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artemis timeeee :3

i tried to make it almost similar to my apollo illustration but i kinda had to much fun with this piece that i made it maybe too blue

but anyways im still very proud of it :>

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There’s no actual evidence that Aphrodite was forced to marry Hephaestus, the whole “contest for Aphrodite’s hand in order to free Hera” thing is a weak modern theory that got popular for whatever reason. It’s actually was more narratively interesting that Aphrodite and Hephaestus agreed on an arranged marriage but it didn’t work out.

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E-Offering for Lady Athena! 🦉

May she bless all our minds with her wisdom.

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inspired by one of my latest post I started reading The Iliad and it is so magnificent, satisfying, religious, fulfilling and many more words my sleep deprived brain cannot articulate. Glory to the Theoi✨

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my honest reaction after i enter reddit and find people claiming Odin would let Nazis into Valhalla

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Do you have any sources for festivals? Ive been looking into them recently,,

I haven't been looking into festivals for long at all, so I won't be able to provide much information! (sryyy)

I've gotten as far as finding a few sources that simply list the names of festivals and have made myself a list of ones to research. The resources in question, though, are very well known throughout the community:

Temple Hyacinthus (the temple calendar)

Hellenic Polytheism: Household Worship (couldn't find an online read)

A Beginner's Guide to Hellenismos

While researching, I come across many more festivals to look into, so finding new sources that provide that hasn't been necessary.

When learning about the specifics of festivals, I often go to the resources section of wiki pages. The problem that I've run into is that many festivals are very hard to actually find any information on, even online; so when that happens, I hit a wall and decide to move on to the next, but I have yet to return to those.

I'm sorry, I haven't been able to get far into this subject; I wish I could help more! . . . On the contrary, if you happen to be farther into this than I am, I would love some suggestions! lol

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Hypnos of the chronically fatigued, unable to walk for long

Hypnos of the chronic pain sufferers, stuck in bed for days

Hypnos of the recovering, having to rest for long periods

Hypnos of the comatose, protecting them in their fragile state

Hypnos of those with endometriosis, unable to get out of bed from the cramping pain

Hypnos of the narcoleptic, unable to control their sleep-wake cycle

Hypnos of the hypersomniacs, unable to stay awake very long

Hypnos of the insomniacs, unable to fall asleep at all

Hypnos of the sleep walkers, keeping them from running into something in their sleep

Hypnos of the sleep paralysis, fighting the visions off when you can’t move

Hypnos of those who faint and black out, making sure they don’t hit the ground too hard

Hypnos of the dizzy and lightheaded, who have to lie down more often

Hypnos of the sick, disabled and chronically tired.

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clonazepam in, warm bed, cozy pillow. Lord Hypnos, i have been blessed.

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📜ㆍ∿ㆍFood Offerings in Modern Worship.

Food was seen as a gift from the Gods to Man in Antiquity. This belief is the reason we worship harvest Gods, like Demetra, and hunting Gods, like Artemis. Food is also one of the foundations of life on Earth. We cannot exist without nourishment. And so it makes sense that we would offer food to the Theoi as an act of Piety. In this post, I will be exploring the foundations of food sacrifice as they were in Ancient Greece, and how they have evolved into the offerings we know of today. 

∿ㆍWhat is food sacrifice?ㆍ∿

Food sacrifice is a ritual practice that is still done to this day in a variety of religions and backgrounds. In Hellenic Polytheism, it was done traditionally before a meal and offered to the Ouranic Gods. I will expand more on this later. 

The concept of sacrifice was very popular in Ancient Greece and was done very commonly in daily life. Before every meal, at sunrise and sunset, during rituals, and before festivals. The most common form of food sacrifice would be the libation. The libation, as defined by LABRYS in Hellenic Polytheism: Household Worship, is “a sacred act that is an integral part of Hellenic Worship. It is the ceremonial pouring of liquid offerings onto an altar, into a sacred fire, on the ground, on the roots (for trees) or into the sea, rivers, and lakes.” In modern practice, you can libate with whatever you have. Water is the most common, especially for folks who cannot legally obtain alcohol. Wine is most popular. In Antiquity, unmixed wine was often used. I personally often use honeyed milk and olive oil, just as they did in Ancient Greece. Perfumes and fruit juice were also used for libations. In most cases, the vessel was almost entirely emptied, save for a few gulps, so the individual could drink the last bit. This is only done with consumable offerings and with Ouranic Deities. Please do not drink perfume. When taking an oath, the vessel would be shattered to symbolize the permanence or importance of the spoken words.

