do you have any tips for how to worship dionysus while staying sober? i quit drinking a year ago but before that i had felt the strongest connection to dionysus, and i still do, i just feel a bit cautious now that ive given up the main thing that so many people suggest as an offering/way to connect to him
hello lovely. I'm very glad you asked this of me because I have also struggled with addiction before and during my worship of Dionysos. I empathize with your situation a lot so i hope you find my input helpful for you :)
first thing I will say is that Dionysos is far from simply the God of alcohol or intoxication. He is a God of wilderness, vegetation and agriculture, theater, the arts, mental health, dance, ancient mysteries, celebration, and much more. I would suggest looking into His other domains and seeing how you relate to them. He is often portrayed as "fun party wine God" in pop culture and various circles, but He has a lot of complexity and is a very very ancient Deity. there's bound to be a non-intoxicating aspect of Him that you can incorporate into your worship.
furthermore, Dionysos is a God of sobriety. a feature of the Theoi is duality within Their domains, especially with Gods like Dionysos who encompass duality. I have seen His epithets Sôtêrios (Savior, Recovery) and Lysios (Releaser, of release) used as Epithets of recovery from madness and addiction.
finally, my biggest piece of advice would be to completely reapproach your worship. this is to help psychologically combat any association your mind may have formed between Dionysos and your addiction. it's known that being in places or situations where your vice was previously indulged makes cravings reappear or feel stronger. if you felt very close to Dionysos during active addiction, you may have an unconscious association between drinking and the sight of His shrine/His presence.
i used to share my vices with Dionysos as an offering or devotion. when i began sobriety, I got rid of a lot of His shrine items, I rearranged the shrine in a completely new place, and i began to worship Him in a new context. approaching Him in a completely new space helped me a lot in breaking the association I had formed between His space and my vice.
overall, sober worship of Dionysos is common even if it is less spoken of. many of us (including me) are recovering addicts who turn to Him for relief and guidance. i connect most with His nature-based and primordial aspects nowadays. I can't think of much else to say so i hope this advice helps you. also, I'm very proud of you for your sobriety and congratulations on one year !
this post is definitely open to any other sober Dionysos worshippers or former addict polytheists. I'd love to hear your story and/or input on the matter :)
