#hellen look outside

[flopso-draw-thang]

hellen look outside pleaaaaase gouge my eyeballs out

[coriander-candlesticks]

On today's episode of "Is This a Bad Idea or Am I Just Anxious": is it disrespectful to have a separate tarot deck for "public"/"for fun" spreads?

Audience vote says "no" but if anyone has a strong opinion about it I'd legitimately love to hear it

[thou-saucy-witch]

recently got a tree cut in our yard and now we have a giant stump left behind, and I'm considering making that an outdoor altar to Pan.

[huescoven]

THE GODS ARE NOT THEIR MYTHS —

I'd like to begin by stating that all religions have mythos. Christianity has the bible, Islam has the Quran, etc. That is to say, that most of these religions are centered in mythic literalism, as portrayed in their sacred texts.

The mythology surrounding the Gods, since we do not hold a sacred book, has been written by worshippers, for other worshippers, rather than prophets.

While myths may paint the Gods with human-like flaws, these narratives are symbolic, representing aspects of the human experience and the natural world rather than literal truth. The gods embody ideals, fears, and cultural values of ancient Greece, serving as a mirror to humanity's own complexities. In essence, the myths are not factual accounts but rather rich, allegorical tales that reveal deeper truths about existence, morality, and the cosmos, used by the ancients in order to make more sense of the divine, in their own perspective of the world.

We must also remember that whilst a lot of the subjects in these myths do include traits deemed unacceptable in our modern world, the ancients had different values and beliefs that were seen as "acceptable" or at least normative in their societies. Thus, we cannot place modern morals onto ancient writings.

Often times, people look down upon worshippers of the Gods, due to the mythology and the "horrible acts" they've committed, but this limited view embodies, again, mythic literalism, which is not present in Hellenic Mythology.

Instead, we must look outside of these myths for evidence of the Gods; both in the lives of the ancients, and in our own.

// short one today, because i could speak about this topic for ages, but i don't want to bore you all too much.

[cosmic-ghost-hermit]

Which hellenic deity is reaching out to you?

Take what resonates and leave the rest behind but always be open to new experiences. Also thank you so much for all the support from yall. I really appreciate everyones feedback on my readings. It really solidifies the idea that i can do this professionally. I hope my readings assist yall more 💙

_________

PILE ONE

Astrology: Leo, Aquarius, Capricorn

Cards: 3 of pentacles, 10 of wands, 4 of swords, big picture thinking

Song: Beginnings by Madeon

Hey there, friend! You have a couple different deities from the hellenistic pantheon reaching out to you. Three to be exact. It seems like they have been reaching out to you for a while now. Either you haven't noticed or they have been keeping their identities secret from you. They have been watching you work your ass off trying to handle everything on your own. It seems like you have been rejecting their help because you have some pride in doing things independently. They want you to know that you are not weak by accepting help from anyone. The door is open to work with them if you ever you want to accept them. I see very clearly Lady Athena wants your attention. She has been looking after you since you were born. She is the main deity reaching out to you. There is also Lord Ares reaching out as well. I can deduce pretty easily that you have been through war your whole life. It could be internal war but it could also be literal. Both Lady Athena and Lord Ares want to take over the war for you so you don't need to fight anymore. They want you to rest. They want to take care of you so you can have a breath of fresh air that you don't breathe in battle. You have been fighting for so long. The last deity who wants to work with you is Mother Gaia herself. She wants to scoop you up in a cradle of comfort. I see you are a truly environmentally conscientious person and she really really likes that about you. I see you trying your best to be waste-free. She really likes when you go outside and appreciate her regularly. She sits with you whenever you are on your porch. The beautiful thing about all three of these entities reaching out to you is that it is an invitation. It is not a demand. They want to help you because they like you and everything you do intuitively. You really wouldn't have to change anything drastically about your routine to work with them. They love you for you and are only asking to help take some stuff off your plate.

PILE TWO

Astrology: Gemini, Libra, Pisces

Cards: Knight of Swords, Page of Cups, 7 of Cups, Water Your Garden

Song: Family by Mother Mother

Hello, pile 2! You have two deities reaching out to you. Lord Ares has been asking to work with you for months. I see that you might be too scared to work with him. You have definitely noticed his call already. You have seen vultures, horses, dragons' and dogs in places you should not have seen them. That's Lord Ares calling out to you. In dreams, he might appear to you as a shadowy figure even if it isn't a dark setting. He's seen how lonely you have been. He wants to help you. You don't need to be scared believe me. Mythologically he is probably the safest male god you could work with. He is a protector of SA survivors. I dunno if you have heard about the myth when he slaughtered his daughter's assaulter. I think the way you view Lord Ares is understandable. He is portrayed as this scary war god but genuinely he represents a lot more than just war. He is also a minor god of dance 💃 He wants you to know he wants to keep you safe and protect you. Lord Apollo is also reaching out to you. I see you find a lot of comfort in music which is why he is reaching out. I see you turning a lot of the pain you have been through into art. Lord Apollo wants to see you get the love you deserve for all the pain you endured. He and Ares want to work together to help you take care of yourself. There is such a tenderness and restful vibe in the energy I'm getting from the cards. They want you to know the scary parts are over and you can relax finally. Leave the scary things to them.

PILE THREE

Astrology: Cancer, Scorpio, Virgo

Cards: 10 of Cups, The Wheel of Fortune, 7 of Pentacles, Breath of the Cosmos

Song: He^rt by Starcadian

Hi pile 3! Welcome to your reading. The deity reaching out to you is attempting to be mysterious while also trying to get your attention so you might not have picked up on their signals that they sent out. I see Lady Artemis is this mysterious energy. Her symbols are deer, archery, wolves, wild plants, the moon and the stars. There are plenty more symbols of hers that I could name but I feel that she wants you to do your own research if you choose to work with her. I'm unsure what she wants to assist you with but I do know it is something that will fulfill you more than anything you have worked on before. She really desires to be there for you when you start this journey. I also see Zues wanting to help you as well. He specifically wants to assist you with something financial. I see you are working on something that you have given so much energy to. He really likes what you are making and wants to sponsor you and help you complete the task at hand. The work you are completing has something to do with speaking or maybe even writing. It looks like you could draw so much wealth from this endeavor. Use his connection to the planet Jupiter to your advantage. Jupiter is the planet of higher learning and abundance. Perhaps you are working on a thesis paper and he enjoys how you have spoken about the subject of this paper. These two don't seem to want to work together on anything. It feels more akin to them helping you in different areas of life just to give you a leg up. They welcome you with open arms.

