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Working with deities

I get dozens of asks on how to find the right deity, or how to find “your” deity. I’ll just cover the basics here (mainly so my lazy ass can link to it later instead of typing this over and over). Quick note: Some of this may be UPG or my personal opinions. I welcome you to share your own, but don’t be rude about it. 

Quick Vocab:

Worship vs. Working With. I use these interchangeably. I consider both of them to be talking about the relationship and connection you kindle with a deity. “Working with” does not mean “utilizing in spells as ingredients”. 

Patron ____. Wicca has different views as to what a patron or matron is compared to most of the witchcraft world. One view is: when you pick a patron deity it means a bond that will last a lifetime. Another view is that patron deities are not ones that you personally identify with, but rather are ones that relate to your lifestyle/profession/occupation. 

Devotee. Being a devotee is a way to work more closely with one, or a few, deities without committing to it for a lifetime (some do make that commitment). It simply means that you focus more of your worship and time on them, but you can still worship other deities too.

Pantheon. A group of deities, usually based on the culture they come from. The names can sometimes vary (Greek = Hellenic, Egyptian = Kemetic, etc.)

Some misconceptions and false expectations:

Everybody needs a deity. You don’t need to work with deities to be a witch. Witchcraft does not equal religion. Religion *can* be tied into witchcraft if you want though! Don’t force yourself to work with deities just because you see other people doing it!

Deities will talk to you. Sometimes, but not usually, or not in the way you expect. You aren’t likely to hear a voice in response, or to confirm that they want to work with you. You’re more likely to get: A sign of some sort, a certain feeling (warm and tingly or emotional, for example) or possibly your inner voice seems a bit different and you think it may be influenced.

You’ll know when your deities like offerings, or hear your prayers. Again, sometimes, but not usually. Not getting a response doesn’t mean you’re getting the cold shoulder. Prayers, offerings and other things don’t always garner a response, or an immediate response.

You have to pick one pantheon. Not at all, however you do have to be respectful of the pantheons each deity comes from. You can’t pick and choose which aspects of the deity you want. I personally stick to one pantheon because it’s simple and fits for me.

Deities from closed cultures are “calling to you”. Listen, I highly doubt that a deity from a culture that is closed, usually due to outsiders being oppressive and awful to them, would want to work with you. Check yourself and make sure it’s not just the aesthetic value or mysteriousness that’s drawing you to them. ALSO! You may be drawn to characteristics that they have, and there is most likely a similar deity in an open culture. Here’s a link to the google question “what cultures are closed?”

On finding a deity to work with:

I often get asked “how to I figure out which deity is a good fit for me?” The easy answer: I have no clue. Only you know what works best for you, and what’s a good fit. However, here’s some good methods:

Research the pantheons. The Greek, Egyptian and Norse are the ones that often have the most information (and are all open practices). See if one in particular calls to you. Then spend time reading about each deity.

Look at what traits you are called to. Self love? Fierceness? Feelings of home? You can literally just google “gods/deities of ____”. You can even add a specific pantheon to the end if you’ve narrowed it down.

Reaching out to that deity:

The “proper” way to do this varies per pantheon, so do your research! Google and books are your friend. And there’s usually a lot of resources for beginners on tumblr as well. The typical ways include:

An offering. Usually there’s some sort of information on traditional offerings, which you can never go wrong with. Sometimes certain offerings are offensive/not given to certain types of deities.

A prayer. It’s totally okay to look up “____ (deity’s name) prayer” for a format if you’re daunted by writing your own. It can also just be more of an explanation on why you want to worship them.

Ask for a sign. I don’t do this and hesitate to even recommend it because it can be SO hard to figure out what’s actually a sign. I’d suggest knowing the basics of the deities sacred animals, plants and colors so you have an idea of what to look for.

Just start worshiping. You don’t have to have a formal relationship with every deity to worship them. I do recommend forming a relationship with them before becoming their devotee.

My go-to resource for the Hellenic Pantheon is this site, I’m unsure for the other ones as I don’t work with the deities within them!

