rosary-enthusiast

[rosary-enthusiast]

In my pain, I cry for my beloved Apollo, healer of all ailments.

I pray for my suffering to be eased, in the face of great strife. Though my mortality feels heavy, I proclaim my faith is still strong.

God of great strength, of beauty & grace,

I ask that you lift the weight upon my shoulders, & give me a love for the life i have been given. Give me the strength to continue, as your devotee.

For what suffering one must feel, to take their own life. What aid they must require.

Beloved Apollo, who turns the tide of wars with his hand, who’s skill is beyond match, effortless in it’s fashion,

I ask for your intercession, easy as it must be, & in return i promise my worship in every aspect.

Thank you, Lord of light, slayer of wolves, great companion of humanity.

[rosary-enthusiast]

In this time of need I pray.

Lord Zeus of the foreigners, god of compassion & companionship, we call humbly to you in our time of grief.

We invoke your love for humans & their kinship, & your kindness to strangers.

Bring peace & sovereignty to Gaza, land of the olive trees, & the finest of fabrics.

Bring freedom to Palestine, land of dance, of music, of sweet fruit, long oppressed.

All-Mighty father, king of all kings, all is under your will, & all is within your grasp. We pray for the people of Palestine, & for an easement to their pain.

What’s more, Thunder-Bearer, father of Far-Shooting Apollo, king of Heaven,

I pray for the migrants, the people kept unjustly in the hands of ruthless tyrants, who disrespect your law. I pray too for their freedom, for their lives to be spared, for their safety in lands unfamiliar.

& so too, I pray for the care of their souls in Olympus’ hands, if they should pass. Let them feel no pain, let their martyrdom be answered swiftly, tenfold.

Thank you, good husband of Queen Hera, father of gods, justice-bringer.

[rosary-enthusiast]

If your reaction to people rightfully calling out Gaza scam bots for being vile scammers preying on real Palestinians’ lives and people’s kindness is to call them racist or genocide supporters, you’re one of these;

Someone who is never taught about internet literacy, internet safety and how dangerous it is to blindly trust strangers in your inbox / DMs begging you for your money with the same copy paste script of the same sob stories — strangers whose blogs were either created 3 days ago with the sole purpose of sending the same ask to 100+ people a day or literal porn bots before they became Palestinians, if you go to their blogs and scroll down far enough

Someone who is easily guilt tripped and manipulated. Because that’s the precise tactic these scammers use, manipulating and guilt tripping you into believing you are a terrible person for not donating and posting their asks

Someone who knows these vile things are scammers but still chooses to protect them for the sake of looking Morally Superior (“look!!!! I support these Poor People!!!! I’m such a good person!!!!)

Someone who, for some sick, twisted reasons, is okay with scammers profiting off of real Palestinians and scamming people off their money

Someone who is also a scammer

Also, no, people who rightfully call out Gaza scam bots for being vile scammers preying on real Palestinians’ lives and people’s kindness are not “monsters” or “racist” or “heartless”. They are the ones who actually give a fuck and care about Palestinian people enough to choose to speak against scammers who profit off of a genocide and robbing from Palestinian people donation money that could have gone to, you know, real Palestinians instead of scammers’ pockets.

A reminder that these scammers stole from Palestinian people their identities and photos to trick you into believing them. But it’s all part of a big scam ring, even the vetters and the organization that vets these bots, and Tumblr has always been a target of scammers for years.

It started with these scammers pretending to be students needing money for their education fees, then they pretend to be pet owners needing money for their sick, dying pets, then they’re porn bots and now they pretend to be Palestinians trying to survive in Gaza. But they are all the same scammers plaguing Tumblr for a whole decade and more. Do not fall for them. Stay safe.

[rosary-enthusiast]

Something I think about sometimes is the fact that Hephaestus is disabled. Or at the very least, chooses to represent himself that way. I don’t believe a god could be meaningfully injured, but perhaps he intended a symbology in his clubbed foot?

