knightlymaiden

[knightlymaiden]

Lmao, I just remembered I made this post and oof… I miss the days where I only missed prayer for like 2 days in a row 😭 depression has been hitting me bad and my prayer schedule hasn’t been consistent since… September? Though it does bring up a good point, idk why I missed those prayers that I wrote about (probably just being lazy lmao) but since I’ve genuinely been in the trenches, my deities are being very patient with me 🤍 I haven’t gotten a ‘wtf are you doing’ message because they know I’m fighting demons 🤍

So I haven’t prayed in 2 days (I know 😔) and for my other deities, it’s probably easier to “not notice” that I’m gone, but for Ares, I pray to him every day so like 😭 one time, I didn’t pray to him for 3 days, and on the 3rd/4th day, I got my stuff together and then got a message from him and literally the message was telling me to start praying again and I’m not joking, telling me how LONELY he was when I was gone 💀 Deities are wild 💀 so yeah I probably have only more day probably until he calls me out

(Obligatory “where the hell have you been, loca?”)

[knightlymaiden]

ARES CHTHONIOS, DEFENDER OF LAND

[IMG ID: A photograph of a dark, smoky landscape that turns the sun a brightly-dim red hue. The background is obscured by the ash, with tall trees in the distance. In the foreground is a single house, the blue hidden by the dark ash, with tall oak trees to the right accompanied by a visible large SUV. The scene is dark and dreary].

I HAVE HAD A HARVEST OF GOOD CONVERSATIONS AROUND THE TOPIC OF DIVINE ARES, especially as of late, and I have begun to find a deeper appreciation for the theos. Beyond what many hellenic pagans have said, of him using rage for justice and an aspect of revolution, in my personal research I found another related Ares: the Ares of Ge, the land defender, close to the Erinys and fertility goddesses, and who casts his dice based upon holy Dike’s will. Ares was a popular deity in antiquity, worshipped across the ancient world, especially in Asia Minor with his likely syncretism with a local deity and Iliac connections. I will begin to follow a journey with Ares to understand him as more than war and slaughter, similar to my endlessly loving dea Bellona, and thus I have found Ares Chthonios.

This will be a general survey of his historical cult and my understanding of it based upon my own actions in activism, land sovereignty, and also my understandings from the devotion to the war, retribution, and revolution goddess Bellona. I will interlude my personal interpretations, but I hope these are clear, and I urge those interested to see my bibliography to understand more about Ares in a less frenzied context. 

ARES, DEFENDER OF LAND 

A strong function of war in antiquity was the defence of land. War often meant the burning of crops and homes, the raping of women, slaughter of children, destruction of hearths, and sometimes even the destruction of sacred groves of the gods. Sanctuaries could also be raided and plundered, such as the case in Rome, and their goods appropriated for other deities and personal use. Another aspect of war was civil control, as states did not desire rebellion. For this we begin to see the binding of gods, Ares, but also Dionysos. The ancient world did not have the food security that we do—and imagining life without more readily stable food, defending land becomes not only a necessity, but an ethical move. Siege spells death through Limos. Without land, you cannot access the hearth of Hestia, nor is there security from enslavement by other poli in antiquity. 

Ares’ less war-bound primary functions lie in this defence of land. He was widely worshipped, with some facets of this worship were for the purpose of defending the homeland. 

He is described as a personification of the yeoman-hoplite, who was also likely a farmer that arose to defend his homeland and farm in times of war. Cultic evidence suggests that he was also often paired with fertility goddesses, such as Despoina, Chthonia, the Anatolian Mother Kybele, and of course Aphrodite. He lacks the direct agricultural association of Mars, but he possesses the inherent relation to the chora: thus placed in the city’s sacred groves.

Us modern people concerned with justice tend towards movements such as land back and decolonialism. Xenia does not permit us to be bad to foreigners and xenophobia is a pillar of modern bigotry. Ares’ power may be used to brandish the spear in the defence of land—especially in these ages of growing oligarchies and fascism, the defense of land and home becomes ever more important. His passion and rage lend well to an activist from giving up, giving us strength to continue on. Instead of empowering doom, we may pray for Ares’ courage in the fights present and cultural wars to come just as the homeric hymnal asks for his courage and manliness to investigate the worshipper. 

