#i just think hellenic paganism is so interesting:-)

[dark-points]

I got the Greek magical papyri book and boy is it nearly useless for my purposes :c . I wanted things like info about correspondences and lists of ingredients used by the ancient Greeks for Hellenistic witchcraft and shit because I want more traditional Ancient Greek things to use for my work with Circe, but 99% of the spells are like bodies of drowned cats and using the fat of a black ass and blood from a virgin goat, not really possible despite the fact I have lots of animal parts already. Don’t have things like that! Interesting, but I can’t really use it! A bit disappointing :c

Anyways, hello! I’m trying to be more active in my craft and figuring out how to make things feel right and more my style, as there are a lot of flavors of witchcraft that are very much not for me. I am part of a local witch FB group and have been getting familiar with things, and there are some lovely people that use language and have beliefs that I can’t see myself believing in. I don’t know what I would call myself as I’ve not practiced very much, I hate to use the phrase ‘casual’ but that’s kinda how I feel compared to others.

I am starting to work with Circe, as non human ‘shapeshifting’ (like mentally and in dreams of course) is my number one goal I am seeking and honestly always has been in general. Always wanted to not be myself! I’ve been getting good feedback and she definitely is the right person for the job c:

#witchblr #greek paganism #hellenism #personal post #I’m finding some things online that are more what I’m looking for #but was interested in things straight from the horse’s mouth’ so to speak #as I was told maybe things less generic green witch and more specifically Greek things would be better for her #I just want to do plant/potion things for her right as that’s not something I am familiar with as a baby witch #I am very pleased with the alter I am crafting I am very good at those kind of offerings #and I have some excellent little items in my home to put on her altar #like it’s very funny I just happened to have a lot of things I think are appropriate for her #but potions and stuff are very new to me and I’m not sure if that will be something I like #and she is hella into that #I hope she’ll be cool if I just try my hardest :c #I’m still getting to know her so I’m not sure #I think believing In correspondences in things like crystals make them real to a certain extent #but things like vibrations and use for medical purposes are things I can’t get behind #no hate at all it’s just Not A Thing for me! #I have so many animal parts and definitely feel so very good and connected to my dead friends c: #they are like my family honestly #animal based things will definitely be a focus #I’m a vulture as in vulture culture #so kinda think vulture witch is something I might work towards #I have some books on the topic that are interesting I really should sit down and read #I also have no idea how Hellenistic I have to be to properly work with her #I don’t know if I can see myself going full on #but I want to do right by her

[khaire-traveler]

Do you need signs from hellenic deities or is there any chance that they will not work with you??

I've heard Artemis is picky with who she works with but then again, unreliable source because tiktok 🚶‍♂️

Hey, Nonny!

Genuinely, I would not take any advice or listen to TikTok pagans or polytheists in the slightest. Misinformation is spread rampantly there, and people often make ridiculous claims. I would just disregard it completely, if I'm going to be honest. I don't think I've ever learned anything helpful from there. I'm not shaming you for finding information there, though, just so you know! It's hard to know which sources to trust when it comes to such a freedom-based religion.

That said, you don't need signs from deities - in general - to start worshipping them. I only engage in deity worship (which I honestly think still includes "work"; deities still help you improve on specific aspects of your life through worshipping them), but I've personally not met a deity who is unwilling to receive worship or veneration. My biggest piece of advice to you is to just jump right into it! What do you have to lose by reaching out? Remember that deities are the protection from evil, not the cause of it. There aren't any negative consequences for simply reaching out.

That said, however, if you want more certainty before beginning, I recommend looking into different divination methods. This is the best way, imo, to receive a direct answer from a deity. It allows for back and forth conversation, oftentimes, as well which is undeniably useful. I recommend simply reaching out and asking the deity in question if they're interested, if it bothers you a lot.

In my experience with Artemis, btw, she has not been picky. She seems to be very welcoming and has always been kind to me, even looking out for and protecting me from danger. She is extremely compassionate (I believe she actually has something similar to "Kind" or "Compassionate" as one of her epithets) and tends to be very nurturing, in my experience. I recommend simply reaching out. I see no harm in doing so.

Also, if you'd like some good resources on Hellenic deities and worship, I highly recommend the book Hellenic Polytheism: Household Worship by Labrys. I also recommend looking into ancient works, such as Theogony by Hesiod or The Library of Greek Mythology by Apollodorus. These can simply inform you on the culture and myths surrounding the gods, though I would not interpret them literally personally. I've also heard Artemis by Stephanie Budin is good, though I haven't read it myself. I've simply heard this from other worshippers of Artemis. As for online resources, as always, Theoi.com is a great place to find very basic information about Artemis as a goddess. It doesn't include much worship information, but you can likely find out more traditional ways of worship by looking into her ancient cults, if that interests you.

If any of my followers know of any good resources on Artemis, please feel free to let me know! I'd love to give Nonny a solid place to start.

I hope this helps! I wish you luck on your new journey. I wish you well! Take care, and have a good day/night. 🧡

#anon asks #answered asks

[hellenicrisis]

Hi! I've been debating worshipping Jesus alongside my hellenic deities. I'm just wondering, would it be odd for me to not consider the Bible word of God? I know it has been translated and re-written and I think of the Bible the same way I think of greek myths. Also, any advice on dealing with the idea of sin? I didn't grow up with the idea of sin and for some reason the idea of being born impure keeps messing up my thought process.

Thank you so much! and Happy Easter!

Hi there sunshine! ☀️

I don't know how long this has been in my inbox, so thank you for waiting until I came back from my break during Lent. Happy Easter to you too!

I don't think it's odd at all for someone blending Christian and pagan practices to view the Bible the way you do. I personally view the Bible as the word of man inspired by God, similar to the Greek myths as you mentioned. I have a post talking about that here, if you want to hear my thoughts.

The idea of sin also took me a while to wrestle with as I wasn't raised with it either. I can tell you what I believe and maybe it'll give you some clarity or comfort. Personally, I don't think we are born impure or that our flesh is vile. I believe that we are made in the image of the gods (Jesus and Yahweh included). If the gods crafted us, how are we impure? That never made sense to me.

I do believe however, that in falling away from the gods and not living in accordance with them and with virtue, we can make ourselves impure. I try to follow my gods as closely as possible and live my life in a way that glorifies them. I view things that aren't in accordance with the gods or aren't from them as sins, and I pray to my gods to lead me away from those temptations so that I may be better in their eyes.

The Greeks had similar(ish) concepts called miasma and agos. I have a post here talking about it, if you're interested. To me, learning that the pagans had something like 'sin' made the concept easier to process. But, in my opinion, you don't have to believe that we are born impure to grasp the concept of sin or to worship Jesus. He's a very joyful and patient deity, very much like a teacher or guardian. You'll find your feet with him and if you tumble, he will catch you.

I feel like my answer was a little vague, but those are my general thoughts. These are really important questions and I know I struggled with the same things when I started blending my practices into Christopaganism. Thank you so much for asking, sunshine! Please feel free to reach out again in future!

