#Pagan Gods Verse

[diminuel]

I'm so supremely artblocked that I'm resorting to doodling the original blorbos. X'D

(What's the saying? If you recognize this guy you might qualify for a veteran's discount or something like that?)

[wanderingmind867]

Having Heimdall agree with Sam that the Aesir aren't real gods… that bothers me. I feel like that's almost having your writing bend over backwards to please the monotheistic readers of your book. Really, Heimdall's portrayal as a selfie loving, obnoxious lout really makes him unlikeable. And that's a shame. Some of the other gods have been obnoxious too, but Heimdall is the first one who I really don't love. Largely because he seems to be used just as a way for Rick Riordan to make the gods look silly and say: "look, these guys aren't real gods! There's something bigger than them!" And I hate that. It's just something that continually grates on me.

[leldaofzelda-linktothepink]

in my room lives a tiny god of happiness and of calm. it’s a god of music, video games, crocheting, art, his angels are hot droplets of water in a late night shower or a cup of tea, his shrines are wreathed in pillows and blankets, his altars are the little plates of snacks that i make before i sleep. every time i whisper to myself “i want to go home”, it’s a prayer to him. and some days he answers me, and i don’t hear the people fighting downstairs anymore.

[j0celynh0rr0r]

Why???

[aspirant1598]

[staticgcne]

❛ I recently requested for suggestions of how to be called throughout our much wider multiverse, && I am pleased to announce that I have chosen one! A set of kudos to ... hm. ❜ Squinting at his notes.

❛ A Miss Death? Red Lady? Something like that, who suggested Jupiter! Now, should any other Alastors out there meet me, I can be uniquely myself without much confusion. ❜

❛ Anywho, for the rest of today's broadcast — ❜

[manofmanymasks]

The Man of Many Masks

I would like to introduce you to my main deity. The Man of Many Masks is a very personal deity to me. I've only ever worked with a masculine face, so I refer to him with he/him. However, he contains multitudes, and I'm sure there are parts that use any pronoun you can think of. Some people may see him as a concerning deity to work with due to a lot of the verbiage he uses to describe his domains or the fact that blood can be an appropriate sacrifice, at times. He is not an easy God to work with, but he makes me feel fulfilled and like I am not alone in the way I am. I hope you can appreciate him as much as I do and consider integrating him into your practice. He has certain aspects that encourage plural folks to seek him, I believe, and have listed it as a domain of his. I don't see it as "he causes plurality" and much as he is and protects those who are plural.

Domains:

• Concealment, Deception, Doubt

• Multitudes, Plurality, Reflections

• Protection by way of hiding, information and knowledge for self protection

• Paranoia, Anxiety, Instinct

Prayer Marks

The graphic is not all exhaustive. These are just what I've figured out. Learning the language of your God is the hardest part.

[Image id: bluish-white digital drawing on a black background. 8 symbols are labeled. From the top, left to right: "greeting" is a chin shape with a single line to the left inside. "Knowledge" is the chin shape with a triangle inside, pointing upwards. "Doubt" is the chin shape with 4 lines inside. Furthest left is a sideways J. Next is a short line above it. Next is a long line that goes past the top of the J. Next is a short line, shorter than all the previous. "Change" is the chin shape with a downward pointing triangle in it. "Mask is a chin shape with an oval near the top and 3 lines below it, making two eyes and a nose. "The Self" is a complicated mask. 6 vertical lines point from the chin, and are matched across the center line. The lines descend into the chin like steps. There are two off-kilter Xs in the free space on either side of the lines. "Rejection/Punishment" is the chin shape with an X in it. "The Other" is the chin shape with a total of 5 lines. One is in the center and goes about halfway down. Two on either side are a little lower but the same length. In between each line is a very short dash, making eyes. End Image id]

Communication

• Mirrors or Pools (srying)

• Tarot (masks)

Suggestions

The Man of Many Masks is very internal. Communication is often through you. The relationship tends to be very transactional and distant. This deity is very personal to me, and this guide includes a lot of UPG.

