My little knowledge corner

[alexpaganreblogs]

Post to keep all the information I find useful in one spot, feel free to make use of it!! Though you might not find some deities because they are just not a part of my practice, this is by no means extensive (My actual blog is @alexandroslocaldevotee)

Beginner’s Guide to Hellenic Polytheism I

Beginner's Guide to Hellenic Polytheism II

Basic hellenic supplies

Oikos

Hubris

Things the Gods Get Mad at Mortals For: And Why You Shouldn't Stress Over It

Reasons to not always take spirit communication posts at face value (personally found this one very helpful)

How to study resources

Grimoire - Hellenic Polytheism

A Collection of Greek Keywords for Hellenic Pagans

How to worship consistently

Worshipping with limited space/time/materials etc

How to feel more connected / Physical ways to stay connected / Practices to bond with your deities

Fun and easy habits for pagans / Deity letter writing / Low effort nature habits

Types of divination

Automatic writing

Offerings: What's, How's, When's, and Why's

How to Offer to the Theoi

Universl offerings/devotional acts

Reconstructionist offerings

Offering food discreetly

Food offerings in modern worship

Inexpensive offerings

Fasting in hellenic-polytheism

Libations / Libations

Prayer: significance, petitions, as offerings

How you make your own authorial prayers

Veiling / Veiling in ancient greece

Cleanliness in worship

Altars in ancient Greece

Ancient worship at the home and altars

Devotional Journal Ideas I

Devotional Journal Ideas II

Devotional journal suggestions

Hellenic Deity Resource Master List

Devotions and Offerings List

Resources on priesthood

Godspousing

Specific Theoi

Heroes

Nymph worship

The muses

The forgotten ones: on honouring obscure gods

What is Ancestor Work? Breaking it down and how to start / How to Speak to the Dead with Tarot

Holidays and calendars suggestions

Resources outside of tumblr

Prayers to the Gods for the Palestinian people.

[hatsandheralds]

ᝰ.ᐟ Small Prayer to Hermes for his favor~!

Hail Swift Hermes, Messenger of the gods, Son of Maia and Slayer of Argos, Hear my words, Messenger of the blessed,

O luck-bringing Hermes, You who gives good things, If I have ever pleased you so, Look upon me with delight, Provide me with cunning, and indomitable spirit,

Mighty and Glorious Hermes, Hear my prayer, I sing only of your praises, O Gracious Hermes, Hail Swift Hermes, Khaire. ˎˊ˗

[sanctuary-for-wanderers]

Yesterday, I decided to try to become divinely inspired.

From the research I've done, it seems easy enough - you alter your consciousness (through substances, illness, etc.) and invite the Gods into your space. My initial plan was to work on an interview-esque project with Zeus, but he made it very clear that he wasn't interested, and Psyche immediately took over.

Honestly, trying to get through the reading was a pain. I drank too fast, and the alcohol hit me all at once. I managed to ask one or two questions:

The first was, "Have I been doing a good job with my oath?", which is admittedly something I worry about a lot. Her answer, the Empress with the Chariot in the shadows.

The way this is supposed to work is that you don't interpret the meaning until you are sober/clear-minded, but sometimes, the meaning is so intuitive and obvious that it is hard to dismiss. The Empress - a card of abundance and regal beauty, of comfort in new beginnings, and an enthusiastic yes to my question.

In the shadow, the Chariot. I could hear her saying, "You're on the right track" / "I want to see you do more."

Her actual words have already been lost to me, but I remember the gist of what she wanted to tell me: You're doing better than you think. Have some confidence.

My second question was, "What should I be focusing on right now?", which got a much less obvious answer. I pulled Dignified, Reproach, and Seven of Swords with Fourth House and Knight of Wands in the shadows.

Admittedly, drunk me saw the Seven of Swords and thought Psyche was leaving my practice (which I always think whenever I see a remotely negative card), but now, in hindsight, the meaning seems so much more obvious.

