screeching-0wl

[screeching-0wl]

Hi! I know it's been a while. I missed you all so much!

I'm long overdue with this post. I apologise for leaving so suddenly. I've been on hiatus since creating content for this blog became difficult for me due to being overwhelmed with studies, work and frankly, just life in general. I felt like I could no longer manage this account as well as I would've liked and might end up burnt out sooner or later, so it was best to step back for the sake of my mental health. I am doing better, though I'm still currently quite busy taking care of university, trying to move to another city and overall adapting to some changes in my life.

Thank you so much for your understanding, kind words and support. It really means the world to me and I'm immensely happy to see someone still enjoys this blog and finds it helpful.

I would like to continue posting here, although I'm afraid I can't say when this will be exactly. For now, I'll continue to be on hiatus. Though, perhaps, if I happen to have some spare time and energy, I might log on to say 'hi' once in a while and answer some of your asks or post some fun facts about antiquity.

On a side note, I did peek at some of the asks and messages, so I'll answer the most common questions:

The cheat sheet series might be continued at some point in the future, or at least I hope to do so.

If you have any recommendations for resources about a particular deity feel free to drop them in my inbox.

You can absolutely translate the deity cheat sheets into other languages, link them on other platforms and use them to suit your needs. Please just make sure to leave the credit.

Lastly, I would only like to say that it's been an honour to be a part of this community. I've learnt a lot and was fortunate enough to meet plenty of wonderful people. Thank you so much, once again!

I wish you all a blessed New Year full of joy and good health! May the gods guide your way and keep you in their care 💜

#personal update #hiatus

[screeching-0wl]

Do you have to pray to the Theoi in a formal manner? If so how do you do that? (Like how in Christianity you can just kinda start talking and go from there after saying hello, is there a specific way to do that with Hellenic Polytheism?) Also do you have to have a specific topic to talk to them about? Or can you just start talking about anything you want to with them as if you were talking with a friend? Apologies if I used any of the wrong terminology!

You could be formal if you'd like, although prayer may be approached differently depending on each practitioner, as there are various ways to pray.

You can see these posts for more information: LINK1; LINK2

I don't think you need anything specific to talk about in every case. I often might just tell them about things such as how my day went or whatever is happening in my life at the moment, what I leant about them or something that reminded me of them in a more relaxed manner.

#asks #prayer #helpol #hellenic polytheism #hellenic gods #hellenic deities #hellenic pagan

[screeching-0wl]

Hello! I was wondering if I could use fake candles on my alter. Would that work?

Hi! Yes, of course.

Some practitioners use LED candles as a substitute for regular ones.

#asks #helpol #hellenic polytheism #hellenic gods #hellenic deities #altar #altars #candles

[screeching-0wl]

Do you need to be celibate to be a follower of Hestia?

No, it's not necessary.

Some people devoted to her may choose to do that but there are plenty of those who do not.

#asks #helpol #hellenic polytheism #hellenic gods #hellenic deities #hestia #hestia deity

[screeching-0wl]

Hello, do you by any chance know if an Olympiad begins on years divisible by 4. Does the counting of the four years start on that year. I believe 2020 was the start of an Olympiad, does that mean 2023 would be the fourth year of that Olympiad? I hope this makes sense, I'm trying to figure out when to celebrate the Pythian Games!

Thank you for your time and efforts.

Hi there!

I think the method of dividing the year by four might not always be accurate. The first year of the 700th Olympiad began on the 11th of July 2021 (and it ends on the 30th of June this year, actually), so the 4th year will begin in 2024 (07.07.2024).

The Pythian Games were celebrated in the 3rd year of the Olympiad, possibly during the month of Metageitnion, so if we try converting it to The Gregorian Calendar, it could correspond to August or September 2023 (Metageitnion: 18.08.2023 - 14.09.2023).

I highly recommend you check out HMEPA calendar. It lists the Olympiads from the very first to the ones that are yet to come! If you look into the section "About the Festivals and Sacrifices" you can find some basic information about certain festivals as well.

