#helpol

[lostinvasileios]

Have you ever felt so loved by your deities/love your deities so much it makes you wanna be spontaneous? Do something so out of character, out of the ordinary for you because your body is so full of their energy and love?

Sometimes I just sit around and contain the fierce urge to start doing the worm or whatever because of how much energy they give to me.

#Food for thought? #*breaks out into song out of nowhere in honor of my deities* #its an interesting feeling #ive hit the dougie for apollon before #he enjoyed it #witchcraft #deities #deity work #deity witch #helpol #hellenic worship #hellenic deities #hellenic polytheism #hellenism #hellenic #theistic satanist #theistic satanism #satanism #deity love #deity worship #paganism #polytheism

[sleepnowmychild]

Depictions of Hypnos (an analysis??)

I’ve come to notice some commonalities in the way Hypnos had been depicted in art, compared to writing. Here’s my observations.

Always a young man, sometimes a baby when depicted with Nyx.

Always clean shaven

Always two temple wings (which makes me wonder why he shows up with only one for me)

Almost always naked, not uncommon for Greek gods in art. But it’s only really more recent depictions that have him clothed, and said clothes are very simple robes.

Pale, which contrasts how he’s written to have almost grey-ish skin described ‘like fine soot’ I assume it was mostly due to the materials used at the time, the ‘fine soot’ tone he’s written to have I believe is meant to resemble the colours of a night sky since he’s sleep, son of night. That being said though, it makes sense someone who lives in Erebus, darkness, would be pale.

Doesn’t often have back wings, but when he’s with Thanatos he does. Maybe it’s to show they’re twins.

Hair is always dark and curly, loosely tied back (again I wonder why he had white hair for me? My guess is to resemble clouds??)

Poppies and his horn are really all he has in terms of accessories, no armour, jewels or weapons.

Ironically, he’s usually awake in art.

Always quite androgynous and soft featured. Not that muscular, slim with a bit of a soft curve (hello that’s my body type :’))

Ears are typically hidden by his wings and hair

Make of all this what you will, I just find it interesting he’s stayed rather consistent in his depictions over the years.

#hypnos deity #hypnos god #hypnos devotee #hypnos worship #hellenic deities #hellenic pagan #hellenic polytheism #hellenic worship #hellenism #greek mythology #cthonic gods #hellenic polythiest #hellenic polytheistic #helpol

[beatingdrumspouringwine]

Dionysos Loves His Mom(s), a very long essay

Going to just preface this by saying that I may/may not have gone a bit overboard, but I hope everyone enjoys reading my rambles on how amazing it is that we still have this message even through to day, how important this is for our understanding of Dionysos, and also just a little bit of (what I hope will come across as) Semele appreciation :) Also, I did write this during finals week, so if it seems rambly, please bear with me ;-;

And for clarification, I'll be referring to Semele with capitalized pronouns because even though She was human, mythologically, while carrying Dionysos, She was also deified by Him after He brought Her up from the Underworld.

The first interesting thing is that we get our description of Dionysos, as well as the love he shows for His Mother, in Greek mythology. While myths are usually pretty good resources for understanding the Gods, they are also usually written by the people who are in power at the time - which would be specifically older men who were not slaves. Because of this, a lot of myths tend to trend towards the "male" perspective of the Athenians. Also because of this, women are frequently represented in a very negative light, or at least as being relatively unimportant.

There are no Gods who have quite a relationship with Their Mothers like Dionysos has of His. Some of the Gods technically have no mother, like Aphrodite and Athena, and others just... don't seem to have much of a relationship at all. And this isn't necessarily to say that the Gods that we worship don't love Their Mothers, but more that the popular attitude of Greek society was simply to push women off to the side, and let the men take the glory.

