#orphic

[shisasan]

Signs by the road. Ph. Aleksandra Alba IG: tanzdreamer

[keysatthecrossroad]

I call Ækátî of the Crossroads, worshipped at the meeting of three paths, oh lovely one.

In the sky, earth, and sea, You are venerated in Your saffron-colored robes.

Funereal Daimôn, celebrating among the souls of those who have passed.

Persian, fond of deserted places, You delight in deer.

Goddess of night, protectress of dogs, invincible Queen.

Drawn by a yoke of bulls, You are the Queen who holds the keys to all the Kózmos.

Commander, Nýmphi, nurturer of children, You who haunt the mountains.

Pray, Maiden, attend our hallowed rituals;

Be forever gracious to Your mystic herdsman and rejoice in our gifts of incense.

- The Orphic Hymn to Hekáte

[kafkasapartment]

(AFTER) Rythme / 3, 1953. Robert Delaunay. Color screenprint on cream wove paper.

[tylermileslockett]

"The Death of Eurydice" (#2 in my Orpheus and Eurydice series)

But the three Moirai (fates) weave and cut their strings of mortal’s destinies, and this love was not destined to last. Dancing barefoot upon the forest floor with the nymphs, Eurydice was bitten by a venomous snake and tragically died. Orpheus played such music of melancholy mourning as to make the trees bow and weep.

The Latin poet Virgil gives a lush description of lament from his poem, “Georgicks:”…“But the choir of sister Dryads filled the tops of the mountains with their cries: the rooks of Rhodope wept, and high Pangaea, and the martial land of Rhesus, and the Getae, and Hebrus, and Attic Orithyia. He assuaging his love-sick mind with his hollow lyre, lamented thee, sweet wife, thee on the solitary shore, thee when day approached, thee when it disappeared.” (-translated by John Martyn.)

We have multiple sources giving variations recounting Eurydice’s death. According to Ovid, she was walking along the riverside with her sister dryad nymphs, while Vergil has her escaping a rape attempt by another son of Apollo; a pastoral god named Aristaeus. But the authors agree that her death results from the bite of a poisonous viper.

As always, thanks for looking! And if you could share this post with your followers I'd be so grateful as to rescue you from the pits of tartarus with only my lyre. :D xoxo

we should also add this kickstarter info at the end of every post: 

Like this art? It will be in my illustrated book with over 130 other full page illustrations coming in march to kickstarter. Please check my links in my linktree in my bio to join the kickstarter notification page. 🤟❤️🏛

[sasoukee]

☽⋆ yoυ looĸ loɴεly…ι cαɴ ғιх тнαт⋆☾

[orphic-academia]

[featheredclover]

Orphic

An SS inspired by this prompt by @arshifiesta

Also on Wattpad

Chapter One

Next chapter>>

It’s raining men, hallelujah! It’s raining men!

Khushi twirled on her toes, before sashaying her hips. She danced without a care along the long corridor of her beautiful home. Well, it was a mansion really, but nobody could tell that to the daughter of Lucknow’s biggest builder.

Khushi hummed the songs blasting in her ears out loud, as she pranced around in just a white negligée, enjoying a rare evening of solitude. Her mum ensured that she was well chaperoned when she was out with friends, a driver accompanied her to her job as an apprentice to her interior designer aunt Madhumati and the house was always filled with too many guests.

So when her papa and mummy had declared their plans to go visit a friend who had recently returned from abroad that evening , she had bursted with joy from within.

And here she was, wearing a full face of makeup, her headphones hooked to her walkman, in her barely anything outfit which would have given her mummy the fits.

She halted in front of a beautiful brown door, embossed with gold. Her papa’s office. As a child she had seen him as such a powerful figure and partly responsible for that was this beautiful office tastefully decorated by her aunt. It was where Khushi envisioned herself after a decade. Powerful enough to have a beautiful office and a huge chair, almost like a throne!

Giggling at the mischievous thought brewing in her head, she rested her hand on the carved door knob. Twisting it, she pushed it open as the smell of mahogany invaded her nose. Letting out a sigh of contentment, she walked in.

The music put her on her feet again, spinning with such grace, her ballet teacher would have been proud. She found herself drawn to the liquor cabinet. Feeling bold that evening, she took the wine bottle and weighed it in her arms.

Her eyes then caught sight of the small metal flask.

Whiskey it is!

Her lips curved into a wicked smile.

The first sip sent a burn down her throat. The next sip seemed to grow on her. And soon she was pleasantly intoxicated!

Prancing around, enjoying her evening of freedom she settled on her father’s lush velvet chair. Crossing her legs with the flask dangling from her hand , she felt so powerful.

