#i'm a dionysus worshipper what do you want

[deermouth]

Not the rotisserie chicken

i know ok i know i knowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

[cynicalclairvoyantcadaver]

LET'S ENJOY GREEK MYTH RETELLINGS AND STORIES BUT NOT TAKE ALL OF THEM SERIOUSLY

You know, I really have to say this.

I don't think that Greeks, Hellenistic Pagans and other people who know Greek Mythology would be as frustrated as they are today if people DIDN'T TAKE MODERN SOURCES DEPICTING GREEK MEDIA AS ALWAYS ACCURATE.

Bear with me now.

All right, so, we all know about Percy Jackson.

And PJO was basically the Greek God make or break of its time and it broke the Greek Gods. Greeks and Hellenistic Pagans had the unfortunate experience of being bombarded with false, incorrect interpretations and thoughts about their deities.

And we have to remember here that to these Hellenistic Pagans, their gods are as sacred to them as God is to Christians. Maybe they wouldn't kill people over their gods, an added bonus, but we must respect the fact that they worship the gods and we must be respectful of Greek Gods when interacting with them.

See, I'm not saying that you can't be lighthearted. You can joke around and all that-it's just that actually hating and condemning the Greek Gods shouldn't be done when you're interacting with their worshippers.

Now that I'm done with that, well, Rick Riordan fucked up with Greek Mythology big time. Making Athena have children, HIS MISOGYNY. THERE ARE ENTIRE TAGS DEDICATED TO RICK'S MISOGYNY, NOT JUST OF HIS FEMALE CHARACTERS BUT OF ACTUAL ANCIENT GREEK GODDESSES. If I did a whole essay on his misogyny, I'd have to make multiple posts.

Rick done fucked up with them. I do not have to be the first person to tell you that.

HOWEVER, I am obligated to say that any author is freely able to portray the Greek Gods as they want (unfortunately at times).

And so Rick is free to interpret them how he likes.

Let's also remember that Rick thought terribly of the Gods and their worshippers when he was writing Percy Jackson and the other series.

Of course, he HAS changed for the better. Now he's more respectful of Pagans and has apologised, which is nice, but I just thought I'd let you know.

See, now we can accept and criticise Rick's writing, but before-

Well, before, it was absolutely awful for Greeks and Hellenistic Pagans. I mean, it's still awful, but it was more awful back then because almost nobody criticised Percy Jackson about depicting Greek Gods terribly. Everyone said that Greek Gods were American and belonged to America-ugh, that was horrible. It's absolutely appalling to do that, no less to Greeks themselves. People ranted about how horrible the gods were.

And I mean yes, the Greek Gods could be awful by modern standards, but we need to remember two things-

The Greek Gods were based on an ANCIENT SOCIETY with DIFFERENT MORAL STANDARDS. Judging them by modern moral standards isn't going to do anything.

The actions of the gods were SYMBOLIC, NOT LITERAL.

a) Artemis' cruelty towards humans? That's the cruelty of nature towards him. Artemis was a nature goddess and she hunted and resided in the wild.

b) Dionysus being kind and charming but also mad and ruthless at times? Well, that's what wine does. It can make people funny and charming to a point, but it also drives people mad and makes them violent.

c) Hades kidnapping Persephone? Well, Hades represents death, and that's what death does-it rips children from their parents' arms. Also, it signifies the fact that daughters and mothers did not have a say in their marriage, the father could give the girl away to any man in those times. Demeter actually being able to get Persephone back was a comfort to grieving mothers.

d) Zeus cheating on Hera multiple times?

There are multiple explanations for this one.

First, kings and princes often claimed to be descendants of Zeus, so Zeus was said to have many affairs with royal mortal women so that their claims to divine lineage could be accurate.

Second, Zeus' rain represented fecundity and fertility. As I said above, the actions of the gods are symbolic and they represent their domains, so he had multiple affairs and loads of children to signify his fertility.

Third, the Greek Gods were based on Ancient Greek society where multiple men took concubines and lovers. And Zeus did this too, because he was a king!

e) Hera punishing the lovers and bastards? That's what queens did to some concubines for revenge, since they couldn't take it out on the king.

It's all either symbolic or based on Ancient Greece. The gods that humanity created were based on those times, and they were created millennia ago, when things were different in nearly every way possible.

Anyway, what I'm trying to tell you is that we're allowed to have fun with these stories and retellings that include Greek Mythology, but if you really want correct information on Greek gods, go and read the myths and the compositions of Ancient Greek poets and playwrights (Homer, Hesiod, etc).