Dignified comes from the Starcode Astro Oracle Deck and in astrology, refers to a favorable placement. When a celestial is placed in its ruling sign (ex., the Sun in Leo), the celestial's influence is strengthened and more prominent. In this way, Psyche is saying that I should focus on finding this favorable placement - where I am most comfortable and most powerful. This ties into the card in the shadow from this same deck, the Fourth House - the House of Home. The Fourth House speaks to one's personal life, their home life, their relationship to their family, their emotional well-being, etc. I won't go much deeper into the astrology aspect of it all, but these two cards read as a call to focus on my emotional health more.

The next two cards, Reproach and the Seven of Swords, hint towards a bad approach and dishonesty. This is around the time I started to fall asleep because of the alcohol. Although I heard Psyche's words the clearest here: "It's time to be honest with yourself. About priesthood, about your practice, about who you want to be," and then her voice trailed off.

I spent some of this morning thinking about it, too. About priesthood, I've come to terms with the fact that no part of me wants to be an actual priest. However, and at the same time, I feel that the reason I am so enamored with it is because I want to feel special to the Gods in the way I imagine most priests and priestesses are.

We can sit here and go back and forth about priests just being regular-degular people, but the title feels special and holds some weight to it.

This all ties into my actual practice, I fear. In that, I've effectively other'd myself. If priests and priestesses are special, and I am not a priestess, that means I'm not special - that's my thought process. But at the same time, my relationship with my Gods is special and unique to me and them. It cannot be replicated or emulated. It's ours and ours alone. And so, the dishonest part comes from trying to maintain arbitrary lines and boxes. This probably comes across as super incoherent, but the point is to stop trying to label my practice and holding myself to other people's standards.

The Knight of Wands, the final card for this question, affirms that. It's a bold Knight who bravely and perhaps a bit foolishly marches onward. He is straightforward and almost entirely driven by passion and adventure. It's not the most meticulous plan, or the most prepared, but that's ok! That's the spirit of the Knight of Wands, and the energy I think Psyche wants me to embody more.

By this point, I had pretty much fallen over and fallen asleep. But before fully going to sleep, I was in this weird in-between space where I was not fully conscious but not completely asleep either.

And in this space, was Psyche. It's the usual place I go with her when I do divination: a lush clearing, with a beautiful pond next to it that reflects the moonlight. She was lying in the grass, and I practically collapsed onto her and melted. She held me and whispered affirmations while patting my head, although I have almost no recollection of what she actually said.

I must admit that it was the closest I've felt to Psyche in some time. The whole thing lasted like, an hour - which is pretty bad when you consider I asked two questions and passed out, but today (the day afterwards), I've seen signs of Psyche everywhere.

This was probably my 2nd or 3rd time trying to be divinely inspired, although it's the first time it felt actually significant.

Being impaired makes the whole process significantly harder, in my opinion, but it feels a lot more empowering than just doing a reading sober. I don't drink super regularly (and not as heavily as I did for this), so I may end up taking a more ritualistic approach with this, but it was an experience worth sharing.

[khaire-traveler]

I'd like to think that when we die, we never die alone. I believe that Thanatos waits beside us, there to hold our hand as our souls leave our bodies. I believe that Hermes takes our other hand, guiding us from this life to the next. I believe that Charon sits us down on his boat, transitioning fully from the world of the living to that of the dead. I believe that when we enter through Haides' gates, even then, we are not alone as we're accompanied with other souls - maybe some people we know, and others we don't. And when I take my rest in the Fields of Asphodel, there'll be other content souls, resting amongst the flowers beside me as we spend our afterlives in peace within King Haides' beautiful kingdom.

[khaire-traveler]

There is something so beautiful and sweet to me about the fact that Thanatos is the god of peaceful death.

When I die, I want Death to greet me as an old, childhood friend - unknown yet so familiar, intimidating yet so comforting. I want Death to take me gently by the hand, whisper in my ear, "It'll be alright," and help me stand to my feet as I walk towards a new life - a different kind of life - in a place I may have seen in a dream once.

I hope Thanatos greets me, in my final moments, with the softness and sweetness of an old friend. To me, that is peaceful. And it's so beautiful that he is so willing to provide such comforts to humans in their official transition from one plane of existence to the next. How kind, how compassionate, how admirable.

