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walkingwiththegods1 · 2 years

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Pagan Misconceptions Clarified: Why Eris, Is NOT "Only The Goddess of Discord that loves stirring troubles, and is best known for causing a terrible war; by throwing that Golden Apple?!"

Eris, is the Greek Goddess of Discord and Strife; in Rome, she was called; Discord, and she is a Deity that mades an important appearance; in The Illiad of Homer, mostly stirring war to The Aqueans. And... She is the sister of Ares. (Even though... Is not specified, who are her parents; or from which of Ares's parents, she is his sister...) I will explain, why Eris is not that terrible as she was portraited in the myths; I will talk about "The Two Eris", (Yes... There is two of them, and very differents!) and... Why she is, "An necessary Evil."

In Ancient Times, she didn't have temples dedicated to her; and it doesn't seems that she had a cult or followers, maybe for the fear of causing the breaking of couples, families and/or societies; for her mere presence. (And please, don't misunderstand me: I'm not saying than the Followers of Eris today, aren't valid: I think that Gods and Goddesses, have their moments of been follow by many people; and when they doesn't have much people that makes them cults or offerings, or even... Don't have any follower at all. [Remember, for example; after The Christianizaction of The Ancient World, that all The Gods and Goddesses were banned; and any offering or cult even in private for them, was punished by The Roman Empire; by law, and the use of the force.]) With that in account, Gods and Goddesses have evolved beyond their myths; because part of being immortal, is that you have to evolved in matters of Dominions; Mindset and Power, to avoid to became stagnant; and Immortality, doesn't turns into a heavy burden; so yes: I don't have Eris as my main Goddess, but she is a Goddess that is as important; as the most popular Goddesses of Today Paganism; like for example, Athena, Artemis; Hekate, or Aphrodite.

And now... Why Eris is needed, and "The Two Eris":

Hesiod, the author of The Theogony; (The most ancient recopilation of The History and Myths of The Greek Gods and Ancient Greece) talks about Eris, "Daughter of The Night, Nix; whose progeny cause misfortune to men, and embitter their lifes!"; and this is how we have saw her, most of our lives, BUT... There is a catch: Hesiod, in his Works and Days; don't only talked about one Eris... But, of two!"...How that is possible?!" You may think... Don't worry, I'll explain it right now!

The first of the two Eris, according to Hesiod's Works and Days; is the older sister of Nix, that is more kind; and inspires to people to work harder, when they see others being rich and prosperous; so they could become rich and prosperous themselves someday, thanks for the envy they feel; around the ones, that lives better than them. The other Eris, according to the same author; "Is the one that fosters wars and battle, and is cruel." So... There you go: The healthy one, exist way before the birth of the second Eris; that is the sister of Ares.

Okay, I already explained that there is two Eris; but... The one that is follow today, is the one that disrupts harmony; and causes envy that harms people and relations, or that sometimes; kills: It means that this Eris in particular, is not a need; and should be avoid at all cost, in our world that is already full of envy and discord?!... The answer, is yes: We need this Eris, too. (AND... Before you say than I'm a bit crazy, for even suggest this... Please, give me "The benefit of the doubt"; here!)

When we were kids, we competed with our siblings; classmates or friends, to wins the love or appreciation of our parents; teachers, or adults arounded us: Since being funny, until become the best students or well behaved; while our pairs couldn't stand us. At some point, we realizes that we are our only competence; and we stopped to do that, and became well liked by our pairs. But... In other cases, while we were growing up; the interaction between our siblings, friends or classmates; became so unbearable; to the point that, it didn't matter if they found out; that "I am not that smart, strong; beautiful or perfect, as they thoughted; so... There's no reason they have to envy me, and that now we can be friends; or left this silly sibling's rivalry behind!...", you founded out; that it didn't even matter what you did, or if you was good with them in general; they still disrespected you, or worse... Mistreated you: We were educated to stands neglect and/or abuses like martyrs, never complain about it even when we have the right too; and sacrifice of our wellbeing and mental health, for keeping friendships and relations with siblings or with relatives and couples; that doesn't even treat us decently. At that point, you are not anymore a human being; worthy of love or respect: You become a tool that people abuses or abandon, and they only comes to you, when thet need someone to fix their wrongdoings; or, with "Everything that hits their fancy", for keeping toxic people around you; in the hopes that someday, if you humiliates yourself to them enough without complaining and never demands your rights; they will treats you well; or... That they will back to treats you well, like when you was more young; and there was love, respect and understanding between all of you. (It never happens, trust me: I was in that same situation, like you.) In that point, Eris; "The one that breaks relations and harmony, apart", is telling you by sending you her feelings of discord and disharmony; to let go to those friends; siblings; family members and/or couples. Is not hate, is not destroying society; or a family: Is loving yourself enough to leave, before they consummes the last bit of happiness; health and sanity, you have left; AND... You can have the chance to be happy and in peace, someday; somewhere else... With this, I meant that feeling a bit of discord for the ones that hurt you; is a good thing: If you don't see them like they really are, and keeps lying to yourself; How you will have the strength to search, to somebody that treats you better, when you still clinging to the unhealthy hope; that they ones that are bad with you, will loves you back someday; or at least will treats you better that there have been treating you all your life; or today?! You don't: The good people will never enter in your life, and you will end causing yourself more pain; for something that is only, wishful thinking: A future with mean people, that have changed and all is happiness and laughters; is only in your mind, and probably... Never will happen.