ARES, OF THE GROVE 

Worship of Ares is also often found in sacred groves. As a defender of chora, it is internal sense to place him within nature. His shrines were also found in the countryside in the network of interpolis social and spatial focal politics. His association with the Earth is enough to call him one of the theoi chthonoi and more for than just bloodshed. As Cults and Sanctuaries of Ares and Enualios summarises: 

Ares, it would seem, was believed to stand guard over the agricultural land of the polls and served the divine patron of its human protectors as well. When enemies threatened, it was Ares who guided the warriors of the polls in their attempt to pay back their enemy. Thus the mythology of Ares, in which he is almost always opposes the aggressor and is often roused to action by an attack against his children,reflects the essentially parochial and reactive nature of a god intent on the defense of the land under his protection (Gonzales, pg 61). 

As a defender of land, he is keen to strike against those that threaten his children: he attempts to avenge Askalaphos in the Iliad, he fights Herakles for the body of his son Kyknos, he avenges the death of the Drakon Ismenios by transforming Kadmos and Harmonia, and he avenges the rape of his daughter Alkippe. Ares is a god of protection in his own right.

Another remark is that Ares is connected to drakons, symbols of the protection alongside chthonic earth, and groves as a whole. He fathers a drakon and snakes are commonly associated with him, his sacred grove that contains the fleece also contained a drakon. Another remark from the book on his binding to the land states; 

The oracle from Pamphylian Syedra, once again, most clearly articulates the associations between, Ares, Dike, and the well being of the polis and its chora. Physically bound to the city and its land, the power of Ares would function both as an avenging protector and guarantor of prosperity: “thus will he become a peaceful god for you, once he has driven the enemy horde far from your land, and he will give rise to prosperity much prayed for..” (Gonzales, 62.) 

This oracle will be revisited later, but there is a clear line of Ares and protection of the land. 

ARES, OF THE PEOPLE

Defending land is equally the defence of people. Undoubtedly there were ancient Greek warriors that would fight to return home, such as Odysseus, and countless unnamed people. Particularly in the context of Iliac Ares, arete is positioned in war as related to material goods and the sadness women and people express at warriors dying relates to their failure as a warrior; their failure becoming agathos. An agathos brings dishonor and shame as he is not able to defend his home, often leaving women and children in distress (Mary, 4). In Iliac poetry, when a warrior lives, he is then chosen by Ares to uphold his Arete. When it comes to Iliac Ares, it makes me wonder about the portrayal of Ares in relation to this—Ares’ humiliation in the Iliad could be related to this idea of failing Arete. 

In this context of ancient society, Ares is enjoyed by common people who take an active role in the pursuits of war. He was invoked by the state for purposes of defending it, much as Apollon was used for colonialism and in war. Ares as the causal force of war, the dangerous slayer, also rallies people to join in union for the fight, 

Plutarch quotes Archilochus, a poet from Paros, also active in the seventh century, as describing the beginning of the close combat within a battle as Ares bringing together the press of battle on the plain. This idea also appears in a mid-fifth century inscription from Samos, in which Ares is described as having brought together the ships of the Greeks and the Medes in battle. Alcaeus’ Ares is the cause of war, and Archilochus’ Ares brings armies together in the conflict which, as other poets tell us, is Ares’ domain (Millington, 113). 

Another small note from Pindar is him positioning Zeus, god of the polis and the people, as an ally to Ares. The Iliad employs an adversarial relationship between them, but Zeus is also a noted war god—elsewhere it is remarked that Apollon’s lyre tames the spear of Ares and the thunderbolt of Zeus. War and the Warrior: Functions of Ares in Literature and Cult describes the friendlier relationship of Zeus and Ares as, 

In his first Pythian Ode, Pindar describes Ares and Zeus as an allied pair,contrasted with Typhon and the forces of chaos, implying that Ares is integrated into, rather than an enemy of the city and civilization (Millington, 128). 

