greeknatty

[greeknatty]

to sing, o! to sing to worshipful hestia! to  rejoice, o! to rejoice before she who lays the  banquet, who stokes the ever luminous fire so  that the home where i rest my head is wrapped in soft protection. kind lady of the hearth, i sing to thee — kind lady of the home, i worship thee. i pray to you to create a place within this wild world that is safe for me, where i may lay my  weary head, and eat without knowing hunger.  bless my home, o luminous goddess, with your  protective hands that knows the wills and ways of the fire — keep its rage banked so that i  may rest in the plentifulness of its blessing. 

[greeknatty]

⋅·⋅☽devotional post☾ ⋅·⋅

═ -ˋˏ ⚔️ ˎˊ- ═

🗡 Lord Ares 🕯

[greeknatty]

Respecting the Divine: Why Modern Sexuality Labels Don't Belong on Ancient Gods

I've noticed a concerning trend where many people today try to fit modern sexuality labels onto ancient gods. However, this just doesn't seem appropriate to me.

Labeling a deity's sexuality can be seen as disrespectful. These gods aren't just characters; they hold deep spiritual significance for many. Trying to fit them into modern labels disregards their rich cultural and historical context.

Modern sexuality labels are, well, modern. The ancient world had its own take on love and gender, which often differs significantly from our contemporary understanding. It's like comparing apples and oranges.

We can't read minds, so making claims about these deities' orientations is presumptive at best. Just because there are hints of certain relationships doesn't mean we can definitively label their sexualities.

These are not characters in a storybook; they're deities! They've influenced cultures and belief systems throughout history. Treating them as characters dismisses their profound impact.

In exploring Greek mythology or any ancient lore, let's do so with respect and humility. Slapping modern sexuality labels on these gods doesn't respect their complexity or the diverse belief systems they've influenced throughout history. Let's honor their depth and the rich tapestry of human understanding they represent.

Whether you're a mythology enthusiast or just curious, let's approach this with respect for the gods and the people who hold them dear. Ancient deities can't be squeezed into modern boxes—they're far more significant than that.

Edit: nowhere am I saying deny their queerness. I myself am gay and find comfort in some gods being like me. I am just saying it’s not our place to put definitive modern labels on them, as we are not them.

[greeknatty]

I keep seeing posts about people "needing" to cleanse before approaching the Greek gods and while those posts mean well I just want to remind everyone that:

Hygiene is VERY hard to keep up with when you're very depressed or having a very hard mental health day but that's when you need your gods the most!

And I know it's because a lot of ancient priests insisted people needed to cleanse themselves before visiting the temples and communing with the gods (they even banned people on their periods, or those who were about to have a baby or those who just had a baby or were just dealing with a dead body, or had blood on them, etc.) but, as the keepers of the temples, that's because the priests themselves would have to clean up after temple visitors so it makes sense they'd want to ban the ones they thought could potentially make a mess and make extra work for them.

The Iliad shows us the gods were in the battlefield! They fought right next to soldiers being slaughtered and killed. They were next to bodies that have involuntarily released feces and urine! They've been around soldiers who hadn't properly bathed in months, possibly even years!

You're allowed to seek the gods when you're not clean.

You're allowed to seek the gods when you haven't gotten out of bed in weeks.

You're allowed to see the gods when you don't remember the last time you showered or brushed your teeth.

You're allowed to see the gods when you really need help.

You're allowed to see the gods when you need them.

Athena and Ares are in the battlefield surrounded by dying soldiers.

Artemis hunts

Aphrodite also has a war aspect.

Hermes picks up souls from literal dead bodies.

Apollo has an aspect that prepares dead bodies for funerary rights.

The gods are surrounded by the unclean all the time!

Please don't let the rules of disgruntled priests stop you from seeking help when you need it the most!

The gods won't be offended if you haven't bathed in weeks because of your terrible mental state! That's ableism! They just want to help you through it!

Please reach out to them regardless of your condition!

[greeknatty]

How to connect with your deities/gods!!!

My apologies for delaying this for so long 😅 but as promised, here are some ways to connect with your deities or gods <3

Say goodmorning/goodnight to them! - a quick and easy way to show your appreciation for them is to say goodmorning and goodnight! You can spice it up a bit if you'd like, such as "good morning Apollo, thank you for staying with me and may today bring positive vibes" or "goodnight Dionysus, thank you for visiting me and protecting me"

Sharing your food with them - okay, I know it sounds a bit silly at first but hear me out. You can bless your food or eat food in honour of a certain god to show your appreciation!

