aceofcupsbiggestfan

[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

[aceofcupsbiggestfan]

[aceofcupsbiggestfan]

Items for Lord Dionysus’ altar

Wine

Grapes

Statues and/or images of Dionysus

Apples

Goblets

Wine glasses

Ethically sourced furs

Statues of leopards, tigers, snakes, and/or bulls

Theater masks

Play programs

Phallic imagery

Fake or real plants

Pinecones

wildflowers

Wine corks, bottles, or labels

Bottle caps

Pride flags and/or pins

Condoms

Candles

Scripts

Garnet

Ruby

Amethyst

These are all suggestions and common associations of Dionysus. If you do not have some of these or don’t feel comfortable owning some of these, that is valid. We all have different practices and how you do yours will differ from mine.

[aceofcupsbiggestfan]

[image description: the bugs bunny in a tuxedo "I wish all a very pleasant evening" meme edited to say "I wish all of my Jewish followers a very pleasant passover". Next to bugs is a photo of a small stack of matzo and the cup of Elijah. ]

[aceofcupsbiggestfan]

Statue of Apollo

Found at Temple of Apollo (Cyrene)

Currently at British Museum

[aceofcupsbiggestfan]

Apollo shrine, Italy, by Associazione Tradizionale Pietas

[aceofcupsbiggestfan]

i wasn’t in the path of the total eclipse and the picture i did get did not get the entire vibe of the grey desaturated lighting but i still had a wonderful eclipse! i set out cards for Apollon and Artemis on my altar and because it finally feels like spring more than it has since the equinox, i lit some pink candles and rose incense. i also made some eclipse water to cleanse my altar with and do rituals with. i hope everyone had a good eclipse if you could see it!!