#hard polytheism

[emilytheghostwitch]

Two types of Polytheism is Hard Polytheism and Soft Polytheism.

I would like to talk about them today in a short post, as I find them helpful terms for those who practise any form of Paganism or blended faith.

Soft Polytheism:

This is where all aspects of the Divine can be seen to be different aspects of the same Being. Many cite the Roman and Greek Deities as prime examples of this, like for instance, when you think of Aphrodite and Venus.

Some also view the different faces or facets of the Divine as archetypes that people can interact with. This can be found in lots of different types of paganism, and is very common in pop culture paganism.

When I think of soft polytheism in fiction I often think of the scene in the first House of Night book where Nyx is showing the different faces of who she is to Zoey.

Many Pagans cite the proto indo European pantheon of gods, that many of our gods can be traced back to; and while I think researching the roots and history of pantheons in general is important, the way you view deity does not have to be justified. (Unless you’re culturally appropriating or whatever, then maybe, you know, rethink what you’re doing?)

Hard Polytheism:

Hard Polytheism in contrast to this is believing that all the Deities to ever have existed and that will exist are their own separate Being.

People who follow this line of logic believe that the Deities are real beings, and not personifications. (Although you don’t have to view them as personifications in soft polytheism either.)

Neither way of viewing the Gods is more right than the other, it is simply a matter of personal belief, and way of interacting with the world.

[jarredlharris]

The uniqueness among religions

During my recent appearance on Di the Yoga Witch’s podcast, we got talking about our views on deities. And I provided a few thoughts on why I tend to favor hard polytheism — or at least treating the deities and individuals rather than the same deity (or divine couple) by different names. Here’s what I had to say:1 For those who may not have the time or ability to watch or listen to the video…

[mischiefmanifold]

if it’s ok can I get your thoughts on soft polytheism? is it like okay to do.. is it considered polytheism?.. is it frowned upon?

Admittedly I do not have much experience with "soft polytheism", this post is based on a 5-minute google search.

The website Round the Cauldron (LINK) describes soft polytheism as "the belief that all deities are part of one larger whole". Hellenic Faith (LINK), on the other hand, views soft polytheism as a useless term for a phenomenon that already has a name. ("The various ideas that 'soft polytheism' is usually used to describe already have names; none of which are 'polytheism' because what is being described is not polytheistic.")

I am a "hard polytheist", essentially the opposite of a soft polytheist. I believe that all deities are distinct entities and are not parts of a whole.

My personal opinion is that it doesn't really matter what terms you use as long as you're using them correctly. Polytheism is defined as a belief in multiple deities, and if your version of soft polytheism follows that premise, then honestly I don't really care that you're using it.

[seasaltandwisdom]

i turn to the gods when i know my family won’t accept me for being trans.

father zeus will always accept me for being true to me. lord apollo and lord hermes will always push me to be my most authentic self. lady athena will always encourage me to learn more about myself.

i love my family, they’re not hateful or anything, but i know they wouldn’t fully accept or support this side of me and i’ve come to accept that instead. the gods will have me where no one else does, i feel thankful for that.

[whats-the-word-again]

I saw this and thought immediately of Lord Ares- I laughed for way lounger and louder than I should have 💀

[loemius]

here’s my hot take of the night:

the e-temples that have been cropping up lately are cool, and im glad to see people making specific spaces to come together to worship. that’s awesome! i’m very here for that as a concept. i love nothing more than to see the theoi get the praise they deserve.

that being said, i am very wary about the amount of people i have seen calling themselves priests/priestesses lately. not even just in the e-temples! ive seen multiple people in the tags who have in their bio “priest(ess) of [deity].” i realize most people probably don’t mean harm by it, but it gets under my skin. to call yourself clergy implies a specific level of knowledge and experience with a religion (which isn’t my business to get involved in your praxis like that, that’s personal unless you wanna share it), but more importantly, official recognition by an established institution. there are not that many of these (that i am aware of) for hellenic polytheism. calling yourself clergy is simply that — calling yourself that. there’s no backing for it, and it genuinely concerns me.

