im starting a small business to help fund my college and medication and I don't know where else to ask 🥹 does anyone here know how to promote products or at least use Gumroad?
not a vent post but uhh i havent felt like praying in a few days, and it has made me feel disconnected to my deities. but i am still able to perform some devotional acts and it does make me feel a bit better :') even if i'm not really doing that well, the gods are still with me, and they are waiting for me with open arms <3
Hello there! So... Hellenic polytheism has a lot of words, and they can get confusing. It's hard to keep track of so many things! So I thought I would make a list of a whole bunch of common, or maybe not-so-common terms in Hellenic polytheism! Honestly, I really just wanted to make a really long informative post, so here you all go!
If there is any term you would like me to add to this list, let me know and I will gladly add it! Also, at the bottom of this post, I will link other posts where people have done an absolutely amazing job going into detail about one or more of these terms, or maybe others I chose not to include in this list!
Hellenic/Hellenismos/Hellenistic/Helpol
If you’re on helpol tumblr, or really any helpol-focused social media, you’ve heard all of these terms, and you may be wondering… which is the right term for the religion?
Hellenic: of or relating to Greece, its people, or its language specifically: of or relating to ancient Greek history, culture, or art before the Hellenistic period (Merriam-Webster). Basically, Hellenic means Greek.
Hellenism: devotion to or imitation of ancient Greek thought, customs, or styles; Greek civilization especially as modified in the Hellenistic period by influences from southwestern Asia; a body of humanistic and classical ideals associated with ancient Greece and including reason, the pursuit of knowledge and the arts, moderation, civic responsibility, and bodily development (Merriam-Webster). Basically, Hellenism means relating to Greek culture.
Hellenismos: Hellenism, but closer to what the word is in Greek, to my understanding.
Hellenistic: of or relating to Greek history, culture, or art after Alexander the Great (Merriam-Webster) The Hellenistic Period refers to 323-31 BCE, from the death of Alexander the Great to the rise of Augustus in Rome.
Hellenic Polytheism (Helpol): Hellenic polytheism, which would literally mean "The worship of more than one Greek god" is generally thought to be the best term for the worship of Hellenic (Greek) gods. And in my opinion, it makes the most sense!
Theoi
Theoi is the ancient Greek word for the Gods. There are many "Types" (sort of) of Theoi, including Theoi Einalioi, Theoi Georgikoi, Theoi Gamelioi, Theoi Kthonioi, Theoi Ouranioi, Theoi Olympioi, Theoi Nomioi, and the Theoi Titanes (Theoi.com) Most commonly mentioned of these "types" of the theoi are Ouranic and Kthonic. Many (if not most or all) gods fit in to more than one of these categories, for example, Lady Aphrodite is part of the Theoi Einalioi (Sea), Theoi Gamelioi (Marriage), Theoi Ouranioi (Sky), and Theoi Olympioi (Olympian).
Ouranic: The Theoi Ouranioi, or Ouranic deities are the gods of the sky. Offerings to Ouranic deities can be eaten, and when praying, palms are traditionally facing up.
Kthonic: The Theoi Kthonioi, or Kthonic deities are the gods of the earth and underworld. Offerings shouldn’t be eaten and when praying, hands are typically down towards the ground.
Khaire/Xaire
Khaire, chaire, or xaire (Greek: χαίρε) Is a Greek greeting, meaning “hello”, “hail”, “rejoice”, “goodbye”, or “farewell”. However, to my understanding it is not used in modern Greek, though it’s plural, χαίρετε, is occasionally used in formal settings.
I have personally seen many helpols use the spelling “khaire” as a greeting, while the spelling “xaire” to mean hail or rejoice. As far as I can tell, this is just their personal preference.
Purification
Miasma: “Stain”, “Defilement”, “Pollution”. Miasma refers to being extremely ritually impure, and one who is miasmic should not approach the Gods. However, you likely do not have miasma. Miasma comes from murder, incest, assault, and other extremely serious crimes. Miasma affects its surroundings, and can make the area around it also impure. Without the proper purification, miasmic individuals should not approach the Gods.
