#Theoi Info Sheet

[hyakinthou-naos]

Theoi Info Sheets Series Part 9: Dionysus

Bacchic Lord of Madness,

King Insanity,

When all the world has abandoned you

Marked you wrong Marked you foreigner Marked you trespasser in your own home

We will sing for you

Pulse pounding in ringing ears Blood dripping from unwashed hands Feet bruised from dancing, or chasing, or fleeing, And who can truly tell the difference?

Oh Lord of Wine and Pleasure

Oh King of Woods and Forests

Dionysus Mainolês Dionysus Nyktelios Dionysus Dimêtôr Dionysus Saôtês

Let our cries make tragedies

Let our screams be symphonies

If all the world's a stage - Then Lord of play and theatre Let this be not the finale - but just an intermission Let the show go on.

- A Show of Maddness; A Hymn to Dionysus

Dionysus is a God unique in my personal practice. Typically those within my Personal Pantheon are worked with, honored, and worshipped regularly.

However, while I consider Dionysus part of my personal pantheon, I commune with Him infrequently and He does not hold a standing spot on my altar.

Dionysus, to me, is like a comet. He comes around every so often, sometimes when expected and other times when not; but He is always welcome.

I often synchronize Him with Lord Shiva, the Destroyer - and in that way when I feel closer to Him when engaging in the Hindu parts of my practice. Which, like my interactions with Lord Dionysus, are infrequent and often unplanned.

He is a divinity of mystery, with layers and depth that I feel are hard to understand. He, to me, is like a Solar Eclipse; rare and beautiful but something I cannot look at directly or regularly.

Divider/Banner Credit

*You may have seen this info sheet before on thewitchfarhan.tumblr.com - that is my old Tumblr. These info sheets are my own creation - please do not repost without credit.

[screeching-0wl]

Hey there! I'm a big fan of your Hellenic cheat sheets. I took a look at your upcoming ones (which I'm really excited about!) and I was wondering if you would make one for Enyo at some point in the future? Or is there a way to commission a cheat sheet from you? I hope you have a good day!

Hi! Thank you so much! :)

There's more to come, actually! These are just the ones I'm doing next. I'll be updating the list with time.

I do have Enyo in my notes and I'd love to make one for her but I don't know if this will work out this way. Unfortunately, this could be the case with some other deities, daimones and heroes. Sometimes the information we have on them is quite limited or may be difficult to access, especially about the actual cult. Theoi.com is very helpful but it doesn't contain all the info. I also try to cross-reference it whenever I can. Then, I'm also not so sure about some offerings, epithets and associations since the majority of them might just be UPGs/SPGs in cases like that.

I'll do some digging and see if I'll be able to find some good, juicy and above all credible information about these deities that would fit the template of the cheat sheets.

When it comes to Enyo specifically, I'm planning to make a post about her and talk about her connection to Ares. I also just want to write something about Theoi Polemikoi, so she'll definitely be there! As for the cheat sheet, I'll try to make one for her, maybe it'll just be a little shorter than the other ones (similar to what I did for the cheat sheet for Phobos & Deimos) or perhaps I'll come up with some other solution but I'm afraid I can't promise anything.

[hyakinthou-naos]

Theoi Info Sheets Series Part 1: Hestia

O Hestia Virgin Goddess of the Eternal Flame Great Thea of the Hearth and Home If I Have Ever Felt the Warmth of a Fire Or the Comfort of Candle Flame I Ask That You Hear Me Now I Offer You First Praise and Acknowledgement Oh Great Goddess May You Accept this Offering, and Act of Devotion Du Et Des

Hestia is the first of the Theoi I ever gave offerings to, and the first of the Theoi I ever owned a statue of.

As a queer person, 'hearth and home' have often been a bittersweet concept for me. The house where I lived for most of my childhood was sold when I was 13, when we moved back into the house I was born in. That house, the house I always considered home, was then sold a couple of years ago. I didn't even have a chance to say goodbye as I had already cut ties with my biological family at that point (yet another reason why hearth and home are bittersweet for me).

Over the past 5 years I have lived in three different houses, but none of them have felt like "home". Instead - home has, for me, become a feeling. The feeling I get when my partner returns from work, the joy I experience with our pets, the laughter that comes even when the world around us is crumbling.

