#the temple of hyacinthus

[hyakinthou-naos]

Question of the Day

Omnipotent: Can do anything

Omniscient: Knows everything

I’ll be making a post about my thoughts once the poll is complete.

- Aön

[thewitchfarhan]

The End of TheWitchFarhan (kinda)

Hello followers and mutuals - after careful consideration I have decided to retire this account. I started this account before I knew much of anything about Hellenic/Roman Polytheism and feel like my journey and path have changed *so* much since that a new internet home is in order.

Ive been working on this for a few weeks now and feel like I’m in a place to finally announce…

The Temple of Hyacinthus

This virtual temple is a place where I hope to share my journey, explore my practice, and cultivate community! This new account is following all of the same people/mutuals as this account is - and I hope you all will migrate over with me to this new space.

I have a lot of plans for this blog (with a possible Discord server in the works 👀) and I am so excited to get started on this new adventure.

Thank you all so much for your support and I hope to see you soon 🥰

[hyakinthou-naos]

I wonder if They know,

The great Gods of Olympus,

I wonder if They see

How images of yellow and purple flood my mind with joy

How flowers dotting the countryside fill me with certainty

That divinity is real, and here, and tangible

In every bud and flower

In every blade of grass

In every gust of wind

In every summer storm

Apollo’s warmth fills the grove

Hyacinthus’ laugh floats on the wind

Hestia’s hands craft houses into homes

And swift-footed Hermes makes thoughts become words

In every night and moonrise

In every owl’s call

In every fire burning

In every buzzing bee

Aphroditê’s hands guide lovers

Hekate’s keys open new doors

Dionysus fills each wineglass

And Zeus protects us all

I wonder if They know

The great Gods of Olympus

I wonder if They see

How their love has guided

Shaped

And changed

Every part of me

- On Feeling Divinity; A Hymn for My Gods

by wanderingYew2

Yellowstone Wildflowers, Regeneration after a forest fire.

[hyakinthou-naos]

Hestia

Hestia’s posture is impeccable.

She is neither tall nor short - and round in figure.

Her hips are wide - perfect for holding the children that she never birthed, but cares for anyway.

Her belly is round, from good food and a good family - and it bounces slightly when she laughs.

She has a mothers face, and a mothers hands, and auburn hair that falls in curls.

She wears dresses in muted oranges and reds, or browns - and her apron is off-white.

She hums when she cooks in the kitchen and grows her own herbs in the back garden.

She keeps a cleaning rag in her pocket, and always has a salve ready in case of scraped knees or burnt hands.

She does not yell, no - her honey brown eyes give a harsh enough stare to silence unruly children and self-indulgent adults.

Her doors are always open, to the forgotten and the lost - to the wandering and the wanting.

She always cooks enough for extra company and second helpings.

Her hearth is always burning, her love is never ending.

Hestia, Goddess of Hearth and Home,

Lead my way - and light my path. 🕯️

- Hestia’s Hearth; An original hymn

[hyakinthou-naos]

Divine Personalities & Personal Practice

I often see conversations between practitioners, or asks sent to blogs, that center around asking others “would x god do this?” - “do you think x god is mad at me?” - “is y a personality trait of x god?” and I wanted to comment on the topic.

Note: This is my personal opinion and not based on historic precedent or traditional practice. Additionally I do not speak, or claim to speak, for The Gods

I think that certain practitioners (specifically young and/or new practitioners - but this isn’t exclusive to them) somehow come to conclusion that each God has one strict personality, and that said personality is universally experienced by all practitioners. For example - the idea that Hermes cannot be a strict or a serious deity - or that Hercules cannot embody gentle energy.

I think something that is getting lost in this train or thought and conversation is the idea of Personal Practice. And even more so what is being lost is the humanity of The Gods.

The way that I act with my partner is not the same way I act with my work friends - nor is the way I act with them the same way I act when taking care of children. This isn’t to say that I am putting on fake personalities or being disingenuous about who I am - it is just contextual behavior (which, in short, is behavior flexibly in response to other people and one’s environment).

Contextual behavior exists not only in humans, but also in other animals and living things. If we are to act as if, and believe that, we are “of the Gods” - then why would they be any different? My opinion is that, in the same way that our social structures are more complex than those of cats and dogs, the Gods social structure are complex in ways we can’t understand. So of course entities/energies/concepts of such depth would vary from practitioner to practitioner.

If The Gods were to be the same for everyone, it would diminish their complexity - reducing them to static figures rather than the dynamic and multifaceted beings they are. If our inner workings and sense of selves are complex - imagine the complexity of divinity?

In short, your relationship with your Gods is your own - and no one else can define it for you.

Eriene - peace and farewell,

- Aön

[hyakinthou-naos]

By the end of November I will be living 30 minutes from the beach, and I have never felt so blessed in my entire life. I grew up in Washington, DC and only went to the beach a few times a year.

As I’ve become an adult - there have been multiple consecutive years where I did not see the ocean. It broke my heart because the ocean has always felt like home to me, always been the place I feel the most joy.

And soon, very soon, I will be able to go to the beach every day if I want.

When I first began my relationship with Lady Aphroditê, she immediately became heavily associated with the beach. Ever since, the ocean has felt like being with her; and as my move gets closer, the more the beach feels like a holy place.