Lyma: “dirt”. Lyma is impurity one naturally picks up from the world around them. Humans are not naturally impure, but they can pick up lyma on a normal day to day basis. Examples of lyma include being around/giving birth, blood, being around death/the dead, literal dirt, etc. Having lyma is not necessarily a bad thing, but it’s best to wash it away (most people in modern day and in ancient Greece to my knowledge simply wash their hands in running water) before approaching the Gods, similar to washing your hands before dinner. It’s just more respectful.
Khernips: Khernips refers to a flame doused in water and is basically a fancy way of purification. Most of the time, you don’t need to use khernips to rid yourself of lyma, you can just use regular running water, but some prefer to use khernips all the time.
Kharis
Kharis at its most basic definition is a reciprocal relationship with the gods. This means not asking for things without giving anything in return, such as praying for big things without an offering to go with it. Kharis goes both ways, so if you give an offering, a god will often respond to your request.
Xenia
Xenia, meaning “guest-friendship” and “hospitality”, is often thought to be an important ideal in Hellenic Polytheism. Many take it to mean inclusivity and kindness to everyone, including strangers. In ancient Greece, xenia was thought to be important because there was always a chance that a guest could be a god in disguise.
Hubris
“exaggerated pride or self-confidence […] In classical Greek tragedy, hubris was often a fatal shortcoming that brought about the fall of the tragic hero. Typically, overconfidence led the hero to attempt to overstep the boundaries of human limitations and assume a godlike status, and the gods inevitably humbled the offender with a sharp reminder of their mortality.” - Merriam-Webster. Basically, hubris is putting oneself at the same or higher level than the Theoi.
Offerings
Offerings: Gifts to the gods. Common offerings include foods, art, music, trinkets that remind you of the god the offering is for, etc.
Libations: Liquid offerings to the gods. Libations can be poured on the ground or into a container. Common libations include wine and water (though I personally like to offer Diet Coke, but that’s just me)
Devotional Acts: Things done in honor of the gods. Often, these are used as a more subtle way of offering. An example of a devotional act would be for Lady Aphrodite, doing one’s skincare/makeup, or spending time with a loved one.
Patron
In modern helpol spaces, I often see the word patron used to mean a god one closely worships. However, in ancient Greece, a patron god was one who held dominion over certain aspects of your life, such as your job, hobbies, identity, or where you lived. For example, Lady Athena is the patron of Athens, and Lord Hermes is the patron of travelers and thieves.
Epithets
An epithet is “a descriptive term (word or phrase) accompanying or occurring in place of a name”, sometimes described as a nickname. Epithets often refer to qualities of the one they are given too, whether by appearance (ex. Bright-Eyed Athena), personality (ex. Zeus the Merciful), history (ex. Sea foam born Aphrodite), or actions (Swift-Footed Achilles). Gods and some heroes have epithets.
Reconstructionism/Revivalism
Reconstructionism and Revivalism are two different ways of practicing helpol (not specific to helpol, but I’m just talking about that here). When done respectfully, neither is wrong, nor better/worse than the other.
Reconstructionism: “Reconstructionism attempts to re-establish genuine polytheistic religions in the modern world through a rediscovery of the rituals, practices and contextual worldviews of pre-Christian pagan religions.” In other words, reconstructionists attempt to recreate the religious practices of ancient times as closely as possible (while usually modifying some things such as animal sacrifice that aren’t as acceptable nowadays).
Revivalism: Revivalism refers to those who practice in a more modern way, while still keeping in mind the ancient traditions. An example of something that a revivalist might do is a digital offering, something that would not have been possible in ancient Greece.
UPG, SPG, and VPG
Unverified Personal Gnosis: UPG refers to an experience, belief, or association with a deity that isn't backed up historically. UPGs are personal, and others may or may not agree with or share them.
