astravenus222

[astravenus222]

HP 101: Where to start

Hellenic Polytheism can be a bit daunting to start off - and it’s hard to know where to find the right information or what to research! Hopefully this post will help to give you a starting point - but please don’t base all your information off of one person! NOTE: I may link posts with conflicting information/methods. I leave it to you to decide what feels right and fits for you!

Websites, book lists and PDFs:

Theoi.com

Library Genesis

Hellenism resources

PDFs of myths

HP online accurate resources

Classics, mythology and modern worship

HP book list

Accurate resources

Book recommendations and online resources

Bibliography of Black-Centered Resources for Ancient Mediterranean Studies

The types of HP:

Recon vs. Revivalism

Reconstructionism vs Revivalism

The basics of practicing HP:

Making libations

Introduction to epithets

Veiling basics + a veiling primer + basic hair binding and veiling + hellenic hairstyles in religious rites

How to write a prayer

Daily prayer journal

How to pray, praise and worship the Theoi

Homeric hymns - helpful for writing devotionals, hymns, etc. (external site)

The Delphic Maxims

Basic Hellenic supplies

Oaths

Sacred places

Offerings (and whether or not to eat them)

Hellenic khthonic ritual

How to honor Ouranic and Chthonic gods

Hellenic Calendars and when to worship deities:

The days of the month

Devotions for the last day of the month

A Hellenismos calendar 

Hellenion.org calendar (external site)

Hellenic festival year (external site)

About the Hellenic calendar of festivals

Pronunciation and terminology:

Hellenic pronunciation for the Theoi + Hellenic pronunciation pt. 2 + article

Khernips + Khernips pt. 2 + pt. 3

Miasma, khernips and katharmosis

On Lyma

Hellenic terminology (external site)

Finding / Information on deities:

Sacred animals of the gods 

Theoi.com (my go-to)

Household gods

The Nymphai

Odds and ends:

On household worship

Other resources:

List of devotees on tumblr

Practical practicing of HP

This wonderful resource masterpost!

Masterpost of Hellenic polytheism and Roman polytheism resources

Shops for Hellenic polytheists

Introduction to Ancient Greek History - open Yale course

Note: Some areas are certainly lacking in the information department, please add resources if you have them! I’ve included all I could find as of mid 2020.

Links updated June, 2020. Please inform me of broken links via askbox!

[astravenus222]

Dionysus Offerings

"Dionysus (or Dionysos) is the Olympian god of wine, vegetation, pleasure, festivity, madness, and wild frenzy."

Large Altars:

Wine/mead

Grape juice

Intoxicants

Grapes

Honey

Olive oil

Apples

Figs

Eggs

Goblets

Curved daggers

Pine incense or frankensince

Bull horns

Snake skin

Leopard or tiger print objects

Purple candles

Theatre masks

Sexual toys (He was sometimes worshipped as a giant phallus!)

Percussion instruments

Wine bottles

Small/Hidden Altars:

Fake/toy grapes

Leaves or curls from grapevines

Ivy leaves

Pine needles

Pinecones

Apple seeds

Bindweed

Wildflowers

Toys, photos, or art of any big cats, snakes, and/or bulls

Hymns

Songs you've written

Any art that you create

Any stories that you create

Art or pictures of the comedy and tragedy masks

Wine corks

Wine labels

Toy or miniature drums

Purple crystals like amethyst, grape agate, sugilite, etc.

Devotional Acts:

Make a playlist for Him

Dance and sing to your favorite songs or songs you'd think He would like

Throw a feast in His honor

Remembering to take your medication (if you have any) and taking care of your mental health

Support/donate to your local theatre in His name

Be a part of the theatre!

