aceofcupsbiggestfan

[aceofcupsbiggestfan]

I don’t think some of you understand to what extent Zeus and Hera love each other

Hera in no way hates her husband, and Zeus talks about her like she’s his everything, like she hung the stars and shaped them herself

Those two taught me what love looks like

[aceofcupsbiggestfan]

Greek Travel Altars: A Masterlist

Complete

Aphrodite

Apollon

Dionysus

Nyx

Hekate

Hermes

Ares

Hades

Thanatos

Zeus

Asteria

Hera

Athena

Artemis

Hestia

Peitho

Psyche

Persephone

Aristaeus

Mnemosyne

Eros

Medusa

Hephaestus

Hypnos

Melinoe

Gaia

Helios

Asklepios

Hygieia

Morpheus

Pan

Hyacinthus

Ariadne

Macaria

Iris

Eos

Ganymede

Prometheus

Triptolemus

Queued

In Progress

Poseidon

Selene

Planning

Calliope

Clio

Erato

Euterpe

Melpomene

Polyhymnia

Terpsichore

Thalia

Urania

Melete

Aoede

Rhea

Amphridite

Heracles

Ampelus

Narcissus

Adonis

Menthe

Crocus

Kyane

Zagreus

Phobos

Deimos

Khaos

Silenus

Priapus

Kratos

Kirke

Telegonos

Portunus

Mefitas

Phanes

Enyo

Enyalios

[aceofcupsbiggestfan]

*Friendly reminder*

I just wanted to clarify that my blog is NOT a fandom blog. This is a religious blog, this is a space for Hellenic Polytheist, other pagans or similar, witches, and other religious groups . I do not see my gods as fictional characters and I do not want anyone who considers or treats my gods as such here (peace and love)

Thank you ❤️‍🔥

[aceofcupsbiggestfan]

Pillars of Hellenismos

Row of columns in Ancient Messene, Greece. Photo by: Peulle, 2017 via WIkimedia Commons (X). License: Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0)

The “Pillars of Hellenismos” never really existed.

And by that, I mean the ancient Greeks weren’t taught something called the  “Pillars” of their religion. Their religion had no name, and religious practices were embedded in their culture. People learned about religion and correct behavior from their family and friends, and through participation in worship from a young age. What we know as the “Pillars of Hellenismos” were taught through modeled religious and ethical behavior.

Our modern “Pillars of Hellenismos” originated and are drawn from the virtues taught in ancient Greek philosophy, especially that of Plato and Aristotle. The virtues differ somewhat from list to list, because the various philosophers emphasized different virtues in their works, but the lists generally overlap.

Although much in the way of religious ritual has been lost, quite a bit of ancient philosophy was saved and adopted by Christians, so we are able to identify and reconstruct the ethical and moral values of ancient Hellenic religion. These virtues are what have become known as the “Pillars of Hellenismos”.

Everyone ends up with their own list of “Pillars”; these are mine:

Kharis - giving without expectation of return, and gratitude for benevolence received

Eusebia - reverence and duty toward the Gods

Arete - striving to live to one’s fullest potential

Hagneia - spiritual and ritual purity

Sophia - the pursuit of wisdom and understanding

Sophrosune - self-control

Xenia - hospitality, generosity and courtesy

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Anthea

~ 23 Mounykhion ~

A celebration of Kore’s ascension from the underworld, Anthea highlights spring. Wildly popular in ancient times and even today, Anthea was celebrated with flower crowns, dancing and offerings to Kore.

This day is connected to the Lesser Mysteries and their rites. One might wish to cleanse the home and body again this day before celebrations to welcome Kore back.

Anthea can also be seen as a popular epithet for many Goddesses including Hera and Persephone.

Resources on this day were difficult to find, so this post will be updated with new information when I can find it.

Traditional Offerings

- flowers/flower crowns

- dancing

- images of Kore/Persephone

- images of Demeter

- bonfires

Traditional Acts

- dancing

- cooking meals

- cleansing

#hellenic polytheism #hellenic witch #hellenism #hellenic deities #hellenic polytheistic #hellenic worship #hellenistic #theoi #helpol #kore #kore goddess #lady kore #lady persephone #persephone #Anthea

[aceofcupsbiggestfan]

Offered honey to King Zeus and Queen Hera today.

