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[lostinvasileios]

Hi! I’m sorry if my question seems to be silly, but I really was wondering.

Have you ever saw and/or heard you deities? How do you do that? I’ve never experienced something like that, but I see people sharing this sort of experience. Like… they can describe appearance, voice etc of their deities. How? I fully rely on my gut in my journey, but I do wish to see, hear and know my deities in face. So, if my question doesn’t bother you, could you share your experience and tips, please?

Thank you!

Hello there, lovely!! Your question isn't silly at all, don't worry. Thanks for asking. 🤍🌼

I indeed have! I've seen/felt and heard my deities before. And, the process to be able to do this is different for everyone.

But, for me, it took countless hours of meditation with them, I was spending so much time focusing on my already existing abilities. Like my active imagination, my sense of visualization that came from that, and so on and so forth which would eventually allow me to begin to see my beloved deities. Being able to recognize their energy soon led me to being able to comprehend their voices and feel their touches. Then that got me into the process of being able to see them.

Gut feelings are actually one of the ways you can get to learn your deities appearance as well. You could try and picture them from whatever comes to mind. A pop culture artwork of them, maybe a livened version of their statue, someone pretty on Pinterest with a few extra features, ect. Deity appearances are very fluid, and can change depending on any factor, so there's no pressure on finding out what they "exactly" look like. Because, they have no exact look. Just take whatever feels best for you. That's what it will come down to most of the time, anyway. What resonates. Like always, lol.

Actually, for about 6 months of being able to see them at first, I couldn't register their voices outside of when they would speak. If that makes sense, lol. Like, I'd understand it when they'd talk to me, but when they weren't speaking, I couldn't recall their voice, just what they had said. Sometimes, their appearance will do the same. You'll see it in the moment, you'll feel or hear them in the moment, then whenever that interaction/meditation ends - so does the...sensation? of them. You know?

For some part of my time with Apollon at first, I'd simply spend my time scrolling through Pinterest for pictures that reminded me of him. I kept them in a sort of e-altar board for him so I could go back and refresh my mind if I was having trouble seeing him in my imagination. Since, sometimes, it helps to simply - daydream of their appearances. At least for me. Getting more used to their eye colors, their body languages, imagine them speaking to you every now and then to try and have their voice be easier to comprehend, stuff like that.

Don't rush it, I can almost guarantee that you'll see and sense your deities in these ways eventually. However, they know what's best in the end. Seeing deities, feeling them, hearing them, ect - can be quite the energy drainer because of how high frequency they are and whatnot. Even if they lower themselves to some extreme degrees to be able to show themselves to us in these ways. So, if you aren't experiencing it just yet, that's probably because you aren't ready for it. Comprehending deities is a difficult task for anyone at first, and can be a persistent struggle even over months. And that's perfectly fine. Because these are celestial beings of the stars and all that other universe-y stuff, we as humans are conditioned not to believe these astral realm things because of how unlimited it all is. Of how... Ironically unbelievable the experience is.

So, even when you're sensing them, your brain will be like "mm...no" most of the time when you're first getting the hang of it. Out of the want to protect you and whatnot.

Deities will 9/10 times try their darndest to help you comprehend them by coming in appearances of like... TV characters, like I've heard some people see Loki as the Loki from the marvel series. Or, how you see book characters. There's been a few times where Aphroditus has appeared to me as a fanart of Lucien from ACOTAR that I loved and made the way I see him whenever he's present in the book. Their voices just the same. They might sound like a singer you very much enjoy, or like a comfort character of yours. I could go on, but I think you get the point, haha.

I saw Apollon as the Apollo from Blood of Zeus without ever having watched or have had heard of it, I only noticed he was taking that form after I looked up his name on Pinterest, and I just went with it. Same with Dionysus. Point is, let them show themselves to you however your brain allows them. I put so much tremendous pressure on myself to perfectly memorize how my higher self looked or how my deities looked, just to be reminded how their forms are infinite. How - they don't want you to stress over that.

