#devotee vs worshipper

[wayfind-er]

Reminder 1: Worshipper and devotee are synonymous in English, and don't let anyone else dictate what you prefer to call yourself.

If you want to call yourself a devotee, then do that. If you prefer worshipper, then that's all you. It doesn't matter how formal or casual your relationship with the Gods is. You can be one, both, or neither.

Reminder 2: Sometimes, in the Hellenistic Polytheist community, you'll see worshipper and devotee used non-synonymously, where being a devotee means you've made an oath with a God and being a worshipper implies that your relationship is more casual. And that's okay, too. You can choose your definition and how you'd like to identify yourself.

Reminder 3: If you don't know what to call yourself, ask that specific God. They'll help you define your relationship better than some random from tumblr.com.

[hualianisms]

camilikha on twitter posted with mtl the part of the TGCF Audio Drama production team's talk where they discussed hua cheng's character concept, and i love what the AD team said so i attempted a rough translation of the CN text:

"The core of Hua Cheng's character: Ultimate beauty, ultimate danger, ultimate devoutness The simultaneous contradiction and balance in his feelings: On one hand, he has a yearning desire that is blasphemous; on the other hand, he sees Xie Lian as sacred and inviolable, so he simultaneously possesses a devotee's sense of worship and sacrifice [1], and restraint [2]. His love is akin to a fire in the abyss; on the surface he approaches everything with effortless skill and ease, but in his heart he is always simultaneously suppressing and yet burning with fervour and zeal."

*translation notes:

[1] "献祭 worship and sacrifice" here refers to the religious act of a worshipper making sacrificial offerings to their god. the sacrifices offered to the god can be other people/things, or oneself.

[2] for the part about "restraint 禁欲", the CN phrase used refers to religious asceticism or abstinence (the AD team used many phrases with specifically religious connotations in this description of HC). however, "asceticism" felt to me like the wrong eng word for HC as he is not ascetic at all, nor is his devotion or love chaste. I struggled to find an eng word that fit here, but this is what the AD team was likely referring to (his abstinence during the centuries before he met XL):

(I think the AD team may also have been referring to how HC initially attempted to hold himself back early in Book 1/Arc 1 for fear of overwhelming XL at first (during the period before they started kissing and HC realized XL fully reciprocated his attraction and desire).

and just my thoughts but i love how the AD understood HC as character so well! i love how they highlighted how he is simultaneously the concept of the most faithful devotee, and the most ardent lover. whether it's his religious devotion or his romantic/sexual love for XL, it's intense & passionate to the highest degree

i also love how they described the juxtaposition btwn HC's effortlessly calm & competent exterior, vs the intense passion he holds within. i really love how well the AD understands his character and allows HC to be as layered, multi-faceted and gorgeously romantic as he's meant to be

[thequeer07puss]

Deity worship vs deity work

As you peruse witchy and pagan spaces online you’ll often hear the term “deity work” and “deity worship” being used interchangeably, but this is sort of not the case. While both include a reciprocal relationship with a deity, the differences are kind of more subtle.

Deity worship is the act of building a relationship with a divine being based on reverence, love and/or admiration for them and doing acts to show these feelings. This might include giving offerings, praying, and doing devotional acts or art for them. There you’ll find your devotees, your godspouses and your casual worshippers.

Deity work on the other hand, is more committed and transactional than deity worship. You can hear this term more in witchcraft spaces than purely pagan ones. *In deity work, a deity will be more hands-on with and involved in your actions, and oftentimes will give rules for what is and isn’t acceptable to do while working with them. Here offerings are given not just as tokens of gratitude, but more as payment for services given. Contrary to deity worship which is for an indeterminate period and for no other purpose than loving/respecting a deity, deity work often comes with a set goal in mind or for a certain time frame*.There you’ll hear more terms like “patron” to describe one’s relationship with a deity. Keep in mind though, that oftentimes deity work comes with some form of worship, as there is some overlap between the two.

However, the definition and differences I gave are not absolute. In Ancient Greece and Rome for example, worship was way more transactional and was more of a matter of necessity, authority and obligation than personal devotion and admiration for a deity. In Ancient Israel, Adonai gave the Jews rules for how they would live and worship him. Technical terms like “deity work” and “deity worship” are fairly recent so if you want to follow a more ancient form of tradition then they may not really fit for you.

*I could be wrong about the nature of deity work but since that’s not what I do I can’t speak too confidently on it so if I made a mistake I invite anyone who works with a deity to correct me.