[aceofcupsbiggestfan]

a reminder to all the helpols, something i need to remember too; it's okay to not be able to worship and pray properly every single day, the gods will keep you in their blessings as long as you keep them in your hearts

[aceofcupsbiggestfan]

take your meds. do it for Apollo and Asklepios

[aceofcupsbiggestfan]

you don't need to practice everyday to be a witch

[aceofcupsbiggestfan]

A prayer to Romanticize life

Oh heavenly Aphrodite,

You who who oversees the beauty in small things,

Whether in a child's laugh, in a good friend or somewhere in a field of flowers; We can see thy face everywhere.

Oh heavenly Aphrodite,

You who created our bodies along the sweet roses and the tranquility of holy starlight, I praise thee!

May you grant me to see thy beauty not only around me but to see the one you have created within me.

Oh heavenly Aphrodite,

May you grant me to see thy peace and grace in the small things so that I can appreciate the beauty of the deathless Gods.

[aceofcupsbiggestfan]

Mounykhia 2024. 🌖🦌

[aceofcupsbiggestfan]

Little reminder for any hellenist in college looking for articles/research papers on different deities to check out Jstor!!! It’s a database of academic resources, and a lot of universities automatically give students access to it. I had an art history professor recommend it as a source to find reputable articles and books for writing and it’s honestly just a really good site to have on hand in general!

I’ve managed to find some rlly interesting information abt different deities and how they’ve been perceived!! It’s super fun to just go hunting for different deities and info :]

[aceofcupsbiggestfan]

Theoi Info Sheets Series Part 1: Hestia

O Hestia Virgin Goddess of the Eternal Flame Great Thea of the Hearth and Home If I Have Ever Felt the Warmth of a Fire Or the Comfort of Candle Flame I Ask That You Hear Me Now I Offer You First Praise and Acknowledgement Oh Great Goddess May You Accept this Offering, and Act of Devotion Du Et Des

Hestia is the first of the Theoi I ever gave offerings to, and the first of the Theoi I ever owned a statue of.

As a queer person, 'hearth and home' have often been a bittersweet concept for me. The house where I lived for most of my childhood was sold when I was 13, when we moved back into the house I was born in. That house, the house I always considered home, was then sold a couple of years ago. I didn't even have a chance to say goodbye as I had already cut ties with my biological family at that point (yet another reason why hearth and home are bittersweet for me).

Over the past 5 years I have lived in three different houses, but none of them have felt like "home". Instead - home has, for me, become a feeling. The feeling I get when my partner returns from work, the joy I experience with our pets, the laughter that comes even when the world around us is crumbling.

This is what Hestia is, not the walls or the foundation or even the land surrounding the two, but the feeling of family. The feeling of loving and being loved by those who you choose to value and value you in return.

Oh Hestia, Goddess of Hearth and Home Lead My Way and Light My Path

*You may have seen this info sheet before on thewitchfarhan.tumblr.com - that is my old Tumblr. These info sheets are my own creation - please do not repost without credit.

[aceofcupsbiggestfan]

Hellenism Resources

This is by no means a complete list, it’s just a collection of some sites, articles, and books I’ve found online that are interesting or useful.

Ancient Greek Cults:A Guide by Jennifer Larson

Aristotle on Religion by Mor Segev

Brutality of Citizen Wives, The by Mary E. Naples, M.A.

Collection of Greek Ritual Norms

Dionysus and His Cult and Worship; a Gender Study by Leah Hatch  

Divine Appetites and Animal Sacrifice by Mat Carbon

Greek Philosophy and Religion by Gábor Betegh

Harvard’s Center for Hellenic Studies- Classical Inquires page 

Harvard’s Center for Hellenic Studies-Library

Harvard’s Center for Hellenic Studies- Research Bulletin

Homer’s Gods, Plato’s Gods by Dr. Garrett 

Households, Families, and Religion by Matthew Dillon

Human Transgression–Divine Retribution by Aslak Rostad  

Imagining the Afterlife by Radcliffe Edmonds

Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy

Introduction to Inner Purity and Pollution in Ancient Greek Religion by Andrej Pertovic

Meaning of Reciprocity in Ancient Greek Religion, The by A. Koutoupas

Mortal and Divine In Early Greek Etymology  by Shaul Tor

Oracular Functioning and Architecture of Five Ancient Apollo Temples Through Archaeoastronomy: Novel Approach and Interpretation by Belen Martin Castro, Ioannis Liritzis, and Anne Nyquist

Pausanias’ Descriptions of Greece

Personal Religion in Ancient Greece by Emily Whitmore

Plato’s Writings

Pythagoreans, Orphism and Greek Religion by Gábor Betegh

Recovering the Past: The Origins of Greek Heroes and Hero Cult by Jorge Bravo

Rethinking Aphrodite as a Goddess at Work by Gabriella Pironti

Sacred and the Profane, The by Mircea Eliade

Theoi.com

Theoi.com- Library

Theophoric Names and the History of Greek Religion by Robert Parker

Unraveling the Eleusinian Mysteries by Mary E. Naples, M.A .