Lord Apollo shines above me as Lady Aphroditê is all around me. Hekate is there at dusk, when the moon starts to rise, while Hermes is always flying on the breeze. Zeus is in the clouds, and Hera is in every mother on the sand.

I just wanted to express my joy - this is a dream come true for me.

[hyakinthou-naos]

Tomorrow

Tomorrow we will be officially launching The Temple of Hyacinthus website!

This will not be the “final” version of the website, as we will continue to make improvements and add content as time goes on. If you see any grammatical errors, discover any links that don’t work, or have any questions about the content please don’t hesitate to shoot us an ask or a DM!

Additionally, we will also be launching our Temple of Hyacinthus 2025 Ritual Calendar tomorrow! It will be available as a Google Calendar, and a printable calendar - with a PNG and PDF version.

All of this content will be completely free, and will remain that way for as long as we can keep things running.

Thank you to our proofreaders, and in particular we want to thank @likethedcwn for helping us with the Greek on our website.

This has been a labor of love for our Temple and our community - and has taken well over 100 hours of work between the calendar and website.

Thank you all for your continued support - and we look forward to sharing this with you all tomorrow!

Eirene - peace and farewell,

- The Temple of Hyacinthus

[apollosgiftofprophecy]

I love how both Sparta and Miletus celebrated Apollo having a boyfriend.

Sparta -> Hyacinthus (had a festival called the Hyacinthia, where they celebrated their love, mourned Hya's death, and celebrated his resurrection to Olympus)

Miletus -> Branchus (built a temple dedicated to Branchus & Apollo, even naming it after the kiss Branchus gave Apollo)

so cute <3

[calvalia]

Shipping an OC with a living god that is actively worshipped as part of an ethnic religion is weird

(I think I need to clarify that this is supposed to be a ship between an OC and the character Apollo from a mix of modern media he features in, like Hades, Epic the Musical, and Blood of Zeus, as well as my own interpretation of him. It’s not supposed to be religious in any way lmao and I always tag it as such.

But I do have to ask, with that logic do you also find people who ship their OCs with Marvel’s Loki and Thor weird? Because they’re also deities worshipped in Paganism. And what about people who do have special relationships with their deities and consider themselves married to the actual deities within those beliefs, through practices such as godspousal?

[Also to clarify, godspousal is a modern word meant to serve as an umbrella term for ancient practices where people would marry or fully devote themselves to a deity. The type of relationship in a godspousal can vary and is not always romantic, it could also be a familial or devotional relationship similar to priests or nuns]

And while on that subject, Hellenic Polytheism is open practice, actually. There are many Hellenic Polytheists today who aren’t Greek. Mostly because it went extinct for a little while due to the expansion of the Roman Empire, who forced the population to convert to Christianity and destroyed most records of the religion’s practices and temples.

But even so, if the Greek physician Galen could ship his OC Crocus with Hermes by literally copying Hyacinthus’ myth [because the addition of Crocus’ myth is actually a very recent development in comparison] and it being a completely acceptable thing, what is stopping anyone else from doing the same??)

[hyakinthou-naos]

While this doesn’t align with reconstructionist beliefs, I personally regard Lady Sappho as a Thea/Goddess, and a consort of Lady Aphrodite.

I don’t often include Deified Mortals in my practice as a Hellenic Polytheist, but there are a few select exceptions - and Lady Sappho is one of them ⚢

Sometimes I remember that all lesbianism is named after 1 really gay lady from 4000 years ago. Whether you use the term Sapphic or lesbian, it still is from her which is hilarious, hope she enjoys being women loving incarnate

[al0v3w1tch]

⋆⁺₊⋆ ☀︎ ⋆⁺₊⋆ Lord Apollon… Today is Lord Apollo’s worship day and this is a basic information post about Him, I hope you enjoy this post and make sure to check out my Hades and Persephone posts! https://www.tumblr.com/al0v3w1tch/766671508589477888/%E0%BD%90-%E0%BD%8B-lord-hades-today-is-lord?source=share https://www.tumblr.com/al0v3w1tch/767560383657607168/lady-persephoneyesterday-was-lady?source=share ✷ Who is Apollon? Apollon (or Apollo)  is the Greek God of music, prophecy, healing, and archery; He is the son of Zeus and Titan Leto and the brother of the Goddess Artemis who aided Her mother in birthing Him. ✷ Mythology. When Leto was pregnant with the twins Apollon and Artemis, Hera discovered the affair between the Titan and Her husband Zeus so she forbade anyone to allow Leto to give birth on any land, fortunately, Leto found the island Ortygia to take refuge on but Hera would continue to make the childbirth a longer process when she forced the Goddess of childbirth, Eliethyia, to have Leto wait nine more days before giving birth. Artemis was born first and even helped Her mother to give birth to Her brother, Apollon who made the island come to life with flowers, plants, and music while carrying a golden sword. At only four days old, Apollon set Himself out on a quest to avenge His pregnant mother by slaying the serpent that tormented Her as She was seeking refuge. When the python was found, Apollon managed to shoot it down with His bow and quiver. However, this angered Gaea, who is the mother of serpents who ordered Zeus to send Apollon to Tartarus, Zeus, however, punished Apollon by exiling Him for nine years. After the years had passed, Apollon fixed the problem with Gaea and was gifted the Oracular Temple of Delphi. As a way to say thank you, Apollo set up the Pythian Games in Her honour. During the Trojan War, Apollon played a role in supporting the Trojans. When Achilles had murdered Apollon’s son, Troilus, on the altar of Apollon’s temple; the God set out to kill Achilles Himself and when Paris had the chance to do it, Apollon took the opportunity to use His archery skills to hit Achilles’ tendon, killing him instantly. ✷ Lovers. Apollo has had His fair share of lovers, both male and female; the most celebrated of His lovers are Daphne, Princess Koronis, huntress Kyrene, and Hyacinthus; He had many divine, semi-divine, and mortal lovers like His father, Zeus. ✷ Symbols and Offerings. Symbols: -Bow and Arrows. -The Lyre. -Ravens. -Laurel. -Wreaths. Offerings: -Sun Water. -Wine, water, milk, herbal teas, honey. -Olive Oil. -Honey Cakes. -Orange/Lemon Pastries. -Lamb/Goat Meat. -Fruits. -Cheeses. -Bread / Wheat. -Golden Objects (Gold Bowls, Gold Wine Cups, Flakes of Gold). -Bows and Arrows (fake/real / toys). -Sun Art or Imagery. -Musical Instruments. -Wolf/Dolphin Imagery. -Yellow/Gold/White Candles. ✷ Prayers. -Shining Apollo, bright-haired son of Zeus, strong of arm and flawless of form, of all the gods none are your equal in beauty or grace.