PILE FOUR

Astrology: Aries, Sagittarius, Taurus

Cards: The Emperor, 6 of Wands, 9 of Wands, The Blue Flame

Song: Esctatic Baby by Yeasayer

Welcome pile four! I see 2 deities VERY clearly for you. They both only recently took an interest in you. Something changed very drastically in your life. This big change is what invited these two. The first is Lord Posideon. He saw the strength of your flame from the coastline. I have a feeling you are land-locked. You are as far from the sea as you possibly can be and he saw your passion from that distance. He is so intrigued by you. He wants to help kindle your flame so you don't burn out your passion too early. You felt so called to do whatever it is you are doing and you are giving it everything you have. Your whole soul is aimed at what lit this flame in you. He loves seeing how fired up you are. It's probably been a while since you felt this way. He wants to you slow your roll juuuuust a little bit. Don't burn out your fuel too quickly and cultivate your fire into victory. The other deity reaching out is Lord Dionysus. He wants to help you with the same thing Lord Posideon wants to help you with. He wants to see you bloom and grow. He wants to see your venture fruitful. He doesn't want your work to go unrewarded. I think you might smoke bud or something and he connects really well through that with you. Again the same message of "Don't over-do it" is coming through. They both love the enthusiasm you are giving but just make sure you are still caring for your body. Make sure you are setting good boundaries with yourself and your work. They can't wait to see where you go with this. Good luck, friend!

[samwisethewitch]

What Non-Pagans Need to Know About Fiction Featuring Pagan Gods

In light of Marvel's Loki show dropping a second season and a new Percy Jackson series on the horizon, I want to say some things about how fandom spaces can be respectful of real-life pagan religion.

Let's get one thing out of the way: literally no one is saying you can't enjoy fiction that uses pagan gods and heroes as characters. No one is saying, "Stop writing stories about our gods." In fact, many ancient cultures wrote fiction about their gods -- look at Greek theater or the Norse Eddas. The act of writing fiction about the gods is not offensive in itself.

But please remember that this is someone's religion.

The gods are not "just archetypes." Their myths are not "just stories." Their personalities are not a matter of artistic interpretation. For many pagans, the gods are very much real in a literal sense. I don't think Thor is a metaphor or a symbol -- for me, Thor is a real, autonomous spiritual being who exists outside of human perceptions of him, and who I have chosen to build a relationship with. Even if you are a hardcore atheist, I would hope you could at least be respectful of the fact that, to many modern pagans, the gods are both very real and very important.

When authors are not respectful of this fact, they reduce the gods, these very real objects of worship, to fictional characters. And here's the thing about fictional characters: they are fundamentally tools for authors to use to draw a desired emotional response from an audience.

Dracula's personality and behavior is wildly different depending on who is writing him, because different authors use Dracula to create different reactions in their audiences. In the 1931 film starring Bela Lugosi, he's equal parts alluring and disturbing, a symbol of America's mixed desire and disdain for foreigners. In Nosferatu, he's more strictly frightening and disgusting. In Francis Ford Coppola's movie, he's a tragic, romantic figure clinging to the last scraps of his humanity. In Netflix's Castlevania, he's an incredibly powerful being who has grown bitter and apathetic in his immortality. All of this is Dracula, and all of it is fine, because Dracula is not and never has been a central figure in anyone's religion.

Let's take a look at what happens when authors give this same treatment to real gods:

In Hellenic polytheism, Apollo is one of the most beloved gods, both historically and today. Apollo loves humanity, and humanity loves him back. He is the god of sunlight and of medicine, but also of poetry and song. He is one of humanity's most consistent defenders when one of the other gods gets wrathful. And while he does have dangerous or wrathful aspects of his own (he's also the god of disease, after all), he's also kind and soft with humanity in a way other gods often aren't, at least in some historic sources.

In the Lore Olympus comic series, Apollo is a villain. He's characterized as an abuser, a manipulator, and a violent man child. LO!Apollo is downright hateful, because the author wants us to hate him. Lore Olympus is a retelling of a myth about an abduction and forced marriage. Lore Olympus is also a romance. In order to get the audience to sympathize with Hades and root for his relationship with Persephone, Rachel Smythe needed to make someone else the villain. Apollo is the most obvious and extreme character assassination in Smythe's work, but several other gods (notably Demeter) also get the asshole makeover to tell the story Smythe wants to tell.

Here's where this becomes a problem: Hellenic polytheism is a fairly small religious community, while Lore Olympus is a massively popular webtoon with 1.3 billion views as of August 2023, print books available from major retailers, a TV adaptation in the works, and a very active online fandom. Rachel Smythe currently has a MUCH bigger platform than any Hellenic polytheism practitioner. Smythe and other authors are shaping how modern culture views the Hellenic gods, and that has a very real impact on their worshipers.

This means "Apollo is an abusive asshole" is becoming a popular take online, and is even creeping into pagan communities. I've personally seen people be harassed for worshiping Apollo because of it. I've seen new pagans and pagan-curious folks who totally misunderstand the roles Apollo, Hades, and Persephone play in the Hellenic pantheon because of Lore Olympus and other modern works of fiction.

There are tons of other examples of this in modern pop culture, but I'll just rattle off a few of the ones that annoy me most: Rick Riordan depicting Ares/Mars as a brutish asshole hyped up on toxic masculinity; Rick Riordan depicting Athena as a mother goddess; Marvel depicting Thor as a dumb jock; Marvel depicting Odin as a cold, uncaring father; DC depicting Ares as purely evil; whatever the fuck the Vikings TV show was trying to do with seidr; the list goes on.

All of these are examples of religious appropriation. Religious appropriation is when sacred symbols are taken out of their original religious context by outsiders, so that the original meaning is lost or changed. It requires a power imbalance -- the person taking the symbols is usually part of a dominant religious culture. In many cases, the person doing the appropriation has a much bigger platform than anyone who has the knowledge to correct them.

When Rick Rioridan or Rachel Smythe totally mischaracterizes a Greek god to tell a story, and then actual Hellenic pagans get harassed for worshiping that god, that's religious appropriation.

Religious appropriation is a real issue. This isn't just pagans being sensitive. To use an extreme example: Richard Wagner and other German Romantic authors in the 19th century used the Norse gods and other Germanic deities as symbols in their work, which was a major influence on Nazi philosophy. Without Wagner, the Nazis would not have latched onto the Norse gods as symbols of their white supremacist agenda. To this day, there are white supremacist groups who claim to worship our gods or who use our religious imagery in their hate movement. We are still reckoning with the misinterpretation of our gods popularized by Wagner and other German Romantics almost 200 years ago.

Again, no one is saying you can't enjoy fiction based on pagan mythology. But there are a few things you can do to help prevent religious appropriation in fandom spaces:

Above all else, be mindful that while this may just be a story to you, it is someone's religion.

Recognize that enjoying fiction based on our gods does not mean you know our gods. You know fictional characters with the same names as our gods, who may or may not be accurate to real-life worship.

Do not argue with or try to correct pagans when we talk about our experience of our gods.

Don't invalidate or belittle pagan worship. Again, this mostly comes down to recognizing that our religion is totally separate from your fandom. We aren't LARPing or playing pretend. Our sacred traditions are real and valid.

If you see other people in your fandom engaging in religious appropriation, point out what they are doing and why it isn't okay.

Please tag your fandom content appropriately on social media. Always tag the show, movie, book, etc. that a post is about in addition to other relevant tags. This allows pagans to block these fandom tags if we don't want to see them and prevents fandom content showing up in religious tags.

For example, if I'm posting about Athena from the Percy Jackson books, I would tag the post #athena #athenapjo #percyjackson #pjo. You get the idea.

