fioriperglidei

[fioriperglidei]

Godspousal and my practice

Godspousal is a topic I covered very frequently on my old blog, Light of Delphi. This was back when I was fully devoted to Lord Apollon, before I was taken under King Zeus’s wing and served Him. However, just because my path has shifted does not mean I am no longer spoused to Him - in fact, the whole reason I didn’t talk about it on this blog was due to fear of backlash or being told that I was making things up in my head. However, to combat the stigma surrounding godspousal, it’s important to talk about it. So here I am, talking about it. 

Any hate will not be tolerated and will result in a block.

Godspousal is going to be a different experience for everyone. I could talk for hours about the different aspects of Godspousal, but for now, I will focus on my own experiences with it. In my experience, it’s something beautiful. 

Two years ago, I solidified my godspousal with Lord Apollon. You could equate this to getting married. There wasn’t much of a ceremony because I was in a home where my practice was closeted, but I plan on having a little ceremony this year because I have the means to do so! What I plan on doing is having a little ritual to celebrate our two years together, involving music, meditation, baking, and spending time out in the sun.

I consider myself mostly connected to His arts, music, and oracular aspects, though I cherish the darker parts of Him as well. But because of my connection to His warmer parts, He feels a lot more distant during the colder months. During this time, I do find myself mourning His presence. It is during this time that I will rely on devotional jewelry and the arts to keep Him with me. 

Once it gets warmer out, however, I am at the top of my game! My Spring Semester grades are always better than the Fall, my motivation increases ten fold, and I generally just feel more alive. This didn’t happen as intensely before my Godspousal. Lord Apollon feels much closer during the warmer months, especially during the summer. I associate Him with Cancer and Leo because of this. 

But before I continue, what exactly is Godspousal?

What is Godspousal?

The concept of Godspousal does exist in other religions. I have seen people compare being a Nun to Godspousal, which, in my opinion, is a bit of a stretch, but does make sense. There are no explicit ties to Hellenic Polytheism, though. Because of this, a lot of recon HelPols may stray away from it or shun it as a whole (though, its mostly elitists who do the latter). Godspousal is essentially when one takes a vow or makes an oath to dedicate oneself to a God for however long. Typically, it’s the rest of their life, or for this life and the next. It varies from practitioner to practitioner. 

I find Hellenic ties to Godspousal in myths. When Lord Apollon finds a mortal lover like Hyacinthus or Cyprus, I see godspousal. When Lord Dionysos fell in love with Ariadne, I see godspousal. When King Zeus fell in love with Ganymede, I see Godspousal. Especially in the way that Ganymede then served King Zeus as a cupbearer. These aren’t explicitly Godspousal relationships, but I choose to interpret them as such. My interpretation does not make it fact, it just means that I feel more comfortable in my own relationship with Lord Apollon because of it. 

One can be a godspouse in a variety of ways. It can be familial, it can be queerplatonic, or just platonic, or it can be romantic. I like to call it a lifetime devotion that isn’t Priesthood. Not everyone wants to be a Priest, so they may choose Godspousal in its stead. 

I only have experience with romantic godspousal, though. And I’ve found it to be a very rewarding experience. While no, I will not claim that Lord Apollon comes and sits beside me and we watch movies together, I will say that we spend time together. I feel His presence often, especially when I am engaging in mundane activities. That's how I know He's there and wants to spend time with me. I spend time with Him, physically in meditations and dreams. Recently, it's mostly been meditations, as I haven't been remembering my dreams.

In meditations, we have our space. It's personal to me, so I won't share it. But that is where the majority of our time together is spent. That is where the physicality of our relationship comes in. Sometimes, I will say “just cuddled with my Godspouse,” but I really mean I laid in the sun and felt His loving warmth. That is different from my meditations. If people are interested, and if Lord Apollon consents, I can always make a little series about some of our moments together. But that's off topic.

