Call me Coriander

24 || he/him || Hellenic polytheist

[coriander-candlesticks]

Hello!

You can call me Coriander or Jay. Figured I'd make a proper intro post instead of the ramble that was pinned before lol

~ 24 y/o

~ The blog I follow back from ( @thats-a-lot-of-cortisol ) is 18+, so while minors are welcome to follow and interact here, I will not be following any back or responding to DMs from minors.

~ He/Him, 🏳️‍⚧️

~ I'm a Hellenic polytheist/pagan and use those terms interchangeably.

~ I will sometimes use the phrase "devotional activities/offerings" to refer to activities done as an offering to the gods because that's a common & succinct way to put it, but I want to make it clear that I am not a devotee of any gods, just a worshipper.

~ My hearth cult includes Hestia, Apollo, Hermes, Hephaestus, and Aphrodite at this time.

~ I'm a multidisciplinary artist! I draw, knit, crochet, sculpt with air dry and polymer clays, and have dabbled in painting, embroidery, weaving, spinning, and natural yarn dyeing.

~ Asks are always welcome! If I can't answer your question I'll point you in the direction of a person or resource who can.

~ I may liveblog some of the books I read if I have Opinions™ about them! If you don't want to see those, block the tag/words "coriander reads".

Currently reading: Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics, translated by Robert C. Bartlett & Susan D. Collins

~ I'm autistic and have ADHD, as well as a myriad of mental and physical health issues. If I don't reply to someone or go inactive suddenly I'm fine, I'm just lurking or don't have the energy to respond.

~ I don't tolerate generative AI on my blog. I will block anyone who I notice uses it. If I have accidentally reblogged something that is AI generated, please let me know!

~ I believe that nuanced (even difficult) conversations are incredibly important, and I do not believe that religious and spiritual practices are above criticism. I will not entertain the bashing of any part of the reconstructionist-eclectic spectrum, however.

🕯️ Folkists, zionists, racists, queerphobes, and bigots of all stripes are not welcome. Xenia does not extend to those whose beliefs inherently harm their fellow man and you will not find a resting place here. 🕯️

[devoted-to-the-gods]

Hellenic polytheists and Hellenic pagans, do you disclose your religion / faith when asked by medical professionals?

Yes

Sometimes, depends on person or office

Never

No, but you wish you could

Other- Feel free to reply or rb to answer!

Remaining time: 1 day 11 hours

*I hope I worded the question okay 😭*

[antflights]

Couldn't tell you if i like this or not but whatever,

🌈 Iris concept

[adeltte]

"The gods are not your friends" is slowly turning into bad advice; let me explain...

It worked first when it was said to people who treated the gods like charaters instead of religious figures. It worked when it was said towards people who expect the gods to do everything for them. I think the problem comes from people phrasing it like how parents say "I'm not one of your little friends", like.. you're right.. but it's a horrible way to word it.

Then people thinking "do the gods hate me", "will I be punished for my small mistake", and other similar things found the phrase. I legitimately think a lot of people would benefit from treating the gods like their friends. If you're accidentally disrespectful, give them an offering and apologize. If you said something wrong/ were uneducated, learn and do better in the future. The gods won't abandon you for one small mistake or the actions of others around you. This is without even going into kharis and how you wouldn't ask strangers or colleagues you don't talk to for help on big things without paying them back properly.

So: no, the gods aren't your friends, but you should treat them as well as you'd treat your friends. And if you disagree, you should probably learn to be a better friend. <3

[tenjin-no-shinja]

Translating Identity

The difficulties of discussing Japanese spirituality in English

A fascinating read!

[brimo5]

???

Regincís i Oliva, Gods and Goddesses in the Smagardos mines, p127-128

[kohlfeather]

Hermes is just Hat Man and I love that

[maniadepressive]

May Dionysus grant you swift mental recovery.

[slewfootwitch]

In case you need someone to tell you this, people are going to dislike you and your practice. And there's nothing you can do to categorically avoid that. Sometimes it will be because of something you did or because of disparate views/personalities; sometimes it will be because of their own issues. But you can't stop it.

You can't make yourself small enough or palatable enough to please everyone. So, you should do what feeds your soul. You should build the practice that aligns with you. You should build or seek out the community that uplifts and supports you and fits your personality. Do what makes you you (apply nuance as necessary), and don't worry about what other people think about it. They're not living their life for you, and you don't owe them yours.