And if fiction sparks your interest and you want to learn more about the actual worship of the gods, you can always ask! Most pagans love talking about our gods and trading book recs.

If you are writing fiction based on real mythology, talk to people who worship those gods. Ask them what a respectful portrayal would look like. If possible, include a note in your finished work reminding audiences that it is a work of fiction and not meant to accurately portray these gods.

[greenwitchfeedee]

Royalty

Cw: weight gain, clothes ripping, soft feedism

*knock knock* “Princess, may I come in? I got what you asked for.” Hellen, my hand servant, said as she stood outside my room. I had an important court meeting in a few hours so I was dressed up in my formal dress, but it meant I had to skip second breakfast so I was starving. After my hangry outburst at the last meeting, I was threatened to be put on a diet. I had put on some weight in the past couple years

“Yes, please come in!” I eagerly replied.

Her slender frame gracefully entered in her maid uniform carrying a tray of food. “It took a little bribery of the cooks and the guard, but I was able to get what you asked for. I hope it is up to the standards you expect.” She explained while I was visibly bouncing in my seat with excitement.

“I’m sure it’s going to be delicious, just give it to me already!” I said teasing. She knows how excited I get about food. She took the cover off the tray to reveal my favorite foods, steak with buttery mashed potatoes and gravy, asparagus, bread rolls with even more butter, and a strawberry shortcake for dessert. I was salivating just looking at all the delicious food. Eagerly, I grabbed the utensils and started cutting my steak.

���Princess, if I may. I am concerned that your usual…eating habits may result in that dress being unacceptable for the court. You have a tendency to drop food when you’re excited. Would you prefer if I fed it to you.”

I got a little embarrassed, and I couldn’t feel my face flush red, but she was right. This dress was already tight and hard to move in, and I had a hard time being tidy in the best of conditions.

“Yes, I believe you’re right. Thank you.”

Hellen picked up the utensils and began preparing my food. As she presented me the first bite, I couldn’t believe how delicious it was. The juicy meat paired perfectly with the gravy and mashed potatoes and felt warm and comforting as it warmed my belly. I closed my eyes and squealed a bit in excitement before opening my mouth for another bite. Every bite was divine, not just because of how the food was prepared, but how she was serving it to me. After a few bites of steak, she would change to the veggies or the rolls so I wasn’t eating the same thing all the time. The contents of each fork full was perfectly balanced, severing containing too much of one thing. Slowly, my belly started feeling full and pressed against the tight fabric of the dress. I probably outgrew this one, I’ll have to ask the seamstress to make me a new one, a bigger one.

“Thank you Hellen, I’m lucky to have a servant as thoughtful as you,” I said, when I finally broke out of my food induced daze.

“Thank you for the praise, my princess. It is an honor to serve your excellency.” A slight blush broke out over her face. She tends to be reserved with me but I know how much she enjoys the praise. “Are you ready for your cake now?”

“Yes, please!” I said enthusiastically. In reality, I was starting to reach my limits, but the cake looked so delectable that I couldn’t help myself but to try it no matter how full I was.

The first bite melted in my mouth with creamy, sweet, tart goodness. I couldn’t help but let out a small moan as the treat passed my lips then open my mouth for another. I mindlessly rubbed my bloated tummy as she kept feeding me bite after incredible bite. There was about a quart of the cake left when I heard a loud *RIIIP* emanate from my side.

The seams of my dress split on the side, revealing my stretch mark lined love handles. “Oh my goodness, my princess, I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to…”

“No, don’t stop!” I exclaimed. “Keep going! I want you to feed me the rest! Please don’t stop now!” I could see on her face how shocked and embarrassed she was. She was hesitant at first, but picked the fork back up and got back to work. By this point my stomach hurt from how stuffed it was, causing me to moan a little louder with every bite. Every so often I would hear a little rip as the tear in my side got bigger, letting more of squishy body push out of the side.

I opened my mouth to receive another bite, but was met with a pair of soft lips and a tongue. Gentle hands caressed my sides and bloated tummy and she kissed me deeply and passionately. I opened my eyes and to see my adorable servant lost in her own actions. Without thinking, I reached out and pressed her narrow frame against my soft body and kissed her back. Her hand massaged its way from my jiggly love handles, under the rip in my dress to my back, and gradually lower, grabbing and squeezing my fat ass.

When I finally came to my senses, I was able to mutter under the waves of pleasure, “Thank you Hellen, never stop treating me like this”

[nyxiathewander]

My Story: How it all started

Not sure if this needs a warning, but mentions of churches hating on the LGBTQ+

Sorry for the long story but figured I would share it.

As a young child, I had a connection and love for the Greek Gods, but living in the bible belt meant having little access to anything outside what my mother provided.

When I was 15, a freshman in high school, I took a mythology class as an elective, and my love and connection for the Greek Pantheon skyrocketed. I could gain more knowledge without my mother finding out, afraid of what she might do if she found out. (Learning about any religion outside the Baptist Church was a huge no-no, including mythology's)

It wouldn't be until I was 16 that I learned that Hellenic Polytheism existed. Being told in my Mythology class that no one worshiped the Greek Gods anymore, I had no idea what to search (though looking back on it I do not know why I didn't just search "What is worshiping the Greek Gods called", but maybe I was afraid of my mom finding my search history, who knows).

Around this time, my mother started giving my sibling and I a choice on whether or not to go to church. I will say I did try to keep going, however, the more the youth minister kept talking, the more I couldn't take it anymore. He would constantly tell us, and I quote " If you find out your friend is of a different faith or Gay, queer, trans, etc. Drop them as a friend. Turn your back on them and do not talk to them anymore." And as someone who is Bi and Poly, I wasn't going to take that.

I never went back to that chruch.

At 17, my mother started going to another church, asking for us to try this one, after seeing how the old one hurt us. I went in with an open mind, and while they were nice, I still didn't feel a connection to Christianity. However, I went for my mom's sake, as she thought she found a church that didn't hate gay people.

Until they did, I am not sure if someone overheard a conversation or what, but one Sunday the preacher said he wanted to go over something and proceeded to go on a rant about the LGBTQ+ community. While looking my sibling and I in the eyes.

Even my mom never went back after that. Stating she could see in our eyes how hurt we were. (and says "She wasn't going to risk my potentially attacking the preacher" to protect my sibling)

At that point, our living situation changed, and she came up to us and flat-out asked if we believed in God. Our answer was no.

At 18, I got more comfortable with our living situation and realized I could get more and more information about Hellenic Polytheism. I had my own job and money, and a small library I could request books from.

For months and months, I researched, and I learned.

I found a calling to Lady Aphrodite.

I built a connection with Her.

And the rest is history.

[artemis-potnia-theron]

Hi 💙

I would like to worship Artemis, i've looking and investigate about hellenic polytheism and i have a special bond with the Delian triad (Artemis, Apollon and Leto), i love them, but i'm new in this and i want to start first with Artemis...

How i could start? How do you begin with her? I don't know how to start and what i have to do... Could you help me? I see how is your relationship with her and i love it ✨

Khaire! 🫂

So excited to hear about your interest in the trio!! They all hold very special places in my heart, so I love to hear when other people find them as well!