Death is a friend, in the end, and he smiles softly as he takes your hand.

[alexpaganreblogs]

Thanatos

Subtle worship / Low energy Devotional Acts

Deity worship guide

[athenaeum-of-the-herald-deactiv]

Books are expensive, Hermes thinks learning about your religion should be free.

They're just the basics and only a few, but feel free to ask me to add anything and I'll try my best!

[elio-loves-boys]

I opened this and audibly GASPED??? This is a beautiful collection and I have saved it all

Thank you so much!! Blessed be and Praise Hermes!

[homey-worshiper]

lady hestia & lord hermes

"Ancient Greek Cults" Jennifer Larson

Hestia’s special relationship with Hermes is recognized in the Homeric Hymn to Hestia, where the two are invoked as dear friends who dwell in and protect the house together. Both are the objects of domestic cult and both are concerned, more than the other gods, with the doings of epichthonioi, those “who live on the surface of the earth.” Also present in this pairing is an implicit recognition of the way the two deities govern gendered space and movement in relation to the home. Hestia, the most immobile of goddesses, marks and anchors the center of the home, just as the women of the house ideally remain indoors and aloof from contact with strangers. Conversely, Hermes guards the door and governs movement in and out, just as the masculine role is to work under the sun and deal with strangers. Iconographic convention also linked these two gods. They appeared as a pair, for example, on the altar of Amphiaraos at Oropos and on the statue base of Pheidias’ Olympian Zeus.

[alexpaganreblogs]

Hestia

Who's is Hestia

Low energy devotional acts

Hestia Devotional Acts and Offerings

Subtle worship

[altis-of-olympia]

Inspired by another anon and ASMR, what's in your bag? Or what's in your backpack or pocket if you aren't really a bag person?

Thank you anon, Im so glad you asked :) <- guy who desperately wanted this question. I try to carry a backpack with me everywhere. In the big pocket, you will find: ∿ㆍMy laptop, covered in stickers, very old and beat up, screams in pain every time I open it, and some of my keys don't work. ∿ㆍMy iPad, mainly used for drawing and note taking. ∿ㆍChargers for both. ∿ㆍMy philosophers notebook, I got it from the Galleria dell'Accademia in Florence. The statue of David is on the cover. ∿ㆍMy mini sketchbook. The cover is of the spiral staircase in the Yale University Art Gallery. ∿ㆍPens, pencils strewn about. ∿ㆍMy keys on a university lanyard with my university wallet, and honestly, far too much university merch on it. I suppose that's what happens when you're a tour guide. ∿ㆍ"Great Dialogues of Plato" that sits in my bag as I try to trudge through The Republic, with minimal success.

In the small pocket: ∿ㆍMenstural products. Even if I don't get mine anymore, my friends may need them. ∿ㆍMy travel altar for Hermes! It's in a pouch. There's a tin with foreign coins, and a prayer and hymn for him. ∿ㆍMy travel pouch for Apollon. It is where I keep my hand salve, peppermint scented, and my laurel essential oil that grounds me. ∿ㆍPins that have fallen off my bag always end up in the front pocket. ∿ㆍHand-sanitizer. ∿ㆍChapstick. ∿ㆍA vial full of water mixed with glitter. Serves as both a stim toy and a scrying tool, I'm trying to get better at that. ∿ㆍA pouch of crystals dedicated to Prince Stolas.

Thank you for this question, it made me unreasonably happy!! Xaire, Altis.

[what-even-is-thiss]

Would anyone be interested in a list of ancient Greek literature for noobs

[what-even-is-thiss]

Ancient Greek lit for people who only mostly know what Greece is

My goal of this list is to give you an idea of what you want to read based on your interests and reasons for diving into Ancient Greek literature. Not to instruct you to read all of this stuff. I have only included things that have either survived in full or have significant amounts of surviving fragments and have public domain translations easily available to find online with minimal digging.

My advice though if you can afford it or find it at your local library is to go for the most recent translations of these works because those will likely be much easier to comprehend for your 21st century brain. It'll also likely be helpful for you to read translator's notes, footnotes, and introductions and read any maps included in your editions because those can often give you important historical and cultural context that may otherwise be confusing for you. The far past is another country so get all the context you feel that you need.