Khaire! ☀️

#asks #answered asks #christopagan #christopaganism #jesus christ #pagan #paganism #helpol #hellenic pagan #hellenic paganism #polytheism #polytheist #folk catholic #folk catholicism

[thedawningofthehour]

JUSt needed to tell you that thinking about "Profile in Quicksilver" got me through the day 💕💕💕

I also love how you incorporate worldbuilding details seamlessly into the narrative without being overwhelming! I love reading Gale & Draxum talking! Do u have any religion/traditions/custom headcanons that didn't show up in the fic (yet)?

thank you so much for writing!!!

Thank you! I do try to avoid lore dumps, even if they can be interesting at times. Ideally, people won't realize they're being lore dumped on. It's like, in a dance when you transition to a different blocking, ideally the audience shouldn't even notice you're transitioning, it should just feel like part of the choreography.

And OH FUCKING BOY DO I. Thinking about the background of the Hidden City and the Yokai as a whole has been so much fun. Making it fit with the lore we see in the show and the actual history of New York City has been so much fun-like, it's not that there happens to be a giant monster city under NYC, NYC became NYC because there was a giant monster city already there. And that's why NYC is Like That. Why are all the dark armor pieces in New York? Because that's where most magic is now, magical beings were driven out from everywhere else.

As far as religion, I've been keeping them pretty secular? Mostly because that's just an aspect I don't feel really jives with TMNT. I have a scene later on where Leo and Mikey attend church with April and her parents, but it's more out of curiosity than any real desire to take up religion. They see it as more of a cool cultural thing that an actual system of beliefs. One of the main things I can remember right now is Leo bitching about the smell of incense.

In the background, I think of the Yokai as following a lot of pagan religions. These people haven't been directly colonized or conquered (or more accurately, were ethnically cleansed instead of being colonized or conquered) so Christianity and Islam are much less common. Probably the same with some other religions that spread due to conquest, but I'm not...entirely sure what those religions would be. (Hellenism? Zoroastrianism? Taoism? Do those fit? I'm singling out Abrahamic religions because those are the most common currently) Also Christianity and Islam are pretty young religions. I haven't made a definite timeline, but I'm leaning towards most Yokai communities being established more than 2000 years ago. Leo mentioned in the Christmas chapter that there were a lot of bright reds and lights down in the Hidden City-pretty much everyone has a winter solstice holiday, so officially they're celebrating the solstice instead of any one religious holiday, and everyone's kind of free to celebrate however they want. Not a lot goes down in December, actually. Schools have most of the month off, a lot of workplaces cut their hours or just straight shut up for a few weeks, most people are partying and spending time with family. It's basically like their summer vacation.

Oh! One thing I will probably work in at some point, but the last of the Yokai migrations happened during WW1. The few remaining exclaves in the human world (like the one in Chongqing, where Tigerclaw was living) basically went "fuck it" and packed up shop, even in places where there was no fighting. It was the nail that drove home that they couldn't exist alongside humans, that even if they weren't warring with the humans themselves they would still get roped into human conflicts, and eventually they would be killed off.

And the thing is, up until recently, the Hidden City was still rather closed off from the human world, despite living underneath NYC. You have to get government approval to go topside, so most people were living their entire lives underground without ever stepping foot in NYC proper. It was really with the invention of television and then the internet that bridged the gap from the Yokai's side, and both those things took a lot longer for the Yokai to adopt. So a lot of human stuff that happened from the 1910s to around 1970s-1980s era didn't get a lot of attention down there.

Like. They know WWII happened. Objectively. By that I mean they knew shit was going down, so the Heads pulled down just about everyone who worked up top and they all just bunkered down for several years until they realized the war was over. It was an annoyance for most of them, a period of time where they couldn't get certain products or had their business disrupted because somewhere in their chain was a guy who worked at a human company and he can't do that now. They were able to read about what happened afterwards and knew vaguely of all the genocides, but most of them didn't look into it very hard. Just more humans bent on killing each other, what else was new? Most of them will still refer to WW1 as 'The Great War.'

And I thought of this scene before October, and I feel like I probably shouldn't use it now due to how politically charged it is, but originally I wanted to include a scene where someone mentions Israel and Josh is really confused because the last time he was living aboveground that area was controlled by the Ottomans and was officially part of Syria. Maybe independent Jerusalem, but why would it be Israel? Bella has to pull him aside and explain. He knew about the Holocaust, but he had no knowledge of Mandatory Palestine or the Nakba. The entire time she's talking and his eyes are just bugging out.

On the plus side, India is no longer under British rule, so he was probably pretty happy to find that out?

I had like several other things I rambled about and deleted because they were going entirely off the rails, I might post those at another time. I've thought about this world way too much and I've written far too little down. (also sorry it took so long to respond! I knew I'd go crazy and wanted to get the chapter done first, and the chapter took longer than I expected lol)

#doth asks #i both love and hate info-dumping worldbuilding stuff like i feel like i'm just total stream of consciousness sometimes

[alatismeni-theitsa]

Hi Theitsa, I came across followers of Hellenism on YouTube, mainly Americans and I am just perplexed. Why would USians adopt native European religions/belief systems? It would be equally strange for me as a European (Lithuanian) to take on a specific Native American tribes belief system and practicing this out of its original context, or even Greek religion for that matter.

I guess Im just weirded out that Americans have been living in America for generations would gravitate towards European religions rather than Native American religions and belief systems that are tied to the continent they live on. Does Hellenism or Norse Paganism even make sense outside of their lands/environment of origin?

Why is this not considered cultural appropriation in some aspect? Hellenism consists of Greek names, Greek ideas, Greek imagery, Greek everything. Same with Norse religion, it is tied to Scandinavia. Maybe this is an extension of westerners separating Ancient Greek culture and society from modern Greeks and treating it like some magical fairyland where they can insert their own anglo selves.

I suspect western media and movies promoting characters and storylines inspired by Greek and Norse culture might be the culprit. If western media was obsessed with Hinduism for example, they would probably adopt Hinduism instead. Seems very LARP-y and superficial to me.

I apologize for the long rant, just my opinion of course. I would like to hear what you think of USians taking on these religions Theitsa, your takes are always interesting!

On the treatment of ancient cultures and religions in the US pop media I just made this post and I think you will find most points there aligned with yours. More and more people are noticing this phenomenon, meanwhile the US continues spitting out hollow retelling after hollow retelling and generic movie after generic movie on the Greek myths.

As for religion, I imagine that you, like me, don't blame anyone for being spiritual. But, like I've done in the past, you speak of those worshipers who treat the Greek religion more like a fandom than a foreign ancient practice, and insist on fully Americanising it.

Sadly, this LARP-y "worship" is quite common in the US. A writer who's kinda popular on Twitter/X right now claims to worship the gods and at the same time writes spicy erotica novels with them as protagonists for profit. And if you critique this person, they tell you that you disrespect them as a worshiper. Make it make sense dude...

Even the term Hellenism is wrongly used by them! See why here

There are minorities in the US who want their culture to be more mainstream in the country so they can enjoy their life with less bigotry. While the sentiment makes sense, I know that they will regret it if this ever becomes a reality for them, simply because that's how the US operates.

