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@sagethenaiad
he/they/xe, helpol, i block liberally. centering my practice around hestia and athena at the moment. not a devotee & i don't do deity work.
i am NOT an educator, my info posts are not a source, and i have no credentials beyond the time i've spent studying this *independently*.
⋆˚☆ other gods/figures i like (but don't necessarily worship atm): leto, hygeia, demeter, asklepios, hypnos, rhea, asteria, gea, the muses, the kharites.
MY FAV ATHENA EPITHETS AS A CERTIFIED ATHENA LOVER ₊˚⊹ ⋆
kourotrophos - protector of the youth (plenty of gods have this epithet, hekate & artemis are two that come to mind).
hygeia - of good health (later transformed into her own goddess, daughter -or sometimes wife- of asklepios).
ergane - of crafts/worker [in regards to artisans].
the fact that so few people talk about her well-known liking for weaving? the myth where she invents the flute? hello? athena is a goddess of art too!
zosteria - armored
ageleia - leader/protectress of the people
paeonia - healer
oxyderces - sharp gazed
glaukopis - bright eyed/owl eyed
metis - in reference to her mother
justice for metis, i'm so pissed off zeus is so often regarded as athena's only parent. i get what you mean but cmon.
axiopoenus - avenger
ambulia - of the council
I'M NOT A SOURCE. MOST OF THESE ARE HOW I SUMMARIZE THE EPITHETS' MEANINGS FOR MYSELF RATHER THAN A LITERAL TRANSLATION. IF YOU'RE GONNA USE THEM OR INCLUDE THEM IN YOUR OWN NOTES, DOUBLE CHECK THEM.
Spicy but
I have a hard time believing that the three fold law is real when we’ve had centuries of abuse happen to minorities. 
The threefold law just feels like prosperity gospel for witchcraft. 
Trying to suggest to me that bad things will happen to bad people on its own because the universe will do it for you just feels kind of privileged. And then to use that idea to suggest that Baneful magic, which historically was used by oppressed people not the oppressors is bad because it does harm, is almost laughable.
Anyway, I hope everyone has a wonderful rest of their day and the rest of the week! 
being a helpol creator sometimes takes me to places i didn't know i would find myself in. babe why are you proselytising. no that's not part of our religion. one sec you actually think that zeus defeated kronos for us? as in humankind? guys. guys why are you copying the christian gospel and spreading it like wildfire with the names changed. guys
greek god epithets
this post includes zeus, hera, athena, demeter, ares, hephaestus, and poseidon. for part two including hades, persephone, hekate, aphrodite, hermes, apollo, artemis, and dionysus click here
epithets are surnames (as <god's name> <epithet>) used to call upon the greek gods without saying their name directly. the epithet that you choose often corresponds to the purpose you are invoking them for
ZEUS:
-OMBRIUS/HYETIUS/APHESIUS= of the rain
-SCOTITAS= the dark/murky
-CERAUNIUS= of the thunderbolt
-ASTRAPAEUS= of the lightning
-CATAEBATES= the descending
-LABRANDEUS= the furious/raging
-ICMAEUS= of moisture
-CONIUS= of the dust
-MAEMACTES= the boisterous
-EVENEMUS= of fair winds
-LIMENOSCOPUS= the watcher of sea havens
-BASILEUS/CORYPHAEUS= the king/chief/ruler
-HYPATUS/HYPSISTUS= the supreme
-CTESIUS= of the house/property
logged back in after months and i have several asks help
Helloo 😭 I have a question and I want to ask for your advice. So, I kinda have a friend who also worships the Greek gods (they’re worshipping Apollo and Hermes at the moment). At first, they seemed pretty normal to me because I thought they saw Hermes as a father figure or something, but then one of my other friends pointed out that this friend, who worships Hermes and Apollo, claims Hermes is their romantic partner. I want to ask if that’s normal 😭❓
Because like lowkey I’m new to HelPol and she’s still a minor, I don’t know what’s going on right now.
