Tea With The Gods

A Hellenic Polytheism podcast where we spill all the ☕️ about the Greek Gods!🏺 Host: Jessie & Co-Host: Destiny

[teawiththegods]

The Gods Are Queer!

Happy Pride Month!!🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

[teawiththegods]

Thanks to my ADHD medication (sorry I keep mentioning it but it REALLY has been life changing for me! 🥹) I was able to clean my kitchen finally and give Demeter and Hestia their counter space back!

Now I just need to take care of Aphrodite’s altar in my bedroom. It’s such a mess unfortunately. I feel so bad! I’m sorry Dite! 🥺

I think I also want to create a mini shrine for Apollo on my desk since my first summer class starts this week! 🫠

[teawiththegods]

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This little greenhouse from IKEA could work as an altar! Especially for those of you who have cats who like to get into things or knock stuff over! I sent this video to @mythicaldest for that very reason. 😆

[teawiththegods]

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This is a super cool idea for the Full Moon if you’re looking for something to do! I might incorporate this into my ritual!

[teawiththegods]

For the Full Moon this weekend, I’m going to do a rededication ritual for Artemis similar to what I did for Apollo on the New Moon. Part of it will also be rededicating myself to my witchhood and getting back to my witchy studies with Artemis as my mentor.

Now that I found an ADHD medication that works for me I’m hoping I can stick more to my studies and devotion as a whole. My main problem was jumping from one thing to another and overwhelming myself (ADHD problems 😭✌🏻). So I think I’ll also use this Full Moon to try and create some kind of structure on what topics to focus on when. Apollo will love that! I can already picture him opening up excel on his laptop with a sparkle in his eyes and tying his hair up in a messy bun to show he means BUSINESS! 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[teawiththegods]

Since Apollo Noumenios is “he of the new moon” and was honored on the new moon in antiquity and Artemis is the goddess of the moon, worshipers and witches alike can incorporate the twins in any moon phase ritual! Start with Apollo on the new moon 🌑 and end with Artemis on the full moon! 🌕

[teawiththegods]

Not a tattoo for Aphrodite?

Not yet. But I def will be in the future. My plan is to have the left side of my body covered in devotional tattoos. So all the Olympians (plus more) will be represented at some point!

[teawiththegods]

@mythicaldest and I are getting tattoos again for my bday!! It’s becoming our lil tradition! 🥹💖

I’m especially excited bc I’m finally getting a devotional tattoo! It’s going to be for Hermes, Apollo, and Artemis (My Shaylas! 😭).

But what’s hilarious about all of this and truly showcases what happens when two friends with ADHD are left alone together with the same hyperfocus, is that we only JUST came up with the idea to get tattoos again for my bday this past Tuesday 🤣 And then we put together the designs, gathered the reference photos, picked a day, picked a tattoo artist, and submitted it all on that Tuesday! And now it’s Friday and we are pretty much all booked! 🤣🤣🤣

We can do all that in less than a week but ask us to wash the dishes, fold the laundry, do homework, or make a doctor’s appointment and we’re gonna need like 3-6 months. Maybe even a year 😆

It’s giving Hermes and Dionysus! 😁✌🏻

[teawiththegods]

One thing that's been on my mind a lot is how Hekate acts differently towards me compared to how other people talk about her.

Many people describe her as a distant, cold, rigid goddess, someone you shouldn't call upon for just anything, but with me she is kind, affectionate, clingy, I feel her sleeping next to me every time I'm lying down.

So I'm left feeling lost and without any idea what to do, like, is this entity next to me really Hekate? Am I going crazy? Is it all in my head?

Sorry to vent here, I'm really lost, and also sorry for any spelling mistakes, English isn't my first language.

I relate so much to this, love!

For me tho, it’s Artemis. The Artemis I know is FERAL AF!! She’s gonna stab first and ask questions probably never 🤣 Her teaching methods involve a lot of threats, bitch slaps, and banshee screaming! She’s often covered in dirt and blood (Animal? Human? Both? Who knows? She sure doesn’t!) and her favorite past time is messing with Apollo (and sometimes Hermes).

I honestly can’t recall seeing anyone describe Artemis the way I know her. Most of the time she’s depicted a lot more tame and chill. Like either a “cool girl” or “ethereal moon goddess”. I have never met those versions of Artemis. It’s giving:

But here’s what I learned after many years of feeling exactly how you do. None of us are right. And none of us are wrong. The gods are multifaceted. They have many different aspects and each aspect has a different version of the god that rules over that aspect. So while I could be working with Artemis’ wild/animalistic aspect someone else could be experiencing her lunar aspect.

