aethalís

free readings: open hellenic polytheist. kyler. 23. pacific northwest. personal practice sideblog / original hp blog: sleeplesseyes-wingedfeet

[evergreen-everlasting]

New Pagan/Hellenic Polytheist Small Business!

Hello everyone! I'm a Hellenic Polytheist in Washington - and I'd like to share my small shop - Earthbound Altars!

I offer a variety of stones and altar kits - both travel- and full-sized! My altar kits generally include vials of Barley, Lavender, and Olive oil, along with a wooden plate, 1-3 offering dishes, stones, dried flowers & herbs, incense and candles. I typically choose items related to Hellenic polytheism or ancient Greek practices, but I also make custom altar kits and general Pagan kits. Each kit includes information about each item and their use, as well as prayers and hymns.

I also make hand-poured and all-natural candles, soaps, and oil blends though they are not currently listed in my shop. I plan to list these in the future, but if they're of interest, let me know!

If you'd like to support a new, small Pagan business, please consider visiting my page at Earthbound Altars!

I'm willing and able to negotiate prices, and I have a (very small) number of basic kits I can send out for free to those who truly cannot afford the cost but are struggling to build their own altars or acquire the items they need! Please send me a message either here on Tumblr or at my Etsy shop to chat about your needs, request custom or personalized kits or items, or negotiate prices; I typically respond within 48 hours.

Supporting our community is very important to me, and I'm very passionate about providing what I can to those who share in the worship and love of the Gods - regardless of your path or beliefs.

I am also a gay trans man, and I use any profits for bills and covering my medication co-pays, so any money I make goes into helping me get by.

Thanks for reading, and again - feel free to send me a message with any questions, requests, or suggestions!

[mylifeforawinegod]

Sometimes the gods will seem like they aren't there, but they are.

Sometimes you will feel like a small child learning how to ride a bike. You can feel the hands on your shoulders, you can hear their voice close by. Then, suddenly, you don't feel their hands and their voice is farther away.

They didn't abandon you in your time of need. They're watching you take everything they've taught you to apply it. They've got the band-aids if you need them, and they're standing at the top of the driveway watching.

They cannot pedal that bike for you. They cannot hold onto the bike so you never fall.

They're watching you and they are proud. They are proud even if you fall down or crash.

Don't panic. Now's your time to show them what you've learned! Go as far as you can. You're not alone.

[evergreen-everlasting]

such a deeply moving and hauntingly lovely song. wendy rule creates a fantastic visual presence with her Persephone album!

[evergreen-everlasting]

He is there when the sun shines on my face, walking down the street -

He is there when I travel somewhere new -

He is there when I burn the candles and speak words of praise -

He is there when I feel alone and in need.

He has been with me through trying times and good times,

And for that I cannot be more grateful.

His stories bring to life the true nature of His being,

The mischievous gleam of a trickster, the sound of a friend laughing, the warmth of a good day, a surprise you weren't expecting.

He is a friend to man because He knows mankind, He is intricately woven throughout our lives whether we see it or not.

He is where mankind thrives. He knows the laughter and the tears, the desires and the fears, the knowledge and the unknown, the boundaries and the limitless freedoms.

And I cannot be more grateful for His presence.

[shiny-speedy-devotee-deactivate]

Meditating With Your Deities!!

Ever since I thought of this last night, my guys have been hounding me to actually write it

(In a good way. They know I tend to forget things and they seem very excited to see this written out.)

Anyway, this is just how I prefer to do things, as per usual. Purely my own experiences. Even if you do this the exact same way as me, you’ll never see the same thing as me.

Everyone’s relationships are different!!

Now, I’d like to point out that you shouldn’t pressure yourself to do anything exactly the way anyone else does it, including my way. Doing things with my own spin on them was how I got this method.

Alright, with that out of the way, time to finally get started!

At the beginning, I just talked to my gods and tried to imagine them near me. Kind of like trying to mentally reach out and touch their energy (but not really. That’s just what it feels like)

For example, Ares has this really fiery presence. It’s sure and strong and warm and comforting, but also volatile.

(This is actually how I figured out what he feels like.)

You could also imagine them as a color and picture that surrounding you.

The main thing you’re trying to do here is listen. Don’t forget that. It doesn’t need to be fancy or complex or anything.

It’s just you and your gods.

Don’t forget that!!

Pray (or just talk) to them and tell them what you want to do. Address them and tell them you’d like to talk to them, or maybe even ask if they could let you feel their presence if you want.

If you don’t feel them there, don’t worry! I’ve only felt Hermes once, and I’ve known him for nearly a year. Meanwhile, I feel Ares around me quite frequently.

It just depends on the particular bond.

And just because you can’t feel them, that doesn’t mean they’re not there.

Even if you feel like you’re imagining their energy, that’s still a good mental practice! Anything that makes you feel closer to your gods is good!!

Even if you fail miserably (like I did at first) they’ll still love you!!

Anyway, usually I turn on some music, but not always. I’ll just zone out then. I don’t really know how to put the feeling into words besides that. It’s almost like slipping into sleep but not really. The closest word for it is probably “trance”.

Note: it’s best, for me at least, to do this sitting up so I don’t accidentally fall asleep. Which I’ve done,, many times. If you do fall asleep, that’s fine too. Don’t worry about it!

For a few attempts, all I was met with was blackness. But eventually a place popped into my head, either Apollo or Ares’s at first.

(Hermes insists that I call them “meditation stations”. Sometimes I can’t stand him.)

maybe in a different post I’ll describe my places I see, but they’re beautiful and so vivid. And when I say vivid, I mean so vivid that I can just draw it from my head, which I usually can’t do.

TL; DR?

Step one: Find a calm place you feel comfortable in. Either sit or lay down depending on personal preference. You can even stand if it makes you feel better.

Step two: Tell your deity you want to talk to them.

Step three: Zone out, either to music or your own thoughts (preferably about/to the deity you’re trying to reach)

Step four: Make sure you’re focusing on them and their energy. After a few attempts, you might be able to see a place that represents them. If you don’t, don’t worry! Everyone’s relationship is different!!