Stand up for those that are marginalized

Write stories/plays for Him

Invite Him to watch plays or movies with you, especially comedies or tragedies

Throw parties or attend them

Attend festivals

Attend a wine tasting

Go on wine tours

Attend parades

Masturbate or partake in sexual acts for Him (if you're comfortable doing so)

Drink alcohol or grape juice

Smoke pot (only if you want to)

Learn about winemaking

Support local vineyards

Wear wreaths made from ivy

Wear faux leopard or tiger print

Wear the color purple

Pray to Him for things such as protection while intoxicated/high, relaxation, improvement in your mental health, fertility, ecstasy, for everything going well in the theatre

Sources:

https://www.theoi.com/Olympios/Dionysos.html

https://vocal.media/futurism/ways-of-worship-dionysus

Artwork from the game Hades

[astravenus222]

Nazis will never be welcome in paganism. They have no space in our communities, we will have a zero tolerance policy when it comes to nazis. You have no right to the cultures, gods and religions you hijack to spread your disgusting ideologies. You will find no refuge or comraderie amongst pagans.

Reblog to let nazis know they’re not welcome here.

[astravenus222]

⚚ The Kiss ⚚

A drawing of Lady Peitho & Lord Hermes, based on Franseco Hayez's " The Kiss " . I've been meaning to draw them for a while, really hope I could do them justice.

For those who maybe don't know, Lady Peitho , the goddess of Charming Speech, Persuasion & Seduction is sometimes considered the wife of Lord Hermes, an interpretation I'm really fond of . After all , Persuasion & Eloquence go hand in hand, right ? :3

I unfortunately had to sacrifice quite a bit of detail in this drawing, for example Lady Peitho's jewelry would usually be a lot more ornate and Lord Hermes would have constellations like Lepus on his cloak and there'd be more patterns on his hat , but I had already spent so much time on this & almost gave up on it twice so I really wanted to finish it , still very sorry about that though :') I'm not too happy with it but people were being really nice and supportive , so here you go <3

( funfact the dove ornament that's holding up the light blue drapery around Lady Peitho's waist is almost an exact recreation of a dove found on pottery art depicting her . And I gave Lord Hermes these little bandages around his fingers since I think a crafty god like him that's so involved in inventions and innovation pricks his hands a lot haha )

The dark blue cloak Lord Hermes is wearing is 1) inspired by night skies and his ties to astronomy 2) supposed to be a nod towards his mother Maia , who's one of the Pleiades , goddesses associated with the stars and rain & 3) heavily influenced by a painting by Adolf Hirémy-Hirschl called " Souls on the Banks of the Archeron " , which shows him wearing a very similar cloak . His wings are supposed to be those of a Peregrine Falcon, the fastest animal on earth.

For Lady Peitho I went with mostly cool tones & silver accents . Nonnus described her as being clad in silver, so I wanted to include it somehow, especially since it's one of the very few mentions of her. I feel like it contrasts nicely with her red hair , which I gave her as a nod to Lady Aphrodite. Peitho is usually considered her handmaiden, but sometimes she's an aspect of hers or quite literally the same goddess, so I thought it'd be cool to have them look somewhat similar. I've decided to also give her wings on her head , those of a dove :>

( divider made by @ / sweetmelodygraphics <3 )

[astravenus222]

Starting the Journey:

• 𝐀 𝐁𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫'𝐬 𝐆𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐜 𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐬𝐦 •

Hellenic polytheism (commonly referred to as helpol and popularly, although incorrectly, referred to as hellenism or hellenismos) refers to the reverence and worship of the hellenic (greek) gods. Over the past 7+ years, the religion has seen a boon of new followers popularized by social media, books, and TV shows. While this is phenomenal, it's brought in an influx of young and/or beginner future worshippers with no clue where to start. And with so many different possible starting points, a plethora of gods, and that one deity identification spread floating around, this post serves as a path all on its own.

You can follow it to the T, or take the basics of it and forage ahead yourself!

As always, I am a single resource. Please remember that even though this post serves as a guide, your own research will benefit you far more. Let's begin!

0. Respect

The very VERY first thing to remember when beginning your journey with hellenic polytheism, is to remember this is a religion. Sounds obvious, right? But many people seem to forget that the gods are in fact, gods. They are ancient, and the religion is very much alive and thriving. Respect will always be ground rule 0, and approaching the gods casually or for shits and giggles is not only disrespectful to them, but the beautiful, rich, and thriving existence of this religion.