[gaggiamontana]

Happy Ostara to everyone! 🌾🪴🌸🐇

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[gaggiamontana]

Pillars of Hellenismos

As there is not a large, agreed upon set of pillars in Hellenic Polytheism, I will be using ones I am going to start using, based off my own research. A common theme from each pillar is the avoidance of *hubris*, which is excessive pride and the belief that you are better or equal to the Gods. (This is quite possibly the only “sin” in all of Hellenic Polytheism, as a lot of the stories against mortals in Hellenic myths deal with mortals with *hubris*.)

Arete - living to your fullest potential

Arete, meaning “excellence” or “valor”, is the belief that one should live up to the fullest potential of yourself. When one lives up to their fullest potential, and not comparing yourself to others, it is aimed to bring happiness to the individual. It is also about putting things in your own hands, and not being a bystander, watching life go by. It is such a core part of Hellenic ethics that almost every philosophical and religious work about ethics contains it.

Ethike Arete - live an ethical life

Ethike Arete, meaning “moral virtue” or “character virtue”, is the belief that one should follow ethics and an ethical life, and the word from the Gods. This is usually in relation to follow the Delphic Maxims, 147 maxims given to oracles of Delphi, said to be given by Apollo himself.

Eusebia - piety and love to the Gods

Eusebia, meaning “pious”, is the belief that one should have respect towards the Gods and praise and honor them, via festivals, prayers, sacrifice, and devotion. It also relates to knowing *why* you should be doing the ritual and how it helps the Gods.

Hagneia - purity before the Gods

Hagneia, meaning “cleanliness”, is the belief that in the presence of the Gods, one should be clean. This is related to the concept of miasma, meaning “pollution” but not akin to sin, and removing it before praying to the Gods, as not doing is so is considered highly disrespectful.

Kharis - giving to the Gods and our relationship with Them

Kharis, meaning “grace”, is the belief that one should always give to the Gods but do not expect things in return, but if something is given in return, be thankful for it. In Hellenic Polytheism, when you ask a God for something, you *always* leave an offering. You give so that They can bless you with something in return, but do not expect them to. It can also mean the relationship between the Gods and us, with many saying it is like how much trust a God has with you. If you have good kharis with a God, They will be more inclined to fulfill your request, as they can trust you. But, if your kharis is low, They probably won’t trust you due to thinking you won’t do anything with it.

Nomos Arkhaios - being as close to the original religion as possible

Nomos Arkhaios, meaning “ancient ways”, is the belief that the religion should not change that much over the time. It is the belief that even when governments and society changes, the religion will always remain the same and gives a sense of structure and belief. This is probably the biggest difference between reconstructionism and revivalism. 

Sophia - pursuit of wisdom

Sophia, meaning “wisdom”, is the belief that in order to not offend the Gods, you should always be trying to learn and understand more. This is to help get rid of an ignorant mindset and better prepare yourself before the Gods.

Sophrosyne - having self-control

Sophrosyne, meaning “temperance”, is the belief that you should do things in moderation. It is also the belief that one must moderate yourself so you do not cross the other pillars and become inflicted with hubris.

Xenia - hospitality

Xenia, meaning “hospitality”, is the biggest pillar here. It is the belief that one should always help someone out and treat them as a friend in the house, even if they are a complete foreigner. Many myths have the Gods punishing mortals for the lack of xenia.

(I hope y’all enjoy this! I’ve been thinking about making a Guide to Hellenismos series?)

[gaggiamontana]

[gaggiamontana]

Hydromancy (Water Scrying)

Water scrying or hydromancy is an ancient form of divination similar to mirror or crystal ball divination. It has become a common feature in pagan and shamanistic religious practices because of it’s deep connections with nature. In the past, water scrying was often performed on the surface of a smooth lake or pond and was done by the light of the full moon. In more modern times, water scrying is often performed indoors by using a special scrying bowl (you can pick one up on Amazon for about $20 bucks, or if you’re feeling crafty-you can make one of your own). When you choose to employ water for scrying it is very important that you are in a comfortable environment to do so, some people use incense and candles, while others find these things distracting and prefer a much more simple setting. Regardless, here are some simple steps for using water as a scrying tool.

Before you begin you may want to cast a circle or call corners in whatever way your tradition dictates. This is also a good time to ask Spirit or a particular deity (if you have one that you feel comfortable working with) to guide you in this working and to grant you clarity. 