They don't want you to feel less because you cannot experience them in the way another devotee can, because that's them, this is you. And they love you. And they'll meet you where you're at to help you progress and grow.

My motto for this? It'll happen when it happens, and when it does - I know they'll be refreshingly, ravishingly beautiful.

I never liked surprises, but, hey. When your deity pops out with a new look entirely and it takes the breath out of you to see it - you get more accustomed to it over time, haha.

Sorry if I dragged this on, I love questions like these lol. I hope it helped!! Blessed be. 💛🤍💛

[lostinvasileios]

Glass Moth Wings

[lostinvasileios]

[lostinvasileios]

You can make your witchcraft and/or your religion(s) your whole life, or not. Nowhere are there rules for how much to practice, how much to worship. It comes down to as much or as little as you want, because it's your life after all.

[lostinvasileios]

Prayers.

Me: I haven't prayed in so long... *Sigh* I'm sorry, my loves. For being a lack-luster spouse/devotee.

Apollon, barging in: My dear, you don't need to stress about prayer. For the rhythm of your heartbeat alone is a hymn for us. The patterns of your breaths count as our poetry. And the rush of your blood through your entirety... Is our prayer.

Me, in sickly shambles: wwahahwhwjaawff??!!?!?

Apollon, proud of being the charismatic husband he always is: 😘😘💋

[lostinvasileios]

“You’re allowed to scream, you’re allowed to cry, but do not give up.”

— Unknown (via c-oquetry)

[lostinvasileios]

~Source Pinterest~

[lostinvasileios]

Me: *Insults myself in any shape or form.*

Satan: *Gasp* How dare you?!

Me: I'm sorry 🙁

Satan: Take it back

Me: I take it back

Satan: Good boy

[lostinvasileios]

[lostinvasileios]

Me: Keys, phone... What am I forgetting?

Dionysus: To talk to Dionysus

Me: No that's not it.

Dionysus: Talk to Dionysus

Me: Is it my wallet??

Dionysus: Talk to meeeeeeeeeejgngng

Me: Hello Dionysus

Dionysus: MY LOVE 💖💖💞💓💗 HIIIII 💛💛💐💐🌼🌷

[lostinvasileios]

May your blankets be soft and your pillows be plush fellow eepers.

May you be snug as a bug in a rug fellow eepers.

[lostinvasileios]

"Darling, please. Listen to me." Apollon says softly, holding my trembling hands. "Listen to my words and know they are true."

He holds me to his chest, allowing me to dampen it with tears. "You are okay." He smooths my hair. "You are safe with me."

"I know that sounds sketchy. I know it sounds as if it were a lie. But, I promise - you are beloved by me. Protected.... Wanted." He places a gentle kiss to my head. "I swear it."

"I can't... Believe you, Apollon. I'm so sorry for that. I wish I could, I want to more than anything, but.."

He hushes me.

"I know." He says as he pulls away from the hug a bit, grabbing my hands once more.

"... But, no matter how long it takes to heal the lies people fed to you, no matter how many times we end up just like this. No matter of anything at all."

"I will never abandon you. My dearest husband."

"I will always be here to reassure you of my love, of our love. Of everything you worry about."

"... You don't mean this, do you?" I ask.

He softly smiles and brings my hands to his lips, placing a kiss on the back of both of them.

"I mean it as much as the water means to home coral. As much as oxygen fuels fire. As much as the sun means to give life to plants."

"I mean it forever."

"I can't - do anything right. Everything seems so hard. I keep... I keep failing. No matter what I do, I cannot progress. I can't... I can't..." My voice shakes and feels as if it will erupt if I continue. My head lowered and my tears stinged as they left my eyes.

Hypnos gently smiles, placing his soft hands on to my face to lift it. His eyes as bright as a leaf being illuminated with the light of the sun meeting my own. He caresses my cheeks with his thumbs, and he says "My dear one, you speak of fairytales." He kisses my forehead.