Food was frequently thrown into the hearth or sacred fire to burn as an offering to the Gods. The act of burning it was equated with giving it to the Gods. Animal sacrifices were also burned after being drained of their blood, and the remains were typically used for divinatory purposes. I will go a bit more in-depth on how it was done in Antiquity later on in this post. In modern times, some people still burn their food sacrifices if they have the means to do so. I will also elaborate upon this later in this post. 

With that being said, let's discuss Ancient Greece.

∿ㆍHow were they used in antiquity?ㆍ∿

In Ancient Greece, most offerings were burned in the Hearth. If one did not have access to the Hearth, one could do what Odysseus and his crew did and make one. Every home, or Oikos, came equipped with a hearth either in the kitchen, the courtyard, or both. Food could also be placed in baskets or offering bowls on the altar to be thrown into the hearth at a later date. 

The food offered varied depending on a few different factors. Firstly, geographical location. People offered the food that was local to them. Cheese could be offered—cakes, sweets, honeycakes, barley, grain. These were all typical offerings, regardless of geographical location, though, the specifics could vary. 

The second was cult practice. My favorite cult to use as an example here is the Cult of Pythagoras. The Pythagoreans were known for being vegetarians. They did not consume meat, and because of this, their offerings would have been vastly different from, say, the common person in Athens. Rather strict Pythagoreans (referred to as “The Pure”) wouldn’t let blood touch their altars at all. This practice was not very common. Blood was poured on the altar and within the tenemos all the time. They did not offer food that came from animals, simply defined in a variety of scholarly texts as “fleshy foods.” Rather, they focused on offering incense, as most did, honeycombs, and grains. Grains were, and still are, a very popular food offering. 

In some rituals, it was also required to consume or abstain from food. For Thesmophoria and Skira, for example, people were expected to fast before the feast in the evening. On Skira, this was only expected of women. In other rituals, I’ve found the example of this in Dionysian Rites, it was expected that meat is consumed raw in honor of the creation of Man from Titans. Meat itself was seen as food of the highest status. It was the food of Demigods. For this reason, the God-King diet would consist of meats, bread, wine, and not much else. But that is not much to do with food offerings, and more to do with the Ancient Greek Diet. 

Food was offered at the beginning of a meal in a very specific order. LABRYS defines this order as first and last to Hestia, The Olympians in order next, then followed by Soter Zeus / Zeus the Savior. The food was thrown into the hearth alongside a prayer, then enjoyed by those present for the meal.

∿ㆍHow do we use them in modern praxis?ㆍ∿

The modern application of food offerings varies from practitioner to practitioner, similar to how it varied based on cult and location. First, people offer what they have. The offering methods are different. Some folk set aside the last bite, allow the Gods to enjoy it while they eat the rest of the meal, then come back around to it. For foods that do not spoil fast, it is left on the altar and consumed at a later date. Other folks will, like the Greeks, burn their offerings in the hearth. 

Some individuals choose to make cakes or bread in the shape of sacred animals for the Gods they plan on giving these offerings to. For Zeus, one could make an eagle-shaped cake. For Apollon, a snake-shaped cake. Hermes, turtle-shaped, and so on. The act of creating this votive can also be offered to the God in preparation for the bigger ritual. The burning or consumption of these pieces can be interpreted as both animal and food sacrifice.

For Chthonic Gods, the food is left outside on the ground. When doing so, the practitioner should ensure that the food is not only biodegradable but also safe for animal consumption. For this reason, it is important to be aware of your local wildlife. Chthonic food offerings should not be consumed after being offered as well – it is assumed that they have been touched by the Gods of the Underworld, and consuming them will only bring the Underworld to you. If you cannot leave it outside, throw it out. If you feel bad throwing out food (understandably so), cut off a smaller portion to throw out instead. Do not eat the cut-off portion, but you may enjoy the rest.

If you have any other methods for food offerings, please feel free to share them! I am not all knowing, and if I did not mention it above, chances are I do not know of that method.

∿ㆍNuances surrounding food offeringsㆍ∿

Some folks have issues with food offerings for a few different reasons. Some of these reasons are listed below. 