The basics aka what every Greek writer has also read and frequently references back to:

The Iliad and the Odyssey by Homer, stories of the mythical Trojan war and its aftermath. The Iliad is about the ending days of the war and focuses on the hero Achilles, while the Odyssey is about the hero Odysseus getting lost at sea for many years on his way home from the war.

The Theogony and Works and Days by Hesiod, an attempt at tracing the genealogy of the gods and other various myths and personal opinions about them. This is what most people use as reference when talking about Greek creation stories.

Other longer works about Mythology:

The Argonautica by Apollonius Rhodius, the story of Jason and the golden fleece and the adventures his sailing crew of heroes had on the way there.

The Library or Bibliotheca by Pseudo-Apollodorus, basically an ancient reference book on the stories of Greek religion, told in roughly chronological order.

The Dionysiaca by Nonnus, the longest surviving book of ancient Greek literature, it tells the story of the god Dionysus before he ascended to godhood and his trip to and return from India.

The Posthomerica by Quintus of Smyrna, likely written in the 3rd century AD, is an epic poem attempting to tell the parts of the fall of Troy that Homer left out between the death of the prince Hector and the burning of Troy.

Shorter Poetry:

The Homeric hymns, not actually by Homer but by an unknown author or authors, these are a series of short and long poems and songs that tell stories of various gods and also show a bit how they were worshiped.

The works of Sappho, though not much of her poetry has survived, what remains is still good. She mainly wrote love poems about women but also men and is notable for referring to herself in the first person, something which was unusual at the time.

The works of Pindar, probably the most well preserved of the "nine lyric poets" of ancient Greece his work has been seen as confusing and unusual at times, but it's still a treat to read in my opinion.

The works of Bacchylides, a contemporary of Pindar, but his poetry is thought to be much more understandable and approachable.

Plays about Mythology and Folklore, all tragedies:

The works of Sophocles, especially the Oedipus trilogy that includes Oedipus Rex, Oedipus at Colonus, and Antigone which tells the story of the king Oedipus who was doomed by an oracle and the aftermath of his actions on his family.

The works of Euripides, especially Medea about the witch Medea and her betrayal by the hero Jason and the Bacchae, which tells the story of the god Dionysus.

The works of Aeschylus, especially The Oresteia, which is a trilogy of plays including Agamemnon, The Libation Bearers, and The Eumenides which together tell the story of the murder of the Greek king Agamemnon, the consequences of the cycle of revenge that followed, and the pacification of the furies, who are goddesses of punishment.

Selected comedic plays and political satires which are all by Aristophanes because he's the one whose work survived:

The Birds, a comedy about a man who convinces local birds to build a city in the sky and replace the gods.

Thesmophoriazusae or, Women at the Thesmophoria, a comedy about a man who sneaks into a women's only festival where the women debate how to punish the playwright Euripides for something he's written. The play pokes fun at tragic playwrights and poets.

The Knights, a satire of Athenian political life and an open criticism of many real politicians at the time where the real politician Cleon is the villain of the story.

Famous works of philosophy, science, mathematics, and medicine:

The works of Plato, especially The Republic which is about his idea of a perfect society and The Symposium which discusses philosophy through imaginary dialogues with the philosopher Socrates.

The works of Aristotle, and depending on what you're interested in he has books on Ethics, Politics, Poetics, Physics, The Art of Rhetoric, and Metaphysics, usually titled by the subject they discuss.

Sayings and Anecdotes, attributed to Diogenes the Cynic, this is what survives of a work said to collect the sayings of the philosopher Diogenes and other philosophers of the school of Cynicism.

The Hippocratic Corpus, a collection of around 60 texts often attributed to the physician Hippocrates, though this has never been conclusively proven. Notable works in this collection include On Airs, Waters, and Places, Epidemics, On Ancient Medicine, and On the Sacred Disease.

The works of Euclid, especially The Elements, which is a treatise on geometry.

The works of Archimedes, a famous Greek mathematician, especially On the Sphere and Cylinder, Measurement of a Circle, The Method of Mechanical Theorums, and On Floating Bodies.