Step five: Pay attention to any changes in what you see, feel, and even think or hear. But try not to digest any of it until you get the whole message or else you’ll likely lose where you were.

Personally, I use these places to anchor myself while I’m trying to talk to my deities. Focusing on a place makes it where I have to put in less effort to hear my deities usually.

Note: you can also use this as a means of deity identification, now that I think of it! Just make sure you let your mind wander instead of thinking too hard.

Keep in mind this might not work for everyone!!

when in doubt, guided meditations are supposed to be great. You can find them on YouTube or even Spotify, I think. There are even some deity specific ones!

also remember: if a place feels like it just doesn’t fit, let go of it. Don’t force anything.

And if you wanna know about my places for my deities, I have one for Apollon, Ares, Dionysus, Hyacinthus, the Muses, and (occasionally) Hermes.

[evergreen-everlasting]

From an offering to Demeter, Persephone and Hekate a few weeks ago 🌟

[spirits-child]

Why people hating on Zeus equals to hating on a whole ancient society and… it’s kinda dumb

If you have been in the part of social media that discusses ancient religions or ancient mythology you might know Zeus is hated badly. If you worship Zeus like I do I’m pretty sure you are aware of how many people actually waste times of their live doing bad jokes of how every woman on ancient Greece was pregnant with Zeus’s kid or another type of bullshit, and I’m tired of that. There are already like 100 posts on other Zeus worshippers giving their take on this topic but you know what? I want to be the 101 so here I am. I’f you hate Zeus I ask you nicely to grab your coffee, water, tea, whatever, sit and read this post.

this post is written with a target audience of people who do not have much knowledge aside from the myths and what social media say, I’ll be including the very basic theological and cultural aspects of Ancient Greece in this post so let’s consider this a baby course into epithets and the human kind changing their ethic code through time. 

Before we officially start I’m sure some Zeus haters already have arguments to throw at me as soon as they finish reading this post so let me tell you, as a MUN delegate who’s obsessed with debate, some argument starters I won’t even read if you start a sentence with them:

“I believe or I think” I’m sorry but I don’t care about your personal biases I want facts.

“X media thing portrays” x media or x author is not a reliable source of information, unless it’s a historian with good background resources or reliable sources I won’t even take it in mind

“In other religions…” this is hellenism not other religions

“But in x myth” myths are not literal

“But x deity” all deities are different

Anyways, let’s start with what’s a myth, the merriam webster dictionary says a myth is  “a usually traditional story of ostensibly historical events that serves to unfold part of the world view of a people or explain a practice, belief, or natural”. My religion teacher back on catholic school also added to this definition a “moral code or cultural reflection religions implied into their followers”, and it’s accurate.

In baby words, myths explain things our society can’t explain while also reflecting our culture and behaviours.

Clear? Clear. 

History has shown us that many religions don’t take their myths completely literally, most times they take them as metaphors or teachings to follow or simply they use them as propaganda to increase certains individual power, and this includes Ancient Greeks. If a king wanted to increase his power to scare people that may want to rebel he could easily say he was the child of Zeus, which is an explanation to why so many kings and heroes were kids of the all-mighty deity. Ancient Greeks also had to find a way to explain different phenomenons, and as many cultures before and after them, myths were a perfect way of doing so. To finish with myths and their uses, as many religions did and still do, the ancient Greeks needed a way to spread lessons to their people without the need of sitting them down and literally teaching them. Instead of doing this they preferred giving examples of things not to do. What makes Hellenism so different to actual modern religions is that the practice was and is more important that the actually texts, that can be a base but at the end of the day they are not the structure of the religion.

Now, a huge mistake many people commit is thinking the myths we nowadays read are the original myths. That’s a mistake. Ingrid Holmberg says in her essay titled as The Creation of the Ancient Greek Epic Cycle  “Their research (addressing Milman Parry and Albert Lord.) and the research of their followers has revealed that the Greek epic oral tradition formed a huge, interconnected, and variegated web of legendary and mythical narratives that comprised the corpus of the epic cycle(…).” Harvard university also addresses this topic by saying “Basically, the “question” came down to this: were the Homeric poems composed with or without the aid of writing? Parry’s project, the comparing of Homeric poetry with the living oral traditions of South Slavic heroic poetry, led him to conclude that the Homeric texts were indeed the products of oral composition.”

So tell me, years of investigation affirms that the myths were told from mouth to mouth, the poets did not write their original work down but after many years later someone did… the version written is a version passed generation from generation by someone who heard them from their parents who heard them from their grandparents that might have edited and changed the original version for hundreds of years. Knowing all this areyou’re still going to judge a culture and a religion through myths? Really? Because that’s plainly dumb.

Let me give you an example, I write you a message and then pass it through google translator 20 times, and send it. And actually did! The message I’ll translate 20 times is “Hello dear readers of the internet, this is an experiment with google translator to explain how dumb is to literally judge a myth that has been changed hundreds of times. Not only that, a myth that reflected a society with different a ethic code, in some hundreds of years if society still exists they are going to judge some things we do… so em don’t waste your time on that”. After passing that message through 20 different languages in google translator this is how it ended up: Hello, dear internet reader, you will be judged not only by this, but also by some of the hundreds of years that we have done with the growth of social networks … so don’t waste time. Don’t waste.

I’m not trying to say that historians and their translations are as bad as google translator, I know this people have studied years to do what they do, I’m just saying that the original stories were told so many times that we have hundreds of adaptations and changes. Here’s an example, if you read a copy of the iliad written by x guy and then grab another copy written by another guy… you’ll find many differences in the translation.

Now that we got the translation clear thing you’ll probably still say “yeah anyways still myths say Zeus is a pr3d4tor who cheated on his wife muuultiple times”. And to that I’ll laugh ten minutes because yeah but no. Look at my beautiful hazel and eyes and tell me, do you think Ancient Greek men cared about women? And how they were treated? and how they were portrayed in the moment of explaining things?