I already see Arabs, Indians, Chinese, and more, gasping in terror online when WASPs take their cultural items or customs and use them in a classic Murican way. And their voices are DEFINITELY not going to be heard even after 50 series inspired by their culture come out. If anything, their exotisation will continue. Been there, done that 😩

my tag #xenoi doing bs has similar content if you want to take a look at the expense of your mental health 😂

#answered #religion #appropriation #uscentrism

[leannan-sithe]

I’m wondering where I can learn about like, godspouse courtship processes, marriage rituals, what might be required of each sides in a marriage/relationship, etcetera. Details like that. I get its individual to each Deity or spirit/entity and each relationship, but like, I’m trying to find specific examples.

To be clear, I get that this is a very personal thing, I don’t blame the sources I’ve found for not going in depth. I’m not currently trying to get into a relationship with a Deity or other entity, and I don’t think I’m receiving interest. I just keep getting fixated on this. For some reason I keep ending up down rabbit holes searching, wanting concrete examples, as if I do have a relationship to figure out, even though I don’t. Sorry, if that’s weird. I was just wondering if you had resources that could help.

Yeah! I understand the drive to learn more. If you ever find yourself wanting to engage with the practice with a specific entity, send me a DM and we'll chat.

(You can also DM me to talk in general, I don't mind that, and I don't post callout posts unless it's like the person who dated the ghosts of serial killers and was super racist. Community-level threats get @'d, not randoms with opinions I don't agree with.)

I hate to be the bearer of bad news but there aren't godspouse courting processes or specific rituals, nor are there requirements. I can give specific examples (and I will) but there's not... anything set in stone. Sorry.

I'm going to fictionalize and slightly dramatize some stories of people I know, with changed names and details.

You worshipped Cernunnos for years, getting into the practice because they reminded you of your childhood fascination with the woods and wilderness and learning about how to build shelters and traps and stuff. It started when you were 17 and were a "baby pagan," just learning about how worship and spirituality might look to you. You grew up in a Christian household, so you just don't know what to think or do. You make a habit of talking at Cernunnos over time, then when you get into spirit work, you start to get communication back (in signs, divination, dreams, etc). You joke and laugh and do things with Cernunnos, having fun with your godly buddy. One day, you're chatting with a friend who brings up godspousing, talking about specific things like dating or flirting. You make a joke about how "if that's godspousing, then you've been godspousing for at least a year." Your friend internet-looks at you blankly. Oh, shit. You've been doing godspousing for at least a year. The next divination you do is effectively a smug look from Cernunnos and a request for a "real date". Have you been dense enough to not notice they were FLIRTING flirting with you?

You're a Hellenic polytheist and you have a broad group of deities you work with in various capacities. You're fond of Hera and Aphrodite in particular, but you leave out offerings and whatnot when you want to appreciate the other deities. Or ask for their help in matters. You've been doing this for 10 years, it seems like. Since you were a preteen, and now you're an adult. You've been seeing a lot of things lately, the same sort of symbols. Lets say it's a specific fruit or color. That symbol has been popping up everywhere. What's going on? You mull on it for a few months until someone gifts you one of those fruits out of nowhere. Confused, befuddled, you leave the fruit on your altar for Hera to have. Over the next week you get these feelings that something is wrong, and you ask a friend to do divination for you -- your cards aren't doing shit for answers. The friend says there's a goddess that wants your attention. What? The friend also says that Hera is annoyed at you. You spend the next week pulling cards, looking into mirrors, analyzing your dreams before realizing she didn't like something on the altar. The fruit, maybe? The mystery goddess comes to mind randomly. You look the fruit up and-- of course it's Persephone, why wouldn't it be Persephone. You spend the next two years adding her to your roster of godly friends, until she starts dropping signs in your lap like mad. Daily, even. It takes another 6 months to figure out that she wants to *date* you. What. Why. How. You're wracked with worry about hubris and guilt, before you finally give in and join a godspousing group at your friend's recommendation. It takes you another 3 months to actually ask Persephone on a date. You do dates, shift her to central in your worship schedule, and.... just in case, you double check with Hades via divination that it's cool. (It is. He gives his blessing.) After a year of dating her, you start getting ring imagery everywhere. Repeatedly. She's proposing. You panic for another few months before writing out marriage oaths -- no one in the GSing community ever gives their vows/oaths verbiage in full as examples to others, it's a personal, sometimes sacred thing that we're all a little embarrassed about, you just gotta wing it -- and while you're practicing, Persephone pops in your mind and says "I do". Wait, no, that was. That wasn't the real one. She sends you mental images of putting rings on fingers. You spend a few weeks discussing it with her (and panicking) because you don't quite understand if it was legitimate or not, and it hurts your feelings a little that she just did it while you were practicing, but you come to the decision that you actually do like the idea of being formally married to her. So you decide it's the for real one.

You're in your early twenties, you decide your life is a bit boring so you decide to get into divination, specifically tarot. One of your dumbass woowoo friends you had a crush on was into them, and you kind of liked the art. In learning about tarot, you learn about witchcraft and crystals and stuff. Okay, sure. You'll do that. In a year, you're googling plant correspondences on tumblr whenever you cook a recipe. You always make your coffee with intention. But it still doesn't feel fine? Something was missing. You get into the wiccan side of tumblr witchcraft, and start adding deities into your lineup, making altars and worshipping any one of them that strikes your fancy. It costs a bit of money but it's worth feeling like you're doing something right. Eventually that gets boring for you and you sort of move on to other things. A few years later you get back into the woowoo stuff, and start thinking about the deities again. You feel a little guilty but don't get any closure about those worship relationships. It feels awkward. You swerve back into divination, choosing to pick up runes instead. You learn about how Odin is weird and masculine and can be evil. Whatever, you just want the runes. A few months in, someone questions an offhand remark you make about Odin being bad. You get corrected, learn a bit more about him, and... he sounds cool? You've known about the concept of godspousing for a while now, but you're a little leery about the whole worship thing, especially since it didn't work out last time. You approach Odin but you're CLEAR you don't want a relationship like a godspouse. You work with him for a few months. He shows up in your dreams as a variety of characters, you start to associate him with certain tv shows and watch those to bond. You started out fearing him a bit and worshipping him in a very rigid way, designing your own prayers and protocols, but now he's just the weird dude that watches Warehouse 13 with you and calls dibs on half your nachos when you make them. (You eat them anyways.) Eventually, you have a dream in which he kisses you. Um. Okay. No. You ignore it. You don't say anything to him, you just pretend it never happened. It happens again. This time, you sit down and have a conversation. You weren't interested in dating him. He's interested in dating you. ....... Well, maybe you're interested in dating him now. After all, he's not the terrifying figure you thought he was. You set a date in 6 months upon which you'll give him an answer, and tell him you expect him to behave until then and any misbehavior means you're booting him out of your life. He does behave, but another of your gods has to kick him in the ass for toeing the line. In 6 months, you tell him that you can date, and you set a bunch of rules out. No showing me imagery of the ocean or deep water, you have a phobia. No bothering me at work. Don't send me sexual stuff unless I ask for it. He reluctantly follows through but he does have to be reminded. Eventually, you dating Odin is just. The thing that you're doing. You don't really want to label it. It gives you some amazing sex dreams and weird fantasies that you're embarrassed about, but there's a lot of people who think about Odin that way online, yeah?

I genuinely don't know what information I can give you, but again, feel free to DM. Hope these were entertaining at least.