Enquiry into Plants by Theophrastus, a colleague of Aristotle who had significant influence on the early history of botany.

Histories, historical fiction, geographies, and travel guides. The line between these genres is extremely blurry in this time period:

Histories by Herodotus, an account of the Greco-Persian wars as well as stories collected from around the Mediterranean and observations Herodotus made himself in his travels.

History of the Peloponnesian War by Thucydides, an unfinished account of the Peloponnesian war between Athens and Sparta by an Athenian general. Often seen as unusually neutral and unbiased in his accounting of events for the time period, though it is sometimes unclear how accurate he is.

The works of Xenophon, a military leader and philosopher, especially Hellenica which picks up where Thucydides left off, Cyropaedia which is a (likely fictionalized) biography of Cyrus the Great, and Anabasis which tells the story of Cyrus the Younger's attempt to steal the Persian throne with the help of ten thousand Greek mercenaries.

Description of Greece by Pausanias, a description of parts of Roman era Greece including Pausanias' own experiences in his travels, various cities and religious sites, and descriptions of topography.

Histories by Polybius, a work that only survives partially, is by a Greek who lived in Rome for a time after capture and is one of our main literary sources on the Punic wars between Rome and Carthage.

The works of Plutarch, a priest at the temple of Apollo in Delphi during the Roman era, especially Parallel Lives, which is a collection of biographies of famous Greeks and Romans that Plutarch thought were similar, Life of Alexander, which is a biography of Alexander the Great, and Life of Caesar, which is a biography of Julius Caesar.

Okay that's what I have for you. Go have fun!

[alexandroslocaldevotee]

Tuesday e-offering for Lord Ares

Bright-helmed Ares, strong of arm and stern of visage,

Ares, son of noble Zeus and wise Hera,

cherished by golden Aphrodite, honored

by those who call on you for strength and courage,

in the north were you much honored in times of old,

in Thrace and Thessaly were you held in esteem

by those whose lives were harsh, whose world was stony,

whose comforts were hard-won.

Ares who answers the prayers of the despairing, I honor you

[house-of-hermes]

Divine Inspiration: Theia Mania

[Part 1 out of 3]

Foreword Most of present-day knowledge of theia mania (otherwise known as divine madness) in Ancient Greece specifically comes from Plato's "Phaedrus," his dialogue with Socrates. Plato especially, was an eccentric—his ideas often differed from his contemporaries. And as such, we must also acknowledge that Plato's words may not always accurately reflect the beliefs of the time¹. Scholars have long since debated whether the concept of "divine mania" (both in its entirely and specific aspects) existed in ancient Greek society, or if it was the mental creation of Plato himself.

I cannot hope to answer that. Rather, I aim to condense and highlight some of aspects of divine mania I wished people talked more about. This series will cites Yulia Ustinova's "Divine Mania: Alteration of the Consciousness in Ancient Greece," heavily, and I recommend that people interested in the topic check it out.

Plato was the first to define theia (divine) mania into what we know it now. He provided four succinct categories which highlight a wide array of situations:

Prophetic (foreseeing the future),

Ritual/Telestic (ritualistic release),

Poetic (artistic inspiration), and

Erotic (intense emotions/passion)

In order to properly understand each category of mania, we must first recognize that the word "mania," here is more akin to the word inspiration. To experience divine mania is to be divinely inspired—and the category (prophetic, telestic, poetic, erotic) varies depending on how that inspiration manifests in the real world. Terms such as "mania" or "madness" paint a picture of anguish, despair and agony which isn't always reflected in ancient depictions. Plato quotes Socrates as saying:

"It might be so if madness were simply an evil; but there is also a madness which is a divine gift, and the source of the chiefest blessings granted to men. For prophecy is a madness, and the prophetess at Delphi and the priestesses at Dodona when out of their senses have conferred great benefits on Hellas, both in public and private life, but when in their senses few or none.²"

The Pythia at Delphi and the Priestess at Dodona were known to be "mad," and yet people traveled far and wide to receive an Oracle from them. That's because their "madness" was a sign of the Theoi.