∿ㆍWasting food, throwing unconsumed food out, or being unable to throw food away for any reason. ∿ㆍCost of Groceries. ∿ㆍHiding one's practice from family and/or friends. ∿ㆍInability to pray before a meal or offering (see previous point for reasoning). ∿ㆍBeing unable to leave food outside for the Chthonic Gods. 

I have dealt with a few of these, and outlined below are some ways in which I have handled and dealt with these issues. 

∿ㆍThe meal preparation would be offered to the Gods instead. No matter how minimal the prep was. If I were just having toast, then the act of taking the bread from the pantry and toasting it was my devotional act. Or, offering something else while preparing my food, like singing or dancing. ∿ㆍWhen I lived at home, I would offer snacks more than meals. If I had cookies wrapped in packaging, the whole package would go on the altar for a while before I disposed of it by consuming it myself. This eased the guilt of wasting groceries. I can live without junk food. ∿ㆍPlenty of folks, myself included, have offered the steam of a meal or hot drink to the Ouranic Gods. The steam rises to the Heavens where they reside, so it is perfectly reasonable to offer this to them. ∿ㆍI would pray silently to myself before a meal. If I were out at dinner, I’d pray while waiting for my food or leave to the bathroom. If I were at home, I would pray in my head while eating around my last bite. Now, while with roommates, I hum as a form of prayer instead. 

Of course, there are a myriad of work arounds to some of these issues. Feel free to be as innovative and creative as possible with this. It is your practice. What works for me may not work for you. 

∿ㆍCommon food offerings and replacementsㆍ∿

Some common offerings include:

∿ㆍWine. Red wine was frequently used, but any wine will do. If you don’t purchase wine, you can use any alcohol in your libations. ∿ㆍWater. Tap water is just fine. ∿ㆍMilk. Any milk is fine (whole, almond, soy, oat, etc). ∿ㆍOlive oil. Any oil is fine (Olive oil, Almond Oil, Peanut Oil, Avocado Oil, just be mindful of allergies). ∿ㆍHoney. ∿ㆍMeal cakes (honeycakes, barley cakes, corn bread, any kind of cake). ∿ㆍFruit juice. Any kind of fruit. Feel free to use any fruit relating to your God when libating. ∿ㆍBaked goods. I’ve offered cookies, brownies, and cake to the Gods. You can offer any baked goods.

You are not limited to the above offerings - you can offer whatever you please, whatever you have. I tend to use sesame seeds in place of barley in most offerings and rituals. Some rituals or holidays may outline specific food offerings. If you do not have it and cannot afford it, it is okay to use replacements. In my own rituals, I typically offer honeyed milk, olive oil, rain water and, if I have it, wine. I have offered soft drinks in the past. I find that Lord Apollon is rather partial to orange soda. 

This was a bit lengthy, but I hope it was worth the read! As usual, if you have any questions or would like any elaboration, please feel free to ask me. I’ve included my sources below, should you want to do any further reading. 

Xaire, Altis. 

Sources -

Detienne, Marcel, and Jean-Pierre Vernant. The Cuisine of Sacrifice among the Greeks. University of Chicago Press, 1989.

Labrys Polytheistic Community. Hellenic Polytheism Household Worship. Athens, Greece, Labrys Polytheistic Community, Lexington, Ky, 2014.

Salza, Eugenia, and Ruth Anne Lotero. Meals and Recipes from Ancient Greece. Los Angeles (Calif.), J. Paul Getty Museum, Cop, 2007.

Suk, Theodora. Sharing with the Gods : Aparchai and Dekatai in Ancient Greece. Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2014.

Wilkins, John, and Shaun Hill. Food in the Ancient World. John Wiley & Sons, 9 Feb. 2009.

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Research is essential, but academic literacy is hard.

Listen to me, people will tell you to do your own research, to fact-check things, to know the context of every author you encounter. But that shit is hard. So here is a step-by-step guide on how to go into (online) research.

(ps: All of these are things I learnt from my 5 years in university. Still, I am a PSYCHOLOGY student, not a historian, nor do I have any degree in classical studies. This is general information. If you can add beginner-friendly tips, please do in the reblogs/comments.

1. Find your ground:

What do you want to know? What is it you are looking for? This will help you find keywords.

