloud gazing, writing poetry, baking cheesecakes for her, donating to charities focused on peace/ending wars, working on being in tune with emotions, honey, sending postcards to people, artwork, looking for rainbows (rainbow gazing?), olive oil

epithets

dewy, wonderous one, golden footed, blessed, of fair sandals, storm-footed, daughter of thaumas, wind-swift

︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵

sources