From the Top of Olympus @ofhyperboreax - Tumblr Blog

Depictions of Domestic Bliss in the Underworld: Hades, Persephone, and Cerberus

Top Image: Illustration from A Dictionary of Classical Antiquities by Oscar Seyffert. 1895, New York: Macmillan and Co.

Bottom Image: Illustration from Greek and Roman Mythology for Mature and Educated Young Women by Julie Hoffmann. 1864. Dresden: Eduard Trewendt.

#theoi #underworld royalty #art

bironism

the blood moon over the temple of Apollo | Corinth, Greece

#theoi #lord of light and gilt #the hellenic world

milkandmelodies-deactivated2023

—hear me Paion Apollon

wondrous healer with golden touch

you have graced me with blessings unimaginable

and I have borne witness to your kindness

allow for healing, recovery, and good health

do not allow sickness to take hold

he who averts evil — banish disease

in good health and in poor

you have not abandoned me, golden lord

on this day be gracious to my song too.

#theoi #lord of light and gilt #prayer

stygiantarot

Hestia devotion

It’s chilly but not cold nights like these that have me thinking of Hestia and her ember eyes of warmth and home.

The comfort of coming inside to my toasty house after taking the dog out.

The smell of my pre-Thanksgiving stews and baked goods.

The tiptoeing around my sleeping infant so I don’t wake her.

The smell of her tiny warm head when she’s asleep on my chest.

The worn smile and hug from my partner when he gets home late from work after a long day.

The spiced taste of a piping hot cup of apple cider.

Thank you for your blessings Oh Brightly Burning Hestia. Thank you for my home and family.

#theoi #hestia #prayer

pigeonflavouredcake

Moved back to the window for Beltaine

#theoi #lord of light and gilt #hermes #dionysus #altars and shrines

noctivague

☀️ Apollo devotional acts ☀️

Hello it's me again with a post I was meant to put online three weeks ago! I've done several of these: Artemis - Demeter - I also made one for Hermes during my 30 days challenge but I've just realized it's quite short so I will be making a new one again at some point in the future.

What are devotional acts?

Devotional acts, or devotional activities/practices are things one can do in order to honor a deity, just like one would do with physical offerings or prayer. In short, instead of giving, say, wine, you will offer time and energy (the mundane one). You would typically look at a deity's domains and pick some things related to them.

So here is a list of things you might do, in the hope that it would spark some ideas. Of course the list in non-exhaustive !

☀️ Study academic fields (sciences or humanities) - dedicating your studies to him can be one of the easiest devotional act you can do. Can be for school/uni/work or simply your research related to the hellenic path. He’s all about the pursuit of knowledge so no matter the field, you can dedicate this time to him. It's a side of him that is a bit forgotten as people will think of Athena first, but it is completely in line with his domains as a god of Knowledge and Education.

☀️ Art and Music making and appreciation - he is the god of music and all the fine arts so you can dedicate the practice of these things to him and call upon his aid to develop your skills and sensibilities. The mastery of Arts requires the combination of technical skills, emotional sensibility, the capacity to break down things mentally, and the creativity to bring out solutions, things that are his domains as a god of Reason and Expression. If you don’t make art, you can simply dedicate some time to your appreciation of those fields by going to an exhibition or a concert.

☀️ Honoring the Muses - his epithet Musagetes means leader of the muses and is meant to connect him to the Arts, as previously mentioned. However, you could also take that more litteraly and devote your time forming a relationship with the Muses to him.

☀️ Write and appreciate poetry - made this a separate entry for how important this was to the Ancients. Without judging yourself, write your thoughts and feelings freely and see it as an expression of your mind and soul. Alternatively, lose yourself into the writings of others.

☀️ Working around health - Apollo is the god who inflicts but also relieves plagues, and the father of Asclepios. He is thus linked to the medical field and any practice related to that would be a great idea. One of his epithets, Acestor, means healer.

☀️ Philosophy - Apollo is the patron of those who seek truth and wisdom, so not only would studying philosophies and religions be a neat idea, the most important would be to adopt that mindset and make sure you reflect on your values, the meaning of your life, your place in society, etc… The delphic maxims can be a good place to start, not to use them as dogmas but rather to stimulate your own thoughts and spark questions. When I think of Apollo I think of a god who wants us to keep questioning the world and ourself and push us to a better understanding of things and to build our own sense of ethics.