Let's say you are interested in Greek Myths. And you are curious on how some myths came to be. So here we have "Greek Mythology" and "Origins" (for example).

2. Find your domain:

Several blogs and sites will have the specific information you need (probably), but if you don't know them, you can look into many search engines.

Google Scholar or Wikipedia are good places to start.

SOME TIPS TO GOOGLE STUFF:

SOME TIPS TO SEARCH IN WIKIPEDIA:

there are two ways wikipedia can be useful.

a) the rabbit hole.

The hyperlinks will help you deep dive into many related information you may need.

b) references are a girl's best friend

Some references will have links to where the citation comes from. If you are interested in a certain topic, you can go to the source and read it from the author itself (friendly reminder that wikipedia and many other wikis have information sumarized and paraphrased, so there might be misinformation. here is where fact-checking comes to play.)

3. Know your authors

This is a pain in the ass, I know. But as we know, some people write in contexts that make information heavily biased with problematic stuff. Does this mean every information that was written through, lets say, patriarchal lenses, are unreliable? no. It means that if the author only talks about the importance of masculine deities, there might be a chance that they are leaving to the side the actual relevance of other deities in the stories. Here is where critical thinking will help you out. Check the source, consider the motif. The reality is that the more you read about a topic, the more complex your perspective gets.

But let's go to an example.

If we are talking about primary sources (sources that generated new information), you need to study the context and history of said author.

For example, When it comes to myths, we could say primary sources are Herodotus and Ovid. But if we look closely, we will see that they not only differ in time but also in place, being Herodotus a greek poet and Ovid a roman one. This matters because not only did they write for different civilisations, but also about different deities. The same could be said about philosophers of different eras within greek tradition.

If we are talking about secondary sources (where authors compile and analyse information), you need to add a layer of information about the authors themselves. Why are they making this analysis? What is the purpose of what they are writing?

It is hard to do a background check on every single author you read, so a good measure of how they stand with the research community is: how many citations the work has, when and where the paper was posted, and how many primary sources does it have in its references. If either of these is ringing some alarms in your head, read the other research they mention in their bibliography.

4. Don't rush yourself.

This one is more of an advice than an actual step.

Some primary sources, even though they are reliable, are hard to understand. I approached the Iliad through The Song of Achilles. I'm not embarrassed by that. What I am ashamed of is that I truly thought that I could read the whole Iliad just from what I have seen in TSOA. Yeah, it was a punch in the gut. Suddenly, I had this man mentioning people i didnt know from places that didn't existed anymore and praying to gods that i didn't know what they were known for.

After that, I took a step back, and I started reading about these things from secondary, down-to-earth resources.

Many books will come with explanations at the bottom of the page; these are very helpful when approaching heavy literature but if you don't have these editions, don't be afraid to Google about every little thing. Yes, it will take you way longer, but that's why you don't need to rush. Patient research is good research.

Anyway, I hope this is a good starting point for anyone.

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not helpol but im feeling a certain interest towards norse polytheism (i do not know the correct term, sorry if its wrong). If anyone has any beginner friendly resources or advice it is all welcome and appreciated ✨

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⋆˚࿔ Hypnos is with those who sleep during the day

⋆˚࿔ Hypnos is with those who are chronically tired

⋆˚࿔ Hypnos is with those with chronic pain

⋆˚࿔ Hypnos is with those who regularly pull all-nighters

⋆˚࿔ Hypnos is with those whose anxiety spikes at night

⋆˚࿔ Hypnos is with those that have nightmares and terrors

⋆˚࿔ Hypnos is with those with broken sleep patterns

⋆˚࿔ Hypnos is with those who burn out often

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“I must confess that I have an irrepressible tendency to believe that everything represented on the stage of those three cultures I have mentioned (Greek, Judeo-Christian, and Latin) necessarily retains a certain validity. If we say of an old man, “He is older than Methuselah”; if the heroine of Troy, Helen, could still give her name to a laundry detergent; if in Holland there is a football club named after another of the great characters in The Iliad, Ajax; if Freud gave the name “Oedipus Complex” to the complex that excessively unites a son with his mother; if Joyce wrote a book called Ulysses; and if Kafka wrote a story about The Silence of the Sirens, then the ancient myths and forms of culture of those civilizations that people persist in considering obsolete and already completely exhausted are myths and forms of culture that are still found in many forms and attitudes of our everyday lives. There are legacies that do not disappear from one century to the next, or even from one millennium to the next.” - Jordi Llovet - On Friendship.