Apollo, of Leto were you born on well-favored Delos; in Athens and in Sparta and in all the lands were you honored.

To you did men and women offer prayers for health and healing in days of old; to you did the poets call for inspiration, O leader of the lovely Muses. Apollo, driver of all ill and evil from the land, in Delphi were you severed by the faithful Pythia, with whom you shared your prophecies.

Apollo, never has your glory been forgotten; throughout the centuries have artists turn to you for light and vision.

Great god, I praise you and your gifts. -Lord Apollo Far shooter, illuminator of the mind

You have sent me Sunflowers when you were seeking to help me. You have helped me so much in this year and I appreciate you so deeply for it.

My heart swells when I see one of your flowers or see your name. Your energy fills me with hope and love.

But it has not been easy.

I ask you to be gentle with me this time. I'm seeing your flowers again and I can only brace myself.

I ask you to carry me through this next stage of my growth. I ask you for strength. Life has been too hard on me, you know this. You've been there since I was a child. You and your sister. Apollo. Artemis. Names that have followed me forever.

I don't know what's coming. I don't know what's next for me. I just pray that it's not so hard. Not so painful. I know that's not entirely up to me though, and that you know what's best. I'm just scared.

Still, I thank you. I thank you for all that you have done for me and all that will come.

I thank you.

-Shining Apollo, bright-haired son of Zeus

and tender-hearted Leto who bore you on the shores

of free-floating Delos, brother of Artemis

of the silver shafts, lover of truth who knows

what will be, who grants the gift of foreknowledge

to those who seek, patron of the wise Pythia

who sits at the center of the world. Apollo,

friend of the lovely Muses, player of sweet songs

upon the lyre, healer of plagues, defender

against all evil, ever-youthful one whose hands

are deft, whose arm is strong, whose bow-string taut and thick

looses a rain of arrows, enough to dim the sun.

Fairest of gods, long of lock and smooth of cheek,laurel-crowned one, I thank you for your blessings.

✷  Blessed Be.

[literallyjusttoa]

My top 7 Apollo exes from Ancient Greece

DISCLAIMER: Though I have done a lot of research of mythology for this, it is based off of the riordanverse version of Apollo. I won't be acknowledging any awful implications in versions of these myths, not because I don't think they're important, but because it simply isn't a part of riordanverse Apollo's characterization in the books. Also I'm not going to mention Copollo. I love Copollo like the rest of you, but sadly that is a Rick Riordan exclusive, and also technically Commodus is an ex from Ancient Rome, not Ancient Greece :3

Ok with that out of the way lets talk obscure and non-obscure Apollo relationships

7. Apollo & Thyia

This one clocks in at number 7 because I love the idea behind it, but it is the most bare bones relationship myth wise. All we really know is Thyia is a priestess of Dionysus and she and Apollo maybe had a kid once. But like, the idea of Apollo dating his brother's priest? Hilarious, A+ stuff. Also, Thyia isn't just one of Dionysus' priests, she is THE priest of Dionysus. She runs his temple in central greece, is thought to have offered the first sacrifice to him, and might have been the first Maenad? Either way this relationship must have been insane. Also she's a nymph so she's definitely still kicking out there, would love for these two to meet again.

6. Apollo & Hyacinthus

Ok ok I know what y'all are thinking. Number 6?? This is like Apollo's number 1 most tragic relationship of all time!!! And yes as an angst lover I do enjoy the pain this relationship brings our boy, but I just feel like there's not many places to go with this relationship besides what we already have. Like Apollo and Hyacinthus were kind of the perfect couple. Which, like, great for them, but it doesn't give me much space to add anything? I guess, great ship, no notes.