1. The Starting Point

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐏𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐞

Starting the worship of the gods begins with learning about the god (or gods) you'll be revering. There's a plethora of books to start with; "Ancient Greek Religion", "Ancient Greek Cults", "A Companion to Greek Religion". And while you should ABSOLUTELY read these, I understand that that can be a bit daunting and scary. So your VERY BASICS, should be "The Homeric Hymns", *The Orphic Hynms", and "Hesiod Theogony: Work and Days."

These books will give you the foundational basics of the gods and their myths, as well as expose you to their cults, epithets, and titles. I know reading sounds like a bore and a task, but nothing feels worse than jumping head first into the religion and worshipping a god you know nothing about.

𝐇𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧 𝐈𝐝𝐞𝐚 𝐨𝐟 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐃 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐖𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩

Research. Research. Research. All gods have domains, and the only way you'll find the god suited best for you, is to learn.

Perhaps you know Apollo as a sun and music god. But did you know he's also a god of medicine, with darted arrows that could grant sudden death or cause plagues?

Perhaps you know Ares as the god of bloodthirsty war, but did you know he's also the father of the Amazon-queens? Or the giver of food, as he assisted his newborn son in suckling milk from his dead mother.

The gods all have domains that are incredibly well known, but also far lesser known/popular ones. Learning these can help you decide which god is best suited for your worships.

Absolutely check out theoi.com for information on the individual gods and their domains. It also provides a great starting point for learning their myths, provides texts that pertain to them, and provides a list of their epithets and cult titles.

Yes, the constant research can be daunting and tiresome and boring. But this is the absolute BEST place to start. How will you worship a god you barely understand? How will you know what offerings are favorable to them? But most importantly, how will you be able to build a relationship with a god (kharis) that you barely know?

You can build the most beautiful altar in the world for them, but that altar will become empty decor if you don't know how to (safely) invite a god into the space and worship them properly. These are the fundamentals, and you will have an incredibly hard time getting any sort of fulfillment worshipping an ignored and empty altar.

𝐈𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐀𝐥𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐀𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐘𝐨𝐮

A very popular thing beginners like to start with is "deity identification." This involves using a tarot deck, and a (typically) pre-made spread. The spread will assign a meaning to each card (their domain, their personality, what they want to work on with you, etc).

I do not advise this for beginners.

At least, beginners with no background in divination to that degree. There is a vast difference between using tarot to divine messages and advice from spirits and the universe, and using tarot to divine the identification of a god. This requires much more than a basic understanding of tarot, and a god can very easily scramble the card meanings to however they please. This can lead to a lot of confusion and frustration in beginners, as they don't know how to interpret these messages.

Don't focus on identifying a particular god yet. Instead, learn as much as you can and settle on a god you resonate with first. This god may or may not be one you worship for years to come, and it's okay to be cautious when dipping your toes into helpol.

02. The Path of Worship

𝐊����𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐬

Kharis is defined as "the exchange of goodwill and reciprocity between humans and the divine." It is the relationship you build with your god, and emphasizes the importance of the personal relationship we build with them through devotional acts.

It's asked a lot, "what can I, a regular small mortal, provide to an ancient god? How can I be beneficial to them?" And the answer is simply devotion.

Devotion is what the gods wants, and they enjoy/ indulge in our acts in their names. To give devotion is to recognize the gods as entities deserving of reverence. So how do we do this?

𝐌𝐢𝐚𝐬𝐦𝐚

Miasma is a sort of "spiritual dirtiness" upon a person, and is something that we as mortal pick up in every day life and is not necessarily considered "bad". It is an aspect that separates us from the divine, who do not collect miasma. It's important to note that this isn't equivalent to the Abrahamic version of "sin". Miasma can (in most cases) be washed away simply by the act of washing your hands. It's stated in quite a few places that one would use khernips for hand washing, although there is a floating beliefs that khernips is "water purifies by fire." Typically considered fire that a torch has been doused in and then used to wash one's hands.