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Hymn to Hestia

Hestia, blessed flame who dwells at the heart, Äídios, Eternal, keeper of the sacred spark. You are the first to be called, the last to remain, Unmoving one, in you all things sustain.

Voulaia, wise one, mistress of council and law, Whose calm breath steadies both kingdom and hearth. You guide every vow with invisible thread, In your silence, the voice of right reason is read.

Khlöómorphos, Verdant, in stillness you bloom, Life stirs in the warmth of your gentle perfume. Grain rises and ripens by your quiet grace, You hold spring and autumn in one sacred place.

O Daughter of Kronos, O flame without end, You who dwell where peace and holiness blend. Accept this prayer, this reverent song, And dwell in my home, a presence lifelong.

With incense I honor your ever-bright name, May your blessings descend as a gentle flame.

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Friendly reminder that the gods do not want you to worship at the expense of your mental and/or physical health!!!

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just made a personal blog dedicated to Lord Ares if you are interested.

Αρης

Babe, wake up, a new blog dedicated to Lord Ares and just dropped

(this IS a personal blog tho but keep reading for specifics)

About the Blog

I decided to make this space a digital offering / devotional blog for Lord Ares. Why make a separate blog? Well, in short, I am a people pleaser, raised by very passive-aggressive parents, who taught me to be a mediator in every conflict and to always look to others for guidance (because I was too stupid/lazy to do the right thing).

This has made me a very conflict-avoidant person, always looking for the right words and the right ways, and, as you can guess, that shit is tiring. I have so much to say, but I am always scared to speak up. This pent-up rage inside me has made me a very depressed and fatigued being.

I know posting my anger in a blog won't solve any of this. I don't even consider it to be a proper offering to my God. But I feel like I need this so much. And I just hope my Lord will be pleased knowing I am slowly coming to terms with a power I own.

About Me

Either way, if you don't know me, I am Jules, I am a hellenic polytheist, and I worship many deities such as Lady Artemis, Lady Hestia, Lord Hermes, and many more. My HelPol blog is @sunlit-arrow, but I don't usually blow up emotionally over there, trying to keep it... family-friendly, if you will.

CW

Even though this is a devoted space, I will be sharing a lot of my life, so minors DNI. For other sensitive topics, I will be tagging the trigger warnings but if you just want to see Ares-related content, you can mute the tag <ikarios is too close to the sun> or keep in check the tag <the blood candle>.

Vent With Me

If you also feel like sharing some anger and rage into this small void, you can vent in my asks (both anon and non-anon allowed). If you are venting, please clarify. I will only share them as an offering to Lord Ares; I will not comment on the situation itself.

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hopefully i made it in time but do you think you could make artemis and apollo dividers? or just celestial, moon/sun themed if that's more your vibe

i hope it's okay to request two at once? i love ur dionysus dividers and use them all the time :>

🦌Artemis Dividers🏹

(PT: Artemis dividers)

I already made some Apollo dividers here:

✨Link!✨

As well as some sun + moon dividers here:

🌙Link!☀️

please like, reblog, & credit if you use!

(PT: Please like, reblog, & credit if you use!)

[DIVIDER REQUESTS ARE CLOSED!]

(PT: Divider requests are closed!)

DNI: TERFS, pro endo, proship, pro ana, nazi, MAPs, zoophiles

tag list: @savanaclaw1996 @bloodythornsandskulls @humancorps3 @imachaoticghost @the-sides-archive

@ribbed-scythe @idkwhatto-namethis @nothers @yourlocaltrasheater @anynomous268

@bunnyb0yy @blindweb @itzzzzzzyyyyydaaaaa @this-is-most-definitely-mia @haunted-children-didsys

@weirdest-worlds @king-of-dumbasses @webmush @mtn-dew-otter @divinelyrotting

@inkyprince @lopsidedghoul @quiet-creatures-safety-tent @gregoriahthesilly

@webbmiku01 @another-delta-lover

[if you'd like added or removed from the tag list for dividers, please leave a message in my inbox]

(PT: if you'd like to be added or removed from the tag list for dividers, please leave a message in my inbox)