Godspousal and my Practice

Lord Apollon has been a major help in my practice. He has always been in my life. From the very start. I took up music, acting, dance, I did archery, and it only made sense that Lord Apollon showed up in my life. I was 10 when He made Himself known to me. From there, our bond has only gotten stronger. 

He taught me everything I know about divination and encouraged me to branch out. Try new things. I moved from tarot to pendulums, pendulums to oracle cards, and developed my clairaudience under His guidance. He taught me that offerings don't always have to be things, they can be actions. Through other people, He gifted me tarot cards and oracle decks that I still use to this day. He helped me learn how to trust my intuition and gut. Lord Apollon has been my teacher since the start of my practice.

Three years ago, though, Lord Apollon used to drop hints towards Godspousal. I was finding a lot more information about it on my feed, people would talk to me about it, and I’d meet a lot more people who were godspoused to different deities. It was becoming far more prominent in my life, and my readings continued to allude toward a romantic relationship in coming, which was… odd. I was already in a committed relationship, I didn’t quite know what it meant. That was, until I saw a video from another creator explaining Godspousal in its entirety. 

I asked Lord Apollon right after if He had been asking me to be His Godspouse. To court Him. He said yes. This led to a roughly year-long process of us getting closer, finding the boundaries in our relationship, and settling into what we have now. Two years ago, we made it “official” sometime in June. I forgot to write the date down, so we ended up attributing the Summer Solstice to our anniversary. 

Lord Apollon plays a major role in my practice, even more so now, with some things I will be announcing soon. He has led my hand in divination since I started. He has patiently guided me along my path and has kept me from falling too badly. And now, He comforts me when I’m alone. He praises me when I’m happy. When I bathe in the sun, I feel enveloped in warmth and love. He is always there, now.  This means that, in my practice, He has a very heavy influence in my actions. Even before I became a Priest for King Zeus, I asked Lord Apollon for His approval. I double checked everything with Him, I asked Him countless times if the path I was walking was right. It feels almost like I’m learning how to ride a bike, and He’s let go of the handlebars and is letting me find my balance, but He’s still there. He’s always there, in case I fall. He is a lover to me, more than anything.

Questions

“Probably a simple ask but what does it feel like? How do you know? Is it very meditation and intuition based or sign based or otherwise?”

It feels like joy. It feels like care, appreciation, warmth. Though every bond is bound to be different. My bond with Lord Apollon may be different from someone else’s bond with Lord Apollon. I am more attached to His art, light, and divinatory aspects. Someone else may be spoused to His darker aspects, it truly depends on the bond. He gave me signs that I was quite blind to, but the signs will typically do the trick. If you’re paying attention, you’ll see them. And if not, well, they’ll get significantly more blunt.

“I'm interested in knowing how you balance godspousal with everything else in your life!”

Godspousal plays a role in… most of my life. I am never not thinking about Lord Apollon. The biggest balance point comes into play with my physical romantic relationships. My partner is fully aware of my Godspousal, always has been. He thinks it’s adorable. In the past, he has said he hopes to show me the physical love that Lord Apollon may not be able to. And truly, he’s quite good at it. But I don’t typically struggle to balance things; it’s really just a matter of knowing when to disconnect myself from the divine or my relationship with Him. 

“How did you know it was right for you? Do you have any advice for those who are considering it?”

I knew it was right for me because it was something I thought about often. I thought it out, I considered it heavily, and I did research on it. The majority of your research will be through devotional blogs and similar things, personal WordPress blogs, etc. You have to take everything with a grain of salt. And I mean this specifically for Godspousal through a Hellenic Polytheistic lens, not generally. You can then draw your own conclusions and form your own opinions on Godspousal based on the UPG you find and the dynamics you see. But please think about it before you act - you shouldn’t run into it blindly. 

“Can you have a friends with benefits type relationship with your deities or is that illegal”

Well, I wouldn’t call it Illegal. It isn’t a bond I’ve had - in my own personal opinion, sex with a God isn’t quite something one can do, at least not on the physical plane. It would be a discussion of boundaries and dynamics between you and the God you are spoused to. I am also not the authority on Godspousal. If you so choose to have this kind of relationship, so be it, but I am not personally sure how one would maintain a relationship like this with a God.