5. Apollo & Hypermnestra (& Oikles)

Ok, half the reason this is here is because her name is Hypermnestra. Slay. But also this is a great place to bring up my favorite little headcanon. In a lot of Apollo's relationships, there will be a child, and myths will have different versions with different fathers. Some say it's Apollo, while other's say it's whoever he dated's husband. In this case, myths disagree on whether Amphiaraus was Apollo's son or the son of Hypermnestra's husband, king Oikles (Oikles??? I love these names). The implication here is infidelity, but I disagree. No, I think every time there's confusion over who parentage it's because Apollo was dating both the woman he's said to be with and her husband, and therefore no one knows who ended up, y'know, fathering the child. Anyways Apollo dated both Hypermnestra and Oikles and you can't convince me otherwise.

4. Apollo & Branchus

I like this relationship because in my mind, I always thought it was Apollo's first. In one version of their myth, it is said that Apollo met Branchus after leaving Delos as a dolphin, which I always thought implied this was soon after he established Delphi, which was really early on. Idk something about a young Apollo accidentally revealing his godliness to this boy he really likes is just so sweet to me. And he makes Branchus into a prophet, which is so cool! These two are cutie-patooties is what I'm saying.

3. Apollo & Kyparissos

C'mon, the man died of grief because his deer died. Throughout ToA we learn that deep down Apollo is a mushy ball of emotions and compassion, and that convinced me that these two spent 75% of their relationship crying over baby animals and pretty people. I love the idea of Apollo dating someone who's honestly just as much of a loser as he is. And while it is sad that Kyparissos is another lover Apollo had to turn into a plant, I have to emphasize again that he died of heartbreak, because his pet deer died.

2. Apollo & Cyrene

Listen, these two are boss bitches and you cannot convince me otherwise. In the same way I like Kyparissos bc I feel like he and Apollo are so similar, I like Cyrene bc I feel like, in a lot of ways, these two are very different. Like, don't get me wrong, Apollo can be strong and wild when he wants to be, but Cyrene wrestles lions. I like to think the time these two spent together really helped each of them grow in their own way, which makes for a really fun and interesting relationship. Also, just like Thyia, Cyrene is sometimes referred to as a nymph, so she could still be out there!

1. Apollo & Admetus

The more I think about these two, the more I love them. Admetus meeting Apollo at his lowest and helping him through it. Apollo falling head over heels as a result and doing everything in his power to repay the man. The two of them still holding such strong affection for each other even decades after the time they had together, to the point that Apollo would mess with fate to extend Admetus' life. Apollo's life is full of turmoil, and this period of it was probably the worst, but despite that, his relationship with Admetus seems so steady. The other gods are said to be embarrassed of Apollo's love of Admetus, and I think it's because Apollo loved him in a way that went directly against the values of the gods. Apollo and Admetus' relationship was defined by service and care, filled with selfless intent and genuine love. While many gods give their lovers gifts and special favors, the idea of actually going into servitude for someone you love is as ungodly as you can get. Apollo spent time with Admetus, and he wasn't possessive of him, helping him to find a wife after their time together was through. I think this relationship is a great example of how Apollo, even in his lowest moments, is a genuine and caring person, and how that often separates him from the rest of his family. Also these two are just cute and they both love cows and they're cows in love.

[starstruckunknown-princess]

Hyacinth - Joel Miller x Reader

Hyacinth (Hyacinthus) - Meaning: Please forgive me

Summary: After hitting your car, Joel Miller takes you out on a date to apologize.

Pairing: Joel Miller x Reader

Word Count: 1921

Warnings: Fluff!, slight language, reader wears makeup and a sundress but is otherwise a blank slate, Pre/no outbreak AU, no Ellie, reader was left at the altar, dinner date conversation, making out, nicknames 'sugar' and 'darlin', Joel Miller is a warning in and of himself

I'm really happy with how this turned out! Just a fluffy first date with Joel Miller. Enjoy!

In Bloom Masterlist

Likes, Comments, Reblogs are ALWAYS appreciated! ❤️

“Am I crazy?” you asked your best friend, Maria, while applying your mascara. 

“For what? Going on a date with the guy who smashed up your car?” Maria asked dryly, shrugging her shoulders while she watched you get ready. “Nah, I’ve done crazier shit.” 

“What if I remember him much more handsome than he is? Like the adrenaline made me think he was super hot?” you asked. 

“You can always invoke the code phrase and I’ll call you from ‘the hospital.’” Maria offered, putting ‘the hospital’ in air quotes. You smiled over at her and reached for her hand, giving it a squeeze. She smiled back at you. “Though I hope he’s not a dud. It’s about damn time you got back out there.” 

“You’re telling me,” you muttered, touching up your lipstick. You hadn’t had anything more than a hook-up since you were left at the altar two years ago, throwing yourself into work and fixing up the house you bought with your ex. 

With a final look in the mirror, you fluffed your hair and gave yourself a look of approval, then turned to Maria for final approval. 

“You look hot, babe. This guy isn’t gonna know what hit him.” 

You laughed, “Good, cuz he’s the one who hit me. Well, my car, but you know.” 

Three days ago in the grocery store parking lot, you’d been pulling into a spot when a scruffy-looking man hopped into the truck in the spot across from you, started it up, and pulled forward without looking. The front of your little sedan stood no chance against the grill of his behemoth contractor’s truck. 

