oh ditto...we're really in it now...

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oh ditto...we're really in it now...
Sunday and Monday (Hellenic)
Things that I can do on a regular basis for Hestia devotion
Cook delicious dinners for the family and share with her my home cooking as offerings.
Bake treats for the family and share them with her as offerings.
Clean the house, and maintain the cleanliness of the house to the best of my abilities.
Talk with her while doing my daily chores.
Build a safe bonfire and dedicate it to her.
Keep a sacred space for her on the dining table.
Express my gratitude to her for the useful and efficient tools and appliances that make my housekeeping easier.
Show my support for other homemakers and stay at home parents.
Take care of myself and my family.
Light candles and burn incenses.
Declutter.
Donate old clothes.
Keep my home cozy for inhabitants, and welcoming for friends.
Interior decorate.
Donate to help those have lost their homes.
Be kind to the homeless.
Veiling while praying to her.
Take pride in my home and my homemaking.
Host family dinners with friends in her honor.
pjo: apollo is a bad an absent father and he doesn’t care about anything but partying and haikus ancient greece: apollo is the sun father. he’s my literal dad. he came down from olympus and made me sign these adoption papers.
Pjo: Hades is a harsh father and only cares about his duties
Ancient/Actual Hades: “Of good counsel” described as a fair and just king, reassures me that things are shit atm but things will be okay. :)
Pjo: Nyx is a raging she demon with monster kids
Ancient/Actual Nyx: “benevolent” “source of sweet repose” Holds me in her dark embrace and wraps her wings around me in solid protection.
Pjo: Hekate is a “minor goddess”
Ancient Hekate: revered by all, including king Zeus, has a share of the heavens, earth and Seas, was honored and showered in gifts by Zeus, protectress, illuminating, “light bringer” “beloved”
we can’t assume rick did a decent amount of research to write his books anyway
The most offensive to me will always be Ares. Like my boy would NEVER fight a CHILD. He’s out there being a Professional Dad™️ adopting and protecting all the children of the world!
Actual Ares would have taken one look at Percy and been like “Fuck you Poseidon this kid is my son now!” And honestly the series would have been far better!
I’ve been a Hellenic Polytheist for years now and I’ve also been answering questions about the religion for almost as long. Something I’ve noticed is that a lot of our struggles within trying to understand the gods and our religion as a whole lies in us having a “this or that” mentality.
Mythology is either 100% true or 100% false. The gods are either all loving or don’t give a shit about mortals. The Ancient Greeks did this or they did that.
But the reality is that it’s not at all that simple. Our religion is complicated and complex. There rarely is an easy and clear answer even when we’re talking about the Ancient Greeks themselves.
And to be honest with you all I think that’s by design. Yes I may sound like a conspiracy theorist here but I can’t help but think the gods crafted Hellenic Polytheism this way in order to make us THINK.
I can admit I am bias here because I truly believe that a big part of being a Hellenic Polytheist is being a free and deep thinker. However when you remember that parts of Philosophy and many schools of thought were born and expanded in Ancient Greece I start to sound less like the dude from Ancient Aliens.
It seems like wherever the gods go, thoughts, ideas, and discoveries follow. Which is why I wonder whether our religion is structured the way it is on purpose. Without a sacred text, without clear instructions or guidelines, without a universal understanding of beliefs and concepts we are left to THINK. To contemplate. To wrestle with our gods and our beliefs about them. We are forced to engage with our gods instead of relying on religious authorities to do that for us. We are free to think for ourselves instead of being force fed whatever bullshit people want to use to control us.
Regardless of whether you believe my conspiracy theory or not, the spirit of this post remains relevant. Our religion is complicated and I think it’s best we just embrace that instead of trying to fight against it. Use it as an opportunity to THINK. Don’t just follow blindly what those of us on the internet say because you think we know better than you. No! There is room in this religion for many ideas, thoughts, and theories so don’t be afraid to come up with your own!
Hellenic Polytheism spaces should be spaces for free thought and open discussions.
This is so important!
have tender hearted relationships with your gods. speak to them softly, giggle, let them ornament your life. drink tea with them, write love letters to them and share your secrets. wear flowers to honor them, walk barefoot. let your gods comfort you without fear, like old friends, like lovers.