This is what Hestia is, not the walls or the foundation or even the land surrounding the two, but the feeling of family. The feeling of loving and being loved by those who you choose to value and value you in return.

Oh Hestia, Goddess of Hearth and Home Lead My Way and Light My Path

Divider/Banner Credit

*You may have seen this info sheet before on thewitchfarhan.tumblr.com - that is my old Tumblr. These info sheets are my own creation - please do not repost without credit.

[hyakinthou-naos]

Theoi Info Sheet Series - Master List

Want an info sheet for a deity not on this list? Send us an Ask or a DM and we will see what we can do!

🔥 Lady Hestia

🐬 Queen Amphitrite

🐚 Lady Aphrodite

☀️ Lord Apollon

🩸 Lord Ares

🏹 Lady Artemis

📖 Lady Athena

🌱 Lady Demeter

🍇 Lord Dionysus

💀 King Hades

⚗��� Lady Hekate*

⚒️ Lord Hephaestus*

🦚 Queen Hera

✉️ Lord Hermes

🌸 Queen Persephone

🌊 King Poseidon

🌕 Lady Selene*

⚡ King Zeus

*Coming Soon

[hyakinthou-naos]

Theoi Info Sheets Series Part 6: Apollo & Artemis - The Divine Twins

"... but the opinion most universally received was, that Apollo, the son of Zeus and Leto, was born in the island of Delos, together with his sister Artemis; and the circumstances of [their] birth there are detailed in the Homeric hymn on Apollo, and in that of Callimachus on Delos."

- Comp. Apollod. i. 4. § 1; Hygin. Fab. 140.

I would describe my relationship with The Divine Twins as... unbalanced. I have never felt drawn or called to Lady Artemis; despite my love of deer, the woods, and the years I spent working in childcare - I have always felt that the doors of Her temple were closed to me. I personally feel that part of this lies in my transgender identity; this is not to say that transmen or men in general cannot worship Artemis - I've seen quite a few transmen on Tumblr who are joyous devotees to Her. But personally, I have always felt distanced from Artemis.

I do feel as though Artemis tried to call to me when I was young, but I did not feel aligned with Her energies or drawn to Her domains. Then, when I transitioned, I got the sense that Artemis felt betrayed; like She had laid claim to me and was waiting for me to join Her retinue - but instead I left womanhood behind and She felt personally insulted.

I say all of this, not in any way to disrespect Lady Artemis - or to say my experience is indicative of her energy and character towards other devotees. I simply say all of this to share my experience.

On the reverse - Lord Apollo is my patron deity. There is no God or entity that I hold in higher regard. I feel as though Lord Apollo has been quietly waiting for me all my life, almost as if He knew my destiny lied in being his devotee but He wanted me to come to Him on my own.

That isn't to say he hasn't been present in my life before my journey into Hellenic Polytheism - but I do believe He has let the muses guide me rather than His own hand. I felt Kleio enter my life in middle school when I first began writing poetry, and Gods - Euterpe and Melpomene have been with me since I began writing music in the second grade. Ouranie entered my life later, moreso in college when astrology became a larger part of my life and personal practice. But now I've gone off on a tangent, haha.

I've written about Lord Apollo in many other posts on my blog - so feel free to check the Lord Apollo tag if you'd like to read more about my relationship and devotion to him.

Banner/Divider Credit

*You may have seen this info sheet before on thewitchfarhan.tumblr.com - that is my old Tumblr. These info sheets are my own creation - please do not repost without credit.

[hyakinthou-naos]

Theoi Info Sheets Series Part 5: Aphroditê

"Moisa, tell me the deeds of golden Aphrodite... who stirs up sweet passion in the gods and subdues the tribes of mortal men and birds that fly in air and all the many creatures that the dry land rears, and all the sea..."

- Homeric Hymn 5 to Aphrodite (trans. Evelyn-White)

(The following is UPG, possible SPG) (TW for minor mentions of sex/sexual themes)

Aphroditê, to me, is Goddess of more than just love, beauty, pleasure, and procreation. Lady Aphroditê, born of the severed phallus of Ouranos, is a transgender goddess in form and also function. I believe She is the mother and creator of transgender and non-binary humans (this is partially cannon in myth, as She is the mother of Hermaphroditus).