So -- no. No god will ever pursue a minor for a romantic/sexual relationship 😭 for the love of Hestia.
It seems relevant that I bring up godspousal (marriage between a mortal and a god), so I will: godspousal is not inherently romantic. Marriage, by definition, is a CONTRACT; while it's a rare occurrence, some worshippers ARE married to a god (again: marriage as in a mutually consensual contract) and that practice is valid. It is not, however, one that has basis in Ancient Greece - it's a revivalist practice.
It's an oath based union. The worshipper becomes vowsworn, and the implications/terms of that vow may very from person to person.
This practice, unlike regular participance in Hellenic Polytheism, does require one to be chosen by the god in question. THE DEITY INITIATES IT. It must be offered to the worshipper by the divine. A person interested in such a union would need to consult several experienced readers that can confirm that the god is in fact pursuing them for that kind of thing. Unbiased readers, that is.
Oaths are not a joke. Breaking one leads to Agos, the worst form of pollution we have in the religion. It leaves you tainted. It's a self curse.
Not saying that one should approach these matters with unnecessary fear, of course. Agos is very hard to get and the average worshipper will not have to worry about it. Oaths, furthermore, are intentional - saying “I swear to x” or “I promise I'll do y” does not mean you have become oathbound.
Now: can a mutual contractual union with a god be romantic or sexual in nature? My UPG is that yes, it can. But it's EXTREMELY RARE and it stays within reason. E.g. the virgin goddesses are certainly not applicable for this kind of thing.
As Mechaniotatos (@psithyristes_khelidoni on TikTok) has put it: of all the worshippers there are, only a fraction will consider themselves devotees. A smaller fraction will be vowsworn. An even smaller fraction will participate in what we call godspousal. And an even smaller fraction of those people will have a romantic/sexual bond with the god in question.
This all said: MINORS CANNOT HAVE A RELATIONSHIP OF THIS NATURE WITH A GOD. I'm not even talking about romance - oaths, in general, (and again, this is my UPG) are NOT FOR MINORS TO TAKE. Again citing Mechaniotatos, just like minors are not eligible for legal binding marriage, I would argue they're not eligible for godly/cosmic binding contracts either.
I can't speak for whether your friend is joking, whether she's highly misinformed (...and slightly hubristic) or whether she's experiencing some kind of psychosis/mania. While I do not possess the credentials to diagnose anybody, let alone someone I do not know, that kind of claims are concerning. I hope she's alright.
TLDR: the only scenario I can think of where a god would interact with a worshipper on a romantic or sexual level is a type of godspousal, a practice which is highly intentional, highly specific & NOT FOR MINORS.
(Mechaniotatos' post on godspousal for anyone who wants to see it in their own words + with sources: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMAJvoB1J/)
Me looking at the witches and the manifesters, who say that shifting is delusional and shifters are crazy, as if their beliefs were any more proven.
𝐇𝐞𝐲, 𝐈 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐝𝐬 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫. 𝐈’𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐚, 𝐀𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨, 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐩𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐍𝐲𝐱. 𝐈’𝐦 𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧 𝐀𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐚, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐈 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐢𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐠𝐨𝐝𝐬(𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬) 𝐈 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝. 𝐈𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝, 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐈 𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐮𝐩 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦? 𝐈 𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧’𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐝𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐛𝐜 𝐢’𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐮𝐭, 𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲’𝐝 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝?
Polytheism doesn't mean you have to give them all the exact same amount of attention! It's okay to have one you feel closest with. They don't have any shortage of worshippers and as you can imagine, they don't sit around being pissy like "That one mortal from xyz gave this other god/dess more offerings than me! No fair!"
(And ofc they understand. Your wellbeing comes first. If you have to take a break, take it. If you have to dismantle a shrine, do it. If it takes too much out of you to pray today, don't. Religion should never feel like a chore, let alone draining, and all your gods will still be there when you feel better.)
