Adana's Winding Path

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[thetheoicalled]

This was my first kadiskos. I’ve since started putting a bit more fluid in it. I got the jar at Dollar Tree. It has barley, raisins, craisins, pasta, cinnamon stick, bay leaf, olive oil, vanilla extract, and water in it. I put it in the very back of my cabinet.

[thetheoicalled]

Agathos Daimon

source: Kharis, Hellenic Polytheism Explored by Sarah Kate Istra Winter pg(76-78)

Many of us have heard of the Agathos Daimon, the “Good Spirit” of Hellenismos. He is known also as the spirit of fortune and luck. Winter explains that “It can belong to and protect a household” Because of this it receives libations after meals. He even is said to have a consort of Agathe Tukhe- the goddess of fortune. 

There is very little evidence towards honoring the agathodaimon in a public ritual- really only the opening of new wine jugs. However he was honored in the home on the second day of the month (ancient calendar). 

Winter compares the Agathos Daimon to a guardian angel, he belongs to a person at birth and that person belongs to them. It’s said that the daimon guides it’s person through life. He grants luck to this person as well. Pindar wrote that he was granted luck if the Agathodaimon was appeased; “The daimon active about me I will always consciously put to rights with me by cultivating him according to my means.” 

Plato viewed the daimons as “ Interpreters and ferrymen” They’re closer to the gods than we are- like an intermediary. 

Winters writes “A relationship with a daimon can be very personal and intimate; it is also a bridge to relationships with the gods.”

tips for a relationship with your daimon: Set aside the second day of the month (modern or ancient- your preference), Offer libations, and spending some time trying to connect with it (meditation, divination, again your preference). 

Winters includes that she believes that romantic and sexual relationships can be encompassed. I’m not sure if theres a historical reference there but I felt it important to include. 

[moonlite-mania]

Making a Kathiskos

A kathiskos, traditionally a jar with two handles, was kept in the pantry by the ancient Hellenes in honor of Zeus Ktesios (guardian of the home) and the Agathos Daimon (a protective spirit tied to a person, family or home), so that food would be protected from spoiling. At the Noumenia, the jar would be emptied into the garden and would be refilled with staple items from the pantry. The rest of the jar would be filled with water and olive oil. Traditionally, these would have been decorated with white and yellow wool and may have been unsealed. Snakes were used often to decorate home shrines, which represents the Agathos Daimon. You don’t have to adhere strictly to the way ancient kathiskoi were made. Many people prefer to do so, which is also fine, and in that case yellow and white yarn can be used to decorate your jar. You want to use a wide mouth jar that has a tight seal. A canning jar is great for this and can be found cheaply (I got mine at Wal-Mart for $1.97 in the craft section). I used yellow twine to wrap around the top of the jar and decorated it with some wooden beads. I was drawn to use ribbon, so I went to look for some. I felt like Zeus would really like some ribbon for some reason, and when I looked around I found a white and gold ribbon with Greek key decoration, so it was perfect! I just glued that around the middle of the jar. I plan on adding a snake charm to the twine bit to represent the Agathos Daimon as well. Now typically these were filled at the beginning of the month and left alone until it was time to empty the jar, but for now, I like adding something in each day from my first meal, plus anything else I feel the need to add. I don’t currently have many daily devotions, and anxiety and depression can sometimes make it hard to do much. But this is something I can do even on my lowest energy days, and I like the connection to Zeus that the daily act brings me. It’s also pushed me to learn more about the Agathos Daimon. If you decide to make one and add to it each day, I would recommend to not add any liquid or items that will spoil quickly, as that’s not going to be pleasant to have to open every day! Keep your kathiskos in your pantry if possible. I can’t keep mine there because of family, but I have mine on the shelf where I keep my personal snacks. At the Deipnon, empty the jar into your garden or compost and rinse it out. On the Noumenia, refill or beginning adding to the jar again. Here’s my kathiskos for example!

[breathing-in-gilded-dust]

Here slithers a serpent of fortune,

Serendipitous and full of wealth.

He holds in his heart a love for his oikos,

And the family which dwells within.

I call to you, my household snake,

To worship and adore you;

For your presents to us are gifts from the gods,

And the power of Zeus who sends you.

Your scales are articulated across the carpet,

The wood, and linoleum of our homes.

There isn’t an inch that you don’t bless

When offered and pleased as you should be.

Your glory slinks across the walls,

And burgeons in the vents.

We hear your hiss and know we’re safe;

We smell your honeyed breath and praise your name.

Thank you great Daimon,

Thank you Good Spirit.

Thank you for protection

Abundance and memories with friends and family.

I sing of your wonderful tidings,

And how your presence means you feel welcome.

Let us honour you, let us glorify you.

And teach us your wise ways of success.

Praise be to our Agathos Daimon,

The serpent who resides in our home!