“ I would suggest you go easy on the drink”

Her walkman dropped from her grip, crashing onto the floor as she startled. Her heart raced and she paled as fear gripped her. Breathing deeply for courage, she took a moment more before turning around the chair.

A man in a suit. A man who was smirking. A man who stood lazily, arms crossed across his broad chest.

“ Drunk already?” His voice seemed almost sinful. Or was it her intoxicated brain?

“Who are you?”

He smiled this time.

“ Arnav Singh Raizada. Mr and Mrs Gupta came to visit my father tonight and invited us back to their place for some business. I took my own car and I am afraid I arrived earlier than them. And met…. you”

His eyes slipped down her face and Khushi became uncomfortably aware of her state of undress. Well not really! But the white negligée was far from suitable for polite company.

She gulped in trepidation.

“ Umm yeah, I thought I would be alone”

“ You should hurry back. They’ll be here any moment. Khushi? Is that your name?”

She nodded. She felt like a dimwit. The whisky was being blamed, but this Adonis in front of her could have made her dizzy with desire even when sober.

She stood up and put the flask back in the cabinet. Just when she reached Arnav, she found herself begging.

“ Please don’t tell my parents. Please.”

His gaze darkened as they pierced her.

“ What will I get in return?”

“Anything you ask” she promised brashly in her fear.

“Anything?” His voice dropped down to almost a whisper.

She nodded. Her eyes bright and wide on her pale face.

He looked on, as she left the office and rushed back to her room.

She flopped down on her bed. Her heart still racing, she ran her hands over her face.

Why did it feel like she had just made a deal with the devil?

Tagging: @jalebi-weds-bluetooth @barshifan @andli @shiyaravi @muttonthings @hand-picked-star @msbhagirathi @phuljari @sankititaliya @thenainitaldisaster @thedupattaknowswhatsup @chutkiandchotte @laad-governess @laadgovernors @laadgovernorandsankadevi @leila1 @hi-this-is-permabanned @arshispyaar @minpdnim @thedustyshehnai @bigfatreader @arshiradio @simplycurlz @scorpio-smiles @bengudill

————

Chapter Two>>

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[prosymnusfaunus]

My Dionysus/Bacchus statuette finally arrived (so pretty!). It's a replica of the 1496 marble sculpture by Michelangelo. Now to set it up on my shrine 🍇

[olgadealexandria]

🏺THE MYSTERIES OF ISIS: SYNCRETISM IN ANCIENT ROME PT.2🏺

Left: Priestess of Isis,John Cheere (18th century), National Trust Collection. Right: Priestess of isis, Museo Archaeologico Regionale, Palermo, Sicily.

As we've seen in the previous post, foreign gods made their way into Roman culture. In the case of Egyptian gods, they were usually adopted by the Greeks before arriving to the Italic peninsula.

In this post, we're going to talk about the mysteries of Isis. Unlike typical religious practices, which were often public services, mystery rites promised their followers a closer connection to a particular god.

Isis wasn't the only nor the first god to have a mystery rite. In fact, it surged as a way to honour the foreign godess in a somewhat "familiar" way.

The Eleusinian (honouring Demeter and Persephone, also known as Kore) and the Orphic mysteries (Orpheus) had an earlier development in Greek culture and would become the most famous mystery rites.

Wall painting depicting Isiac rites.

The practices of the cult was, as the name suggests, a mystery. Participants had to swear a vow of secrecy, and, as a consequence of its private character, many things are unknown to us.

The rites heavily focused on death and belief on the afterlife, and also recreated the myths surrounding the godess Isis, like the murder of Osiris.

One of the only accounts of the mysteries of Isis is depicted in The Golden Ass. In Book 11, Lucius, the protagonist, is transformed back into a human guided by the Egyptian goddess. In return, Lucius becomes part of the cult.

As other pagan cults and worships, the mystery rites died out when Christianity rose to power.

[lifeinpoetry]

On earth you tried, try once again in Hades.

— Denise Riley, from "Orphic," Say Something Back & Time Lived, Without Its Flow

[dilfaeneas]

In the Orphic tradition dionysius was first a child of persephone before being reborn to semele. Dionysius later gifts persephone a flower in exchange for his earth mother to live again. I like to think its truly because she loves her son.

[keysatthecrossroad]

And to my holy sacrifice invite,

the pow’r who reigns in deepest hell and night;

I call Einodian Hecate, lovely dame,

of earthly, wat’ry, and celestial frame,

Sepulchral, in a saffron veil array’d,

leas’d with dark ghosts that wander thro’ the shade;

Persian, unconquerable huntress hail!

The world’s key-bearer never doom’d to fail

On the rough rock to wander thee delights,

leader and nurse be present to our rites.