#asks #calendar #helpol #hellenic polytheism #hellenic gods #hellenic deities #pythian games #festivals #apollo deity #apollo worship #apollo devotee #apollo festivals

[screeching-0wl]

Hi I’m curious. iAre there any widely spread/major festivals /celebrations in Hellenic Polytheisms like there is for Judaism (Hanukkah) and Christianity (Christmas)

thank you! have a great day!

Hello!

It's difficult to compare it like this since ancient Greek festivals were often characteristic to certain regions or poleis, so for example a festival which might've been celebrated all throughout the region of Attica might've not been celebrated in another region.

However, some festivals were considered to be panhellenic, meaning people from all throughout the ancient Greek world would participate in them. They were called the Panhellenic Games:

Olympic Games

Pythian Games

Nemean Games

Isthmian Games

On a side note, the Attic calendar is often used by modern Hellenic polytheists in reference to festivals, so I assume celebrating the festivals marked in the said calendar is rather popular nowadays. This of course does not mean every Hellenic polytheist engages in all these celebrations but they're probably the most popular.

#asks #helpol #hellenic polytheism #hellenic gods #hellenic deities #festivals #calendar

[screeching-0wl]

hiya!!

i come from a strict religious family but i want to start worshiping the hellenic gods i can’t give offerings since i don’t have my own room

pls help me 😭😭

Hello!

It's fine if you cannot give offerings to Theoi.

For some not-so-obvious, discreet and "closeted worship" friendly alternatives I could suggest:

prayer - you can absolutely pray silently ("in your head"), even sitting down and without performing any typical "obvious" gestures (more about prayer in general: LINK)

devotional acts - you could dedicate everyday activities to deities of your choice (e.g. drawing, taking medicine and listening to music could be dedicated to Apollo)

devotional jewellery - you could dedicate any piece of jewellery to some deity and wear it to honour them (I mention it here - the part about my bracelets): LINK)

devotional playlists - you can make a playlist with music that reminds you of a certain deity and listen to it whenever you'd like as a way to honour them (more about this: LINK)

#asks #helpol #hellenic polytheism #hellenic gods #hellenic deities #prayer #devotional acts #closeted worship #devotional jewellery #devotional playlists

[screeching-0wl]

Is it disrespectful to pray without a shrine? Do you need a shrine to bring the Theoi devotional acts? When you offer food, how long are you supposed to keep it there? What if it goes bad? Is it disrespectful to take it away? I have so many questions I'm sorry 😅

No, it's not disrespectful! It's completely fine if you don't have a shrine. You can pray and perform devotional acts without it.

It's ok to take the food offering away after however long you see fit. I usually leave it there for at least around 12 hours or a day just because that's what works for me. It may go bad - it's what happens to all food eventually. If the offering goes bad dispose of it. You can do this in whichever way works for you. Here are some tips: LINK1; LINK2

#asks #helpol #hellenic polytheism #hellenic gods #hellenic deities #offerings #disposing of offerings

[screeching-0wl]

Hi! I was wondering if one can use something placed on the altar of a god. For instance, I don't know if this is an offering, but I felt that it would be nice to place the lavender perfume I bought on holidays on Hermes altar. Is it still appropriate to use it sometimes? (while it still relates to Hermes, sometimes spraying some perfume on my clothes while associating it with the god's vibe)

Hi there! Yes, I think it's alright. I've heard of some practitioners who "use" such offerings in this manner. I sometimes do it as well!

You could also treat wearing this perfume as a devotional act to Hermes!

You could also just let him know that's what you'd like to do to make sure he's alright with it.

#asks #helpol #hellenic polytheism #hellenic gods #hellenic deities #hermes #hermes deity

[screeching-0wl]

What festival calendar do you follow?

I mostly follow the Attic calendar at the moment, but I also love learning about other calendars! I've been trying to gather information about the Boeotian calendar and festivals since I'm considering including them in my worship.

#asks #helpol #hellenic polytheism #hellenic deities #hellenic gods #callendar

[screeching-0wl]

You mentioned Apollo was the God of healing, does that include psychological healing aswell?

Personally, I do believe so but it's largely based on my own interpretations and reasoning.