[fernthewhimsical]

I was thinking about making a rainbow spread based on the pride flag colours, but Interrobang Tarot beat me to it! Not only that, it's part of a free e-book with seven queer inspired spreads! Go check it out

[apiswitchcraft]

check out this awesome tarot spread for pride!!

[evanxhunter]

The Myths of Hestia

The myths associated with this goddess are rare.

In the Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite, Apollo and Poseidon pursue her with their attentions, but Hestia refuses their proposals and swears upon the Styx, touching Zeus’s head, to remain a virgin forever — just like Artemis and Athena. In return, Zeus grants her the privilege of being honored in every human home and in all temples. The myth was probably invented by the author to emphasize her main characteristics: Hestia is a virgin and unchanging goddess.

She is depicted on vases taking part in the procession of the gods during the wedding of Peleus and Thetis; a kylix portrays her on Olympus with the other gods, and another shows her alongside Aphrodite witnessing Heracles’ arrival on Olympus.

When Plato stages the procession of the Olympians in the Phaedrus, he specifies that Hestia is not part of it, because she remains permanently on Olympus.

Ovid mentions an attempt by Priapus to violate her honor (mentioned earlier under Attributes & Correspondences). One day, the gods gather for a rustic banquet. After eating and drinking well, everyone falls asleep. Hestia falls asleep apart from the others, lying in the grass. Priapus — a fertility god, ithyphallic, protector of gardens and flocks — sees her and is overcome with desire. He quietly approaches with the intention of assaulting her while she sleeps. Just as he is about to act, a donkey suddenly brays loudly, waking Hestia and all the guests. She cries out, the gods awaken, and Priapus is humiliated and driven away.

The “myth” according to which Hestia gave up her place among the Twelve Olympians to Dionysus is now widespread on the Internet and in some modern works, but strictly speaking, there is no clear ancient source recounting this story. The article by Fabienne S. Morgana explains that the idea mainly comes from Robert Graves’s 1955 book The Greek Myths. Graves recounts that Hestia, goddess of the hearth and domestic peace, voluntarily relinquished her Olympian throne to make room for Dionysus, god of wine, ecstasy, and theater, in order to prevent quarrels among the gods. Symbolically, the image works very well: Hestia represents the unmoving center of the hearth, while Dionysus embodies movement, intoxication, and transgression. However, the ancient texts cited by Graves — notably the Bibliotheca and the writings of Pausanias — never state that Hestia renounced her seat.

In reality, in ancient Greek religion there was no single fixed and universal list of the “Twelve Olympian Gods.” Depending on the city and the period, some groups included Dionysus, while others included Hestia. The story of an official transfer of the throne therefore appears to be a modern, poetic, and symbolic reconstruction rather than a genuine attested ancient myth. Nevertheless, the appeal of this story remains strong, because it contrasts two complementary forces of Greek culture: the stable and sacred hearth of Hestia versus the vital and chaotic impulse of Dionysus.

Although the myths provide us with some information about the goddess, I would like to remind you that they are above all stories, not literal truth. They are stories written by humans, for humans. We have therefore attributed human behaviors to divinities, and they should not be taken at face value.

[vigilantlight]

Regional Variation within Hellenic Polytheism

I feel like not enough time is spent in HelPol spaces discussing the regional variation of the religion, beyond occasional hat-tips to the preference shown to certain theoi in certain regions. In an attempt to get many thoughts out of my head in an orderly fashion, some blurbs: ಄ The majority of helpols are, whether consciously or unconsciously, practicing more or less a variation of Athenian (or generally Attican) polytheism. This is just due to source survival bias. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this, but it often isn't discussed openly, nor do many authors take the time to specify that we're aware in the records of regional variance. ಄ Additionally, records hugely skew towards civil worship (as opposed to household or rural worship), which both reinforces the regional bias towards more heavily developed at the time regions of Greece and obscures by ommission many aspects of daily life for the average Hellene that we can now only really infer ಄ Cultural conflation is an issue here, and one that does matter. Although certainly no one is arguing that Thessaly is any more or less Greek than Laconia, the way we interpret the idea of a unified 'ancient Greek culture' is very modern, and removes a great deal of political and cultural context. Responsible reconstruction requires acknowledgement of both intracultural and intercultural forces, and the fuzziness of the boundaries between what is and isn't 'the same culture'. As modern, often foriegn, practitioners we need to be careful that we're not partaking in intermingling regional disparities based purely on preference without acknowledging the complexity of their origins.