[This post was made to answer @silverfoxboy ‘s question]

[theic-manic]

I'm an Apollon + Hermes/Mercurius devotee so of course I experience Barometric pressure (Hermes) sickness and mild heat exhaustion (Apollo) induced brain fog

yet I am given enough spoons to start writing an overdue to-do post on a Worshipper vs. Devotee approach to deity weekday worship, so please let me know if there's anything specific I should cover.

I've ordered myself some hydrating good (greek and salmon salads) in the meantime.

I should also thank Apollo and Hermes for allowing me to get home safely and well, after somehow enabling me to fire off some very well worded corporate work health & safety emails as a combined devotional act.

The Dardanus Act III synchronicity was an interesting touch...

[ultimateshixiongfuckertournament]

Round 3, Match 3: Quan Yizhen vs Sakura Matou

Match 3 is between Quan Yizhen (shixiong: Yin Yu) from Heaven Official's Blessing vs Sakura Matou (shixiong: Shirou Emiya) from Fate/Stay Night

Propaganda under the cut

Quan Yizhen:

Obsessed with his shixiong, much to said shixiong's chagrin. Someone who's a proper quanyin shipper can write better propaganda, but I just know he belongs here

Someone who's a proper quanyin shipper can write better propaganda

Well, okay. So Quan Yizhen was originally a street kid that was taken in as a disciple by the sect master at Yin Yu's (the shixiong in question) request because he was impressed by Yizhen's potential. But all the other disciples hated Quan Yizhen's guts due to a mix of his utter inability to read social cues and envy towards his raw talent, only Yin Yu was nice to him which is why Quan Yizhen's obsession with his shixiong took off. Yin Yu is the only person Quan Yizhen cares for.

Eventually his cultivation led Yin Yu to ascend to godhood and he took Quan Yizhen to heaven with him as a deputy god because he knew he couldn't leave him alone. Quan Yizhen doesn't care about prestige, he only cares about martial arts and shixiong, so he asks Yin Yu if they can't go back and if ascension is really that great to which Yin Yu replies to give it a try: Quan Yizhen does and actually ascends as a proper god.

However because Quan Yizhen is so naturally talented he quickly came to eclipse Yin Yu, which he didn't even realize because, again, he has zero social skills. This festered resentment in Yin Yu who eventually exploded and told Quan Yizhen to go kill himself... while Yizhen was wearing a robe that made him follow all fo Yin Yu's commands, so he almost does kill himself. He was stopped and Yin Yu was thrown out of heaven.

But!!! Quan Yizhen doesn't care about any of that! He still wants to meet his shixiong and is sure it was all a misunderstanding. Quan Yizhen actually beats up his own devotees if they trash talk his shixiong, nevermind that as a god his existance is dependant on said devotees. But he doesn't care about that! He only became a god because of shixiong.

When he finally meets his shixiong again, he recognizes him by Yin Yu's mannerism despite Yin Yu wearing a mask. Yin Yu hits him on the head with a shovel and he still doesn't care!! Quan Yizhen still follows his shixiong like a loyal puppy. When later Yin Yu dies trying to protect him Quan Yizhen cries and apologizes for not being able to protect him despite only being good for fighting. Quan Yizhen carries his shixiong's corpse all the way while heaven if falling apart. The last chapter implies Quan Yizhen is trying to nurture Yin Yu's soul to get him back and in the post-canon extras Yin Yu makes a cameo. So Quan Yizhen was succesful!! Death can't take him from his shixiong!

give it to quan yizhen!!!! his whole THING is unconditional love for his shixiong. No matter what Yin Yu does, qyz will love him forever!!

#i will not have my boy who literally calls out SHIXIONG any time he sees yin yu#and desperately chases after him even after everything#lose like this

#yall better give this to quan yizhen#if there's ever a shixiong fucker IT'S HIM

#yes!!!!!!!!#quanyin#he loves him so much!! it’s unconditional!!#vote qyz#tgcf#svsss

#quan yizhen is a real deal shixiongfucker#admit that every time you see his name you're screaming “shixiong!!!!!” reflexively in your head#polls

#qyz propaganda: wdym this guy was ready to kill and be killed for his shixiong#qyz is the most precious#he fights his worshippers if they talk shit about his shixiong#never minds the fact that said shixiong nearly got him killed#THE SUN AND MOON PAIRING#he's the epitome of head empty only shixiong

Sakura Matou:

She has been experimented on, tortured and abused since she was a child, a character broke down after experiencing a single day in Sakura's life. Literally her only lifeline in this world is her senpai Shirou, whom she fell in love with because of his determination. She visited his house every day to help with chores to the point Shirou gave her a key. She is only happy when she's with her senpai, any other time she's gloomy and people avoid her.