However, although I consider Apollo(n) to be my spiritual father and Leto to be my spiritual grandmother, the relationship I have with Artemis is an intersection of mother, sister, best friend, love of my life, spiritual mistress, queen, ect...so I will be approaching this from a more Artemis focused perspective lol. Hope that's okay!!

First, I would strongly recommend reading She Who Hunts: Artemis: The Goddess Who Changed the World by Carla Ionescu for a really solid, comprehensive overview of her worship. Understanding her history and domains can be very helpful in understanding Artemis as a goddess. Apollo(n) and Leto are featured in it, but mostly in relation to her.

Theoi.com is a good overall resource, but I would recommend sticking to 'scholarly' or peer-reviewed sources as much as possible when trying to get historical information about her cults, worship, and associated religious practices. The same goes for Apollo(n) and Leto.

In terms of personal practice stuff, it took me years to really forge the connection and relationship I have with her how. She can be prickly in certain ways. Her energy is as intense and wild as anything I've ever experienced. Early on, it felt like getting close to a roaming wolf or a hunting lioness. But once you bridge that gap, she's as protective and loves with as much ferocity as a mother bear. Apollo(n) and Leto were a bit less distant, even in the early days - at least for me. So take your time. Don't rush things with any of them, but most specifically not with Artemis lol.

In terms of activities/stuff she likes, I can list some random, everyday ways I connect with her!

- Being out in the moonlight, walking with the nightroaming critters 🌙🦇

- Going on nature walks, hikes, or just sitting outside! Touching grass really works haha

- Work on healing your 'inner child' through shadow work, but mostly importantly through therapy if it's accessible

- Taking care of and/or spending time with animals

- Reading her myths

- 'Ecstatic' dance. She shares a connection with The Mousai (The Muses) and to singing and music in general - a domain she shares with her brother

- Anything involved in childcare and/or childbirth

- Practicing archery

- Standing up for yourself

- Appericating solitude/independence

- Listening to folk music, lol. She loves The Amazing Devil

- Of course, connecting with others close to her helps! Apollo(n) and Leto are the most obvious ones, but she also has close ties to Hekate, Kybele, Dionysus, Persephone, Demeter, Zeus, Athene, Pan, and many more both inside and outside of her 'main' pantheon.

- In terms of symbols and stuff I've found she likes for her altars, she loves deer, bear, dog, fish, boar, and wolf imagery in particular. I associate green, brown, grey, blue, and purple with her. She's loves amethyst. And of course she loves any nature-related offerings!

- I also love connecting everyday stuff with her - albeit in a UPG kind of way lol. I associate the movies Beasts of the Southern Wild and Princess Mononoke with her as well as A Children's Bible by Lydia Millet and We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shriely Jackson and that's all super UPG! Personalize your practice to you, your life, and your beliefs.

What matters most is fostering a relationship with a good foundation. As cliche as it sounds, it really can be about the journey rather than the destination when it comes to deity work. Enjoy yourself, be respectful, decide what you believe, and listen to the lessons she has to teach you. The rest will come naturally :)

Don't hesitate to let me know if you have any other questions! May Artemis' arrow guide you always.

- Taylor 🌙🏹🦌

[alatismeni-theitsa]

Thank you for clarifying your stance on veiling! Many practitioners say that "Hera/Hestia wanted me to veil" and I didn't want to doubt anyone's practice but it did raise an eyebrow. Also I've seen "Does x deity require veiling?" "No but she will ask you to, it's still your choice" this always confused me because aren't you supposed to do something if a deity asks? (Ancient Greek perspective)

I will never stop anyone from dressing however they like but please understand I'm free to express my opinion on the matter, especially when my heritage is used to promote trends that my society has left behind for a good reason. What's more, Hellenic Polytheism practices are not separate from the Greek culture, since Greek people still practice the same customs and know their logic.

It looks to me that veiling among modern Western neopagan women started as an aesthetic first, and that's why they have turned it into a choice. If they do it "for the religion/deity", how come they don't really believe that showing your hair is shameful after a certain age?

I mention shame because it plays a part here. These people misunderstand the reason why our ancient women veiled, probably because they are not familiar with the Greek culture, or similar cultures where people know why women used to veil. Our women didn't have any "spirituality tied to their hair to protect under the veil", like I've seen some western neopagans say. Our women were simply deemed harlots if they showed their slutty hair to people who were not their husbands.

I am exaggerating a little here but that's the basis of the societal norm. In Greek tradition for more than two thousand years, if you passed girlhood you had to start hiding more and more of your body, lest you entice the males or communicate that you want to entice the males. After marriage, the style became even more restrictive because only your husband should see your κάλλη (physical beauty). Your demeanor should be more serious, as well, the more you age, because if you danced or spoke a certain way, you were seen as frivolous and shameful.

It was society, not the gods that wanted them to veil. I said in an older post that veiling is not inherently oppressive and braiding and covering your long hair can help you during manual labor in many practical ways. And of course, your hair is less exposed to the elements, hence a veil will keep it protected (and also cover your shoulders for warmth in the cold Greek mountains in the winter). I am sure women in many nations started covering their hair for a reason and then it became the norm.

Societal norms have always affected religion. Ancient people who discussed veiling usually did not mention religious reasons but reasons for ευπρέπεια, decency, and the good of the community. What is more, veiling is not tied to the ancient Greek religion because it didn't stop for the Greeks when Christianity came. There are many negative comments have been made about Christian Greek women who didn't veil or who found workarounds to veiling.

In Apostle Paul's words, women should be veiling a lot in religious contexts. His opinion expressed what the ancient society around him deemed a basic dress code, not Jesus' words. Today Greeks don't veil because we don't think covering your hair makes you more respectable as a woman. Only our nuns veil, following the strictest dressing code from the Byzantine years.

Another argument from my side is: our ancient women had no choice on the matter so why is it suddenly a choice for neopagan women? Don't both groups follow the same deities? The deity is suddenly okay with their women worshipers not being decently dressed according to the ancient standards? I mean, why will the deity ask you to veil in the first place if they don't still have the same dress standards?

If it's on the worshipers to decide if deities will want them to veil, or what the deities would want... I don't know... As an outsider I get the impression that they don't communicate with the deities as well as they think.

On the "the deity asked me" part: I am sure there are many people out there who take their practice seriously but there are also many people who think the deity pops into their head with recommendations. The way those people seek signs and explain "omens" is... weird, for lack of a better word. An omen for them is "I went to the store and there was a really nice scarf there in the colors of my deity, so that was clearly a sign that I should veil." Sorry, that's not compatible with the Greek customs and the religion you want to follow. An Omen is something shaking and a clear intervention. Not a sun ray on your desk or a song that came on the radio.

And what would that "recommendation" communicate in the first place? Probably something along the lines of "Hellooo Jessie! Hey, would you please do me a favor and cover your head because it is shameful for a woman of your age to show her hair? Thanks!"

Sorry if my statements come off a little harsh but those are genuine thoughts I have, and have seen other Greeks express with some confusion. Please know I am not attacking you as a person, but I simply tell you what I think and how certain things the HelPol community does can look from the outside.