಄ That said, what we do know of the differences region by region are difficult to compare in a direct manner, both because to do so would often water down the nuances of why things developed differently, and also because exceedingly few of our primary sources engage in such comparison through the lens of the time. Instead, I believe that regional examination should be done in as holistic a contained manner as possible, and the urge to compare be treated a secondary to the need to see how complete a given picture can be on its own first.

಄ It is, at times, treated as a sort of badge of honor to go out of your way to not center Attican HelPol in your personal practice. Quite simply, stop that. Specifically I'm staring at some of the exotification of Laconia/Sparta that goes on in certain spaces. By all means, decenter Athens. But there's nothing morally superior or inferior about reconstructing based more on one region than another. ಄ There is nothing inherently wrong with using information we have about the regions with more surviving record to fill in the gaps of how we understand those towards which we do not. This is a very intuitive and academically sound way of trying to gain a clearer understanding of the landscape. But this should be done knowingly, and not because it's become normalized for authors to not bother to specify what comes from where, where relevant. ಄ If you've ever wondered about some of those unsual, fringe epithets for your deities that seem incongruent from most of their aspects, look into their regional worship and the surviving folk belief of their major hubs of antiquity. It very, very often answers the question.

[homey-worshiper]

more hestia's little pigs

those little guys are my favourite thing to make now

[coriander-candlesticks]

Header I finished for Dionysus's page on the Epithet Database! It turned out so well, I'm so proud of it

If you want to contribute, you can see a list of the theoi who still need headers here (except for Artemis and Nemesis- they've been claimed already).

[ace-angelicpagan]

Searching for Artists!

The poll has ended and we'll be switching to modern art for the epithet database! So we are now collecting art to use for the site!

If you are interested in drawing a header for the database, please claim the deity by replying to this post. it is first come, first serve for the gods so be sure to claim a deity quickly!

Important Notes :

The canvas should be 3100 x 1500 for computer software or 1550x750 for phone software. Try to fit important details in the middle of the header rather then on the sides to avoid anything getting cut off when viewed with a computer.

You are allowed to use old art as long as the image fits a 45 x 10 in sizing!

This is a volunteer project. We ask that artists volunteer their art as we unfortunately cannot compensate. however, if you have commissions available, we can link those alongside your credit info!

Headers should only depict the deity for that page. Please do not add any extra deities in the header.

Headers will need to be approved. We want the deity to be recognizable either as a human, humanoid, or animal.

Nothing offensive to the gods and absolutely no ai art allowed.

The due date for any art submissions is one and a half months after you sign up.

Files should be submitted in JPEG, PNG, or SVG!

Need an example? We already have a piece finalized for the database from one of our server members!

Computer view

Tumblr kills the quality of images OOF

Phone view

Deities available

Deities will be removed as they are claimed.

Ares

Artemis

Eros

Persephone

Poseidon

Zagreus

Nemesis

Thanatos

Extra slots

Home page header (replaces the temple image)

Home page image (replaces the statue image)

[ace-angelicpagan]

Still looking for some artists to claim the deities listed above for the database! Please reach out if you're interested!

[blessednereids]

This is your annual reminder that “The 7 Pillars of Hellenic Polytheism” were not made in antiquity. They hold no true binding to Hellenic Polytheism as a religion as these Pillars were not followed in Ancient Greece—Or at any time until the last decade or so

They are, of course, nice to have in mind, and everyone should be kind and humble when necessary, but I’m honestly kind of tired of hearing that these Pillars are “foundational” to the religion

A man named Timothy Jay Alexander initially created these Pillars, and while he took inspiration from Ancient Greek philosophers, he very much was not one himself

He’s known to be intolerant of Revivalist views of Hellenic Polytheism, and because of his strict Recon perspective, believes that queer, ill and disabled people cannot or should not be allowed to hold the title of Priestx (link)

You are allowed to hold yourself to standards like the Pillars, but acting as though they are actual rules of Hellenic Polytheism, or, Gods forbid, pushing them on others, is so disheartening to see

Just because something has a Greek name, doesn’t automatically make it authentically Helpol or from antiquity

The closest thing from antiquity that we have like the Pillars are the Delphic Maxims, honestly

Anyway. Do you what you like, but this is just some information for those of you who are unaware

[wayfind-er]

There needs to be more conversation about worship without divination.

