faintheartless - Tumblr blog

[faintheartless]

White witches stop "smudging" challenge year almost 2023.

[faintheartless]

PSA: These two things are not the same!

Altar

noun

1. a table or flat-topped block used as the focus for a religious ritual, especially for making sacrifices or offerings to a deity.

Alter

verb

1. to change or make different; modify.

[faintheartless]

could you define those words in that post about terminology, please?

“Is there a ghost kissing me right now?” is a metaphysical question, it asks about reality.

“How would I know if a ghost is kissing me right now?” is an epistemological question, it asks about how we acquire knowledge about reality.

"What does it actually mean for a ghost to kiss someone?" is an ontological question, it asks about the nature of reality.

"Is this ghost's only purpose to kiss me?" is an teleological question, it asks for a reason for something's existence.

[faintheartless]

Theism: belief in and worship of god(s).

Monotheism: belief in and worship of only one god.

Polytheism: belief in and worship of many gods.

Megatheism: belief that there are multiple gods, but that yours is superior to all others and only They are worthy of worship.

Henotheism: worship of only one god while acknowledging (the possibility of) the existence of others.

Kethenotheism: the worship of only one god at a time.

Monolatrism: the worship of only one god while believing in multiple gods.

Pantheism: belief that the divine is in everything.

Panentheism: belief that the divine is in everything, while also being beyond everything.

Apatheism: being neutral towards the possibility of the existence of god(s).

Atheism: neither believing in nor worshiping god(s).

Antitheism: being actively opposed to the belief in and/or worship of god(s).

Transtheism: a belief system that cannot be easily categorised as either theistic or atheistic. (Sadly, not the belief that god(s) is/are trans or that trans people are god(s)).

Autotheism: belief that divinity is inherently within oneself (may or may not exclude external divinity).

Agnosticism: belief/philosophical position that the divine (and/or whether or not it exists) is unknowable.

Ignosticism: belief/philosophical position that knowledge regarding whether or not god(s) exist is unprofitable.

Deism: belief/philosophical position that God does not interfere directly with the world.

Pandeism: belief that the creator deity became the universe and then ceased to exist as a separate and conscious entity.

Monism: a philosophical position that attributes oneness or singleness to existence.

Dualism: a philosophical doctrine that attributes co-eternal binary opposition to existence.

Omnism: the recognition and respect of all religions.

Panpsychism: belief/philosophical position that consciousness, mind or soul is an intrinsic universal attribute within all things.

Ietism: unspecified belief in an undetermined transcendent force.

Omnibenevolence/eutheism: belief that (a) god is wholly good.

Dystheism: belief that (a) god is not wholly good and may be evil.

Maltheism: belief that (a) god is wholly evil.

(Please correct any false definitions or add new ones to the list.)

[faintheartless]

Roman Polytheist Resources

Roman Polytheism, also known as Roman Paganism, Religio Romana, and Cultus Deorum Romanorum, is the modern worship of the deities, deified virtues, genius loci (spirits of places), heroes, and deified humans of ancient Rome.  This intersects with Hellenistic polytheism, which includes Hellenic, Egyptian, Phrygian, Assyrian, Phoenician, and Syrian deities and Mysteries.

This list of resources is by no means exhaustive, and additions are welcome! Just send me an ask or pm with the book titles or links you recommend, or a note if you wish your blog to be included on the list.

Sources and Introductory Material

Roman Religion Reading List   Because it’s best to base your own conclusions on solid source material.

Nova Roma is generally a good source of information about the cultus deorum. This is not, though, an endorsement of the organization itself.

Roman Religion: Beliefs, Practices, And Institutions

Roman Gods and Goddesses

Genius Loci

Mos Maiorum (Roman Virtues)

The Lararium and Household Religion

Prayers, rites, and worship

The prayers and rites listed here are in no way definitive, as there is no unbroken tradition of Roman worship. They represent modern interpretations that have worked for other people; feel free to respectfully modify them to suit your own needs, understanding of the gods, and lifestyle.

How to start practicing private rites

Simple Daily Home Rites and Prayers

Lararium rite

Daily Lararium rite

Kalends Lararium rite

Kalends rite for Janus

The Great Greco-Roman Polytheist Ritual Masterpost

Calendars of Roman Festivals:

http://www.novaroma.org/calendar/index.html

http://romanpagan.blogspot.com/2014/01/roman-calendar.html

http://www.musesrealm.net/rome/festivals.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_festivals

http://www.unrv.com/culture/roman-festivals.php

Places to buy oil lamps, altars, statues, etc.

I have no relationship or affiliation with these shops, and cannot guarantee your experience - I only browse their wares with longing.