Because many people, when reading these modern retellings and the like, think that they are actually real mythological information and accordingly spew nonsense.

People call Apollo 'Asspollo' and harass his worshippers because of one incorrect comic that came out in 2018. Apollo never raped Persephone.

And people also view famous figures like Odysseus and Achilles incorrectly because of incorrect translations that don't correctly capture the original and CERTAIN RETELLINGS (cough-Madeline Miller-COUGH)

And there are so many more examples I could give, but then this would be too long to post.

See, it's not that the writers completely rip the original lore out. They keep a lot of it, but they also add in some incorrect information. And sometimes this isn't that bad or malicious, it's just incorrect.

So if you're not sure about whether something in a retelling or story depicting Greek Gods is true, you should search it up online or ask someone who knows.

Because Greeks and Hellenistic Pagans are constantly frustrated at how their gods are portrayed and that everyone just takes the retellings as mythologically correct.

TLDR Greek mythology retellings can be fun for you to read but don't take all of the info in them as mythologically correct. You can be lighthearted about the Greek Gods but please don't actually loathe or mock them with others who believe in them and worship them. If you're not sure about info in a retelling or story, then search it up or ask someone you know.

There are multiple blogs on tumblr who can tell you more information about the actual Greek Gods and they're pretty nice about it too, so don't be too afraid.

[winedarkgod]

(continuing the 31 Days of Hellenic Polytheism)

DAY SIXTEEN: If you could give one piece of advice to someone who’s just starting in Helpol, what would it be?

get off social media

I'm so serious. don't look for info on tumblr, tiktok, etc. especially if you're wanting to do a more reconstructionist path, read books and articles written by historians and researchers, not people who are active practitioners. sometimes it will be boring as fuck but it is worth it.

develop your own relationship with the Gods before seeking out what others think. you can always change your approach later if you need to.

I did this with Dionysus and I'm so glad I made that decision for myself. I didn't start engaging with other worshippers online until I knew we had a good foundation.

having been in pagan/polytheist/witchcraft spaces both online and irl for a good number of years, it is unfortunately way too easy for newcomers to get tricked into relying on "experts" who may be well-meaning but misinformed at best, or people who are straight up trying to become cult leaders at worst

I've had to leave several online and real life groups over the years because I could see the red flags popping up

one example I'll give from an irl group I was in briefly, which was supposed to be a pagan/witchcraft study group: the main person organizing the group guilt tripping one of the members into drinking wine when they didn't want to because "the Gods required it" as part of a group offering we were doing

when this took place, there was no anger on the organizer's part, no big dramatic outbursts from anyone. it was a very short, simple interaction that was over in a few seconds that I don't think anyone really thought about. but I left that group because of it. because I knew something that appeared small like that, was a warning sign of where things could go.

I understand the desire for community, or to seek out people who can feed you information. but this is why I always stress people try and develop their own relationship with the divine *before* seeking out help from others...because you really don't want to find yourself in a situation where people are telling you "the Gods require it"

[khaire-traveler]

Tbh I mostly sent that ask bc I'm listening to someone review an ARC of Crown of Starlight which is supposed to be a retelling of how Ariadne and Dionysus met, but sci-fi and its just so many things pissing me off.

Like the Moirai are a cult????? Who are obsessed with like, purity culture????? Like the Christian kind???

And the author boasts that she's writing the first ever androgynous Dionysus when DIONYSUS HIMSELF IS ANDROGYNOUS AND ALWAYS HAS BEEN!! HE HAS AN EPITHET LITERALLY FOR HOW ANDROGYNOUS HE IS!!! HIS MYTHS FUCK WITH GENDER A LOT!! YOU DIDN'T INVENT SHIT!!!!

Ariadne is just a "I'm not like other girls" trope in such a stereotypical way and I HATTTTTEEE it. Like you can gave a girl not fit in and have it be interesting and not simultaneously shit on other women its not that hard. Like in Circe she showed interest in what Daedalus was doing and was curious about his inventions, and it made her more of her own character and also set her apart from the other women in her family. Not saying its the most perfect example but it's better than making her a fucking Pick Me girl who's pretending to not be a Pick Me.

Sorry just omg I could go on, I'm so glad this book will never be published.

Long rant incoming lol. Be warned.