Reblog this if u a hellenic polytheist who LOVES trans/nonbinary folks and queer folks. Reblog this is u a hellenic polytheist or hellenic who believes in ending the gender binary and allowing people to identify as however the fuck they want to, and supporting them. Reblog this if ur a hellenic polytheist who believes our gods both draw strength from and ALSO transcend gender.
Reblog this if u understand or want to understand that just because western/white ideals of gender involve a binary, that this isn’t the only way of looking at gender that historically existed and STILL exists across cultures, and that to enforce one view over others is white supremacy and only feeds patriarchal oppression by reinforcing its ideals of binary and punishment of nonconformity
reblog this if ur a hellenic polytheist who says NO to crusty white cisheteropatriarchy– in which white cis men oppress all those who don’t identify as white heterosexual cisgender men.
reblog this if you realize that we have to work together.
for those who have been fighting this fight in the community long before i got here, I THANK YOU <3
- Signed your local trans gendernonconforming brujx, as a devotional activity for Dionysus and my Indigenous, two-spirit and trans ancestors.
The gods fill my heart when my soul is hungry, I will never starve again.
- Zenobia via Hellenic Polytheism Amino
How would/should a recon Hellenic polytheist purify things? Their space and objects they want to use for sacred things. As well as themselves?
I just finished setting up and consecrating my new altar, so this is a particularly appropriate topic to write about now.
Before going in-depth, I’ll start with a reminder: there are different types, or “levels” if you will, of purification in Hellenic polytheism. The most basic is what I would call everyday purification, or purification from lyma; then there is expiation, to get rid of severe pollution or miasma; lastly, there is consecration, the process of making something sacred. I won’t discuss expiation much here, as it is necessary only in specific situations which I assume don’t apply to most people. (If you’re interested in it, I’d recommend reading the Greek tragedies, especially Aeschylus’ Oresteia and Euripides’ Iphigenia in Tauris, which deal in part with expiatory rites after murder.)
Let’s start with everyday purification. I’ve found Labrys’ book Hellenic Polytheism: Household Worship to be particularly accurate in explaining what it is (distinguishing it from more severe pollution) and how it’s done:
For living humans to approach the world of the Gods demands physical, mental and spiritual purity. This may be attained through the simple ritual cleansing that is a prerequisite to any ceremony.There are, however, particular states of “contamination” or Miasma that prohibit any attempt to approach the Gods whatsoever. To be purified from Miasma requires special ritualistic actions. (Hellenic Polytheism: Household Worship, p. 73-74)
Cleansing (Khernips): this should be a bowl or basin, wide enough to be filled with water, which may be used for the ceremonial washing of the hands or face before each ritual. (idem, p. 40)
The book also mentions hand-washing as the third step in a ritual: “all participants wash their hands in the cleansing basin” (p. 92).
This is accurate to ancient sources, which describe people washing their hands and sometimes face before ritual. See, for example, how Achilles prepares for prayer in the Iliad (16.225-232):
Ἔνθα δέ οἱ δέπας ἔσκε τετυγμένον, οὐδέ τις ἄλλοςοὔτ᾽ ἀνδρῶν πίνεσκεν ἀπ᾽ αὐτοῦ αἴθοπα οἶνον,οὔτέ τεῳ σπένδεσκε θεῶν, ὅτε μὴ Διὶ πατρί˙τό ῥα τότ᾽ ἐκ χηλοῖο λαβὼν ἐκάθηρε θεείῳπρῶτον, ἔπειτα δ᾽ ἔνιψ᾽ ὕδατος καλῇσι ῥοῇσι,νίψατο δ᾽ αὐτὸς χεῖρας, ἀφύσσατο δ᾽ αἴθοπα οἶνον˙εὔχετ᾽ ἔπειτα στὰς μέσῳ ἕρκεϊ, λεῖβε δὲ οἶνονοὐρανὸν εἰσανιδών˙ Δία δ᾽ οὐ λάθε τερπικέραυνον.
His beautifully crafted cup was there; no other mandrank from it the fire-coloured wine,and neither did he libate from it to any God other than Father Zeus;taking it from the chest, he purified it with sulphurfirst, then washed it with beautiful flowing water,washed his own hands, and drew the fire-coloured wine;then, standing in the middle of the courtyard, he prayed and spilled the winewith his eyes to the sky; and he did not go unnoticed by Zeus who rejoices in thunder. (transl. my own)
That’s really all it takes: a little washing with pure water. Water from a flowing spring is best, or if you live by the sea, seawater. I’m lucky to live in a country with very fresh and clean tap water, so I’m comfortable using it for purification, but if that’s not your case and you don’t have access to natural water sources either, you might want to consider buying bottled water for this purpose.