For the people who veil because they genuinely believe that a decently dressed woman should veil, I disagree with your opinion on women's "value" but at least there is no hypocrisy on your part. If, according to your culture, you have energy on your hair that you'd like to protect then I understand that too. On the contrary, if you find a million other reasons to veil except decency or the practices of your people, then clearly you have something else in mind.

[yanny09]

IM SORRY DOR ANOTHER ASK RIGHT AFTER THE OTHR BJT LAST ONE I PROMISE. so. is it okay to nature worship? I’m worried about appropriation. how do I know it isn’t?

HEY HEY ANON!! why is everyone worried about appropriation..? PAGANISM IS MADE TO BE DEVELOPED INTO YOUR OWN LIKING!! ill tell you now the gods love nature worship, the amount of times they asked me to go outside and breathe some fresh air is too many to count. paganism was made from agriculture how can we NOT be expected to love the earth? anon, from all the things you said you need to STOP LISTENING TO WHAT OTHERS THINK /politely and gently. ask your gods, im not mad at you im worried for you. you have helpol friends? AMAZING!! make sure they treat you well. if your worried on appropriation look into reform or constructionsim hellenism, in short the first one (reform) is when you choose what you like. construction is when you FOLLOW what the past greeks did! feel free to ask any questions anon! that goes for you too reader!! BOTH OF YOU HAVE A GREAT DAY OKAY??

[god-blog]

Ok, idea that I'm really excited about

Everyone is always talking abt an in-person temple for pagans but what if instead of a temple-temple, there was a museum-temple?

Hear me out bc I think this would be really cool.

Things the temple-museum would have:

Permanent exhibits including:

Outside land art similar to Sun Tunnels by Nancy Holt that line up with the solstices/constellations

Inside sky art for meditating similar to Skyspace by James Turrell (PLS look this one up, it's so pretty. The picture in the article doesn't do it justice)

A wall of prayers/manifestations/affirmations. Visitors write them on a post it or note card and pin it to the wall to make a collaborative exhibition like Post Secret at the Museum of Us

A small gallery with general overviews of popular pagan pantheons: Hellenic, Celtic, etc. This will include artifacts from those time periods either depicting the deities or how people worshiped them

A small gallery with historical witchcraft artifacts. This will include medieval European poppets, Copic love spell manuscripts, Chinese oracle bones, etc.

Rotating temporary exhibits including:

Witch trials from around the world (1400-present, bc they do still happen)

Paleolithic cultures: Venus of Wellendorf, Stonehenge, Cave paintings/music, the Lion-man ivory, etc

Did Christianity Steal From Paganism: yes… no… it’s complicated (basically the overlap between early Christianity and Roman paganism) This will include villa mosaics, sarcophaguses, layouts of early churches, etc

The Rise of Modern Occultism: Hilma af Klint, Carl Jung, surrealism, spiritualism, Wicca, etc

A series of exhibits celebrating closed practices: different indigenous religions, Voodoo, Hoodoo, etc (Very important: these will not be teaching those crafts, just giving them the same public platform/attention as open practices. Key word here is "celebrating." People who practice in those closed communities will be consulted)

How paganism is incorporated into Abrahamic religions: Judaism and paganism, Catholicism and paganism, etc (People who practice in those communities will be consulted)

Modern witchcraft, good or bad? So that would be New Age, the rise of consumerism, witchtok, etc

More in-depth focuses on different pantheons: Celtic, Slavic, Mesopotamian, Hellenic, etc

Historical witchcraft accusations and race: Mary Lewis, the New York City Panic of 1741, Ann Glover, etc

Regular people's (like you!) devotional art. The public will be encouraged to donate/create devotional art pieces. Be that visual media, performance art, video art, music, sculpture, photography, writing, etc. It'll really highlight all the different ways people are worshiping, the diversity in deities being worshiped, and how big our community is

An auditorium. This would be for concerts, festivals/ceremonies that are done inside, and guest speakers. Guest speakers would include academics like Malcolm Gaskill (English historian and author), Katherine Howe (American author), etc. as well as big name practicing witches/pagans.

A garden. I haven’t decided yet what kind but I’m debating between a rooftop garden like the MET, one behind the building but open to visitors, or an atrium like medieval European cloisters/monasteries (bc I love those). The garden would be for meditating, connecting to nature/the gods, feeding pollinators, protecting "creepy" insects like spiders or burrowing bugs (bug hotel?), and potentially -depending on what type of garden it is- housing wild birds in bird houses or bats in bat boxes. Also, it could be a good place for festivals/ceremonies that are done outside, concerts, or general get-togethers like altar piece swaps!

And an altar/worship space. Obviously. It wouldn't be a temple without it. I'm thinking it would be mostly a big empty room with chairs and rugs scattered about and an alcove in one wall for the altar. Inside the alcove will mostly be nonspecific religious objects like candles, nice fabrics, flowers, incense, etc . Visitors will be encouraged to bring their own small personal devotional tools (except candles/incense for fire safety reasons). That way they can pray to, appreciate, and connect to their own gods and the main altar doesn't leave anybody out; the main altar is more for ambience than specific worship.

Giftshop? I'm not sure about this one yet bc it feels wrong to have a gift shop in a temple, but most museums, even small ones, have gift shops. It could have fresh herbs from the garden, candles, and local artists' art like prints, stickers, jewelry, etc. All at a reasonable price ofc (I hate overpriced museum giftshops more than anything else in the world... except overpriced museum tickets)

In terms of funding, museums get more government funding than churches, but they do have to pay taxes churches don't. I was thinking of generally modeling it after the Museum of Us in San Deigo; they let their employees pick the holidays they take off so they can each adhere to their personal religious practice, start paying them at $22 an hour with built in raises each year, and good insurance. They have done an amazing job, way better than any big museum, at collaborating with communities from all over the world to either give back artifacts in their collections or closely work with them to reframe how the artifact is presented/stored. They also don't charge for tickets, memberships, school trips, or basically anything except the giftshop. But that means they rely heavily on donations which may not work as well for a museum that's just starting out. Idk, this is all hypothetical rn.

The pillars the museum-temple would stand on are worship, education, and community.

I feel like teaching people about the history of these practices is super important and isn't smth that everybody bothers to learn or has correct information about. (And I'm a huge history/museum nerd if you can't tell lol)

I'm actually really excited about this lol

[cherrywineisawaltz]

Okay, so I’ve been wanting to write a a Logan x OC fanfic with the OC as a professor at Charles school and I wrote the first chapter (really short cause its just sort of a bit of background) and I thought I’d post it here just to see how people would receive it!

(Also this is set when she’s about fifteen, the actual first chapter is going to be a major time jump, so through the fic she’ll be about 30)

Warnings: runaway teen (?), sleeping in a diner, she thinks Charles is kinda weird, not proof read lmao, nothing else I don’t think?

———————

She woke up cold. Her lashes flutter against her cheeks, sore with sleep. It was too frigid in the small diner, the heater did little in the winter and they had put her right by the door that let in a breeze every time it swung open; biting her skin. Her own attire wasn’t much help either, she thought.

