#HelPolBlr

[hyakinthou-naos]

HelPol Discourse & Ableism

A more nuanced addition to this post - which I made on a low spoons day (if you're just interested in the ableism part then scroll to the bottom).

The Dunning-Kruger Effect

“The Dunning–Kruger effect is a cognitive bias in which people with limited competence in a particular domain overestimate their abilities”

- Wikipedia

The Duning-Kruger Effect was first pointed out to me by another pagan practitioner - and in that context it was used to describe those who claim to know what is “right” or “wrong” for all practitioners within a given tradition.

This fellow practitioner (I can’t remember their name - this was at least 2 years ago) pointed out that those who are incredibly knowledgeable about a given tradition don’t tend to go around policing others practices.

Why?

Because being knowledgeable about any religious or spiritual tradition means recognizing how incredibly human made traditions are. They are loose - flexible - ever changing and ever evolving within both individual and community practice.

Now - that doesn’t mean “anything goes” within a tradition or religion, quite the opposite.

It instead means that the best way to create a cohesive tradition (or revive a cohesive tradition) is through working together as a community to discuss what is and isn’t valid praxis.

One individual (or a small group of individuals) speaking on behalf of an entire community is very rarely a good idea.

Bold “unpopular opinion” posts - telling others what is and isn’t valid praxis - is not only incredibly hubristic, but is also only going to lead to anger and infighting.

It is through conversation that we can get to the root of an issue and try to find consensus as a community.

As an example: I could make a post explaining my interpretation of, and feelings around, people worshipping Medusa. I could explain that I have negative feelings because this type of worship was not seen in antiquity. But then I could also make it clear that this is just my opinion - and that I’d be interested in hearing others points of view*

*some of those caught up in this controversy have done this, and have wrongly been demonized for it - while others have done the exact opposite, stating their opinion as law.

If someone makes a post similar to the example and you’re still going to be antagonistic or cruel - then just block that person. You’re going to save both them and yourself a lot of needless stress.

If someone makes a post that is actively inflammatory - you can do one of two things:

1. If you have the energy and bandwidth, you can engage with them in a discussion or civil debate.

2. If you don’t have the energy or bandwidth, or if OP is unwillingly to engage you in such talks, then just block them. Again - it will save you a lot of needless stress.

Lastly - we as Hellenic Polytheists need to be better about our ableism.

If there is something in our faith that is ableist (example: you must always stand with arms outstretched during ritual) then it shouldn’t be part of our faith.

Just because some people do not have any limitations on their physical mobility or mental energy - does not mean that the able-bodied way of doing things gets to be the default or “correct” way of practicing our faith.

I want to make a longer post on the ableism that is rampant in both the HelPol and wider Pagan communities - but for now I think that will suffice.

Askbox is open, as are DMs - The Temple is always open to community building, community discussion, and (civil) community debate.

Eirene - peace and farewell,

- Temple Hyacinthus

[aphrodite-sparkles]

☆ Treat everyone you meet as if they were a God in disguise ☆

[weary-caduceus]

I've seen other people post about this, but please remember not to blame the gods for the less than savory results of this election. Instead go to them for comfort and solace, and I'm sure they will have our backs during this trying time. I felt their presence with me alot today. May the gods be with you! 💙

[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.

[snake-g1rl]

digital offering for Lord Hermes!

diary below ⬇️

I have unfortunately lost my wallet and amongst other things my luck hasn't been very good, I hope He can bless me with good fortune these upcoming weeks :)

diary entry 3 — 3/28/25 ok to rb , credits below.

🪽 — 🪙 — 🪽

🪽 — 🐍 — 🪽

🪽 — 🪙 — 🪽

[beadelmare]

i had the bright idea to talk to the gods through a dictionary (bc it's rlly precise ig?) and long story short, lord apollo told me to pursue the career i want (medicine), lord zeus wants to talk to me more, and lady demeter literally just said "hi, spring is here, just checking in, bye !!" THIS IS SO SWEET HELP MEEE

[apollophanes]

Spiritual Pollution in Hellenic Polytheism

In Helpol, we have three concepts known as lyma, miasma, and agos.

To some, humans are seen as naturally pure beings, but because we are living mortal creatures, spiritual dirt can cling to us and make us impure.

Here, I will discuss these three types of pollution

(Disclaimer: Some of this information comes from my own personal interpretations, and therefore may not apply to the beliefs of everyone)

Lyma

Lyma means "something to be washed away". Itis generally just physical dirt. It isn't much of a big deal when it comes to spiritual matters. However, it is still best to be free of it when approaching the gods.

Miasma

This is where things get complicated.

Miasma is essentially general spiritual pollution. Miasma is something that is completely unavoidable and should not be shamed (well, depending on the cause). Miasma is mainly caused by things related to life and death. This includes sex, childbirth, visiting a cemetery, blood, sexual fluids, etc.

However, miasma has different degrees of severity. More severe miasma comes from acts such as rape, hubris, murder, etc.

Miasma also spreads from people to people. If you walk past someone on the street who just came back from a funeral, their miasma will cling to you as well. This also highlights how unavoidable miasma is. But usually, this kind of indirect miasma is not as bad.

We are not allowed to approach the gods in a state of miasma. Luckily, miasma is not difficult to get rid off (excluding the more severe cases listed above).

All you need to do is wash your hands.

If you get a cut on your leg, the blood is miasmic and therefore you can't approach the gods. But all you need to do is wait for the bleeding to stop, wash away the blood, wash your hands, and then you're good to go.

There is a debate I once had on whether miasma prevents us from praying, giving offerings, and participating in festivals. To me, the answer is yes, but not with prayers. Let me explain why.