[wayfind-er]

The comments on this have been super validating. Like, yes. It’s totally acceptable and fine to worship without using divination, but at the same time, I’ve definitely had doubts before that I was somehow losing my connection with Psyche (and not a ‘proper’ devotee to those I never divined with to begin with). It’s just a bit affirming to read that I’m not totally fucking up and failing at every step

[travels-and-journals]

I've been meaning to reblog since the original post, but alas my memory is awful.

There is absolutely something to be told about the overuse/or over-reliance on divination. Not that divination is bad— I reckon it's quite okay to have open communication with your deities. However, I've seen way too many people stressed on the daily searching for readings (no shame, if I wasn't shy to ask others for readings, I'd also be that person). For me at least, divining was one of the good reasons why my practice stagnated so much. I kept getting burnt out and then the thought of reaching out again through divination paralysed me, because I was scared of what I'd hear. Or, similarly, I'd over-divine over a specific subject, and lose my mind over it as the waters got too muddy. But I totally second the feeling of not 'feeling' like a proper devotee due to lack of contact via divination, especially since I'm a devotee of Apollon, a god of oracles and prophecy.

Ever since I've started practicing again, more actively that is, I haven't yet touched my cards. I don't think I'm quite ready psychologically or emotionally. But I've found that this sort of worship is equally as fulfilling.

The gods aren't only there in our cards, I've found, but in the little ways the world works. It's like being in a room with someone you're comfortable with, no actual words need to be spoken.

I'm sleepy as heck so I'm sorry if this piggy-back was unwarranted!

[androphonos-theoi]

Agree with everything said here. Was divination used in the past? Absolutely! Was it the ONLY you could worship? Absolutely not. The gods are everywhere - they aren’t stagnant. They aren’t in one spot.

[khaire-traveler]

This is a fantastic post.

In a lot of my answered asks, I often encouraged people to use divination; I typically did this as a means of encouraging them to reach out directly to the source (the gods), as well as due to some folks in the past who would get upset if I didn't mention (long story, but it became a habit to use it as an answer). However, divination is not - and has never been - mandatory for worship.

Even during ancient times, not everyone was a diviner! Not everyone could throw bone knucklebones and know how to interpret them (tarot wasn't a thing yet), or read omens from the way that birds flew. Divination is a skill, just like driving or drawing or playing an instrument. It requires a lot of practice and time, and there's a major learning curve for most folks that makes it difficult to learn without some form of guidance.

You are not a bad worshipper or devotee for not using divination. If I'm being so honest, y'all, I don't often use divination in my own practice, largely because it takes A LOT of energy from me. It's entirely normal and ok not to do daily readings, or even any readings at all! Your worship is valid, regardless of whether or not you consider yourself a diviner.

[sag-dab-sar]

Thinking of The Gods Research Challenge Blog

The Challenge

I was going to ask if I should make a blog for this challenge or not but I made one anyways. @thinking-of-the-gods-research. But I had a second question.

My decision to post this challenge came about after discussing with @wayfind-er about how the Helpol/Hellenic Polytheism tag feels kinda dead. The challenge is a way to not only help you connect with the Theoi more but also revitalize Hellenic Polytheist blogging sphere/tags.

I did mention that the challenge could be adapted to any type of spirit or pantheon

The challenge was created to renew *Helpol* blogging space. Should the challenge blog include any non-Hellenic god/spirits that utilize the challenge?

Yes, any pantheon or "spirit" type (ex: bodhisattvas, saints, mystical creature)

No, Hellenic Polytheism related only

Voting ended onMay 2

I'm especially interested in the opinion of those who showed interest in participating @wayfind-er (currently doing Chiron, other ideas Eos, Psyche), @kyprogenes (Aphrodite), @pagansprite (Hermes, Hera, Eileithyia), @travels-and-journals (Hermes or someone else), @dionysusfanboy (no stated idea), @irisrainbowplumed (currently doing Demeter, also considered Hera), @bodhi-devotee (no stated idea), @entity56 (who wanted a reminder). Since they may end up on the blog

Posting here because the blog has 0 followers lol

[sag-dab-sar]

Okay with 34 yes to open the challenge and 13 votes to keep it just Hellenic Polytheism (technically the poll has 6 hours left but whatever) plus individuals who said they'd want to do Kami / Saints / Hindu deities etc ( @ace-angelicpagan @tenjin-no-shinja and @dionysusfanboy) I'm going to open up the challenge blog to include any spirits. The pinned post on that blog will be updated to reflect this.

Also I should note I realize the "why" questions doesn't really need a source but I didn't mention that in original post.

So far 3 participants 😊