"Your head feeds you lies, it feeds you the cruelty that was beaten into it."

"And you will not listen to it."

He leans forward to kiss some of my tears away. We stay like this for a bit. Him kissing away the tears as they come, my shaky breaths catching on to his skin and returning to me warmly. His own breath feeling like a soft winter breeze, like snowflakes melting on the tip of my nose.

"I'm sorry, Somnus." I manage to mutter.

"I don't need your apologies, my flower. I want your understanding."

"I want you to allow me to help you understand that you may cry as much as your heart must, that it is not a bad thing, but to not let your brain fog up with such harmful accusations towards my beloved, that is trying his very best."

I crumble over in his arms, letting myself fall into his embrace as he tenderly runs his nails down my spine. Rubbing circles on my back and softly humming. Existing as a comfort to me when I had none.

"I need you, Hypnos." I whisper through sniffs and tears.

"I need you too, Vasileios."

"I'm disgusting. I can't cope without my addiction, I thought I was getting better. I thought -" I choke. "... I thought I was better than this."

Dionysus brings a hand up to my hair, twisting his finger through my locks so they may curl around it. "My star." He says lovingly. "My beautiful, strong, courageous star." He smiles. "Your addiction does not make you any less valuable."

"It makes me vile."

"It makes you human."

I pause. Full of anger at myself and... Stubbornness to believe him.

"My doll, do you genuinely believe I'd shrivel my nose at you in disgust for what you do to cope?"

I keep my eyes averted, sighing.

His expression softens, his eyes swirling with galaxies and the love he holds for me as he reaches for my face. Tracing my bottom lip with one of his thumbs. "You think wrong." He says, somewhat through a smile. "You could never disgust me."

"Never lessen my love for you. For the love I have for you is a love that could strangle air itself. It could crack Olympus in half."

"You're only saying that."

His hands drape down to my shoulders... My arms. And he pulls forward, uniting his lips with mine. And in the kiss, I feel his pulse. His love flows from his lips like a sweetly sung lullaby.

He intertwines his fingers with mine.

"I love you." He whispers.

"I love you like the sea loves the shore."

"Like the leaves love the trees."

"Like the berries love the wines."

"I love you."

He holds my face. And kisses me again.

Again.

Again.

..

And again.

Patting on kiss after kiss after kiss, he leaves me no room to doubt it. Kisses all of my senses away. Kisses all of my doubts away. Leaving only him. Only his love. Only his reassurance. His acceptance.

"My star..." He softly says. Wrapping me in his arms.

I wrap him in mine, too.

"My plum." I say back.

[lostinvasileios]

Our dear beloved Hypnos genuinely makes his stance on TERFS/ect so very prominent.

He in no way is a supporter of it. He's one of the biggest helpers in gender affirming for me, and for many others. He embraces those targeted by oppressive ideologies like transphobia like he does slumber. Entirely and lovingly.

It's pitiful to see how some people can be so loud and so painstakingly wrong when saying how the gods are anti-LGBT.

Hate to burst your bubble here, but - the gods literally have countless and current flourishing history/histories of being exactly what you reject.

Hypnos himself once said to me: "Those who deny you are only the ones who are not able to sleep cozily with a sense of love in their reality. Take no heart to it, for they can only dream of the beauty you get to experience."