Apollo is the god of health and health does not end with our physical body. The fact that he's been associated with philosophy, getting to know oneself and bettering oneself (as I understand it, as a human being, as a whole) also prompted me to think that his area of influence over health extends to mental health as well, on the contrary to his son, Asclepius, who was primarily associated with medicine and the more physical aspects of health. We could search for answers in ancient sources, however, the ancients did not have the same terminology for such things as we do nowadays.

Let's look at this text:

"These two, Asklepios and Plato, did Apollo beget; One, that he might save the soul; the other, the body." Olympiodorus, Life of Plato, 2.164 - citing the alleged inscription on Plato's tomb

This could technically indicate that by Apollo's will, Asklepios helped with physical wellness, while Plato was supposed to "heal the soul" - perhaps Apollo's contribution to healing the psyche (soul & mind) could be interpreted as him assisting with mental wellness as well.

On top of that, Apollo had functions as the god of religious healing and ritual purification, so maybe this could also be linked to healing the psyche.

But how about we move on to some mythology now?

"As for Aristaeus, after the death of Acteon, we are told, he went to the oracle of his father, Apollo, who prophesied to him that he was to change his home to the island of Ceos and told him likewise of the honours which would be his among the Ceans." Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca historica, 4.82.1

Aristaios was a rustic god whose son Acteon fell to the fatal wrath of Artemis, punished for having seen her bathing. Such an event is obviously a huge tragedy and experiencing it would leave any parent terribly heartbroken.

In this case, Apollo essentially gave advice to his son Aristaios, who'd just suffered the loss of his child, to move to a different place where he might feel better, and perhaps we could even assume, find it easier to recover.

[Although this is just me interpreting this fragment of the text in the context of the possible connection between Apollo and mental health.]

Apollo is also the god of music and art, both of which can be quite therapeutic. The god was believed to play songs for the Moirai to help them relax, for example.

Now let's take a look at another text referencing mythology:

"Neither doth Thetis his mother wail her dirge for Achilles, when she hears Hie Paeeon, Hie Paeeon." Callimachus, Hymn to Apollo, 17

Here we can see that hearing a pean (a song or lyric poem expressing triumph or thanksgiving sung during some festivals dedicated to Apollo) had the power to soothe the grief of Thetis, the mother of Achilles who was mourning the death of her son.

Other gods:

On a side note, if you're interested in other gods who could be associated with mental health Hygeia, daughter of Asclepius and Epione, goddess of good health was sometimes thought to be the giver or protectress of mental health.

#asks #helpol #hellenic polytheism #hellenic gods #hellenic deities #apollo #apollodeity #apollo deity #apollon #apollo worship #hygeia #asclepius #apollo devotee

[screeching-0wl]

hi there!

i'm very sorry if this question seems a little superficial or bothers you, but i'm so confused. is there a god i could pray to for monetary / housing assistance? without going into too much detail, my family is in a tough spot, and has been for a while, but nothing has changed.

i know prayer isn't a miracle worker and i know there's a chance there isn't a god that could help, but i figured it was better to ask. i tried researching it myself - i came back with nothing.

thank you if you answer this and again i apologize if this was a weird question to ask.

Hello! It's not a weird question!

I recommend these deities:

Hestia - for anything related to home and family

Zeus

Epithets:

Ktêsios - Domestic; protector of house and property

Herkeios - protector of the wall or fence surrounding the house

Hades - if you worship him as the god of wealth, that is money (Not all people do. In antiquity, he was more commonly thought to be the god "of the hidden wealth of the earth")

Epithets:

Ploutôn - Of Wealth

Ploutos - the god of wealth

Hermes

Epithets:

Ploutodotes - giver of wealth

Cerdemporus - bestower of wealth

Dotor Eaon - giver of good things

Eriounês - Luck-Bringing, Ready-Helper

[Hermes was also worshipped for the protection of the house]

For more information about these deities, you can go to Theoi.com or check out my pinned post with cheat sheets.

I hope this helps!