Thus Ares may be compositied with the other theoi as a defender of people. And looking at his name in epithets of other gods—Athena Areia, Aphrodite Areia, Zeus Areios—he is not constantly of strife, but rather comes into unity with the other gods. His association with the Erinyes only puts this as more explicit, as he avenges the blood oath—giving power to the appropriate parties in the Oresteia to avenge the blood-curse. Just as he is mentioned with Dike, the Homeric hymn pairs him as an “aid to Themis” and “ally of mortals” (Rayor, 99).

ARES BEYOND STATELY VALUES

I do critique any reconstructionist that is going to say “chain Ares”, which while in the modern period refers to limiting or constructing, in the ancient world it was to chain Ares’ power to your homeland in particular. It was to ensure his power, by Hermes, would be favoured and stay on your side. Ares’ worship may be further stood in antiquity through this—the Homeric hymn asks to “quell the rebellious”, which for a state would be a primary function of Ares as he could bring civil strife. From a critical perspective, Ares’ worship in this capacity I believe traces back to a rebellious nature—this is a god that can easily bring civil war and revolution, thus he is worshipped to appease this nature and thus secure stability. Then, equally, as a god that brings bloodlust and rage, he also brings peace and the restraint of bloody desires. A function of worship for many in the ancient world is aversion. The same hymnal remarks on Ares to bring courage, not fear, and to tame bloody desires. 

Considering the need to chain and appease Ares, this to my personal understanding shows a deity deeply concerned with the state in a negative manner to said state. He is a vengeance deity, associated with blood-curses, found in actions such us Klytiemennstra’s revenge. Taking a note from my own dea, my understanding of Ares is that he operates as a vengeance god who contests the state on the basis of state injustice. The gods are far more progressive than ancient Greek society was—considering slavery, misogyny, and strife, I find it of no surprise a god of defending land and vengeance would be such a contrarian force. 

I also think of Harmonia, his daughter. A god who was entirely hate and terror would not father the personification of musical and societal harmony. Many of Ares’ children function in harmonic rather than wholly negative roles—even if Eros is sweet and bitter. 

BELLONA, ARES, AND REVOLUTION

Bellona is the roman warrior and hero of excellence, she holds virtue, victory, and retribution in her hands. Rome before the empire understood war as an act of revenge—Rome tried to create and self-justify expansion as a revenge and divine retribution. She essentially acts as a fury. But this retribution and balancing of the scales could turn inwards, and thus, Rome was in tension with her to stay of moral righteousness, lest she bring down her whip upon the city and strike up civil war. Her methods are bloody and furious, deeply caring about wrongs committed, and very rewarding to the righteous and good that follow. 

I see my dea as a goddess of justice, as retribution for wrong that is done is often a key component of justice. Compared to Justicia, who was used for imperial propaganda, Bellona became sidelined in the times of the empire but her popularity did not wane. In this I see a homoplasy between these two gods: Ares’ masculinity would naturally contribute to his more stately portrayal than Bellona, but he is in enough tension with the polis to require a binding by Dike and Hermes from anxious polis religions. And as he is guided by Dike, justice herself, he must often have very good reason to be a volatile causal force. 

Less on my interpretative notes, this quote gives an idea to modernised Ares worship:

Pamphylians of Syedra, who inhabit a rich land of mixed men in shared fields, plant a statue of bloody, man-slaying Ares in the middle of the city and beside (him) perform sacrifices as you bind him with the iron bonds of Hermes, and on the other side let Justice administer the law and judge him; let him resemble a suppliant. Thus will he become a peaceful deity for you, once he has driven the enemy horde far from your country, and he will give rise to prosperity much prayed for. And you, at the same time, take great pain, either chasing them or placing them in unbreakable bonds, and do not, out of fear of the pirates, pay their terrible penalty. For thus will you escape from all degradation (Gonzales, 2010, 280).