THIS TEMPLE IS ANTI TERF/RADFEM/GENDER CRITICAL

There is a large TERF issue in hellenism communities, I'm not sure why considering how pro trans hellenism is, but I do want to say that no TERFS are welcome to The Temple of Hypnos. You're telling me Hypnos would support people who deny others their dreams? Hypnos would support terfs who bring harm and stress to trans people like me? Don't make me laugh. You're an insult to all hellenics, may you never rest and may you never dream

[lostinvasileios]

the absolute funniest thing is me worrying if i'm too much regarding how much i love my deities and meanwhile the deities i worship are like

hey i'm giving you a sign that i'm thinking about you

i'm also giving you a sign that i love you and i'm around you

i'm also giving you some of my energy to sit with because it makes you happy

i'm listening to every word you say in your prayers to me

i'm reminding you to take care of yourself because i care about you

i'm a spirit that's as old as time itself and i still find time to spend with you because you're important to me

and that doesn't even cover the blessings

[lostinvasileios]

Normalize laughing with your deities 

Normalize telling your deities jokes 

Normalize playing music for your deities at any time it feels right 

Normalize drawing silly little doodles for your deities regardless of skill

Normalize sharing a walk with your deities

Normalize soaking in the sunlight and dark mystery of night with your deities

Normalize letting your deities in, letting them be there 

Normalize shedding tears of joy and sadness and expressing negative emotions that aren’t pretty with your deities

Normalize various levels of intimacy both casual and intense with your deities 

Normalize following what works for you and your deities no matter what when it’s just about you and them, no one else

[lostinvasileios]

Advice for beginner Hellenists

This isn't necessarily a post where I include a list of Gods, epithets, resources, and offerings for said Gods, but rather, hopefully soothing the worries of those of us who are starting the journey into the religion. As someone who was once in a religion that made other religions sound like something absolutely terrifying, my journey into Hellenism was once which was also... pretty terrifying, and this fear was mostly just from my own mind.

Anyways, my list of Advice:

You can literally just start praying. If you want to get more formal, you can absolutely get more formal, but you very much don't have to. I've definitely had my first prayers to some Gods be "hello, [God or Goddess's name], I want to worship You! Please lead me in my journey. Thanks!" I can promise you, the Gods are much kinder and more understanding than any of us fully know.

You can also just start worshiping in general. I feel like I've seen on occasion people worried about the Gods not "calling" to them. This is definitely not something that needs to happen pre-worship. If you find them interesting enough to pray to, then that in and of itself is enough.

In a similar vein, I wouldn't be too concerned about the idea of "signs". I feel like there's a tendency for folks to be incredibly worried about everything when first starting out - the behavior of a candle, the sighting of an animal, a strange dream, all can suddenly seem to take on jarring significance. But I can promise you, the Gods don't constantly give out signs, and frequently, these strange occurrences can be attributed to the mundane. When something comes from the Gods, you will know, trust me!

You don't have to worry too much about the idea of cleanliness, be it spiritual or physical. Khernips are cool, and I'd definitely recommend integrating them into your practice sooner or later. Hygiene is cool too! But if I'm being honest, we in the modern day are far more physically clean, and a lot less likely to regularly encounter the type of pollution that would have been encountered in ancient Greece.

The Gods will be at varying distances over the course of your worship. Sometimes, They will feel close, joyfully, burningly so. And sometimes, They will feel far, and prayers may even feel a bit futile. Both of those are perfectly okay, and neither of those will be permanent.

And, once again in a similar vein, you will likely not find yourself having constant, close mystical experiences with the Gods (i.e., conversations, visions, etc.). These experiences are rare and far between, and I would advise that you not make them a central part of your worship. They will come when the Gods deem you're ready for them, and you definitely won't be expecting it. Focus on the little things!

My final thing (for now) is that you also shouldn't put undue pressure on yourself to be doing some sort of big offering to the Gods. If that's what you can afford, that's great! But if not, fresh water, a small wildflower that you came across and picked*, or a small bit of a meal also count as a good offering!

And with that, my (much longer than I was previously planning on) list of things for beginners to keep in mind! A lot of this list is made up of things which I picked up along the way, and a lot of it is also made from my own personal hindsight being 20/20. I hope this is helpful to someone, and that it maybe soothes some of the (incredibly common) worries which so often accompany those who are venturing into the world of Hellenic polytheism!

[lostinvasileios]

descriptions of dionysos in the bakkhai (tr. anne carson) that make me lose my mind a little