He’d been incredibly embarrassed and apologetic, offering his insurance info and to pay for the damages himself. Amidst all this, you couldn’t help but notice how handsome he was. Brown curls with a striking hint of gray at the temples, broad, square jaw, and his eyes. Oh, you couldn’t get enough of his eyes and their dark brownness that threatened to swallow you whole. He must’ve noticed you staring because shortly after the tow truck arrived, he asked you on a date. 

“I know this ain’t the best time and, y’know if you’ve got a boyfriend or somethin’ feel free to tell me to shut up, but uh, I was wonderin’ if you’d let me buy ya dinner Friday night? As an apology.” A light blush had risen in his cheeks and he shuffled his feet like he was nervous, so you agreed to it. The smile on his face could’ve lit up the whole city. “Great, I’ll drive.” 

You’d both laughed at his joke. 

The doorbell you installed yourself rang, pulling you back to the present. Maria went downstairs and opened the door. You turned back to the mirror for one last once-over before Maria called your name. You descended into the foyer of your house and couldn’t help the smile that rose on your face. 

Joel Miller framed in your front doorway, wearing a dark green button-down and dark wash jeans would forever be seared into your memory. He looked, in a word, delectable. When he saw you, he smiled. 

“Hey,” he said. “Ready to go?” 

“Yep,” you said, but Maria cleared her throat from where she held the door open. “Oh! Joel, this is my friend Maria. Maria, this is Joel.” 

They muttered hellos and you grabbed your purse, muttering to Maria that no hospital visit was necessary. She smirked her knowing smirk and nodded, bidding you good night. 

Joel brought you to a nice Italian place, behaving like the perfect Southern Gentleman the whole time. He’d opened doors for you, pulled out your chair, and kept his hands to himself other than a hand at the small of your back to guide you to the table. You’d thought manners like this had gone the way of 8-track players and rotary phones, but you were utterly charmed by him.

While you looked over the menu, you couldn’t help but steal glances at him in the candlelight. You didn’t know he’d been doing the same since he picked you up until he cleared his throat. 

“Uh, you look really beautiful tonight,” he said. You could tell he was nervous — dark brown eyes darting all over, fingers tapping on the table.

You smiled warmly at him to try and ease his nerves, “You look really nice, too, Joel. I’ve been looking forward to this since you hit my car.” 

Your assurance seemed to calm him and he chuckled, “Me too, actually. Best accident I’ve ever been in. Well, second best.” 

“What’s the first?” you asked, curious. 

A pink hue tinged his cheeks and he looked down at the table. “My daughter. She wasn’t planned, but she’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me.” 

“You have a daughter?” 

“Yeah, is that,” he cleared his throat again, “is that an issue?”

“God, no!” you insisted, “So you’re divorced? I hope?” you joked. 

“Uhh, her mom split before we got married. Haven’t heard from her since.” He muttered, shifting uncomfortably in his seat as the server came over and took your orders. 

When the server left, Joel wouldn’t meet your gaze. Before you got the chance to ask about his daughter he leaned forward a bit and made eye contact. “I’m sorry, I don’t do this often. I think the last date I went on was when Sarah was in preschool so it’s been a while.” 

Because you had a faulty filter, or because you wanted him to know you knew how awkward dating was you blurted, “I was left at the altar two years ago. So I haven’t dated much either.” 

“Really?” His eyebrows shot up to his hairline. 

“Yeah. We’d been together for six years, I followed him out here for his job, and then on the big day — poof! He disappeared. Two days later, he called from Florida and said he’d gotten a job offer he couldn’t refuse but he didn’t want to uproot the life I had built here,” you scoffed at the bitterness of your memory, washing it down with a sip of wine.

In the dimness of the restaurant his features softened, but you didn’t see pity in his eyes. Only understanding. 

And damn if it wasn’t exactly what you needed. 

Joel, you were coming to realize, was exactly what you needed. 

“Well he’s a goddamn moron,” Joel said. “Only spent a few hours with ya and I can tell.” 

Your heart fluttered when his big hand landed on top of yours on the table. The weight of his hand on top of yours felt incredibly intimate, but you couldn’t find it in yourself to mind. In fact, you really liked it.  

“How old is Sarah now?” you asked, not moving your hand.  

“Almost fourteen.” 

You couldn’t help your reaction — your eyebrows shot up and you tried the mental math. Joel wasn’t that much older than you, maybe mid-thirties, late thirties max, so if his daughter was a teenager he had her in his early twenties. 

“That must’ve been hard,” you said, turning your hand over under his so you were palm-to-palm and squeezing his hand gently, “Raising her on your own.” 

Joel nodded and squeezed back, “Yeah, but my brother helps out and working for myself helps too.” 

“What do you do?”

“I’m a contractor.” 

You lit up at that, mentioning all the little house projects you’d attempted and the two of you chatted about how much subway tiling a bathroom sucks until your entrees arrived. 

You kept talking as you ate, finding more and more topics as the night wore on. Joel agreed to split a tiramisu even though he “didn’t much like sweets,” which you giggled at. 

“Me neither, but tiramisu is the exception.” 

You let him have the first bite, and he nodded in pleasure. “Yeah, that’s pretty damn good.”