Ares here is directly connected to prosperity and defense of people. And most of all, he can be peaceful. One of Ares’ essential traits is his endless bloodlust and rage, which when guided by justice, gives rise to holy revolution and the passionate urge to do good. He as the gods of these things also gives my senses a modern interpretation of a passage in the homeric hymnal: 

Mighty Ares, gold-helmed chariot master, shield-bearer, bronze-armored city guard, strong-willed,  strong-armed, untiring spear strength, defense of Olympos, father of Victory in war, aid to Themis, tyrant to enemies, leader of righteous men, wielding manhood’s scepter, your red orb whirling  among the seven paths of the planets through the ether where your fiery stallions bear you above the third orbit (Rayor, 99).

While quelling rebellion, it is stated that he also leads the righteous. For a personal interpretation, I can easily see it as such: rebellious men are quelled, but righteous men are led, and oftentimes the revolutionary is a person aspiring for right societal change—the feminist argues against the coil and chains of sexism, the indigenous revolutionary against colonialism, and many such examples. I would never shame the rightful anger of a revolutionary. And this is another aspect of Ares I see: his anger and bloodlust may be channelled for the purpose of societal equity-health and stability. Tyrants in ancient Greece were not initially viewed poorly, but after the ancient Greco-Persian war, tyrants became viewed as an enemy of people and democracy. Ares’ hymn thus describes a stance against tyranny, requiring no imagination for the modern day. 

ENDING NOTES

This post is both a survey and a modern look at the evidence. I urge everyone interested to read Cults and Sanctuaries of Ares and Enyalios: A Survey of the Literary, Epigraphic, and Archaeological Evidence to gain a better understanding of him and to develop the historical literacy on Ares. And for Ares’ darker associations, there are plenty of other texts expressing the rightful  pessimism on war. As a fragment of Archilochus says, Ares is “common” to all people, and war affects us all. But this side of Ares does not have to be the one that people still know him for—he is like my dea in this, still bloodshed and slaughter, but he is also a defender and protector. Just as Dionysos drives people mad and Apollon kills through plague, Ares embodies the dualities and complexities of the conflict. I find it depressing that Ares has not been uncoupled or understood in his darker aspects compared to Athena or Apollon. Several are quick to pick away Athena’s war aspects as a vintage value, even her historical misogyny, but not Ares. This I find to be a shame. 

If you liked this post, please consider checking out this post on my wordpress!

References 

Gonzales, M. P. (2004). Cults and sanctuaries of Ares and Enyalios: A Survey of the Literary, Epigraphic, and Archaeological Evidence.

Gonzales, M. (2010). The oracle and cult of ares in Asia minor. DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals). https://doaj.org/article/e9173c9623d24726bc11a08093a1df74

Lewis, & Sian. (2025, March 10). Tyranny | Meaning & Facts. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/tyranny/Greek-tyrants

Meghan Poplacean, D. (2017). The Business of Butchery Bellona and War, Society and Religion from Republic to Empire. The Department of History and Classical Studies  McGill University, Montréal. https://escholarship.mcgill.ca/concern/theses/b8515q959

Millington, A. (2014). War and the Warrior: Functions of Ares in Literature and Cult. In Doctoral thesis, UCL (University College London). https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1427880/

Scott, M. (1979). PITY AND PATHOS IN HOMER. Acta Classica, 22, 1–14. http://www.jstor.org/stable/24591563

Serrati, J. (2022). Gender and the Ritual Lament: Women as the Arbiters of Aretē and Virtus, 2022. Ageless Aretē: Essays From the 6th Interdisciplinary Symposium on the Hellenic Heritage of Sicily and Southern Italy.

[knightlymaiden]

I don’t normally make posts like this, but I needed to say something.

I keep seeing posts about how things like flamin hot cheetos are a lazy offering, but honestly, if I was still able to eat them, that would be a perfect offering for Lord Hephaestus.

I specifically wouldn’t offer them currently, because I can’t eat them, don’t have them around, and it wouldn’t be much of a sacrifice for me to give up something I couldn’t have anyway.