And at its core, that's what divine mania is—it's a connection with the Theoi.

Sources [1] Ustinova, "Divine Mania...in Ancient Greece," 2. [2] Plato, "Phaedrus," (trans. Jowett)

[travelingthief]

Apollo Resource List

Informational

Apollo: The Complete Guide to the God of Light

Apollo in the Odyssey 

Birth of Apollo

Britannica

Homeric Hymn Translation

Homoerotic Themes in Greek and Roman Mythology

LGBT Themes in Mythology

Mythopedia

Oracle of Delphi

Orphic Hymn

Theoi

Timeless Myths

Wikipedia

World Sites

Zeus and Apollo

Tumblr Posts

Apollo Offerings

Small Daily Devotions

Deep Dive

Devotions and Offerings

More Offerings

Offerings, again

Subtle Apollo Worship

Videos

Apollo: The Far-shooting God

My Experience with Artemis and Apollo

The Very Messed up Origins of Apollo

Working with Apollo

Podcasts

The Ancients - Apollo: God of the Sun

Let’s Talk About Myths, Baby! - Far-Shooting Phoebus Apollo

Styx and Bones - Apollon the Greek God and the Oracles of Delphi

Playlists

APOLLO

Apollon

Apollo/Apollon Devotee Playlist

Apollo Playlist

Children of Apollo: Cabin 7

Playlist for Apollo

Other

Herbs of Apollo

How to Worship

Prayers to Apollo

Subreddit for Apollo

[travelingthief]

Resource List for Lady Athena

Informational

Britannica

Mythology Source

Homeric Hymn to Athena

Judgement of Paris

Orphic Hymn to Athena

Owlcation

Theoi

Timeless Myths

Role in the Illiad

Role in the Odyssey

Virgin Goddesses

Wikipedia

World History Encyclopedia

Tumblr Posts

Devotions and Offerings

Epithets

Epithets Part 2!

Introductory Post

Low Energy Devotional Acts

Subtle Worship

Playlists

Athena Greek Goddess

Athena’s Playlist

Devotional Playlist for Athena

Greek Gods: Athena

Videos

Armed Wisdom

Athena: Goddess of Wisdom and Strategic Warfare

How to Work With Athena

Messed-Up Origins of Athena

Quick Witch’s Guide to Working With Athena

Podcasts

The Ancients - Athena

Mythology - Athena, Part One

Mythology - Lady of Athens, Part Two

Other

Subreddit for Athena

[travelingthief]

So, I have a lot of altars. Let's talk about that...

I wanted to make a post about how and why I have so many altars, especially because I have seen some discourse (???) about altars recently. I am going to talk about a couple of points I’ve seen floating around and answer them in a “who, what, when, where, why, and how?” style. For reference, I have around 20-30 altars (depending on how you count them). But before I get into it...

DISCLAIMERS 

YOU DO NOT NEED TO HAVE MULTIPLE ALTARS. One or none is fine! This is my practice that I wanted to share. PLEASE do not come away from this post thinking I’m telling people they need many altars. One or none is absolutely fine. I also recognize that having the amount of altars I do is not historically attested to. Further, it has taken years for my practice to develop, and it’s still developing. Remember folks, never compare your practice to someone else’s!

You may read things in this post that don’t resonate with your practice, and that’s okay. This is my experience. If it’s not for you, that’s okay! I hope you gain some insight into others’ practices from it!

Lastly, I do not care about the altar versus shrine language debate. I prefer altar for my practice, but some of my spaces may fit more into the shrine category. These spaces are dedicated to a deity/deities, and I leave offerings or pray to those deities in front of those spaces. I will be using the term altar throughout this post, because that is my preferred language.

Okay moving on….. 

Who?

I have altars to all of the major deities and many minor ones. For minor deities, I have altars to Tyche, Herakles & Hebe, Aristaeus, Pan, Eros & Psyche, Hermaphroditus, Khione, Gaia, Eirene, Asclepius & Hygeia, Hypnos, Thanatos, & Nyx, Hecate, and Kirke. 

Where?

So, that’s a lot of deities to have altars to! Where in the world am I keeping them?