In her route she sleeps with Shirou (making her an actual senpai fucker) in an act that reclaims her agency over her body. Also on this route, she's being possessed by All The World's Evil and if Shirou agrees that is best to kill her, Sakura completely gives up and lets herself be killed. But if Shirou doesn’t agree she fights to stay alive despite her massive suicidal ideation, but this also make her emotions more unstable, eventually leading her to be fully corrupted and she turns completely yandere over Shirou. Eventually Shirou saves her at the cost of his body and Sakura resolves to wait for her senpai. In the true ending they get to have a life together, in the normal ending Sakura would wait for him her whole living, still living at his home and planting flowers.

Please please vote for my girl, she has suffered more than anyone and she loves Shiro so so much.

[shenglingyuan]

title: into each life, some rain must fall (ao3) pairing: togame jo/endo yamato summary: Who else would understand the woes of a worshipper better than a devotee? When both their god and idol are unreachable as the sun in the sky, mere humans must make do with each other. AU where everything is the same except there is no Sakura. Thus, Choji is still an asshole, Togame’s still doing the dirty work, Bofurin and Shishitoren aren’t friends, so when Endo planned Takiishi’s birthday on Furin’s rooftop, Shishitoren didn't come to help. This happens after the Umemiya vs Takiishi fight.

Endo’s feet led him to a distant street on the far end of town, where traditional houses seemed to have frozen in time. He really didn’t have any destination in mind. After seeing the beauty and glory that was Takiishi as he fought Umemiya, falling to the ground, faces too close for comfort, a cold, sticky feeling wrapped around Endo’s mind like a thick miasma, clouding all over his rational thoughts. He left before anyone could notice – not that any of them was paying attention him.

The tattoo on his shoulder burned as he walked aimlessly, and he clawed at it, nails digging into muscle and skin as if he could remove this eternal mark of foolishness in one swift pull.

Maybe he could.

“What are you doing here?”

In all the noise within his mind and outside with the pouring rain, Endo didn’t realize he arrived and knocked at a house he’d been to exactly once in his life. Endo was a genius, after all, memorizing maps was child’s play. But this certain information could not have come from the depths of his muddled brain.

Beyond the door, a Togame clothed in a loose shirt eyed him with a deep frown.

“Can’t I drop by for a visit?”

It’s a little beyond midnight. No reasonable man drops for a visit at such ungodly hour.

“You look like shit.” And supposedly, no reasonable man accepts a visitor at such time either. “Come in.”

Endo didn’t have to be shown the way, his wet feet knew to lead him to the kitchen. His hand knew to pull a chair, and his body knew to sit his ass, taking space in the house as if it was his. Its rightful resident followed closely behind, placing a glass of water before him.

“Did Takiishi finally beat you up enough that you’d come find me again?”

“Not physically, no.” Endo guzzled down the water, only realizing then how thirsty he was despite being drenched in the rain. The cold drained down his throat and spread from his stomach through his bones. Snakes are cold-blooded. They obtain their warmth from their surroundings. Takiishi’s fire has just been that for him. But now, the rain has seemed to douse it. Endo had overstayed his welcome to bask on that heat, the frost has started to seep into his being.

“Umemiya?”

The mention of the name cut deep into his thoughts.

“How did you know?”

“Just a feeling.”

“Was it the same for you?”

“Maybe.”

Endo looked up at the other man. Togame’s leaning back on his chair, as if to put as much distance between the two of them. But it’s useless, because whenever they meet like this, there was only one way things conclude.

“Your hair’s grown much longer.”

Togame’s hand came up to comb through his mess of waves which now fell to his collar bone. The last time Endo’s fingers weaved through those locks, they were only down to his lobes. It’s been a while.

“You should clean up. You don’t wanna get sick,” Togame stood up then, his broad back stiff and straight. “I’ll leave a towel and clothes by the door.”

Endo didn’t need to be told twice.

There was already a silent understanding between the two of them, borne from numerous rendezvous and encounters: if either of them sought to satiate their physical needs, then they would meet, to fill each other’s emptiness in the night, and part ways even before the sun could rise. Who else would understand the woes of a worshipper better than a devotee? When both their god and idol are unreachable as the sun in the sky, mere humans must make do with each other.

Upon stepping out of the bathroom, Endo immediately headed for the bedroom. Like how it had always been. Togame’s next to the window, his eyes transfixed at the rain that was yet to stop, perhaps recalling a not-so-distant past. Must each of their every heartbreak be accompanied by a downpour? Yielding to some irrational thought within his muddled brain, Endo made his way to Togame, snaked his arms around his waist, and leaned all his weight against his broad back.