I don’t offer my tap water to the Gods because my tap water isn’t safe to drink, it has to be boiled to be safe. I do offer the safe drinking water I have through. Because that is a sacrifice for me. I don’t offer fresh fruits/veggies because I physically can’t eat them. There’s no sacrifice. I do offer from snacks and meals I can eat. Because that is a sacrifice for me.

I’m physically disabled, specifically, I’m bedridden, use mobility aids full time if I’m out of bed, and often go weeks without leaving my apartment, especially through the long winters here. I physically cannot get to the outdoors, even if I wanted to, many days. I have in home care attendants for over 40 hours a week (not including additional respite). I have high physical care support needs, and need assistance with every one of my activities of daily living (showering, dressing, cleaning, meal prep, transfers, etc).

Many of my conditions are made worse with movement, some of them cause irreparable damage to my body literally any time I move. So when I physically do something, literally every muscle movement, it is a sacrifice. Digital offerings included (to be clear, I never have and never will include AI in any part of my life— I’m talking about my digital drawings, poems, and collages). I can’t even sit up in bed most days, so yeah, a poem I had to use speech to text to write IS sacrifice for me.

So much of how my practice used to look, and ideally how I wish it could look, is completely inaccessible to me at this point in my life. But I’m still just as devoted to the Gods. I’m not being lazy, I’m doing everything I physically can do. I feel like people might not understand the feeling of not only losing the ways in which you connected spiritually for well over a decade and having to try to find ways to adapt for your body’s limitations; but also the feeling of being put down by others in your community, even unintentionally, for you doing the best you can.

You might say “well of course disabled people don’t count!” But when you specifically say that specific ways in which I practice are “wrong”, it does hurt, it does ostracize me from my community, and it does make me feel ashamed to be disabled. It also dismisses how real the sacrifices I do make are.

How I practice my faith is between me and the Gods. If you don’t like that, you don’t need to be on my blog and can block or unfollow.

[knightlymaiden]

Hey everyone! Usually I like to keep my posts a lot more lighthearted and just post my sporadic updates on me and the gods, but lately I’ve been seeing some stuff here in helpol tumblr that I feel like I need to talk about.

So with the rise of conservatism happening in America, we’re seeing it in everything from politics to fashion to… here it seems? Now ofc I know not everyone here is from America or even a western country, but also I know this stuff doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Now what I have been seeing here isn’t exactly becoming more conservative, BUT I’m definitely seeing a more downward shift in this space? For example, I can’t hop onto here and look under the Hellenic polytheist tag without seeing someone talking about hating some god (for example all the Zeus hate???) or seeing someone talk about seeing people talking about hating a god. But it’s not only that, I feel like this space has become a lot more limited? I became a Hellenic polytheist back in 2021 and back in the day (a ripe 4 years ago), everyone was so much more carefree and less constricting with their posts (and presumably their worship).

Yes, as I became older and more experienced, did I think some of the posts I saw on here were strange or ‘cringe’? Yes, I even thought how I used to worship was cringe! But would I rather see that than seeing everyone talking about hating Zeus or talking about how you can and can’t worship? Yes absolutely! I’m definitely not a veteran, so I don’t know how the Hellenic polytheist space was before 2020 or even long before that (I know some people have been following this religion before even finding others on social media spaces lol), but that fact I’ve seen such a rapid change in just 4 years is kinda odd to me. Or even just last year, I feel like it was so much better.

Not to be a Debbie downer, but with living in the US and seeing again, the rise in conservatism and just seeing the internet becoming worse and worse everyday, it really hurts to see that happening here of all places. I don’t know if it’s just me or if I’m being dramatic, but I feel like it’s becoming a lot more sanitized here. Like I said, while I may have thought it was ‘cringe’, some of the stuff I was seeing here, I’d much rather see (probably) 13 year olds talking how they offered Apollo their morning orange juice or whatever it is and how they saw like 50 crows on the way to school lmao. While this isn’t ridiculous (I just couldn’t think of a good example of the top of my head), I’d rather see people’s ridiculous random offerings and them making something dramatic out of nothing (like seeing one crow and freaking out) than what I’m seeing today. I still see some silly stuff here ofc, but even then it’s few and far between and not as special as it used to be.

