act like tomorrow just doesn't exist

Don’t you know it’s much more scarier when there’s no motive?

[funnytwittertweets]

[murphaconda]

Double double toil & trouble ❣️

[riickgrimes]

LIL NAS X & JACK HARLOW | INDUSTRY BABY

[lizlybear]

[murphaconda]

I’ve never posted a pic on tumblr but I thought this was the perfect place.. embracing my inner Lydia Matin ❣️

[simena]

[missoccultural]

Apollo moodboard

[screeching-0wl]

Apollo and the mythical land of Hyperborea

Literature

Along with Atlantis and Thule, Hyperborea was one of several terrae incognitae to the Greeks and Romans. Classical writers reported that people lived to the age of one thousand and enjoyed lives of complete happiness.

One of the earliest written mentions of this realm comes from Hesiod. In Histories, Herodotos also recorded Hesiod along with Aristeas and even Homer as sources that supposedly mentioned the Hyperboreans, the latter purportedly having written of Hyperborea in his lost work Epigoni. Later classical authors were also known to describe or reference Hyperborea in their works.

Pindar on Hyperborea, Tenth Pythian Ode

Never the Muse is absent

from their ways: lyres clash and flutes cry

and everywhere maiden choruses whirling.

Neither disease nor bitter old age is mixed

in their sacred blood; far from labour and battle they live

Summary of the myth

Hyperborea was a beautiful realm of eternal spring located in the far north beyond the home of the north wind; that's exactly what the name means, "Beyond Boreas". It's described as a continent-bound land bordered on the north by the great, earth-encircling river Okeanos, on the south the peaks of the Rhipaion Mountains, home to Boreas whose chilling breath brought winter to the lands of the south. Its peaks were inhabited by Grypes and its valleys by the fierce, one-eyed Arimaspoi tribe. Beneath the southern slopes lay Pterophoros, a desolate land cursed with eternal winter.

Hyperborea's main river was the Eridanos whose banks were lined with amber-weeping poplar trees and its waters home to flocks of white swans. Blessed with eternal spring, the land produced two crops of grain per year, but most of the countryside was wild and covered with stunning forests, the so-called "garden of Apollon."

It was said that its people were descended from Gaia and that they were a blessed, long-lived race untouched by war, hard toil and the ravages of old age and disease. The oldest myths portray them as favourites of Apollo.

The land was ruled by three priests of Apollo, known as Boreades, sons of Boreas. In the capital, there stood a temple dedicated to the Apollo where hecatombs of asses were sacrificed in his honour. The people also celebrated their god in an eternal festival of music, song and dance whose hymns were joined by the sweet song of the circling Hyperborean swans.

The Hyperborean folk were themselves believed to transform into swans upon reaching old age by bathing in the bitumen swamps of the river Eridanos. The normally mute swan was further believed to sing a dirge as its death approached, reputedly the sweetest of all bird songs.

Sounds nice, huh? Well, it certainly did to the Greeks, which resulted in several versions of the myth and speculations about the location and even the existence of this paradisiac land. Some even claimed to have travelled there.

More about Apollo & swans, mentions of Hyperborea: LINK

Myth and cult

There are several myths mentioning Hyperborea:

The mythical hero Perseus travelled to Hyperborea and was entertained by its folk when he was searching for the Nymphs who guarded the treasures of the gods, also known as the Graiai, swan-bodied women who could reveal the location of Medusa. Herakles made the same journey on two separate occasions. The first time was in his quest for the golden-horned deer of Artemis which fled north during the chase and the second time he sought Atlas and the golden apples of Hesperides.

The myth of Hyperborea was also quite significant for the Delphic and Delian cults of Apollo. According to some stories, its people were the founders of several important Greek shrines and in some cases, Hyperboreans were even linked to the founding of the Olympic Games.