Fill your scrying bowl about ½ to ¾ full of water. If you’ve decided to use candles, place one to the front of where the bowl is located and two to each side (if you have long hair, I would suggest pulling it away from your face in the interest of safety, or using battery operated candles). 

Relax, and focus your mind on the question or issue for which you are seeking guidance or clarity,focus on opening your third eye chakra to allow for more insight.

Gaze into the water, don’t stare without blinking. Just relax, and let the energies and images come to your mind’s eye naturally. The images will generally come to the mind’s eye as snapshots.

You may want to keep a notebook or pad of paper handy, take notes on the feelings and images that you get from the scrying. Record everything, even if it’s just a word to jog your memory later on. 

Once you’ve recieved the information or guidance you sought, end the session. Thank Spirit or the deity you invoked and close your circle. 

[gaggiamontana]

**Reminder that "smudging" is part of a closed practice. Please call it smoke cleansing.

[gaggiamontana]

[gaggiamontana]

Another unpopular opinion

Just because the Theoi didn’t write their own myths can’t be an excuse to say that these don’t correspond to their Gods. They have infinite power compared to us, if they would have wanted to be depicted in a different way they would have changed it. The Theoi don’t need to be understood by us.

[gaggiamontana]

Unpopular opinion

I have just read some posts were some Hellenic Polytheists are saying that the Theoi haven’t the characteristics that the myths gave to them.

I’m not going to say who stated this because is a common opinion.

And this is what I think: obviously myths aren’t 100% the Truth . But when myths reveal aspects of our beloved Gods that we consider “bad”, we can’t just deny them. The truth stays in the middle. They aren’t completely bad or good. And we can’t change the Gods with our nowaday perseption.

If you don’t like these “bad” aspects you aren’t forced to worship a divinity.

[gaggiamontana]

Apollo Pythios, the archer and the prophet

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Anyway, like/reblog if you are an Apollon e-shrine or otherwise blog about Apollon a lot.

(No RP/fandom blogs, please; this is a Hellenic Polytheism post)

[gaggiamontana]

A Guide to Greek Alphabet Divination (Runes)

As many may already know, Runes are a popular form of divination in order to communicate with the gods! However, aside from the popular Norse runes (elder futhark) that everyone might be aware of, did you know that there’s also a form of “rune casting divination” for the Greek alphabet?

First found inscribed in Olympos, a city in ancient Lycia, the Greek alphabet divination system uses the 24 letters from the Greek language and assigns them meanings, and based on what rune you pull, can give you advice from the gods on your current situation!

There were many Alphabet Oracles in ancient Greece, and the idea of reading the Greek alphabet for signs of the gods is one of the oldest divination methods that we know of.

How do I create my “runes?” 

To create your runes, any way of making them works! Historically, they would be painted onto pottery shards, but any way you can think of to have them accessible to throw/draw is completely okay. I have personally used black stones with gold paint on them.

You create one piece per letter, and in total there will be 24. Each letter will be listed and elaborated on later on in the post!

I’ve made my alphabet set. How do I use them?

In order to call upon the Theoi to get an answer, you can firstly call upon them in an invocation. After you have called upon them or asked your gods to give you an answer (sometimes no formal structure is needed) you can reach into a bag which contains the letters and pull out one at a time and read that, or you can grab them and throw them and look for patterns or groups of letters that are clumped together. 

THE LETTER MEANINGS

Α - Alpha - “The God Apollo [Apollon] says you will do everything successfully.” With his luck and good fortune, the current thing you are working on will turn out well and you will be the leader of your situation and have good transactions with others.

Β - Beta - “With the help of Tyche, you will have an assistant [Boêthos], who is the Pythian Apollon.” You might be at a time in your life where you’re struggling, but this divine-coded letter tells you that the gods that you worship are going to help you soon, so the signs you get might be more prophetic in nature. 

Γ - Gamma - “Gaia [Gê] will give you the ripe fruit of your labors.” It is time for you to take a break and admire the hard work you have put in. Gaia will reward you, and you will have abundance in happiness, emotional fulfillment, food, or all of the above. 

