Swamp Frog

A nice frog from the swamp~~ Hellenic Polytheist This blog is kinda like an e-shrine Talk to me anytime!

[charliethefroggo]

･:*+. Intro .:+

Hello! I thought it was about time to introduce myself! So here some things about me. :)

You can call me Charlie

Any pronouns are chill

I’m a Hellenic pagan ✨

I mainly worship Hermes and Apollo, but I’m trying to expand my worship a bit

This is a religious blog for the most part (kinda like an e-shrine)

I also have a more chill and personal blog for my other interests, memes, and rants @casualfroggo

My DMs and asks are always open. I’m always looking for new moots to talk to! :D

See you around!･:*+.

[book-of-forbidden-knowledge]

Magic in Ancient Greece: An Introduction

I have seen some people claim that magic or witchcraft did not exist in Ancient Greece. This is not the case. So, I thought I'd take the opportunity to introduce you all to the strange and wonderful world of Ancient Greek magic!

First, what do we mean by "magic"? Radcliffe Edmonds, one of the leading scholars on Ancient Greek magic, defines "magic" as "non-normative ritual behavior." In short, what makes something magic, and not just normal religion, is that people in a given culture think it's weird. The word "magic" itself refers to the magi, Zoroastrian priests — the Ancient Greeks thought they did magic because to them, Zoroastrianism was foreign and weird. They also thought that Ancient Egyptians could do magic for the same reason — what the Greeks thought was spooky magic was just normal religion in Egypt. Within their own culture, magic was basically heteropraxic religion. Magic was not considered hubristic, at least not inherently.

There are multiple Ancient Greek words that refer to magic. The word μάγος, magos, itself means "magician" or "charlatan." There's also γοητεία, goetia, usually translated as "sorcery." The word most often translated as "witchcraft" is φαρμακεία, pharmakeia, the use of drugs or herbs to transform or influence people. This is what Medea and Circe do.

One of our best sources on Ancient Greek magic is the Greek Magical Papyri, or PGM, a set of magical texts from Hellenistic Egypt. When I first learned about it, I thought it was too good to be true, but here it is: uncorrupted ancient pagan magic! Essentially, the PGM is one of the oldest known grimoires, and the ancestor of the entire Western magical tradition. The papyri contain spells and rituals for almost every purpose: curses, love spells, divination, dream oracles, summoning daimones, necromancy, even full mystical rites. Most of them include invocations to various gods, which are heavily syncretic. Helios/Apollo (treated interchangeably) is invoked the most often. Aphrodite appears pretty often, too. Hekate-Artemis-Selene-Persephone (conflated with a whole bunch of other chthonic goddesses, including Ereshkigal) has her own set of spells. You'll even find the names of Egyptian gods and Hebrew angels in there.

One of the most common features in PGM spells is voces magicae or barbarous names, nonsense words that are supposed to be the secret names of the gods, which give you the authority to call them up. They act almost like a written form of glossolalia. Most are supposed to be spoken or chanted aloud. Some sound like actual names, or are well-known magical epithets like ABRASAX. Some are just strings of Greek vowels. Some of them are palindromic; there's lots of spells that use the "abracadabra" disappearing-letter-triangle format. There's also charakteres, apparently-meaningless magical symbols, the distant ancestor of modern sigils.

Another major source for Ancient Greek magic are defixiones or katadesmoi, curse tablets. They're little lead leafs called lamellae, which are inscribed with curses and then deposited in wells, graves, and other chthonic places. Thousands of them have been found.

Here's the text of a curse tablet that invokes Hekate and Hermes Kthonios (copied from Curse Tablets and Binding Spells from the Ancient World by John G. Gager):

Hermes Khthonios and Hekate Khthonia Let Pherenikos be bound before Hermes Khthonios and Hekate Khthonia. I bind Pherenikos’ [girl] Galene to Hermes Khthonios and to Hekate Khthonia I bind [her]. And just as this lead is worthless and cold, so let that man and his property be worthless and cold, and those who are with him who have spoken and counseled concerning me. Let Thersilochos, Oinophilos, Philotios, and any other supporter of Pherenikos be bound before Hermes Khthonios and Hekate Khthonia. Also Pherenikos’ soul and mind and tongue and plans and the things that he is doing and the things that he is planning concerning me. May everything be contrary for him and for those counseling and acting with…

Another curse tablet, which invokes Hekate to punish thieves, includes a drawing of her and charakteres. This is how she's depicted:

From Curse Tablets and Binding Spells in the Ancient World by John G. Gager

It's supposed to be a woman with three heads and six raised arms, but to me it looks like Cthulhu, which is honestly appropriate.