Listen, I've come to accept that retellings will never be perfect to my standards because I'm a worshipper, and most of these authors are not. I've come to understand that it's ok for pieces to just stand on their own and exist without me interacting with them; I'm not being forced to engage with something I don't actually like. But this? What the hell even is this? There's a difference between creating your own retelling for the sake of artistic liberty with a story that means a lot to you and claiming to have created something that the thousands of years old culture you're basing your story on ALREADY created. See, there is a RIGHT and WRONG way to do retellings. The right way is more of a loose definition at times, but the wrong way sticks out like a sore thumb because it's typically extremely obvious.

This person has an interesting concept that fell right into their lap, then completely disregarded the original culture the story stemmed from. I don't want to ever discourage someone from writing again or trying to create an interesting story, since I understand how personal writing can be, but this is fucking ridiculous, and there is no excuse for being so blatantly incorrect about the source you're pulling your information directly from. "I'm the first writer to make Dionysus androgynous!" Read a book about Dionysus that isn't a retelling, and get back to me on that, jackass, because he's actually always been that way, and it's shitty of you to spread misinformation for the sake of boasting about your book.

People representing the gods negatively is no surprise to me, especially the Moirai - many authors seem to have a complex relationship with fate itself, in that way - but I really feel like they're being limited in a cult. It sounds so humanizingly plain, and I wouldn't enjoy that artistic liberty, personally, since to me, fate is inherently inhuman; I think it exists outside the bounds of human comprehension. It feels kind of boring and unnecessary to make them into a cult. There's so many other things you could do with them: make them into indifferent Eldritch horror space beings, depict them as strange yet slightly sinister sisters who live in the middle of nowhere and seem to have something just a little unsettling about them, or, hell, even depict them as animals who show up throughout the book as motifs of fate. Like, come on, a cult? I don't know; I guess it's just not for me. And making Ariadne a Pick Me? Ariadne? Really? There's so many things wrong with that interpretation of her, especially the fact that in the original myth, she was abandoned by Theseus on an island, essentially left to die, and was found by Dionysus who fell in love with her. It's not as if she was going out of her way to get picked up by him or something; she just happened to be there when he ran into her, from my understanding. She has gone through this incredibly traumatic experience and still persevered, and all this author can think of is "Lol she's such a Pick Me." Like???? Why???? Why do you think this???? You befuddle me. I am bemused. This reminds me of how people make Patroclus into a cute little UwU man who can't live without Achilles and can't really do much to defend himself, even though, in The Iliad, it took two soldiers and a GOD to finally kill him because he was so fierce in battle. I feel like a chihuahua barking at a wall about this, though, so I'll move on.

I'm not sure what book this is, but as a worshipper, and even just a fan of history, it's so frustrating to hear about. Like, if someone wrote a genuinely interesting book about this with the sci-fi elements, I'd find it extremely interesting, even if the gods weren't always depicted in the best light. Even ancient myths didn't always depict them in the best light, and that's ok, actually. Is it extremely annoying and upsetting when people lean too hard into it? Yes, absolutely. Is it an automatic reason to despise a piece of media? I'd say no because then you're going to miss out on a lot of really cool things that are out there. But there is still a wrong way to go about these representations, and this is one of the biggest ones: blatant misinformation for selfish gain. Another would be demonizing a god without giving them any redeemable qualities, since oftentimes, in myth, they are still rather complex, despite the wild things they do or that happen. It sounds to me like they've done this with the Moirai somewhat, though I don't fully know that.

These are just my thoughts on the matter, but yeah, this is wild. Thank you for taking me on this hectic ride lol. I'm always more than happy to hear about new weird things I've never heard of before, so feel free to share other things if you ever stumbled upon them. Also, I would love to know the name of this book if you remember it. I'm so glad I've never heard of this before, tbh. Take care, Nonny. 🧡

[scummynami]

Do you have any Yandere Hermes headcanons?

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Also, please feel free to give me more asks, I unexpectedly like doing these... As twisted as it sounds...

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

Warnings: Short mention of c@nnib@lism, r@pe, m@nipul@tion, mentions of abooos, inappropriate speech and behaviour.

!!Read at your own discretion!!

Well, my headcanons for yandere Hermes is a bit, how do people say it, deviant? Or warped? But don't worry, it's only a bit.

I see Hermes as a yandere who'd do anything... just to steal from you, whether it be a dress, jewelry or food. Because apparently, and with his own words I quote, “... a few freshly cleaned togas from your dressers are more valuable than his worshipper's prayers and abundant offerings.”

A huuuuuge creep.