Emoji associations

Any face, but especially: 😶‍🌫️🥸, 💦👤🐢🦚🦎🍽🌑🌚💧🌬🌫🎭🪞🪟🚿♒️🆔️🔹️

Ways to worship/devotional acts

• Therapy: Shadow work, Self-Reflection, IFS, Working with the idea of different selves in different situations

• Religious: Prayer Marks and prayer, Mirror scrying/Water scrying, reading Tarot, meditation (especially for reflection)

• For systems: internal communication, switching intentionally, striving for functional multiplicity. Striving to understand roles and triggers. Not disclosing status to others to keep yourself safe.

• Art: Community Theater, acting/voice acting, Role-playing or "being someone else." Making or printing masks. Writing/representing the self through characters.

• General life: Self Defense Classes, Home Defense Classes, not just "how to defend" but "preventative measures." Hot showers. Keeping animals that choose to hide or disguise themselves. Wearing earrings or other bilateral clothing/accessories that doesn't match. Protecting your information (not just regularly changing passwords, but not disclosing more than necessary to coworkers, bosses, Teachers, landlords, strangers etc. They are not your friends and they do not need to know.)

Correspondences:

• Objects/Concepts: Masks, The Self, Deception, Names, Multitudes, Mirrors

• Animals: Turtles, Chameleons, Octopi, Cuttlefish, Snakes, Peacocks

• Plants: Bee orchid, Lithops, White dead nettle

• Crystals/Gems/Rocks: Pyrite, Fake gemstones (think craft store gems), Metamorphic rocks, cubic zirconia, zircon, moissonite, glass

• Elements: Water/Air

• Celestial Body: Neptune

• Numbers: 2 (masks in the comedy/tragedy masks, representations of the self in a single mirror), 3 (minimum to not be a singularity or duality, but multiple.), 10 (average numbers of alters in a system)

• Scents: Lemon, Bergamot, Green Tea (alertness), Vanilla (Safety), coconut (protection), Rain or Ocean (water)

• Colors: Gray-Blue, Blue, Mirror-Green, Gray/White

Offerings

• Foods: Cookies or other foods shaped like something else, ie. Heart cookies, gingerbread men, braided bread, meatloaf Man.

• Burning Appropriate Incense or Colored Candles

• Mirror (dedicated, with Prayer Marks drawn onto larger mirrors), Masks (make them, display them, wear them, use mask shaped soap, etc etc)

• An array of one kind of object's variants. One of each color of a candy, a set of tabletop dice, a bunch of different novelty erasers. Show Multitudes through objects.

• Any listed correspondence can make a good offering

• Shredded documents. You could even blend them and make them into clean new paper.

Transaction/Ritual examples

• You want to know if you can trust someone. You set yourself in front of a mirror and begin meditation. Draw the appropriate marks on the mirror if large enough, on a chalkboard, paper, tablet, etc if not. Appropriate Marks may include "Knowledge" "doubt" "mask" "the self" "the other" and directional indicators like arrows, joining symbols like circles, and other grammatical symbols. Keep your face visible. When you feel sufficiently connected and like he is with you, pray and commit your offering. This should be appropriately scaled to the task at hand: consider current distance of relationship, social standing of target, and how guarded they may be. Once the offering is complete, scour your face for changes, and interpret accordingly. Consider the language of the deity, and what his communication may mean. This Ritual may be helped with steam, smoke, or other concealing things between you and the mirror.

Altar/Shrine Ideas

• Appropriately colored flowers, especially the correspondent flowers. If those are difficult to get, Fake flowers are not only acceptable, but encouraged.

• Mirrors

• Masks. Black, blue, or green masks, especially ornate ones. Any representation of the theater masks are also acceptable, and if they have meaning to you, can be used.

• Chalkboard, Whiteboard, second mirror for writing on, etc. These are important for your Prayer Marks. Choose something you can wipe off (dry or wet erase work. Wet erase is good if you plan on leaving it until next time.) Unless you're okay replacing your sketchbook from time to time.

• Candles. Blue or green. It may be hard to find candles that are the correct color with the correct Scents you want.

• Incense. See above Scents. Finding an appropriate holder can be an exciting devotional activity.