Δ - Delta - “In customs inopportune strength [Dunamis] is weak.” Timing is everything. Wait for the right time to act, and do not act to hastily. Wait for your time, but at the same time, use your strength for good to make a change in your situation.

Ε - Epsilon - “You desire [Eraô] to see the offspring of righteous marriages.” You need to surround yourself with good friendships, romances, allies, or relationships in general in order to get the most out of it. Surround yourself with positive people or situations to bring yourself up in a righteous way.

Ζ - Zeta - “Flee the very great storm [Zalê], lest you be hindered in some way.” If you’re already struggling, know when to pick your battles. Sometimes flight is better than fight, and only you know your own limitations. 

Η - Eta - “Bright Helios [Hêlios], who watches everything, watches you.” Helios knows that in the past you feel like you have been wronged. As the enforcer of oaths and promises, if you are honest with yourself and the situation the truth will come out and you will be aided.

Θ - Theta - “You have the helping Gods [Theoi] of this path.” If you are taking a plan of action do not worry! The Gods are guiding your way and you are in good hands. 

Ι - Iota - “There is sweat [’idrôs]; it excels more than everything.” Within your situation, there is going to be a lot of work. The gods recommend you buckle down and work as hard as you can, and it will not be easy. But it will be worth it.

Κ - Kappa - “To fight with the waves [Kuma] is difficult; endure, friend.” Now is not the time. You should wait until the vicious waves die down, and then take action.

Λ - Lambda - ““The one passing on the left [Laios] bodes well for everything.” Something that may seem really bad currently or in the future is actually going to turn out to be a blessing in disguise. Pay attention to your intuition!

Μ - Mu - “It is necessary to labor [Mokhtheô], but the change will be admirable.” You might feel distressed right now and that nothing is going right. But keep working to change either your situation or yourself, and the results will be in your favour.

Ν - Nu - ““The strife-bearing [Neikêphoros] gift fulfils the oracle.” Something will be given to you and enter your life. While it might not be obvious at first, this is the first domino in a line of changes that will happen in your life and make prophecy come true. 

Ξ - Xi - “There is no fruit to take from a withered [Xêros] shoot.” Being bitter and angry is not the way to go about things. Don’t keep trying to pull water out of a well that is empty, and know when to let go. 

Ο - Omicron - “There are no [Ou] crops to be reaped that were not sown.” In order to get things out of the situation, you have to plan ahead. What goes around comes around. 

Π - Pi - “Completing many [Polus] contests, you will seize the crown.” After many trials, you will achieve your goal. Persistence will give you your rewards, and do not be afraid to use your talents. 

Ρ - Rho - “You will go on more easily [Rhaion] if you wait a short time.” You should act, and quickly. Now is the best time and waiting longer is not a good idea. The stars are aligned and while it not be easy, there is no better time than the present. 

Σ - Sigma - “Phoibos Apollon speaks plainly [Saphôs], ‘Stay, friend.’” The gods want to inform you to wait for more information before you make any decisions. In this time, relax, and let the signs come to you.

Τ - Tau - “You will have a parting from the [Tôn] companions now around you.” Soon, people in your life might not stay the way they are. Friends might leave or enemies might leave. You might grow apart or distance or travel might force you away. Be wary of this, and act accordingly. 

Υ - Upsilon - “The affair holds a noble undertaking [Yposkhesis].” The task at hand is certainly a grand one, but with confidence, you, the hero of your own story, can pull through. You must acknowledge your strength, but also acknowledge the size of the task. 

Φ - Phi - “Having done something carelessly [Phaulos], you will thereafter blame the Gods.” Something is going wrong, and you may be trying to blame other things than the cause of the problem. Don’t resort to pointing fingers. The Gods will help you if you do not take out your anger on them or others needlessly. 

Χ - Khi - “Succeeding, friend, you will fulfill a golden [Khruseos] oracle.” Luck is on your side, and by mere chance, things might fall into place. The answer is positive, and you might be pleasantly surprised at all the riches that the world gives you in addition to your solution.

Ψ - Psi - “You have this righteous judgment [Psêphos] from the Gods.” Truth will be brought forwards, so be careful in your actions. The Gods are watching, and they will be fair, honest, and unforgiving to those who deserve it. This includes those who might be harming you, as well.