There was a very fine line between love spells and curses in Ancient Greece. Some love spells in the PGM call upon the spirits of the dead and chthonic gods to torture a poor girl until she submits to the magician. Just as many defixiones attempt to forcefully bind a lover. But there's another, gentler kind of love spell described by Theocritus in Idylls, in which a witch named Simaetha invokes the Moon and Hekate and uses an iynx wheel to make a man love her.

If you want to know how to apply all of this in modern practice, I'm still working that one out. I've found the PGM very hard to adapt, because a lot of its requirements are dangerous or impractical. Many of its spells require gross ingredients worthy of the Scottish play, or plants that scholars can't identify, or procedures that I don't plan on attempting. And if you haven't noticed by now, most of them fly in the face of modern magical ethics. (Don't let anyone tell you that the gods will punish you for doing baneful magic, because that's clearly bullshit.) On the other hand, Crowley adapted his Bornless Ritual almost word-for-word from PGM V. 96—172. So far, the best resource I've found on modernizing Ancient Greek magic is The Hekataeon by Jack Grayle. Its material is clearly historically-inspired, but still doable, and spiritually relevant. I really recommend getting it if you have the means, especially if you have an interest in Hekate specifically. I'm happy to have it as a model for how to adapt ancient magic for myself in the future. To me, it strikes the perfect balance between historically-informed and witchy, which is right where I want to be.

If you can't access that one, here's some other books I recommend:

Drawing Down the Moon: Magic in the Ancient Greco-Roman World by Radcliffe G. Edmonds III: An introduction to Ancient Greek magic, both scholarly and accessible. It covers the definitions and contexts of magic, curses, love spells, divination, theurgy, philosophy, basically everything you need to know.

The Greek Magical Papyri in Translation by Hans Dieter Betz: The definitive English edition of the PGM. A must if you plan to study ancient magic in-depth, especially as a practitioner.

Curse Tablets and Binding Spells in the Ancient World by John G. Gager: An English edition of the texts of many curse tablets.

Magic, Witchcraft, and Ghosts in the Greek and Roman Worlds by Daniel Ogden: a sourcebook of ancient literature concerning magic.

The Golden Ass by Apuleius: A Roman novel about a man who is turned into a donkey by a witch. A very entertaining story, also our source for "Cupid and Psyche" and one of the best sources on the Mysteries of Isis that we have.

Ancient Magic: A Practitioners Guide to the Supernatural in Ancient Greece and Rome by Philip Matyszak: A simple and straightforward introduction to Ancient Greek magic, less scholarly but very easy to follow and directed at practitioners.

[nyxshadowhawk]

A primer on Ancient Greek magic that I wrote up for r/Hellenism. I thought I'd share it here, too!

Follow my side blog @bookofforbiddenknowledge for more occult stuff.

[coinandcandle]

Coin's Sigil Crafting Method

So first things first idk that I'm the first person to use this method but I haven't seen anyone else do it so I figured I'd post it since I found it fun to use.

This method is based on a few forms of creating sigils, drawing inspo from magic squares (specifically the Lo Shu square), planetary squares, and a chart based on an alphanumerical system of the English language. However, they tend to negate the “0” in these charts but I quite like the number “0” so I wanted to add it in. I made this chart for it:

I also decided that I didn’t want it to be on a magic square, not only because my numbers wouldn’t fit neatly in one but because I am not a square kinda guy, I love a round shape. What clicked to me was a pentagram (pentacle in this case), so after trial and error I made this graph:

Why a pentagram? Because pentagrams are an ancient symbol that has been used across different cultures for various reasons. Plus it's a staple symbol in the occult and magical community. It’s also said that the pentagram exhibits the Golden Ratio which probably explains why it's pleasing to look at, so that's neat. Moving on!

Using the common method of writing out a phrase, removing multiples, then turning the letters into numbers, removing those multiples, and finally ending up with a string of numbers, I can craft a sigil. For example:

Also we aren't gunna talk about my shitty handwriting!!!

You can add planetary symbols, alchemical symbols, or other things like runes in the center of the sigil (where the blank part of the pentagram is) if it fits your practice.

Feel free to use this method if it strikes your fancy or let me know if you have any tips on how you would innovate this method!

Here's the digital sigil for those who want it:

Enjoy my posts? Consider leaving me a tip on my ko-fi!~

[coinandcandle]

Feeling stuck? Wanna try something new?

Here are a few things you can do to kick-start the magic juices.

Craft a sigil using a method never used before. Here's mine if you're interested.

Low energy? Check out this 7-day spell crafting method to get you through the week.

Write down a list of your household spices and either research their correspondences or give them your own!

Research a spirit or deity from a culture you've never looked into before. How were they interacted with? How is this different from what you're used to? How is it the same? Here are some research tips btw!