☀️ Introspection - As an extension of that, practising a form of introspection as a way to shed light on the most unknown parts of yourself and seeking understanding of your whole self. Keep an journal to write down your introspection sessions can be a great devotional act and would draw his good influence upon you.

☀️ Pursue the best version of yourself (with kindness) - to some extent all gods want to see you become the best version of yourself, but I don’t know why, maybe it’s a bit of an UPG, but I see Apollo as the one who thrives for perfection the most and works hard for that. Just be careful that this doesn’t become unhealthy and that you are always doing this with kindness and love for yourself.

☀️ Celebrate the blessings the light and the warmth of the sun gives us - he isn’t the Sun himself (that is Helios) but he is undeniably linked to the Sun and its light so he is the one I go to when I want to celebrate the bright season and its blessings. Personally I intend to celebrate the summer solstice with him.

☀️ Practice methods of divination - he is the god of prophecy and oracles and one you can go to to improve your ability to divine. He isn’t the only god whose domain is of one form of divination (Hermes has ornithomancy and astragyromancy, and Zeus had oracles), but he was the one who spoke through the Pythia so you can dedicate the development of your psychic senses to him. Also, Tarot is a relatively modern invention but I link it to him due to the fact that it’s an elaborated system through which spontaneous insight arises.

☀️ Teaching - giving a drawing or music class, or just anything really. The idea of transferring your knowledge and allowing someone else to become more skilled at something. Especially great with the youth since Apollo is one of its protectors.

☀️ Crafting things for your altar - maybe you want to make a laurel wreath (his sacred plant) to DIY your altar, or what about a scented candle containing solar plants, you could also use clay to shape little elements that you will paint later as a decoration. The possibilities are endless!

☀️ Note on donations: an alternative to practising the activities I previously mentioned, you could also give your money to those causes and domains. For example: by supporting local artists or health-workers.

#theoi #lord of light and gilt #praxis

aphr-dty

Aphrodite of Cyprus - Mother of Desire, Lover of Laughter, Heavenly Goddess of Beauty and Happiness.

Lady Aphrodite, hear my prayer. On this blessed day I offer you this digital offering as I am away from your altar. I thank you for everything you’ve done for me, especially in such a short amount of time. Thank you for blessing me with a wonderful relationship and a boyfriend who endlessly loves me. Thank you for blessing me. I am beautiful, my body is perfect the way it is and I have you to thank for that. You who loves laughter, have brought me much joy and laughter. Our conversations are my favorite part of my day. Truly speaking with you for the first time is something I’ll never forget. Thank you for hearing my prayer as I cried to you last night. I appreciate all you do for me. Thank you Lady Aphrodite. I love and appreciate you. Thank you.

#theoi #lady of love and seafoam #prayer

witchykohai-old

the calling from the gods can come in very different ways

there’s the banging down your door, in your face, demanding your attention

there’s a soft and distant yearning, like feeling homesick

there’s the hand held out, offering to help you up, asking to dance with you

there’s the patient request for respect, not a partnership, just your acknowledgment and attention

and then there’s the most far away of all, the forbidden, where they call to you but will not let you answer, because now is not the time and you are not ready, but they are still warning you that the time will come eventually

#theoi #text

fireburningbright

The Gods are not detached, locked away in their temples like crypts. They walk in the world with us. They know us. When you open yourself up to them you will find them in the strangest places.

#theoi #text

milkandmelodies-deactivated2023

🌿 Pagan / Hellenist Spoonie Ideas

spoonie: an individual who suffers from chronic illness / pain ALTARS: -> set up a small altar / statue + candle by your bed or on your bedside table (practice fire safety) -> create digital shrines + offerings in video games -> create portable art shrines—like this! (tutorial here) PRAYER: -> read prewritten prayers / hymns (e.g. The Homeric Hymns & The Orphic Hymns for Hellenic Polytheists) -> unstructured prayer -> write your own poems, prayers + hymns to deities when you have spoons, and read them the next time you wish to pray -> sit and meditate with your deity without saying anything -> pray silently / in your mind whilst in bed, on a walk, washing the dishes, etc. OFFERINGS: -> devotional offerings—activities you can dedicate to the Gods; incorporate daily activities into worship -> utilise a skill you have (art, singing, gardening, sport, writing) to create an offering piece for your deities -> create devotional playlists for deities -> remember that offerings do not have to be grand; you can offer clean water, bread, honey, flowers, etc. RELIGIOUS RESEARCH: -> break up spiritual research into themes/topics so you can do little by little each day over a set time (e.g. a fortnight, a month) without running out of spoons -> masterposts of pagan / polytheist primary resources on Tumblr -> take digital notes -> research using various forms of media; films, videos, books, images of artefacts, music -> free online ancient history / mythology courses (example) COMMUNITY: -> join a pagan / hellenist discord server -> explore and interact with pagan / polytheist blogs -> be on the lookout for digital community rituals / festivals being hosted online