Togame froze at the sudden contact. “I thought you’re the one who needs comforting.”

“I’m not comforting you, bastard.”

The name-calling relaxed Togame. His taut muscles loosened up around Endo’s hold. Then, as his hands found its way along the length of Endo’s arm, he asked, “Do you wanna talk about it?”

A scoff escaped Endo’s lips. “When do I ever go here to talk?”

“Never.” With what sounded like a sigh, Togame turned around and easily captured Endo’s mouth in his. No segues, no prologues. Endo reciprocated in kind, his hands grabbing the hem of Togame’s shirt and taking it off, messing up Togame’s already disheveled hair.

There wasn’t much difference between their heights, and thus Endo could readily see the other man’s eyes – a gaze so piercing and tender at the same time that Endo almost wanted to cover those eyes at that moment. All his nights shared with Togame were all but to satisfy their physical needs as their hearts were stepped on by the people they cared for, they yearned for…and yet, in those eyes a much warmer green than his own, Endo felt something different. It wasn’t affection per se, nor was it pity.

Before any more thoughts could form, Endo kissed Togame again, harder and greedier, attempting to drown out everything else. But to his surprise, Togame’s hand that came up his hair lightly yanked him away, leaving his mouth empty.

“Let me set the pace tonight.” It was an order, delivered in a low and commanding tone. The same voice he uses to herd the rowdy men of Shishitoren. The same voice he uses when he’s already buried deep into Endo, guiding him with words as Endo is unraveled from being fucked by Togame’s sizable length, shattering all his sense of reality if not for that voice. It was new to hear Togame like this so early in their night together. Endo’s breath hitched, his body reacting to the absence of what should have been happening when it hears this voice. “Don’t think about anything. Or anyone else.”

Togame brought their mouths together once more, but this time, it’s much slower, more deliberate. As if every inch of Endo’s lips were worth tasting and trying, no corner untouched. There was something unnerving with the way Togame kissed him, bit him, as if every nibble dug deep into his core and unearthed a sense of longing he had buried. Something mildly electrifying in the way Togame’s calloused palms traced the skin underneath his clothes, chasing the chill of the rain away, from his hips to his chest until he’s also taking off the useless shirt he shouldn’t have worn in the first place. Togame’s hands and lips return to where they left off, now both making their way to the crook of his neck where his pulse was drumming against his pale skin – Togame’s mouth found the exact spot and he kissed it, kissed it as a devotee would to his idol. Endo sighed at the warmth that spread from that corner to the rest of his body – was this how it felt like to be worshipped, when every piece of you was treated like a statue displayed on a holy altar? Togame had never made him feel this before. Nobody did.

A step back �� Endo’s leg hit the edge of the bed, and he let himself fall, bringing Togame down with him. The fall broke them apart for a moment, their ragged breathing filling the silence. Togame hovered over him, his hair down like two black velvet curtains, eyes fixed on Endo’s face, but also at something that seemed so far away. Togame raised a hand, cupped Endo’s right cheek, thumb caressing a spot Endo didn’t know hurt until Togame touched it. Then Endo remembered – it was where Takiishi struck when he held him back from hitting Umemiya at the school grounds. Endo thought Togame would comment on it. In fact, Endo would have talked about it already even before Togame would say a thing.

That’s how they were always before.

But this time, Endo didn’t talk, Togame didn’t ask.

Togame bent down and kissed his cheek, then traced down more kisses down his jaw, his neck, his chest, his torso, his hips…Endo felt so much reverence and care behind each warm sensation along his body, so agonizingly tender in the way Togame’s hands slid down along the edges of his body as if he was a sculpture being reborn. And when Togame’s mouth finally wrapped around his length, Endo finally let all sorts of thoughts go. For this night, in this humble room made of wood, for a few hours stolen from the depth of the night, for somebody else, Endo was finally, finally, someone.

When the rain has subsided, and the first few rays of the morning sun painted the twilight sky with fiery streaks, Endo found himself waking up in the same room. His eyes fell on Togame’s sleeping form, hands itching to reach out and tuck the curtain of hair that got stuck on Togame’s mouth behind his ears. So, this was how he looked in the mornings.

But before a single muscle of his could move, Togame’s green eyes came into view behind those hooded lids. It took a while for him to completely wake up, his eyes blinking slowly as if unsure if he was looking at an apparition or what. When their completely sober gazes met, Togame’s eyes widened in honest surprise.

“You’re still here.” Not a question.

“I’m still here.” A statement.

Never had they seen each other when dawn breaks after their nights have run its course. They weren’t like this before.

“Are…you staying for breakfast?”