“I have a question. How does one start godspusal? I'm just curious. Is it like, "hey, let's get married", or does it just gradually develop with the kharis IF you want to? Also, what are the consequences of ending it, if there are? Like, suddenly stopping.”

Communication is my answer! Communicating with the God you would like to spouse. I typically operate under the idea that the God should be the one to approach you about Spousal, not the other way around, though there is no reason why you can’t. It’s just a me thing, I suppose. But communication will be your best friend. For me, it gradually developed and moved in that direction. If you end it, I don’t see why there would be consequences? If you find that it isn’t for you, communicate with your God. Every relationship will be different. 

I truly hope this post was informational! Please feel free to ask me further questions - I love discussing Godspousal with others. My love for Lord Apollon is bright and fiery. Sharing this love makes me happy.  Xaire, Altis.

[fioriperglidei]

I prayed to Lady Hestia, earlier.

I still am introducing myself to Her these days, so I simply offered a glass of milk and started thanking Her for my eventful day.

It felt strangely natural, to talk about my loved ones and my desire to tend to them - both emotionally and materially. It didn't stop at my family, though, because right after I went - almost verbatim:

« I want to take care of people, so that the concept of "home" feels broader. »

Care is a topic that struck many chords: the balance between generosity and listening to my disabilities, while striving for helping further. My struggle in trusting others with my frequent crises, even those closest to me.

The fact that even in the darkest days, I have the luck in calling my home safe and knowing that people care about me.

So, while I am taking my return to worship easy, I really wanted to share this reflection and the heartwarming feeling it gave me. To show myself that the Gods are here and can be felt, even without frantically searching for a tangible proof - be it through clairsenses or signs.

[fioriperglidei]

⚕️Worship and Chronic Illness⚕️

As someone with a chronic illness, my worship looks a lot different than it does for an able bodied person. It has a lot of ebbs and flows, and doesn’t follow a lot of the “rules” you see people talking about on here and on other sites. I have a hard time getting out of bed to pray sometimes, never mind making khernips and cleansing before. Often I don’t have the energy to leave a physical offering, or any offering other than a thanks. These are things that I’ve had to come to terms with, even when it sometimes feels like I’m a “worse” worshiper than others due to my health.

It’s easy to get caught up in comparisons within this religion, and within any, but if you’re facing any of the same struggles as I am, know you’re not alone. You are just as valid in your worship as someone who does all the steps, and leaves all the offerings, you just don’t have the bandwidth to do it and that’s ok. The gods understand we have mortal limitations, that’s why they’re gods and we’re mortals. Give yourself the grace they would want you to give yourself and others <3

[fioriperglidei]

how do y’all manage to pray without saying i love you a million times

[fioriperglidei]

Hi Alec! I'd really love to know how you'd categorize nostalgia:

It has both aspects of fishing memories (so, a work of Lady Mnemosyne) and the strong emotional reaction from what was deemed subconscious, one of Lord Hypnos' domains.

Personally, I know nothing exists in a vacuum so it could be a shared aspect, but it still intrigues me and I hope it's the same for you ~

- Stella

Hi Stella!

I've actually never really thought about it before to be honest. But I think I'd have to agree with you - nothing exists in a vaccum and domains / aspects can be shared between multiple deites.

Lady Mnemosyne being memory would I think make it more largely Her domain, especially being the mother of the Mousai whose role it generally was to preserve history and tradition through their various means; song, dance, poetry, history itself, etc. So I feel it would be largely Mnemosyne's domain, as looking back at your memories is the thing that makes you feel nostalgic.

Although, I do agree that Lord Hypnos and His deemed domain over the subconscious would make him connected to the feeling of nostalgia. Especially, lets say, if you were dreaming or daydreaming, or getting lost in your mind over those memories that are making you feel nostalgic.