#godspouse #godspousing #godspousal

[poisonnxkki]

hey there! i’ve been looking around for resources since i’m sort of dabbling in hellenic paganism. i really really like your blog so far, so i wanted some advice from you.

i think the greek pantheon is something i’m super duper interested in, and there’s some deities that i’m super drawn too, and some not as much. but i understand that each deity does something different - can i venerate/worship all the deities, but work more closely with others? will this offend the other gods/goddesses? i’m just starting out, i apologize if this is stupid, but i’m really curious. i don’t want to offend anybody, but i know they all have different domains and only working with a select few and not the others feels awkward to me.

i also have a second question, if it’s not too much to ask: any good resources for someone just starting out? other blogs, discord servers, youtube channels, maybe even books, and most helpfully, websites! i really appreciate that you took the time to read this and i hope you have great day!! thanks so so much :]

Thank you for your question!! Sorry it’s taken me so long to get back to you. Remember there are no dumb questions so if you have anything else you want to ask, pls do!!

Firstly, you can definitely venerate multiple deities but work more closely with others (and it will most definitely not offend anyone). This was actually an extremely common practice in Ancient Greece. Some deities were more significant depending on the area you lived (or the identity you possessed), so although you may have acknowledged the main 12, you would have worked closely with only a number of gods. I would like to gently suggest that you should do what feels natural to you and not worry too much about making mistakes or offending anyone. Making mistakes is a natural part of the learning process and is bound to happen eventually. As you gain more information, your opinions and practices will change so just focus on acquiring knowledge.

Some resources:

Understanding Greek Religion by Jennifer Larson- this is a more academic text so it may not be for everyone but it has a lot of important information in understanding how the ancients viewed worship and interacted with the gods

The Homeric Hymns (and other primary sources)- reading primary sources (especially the oldest sources) are super important because they are what many later sources reference. You can find them all online!

Theoi.com- I will link this below but this is good if you are focusing on a particular god/gods. I use it as a jumping off point for finding references.

Let’s Talk About Myths Baby- (podcast available on Spotify and Apple) retellings of the Greek myths from a feminist perspective. The host is witty and entertaining and I’ve found that she breaks down the myths in a way that is easily understandable.

Tumblr- there are a ton of accounts on here which provide resources and give their own personal takes on information. One of my favs is @olympianbutch but there are so many on here!

I don’t want to overwhelm you with sources but these are a few different types which you can explore since you are just starting out. Also if anyone wants to share their favourite sources (or their perspective), then pls do!

#witchcraft #witches #witchcore #paganism #witch community #baby witch #beginner witch #hellenic pagan #witch aesthetic #witchblr #hellenic gods #hellenic #hellenic community #helpol #grimoire #greek deity #greek gods #ancient greek #hellenism #hellenic reconstructionism #hellenic worship #hellenic polytheism #hellenic pantheon #witch #witchcraft 101 #paganblr #pagans of tumblr #witch talk #witch books #witch tips

[solvicrafts]

Personal pagan thoughts

There's this attitude that's circulated in the broader pagan community for quite a while that like... you either have to be a reconstructionist following one single pantheon or a fluffy woo neowiccan. Obviously not all pagans think that way and in more recent years I've seen more and more people step away from that mindset.

BUT

When I was in my early teens going from studying pagan cultures academically to kind of gradually starting to pursue paganism as more than just a niche interest, I was absolutely inundated with pressure to just PICK A SIDE and nearly 20 years later it's still an issue for me.

I've always felt this pressure to just conform and pick a side and be done with it. Put myself into a neat little box as un-offensive in design as possible and all that.

And the truth is I just can't do that no matter how hard I try.

And that's actually the main reason I don't often talk about my beliefs on here. Because while I've used "Hellenic Polytheist" as a label to describe myself and while it is more or less accurate, there's also so much more that goes well beyond that.

Basically... my beliefs and practices are messy. That's probably a big ADHD brain thing.

And I didn't start feeling okay with that until roughly this past year, when I finally started letting go of that pressure to fit into a neat label.

Are the Theoi particularly thrilled that I also have a budding relationship with a few deities outside their pantheon? Eh, probably not, but the feeling I get from them is that they're not terribly fussed about it. At worst I imagine them being like "yeah okay fine you can take my follower out to dinner just make sure you bring them home no later than 10."

Are the Theoi absolutely trembling with rage because I occasionally dabble in my own form of ~magic~ (but without that woooooo special K nonsense)? Nah, at worst they just think it's silly.

Do the Theoi give a shit that I sometimes incorporate imagery and themes from some of my favorite fictional settings into my practices? Again, probably not; those spider lights look damn cool on my shrine and as sad as it is that my khernips bowl broke this year, the spider-webbed replacement bowl is JUST as useful and pretty.

People act like the only legit pagans are the ones that are super serious all the time, NO FUN ALLOWED and like... yeah, okay, I'll admit that pagans can be reeeeaally cringe, but you know, I think it's okay to be a little cringe once in a while as long as you still remain grounded in reality (as in: crystals are not a substitute for modern medicine and sometimes that thing you think is a sign from a god is actually symptoms of a gas leak or something) and don't make a point of being an asshole, so what? Be cringe.

Maybe there's ONE TRUE RELIGION that has all the answer. Maybe NO religion has the answers. At the end of the day, none of us truly know. So why not have fun?

#one of my biggest regrets from my late teens and early twenties is that when I WAS active in the pagan community #I let a LOT of people push me around and define who I was for me #and not only did it not benefit me in any way it also eventually led to me becoming an insufferable asshole #fortunately one of my deities in particular did a VERY GOOD JOB of pulling my head out of my ass #if I hadn't listened to Him I'd be a veeeery different person and not in a good way #anyway point is there's SO MUCH toxicity in the pagan community #and it sucks because I catch myself WANTING interaction and wanting to connect with other people #but it just never works out #there's too much infighting #too much cultural appropriation #too much egotism and posturing #and on top of that a major reluctance in many communities to have honest discussions about our issues #the Lokean community was great at first until it devolved into Snapewives #and this isn't even a dig at godspousing because I don't have a problem with that #but rather I have a problem with how tumblr's Lokean community became so utterly allergic to honest discourse #and it's now at a point where UPG reigns supreme and newbies who have absolutely no idea how to filter information #end up feeling like there is only ONE right way to worship Loki #anyway this is all my long-winded way of saying I may start stepping away from the Hellenic Polytheist label #not because I no longer honor the Theoi (because I still do) but because I don't feel like it really fits me

[eldritch-nightmare]

i think im the first ask on this blog 👁️👁️ I THINK correct me if im wrong

if it’s not a problem could you do a matchup for me?? i’m a cis girl, 5”8, pansexual. i have autism + Tourette’s + adhd, and I play ukulele - im actually in college for music performance 🌝 i have light brown hair cut in layers w a fringe, plus I wear glasses,, also I’m a lil chubby. i practice Hellenic paganism, and i specifically work with Selene, as well as practicing witchcraft in general. my special interest is crystals and geology so i have quite a big crystal collection lol, and my current hyperfixation is mitski . im quite extroverted, even though my personality type is INTP, and my love language is gift giving!!