Amarantos Argyris

“Hymn to the Agathos Daimon”

[riderv328]

Home is where there is always a place for you at the table and where you can count on sharing what is at the table.

Vandana Shiva　 (via riderv328)

[blacksapphrodite]

The Oikos: Household Worship in Hellenic Polytheism Pt. 1

So as you might have seen, I recently purchased the book “Hellenic Polytheism: Household Worship”, and I’ve been speedily reading through it and trying to absorb all the information. Now, I’m going to share some of that information with you! I’ll try not to go too in depth–you should purchase the book if you can, after all- but I’ll definitely try to simplify some of the content and offer some ideas and alternatives. 

The main thing to note is that this is definitely a reconstructionist take on Hellenic Polytheism. The book is a translation from Greek, and it’s written by a group of Hellenic Polytheists that reside there. They know and acknowledge that their religion exists outside of its homeland, and published the book in English in order to form connections with other solitary practitioners and communities! I thought it was very kind of them to add that tidbit. They aim to recreate the religion as closely as they can in our modern-day world. Because of that, it can seem a little daunting at a glance. However, it’s easier than it seems! So let me talk a little about what I’ve learned. 

(I’d also like the note that the book is definitely heteronormative and cissexist. It doesn’t seem to be maliciously so, but obviously a lot of us, including myself, are not straight, or not cis, so that’s something to keep in mind.) 

The Oikos (Household) 

The authors hammer in the fact that the Oikos, or household, is the center of worship, as opposed to public festivals and temples as you might think at first. Temples are what we have remnants of after all, and there’s plenty of writing on many festivals. Things that take place in the home, however? They were so mundane, no one thought to write much about them. Still, the home is where daily worship took place. The center of the Oikos was the Hearth, and the goddess of the Hearth is Hestia. So much so, that they are almost one in the same. The Hearth was a constant thing, kept burning pretty much 24 hours a day. If it ever went out, it was rekindled from the sacred flame in a city’s central temple.

The Oikos consists of the “family”. The book mentions that technically a single person doesn’t constitute an Oikos in the ancient Greek way of thinking–you would be beholden to the custom of your parents’ house. Obviously that doesn’t apply to many of us solitary practitioners, so take that with a grain of salt. Your Oikos is wherever your home is, whether that’s a house, an apartment, a dorm or just your bedroom. The Oikos is the physical home itself, the people in it, your ancestors and the boundaries of the home. It’s a sacred place and should be treated as such.

Layout of the Oikos

Your Oikos should have at least one altar, but the authors of Household Worship note that most homes had multiple altars. One kept outside the home (dedicated to Zeus Erkeios specifically (talked about below)), one in the central area of the house (most likely centered on the hearth), another kept outside the door (to the gods of travel and the crossroads) and another private altar that outsiders do not have access to, where family (or personal) worship takes place. Obviously that can seem a bit daunting to maintain, let alone to collect enough objects to form these altars.

My goal in life is to simplify such things! So let’s do a little overview now of how you can feasibly approach these multiple altars. 

Keep reading

[rainbow-contract-blog]

Aim to do something witchy each day!

• cleanse your space • tend your garden • collect storm/rain/snow water • meditate! • pick herbs/plants • charge materials • walk in nature • top up your supplies • light a candle • make a fruit offering to the wild • practice divination • read a book on craft • plant a plant • clean and collect jars • go shopping • read a prayer • put a wandering bug or a spider friend back outside • curl up with a cup of tea and scroll through witchy blogs

[teawiththegods]

Hestia Followers

This list features worshipers, followers, and devotees of Hestia. If you would like to be added to the list please feel free to comment on this post or send me an ask. If you don’t see one of your Hellenic deities featured on the masterpost send me an ask and I’ll be sure to make one for them!

If there are any problems, changes, or you’d like to be removed from the list please send me an ask or message!

@bixbiboom

@apollo-delos

@teastorms

@citruswitchy

@adonisetisios

@lunar-laurels

@jamesand-thegiantpeach

@polytheisticnyctophiliac

@herashoe

@foxypeacock

@sheenofleaves

@thewildestofwinds

@fierce-embrace

@earthboundpagan

@honeyandhestia

@juniperquartz

@songbirdspells

@vintagedeity

@potatoes-can-be-witches-too

@frenchvanillascone

@hearthofdelphi

@hespers-magic-monarch

@a-spoonful-of-magic

@pantranswitch

@deathlywitchy

@sunny-logs-life

@themysticwood

@enolathesly

@aj-grimoire

@witch-wonder

@ren-stag

@melt-into-moonlight

@persephonecats

@flamewitchhesta

[death-witch-envy]

Ways the Gods Can Contact You

This is one of the most frequent questions I receive. Otherwise, I would not make this post. Worship is incredibly personal, and Gods usually contact you in ways that you don’t expect, or ways you didn’t realize until you look back on the past.

These methods listed are common ones that I often hear from others. Do not limit your communication to these steps.