Meditation or journalling - meditating can be a great way of being aware of the world around us and our true selves, and journalling can help you keep track of everything you plan to do or have done! Making a devotional journal to your deity can also be a really cool way to connect!

Research their signs - alot of people, especially those new to paganism, can often have difficulty spotting signs or feeling connected to their deities. Researching their signs can be a great way to help you figure out who is contacting you and can help strengthen your bond!

Have a positive view of them - it can be really easy to fall down having a toxic view of your deities, which can lead us to things like "these clothes don't match what Aphrodite would want me to wear so I won't buy them" and "I really want to hang out with my friends but Zeus said to spend more time working with him." While it is true that gods can ask for you to spend more time with them, they will never ask to replace time with your friends, family, or situations you'd enjoy! Your relationship should feel right for both of you, and if your deity is telling you negative things or asking you to perform dangerous actions please double check whether this is in fact your deity or something else!

Give yourself time - hard to believe but strong connections with your gods don't just happen overnight! It can take all the way from weeks to years to receive a sign from your deity and so you must give yourself patience. Don't beat yourself up if Bastet hasn't contacted you recently, or if you haven't heard from Freyja in a while. Things like this take time and patience and feeling a weak connection between you two is completely normal! Give yourself time, and let yourself grow <3

Donate to causes your deity is patron over - is your deity the god of children? Maybe donate to a children's charity! Your deity the god of theatre or art? Supporting local artists and theatre organisations would be a great idea! Your deity the god of cats or dogs? Try donating to a shelter! All of these would be lovely ideas to connect more strongly with your deities but please please please make sure you're saving some money for your necessities and if you can't donate that's perfectly fine!

Make them a playlist - one of the most common things I see people doing for their deities is putting together a playlist for them! Songs that remind you of them, songs they like, songs that fit your deities vibe, anything goes!

Altars!!! - altars can be a great place for prayers, offerings, or objects devoted to your deity! Altars are entirely personal so don't let anyone ever tell you what to not put on your altar, or how big or small it needs to be

Incorporate them into your hobbies! - Whether it's cooking, painting, bracelet making or music, incorporating your deities into your hobbies is an awesome way to show your appreciation for them!

That's all I've got for now, but if I can think of anything else that needs adding or you want to reblog this with more suggestions you're absolutely welcome! Thank you so much for reading this and have an awesome day my lovelies 💖💖💖

@cool-daddysbabygirl @memoriesofasinger

[greeknatty]

"You can't worship Zeus He's a-" "Aphrodite is a jealous tyran-" "Athena can't be worshipped with-" "Hera hates Her husba-" "Dionysos is just a dumb drunk-" "Aidoneus is EVIL for KIDNAPPI-" "Demeter is a narcissistic mother archety-"

get off of TikTok and go actually spend quality time with the Gods challenge

[greeknatty]

Unruly 🌱 🌿 twitter | print available 🌿

[greeknatty]

Ariadne & Dionysus

🌿 twitter | print available 🌿

[greeknatty]

Aelian, On Animals 10. 47 : "The Ichneumon (mongoose) is both male and female in the same individual, partaking of both sexes, and nature has enabled each single same animal both to procreate and to give birth . . . Ichneumons are said to be sacred to Leto and the Eileithyiai (Goddesses of Birth), and the people of Heraklepolis (Heracleopolis) worship them, so they say."

[greeknatty]

so i've been connecting much more with aphrodite and dionysus lately...

(it took me so long to make their altar but lOOK HOW PRETTY IT IS!!)

[greeknatty]

𝒂𝒑𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒐 ; 𝒈𝒐𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒖𝒏, 𝒂𝒓𝒕, 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 🌞🎨

[please reblog or like if you saved]

[greeknatty]

made this 🫶

[greeknatty]

The king and queen of heaven.

[greeknatty]

Mycenaean Hera 🦚 commission for @blantheia

[greeknatty]

Some illustration I've realised lately, featurinng some of the most famous Greek Gods

[greeknatty]

Juno with peacock hairpin, property of Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum Collection

[greeknatty]

The Judgement of Paris by Walter Crane (1909)