Venetian Cat

The Roman Shop

Sacred Source

Celtic Web

Other Roman polytheists at tumblr:

@hearthglow  @dorkilypagan  @sassyromanspirits  @dimagnitemplum 

@heliosthedemiurge  @redlotuscult

[faintheartless]

@hearthglow Sorry that I’m doing this like this instead of sending a message, but this is a side blog and I want to keep religion separate from the shit-posting I do on my main blog.

I was hoping you could tell me something about worshipping Saturn: specifically: I did a bit of reading and there seems to be an awful lot of Saturn = Satan in the articles I read and no offense to satanists, but I’m not interested in worshipping Satan.

So in Roman mythology, is Saturn thought of as, you know, evil?

[faintheartless]

Roman Polytheist Resources

Roman Polytheism, also known as Roman Paganism, Religio Romana, and Cultus Deorum Romanorum, is the modern worship of the deities, deified virtues, genius loci (spirits of places), heroes, and deified humans of ancient Rome.  This intersects with Hellenistic polytheism, which includes Hellenic, Egyptian, Phrygian, Assyrian, Phoenician, and Syrian deities and Mysteries.

This list of resources is by no means exhaustive, and additions are welcome! Just send me an ask or pm with the book titles or links you recommend, or a note if you wish your blog to be included on the list.

Sources and Introductory Material

Roman Religion Reading List   Because it’s best to base your own conclusions on solid source material.

Nova Roma is generally a good source of information about the cultus deorum. This is not, though, an endorsement of the organization itself.

Roman Religion: Beliefs, Practices, And Institutions

Roman Gods and Goddesses

Genius Loci

Mos Maiorum (Roman Virtues)

The Lararium and Household Religion

Prayers, rites, and worship

The prayers and rites listed here are in no way definitive, as there is no unbroken tradition of Roman worship. They represent modern interpretations that have worked for other people; feel free to respectfully modify them to suit your own needs, understanding of the gods, and lifestyle.

How to start practicing private rites

Simple Daily Home Rites and Prayers

Lararium rite

Daily Lararium rite

Kalends Lararium rite

Kalends rite for Janus

The Great Greco-Roman Polytheist Ritual Masterpost

Calendars of Roman Festivals:

http://www.novaroma.org/calendar/index.html

http://romanpagan.blogspot.com/2014/01/roman-calendar.html

http://www.musesrealm.net/rome/festivals.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_festivals

http://www.unrv.com/culture/roman-festivals.php

Places to buy oil lamps, altars, statues, etc.

I have no relationship or affiliation with these shops, and cannot guarantee your experience - I only browse their wares with longing.

Venetian Cat

The Roman Shop

Sacred Source

Celtic Web

Other Roman polytheists at tumblr:

@hearthglow  @dorkilypagan  @sassyromanspirits  @dimagnitemplum 

@heliosthedemiurge  @redlotuscult

[faintheartless]

aside from wiseman, are there no other good books on roman myths? the couple i've looked at seem kinda thrown together (one book didn't even mention venus, not acknowledging that any of the roman gods had been gods in their own right that were sync'd with greek gods, etc)

Salve, Anon!

The reason there is so little evidence for Roman mythology is because the art of writing didn’t start in the Italian peninsula until the arrival of Greek colonists in the 8th century BCE. The Italian tribes adopted Greek script around the same time they started syncretizing their gods to those of the Greek pantheon.

Adkins, Lesley and Adkins, Roy A. A Dictionary of Roman religion (available free online here)

Bodel, John. Cicero’s Minerva, Penates, and the Mother of the Lares: An Outlineof Roman Domestic Religion. (available free online here)

Bremmer, Jan. Roman myth and mythography. London : University of London, Institute of Classical Studies, 1987.

Carter, Jesse Benedict. The Religion of Numa and Other Essays On the Religion of Ancient Rome (available free online here)

Dumezil, Georges. Archaic Roman Religion. (available free online here)

Grant, Michael. Roman Myths.

Morford, Mark P. O., Robert J. Lenardon, and Michael Sham. Classical mythology.  (Course materials for Chapters 25 and 26 available free online here)

Ogilvie, Robert Maxwell. The Romans and their gods in the age of Augustus.  (available free online here)

Ovid Fasti (English translation in prose available free online here)

Pais, Ettore. Ancient Legends of Roman History (available free online here)

Plutarch. Lives of the Noble Greeks and Romans. Life of Romulus (available free online here)

Virgil. Aeneid (English translation in prose available free online here)Wissowa, Gerog.  Religion und Kultus der Römer (available free online in German here)Etruscan mythology is like Greek mythology on acid - or modern fanfic of Greek mythology. Familiar deities have unfamiliar names, familiar names are spelled very differently than one might expect, many deities are genderfluid, lots of them throw lightning, Menrva is shipped with Heracles��� Having said that, reading Etruscan mythology may be instructive in learning about early Roman relgion. I recommend Etruscan Myth, Sacred History, and Legend by Nancy Thomson de Grummond,Also see my Roman religion reading list, Lares reading list, and Manes reading list.