oh and - if it’s ok, I’d like to be 🌙 anon :)

you're the first ask, yes! and of course you can be 🌙 anon! i haven't done one of these in a while so i'm sorry if it's a bit. meh. but!

your matchup is... eyeless jack! he's a bit quiet and maybe even comes off as standoffish but trust me, once you two get closer, he'll be as open as a book when it comes to his thoughts and emotions. honestly, seeing that you work with witchcraft in general, jack might be a little wary around you in the beginning due to the whole 'sacrificed by a cult' thing he'll quickly realize that you aren't in any way similar to the people who sacrificed him. honestly, he'll probably be a little interested in witchcraft himself, though he most likely won't practice it like you do. he'll watch you take care of your altar to selene if you have one, and he's definitely the type to ask little questions here and there about your practices and beliefs if you're willing to answer them.

you're in college? so was he! at one point. he can't fully remember. but no matter, he has your schedule fully memorized so in case you ever forget something, he's basically a calendar there to remind you. he'll be willing to help out with any of your classes if you ever need the help. he will happily watch you practice the ukulele and whatever other instruments you may be required to play. between me and you, jack really just enjoys seeing you perform like... anything. he likes seeing you in your natural habitat.

rocks. he gives you rocks. he finds out that you like crystals and he sees your collection of crystals and he actively goes out of his way to study rocks that may potentially have crystals in them. he's not exactly the best at identifying crystals just yet but he's learning.

he thinks you're like... the most stunning person to ever exist, and while he's not the best with words, he'll show it through his actions.

considering his whole... nature of existence and whatnot, he can't exactly take you out on any romantic dates, but he'll find a way to make it work for the two of you. by some unknown reason, jack is really good at cooking, so he'll definitely make it a habit to make you a small snack or dinner whenever he's around.

he likes taking care of you, and it shows. if you catch a cold then he's right there by your side with medicine and warm soup. if you're feeling stressed because of assignments then he'll either help you out or he'll coax you into taking a break and he may or may not give you a massage if you're comfortable with that. if you want to sit him down and tell him about your newest hyperfixation then by all means, sit him down because he will listen and take in every detail you provide. if you're experiencing a sensory overload, then he's right there with whatever you need to help ground you. he's not a doctor but he was in med school before all of this happened so if he sees you injured with any type of cut, especially if it's bleeding, then he's already treating the wound. he's not the type to scold you for getting hurt, it's inevitable, but that doesn't mean he likes seeing you injured.

in short, he's in love with you and so long as you're fine with the whole cannibalism thing (because he simply cannot hide it, it's impossible) then you two would be good together!

#🌙 anon #creepypasta #creepypasta matchup #eyeless jack #eyeless jack x reader #i was bouncing between ej toby or nina for u #took me a while to decide which one to pick #did i do research into hellenic paganism and selene and geology and music performance while writing this? yes sir i did i gotta be thorough #my hand slipped and it became longer than i thought it would. i have thoughts about ej constantly so. enjoy.

[someoneihavelovedbutneverknown]

Hi hi!

Your pinned post says you're a witch! That's so freaking cool!!!!

How does it work?

thank you!!!

i really don’t know where to start, but i’ll try to :D

So essentially witchcraft is kinda how it sounds. being a witch. a lot of media about witches takes some inspiration from witchcraft, but they are generally fairly inaccurate.

as well, it is not a religion unless you want it to be. it can just be a spiritual practice if that’s all you want it to be.

i’m gonna try to put this into sections so here we go

Wiccan, Hellenistic and Paganism witchcraft

this section does involve deities, and i will cover more on them in a bit.

as similar as wicca is to witchcraft, where are quite a few key differences. wicca has specific deities, such as The Horned God, The Green Man, as well as the triple aspect (based on phases of the moon) The Maiden, The Mother, and The Crone. wicca is more religiously based because of its use of deities.

hellenic witches are likely those you have seen on tiktok, talking about their experiences with Zeus or Artemis. they work with Greek deities and spirits.

pagan witches kind of pick and choose deities. one pagan witch may choose to work with Freya (a Norse deity) as well as Apollo (a Greek deity). i’ve even seen some pagan witches with Christian God or Jesus Christ as their deity, so it’s pretty cool.

there are also Norse Pagan witches who work with deities from the Norse mythos, such as Odin, Thor, Freya, or Loki (i work with Loki :D).

deity work

you may be asking, “Cam, what the fuck are deities?”, and i’m glad you asked (or not).

deities are a type of spirit guide, they are essentially a being of energy (that’s what some say) that can sometimes take on physical form. sometimes deities will want to work with you, so they’ll reach out. reaching out can include repeating numbers, symbols, animals, or interests.

as dope as deities are, there are also trixter spirits. while deities will help you grow in both your craft and in your general life, trixter spirits take that energy, and disguise themselves as a deity. an example i’ve seen is somebody had “Hades” reach out to them, but after starting to work with “him”, they started getting a lot of anxiety, and it turned out to be a trixter spirit.

spirit guides

now that i’m confusing you with terms you don’t know, it’s time to define them!!!

a spirit guide is kinda what it sounds like, it’s a spiritual guardian (deities, ancestors, spirit animals, guardian angels, ascended masters, passed love ones, and probably more that i didn’t include).

i already covered deities so i’m not gonna do it again, now let’s talk ancestors. i personally haven’t had much experience with mine, but looking at what others have experienced, it’s not one specific person. it’s more so a group of people. i’m not to helpful on the topic, so you may have to do you own research.

spirit animals are one of my personal favorites. it’s an animal that watches over you and helps you. some may have a pet that passed away, others may have a random animal (mine is a bear, she’s very sweet).

guardian angels are very prominent in Christian religions, and they are exactly as shown in Christianity. an angel that guards over you, and helps you.

ascended masters are kinda what they sound like. think Mary, Buddha, important mortals and masters in religions that help you out :).

passed loved ones are very self explanatory. they serve as a guardian angel of sorts.

now, how do you find these guides? i’d say the best method is guided meditations (look on youtube and spotify/apple music)

yay now what about actual witchcraft

so, there are a few types of witchcraft. let me show thy, in a motherfucking speedrun babyyyyy

Green witch- works with spells, herbs, crystals, and plants

Astrology witch- works with zodiac signs, sun, moon, stars

Divination witch- works on predicting the future (crystal balls, tarot [tarot isn’t limited to divination witches tho same with pendulums], tea leaves etc.)

Moon witch- works with the moon and moon-based deities (Selene, Hekate)

Sun witch- works with the sun and sun-based deities (Helios, Apollo)

Crystal witch- works with crystals (and sometimes chakras)

Grey witch- works with both light and dark forces, pretty neutral about this practice vs that practice

Chaos witches (meeeee)- works with chaos magic, and does anything to get things done (yes, this can include appropriation and violation of closed practices, but i personally do not like to go there bc guilt issues go brrr)

Eclectic witches- a little bit of everything!

now, i covered the basic and common types of witches, but there’s probably more out there, so don’t be afraid to resarch!!

closed practices

a closed practice is something specific to a culture. voodoo and hoodoo are two examples of closed practices, and those can be practiced by African American people, or people of African descent (don’t quote me on this part, i have like base knowledge on this). if you find a practice that i haven’t listened in the witchcraft types section, please to research on wether or not it’s a closed practice.

now, you’ve reached the end!!!

there is so much i could list, but this post would be fuckin long as hell. so, if you’re interested in anything listed, i recommend you research! here are some things that you should definitely research if you’re looking to get into witchcraft. as well, the use of white sage is specific towards Native American cultures, so please look into things that aren’t your culture!!!