Mb that might’ve been unclear but I’ve seen people be like “I wear this necklace to be protected by Athena” and like “wearing this when I need Apollos help” my question is basically like how do u bless something to be protected by a god or goddess or how do u clarify it to them that ur wearing this necklace for example for this purpose (sorry if this is still unclear💔)
ooOh. You don't need a god to "bless" the object my love, you're the one who makes the choice for it to be devotional. It can be a form of non physical offering or a way to ask for their aid, but that's up to you and literally all you gotta do for the deity to know is tell them. Like. In prayer. "Hi god, I bought/have this item and I'd like to wear/carry it in your honor/for it to be a way to call for your blessing." Or idk whatever you want.
Side note: on this same topic and especially on TikTok, you'll deeefinitely see some people being like "How to consecrate an object to a god!1!1!1!!1!" and describing some kind of ritual they follow. (Cleansing it a certain way, putting it under the sunlight/moonlight, writing a whole fancy rhyming prayer describing what they want it to do, meditating with it, holding it close to give it their energy, etc etc etc.) THAT IS OK, but it does NOT mean you also have to follow one as well.
There's a lot of Helpols who are also nature worshippers or witches who happen to incorporate the Greek pantheon into their practice, but how much different practices overlap for every person is up to the individual. Non-HelPol rituals don't have to be part of your belief system just because someone else happened to choose for the two to intertwine in their practice !!!
That said, I do enjoy washing devotional thingies with sea water and using essential oils on them lol. It's cute.
Hi! I was just wondering; if you worship a few Gods but it's getting a bit mentally tiring and your focus shifted to one God that you want to connect deeply, is it okay to take off other deities' altars? Or would that be disrespectful?
Baby your journey is your own and how, when, whether, how many gods you worship is up to you. Ofc you can stop/take breaks. You don't have to get to the point of complete burnout to be allowed to take some things off your back!
Worshipping at all is already above what the average person does yk. It's not expected and it's certainly not taken for granted. Hey, if I worship only one goddess is because I know I couldn't handle more tbh. No shame 🤜🏻🤜🏻
How do I “get something blessed” by a god, I’ve seen so many people do it and it’s honestly confusing😞.
Wym? 🤨🤨
No like /gen I have no clue what this means. What have you seen people mentioning?
to begin worshipping a god from the greek pantheon, do you start right away with offerings and prayers [not including research first, i know that’s essential], or do you have to do something else first? asking because i’ve seen people from the kemetic reddit talk about the process of introduction with their gods, and i was wondering if it’s the same for helpol :)
There is no need for introductions with the greek gods! They get to know us through our worship. If you're confident in the info you've got and think you're ready to start, go make your first offering.
sorry if this is a dumb question but how do you know if the gods actually heard your prayer? im a beginner and i havent learned divination yet to communicate, and i havent seen any signs they have listened. does this mean they havent??? and if so what should i do so they CAN hear my prayers?
tyy :)
If you call their name, they listen. Full stop. Even if you don't feel them, they're there. Even if you don't get signs, they're there. Even if you don't think they are, they're there.
(Reminder also that divination with the Theoi ain't for beginners. /nay)
hello, this might be a long shot, but i'm mara—a beginner helpol who started practice a few months ago!
i have a school project asking us to document a form of a religious act of devotion (or in my language, "panata") and i would love to feature some of your tiktok videos for my essay, specifically one of you setting up your altar for lady athena or others about offerings in general
additionally, i would like to ask a few questions about it!
• why do you give or make offerings for your altar/gods?
• what are some consistent things you do before/during/after making an offering for your altar/gods?
• what kind of fulfilment is there in making offerings for your altar/gods? (e.g spiritual fulfilment, building of kharis, satisfaction in doing things according to your tenets...)
absolutely no pressure to respond to this ask and a slight heads up, it's due around 24 hours from sending this (sorry for the time crunch, i'm a crammer,,) but if there is even a chance you could, i would appreciate that deeply <3 thank you!