Once the tiramisu was gone and the server dropped the check, you did the check dance, but he insisted that tonight was about him making amends so he should pay. You conceded, but only after insisting that next time was on you. 

He’d raised an eyebrow at you, dark eyes getting somehow darker, “There’s gonna be a next time?” 

Returning his smile, you nodded, “If you’d like to. I know I would.” 

Joel finished signing the receipts and stood up, extending a large hand down for you to take. He lifted you up and your body filled with heat at his gaze. Even though you’d just eaten, he looked hungry. 

“Me too, sugar,” he said lowly, lacing his fingers between yours and leading you out to his truck. Again, he opened the door for you like a gentleman and you could feel his eyes on you as you climbed in. You watched him round the front of the truck and get into the driver’s seat, eyes fixed on his hands as he turned the key and made a show of double-checking before he backed out of the parking spot which made you laugh. 

You couldn’t help your eyes landing on him every few minutes as he drove you home, talking incessantly about his daughter. It was incredibly endearing how enamored he was with his kid, how much he admired her accomplishments and how he wished he could spend more time with her without work getting in the way. You could tell this was a man who loved deeply, was loyal to the core, and would carve his own heart out of his chest to make those he loved happy. 

You were half in love with him already, but you shoved that thought away because it was way too soon.

Joel turned down your street and pulled into your driveway, hopping out and opening your door yet again. He helped you down and you kept hold of his hand. 

“Walk you to your door?” he asked, voice husky and eyes dark. You nodded and he led you by the hand onto your porch. It was like something out of a movie. The warm night breeze wafted his spicy cologne toward you, making you lean in closer. His eyes bounced from your eyes to your lips, his own lips parted. From this close you admired each of the gray hairs blooming along his temple and in his short beard. 

“Can I kiss you, darlin’?” he asked, accent thicker than it had been. 

“Yes please,” you breathed, and he leaned down, pressing his lips to yours. The kiss was warm, soft yet firm, like the first bite into a perfectly ripe peach. He tasted like tiramisu and your hands wandered up to his chest. Underneath his shirt, you could feel his pulse quickening along with your own as his hands came to rest at your hips. 

You wanted more, wanted to deepen the kiss and pull his firm, broad body flush against your own — 

But then your front door opened, revealing Maria. 

“Oh! Sorry, thought I heard…”

You and Joel broke apart at your best friend’s interruption. Joel looked sheepish, burying his hands in his pockets. 

“Give us a sec,” you said to Maria, who shut the door. Years of friendship told you she was eavesdropping on the other side of the door, so you kept it brief. 

“I had a really, really great time tonight, Joel,” you said. 

He smiled down at you, brushing some hair behind your ear. “Me too. You busy tomorrow night?”

You shook your head, “Free as a bird.” 

“Good. Pick you up at seven?” 

“It’s a date.” 

[hyakinthou-naos]

I started my journey as a Hellenic Pagan very Anti Zeus™️ - and I will admit I was extremely ignorant; I couldn’t image why anyone would worship Him. The way He had been portrayed and explained to me in my childhood had cast a very dark shadow over Him.

But now? While He’s not currently part of my personal pantheon, I am slowly working to accept Him as one of my Household Gods. Our relationship is growing, slowly and respectfully, and I hope to spend the rest of my life building Kharis with Him.

This image spoke to me, as this is very close to how I imagine Zeus (except with mostly white/grey hair) and I wanted to share it with our Temple community.

Praise be to Lord Zeus - King of the Heavens and all-father of humanity. Praise be upon your name.

- Aön

omg it's zeus

process video

closeup of the dad

[vacantgodling]

PARAMOUR CHAPTER 1: WEDDING PREPARATIONS

WIP: the fall of galere book 1: PARAMOUR

SUMMARY: an hour before the ceremony that will wed hyacinthus shrapnel to The Keeper of Chateau aux Aisles D'or, he receives an unwanted, but unfortauntely necessary visitor.

tw(s): implied murder, mentions of character death/patricide, a lot of footnotes lmao.

There were many preparations that one must think about to host a proper Galerian wedding—arrangments thankfully made without the bride to be, Hyacinthus Shrapnel’s, input.

He hadn’t had to go through the priests and clergy to secure an auspicious Temple for the ceremony. No, the prominence of his bridegroom was a weight hefty enough that it was preemptively arranged to be lofted to the most grandiose of heights: The Sanctuarie D’Orage¹, in its main, intimate nef². He hadn’t had to gather or oversee the étoiles or poisson³ to rehearse, nor even send out the illustrious invitations to announce his union with the head of the chamber, and perhaps true lord over all Galarian society even above the reagent, The Keeper of Chateau Aux Aisles D’or. The only responsibility that Hyacinthus had, in fact, in the undertaking of this grand occasion, was the procurement of his wedding gown and making sure it was presentable to his personal liking. A truly arduous task, as red was never his favorite color. 

Thus, here he sat, on the precipice of his wedding march, staring down the gown he’d purchased on his elder sibling’s dime with the same glower of hate that a chained dog bore towards it’s master. He had been painstakingly pampered for this occasion: a long bath run, with milk, honey, and all the usual exfoliants; his long, luxurious black hair was steamed, straightened, freshly trimmed; his nails gilded with pure gold… the list goes on. And as a denizen of the chapel applied powder and lipstick to his handsome, dark, chiseled face—entrée was granted to one he wasn’t particularly looking forward to seeing. The one who was the mastermind behind this betrothal arrangement, and the one who’s money Hyacinthus had no qualms about spending like water: the eldest of the damned and wretched children of one long dead business vulture Clematis Gunn—Vermassen⁴ Tagetes Gunn de Beneaux.