So I guess the way I see it (from literally just typing this out) is that Mnemosyne is what creates or produces the feeling of nostalgia; as without memories you can't (generally) feel nostalgic. But the feeling itself, the emotional ties to it - the longing and the daydreaming of it, would be more Hypnos' domain. If that makes sense.

Mnemosyne = reason for nostalgia Hypnos = the feeling of nostalgia

It's probably also worth noting that it can also be seen as partly Khronos' and Rhea's domain, given that they are Time and Flow (of time / generations) respectively.

So, yes, I agree with you. I feel like it's definitely a shared aspect - although I would say that Lady Mnemosyne plays a slightly larger role with nostalgia given how closely it ties with, well Her.

That was actually a very interesting rabbit hole to go down - that you saw me go through in real time - so thank you for the ask! I hope this answers your question!

[fioriperglidei]

Sometimes the best offering you can give your deities is survival, and I mean that. The days clawed through? The nights wept into?

Keep going: it's enough

You are enough

[fioriperglidei]

｡°‧ Community Announcement ‧°｡

Hello hello everyone, I hope you're all well!

I'm very excited to be announcing a community-offering project with the shrine! After some deliberation and testing; a magazine (?) has been made - well, in the process of being made.

- The Somnolent Journal -

-> More info under the cut!

This is where YOU come in! It's a community-based project, which means you can submit any prayers, poems, devotional writing, artwork, cohesive rants, reflection, etc. for / inspired by Lord Hypnos.

Works surrounding His family will also be accepted, however for this first issue, I'd like to keep it more Hypnos-centric, given that the project is dedicated to Him.

Also feel free to submit (only if you're comfortable of course) any dreams that you've had recently. You can submit just the dream or the dream and an interpretation; it's up to you!

You can enter any submissions on the google form below:

The Somnolent Journal - Issue 01 Submissions

ISSUE 01 COVER

This also means there's a new tag for any updates regarding the journal -> #the somnolent journal

Sweet dreams . . . 💙

[fioriperglidei]

Anger is a gift

O' determined Aphrodite. O' mighty Ares. I pray to you, consorts in burning passion. With gratitude I preach your reminder of How much dormant self-worth and hurt pride Reside in vitriolic anger. May your presence teach me how to harness it, How not to spiral in its thorny whirlwind And choose when to release its poison. This I pray, as your humble worshipper. Blessed are your names, Aphrodite Areia and Lord Ares, Olympian bringers of retribution!

[fioriperglidei]

I hope everyone that reads this knows that they add value to the world even if they don't see it yet.

I love you, and so do the trees.

[fioriperglidei]

Anonymous (🦋) requested a prayer for mental illness, specifically feeling overwhelmed, so naturally I wrote two prayers!

PRAYER FOR MENTAL ILLNESS

See me, Dionysus Bromios, Dionysus Eleuthereus, loud-roaring god of liberation: long have I slumbered in darkness, consumed by shadow, dreaming of nothing, numb to your revelry and joy... Shake loose that which binds me to this emptiness, to this sorrow, to this lack of self-fulfillment— wake me! Wake me so that I may once again see the stars, hear birdsong at dawn, feel the morning sun on my skin, and remember who I am and what it means to live.

PRAYER FOR FEELING OVERWHELMED

Hear me, Dionysus Bromios, Dionysus Lyaeus, boisterous god who frees me from care and worry: when the world hums too loud, my heart drums too wild, and my head spins, remind me to breathe and return to a moment of stillness; show me that this cage I've outgrown has always been unlocked, that I am free to fly where I please without burden; be the wind beneath my wings that carries me through bluer skies to highest branches untouched by fears and anxiety! O Dionysus Dimetor, twice-born from the violence of being rent asunder: remind me that I am whole in all my pieces.

Prayer requests are open at my discretion! Tips and prayer commissions can be paid through ko-fi~

You may use this prayer in your personal practice, but please do not alter, copy, or repost.

[fioriperglidei]

protestant: this is between me and God

catholic: this is between me, God, God’s mom, my guardian angel, and over 10,000 saints :)

[fioriperglidei]

Flowers for the Gods ; An Introduction

Greetings, everyone, and welcome to my renewed sideblog!

