my name is luca! i am a hellenic polytheist; this blog serves as a religious & spiritual diary, as well as a digital altar. i am new to the helpol tumblr community, and i worship aphrodite; i would also like to incorporate hestia and apollo into my practice. i follow from my main; @lovedsickly.
byf ໒꒱ .˚₊
TERFs, fascists, zionists, and lgbt-phobes are not welcome. i’m fine with interacting with minors on the topic of our beliefs / practice, but i do not follow back personal blogs run by minors (sorry)!
ঌ Baking or cooking, even better if it's with your family or partner
ঌ Spending some time in front of your fireplace, if you have one and if you don't you can just light a candle, and relax: reading a book, watching a movie, spending time with your pet, talking with your family...
ঌ Organising a sleepover with your friends
ঌ Eating food that comfort you if you're having a bad time or even just if you need some comfort: something that reminds you of your childhood is always a good idea
ঌ Cooking or baking in order to offer some to your loved ones and surprise them with something they like
ঌ Wearing comfort clothes
ঌ Drink a hot drink such as a hot chocolate, coffee, tea... genuinely just that drink that always bring you some comfort and warmth after a long day
ঌ Reading a book and relaxing a bit, taking some time for yourself
ঌ Donating clothes
ঌ Spending time with your family (doesn't matter if it's blood family or found family)
ঌ Taking a nap during the day if you feel like your body (and/or your mind) needs it
ঌ Cooking yourself your favourite meal after a long day
ঌ Dedicating your first and last bite to her
ঌ Getting out of bed in the morning, taking a shower, brushing your teeth... just taking care of yourself
ঌ Watching shows and movies that you like: your comfort show, a movie you used to watch as a kid and that brings a lot of nostalgia...
ঌ Learning crochet or knitting
ঌ Hugging your stuffed animal (even better if it's one you had since childhood)
ঌ Donating toys to children
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This list will be updated
Devotional acts can be a perfect way for you to honour the gods if you can't make offerings or if you have to practice in secret (of course you can still do it in addition to typical offerings). But always remember that they don't need to be anything big and sometimes just taking a shower, getting out of bed or eating can be a devotional act if your mental health is making it difficult for you to practice. And even if you don't have the energy to practice at all, always remember that the gods understand and love you nonetheless<3
Honoring a God is very deeply transformative. Even when you’re not actively “working” with them, even when you’re simply taking in their essence and making an offering here and there! My advice to someone who wants to learn about a deity is to learn from this deity. What can they teach you, as a mythological and divine figure? What are the positive changes that came to be since you’ve started venerating them? Notice these changes and let yourself learn and be guided by the deities you love!
This is a devotional piece I drew for my beloved goddess Lady Artemis ! I'm really happy with the outcome even though I wish I could've done more with the background :/ but also this is the first fully colored piece I've done in a while and I'm glad I could do a more complicated one for my lady ! I hope she likes it , and you do too I hope <3
ALSO please cut me some slack on the rendering of the dog , I never draw animals and fully color them even less so , but I tried my best .
The little "print" on her clothing is supposed to be cypress branches & the white spots on her shoulders & cheeks are referencing the white spots of fawns ! The fur around her shoulders is from a bear and the bandages are stained with Ichor , the golden blood of the gods ( hunting isn't an easy job after all )
This piece was heavily inspired by one of my favorite paintings called " Diana the Huntress " by Gaston Casimir Saint-Pierre which I used as a reference :3
New to witchcraft? Awesome! Here's some things you should pursue.
An understanding of sympathetic magic: Correspondences, their metaphysical and theoretical framework, and their derivation.
Magical systems that incorporate the entire gender spectrum.
Energy work that isn't based on visualization.
The means of manifestation: How, where, and when spells affect physical change. The physical mechanisms through which witchcraft manifests beyond just willpower/intent/wishes/etc.
The history and subsequent influences of, and on, popular contemporary practices like Hermeticism, "Ceremonial Magick"/Golden Dawn, Wicca, and New Age/New Thought/LOA/Reiki.
How to approach and practice magic with critical thinking skills.
Influence of consumerism on contemporary practices.
Divination as systems: all methods of divination beyond tarot, their statistical applications, and their different methods of use.
The anthropology of medieval Arabia, Europe, Near East, and Asia relative to the magical or occult publications of the era. What is purely religious, parareligious, or syncretist and what does that mean for the interpretation of the text?
The genuine limits of our knowledge of the ancient world, what's possible for us to know and what can't we know?
Conversations with practitioners of closed or semi-closed practices and perspectives of POC when it comes to what the western world would label as "witchcraft".
The differences and similarities between superstition and the practice of witchcraft.
An understanding of the influence of colonialism on modern witchcraft and the language used to discuss magic.
Critical Race Theory (CRT), Queer Theory, and systems of oppression.
Botany and herbology: An understanding of the physical and medical properties of plants.