Growing up, I saw Lady Aphroditê portrayed as a vapid, sexual, and self-centered entity; and for many years I never gave those portrayals a second thought. However, since I began my journey into Hellenic Polytheism I have come to revere Aphroditê as a honored member of my personal pantheon. Aphroditê has helped me with self-love, self-image, and sexual intimacy. She has helped me fully embrace the complex relationship I have with masculinity and femininity - and has also helped to guide me towards better understanding my gender.

Lady Aphroditê has helped me heal, grow, and evolve - and for that I am eternally grateful.

I implore any trans/enby Hellenic Polytheists to not overlook Aphroditê in their worship - she is so much more than the portrayals we all grew up consuming.

*You may have seen this info sheet before on thewitchfarhan.tumblr.com - that is my old Tumblr. These info sheets are my own creation - please do not repost without credit.

[hyakinthou-naos]

Theoi Info Sheets Series Part 4: Divinities of War - Ares & Athena

"Ares there – and for all his war cries Diomedes shrank at the sight, as a man at a loss, helpless, crossing a vast plain halts short at a river rapids surging out to sea, takes one look at the water roaring up in foam and springs back with a leap. So he recoiled.

– Homer; The Iliad, Book 5, lines 684-689.

"Her gray eyes clear, the goddess Athena answered, 'Down from the skies I come to check your rage if only you will yield. The white-armed goddess Hera sped me down: she loves you both, she cares for you both alike. Stop this fighting, now. Don’t lay hand to sword. Lash him with threats of the price that he will face.'"

– Homer; The Iliad, Book 1, lines 241-246

In all honesty, I have never worked with or worshipped Ares or Athena. As an individual who is extremely conflict avoidant, I believe I would be ill fit as a devotee of either deity.

In my youth I felt those around me drawn to Athena. Many of my friends associated Her with being a goddess of wisdom - and so my "nerdy" and "book smart" friends felt very connected to Her. She was often paired with fictional alignments like Ravenclaw (Harry Potter) and Erudite (Divergent) - neither of which appealed to me (I personally align with Slytherin/Hufflepuff and Dauntless/Candor).

Meanwhile, Ares was always portrayed as an evil and violent god in the media I consumed. In stark contrast to Apollo, who was always portrayed as a god worthy of praise and adoration, Ares was seen as a bad omen - an energy to be avoided at all costs. Now that I am older, I can see the passion and wisdom that comes from Ares. I can see how he is a god of protection, of social justice, and of protest.

While neither of these deities hold a spot in my personal pantheon - I believe they are worthy of respect, and I wish all their devotees nothing but the best.

Divider/Banner Credit

*You may have seen this info sheet before on thewitchfarhan.tumblr.com - that is my old Tumblr. These info sheets are my own creation - please do not repost without credit.

[hyakinthou-naos]

Theoi Info Sheets Series Part 3: Hera, Amphitrite, & Persephone

Queen of Heavens, Queen of Sea, Queen of World Below I kneel before your splendor, I bow and dance and know You are the Queens of Cosmos, not merely brides of men The kingdoms you rule over create the world within Oh mother of the sky, the ocean, and the dead Your powers' not defined by this marriage bed You hold the world in balance, you hold reality And somehow, within this splendor, you hold a space for me.

I have always felt more drawn to Goddesses and female deities, as opposed to their male counterparts. I think part of this is due to my Catholic upbringing and the trauma I experienced in the name of capital g God. I also think that part of this is due to being a feminine transman (possibly non-binary person?) and how I conceptualize my gender.

But outside of my own experiences, I think there is something inherently more appealing about female divinity for so many people. The Divine Feminine, how it is at odds with our cis-het culture, how it is inherently queer in the way it expands divinity outside of the binary; I think these are things that inherently draw in those who do not fit into societal norms (which I feel like I can safely say is a very common characteristic in modern day pagans).

All in all, while I haven't formed deep connections with these Goddesses specifically - I do honor the divine feminine in my practice; and I think these Queens of the Cosmos embody all that is holy in femininity.