I am very, very fortunate to live alone and have free rein over my apartment, so I have altars in every room. My Hestia altar is on top of my microwave, my Athena altar is a bookshelf bulging with history, mythology, and philosophy books, my Asclepius and Hygeia altar is on my medicine cabinet in the bathroom, and my Hermes altar is on the table I leave my keys and wallet on. To me, my house feels a bit like a temple. It is a holy space, and my apartment has been an integral part of my faith and worship experience, so it makes sense that I have altars throughout.

Now, what about the rest of them?

I have two pieces of furniture that are perfect for holding many altars. The first is a tv stand that is divided into seven distinct parts. Six of those parts I have altars on, while the seventh piece holds miscellaneous spiritual stuff. The other piece of furniture is a tall, narrow plant stand that does not take up much room, but has eight separate platforms that I use for smaller altars. So there’s 13 altar spaces right there, with the four aforementioned ones, we’re at 17. I have another tv stand that has a section for a DVD player built in. I have my Zeus and Hera altar on top and my Hades and Persephone altar on bottom. I count these as four altars because they feel pretty distinct for each deity. That brings the count to 21. 

I also have a large bookshelf where I keep my Apollo, Aphrodite, and Moon goddesses altar. My moon altar has Artemis, Selene, and Hecate. I have a wall-mounted shelf that holds three altars, and lastly, my nightstand has a cave-like bottom where I keep my Thanatos, Hypnos, and Nyx altar. Again, depending on how you count them, that puts us right between 20 and 30.

So, essentially, because I have free rein over my apartment, use built-in aspects of my apartment (like the medicine cabinet and microwave), and have some accommodating furniture, I have the space to have so many altars. My hobbies are activities that don’t take up too much space; hiking, writing, reading, making art, etc., so I don’t have a bunch of other stuff that I need to fit into my apartment. Thus, I fill it with altars.

It feels relevant to mention that nearly all of my furniture has been hand-me-downs or dumpster-dived. I am not buying furniture pieces specifically to have altars. 

What?

Cool, but what’s on all those altars? 

I’ve been seeing the sentiment go around that you don’t need anything but an icon and an offering bowl on an altar, which is true enough; however, we are still allowed to decorate our altars. 

On my altars, I have pieces of my life. My Khione altar has snowmen crafts I did with my grandmother when I was very young. My Athena altar holds my degrees and books about my field. Art gifted from loved ones, childhood toys, or trinkets my friends gave me have all found homes on my altars. I also have devotional art I’ve done, mementos from events, or things related to my hobbies (like pieces for my telescope). 

I also have items purchased specifically for deities. Most are thrifted, but early on in my practice, I did buy some stuff from corporations (which I no longer do, and may write a post about later!). Thrifted pieces are usually items depicting the deity or related myths (I thrifted an amphora-shaped whiskey bottle that depicts Pentheus being torn apart - I had to get that!), but I have bought most of my statues brand new. Any altar I make has, bare minimum, a candle, a tarot card, and something related to that deity.

When?

When did I start worshiping all of these deities?

Well, early on in my practice (I’m talking the first year), I only worshipped Apollo, Aphrodite, Hermes, Selene, Hades, Persephone, Hestia, and Demeter. As I grew in my faith, I began worshiping other deities like Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Athena, and Hypnos. I have been practicing for nearly five years now, and I built my most recent altar a few months ago. This is very much something I have put time, energy, and thought into and has been years in the making. When I build an altar to a god, it is filled with intention and faith. I feel content with the number of altars I have and don’t think I’ll be adding more anytime soon!

Why?

To me, it just makes sense to worship so many deities. The divine is in every aspect of my life, and altars are one of the ways I honor that. Also, I have the space and energy for so many altars, why wouldn’t I make them? For some deities, I feel like I was called to worship them. For others, I sought out a connection. Either way, I love embracing the polytheistic part of the religion; it is what makes the most sense to me. I plan to write posts about why I worship each individual deity, but for now, please know that each god has a connection to my life in some way. 

How?