I'd say Hermes is a different yandere to Dionysus. Dionysus is calm and collected (I like to say that it's due to his personality and age), while our bitch Hermes radiates full on blinding beams of youth.

He has lots of energy to waste, which isn't really an advantage for you, especially when all you wanna do is run away from him~

Like Dionysus, he'd eventually turn to manipulation and msybe sprinkle a bit of guilt tripping for some spice.

Sneaking around him isn't even a choice anymore, that man can hear you from a mile away and would be by your side in a flash while taunting you and asking (in a very humiliating mocking way) what your next step is.

Of course, he'd only do ↑↑↑ this if you were trying to run away from him, and if not, he would just play along and pretend that he doesn't see you sneaking into the kitchen, acting like a thief, as you rummage through the cupboards for the delicious sweets he brought over yesterday.

If you found out about his... other side, and tried to run away from him. The least most painful he can do to you is humiliating you. Yep. Out of all the things in the world... Humiliation is the way to go with that blondie.

He'd try his best to get those rare opportunities to humiliate you and crush your confidence, before building you up with clumsy hands and double meaning words.

He loves showing you off. That's it. Period.

Has complete disregard to your heart. Him before you is what he likes to say.

Oh what's that? You're sick and you'd get worse if you keep moving about? Oh, don't worry! He'll just call Apollo over and make him heal you, only after dancing though. He wants to dance right now and he's going to do that with you whether you like it or not.

A big, ass, motherfucking hypocrite. I don't even want to get into the details, you'll just be left annoyed.

Will punch air if you're seen spending time with other people, whether said 'other people' is family or friend.

Why are you spending time with those greedy, disgusting vermins? Is he not important enough? Should he just take you away and isolate you from the whole world until you realise that the only person you'd ever need to talk to... Is him?

But don't worry, being his darling doesn't only have cons, there are some pretty good pros too!

He would never ever let you do chores ever, especially for him. His angel only needs to relax and look pretty for him, while he does everything for you. And it's times like these when you'd pray to thank his parents for making him a hypocrite.

You'd be showered from head to toe with the world's luxury... If you're a good darling. If you were the resistant and feisty type, I'm so sorry but this mans loves being in charge. He'd lose interest in you as soon as he sees you acting so stubborn against him.

I get the feeling that he gets this sense of thrill from having a sub darling.

Punishments with this big boyo is definitely not fun. But don't worry, he'd never rape you. He'd rather die than to lay a hand on you. Why? Well, you're special. You're not just something that keeps him up all night. You make his heart beat in a different way.

But don't be too relieved yet, he will still hurt you, just in a ~different~ way.

*domestic violence has joined the chat*

Like I said, he's a big, big, hypocrite.

He will confuse you to no end! One day he'd say he loves you so much, he's give the world to you. Then the next day, he'd embarrass you in public just because you forgot to serve him wine that evening. You'd never know when he'd strike you or kiss you. You'd be at luck's mercy, and unfortunately for you, he's the God of Luck so...

If you ever live through the abuse and finally managed to learn how to avoid triggering his aggressive side, don't relax yet because that man is so unpredictable, the next day, you might be eating your first born because of a minor mistake you did last night.

Giver of Trauma is his middle name~

Side note: If you ever try to cheat on him. Don't. Of you do, then all I can say is don't worry, he won't kill you, no. That would be way too easy for both you and your partner. Instead, he will traumatise you so bad by slowly torturing and killing your lover in front of you, I like to think that it would be so bad, you'd never consummate with anyone at all apart from Hermes, fearing he'd do it again.

And as disgusting as this sounds. Even after all of the emotional, physical and mental torture he put you through, he will definitely act as if nothing even happened while also discreetly reminding you of it by wearing a warm smile while saying the three most dreadful words ever to exist.

Because at the end of the day, whether you like it or not, he is your lover and you are his. Isn't that right?

"I love you, [name]."

--------------

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[thegrapeandthefig]

Hello there! I sincerely hope that you are having a wonderful day! I've recently found your blog after getting into Hellenic Polytheism and I'd like to thank you for the work that you do, as your posts have been very informative and helpful. Other than that, I was hoping to ask some questions as a "baby hellenic" worshipper of Dionysus — if you're still accepting asks about him at this time, that is. If not, that's totally alright! In the case that you are accepting asks, then please forgive me for what I think will be a lengthy passage.