Sometimes... We need to feel Discord, so we can leave to anyone that hurt us; or... We can leave, mostly unharmed.

Sometimes... We need to say goodbye to friends that envy us, so they don't hurt us badly; someday.

Sometimes... We need to speak little to family or friends that envy us, so they don't manipulate us.

Sometimes... We need to end a relation, where while only one is well; the other, is hurt or used.

Sometimes... We need to feel Discord ourselves; to end or cut those unhealthy ties... So we can find better people, and be able to back to feel joy and happiness; in your life.

For all of this, and more... We need a Deity like Eris, to exist!

Curious fact: When Eris, trowed that apple that said; "For the most beautiful"... We could see the other sides of the Goddesses, that we never imagined: Athena, being really cruel during all that war and with Ares in particular; and wishing so much, to winned the title of "The Most Beautiful"; that she participated in a Beauty Contest, with Aphrodite and Hera. Hera, seducing to Zeus; so she could intervene in The Trojan War, with the help of the belt than Aphrodite; lend her. And... Aphrodite fighting in battle, till the point of being hurt; for defend winning her title, and... For trying to avoid that her mortal son, Aeneas; suffers an earlier and horrible death; in the battlefield. (And, according to a legend... Was Zeus that sended to Eris, to throwed that golden apple that causes all the trouble; to begin with!...)

Is for these stories, that we can see that The Gods and Goddesses, changes with time; and they are not always perfect, BUT... We love them, anyway!

In conclusion: A bit of Eris in our lives, (The Pacific, or... The Warrior One) will helps us more; than we all can imagine!

Wishing that you only feel positive Envy, to motivates you to be better; everyday... And Discord, when you need to leave to the ones that only prejudices you.... So Be It!

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clare-with-no-i · 3 years

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Lily asks him one day:

Why did it take you so long to say ‘I love you’ back?

Nerves, James replies with a shrug, and it’s only a little bit the truth, but he doesn’t know how to put the rest of it into words.

For him, the early stage of their relationship was made of equal parts excitement and fear. In the first two months, he made sure only to hold her hand in intervals of five minutes or less, lest his palms clam up and expose the tremulous stammer of his heartbeat, the lightning bolt of awe that straightened his spine when she sidled up to him and said I missed you earlier. He offered to carry her books only when they seemed too heavy; not every day, because he knew she didn’t want that, because she could do it herself, thanks very much. He learned her favorite book was Pride and Prejudice. He did not buy her a first-edition copy of it, though, because that would be expensive, even though he wanted to and he could afford it.

The fear wasn’t because of anything she did—or he did, really. It was just that he loved her so much and here she was, in front of him, real and happy and saying I’m so glad you’re my boyfriend, and he’d thought before that he knew how hard it was to love her from afar, but now, up-close, the thought of ever doing so again made his insides twist like someone was gripping them in a vice.

Why do people love this much, he would think, when it means we could know what it feels to lose it?

Not that he thinks he will. He didn’t in those early months, either. But he spent years doodling her initials on his exam papers and hoping the professors wouldn’t know what they meant, hoping no one would ever find out about his crush, because Lily Evans did not like him, and trying to pretend like he had a cool shot in Hell was nothing but a fool’s errand.

Those wounds are closed now, but some scar tissues never fully heal, and even phantom limbs ache in the rain. So, even when she said I love you for the first time only three months after they went on their first date, the fireworks of his jubilation fizzled into this same fear, and his throat closed up when he tried to say it back.

He didn’t want her to remember how he used to be, how she used to feel. He felt the insecurity creep up his esophagus and sit on the back of his tongue, heavy and acidic. How could he make sure she was happy? How could he be assured that he was good enough, worthy enough?

I know that my jokes give you joy, he’d think, but I don’t know if my love would.

So every time felt the urge to say it, he’d make her laugh instead, and in her laugh, he saw his I love you—it rested in the crinkles around her eyes, rode the curve of her lips to the high points of her cheekbones. It shone in the sparkle of her iris. I love you, I love you, I love you. I want to see you laugh forever.

It was easy, practiced; he’d spent years attuning to her mind, trying to figure her out. He knew how to make her laugh like he knew how to cast a spell.

It took him another month after that to finally build up the confidence. A month of settling into himself, letting moments pass in silence, trying to let himself make mistakes and think that he might be able to recover. Lily helped him, too, of course.

I don’t want you to be perfect, she said one day in February of their seventh year, I want you to be yourself.

I love you, he responded, because the relief was so acute that he couldn’t stop himself even if he wanted to.

But James can’t possibly explain all of that to her now—can’t possibly tell her that he had said I love you, in fact, even before she said it herself. He’d been saying it for months, for years, maybe before he knew it himself, maybe before anyone else knew, maybe in every moment in between.

He sticks with his simple answer: nerves.

Lily laughs because she doesn’t believe him, because who on earth could ever make James Potter nervous? But he just shrugs again.

Everyone gets nervous about something, he says, and puts his arm around her shoulder with a smile. But it always goes away after a while.

#i'm really on some drabble nonsense these days huh #idk dude this just popped into my head just now and my fingers simply would not stop typing #my stuff #words and meanings #me: i'm going to work on theogony today #also me:#listened to 'start again' by gabrielle aplin while writing!#it is not on spotify but it IS on soundcloud #skins soundtrack my beloved

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