Shared Personal Gnosis: SPG, also known as PVPG (Peer Verified Personal Gnosis), refers to experiences, beliefs, or associations shared by many worshippers of certain deities. Though they don't hold as much weight as beliefs backed up historically, they tend to hold more weight than UPGs.
Verified Personal Gnosis: VPG means that an experience, belief, or association someone has is backed up by historical sources.
Great Helpol Resources
These are mostly just some amazing other tumblr posts that have helped me a lot and also explain some of these terms in more detail/better than I have.
Xenia and UPG vs SPG vs VPG ~ @beautyofaphrodite (me)
Miasma, Lyma, and Khernips ~ @sisterofiris
Beginner’s Guide to Hellenic Polytheism ~ @wisdom-devotee
Ouranic, Kthonic, and Einalic ~ @pietyandpearls
Blogs such as @khaire-traveler and @atheneum-of-you are also amazing! khaire-traveler has some great subtle worship posts, and atheneum-of-you has some amazing and very well researched informative posts.
As always, if something I mentioned is wrong, weirdly worded, confusing, I missed something, etc, please please please let me know and I’ll do my best to fix it! Much love 🫶
You do what you'd do for all the other Gods: pray and offer a glass of water. That's it.
I'm against the fandomification of deities so I won't suggest a casual approach. Treat him like an elder(*), be respectful, don't do or offer more than what you can - keep it simple. He's probably the most gentle in the pantheon, he won't bite.
Don't start with all the "study history of medicine, learn to make herbal teas, be a healing presence, etc." that everyone always suggests. Those are awful and useless advice. It's just food for your spiritual burnout and stuff that makes zero sense if you don't know who you're praying to. Show up for a while and then see if there's something that interests you - devotional acts aren't always about what a deity does, they can also be what you want to do for them. Maybe in a couple of months you'll develop an unrestrainable desire to (idk, e.g.) learn how to make origami and dedicate the effort to Asclepius because you'll think it suits your style of devotion.
There's a lot of stuff to read but I wouldn't suggest it if you're just starting, I don't know how familiar you are with (ancient) Greek mythology/literature so I won't make lists, but the page about him on theoi.com is a good place to learn something and eventually branch out and read the sources.
(*) This includes not approaching him as just a child of Apollo. In some places, he had the dignity of an emperor and a cosmic function - it's more than being the son of some other god. As Aelius Aristides wrote in the Sacred Tales, Asclepius is King because whatever he orders, humanity gladly obeys.
hello! thank you so much for replying, i read everywhere and none provided me with information i needed (and it was mostly, as you said the fandomification of it), also the suggestions that stated to "study medicine" is something i already kind of do? im a student studying medicine lol. so, did you mean that offerings should just be from the heart, as long as it fits my type of devotion? i never knew that! i always thought the gods would only accept something from or related to their domains. thank you for telling me!
also, funny story, but i worked in a lab and everywhere held signs of Hermes' Caduceus instead of Asclepius' staff so I kind of went around telling people the sign is wrong 😭
The suggestion about not studying the history of medicine as a devotional activity is still valid - especially if you do it as part of your profession. I guarantee you that when you link religion with your mundane life you'll begin to panic if things start going weird. You'll suddenly see signs and sync things unrelated to one another trying to justify your failings as religious punishment. Don't do it. If you become a doctor/nurse you can take the Oath of Hippocrates more seriously than your peers, but until then I don't encourage it.
As for the "deity of x only wants x", that's just protestant biblical literalism in a pagan context and lack of access to books and papers written by historians/archaeologists. Standard offerings are food/water/trinkets/writings (if you're the kind of person who writes as a hobby, also historically accurate), and you can give anything to anyone. The general rule is to offer what you have and what is local to your area because it's simpler and it's a good way to localize your practice.