I'm a minor who was raised in a primarily Muslim household, and my interest in Dionysus came into being at around the year 2020, when we were learning about Minoan Crete through online classes. At the time, I had only known him as "joyous Bacchus" or the drunk party god, so I was amazed to see that according to some myths, he had married Princess Ariadne of Crete, who is famously known for being abandoned on the island of Naxos by her lover, Prince Theseus of Athens. One could say that Dionysus immediately received my respect after hearing of this, but was quickly forgotten as my mental health declined alongside my academic prowess. Fast forward to the year 2021, I had rediscovered the myth (one could say that they're my mythology otp) and in the process, found out about Dionysus' dual nature, which I could not comprehend until much later, when I was recovering from a state of nihilism and suicidal ideation — only to discover Nietzsche's Dionysian philosophy and the inputs of Sir Walter F. Otto. As a sheltered child who had just gone through her first mental breakdown, it was exactly what I needed and I like to think that Dionysus Eleuthereus liberated me from my constraints, so I am doing much better nowadays — which is why I had very recently decided to become a closeted worshipper through offering prayers and devotional acts.

I do, however, acknowledge that he is a very complex god who could be potentially dangerous, and as much as I revere him and wish to get to know him more, I don't think I'm mentally prepared or even have the time to try and practice divination. Could I still worship him despite this "roadblock?" I genuinely want him to be a part of my life as he is the one to whom I mainly offer the credit when my healing is concerned. If I can, then would you happen to have any tips for fostering a relationship with him in this manner? Do the Theoi send signs in this case? How do they communicate and how could one respond? And finally, should I ever decide to partake in divination, where's a good place to start? Thank you so much if you decide to answer my queries and may the gods bless you abundantly! 💜

Hi! Thank you for the kind words, I’m glad you found the content of this blog useful. And apologies for making you wait several days for an answer, I’m still a in a time crush so forgive any hastiness in tone, I just don’t want to keep this in my inbox for too long.

I’ll answer your questions in thematic groups, for clarity:

Could I still worship him despite this "roadblock?" If I can, then would you happen to have any tips for fostering a relationship with him in this manner?

Yes. You don’t have to (nor would I recommend it anyway) jump in head first and devote your entire life to him right off the bat. It is absolutely good to just start small, with worship that relates to your needs. If you feel that the epithet Eleuthereus is one that you already feel pulled towards, then nothing stops you from continuing on focusing on this one and just grow from the place where you have already started. Continue giving offerings, continue building kharis with him, and let things evolve at their own pace, without forcing speedy progress. Speed won’t serve you in this endeavour. Eleuthereus is also particularly linked to the world of theater and the stage, so can also be something to explore for you.

Do the Theoi send signs in this case? How do they communicate and how could one respond? Should I ever decide to partake in divination, where's a good place to start?

They might, but as with anything, I cannot predict what will happen for you. Going in without any type of divination does complicate things, but you can always either rely on gut feeling or seek out friends who could divine for you. In term of responding, it very much depends on the matter at hand. But often, responding will be doing: giving something in particular, researching something etc.

As for starting with divination, my main advice would be to choose a system and stick to it for a time. I don’t think it’s a good idea to start learning too many different methods at once. It’s a craft that takes time and practice (for interpretation, I mean). When exploring, I do like to advise “simpler” forms like bibliomancy, shufflemancy and online tools like the Homeromanteion or @verdantlyviolet’s Sapphomanteia system which can be done online too. Other people like shufflemancy, which is music-based, for example. These seem like “low-effort” methods, but they are, in my opinion, good ways to get used to interpretation before stepping into more complex methods like tarot, geomancy, etc.

I hope this helps. Truly, my advice comes down to just taking it slow and building your worship at your own pace and with the focuses that are relevant to your situation.

[teawiththegods]

Hiii Pastel Priestess!

I'm sorry to bother, but I'd love to hear your opinion because I'm very confused right now, and I would appreciate your help a lot!

So, I'm not an active worshipper yet for a series of reasons, but I've been preparing all summer to become a Hellenic. I had an idea of which deities I wanted to dedicate an altar to ( Dionysus, Ares and Hephaestus ), however, I have been feeling drawn to Apollo lately. But here's the problem... I'm also afraid of him. I know he is beautiful, awesome and practically perfect at everything he does, nevertheless I also know he's really determined and always pushes his worshippers to become the best version of themselves. It may sound amazing, but to me, it's scary. I grew up with very strict parents and they always pushed me to do things I wasn't sure about. It is obvious they did it for my good, because they love me, it has helped me become a responsible person and I'm grateful for it, but I can't say it wasn't stressful growing up.