But maybe, from now on…

“I can do that.”

[feekins]

here are my thoughts and things and whatever translation weirdness I find as I re-read ch 3 of Trigun Maximum vol 6!

(NOTE: I'm reading the Dark Horse [physical] and the Overhaul [online] translations side-by-side)

(Dark Horse on left, Overhaul on right)

another example of how nuanced the Overhaul's translation is =u=

so these translation discrepancies alter my perspective of this bit. Dark Horse's unspecified "you" (which I always interpreted as something more general, so similar in meaning to "all of you") VS the Overhaul's "you, Crimsonnail"...and the differences between the "All the obstacles" speech bubbles has me all 🤨...and again, the nuance in the Overhaul's translation gives emphasis in places and hsrhfjxh idk, words hard. OVERHAUL GOOD.

also, I love the little bit of visual/narrative trickery with Legato mentioning (in the next panel) how the Eye of Michael's sending these guys, "Double Fang" and "Trip of Death"...

...and then showing us these two - and bc they aren't named yet, the impulse (at least for me) is to assume they are, in fact, these "Double Fang" and "Trip of Death" fellas!

the Overhaul's specific usage of "disciples" clearly connects this old man's group to "the church of plant worshippers" Legato mentions a few pages later - so they're not, like...just a bunch of rando Knives stans? which is what I get from Dark Horse's translation.

...I just noticed the middle panel. see those spikey dealies some of these dudes have on them? they've got my anthropologist brain working. I wonder if spikes like that are...idk, visual call-backs to Knives' knife-y abilities...perhaps regarded as religious symbolism the same way Christians might regard a crown of thorns... 🤔

also, to me, Dark Horse's translation implies that Knives deliberately ignores this group of devotees - which definitely sounds in-character for him. the Overhaul's usage of "yet" could be taken to mean the same thing - OR perhaps Knives isn't aware of all the different groups (denominations?) of the church of plant worshippers and he doesn't care. that also tracks.

(Dark Horse on top, Overhaul on bottom)

nuanced Overhaul translation yaaaaay 🎉

oh, and right after this panel, Legato says in Dark Horse's translation "Rumor has it...these two are the best in the bunch" and, in the Overhaul's translation "The two on their way here...are said to be the best in the world." at this point, those two fellas on the motorcycle are still unnamed, and so it's still reasonable to assume Legato's talking about them...UNTIL...

...yeah, idk why Dark Horse leaves out their names here. even more baffling, though...

...is how Dark Horse fking omits Ogre starting to say "Double Fang" and alters the shape of the speech bubble on the next page.

I just rly like these panels of Elendira reapplying her lipstick 💕

...yeah, Dark Horse's translation here has always confused tf out of me. Overhaul to the rescue!!!

[hexism-official]

Welcome to Hexism

Hexism is a religion/neoreligion worshiping the Hexsquad, the main group of friends from the show The Owl House. We believe that not only is the Demon Realm real, but also that the Hexsquad were divine saviors whose mortal forms won over Belos. We accept those who come seeking genuine direction.

Devotion vs “normal” worship: Devotion is exclusive worship of the True Goddess and one of her projections. Those who wish to not be a devotee are free to worship any projection and be in any other fault as long as they worship the True Goddess.

Priests/Priestesses are to be recognized as the final arbiter of any decision. Priests/Priestesses of Amity are correct in all judgment, and her high priestesses are gifted her ability of infinite knowledge, and so should not be questioned.

Amity Blight (Pink): The True Goddess, she is all-powerful and all-knowing. Once every few centuries, she picks a human being to serve as her Head Priestess. Her worshippers are the most select, and the most devoted. Her devotees may ascend and become one of her projections, or a vessel for her on Earth. She controls all in all universes, be it magic, humans, or anything else. She is eternal. She is worshiped with a shrine, or failing that, the inscription of her name onto the skin in some form. Her priests/priestesses and devotees are required to wear pink, and the priests/priestesses are required to wear at least two pieces of gold jewelry at all times. They must also dye their hair pink. Luz Noceda (Purple): The Projection of Amity’s Innocence, Love, and her Girlfriend. Her devotees are second only to Amity’s own in selectivity, and may only be granted by priestesses of Amity herself. Any act of love is considered a form of worship. She is worshiped by creating visual depictions (art) or the sketching of glyphs. Devotees are to simply not be in mono-amorous relationships. Priests/Priestesses are required to wear one piece of silver to signify their status.

Emira Blight: The projection of family, health, and flattery. She has a single priestess, who alongside her most devoted devotees serve as the assistants to priests and priestesses of Amity and Luz. Her worshipers show such by wearing their hair in long braids. Her devotees must wear makeup in order to appear as close to her appearance as possible.