-crystals

-chakras

-closed vs open practices

-shadow work

-meditations

-and any topic you’re interested in!

feel free to send me anymore asks, i’m all ears!

#witchcraft #witch community #witchcore #witchblr #witch tips #witch types

[echoensemble]

Heyhey! Elliot here, thought since we finally announced our main account, might as well do an intro post! Soooo here it is!

We are the Echo Ensemble (as of right now), a Traumagenic ND system (They/He)

Our collective interests (regular, special, and hyperfixations as of now) are Hoyoverse Games, Innerworlds, Hellenic Paganism, Seals, Architecture, and Art.

Yes, we have Dream SMP introjects, no we are not Dream SMP fans and do not wish to engage in arguments surrounding the members or the SMP itself.

On Syscourse: One of our headmates is openly pro-endo, and the rest of us that we know of are Anti-Endo. Collectively we do not fakeclaim or argue with anybody over system origins and will treat you with kindness if you do the same for us. We are not professionals and do not have the knowledge required to decide if you are a system/ are plural so we do not have the right to tell you if you are real or not.

Feel free to ask us or tell us anything (within limits)! We love listening to you or ranting about ourselves!

Speaking of limits, here are our boundaries. Do not bring up NSFW, discriminatory, or commonly triggering topics while interacting with us. If you think something may be possibly triggering, please warn. Do not interact if you think functional multiplicity is anti-recovery. Please use tone tags when speaking to us and if we say something that gives off a confusing tone, feel free to ask what we meant (including re-phrasing things for better understanding!). Also, if we don’t answer your ask, we either ignored it because we are uncomfortable/ don’t want to make certain information public, or we just haven’t gotten to it. The same applies to our @innerworldcore blog! We often go offline for weeks at a time and then come back to multiple asks and don’t finish them all in one day!

That is all I can think of for now, have a great rest of your day!

- Elliot and Furina

#osddid #dissociative identity disorder #alters #traumagenic system #osdd #system #did #actuallyplural

[khaire-traveler]

No it's absolutely fine! I'm happy to answer ^^

I don't have any experience with Greek paganism nor Hellenic Polytheism, and I think I'm most interested in Hermes but I'd be happy to seek out any other Gods and Goddesses alongside him.

And I do have a bit of experience with paganism, having interacted briefly with Frigg and Loki before :3

Thanks for your help!!

Hey there, sorry for the delayed response!

Read more because this is quite long. 💀 Also, just a reminder that I am not an authority or professor or anything like that. Always, always, always double-check information if possible. 🧡

So, unfortunately, covering all of Greek paganism/Hellenic Polytheism is virtually impossible, but I can try to give you beginner tips based on your experience with Norse paganism.

There are two "types" of deities: Ouranic and Chthonic. Ouranic deities reside in the Heavens on Mount Olympus, whole Chthonic deities reside in the Underworld and are often closely connected to death. There are also deities who roam the earth and seas, but as far as I know, there isn't an official title for those deities.

Oftentimes, burning an offering (if safe to do so) was a practice commonly done for Ouranic deities, as it was believed that the smoke would travel to Mount Olympus. Burying an offering (if safe to do so) was typically done for Chthonic deities as a means of "returning it to the earth".

Fire is sacred; my advice is to make use of it when you can. Incense is also sacred and makes for a great offering for Greek deities. Water is also also sacred, especially salt water (literally just mix salt in the water; it doesn't have to be from the ocean); salt water was seen as cleansing, and if you add herbs (laurel leaves are great), it makes for a great and respectful way to clean your altar and your hands (washing hands before interacting with altars was a common practice, but you don't have to do that).

Just like Norse deities, Greek deities are extremely complex with many facets to their domains and personalities. Although modern media often depicts them as petty and one-dimensional, always keep in mind that they are far cooler (and much more mature) than that.

Many Greek deities share sacred animals (and even symbols sometimes) in common. Hera and Persephone share pomegranates, Apollo and Dionysus share snakes, Hermes and Apollo share hawks, etc. It's very common for Greek deities to have overlaps in worship and symbolism.

Greek deities often shared altars with each other in ancient times, so it's ok to do so in modern times as well. That said, it's still respectful to ask first if you can, but if you don't have the means and they need to share, that is almost always ok.

The arts were heavily important to the ancient Greeks, so as you can imagine, they are a great way to worship Greek deities. Carvings, poems, hymns, drawings, knittings, etc. are all wonderful ways to show devotion, although they are not required.

Food offerings were commonly given to Greek deities, such as bread, wine (often watered down), rosemary, laurel, olive oil, fruit, pastries, and water. Thankfully, these are relatively common these days!

Festivals were extremely common amongst the ancient Greeks. Celebrating the gods in all their forms for different occasions happened pretty much everywhere. You're more than welcome to participate in these festivals, but you don't have to. There aren't many celebrating Hermes from ancient times, but you're able to create your own if you want!

Epithets are a great way of invoking specific aspects of a Greek deity. They're similar to titles, such as Odin having the title of "All-father" or Loki having the title "Father of Lies". For Greek deities, epithets can help immensely when you need help with something specific. For example, "Hermes Eriounes" means "Hermes Luck-bringer/Ready-helper" and is specifically invoking Hermes' domain of luck and helping others.

There is an overwhelming amount of information about many Greek deities out there, but unfortunately, not every source is trustworthy. Be wary of where you're getting your information from.

There are multiple versions of many myths because worship of Greek deities was not the same in every part of ancient Greece. Some places had festivals that didn't exist in others and even worshipped deities that didn't seem to be acknowledged even just a city away. Myths vary, and sometimes, depending on the area, they were also laced with heavy bias towards deities, such as many existing myths of Ares being from Athens - a city where Ares was often openly disliked in favor of Athena. Worship was extremely diverse in ancient Greece, so myths, festivals, and even traditions tended to vary significantly.

Just because a myth pins a deity against another does NOT mean those deities hate each other in actuality. It also doesn't mean that, even if those deities do dislike each other, they won't be mature if you're worshipping them at the same time.

Myths give us a lot of great information, but just as you likely wouldn't do in Norse mythology, don't take the myths as a Holy Bible. There is no specific set of rules to follow or ways to do things, and the myths are not the end all, be all for the deities they depict.

-

The above is just general tips, not specific to Hermes. Regarding Hermes, though, here's some tips I could give based on personal experience:

Coins, frankincense, crocus flowers, sheep, turtles, hawks, snakes, hares, cows, caduceus symbolism, strawberries, lyre symbolism, winged sandal symbolism, winged helmet symbolism, souvenirs from personal travels, handwritten letters addressed to Hermes, family heirlooms, divination tools, and candles are all great offerings for Hermes!

Hermes offers his help freely to his worshippers, and he takes great care of his people. If you need help, even if you don't have something to give in the moment, ask for it. I think he honestly enjoys helping people. c:

His domains are many. You don't have to focus on each and every one, but don't forget to utilize his many areas of expertise.