Divider/Banner Credit

*You may have seen these info sheets before on thewitchfarhan.tumblr.com - that is my old Tumblr. These info sheets are my own creation - please do not repost without credit.

[hyakinthou-naos]

Theoi Info Sheets Series Part 2: Zeus, Poseidon, & Hades

"When Zeus and his brothers distributed among themselves the government of the world by lot, Poseidon obtained the sea, Hades the lower world, and Zeus the heavens and the upper regions, but the earth became common to all" - Theoi.com

The members of The Olympian Triad (also referred to as 'The Big Three') have always illuded me in terms of reverence and worship.

I've spent the better part of a year reconciling the opinions I had about Zeus in childhood; trying now to see him as he was to his worshippers and less how it portrayed in modern retellings of myth. When I do honor or work with Zeus, I instead choose to call upon his Roman form of Jupiter.

Poseidon, to me, has always represented the depths of the ocean - the dark abyss that we cannot see. In my personal practice I have often connected the oceans and sandy shores with more femininely aligned deities such as Aphrodite and Amphitrite. Due to these factors I have never had any interest in working with/worshipping Lord Poseidon.

Hades is an entity that I have always respected and admired, but I have never felt any connection with him or call to develop a relationship with his presence.

In this way, I would say that out of all the Theoi - The Olympian Triad are three entities that I feel the least connected to. I do not work with any of them regularly - but I do hold them in good regard and good respect.

Divider/Banner Credit

*You may have seen these info sheets before on thewitchfarhan.tumblr.com - that is my old Tumblr. These info sheets are my own creation - please do not repost without credit.

[hyakinthou-naos]

Theoi Info Sheets Series Part 8: Demeter

I begin to sing of Demeter, The holy goddess with the beautiful hair. And her daughter [Persephone] too. The one with the delicate ankles, whom Hadês seized. She was given away by Zeus, The loud-thunderer, The one who sees far and wide. Demeter did not take part in this, She of the golden double-axe, she who glories in the harvest.

- Homeric Hymn to Demeter

As someone who has struggled with maternal relationships (both with my own mother and surrogate mother figures) I have never personally felt the call of Demeter.

With that being said, I believe she is an amazing deity who does not receive nearly enough praise or adoration. As someone who honors and worships Mother Gaia - I feel as though Demeter is a less daunting and more accessible nature deity, one who can relate more with humanity and the struggles we go through.

Due to certain interpretations of the myth of Hades kidnapping Persephone - Demeter is often demonized or looked down upon due to being portrayed in these interpretations as an over bearing mother. But make no mistake, Demeter is a fierce protector and devoted mother - and her relationship with Persephone was celebrated and venerated in the ancient world. Specifically with the Eleusinian Mysteries.

All in all, while Demeter is not part of my personal pantheon she is still a goddess I have great respect for.

Divider/Banner Credit

*You may have seen this info sheet before on thewitchfarhan.tumblr.com - that is my old Tumblr. These info sheets are my own creation - please do not repost without credit.

[hyakinthou-naos]

Theoi Info Sheets Series Part 7: Hermes

"I cannot write about Hermes impersonally. He is the first god who moved me, who opened my hear to the mystery of the gods and the extraordinariness of the ordinary. He is the god of the unexpected, of luck, of coincidences, of synchronicity. 'Hermes has entered in our midst', the ancient Greeks would say when a sudden silence entered the room, descended on the coversation, inroduced into the gathering another dimension. Whenever things seemed fixed, rigid, 'stuck', Hermes inroduces fluditiy, motion, new beginnings - and the confusion that almost inevitably preceeds new beginnings"

- The Gods of Greece, Arianna Stassinopoulos & Roloff Beny

I want to take a moment to talk about the syncretisms I personally have for Lord Hermes.

I personally syncretize Lord Hermes with Lord Mercury, The Buddha, and Lord Budha (the Hindu God of the planet Mercury).

I feel as though the syncretism with Lord Mercury is fairly self explanatory so I'll move on to The Buddha.

Both Hermes and The Buddha act as messengers between the realms of Earth and the Aether; Hermes delivering messages to the Theoi and The Buddha delivering messages regarding Dharma and the path to enlightenment. Along the same line, both Hermes and The Buddha are Psychopomp figures; Hermes guides the souls of the departed to The River Stix in The Underworld and The Buddha guides souls toward spiritual liberation and enlightenment.