It’s just weird for me to see because being a polytheist/ pagan/ witch or whatever anyone here calls themselves was seen as more ‘freeing’ and allowed them to get silly with it, but now I’m just seeing posts on people policing on how to worship and why you shouldn’t worship this god and you should worship this one instead 😭 like what are we doing? And yes, this has always been a thing (trust me, I know), but before, people would get thrown into the sun for trying to police worship and now I see people agreeing with them? Like people were more ‘do what you want (as long as you’re respectful!!)’ and now it’s ’do this and this to properly worship a god.’ Like as long as you’re respectful (and doing the basics lmao) and happy, who cares?? It’s between you and the gods, not anyone else. I could say more on this, but instead I’m going to move on and say wtf is with all the god hating??? Like if it was just once or twice, it’s whatever, that’s always existed unfortunately, but it’s like a trend??? With Zeus specifically, all I have to say is if you’re a Hellenic polytheist and you want to keep believing the myths… that’s between you and the gods (and your lack of common sense I fear). Like the first thing you do when you become a Hellenic polytheist is let go of the myths??? This a religion, not a fandom. And lastly, yes this space has always had its problems, transphobia, misogyny/ sexism, and more recently Zi^nism 💀, but I don’t know how to explain how those have always felt more ‘small’ and manageable, now I don’t even want to open tumblr because all I see is people talking how they met someone who hates Apollo 😭

That’s the end of the post, I’m sorry it’s so long. I just really love being a Hellenic polytheist and I couldn’t have got there without helpol tumblr. Literally how I found Hellenic polytheism exists is because of Tumblr. I love this space and what it’s given me (and others!!) and I don’t want to lose that to whatever’s going on. Love you guys and if you have also being seeing stuff like this, lmk!! I hope I’m not just being dramatic and blowing stuff out of proportion. Bye and let’s hope my next post will be shorter (and happier!!).

[knightlymaiden]

shayma escaped gaza before the crossing closed and has been struggling to care for her family of 16 in egypt. rent is skyrocketing, and now her brother needs help funding his master's degree. she just lost her childhood friend and her friend's family, she needs support right now.

she didn't ask me to post this, i just wanna show her there's still people out there who care. please help her

[knightlymaiden]

Absolutely be political in your worship.

Aphrodite isn't called Pandemos (of All People) so you can sit around and let the big names capitalise love and serve it only to those who can afford to pay past the persecution. Hermes isn't called Oeopolus (Shepherd) so you can sit around and let a bunch of power-hungry wolves lead a flock of influencable sheep. Apollo isn't called Paean (Healer) so you can sit around while wealthy corporations serve healthcare only to those who can afford not to die. Athena isn't called Ambulia (Counsellor) so you can sit around while the people are being fed propaganda against each other to divert them from the real enemy at the top. Dionysus isn't called Eleuthereus (the Liberator) so you can sit around while freedom is only granted to those whose skins have the acceptable colour while the others die in chains. Zeus isn't called Xenios (of the Foreigners) so you can sit around while the borders are closed to those who need it and only open to those who can give back the money.

The Gods stand with the oppressed, and so should you.

[knightlymaiden]

you can’t be anti-immigration and helpol. you just cant. xenia is such an integral part of this religion. good will. hospitality. kindness to strangers. being anti-immigration goes against all that. if you’re helpol and anti-immigration do better.

[knightlymaiden]

Donate!!!!!! Boost!!!!!

[knightlymaiden]

It’s uncanny how similar Trump is acting like Hitler. People are now doing the Nazi salute. They’re drawing the symbol. The KKK was seen in Kentucky asking people to join them. ICE has been ripping families apart. Companies have pulled back Diversity Initiatives. We’re no longer part of WHO and there won’t be any communication from the CDC at least until February 1st. We’re being censored and the news can’t be trusted. Thousands of Americans didn’t know there were protests against Trump yesterday outside the U.S. Quotes from The Handmaid’s Tale and Anne Frank have been compared to what’s going on right now.