#asks #helpol #hellenic polytheism #hellenic gods #hellenic deities #hermes deity #hades deity #hestia deity #ploutos deity #zeus deity

[screeching-0wl]

I love memetic communication when it gets to the point of being incomprehensible because can you imagine showing someone this picture

And asking them what Greek god it represents

#ah theres the meme XD #greek memethology

[screeching-0wl]

Hello Alan,

I wonder if you can give some suggestions for which Hellenic Pantheon to whom I can pray for protection during a travel? Since soon I will have my first solo trip, and despite all the planning, I can't help but feel anxious at the thought of having to walk alone on the street in a foreign city late at night. It'll also be of great help for me, if you could offer some advice on prayer/offering/gesture and name some related epithets of the said god or goddess.

Thank you so much as always for your brilliant blog, and have a great day! 💚

Hi there!

I'd suggest Hermes since he's the god of travel! Travellers would pray to him before their journey and ask for safety and protection. It's also possible the travellers sometimes offered him something they acquired during their journey.

Some epithets you could use are:

Hodios - of the journey/travel; the guardian of roads and travellers,

Eriounês - Luck-Bringing or Ready-Helper

Athanatos Diaktoros - Immortal Guide [or just Diaktoros - Guide]

Here are general posts about prayer: LINK1 ; LINK2

A cheat sheet for Hermes with some offering suggestions: LINK

I hope you have a safe journey! May Hermes keep you in his care! 💜

#asks #helpol #hellenic polytheism #hellenic gods #hellenic deities #hellenic pagan #hermes #hermes deity #hermes epithets #hermesdeity

[screeching-0wl]

If your feed is somewhat like mine, you must have seen this kind of meme featuring Apollo with his gift of prophecy, except that it's a huge red rubber ball. Where did that even come from?? Am I missing out some genius level pop culture inside joke? (Srl if you know pls tell me). Anyways, being a dawg I am, I asked what Apollo think of it with my tarot cards. He said, aesthetically, it has the dramatic scale of a Greek tragedy, meanwhile its content, quoting, "speaks volume". So yeah, I pretty much lost my shit.

P/s: this is supposed to make you laugh 💚 but I know it's silly so feel free to ignore it lol

Lmao yeah, I've actually seen it a few times!

Also in this variation:

I think it might've started with this image. I guess it's just about a situation when someone says something on the Internet, maybe trying to be funny and stuff but then sometime later it becomes the reality. So, yeah that's Apollo's random Internet prophecy gift meme 😅

Also, I love his comment on it! 😂

#asks #greek memethology

[screeching-0wl]

Hi, I have a question about offerings.

I would like to know what you do with offerings afterwards. Like, how do you get rid of them (especially none biodegradable ones or potentially 'harmful' ones like salt). I've heard buring them, throwing into a river or the sea, leaving at crossroads or putting them in the bin/waste disposal with a prayer to the Roman Goddess of the sewers.

Hello! I answered a similar ask here: LINK where I also discussed some of the things you mentioned.

Some additions:

Of course, please remember to have your own safety in mind and be environment-friendly - prior to disposing of the offeing, check if it can be done with the chosen method without causing harm to you, your surroundings, nature etc!!!

Burning - especially for The Heavenly gods

Throwing into a river/sea - especially for The Sea gods and deities associated with bodies of water and nature

Leaving at crossroads - especially for deities presiding over crossroads (e.g. Hekate)

Bin/waste disposal and the goddess Cloacina - see linked post

Burying/pouring it onto the ground - especially The Underworld deities

#asks #helpol #hellenic polytheism #hellenic gods #hellenic deities #hellenic pagan #offerings #disposing of offerings #how to dispose of offerings

[screeching-0wl]

What's the difference between Good Health and Radiant Good Health?

Hi! I'm guessing you're asking about Hygeia and Aigle.

[In reference to this post: LINK]

Hygeia was the goddess of good health. Hygeia is mainly associated with physical health, although sometimes she's also believed to be the giver or protectress of mental health.

Aigle was the goddess of radiant good health. She's associated with the physical aspect of health as well, especially the beauty of the human body when in good health.

So, the domains of both goddesses do overlap but there are some subtle differences.

#asks #helpol #hellenic polytheism #hellenic gods #hellenic deities #asclepius deity #asclepiades #hygeia #aigle