[Img ID: blue-white digital drawings on a black background. From left to right: a circle labeled candle. A long, thin rectangle labeled "mirror." Above this is handwriting that says "mask is on mirror, glued to top." Below is handwriting that says "optional incense" and below that is an upside down house shape labeled "chalkboard." To the right is another circle, assumed to be another candle. An arrow points towards the mirror and says "The mirror has a metal frame that swirls. Flowers are woven in." End Image id]

[siltandsand]

made a uquiz to guess what false god you pray to and also give you sage advice and a song recommendation.

https://uquiz.com/WrceHl

[mindfulldsliving]

Understanding the Cross in Latter-day Saint Teachings: Responding to Criticism with Clarity and Respect

The cross is one of the most recognizable symbols in Christianity, yet its role within Latter-day Saint theology often sparks curiosity and critique. Some question why members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints don’t display the cross prominently, while others view it as neglecting an essential Christian symbol. However, understanding the cross in Latter-day Saint teachings sheds…

[sporadicarbitergardener]

Possible 2nd pregnancy's Testimony

Reading the book of Proverbs 24: 23- 34 Title above the following passage is " Further Sayings of the Wise."

23." These also are saying of the wise: To show partially in judging is now good:" 24. " Whoever says to the guilty, "You are innocent"- peoples will curse him and nations denounce him." 25. " But it will go well with those who convict the guilty, and rich blessing will come upon them." 26. " An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips." 27. " Finish your outdoor work and get your fields ready: after that, build your house." 28. " Do not testify against you neighbor without cause, or use your lips to deceive." 29. " Do not say , "I'll do to him as he has done to me; I'll pay that man back for what he did." 30. " I went past the field of the sluggard, past the vineyard of a man who lacks judgement: 31. " thorns had come up everywhere, the ground has covered with weeds, and the stone wall was in ruins. 32. " I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw: 33. " A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest- 34. " and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man. "

This passage speaks alot of boundaries and new instruction to the OG name in three ways but building a more solid foundation by understanding the mind and the heart along with the power of the tongue as well as life goes on as well.

[diminuel]

hey there! i hope you are doing well i wanted to ask if pagan god dean is a fanfic too? i just recently started followings your very beautiful art pieces ( i wanna cry when i look at them) and i would love to know if there is something like this i can read too. I love love love everything you make ❤️❤️❤️

Hi! Thank you! ♥

I haven't written a proper fic yet. The ask blog @pagangoddean is probably still the best source for storytelling though it's not necessarily easy to follow. (Or easy to tell a cohesive story as I've found *lies on floor*)

Maybe once I'm done with Lord of Amara or the Naga Verse I can write a proper Pagan Gods Verse fic~

But in the meantime there are some things to read!

I wrote about their first meeting which you can find here.

Then there's a canon and PGV crossover fic Ten Inches Between Dimensions that is set in S12.

And you can find other people's PGV writing on the ask blog in the offerings section though I don't know what is still available.

[wanderingmind867]

Sam arched an eyebrow. "Being 'religious and all,' a lot of things bother me about this place." She gestured around us. "I had to do some soul searching once I realized my dad was...you know, Loki. I still don't accept the idea that the Norse gods are gods. They're just powerful beings. Some of them are my annoying relatives. But they are no more than creations of Allah, the only god, just like you and I are."

Neither I nor Rick Riordan are muslim, so i feel afraid i'm going to wade deep into controversy here. But I need to express my opinion, so here we go:

I think I get what Rick Riordan is doing. It's got two main purposes. One: He's probably trying to please his religious fans, by making it clear that the capital G god of Christian/Jewish/Islamic faith is more powerful and omnipotent than the norse gods. Two: He's possibly trying to blend all the different mythological worlds he can.

And like...I can respect both of these possible angles. But I still feel like it's invalidating to not refer to the Norse Gods as real Gods. I think they're real gods. I refuse to hear slander that says otherwise. I'm not even really religious, but I know slander when I read it. And I just hate seeing polytheistic religions being put down so that monotheistic religions. I can't think of how much more I can say here now, but i'll just repeat myself one more time: I hate seeing polytheistic religions being put down to lift up monotheistic religions, since it just feels unfair.

[just-bible-musings]

I sometimes watch and listen to New Age believers and neo-pagans and what they say. I always find it intriguing whenever they talk about 'mana' and 'energy' and what-not. These people can feel God's presence in every single molecule of creation, they simply choose to reject God and "worship the created thing instead of the Creator"- so why can't most Christians do that??? Why does literally every Christian I talk to have at least one area of life where they say "God is not here"???

And if I offended any Christians by saying this... TOUGH.