But let's get back to Delos and Delphi:

The Delians told a tale of how Leto came to the island from Hyperborea accompanied by a pack of wolves where she gave birth to Apollon with the assistance of Eileithyia who was summoned from the northern realm to further the labour. After this event, the Hyperboreans sent pilgrims to the island - five men and several maiden-priestesses. However, it was said that after the maidens were either raped or killed, the Hyperboreans ended the pilgrimage and instead delivered their offerings indirectly through neighbouring tribes and peoples, for example, Herodotos spoke of said offerings coming to Scythia packed with straw, being passed from tribe to tribe until they arrived at Dodona and later arriving at Apollo's temple on Delos.

In Delphi, the second of the early, mythical temples of the shrine was said to have been built by Hyperborean pilgrims out of beeswax and feathers. When the army of the Gauls tried to seize the temple in historical times, phantoms of these prophets were said to have appeared on the battlefield, routing the army.

The Greeks also believed that Apollo spent the winter among the Hyperboreans. His absence from the world caused coldness and this was marked as his "annual death". He returned to the world during the beginning of the spring. The Theophania festival was a celebration of the return of Apollo to Delphi.

Annual death? Aren't the gods deathless?

It was more of a metaphor or a way to somewhat explain certain things but the myth was also an important part of the Delphic cult of Apollo.

Let's take a look at what happened to the sanctuary of Delphi during this time and what it may have been an explanation of.

The "non-mythical" things that we should take into account are the position of the sun or more specifically, the illumination of Apollo's statue at the sanctuary and the disappearance of Lyra and Cygnus - two constellations associated with the god. Another thing is the high probability that the gasses emitted in this place were affected by the change in seasons. These biogenic gases were shallow subsurface gases and when they were present, visitors to the Temple would have experienced an altered mental state. During the winter months, the "pneuma entousiastikon" [spirit of euphoria] was rarely triggered due to the absence of gas. Because of that and since Apollo was believed to be absent, no prophecies were issued during this time.

Back to mythology; Apollo left the sanctuary for winter and travelled to Hyperborea. That's where Dionysus comes in! He was believed to inhabit the temple during Apollo's absence.

Geography

When trying to look for an "irl" Hyperborea, the mythical descriptions might point us somewhere towards the North of Europe.

Several classical Greek authors came to identify the Hyperboreans with their Celtic neighbours in the north and some linked it to Thrace.

More modern interpretations regarding the location connect Hyperborea to Central Asia, specifically Siberia due to the myth telling us about how Heracles sought the golden-antlered hind of Artemis in Hyperborea. As the reindeer is the only deer species of which females bear antlers, this would suggest an arctic or subarctic region.

The possible location is also placed beyond the Dzungarian Gate into northern Xinjiang.

Hyperborea is sometimes theorised to be Eastern Europe, mostly because of the presence of amber in the mythical river Eridanos which could be linked to the Vistula. Since amber arrived in Greek hands from someplace known to be far to the north. Avram Davidson proposed the theory that Hyperborea was derived from an explanation by the Greeks for the insects, which apparently originated in a warm climate, found embedded inside the amber arriving in their cities from cold northern countries.

Because of this, the Greeks might have believed that the coldness of northern countries was due to the cold breath of Boreas, the North Wind. So if one travelled "beyond Boreas", one would find a warm and sunny land and thus called it Hyperborea.

Sources:

theoi.com

Delphi and Cosmovision: Apollo's Absence At the Land of the Hyperboreans and the Time for Consulting the Oracle

Calendric Aspects of Myths and Cults Involving Apollo's Visit to Hyperborea by T. Bilić

The American Journal of Philology, Amber, Avallon and Apollo's Singing Swan by F. M. Ahl

[apolloshrine]

Some of my favorite Apollo paintings!

I do not know the artists' names because I just had these on my computer, but if anyone does, please let me know!