If you say yes I beg you to go study some history. 

If you say no, bingo. 

A year a go I went down the rabbit whole of homosexuality in the ancient world, wrote an essay on it, and I found out men repeled women and they saw them as baby machines (i mean, some still do) so some societies had this idea that the closest relationship to love you could have with someone was with another man. So, understand that the ancient world didn’t give a damn about women. Most myths shows them as trophies, that’s no surprise for anyone at this point. So of course, they saw women as baby machines and as myths are reflections of society, do you really expect the Ancient Greeks to portray them as something else aside baby creators? Nooo!!!! Ofc they were not going to do that, they needed mothers to give an explanation to the hundreds of kings saying they were Zeus’s kids, and they found them.

Okay now, some of you may ask why did he “cheat” on Hera… more cultural aspects being reflected. Here’s what Jennifer Larson the writer of Ancient Greek cults has to say:

Now that we closed the marriage ethic issue The Zeus has many child joke or insult is even dumber because kids were so important for the social status in that era that they stablished the social status. During all Human’s story, money establishes your place in the social status: the more you have the higher you are. This also applied in the Ancient Greece. By having more kids it meant you had more to offer and to sustain your family, basically more kids = more money = more power = higher rank. 

Studying children and childhood is of great importance because it provides insight into social norms and social life in ancient Greece. Children were important for the parents, the home, and city. Not having children led to inability to pass on the property and wealth of the father.

If Zeus, the KING of the gods and mortals, father of humanity, doesn't have a lot of children then what do you think it would do to how Ancient Greeks perceived him huh. If they measured by kids ofc their higher deity had to have a lot because that gave him power, please, it’s pure logic. The fact that he has multiple kids is a perfect reflection of how the Ancient Greece society acted, do you really want to sit down and complain about it? Why don’t you instead start thinking of a way of changing that capitalist mindset that still rules our society instead of bullying an old civilization and their cults.

—End of the cultural rant—

Okay cultural part has finished, let’s dive into my favorite topic ever: epithets. And I actually did like 3 polls on this, both on my twitter and my instagram, asking if my followers knew what an epithet was. I always had this thought that one of the reasons many people hate on deities is because they only see one side of their multiple-side self… and ofc the answer was no, they did not:

And epithets are soooo important to understand a deity, So assuming some people might not know what epithets are here is a brief summary extracted from a previous post of mine addressing epithets and their importance: Literal definition of epithet: an adjective or phrase expressing a quality or attribute regarded as characteristic of the person or thing mentioned.Let me give you an example: A friend of yours loves reading, they love it so freaking much, so one of your teachers is like “oh pepito the reader”, it’s obvious that pepito is a reader.Now examples with deities. Demeter Chthonia (of the Earth). WHAT DO WE ASSUME KIDS?! That Demeter is an Earth deity. Duh. And like that with all the deities. 

Epithets basically tell us how deities were perceived when worshipped, and many of the people who love judging Zeus have ignoring epithets as their favorite hobby so here I am, giving you a list of my favorite ones to take in mind: 

AGO′NIUS (Agônios), a surname or epithet of several gods. Aeschylus (Agam. 513) and Sophocles (Trach. 26) use it of Apollo and Zeus, and apparently in the sense of helpers in struggles and contests.

AGORAEUS and AGORAEA (Agoraia and Agoraios), are epithets given to several divinities who were considered as the protectors of the assemblies of the people in the agora, such as Zeus 

ALASTOR (Alastôr). an epithet of Zeus, describing him as the avenger of evil deeds. 

EVA′NEMUS (Euanemos), the giver of favourable wind

HETAEREIUS (Hetaireios), the protector of companies or associations of friends

HY′PATUS (Hupatos), the most high

LECHEA′TES (Lecheatês) i.e. the protector of childbed

NOMOS (Nomos), a personification of law, described as the ruler of gods and men. 

PANHELLE′NIUS (Panellênios), i.e. the god common to, or worshipped by all the Hellenes or Greeks

PHY′XIUS (Phuzios), i. e., the god who protects fugitives

POLIEUS (Polieus), “the protector of the city;”

SOTER (Sôtêr), i. e. “the Saviour”

Theos Agathos - The Good God

MEILIKHIOS (Milichius) Gracious, Merciful

After reading all this epithets I want to ask one last time, do you still think Zeus is a jerk? When he has the literal epithet of being a Good God? A merciful one? A protector? THE PERSONIFICATION OF LAW?

A fact aspect I want to mention is how people love to completely erase the good sides of Zeus portrayed in many myths. In the Iliad Zeus loves one of his most loved sons, he wants to go and revenge him because he’s an amazing dad but he knows that if he does that he would be impartial and injustice to the other deities who have lost children but haven’t been able to do anything about it. Instead he mourns in silence just to refrain from making other deities feel less privileged, this happens in the freaking Iliad and I’m sorry but I think that is a perfect example of how good Zeus is even if myths are not literal.

IZeus is more than the character modern media converted him into, he’s way more than that. He’s a deity, with multiple aspects and multiple stories that have adapted to fit into into ancient societies idea of what was a higher deity. All the arguments people have against him show that they do not understand how myths work and they do not understand that ancient times came with ancient ideals.

So please, research and form your own criteria before hating on something you don’t actually know about. Give yourself the opportunity to listen all sides of the story and then after that you can say whatever you want. Most importantly, give yourself the opportunity to learn.

Hopefully this is my last post regarding this matter, if I quite changed your mind in any type of way then that’s great, if I didn’t that’s on you. That’s all I have to say and thank you for reading the post complete!

The Harvard post I quote at the beginning of the article is this one, if you have time please check it out : https://chs.harvard.edu/curated-article/gregory-nagy-orality-and-literacy/

[micromeria-deactivated20231118]

Why is Hermes hungry?

I read a chapter from the book Coping With the Gods (Versnel, 2011) about the weird human nature of Hermes. It's a great read, written in such a soft tone and the insights are marvelous. I recommend anyone who ever got lucky enough to meet Hermes to read it.