[aceofcupsbiggestfan]

Mounykhia

~ 16 Mounykhion ~

The festival of the month's name, Mounykhia celebrates Artemis of Mounykhia (a steep hill near the Athenian port of Peiraios) This festival rose to popularity when Peiraios became an established naval base port as Artemis had a sanctuary up on the mountain slope.

Two aspects of Artemis were celebrated this day; Artemis of the Beasts and Artemis of the Moon. For the Beasts, traditionally, a she-goat was sacrificed in honor of the man who refused to sacrifice his daughter. An Oracle had declared a sacrifice of a young girl so the Goddess would forgive the people for slaying a she-bear who entered her shrine. The man agreed and instead sacrificed a she-goat. He was prized the honor of being a priest of Artemis.

The second aspect was a libation at moonlight in honor of Her Moon epithet. Amphiphontes were offered as well, a small round cake with candles lit in a circle upon it. However, the name of the cake doubles as the meaning "Shining by double light" suggesting the offering might have taken place at dusk with the sun and moon both out in honor for both of Artemis' epithets.

Similarly to Delphinia, this festival had taken place at the port of Peiraios, ending in water races. Different than the previous festival, Artemis of the Beasts had been celebrated nearer to the coast of Athens at Brauronia. This might have been related to a different festival celebrated in Brauronia where young girls seen a the she-bears dressed in saffron chitons and danced with crowns and torches/twigs.

Though in ancient times a she-goat was sacrificed modern Hellenes might offer Amphiphontes and palm leaves as the palm is sacred to Artemis, pour libation at dusk, and observe full moon rituals to the Goddess as the festival took place on the full moon.

Traditional Offerings:

Amphiphontes with daida (candles in a circle)

Palm leaves

Pictures of Artemis

Moon water

Incense of Artemis' favorite scents

Libations

Traditional Acts:

Offerings and libations

Dancing

Racing in water

Observing the full moon

Khaire Artemis! 🌘🏹🦌

#hellenic polytheism #hellenic witch #hellenism #hellenic deities #hellenic polytheistic #hellenic worship #hellenistic #theoi #helpol #artemis deity #artemis #artemis festival #lady artemis #mounykhia

[aceofcupsbiggestfan]

Delphinia

~ 6 (or 7) Mounykhion ~

Celebrating Apollon and Aretmis, Delphinia kicked off with unmarried girls proceeding to their shrine/temple on the bank of the Ilissos River.

Girls carried branches of olive wrapped in white wool in honor to Apollon. Delphinia is thought to be in dedication to Apollon as a god who controlled the sea and fair travel as Theseus had prayed to him for his fallen companions before he set sail.

While in mythos Theseus is connected to Apollon it is more likely that this day was in celebration to his twin, Artemis, as it falls on her holy day. In this sense, the women asked for Artemis' protection and favor. Similarly, maidens were associated with Artemis, not Apollon.

Modern Hellenist can observe this day by celebrating both the Twins, though I recommend separate. An unmarried women might wish to offer to Artemis for protection and Apollon for fair travels. Men and non-binary people might wish to offer to Artemis for thanks for the protection of women, good hunting, travel at night, or anything else and Apollon for fair travel. You may also wish to thank the Twins for anything they might have done recently for you, or simply offering in thanks to build Kharis.

Traditional Offerings:

Offering of Olive branches in white wool (or yarn/ribbon)

Symbols of Artemis (deer, bows, arrows, antlers, the moon)

Symbols of Apollon (the sun, chariots, bows, arrows, lyre, poetry)

Traditional Acts

Offerings to Artemis and Apollon as Twins

Offerings to Artemis as the protector of unmarried women and young girls

Offerings to Apollon for fair travel

Singing Hymns to the Twins

Khaire Artemis! Khaire Apollon! 🌘🏹☀️

#hellenic polytheism #hellenic witch #hellenism #hellenic deities #hellenic polytheistic #hellenic worship #hellenistic #theoi #helpol #artemis #lady artemis #artemis festival #artemis deity #apollon #apollo #apollon worship #apollon deity #apollo deity #apollo worship #lord apollo #artemis and apollo #delphinia

[aceofcupsbiggestfan]

ares chain because we love ares :)

reblog with ares content <3