[broomsick]

Quick tip for new pagans (something that took me years to understand): faith isn’t a chore, or at least it shouldn’t be. If your religion starts to feel like it’s taking a toll on you, that’s a sign to take a step back, maybe practice more casually for a while. There’s no obligation for you to feel the connection 100% of the time. Faith is a great help, but it’ll come through when you need the help. So don’t force yourself into spirituality at a time when it doesn’t come naturally. It’ll leave you exhausted, not to mention spirituality is one of things that just can’t be forced. Trust me: fluctuations in your faith are temporary. Plus, there are lots of ways to keep a steady, yet casual connection to your faith. The Gods have always been there, whether you feel their presence or not.

[antiqueanimals]

Mosaic from Pompeii; circa 100 BC.

[continentaldrip]

Hermes and Apollo (some pencil sketch)

Love how these two met, and please do not repost without credit :)

[amorphousbl0b]

The tribes of Tumblr appeared to worship Apollo as their primary patron deity, most often under the epithet Apollo Spairahemon ("Apollo the Ball-Thrower") as a god of prophecy and sport. His name was typically invoked to celebrate a user blessed with uncommon prescience. Moments of prophecy were considered highly sacred and were often recorded, and such texts are sometimes accompanied by an artistic depiction of the god — either his traditional masculine image or, unusually, in the form of a young woman, which appears to have been an earlier style before a conservative shift toward more conventional iconography — preparing to cast a round rubber ball that our scholars believe was used in the sport known as "dodge ball". Much as other cults regarded his arrows as bringers of disease and health, this community believed that being struck by this ball would bestow prophetic visions.

Some icons are reproduced below:

An earlier depiction (c. 2020) of Apollo as a girl clad in a simple tunic and playing with other children. Figures are smiling and the image is brightly colored, indicating a celebratory outlook toward knowledge of the future.

A later piece (c. 2022) that resembles the traditional appearance of Apollo. References to childhood and play are omitted, and the god carries a more frightening aspect; perhaps this icon represented grim omens rather than good tidings.

[rnismatch]

womb tattoo on forehead because mind pregnate with ideas

[curioscurio]

^^ Zeus 25 minutes before Athena c-sections herself outta the back of his skull spinnin like a beyblade

[thoodleoo]

athens rent so bad i had to move into an empty wine cask outside the agora

[probsdontrememberme]

Not my usual stuff but here are some coins based on Greek gods

[hellenic-polytheism]

Hi there! So, uh, I'm a 15-year-old Hellenist living with some Christian parents(can't wait to move out of the apartment so I can finally make some altars) and I have some questions? If you don't mind answering them-?

Is there an official conversion ceremony I need to do? I know Christians have official conversion ceremonies, and since I became a Hellenist 6 months or so ago, I still haven't figured out if I need to officially convert or if it's not neccesary

Any tips on making offerings to the gods? The best I've been able to do so far is pouring water bottles down the kitchen sink, but it doesn't feel official or good enough. I want to do more, but it also needs to be behind my parents' backs

Any tips for prayers? Specific things I could do? How do I finish off a prayer? When I pray, do I have to specify a god?

Is Apollo actually the patron god of queer people, or did the internet make that up?

Are tattoos ok as a Hellenist?

According to some reddit forums(I don't have any irl sources on Hellenists yet), I need to choose a patron god or something? What's that all about? Is that true, or did the reddit user make that up?

Any other tips for a Hellenist teenager living with a pair of overprotective Christian parents??

I know about The Odyssey and The Iliad, but are there any other books I should try to read??

thanks, hope you have a fantastic day!! =)

Sincerely,

A young Hellenist

Hi!! I was in the exact same position when I was your age. Please take my answers with a grain of salt because I practice this religion in a very laid-back manner. Everyone does it differently, and you'll find a way that works for you.

No, there's no conversion ceremony you need to do. I just told the theoi that I wanted to start worshiping them and that was it. I usually speak to them through thoughts, not by speaking out loud- a habit I picked up by being secretive about my practice.

To this day, my favorite way of making offerings is by dedicating my meal/snack/little treat to them. I still eat it, but I invite them to enjoy the flavors through me. That way, there's no waste and I still get the sustenance. Pouring water down the sink is totally acceptable too!! I've also lit candles for them. It's completely up to you what you decide to offer and when. You don't need an official ritual or anything.