Building a personal lexicon for modern and/or colloquial terms used in and by the witchcraft community to describe and discuss practices.
Spell design: What makes a spell a spell? What is the smallest or slightest action that can be considered a spell and why? What are the most important and influential elements of the design and application of a spell?
Altars: Their use, design, and potential; whether or not an altar would benefit your practice or goals for practice.
A critical approach to spirit work and astral projection, being able to discern between personal narratives and probable experiences.
A safe and solid community to become a part of. One that does not allow the influence of personal narratives (Without addressing them as such), doesn't allow for the mixing of adults and minors, and with established and enforced logical and reasonable rules.
Collect and cross-reference correspondences from as many sources as possible, then start to create your own.
Try to find a STEM subject that interests you and study it through any non-dogmatic avenues available to you.
The items highlighted in blue are things I highly recommend!
Here is a list of things to avoid.
This is, of course, not an end-all-be-all list of possible responsible and healthy pursuits.
You can learn more about me, find my master-post, check out my Patreon, and suggest content here.
Hey, it’s okay to take a break from your worship. In my experience, the gods don’t mind.
I haven’t prayed in front of my altar in so long because I haven’t had the time and when I do have time, I’m completely exhausted. But that’s okay. I’m taking a break and I will start again when I can.
May the Theoi surround you with comfort and warmth in times of hopelessness and dismal loneliness. May they always remain a friend in your corner, a gentle rhythm to your heartbeat, a surge of confidence, a bout of contagious laughter, a boundless curiosity, a passionate anger, pure joy in all its countless shapes and forms. May they embrace you in the dark and dance with you in the light.
May you never suffer, or celebrate, in the cruelty of solitude ever again.
Friendly reminder that you don't need to be on any “level” of witchcraft to worship the Hellenic gods because
1. Being a polytheist or a pagan doesn't equal being a witch.
2. These deities were worshipped by literal children back then as there was no fear of them being harmed.
If someone is telling you “this deity is for beginners/advanced practitioners/whatever” then they're either misinformed or they're purposefully trying to seem spiritually above you so you consider them as some sort of spiritual guide.
I'd like to begin by stating that all religions have mythos. Christianity has the bible, Islam has the Quran, etc. That is to say, that most of these religions are centered in mythic literalism, as portrayed in their sacred texts.
The mythology surrounding the Gods, since we do not hold a sacred book, has been written by worshippers, for other worshippers, rather than prophets.
While myths may paint the Gods with human-like flaws, these narratives are symbolic, representing aspects of the human experience and the natural world rather than literal truth. The gods embody ideals, fears, and cultural values of ancient Greece, serving as a mirror to humanity's own complexities. In essence, the myths are not factual accounts but rather rich, allegorical tales that reveal deeper truths about existence, morality, and the cosmos, used by the ancients in order to make more sense of the divine, in their own perspective of the world.
We must also remember that whilst a lot of the subjects in these myths do include traits deemed unacceptable in our modern world, the ancients had different values and beliefs that were seen as "acceptable" or at least normative in their societies. Thus, we cannot place modern morals onto ancient writings.
Often times, people look down upon worshippers of the Gods, due to the mythology and the "horrible acts" they've committed, but this limited view embodies, again, mythic literalism, which is not present in Hellenic Mythology.
Instead, we must look outside of these myths for evidence of the Gods; both in the lives of the ancients, and in our own.
// short one today, because i could speak about this topic for ages, but i don't want to bore you all too much.
#1 & #2: A Greek Terracotta Aphrodite, Hellenistic Period, Circa 3rd Century B.C. from Christie's.
#3: "The Birth of Venus" an Italian carved and tinted and carved Carrara marble table lamp, Florence, late 19th century/early 20th century, from Sotheby's.
first, a note on cthonic vs ouranic: the line between these gods is one that is not really as stark as it can be portrayed. many gods have both ouranic and chthonic aspects, and neither make them any more "good" or "bad" than the other. chthonic gods are not evil gods, at least no more than any ouranic god. all deities have the capability of doing good and evil, but are largely ambivalent in nature. the advice listed below is not set in stone, simply provided as gentle guidance. if you have suggestions, feel free to add them in the comments/reblogs! :)
LIBATIONS/OFFERINGS
In Ancient Greece it was very common for offerings to the chthonic gods to be given in the form of libation--a drink (or any liquid) poured into the ground. Solid offerings, like food, were often burned in their entirety to ash or left to rot, instead of being partially shared by the offeror. Incense was not as commonly used since the smoke travels upwards, towards the heavens.
I suggest disposing of/keeping ashes and rotted food outside or burying them, seeing as chthonic sometimes refers to "-of the earth." This would be similar to how curse tablets were treated in Ancient Greece, as Hermes, messenger of the gods, would deliver them unto their underworld-ly receiver from there.
If you can't do that, consider pouring your libations down the sink or flushing them down the toilet (ONLY do this with water-based liquids, oil and honey will clog up your sink in no time flat). It's not ideal, but it gets the job done.