Hello my love! Djskwiejwl I'm so honored :(( and so deeply sorry I couldn't record a full video for you. I'm not feeling well, but I would've loved to. You're more than welcome to use any past videos I've posted tho!
Offerings are mandatory, we give them out of respect. But I'd say most importantly, we give them because we want to. Sacrificing time and things to our gods is one of the most valuable things we can do. That said, it's never about the price tag, never about the size, never about how fancy it can get. Some like to claim that a god who demands gifts is materialistic, and that's just stupid. A glass of water is enough of an offering if it's given out of genuine devotion and a desire to do something nice for the deity. After all, being a worshipper is entirely optional! But if you wanna call yourself that, you have to put care into the bond with the god(s) you've chosen. Offerings are also not transactional; while yes, if you ask for a favor you should give something in return, a relationship with a god is not a countable matter and their willingness to help doesn't go up in percentages.
Pretty much the only structure that is a must (and the only one I follow every single time) is the act of washing oneself -hands and face is enough- with water before initiating a devotional doing. We do this because human mundanity is 'dirty' in comparison to the divine, too much so to be in direct contact with it. This isn't a sinlike concept and it very much does not mean than being a human = gross, it just means that we have preoccupations the gods are far beyond. During the day we engage with activities that make us 'too' mundane, and we need to wash that away before praying, offering or getting their attention in any way. That everyday pollution can be interpreted both as a somewhat physical lingering aura or as entirely metaphorical. Ritual cleanliness is not about the state of the body (though you can achieve it by physically cleaning yourself), but moreso a symbolic act that shows our will to give our undivided attention during worship. It's like a vow to leave our human concerns aside for a little while.
Honestly, offerings are fun. They should be! Giving gifts is amazing! It's a way to show love and it's one of my favourite parts of my religion. I get to look at random things and think “wow, [god] would like this, I think I'll get it for them”. How cool is that? But seriously, it should never feel like a chore or something you have to do on a specific schedule. It's meant to feel good and it's meant to be an act of care. And of course, they do contribute to the building of the kharis (a reciprocate bond), but it also just feels nice. I feel so deep for the fact that I get to give gifts to these great beings and that, even though the possibility of religious community and temples was stolen from us, I'm worshipping the same gods the old Greeks did, maybe in a slightly different way, but still following the same core values and with the same desire to show them love through things they don't need, but that have value in my eyes.
I hope that was enough to help you. Please do let me know how the project goes, it sounds so genuinely interesting <\3
"Aphrodite loves terfs" do you really think a goddess of love formed from a literal penis and the mother of Hermaphroditus, an intersex god who was associated with androgyny and feminine men, fucks around with transphobia?
she is a literal trans icon and to deny that will get you smited by all the gods
quick reminder that I am a transmasc polyamorous lesbian who uses xenopronouns, loves trans women and fucks with any type of gender nonconformity / identities that “don't make sense”, if you don't like that go fuck yourself, my account will never be a safe space for bigotry.
DEITY WORK AND WORSHIP ARE NOT THE SAME
If deity work isn't the same as worship, what does the term actually mean?
According to some helpols, it means a worshipper who wants to feel special. Someone who thinks the term 'worship' is degrading and hence chooses to use wording that suggests equality. It's a hubristic, elitist term that aims at placing the worshipper at the same level as the deity, which is deeply inappropriate.
I completely disagree.
Now yes, of course there's people who choose to say they 'work' with a god because they view worship as beneath them. I of course also acknowledge that 'deity work' isn't an ancient concept; this is written from the perspective of a revivalist. But I do believe it is a thing, the term is just widely misused.
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THIS IS MY PERSONAL DEFINITION OF IT
Deity work can be defined as working towards the betterment of yourself with the help of a deity. This is obviously not reserved to the Greek pantheon, but being that I'm a helpol, those are the gods i'm gonna be talking about.