Boscha: The projection of dominance and the closest thing to a “rival” that the True Goddess has. She should not be actively worshiped as she has a corrupting effect on those who do, leading them towards aggressive behavior and being a traditional “bully”. Those afflicted with her corruption don the same hair color as the True Goddess’ priests and priestesses as an attempt to misguide others. Her priests and priestesses are capable of corrupting others directly. Victims will become noticeably more entitled and “bratty”. Willow Park (Green): The Projection of Nature, Emotion, Intellect, and Kindness. The third level of worshippers and the last that is granted by priestesses of the True Goddess. She is to be worshiped by taking care of nature and planting gardens. Devotees are to grow a mint plant. Priests/Priestesses must wear a single earring in their right ear to show their position, and must dye their hair green.

Vee Noceda: The Projection of Hope. Anyone who is trans in any way is connected to her to an extent, and she has the ability to instantaneously transition anyone that she deems worthy. She is worshiped in the same way as Luz, but Amity has not yet told us the practices of her devotees or Priests/Priestesses Hunter (Yellow): The Projection of Power. The strongest projection of the True Goddess, his worshippers are primarily warriors. Worshippers are to care for birds in his name. Devotees are to wear only red. Priests/Priestesses are elevated when they are deemed to have fought a valiant enough battle. They are required to streak their hair blonde.

Gus Porter (Blue): The Projection of Mischief and Friendship. The lowest projection of the True Goddess, those who devote their lives to such actions are considered to be his devotees. Put simply, his worshippers are pranksters. Devotees are to commit their lives to pranking. Priests/Priestesses are to dye their hair blue to show their status.

[goddess-hellenist]

Calling this UPG bc I havent even looked to see if there's any literature about this out there at all and this is purely my own ponderings but like...

Hestia was the first to be swallowed by Kronos and the last regurgitated, which means she's the one who spent the longest amount of time inside him. So might it stand to reason she absorbed, however mildly, some of his abilities? At the very least she probably has a different relationship with him, with time itself, than some of her siblings.

It's something I've been kinda pondering because it fits with some of my own experiences, and makes sense in context to my own life. And isn't seeing something of ourselves in the gods something humans have always done?

Recently, my brother has been learning about and coming to terms with who my father is and it's kinds weird for me because I went on that journey years ago.

Hestia is the oldest sister in that she was born first and has lived the longest. She also spent the longest inside her father, dealing with that experience. She is the youngest in that she has spent the least time in the world itself (in this sense Zeus is the oldest, since he actually got a childhood out in the world, and thus all his siblings are younger than him and have to learn from him in that sense). Each sibling that joined her inside their father would have basically been raised by Hestia until they were regurgitated. She was a mother despite bearing no children of her own.

So Hestia is familiar with convoluted family dynamics, to say the least. And that brings me comfort personally as I'm trying to navigate this weirdness of supporting my brother on his journey of growing up and figuring out his relationship with our father that I went on ages ago.

Anyway, back to the time thing, which is why I started this post in the first place.

In ancient times, family celebrations (like birth and marriages) took place in front of or directly involved the hearth. Hestia is involved in how we mark the passing of our lives, in how time changes us.

Also, time seems to pass differently when you're at home vs away from home, with family/friends vs with strangers.

Hestia had to make a home inside the titan of time, and raise her siblings. She understands what it means to be constrained by time, to live inside time, in ways her fellow immortals probably don't understand.

Hestia, in my experience, is a very patient and understanding goddess. Time can feel a little funky in her domain, moving "faster" or "slower" in our perception, and maybe there's reasons for all of that.

I think I had more to say, but I've been having a slightly chaotic day and working on this post on and off, so I think I'll leave it at that for now. But yeah, these have just been some of my ponderings over the past couple weeks, and I'd be interested to hear what thoughts any fellow Hestia devotees/worshippers may have!!!

[theic-manic]

Talking to my gods (Hermes, Apollo and Ares) & meditating with them has:

- resulted in years worth of shadow work within a few days to a week

- Helped me heal massive child sexual abuse trauma wounds.

- Helped me assert firm yet respectful boundaries as a multiply disabled full-time worker

- triggered incredible epiphanies on my path as a devotional polytheist

- Helped me make leaps and bounds in my devotional practice to the point that my devotions now come as naturally as breathing for the most part

My secret?

I talk to them every single day and I research something to do with my deities and/or practice every single day.