And I hope no one gets mad about me calling God wild. I don't mean it in a bad way. As someone who came from a pagan faith, the one thing that kept me crawling back to it again and again was me feeling too "wild" for the Christian faith. Like, you can have a deep and abiding love for nature and respect for your place in it, and still love God. I say again, God made us and nature. What's not to love about the home He lovingly crafted in perfect balance for us? Nature is filled with daily miracles!

And He made us in His image. When I see a child jumping in puddles on a rainy day, I see the love for life that God has imbuing that child. When I see someone climbing a sheer cliff face, I see God's strength and tenacity and determination fueling that rockclimber onwards and upwards. So if you are primal and wild, that's okay. You're not some heathen; God made you that way.

[winedarkgod]

something that comes up a lot in pagan spaces both online and irl I've noticed is this idea that nature/the natural world is "preferred" by the Gods, and that they aren't as likely to engage with worshippers in big cities or with modern technology.

and while it is true that nature is extremely important to the Gods, and many of us are frankly isolated from it, it has always felt off to me that people just unquestioningly accept this idea that Nature = Good and Civilization = Bad.

maybe it's because our current society is not structured in a way that allows for a reciprocal relationship with nature, or maybe it's because of some unconscious "noble savage" tropes being projected onto the polytheistic societies of the past.

regardless, when you actually look at the mythology, you find this assumption isn't true. sure, there are deities who may individually lean towards one or the other (Artemis comes to mind) - but generally speaking the Gods engaged with both the natural world and what was, for the time, modern society.

and I love the wild/nature aspects of Dionysus SO much. but to only focus on that side of him, and ignore his role in theater, viticulture and the arts (part of culture and civilization) would be both a disservice to myself and the power of the God.

and then there are Gods like Hephaestus, who may even "prefer" engaging with modern technology. people seem to forget there are like, literal robots in Greek mythology?

here's an example:

"The [mythical first bronze] temple [of Apollon at Delphoi] was the work of Hephaistos, or the legend about the Golden Singers, referred to by Pindaros in his verses about this bronze temple :--‘Above the pediment sang Khryseiai Keledones (Golden Charmers).’"

Pausanias, Description of Greece 10. 5. 12 (trans. Jones)

Hephaestus made Apollo automaton singers for one of his temples?? like that's cool as fuck

(as a side note, I do NOT think the arguments I'm making here apply to AI generated "content" - Hephaestus never made anything that deliberately stole the artwork of humans. fuck AI.)

but my point here is that for most of the Gods, the Nature vs. Civilization thing a lot of pagans hold on to is a false dichotomy. capitalism, colonialism and the exploitation of life have made our current society unsustainable, but civilization itself isn't inherently bad.

we must respect and honor nature. but we also need to respect and honor ourselves.

[s0fter-sin]

one of my favourite aspects of supernatural that you very rarely see in paranormal shows is that sam and dean are already versed in the world they live in. there’s no sudden discovery of ghosts and demons and now they have to learn about them along with the audience; they are born into it and already know all about it. it allows the audience to follow their personal story instead of also trying to figure out this new world and its rules

the first season is full of knowledge we never see them learn; “w*ndigoes are in the minnesota woods or- or northern michigan. i’ve never even heard of one this far west.” […] “great. well then this [his gun] is useless.” (1x02), “you don’t break a curse. you get the hell out of its way.” (1x08), d: “it’s a god. a pagan god, anyway.” […] “the annual cycle of its killings? and the fact that the victims are always a man and a woman. like some kind of fertility right.” […] s: “the last meal. given to sacrificial victims. d: “yeah, i’m thinking a ritual sacrifice to appease some pagan god.” (1x11)

almost every episode in the first season is a monster they’ve faced before that they then explain to the audience in a way that should feel patronising; like it’s the same speech given over and over again but instead, the audience almost feels included in the knowledge. it’s stated with such an innate confidence and comfort in said knowledge that it feels like we already knew it too; “spirits and demons don't have to unlock doors. if they want inside, they just go through the walls.” […] “the claws, the speed that it moves; could be a skinwalker, maybe a black dog.” (1x02), “it's biblical numerology. you know noah's ark, it rained for forty days. the number means death.” (1x04), “no no no, not the reaper, a reaper. there's reaper lore in pretty much every culture on earth, it goes by 100 different names.” […] “you said it yourself that the clock stopped, right? reapers stop time. and you can only see 'em when they're coming at you which is why i could see it and you couldn't.” (1x12)