Can you do it as a beginner? With a Greek deity, no. Kharis is still an essential !!! They don't have to care for your personal growth as an individual if they barely know you (regardless of how great and fancy your offerings might be).
Do the gods have to accept you? Yes. Now now, I agree that gods don't reject worshippers, but i see deity work as a mutual agreement. So yes, the god in question does have to accept you. And yes, they may reject you. Whether because you haven't been very successful in establishing the bond or because they simply think you're not ready/you should be working on yourself in a different way. Don't push it.
Does it have to involve an oath/promise? No. I view it as a higher commitment, but it doesn't mean it has to last a lifetime.
If I'm partaking in deity work, does that make me a devotee? No. Not inherently. I'd still put people who do it in the 'worshipper' category for the most part. (I'll make a post on the difference between worshipper and devotee in the future)
When do you cross the line between being a worshipper and doing deity 'work'? When you choose to. It's a conscious decision and not at all an inherent “next step”. You don't have to partake in deity work (if you believe it to be a thing) at all, ever. That's your choice to make.
Do you have to do divination? Nah. Asking for a sign that they've accepted you is enough. You can also always commission other readers if that's a possibility for you.
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SO WHAT DOES DEITY WORK INVOLVE, EXACTLY? Again, this being stated purely as a matter of opinion:
Active worship (obviously). As somebody who's on and off the practice constantly due to mental issues that drain me, if I were to do deity work, that, for me, would mean praying/offering almost every other day. Probably reading a whole lot more as well. In other words, kinda 'stepping up' whatever you were doing already, in thanks for a god helping you in this way. You're asking for a big thing!
Active incorporation of religious values in your life. You may argue that every helpol should be doing this already, and I hear you, and I mostly agree; however, as long as you're not going *against* values like Xenia or Kharis, you're okay as a worshipper. Here I'm talking of making an active conscious effort to be an example of said values.
Open permission for the god to more heavily influence your life. If they consider you have to be put through tough shit in order to grow into your best self, they will put you through tough shit. This isn't to say that a deity will choose to hurt you, let alone that you should blame everything bad that happens to you while you're doing deity work on the god; mundane before spiritual, you guys. But a lot of people describe deity work as having been incredibly taxing but worth it (similar to what others say about starting a fitness journey or going to therapy), and yeah, that's basically what it is. It may suck, but it's for your own good.
Heavy work on yourself, whatever that means for you personally. Do you have emotional baggage? Could you be a better friend? Do you want to better yourself academically? You feel like you're too much of a couch potato and would like to stop? Imo, it's important to know exactly what you're aiming at. “I want to be better” doesn't really cut it. What do you want to work on?
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HOW DO I START DEITY WORK, THEN?
For the 2749292th time I'm clarifying that this is what I, me, Sage would do; this ain't a rulebook, just a guide made by a rando.
I would prepare a fancy offering (a craft that took me a long while, a full meal, new items, an altar reset with oils and the nicest incenses I've got) and call upon whatever god in prayer. I would explain what I want to do and why, how I think it would benefit me and what i'm willing to do in return. Probably praise the god a whole lot too; sure, this is about me, but also about them. One doesn't choose their god(s) based on what they can provide, but out of genuine connection and feelings of devotion. I'd talk about my goals and what I expect to grow into, and ask for a sign that they agree to help me with those goals.
If they accept you: hooray! brace yourself lol, this is gonna be a bit of a ride.
If you don't see any signs that they do: it's okay. And it's reasonable to be disappointed. Give it a little more time; the sign may come even if not immediately. If something you have to work on is your patience, perhaps this is the very god testing you.
There's many reasons why a deity may choose to refuse you. Trust their judgement, and trust that you didn't do anything wrong. You're not lesser, they don't hate you. You can still work on yourself by yourself, y'know. And if you do so as a devotional act, little snippets of their help may start to show up:)
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That's all for now! I love y'all x