You feel a very close connection with Them, even without legitimate reason. Some people feel a connection to Their area of rule (i.e. sea god for feeling close to the ocean). If you’re like me, you’ve felt drawn to a God and you don’t even know why. This could be the Gods trying to reach out to you.

A God sends you strong gut feelings. Before I devoteed to Hades, I gave Him offerings during every Sabbat. I can’t tell you why; I just felt like I needed to. One day, I thought of making an altar for Hades, and I immediately put aside all other thoughts and responsibilities, determined to create that altar. If you’ve experience similar gut feelings, that may be a God speaking to you.

Your favorites overlap. It sounds silly, but it’s an experience I’ve heard about from a lot of people. For example, if you’ve always felt connected to dogs, and feel drawn towards Aries, you might look up the correspondence of dogs and realize that Aries has a close relationship with dogs. A quick disclaimer: This doesn’t always happen, and it’s possible to feel attracted to a God you have little connectivity with.

Your environment responds to you when you speak with the Gods. During my first ever Wiccan ritual, the God spoke to me by raising the candle flame higher than any I’ve ever seen. I’ve felt the wind shift when I spoke to the Gods about change in my life. Changes like these could be signs of response, especially during a prayer or ritual.

You feel a response, similar to the last one, but more esoteric. Examples may include feeling a warm blanket on your shoulders, feeling yourself relax while speaking to the Gods, touching hands, or even smelling a certain scent from no obvious source.

You hear a response. In some cases you may actually hear a voice in your head when a God speaks to you.

The Gods come through divination, such as automatic writing, scrying, tarot, pendulum or omens. Certain signs or repeated animal sightings may also be a method of contact.

The Gods communicate through dreams, visions, meditation or hedge crossing.

Anything I missed? Please add on. And remember that these are simply examples. Listen to your instinct, and you’ll know. It may take some time.

I wish you a fun and rewarding path, lovelies! .+(´^ω^`)+.

[boss-ass-book-bitches]

@hynpos myth event day 1: favorite greek/roman deity

Vesta

Keeper of the sacred fire inviolate, eternal

[arjuna-vallabha]

Vesta by Ars Hieratica

[justjoshingjeez]

Hymn to Hestia

Hestia, maiden of hearth and flame 
First and last, divine by name
 Youngest and eldest, kindest friend,
 Grant peace to us without end. 
She was the first consumed, and the last brought back.
 She, who warms the house and fills the lack. 
Kindly goddess, from her throne stepped down
 From the heights of Olympus to earthly ground. Forsaking her place among the gods to go
 And dwell in the houses of man below. 
So tend a flame to the goddess of fire
 And make sacrifice to her sacred pyre, 
So that she may bless our homes and hearts,
 To reside in peace forever, and never depart.

[thegreynightsky]

🔥

[heatherwitch]

Hiya bub🍁 I was wondering what things can I put on Hestia's alter, and little ways I can devote myself to her every day? Thank you so much🍁

This post covers a lot, but it’s probably why you’re asking me in the first place!

I don’t have a traditional altar for Hestia, my home is heated solely by a woodburning stove so I use that in the place of an altar. Simply starting and tending a fire makes me feel connected to her, and I often burn food or letters for her. Some ideas for an altar:

Candles (fake or real)

Colors that remind you of her (for me it’s earthy yellows, browns, reds and oranges)

A cup of tea

Yummy smelling spices or oils

I just discovered this post 

Flowers that make you think of her (for me it’s sunflowers, daffodils, lavender, pearly everlasting, etc.)

Crystals

Cinnamon/sticks

Hand-made items 

Items that connect to your favorite memories or your friends/family

Your favorite book

Basically anything that makes you feel connected to her or you feel she would enjoy!

[lionofchaeronea]

Ancient Roman marble head, from a portrait statue of a veiled priestess of Vesta.  Artist unknown; ca. 100-120 CE.  Now in the British Museum.  Photo credit: Carole Raddato.

[leonorplantagenet]

In Ancient Greek religion, Hestia (Ancient Greek: Ἑστία, “hearth” or “fireside”) is a virgin goddess of the hearth, architecture, and the right ordering of domesticity, the family, and the state.

Her closest Roman equivalent is Vesta: she is the virgin goddess of the hearth, home, and family in Roman religion. Vesta’s presence is symbolized by the sacred fire that burned at her hearth and temples. 

romologist, I was wandering around your blog and that’s it and I don’t know why!

[life-imitates-art-far-more]

Arnold Böcklin (1827-1901) “Vestal” (1874) Symbolism

Vestals were priestesses of Vesta, the Roman goddess of the hearth, home, and family. They cultivated the sacred fire of Vesta that was not allowed to go out. Vestals were freed of the usual social obligations to marry and bear children, and took a vow of chastity in order to devote themselves to the study and correct observance of state rituals that were off-limits to the male colleges of priests.