they already know and, at least in the first season, already have what they need to kill whatever they’re hunting; already know to salt and burn bones for spirits, fire for a w*ndigo, exorcisms for demons, a silver bullet to the heart for shapeshifters. there’s only three times in the entire first season that they run into something new to them; 1x14 when sam gets his first vision that leads him to another psychic, 1x16 when dean calls caleb for help on the sigil he put together and he tells him about daevas, and 1x20 when they find out vampires are real- and they only don’t know that bc john thought they were hunted to extinction and not worth mentioning

(there’s also technically two half instances if you count one of them knowing something the other doesn’t - sam figuring out the tulpa in 1x17 and dean already knowing about the shtriga in 1x18 - but those still rely on sam and dean having prior knowledge)

even when they’re uncertain about facing something, it’s not bc they don’t know what it is; it’s precisely bc they know what it is and acknowledge that it’ll be a difficult hunt (“i don't know, man. this isn't our normal gig. i mean, demons, they don't want anything, just death and destruction for its own sake. this is big. and i wish dad was here.” 1x04)

so much of the tension in paranormal shows typically comes from the main character(s) not knowing what is happening to them/the people around them and having to find out how to resolve it. supernatural is unique in that it operates more like a police procedural. the tension comes from solving the clues and identifying patterns to figure out who (what) the killer is and intercepting before they can take another victim

it’s such a different tone to go for when compared to other shows that came both before, during, and after its run. it sets sam and dean on even footing with each other since they both have the same knowledge going in, and it puts them in a place of authority usually reserved for an outside character

the shows i compare spn to most is charmed, buffy and teen wolf; every main character in those shows are brought into the paranormal world knowing nothing, putting them on the same level as the audience, and they have their mc interact with others already knowledgeable about that world in order to overcome their problem/monster of the week. the audience organically learns about this new world as the characters learn about it. it’s a sound writing strategy that prevents “as we already know”-style exposition but something that complicates it is if your world building isn’t unique or intriguing enough, this slow introduction can become boring

we’ve seen shows like these before; sitting through the same tropes of characters learning to use their powers, struggling with no longer feeling normal/relating to the regular world around them, and not knowing how much they can trust the people already involved in this new world gets repetitive. all three shows eventually reach the same level of comfort with their new world that spn starts with but if the characters aren’t enough to draw you in, you can end up dropping it before they reach that point (and often, before the overarching plot can really kick in and evolve the show beyond the villain of the week format)

it’s the superhero origin movie in tv format; dragged out and overplayed. dropping the audience into an established world of course comes with its own problems but you also have the benefit of pre-existing established character dynamics that let the audience slot in like they’ve always been there instead of just getting to know all the characters while the characters also get to know each other

sam and dean already knowing about the supernatural lets the audience immediately get to the core of the story; the conflict between sam and dean, the search for their father, and the mystery of what killed their mother

[adventuresofalgy]

The temperature in the wild west Highlands of Scotland was evidently determined to remain below freezing for the time being. The morning frost sparkled in the chilly sunlight, and when Algy tried striding across the ground, the grasses crackled crisply beneath his feet.

Although the shadows remained exceedingly long and cold, the low winter sun was bright and inviting, so Algy decided to indulge in a wee bit of reading out of doors, with his new Christmas scarf wrapped snugly around his neck to avoid the worst effects of the chilled air.

Leaning back on the tree seat, he opened his copy of The Oxford Book of English Verse at a random page, and found a poem concerning the human race with which – as a daft fluffy bird revelling in the glories of Nature despite the biting frost – he heartily agreed:

The world is too much with us; late and soon, Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers;— Little we see in Nature that is ours; We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon! This Sea that bares her bosom to the moon; The winds that will be howling at all hours, And are up-gathered now like sleeping flowers; For this, for everything, we are out of tune; It moves us not. Great God! I’d rather be A Pagan suckled in a creed outworn; So might I, standing on this pleasant lea, Have glimpses that would make me less forlorn; Have sight of Proteus rising from the sea; Or hear old Triton blow his wreathèd horn.

[Algy is reading the poem The world is too much with us by the 19th century English poet William Wordsworth.]