But the bottom line the skilled author is trying to make is that Hermes behaves really strange in myths and fables. He eats human food, does not eat from the sacrificed portion of the Gods, consorts with mortals and Gods (as a second option), and overall it seem like he keeps forgetting he is a God.

The thing I was missing in this text was a discussion about the reason for that strange behavior of his. Why is he hungry? Because he's strange like that. That's the answer. But why is he strange like that? I have my own hypothesis, you can agree or disagree with it.

One domain

When I looked closely at Hermes' epithets, at his domains, there's a pattern. No, it's not boundaries, no, it's not transitions, no, it's not movement. He's a shepherd, a thief, a merchant, a mailman, a meme machine, a friend, a prankster, and so much more. Those domains, are actually just different aspects of one thing- human culture.

Every single domain he rules upon is inherently human. Think divination- what is more human than the desperate need to get answers from the Gods? Think currency- What is more human than attributing value to tiny round pieces of metal? What is more human than a joke?

I met Hermes a few years ago, and each time I think I reached the bottom of the pile of his different aspects, I realize I haven't even scratched the surface yet. I see him now as the God of human culture itself, and being the God of human culture it is not strange how human-like he behaves- it would be strange if he didn't.

[entheosareian]

Practioner Red Flags

It’s hard to navigate who you should take information from and who you shouldn’t in Hellenic spaces. And of course there’s no one way to tell wether or not someone knows their shit, but here are a few red flags I’ve personally come across. If you don’t agree or have different experiences that’s 100% okay!

1. Oracles

A lot of Practioners consider themselves to be oracles. This isn’t inherently problematic but the practice of being an oracle is completely dead; an oracle was an elected position, so a modern day oracle is impossible because who the hell is electing you? There are other labels for seers / clairvoyant practioners, so the usage of the word oracle usually indicates a lack of historical understanding, and therefore cult understanding.

2. Zeus Haters

If you are a Hellenic polytheist, you cannot hate Zeus. If you hate Zeus your entire practice is invalid tbh. He is the king of the gods and the heavens, He is the father of the majority of the olympians He keeps balance and order and should be treated with nothing but respect. I can’t say this enough. Hatred of Zeus usually stems from mythos, therefore this hatred indicates a gross misunderstanding of the religion as a whole. This goes for anyone who “beefs” w any of the gods tbh. They all deserve basic respect and if you disrespect one of them you disrespect all of them.

3. Those Who Take Mythos Literally

Adding onto my previous point. The Hellenic religion is not centered completely around mythos. A lot of times mythos where entertainment; literature, plays. Not to be taken literally, not to be used to demonize the gods or other chilidish misconceptions. I have very little tolerance for this honestly.

4. Lore Olympus Stans

I don’t mean this literally. I mean the Hades and Persephone followers who say things like “Hades would never cheat on Persephone” or “Persephone had to escape her overbearing mother” or “She chose the underworld” etc. etc. etc. These practitioners have very little understanding of the gods they worship because these are very common statements that are very false and come from modern misconceptions. But also, literal Lore Olympus fans. The webcomic is just sketchy 😭

5. High Priestess / Priest

Again this is NOT inherently problematic but if someone’s best argument is “I’m a high priestess/priest of >deity< and they told me-“ everything that comes out of their mouth is going to be bullshit. A title w very little relevance does not give you the right to talk over other Practioners (see: Oracles)

6. The Conversationalist

Anyone who claims they are having full in-depth conversations w the gods should be handled w caution. Godphoning and clairaudience do not work like that & dramatized portrayals of those things are pretty harmful imo.

7. “Medusa was blessed”

Also known as “The Ovid Apologist”. This is a huge red flag & shows that the person in question is not critical of where they get their information. This myth was used to demonize Athena or Minerva plus it’s Roman; in the Greek myth, Medusa was born a gorgon. This applies to the Arachne myth as well, it’s Roman and was made w the intent to demonize Athena or Minerva.

8. Labeling the Gods

The gods are gods. They cannot be confined to labels. None of the maiden goddesses where aro, ace, or lesbian. none of the gods are gay or bi, they are all divine beings beyond these very human concepts. They do not have gender or sexuality because those are distinctly human things. Additionally these are modern labels being thrust upon ancient gods. Just an overall no.

9. TERFs

Men can worship any of the goddesses and, historically, have. Women can worship any of the gods and, historically, have. The gods do not confine themselves to gender and therefore aren’t invested in exclusionist bullshit. There are certain goddesses who protected women specifically (Hera, Artemis, Hestia, etc.) but they still had male worshippers and will continue to. The gods love their Trans and GNC followers and TERF rhetoric directly contradicts Hellenic practices, they cannot coexist.

10. Gate Keepers

Or fearmongerers. Deity work IS beginner safe, Hellenic deity work is open and Greek or Roman ancestry is not a requirement. Don’t let anyone scare you into delaying your path. You are the only person who knows what you’re ready for.

11. Triple Goddess

Hekate was not a triple goddess (in the mother/maiden/crone sense). but She most commonly is worshipped as such. She was a goddess of the crossroads and was commonly portrayed w three faces so she could see every direction. Hekate has many epithets and is the goddess of several things. She’s often reduced to the “mother of witch craft” which is. Sad tbh. She’s such an interesting goddess and Wiccan concepts have definitely watered down historical worship of Her. The Mother Maiden Crone thing is originally Diana, I believe.

12. Wiccans

Wicca is full of cultural appropriation & often times Wiccans convince themselves that their way is the only way. In general I personally avoid Wicca praticioners because it’s largely a cluster of practices from different cultures and it’s racially insensitive. It’s also a relatively new religion & I just don’t trust it honestly. Not all Wiccans are pushy about their practice, but it’s hard to seperate the cultural appropriation from Wiccan practices hence the red flag.