There’s also the fact that we interpret certain concepts and aspects differently depending on our own experiences, cultures, and how we were raised. That can absolutely impact how you interact with a deity and how they show up. Some people can see nature/wildlife as being serene, peaceful, and motherly which could explain why Artemis shows up like that for them. I obviously see nature as a chaotic swamp witch that could either punch me or hug me and I won’t know until she decides 🤣

With all that said, there of course is always a possibility that people are lying about their experiences or they could be sincere but maybe haven’t developed the skills or knowledge yet to fully connect with a deity. While I truly believe that is very much the minority, I still think it further shows that we should never compare our experiences to what we see online.

So I hope that helps! You aren’t crazy, it all isn’t in your head, and you are absolutely experiencing Hekate. Just a different aspect/version of her!

[teawiththegods]

GOD PLUSHES ALERT!!! I REPEAT! GOD PLUSHES ALERT!!!

Looks like they are releasing all the Olympians!! I lowkey want ALL of them! 😆

[teawiththegods]

✨Witch/Pagan Tip!✨

Unsure of what to do with all your empty medicine bottles???

They make perfect spell jars for any type of healing work! Especially for yourself since your prescription bottles will have your name already on them!

They also are great offering jars (or even mini altars) for Apollo, since he always likes to remind me that he’s a Doctor. Yes, Apollo you’re just like Barbie with your perfect hair and abundance of careers! 😆

[teawiththegods]

This may be a slightly weird concern, but alas! I've always loved the idea of prayer beads and would love to carry some around to have a more frequent reminder of my religion, but I've always hesitated since they feel too close to rosary beads, if that makes sense?

Yeah that totally makes sense, love!

But a good thing to remember is that prayer beads are not exclusive to Catholicism or Christianity. Many other religions, faiths, and spiritual practices use prayer beads as a way to connect with the divine, meditate, and deepen their faith.

So if you feel called to use prayer beads then absolutely give it a try!

[teawiththegods]

dude your profile is a gift from the gods I swear

so I’ve grow up a catholic but I’ve been non-religious for the past 5 years. I still believe in things like the afterlife or divine beings or things beyond our comprehension, but I’ve never really identified with one particular religion. my question is if I can just wake up one day and DECIDE that I want to follow Hellenism. I’ve done some research on the side and becoming a Dionysus and Aphrodite worshiper is a mighty tempting offer atm. But can I just pick and choose between religions? because it seems like a pretty serious commitment to just say at random

and if I do end up becoming Hellenistic, can I still worship the gods without an altar or offerings or anything like that?

Thanks, hon! I’m so happy you think so! ☺️💕

So one of my favorite things about the Hellenic gods is that they aren’t as strict as you might think in terms of how you worship them.

There are a lot of pagans, witches, and spiritual practitioners who have developed deep bonds with the Hellenic gods without being a Hellenic Polytheist or practicing the religion.

Truth be told, I’m a revivalist which means I don’t practice the religion the way the ancients did. I instead have developed my own worship that is personal to me and my relationship with the gods. Tho there are aspects that are based on ancient practices and beliefs.

So basically you can worship the gods without committing to the religion or you can build your own practice based on the religion. It’s really up to you and the guidance of the gods.

The same goes for altars and offerings. It’s important to note that either don’t have to be the traditional or stereotypical way. Altars can be tiny, temporary, a single item, outside, on the internet , or even in your mind. And offerings can be sharing a snack, doing an activity, sticking to a habit like drinking water, a neat rock you found, a flower you picked on a walk, a cool bookmark inside a library book….pretty much anything can be an offering if you’re genuine about it and giving it out of gratitude and appreciation.

Hope that helped!

[teawiththegods]

Hi I'm an Apollo devotee and I'm wondering on tips on how to feel secure in your relationship with the gods. Especially since I live with my atheist sister whose opinions really weigh on me

I struggle a lot with simply accepting the fact people care about me and that extends to my deities too unfortunately. I get so enamoured with Apollon and his character, it makes me happy but at times I feel like I'm not enough or I don't give enough to him to show how much I essentially love him. Whenever I mention my worship and my connection to Apollo and what he's done for me to my friends (non pagan) they often say the same things, "He's making a move on you," "He's flirting" "You're really lucky to experience that"

I don't know if it's the universe telling me that it's ok but I feel like my self esteem issues are getting in the way of accepting him further or accepting anything from the gods

Hey hon!