^ by Simón Vouet

^ by Briton Rivière

[hellenicrisis]

Various statues of Apollo. Happy Sunday everyone!! ☀🏹

[alder-bos]

Apollo, Artemis and Brigid Devotional Guide

A Helpful Guide to my main Patrons

Apollo

God of: The Sun, Prophecy, Oracles, Light, Music, The Arts, Song, Poetry, Healing, Medicine, Plague, Disease, Protection of the youth, Knowledge, Herds

Symbols: Lyre, Laurel Wreath, Silver Bow and Arrows, Tripod, Oracle of Delphi

Animals: Swan, Raven, Tortoise, Serpent, Wolf, Dolphin, Mouse

Colors: Gold, Yellow, Orange, Silver, Blue, White

Herbs/Plants: Laurel, Larkspur, Cypress, Apple Trees, Palm Trees, Hyacinthus

Incense: Frankincense, Myrrh, Cypress, Clove, Cinnamon, Bay

Day: Sunday and the 7th day of the Lunar Month

Signs: Crows and Ravens, Flocks of Birds, Pulling The Sun or The Chariot in Tarot, Disease/Epidemics/Being in need of Healing, Waking up at Sunrise, Interest or Talent in Medicine, Art, Music, Poetry, Archery or Witchcraft/Prophecy, Sun Symbols appearing more often in your life

Altar Decorations: Gold or Orange or Yellow Candles, Anything Golden, Crow or Raven Images, Medicine and First Aid items, Swan or Crow Feathers, Sun Water, Archery-themed Items, Apollo Statuette or Bust

Offerings: Red Wine, Olive Oil, Water, Citrus Fruit, Honey, Almonds, Cinnamon, Coffee, Herbal Tea, Honeycakes, Bay Leaves, Anise, Golden Objects, Swan or Crow Feathers, First Aid Supplies, Divination Tools, Sun Water, Milk, Lamb or Goat Meat, Cheese, Wheat and Breads, Orange or Lemon-flavored Chocolate, Laurel Wreaths or Leaves, Sunflowers, Lily of the Valley, Aloe Vera, Sunscreen, Art you’ve made, LGBT+ Flags, Playlists for him, Art you’ve made for him

Devotional Acts:

Study Medicine, Stay Healthy and Donate to Medical Charities

Sing for him and make art or music

Let more sunlight into your home

Learn basic medical care like CPR, The Heimlich Maneuver, Chest Compressions

Attend pride

Enjoy some caffeine in the morning

Donate Blood

Listen to ABBA and dance with him

Compliment people and make others smile

Artemis

God of: The Hunt, Wild Animals, Wilderness, Childbirth, Girls, Chastity, Archery, Disease and Plague

Symbols: Bow & Arrows, Quiver, Hunting Spears, Animal Pelts, Lyre, Torches, The Moon

Animals: Stag, Deer, Dog, Bear, Boar, Quail, Guineafowls, Bee, All Wild Animals

Colors: White, Silver, Gold, Yellow, Green, Blue

Herbs/Plants: Cypress, Walnut, Amaranth, Almond, Daisy, Willow, Wormwood, Fir, Pine, Thistle, Honeysuckle, Laurel

Incense: Frankincense, Cypress, Musk, Pine, Jasmine, Anything woodsy

Day: Monday and the 6th day of the Lunar Month

Signs: Pulling The High Priestess, Temperance or The Moon in Tarot, Interest or talent in Archery or Hunting, You see Lunar Symbols a lot in your life, You are often visited by wild animals

Altar Decorations: White Silver Green or Blue Candles, Moon-themed Items, Deer Antlers, Animal Pelts, Pine Cones, Animal Bones, Natural Things and Plants

Offerings: Red Wine, Olive Oil, Honey, Water, Almonds, Walnuts, Honeycakes, Fruit, Artemisia Plants, Arrows, Dance, Cypress, Pine Cones and Branches, Cider, Game Meat

Devotional Acts:

Donate to Wildlife and Nature Charities

Go Hiking and spend time in the Forest or Nature

Learn Self Defense

Learn archery and how to use throwing knives

Always help animals and women in need

Be very kind to children

Boldly be whoever you are

Research native local plants and animals

Support Aro/Ace and Lesbian Individuals

Follow the Moon Phases and work with the moon

Brigid

God of: Spring, Fertility, Family, The Hearth, Childbirth, Fire, Blacksmiths, Scholars, Physicians, Prophets, Healing, Poetry, Occult knowledge, and Justice