However from the research I've personally done, this is never actually confirmed and khernips is simply clean water that one would wash their hands in.

There is also a belief that those with periods are considered miasmic before the gods and therefore shouldn't worship until 7 days after they stop bleeding.

There is no evidence (to my knowledge) that verifies this and periods are not typically mentioned in ancient Greek texts or sources. It seems to stem from the fact that most bodily fluids are considered miasmic to many of the gods (ie blood, spit, genital secretion such as cum, etc) and should not be offered. However, this does not state that someone on their period cannot approach the gods to provide offerings and worship, so long as the blood is nor being offered.

Certain miasmic impurities cannot be simply washed away, however, such as murder and being around the dead, and may require a purification ritual to be cleansed.

𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬

Offerings are the sacrifices we make to our gods. They are the gifts we give, and oftentimes tangible displays of our devotion and worship.

Offerings can be a wide range of things and depend on the god's interests, estates, and attributes. Learning a gods preferences will result in favor from them, and builds kharis and report with them.

Its also important to understand what your god doesn't like or enjoy. What is seen as favorable to one god may be offensive and displeasing to another. A very obvious example of this would be offerings between Aphrodite and Artemis. While Aphrodite would be pleased with an accept offerings reminiscent of sexual desire and acts (dedicated sex toys for example), this would be unfavorable to Artemis, a virginal goddess, who has no need nor desire for such things.

Understanding the preferences of your gods is key to providing worthy offerings.

𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐬

In addition to offerings, devotional acts are also a large aspect of building kharis. These can be large acts such as cleaning litter from beaches in the name of Poseidon or Amphitrite, or small acts such as devoting washing your face to Aphrodite. This post itself is a devotional act to Lord Hermes, who reveres the spreading and sharing of knowledge.

Devotional acts will fall under the domain of your god, and can be done simply by doing them, in their name.

Once again, ensure that your devotional acts aren't seen as unfavorable to your god. Poseidon will enjoy you donating to sea life preservative charities and beach clean ups, however that same act will be inconsequential to Ares.

𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐇𝐲𝐦𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐬 𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬

Prayers are not typically seen as offerings, as an offering is a gift to that god with no expectations. That said, it is common to provide offerings during or after prayers. Prayers are requests and petitions made to a god in asking for assistance, whether that be for help in an issue, advice, help reaching a resolution to something, or even asking for a little extra help or luck throughout the day.

That said, prayers can also be used as offerings if used entirely to praise your god with no added requests. The different would be asking for anything in exchange. Prayers of petitions are not offerings, prayers of praise and reverence are.

If you're curious about the construction of prayers, you can check out my break down of crafting prayers!

𝐀𝐥𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬

Altars are stations dedicated to your god. They act as designated spots of worship to pray at, make libations, and make offerings.

Whike you may see a lot of altars floating around that are incredibly aesthetic, it's important to know that an altar doesn't have to be large and grand. It can be a dedicated shelf, the corner of a shelf, a shoebox, or even a small mint tin. The point is that it is a place of dedication for your god.

𝐋𝐢𝐛𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬

Libations typically preface offerings, although are not required for every single offeding or every single day. But they are wonderful for building kharis as you provide (and in some cases partake in) a drink for the gods. I go in depth on libations, how to do them, and common libations given in this post!

𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

Now that you know how to worship, it's important to ensure your worships are recieved. Doing this is simple, and just required you inviting the god into your space. You don't need to do some large invokation like stated in my prayers post, especially if you're just making offerings. A simple "I dedicated this to [god]".

That said, it's always good to invoke properly when dedicating your altar to them. An invocation should include the god's name, and display that you know who they are. You can use epithets, parentage, residences, and domains in your invocations. An example invocation for Zeus could go something like:

"I call upon Zeus, the Supreme and most high. King of kings and head of Olympus, son of Rhea and overthrower of his father Kronos. I invite you into this space, crafted and dedicated to your might and grace."

