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:))

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It's wild to me that people treat addiction like it's the addict's fault for having a weak character or something, and on the other side of it we have "addiction is a disease," which is an objectively better model of thinking but it's still treating addiction like it is in and of itself the problem.

Addiction isn't a disease, it's a treatment.

I'm not an addict because I came down sick with a hankering for substances, because they're fun. I was traumatized and then dropped into a society that makes survival extremely hostile. The substances are a pillow and blanket. They're a warm mug and being held tightly by a friend. They're an invitation to a seat by the fire when the storm is raging outside the doorstep.

Addicts aren't sick with addiction, we're sick with so much chronic stress and pain that we're crumbling under the weight. Many of us since we were children with no tools for coping.

It might not be healthy, it might not be safe, and in fact addiction is by definition destructive. But it's also an attempt to keep pressure on the wound. The addiction is treatment for sickness.

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Let yourself be cringe in your worship!!!

The Gods don’t find you embarrassing. The Gods don’t care about seeming cool and professional for the approval of others.

Make that fucking aesthetic photo collage for Aphrodite with cute pics you found on Pinterest .

Dress up like Hermes and go for a damn walk.

Collect random stones you think are cool and put them on your altar.

Put that photo of that cartoon character that reminds you of your deity on your altar.

Make that Minecraft temple to Hekate, domesticate those damn Minecraft wolves for Cerberus.

Make your deities in the sims!

Write soppy melodramatic poetry for Dionysus that no one else will read.

Make self insert fanfics about your favourite Gods and write them all as your best friends. Let them interact with your edgy ocs.

Create an AU where you and your Gods are all characters from your favourite anime.

Record silly little songs for them

Make them paintings that are full of clashing colors and weird forms.

Draw them a fursona

Wear that bright yellow outfit for Apollon.

Put on a dramatic makeup look for Aphrodite.

Call your closest deity that silly little nickname you have for them and let them call you one too.

Share your special interests with your Gods. Design your God as a pokémon or a crystal gem, or a sonic character.

Those losers that try to make you feel bad for being passionate will never have what you have.

In the words of the Great Lord Hermes: “Every human I have ever liked was at least a little bit cringe”

BE CRINGE. BE PROUD. THE GODS LOVE YOU.

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who are the chthonic deities?

HADES: the god of the dead, riches, and King of the Underworld

PERSEPHONE: the goddess of springtime and flowers, Queen of the Underworld

HERMES: messenger of the gods, god of commerce, luck, thieves, and travel. under his Chthonius epithet his role in guiding the dead to the Underworld is emphasized

DEMETER: some sources consider the goddess of agriculture and fertility a chthonic deity because of her relation to the earth and as Persephone's mother

HEKATE: goddess of magic, crossroads, necromancy, and ghosts, she is a close companion of Persephone

TARTARUS: the primordial god of the abyss and personification of the deepest level of the Underworld

NYX: the primordial goddess of night

EREBUS: the primordial god of darkness, husband of Nyx

HYPNOS: son of Nyx and Erebus, the god of sleep

NEMESIS: daughter of Nyx and Erebus, goddess/daemon of revenge

CHARON: son of Nyx and Erebus, the ferryman that carries the dead across the river Acheron to the Underworld

THANATOS: son of Nyx and Erebus, the god of death

dividers by @vibeswithrenai

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Never let anybody ridicule your beliefs. It’s human to find divinity in the mundane. It’s human to turn to the divine for answers. It’s not a matter of intelligence, like some would like to think. It’s a matter of human nature and instinct.

So leave some honey out for the fae, find omens in the patterns of the clouds, or hang wind chimes outside like your grandma used to do. Don’t let anybody call you anything other than human.

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General reminder to the pagans out there:

Making a supreme goddess figure part of your spirituality? Great! Worshiping a mother goddess? Wonderful! If that brings joy and meaning into your life, excellent!

"Once upon a time long ago, people all worshiped a great goddess until THE PATRIARCHY conspired to overthrow her and replace her with a CRUEL PATRIARCHAL GOD" - that's pseudohistory and conspiracism; there's literally no evidence for it whatsoever, and it can and does drag people down the new age to alt right pipeline.