I was having a bad mental episode so I decided to light my Aphrodite candle for the first time in a while and just talked to her and apologised for not worshiping for months and I feel a lot better. I mean not 100% but still better. Is this normal or has anyone had any experiences like this???

[rpnewspaperblog]

Aarti-performing robots are replacing Hindu priests, stirring religion vs AI debate

It isn’t just artists and teachers who are losing sleep over advances in automation and artificial intelligence. Robots are being brought into Hinduism’s holiest rituals – and not all worshippers are happy about it. In 2017, a technology firm in India introduced a robotic arm to perform “aarti,” a ritual in which a devotee offers an oil lamp to the deity to symbolize the removal of darkness. This…

[theic-manic]

1:25am Apollo gifted hot takes: Worshippers vs Devotees- simplified

Worshippers struggle to find time to honour the gods.

Devotees weave deity devotion throughout our daily lives until eventually honouring our gods becomes as natural as breathing.

We are not the same.

The latter may occasionally think we've not carved out enough time and energy for devotional acts until we look back and realise that we just spent a whole bunch of time honouring our gods in often subtle ways.

Sure we may consciously dedicate certain acts to our gods but more often than not we simply roll up our sleeves and do the fucking work, only to look back and realise "ah that was so [deity] coded"

Worshippers: "I'm sorry that I was too busy to honour you"

Devotees: "Thank you for giving me the opportunities to honour you in my mundane daily activities"

This is the gift of a deep and enriching devotional relationship with our gods.

[ultimateshixiongfuckertournament]

Round 2, Match 5: Quan Yizhen vs Mo Xi

Match 5 is between Quan Yizhen (shixiong: Yin Yu) from Heaven Official's Blessing vs Mo Xi (shixiong: Gu Mang) from Yuwu / Remnants of Filth

Propaganda under the cut

Quan Yizhen:

Obsessed with his shixiong, much to said shixiong's chagrin. Someone who's a proper quanyin shipper can write better propaganda, but I just know he belongs here

Someone who's a proper quanyin shipper can write better propaganda

Well, okay. So Quan Yizhen was originally a street kid that was taken in as a disciple by the sect master at Yin Yu's (the shixiong in question) request because he was impressed by Yizhen's potential. But all the other disciples hated Quan Yizhen's guts due to a mix of his utter inability to read social cues and envy towards his raw talent, only Yin Yu was nice to him which is why Quan Yizhen's obsession with his shixiong took off. Yin Yu is the only person Quan Yizhen cares for.

Eventually his cultivation led Yin Yu to ascend to godhood and he took Quan Yizhen to heaven with him as a deputy god because he knew he couldn't leave him alone. Quan Yizhen doesn't care about prestige, he only cares about martial arts and shixiong, so he asks Yin Yu if they can't go back and if ascension is really that great to which Yin Yu replies to give it a try: Quan Yizhen does and actually ascends as a proper god.

However because Quan Yizhen is so naturally talented he quickly came to eclipse Yin Yu, which he didn't even realize because, again, he has zero social skills. This festered resentment in Yin Yu who eventually exploded and told Quan Yizhen to go kill himself... while Yizhen was wearing a robe that made him follow all fo Yin Yu's commands, so he almost does kill himself. He was stopped and Yin Yu was thrown out of heaven.

But!!! Quan Yizhen doesn't care about any of that! He still wants to meet his shixiong and is sure it was all a misunderstanding. Quan Yizhen actually beats up his own devotees if they trash talk his shixiong, nevermind that as a god his existance is dependant on said devotees. But he doesn't care about that! He only became a god because of shixiong.

When he finally meets his shixiong again, he recognizes him by Yin Yu's mannerism despite Yin Yu wearing a mask. Yin Yu hits him on the head with a shovel and he still doesn't care!! Quan Yizhen still follows his shixiong like a loyal puppy. When later Yin Yu dies trying to protect him Quan Yizhen cries and apologizes for not being able to protect him despite only being good for fighting. Quan Yizhen carries his shixiong's corpse all the way while heaven if falling apart. The last chapter implies Quan Yizhen is trying to nurture Yin Yu's soul to get him back and in the post-canon extras Yin Yu makes a cameo. So Quan Yizhen was succesful!! Death can't take him from his shixiong!

give it to quan yizhen!!!! his whole THING is unconditional love for his shixiong. No matter what Yin Yu does, qyz will love him forever!!