13. Rome Apologists

Dramatic title. In general people who don’t differentiate between Greek and Roman gods concern me. Some Hellenic Practioners completely divorce themselves from Roman influence and a common misconception is that all the gods are the same; they aren’t. Again this just indicates a misunderstanding of historical context in my opinion, but depending on how one incorporates it into their practice it’s not always a bad thing.

14. Anti-God spousing

When done right God spousing is a beautiful and personal practice. There’s a lot of people who take it out of context and turn it into a LARP kinda thing, but it’s easy to get information on what God spousing actually is so people who are adamantly against it make me side eye a little ngl. Especially because there is so much misinformation about god spousing, I think it’s important that Practioners push the correct narrative surrounding it instead of buying into the stigma.

15. Classicists / ~”Intellectuals”~

I see a lot of classicists thinking they have some authority over other Practioners but a good understanding of the classics does not equal a good understanding of the religion. Hellenic polytheisism is constantly reduced to its mythos and thats an oversimplification of what this religion and practice is. Classicists who want to have authority over the theological aspects only push this narrative. Don’t get me wrong, I prefer getting my information from classicists who study the religion, but not all classicists do. And being a classicist does not give anyone the right to talk over or down to other Practioners.

16. Twin Flames

Anyone who talks about soul mates and twin flames are concerning to me. A lot of times this narrative is used to make spirituality more marketable, a commodity to be bought and sold. “For $20 I can tell you who your twin flame is”. Point bank, I believe that everyone who needs to be in your life will be, and they’ll be there at the right time. The idea of a chaser and a runner or whatever normalizes abuse. It’s often used to excuse people’s shitty behavior. And don’t get me wrong, this definitely stems from TikTok, but at this point I just consider it a red flag. Don’t worry about the importance of the people in your life; let your relationships eb and flow naturally.

17. Manifestation

Personally I do believe in manifestation, but I don’t think it gives you power over other people and I see this common notion (on TikTok) that it does. I also think that it only works to an extent; the idea that reality is 100% in your control all the time can be harmful and contribute to delusions. I also don’t think u need to write down certain phrases 77 times or whatever. I’m very skeptical of new age manifestation I suppose.

18. Reality Shifting

I hate reality shifting. Honestly. Point blank it’s just lucid dreaming and like manifestation, it’s harmful to the mentally ill. Genuinely stay away from anyone who promotes it as reality shifting and not lucid dreaming. They have not done their research & clearly don’t care how the misinformation on reality shifting affects children & mentally ill people.

19. Star seed

The idea of Star seeds comes from new age spirituality I believe and has less presence in Hellenic spaces but it’s also ableist & often talked about in spiritual spaces so it earns a spot on this list. Like reality shifting, no one who preaches about Star seeds can be taken seriously. Or anyone who tries to tell you that you aren’t “from” earth. None of us are “from” earth, but all of us are supposed to be here in this life time and the idea that you aren’t is harmful.

20. Soul Contracts

The concept of soul contracts is the idea that we agree to every single thing that happens to us before we get to earth. And this is just victim blaming honestly. As humans we desire control over these things. We want to believe we agency but the hard truth is that we do not. And that’s okay. We don’t need to micromanage everything all the time. Not everything has to make sense. Sometimes fucked up things happen and there’s no rhyme or reason to it. The notion that we not only know these things are going to happen but that we agree to them or even decide they happen is disgusting. You did not bring your pain onto yourself and any one who tells you that you did shouldn’t have a tongue tbh. I hate the concept of soul contracts above all.

Please note, again, it’s okay to disagree. These are red flags in my experiences, and that could definitely be unique to me. It’s important that everyone makes up their own mind surrounding these issues. And just because these things make me question someone’s authenticity does not mean I actively dislike many of these qualities or beliefs (save for the TERF thing; if you’re a TERF or exclusionist fuck off).

[hillarysss]

hello to enter aries season i will do a fun activity with my followers wether they’ve met one of their soulmates or no hence we have multiple

i’ll be very straightforward do not be on anonymous & angry anonymous stay back before you ruin this for everyone.

also you have to reblog + follow me

i have the will to respond whenever and stop whenever and i will respond quicker to peoples energy i’m most attracted to

for the new people; i’m clairvoyant + tarot reader who specializes in tarot as well.

a soulmate does not have to be romantic. it can be platonic.

[evergreen-everlasting]

Hi! I am YX. May I have a relationship reading on my coming to 10-year relationship: 🥰 Does your cards see C doing any formal proposal this year? Thank you!

Hi there! So I was drawn to my Earth Power oracle deck for this, and I drew Glastonbury Tor. I also drew from the Aquarian Tarot, the 9 of cups.

Initially I felt the proposal would be far off - however it seems that it may be distant, but not far. The Glastonbury Tor is often rising above the mist, looking like an unreachable isle in the sky, and it might feel like marriage or engagement with C could be just as far! However, combined with the 9 of cups here, it seems likely that you two could be taking steps to further your lives together. Of course, I can't guarantee it will be this year or anything, but whatever this year brings will likely bring you two happiness and content in the relationship (even if it's not quiiite a proposal!). When the time comes for that step, I feel like you two will be well prepared and really be able to enjoy taking that step together, rather than stressing and letting materialism (think flashy rings and major wedding plans) get in the way of what the engagement is really about.

Here's a photo of the cards I drew so you can have a look for yourself:

I hope this helps at least a little, and if it resonated (or didn't!) I'd love some feedback! I wish you and C well and happy almost anniversary! 😊

(p.s. excuse the paint riddled table lol)

[evergreen-everlasting]

Free Tarot & Oracle Readings!

Asks MUST include any 1 emoji (literally anything), initials or sun sign, and can only relate to ONE topic at a time please!

Please send requests only relating to one topic at a time. I will not do readings on behalf of someone else, or related to health or finances.

I use any combination of my 6 decks: The Aquarian Tarot, the Feng Shui tarot, the Cat Tarot, the Earth Power oracle, the Halloween Oracle, and the Dark Mirror oracle. Feel free to request a specific deck - if none is chosen I'll use the deck(s) that call to me most.