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something i find amazing is the way devoting yourself to the gods and goddesses can be so integral with everyday life- i can just be studying or reading and be worshipping Athena, i can be doing makeup and skincare and be worshipping Aphrodite, I can be drawing and making art and be worshipping Apollon, i can be learning greek and studying and be worshipping Hermes- i can simply just take a walk in the woods and be worshipping Artemis in the process, it's just so beautiful to me that it's that simple...

you don't have to do so much to worship the gods, you don't have to have big fancy altars, they're happy with you just for simply praying and doing small things in devotion...there's just something so wonderful about that

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Low Energy Devotional Activities and Ways to Connect with the Gods

Let's be honest, religion and consistent practice can be HARD, especially when you're chronically ill, disabled, mentally ill or neurodivergent. This is a list of lower energy practices you can do to connect with your Gods when you're having a rough day.

Pray. You don't have to say the prayer. You don't have to do the full cleansing and offering. Just think about the prayer. It could be as simple as "'Deity Name', thank you. I'm thinking of you and appreciate you."

Dedicate any self care you do to the Gods. You've got to take meds? awesome. it's now a devotional activity.

If you can, light a tea light candle. You can think about who you're dedicating it to as you're lighting it.

Tell them about your day. Have a simple conversation with them (again, this can be in your head if needed).

Offer some water! Water is a great offering if you don’t have the energy to cook, collect or buy something.

Incense is also a great offering because you can light it then forget about it and your house won’t burn down (if you follow regular safety measures). 

Resting. Your deities want you to be okay. Dedicating your rest to your deities is especially great if you feel guilty for allowing yourself time to heal.

Turn on a video of someone reading mythos! 

Put on a deity playlist. There are plenty of pre-made ones on Spotify. 

Veil or bind your hair! Whenever I’m low energy I’ll throw my hair in a ponytail and bind it that way. It doesn’t have to be extravagant. 

Make a Pinterest board for them!

Post on a digital altar! There are plenty of discord servers that have digital altars and temples. You could also make a devotional Tumblr blog. 

Change your phone lock/home screen to something that reminds you of your Deity.

I hope this is helpful to anyone who needs it! Take care of yourself first and foremost. If you don't think you can manage something on this list then thats perfectly fine too! you're not a bad person for not being able to do something spiritual or religious. Ultimately, these things are not a necessity. Don't stress :)

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In paganism there seems to be an ongoing issue with people not acknowledging its many issues. Pagans will often claim to be the “accepting” religion, with an absence of sexism, racism, homophobia, etc. It does appear that way when you first enter it. This is a lie.

No religion is immune to bigotry, brainwashing, abuse and exploitation. Pagan communities can be breeding grounds for abuse just as churches.

White supremacy is rampant, as is cultural appropriation. Women are treated as reproductive objects while in other more modern spiritual circles exists misandry. All religions are capable of harm. Do not be arrogant enough to think ours is an exception.

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Whether you’re a devotee or a worshipper, you’re not always gonna be at your best, and there are gonna be times - maybe lots of times - where you may not feel you can give 100% to your deities. You may not even be able to talk to them at all.

That’s why I LOVE devotional jewellery or any other kind of devotional item that you can carry with your person. Just the simple act of putting on a necklace or a ring or something similar is such an amazing way of showing your deities “hey, I’m still here. I still love you. I still carry you with me.“

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i can't stop making these

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I don’t think we are meant to fear the Gods. Not even Gods of storms, death, or war. To believe in them is to accept them as they are. Don’t let anybody convince you that polytheists should fear the Gods. Be awe-struck, be humble before them if it feels right, but in this modern day and age, spirituality shouldn’t feel unsafe.

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Just about every "AKSHUALLY, this thing is SECRETLY PAGAN!" claim can be traced back to:

Protestants making shit up to try and "prove" whatever shit they decided to hate on was secretly Satanic.

German nationalists making shit up trying to "prove" that Christian holidays had no connection to anything Jewish.

