#hellenic advice

[khtheological]

hello, and sorry for the bother, but i have a problem. i am interested in wicca and hellenic polytheism, but i happen to have written and drawn self insert/selfships with a fictional iteration of a deity (apollo from the netflix original "blood of zeus") is this in any way offensive or blasphemous? i can stop drawing self insert though, no biggie. thanks for your attention.

i think something we all need to remember is that the way our gods feel abt their depictions are not the same as others. the ancients made ALL KINDS of "out there" art of the gods. comedic, scathing, critical, sarcastic, sexual, demeaning, adoring, romantic, any kind of way u could feel about the gods, the ancients depicted it. while i Do Think there are disrespectful ways to depict the gods, depicting them sexually or romantically isnt one of them. we are not christains, we have never been asked by the gods for sexual modesty! theres no shame in imaging urself w a god or drawing or writing about it! sappho wrote about her lust for aphrodite, idk why u cant draw urself boning apollo haha

[hellenic-human-wreck]

So I’m having ~ d i f f i c u l t y ~ finding a matron or patron god/goddess? How can I tell if somebody’s trying to contact me?

I think the first thing I should mention is that nothing I tell you is 100% right, or the only way to do things. Everyone has a unique relationship with the gods, even more so with their patron(s). 

Patron is a gender-neutral term and can be used to refer to either a god or goddess, and there are two different definitions of patron

The first definition is the one that is more commonly used by the modern hellenic community: The deity/deities that you feel a strong connection to. 

The second is more traditional: the god or goddess whose specific patronage you fall under. If you're an artist or musician, this would be Apollo. If you're into metal-work, Hephaestus. 

Communication with the theoi is a complex subject, and I am by no means an expert. If you think someone is trying to contact you, I recommend research. Read up on different symbols of the gods and look for signs in your daily life or in your dreams (keeping a dream journal has been helpful in this regard).

Another method is through meditation, which is how I first contacted Aphrodite. It may take some practice, but eventually you may be able to at least receive signs from the deity you're trying to contact, if not direct answers or interactions. Not all methods work for everyone, so I can't guarantee my level of success as a beginner for everyone. 

The other method I mainly use is divination, mostly through a pendulum since I have the most experience with that. I won't go into detail on how to use a pendulum, though I might make another post later. This is how I typically ask questions to Apollo if I'm on a time crunch or am unsure of any instructions he gave me during meditation/in a dream. 

The main advice I have is to be patient. Don't be discouraged if you can't make contact with a deity or find your patrons right away. Everyone's relationship with the gods is beautiful, personal, and unique. 

I hope I was able to help, @thepastelpriestess 's podcast was helpful for me when I was starting out, so I would recommend that as well. 

[teawiththegods]

Do you have any book recommendations? I'm going to the library (It's a smaller library, but if there's also a few other libraries in my city that are better) and I want to get some books about ancient Greece and the Gods, but I'm not sure if there are any specific ones I should look for.

If you’re going to the library I suggest browsing what they have! I’ve found some gems by doing that! Make sure to look at all the sections bc the topic of Ancient Greece actually spans many subjects. Here’s a guide to help you navigate the library!

Philosophy is usually around the 180s. This is where you’ll find the works of Socrates, Plato, and other important Greek Philosophers

Mythology is typically placed around 292

Customs and Folklore are in the 390s. There may not be anything there specifically for Ancient Greece but you never know.

Classical Greek language books are around 480

Greek Sculpture is 733

880s is where you’ll find the plays and poems from Greek authors

938 is where you’ll find the history books

As you can tell I’ve spent a lot of time in libraries lol! Anyway I hope this helps and I hope you find some good stuff! Let me know what you end up checking out if you do!