With this, we have invoked Zeus and designation the altar as his own.

𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

Communication with a god can be a nerve wracking thing to start, but I can assure you they're not going to bite. There's a myriad of ways to communicate with a god, and its wholly up to you and them to decide what works best. Some people work best with tarot, others with oracle cards. Some prefer pendulums, ouija boards/spirit boards, dice, bones, runes, charm casting, or something else entirely.

If one thing is uncomfortable for you or doesn't seem to be working all too well, simply try something else. I akin it to fiddling with the antenaes of an old TV to try and get a signal from the divine. You have to find the position that simpky works best.

03. Walking the Path of the Gods

As we've discussed research and starting your worships, I want to briefly touch of potential paths that extend past simple devotion and worship. Namely, working with the gods and priestesshood.

𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐆𝐨𝐝

You'll see the term "deity work" floating around a lot. This refers to working closely with a god for the betterment of yourself and/or your life with that god's assistance. It typically comes after building kharis with that god, and an agreed upon decision to work together.

This typically comes after establishing kharis and worshipping that god, and I personally don't recommend attempting to jump right into it. Deity work is not only energy consuming, but directly calls that god to assist you closely and personally. Attempting to start this and simply walking away because you no longer wish to work with that god is a waste of their time and offensive. Be aware of that god's time, and respect it.

𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬𝐭/𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐝

Priest and Priestesshood are something I discuss quite a bit on my page, as a priestess myself. They go beyond simply working with a god, and become working for that god. If you're more interested in the topic, you can check out my post on the topic here ♡

•Common Questions•

Can I as a beginner worship multiple gods?

Absolutely. However I don't personally advise it. I suggest starting with one and getting used to worshipping in general. Then you can decide if you feel comfortable worshipping more.

Why don't you recommend using deity identification spreads?

This is a personal preference of mine, and its because I find them incredibly limiting and stiff. Gods are not the same as normal entities and spirits, and identifying them requires a degree of skill and knowledge of of not only your cards but the gods themselves.

Additionally, I find tarot for deity identification incredibly limiting. While it's phenomenal for communication, I believe tarot in combination with lenormand or oracle cards provide a much better understanding of who's around for identifications.

I got a reading that said X god wants to work with me but I don't think I'm ready. What do I do?

Politely decline. It's far better to ask a god to wait or inform them that you're not ready to take that step, than to trudge into something you're bor confident in. The gods are immortal, and our lives are a drop in the bucket to them. They don't mind waiting for when you are ready, if you'll ever be. You dont have to work with or worship every god that shows an interest in you and its not disrespectful to decline an invitation.

This was a long one! But I hope it's helped provide a decent foundation for you to start your own personal journey into hellenic polytheism. Please never hesitate to reach out with questions, and as always, safe travels ♡

ᵀʰᵃⁿᵏ ʸᵒᵘ ᵃˢ ᵃˡʷᵃʸˢ ᵗᵒ ᴸᵒʳᵈ ᴴᵉʳᵐᵉˢ, ʷʰᵒ ʰᵃˢ ᵖʳᵒᵛᶦᵈᵉᵈ ᵐᵉ ᵗʰᵉ ᵖˡᵃᵗᶠᵒʳᵐ ᵗᵒ ˢʰᵃʳᵉ ᵗʰᵉˢᵉ ᵗʰᶦⁿᵍˢ ʷᶦᵗʰ ᵒᵗʰᵉʳˢ ᵃⁿᵈ ᵗᵉᵃᶜʰ ᶦⁿ ʰᶦˢ ⁿᵃᵐᵉ. ˣᵃᶦʳᵉ ♡

[astravenus222]

Weekly Ares post. Happy Tuesday.