I'm curious about Apollo, however I don't want to be pushed and stressed again, I don't want to have another strict presence in my life. I want to be free, have healthy relationships with the deities, without letting anxiety and insecurities get in the way. Maybe I'm perceiving Apollo in the wrong way? Maybe he's not as terrible as I think? I'd love to hear your opinion since you worship him. Thanks a lot for reading, I really appreciate all the material you put out there for confused beginners like me, sending lots of love!! 💕

Hello, love!!

So one of the most wonderful things about Apollo is that he’s a stud and a genius! Meaning he knows that not everyone is going to respond positively to his more pushy strict aspect. There are plenty of worshipers like you who grew up in a very strict environment making that kind of energy really triggering. Thankfully the gods are multifaceted beings so Apollo has more to him than just his strict nature. He can and does teach his worshipers in a more gentle soft energy when he knows they will respond better to it. It ultimately comes down to what he knows is best for each individual and what they specifically need from him. He is humanity's life coach after all! 

[whichwitchami]

If you've got time, and you want to share, would you mind telling us how you came to worship the gods that you do? Like... Did they choose you? Did you choose them? How did you decide? Were you just drawn up them, if so why? I'm very.. confused about picking a deity(s) because what I'm drawn to seems so odds with who I am. So I'm hoping hearing order people's stories will help. Sorry. ~🏵️

oooh this is such a good question! Thank you for asking. 

I think ultimately its different for everyone. I know that’s a shitty answer cos its not really helpful. Some people feel like they’re chosen, like the pantheon was just waiting for them to figure it out, and some feel like it was highly intentional on their part. 

For me, it kind of was a combination of all 3?

For the Greek gods it was more me stumbling into what was “familiar” when exploring an unfamiliar path. Greek Mythology was actually taught to me in schools, so when I actively decided to explore paganism, it was easy to go to what was more or less know. 

So I chose Apollo after some research into him, knowing he was the god of magic and healing made him very appealing. Hades and Persephone were kind of no brainers for me cos I’ve always loved their myths, and their representation of a healthy relationship. Hades is iffy on whether or not he chose me or I chose him, cos he’s been really helpful in working with me on my anxiety. Athena was a chosen by me thing for studying, though truthfully that relationship never really worked out well. 

In the Greek Pantheon, a few wandered in. Like Poseidon. He showed up and hung out for a bit then dipped all on his own accord. Dionysus did a similar thing though he’s still around in a very behind the scenes kind of capacity. So overall it was me reaching out to people and forming relationships there. Some of them are still solid, like Hades, but most have faded away.

I can’t say if they faded away because me “choosing” them was less authentic than them “choosing” me, or if it was because I wasn’t 100% on the Greek Pantheon.

I tried making relations with some of the Celtic Pantheon and it ended up being a hard pass. We just didn’t click at all. Same with Artemis and a couple others from the Greek Pantheon that I thought I wanted to work with but not able/ willing to put forth the effort they would want of a worshipper. 

Ultimately I did the thing where I “stumbled” on the Norse Pantheon and it really was kind of a “hey you finally made it” response from them. I did research on Night sky/Moon/Star based deities and found Mani, who welcomed me with open arms. I think he’ll always say I chose him but he really was just waiting for me to figure it out. He likes it when I have autonomy/ accountability in that way so he won’t say either way. 

Once I found Mani the rest kind of came bursting in. First Frigg, Thor, then Freyja, then Frey and so on. I never planned on going deeper than Mani, Frigg, and Thor. I even actively stayed away from Loki despite him beating down my door. I finally accepted that while I did chose some of my deities, I was always meant to find the Norse Pantheon. 

I can’t really say that anyone came to me first? I usually started with research and “chose” who I wanted to start with, either with them ultimately backing down after giving it a shot, or with them welcoming me with open arms in a “hey you made it” vibe. A few had to beat down my door (Loki) cos I didn’t see myself as a worshipper of them but they were in a pantheon I had “chosen” and knew we could help each other. 

TL;DR

in case my ramblings were too much, basically some came from me researching themes I was drawn to (magic, healing, death, the night sky) and trial and error with deities in each pantheon until I found the ones that felt like home. They felt like home because they may have already chosen me and were waiting for me to come to the conclusion myself, because free will is a thing. Some agreed to me reaching out to them and stuck around even if they hadn’t noticed me/ wanted to work with me first. 

hopefully that all makes sense and isn’t too rambly. I can answer any clarifying questions that you or anyone else who reads this has.