[magickthyst]

Hi! I recently started praying to Aphrodite and offering her things. I got a small statue of her awhile ago but I just go into worshipping her I guess you can say. Well I just have trouble connecting with her and I feel like my offerings aren’t good enough or I’m just not praying enough. I do write her letters in my journal.. is that a good way to talk to her? Because I really do need her help in many aspects of my life.

hi lovely!

i can promise you with my entire heart, if you put effort or care into any offering you give to her, it should be more than enough. the gods recognize when you’re being sincere and thoughtful, and that outweighs any price, any size, etc of an offering!

journaling is a lovely way to communicate to her, or any gods for that matter! i’d just recommend you have a seprerate notebook solely for the purpose of journaling to her, if you don’t already!

now when it comes to you feeling like you’re having trouble connecting, that’s a decently common problem to have. if we don’t physically feel, see or recognize even the smallest sign that a god is listening, it can be incredibly disheartening and lead us to believe they’re just not connecting with us.

my only advice i could give is to make sure you’re aware of the fact that it’s always important to offer something to her before, and even after if you’re able, when you’re asking for her assistance in something. although i’ve found her to ALWAYS be of help when i need her the most, she is an incredibly high power who deserves your commitment if you’re also askin for something in return! just remember that when you ask, she’s going to do what she feels is best for YOU, not what you WANT. sometimes that makes it difficult to pinpoint whether or not she heard you/whether or not she’s doing something!

best of luck to you and you worship hun!💘

[magickthyst]

Hi! I'm new to devoting myself to Aphrodite and I'm a little scared about not giving good enough offerings to her lol.. Do you have any suggestions? Thank you!

hi, love! i can absolutely share some offering ideas for her 💘

i’d like to start this off by saying this: please don’t ever worry about ‘not good enough offerings’. as long as you put in a little thought and effort, Aphrodite will be incredibly appreciative! and even if you’re unable to do much more than grabbing some chocolate or lighting a candle, i assure you the gods understand.

okay anywho, here’s some offering ideas for Aphrodite 💘

🌸 candles and or incense! these are lovely for the times when you’re unable to get your hands on much else. or honestly, whenever you feel like offering it! pink/red colored and rose scents are very much associated with her, so if you could find yourself candles or incense like that i highly recommend!

🌸 chocolateeeee. i can say from personal experience, she loves some chocolate haha. my first offering was actually some lindt truffles! now just to clarify, she got equally excited with a reese’s peanut butter cup, so i can assure you she appreciates many kinds of chocolate that can be incredibly affordable!

🌸 self love and care!! this is sincerely one of the most lovely things about devoting yourself to Aphrodite. she’s allll about the love, especially when it comes to yourself!! self care looks different for everyone, so i just recommend taking a day or even an hour or two to yourself. do a handful of things that make you comfortable and happy! whether it’s doing a face mask and hitting up lush for a bath bomb, or watching your favorite tv show with some chocolate by your side.

🌸 share the love with others!! give someone a compliment, throw a dollar in the guitar case of the person singing on the corner if you could spare one. if you’re like me and have anxiety in social situations, things like that could be a little tough! so, rather than that, write out some cute and positive notes and put them around a store for others to find! i loveeee doing this when i return library books for a new reader to find.

🌸 get crafty! it’s not easy to continuously buy new things for her, so here’s a chance to create something from household items! whether this be a drawing, a collage of pictures that remind you of her, or even writing her a beautiful poem. not only do i think this is a really fun way to give an offering, but it gets you involved and creates something that really comes from your heart.

🌸 share a piece of you with her! what i mean by this is: Aphrodite is the goddess of love, and not just romantic love! i’m talking about your passions, music, art, fashion, etc. music is an incredibly huge part of my life, and i shared that with her by creating a playlist of songs that remind me of her! get creative with this and show Aphrodite

🌸 (nsfw) practice safe sex/devote your orgasm to her! i know this may feel uncomfortable for many people, but if it’s something you’re up to doing, i absolutely say go for it! allowing her into that space was an extremely comforting thing for me personally and allowed me to become more confident and comfortable with my body.