Their own weaseled wedding to the fifth prince of Galeré had taken place only several years prior to this date, but the royal manner of their current state was definitely going to their overgrown head. Hyacinthus scowled when they pulled back the curtain to reveal themselves, even more, perhaps, when he noticed the two flutes of bubbling champagne ferried in their gloved hands. 

“Come now Cinthy, don’t look so delighted to see me.” 

Sarcasm dripped from their treacherous tongue, disguised by the visage of a sinister, mustache-laden smile. They strolled leisurely across the room, easily elbowing the church denizen out of their way without a single thought. The poor girl stumbled, but she said nothing; knowing to yield to her betters. Tagetes set the champagne down on the vanity before Hyacinthus. 

“Even after all the trouble I went to procure you some liquid courage.” 

“I should think it’s poisoned, knowing you.” Hyacinthus sneered, but Tagetes only chuckled, and caught their younger brother’s chin in their hand. 

“Careful little dog; do not fully sever the hand that feeds you with those golden teeth.” As if queued, Hyacinthus bared his teeth at Tagetes, the golden hue of his canines glinting in the dimmed light. “Were it not for my intervention you would be left to the streets. Some gratitude for my interference is in order, yes?”

Hyacinthus yanked his jaw away, glowering further still—yet wisely, perhaps, said nothing. Neither to thank them, nor deny the accusation; he instead let his gaze wander away to the gown awaiting his figure to wrap around. 

“This isn’t my style.” He said. Tagetes followed his eyes, laughing softly. 

“No, I suppose you’d prefer to wear a white ball gown enmeshed with gold. Shoulder pads too, of course? Not that you need any help accentuating your shoulders—they are quite broad enough as is.”

If Hyacinthus was one to do so, he’d have upturned his nose. But he simply said, “It’d look less tacky.” 

“I hardly think it looks tacky—it is tradition. Even I wore such a gown on my wedding day.” 

“The tackiness of your own gown was in mostly due to whom was wearing it.” 

Tagetes tutted darkly. They gestured back towards the champagne that they bought. “Drink some.” 

“I told you—“

“And if I drank some first?” Tagetes gingerly plucked one of the flutes of champagne from the vanity and drew some of it from its glass prison—only until it was nearly half. Then, they set it back down again.

“The other as well.” Hyacinthus remarked. Tagetes shook their head. “You truly think I want you dead, Cinthy? With all the effort I have furnished in you? Truly, if I wanted you dead—you would be.” Still, Tagetes obliged and gingerly lifted the second champagne glass to their lips. As they sipped at it, Hyacinthus murmured, “Such as father, I presume.” 

He received no answer for that; though he needn’t one. Anyone who looked closely enough at the dynamics of the Gunn family knew that Hersieur⁵ Clematis’s death was no accident. Who was responsible for it… anyone’s guess. But if Hyacinthus had to bet money—and he was not of a gambling sort—he would put money on Tagetes. 

The saccharine smile he received for his accusation was sinister enough as it were.

Once Tagetes had leveled the second glass to equal fullness of the first, they set it back on the vanity before Hyacinthus. 

“Tell me, dearest brother, does this glass of champagne appear to you as ‘half empty’ or ‘half full’?” 

Hyacinthus scoffed and stood abruptly from his chair, sweeping towards the gown that he ought to have donned by now. Seeing as it was their cue, an assortment of servants scurried to his aid; first affixing the tight, red bodice that pushed his pectoral muscles up as a proper bosom, tying its laces tightly so it would not come undone. Next came the garter and stockings, then the first layer of skirts—a sighing orange color akin to the sun at dawn, growing increasingly deeper in color with each layer until the heaviest and most saturated top layer was laid over the underskirts. A beautiful vermillion in color, adorned with delicate golden beads like stars dotted across the entire body of the skirt, tapering off into golden flames that licked the bottom hem, to mirror the sun’s rays. 

As one servant affixed the veil, Tagetes saw it fit to continue; “If I were in your shoes, the glass I have presented to you is best viewed half full.” 

“I know you well enough to smell your schemes, Tagetes. I have no interest in being grateful for being a pawn.” Hyacinthus rolled his eyes, stooping gracefully in a near curtsey so a shorter servant could fuss with the laying of his bangs. “The streets.” Tagetes rebuttled with a sing song voice. “I could’ve easily married you off to an old, decaying lord, with old, dying money. You would struggle to find a richer husband than The Keeper. Nor one so well connected.” Tagetes’s dark eyes were practically gleaming when they said, softly, sinisterly, “The Keeper is more than your botched birthright should even afford you.”

“Shut your fucking mouth!” Hyacinthus snapped, but it was easy to see how the words gnawed at his skin. He shooed the servant attending him away roughly, casting them to the side like a wet rag. 

“Now, now.” Tagetes tutted. “Behave Cinthy. I can’t afford to have you mess this up.” 