People failing to understand that European converts to Christianity retained many of their old customs and traditions, because Jesus being Lord doesn't mean there's no dragons in that there lake or that the plant lore everybody knows is all bunk.

People making wild assumptions due to a failure to comprehend that similarities between traditions does not inherently imply connection between traditions.

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Your gods are listening to you. Yes, even when your tears are falling and you think you are alone. You are not.

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The gods don't always show you they're with you in big ways.

Sometimes it's small things, a butterfly hovering around you, a wild animal coming to you for help, hitting every green light when you're running late, an extra dollar in your pocket when you need it.

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Herbs and Flowers Magic Properties(tbc)

Rosemary - memory, anxiety, sleep, cleansing, purifying, learning, healing, love, lust, protection, wisdom, mental power

Turmeric - healing, strength, vitality, purification, abundance, joy, prosperity

allspice - healing, energy, love, luck

pepper - courage, protection

sage - health, immortality, longevity, protection against negativity, protection, purification, wisdom, wishes, anxiety

bay - divination, good fortune, healing, anxiety, money, prosperity, peace, protection, happiness, purification, love, tranquility

oregano - peace, love

parsley - protection, power, strength, lust, purification, prosperity

garlic - protection against evil eye

cinnamon - aphrodisiac, passion, love, luck, prosperity, success, spiritual vibrations, energy, purification, healing, protection

cayenne - healing, removing blockages, protection, strength, motivation, courage

clover - fidelity, protection, love, money, success, animal protection, luck

pine - health, healing

nutmeg - money, prosperity, good luck, protection, psychic abilities, happiness, love, health

cloves - healing, love, friendship, cleansing, protection, abundance

thyme - health, courage, eliminates nightmares, attracts loyalty, affection, psychic abilities

ginger - energy, speeding things up, love, prosperity, success, power, healing

mint - avoid jealousy, dreams, protecting, prosperity, joy, fertility, purification, love, success, lust, travel, money, luck

chamomile - love, healing, stress-relief, calming, sleep

lavender - purification, concentration, love, healing, sleep, dreams

jasmine - divination, innovation, attraction, dreams, love, beauty

mugwort - psychic powers, protection, lust, fertility, prophetic dreams, divination, relaxing, tranquility, banishing, consecration

peach blossoms - luck, prosperity, romance, love, passion, affection, harmony, peace, health, longevity

peony - protection from hexes, luck, prosperity, business success, attracts fairies

rose - divine love, self-love, friendship, healing, domestic happiness, lasting relationships, closeness with nature, divination, tranquility, harmony, psychic ability, spirituality, protection, luck

lemon grass - openness, communication, clear mind, love, luck, libido, psychic abilities, calming

chrysanthemum - longevity, mental clarity, optimism, protection, solving mysteries, soothing grief

pink Himalayan salt - purification, grounding, abundance, prosperity, self-love, cleaning, growth, protection, peace, calming

palo santo - cleansing, positivity, good fortune, creativity, love

sweet orange - optimism, charisma, confidence, restoring aura, attracting love, fertility, abundance

bergamot - protection, purification, calming

ylang ylang - sexual attraction, persuasiveness, peace, love, anxiety and depression relief, fairy magic

geranium - prosperity, happiness, healthy pregnancy and fertility

eucalyptus - purifying, cleansing, good health, protection, negativity

sandalwood - calming, anxiety, purification, protection, healing

anise - peace, tranquility, awakening of psychic awareness, luck, spiritual connection, psychic and magic power

jojoba - healing, protection, purification, grounding, meditation, love

frankincense - cleansing, energy, uplifting, inner peace, balance

peppermint - mental clarity, prophetic visions, success, prosperity,

cedarwood - love, growth, longevity, psychic powers, healing, money

tea tree - cleansing, protection, uplifting, energy, memory, love

vanilla - sex, calming, good luck, love, empowerment, happiness, growth

catnip - beauty, happiness, attraction, love, friendship

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The Sacred Grove of the Druids, set design from Vincenzo Bellini's Opera ''Norma''