REMINDER: If you are planning on criticising these ideas for worship as being 'too modern' and not like 'how it was done in ancient times', please keep in mind that not everybody is a reconstructionist. Even for those of us who are, including myself—keep in mind that reconstructionism and worship look very different according to what people are able to manage given their life circumstances. Digital altars are not the 'mark of a lazy pagan', they are an alternative method of worship utilised by somebody who may not be able to have a physical altar for numerous reasons. In the same way that you cannot expect a person with fractured legs to assume a standing position to pray—you cannot expect a person who suffers from chronic illness (physical or mental) and/or fatigue to be able to keep up with the same pace and types of worship as other practitioners. The Gods will not turn a worshipper away for 'not being able to do it like in the ancient times'. The Gods are understanding and they will not abandon you because of your struggles.

#info #praxis

teawiththegods

💕Aphrodite, guide me towards love. Help me discover it, receive it, embrace it, give it, celebrate it, honor it, teach it, and live it. Let love be the mark I leave, as your devotee, as a human being. 💕

#theoi #lady of love and seafoam #altars and shrines

arjuna-vallabha

Worship of Poseidon and Demeter by Labrys, Greece

#theoi #poseidon #demeter #altars and shrines

maidengirlblues

shrines by jenny davies-reazor

#altars and shrines

marisolmoon

An Introduction to Hekate

Hekate, Goddess of Magic, Witchcraft, the Moon, Necromancy, is believed to be not just a Goddess of the Underworld, but the living world as well. She also has dominion over crossroads, hidden knowledge, home protection, herbs, plant medicine and flowers. According to the Ancient Greek text by Hesiod, Theogony “Hecate, whom Zeus, Cronus’ son, honored above all others: he gave her splendid gifts - to have a share of the Earth and the barren sea, and from the starry sky as well she has a share in honor, and is honored most of all by the immortal gods.”

From what we can see historically, Hekate was a Goddess that was highly revered and given reign over three realms by the God of Gods. Hekate is well known to be as the triple goddess due to her association with the waxing, full and waning moon, but also some equate Hekate to the Mother, Maiden and Crone figure. She is a powerful Goddess, yet she also is a kind Goddess that will aid you in your path that you have chosen as a witch. Some of the main things you can focus on when working with Hekate when just starting off is

Finding your path

Protection of your home & loved ones

Communion with the dead

Spirit work

Shadow work

Associations with Hekate you may find when calling on her when beginning to build a relationship with her are items such as,

Keys

Torches

Lanterns

Black dogs

Crossroads

The Moon

The Crone

Snakes

The colors black & purple

The #3

The tarot card “The Moon”

Strophalos Wheel

There are superstitions that when Hekate is near dogs will begin to bark for what seems to be no reason.

Once you begin to see signs that Hekate is responding to you and is willing to engage, a great thing to do would be to leave an offering at a crossroads during the New Moon. Rituals, offerings and spellwork during the New Moon is the perfect time to connect with Hekate since that is the phase of the moon associated with her. Some examples of offerings you can leave at the crossroads are,

Mead

Wine

Cakes

Mediterranean fruits

Locally sourced fruits

Keys

Bones

Plants, such as Mugwort

Blood

You can also honor Hekate on the last day of the month or on the Night of Hekate, which is November 16th every year.

Lastly, an important step to making that initial connection with Hekate is creating an altar dedicated to her. On your altar you can have a statue of her or something that symbolizes her, plants associated with her and even images of animals associated with her. Some colors you can use to decorate your altar are,

Purple

Black

Orange

Yellow-Orange

Red-Orange

Use these scents of incense at your altar such as,

Cinnamon

Honey

Myrrh

Mugwort

Lime

Lemon Verbena