And then, strangely, we have Dionysos, He Who Takes No Shit When It Comes to Women, as well as Him Who Has Two Moms. He's already something of an anti-Athena in Greek mythology, for while She was born of Zeus's head, and Metis was a sort of mother-base, Dionysos was born of two mothers, and from Zeus, in a way that echoes an intimate, "maternal" sort of birth, instead of the detached birth of Athena. And we know full well that Dionysos did not forget about either of His first two mothers. Persephone and Him famously get along well enough that they shared a rite in the form of the Eleusinian Mysteries, and it is to Persephone that initiates go, telling Her that the Bakkhic One Himself has freed us!

And we haven't even touched on Semele! It's one thing to have a divine Mother to welcome us to the afterlife. It's another thing to have a once-human-become-Goddess Mother in the form of Semele-Thyone. And Dionysos loves Her as well, very much so as well! Even though He never met Her as a child, He still very clearly has a lot of love for Her. At the start of the Bacchae, when Dionysos first arrives in Thebes, you will notice that one of the very first things He mentions in His monologue is that His mother is being disrespected by King Pentheus, and that this disrespect is part of the reason why He has driven the women of the city mad, as well as the sisters of Semele, who also were disrespecting Her.

This loyalty is only further emphasized by the fact that even though Semele is dead at the time of the Bacchae (and obviously after it as well, as the myth of Dionysos traveling to the underworld is an entirely separate story). And yet we must once again emphasize that this was written in a time where mothers were so often thrown under the bus (or horse-drawn chariot), and all of these myths were notably written by men, as far as we know. It seems that there is an inherent thread which ties Dionysos to the world of women, or at least has Him incredibly sympathetic to it, and one which could not be broken with all of the hyper-patriarchal nonsense that was woven deep into the cultural fabric of ancient Greece, especially Athens.

And to finish this fun little rant off, I want to offer two significantly longer ideas than the initial thing that I wrote! One for reflection on how we relate to Dionysos (and how He relates to us), and another as a reflection on Semele-Thyone and how She relates to us, and how we should relate to Her.

To start, this sympathy that Dionysos shows with women does, in some ways, hits culturally closer to a sisterhood than to the way that a man would have been encouraged to act towards women in ancient Greece. Dionysos as God understands His band of madwomen's own self-worth, and does not question their autonomy. Instead, he seems to encourage it, especially with all of the sassing he gives Pentheus while being grilled by him. This is such a good thing for all of us. Not only is Dionysos a friend of humanity, but He is specifically a friend for the marginalized. Whoever finds themselves marginalized in society will be His "favorites", so to speak, because that is where He truly finds His followers. It's almost as if He naturally finds where there is a power imbalance, and jumps on the other side to even things out, even if it is a little bit. I also think that this same "purposeful marginalization" is something which adds further theological credence to Dionysos being also validly a trans woman and nonbinary, as He does not sit within a patriarchal "Him"-ness, but rather within a "Him"-ness that refers to a more equal world.

Moving on to Semele-Thyone, we have a wonderful ally in a divine woman, sympathetic to humans, who knows full well not only the sufferings of humanity, and the pain in disrespect, but also the importance of kindness and respect towards others. In Greek mythological and religious canon, Semele-Thyone became the Goddess of the Bacchic revel, which, if you really think about it, isn't just about the Bacchic revel (it's never "just about the Bacchic revels"). This also tells us that Thyone, like Her Son, is also a God of the marginalized. Like Dionysos, She oversees the safety and wellbeing of the community which Her Son has founded. In some way, Thyone has become a Mom to all of us, through Her assistance with the divine inspiration that strikes frenzied devotees. It's a caring thing, too!