Grab one of your tarot or oracle decks and pick a few cards. Without looking at the meaning, write down what you think the meaning is based off the imagery you see. What does the scenery imply? What about the individual parts? How do they come together to create meaning?

Wanna cook or bake? Here are a few kitchen witchery posts of mine, but also check out @breelandwalker's page and her many recipe round-ups! Follow the recipes or use them as inspiration to craft your own!

Deep dive into the life and death of one of the many occult figureheads throughout history! Here's a list of some of them.

Check out my #weekly witchy questions tag on my page to expand your practice by exploring your beliefs!

Have fun!

[khaire-traveler]

Deities & Entities Masterpost

Deity Work

"Deity Work" info

"All Or Nothing Myth" info

"Some Things A Deity Will Never Do" info

"You Can Casually Work With Deities" tip

"Tips For Working With Deities" tip

"Deities, Entities, & Spirits... Do You Need Them To Practice Witchcraft And Magic?" info

"What Do They Want? Hints For The Headblind" tip

"Different Types Of Deity Work" info

"How To Stop Working With A Deity" answered ask

"Sometimes Deities Leave You" tip

"Being Called By A Deity" answered ask

"Deities Reaching Out To You" answered ask

"Asking A Deity If They Want To Work With You" answered ask

Deity Worship

"Deity Disconnect Got You Down?" info

"Bonding With Your Deities" info

"Inexpensive Offerings" info

"On Offerings And Altars" info

"You Just Gotta Do It" tip

"Falling Out Of Practice" tip

"Do We "Work With" The Gods?" info

"Thanking The Theoi In Ancient Greek" info

"Fun & Easy Habits To Develop As A Pagan" tip

"The Gods Are Within Daily Life" info

"Why Water Is Not A Lazy Offering" info

"Subtle Worship Master List" info & tips

"Hellenic Polytheist Resources (Books)" info & links

"Celebrating Anthesteria" info

"The So-called 'Pillars Of Hellenismos' And Why They're Invalid" info

"How Do We Know What To Take Seriously In Myths And What Not To?" info

"Are altars required for worship?" info

Reassurance

"The Gods Don't Judge Small Behaviors" reassurance

"The Gods, Your Potential, And Your Limits" info

"Your Deity Relationships Are Valid" reassurance

"Loving Yourself As Offering" tip

"The Gods Love Transfolk" ask response

"Faith Can Be Inconsistent" reassurance

"Gods Make Worthy What They Touch" reassurance

"Gods Cheer For Us" reassurance

"You Get Who You Ask For" info

"When You Just Can't Worship..." reassurance

"When You Feel Like You're Asking Too Much" advice

"Actually, Your Deities DO Love You" reassurance

Spirit Work

"A Bad Spirit" info

"When You Shouldn't Be Working With Entities" tip

"How To Know If An Entity Is Who You Think It Is" info

General

"What Is UPG, SPG, And VPG?" info

"How To Pray - Resources" info

"Deity Tip - Reaching Out" tip

"Deity Tip - Offerings" tip

"Pagan Pro Tips" tip

"How To Tell If You've Received A Sign" tip

"Deity Communication 101" info

"So You've Been Contacted By A Closed Deity..." info

"Deity Deep Dives Masterpost" info

"Respecting The Gods" tip

"Ways Gods Can Contact You" info

"Trying To Narrow Which Deities Are Contacting You" tip

"How To Get Started With Deities" info

"Meditating With Your Deities!" info

"The Gods Do Pass Judgements" rant

"There Is A Middle Ground" ramble

"It's Ok For A God To Be Upset With You" ramble

"How Do I Get Started With Paganism?" answered ask

"How To Offer To The Theoi" info

"Yes, Because I Want To" ramble

"Is It The Gods, An Imposter/Trickster Spirit, Or Your Own Trauma?" info

"Bigotry Is Not Authentic" rant

"The Gods Hear Our Silent Prayers" info

"The Nine Muses" & "Offering Ideas For The Muses" separate posts

"Sniffing Out The Bullshit: Spotting Misinformation" info

"Low Effort Ways To Connect With The Gods" tips

"Removing Offerings From Altars" info

"Finding A Deity You Fit With" tip

"Ask What An Entity/Deity Looks Like" tip

"Training For Trancework" info

"Ways To Connect With Your Deities" tips

"Dreams From Deities" tips

"On Doubt And Faith" tip

[carbon-heart]

To Bewitch Another

Get a bit of good paper (not printer paper) and fold it three times. On one of the three squares, write their name in red, and cross it by writing your own over top of it. On another, write this rhyme.

"Drawn from my hand, as red as wine,

around their heart a spell to wind,

engulfed by crimson ink's dark flood,

on parchment signed, my word as blood."

On the final square, kiss the paper.

Fold it up, written side in, and keep it on your person.