Readers, please feel free to add suggestions to this list!

[faintheartless]

“Let your religion be less of a theory and more of a love affair.”

— G.K. Chesterton (via eternal-echoes)

[faintheartless]

Okay so, I have this floriography book because flowers are assigned different meanings and I wanted to uses them in my art.

But it’s got me thinking. Could you use those meaning in spell work or manifestations? (idk how manifestations work😅)

Like if you combined marigolds (grief) and mint (consolation) could you not create a spell specifically to bring comfort to someone grieving??

Or am I just connecting two dots that I shouldn’t? Lol

[faintheartless]

Hello! I hope you're doing well! I have recently started honouring Aphrodite. Me and her had a rocky start since when I was a child, I would say I hate her. I, of course, apologized and she accepted me. However, today, when I tried to burn the incense, she wouldn't allow me. Is there any reason why? It worries me because our relationship has become stronger.

Heya, I’m good thank you!

Unfortunately this is one of those situations where it’s between you and your deities, so there’s not a lot of answers to get from outside sources! I would say though that incense not burning is more likely to have mundane causes rather than divine, especially if you feel your relationship has been strong! You are best reaching out to your gods than to me on this one, hun, though I highly doubt Aphrodite is stopping you from lighting incense, so don’t worry :)

Best wishes!💐

[faintheartless]

Hello, how are you? I hope you're fine.

I know that grimoires are personal etc, but I was thinking: my magic is most based in sigils and candles, but now Im living alone, I'm trying to incorporate my practices in my daily routine and one of the things I plan to do is make some of my own cleaning products and recipes. It counts as something worth to put in a grimoire, since originally they were kind of a "personal knowledge diary"?

Hello there! I’m good, thank you.

So I cannot stress this enough: what you put in your grimoire is totally your choice! If you need any more reassurance, I also have some cleansing recipes in mine too :)

[faintheartless]

I've come to realize that I just really enjoy listening to others speak about their relationships with The Divine regardless of which divine being they worship.

One of my coworkers is Christian and I am always so moved by the way she talks about God. Her faith in his guidance and her gratitude for his love inspire me greatly.

And just before I attended a class about Bealtaine and one of the presenters was speaking about his relationship with The Dagda. His words brought me to tears because I could feel his pure devotion for his deity. It was beautiful and touched my heart profoundly.

Moments like these serve to remind me that though we worship different divinities and have differing spiritual beliefs, we don't have to automatically be at war with one another. We can not only coexist but we can positively influence and inspire one another in our spiritual practices. We just have to be open to it and find the common ground that is humanity's desire to connect with The Divine.

[faintheartless]

The Empress. Art by Alexa Harrington, from The Aqua Maree Collage Tarot Deck.

[faintheartless]

I never cleanse objects. I claim them.

Every time I receive something significant secondhand – jewels, talismans, tarot decks – I formally welcome it to my life.

Taking it to my sacred space and holding it in my hands, I introduce myself.

“My name is Diana… a servant of the Fates… a child of Venus… a Plutonian witch. I am now your sole master.”

I let it know what my intentions are.

“I rarely wear a necklace. But you will not be neglected. I will turn you into an amulet. So you can guard my home when I am not there to look after it.”

I declare my commands.

“Hold on to the strengths of your previous owners. But release anything that could prevent you from fulfilling your new purpose.”

And I tell it what to expect as a reward for its obedience.

“If you ever felt mistreated, it will never happen again. In return for your loyalty, you will be regarded as treasure.”

Then I wait for its reply.

Jewelry gleams, as if nodding to agree. Talismans vibrate or become hotter in your hand. That is how they respond. Tarot, by make, is far more articulate.

Finally, I write down its name in a catalog – an inventory of all my sacred properties. The ink makes the contract binding.

[faintheartless]

Daily Rituals and Personal Daily Practices

Daily practices form the foundation of any nature-based spiritual or neopagan path. Daily practices give us a chance to dedicate regular time to our spirituality, to slow down and connect with nature, to protect ourselves from the daily energetic onslaught that is the 21st century, and to practice reverence and gratitude.  Each person’s daily practices are likely to be different, and as you walk the path of nature-based spirituality, the practices may also grow and shift as you deepen your work. In this post, I’ll share my thoughts about developing and maintaining a daily spiritual practice—different options, goals, and opportunities.

Read the full post on The Druid's Garden and check out Dana O'Driscoll's book, Sacred Actions: Living The Wheel of the Year Through Earth-Centered Sustainable Practices.

[faintheartless]

the vernal sun, bright and reaching, heralding new life and turning the cycle onward ☀️