Common libations include: coffee, blood (animal or your own, we'll get to that at the end), honey (instead of wine), milk
Common offerings include: meat, barley/grain, oil, cheese
PRAYER
In many cases, prayers to ouranic deities are directed upwards, into the sky or delivered unto the wind by voice, song, or some sort of poem. In the case of the chthonic gods, we should be directing them downwards, towards the underworld where they reside. This may include extending your hands with palms facing down, putting your head down, or just imagining your prayers being sent below. The only exceptions to this may be Persephone, who resides in the heavens for half of the year, and Hermes, who can be considered both ouranic and chthonic.
Other recommendations I can make are: light a candle, even if you're not going to use it for pyromancy; light some incense (I do this for focus and cleansing, not so much for the deity); and perform it at night. It's not mandatory, of course, to perform your prayers at night, it's just that in antiquity ouranic activities (festivals, prayer, etc.) were done during the day and often directly enshrouded in sunlight. We can assume, therefore, that a chthonic prayer or festival should occur during the night, especially if being directed towards Hekate or Nyx.
ALTARS/SHRINES
In Ancient Greece, temples to the ouranic gods were constructed so that their doorways would directly face the sun, thus illuminating the inside (and often the main statue(s), too). We can assume, then, that our chthonic altars/shrines should be located somewhere out of the direct sunlight. This can be in a dark spot, like a closet or isolated room--or it can just simply be in a corner furthest from the sun's rays.
Again, there may be some exceptions to this: Hermes, under his ouranic epithet(s), Persephone, for her time in the heavens, and Hekate, for her association with the moon.
DIVINATION
For the most part divination with the chthonic gods is conducted in much the same way as with the ouranic. Of course, when calling upon these deities you'll want to face towards the ground, and perhaps even conduct these sessions in partial darkness. Again, maybe you could light a candle or even pour a libation before a really big reading.
I mostly use pendulums and tarot, but I've been experimenting with meditation and have had some luck. What works for ouranic deities should work just as good for chthonic, you just might have to shift your approach a little.
Some good tarot spreads for working with chthonic deities:
"Fork in the Road" spread-- for Hermes or Hekate
"The Tower" spread-- for Hermes or Hades
"The Self Exploration" spread-- for any
"The Bat" spread-- for Hades or Persephone or Nyx
EXTRAS
--Consider offering blood if you're able! Animal blood that is sourced from ethical farms is neither morally reprehensible or illegal and can be sourced from a variety of places. Offering your own blood is also a possibility, but for this I would not recommend more than a pinprick. There are limits to how much pain you should be incurring on yourself for your deities. If you have to check your blood sugar often, maybe you can soak up excess blood with some cotton and bury it outside. Make sure to always clean your wounds properly and do not engage in this behavior for the purpose of self-mutilation. That, I can assure you, your deities would not appreciate. Don't be stupid.
--Snakes are commonly associated with almost all chthonic deities, or just the Underworld in general. We see this the most with Hermes, who is pictured with two snakes wrapped around his caduceus. The god Asclepius is also pictured with a staff with a single snake on it. Asclepius is the god of medicine, and (before being deified) was killed by Zeus for making people practically immortal.
--Chthonic deities are the best places to turn to for spirit work, protective, and baneful magic. You're looking to contact a spirit? Turn to Hades. You're looking for protection against spirits/demons? Turn to Hekate or Hermes. You're looking to cast a curse? Turn to Persephone or Hekate.
tell me about the how practice of women covering their hair in ancient greece worked?? 👀
I was gonna write a whole ass essay but my post got deleted twice so you get the shortened version
It was called Himation, a very long piece of fabric shaped like a rectangle. For men it was draped over the left and clasped over it under the right shoulder. Married women, priestesses and people currently praying to the Theoi* (more notes at the end) would wear them as veils* covering their hair or face in front of strangers.
In art, priestesses are often depicted wearing them. Specifically those to Hestia and Hera. Beta’s priestesses were married women, who Usually held the position their entire lives, while priestesses to Hestia usually served a year before getting married.
The first image is a picture of the Oracle of Delphi, one of the most famous priestesses. You can see how himations were usually styled, either with the draped like I previously explained, or left draped down the middle. Unlike modern religions that involve veiling, like Islam and Orthodox Judaism, there isn’t the same requirement to cover the arms, neck and chest. While it was the norm for dresses and chitons on women to cover all the way to the ground, in Sparta women wore much shorter dresses, to their thighs.
the Himation, wrapped around the shoulders, usually went up to the crown of the head, leaving the roots and top of the head exposed.
Notes:
*1 Theoi: Greek root for gods. Theo was singular and thea was feminine.
*2 Veiling definition in this context
yes that is a screenshot idc
if someone wants to repost this into Pinterest or something find that one cosplayer who wears a himation for a real-life reference image.