Ω - Omega - “You will have a difficult [Ômos] harvest season, not a useful one.” The times will be rough, and you will not get what you wish for at the end. You also might be forced to make tough decisions that you are not ready to make.

And those are the letters! Happy letter-casting! 

[gaggiamontana]

🍎 A Prayer to Apollo for Good Health 🛀

O Muse of poetry, invoke my heart and soul to sing of Ever-Radiant Apollo, Lord of Health and Wellness, the Shining One who rules over all matters of the body, mind, and soul.

Sweet Apollo, I pray that you may keep me mindful of my health. Encourage me to make better choices in what I eat. Gently guide me to ways I can increase physical activity, and let such activities not put a burden on my current constitution. O Apollo, hear my earnest prayer!

[gaggiamontana]

Communicating With Deities

How do I communicate with my deity?

How do I know if a deity is trying to reach me?

How can I tell if my deity accepted my offering?

How can I receive messages from my deity?

The topic of communicating with deities is the question I get asked the most so I figured it was time to give it its own post. Especially because this question doesn’t have an easy answer.  It’s not as simple as learning to give an offering or how to devote yourself to a deity. There’s no step by step, made for everyone and every deity, guide to communicating. Its ultimately something you have to figure out yourself, though I can offer some help in ways to go about figuring it out. But first I want to clear some things up about communication with deities. I feel there are a lot of misconceptions that surround it and I also need to explain WHY it’s a topic I can’t give you an easy answer to. So let’s get to that!

Faith- So I’ll admit that the obsession that a lot of people have with communicating with their deities confuses me. When I started I didn’t really think much of the hows of interacting with Aphrodite because I, just like with any other religion, assumed that I had to have faith that Aphrodite was listening. I feel like a lot of people are missing that, like being a Hellenic Polytheist means you have constant, consistent, and direct messages from the gods, but that’s not the case. Faith is still an element and honestly it remains an element even when you have been devoted for years. You’re not always going to get confirmations on things you do or ask, actually most of the time you don’t. You just have to have faith they are there and listening

Tumblr - This point is directly related to the first point. I believe that a lot of the misconceptions of communicating with deities and even the obsession with it has a lot to do with our community here on tumblr. I’m not here to accuse anyone or point any blame. I’m not even saying that people are lying or exaggerating. I just think because of everyone sharing their wonderful experiences it’s creating an image of communicating being a natural part of a devotee’s everyday life with their deity. I mean maybe it is for some, but not all. Honestly, a lot of what you are looking at on tumblr are snapshots of worship. Maybe that devotee received an AMAZING sign or message from their deity but perhaps that was the first one in a few months. The truth is, just like with most aspects of our lives, we like to share the fantastic on social media, so don’t take everything you read as the “normal” or the “standard” of devotion. The truth is there really isn’t one and definitely not one for communicating with deities.

Skills - It’s important to keep in mind that communicating with deities can be seen as a skill. And just like with any skill there are those who are “naturally gifted” and others who have to practice practice practice in order to see any results. This is also a reason why you shouldn’t look to others’ experiences as the way it works for everyone. They could be one of those naturally gifted people who are just born tuned into the god frequency or they could also have been practicing and doing a lot of work to get the point where it’s easier to receive messages. So those of you starting out shouldn’t automatically think you will begin getting signs and messages right away, it most likely will be something you have to work towards.

Deities Communicate Differently - A big reason it’s nearly impossible to say how or if a deity is communicating with you is because they do it in different ways. The way Aphrodite and me communicate may not be the same way she communicates with another devotee. A lot of it depends on the devotee. We each have a way of communicating that we will be more receptive to, whether you know it or not. Your deity might know that and choose to use that form, even if you haven’t exactly figured that out yet (fun, right? lol). A deity also may choose a way to communicate depending on the message they are trying to send you. They could also pick a way simply because they find it amusing and/or ironic (i’m looking at you, Hermes). It’s really hard for someone on the outside to tell you for sure how your deity is going to interact with you specifically. I can’t speak for the gods and I can’t speak on your personal relationship with them. Again, it’s something you have to journey through and find answers to yourself.