we as the polytheist community talk a lot about harmful practices in spirituality, things like spiritual psychosis or cultural appropriation, which are important topics to discuss. it’s been said before and i’ll say again — people claiming to be spiritual authorities of some kind without any kind of proof can be very dangerous. i don’t assume anyone has bad intentions. i give people the benefit of the doubt and assume that everyone is just trying to help other people worship. but it doesn’t change the fact that calling yourself a priest(ess) will make impressionable or unsure people look up to you, and that is a hell of a lot of responsibility. i am concerned that there are minors running these kinds of blogs. that’s a lot of pressure on someone’s shoulders, especially to put on someone who is still growing up and developing their research and critical thinking skills. i don’t want to gatekeep or anything like that. im very glad to see minors having really good experiences with their faith, that they’re excited to share it with others. but it just concerns me.

im certainly not as experienced as other practitioners on this site, having had about two years of experience at this point, but i am very wary of anyone who claims to be any kind of authority on anything unless you can back it up. regardless of if your blog says that you’re not an authority, calling yourself clergy of any kind implies that. people will take it that way. it inherently implies a level of authority, knowledge, and experience on a particular subject, which is usually backed up by having an official institution that recognizes you.

perhaps this is a little callous of me, but in the same way that when someone makes a claim about the theoi academically, i expect them to have sources to prove it, i expect clergy to have some kind of proof of their authority. otherwise, what are you doing that’s different than any other tumblr blog?

to be clear, i don’t have an issue with these devotional spaces. i simply take an issue with people referring to themselves as clergy when that is a particular term with a particular context and a particular implication. words have power. i earnestly think if people just called themselves something like ‘stewards’ of a particular temple, i wouldn’t be so bothered by it. or just call yourself a devotee of a particular god. ultimately, at the end of the day, the words we use have power and implications, and that has to be acknowledged and respected. send tweet

[citrineandrosmarin]

Any other more casual helpols or pagans get imposter syndrome real bad bc you don't feel like you know the basics as well as others or spend as much time with your deities or whatever or is that just me

[sunlitpath]

I'm an Apollon devotee, of course I sing in my room all the time

I'm an Apollon devotee, of course I love sunbathing

I'm an Apollon devotee, of course I have a thousand pictures of sunsets in my phone

I'm an Apollon devotee, of course I spill random facts 24/7

I'm an Apollon devotee, of course I have a thousand incomplete creative works

I'm an Apollon devotee, of course I take random classes instead of finishing my major (it's so interesting!)

I'm an Apollon devotee, of course I struggle to keep my room organize

[athenaeum-of-the-herald]

And may the gods be ever in your favor ♡

[seasaltandwisdom]

tips for tired hellenic polytheists

new or old

when first researching where to start, it’s very overwhelming with everything you need to do. autism and chronic illness were and still are a major hindrance to everything i do, worship included, not to mention i am still worshipping in secrecy. i was put off from worshipping for a year or so because of this. it doesn’t have to be so daunting, the gods aren’t here to judge how efficient you are in your worship.

starting with altars, you don’t need one, especially not a big elaborate one. they’re gorgeous and one day i aspire to have one, but that’s not ideal or even possible at the moment. if you plan on giving libations you can have a small cup or glass to hold the offering and sit it next to you or in any empty space until you’re ready to discard. same with food items, a small platter works. it doesn’t have to be a dedicated space, they understand your circumstances.

another thing i struggled with was knowing which god or gods to worship. you don’t have to wait for a god to call to you. pray to who you want and who makes you feel comfort and happiness to think about. the gods aren’t going to turn you away. you can start with more than one too. there’s no ‘beginner’ gods, just who you want to start with!