I've found that Hermes will sometimes play little jokes on you. Make sure to establish boundaries of what things are and are not ok, although he is pretty considerate and doesn't mean to intentionally cause harm, in my experience.

Hermes is more than happy to help you curse a bitch, in my experience, if you ever need help with that sort of thing. I've found he's also helpful with spell creation, bringing up loopholes and things that I wouldn't have thought of otherwise. This is obviously witchcraft-specific.

Hermes, in mythos, was said to have been taught the art of prophecy from Apollo. He is FANTASTIC with divination, and even better with helping beginners. Throughout all my divination with him, he has always been the easiest deity to communicate with, giving very clear and concise answers that are fairly easy to interpret. If you ask for his help with interpretation, he WILL deliver.

If dreams are important or relevant to you, Hermes is great at communicating through them. In my experience, he has even helped keep nightmares at bay. I highly recommend asking his help if you struggle with peaceful sleep.

As a guide to human souls to the Underworld - a psychopomp - he is extremely helpful when you've lost your own direction, even in life. He can be an invaluable friend when you need someone to point you back in the right direction. In my experience, he typically encourages you to listen and stay true to yourself. I've found he's helped a lot with gaining confidence in one's own judgement.

His reputation in other online spaces is typically that of Silly Mail Guy™, but remember that he is extremely sharp and witty. He is one of the cleverest deities I've interacted with, and his wisdom far surpasses his reputation. Trust me, if you need advice, he's a great deity to ask.

He is extremely compassionate. Something I consistently hear from other worshippers is how kind, considerate, and compassionate Hermes is. If you ever make a mistake, he tends to be very forgiving, and if you ever need emotional assistance, he can be such a great ally. Genuinely, he is so sweet, and I assure you that he's wonderful to turn to in times of need.

He's a god of thievery and trickery, and I'm just going to say without saying, that domain can be immensely helpful if you find yourself in a difficult situation. *wink wink*

Hermes and Loki, in my experience, team up often when you worship them simultaneously. They are almost guaranteed to come up with a lesson to teach you or a silly prank at some point, in my experience. They seem to get along very well lol.

This is all the information I can think of, honestly. I don't think there's an easy step-by-step process of getting started with Greek paganism or Hermes worship, so I just focused on giving tips and information that came to mind. These are obviously not exhaustive lists, but I'm hoping they can give you some useful information that you might not have had before.

I hope these things are helpful to you. I wish you lots of luck on this new spiritual journey. You've got this. c: Take care, and have a great day/night! 🧡

#asks #answered asks #upg for Hermes

[luunare]

It's not "much too simple to say", i was just trying to give you information without the history lesson. It's not too easy because that's exactly what it was, there's documentation proving that completely outside of Greek mythology because Romans took everything from currency to art to poems. If you aren't doing enough research to know this i doubt you know much about HelPol beyond mythology and clearly not a lot about that either.

Also you tagged of your own post with "Roman Paganism", soooo 🤥 i wouldn't have mentioned it out of nowhere lmao

I was trying to be nice and give you some information lmfaooo you're not going to be happy until you piss off the wrong deity mixing together the wrong shit. You wouldn't be the first to get taught a lesson just because you didn't listen to experienced people. Beyond the fact that i've been practicing HelPol 8+ years, i do study this for school 😭

i tagged my post with "pagan" to get a wider reach to hopefully find more community here, not because i'm pagan. i didn't intend to seem rude when i said i was polytheist, if i did, i was just replying that i am not pagan.

romans were very interested in hellenic culture, that is true. but that doesn't mean they "stole" everything and simply rewrote the myths with some ulterior motive to demonize the grecian religion. religious syncretism happens at the wide scale, with leaders and violence, and imperialism. this was absolutely a factor in how religion spread, as with many things all across history.

religious syncretism also happens through the voluntary sharing of culture, art, and faith at the smaller scale through time. this is what happens when people interact with other people. there are plenty of examples of faith being shared across cultures, and though this has a bloody and violent history, it also has a history of humans being humans. humans wanting to share, even in the worst circumstances.

most things in the world have a bloody and violent history (including ancient greek culture, that you seem to hold so high on a pedestal as being better than the romans), and i can recognize that and still find the humanity within it.

and, i syncretize many aspects of the pantheons and faiths, but that doesn't just mean mashing them together. no, i do not think the greek and roman religions were the same and were even comparable in most aspects. i'm taking care to be respectful in anything i do, and that's between me and the gods.

obviously i don't study this as you claim to, but i try. you're being very condescending, even in your last ask you sent.

if you believe that modern people can practice in modern ways, in very different ways to the ancients and with different cultural understandings of the faith and the gods, then why can i not practice a syncretic form of worship? my worship is absolutely modernized, but syncretism of many ancient faiths is historically attested either way. just look at the pgm, look at isis, at serapis. bacchus.

look, i'm very tired. i don't want to continue this, because it doesn't seem like you are really interested in "being nice," just that you want things done your way and that's it.

#answered #anon #helpol #rompol #roman polytheism #hellenic polytheism

[mtkyllene]

Hello! And welcome to the chaos!

DNI

Terfs/radfems

Bigotry of any kind, including but not limited to: ableism, racism, sexism, homophobia, and transphobia.

Pro-ed blogs

SH/traumacore/vent blogs

Right-wing/alt-right/maga/anti-blm

Pro-lifers that push their ideals and opinions on others

Lgbtq+ exclusionists, including panphobes, aro/acephobes, biphobes, anti xenogenders, anti neo/xenopronouns.

Anti sfw agere/petre

Additionally, nsfw agere

MAPs, Pedos, and whatever other acronyms y’all are using to ID yourselves. We don’t support pedos here.

Western Medicine/Medication deniers (if it’s not for you, that’s fine, but if you think no one should be on medications, esp for mental illnesses or disorders, get out)

White supremacy/n*zis/n*zi sympathizers

Sandy Hook deniers

Religious/conspiracy extremists of any kind.

Fascist rhetorics, ideologies, and organizations

Now that all that’s out of the way let’s

MEET THE MODS!!!!!

Mod Reg

Hello I’m Regulus or Reg. I use they/them and hy/hym pronouns.

I’ve been a practicing pagan since 2018ish. I began working with Hermes in late 2021 when I was traveling both by myself for the first time, and for the first time since COVID lockdown. I was insanely nervous and began to pray to Hermes before, during, and after my trip. As I began to do more research about Hermes I began to slowly realize that he has been present in my life for most of it, and I started to officially work with Hermes in early 2022. As of right now (June 2023) he is currently my primary deity and the only one I’m working with, however in the past I have worked with other deities including Loki, Apollo, and Aphrodite, and I will probably work with other deities in the future as I continue to grow and explore my path.