[nando161mando]

oops! it seems i tripped and dropped several million free books, papers, and other resources

https://annas-archive.org

https://sci-hub.se

https://z-lib.is

https://libgen.is

https://libgen.rs

https://www.pdfdrive.com

https://library.memoryoftheworld.org

https://monoskop.org/Monoskop

https://libcom.org

https://libretexts.org

http://classics.mit.edu

https://librivox.org

https://standardebooks.org

https://www.gutenberg.org

https://core.ac.uk

[30fury]

our lady hekate trimorphis ✷ to her goes a part of land, a part of sea, and a part of heaven

[seblester]

'Per Aspera Ad Astra' — Latin for 'Through Hardship To The Stars'

[shrine-of-the-theoi]

Khaire Lady Aphrodite

Excited for Friday 13th for I'm planning to set up a physical altar!!!

[son-of-many-deactivated20260202]

praise Demeter and Hestia this cereal is really fucking good

[adharaantheia]

A simple prayer for love

Aphrodite Ærohtotróphos,

You who are mother of love

You who knows my aching heart as no one

Bless me with someone who my heart would creates songs

Someone who would see me

And who would fight against my insecurities

Please make it be.

You who are the owner of the prettiest locks of hair

Make someone love as easily it is to breathe the air

Make my love never leave

And to make him see

My eyes, my smile and my body.

Please make it be.

Please make him love me.

[adharaantheia]

Is Eros Welcomed inside your Heart?

Adhara's post introduction: Hello, lovebugs! I promise to post the other posts that I put in the pull for yall to vote, but I thought this post was more important! Hope you all like it!

Eros is the God of Love, he is love in the form of a beautiful young man with wings, bow and arrows. But is he welcomed in your life?

Do you love someone? And if you love this someone, do you act like you don't? Like this feeling will pass, that is nothing, that "no I do not like them, why would I? I don't have a chance anyway."

But are you certain that you want to push Eros away? He, the Ærastís (Beloved); he who is Ærohmanǽoh (Mad for love), but also Ærohmanís (maddened by love)? Do you truly want that, lovebug?

Eros is love in the fullest, let him enter your heart and make his home there, let him guide you towards the love you deserve. Devote yourself to him, worship him and he'll compensate you in ways you cannot imagine, trust me, you would not regret it.

Other Epithets of him are:

Æróhmænos - He/she who is loved by the lover;

Ærohtiáoh - To be lovesick;

Évdromos ormíi - He who strikes quickly.

Idýs - Sweet, pleasant.

To know more about the importance of Epithets, click here

[zpyt1hneva16]

Apollo Proupsius

(the foreseeing)

Pls don't tell me I am the only one who asociates Apollo with fortune telling

[rosary-enthusiast]

One of my favorite depictions of Artemis is Artemis of Ephesus, the statue that was once venerated in the Temple of Artemis, an ancient world wonder. It’s a particularly ancient interpretation of Artemis, with several aspects from places outside of Greece, such as Mesopotamia & Persia. Her cult was far reaching, & quite popular, even amongst foreigners.

She’s a very striking figure, with a unique artistic style representing what is usually interpreted as the mother of the forest. The breast-like shapes on her chest are debated. It’s possible that they do indeed represent breasts, but possible interpretations also include severed bull testicles which may have been put on the original statue, which was destroyed in a fire, or a part of her clothes or armor, since they were colored differently to the rest of her skin.

Apart from her beauty, I find her interesting partially because Artemis’ aspect as a mother figure is something easy to forget about, considering her lack of male lovers, & her maidenhood, is a key part of her characterization, especially during the Hellenistic era. However, to me at least, her caring aspects are very important. She is said to care for children, & pregnant mothers, as well as animals & nature. She is a very empathetic goddess, & I feel like her depiction in Ephesus is evidence of that.

[cherrichai]

e-offering to Lord Apollo 𖤓

Paeon Apollon, deliver us from ill health. Pray that your healing light protect us and our loved ones. May you and your son, Asklepios, guide the hands of skilled health professionals to cure all ailments, mental and physical, so that in our good health we may appreciate your greatness and worship you, Apollo Aegle'tes. I ask that you bring light to the families suffering with uncertainty and hopelessness.

[gayeilgeoir]

Xenia means you help your neighbours escape immigration police

Xenia means you feed, house, and respect the homeless, regardless of what got them there

Xenia means you do the work to unlearn racism, misogyny, homophobia, ableism and transphobia

Xenia means (with obvious exceptions) you treat criminals and felons as human beings worthy of dignity and respect

Xenia means you make your environments less overstimulating if you know you’ll be with an autistic person

Xenia means Fuck the police

Xenia means you talk to the elderly neighbour who’s living on their own, and has nobody in their life

Xenia means respecting your trans friends identity even when they’re not present