giving offerings doesn’t have to be so complex, especially if you’re worshipping in secret. a big one i do is offer a portion of my food to the gods while i wait for it to cool or find a video to watch. i tell them i’ll eat after and the first bites goes to them. they know if you have limitations, they know i can’t give them food and let it sit and afford to not eat it myself and that’s okay. i also buy a lot of trinkets from various places, if it reminds me of the gods they get to keep it and when i look at it i’ll whisper a small hello.

devotional acts are easiest for me, it’s things i’m already doing or should be doing. taking my meditation/listening to music in honor of apollo. cooking/spending time with family in honor of hestia. watching ocean related videos for poseidon. if it pertains to the gods, devote the act to them and it keeps me on top of things i need to do if i know i devoted it to the gods.

this may be my most controversial section, i don’t do khernips! if you do, more power to you of course. i just don’t have the means, and don’t see much reason for that to stop me from worshipping. i will wash my hands with soap and water before giving an offering, but for regular prayer of just saying hi or talking about my day with the gods, which i usually do in bed or while out and about, i don’t worry about it. they know im human, they aren’t going to shut me down or out for being such. this stopped me for awhile, i couldn’t make khernips so of course i couldn’t worship but truthfully the gods are understanding. even somedays when im too tired, depressed or sick to do anything, i used to feel bad for not being my cleanest while talking to the gods but if i can’t pray when im at such a low point, when can i?

the gods aren’t going to be disrespected or angry at you for praying or offering whilst you’re on your period. yes, i’ve seen that debated. just be clean on human standards, when you can, and they will understand. they’re old and wise, they’ve seen it all.

i’m just rambling at this point so i’ll wrap up soon! coming from christianity, it’s hard to not fear the gods, i get it and most others do too. religious trauma is hard to overstep, if it’s something you struggle with the gods won’t mind if you have to do a few things differently. good luck on your journey, whether new or just continuing. i hope my yapping helped with anything. your faith is personal to you, don’t let others push you away from it. be kind to each other and yourself.

as always, feel free to dm or send an ask if you feel inclined to! my word is just that, don’t take what i say as law and if you do things differently, that’s okay. i’d love to hear about that too!

[muddileaves]

Something that sits on my mind often is, "What am I supposed to be learning? What goal am I supposed to be reaching for?"

And honestly, I know that that's not the point of all of this. I see a lot of people talking about training this and learning that, and it confuses me. There's so much information out there, and trying to sift through it seems like such a daunting task.

I've always had the problem of feeling stuck, not knowing where to go and what path to take. I come to this crossroads, of sorts, and find myself looking at endless signs of direction. The letters and words moving about never showing me the "right" way.

I was this way when I was trying to learn magick, and it just became so confusing, and I gave up.

I'm weary of asking for help from others or the divine. I'm afraid I won't get an answer, or it will be such a broad and even more confusing answer.

There's really nothing point to this post, I just wanted to share what I'm currently thinking.

[kore-siciliana]

Hermes, Beautiful Messenger

All that’s left of you is your love and a specter of presence, though I do not feel it.  “I love you” and “I am here.” Like an oracle, they come tumbling from my mouth.  They are echos, sounding in my mind, ever distant.  I cling to your words like stormy wreckage on a now placid sea.   What ever were you?  You are language in the brain. O, Angelos Makarôn, blessed messenger, you brought so many to me.  Divine and deathless, they spoke, and you heralded intoxicating resplendence, all imbibed substance of a yearning soul.  Lovely Pompaios, the cosmos we traversed, were they just synapses?  Did you cut a path through my mind so I might see wonders? Together we spoke beauty.  Erato, beloved Muse, descended upon us, in trance I breathed out poetic love, but now without you I cannot speak.  I fail to put words to my heartache.  I have folded in upon myself and have lost you.  You are wrapped in mystery in some distant place.  My fingers slipping from yours makes me wonder if you ever touched me.  “Dawnstar, live a life that is beautiful to you.”  I’ve etched it across my body, branded it in my memory, made it poetry so I might never forget.  How do I find the beauty in now empty expanses that you once traveled.  I am left without a guide unable to penetrate the dark, standing on murky shores.  Kydimos, I lived a life illuminated and expansive.  You showed me death and I was not afraid knowing I would find your voice as I slipped into boundlessness.  I am now harnessed as a being finite and discrete, alone.  I’m afraid that when you say “I am with you now” it is nothing but a string of flittering words I have found to hold myself in.  Can I ever find you again, in gentle ways?  Like a distant star, might you lead me in dark journeys?  But I am afraid that you are a glorious comet, blazing in my life for a moment, now leaving for a future so distant.  Wherever you live in me, do not stop.  If it is all that you are now, be the language that I speak.  Let me fall into you, embody you.  Live you incarnate.  Find yourself reflected in the liminality of a mind.  That is my home.  You are god of it there.

