#worship tag

[seaofwine]

How did you first reach out/connect with Athena for your practice? I really want to work with and learn from her, but I’m so incredibly afraid of doing something wrong

For me, I kind of feel like Athena has always been around in some way or another (but that’s for a different post), but I want you to know that it’s okay to start whenever, she will meet you where you are. I’ll share my experience in this and I really hope it helps.

During the pandemic, I mean the *early* months of them, I was really lost in my life in general. I was completely directionless. I'd switched university tracks to attend literally two months of art school before campus closed. I was in mostly studio and design classes so this basically meant everything I'd started wouldn't ever be finished.

I can't describe to you the feeling of hopelessness. I'd stepped out of a promising internship and a chance at law school to follow my dreams. This was probably the riskiest decision I've ever made and it definitely felt like it was not paying off at all. I'd hoped to see some sign that the change would be worth it and this as an answer was a blow I didn't know how to recover from.

I didn't know what to do. It was in this chaos that I connected with her for the first time as a conscious worshipper. I'd woven things for her before, had a collection of prized owls on a shelf for her, but this was when I really reached out for help. I guess you could say I was building kharis with her for a bit beforehand, but that was by no means something you have to spend a ton of time doing before reaching out. You build it along the way.

We don't really have widespread access to temples and sanctuaries anymore, and shrines are usually things we've made ourselves. Something I've been doing in my practice is going to places that fall under their domain. So for Apollon, the art studio was a place I would meditate and pray, offering my work at the end of a session or my paint water. For Athena, it was the university library (any place you feel close to her works though, this could be your room or a museum, this was just what worked for me at the time). I just went as I was in that moment. Lost, confused, needing aid. I sat there for a while and told her everything. I wasn't perfect, I haven't been perfect, but that's kind of the point. I worked at it over time, reading her myths, making offerings, a prayer journal, just telling her about my day. I thank her for all the ways she's shown up for me, all the ways I can see her in my everyday life, and that's been the way to go for me. I keep a notebook in my bag where I write notes to her when things get tough, wear devotional jewelry, and dedicate my achievements to her.

She has these really lovely epithets, Ergane, the instructor of man, or Aleia, the provider of refuge, Amboulia, of good counsel, Soteira, the savior. She's familiar with every struggle and insecurity you could have. These gods are older than we can possibly comprehend. Yes - there are guidelines for how you should behave, but the things that can make the gods genuinely upset are few and severe. Hubris for one, and defiling a temple, or killing a relative, like those are things that the average person will never really encounter. Make the mistakes, as long as you are respectful and approach the gods with good intentions, you’re okay. There are a million right ways to worship, and only very few that are historically attested as Wrong.

[kosmicprlz]

my love, why have you forsaken me?

if you had only wanted the crown and spared my life, i would have still been your truest, most loyal disciple.

bonus doodle. if you got narinder by sparing him but get the trophy from mystic seller afterwards haha

[kookoofufu]

One piece fans are great cause no matter who you are, where you come from, what your age, gender, sexuality, socioeconomic status is, 1 of these 4 middle aged men will inevitably become your blorbo. Margaritaville uncle, big titty mob boss, morticia addams, or assigned clown from birth. They're all hot, homeless and obsessed with a teenage boy. The world's worst polycule. Choose wisely.

[thereseuwu]

LOOK WHAT I FINALLY DID

YESSS, APOLLONNNN!!!!!

[cherubchoirs]

the angels were broken of self-worship, yet their need for devotion must find a place if it is left empty

[sasukeless]

wild theory but guys i think sasuke doesn’t like women

[gatoburr0]

Unfinished Marinetta anyone?

[meirimerens]

pathologic fest day 19

"In the Darkness"

where nobody dwells but the earth herself

[narikill]

aughdhshfjjsjcjdjfjsbgsknfjs <- leshy in this art probably

[ivettaflowerblooom]

Eros and Psyche by William-Adolphe Bouguereau, 1889.

[mysterycitrus]

tim drake college fic — back in action

[warpedpuppeteer]

The only cake that Buck wants 😋

[filurig]

sekuuti and akestur, deities of the rau-kakse and crakam

LONG ASS CREATION/ORIGIN STORY OF THE RAU KAKSE AND CRAKAM HERE

the sun and moon both have important roles in northern basilisk religion, and are interpreted as two deities: sekuuti (sun) and akestur (moon).

both seen as patron deities of their respective people (rau-kakse aka basilisks and crakam aka harpies). their eggs were originally stars in the sky that fell and hatched in the world below.

at first, there was only pure spirit. something known as "tukaarti" (which is an unconscious but all powerful driver of all things) - the "natural force", arose, and began create shapes from this spirit, polarities, warmth, energy eventually the forces shaped this spirit into The World, which was barren at first, amorphous, but this shaped energy began to solidify, first into mountains, then into lakes, rivers, flora etc etc. but the water did not stay liquid long for after the formation of these things, and a brief flourishing period, the World cooled down, and fell under a great winter, as it had no sun. the sky is basically where tukaarti resides in its rawest form still, and stars are "concerntrations" of it, and the only light source. the stars began to fall eventually on occasion into the world, and that would spawn Creatures. early on when the world was still fresh after this was when the eggs of sekuuti and akestur fell, they were among the last creatures to fall onto the world. prior to them similar animals had hatched from other eggs, but they all perished trying to survive on their own.