[mary-maud]

Late Roman Orphic mosaic

[tylermileslockett]

"The Gate to Hades" (part 3 in my Orpheus and Eurydice series)

Part3: But Orpheus is not satisfied to sit in solitary mourning. There was a great injustice in the death of his love Eurydice. If the beasts and rocks of the wild woods of Olympia bow before his song, what is to stop him for persuading the spirits of the underworld? Perhaps he can even persuade the King Hades to take pity on him and his lost love. With this determination, he receives directions to the dark gate from the forest nymphs and sets out. Many days later, standing before that gaping black maw, Orpheus shivers. He might never return to the land of the living. He steps forward. He has nothing left to lose.

In Greek literary sources we have varying references to the location of the entrance to underworld. In Homer’s Odyssey, Odysseus must travel to Hades to  perform a “Nekyia” ceremony to commune with the dead to receive prophecies. Circe gives Odysseus the vaguest of directions; “…once your ship has crossed flowing Ocean, drag it ashore at Persephone’s groves, on the level beach where tall poplars grow, willows shed their fruit, right beside deep swirling Oceanus.  Then you must go to Hades’ murky home, where Periphlegethon and Cocytus, a stream which branches off theriver Styx, flow into Acheron.” – translation by Ian Johnston.

Some scholars believe Homer’s description of the location is based on the real-world temple of the “Nekromanteion” (oracle of the dead) in Ancient Epirus (Northwest Greece). This was a temple of necromancy dedicated to Hades and Persephone where devotees could commune with dead spirits, and was believed to be the entrance to Hades. The temple was located at the meeting point of three rivers; the Acheron (river of woe), Pyriphlegethon (river of fire), and Cocytus (river of lamentation).

Thanks for reading and looking! If you share this image I'll swim the river styx to.give you a high five! Xoxo

Like this art? It will be in my illustrated book with over 130 other full page illustrations coming in march to kickstarter. Please check my links in my linktree in my bio to join the kickstarter notification page. 🤟❤️🏛

[apollophanes]

Orphic Hymn to Hekate

Hekate of the Roads, lovely dame,

Of Earthly, watery, and celestial frame,

Sepulchral in saffron veil arrayed

Pleased with dark ghosts

Who wander through the shade

Persian huntress, world’s key bearer we hail

On the rough rock to wander thee delights

Leader and nurse, be present to our rites

Propitious grant our just desires success

Accept our homage and the incense bless

Guide our fortunes, gift us with your grace

Daughter of Perses, mistress of silence

Goddess of moon and clairvoyance

Wanderer of the wilds, ever leading

Dogs and deer, and tides receding

Please hear our prayers, help us to be wise

Ὕμνος εις Ἑκάτην

Εἰνοδίην Ἑκάτην κλῄιζω, τριοδῖτιν, ἐραννήν,

οὐρανίην, χθονίαν τε, καὶ εἰναλίην κροκόπεπλον,

τυμβιδίην, ψυχαῖς νεκύων μέτα βακχεύουσαν,

Πέρσειαν, φιλέρημον, ἀγαλλομένην ἐλάφοισιν,

νυκτερίην, σκυλακῖτιν, ἀμαιμάκετον βασίλειαν,

ταυροπόλον, παντὸς κόσμου κληιδοῦχον ἄνασσαν,

ἡγεμόνην, νύμφην, κουροτρόφον, οὐρεσιφοῖτιν,

λισσόμενοις κούρην τελεταῖς ὁσίαισι παρεῖναι

βουκόλῳ εὐμενέουσαν ἀεὶ κεχαρηότι θυμῷ.

Húmnos eis Hekátēn

Einodíēn Hekátēn klḗͅizō, triodĩtin, erannḗn,

ouraníēn, khthonían te, kaì einalíēn krokópeplon,

tumbidíēn, psukhaĩs nekúōn méta bakkheúousan,

Pérseian, philérēmon, agalloménēn eláphoisin,

nukteríēn, skulakĩtin, amaimáketon basíleian,

tauropólon, pantòs kósmou klēidoũkhon ánassan,

hēgemónēn, númphēn, kourotróphon, ouresiphoĩtin,

lissómenois koúrēn teletaĩs hosíaisi pareĩnai

boukólōͅ eumenéousan aeì kekharēóti thumō̃ͅ.

[hellenistic-prince]

Hymn to Hestia

Hestia, in the high dwellings of all, both deathless gods and men who walk on earth, you have gained an everlasting abode and highest honor: glorious is your portion and your right. For without you mortals hold no banquet, —where one does not duly pour sweet wine in offering to Hestia both first and last.