“I should strangle you within an inch of your life.” Hyacinthus snarled. 

“But then you’d lose access to your pretty dowry. Think of the storeroom I’m sure your bridegroom has.” 

“Money is—”

“Worthless? Perhaps. But with your expensive tastes, I doubt you believe that.”

“You—” Hyacinthus was cut off by the loud chime of bells overhead; The Sanctuarie’s clock tower alerting all of those far and wide in La Castra that it was nearing the auspicious hour—the time of the wedding to be spoken of for years and years to come; another Union of The Keeper of Chateau aux Aisles D’or—head of The Chamber, who benevolently ruled all of Galeré, even above the reagent themself.

“It seems as though the curtain’s draw is upon us.” Tagetes astutely observed. When they turned their eyes back to Hyacinthus, the look within them made something with Hyacinthus wither. 

“I do mean it. Behave. At least until the curtain falls. Remember your glass.” 

As quickly as they’d come, they swept out of the room, leaving both flutes of champagne on the vanity, and with a final wave of adieu, they were gone. Perhaps out to the nef, or perhaps to mingle. 

Hopefully to hang themselves, Hyacinthus thought.

But there was no turning back now; within the hour he should become a wife—whether he wished it or not. He regarded the two champagne glasses before him. Then seeming to make a sudden decision, he grasped one in his hand and downed it, without much other preamble than that.

FOOTNOTES:

¹ = Sanctuaire D’Orage or Temple of the Storm is the largest temple in all of Galeré located in the center of religious leadership La Castra. It is a large, foreboding structure with a catacombs underneath and stretches high into the clouds as though it were trying to touch the sun. It features the largest statue of The Shepherd in the country.

² = nef — referring to the central most part of a church or temple; ie: a nave.

³ = the étoiles and the poisson are the bride and groom’s wedding precession. in a Galerian wedding, there is no such thing as a maid of honor or bridesmaids/male equivalent—the bride is to take the role of the Sunset and the groom the Ocean. in old Galarian folklore, the earth was made via the union of the Sunset and the Ocean, and so traditional wedding garb is reds for the bride and blues for the groom. the étoiles and the poisson represent the stars and fish present at this union, and in a wedding they dance before the bride and groom as they enter horizontally, then meet at the central altar. the bride is accompanied by The Moon who leads them to the altar, and the groom is accompanied by The Coral who leads them to the altar.

⁴ = a Galarian honorofic, referring explicitly to a married wife. Husbands and Wives are not gendered in Galere; for husbands simply are breadwinners and managers of the external household affairs and wives are the managers of finances and the internal household estate. Hyacinthus Shrapnel, once he is wed, will become a wife as well.

⁵ = a Galarian honorofic, referring explicitly to a married husband.

[gingermintpepper]

Hello! I want to know... Besides Hyacinthus, who is your fav Apollo's lover (male or female)? I really love Cyrene 🤭

Oho, thank you so much for the ask!

There are a couple candidates that immediately come to mind tbh. I'm not the sort that has a strict OTP sense when it comes to Apollo because I imagine there's importance in each of the affairs of the gods that are written about - there must be some reason that we remember their names and stories even now, y'know?

Ultimately, I have a brief selection of the lovers of Apollo whose stories I have personal and vested interest in with no particular preference except maybe for Evadne who, if I were forced to give only one additional favourite besides Hyacinthus, I would probably say it's her.

As for why I prefer Evadne over all the great and powerful romances Apollo has had; maybe it's just because I'm a sucker for the ooey-gooey romances but there's something so sweet about Evadne and Apollo's relationship and the consequent relationship Apollo has with Iamus, his and Evadne's son. I also love the subtle politics of such a relationship - from Evadne's side, yes she's a princess but more importantly, she's one of Poseidon's inhuman daughters - a child between Poseidon and a nymph - and the child between her and Apollo - a son of Zeus - goes on to become the father of a long line of famous prophets for the King of the Gods himself. That makes Iamus one of those rare children of a major god who is not divine but certainly not human either, something that is further exacerbated by the fact that for the first five days of his life, Iamus is cared for by his father who ensures that the baby is fed not milk but honey from the fangs of a snake.

All in all, it's not a very remarkable story in the grand scheme of things. There's no big drama like with Admetus and there's no great tragedy like with Coronis or Melia. Apollo doesn't act particularly noteworthy in either Pindar or Hyginus' account of the tale like he does for Cyrene or Branchus and the end result is a line of prophets sacred to Zeus and the Olympia oracle - a classic example of Apollo in his role as father to the great prophets and wisemen and yet something about the gentleness of Apollo in his affair with Evadne has always captivated me.

Evadne, who so feared her father that she would abandon her newborn child just to spare herself his anger, was able to trust and love Apollo. Likewise, Apollo did not once abandon her, sending the most blessed of attendants to help in her birthing and automatically stepping in to make sure Iamus was fed, clothed and warm until his mother returned for him. It's something about a young Iamus going into the River Alpheus - an ancient stream - and calling out for his purpose from his father and grandfather. It's something about Apollo's immediate and calm response and the way he leads the youth to the temple that will be his destiny and personally educates him in the ways of divination.

It's just one of those stories that always sticks out to me for the portrait of a father and lover it sketches of Apollo, even in a seemingly innocuous myth such as this one.