Prayers can be as complicated or as simple as you want. For example, I like to ask Hermes to bless my travels, but that's usually just a quick "hey, can you watch over me during this flight?" and I'll dedicate the coffee I get at the airport to him. You don't need to finish off a prayer in any fancy way. Sometimes I'll blow a kiss at the sky and call that good. There also doesn't need to be a deity specified. General prayers are completely okay.

I wouldn't say that any of the theoi are the official patron god of queer people, because how we experience being queer in 2024 is much different than how they did it back in the day. Many of the gods had gay lovers. Lots of modern queer Hellenists, myself included, do resonate with Apollo, but I would say that the internet made him being the Gay God up.

Absolutely! I have a few, and am planning on getting some that are dedicated to the gods. A lot of Hellenists get tattoos.

You don't need to choose a patron god. I haven't chosen one, and I've been practicing this religion for about 7 years now.

Make playlists dedicated to the deities! Make art! Write poetry! Start a sideblog to compile resources and posts onto! Journal and write letters to the gods! Find small ways to incorporate them into your life. You have plenty of time to do the big stuff.

Not a book, but I always suggest theoi.com as a starting point. There's so many great myths on that site, and it'll tell you about the sacred animals and plants of each deity. Plus the footnotes will take you to the sources for each myth, and you can go down rabbit holes of information.

[s-c-r-ee-ch]

Apollo Citharoedus

Palazzo Altemps, Museo Nazionale Romano, Rome Italy

Hadrianic Period (2nd century CE); Roman copy of Hellenistic original Marble

[praise-to-the-theoi]

To Lord Apollon when taking medication

Hear me, healing Apollon,

Father to Soothing Asklepios.

He who controls both plague and healing,

If I have ever honoured you, please accept this prayer, Shining Apollon,

Please allow me to be safe when taking this medication, to aid it in its effectiveness, and to reduce the likelihood of negative side effects.

I ask for your favour with a token of my praise, and I take this medication in your honour.

[woolfrost]

yummy pomegranate

[mendelssohn-kin]

Medusa was kinda problematic  :/

[mendelssohn-kin]

She objectified a lot of people 

[thoodleoo]

dionysus big naturals

[thoodleoo]

hey so this is simultaneously the best and worst reply you could have ever made to my post

[nyaoi-warrior]

[judgejudyofficial]

[happylambie-deactivated20181004]

Three women with penises, plus the statue of Hermaphroditus The Louvre, Paris Fr http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermaphroditus

[mortismidnight]

I have a fun little discussion topic. What superstition or tiny rule are you ride or die for? For me i am a STICKLER to clockwise to create counterclockwise to destroy in my own practice

[breelandwalker]

For me, it's that there is one particular word that should never be spoken aloud in our family's presence while traveling. It's a superstition that I married into, but I've seen it in action multiple times over the past decade, enough that I figure it's better to be safe than sorry.

As for the word, it's one of those nasty, uncomfortable things that makes you late for dinner. (Or, in the words of my husband, "not a fun little jaunt into the unknown, but rather a disaster that you're fortunate enough to survive.")

[bareboneswitch]

Don't say "it can't get any worse". I have attacked my SO because he's said it in jest XD

[breelandwalker]

YES THIS TOO!!!!

Also thing that tempt fate, like "The weather's going to be perfect," or "Everything will be fine," or "It's going to be a quiet day."

(I understand there's a very vehement rule about that last one in the medical profession, especially among hospital staff.)

[assassin1513]

⚜️Hermes ⚜️ my favorite greek god ⚜️ gifs (edits) made by me :)

[orpheus-defender]

hot take, we don’t have to hold myths about Deities up to modern moral standards.

The stories told about the gods are written through the lense of that culture in that time period. cultural norms and standards shift and change over time- and i don’t believe the gods are tied to the morals of those stories, but rather the stories are a snapshot of how the gods were perceived at that time.

seems kinda disrespectful to go around labeling whole pantheons as “problematic” because you disagree with the norms of the culture that wrote stories about them.

[broomsick]

Speak it