-Kore Siciliana, 6/30/24

[lavender--milk]

please forgive the low quality Here is my interpretation of Apollo 💛💛💛💛 I am really happy with how it turned out :>

[boymanmaletheshequel]

With the beggining of this presidency, Times are uncertain for the future of Queer Americans, Palestinians, Australians, and many others as usual. Be proud of who you are and don’t you dare let fascism or intolerance control you! Embrace your queer gods, channel them, allow them to fill and love you! To fight with you. Dionysus, Aphrodite, Artemis, Apollo, Pan, Hermes, these are just a few of the Hellenic deities who are queer or some form of LGBTQIA! Your gods are you, and you are them. Embrace that, and don’t stop fighting! 💙🏛️

[sunlitpath]

The standard rule when it comes to messages from the gods is “mundane over mystical” and I try to stick to that (considering a had a period of spiritual psychosis in 2022, yikes).

As such, if something happens that could be a sign, I take it as a “could be, could be not” view. I don’t think I’ve ever experienced something so blatantly obvious till now.

I am currently working on an animation project for my thesis, it’s set in a world where Hellenic Polytheism is the norm. It’s not the main plot of the project btw, but it’s mine so I don’t shy away from obvious signs to the gods. I’ve dedicated my writing and the project altogether to the Muses and Apollo Mousarkhos.

I- haven’t finished it

Life got in the way, I found an excuse to push it for one semester and have been ignoring my team for a few weeks now. Not my best move, I’m aware, I’ve just been overworked and scared of messing up (what better way not to fail than postpone, am I right?)

Last friday the topic was brought up by my psychologist while I sped to my place to take the zoom in a quieter place.

I know Apollo is associated with crows, as they’re not a thing in my country, I always translated it to blackbirds. I would offer him pictures of them, say hi to them every time I passed one, I didn’t think to hard on it tbh.

So I am running to my place, my psychologist has corner me in terms of what new excuse I can bring now to avoid my thesis. I am out of them by now, but I have ironically gotten defensive about it- when suddenly 2 blackbirds stop right in front of of me. And I think: ha, they usually leave the closer I get. And then they start screaming at me, they start closing on on me and I AM the one freaking out now. I felt like a child being reprimanded by their parents (this is honestly a very common feeling I get in worship with Apollo overall). I am speechless.

I had to cross to the other side, while they kept staring at me.

Must I add I had a chat the day before with Apollo about “been done with “my break” and how I appreciate when he calls me out on my shit even if I claim to hate at the moment”? Yeah, that felt very fitting

PSDTA: I haven’t gone back to the project yet, it’s been 2 days since my callout.

[starfacenix]

Working with gods that are known for being tricksters but getting none of that from them is simultaneously hilarious and also slightly saddening since I’d love that funny slight prankster energy from them. The only ways Hermes and Dolos play tricks on me is if I do he direct opposite of what they asked of me (sometimes on purpose I’m sorry) and they, understandably, hand me my ass for it.

This is a formal apology to Hermes and Dolos.