Things that may not count as offerings/devotional acts but I still think of Him when I do it:

Fixing my posture

Stopping myself from lashing out

Lashing out

Studying

Calling out hypocrites

Reading angsty romantic stories, especially those with some violence

Work/ labor, especially ones that gets my hands dirty

Challenging myself to do things within a time limit

Having a good cry

Forcing myself out of bed

Self-care, even if I really don't feel like doing it

Playing violent video games

Staying sober

Reading posts about him

Wearing masculine clothing while strutting around like a feminine model

Tidying my room

Wearing red

Carrying around self-defense weapons

Being stubborn

Unmasking

When something physically hits me

Being honest

Shadow work

Failing but trying again

Hail Lord Ares

[astravenus222]

Diary: Starting to honor my Mexican roots.

Since I am Mexican, I have decided to start honoring the Aztec/Mexican gods, and to start researching in the history of witchcraft of the old civilizations of Mexico, specially the Aztec. I know this is going to be a long path but I wanna incorporate it in my practice because I wanna honor my roots (I was born in Mexico and my family is Mexican I think both the side of my mom and dad have spanish roots, but I am not sure. And I don’t wanna ask because I feel it’s a delicate topic.). But I wanna start in Aztec paganism.

Do you have and tips of books you recommend for this? I know the first thing I have to do is to investigate the story of the Aztec, and know what Mexican and Aztecs are, because I am not sure yet. Thank you for reading this and remember a spiritual path is different and unique for every one :)! Ofc I will not stop honoring the Greek gods since I feel the strongest connection with them but I am so curious specially in chamanism( I will only investigate for the moment because I don’t if it a cultural appropriation to start practicing it.)

[astravenus222]

Storm of the sea ~

Introduction

Hello, seekers!

I am storm of the sea, but you may call me whatever nickname, as long as it’s polite. I use she/her pronouns and am bisexual. I’ve been practicing witchcraft for a year, so I still consider myself a novice. My craft is eclectic, but I’ve focused more on divination. Here are some things about me:

☾ My account will be about witchcraft and related interests/questions. This account is for me to learn from others and interact with other witches :)

☾ I’ve been fascinated with the paranormal since I was kid and am a psychic-medium, so I’ll likely post about that too. If you don’t believe in such things, that’s fine! Just please be respectful.

☾ I’m Mexican-American (mixture of Mexican and Spanish descent), but am not fluent in Spanish, so apologies if my spanish is a little off. I have a big interest in Mexica (also known as Aztec) mythology.

☾ My beliefs are polytheistic and I am currently working with Aphrodite, Brigid, Hermes, and Mórrígan. I consider myself an eclectic pagan, and am interested many pantheons, such as the Hellenic, Mexica, Celtic, Kemetic, and Norse pantheons.

☾ My blog is meant to be a safe space. I don’t tolerate any homophobia, transphobia, racism, misogyny, colorism, ableism, bullying, etc. No bigotry. No creeps allowed either! I won’t hesitate to use the block button as I see fit.

Even if we don’t share the same beliefs, I love learning with others. As long as your beliefs aren’t harmful or discriminatory, and you’re respectful, don’t be shy to interact! 🌹

[astravenus222]

Made by me <3

[astravenus222]

Aztec Calendar Website

Here’s a cool Aztec Calendar website I found! You can look at today’s signs, and the deities associated with them. You can also look at the past dates. For example, today is the eighth day, the day of the rabbit.

[astravenus222]

Moodboard for Xochiquetzal, nahua teotl of beauty, love, seduction, flowers, and lightheartedness.

"Only Your flowers make our stay enjoyable"

Huey Xochiquetzal in yolloinan.

[astravenus222]

DIVINA OBSCURA: a personal Hellenic library

Disclaimer: this post is a perpetual WIP, serving as an archive of all the books I've read on topics of Hellenic polytheism, mythology, ancient Greek history, and similar topics.

This is by no means a list of recommendations (in fact, there are some titles on this list I wouldn't recommend), but feel free to treat it that way if you're looking for suggestions!