Anyways, the long and short of this is - Dionysos loves His Mom, Semele-Thyone is an incredibly underrated Goddess, and Mother's Day was yesterday. So hug your mom if you've got a good relationship with her, and if not, we can all borrow Dionysos' Mom :)

#finally graduated and i can start thinking about Other Things again #for the most part though it's just the Horrors #if anyone is particularly close to Hestia or Hermes #some prayers for me would be very much appreciated ;-; #dionysian #dionysos #dionysus #hellenic polytheism #hellenic polytheist #dionysos deity #dionysus deity #hellenic pagan #hellenic gods #hellenism #helpol #semele #thyone

[thefloweredblade]

Happy Mother’s Day, Lady Aphrodite

🌊🪞🦢🌹🌟🐚🕊️💋

On Mother’s Day, we honor Lady Aphrodite as the divine mother, the ultimate generatrix, the fierce guardian, and the source it all love. Constantly surrounded by Her children, sometimes depicted pregnant even at her birth as a grown woman, She is a factor of the classic Holy Mother. Khaîre, my great goddess. I love You beyond words. Thank You for choosing me in this life

❤️🩷🩵💛💜

#lady aphrodite #lord aphrodite #helpol #aphrodite deity #aphrodite goddess #aphrodite worship #aphrodite #e offering #mother Aphrodite #Mother’s Day #mother goddess

[aureliaeiter]

Do the gods really want to “work” with us?

I'm bringing you, as always, a controversial take because I love me a good debate lol

I'm gonna be honest, I never felt like the gods were giving me signs that they wanna work with me. Why would they? If we look at historical texts (both myths and real life) the gods usually took interest in someone that

1. Was very beautiful

2. Was very skilled or well known for something, like being the best poet, the best ruler, the best athlete, the best seamstress... You get the point.

3. A person that was very pious which, let's be real, most of us hardly are (it's not like we can do better considering the current climate).

So ever since I started in this practice I thought why would the gods want to work with me, a mid (I don't use this term as an insult) 19 year-old girl from a small Mediterranean town that isn't excellent at anything in particular and that has just taken interest in this path like a month ago?

I've always felt like it was actually the other way around. When we need to reach a deity to get better at something, our subconscious mind make us notice things that were there all the time but we really didn't notice. So when I needed to reach Diana I noticed I'd gotten my period on a full moon. But this probably had happened other times before, I just didn't notice.

This doesn't mean once we reach these deities they don't give us signs, as we have already presented ourselves to them and we now have tools that our ancestors didn't have so we don't need priests to contact the divine. But I think we're making ourselves more important than we are by thinking the gods have an innate interest in us before we even think of contacting them.

What do you think? I also would love to know the opinion of other polytheists outside the Greek and Roman pantheons so I can get more perspectives on this!

#paganblr #paganism #witchblr #polytheist #helpol #hellenic polytheism #roman polytheism #celtic paganism #norse paganism #germanic paganism #hot take i guess

[stranded-lullabiez]

Seeing Hypnos posts slowly start to clog up helpol tags is so funny.

So many Hypnos blogs just popped up out of nowhere this year (including me) lol tf is up with that

#hellenic polytheism #helpol #hypnos deity #hypnos devotee

[cthonicpsychopomp]

I don’t have a very good relationship with my own mother; but happy mother’s day to some other important women/goddesses in my life.

Persephone is like a mother to me (i call her mama) (its mostly to differentiate, i have 3 moms and 3 dads)

Aphrodite is newer in my life but shes been a big help and I’ve learned a lot from her

Hecate is one of my patrons and ive learned alot under her guidance

Hera is someone who that looks after one of my friends and has also supported me and ive learned alot from.

#hellenic polytheism #hellenic pagan #helpol #hellenism #deity work #greek gods #deity worship #persephone deity #persephone devotee #persephone worship #persephoneedit #persephone goddess #hera worship #queen hera #hera deity #hecate #hecate worship #hecate deity #aphrodite worship #aphrodite #lady aphrodite

[to-hypnos-we-dream]

All Self-Care can be Devotion to Hypnos

To care for your body and your mind is what Hypnos desires for us

The healer, the bringer of sleep,

If we are gentle with our bodies, Hypnos blesses us with kind rest

Hypnos, the kindest of Gods,

He has no hatred to mortals, your insomnia is not a punishment

Having to be medicated for rest is not to defy Him, having to do certain things in order to sleep is not because He is upset with you

Hypnos is happy that you are taking care of yourself, and If you end up not sleeping at all He could never be mad at you