Please give me initials, your sun sign, or some kind of identifier for you! If your questions involve another person beside yourself, please also give me a separate identifier for them!

And final rule: I cannot guarantee I can do readings related to messages from Gods or deities. The only Gods I have experience with are the Theoi (Greek pantheon) so I am not likely to be the best receiver for other Gods in general.

All anonymous asks will be answered publicly, and all others answered directly when possible unless otherwise requested.

[asklepiad-apollon]

A Guide to Greek Alphabet Divination (Runes)

As many may already know, Runes are a popular form of divination in order to communicate with the gods! However, aside from the popular Norse runes (elder futhark) that everyone might be aware of, did you know that there’s also a form of “rune casting divination” for the Greek alphabet?

First found inscribed in Olympos, a city in ancient Lycia, the Greek alphabet divination system uses the 24 letters from the Greek language and assigns them meanings, and based on what rune you pull, can give you advice from the gods on your current situation!

There were many Alphabet Oracles in ancient Greece, and the idea of reading the Greek alphabet for signs of the gods is one of the oldest divination methods that we know of.

How do I create my “runes?” 

To create your runes, any way of making them works! Historically, they would be painted onto pottery shards, but any way you can think of to have them accessible to throw/draw is completely okay. I have personally used black stones with gold paint on them.

You create one piece per letter, and in total there will be 24. Each letter will be listed and elaborated on later on in the post!

I’ve made my alphabet set. How do I use them?

In order to call upon the Theoi to get an answer, you can firstly call upon them in an invocation. After you have called upon them or asked your gods to give you an answer (sometimes no formal structure is needed) you can reach into a bag which contains the letters and pull out one at a time and read that, or you can grab them and throw them and look for patterns or groups of letters that are clumped together. 

THE LETTER MEANINGS

Α - Alpha - “The God Apollo [Apollon] says you will do everything successfully.” With his luck and good fortune, the current thing you are working on will turn out well and you will be the leader of your situation and have good transactions with others.

Β - Beta - “With the help of Tyche, you will have an assistant [Boêthos], who is the Pythian Apollon.” You might be at a time in your life where you’re struggling, but this divine-coded letter tells you that the gods that you worship are going to help you soon, so the signs you get might be more prophetic in nature. 

Γ - Gamma - “Gaia [Gê] will give you the ripe fruit of your labors.” It is time for you to take a break and admire the hard work you have put in. Gaia will reward you, and you will have abundance in happiness, emotional fulfillment, food, or all of the above. 

Δ - Delta - “In customs inopportune strength [Dunamis] is weak.” Timing is everything. Wait for the right time to act, and do not act to hastily. Wait for your time, but at the same time, use your strength for good to make a change in your situation.

Ε - Epsilon - “You desire [Eraô] to see the offspring of righteous marriages.” You need to surround yourself with good friendships, romances, allies, or relationships in general in order to get the most out of it. Surround yourself with positive people or situations to bring yourself up in a righteous way.

Ζ - Zeta - “Flee the very great storm [Zalê], lest you be hindered in some way.” If you’re already struggling, know when to pick your battles. Sometimes flight is better than fight, and only you know your own limitations. 

Η - Eta - “Bright Helios [Hêlios], who watches everything, watches you.” Helios knows that in the past you feel like you have been wronged. As the enforcer of oaths and promises, if you are honest with yourself and the situation the truth will come out and you will be aided.

Θ - Theta - “You have the helping Gods [Theoi] of this path.” If you are taking a plan of action do not worry! The Gods are guiding your way and you are in good hands. 

Ι - Iota - “There is sweat [’idrôs]; it excels more than everything.” Within your situation, there is going to be a lot of work. The gods recommend you buckle down and work as hard as you can, and it will not be easy. But it will be worth it.

Κ - Kappa - “To fight with the waves [Kuma] is difficult; endure, friend.” Now is not the time. You should wait until the vicious waves die down, and then take action.

Λ - Lambda - ““The one passing on the left [Laios] bodes well for everything.” Something that may seem really bad currently or in the future is actually going to turn out to be a blessing in disguise. Pay attention to your intuition!

Μ - Mu - “It is necessary to labor [Mokhtheô], but the change will be admirable.” You might feel distressed right now and that nothing is going right. But keep working to change either your situation or yourself, and the results will be in your favour.

Ν - Nu - ““The strife-bearing [Neikêphoros] gift fulfils the oracle.” Something will be given to you and enter your life. While it might not be obvious at first, this is the first domino in a line of changes that will happen in your life and make prophecy come true. 

Ξ - Xi - “There is no fruit to take from a withered [Xêros] shoot.” Being bitter and angry is not the way to go about things. Don’t keep trying to pull water out of a well that is empty, and know when to let go. 

Ο - Omicron - “There are no [Ou] crops to be reaped that were not sown.” In order to get things out of the situation, you have to plan ahead. What goes around comes around. 

Π - Pi - “Completing many [Polus] contests, you will seize the crown.” After many trials, you will achieve your goal. Persistence will give you your rewards, and do not be afraid to use your talents. 

Ρ - Rho - “You will go on more easily [Rhaion] if you wait a short time.” You should act, and quickly. Now is the best time and waiting longer is not a good idea. The stars are aligned and while it not be easy, there is no better time than the present. 

Σ - Sigma - “Phoibos Apollon speaks plainly [Saphôs], ‘Stay, friend.’” The gods want to inform you to wait for more information before you make any decisions. In this time, relax, and let the signs come to you.

Τ - Tau - “You will have a parting from the [Tôn] companions now around you.” Soon, people in your life might not stay the way they are. Friends might leave or enemies might leave. You might grow apart or distance or travel might force you away. Be wary of this, and act accordingly. 

Υ - Upsilon - “The affair holds a noble undertaking [Yposkhesis].” The task at hand is certainly a grand one, but with confidence, you, the hero of your own story, can pull through. You must acknowledge your strength, but also acknowledge the size of the task. 