According to The Lemkin Institute for Genocide Studies and Prevention the U.S. has officially been given a red flag alert for Genocide.

I’m exhausted but I will never stop being angry.

[knightlymaiden]

USA people! Buy NOTHING Feb 28 2025. Not anything. 24 hours. No spending. Buy the day before or after but nothing. NOTHING. February 28 2025. Not gas. Not milk. Not something on a gaming app. Not a penny spent. (Only option in a crisis is local small mom and pop. Nothing. Else.) Promise me. Commit. 1 day. 1 day to scare the shit out of them that they don't get to follow the bullshit executive orders. They don't get to be cowards. If they do, it costs. It costs.

Then, if you can join me for Phase 2. March 7 2025 thtough March 14 2025? No Amazon. None. 1 week. No orders. Not a single item. Not one ebook. Nothing. 1 week. Just 1.

If you live outside the USA boycott US products on February 28 2025 and stand in solidarity with us and also join us for the week of no Amazon.

Are you with me?

Spread the word.

[knightlymaiden]

btw now is the best time to keep boycotting. the israeli economy has never been weaker. don't stop the protests or the demands for divestment. keep supporting organisations like the Hind Rajab Foundation and the Accountability Archive. ofc don't stop boosting and donating to Palestinians as Gaza is still uninhabitable.

enjoy this moment but the work has not ended

[knightlymaiden]

I just read that Donald Trump and his circus took down a website called reproductiverights.gov

This was a website to help women learn about their reproductive rights in the US and to find health care.

This is absolutely disgusting so I’ll share in this post some resources in case you need them:

https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn

[knightlymaiden]

Remaking the Tumblr post for Maha’s fundraiser so that we don’t have the defunct gfm attached. Before scrolling past this, please read it in its entirety.

1. She is currently in a lot of danger. A while ago she was half outed as trans. People around her are suspicious and are looking through her phone. She is terrified of police involvement if they find evidence that she is trans. On top of this, Iraq is going to be bombed again soon, this month.

2. We don't have a lot of time. Since Trudeau resigned, the new Canadian PM is likely to be Poilievre, who is running on an extremely anti-immigrant policy. She needs to be in Canada before the next election happens, which could be as early as late March. This means we need to raise as much money as we can ASAP.

3. We're shooting to raise $15,000 by the end of January. She needs this money to make the flight and to pay living expenses once she reaches Canada. Please, please donate if you are at all able. If you cannot donate, please share this fundraiser with people you know who can donate. Share it with your friends, family, on social media, on discord, anywhere.

4. Maha has been trying to leave for years. She worked three jobs to try to raise money to leave, but her savings got destroyed because she developed cancer from USAmerican bombs. The previous GFM was abandoned and Maha was unable to get the money. We really, really can’t delay things further.

The fact that our post for Maha’s first fundraiser got over 10k notes is absolutely amazing. I’m sure we can do it again and raise enough money for her to leave this time. If you reblogged the previous post, please reblog this one as well. Please donate what you are able, and share <3

[knightlymaiden]

[knightlymaiden]

may lord ares guide you in your every battle, may he fight as your comrade in arms in every war

may he teach you never to suppress the passionate fury that resides in your very bones

lord ares, he who sees the every injustice you face and he who will be by your side as you seek retribution

he is your finest hour, your shrill cry, the arrow you release and the spear you gut your fears with.

never lose the gifts lord ares has bestowed upon you, it is of your nature to be passionate and furious, fight for what you believe and never surrender.

(im listening to rock music rn and it made me think of lord ares)

[knightlymaiden]

The Gods and beauty

Hello everyone, todays post will be on the Gods and beauty, or more like on beauty standards. Now this post will not be the full article that I wrote, mostly because it’s too long, so if you want to see the full thing, please head to my substack! I’ll be posting all kinds of things on there about the Gods and stuff so yeah :>

Anyway, since I can’t fit everything in here, I’ll put the part that inspired me to write this whole thing.