The too-big sweatshirt hanging off her shoulders wasn’t thick enough to keep her warmer than her own body heat could, and her jeans were still wet from falling into the snow outside of the empty diner. The only warmth she had was from the thick leather boots on her feet that were two sizes too big.

The heavy thrill of hail outside the small diner window was a heavy patter in her ear drums. The bright beaming twenty-four hour sign hummed against the window, the fluorescent light flickering harsh blue and red light.

She pressed her open palm to the side of her cheek, eyes looming over the other patrons. Most of the diner was vacant, the waitresses bide behind the counters and the heavy steam of coffee burned in the air. She felt hunger nestle in the pit of her empty stomach, if she had enough shoved away in her rucksack she could get pancakes, if she had enough energy she wouldn’t need to pay for them at all. But she had a feeling she would.

She pushed against the table, stretching carefully, ignoring the always present ache in her limbs. Her fingers pushed against her scalp, feeling against her boyish cut hair.

It was just getting long enough for the curls to furl beside her ear, but it still bristled against her fingers. It made people stare less the more it grew, and she was thankful. Soon enough she’d attract even less attention.

Maryn could hear the soft clicking of heels, it was the waitress, she could hear the whisper of her thoughts flutter against her skull. Her mind was always hazy after sleeping, so none of the whispers were coherent enough for her to understand. She didn’t look up until she was right beside the table.

“You want anything, sweetheart?” She had a pot of coffee in her hand, and a southern lilt in her voice. “You’ve been here a while, you must be hungry.”

If she had noticed Maryn sleeping only moments ago she didn’t mention it, but her thoughts fluttered with concern.

“Pancakes?” Maryn blinked up at her.

The waitress nodded, her name tag read Hellen. She had blonde straw-like hair and yellow rimmed glasses.

“How about some chocolate chip pancakes, huh? Knock your socks right off.” She smiled, and Maryn nodded, unwilling to deny the indulgence. “I’ll get those right out, sweet pea.”

She walked away, bright red shoes clicking as she did. She was nice.

Maryn sunk back into her seat, one of the waitresses turned on a radio and through the storm the music didn’t sound like it had any words, covered by static, but its gentle tune was nice enough.

She rubs the ache over her tired eyes, she’d have to walk further when the sun finally came up. If her jeans dried before she left the diner maybe she’d make it further than she did today. Just the thought of more walking made her head throb and ache.

Hitching a ride wasn’t a far idea for her, but didn’t like all the questions that came with asking for help. They can’t help it, always the most obvious questions first, Where are your parents? Are you all alone? Shouldn’t you be in school? She was tired of it.

The soft jingle of the bell hanging over the door rang lightly as it swung open. Maryn tugged her sweater closer when the biting breeze crept through the sleeves.

Another soft flutter of whispers filled her head, she ignored them. She didn’t care to hear anyone else's thoughts. But they grew closer, until someone was coming up beside her table again, and then the whispers were gone.

“Hello.” An accented voice greeted. “Mind if I join you?”

She looked up at the man beside her table, her eyes trailing up the silvery metal of the wheelchair he was sitting in before his face.

He was older, weathered and looked at her with a familiar kind of smile while wearing the nicest suit she had ever seen. A deep blue with a matching tie and one of those pieces of fabric people shove into the chest pocket. It made him stand out, looking strange in the rickety diner.

She doesn’t say anything, but he picks up the menu at the other end of the table and she doesn’t stop him.

“I’m Charles Xavier.” He said warmly, he extended a hand, “It is a pleasure to meet you.”

She looked at his hand curiously before reaching out to shake it slowly. His hand is warm.

“Hi.” She said, wearily. He looks at their joined hands when they touch.

“Cold,” He smiles, “I’d imagine this is the warmest place around these parts.”

“For a few miles.” Maryn shrugs, he didn't seem like the worst person to have a conversation with.

“Did you walk yourself here?” She nodded. “The next town isn’t for miles. You must be exhausted.”

She shrugged, again. She felt how she always felt. Cold, tired, achy. His eyes trail over the rucksack tucked into her side.

“Is that all your things?” She nodded, tugging her bag closer.

“What I can carry.” She tells him. He hums.

“It looks heavy. Must have been difficult in this weather.”

“It’s alright.”

“If you say so.” He smiles.

She nods.

Charles, the strange British man, didn’t seem annoyed by her silence, but she was rather perturbed by his. His mind was completely silent, not a single whisper.

Usually she couldn’t keep other people’s thoughts away, only if she really concentrated she could quiet the noise down for a little bit, but it’s like his mind was completely empty.

Her dark fawn-like eyes trail up his head. She usually didn’t have to focus so much, and even now as she did, she heard nothing.

You won’t get anything up here, Maryn.

She jumped in her seat.

“Alright, baby, I got your pancakes and–oh,” Hellen came back with a hot steaming stack of chocolate chip pancakes. She looked between the two, eyeing Charles, “Is everything alright over here?”

“Yes, splendid, could I get some coffee, please? And,” He pauses to look at Maryn, “A milkshake, for my friend.”

There was only one milkshake on the menu, vanilla.

Hellen looks at her first, and then back at him.

“Of course. Coming right up, sugar.” And she clicks away again.

Charles smiled at her, kindly.

“It’s rude to snoop, you know.” He says, though there’s not much sternness in his tone.

“Most people don’t seem to mind.” She said plainly.

Charles dipped his head with a funny smile.

“I’m sure they don’t.”

“How do you know my name?” She asked, picking up her fork and butter knife as she did. She was curious but still starving. She grabbed the syrup at the end of the table, smothering her cakes.

“Because I have been keeping an eye on you for quite some time, Maryn.” He admits, watching her scarf down her pancakes like they’d run away from her. “You are very special.

“Special" isn't the word most people use.” She says out of the edge of her mouth, still chewing.

“We are not most people.” Charles hums.

“Yeah,” she muttered plainly.

“I’ll admit, your…capabilities are more advanced than I’ve seen in others your age.” He observed, “It’s quite impressive.”

Maryn doesn’t say anything to that. She didn’t have anything to say. Charles continues.

“You know, most mutant children I find are often in groups. They find one another, and protect each other.” His fingers drum on the fake carved plastic, “You remain by yourself. Have you not met others?”

She cuts jaggedly into her pancakes.

“I have.” She chews.

“And what happened?”

She thought about not telling him, then she thought he already knew and was just waiting for her to say it. Either way, he waits patiently across from her, waiting for her to say something; same gentle look in his eye.

“There's something inside me.” She admits, dubiously, “It scares people.”

“Does it scare you?” Again, she doesn’t answer.

Charles looked at her for a long time, she almost thought he was going to go away, leave her there, growing frustrated with her insolence. But he doesn’t. Instead, he looks at her with the same familiar smile.

“I have a school.” He says, “It’s not much now, barely a handful of students, even less teachers, but I created it for gifted children. Children like you.”

Maryn stared at him, her fork stabbing a piece of pancake on her plate.

“A school?”

He nods.

“I’d very much like you to attend.” He tells her, eyes looking her over, “Perhaps I can help you.