Φ - Phi - “Having done something carelessly [Phaulos], you will thereafter blame the Gods.” Something is going wrong, and you may be trying to blame other things than the cause of the problem. Don’t resort to pointing fingers. The Gods will help you if you do not take out your anger on them or others needlessly. 

Χ - Khi - “Succeeding, friend, you will fulfill a golden [Khruseos] oracle.” Luck is on your side, and by mere chance, things might fall into place. The answer is positive, and you might be pleasantly surprised at all the riches that the world gives you in addition to your solution.

Ψ - Psi - “You have this righteous judgment [Psêphos] from the Gods.” Truth will be brought forwards, so be careful in your actions. The Gods are watching, and they will be fair, honest, and unforgiving to those who deserve it. This includes those who might be harming you, as well.

Ω - Omega - “You will have a difficult [Ômos] harvest season, not a useful one.” The times will be rough, and you will not get what you wish for at the end. You also might be forced to make tough decisions that you are not ready to make.

And those are the letters! Happy letter-casting! 

[phemonoi]

Door of Apollo's Temple at Naxos.

*Picture was taken by a member of one of the pagan groups I'm in, who gave me permission to repost them here. Ain't that sun peeking out there beautiful?

[devoteeofhestia]

[hexandbalances]

Hellenic Pronunciation for the Gods

It is likely, like me, you grew up without an education in Classical (or Modern for that matter) Greek. You might have read “Hecate” and read it as “Heh-KATE” or, at best, “Heh-kuh-TEE” (a habit which I fear I might take to the grave). So hopefully you will also find this selection of pronunciation from HellenicGods.org interesting. I recommend reading their full article. In particular was the use of the diphthongs - where the tip of the tongue meets and presses flat against the roof of the mouth right behind the teeth before releasing. It makes a sound that is something between a D and a Th. This is common in Indian languages, like Punjabi, where I became familiar with it.

Ækáti - (Hecate or Hekate; Gr. Ἑκάτη, ΕΚΑΤΗ) Pronounced: æ-KAH-tee. or eh-KAH-tee.

Ærmís (Hermes; Gr. Ἑρμῆς, ΕΡΜΗΣ) Pronounced: ayr-MEES, the ‘H’ is silent; the ‘R’ is rolled slightly such that it almost sounds like the name has three syllables.

Æstía (Hestia; Gr. Ἑστία, ΕΣΤΙΑ) Pronounced: æs-TEE-ah.

Aphrodíti (Aphrodite; Gr. Ἀφροδίτη, ΑΦΡΟΔΙΤΗ) Pronunciation: ah-froh-DEE-tee, roll the ‘r’ slightly; the d (dǽlta) is pronounced like the soft th in this, not like the hard th in theory

Apóllohn - (Apollo; Gr. Ἀπόλλων, ΑΠΟΛΛΩΝ) Pronounced ah-POH-lohn.

Áris - (Ares; Gr. Άρης, ΑΡΗΣ) Pronunciation: AH-rees 

Ártæmis (Artemis; Gr. Ἄρτεμις, ΑΡΤΕΜΙΣ) Pronunciation: AHR-tay-mees 

Athiná (Athena; Gr. Ἀθηνᾶ, ΑΘΗΝΑ) Pronunciation: ah-thee-NAH, the accent on the final syllable, or not accenting any syllable.

Daimohn (Gr. δαίμων, ΔΑΙΜΩΝ) Pronounced: DAY-mohn, the D sounding like the th in thee (not like the th in thesis).

Dimítir (Demeter or Demetra; Gr. Δημήτηρ, ΔΗΜΗΤΗΡ) When enunciating the name Dimítir, the D (delta) is pronounced like the soft th in this, not like the hard th in theory: dee-MEE-teer, with the accent on the second syllable.

Diónysos - (Dionysus; Gr. Διόνυσος, ΔΙΟΝΥΣΟΣ) The D in Diónysos is pronounced like the th in thee (not like the th in thesis). Pronounced: dee-OH-nee-sohs.

Ílios - (Helios; Gr. Ἥλιος, ΗΛΙΟΣ) Pronounced: EE-lee-ohs.

Íphaistos (Hephaestus; Gr. Ἥφαιστος, ΗΦΑΙΣΤΟΣ) Pronounced: EE-fays-tohs, with the accent on the first syllable; there is no ‘H.’

Íra (Hera; Gr. Ήρα, ΗΡΑ) Pronounced: EE-rah.  The ‘H’ (Íta [Eta; Gr. ἦτα]) at the beginning of the name of the Goddess is a vowel.

Nyx (Gr. Νύξ, ΝΥΞ) Pronounced: neeks.

Orphéfs (Orpheus; Gr. Ὀρφεύς, ΟΡΦΕΥΣ) Pronounced: ohr-FEFS

Pærsæphóni - (Persephone; Gr. Περσεφόνη, ΠΕΡΣΕΦΟΝΗ) Pronounced: payr-say-FOH-nee.

Poseidóhn  - (Poseidon; Gr. Ποσειδῶν, ΠΟΣΕΙΔΩΝ) Pronounced: poh-see-DOHN, accent on the last syllable; the d (delta) at the beginning of the last syllable is pronounced like a soft th as in this, not like the th in theory. 

Rǽa - (Rhea; Gr. Ῥέα, ΡΕΑ) Pronounced: RAY-ah, rolling the R just slightly.

Titánæs (Titans; Gr. Τιτᾶνες, ΤΙΤΑΝΕΣ) Pronounced: tee-TAH-nays or tee-TAH-nehs.

Yaia - (Gaia; Gr. Γαῖα, ΓΑΙΑ. Pronounced: YÆ-ah.

Zefs (Zeus; Gr.  Ζεύς, ΖΕΥΣ) Pronounced: zĕfs; the diphthong εύ is pronounced like the ef in left.

[itswitchyjo]

Student of Ancient Greek here. The ‘ before a vowel at the beginning of a word indicates that the vowel is aspirated, meaning that there is actually an ‘h’ sort of sound. You breathe out as you pronounce the vowel. The opposite symbol ’ indicates that the vowel is unaspirated.