The Greeks often conflated physical beauty or perfection with moral goodness. Wholeness of body was considered very important, & Hephaestus’ disability conflicts this idea. He has difficulty walking, & yet he is a god, above mortal standards of beauty.

I believe he is intended to be a moral guide for us. If gods can be disfigured, then the gods will not judge us mortals for being so. Your disability is irrelevant in the face of the gods, for they do not expect perfection, only your best.

He is also the paramour of Aphrodite. Beauty & disability, side by side. Could the message be any more clear?

[rosary-enthusiast]

I feel great comfort in the idea of the Gods feeling no need to label sexuality, as done by the Greeks. Unfortunately, Ancient Greece was not as openly gay as commonly believed, much of the homoeroticism expressed, especially in Athens, was explicitly an exclusively masculine, wealthy, expression of power. A social status symbol for an older man sexualizing a younger boy, understood today to be abusive. Much of the time a more equal relationship between men was seen as inappropriate & indulgent.

However, queer people more comparable to modern day relationships did in fact exist, & I don’t doubt the Gods do not discriminate in their love.

I often use Saint Sebastian as a representation of Apollo, because he’s associated with arrows, athletes, & beautiful young men. Saint Sebastian is unofficially often referred to as the patron of gay men, & it isn’t lost on me that Apollo can be interpreted as a similar homoerotic figure. He is perfect in body, & he is supposed to be the masculine ideal, often praised in Greece especially. I choose to interpret his relationship with Hyacinthus as a representation of this aspect of him.

Artemis was never married, & never had children. She clearly prefers the company of women, at least mythologically, & her relationship with the nymphs can be interpreted as sapphic in nature. What could be more sacred to the protector of women, then two women loving each other?

Dionysus is the god of the outcasts, & the downtrodden. His worshippers were those mistreated by society, & he subverts gender many times. According to some he was raised as a girl, & the image of him we are more familiar with is very much effeminate. He has an epithet referring to his wide sexual preference, both as the giver & the receiver, which at the time would have been a subversive act, as well as something that challenges the expectations of a masculine person. He is also associated with theater & performers, which is a big part of queer culture.

Sappho prayed to Aphrodite concerning her love for another woman, not to mention Aphrodite was born from the testicles of a man, which could be seen as a transition of genders.

Basically, the gods love you. Although the Greeks were a very different society to ours, & we should view things within a historical context, it’s not wrong to want to reclaim some of that history for yourself. If you see yourself in the gods, in figures of mythology, that is not only ok, but it is what people have been doing for all of time. Stories change meaning, & evolve.

[rosary-enthusiast]

A few days ago, a little baby blue jay walked right up to me. I was excited about this because one, very very cute, but two, i associate blue jays with Apollo. They are a masculine bird, with a playful confidence to them that reminds me of the archetype Apollo fills. Blue jays always seem to show up when I need advice, & I see them as a very positive omen.

All this to say, if you needed a baby blue jay in your life, here you are 💕 Apollo bless you.

[rosary-enthusiast]

O’great Hera!

White-armed wife of Zeus!

Just queen of Olympia, goddess of the clear sky! Hear our praise!

Unbulled mother of fierce Ares, she who bore glorious Hebe!

Mother of all mothers, queen of all queens!

O’grand defender of man, champion of justice! May you reign long & well!

She who keeps balance in Heaven! She who’s milky skin reflects in the stars!

Her chariot pulled by sleek peacocks, her crown blossoming with lotuses!

A maiden of storms, punisher of adulterers!

She who’s righteous anger melts iron! She who’s rain showers clear mortal filth!

Patron of princes! Graceful lady of matrimonial harmony!

She who traces the sky with constellations!

Cow-eyed goddess, glorious wife! Rejoice in our worship!

Mother of gods!

Blooming lotus!

Lioness of Heaven!