#i will not have my boy who literally calls out SHIXIONG any time he sees yin yu#and desperately chases after him even after everything#lose like this

#yall better give this to quan yizhen#if there's ever a shixiong fucker IT'S HIM

#yes!!!!!!!!#quanyin#he loves him so much!! it’s unconditional!!#vote qyz#tgcf#svsss

#quan yizhen is a real deal shixiongfucker#admit that every time you see his name you're screaming “shixiong!!!!!” reflexively in your head#polls

#qyz propaganda: wdym this guy was ready to kill and be killed for his shixiong#qyz is the most precious#he fights his worshippers if they talk shit about his shixiong#never minds the fact that said shixiong nearly got him killed#THE SUN AND MOON PAIRING#he's the epitome of head empty only shixiong

Mo Xi:

Mo Xi is an "abstinent" & prestigious general who had a (technically only sexual) relationship with his shixiong, Gu Mang, before Gu Mang defected to an enemy nation. The novel starts when Gu Mang is sent back as a prisoner of war. The amount of sex is shown in the flashbacks is honestly wild, so, like... we know how much of a shixiong-fucker Mo Xi is in excruciating detail paksbekwks

Mo Xi has the reputation to be the most uptight man in Chonghua but then you get into his head and he is only wishing his shixiong would come back to him, even when said shixiong is a traitor. Every time Gu Mang does something, Mo Xi is either on the verge of tears of horny gripping for his life and no in between.

[aureliaeiter]

But this definition comes from literally nowhere which was my point. If you in your personal practice consider it to be that way then that's fine. But I've seen people here talking about worshipper VS devotee like that distinction has any sort of historical basis when that's not the case at all.

And it also really doesn't help anyone. Beginners can stress over this kind of stuff for no reason.

Where did the idea of worshiper and devotee being in different levels of worship? Those are literally synonyms lol

[teawiththegods]

I was wondering if you thought that the deity/ies someone chooses to worship says anything about them as a person?

Like, not exactly a stereotype, but like if you look at a devotee of someone, there’s usually a vibe you get from them depending on which aspect they choose to worship?

Idk how to word it

Like, maybe Erie worshippers openly or secretly craving chaos, either because they’re just Built Like That or bc they need freedom.

Or like people who worship Papa Zeus vs his more judicial aspect?

If that makes sense dhskdh

I absolutely think the gods we choose to worship says something about each of us. But it’s not always in the same way.

Like our gods can be a reflection of our values, our interests, our aspirations, our personalities, and even our pain, our trauma, our failures, and our shadows.

They represent our journeys and our stories which is why they rule over all these realms that are so inherently human.

And it’s why they remained relevant for so long. Us and them are forever linked.

So yeah I definitely believe that the gods I worship say a lot about me.

[orsialos]

Hey there! I’m really new so I was wondering, I’ve heard from other people that Persephone and Aphrodite don’t “work well together” or get along well. As someone with a lot of experience, how do you feel about that?

Khaíre, my friend!

Ahhhh. In my humble opinion, this is a case of taking myths too literally and adding in your own modern twist for ??!? reasons, I suppose. I am a devotee of Aphrodite and also a worshipper of Persephone and have never once had issues in my relationship with either of them. Tbf I've never really included them together in my worship, but they both share the same altar space.

I think a lot of this misunderstanding comes from the myth of Adonis, which depicts the two goddesses at odds with each other over a mortal lover of theirs, Adonis. Each goddess fell madly in love with him and chaos ensued in the "battle" over who would "claim" him as their permanent lover. Tbh there's a lot of issues I have with the myth, but to boil it down: it's a story written (presumably) by men to, in part, show the jealousy women have for each other. It's actually pretty misogynistic when you think about it. Pitting women against women is a tale as old as time... upholding the patriarchy one myth at a time.

It's important to remember that Greek mythology was written by humans, using the backdrop of gods and goddesses but interpreted by us using the contexts we know & understand. Almost anyone will tell you All-Father Zeus is not a cruel rapist who hates mortals - in fact it's quite the opposite - he is literally the protector, the gift giver, the life bringer. Aphrodite is depicted as cruel and easy to anger, dispensing her wrath upon mortals - but in reality She has helped so many of us discover self-love, raw, unbridled passion with a lover, and the inner strength to stand up to our demons.

The most important thing to remember, if you take one thing away from this, is that YOU determine your relationship with the gods and THEY determine their relationship with each other. Do not let preconceived notions dictate how or who you worship. That's the beauty of a pagan path - there is no dogma, no holy scripture interpreted and handed down by a person with ulterior motives. It's just you and the deities you surround yourself with. Explore your relationship with them, let them tell you if something does not work for them.

For some more reading fun, here's a few links for you!

This ask & answer has some more interesting info about the myth of Adonis.

This ask & answer has another viewpoint of "does x god(dess) not like y god(dess)"

Another interesting take on the whole Aphrodite vs Persephone argument