He seems to mean it. It’s the first time she can’t see into someone’s mind to know if they’re telling the truth or not, but she has a feeling, an unfamiliar feeling, that she can trust him.

She looked down at her plate, “What if you can’t?”

Charles looks at her carefully.

“Then maybe I can help you learn to control it.” Maryn looks up at him. “At the least, you’ll have a warm bed, food. Clothes that fit.”

For the first time since they started talking, she smiles. It’s small, but it’s there.

“Alright, a coffee for you,” They both looked at Hellen as she came back, “And a milkshake for you, Angel.”

“Yes, we’ll have the check please.” Charles says kindly. Then he places his forefinger and his middle finger to his temple and looks Hellen in the eyes,“You will not remember us once we leave.”

Maryn watches the waitress's eyes glaze over from behind her glasses before she smiles again.

“I’ll get that right out for you.”

Maryn looked at Charles.

“Can I do that?”

“We shall see, won’t we?” His lips spread into a thin smile. “Finish your pancakes.”

——————-

Omg I feel so anxious I literally have never done this before 😭 but please let me know what you guys think! If I do decide to post the whole fic it’ll prob be on ao3 just cause I plan to make it pretty long/slow burn

But I hope u guys like it 🙌🙌

[cardicoven]

hi!! could you share any of your experiences interacting with persephone? or how has it felt to communicate with her? or even just fun anecdotes. ive given her an offering and im so happy to worship her... but god theres so little info or people talking about her!!!

Hey! So thanks for the lovely question, its great to hear that your reaching out to Persephone and are looking into worshipping her. I've been working with Persephone for around 3 years, giving weekly (often daily) offering and have maintained an altar space for her throughout that time. I say this not to boast or seem all knowing on the topic but to give some small context on my practice with her. Like many others my practice and worship of Persephone varies with the seasons, I feel her most strongly in Spring and Summer. During this time when light her candle I feel her presence, almost in that way when a Parent/Mentor/Guardian looks in your direction and you feel their eyes on you. When I leave offering during these months, I often experience feedback sometimes emotional, rarely I'll hear an affirmation, 'Thank you' or 'how thoughtful' kinda thing. When I call for her assistance in ritual I feel her behind me, sometimes guiding my hand, or I'll smell/taste something she advises for the ritual, only for the feeling to pass when I lay my hands on the herb/oil/item suggested. When it comes to divination she a dedicated card in my Tarot the 10 of Pentacles (which in my deck is the Pomegranate 10 of Crops, I use the Bottanical Deck link) and in my experience she's always happy to make it appear when she has something to say during Divination. In Autumn and Winter my experiences with her is very different, she feels distant, less patient, she's in the Underworld and has stuff to do. I don't feel her when I light my candles or leave small offerings. Only when I Invoke her and ask for her help in ritual do I feel her presence, its powerful, not stern per se but business esc, she's there to help and her time is not to be wasted. During this time I only invoke her when I really need her, most often in death work, or partially important banishings/protections and I always have a sizable offering at this time. That's not to say Persephone is not comforting or compassionate towards me in the colder months, her attention is elsewhere, and her responsibilities are with the dead.

That's all little heavy so here's a fun Anecdote. A few Years ago, myself and some witchy friends had a Party, there was plenty of drinking and debauchery (we were celebrating a friends bad break up). During a lull in the evening we pulled some cards and did some Tarot, nothing serious just good fun freaking out a few non-witchy friends, nevertheless Persephone had a word or two to share on the breakup, and while I don't remember much of it, it consisted of pointing out the Guys flaws and highlighting my friends strengths. After we put the cards away my friend asked how she should thank Persephone for her insight, I said leave her a wee offering, pour a shot out for her outside. My friend did so and said the following 'Thank for your wisdom Lady Pomegranate', before going back inside and passing out. I guess it's the thought that's counts.

Just gonna finish this off with a small list of recommended Reading since Anon is just starting out, and hopefully it might be useful. I'll link to Goodreads, but you should be able to find copies of these online somewhere if you try to. o Persephone's Pathway by Jennifer Heather: link : a wonderful exploration of Persephone from a modern pagan perspective but not without flaw. (my review) o Greek Religion by Walter Burkert: link : Currently making my way through this, it's academic and a heavy read but so far enlightening. o Old Stones, New Temples by Drew Campbell: link : an older book about Hellenic reconstructionism, reading it atm, so far its heavy but good. o Underworld Gods in Ancient Greek Religion by Ellie Mackin Roberts: link : On my reading list, 'This volume presents a case for how and why people in archaic and classical Greece worshipped Underworld gods.' o Hellenic Polytheism: Household Worship by LABRYS: link : I haven't got around to this yet but it's comes highly recommended. Hope this helps, and thanks again for the ask.

[ray-does-witchcraft]

2024 Attic Calendar - January

Currently working on my own version of the adapted Attic calendar! So far I only have January, but February is almost done as well. Fair warning, this goes in depth about what the festivals/celebrations are and how to commemorate, so this post is gigantic. Attention: This is for the SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE!

⛧ [10/01/24] [Hekatombion 40th] - Hekate Deipnon

WHAT IS IT & WAYS TO CELEBRATE: It takes place at the end of the Lunar month. Hekate means "bringer of light", so at the darkest part of the month, we prepare our homes for the transition to a new month and offer her a meal. Think of it as a mini new year; clean/cleanse your house (especially altars), get rid of things you don't want to bring into next month (physical, spiritual, etc), and leave Hekate an offering at sundown (preferably a meal, but if you can't afford to waste food, just give her something else. Maybe bury or burn it if you can). Here's a list of good offerings (best left outside or at her altar, if you have one for her):

Bread

Cake (especially lit with candles)

Pomegranate

Wine

Honey

Cinnamon

Milk

Chocolate

Roses

Lavender

Poppy seeds

Dandelions

Incense (Frankincense, Lavender, Jasmine, Citrus, Dragons blood, Rosemary, or anything you have at hand)

Keys

Candles

Tea lights

Bones

Fire/Bonfire

Oil lamps

Crow/Raven/Own feathers

Poetry, Literature, Music, Hymns, etc

⛧ [11/01/24] [Metageitnion 1st] - Noumenia

WHAT IS IT & HOW TO CELEBRATE: The Noumenia is the first day of the visible New Moon and is held in honor of the household Gods. The Noumenia is a celebration of the start of a new Hellenic month and seeks blessings for the household. Honestly? You can just kick back and relax if you want or can, to invite calm energies into the upcoming month. But, if you (like me) want to be a little extra, here's some ways to celebrate:

Start a new personal project or hobby, or just pick back on things you've been putting off.

Set intentions for the coming month, and make plans for any of the month’s upcoming festivals, or for any of your personal upcoming plans.

Leave offerings for your deities.

Moon/stargaze, maybe meditate under the Moon.

Do a reading with your preferred divination method with the Theoi, asking what you should focus on in the coming month.