If you want to read something useful (but dated - the theory of the existence of a hero cult for Asclepius is no longer credited) you can read Asclepius : a collection and interpretation of the testimonies, and Aelius Aristides's Sacred Tales (if english is your first language that can be harder to find a pdf of the translation) if you want some interesting primary sources (it's the personal diary of a man with many health issues, and the style is similar to hagiography).
i see, maybe i have been approaching this the way i was taught since i was a child (christian household). the whole "anger this god and you're doomed for all eternity" thing is probably still carved deep in my bones, so im really worried about offending the gods, though a lot of people have said they are not that easy to anger. working on it though!
and thank you for providing me with references (?), i tried opening the link but i couldn't download the file, I'll look from other sources to see if I'm able to save it. also, may i ask what's the original language for the text Aelius Aristides' Sacred Tales? i found a TON online, all with varying pages and translations, so I'm not quite sure if I'm reading the correct one.
i have not touched my tarot deck in a long while, because deep down im still scared, scared of being caught and ostracized by my own family, but deeper down i want to hold it again, for it to help me communicate to those i hold great love and respect for
You do what you'd do for all the other Gods: pray and offer a glass of water. That's it.
I'm against the fandomification of deities so I won't suggest a casual approach. Treat him like an elder(*), be respectful, don't do or offer more than what you can - keep it simple. He's probably the most gentle in the pantheon, he won't bite.
Don't start with all the "study history of medicine, learn to make herbal teas, be a healing presence, etc." that everyone always suggests. Those are awful and useless advice. It's just food for your spiritual burnout and stuff that makes zero sense if you don't know who you're praying to. Show up for a while and then see if there's something that interests you - devotional acts aren't always about what a deity does, they can also be what you want to do for them. Maybe in a couple of months you'll develop an unrestrainable desire to (idk, e.g.) learn how to make origami and dedicate the effort to Asclepius because you'll think it suits your style of devotion.
There's a lot of stuff to read but I wouldn't suggest it if you're just starting, I don't know how familiar you are with (ancient) Greek mythology/literature so I won't make lists, but the page about him on theoi.com is a good place to learn something and eventually branch out and read the sources.
(*) This includes not approaching him as just a child of Apollo. In some places, he had the dignity of an emperor and a cosmic function - it's more than being the son of some other god. As Aelius Aristides wrote in the Sacred Tales, Asclepius is King because whatever he orders, humanity gladly obeys.
hello! thank you so much for replying, i read everywhere and none provided me with information i needed (and it was mostly, as you said the fandomification of it), also the suggestions that stated to "study medicine" is something i already kind of do? im a student studying medicine lol. so, did you mean that offerings should just be from the heart, as long as it fits my type of devotion? i never knew that! i always thought the gods would only accept something from or related to their domains. thank you for telling me!
also, funny story, but i worked in a lab and everywhere held signs of Hermes' Caduceus instead of Asclepius' staff so I kind of went around telling people the sign is wrong 😭
I strongly believe that you do not have to be “experienced” to post about your religion or practices. You are allowed to share your thoughts, and your beliefs, and the things that are important to you regardless of how long you’ve been practicing.
The important thing is to remember that everyone’s practice is unique and there is no single “correct” way to practice when it comes to worshiping the gods. Don’t let yourself fall into thinking your beliefs and practices are the “right ones”. If they feel right to you, they are right for you…but that doesn’t mean they’re right for everyone else. Be kind and respectful to paths that are different from your own. Every person alive has at least one thing you could learn from them.
whew haven't posted here in a while (life is busyyyy) but i caught a really nasty cold that had me having a fever for 3 days straight, i was crying and begging for it to go away cus i have to start work, i just lit my incense, prayed, and hoped for the best AND IT DID!! woke up at 5 am, fever gone and motivated (thanks apollo i guess you liked my raspy ass singing) (i work in a laboratory as a trainee medical technologist btw lol)
also, i bought a new batch of incense sticks, turns out sandalwood smells... like it's definitely something! 😃