Fun facts about me: Audhd babie! My current hyperfixations/special interests include Critical Role Campaign 2, autism (lol), Hozier, and Languages/linguistics. I also have POTS and a handful of mental illnesses/disorders that I’m untangling. I write my own music and Poetry (which you may or may not see on here if I write anything related to Hermes/witchcraft). :D

Mod Fern

hello! i'm fern and i mainly go by he/him pronouns :>

i've been worshipping hermes since january 2022, which kickstarted my ACTIVE hellenic polytheist practice, although arguably i've been practicing since 2016. like reg, i started praying to him when my family was stuck at a hotel and unable to get home for the foreseeable future, and when i finally got home and set up what was supposed to be a temporary altar, he didn't want me to take it down! i have since realised he's my patron (with a mix of the neopagan and ancient greek definition of that word) as i'm a cross-culture kid in ib, a writer, a huge language fan, currently working to become a guardian of the dead, and much more.

i also have been practicing witchcraft since early 2020 and am an omnist with agnostic tendencies (but "hellenic polytheist" works just fine too) as well as an animist with a very eclectic folk-based practice

if you'd like to speak to me outside of this, you can find me as @rainbluealoekitten on tumblr, and i'm occasionally but rarely also active on @hellenic-worship, and i'm @/ferns_n_ravens on insta!!

Mod Lav

Hi!! I'm Lav and my pronouns are she/they.

I'm 19, and I got into witchcraft when I was 12. I'm what my friends call a "creature of chaos". Hermes is my patron god and has worked with me for more years than I can recall. He was the first deity to ever reach out to me (it took years to recognise it was him, though). I'm hypersocial and love talking, so please feel free to strike up a conversation!! Feel free to DM my main @vushadoration

Join us on discord! https://discord.gg/ZhtmfqakUq

tags we use:

WITCHCRAFT: 🕯🔮🌒

#witchcraft, #witchy tips, #spells, #divination, #elements, #cleansing, #neurodivergent witchcraft

HERMES AND HELLENIC POLYTHEISM: 🏛⚱︎☤

#hermes, #general helpol, #hermes epithets, #hermes devotion

OTHER:

#art, #goose moment (<— to clarify this is for non-serious/funny posts), #resources, #spoonie, #poetry, #greek

#meet the mods #hermes devotion #hermes deity #hellenic polytheism

[thesunw1tch]

The Sun Witch's Path

Whenever I get back into the flow of witchcraft, I always define my practice. I'm not sure why, I just do. Makes me feel very in control of my witchcraft. So, without further ado, these are the paths I take from in my electicism:

Air

Hearth

Green

Hedge

Kitchen

Solar/Lunar

Sigil

I am heavily connected to Air Witchery, and have always been. In my childhood, I used to talk directly into the wind and just vent out my frustrations or ask for advice. I hardly ever heard directly, but more so felt the Wind's companionship and motherly affection - trust me, I am aware that the air has a masculine association, but the Wind was always distinctly female to me.

Hearth, Green, and Kitchen witchcraft were the first types I learned about early in my practice. These paths reside in the home or forest, gathering their magic in places that encompass love and acceptance. This has always appealed to me, and allowed me to discreetly practice witchcraft without drawing attention. Green witchcraft also deals with communing or offering to Land Guardians, Land spirits, etc, which I find hard to do but incredibly interesting.

Hedge Witches combine green witchcraft and spirit work, essentially navigating the space between dimensions and communing with spirits. I haven't dabbled in Hedgecraft very often, mostly whenever I was warding before entering the astral plane or on Samhain, but I still value this aspect of my practice. Especially since I'm working with Hekate now.

Solar energy is hardly ever talked about, but in the past 3 years, I found myself connected more to the Sun than the moon. To me, the Sun is energy and vitality. Life and wonder. I prefer working with this sort of energy in my spellwork, and my connection to Apollo helps with this. Lunar energy, I use for other things. Protection, rebirth, new beginnings. Both of these celestial beings are ancient and powerful, with an infinite amount of energy and wisdom to share.

Sigils are quick, helpful, and easily disposable if push comes to show. They are also quite discreet, especially if you make your own sigils. Blend them in with doodles on a test for intelligence, blend your makeup into a sigil for glamour, or even trace it on an object for protection.

Another thing worth noting is that I am a religious witch, not secular. I am a Hellenic pagan / polytheist, worshipping Hekate, Apollo, Dionysus, and even Aphrodite. Hekate is a new addition to the bunch, but Apollo has been with me for a long, long time. Dionysus is also sort of new, but less so than Hekate. I passively worshipped Dionysus for the entire time I have been devoted to Apollo, but this winter I am going to be properly cultivating this relationship while Apollo is in Hyperborea. Aphrodite has been with me for awhile as well, and has been a great help. Even though I tried to break off my relationship with her, she is quite persistent and even when I wasn't trying to think of her, I was and was worshipping her with a fondness I didn't realise was there.

Witchcraft is a journey, one that requires patience and hard work. Not every tip or recipe is going to help, and what is one witches omen is another witches blessing. We are all different and magical and that is the beauty of being a Witch, combining anything we can to help each other and be our best selves.

#apollo #apollo devotee #witchcraft #witches #hellenic polytheism #sun magick #aphrodite #dionysus #hekate #hearth witch #green witch #eclectic witch

[alatismeni-theitsa]

Hello I have a question.

I know you are very very passionate about respect on culture (as you should be) but I wanted to ask a question about wording. I don’t feel like I ever know what to call myself as someone who believes in the gods, because I do not want to encroach on the words and terms that Greek people use to describe themselves. I started believing when I visited Greece when I was younger. It just felt right and talking to people where I visited was very enlightening, but I was never truly given knowledge of a term of what to call myself that doesn’t step on cultural boundaries.

(An aside question, do you think Greek would be a hard language to learn for an English native? It would be my fifth language, and I’m very interested in trying to learn.)

Hii! Perhaps you have seen this post and this post about terms! Perhaps not, so I am leaving it here for good measure! "Hellenic Polytheist" feels okay at the moment but, tbh, you can just say "Polytheist".

In Greek we don't use "pagan" the way the west uses it (I think it was imported in our vocab from the west to begin with) so we just say "Dodekatheist" or "Polytheist". Mainly "Polytheist", because "Dodekatheist" sometimes has an implication that you recognize the Twelve gods only. (Not always! But some Greeks might understand just this).

I think every time I spoke with a Greek Polytheist they just said "I worship our ancient gods". They didn't have one name for every person who worships the Greek gods, perhaps except "Polytheist" which in our language literally means "person who worships multiple gods". Sometimes these people are part of ritualistic and philosophical circles so they just say "I belong to this group where we worship the ancient gods."

(If anyone has a different experience with Greek Polytheists lmk! This is only my experience)

On to the language part, it won't be too difficult. It will be difficult since Greek is more complicated than English in many grammatic aspects, and it's a new philosophy of language, but there's not a very big linguistic gap. There are at least 50.000 Greek words you're using in your English vocabulary so this might help with learning more of the language. I think it will be worth your time to start learning!

The process takes years but it's achievable and you will be able to understand stuff pretty quickly. If you have knowledge of Spanish use the accent and some grammar stuff, which are very similar to Greek.

And, last but not least, as I wrote in another ask, you don’t need to use the ancient forms of Greek words in your worship. We still use these words, so you can use their sliiiightly different 2023 forms. No deity will judge you if you use the Greek terms of our times 😁 Better use χαίρε instead of γεια σας when addressing a god but there's zero reason to use χάρις instead of χάρη - especially if the rest of your speech is not equally archaic. Sooo the Greek in use is the way to go 😁

#answered #hellenic polytheism