⛧ [12/01/24] [Metageitnion 2nd] - Agathos Daimon

WHAT IS IT & HOW TO CELEBRATE: One of my favorites! Daimons are household spirits that look after you and your family, so this is a day to honor Him! Pour a libation (especially wine, but mine likes milk better to be honest), make an offering, light a candle, maybe even make Him a lil altar! He's heavily associated with snakes, but aside from that you can offer (or put in His altar) anything you correlate with abundance, good luck, protection, etc. These guys are so overlooked and I love them. Here's a more in-depth post about Him and the holiday.

⛧ [13, 14, 16, 17, 18/01/24] [Metageitnion 3th, 4th, 6th, 7th & 8th] - Athena, Aphrodite/Hermes/Eros, Artemis, Apollo, Poseidon

WHAT IS IT & HOW TO CELEBRATE: Not exactly festivals, that's why I compiled them into one section, but these Lunar days are sacred to these deities in that order. Maybe leave them an offering or light them a candle, maybe even just devotional acts! Here's a good list of offerings for each:

ATHENA

Owl feathers/imagery

Pottery

Books

Toy weapons, athames, etc

Roses

Bread

Olive

Honey

Milk

Olive oil

Olive tree branches/leaves (real or not)

Clear crystals

Silver jewelry

Incense (Frankincense, Dragon's Blood, Cedarwood)

APHRODITE

Apples

Chocolate

Honey

Milk

Olive oil

Baked goods

Anything vanilla scented/flavored

Golden jewelry

Flowers (especially roses and anemones)

Sea stuff (sand, seashells, water, etc)

Perfume

Self care products

Rose quartz

Incense (Frankincense, Rose, Myrrh, Jasmine, Cinnamon, Vanilla, Cypress)

HERMES

Currency (real or not) (especially foreign)

Strawberries

Lemons

Dice

Playing cards

Travel tickets

Honey

Milk

Olive oil

Clovers

Cool rocks

Hematite

Incense (Frankincense, Myrrh, Safron, Dragon's Blood)

EROS

Honey cake

Chocolate

Fruit

Sweets (he likes candy a lot)

Milk

Honey

Olive oil

Rose quartz

Feathers

Flowers (real or not)

Heart-shaped objects

Arrows

Jewelry

Incense (Frankincense, Myrrh, Rose)

ARTEMIS

Animal related stuff (Imagery, bones, teeth, etc)

Moon related stuff

Moonstone

Clear quartz

Amethyst

Bows & Arrows

Leaves

Wild flowers

Acorns

Pine cones

Milk

Honey

Olive oil

Water

Silver jewelry

Incense (Frankincense, Cypress, anything woodsy)

APOLLO

Sun related stuff

Arts and crafts

Clear quartz

Citrine

Sunstone

Bows & arrows

Dandelions

Sunflowers

Poetry

Music

Honey

Milk

Olive oil

Water

Honeyed chamomile tea (he loves it)

Golden objects/jewelry

Divination items

Incense (Frankincense, Myrrh, Cypress, Clove, Cinnamon, Bay)

POSEIDON

Saltwater/Seawater

Seashells

Fish

Sand

Toy horses/horse imagery

Photos of the sea

Olive oil

Milk

Honey

Salt

Aquamarine

Sapphire

Incense (Frankincence, Myrrh, Pine)

⛧ [25-27/01/24] [Metageitnion 15-17th] - Eleusinia

WHAT IS IT & HOW TO CELEBRATE: The Eleusinia was a thanksgiving festival held to honor Demeter for the gift of grain. A modern way to celebrate is to have a big dinner (maybe include some breads and baking) and give thanks to Lady Demeter through it! Thank her for grain and the agricultural processes that we benefit from!

⛧ [28/01/24 ?] [Metageitnion 18th ?] - Adonia

WHAT IS IT & HOW TO CELEBRATE: A festival mourning the death of Adonis, one of Aphrodite's human lovers. Traditionally, it was celebrated only by women (as a trans guy, I personally don't give a fuck and celebrate it anyway). Also, there's no source for an exact date, so this is an educated guess at best (most sources just refers to it as taking place "midsummer"). For a way to celebrate, I found this amazing hymn/poem. Remember to honor Aphrodite on this day as well.

⛧ [30/01/24] [Metageitnion 20th] - Hera Telkhinia

WHAT IS IT & HOW TO CELEBRATE: A minor sacrifice for Hera, taking place in the suburbs of Athens. Again, not a lot of info, but if you worship or have a connection to her, maybe read her a hymn, pour a libation honor her on this day! Here's a Orphic hymn to her:

Hera, incense aromatic herbs and spices. You are seated in a cerulean cavern, having the form of air,    Íra queen of all, happy one who shares the bed of Zefs, You provide gentle breezes which sustain the soul. Mother indeed of storms, attendant of the winds, all-begetting. Apart from you life and generation cannot be found;    Mingled with the majestic air you partake of everything. You alone hold sovereignty, ruling over all. You are the stream which flutters down through the rushing winds. And now you, happy Goddess, many named, queen of all, Come with a countenance of kindness and joy. 

[templeof-demeter]

Why do the Gods let bad things happen?

About a month ago I was talking to my fiancée, who is atheist, we joke about me trying to convert her and I finally asked her why she has no interest in religion and she said “It’s a pretty first level of atheism question, but I always wonder why any God would let such bad things happen. And why would I want to worship one that does.”

I remember growing up in a very Christian household and asking this when I was very young, having experienced my fathers death so early I only inevitably questioned how any divine being could let that happen and let the following consequences of that keep going. I actually hadn’t thought much on this question when I became Hellenic Polytheistic, but I understand where this question comes from and want to give my thoughts on it. Especially as someone whose been through the ringer of bad life experiences, but still finds comfort in the divine.

I saw a comment on a Reddit post with an analogy I really liked, by GnawerOfTheMoon

I think this is kind of like why I “let” a spider hiding behind my bookcase eat another bug alive. The answer would be that it doesn’t have anything to do with me, because I am not directly involved in every tiny event that happens in this house even thought it is “mine.” The spider, the bug, and I occupy slightly different realms of experience despite technically being in the same space.

I loved this, it makes the concept I believe so easy to understand and explain. The Gods are all powerful, but they don’t see and involve themselves in every single thing. Oftentimes we expect the Gods to be omni-everything beings, but that just doesn’t make sense for them in my opinion- they can be many places at once, their epithets allow for this, and they are more wise and more powerful than we could possibly understand, but they are not involved in every single situation that occurs with mortals. Especially when looking at mythology- while I believe they are more symbolic, they can hold some truth- there’s no way the Gods could ever be “tricked” or secrets be kept from them if they were omnipotent, so we must assume they are not involved in all activities of the world.

The Gods help us onto healthy paths after tragedy strikes, they help us understand the whys of nature and humanity, they exist outside of the world we know and they still help us, we consult them as best we can. And this is part of why we worship them in spite of the badness that happens- we desire their light and wisdom. I believe it’s perfectly appropriate to worship them in spite of the badness around us because of this, because they bring light and hope.

This has been in my drafts for about two weeks now, and with recent U.S election results I’ve seen people talking about feeling spited by the gods, feeling that the gods are angry, or just questioning how they could let this happen. While this is an opinion piece, not backed in academic research, I hope this can be helpful in some way.