🌸 being her into your daily ‘beauty’ routine! for those of you who have one, of course. i know it’s not always easy to fine the strength to put in much effort for yourself. so, take a day to do something for you that makes you confident! whether that be applying makeup, wearing a certain item of clothing, spritzing on a favorite perfume. whatever makes YOU feel beautiful is perfect, because i can promise you she will see and feel the effort you’re putting in and will cheer you on all the while!

🌸 DEVOTIONAL ACTS!! okay, let me tell you. i adore this concept haha. for Aphrodite specifically, i devote certain acts that i personally love and hold close to my heart, but don’t always make time for. like my art, reading, etc. this not only makes me feel closer to her, but let’s her know she’s on my mind every time i find myself doing these activities! not to mention it makes me a whole heck of a lot more productive knowing i’m doing it for her 😛

🌸 seashells, seaglass, sand from your local beach, etc! when the weather finally begins to warm up where i live again, i plan on taking a trip to the beach and finding some beautiful bits and pieces for her altar! now, if you want to take some things yourself, PLEASE try to give back in one way or the other. clean up a bit of trash, say a prayer/thank you to the beach + nature, etc. i never like to take things for my craft without giving a little something in return

i hope this helped you out!! i hope your relationship continues to blossom and grow beautifully 💘

[teawiththegods]

Hi! I'm sorry to bother you, but lately I've been having a bit of trouble communicating with my deities. I know that they won't always be super present, and I can't always expect them to respond, but it's making me uneasy. I rarely make offerings, I'm super forgetful and I feel like I'm not making enough of an effort for them. It's really frustrating for me and I'm scared that it might be for them too. Do you have any advice for a struggling hellenic? Thanks, I love your blog!! <3

Hello, love!! To me this sounds like you need to revamp your worship to work for you instead of against you. If you’re super forgetful and don’t make offerings all that much then don’t make that part of your worship. You need to find ways that allow you to connect to your deities as opposed to what others might say you SHOULD be doing.

A wonderful alternative to giving physical offerings is devotional acts! I recommend them a lot for people who struggle with the traditional way of worship. I actually have an entire episode of my podcast about them so you can listen to that if you wanna learn more!

I really suggest you rethink your idea of worship and devotion, and allow yourself to find and try new ways to honor the gods. I really believe you’re struggling because the methods you’re using just aren’t right for you and your life. So you need to find methods that work for you! ❤️

[magickthyst]

why did you start devoting yourself to Aphrodite? ive been wanting to begin a relationship with a deity for awhile but im unsure how to begin. thank you!

hiya!

i personally began devoting myself to her only a couple months ago. when i was first introduced to the concept of deity worship, she continuously popped into my head throughout the day which lead to our relationship now!

with that being said, i’d like to clarify that you don’t need a sign from a deity to introduce yourself to them/work with them. if you’re ready and wanting to begin a relationship with a god/goddess, go for it! being kind and respectful when doing an introduction is much more important and productive than sitting around and waiting for someone to shake you and say “so and so wants to work with you!!!”

i wholeheartedly recommend you do your research, find a deity you connect with and feel comfortable with, and simply say hello to them. express your interest in a relationship with an offering and build from there! my asks and messages are always open if you need a lil more information/help before you proceed. best of luck lovely! 💛

[teawiththegods]

hi, i’m super new to hellenic polytheism and i’m trying to understand a lot more about it. i feel drawn to multiple gods and want to make an altar for all 5 of the ones i feel drawn to, but i don’t want to offend the other gods or make them feel left out. any suggestions?

Hello, love!

Honestly I really would recommend you focus on only 1 god instead of the 5. Juggling multiple gods is difficult for most Hellenics, let alone one who is super new. It can get very overwhelming esp since you still have a lot to learn. I mean of course do what you want to do but my advice is def to start out with one god.

As for the question you actually asked, I feel like I kind of answered it with my unsolicited advice lol! The gods aren’t High Schoolers who are gonna unfollow you on Twitter bc you sat with someone else at lunch or because you didn’t pick them first in gym class. You don’t have to worry about them feeling left out. All Hellenics have special relationships with specific gods. That’s why we have the whole concept of being a “devotee”. So yeah no worries!