In a very simplified description of a certain myth, Orestes killed his mother. This caused him to enter a state of severe miasma and a state of agos (which I will explain later). Long story short, he prayed and asked Apollon to help purify him, in return for a grand offering later on. Apollon heard the prayer and came to help purify Orestes.

In this example, we see that Orestes was still able to pray to Apollon in the worst state of miasma, but promised to give offerings later on.

This implies that prayer is not an issue with miasma.

Here is another example: You don't need to wash your hands when talking to someone, but you should wash your hands if you want to give that person food.

In a similar way, in my opinion, you don't need to wash your hands for a casual prayer, but you should wash them before giving an offering. Although, I also prefer not to pray when I know I am in a miasmic state.

However, this is my own interpretation and others may have different views.

There are other ways to cleanse miasma such as khernips, incense, and scapegoats.

Ocean water is also said to cleanse miasma extremely well.

Agos

Agos is a cursed state and is the most extreme form of spiritual pollution. However, agos is not easy to get.

If you commit a horrible act such as murder, you will be in a state of extreme miasma. However, when the gods notice your crime and get enraged (keep in mind that it is usually not that easy to anger the gods), the miasma evolves into agos.

Miasma is a naturally occurring thing, but agos only comes from the wrath of the gods.

Agos is difficult to remove and is a pretty big deal.

Luckily, you don't need to worry about agos unless you're a horrible person who commits heinous acts.

Aaaand that is my interpretation of spiritual pollution in Helpol. I hope this post can be helpful to you!

Blessed be!

[hisfluer]

i sing & i delight in the song to artemis — swift running goddess of the wild, may i run  alongside you. bold goddess, your heart pounds within my ears as i race, race, race toward the full gleaming moon. my steps are silver, my voice a hunter’s call, and i run! i pray to you, goddess illuminate, to show  me how to seek the secret paths within the woods, how to  string together weapons with my hands, how to wrestle my  freedom from the hands of those who would pull me down. give my arms the strength to pull the bow back, to inhale  the breath of the wild, to release and strike true, true, true.  fleet-footed goddess of silver, let me dance with you  as your cry trills through the woods and wake the birds  from their nests. the snare will never touch my  feet, my strength is too great and my heart too bold. o,  goddess of the hunt — teach me to run wild. 

[edensvessel]

Pro tip: don't use Wikipedia for the information, but the sources.

[selenophiliiaaa]

year three of art school means everything is self directed aka one of my classes is entirely dedicated to my deities !!! so i did a study of Dionysus Lysius as He was depicted in Corinth <3

[dionysian-salvia]

I felt Dio's presence so much yesterday, it was very nice. <3

I was worried about my hygiene a lot yesterday because my depression was heavy. When I hugged someone very important to me, she told me I smelled like grapes. :D (for the record, i didn't have anything grape-scented on. )

[burntoutrenfeldemic]

Kind lords Thanatos and Hypnos, Twins of night and gracious healers, forgive me for reaching out when I have nothing to give, but please accompany me and calm by heart and tremors, guide me and help me power through today's hours. Please, hold my heart and help me through this anxiety, for to me, you are the soothing thoughts bringing me down from my wild thoughts.

With this prayer I wrote in a hurry, please give me and all other peace of mind and a calm from the chaos. Guide us through dark days. For you, kind lords, are final peace.

[weary-caduceus]

Cheap paganism tips!

Pinterest boards!! I got this idea from @beautyofaphrodite, and it's really handy!

Boom!! Free (and potentially secret) altars!

2. Tealight candles! You can get like 100 of them for cheap and use empty sauce jar lids to put them on! You can also pour liquid offerings into the lids while you burn the candles, just make sure the liquid is totally heat safe first.

3. Playlists! I have completely free playlists for all my deities that I play whenver! It's great to play these playlists when doing something associated with that deity, like playing a Hermes playlist traveling or a Hypnos playlist when sleeping.

4. Anything digital! You can make blogs dedicated to them, picsart collages for them, tiktok, twitter, even Facebook pages or accounts for them!

I'll reblog this with more examples when and if I think of them!!

[crazycatsiren]

Well, I am no longer considering.

I have decided. I have now become a devotee of Hera. 🦚

[snake-g1rl]

just completed 30 minutes on the treadmill (jogging) and I am so exhausted, but I'm going to relax for the rest of the day and make some art for Lord Hermes and Lady Persephone for Ostara. :) I hope everyone has a blessed Spring!

diary entry 2 — 3/20/25 ok to rb.

[apollophanes]

The Virtue of Xenia

Xenia means 'hospitality', and is a crucial concept within Hellenic polytheism. To me, it involves being accepting of people who are different, treating people with kindness and respect, and not being a judgemental and hostile person. Historically, xenia represented a good host-guest relationship. In ancient Greece, people were expected to be very hospitable to guests. Another interesting thing is that the gods are quite involved with xenia. I like to use this quote to explain it sometimes: "Be kind to strangers; they might be angels in disguise". Or in this case, gods in disguise.

In many myths, a god will approach someone in the disguise of a human. They do this to test that person's xenia. However, I do not believe that the gods literally do this. It is simply a metaphor to say that the gods are watching our actions and will test us at times.

It is often associated with deities such as Zeus Xenios an Athene Xenia (epithets of Zeus and Athene respectively).

Like many other abstract concepts, xenia also has its own embodying daimon.

Please note that this is my own interpretation of xenia and may not resonate with everyone. Some people may view xenia a bit differently, but it is generally seen as a very important concept in Helpol.