both sekuuti and akestur were lonely and struggled on their own - persecuted by hostile ancestors of other creatures. not only was it difficult, most of all, it was lonely.

sekuuti was so lonely that she desparately wanted children, but as she was the only one of her kind she prayed to tukaarti for a way to achieve that company she desired. she was heard, and granted the ability to shapeshift to any creature that she found. this also was something tukaarti needed, as it lacked a way for spirit to go from the World back to tukaarti, and by "collecting" bodies to learn as forms, sekuuti would also return their spirit to tukaarti. with this ability, she resorted to courting different birds that she transformed into and bearing their young. and she did successfully hatch them. her children would not only inherit a lot of her features and shapeshifting ability, but they also inherited the plumage and some other traits from their other parents, and she loved them all the same. this also means that according to rauk-kaksian lore sekuuti "has no comparison" and doesnt look like an extant bird in particular, but interpretations vary. these children were the first "rau-kakse". the most important established trait of her depictions though is that it seemed that the glow from her egg ("star") never faded, and her plumage glowed strongly and brilliantly.

akestur, meanwhile, sought company with birds in a different way. he found flocks of corvids, flocks of nightjars, and found certain comfort with them. but he was frustrated with the fact that they could not communicate, he prayed for the ability to "hold a conversation" with his new contemporaries. and the tukaarti granted him his wish - the flocks that he had become familiar with were granted a blessing, but with that blessing, they also changed in morphology - they became harpies (crakam), and gained sapience. he was reminded, however, that he had gotten this wish without cost - and that the forces counted on him to do what they wished in return if they so needed it. they only cryptically let him know to "not keep his eyes off of the flame". akestur is thought to have looked like a harpy slightly, but with a different face, black as night, but with brilliant glowing white eyes.

again, the world during this time was pretty barren and harsh due to an eternal winter, as they had no sun. sekuuti, while having found comfort in her kin now, was unhappy with the state of affairs - especially as many young would die in the harsh conditions. akestur, too, hated seeing his new contemporaries suffer.

the two groups would meet one day, sekuuti and akestur leading them. the two were fascinated by one another - sekuuti brought warmth to akestur and the crakam, while akestur brought a certain darkness, that while somewhat discomforting at first, also shrouded both groups from other hostile creatures, theyd come to find out. there was safety in his darkness. sekuuti and akestur grew very close and became partners (according to most legends).

sekuuti wanted to change the state of the world and set her eyes upon the sky, wanting to become a sun and bring warmth to all and end the eternal winter. akestur was hesitant, for he did not want to lose her, and her children needed her. when seeking the guidance of tukaarti - they discouraged her from it, urged her to stay and perform her duty as a bringer of spirit from corpses of this plane back to tukaarti. but she was insistent, and one day, decided to simply go for it. she flew so fast, with such force, that she caught flame, but her will was so strong that it didnt bother her and she became one with the flames eating her as she flew up to the sky.

akestur was too late, and only realised she was gone once she had lit up the sky. betrayed, upset, but most of all - realising that he had failed tukaarti. he had let his eyes off his flame. as a punishment, tukaarti undid the blessing it had granted his people for half of them, leaving half of them as regular birds again.

sekuuti lighting up the world had done something - it had taken away the eternal winter, but the problem was - sekuuti had nothing to temper her up there. the world was beset by a devastating drought with no end in sight. akestur, trying to lead his people as well as the basilisks, then realised what he had to do.

before leaving his people, he urged them "to not take their eyes off the flames", meaning the basilisks in this case, and then, he also set off for the sky. instead of setting ablaze, his eyes seemed to burst with the pressure of the speed of his flight, engulfing him in a cold, bright light. once he joined sekuuti in the sky - the heat was finally tempered.

however, sekuuti, both overwhelmed with love but also guilt and shame over abandoning akestur, fled him. but he, loyal and also overwhelmed with love, began to follow her. and basically, the day/night cycle is their eternal chase after one another - and on occasion, they meet, during eclipses :,) perhaps they also realised that their chase is what brings the world balance. and perhaps its a bit of a punishment from tuukarti for disobeying it.

[ancientbygone]

I SEE HER FINGERS BENDING BACKWARDS TWIST AND TURN AND TIE THEMSELVES TOGETHER BECKONING BEHIND HER BACK WITH FINGERS DRIPPING RAINBOW PUDDLES SINGING TO ME “COME AND DRINK OF MANY WATERS”

[thereseuwu]

Ellooo! Just made a lil' something for Apollo! (AKA an offering!!)

[witchcraftwithaster]

Talk to your gods* about your mental health. You can ask them for support. It's okay and allowed.

my therapist had a hot take today which I loved. i said to him, Imm having some particular issues about my mental health this last two weeks and the therapist said,

"but it doesn't make sense that you're doing all this effort and yet in your time of great need you don't rely on them? you can ask me for help but not the gods? and i'm no god of course, but it doesn't make sense."

and i'm like, for a therapist that doesnt align to any religion you fucking get it. and you're right. why would i not bother to ask them for help in this regard? and I'm taking an approach to make a relationship, not just servitude, *of COURSE* i can ask them and pray to them for aide in my health! not to eradicate it but to ease it at the very very least.

pray to your entities about your mental health. you're allowed to share it with them.