However!! This is not a ‘well actually’ post because here’s the thing: nobody actually has a clear idea of how Ancient Greek was pronounced. The modern Greek language is nothing like its ancient counterpart. With my years of studying the ancient language, I would have as much luck speaking with a modern Greek person as I would speaking Latin to an Italian. This is a great guide and I absolutely love that people want to learn about this (as a classicist and a witch it makes my heart all fluttery), but in the end whatever works for you is fine. Percy Jackson and movie pronunciations will be totally fine if that’s what you’re comfortable and familiar with. You should address the θεοί as you know them.

Also if anyone wants to talk about Greek myths I am always up for that!

[ancientpeoples]

Zeus in Athens

The patron goddess of Athens was Athena, but there were many other divine beings worshipped there too. One of the most prominent of these was none other than the king of the gods himself, Zeus.

Zeus’ cult was the most widespread and diverse of all ancient Greek cults. He had numerous facets, from a state and civic god, to a household protector, to a weather god on a mountain side. 

Evidence of his worship has been found scattered across the city of Athens and its hinterland, Attica. He often appears alongside his daughter Athena, such as on the Acropolis and in the Agora as one of the main civic deities, along another one of his children Apollo (the “father” of the Athenians).

On the Acropolis he was worshipped under the names of Zeus Hypatos “most high” (who had his own altar), Zeus Herkeios (who was worshipped at the Erechtheion) and Zeus Poleius “of the City” who had his own sanctuary. Zeus Hypatos received no blood sacrifices, only cakes where as Zeus Poleius received a huge blood sacrifice at his festival, the Dipolieia. It’s one of the funny things about Greek religion, all the different names (epithets) for the same god. The gods have almost a fractured existence, and the bit honoured depends on the goal of the worship. Each side of the god had different tastes in festivities and sacrifices, but they were still a part of the same job.   

On the slopes of the Acropolis there are a series of caves, one of which was the focus of worship for Zeus Olympios “Olympian Zeus” which could date back to the 6th century (shown photo above). It also has the remains of an escara in front of it which was dedicated to Zeus Astrapaios “of Lightening”. 

Zeus Olympios also has a grand temple erected to him. The Olympieion temple was began under the tyrants, and wasn’t finished until the reign of Hadrian in 131/2 AD. It is the largest temple in Athens, and would have been filled with statues of the Emperor. It can be seen in the photos above, at least the small corner still standing.

In the agora, the civic heart of the city, Zeus was worshipped in a small temple as Zeus Phratrios (along with Athena Phratria) as the protector of the phratries. There was also the Stoa of Zeus Eleutherios (sometimes Soter) “Zeus of Freedom or Savior” which had an altar infront of it to receive sacrifices. Also in the agora Zeus receive sacrifices form the boule as Zeus Boulaios “of the Boule” possibly inside the Bouleuterion.

On the Pnyx, Zeus had yet another civic role. This time as Zeus Agoraios “of the marketplace” where to whom the eponymous archon would have made his oath. The altar to which was moved to the agora at some point, probably at the end of the 1st century BC or the start of the 1st century AD, to the agora where it was found by archaeologists opposite the Metroon. Also on the Pnyx, there was a sanctuary to Zeus Hypsistos “most high”, a healing deity. This sanctuary seems to date to the Roman period and had a number of votive plaques depicting body parts that the the god had healed dedicated and displayed in various cut niches. Some of these survive which has led to the identification of the god worshipped at the site.

Zeus had a sanctuary on the Hill of the Nymphs, on the north-east spur where he was probably worshipped as the shady figure of Zeus Meilchios “the merciful”. In this form Zeus seems to have a purifying role, possibly with underworld (chthonic) links. He was the god who cleansed the hero Theseus and it was to him that the Diasia festival was held every year. 

Another one of Zeus’ facets, Zeus Philios “the friendly” appears on many relief carvings. These appear both near the Hill of the Nymphs and at the harbour. He also seems to have chthonic  elements of worship, and is often depicted with a snake or even as a snake. He is sometimes shown with a wife, not the traditional Hera, but Agathe Tyche who is the personification of Good Luck. 

Zeus also appears at the Academy where he was honoured as Zeus Morios “protector of the sacred olive trees” and Zeus Kataibates “decending”. Zeus Kataibates also had an altar near the Olympieion.

Zeus also appeared in the home. Zeus Ktesios “of the house/property” was a protector of the house and was worshipped by burying a jar of “ambrosia” in the house’s storeroom. Zeus Herkeios “of the courtyard” had an altar in the courtyard of Athenian households. There was also an altar to him in the middle of the inner gateway of the Dipylon gate. These were protecting facets. 

In the Harbour there was a state cult to Zeus Soter “the Saviour” who was worshipped for protection on sea voyages. His sanctuary was substantial and referred to as the Diisoterion. Also in the harbour, Zeus was paired up with the foreign Egyptian god of Ammon as Zeus Ammon. Which functioned as a fairly small cult but it was the first recognised Egyptian cult in Athens. 

Another “foreign” version of Zeus was Zeus Labraundos from Mylasa in Karia. He was probably brought to Athens by Karian mercenaries, this was a militarised aspect of Zeus.

Finally for this post, Zeus appears on various Mountains in the area. On Mount Hymettos, Zeus Ombrios “of the rain” was worshipped as a weather god of some renown. The was also a cult of Zeus Hymettos. Likewise there was an altar to Zeus Anchesmios on Mount Anchesmos

On Mount Parnes, there were at least two facets of Zeus worshipped. At this site there is a very unusual deposit of around 3000 iron daggers buried with animal bones and bronze ornaments near a possible altar to Zeus Apemius.

These are just a few instances of the worship of Zeus in Athens. It shows the extent to which the greek gods had these fractured personalities which were worshipped separately. Unlike in traditional mythology. It provides an interesting insight into the inner workings of Greek religion and how it functioned in Athenian society.