I’ve seen the question “how do people have kharis with that many deities?” posed doubtfully when they hear about someone having many altars. I want to point out that calling into question anyone’s kharis is a slippery, slippery slope and should not be normalized. Kharis is between the god and the person. It is not up to outsiders to determine what level of kharis you “should” have. 

Moving on,  I’ll give a rundown of what my day-to-day looks like. I do not hold myself to a *strict* worship schedule because that just simply doesn’t work for me. 

Each moon cycle, I choose a deity to research and focus my worship on. Each day, I spend 30-60 minutes researching that deity, making offerings, doing devotional acts, or meditating with them. This is the only schedule I require for myself, and I've been doing this for about two years. After that, I pray to different deities as they are applicable throughout my day. Herakles when I exercise, Hermes while I drive, Apollo in the sun, Poseidon when I’m by the water, etc., etc.. Each day is something different. I am trying to get better about acknowledging the Theoi more and more as I move throughout my day; work in progress and all that.

I tidy up my altars fairly regularly, and when the mood strikes, I’ll do a deep clean and dust/reorganize them all. Some deities, like Khione or Athena, are worshipped more during certain parts of the year (winter and the academic year), while other deities I pray to daily (like Hermes and Apollo). I do not feel guilty about not praying to every deity daily; that would be impractical. Instead, I have found a way to intertwine my life with the Divine, and I am extraordinarily happy with that.

As a final note, I am happy to answer any good-faith questions, but any critiques of my practice are not welcome. I hope this post has been informative!

[servantofthefates]

How to Speak to the Dead with Tarot

Step 1: State your question.

Speaking aloud while shuffling the cards, ask your higher power to use your deck as a conduit between you and your loved one on the other side. Then state the question you would like to ask the dead.

Step 2: Ask for permission.

Draw and lay the first six cards of the Celtic Cross.

Ace of Cups – The Reason

Why does the querent want to speak to the dead?

Do not choose this card yourself. Your deck will pick it for you. It will have listened to you while you were shuffling.

The High Priestess – The Doubt

What does the querent want the dead to shed light on?

Again, let your deck pick this card.

Four of Wands – The Confirmation

What kind of relationship did the querent and the dead have?

If you had a harmonious relationship, and the card does not reflect this, stop. There is someone else present. Not the one you wish to speak to. Try again later.

Nine of Swords – The Problem

What does the querent need help with from the dead?

Your deck will pick this card for you.

The Chariot – The Permission

Is the dead willing to speak to the querent at this moment?

Cards that show movement, such as The Chariot, count as yes. Stagnant cards, such as The Hanged Man, mean no. Your loved one could be preoccupied or uninterested in your question. Respect their decision.

Temperance – The Initial or Final Message

If the answer is yes to the previous question, what is the first thing the dead wishes to tell the querent? If it is no, is there anything at all that the dead wishes to tell the querent?

If permission is not given, stop here. Say thank you, and try again the next day. If it is given, proceed.

Step 3: Finish the reading.

Six of Swords – The Advice

What advise does the dead impart regarding the querent’s question?

If the outcome later on is negative, taking this advice can improve it. If it is positive, following this advise will ensure it.

The Hermit – The Environment

What does the dead say is surrounding the querent?

The querent will usually agree. If it seems to not resonate, it only means the querent was not aware. It could be a pleasant prediction or a friendly warning.

Seven of Swords – The Hope or Fear

What does the dead believe the querent is hoping for or fearing?

If the card is positive, it is the hope. Otherwise, it is the fear.

Page of Wands, Knight of Cups, Three of Cups – The Ultimate Outcome

What is the dead’s answer to the querent’s question?

These cards are read as one. See how they interact. Look at it as a scene.

Ace of Wands – The Underworld

What does the dead believe can help or hinder the querent?

If the card is positive, it can help. Otherwise, it can hinder.

Step 4: Express your gratitude.

Thank your loved one on the other side for the conversation… your higher power for the permission… and your cards for the connection.

Step 5: Remember the answers.

Note down the cards, or even better, take a picture of the spread to remember your loved one’s messages for you. It is not an option to restart the conversation and ask the same question because you forgot the answers. Tarot does not enjoy it, and the dead downright hate it.