He is understanding, and He loves it when you eat a meal or drink water or bathe or do acts of productivity

He also loves it when you rest, and He loves you when you're unable to get out of bed, He loves you when you can't sleep at all

His love is unfathomable, and it will not stop just because you're struggling, and may He be alongside you even then

#hypnos worship #hypnos deity #hellenic polytheism #hellenic pagan #pagan #hellenic deities #deity worship #helpol #hypnos devotee #hypnos devotion #hellenic polytheist #hellenism #hellenic

[theoi-of-olympus]

As much as I love my altar and love seeing other peoples, (and I know this point has been made multiple times), you don’t need to worry about your altar looking fancy or extravagant.

My altar has taken years to get to this point and has had times with very little on it.

It’s also one of the most expensive things [the altar as a whole] that I own. While a few of the statues/candles/accessories have been secondhand or found for cheap, a lot of it is new and expensive. A good quality (big) statues can cost between £20-40 (this obviously depends on where you are). And it’s something I’ve put money towards for a while.

It’s going to be something you build over time or save up for and that’s fine. Everyone that has a big/extravagant altar has been at that stage.

#hellenic deities #hellenic devotion #hellenic gods #hellenic polytheism #hellenic polytheist #hellenic polythiest #hellenic worship #hellenic pagan #hellenic altar #hellenic paganism #hellenism #hellenic pantheon #hellenic titans #helpol

[royal-wren]

Happy Mother's Day to the goddesses of motherhood, Leto, Rhea, and Maia. May they be honored on this day for their shared domain

#helpol #hellenic polytheism #hellenic gods #hellenic deities #hellenic paganism #hellenic worship #leto deity #maia deity #rhea deity

[lovelysakuray]

E-Offering for Lady Aphrodite

#hellenic polytheist #hellenic paganism #hellenic community #hellenism #helpol #lady aphrodite #lady aphrodite devotee #aphrodite devotee #e offering #aphrodite #hellenic polytheism #hellenistic

[lostinvasileios]

Hermes interactions in a nutshell.

Me: Okay, Hermes, can you m-

Hermes: Of course I can! Anything for you, love.

Me: Oh- okay. Thank y-

Hermes: Under one condition.

Me: ....

...

Me: What cond-

Hermes: Kisses.

Me: Huh-

Hermes: KISSES

...

...

Hermes: Please

#He got his kisses guys don't worry #He's only been here for about a week now and he's going to make up for the years I didn't accept him apparently #to: hermes #witchcraft #deities #deity work #deity witch #hermes #hermes worship #hermes deity #hellenic polytheism #hellenic worship #hellenic deities #helpol

[sleepnowmychild]

Some god and hero statue icons for you all.

1/2

#hellenic polytheism #hellenic deities #hellenic pagan #hellenic worship #hellenism #greek mythology #cthonic gods #hypnos deity #apollo deity #artemis deity #dionysus deity #Achilles #hermes deity #aphrodite deity #eros deity #athena deity #hellenic polythiest #hellenic polytheistic #hellenic community #helpol

[ofinkandstars]

I got married. It was one of the most amazing, memorable, fulfilling events of my life. As a token of my gratitude, I offered my bridal bouquet to the river by our home to the ancestors and the gods. Thank you for the many blessings that have befallen us. Thank you for the love that surrounds us. Hail the Ancestors! Hail the Gods!

#paganism #witchcraft #adfdruidry #helpol #hellenic polytheism #gaelic polytheism #gaelpol #wedding #marriage

[pietas-latreia]

#Apollo #hellenic polytheist #pagan #witch #hellenic polythiest #helpol #hellenic pagan #witch blog #pagan witch

[thefloweredblade]

Vintage wlw will forever own my heart. We have been here for ages, and we won’t leave.

#wlw positivity #wlw love #wlw post #wlw #lesbian #aphrodite queen of lesbians #lady aphrodite #lord aphrodite #helpol #aphrodite deity #aphrodite goddess #aphrodite worship #aphrodite #e offering #lesbian pride #love worship #love