When comparing Lord Hermes and Lord Budha, there is one obvious parallel- they both rule over/are associated with the planet Mercury. Additionally, both entities are associated with intellect, learning, knowledge, wisdom, and wit. An often overlooked similarity between Hermes and Lord Budha is there association with transgender/non-binary figures.

For Lord Budha, his spouse is the Devi Ila. While this Goddess is sometimes referred to as female (and occasionally regarded as an aspect of Saraswati) she is also referred to as male. I interpret these “inconsistencies” by viewing Ila as a transgender deity.

For Hermes, he (with Aphrodite) fathered Hermaphroditus - an intersex deity associated with androgyny, balance, and the harmonious integration of different energies.

If anyone shares these syncretisms I'd love to hear from you! I have yet to see anyone connect Hermes to The Buddha or Lord Budha.

Divider/Banner Credit

*You may have seen this info sheet before on thewitchfarhan.tumblr.com - that is my old Tumblr. These info sheets are my own creation - please do not repost without credit.

[hyakinthou-naos]

My Relationship with My Gods

Khaire! I wanted to start by thanking everyone for all the love they showed This Post where I described the colors we at The Temple associate with The Theoi.

In a similar vein, I wanted to take a moment to describe the relationships / relationship dynamics that I currently have with the deities I honor, work with, and worship. This is by no means an exhaustive list of every entity I work with in my practice - but these are the main entities I work with on a regular basis.

1. Hestia - Goddess of Hearth and Home

The closest word I can think that describes my relationship with Hestia is Matron.

To me a Matron Deity is a feminine/female entity who guides, assists, nurtures, and protects those within their care. I’d say that Matron is a better description as opposed to “mother” - as I am hesitant to correlate my relationship with divinity with familial dynamics.

Hestia is the first of the Theoi I ever honored (at least consciously - Artemis-Diana is technically the first Hellenic/Roman deity I worked with) and for that reason She is incredibly special to me.

2. Apollo - God of Light, Music, & Art

Apollo is my patron deity. He is my guiding star, my inspiration - he is my Lord, my savior. He is such a core part of me. He lives in me in my music, in my love for my partner, in my artistic expression.

Hestia may be the fire on my altar, but Apollo is the fire in my soul.

The closest term I have to my relationship with Apollo is Guru. He my spiritual teacher, the one who guides me through the cosmos.

3. Hermes - God of Communication, Theivery, and Commerce

I would describe my relationship with Hermes as that of a tutor and a student. I wouldn’t say He is comparable to teachers or professors (those dynamics are too strict and professional) - and he isn’t comparable to elderly tutors, wizened by time and age. No, my relationship with Hermes is more that of a mentor. Someone who is just ahead of you, in the next phase of learning.

He is someone I can joke around with, someone who rides with me on long road trips as we listen to audio books together.

I would say our relationship is comparable to friendship, although not quite.

4. Aphrodite

My relationship to Aphrodite is something I have a hard time describing. She has taught me so much about self-love, self-acceptance, and self-worship (I speak about this relationship briefly in my Theoi Info Sheets page about her).

I honor Aphrodite's masculine form, Aprhoditus, as well in my personal practice.

The best word I can think to describe my relationship to Aphrodite is Acharya.

Archarya: A Sanskrit term for a spiritual teacher or preceptor, often associated with imparting spiritual knowledge and guidance.

5. Hekate

Lady Hekate has been guiding me since I was a very young.

As a child I would often make "potions" in the woods out of creek water and whatever flora was within arms reach. I had a fascination with spells, magic, and witchcraft from as early as I can remember. I grew up with a small obsession with skeleton keys and locks - and it wasn't until the past couple of years when I learned that keys are a symbol of Hekate.

While I'm not sure that any one word, term, or phrase can encapsulate my relationship and connection with Hekate - the Irish Celtic term Anamchara appears to be the best fit.

Anamchara: In Celtic spirituality, anamchara refers to a soul friend or spiritual guide who accompanies and supports an individual throughout their life journey, often operating in the background without explicit recognition.