Oof, I feel like this is such a common struggle for Apollo worshipers in particular. It’s probably the main barrier I have when it comes to my relationship with him. Constantly feeling like I’m not worthy of him and that I’m making up all our interactions. A lot of self doubt and imposter syndrome for sure!

Unfortunately, it’s not something that’s going to go away quickly or completely tbh. But I can say it does minimize and grow quiet over time. I mean I refused to even work with Apollo for a while despite him hijacking every tarot reading and throwing every sign possible at me bc I convinced myself I wasn’t experiencing what I knew I was experiencing. And now Apollo is my main deity and I know he cares for me deeply. Kind of had no choice to accept that reality tho considering everything I put him through and he refuses to give up on me. He just yells louder or has Artemis threaten me 🤣

How I was able to get to this point really was a combination of things. Firstly, I did a lot of work on myself. Therapy, medication, shadow work, self love work, inner child work, and lots and lots of healing. All this work helped me with my self-worth and allowed me to stop centering other people’s thoughts, feelings, and opinions. As a result my relationship with all my deities vastly improved!

I also tried to look at worship as an act of self-care and self-love. I knew it made me feel good to sit at my altar and connect to the gods so I tried to focus on that aspect instead of whether I was worthy and whether the gods truly love me. Most of the time I felt their love once I was at the altar.

Another thing that can help is trying to find other worshippers to connect with. Having support within the community can help drown out the negativity that may come from others. Of course the main goal is to not rely on the validation of others but we’re human so having other worshippers validate what you are experiencing and your perceptions can assist you with learning to validate yourself. For example, I was receiving signs from Apollo about something but I was having a very hard time accepting it. But when I had a reading with my trusted tarot reader, he took the opportunity to bring up the sign again (the reading wasn’t even about that) knowing that I would accept it if it came from her. He knew I needed the validation from an outside source before I could really believe his message.

The other thing I do and still do. Is I remind myself of why I decided to worship the gods. What about them pulled me in? And how do I personally view them? For Apollo specifically, I have always perceived him as loving humanity deeply. His continued relevance and all the significant roles he plays in our lives prove that imo. Even in ancient times, Apollo has guided humanity towards better, seeing our potential and believing we were capable of extraordinary things. He also is an all inclusive god who much prefers consistent and humble offerings from those with less than lavish offerings from those with more and his most cherished priestesses on Delphi were older women who he still found value in when society turned their backs.

Idk about you, but to me that sounds like a god who adores all his followers and will be there for them no matter what. 🥲

Hope that helps!

[teawiththegods]

Laughing bc while I was pulling cards with Apollo, Artemis burst in like “You BETTER not have forgotten about me, bitch!” 😅

Leto, your twins are truly terrifying. You must be so proud. 😆

[teawiththegods]

Promised Apollo I’d start spending time with him everyday. Right now I’m practicing Tarot with him and I’m going to start addressing my journal entries to him.

It feels good to be getting back to him, back to my spiritual practice. 💕

[teawiththegods]

I'm a new Aphrodite devotee, and I'm a bit confused on how to give offerings.

I have an empty jewelry dish as my designated tray for it, and I plan to get myself into the routine of dedicating Fridays and Sundays to her, and that includes leaving an offering.

I want my first offering to be an apple slice to start off small, but do I simply discard it the following morning or is their more to it? I have a candle for her, but I can't light it due to my strict parents.

Do I just get rid of every offering I give to her, even if it isn't food? There's no other explanation in my head but that just feels downright disrespectful to mother Aphrodite.

Hey hon!

Food, beverages, perishable items, and anything that could be harmful if left out too long can simply be disposed of in a time frame that feels correct for you. By a certain point, Aphrodite has already taken the essence of the offering so it’s not at all disrespectful to discard those items. You can also consume them yourself if it’s safe to do so!

For other types of offerings, what you do with them is really up to you and Aphrodite. Many worshippers will leave those items on the altar indefinitely. If the item is small enough you can carry it with you as a way to have a tangible piece of your worship with you at all times. You can use the item as its intended purpose as a way to include Aphrodite in a specific activity and bring her energy into it. There’s def a lot of options!

Hope that helps! 💕