· · ─ ·𖥸· ─ · ·· · ─ ·𖥸· ─ · ·· · ─ ·𖥸· ─ · ·· · ─ ·𖥸· ─ · ·

❀ I'm Stella (she/her), a 20-something AuDHDer momentarily disoriented in her life path

❀ Currently trying to get out of a hiatus and be consistent in my worship again

❀ My practice started from Hellenic polytheism, but I am gradually branching out to other traditions as well - mainly christopaganism. I like to say "May further research hopefully bring me to interesting places"

❀ Mostly a reblogger but you'll definitely see some of my devotional writings ♥

❀ My asks and DMs are always open!

· · ─ ·𖥸· ─ · ·· · ─ ·𖥸· ─ · ·· · ─ ·𖥸· ─ · ·· · ─ ·𖥸· ─ · ·

DNI includes the usual suspects, if you're one please just shut up.

Be respectful of this blog's religious nature.

Last update: 13/06/25

[fioriperglidei]

So, let’s talk worship. Specifically a trend I’ve seen on here of people not wanting to do their own research, and relying on others to give them the answers.

‼️‼️DISCLAIMER‼️‼️

I have been lucky enough to not have people like this on my page, and I love answering the questions I get, as they are often/always things that may be harder to find, or rely on experience rather than research.

‼️‼️DISCLAIMER OVER‼️‼️

Ok, let’s get into the nitty gritty of it. So many people on tumblr are coming to creators, or even just posting, asking questions that could easily be found through a few minutes of research. There is a difference between asking for help, or drawing on people for inspiration, and just blatantly copying others, or getting others to do the work for them. If you want to know a certain gods domains, looking them up is an easy option, that allows you to dig deeper on your own. And yes, that is a real question I’ve seen.

I’m not shaming anyone for asking questions, I’m just asking for people to please do their own research, and grow their own practice. Asking questions to other practitioners can add so many valuable things to your practice, but ask them about their experiences, or things you keep seeing get noticed but don’t quite understand.

Just please be mindful of when you’re trying to get others to take the journey for you <3

[fioriperglidei]

I see too many people who are interested in Dionysus worry that he will reject them if they aren't some flavour of alcoholic, so I say this as gently as possible: please research him

Dionysus is so much more than some drunkard wine god who requires inebriation to worship him. He's a god of the oppressed, of insanity, of liberation, of death and rebirth, of fertility, and yes, of wine

He is violence and love, the calm before a storm and the rage within one, the breath before you scream and the roar of victory, communion and ecstasy, dance and utter stillness, anger and joy

And he will love you no matter what

[fioriperglidei]

When ancient Greeks burned meat offerings to the Gods, they primarily gave the inedible parts. You don’t have to give large portions of the meal you’re currently eating as an offering, especially if you are hungry and/or food expenses are tight. It’s not a requirement to give food as an offering either.

[fioriperglidei]

April is Aphrodites month!! In honour of this, here are some easy things you can do to honour her!

⟡ Take the time to tell the people around you that you love them

⟡ Be kind to yourself, and give yourself the grace you give others

⟡ Smile at a stranger who look like they need it

I was trying to think of more but honestly… just be kind. Be kind to yourself. Be kind to others. Live with love <3

[fioriperglidei]

Novelty should be embraced, without letting its euphoria make us neglect what we already built.

It is easy, during times of research and discovery, to be increasingly drawn by new concepts, new practices, new deities.

Curiosity is a virtue, but it needs to be tamed. So, in order to ground myself, I ask:

What is, about this belief, that calls me?

Do I feel ready to incorporate it and what it entails?

Would I still be able to pay homage to the Gods I already welcomed?

Am I biting more than I can chew?

There is no rush in knowing and experiencing everything, for the eternal won't fade. This frenzy can only be detrimental to one's own spiritual journey and connection to the Divine.

Like everything, it is a matter of balance.

May it guide me.