Now that the bad news is over with, how about I give you some good news? As I said above, I can give you some advice/tips on ways you can figure out how to communicate with your deity yourself. Remember this is a process, a journey, it’s not a faucet. Doing one of these things isn’t going to automatically start the flowing of messages. Just keep that in mind! Now onto the list!

Divination - Probably the most popular form of communication with deities is using some form of divination. There’s A LOT to choose from so do your research and see what calls out to you and give it a try! Some examples are tarot, oracle, runes, pendulum, scrying, bibliomancy, shufflemancy, just to name a few.

Meditation - I strongly recommend everyone try meditation because there’s a ton of benefits to it and one of those benefits is connecting with your deities. Not only can you receive messages and signs while mediating, the act itself opens you up to be more receptive in your everyday life!

Astral Travel - This is another popular method used to communicate with deities. Many people talk about not only receiving messages from their deities, but also full on interaction with them. Make sure you do your research before attempting it! It also may help to practice meditation first.

Dreams - Okay so this is one of the easier ones on the list to do. Basically start recording your dreams and see if you notice anything either popping out at you or that’s repeating. Sometimes your deity may just simple show up like “hey, what’s going on? You dreamin?” but other times they aren’t that obvious (why would they make it easy on us?). Recording your dreams is a great way to notice patterns because sometimes it can take multiple dreams to get a message. This applies to the universe as well. Like it took me a good chunk of my life to realize that when the universe wants me to pay attention it throws an abundance of something in my dream, where I’ll be like “shit thats a lot of elephants!” and then another dream years later “What is with all these fucking spiders!?”. Keeping a dream journal makes it easier to notice things like that. You can also ask your deity to appear in your dreams if you so choose (of course whether they do or not is up to them). Also if you’re into it you can use herbs and stones to better receive messages in your dreams and to remember them when you wake up.

Journaling - Anyone who has been a follower of me for awhile can probably tell you that my answer for most things is “Keep a Journal” and they are probably eyerolling me right now, lol! But I really believe in the benefits of journaling because they are abundant! I won’t go into all of them because we are talking about communicating with deities and damn it I WILL stay on topic! Just like recording your dreams, recording your waking life can help you spot patterns and possible signs that you might miss otherwise. If you’re like me and interact a lot with your deity through emotions and feelings, journaling is truly wonderful! You can start making connections between actions and your emotions that could help you better understand your deity. I also recommend doing this even if you choose to do one of the other ideas listed above. Recording your progress and your emotions is great for looking back on and seeing how far you come especially in those moments when you feel like you haven’t done much. So yeah, everyone keep a journal!

Open Yourself - So those of you who are witches don’t really need much explanation on this and honestly you might have already started on this one, but for the sake of those who might not know let me explain. There are different ways you can better open yourself up so receiving messages can be easier. Using certain stones, burning certain herbs/incense, using oils, casting spells, doing rituals, etc. There’s a lot you can do to help open yourself up to the universe! And these aid a lot in the techniques above!

Talk To Others - I know what you’re thinking “Wait, didn’t you say that looking at what someone else does is part of the problem?” Yes, i did, but it can also be helpful as long as you find the balance! Seeing how other devotees of your deity interact with them can at least give you ideas and a direction to go in. The key is not to compare and to not see their devotion as the “one true way”. Think of it more as a brainstorming session!

I just want to add that this post is my own personal opinion and personal reasons why I feel I can’t answer questions of this topic. I hope this post was helpful to those of you who took the time to read it!

Meme credit goes to my hilarious, wonderful and talented wifey @nerdywitchmomma 

[gaggiamontana]

[gaggiamontana]

-If you say that myths aren’t scripture you’re right but it’s also true that they represent deep truths. We take the mayor knowledge from them and you can’t just say that they are ancient fanfiction. I understand the nature of the Gods from myths.

- Nazis are in every religion, stop seeing them only in polytheism!

- it’s ok to try to be the more presice as possible with our cults but remember that we live in another time, so it’s normal to adapt cult to our times

Lets Have Some Fun Tonight!! Tell Me Your Unpopular Opinions About Hellenic Polytheism, the Greek Gods, Greek Mythology, and Ancient Greece! 😁👍🏻