Other reading masterlists:

ARCANA OBSCURA: a personal occult library

CLASSICS

The Odyssey, Homer

MYTHOLOGY

Mythos, Stephen Fry

Mythology, Edith Hamilton

Divine Might: Goddesses in Greek Myth, Natalie Haynes

HELLENIC RELIGION

Ancient Greek Religion, Jon D. Mikalson

Ancient Greek Divination, Sarah Iles Johnston

GREEK HISTORY

Creators, Conquerors, and Citizens, Robin Waterfield

MODERN WORSHIP

Hellenic Polytheism: Household Worship, Labrys

Hellenismos: Practicing Greek Polytheism Today, Tony Mierzwicki

In Praise of Olympus: Prayers to the Greek Gods, Hearthstone

A Year of Pagan Prayer, Barbara Nolan

Secrets of Greek Mysticism, George Lizos

THEURGY

The Practical Art of Divine Magic, Patrick Dunn

For the Love of the Gods, Brandy Williams

HEKATE

Keeping Her Keys, Cyndi Brannen

Entering Hekate's Garden, Cyndi Brannen

Entering Hekate's Cave, Cyndi Brannen

Hekate Liminal Rites, Sorita d'Este

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LESSER-KNOWN TITLES OF LADY ATHENE

★ aethyia - refers to Her as a teacher of ship-building and navigation

★ ageliea - as the leader/protector of people

★ agoraea - protector of assemblies of people

★ anemotis - subduer of winds

★ axeiopoenos - the avenger / returning vengeance

★ chalinitis - tamer of horses

★ mechaneus - skilled in inventing

★ kissaia - of the growing ivy

★ paionia - healer

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Badass in the arena💙✨

My take on Athena for Epic: the Musical!!

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Subtle ways to honor Ares 🗡️🩸

- fight against tyranny and oppression in your daily life

- learn to balance anger and joy

- learn to balance hatred and love

- defend those who are under scourge, wether that be online or in person

- learn about the history of war combat

- learn about the Trojan war

- embrace your anger and figure out how to healthily express it

- vote against unnecessary war and battle in your local elections

- visit a battlefield

- visit a war memorial

- embrace your lust

- be respectful and kind to veterans and active duty military members alike

- defend your side of an argument, especially if you know it’s what’s right.

- watch a war film

- learn how to not fall victim to wartime or nationalist propaganda

- take care of your physical body by exercising or lifting weights

- go to the gym or for a run

- embrace your masculine or butch side

- donate to a Palestinian aid or Ukrainian aid fundraiser (or to whatever victimized side of a war or genocide is going on at the time when you are reading this)

- learn how to safely and effectively use a firearm or blade, especially if you are in a country or place that may require you to defend yourself if necessary.

- don’t give up the battles that you personally are facing. Never stop fighting, no matter how hopeless it may seem.

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Quick Tips for Grounding

Go outside touch grass. No literally. Spend a moment with your bear feet touching the earth and visualize the grounding energy entering yourself from your soles to the top of your head

Start a journal: Journaling doesn't have to a rigorous routine writing down the who what when where of your life. It can be more relaxed and something you reach for when you need a better understanding of what your actually feeling or wanting.

For those of us with familiars spend some time with them. Not with the goal of getting anything done but with the goal of decompressing and connecting with them. Before you know it you'll be brought back to center and leave grounded.

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Subtle ways to honor Nyx 🌚🪶

- respect powerful women

- respect your mother

- go for a night walk (somewhere safe!)

- have a campfire at night

- go camping and enjoy the stars

- turn off your lights to counter light pollution

- be kind to owls and other nocturnal animals

- sleep, and find ways to do so peacefully

- listen to the crickets at dusk

- be reverent of the dead

- be kind to black cats

- bask in the moonlight

- drink a sleep inducing tea or take a sleeping medication

- respect and be kind to moths

- stay up late

- be respectful to and reverent of death

- do not mess with magick you are not ready to work with

- be cautious of malevolent spirits and entities

- respect and revere the daemons

- be cautious when encountering dark energy if you practice dark or black magic or witchcraft

- respect the other gods of the underworld, like hades, Hecate, Persephone, etc.

🌚🪶🌚🪶🌚🪶🌚🪶🌚🪶🌚🪶🌚🪶🌚🪶