Selene <3

More specifically her face shape! While I’m not insecure about my face shape, you don’t really see it in popular media (figures) or ‘represented.’ This face shape I’m talking about is a round one ofc. Idk, there’s just something so magical about having your face represented in a statue, and of a goddess no less… idk it did something to me back when I first saw it.

This wasn’t in the original post, so it’s a tumblr exclusive, but we can talk about a certain ‘statue’ of Demeter (Its not a statue, but idk what to call it lmao. I think it’s called a ‘relief’?).

Shout out to having a double chin!!

And here’s all versions of this relief that I was able to find.

And I’m sure there are a lot of statues/ reliefs/ or other art pieces with double chins, so there’s a little challenge for you. Maybe you could find another. Also, is there any statues or art pieces of a god that you see yourself in? Maybe you could find some if not! It truly is a beautiful thing to notice in an art piece of a deity.

Anyway, that’s my little post <3. If you found this interesting or cool, I highly encourage you to check out my full writing I did on it! We talk about more statues, Apollo and his general ‘feminine’ appearance in statues, Dionysus and his whole genderqueer thing he has going on (lol) and more! It’s not that long of a read as well! If you decide to check it out, thank you so much <3

[knightlymaiden]

Genocide flattens every discussion. There are no new conversations to be had about the destruction, death and cruelty. After more than a year, there is nothing left to be said about various media houses, corporations and international bodies of law aiding and abetting all that has been happening in Gaza, either. It is the banality of evil, it is colonialism. However even in this atrociously banal circumstance, I do think what still is a continued point of hope for Gazans and what still pushes so many of them to reach out to the world, is the support people around the globe have shown and still continue to show. Which is why I am here on behalf of the Shehab family ( @fahedshehab-new ) and requesting  you to help them survive through this winter. This won't take much of your time so please read: 

Fahed is currently supporting 13 family members in total- his own family and that of his sister’s.

He has to look after 8 children now, with the youngest being his son Yayha who is barely having anything to eat because the price of baby milk  is exorbitantly high in Gaza. 

The genocide has taken a toll on Fahed’s daughters. Sahar and Dana spent a whole year under the threat of bombs and right now instead of getting to be teenagers, they ask their father if they will survive. They have even said they don't want to live if they lose someone. 

The family right now immediately needs clothes to keep them warm throughout winter. Fahed’s family is from the north and has been displaced several times before they came south. Displacement is dangerous and a silent killer because often essential items are lost and cannot be replaced in time. 

Please consider that the weather has already turned colder around the world and that which is only mildly uncomfortable to us, presents a dire situation for Gazans. The families don't have a shelter and there is no way for tents to adequately protect from cold winds and rain. So right now the immediate need is for warm clothes and it can cost upto $400 per person. With THIRTEEN PEOPLE to take care of Fahed immediately needs to raise at least 5k to buy the required apparels. So please boost and donate. 

Currently at $66,248. He needs to reach $71,248. Please help however you can. 

Vetting link

Please remember that every donation, even if it is 5 dollars, is a ray of hope for the families who have lost everything.

Tagging for reach 🙏🏽

@brutaliakhoa @appsa @malcriada @aces-and-angels @three-croissants

@schoolhater @briarhips @timetravellingkitty @tiredguyswag @neptunerings

@brokenbackmountain @transmutationisms @fuckgimp @jezior0

@imjustheretotrytohelp @sunflowersmoths @khanger @autisticmudkip @zigcarnivorous

@maaszeltov @contra-file @venus-is-in-bloom @fading-event-608 @lesbianmaxevans

@girlinafairytale @heliopixels @celadonwanderer @paparoach @furiousfinnstan

@forgetfulrecord @flyskyhigh09 @aflamethatneverdies @thedigitalbard @lesbincineroar

@noble-kale @maoistyuri @lamngen @thatsonehellofabird @roadimusprime

@a-shade-of-blue @ramshackledtrickster @C-u-ckoo-4-40k @galacticmermaid @heydreamchild