[rosary-enthusiast]

O’great Apollon!

Beauty of Olympus!

He who blesses us with poetry & song!

Herald of the sun, brother of the moon!

He who is able to pierce atoms with his arrowheads!

Through you do we create beautiful works!

In your inspiration do we build all that is pleasing to the ear & eye!

Your great sky, filled with light, through you does the sun rise!

Through you do we see light shine through trees!

Leader of the muses, shining bringer of beauty, I call to you!

Be favorable in your wonderful gifts, player of the sacred lute!

Soft lover of Hyacinthus, kind protector against plague!

Lord of the arrow, he who inspires divine oracles!

God of Delphi, slayer of wolves!

Let us sing in earnest for you! Let us witness your halo of light, unable to be dampened!

Grand Lord of the arts!

Grand seer of omens!

[rosary-enthusiast]

O’ Great Bacchus,

Through your blurred eyes do we see the light!

At your feet do great kings fall!

At your whim do great castles become shrouded with ivy!

O’ Lord of wine & revelry,

Be kind to us,

Awesome ram-horned god,

Allow us to witness your unshorn hair, shining like dew after rain!

Speak through us, in your unbridled ecstasy,

you beautiful, ever-young scholar of unknowable pleasures!

Great flesh-eater, rich in vines, boisterous & frenzied!

Androgynous savior, Orphic god!

Blessed be your unending madness!

Blessed be the thrice-born Bacchic Lord!

[rosary-enthusiast]

Details of “Apollo & Dionysus” by Leonid Ilyukhin

In some psychological & artistic disciplines, Apollonian & Dionysian are words used to describe opposite impulses- artistic, controlled, skillful, vs hedonistic, emotional & wild.

However, anyone who knows the details of Apollo & Dionysus’ history knows they are very intertwined. They share a reputation of youth & beauty, & Dionysus was said to take domain over Delphi, Apollo’s most holy site, during the winter months. Art & music are key elements of Dionysus’ worship, representing pleasure & luxury. They’re not even two sides of the same coin, they’re puzzle pieces fitting together side by side.

[rosary-enthusiast]

Hey, I know that it’s incredibly normal to talk shit online, but just remember that behind the screen, the person you’re talking to might take it more seriously than you. If you’re playing some video game, & you tell someone to kill themselves, you don’t know if they’ve tried before. You don’t know if that has now ruined the game for them forever, you don’t know if they’ve been suicidal for weeks, & now they just might have the reason they need to do it. Take your words more seriously, because they matter.

[rosary-enthusiast]

I feel it's important to clarify that miasma isn't something that the everyday person should worry about.

Miasma is not just "pollution," but defilement.

It is something that you incur only when you've acted grossly outside of religious/moral norms, and thus, isn't something that you or I need to remotely fret over as regular-degular worshippers of the theoi.

It is lyma—literally dirt that is washed away with water—that we have to wash away when approaching the gods. Not miasma.

[rosary-enthusiast]

I've always felt a sort of kinship with Hekate followers, because im really interested in the syncretism of Artiemis, Selene, & Hekate. In my opinion, syncretism is one of the most important aspects of Hellenic religion, because it happens so often. Apollo shares myths & aspects with Pan, Helios, Hermes, & Dionysus. Artemis is sometimes indistinguishable from Nyx, Hekate, & Selene. To me, all the gods are related, they are sometimes separate & sometimes whole, they all make up one big force. This is why it's not necessarily a contradiction when their domains blend together, because they are not separate people in the way mortals must be. They are also ideas, metaphors, concepts. They can be lovers but also siblings, & neither at once. That's how nature works sometimes right? Things mesh together in weird ways, they shift & change, everything is one big web. The three headed goddess, she with six hands, she of the moon, the stars, & the torchlight. Whatever name we call her, she is fearsome, & she is beautiful.

[rosary-enthusiast]

Beloved Queen Leto with her children, Artemis & Apollo.