Symbols: Brigid’s Cross, Candles, Triquetra, Faeries, Four leaf clovers, Cauldron, Chalice, Corn Dolly, Anvil, Hammer, Poetry, Forges, Hearths, Wells and Rock Formations

Animals: Snakes, Sheep, Cattle, Bees, Owls and Hibernating Animals

Colors: Green, Red, White, Yellow, Gold and Blue

Herbs/Plants: Blackberry, Hawthorn, Pine, Basil, Mugwort, Apple, Cinnamon, Heather, Dandelion, Snowdrop, Willow, Oak, Four-Leafed Clovers, Crocus, Trillium, Corn, Lavender and Sage

Incense: Myrrh, Wisteria, Frankincense, Cinnamon

Day: Thursday, Imbolc

Signs: Interest or Talent in Blacksmithing, Medicine, Witchcraft, Poetry or Family, Pulling The Sun or a lot of Wands in Tarot, Feeling more connected to the element of Fire, Cows and Sheep, Brigid’s Crosses, House Fae, Fairy Rings near your house

Altar Decorations: Brigid’s Crosses, Figurines of her animals, Images of Faeries, Lots of Candles and Fire, Divination Tools, Metalsmithing Items and Tools, Corn Dollies, A Cauldron, Medicine Box and First Aid Supplies

Offerings: Blackberries, Milk, Bread, Herbal Teas, Heather, Brigid’s Cross, Beer, Apple Cider, Honey, Baked Goods and Pastries, Dandelion Root Tea, Shamrocks, Home-Cooked Meals, Corn Dollies, Green or Red or White Candles, Spears and Arrows, Water, Coins, Sheep’s Wool Products (ethically sourced), Prayers, Jewelry and other Metal Items, Metalsmithing tools and crafts, Eggs, Poetry, Food or drink left on the doorstep, Cakes on the windowsill at Imbolc

Devotional Acts:

Create or Buy an Iron Amulet

Say Hello to Cows and Sheep

Meditate with fire

Hang a Brigid’s Cross above your doorway for blessings and protection

[hellenicrisis]

☀️ Hymn to Apollo - John Keats ☀️

[sedados]

Little reminder that today is a perfect day to honor Apollo ☀️ and Dionysus 🍇 because the change of season, every winter Apollo goes to the hyperborean land and passes the position of the Oracle to Dionysus.

💛☀️🏹✨🍇🍷💫🖤

Apollo riding swan - ancient greek vase

[childofthesunandforest]

Ai generated art of Apollo and his Altar

Inspired by @dryada

[mosscaller]

This is my personal experience with working with Apollo.

[philhelias-moved-deactivated202]

☼ · Many faces of Apollo: Apollo Archegetes, or Apollo City Protector · ☼

Worshipped in places such as Naxos, the earliest Greek colony on the Sicilian land, and cities such as Megara, Apollo Archegetes is a Deity known to protect colonies as well as build and guard towns; he is a keeper of communities and the one who unites. 

It is possible that the colony in Naxos initially praised the Marine Apollo, patron of secure landing, yet had the city-building aspect of the God overtake as the need to come together and expand became prominent. 

In this sense Apollo takes up the role of a theos patroos, paternal protector Deity, a title otherwise assigned to his father Jupiter. 

[philhelias-moved-deactivated202]

A P O L L O : OFFERINGS

You’re warm and light-filled much akin to life itself, and I celebrate your honey-scented presence throughout the year regardless of the cold; with you, warmth and sunshine follow next. 

With you, life is preserved in summer-birthed wildflowers, citrus-fused drinks, sun-capturing stones and all things lovingly heated in your gentle hands. 

This is a devotional post. Don’t tag as id/kin/me, don’t use as an offering. 

[the-purvashadha]

Listen to music made of lyre or involving lyre as a devotional act for Apollo.

Michael Levy has great lyre music for those who wish to listen to it <3