Now let’s move on to consecration. This is, to give a slightly tongue-in-cheek explanation, a purification level-up: its purpose isn’t just to cleanse something/someone, but to bring it/them into a sacred state. Anything that is to be used in ritual, including ritual space, should be consecrated. (This is why the requirements for cleanliness when entering an Ancient Greek temple were particularly stringent - these weren’t requirements for everyday ritual purity, but for entering a highly sacred, consecrated space.) Naturally, since consecration is a kind of level-up from purification, it requires more elaborate rites.
There are many different methods for this. Purification by fire, particularly by flaming torch, was common; so was sulphur, as evidenced by the Iliad quote above; bathing objects/people in seawater was another option. I personally use the tried and true method of what is commonly called khernips, that is, a flame extinguished in pure water. I begin by washing the space I want to use (for example, a shelf or cabinet surface) then anoint every ritual object, including statues. I also anoint myself. If I feel it to be necessary, I might recite a small prayer as I do so, something like: “Khairete Theoi, I consecrate this (object’s name) to your service. May it be sacred to you, and only come into contact with that which is pure.”
Lastly, since consecration requires a high level of purity, I often shower and dress in fresh clothes before beginning, and I always veil my hair. By contrast, for a regular, simple ritual, I consider it enough to bind my hair (which I do anyway) and wash my hands and face.
I hope this helps, and may the Gods keep you always <3
If you’re uncomfortable with saying ‘Lord’ or ‘Lady’ and looking for an alternative...
…try using Anax Ἄναξ (masculine) and Anassa ἄνασσα (feminine)! It’s not uncommon for masculine deities to be titled Anax, as seen in the Iliad and in the hymns. Same goes for feminine deities. Mortals could also be addressed as Anax/Anassa too, akin to how lord and lady can also be used for mortals.
Anax decently translates to “lord, chief, (military) leader” and Anassa translates to “queen”. I know it will not work for everyone, but I have seen some get some success with using anax and anassa.
Your worship is beautiful.
Whether you have a grand altar or a single candle.
Whether you offer expensive wines or water.
Whether you burn carefully crafted herbal bundles or walmart brand incense.
Whether you dedicate your life strictly to your deities or if you dedicate a few minutes to them a day or week.
Whether you believed every myth or you interpret them in your own way.
Whether you practice openly or privately.
Whether you follow ancient practices or make your own.
Your worship is valid, and it is beautiful.
“Zeus, king, give us good even if we don’t pray for it, And give us nothing evil even if that is what we pray for”
Pure Pagan: Seven Centuries of Greek Poems and Fragments
i just realized i have just over 900 followers on this blog 👀👀
how’s everyone doing lol?
Masterpost of Shops for Hellenic polytheists
A collection of shops for hellenic polytheists: for worship materials, modern Greek culture, etc.
Etsy Shops
Blagowood - Pagan wood carving
EFIstore - (Edipsos, Greece)
FireFoxAlchemy - One Stop Shop for Magical Supplies & Devotional Jewelry
GreekMythos - Handmade Greek Museum Replicas Artifacts and Jewelry
Greek Artifact - (Agios Nikolaos, Greece) Ancient Greek Art
marblecreations82 - (Athens, Greece) Replicas of Ancient Greek marble statues
HearthfireHandworks - Pagan Prayer Beads and Devotional Jewelry
TheHellenicHandmaid - Handmade spiritual supplies for Hellenic Polytheists
Thetis Treasures - (Athens, Greece) Jewellery inspired by Greek ancient history and mythology
Yliade - Art inspired by Ancient Gods
Other
clarysageherbarium - witchy shop
mastic-mastiha-sales - Greek shop
This not an exhaustive list. Expect more shops to appear or feel free to recommend more to be added to the list.
Zeus is wonderful and loving and nurturing and if u think otherwise get well soon
Some of y'all will never understand that gods are literally transcendent divine beings that cannot be understood from a mortal perspective, and not like, literal people that you can shame or judge like they're a politician who will stand down after a scandal