(Latona & Her Children by W.H. Rinehart, Metropolitan Museam, Latona Fountain by André Le Nôtre, Gardens of Versailles)

[rosary-enthusiast]

One of my favorite depictions of Artemis is Artemis of Ephesus, the statue that was once venerated in the Temple of Artemis, an ancient world wonder. It’s a particularly ancient interpretation of Artemis, with several aspects from places outside of Greece, such as Mesopotamia & Persia. Her cult was far reaching, & quite popular, even amongst foreigners.

She’s a very striking figure, with a unique artistic style representing what is usually interpreted as the mother of the forest. The breast-like shapes on her chest are debated. It’s possible that they do indeed represent breasts, but possible interpretations also include severed bull testicles which may have been put on the original statue, which was destroyed in a fire, or a part of her clothes or armor, since they were colored differently to the rest of her skin.

Apart from her beauty, I find her interesting partially because Artemis’ aspect as a mother figure is something easy to forget about, considering her lack of male lovers, & her maidenhood, is a key part of her characterization, especially during the Hellenistic era. However, to me at least, her caring aspects are very important. She is said to care for children, & pregnant mothers, as well as animals & nature. She is a very empathetic goddess, & I feel like her depiction in Ephesus is evidence of that.

[rosary-enthusiast]

O’ Lord Bacchus, I cry out to you!

Though my flesh deceives me, like wine, I intend to change its shape.

Transmute me into the finest of full-bodied men,

God of the phallus, god of the forgotten,

Flesh-eater.

Unshorn god, handsome in your visage, envy of all men,

I ask that you shape me into what fits my spirit.

Born again, revived in your image,

Through you do I know true joy.

Liberator, savior, I call upon you,

Ease the suffering of this falsely born mortal, faithful in you above all things.

[rosary-enthusiast]

This is true! I think we agree generally :] I used the word miasma just because that seems to be the definition that has become popular, it seems like lyma is a less understood concept in the popular idea of Hellenic religion. Which is fair, it can be hard to figure out the separation between the two. I had a hard time researching it, because it seems like even historians have some disagreements on the topic?

What matters is Hellenists don’t believe humans are inherently impure. Or at least that’s what matters to me. Really, that’s the separation between lyma & sin in essence. It’s a very interesting topic.

Sick and tired of this being constantly thrown around to shame people but say it with me now

MIASMA 👏 IS 👏 NOT 👏 THE 👏 HELPOL 👏 EQUIVALENT 👏 OF 👏 SIN 👏

Miasma is a word used to describe rape, murder, evil things we should not do.

Sin is a violation of the Christian god's will.

Sin is not inherently evil because you are born with it and you can be saved. Miasma is inherently evil because it is the religious equivalent of crimes.

I say inherently because yes, some sin is evil, but not all sin is. To say “all” of something, whether in theology or history, is a big big BIG error unless it is quite literally 100%. People seem to have forgotten that too.

Most importantly, a lot of the religious historians we have are Christian and they put their Christian viewpoint on everything. That is why it's so important not to take everything in a resource super literally and to cross reference your sources.

Miasma is not "sin" because you can't compare two concepts that existed centuries apart from each other that may, to your modern eye in a world where christianity is the norm, look similar.

Stop spreading misinformation under the guise of miasma. Most importantly, stop sending asks to tumblr blogs to do your research for you. Google scholar is free. Internet archive is free. Got a question? Research it! Having trouble? Ask people for help! There's nothing wrong with asking someone's opinion on something but to take that person's opinion as law thereafter? Are we forgetting that we're sharing opinions and not facts and that facts need to have sources listed at the end?

The decline of research in pagan spaces and the steady rise of blindly believing what your favourite tumblr blog says is a dangerous fuel to the anti-intellectualism fire that's been burning for a few years now. I'll end this by saying that this post is not targeted, but if you feel targeted, then I think you have a bit of self reflection to do.